The Rotary Club of Jacksonville opens its 2022 summer schedule for for the Big Eli Ferris Wheel rides today in Community Park.

Chair of the Ferris Wheel Committee Gina Hayes says that with the support of local companies and organizations, the Rotary provides free rides to the community each summer on Sundays. Beginning today, the wheel will operate each Sunday in Community Park, weather permitting, through September 29th from 4-6PM. Each weekend is sponsored by a different local business or entity to keep the rides free to the public.

The Big Eli season officially ends on Halloween Night with the “Halloween Squeal at the Wheel” event from 5-8PM. Hayes says the Halloween event is one of the Rotary’s most favorite events of the year to put on, as members dress up in costume and the lights are shut off on Big Eli. She says it’s a fun time and the special event is always well attended.

Hayes says this year’s schedule has a couple of new additions. Food from Mel’s Snack Shack & Concessions will be available on most of the Sundays. The shack will have many of your carnival concession favorites.

Hayes says the other new addition this year are Sensory Days on the third Sunday of each month during the Big Eli schedule. She says these special days are dedicated towards children and families who have family members who have sensory concerns. On these Sundays from 3-4PM, there will be no music playing and additional time will be provided for individuals who want to ride and get off of Big Eli. Hayes its a way for the wheel events to include more members of the community.

Hayes says that Big Eli is also available for private parties and corporate events. She says that the wheel has been a part of several birthday parties and even a surprise engagement. The rental fee for non-profit organizations and churches is $100 per 2-hour rental. For-profit entities and individuals the cost is $200 per 2-hour rental or $125 per one-hour rental.

To rent the wheel or inquire about becoming a sponsor for next year’s season, call Gina Hayes at 618-946-3773.

An overnight fire in Beardstown has been ruled suspicious by authorities.

At 12:01AM, the Beardstown Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire n the 1400 block of East 6th street. According to a report on the Beardstown Fire Department’s Facebook Page, the unoccupied single-story structure was fully involved upon arrival. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames and perform overhaul operations.

Fire officials say due to the nature and circumstances of the fire, which were not elaborated upon in the post, that the fire is being investigated by the Beardstown Fire Department and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall.

The Beardstown Fire Department was assisted by Beardstown Ambulance, Beardstown Police, and the Cass County Sheriff’s Department. Arenzville Fire stood by for mutual aid coverage.

If you have any information about this incident, please submit an anonymous tip online at morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com. Click on the “tip submit” link on the home page. You may also call Crime Stopper anonymously at 217-243-7300. Tips may also be submitted by texting to the number 274637 (CRIMES). The first word of the text tip must be “payout.”

A Scott County man has drowned in a rural Pike County pond.

Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood reports that at 12:37PM this afternoon, Pike County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a rural pond in Fairmont Township in Pike County for an alleged drowning.

Deputies and rescue personnel arrived on scene and were able to locate and retrieve a man from the pond. A 79-year old Scott County man was later pronounced deceased at the scene by the Pike County Coroner’s Office. The identity of the decedent is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Greenwood says an investigation is currently active and ongoing.

Rescue teams from the East Pike Fire Department, Baylis Fire Department, and the Griggsville Fire Department assisted at the scene. Greenwood says that the performance by the individuals into situations like these are exceptional and instrumental for the community.

Several law enforcement agencies across Central Illinois were activated yesterday to an alert of a possible threat at two State Prisons.

Illinois State Police officials say that at approximately 12:50PM, ISP District 9 Troopers along with local SWAT Teams, Taylorville Police, and Christian County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Taylorville Correctional Center after a threat was phoned in to the facility. ISP says there were no active incidents at the facility, and no one has been injured.

During the course of their investigation into the Taylorville threat, Illinois State Police say that they were made aware of a second threat phoned into the Jacksonville Correctional Center a short time after the Taylorville threat was called in.

ISP says the subject who was responsible for both threats was identified and taken into custody. The identity of the suspect has not been released. ISP says that the investigation remains open and active and no further information would be released at this time.

A White Hall man was taken to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital after his bike crashed into a car on West Morton Avenue.

Jacksonville Police were called to a Car versus Motorcycle crash in the 800 block of West Morton Avenue at 10:30PM Friday.

Upon arrival and after an investigation, police determined that a white car driven by 23 year old Mary T. Hall of Winchester was traveling eastbound on West Morton Avenue approaching Tendick Street. A black motorcycle driven by 29 year old Joseph M. VanMeter of White Hall was in the turn lane on West Morton Avenue and began turning south onto Tendick Street. VanMeter’s motorcycle is reported to have traveled in front of Hall’s car causing the motorcycle to collide with the front driver’s side portion of the car.

Both vehicles sustained over $1,500 worth of damage. VanMeter’s motorcycle was towed from the scene.

VanMeter was transported from the scene by LifeStar EMS to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital for facial injuries. According to a police report, VanMeter was later cited for failure to yield while turning left.

