A measure to allow Illinois Department of Children & Family Services frontline workers to carry pepper spray to protect themselves has been signed into law.

Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1486 on Friday. The measure was chiefly sponsored by 50^th District State Senator Steve McClure, who introduced the measure after Deidre Silas was murdered in Thayer while doing a home visit for endangered children in January. Another DCFS worker, Pamela Knight, also died in February 2018 after she sustained injuries in a beating while attempting to take a child into protective custody at a home in Milledgeville.

McClure says this measure will hopefully prevent another death and protect DCFS workers in the line of duty: “This is a significant piece of legislation that I think is going to save somebody’s life at some point. To me, it was incredibly ridiculous that DCFS workers were not allowed to protect themselves with anything. This gives them something to protect themselves with, and adds a training that will be done in consultation with the Illinois State Police as to how to use pepper spray in emergency situations and how to defend themselves in other situations. It’s significant for both of those reasons.”

McClure also co-sponsored an aggravated battery enhanced penalty bill in the Senate this Spring. The bill would have enhanced penalties in the courts if someone were to become violent with a DCFS worker in their official capacity similar to laws that already exists for police, firefighters, and nurses. McClure says it was a draft of a previous bill that had passed in the House a few years ago. However, the current bill passed the Senate this time but not the House. McClure says he will be attempting to bring up the bill again at future General Assembly sessions.

McClure says at least with the pepper spray bill now moving into law, it will give DCFS workers an extra line of defense in the line of duty. McClure says he’s unsure if it would have saved Silas or Knight’s lives in the incidents that took their lives, but he thinks it would have given them more of a chance to defend themselves: “If you look at what happened to Deidre [Silas], who knows if this would have her or not? She would have at least had a better chance with pepper spray against a man who was armed with a knife. A few years ago when Pamela Knight was murdered while she was working for DCFS, she was pushed to the ground and then kicked. Again, pepper spray may have given her a fighting chance to just back the assailant off so she could have escaped. That’s kind of what we are trying to do. We are not just trying to punish people that do bad things. We are also trying to prevent people from getting murdered. That’s why I think my bill is very important. I’m very proud to have gotten it passed.”

The pepper spray bill takes effect immediately.

The Morgan County Commissioners heard about two important dates coming up in June this morning.

Commissioner Chair Brad Zeller says that the beginning of the Arenzville Road rehab project will start within the next two weeks: “Our county engineer [Matt Coultas] informed us that the work on the Arenzville Blacktop would start June 13th. The county board is very anxious to get that work started in hopes that the necessary improvements are made on that road. We hope it will help the travel and safety of that blacktop.”

Zeller says that the other important date for the county is tomorrow with the opening of the Health Department’s new location at the corner of North Clay and East State Street at the former Putnam-Springer Building on the MacMurray College campus: “The health department was closed last week for moving. We have not heard anything from them, so we are hoping that they will be open in their new location tomorrow.”

In other business, the commissioners approved 3 one-day liquor licenses to Hamilton’s Catering for events in June and July.

The second person connected to a murder of a Jacksonville man outside of Indianapolis, Indiana has pleaded guilty to charges in connection to his death.

Morgan County, Indiana Chief Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said in e-mail communication this morning that 26 year old Britney D. Overton of Indianapolis has pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury in connection to the 2019 murder of Alex D. Jackson, formerly of Jacksonville.

Overton testified against 20 year old Justin M. Blake, also of Indianapolis, during his murder trial back in February. Blake was found guilty of murder and robbery by a jury and was sentenced to 61 years in prison.

Jackson’s body was found in a ditch along Mann Road in northern Morgan County, Indiana on September 13^th, 2019 by authorities. Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide after detectives and an autopsy had found he had died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. Overton and Blake were charged almost 2 years later after Blake confessed to the murder to a family member and was later reported to police.

According to WTHR in Indianapolis, in Overton’s testimony at Blake’s trial she said she had been friends with Jackson and had been in a casual sexual relationship with Blake for a short time. According to testimony, Overton said that Blake and Jackson maybe had met once prior to September 8, 2019, which is the date that Jackson was murdered.

Sonnega says that Overton is facing 10-30 years in prison based upon the plea agreement. Sonnega says that the prosecution’s case ran into some tough evidence issues to tie Overton into her role in the murder. Sonnega believes it’s a good agreement based upon what the prosecution would have had to prove at trial.

