The Greene County Farm Bureau announced today 6 winners of $500 scholarship from the three Greene County High Schools.
The farm bureau says they received an excellent set of applicants this year for the 2022 scholarships.
Winners this year are Wesley Bland from Carrollton High School, Mick Hallock from North Greene High School – and 4 winners from Greenfield High School: Rachel Armold, Joelle Ford, Drew Hallock, and Drake Stuart.
The co-founder of a Quincy-based group known for building tiny homes for veterans has been indicted on charges by an Adams County grand jury.
63 year old Mark Lawrence made his first appearance in Adams County Circuit Court yesterday morning after he was arrested on two theft charges following an indictment by an Adams County grand jury last Thursday. Bond was originally set at $200,000 when Lawrence’s arrest warrant was issued, but has since been lowered. Muddy River News reports that Lawrence was allowed the reduction in bond by the Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office to continue working a job in Missouri.
Lawrence is charged with theft over $100,000, a Class 1 felony punishable for 4 to 15 years in prison, and theft over $10,000, punishable up to 3 to 7 years in prison. According to Muddy River News, Lawrence appeared along side private counsel yesterday morning.
Lawrence and his wife, Chris Lawrence, were the founders of 2x4s for Hope, a local charity which builds homes for homeless and at-risk veterans. However, the organization’s board voted in November to remove Mark Lawrence as president and Chris Lawrence as treasurer, according to WGEM.
The 2x4s for Hope board also filed a civil suit against the Lawrences. Quincy attorney Gerry Timmerwilke filed a temporary restraining order on behalf of the board against the Lawrences to keep the couple away from the charity’s finances and property. Board members and associates removed 2×4s for Hope property — computers, tools, trailers and other construction equipment — from the Lawrences’ premises in Melrose Township, where most of it was stored.
Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha confirmed in November the Illinois State Police was conducting an investigation.
Farha told the court he learned the problem when tools donated to 2×4s for Hope by Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation — a Brookfield, Wis., company which develops, manufactures and markets power tools — began appearing at Jacksonville and Galesburg Warehouse Bargains stores. The tools were meant for use in the construction of houses for veterans.
Farha said Quincy Warehouse Bargains did not make out checks to 2×4s for Hope but to Mark Lawrence, who allegedly did not transfer the funds into the 2x4s for Hope accounts. Farha also said 2×4s for Hope allegedly wrote multiple checks for tens of thousands of dollars to Lawrence Construction, a business owned by Mark Lawrence that ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris Lawrence was not named in the grand jury indictment last week. Mark Lawrence’s arrest came one week after he and his wife filed a counterclaim to the civil lawsuit filed against the couple by 2x4s for Hope board. The Lawrences are claiming the charges against them are false and are claiming defamation and asking for $100,000 in damages for each of the 6 board members.
Lawrence is next due in court on June 1st.
Two car crashes at the same location on Illinois Route 4 in Macoupin County yesterday morning backed up traffic.
Illinois State Police District 18 reports that at approximately 7AM yesterday morning on Illinois Route 4 just north of Meadowlark Lane in Virden, an unnamed vehicle with an unidentified driver was traveling south on Illinois Route 4 just north of Bob-O-Link Street in Virden. A second and third vehicle were stopped in the southbound lane waiting for a vehicle to make a left hand turn. The first vehicle failed to stop in time and struck the third vehicle in the rear, causing a chain reaction.
No injuries were reported in this initial crash.
A short time later, a vehicle was traveling northbound on Illinois Route 4 north of Meadowlark Lane in Virden and had stopped due to the previous crash in the southbound lanes. A second vehicle in the northbound lanes lost control on the wet pavement and went sideways, striking the vehicle in the northbound lane in the rear. The driver of the vehicle that had slipped sideways was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the unit struck in the rear did not report any injuries.
ISP District 18 has released no further information on the vehicles or the drivers at this time.
A Winchester business owner will lead the Pike County CEO program during the next school year.
Colin Kuchy will serve as the program’s facilitator beginning this Fall. Kuchy owns and operates Winchester’s Rural Cyclery with his wife Jackie.
Kuchy told the Pike Press that he’s seen the effects of the Scott-Morgan CEO program and what it means to the community. The Pike CEO Program is an entrepreneurial leadership program for Pike County high school students who wish to start businesses or contribute to the overall economic development in the Pike County Community.
Kuchy previously worked in sales for Westermeyer Industries in Bluffs and is a former territory manager for Trek Bicycles. Kuchy owns a master’s degree in business from Webster University.
According to the Pike Press, Kuchy replaces Brandon Moore who had served as facilitator of the program for the past 6 years.
The MacMurray College Foundation & Alumni Association has announced that 37 individuals have been named MacMurray Scholars. The number is an increase by 4 from the previous year.
The students will receive awards between $1,000 – $3,000 towards their college education. The $3,000 award amount is an increase, as well. In keeping with MacMurray College’s commitment to academic excellence, scholarships are based on academic performance. MacMurray Foundation Chair David Ekin said in a press release that most of the 37 individuals have a direct connection to MacMurray College, with 14 of the recipients being former students of MacMurray when it closed in May 2020.
Of the remaining recipients, one is an alumnus, 15 were children of alumni, 6 whose grandparents were graduates of MacMurray and 2 had other relatives who were MacMurray graduates.
Chair of the Scholarship Committee Sandy Watson says that the foundation was glad that they could increase the number of scholarship recipients and award amount compared to their first year.
Names of the recipients will be released at a future date once information is finalized. The Foundation is now gearing up for the College’s first reunion coming up June 17th-19th with a number of activities scheduled throughout that weekend.
