Triopia Superintendent Adam Dean was honored by his peers Wednesday in Springfield at a banquet hosted by the Illinois Association of School Administrators.

Dean was chosen as the Two Rivers Region Superintendent of Distinction for 2022. Dean says that he was chosen out of a large region full of great school administrators. He says he’s thankful for the staff, faculty, school board, and students that “make me look good.”

The Two Rivers Region is comprised of Adams, Schuyler, Brown, Cass, Pike, Scott, Morgan, Calhoun and Greene counties. Superintendents of Distinction were selected by peers in their region based on their commitment, dedication, and leadership.

Dean has been in education for 18 years, and has spent the last 3 as superintendent at Triopia. Those nominating Dean noted the district’s ability to stay in-person for learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, the expansion of career-based programs and curriculum during his tenure, and the expansion of technology and learning opportunities of staff.

Dean says he’s proud of the expansion of the CTE programming: “We started a business program here my first year. Recently, we built a greenhouse for our ag students. It’s been really beneficial for them through plant sales and fundraisers. I’m just really happy to bring more opportunities to students.”

Dean was honored with the award on Wednesday in Springfield at a luncheon sponsored by Horace Mann. Dean was one of 21 IASA regional superintendents of distinction that were recognized.

Illinois College has inducted two new members to its Board of Trustees.

Michael Bauersachs of Glen Allen, Virginia was a 1986 graduate of the college and is the co-founder and former president and CEO of Ramaco Resources. He is currently an investor entrepreneur and consultant, primarily working with energy, real estate and mining companies.

Luiz Guimarães of Barrington was a 1991 graduate of Illinois College is currently the North America Director of Services and Innovation with Environmental Resources Management, Incorporated, a company he has worked for the past 15 years where he has expertise in mergers and acquisitions; environmental, social and health impact assessment; enterprise carbon management; and climate governance.

Both men were inducted at the winter meeting held back in February.

The Illinois Department of Public Health received a scathing report from the Illinois Auditor General today for their handling of the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans Home that killed 36 people in late 2020.

In a summary of the report, the audit says that IDPH did not identify and respond to the seriousness of the outbreak until 11 days after the outbreak began, even though the department was receiving almost daily updates about the deteriorating conditions at the veterans home.

The report says that Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff Tony Kolbeck requested on November 9^th, 2020 a site visit from IDPH as well as rapid tests and antibody treatments for residents. According to the Auditor General’s report, IDPH officials did not offer any advice or assistance as to how to slow the spread at the Home, offer to provide additional rapid COVID-19 tests, and were unsure of the availability of the antibody treatments for long-term care settings prior to being requested by the IDVA Chief of Staff.

The report noted that at the time the outbreak occurred when community spread of the virus throughout the state was extremely high.

It also says that onsite testing and results were delayed in getting results, accounting for further spread among staff members and then into the home’s residents.

Upon release of the report, many members of the Illinois GOP have blasted the Pritzker Administration and IDPH for what the Chicago Tribune has characterized as “a massive bureaucratic failure involving the administration’s response to the pandemic and the LaSalle deaths.” The full audit of the incident can be read at this link.

Free Turbo Tax commercials have been everywhere the last few years. Now, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says Intuit, the owners of Turbo Tax, are going to pay $141 million to customers across the country who were deceived or mislead into using the alleged “free” tax-filing service.

Intuit, which offers the TurboTax tax-filing system, will suspend TurboTax’s “free, free, free” ad campaign and pay restitution to nearly 4.4 million taxpayers, according to a press release from Raoul’s office this week.

A Federal Trade Commission investigation was inspired by a 2019 ProPublica report that found the company was using deceptive tactics to steer low-income tax filers away from federally-supported free services which they qualified for and toward its own products.

Here in Illinois, approximately 130,000 people are set to receive a portion of the settlement.

Intuit will provide restitution to consumers who started using the commercial TurboTax Free Edition for tax years 2016 through 2018 and were told that they had to pay to file even though they were eligible for the version of TurboTax offered as part of the IRS Free File program.

Representatives of Intuit said in a blog post on Wednesday that they admitted no wrongdoing, but are simply trying to put the matter in the past.

Consumers are expected to receive a $30 check in the mail for each year they were deceived into paying for filing services with Turbo Tax.

A rural Pittsfield man has been arrested after a sexual assault investigation.

Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood announced the arrest of 18 year old Dylan C. Guthrie today on three charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a family member under the age of 13, and one charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. According to court reports, the incidents occurred on or about April 9^th.

According to the announcement, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department initiated an investigation in rural Pittsfield yesterday. As a result of that investigation, Guthrie was taken into custody by Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies and taken to the Pike County Jail.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office says it received assistance in the investigation from the Illinois Department of Child & Family Services and the Children’s Advocacy Network.

Congresswoman Mary Miller’s re-election bid in the new 15^th District was hit with an investigative report about one of her unpaid volunteer campaign workers yesterday.

KSDK’s 5 on Your Side says that Miller has enlisted the services of Brad Graven of Sullivan.

Graven pleaded guilty to Indecent Solicitation of a Child in 2005 while working as a member of the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office under the late Judy Baar Topinka.

According to an article by the Chicago Tribune, Graven contacted a Villa Park police officer who was posing as a teenage boy in an Internet chat room in June 2003 and then Graven drove from his home in Sullivan to a drugstore parking lot in Villa Grove to engage in sexual activities. Graven was eventually sentenced to 2 years of sex offender probation and 40 days in the DuPage County Jail.