Overton is due to be sentenced on June 9^th.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control and Canadian health officials are asking you to check your refrigerator for strawberries.

The FDA, CDC, Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are looking into organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB purchased between May 5 and April 25^th that may contain the Hepatitis A virus.

The products were sold at Aldi, Kroger, and Wal-Mart among other retailers throughout the country. Consumers, restaurants and retailers are advised not to sell, serve or eat these strawberries. A total of 17 cases in California, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Canada are currently being investigated.

Anyone unsure of the brand of strawberries they purchased or where they purchased them, should throw their strawberries away.

According to the FDA, symptoms of hepatitis A infection include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, and pale stool. In some instances, particularly in children under the age of six, hepatitis A infection may be asymptomatic. Illness onset is usually between 15-30 days of ingestion of contaminated food.

The FDA says the investigation is ongoing and additional products may be included. The FDA urges you to contact your healthcare provider if you believe you have eaten these strawberries in the last 2 weeks.

Three Republicans have filed a lawsuit against the Illinois State Board of Elections saying the state should not count mail-in ballots that arrive to an election authority after the date of an election.

The suit was filed by 12^th District Congressman Mike Bost, former State Representative candidate Laura Pollastrini from DuPage County, and another former State Representative candidate and GOP Presidential elector in 2020, Susan Sweeney of Park Ridge.

The suit asks a judge to prevent election authorities from counting mail-in ballots that arrive in the days following in-person voting, arguing that a ballot “is not a legal vote unless it is received by Election Day.”

Illinois law directs local election authorities to count ballots postmarked by the date of an election and received within two weeks of the election.

If the lawsuit is found in favor of the GOP members, the strict deadlines could be particularly onerous for members of the military who sometimes have issues with mail collection and distribution, particularly in service overseas.

The nation’s largest rural lifestyle retailer is coming to Cass County.

The Cass County Star Gazette reports that Tractor Supply Company, headquartered in Brentwood, Tennesseee, has announced they are building a new store in Beardstown.

The company purchased property on Illinois Route 125 just east of Wal-Mart from the Colwell Family to build a brand new approximately 15,500 square foot retail space, with the hopes of opening sometime this Fall.

Tractor Supply Company representatives told the Star-Gazette that the new store will provide approximately 15 new jobs, with at least half of those being full-time positions.

A Greenfield man has been sentenced to prison for a rash of crimes back in February.

36 year old Clinton L. Elliott of Greenfield pleaded guilty to a single count of residential burglary on Wednesday in Greene County Court.

Elliott was arrested by Greenfield Police on February 14^th. According to charging documents, Elliott entered a residence in the 500 block of Mulberry in Greenfield and attempted to take in possession a 2008 Buick Sedan. The documents further say that Elliott also tried to set the vehicle on fire and then subsequently also tried to set a 2002 GMC van on fire owned by another resident in the area. Elliott was charged on February 14^th with the original charge plus two counts of arson and a single count of felony theft of property between $500 and $10,000.

Nine days later Elliott was indicted in nearby Jersey County on possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia charges. Elliott is next due in court on the Jersey County charges on June 6^th.

Greene County Circuit Judge Zachary Schmidt sentenced Elliott to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, up to 1 year of Mandatory Supervised Release, court costs, and restitution in the amount of $7,551.38 to the victim. All other charges in Greene County were dropped per the plea. Elliott was credited with 97 days served in the Greene County Jail.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Virginia man on Wednesday for cruel treatment to animals.

According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched on Wednesday evening to an address in Virginia or a report of animal neglect.

According to KHQA, the caller reported a man was using an object to beat a German Shepard outside of his home. Additionally, deputies said they discovered additional evidence that other mistreatment of the dog had happened days before.

Deputies then arrested 24 year old Enrique Rangel of the 200 block of Sylvan Street in Virginia for citations of animal torture and animal cruelty. First offenses for both crimes, according to Illinois law, are misdemeanors unless aggravating factors are seen by the court.

Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn said on the Sheriff’s Department Facebook Page that people who don’t have the means to properly care for their pets should not have one.

Rangel is currently being held without bond at the Morgan County Jail. Charges and a court date have not been set as of Friday morning.