The Village of Bluffs has installed a new village clerk.

The Scott County Times reports that Chrissy Willis was sworn in at the village board meeting on June 1^st. Willis takes the place of Terri Kunkel who retired last month after 9 years.

In a corresponding move, the village board also passed an ordinance easing residency requirements for the village clerk and village treasurer position.

The ordinance allows the village president and village board to seek candidates for both offices beyond the corporate limits of the village to fill the positions when they become vacated.

A post on the Village’s Facebook page on June 2^nd says the treasurer’s position remains vacant. Long-time Treasurer Sharon Evans retired last month after 46 years in the position. The Village Board of Trustees is expected to vote on a potential new treasurer at their July 6th meeting. Applications for the position can be picked up at Bluffs City Hall. For more information, call 217-754-3033.

The Scott County Times also reports that the village is currently in the process of filling out its final loan papers and issuing bonds for the new village water tower. The report says that the interest rate on the loan dropped by 17 points to .83 percent, resulting in savings. Leander Construction of Canton received the bid on the project and is expected to begin construction in August.

Beardstown City Hall will have new hours of operation beginning next month.

Business hours will be 8:30AM to 4:30PM on weekdays. It will shorten the current hours of 8AM-5PM.

Beardstown City Hall is located at 105 West 3^rd Street. For more information call 217-323-3110.

Freshman Congresswoman Mary Miller has been hit with an ethics complaint just weeks before the state’s primary.

According to the Washington Examiner, Decatur lawyer Jerrold Stocks sent a letter to House Ethics Committee leadership saying that Miller used House floor footage and House resources to hit her primary opponent Congressman Rodney Davis accusing him of being Republican in name only. Stocks wrote that in addition to being a possible ethics breach, she used House resources to “cartoonishly” try “to distort Congressman Davis’ record.”

“Representative Miller’s misuse of footage from the House floor is no mere innocuous slip. Her actions might be understandable if she were, for example, using footage of herself in some positive manner. However, Representative Miller has not only flouted House Rules, she has done so to disingenuously attack a fellow Member,” the letter obtained by the Washington Examiner reads. “Her debasement of the House chamber and abuse of the public trust should not be tolerated,” it continues. “I respectfully request that the Committee on Ethics immediately open an investigation into Representative Miller’s clear violation of House Rules.”

Stocks is a long-time supporter of Davis. In 2016, Stocks along with members of Davis’ staff filed objections to Dr. David Gill’s petitions to be an independent candidate to run against Davis and Democrat Mark Wicklund in the 13^th Congressional District. The U.S. Court of Appeals eventually kept Gill off the ballot for not meeting the state’s petition signature threshold.

Miller’s commercial footage in question depicts Davis shaking the hand of former President Barrack Obama on the floor at a State of the Union address and then used House voting records describing Davis of being a RINO and supporting “red flag” gun laws.

Congressional rules prohibit using House floor footage for political purposes. Punishment for a founded ethics complaint may include a fine or censure by the House of Representatives.

Isaiah Wartman, Miller’s campaign spokesman, issued a statement to the Washington Examiner that did not address the ethics violation directly but instead touted her connections to former President Donald Trump and the NRA: “Downstate Illinois is uniting behind Trump-endorsed Mary Miller because she is the America First candidate who will always support the Second Amendment, and Mary Miller is the candidate with the A rating from the NRA and Gun Owners of America.”

Miller’s campaign has refused to acknowledge or even turn down at least 2 requests from WLDS News for an interview.

Davis campaign spokesperson Aaron DeGroot lambasted Miller’s campaign in a press release Monday morning and has accused the Congresswoman of hiding from local media: “It’s no surprise that Mary Miller’s false ads against Rodney Davis have landed her an ethics investigation. Whether it’s having a convicted child sex predator serving as her campaign driver, being repeatedly fined for not paying taxes, or hiding from the local media in her basement just like Joe Biden, Miller’s personal and political habits are not on the up and up. Miller should take down her false ad and come clean to voters about her shady record.”

Miller and Davis are locked in a heated battle for the Republican nomination for the newly drawn 15th Congressional District. The Illinois Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 28th.

A former Jacksonville resident has been arrested for armed robbery in Christian County.

According to WCIA, on June 5^th, Pana Police responded to Lake Lawn Inn and learned someone had been held up by two male suspects armed with guns. The suspects took the victim’s money, cell phone and car keys before leaving.