According to KSDK, Graven has actively petitioned for Miller during this primary election season and has had virtually unlimited access to Miller, serving as her personal chauffeur at public events and raised money for her campaign. Miller allegedly trusted Graven with her family vehicle, according to photos, videos, and other documents.

The 57 year old Graven claimed to KSDK by phone that he was an unpaid volunteer on the Miller Re-Election campaign. His LinkedIN account lists his profession as a self-employed political consultant.

Miller is running against five-term 13^th District incumbent Rodney Davis in the Republican primary next month. KSDK obtained a statement from Davis campaign manager Aaron DeGroot challenging the Miller camp to explain her relationship with Graven.

The Miller Campaign has made no public statement on the issue as of press time.

Mother Nature has driven a new event indoors on the Downtown Square tonight in Jacksonville

Julie Rowe of Home Girls says the Central Park Market is still going as planned: “Mother Nature took over. We have moved indoors for the Central Park Market for today. It’s still 4-8PM at 41 South Central Park Plaza, which is the old Woolworth Building right next door to Home Girls.”

Rowe is optimistic the weather will break this evening to allow more people to come out: “All the vendors are still coming. The food trucks are still setting up. It looks like, according to the weatherman this morning, that their might be a break in the rain. It will still be raining but not quite as hard as it is this morning. Hopefully that will happen. It’ll make things a little bit better. The indoor space is great, though. We have some tables set up inside so people can come and sit down and enjoy themselves. Then, all of the downtown businesses are staying open late tonight, until 8PM.”

Rowe says the event will be the first Thursday of the month from now until September.

For more information, email centralparkjaxil@gmail.com or visit the Central Park Market Facebook Page.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit yesterday going after predatory Home Repair scams hit multiple counties.

Raoul filed the lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County against G&M Exterior Pros, Inc. and Illinois Adjustors Corporation as well as their respective owners. The lawsuit alleges the businesses preyed on more than 40 homeowners in several counties across the state.

According to Raoul’s lawsuit, Illinois Adjustors allegedly promised to waive its public adjusting fees for homeowners who agreed to hire G&M to perform roofing repairs after homes were hit with storm damages. Illinois Adjustors would then allegedly act as a middleman between the homeowner and insurance company, receiving claim checks in the company’s name. However, Raoul alleges that once the checks were issued, G&M often failed to begin or complete promised repair work or would perform substandard work. When homeowners attempted to cancel their contracts, G&M often ignored complaints, leaving people with limited options and the fear that Illinois Adjustors would demand payment for the public adjusting fee that was previously waived when the homeowner selected G&M. That fee often equated to over a third of the total insurance proceeds.

Raoul’s lawsuit also alleges that the company failed to provide homeowners information in regards to their cancellation rights.

In the lawsuit, Raoul is seeking restitution for victims, a court-ordered prohibition against both companies and owners from further engaging in similar business practices, and civil penalties for violations of the Consumer Fraud Act.

Consumers who believe they have been the victim of fraud can file a complaint on the Attorney General’s website or by calling the office’s Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-(800) 243-0618.

The first of a quartet of suspects allegedly involved in an armed robbery in Jacksonville from January has pleaded guilty to charges in Morgan County Court on Tuesday afternoon.

41 year old Edith M. Schubert of the 700 block of West Douglas Avenue pleaded guilty to theft over $500, a Class 3 felony. Schubert was one of four suspects wanted by Jacksonville Police in relation to an armed robbery that occurred in a vehicle in the Rolling Acres subdivision on East Morton Avenue on the evening of January 13^th.

Schubert and 38 year old Jonathan P. Parrish were arrested by police detectives on January 24^th and initially charged with aggravated robbery, a Class 1 felony, for their alleged role in the incident.

Schubert was sentenced to 2 years of probation, a $500 fine, plus court costs. She was credited for 86 days served in the Morgan County Jail. She was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the victim.

The Jacksonville Memorial Foundation received their allocation of funds yesterday from the 2021 Memorial Health Championship as part of the Korn Ferry professional golf tour, sponsored by LRS.

Pam Martin, Executive Director of the Jacksonville Memorial Foundation says the funds raised are an annual gift to the foundations that support the Memorial Health system across Central Illinois.

Martin says that the $10,000 allocation will be used to support people in Jacksonville looking for employment: “$50,000 of proceeds from last year’s Memorial Health Championship will be split between the five Memorial affiliate foundations. Our Jacksonville Memorial Foundation accepted $10,000 to fund education grants helping individuals obtain degrees in healthcare. Such grants support the workforce at our local hospital. As the tournament grows, so will the charitable funds to distribute annually between the five Memorial affiliate foundations serving important community health needs.”

Korn Ferry Tour officials announced yesterday the opening of ticket sales for the 2022 Memorial Health Championship scheduled for July 14-17^th at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield. Taylor Moore will defend his title from last year. Moore set a course record in the third round last year with an 11-under 60.

Martin says it’s a great tournament for local golf fans: “It’s exciting for golf enthusiasts in our area to make the short drive to Panther Creek Golf Club in Springfield to watch 156 professional golfers compete for the top of the leader board. As a spectator, you can observe the action up close. There are also opportunities to volunteer and help on the golf course.”

Get more details at memorialhealthchampionship.com.