Illinois College alum Dylan Dudley has been named the new head basketball coach at Alton High School.
Dudley, a Sullivan High School graduate, played basketball at Illinois College before moving on to the coaching ranks at the college level. Dudley was part of the Blue Boys first ever Midwest Conference Championship teams. He is one of 24 players in program history to score over 1,000 career points. He graduated from Illinois College this a bachelor’s degree in sports management and health in 2005.
Dudley returned to his high school alma mater after graduation and was an assistant coach at Sullivan High School before becoming head coach at Westminster College in Missouri. Dudley also served as Head Men’s Golf Coach from 2006-2008 at Westminster College.
From there, he had stints as an assistant coach at Drury University, Central Missouri University, University of Tennessee–Martin, Henderson State University, and Midwestern State University. While at Drury and Central Missouri, Dudley was a part of programs that won the NCAA Division II Men’s National Basketball Championships.
According to Riverbender, Dudley was the head boys basketball coach at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas, where he led his squad to a 23-win mark this past season. Dudley is replacing Eric McCrary who recently stepped down as head coach at Alton High after one year.
Dudley will teach this fall at Alton High School and will also be the head boys’ golf coach.
A Carrollton man pleaded guilty to a sex crime in Greene County Court on Monday.
51 year old Eddie L. Swan of Carrollton pleaded guilty to one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a victim under the age of 18.
Swan was arrested by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies on May 15, 2020. According to the original criminal information filed on May 19, 2020 in Greene County Court, Swan knowingly committed an act of sexual conduct with a family member under the age of 18 by touching the minor victim’s sex organs.
The abuse is alleged to have taken place between April 2018 through April 2020. Three other counts of aggravated sexual abuse were dropped per the plea agreement.
Swan was sentenced to 4 years of probation, 180 days of local incarceration to be served as work release, according to Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe. The probation comes with special terms.
Swan must comply with recommended treatment of sex offender evaluation, including but not limited to counseling, and random checks of his phone, computer, and other electronic devices; and that he obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment.
Swan must also register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
Ameren-Illinois President and Chairman Richard Mark announced yesterday he would retire. Mark says his intentions are to retire on August 1st. Ameren’s remaining board members say upon reaching a final decision, they will announce Mark’s successor. Mark has spent the last 20 years in the energy sector and over 45 years in business and civic leadership.
Mark was promoted to president of Ameren Illinois in 2012 after 10 years in executive leadership for Ameren Missouri. Mark has been credited with increasing Ameren Illinois’ corporate philanthropy efforts and has directed more than $22 million in donations to Downstate Illinois non-profits and service organizations and stepped up the company’s volunteer efforts for charitable causes.
Mark opened doors for more minorities to grow into leadership positions in Ameren Illinois and increased the value of goods and services purchased from minority- and women-owned suppliers by 34% over the last decade.
Prior to joining Ameren, Mark spent 11 years in hospital administration, including six years as president and chief executive officer of St. Mary’s Hospital in East St. Louis and five years as chief operating officer. He also led the East St. Louis District 189 Financial Oversight Panel.
Mark has received three honorary doctorate degrees for his civic and community work, along with hundreds of community service and leadership awards. Later this month, he will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Boy Scouts of America. He has been recognized by Black Enterprise and Savoy magazines as one of the top 100 most influential black businessmen in America. He received the Senator Richard H. Newhouse Award from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and a Leadership Award from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.
Mark serves on multiple boards of directors, including Tenet Healthcare Corporation, Madison Mutual Insurance Company, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, and Fontbonne University; and he is chairman of the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois. He is a founding director of the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council and serves on the board of directors of the American Gas Association.
Mark said in a press release that leading Ameren Illinois has been a privilege and he foresees better things ahead for Ameren.
Jacksonville Police are investigating several complaints of car windows being damaged throughout the city last night.
The first report came at 9:30PM from the 700 block of West Beecher Avenue. The complainant advised police that someone had thrown a rock shattering their back window in their car within the last half hour.
A second report came into dispatch at 11:13PM from the 1200 block of Lincoln Avenue, with the complainant reporting someone had damaged the back window to their vehicle.
A third report came in shortly after midnight from the Turner Hi-Rise parking lot in the 800 block of Hoagland Boulevard. The complainant said they had gone outside and found their windows of their vehicle had been damaged.
A final report came in at 2:39 this morning, with the caller saying that someone had damaged a window to their vehicle within the last ten minutes in the 700 block of North East Street.
If you have any information about these incidents, please call the Jacksonville Police Department at 217-479-4630 or leave an anonymous tip with the Morgan-Scott-Cass Crime Stoppers at 217-243-7300.
A national bill championed by Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth has been signed into law.
Yesterday, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan legislation banning the sale of padded crib bumpers.
The Safe Cribs Act, which was included in the legislation also banning dangerous inclined sleeper products, would make it unlawful nationwide to manufacture and import crib bumpers, which remain widely sold by retailers despite current recommendations advising parents to keep cribs bare to prevent sudden infant death syndrome.
According to a press release from Duckworth’s office, since 1985, crib bumpers have accounted for more than a dozen infant deaths and more than 100 serious injuries.
The legislation would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to enforce a ban on padded crib bumpers nationwide and immediately have them taken off shelves around the country.
Duckworth says that it eliminates confusion for new parents who see the products on shelves and believe them to be harmless products despite being otherwise.
Duckworth notably became the first sitting U.S. Senator to give birth to a child while in office in 2018. She has since championed several laws aimed at helping young parents, mothers, and infants during her tenure in office.