A vacant house in Jacksonville’s northeast end burned early this morning.

Jacksonville Police, Jacksonville Fire, and South Jacksonville Fire were dispatched to a structure fire at 310 Sherman Street at 1:04 this morning.

Upon arrival, fire officials say in a report that the southeast corner windows showed fire on the one-story structure.

Fire officials say that the front and back doors to the vacant home were locked and all of the windows had been boarded up with OSB plywood. Jacksonville Fire and South Jacksonville Fire extinguished the fire within a short amount of time.

A search of the structure was completed but no one was located.

Officials say that power and gas were turned off at the house. Ameren-Illinois arrived shortly after the fire was extinguished and disconnected the electrical drop to the home and pulled the meter.

Officials believe that the fire was started at the southeast corner near one of the windows of the home.

Jacksonville Police questioned neighbors asking for information about anyone entering or leaving the premises and requested any video footage from surveillance cameras. No footage or information turned up any further suspects or possibilities, according to a report.

Fire officials were on scene until approximately 2:44AM.

Jacksonville Police say if anyone has information about this fire or any other suspicious fires that have recently occurred in the city’s northeast end to call Jacksonville Police Investigations at 217-479-4630.

The Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation gave away $10,000 and several other prizes all to Jacksonville residents last night.

Amy Albers, Executive Director of the Foundation, announced the winner of the grand prize a little after 8 o’clock last night in between a break in the music at the Downtown Concert from CJ Ryder & the Past Masters. Two students from Eisenhower Elementary School drew the winners.

The winners were:
3 Month Club Car Wash Membership – Sandy Lonergan, Jacksonville
$250 winner – Neil Maul, Jacksonville
$250 winner – Pat Bone, Jacksonville
$250 winner – Brenda Boyd, Jacksonville
$250 winner – Mickey Wood, Jacksonville
$500 winner – Dave Meyer, Jacksonville
$500 winner – Barbara Suelter, Jacksonville
$500 County Market Gift Card – Bill Blue, Jacksonville
$500 winner – Bob McBride, Jacksonville
$1,000 winner – Lauren Noll, Jacksonville
$10,000 winner – Larry Evans, Jacksonville

Evans purchased his ticket last night prior to the drawing. Albers says selling tickets the night of the drawing is common each year: “We think we sold about 3,000 tickets total. We sold quite a few tonight. We sold the grand prize winner to Larry Evans tonight. That’s always fun to have people buy them the night of the event. We usually have tickets left. This is usually about what we sell every year. It’s a great fundraiser for the Foundation.”

Albers says the Foundation uses the money for all kinds of projects and needs in Jacksonville School District 117 from helping needy students to school supplies: “It’s really across the board on what we help with. Whatever needs to be met, we try to help.”

Albers says it’s the first time in the drawing’s history that all of the winners came from Jacksonville. She says the foundation sells tickets to the drawing all around the country.

West Central Illinois will be well represented at the Miss Illinois and Miss Illinois’ Outstanding Teen pageant next week.

23 year old Juliana Fray of Pittsfield won the title of Miss Quincy in January. Fray is working towards her master’s degree in political campaigning at the University of Florida. Fray graduated from the University of Tampa in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

25 year old Darlene Steinkamp of Chatham won Miss Capital City last October. Steinkamp is a registered nurse in the trauma-burn ICU at Springfield Memorial Hospital. She is currently using her platform to talk about the stigmas of mental health. She will be a guest on AM1180 WLDS’s What’s On Your Mind? Program next week.

The winner of the Miss Illinois Pageant will be announced the evening of Saturday, June 11th. Miss Illinois 2022 will make appearances throughout the state, serve as an advocate for her social impact initiative, and compete for the title of Miss America.

16 year old Alli Peterson of Winchester won Miss Teen Quincy back in January, as well. Peterson will be a junior at Winchester High School this Fall.

The winner of Miss Illinois’ Outstanding Teen will be chosen the evening of Friday, June 10. She will go on to compete for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen on Aug. 10-12, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.

Crimestoppers of Morgan, Scott, and Cass Counties are requesting information to assist the Jacksonville Police of a Hit & Run Crash with injuries.

Yesterday at approximately 7:13PM, a motorcyclist was struck and injured traveling northbound on North Main Street near the intersection of Dunlap Street. The motorcycle was struck by an early 2000s model Gray or Light Blue Dodge Intrepid that was traveling eastbound on Dunlap Street. Witnesses on the scene described the driver of the Dodge as a white male with long brown hair, possibly in his late teens or early 20s.

The motorcycle sustained major damage, and the driver, a 71-year old male, sustained minor injuries.

Jacksonville Police are asking for anyone with further information to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 217-245-7300 or leave a tip online at morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com. Click on the Leave a Tip button on the homepage. Tips may also be submitted by texting 274637, with the first word of the text tip being ‘payout.’

If your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.