During their investigation, officers learned that a woman was with the victim prior to the robbery and left with the suspects in a car. Investigators later identified the woman as 22 year old Samantha Olivio of Taylorville and one of the armed suspects as 30 year old Cody R. Eller of Jacksonville. Arrest warrants for Olivio and Eller were issued as a result.

Olivio and Eller were located in Virden on June 8^th and arrested by U.S. Marshals. Eller has been charged with armed robbery with a firearm, and Olivio was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery. According to the Taylorville Daily News, the second unidentified male involved is allegedly from Springfield and charges are pending.

The case remains under investigation by the Pana Police Department with assistance from the Central Illinois Enforcement Group and the Christian County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Eller and Olivio have been transferred to the Christian County Jail. Eller was arrested on May 2^nd by Jacksonville Police for unlawful possession of another person’s debit/credit card after he allegedly made unauthorized transactions on March 12^th. He is due in Morgan County Court tomorrow.

Arraignment for Olivio in Christian County Court has been set for July 1^st.

A local competitor made it to the Top 5 of the Miss Illinois Pageant over the weekend.

Juliana Fray of Pittsfield received 4th Runner-Up in the competition. Fray represented West Central Illinois as Miss Quincy.

Winner of Miss Illinois was Miss Windy City, Monica Nia Jones.

The Macoupin County Health Department is notifying the public of the first positive identification of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in the area.

Two mosquito pool surveillance sites in Carlinville and Staunton have tested positive for the virus yesterday.

The Macoupin County Health Department says it will continue to conduct surveillance and testing mosquito pools from across the county. They say they will also conduct mosquito abatement to help control mosquito populations in the county.

For additional information, contact Derrek Tiburzi at 217-839-4111.

A juvenile arrested overnight for brandishing a weapon at someone during a domestic disturbance has been cited for additional charges.

According to a press release from the Jacksonville Police Department, the 15 year old male juvenile arrested for aggravated assault in the 600 block of Jordan Street last night after a witness reported the suspect pointed a weapon at them during an argument has also been cited for aggravated discharge of a firearm.

The charge is in relation to a shooting that occurred on the morning of May 28^th in the 200 block of East Wolcott Street. The East Wolcott shooting resulted in an unidentified 19 year old male being struck by a bullet. The victim was later taken to a Springfield trauma center for treatment.

Both incidents remain under investigation. Anyone with information, regarding these cases, is encouraged to contact the Jacksonville Police Department (217) 479-4630 or the Morgan-Scott-Cass Crimestoppers at (217) 243-7300.

The Kiwanis Take Me Fishing event is going on this morning from 9-11AM at Morgan Lake in Nichols Park.

The event is free for children ages 3-15. Awards will be given away to the top 3 anglers in 4 age groups. Winners will be determined by the total number of inches caught.

There is no entry fee. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All participants will receive a gift.

Kiwanians will be on site to support and help all anglers with fishing poles and equipment if needed.

Check in will be at the restroom building behind the playground near Morgan Lake. A photo booth will be available so bring a camera.

Three people were arrested at a residence overnight after an individual allegedly brandished a handgun during an argument.

Jacksonville Police were called about a subject pointing a handgun at someone at a residence in the 600 block of Jordan Street at 11:57 last night. Upon arrival, police learned that a 15 year old male juvenile had pointed a handgun at a female complainant during a verbal altercation. The juvenile was cited for aggravated assault and was taken to the Morgan County Jail.

Also arrested in the incident were 18 year old Romerakis J. Jackson of the first block of Sunset Drive and 31 year old Talisa R. Bowen of the 600 block of North West Street for resisting a peace officer. Bowen and Jackson were allegedly interfering with an active investigation into the aggravated assault incident, according to police reports. Both allegedly refused to leave the scene and attempted to pull away from officers while being placed into handcuffs.

Bowen and Jackson have posted bond and been released from the Morgan County Jail.

The Franklin, Waverly, and Woodson Fire Departments were called to a structure fire yesterday afternoon in Franklin.

According to dispatch reports, the initial call came in to West Central Illinois Dispatch at approximately 2:42PM yesterday about a structure on fire at 467 Harts Prairie Road. Franklin Fire immediately responded with mutual aid requested from Waverly and Woodson.

Determination of the fire’s cause and origin are still being investigated this morning. No other information is currently available. According to pictures posted on the Franklin Fire Department’s Facebook Page, the fire appears to have started at the rear of a double-wide trailer.

Also responding to the scene was the Waverly Police Department and Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.