Jacksonville Main Street had to rearrange some plans on Saturday, but still managed to get a great event together.

Maifest was originally supposed to be hosted on the Downtown Square, but a threat of rain and storms throughout the day had to push things to McClelland Dining Hall on the old MacMurray College campus.

Jacksonville Main Street Executive Director Judy Tighe says that vendors, craft beer lovers, and music lovers all showed up to make the afternoon great: “I’m so grateful that we have the opportunity to work with Mike Hayes and Water’s Edge Winery and McClelland Dining Hall so that this is an option. This a fabulous Plan B. Obviously, with the last few days of weather, everybody knows that Plan B has been a good thing to have. We’re really, really happy with the turnout. We had almost 40 different craft beers to sample. We had plenty of food and music. It turned out to be a good day.”

Tighe says the event also wouldn’t have had such a seamless transition to the indoor venue without the constant support of Main Street’s volunteers. The next Main Street event will be the kick off of the Downtown Concert Series next month with C.J. Ryder and the Past Masters.

University of Illinois-Springfield faculty and administration came to a tentative agreement on a new contract over the weekend, averting a possible strike.

The deal was reached late Saturday afternoon after intense bargaining with a federal mediator on Friday and beginning again on Saturday.

According to the State Journal Register, the new deal would be for 4 years and be retroactive to August 16^th and run through August 2025. Kristi Barnwell, associate professor of history who heads UIS’s United Faculty said to the SJ-R on Saturday that no date has been set for faculty to ratify the contract. No further specifics on the contract have been released, but UIS United Faculty’s Facebook Page says that specifics will be made public once the contract is formally ratified.

Wages had been the major sticking point between the two sides. UIS United Faculty had authorized a strike set to begin this week if no deal had been reached.

In a joint statement released by the administration and UIS United Faculty, the two sides said they looked forward to continuing to work together to fulfill the school’s mission.

Another Central Illinois court has rejected attorney Thomas DeVore’s attempt to block Governor JB Pritzker’s COVID vaccination-or-testing mandates for public employees.

The latest ruling came Thursday in a case filed in Christian County on behalf of 46 employees of the Illinois Department of Corrections from 18 separate facilities who objected to the requirement to show proof of vaccination against the virus or submit to regular testing.

DeVore, who is a Republican candidate for Attorney General, was also attempting to have the case moved to the 5^th Appellate District Court in Sangamon County, but the motion was denied and the Temporary Restraining Order was denied.

Judge Stanley Brandmeyer pointed to recent appellate court decisions that found such rules can be imposed by public employers as a workplace safety measure. DeVore filed an appeal to the decision on Friday.

The trial for a Springfield man accused of carjacking and sexually assaulting an elderly woman near Quincy has been pushed back following a request to review DNA evidence.

The motion to continue the case of 34 year old Bradley Yohn from the May 9^th jury docket in Adams County was approved on Friday by visiting Judge Michael Atterberry, according to WGEM. The approval came at the end of a contentious hearing in which Yohn accused Assistant Public Defender John Citro of ineffective counsel and ended with Yohn walking out of the courtroom.

The meeting began with Yohn telling Atterberry that he would like a new attorney, and the judge told him a different attorney would take time to become familiar with the facts in the case. Yohn walked back the request when he was told it would delay his trial. Yohn also objected to the delay in his case to review the DNA evidence by his own counsel and also requested a change of venue because of the extensive media coverage of his case.

Yohn accused the court of violating his civil rights by not giving him a speedy trial and then walked out of the courtroom.

A status hearing on the case has been set for May 10^th. Yohn remains held at the Adams County Jail on $15 million bond.

The Pike County Board said no to a craft cannabis grow facility this past week.

The Pike Press reports that board members unanimously denied a rezoning request to Ganja Thai LLC for a parcel of land near Martinsburg in order to accommodate an adult use cannabis grow/infusion/transport facility.

Opposition to the rezoning request was numerous at last month’s board meeting when the county board voted to table action after it was determined that rezoning application was incomplete.

According to the Journal Courier more than 50 people were in attendance at the meeting, most in opposition to the facility. Neighbors to the property at 17766 County Highway 11 said they had concerns about light pollution from security cameras and lights, unwanted odors, and heightened traffic in the area.

Pike County board Chairman Jim Sheppard told the Journal Courier that the group is expected to look for a different location in Pike County to build their facility.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of two individuals in drug arrests after traffic stops early this week.

On Monday at 6:38PM, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Milton in reference to a suspicious vehicle. Deputies located the vehicle in Davis Street near Pittsfield Street in Milton and conducted a traffic stop.

Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, 38 year old Dustin L. Henderson of of Louisiana, Missouri was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of drugs, and no valid driver’s license.

A preliminary hearing for Henderson in Pike County Court has been set for May 10^th.

On Tuesday at 4:18PM, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with the Pittsfield Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a maroon 2003 Buick near the intersection of North Monroe Street at East Perry Street in Pittsfield.

Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, 45 year old Tabitha L. Mulford of Nebo was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both were lodged in the Pike County Jail.

Education advocacy groups and the Illinois Federation of Teachers are calling for a major overhaul of state testing of grade school students.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, a report was commissioned and found that major revisions need to be made for state assessments on grades 3-8.

The report was performed by the Center for Assessment starting in December. CFA’s findings showed that there was little support from teachers for a statewide interim assessment system for grades K-8. They also found that any interim tests should be decoupled from accountability measures used to evaluate and rate schools.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers released a list of recommendations for ISBE to improve current state assessments, including the creation of tests that are more authentic and aligned better to curriculum. They also recommended quicker turn time on test scores and better information and explanation of test results for teachers and parents.

The groups also asked ISBE to take a lead role in creating a fair and balanced assessment program as well as the creation of professional development for teachers on how to use testing information for the improvement of classroom instruction.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s assistance on the identification of individuals involved in recent vehicle thefts.

On Thursday, at approximately 7:49 AM, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department was contacted regarding a white, 2018 Ford F-150 Pickup Truck that was stolen from the 1000 block of Decatur Street in Barry. Upon arrival, deputies discovered that suspects also got into another vehicle and rifled through it, along with entering a closed garage, according to a report from Sheriff David Greenwood.

While investigating this theft, deputies came upon a black Honda Sport Utility Vehicle, parked near the Barry swimming pool that came back as being stolen from Hannibal earlier in the morning. During the investigation, deputies were able to discover the location of the F-150 in Hannibal, Missouri.

Pike County Investigators contacted the Hannibal Police Department who went to the location reported and located the F-150. The vehicle was processed by Hannibal Police Department Crime Scene Investigators and returned to its owner.

Greenwood says the investigation is still ongoing with evidence being processed from both crime scenes. Greenwood says that people should be diligent in locking their doors and locking up valuables.

If you have any information regarding these thefts please call the Pike County Sheriff’s Department at 217-285-5011 or you can call the Pike County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 217-285-1500. If your Crime Stoppers tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.

A Meredosia man convicted of first degree murder in January will have to wait until June to hear his sentence.

22 year old Dustin A. Finlaw was in court today for a status hearing on his sentencing in the first degree murder of Robert Utter of Rushville that occurred four years ago in Meredosia.

Recently, re-appointed defense counsel, Morgan County Public Defender Tom Piper told visiting Judge Jack Davis III that Springfield psychiatrist Dr. Terry Killian has been enlisted as a witness for the sentencing hearing.

Killian has asked to review the DVDs show in court during Finlaw’s trial that depicted his questioning before members of the Illinois State Police and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.

Piper also indicated that he may call additional witnesses for testimony prior to the sentencing.

Judge Davis set the next hearing in the case for June 3^rd at 10AM.

Jacksonville will be home to a very unique sport today and tomorrow. The North Central Association of Schools For the Blind Goalball Conference Championship with 10 state schools for the blind and visually impaired will be competing for the top prize at ISD. Mansell says the reason they aren’t holding the event at ISVI is because of the size of the event and the number of teams coming in from several states to play.

ISVI Athletic Director Ken Mansell says the sport got started after World War II to help rehabilitate veterans who had lost their sight during the war. He says it’s transformed into the most popular sport for the blind and visually impaired community across the country: “The game is 3 people are on each side defending the entire court. The net, the goal is approximately the same size as a soccer net but a little longer. The athletes will roll [or throw] a ball, just slightly larger than a basketball down to the other end in hopes of getting past the defender. Unlike in every other sport, where you can whoop and holler and cheer your team on while action is being played, [in goalball] everybody is deathly quiet because the players that are on the court, regardless of their eyesight, they are blindfolded and they have to listen for the ball. The ball has got 3 bells inside. It’s unbelievable to watch these kids communicate with each other so they are not running into one another. There is a lot of different strategies, and what’s really impressive about it is that the players will throw that ball up to 30-35 miles per hour [at the opposing goal].”

Mansell encourages anyone who is even remotely curious to look up a goalball match on YouTube and watch. He says the athleticism by the competitors is absolutely amazing to witness: “Watch a video of a game and you’ll see how tremendous they are. You would swear with their constant focus and concentration that all the athletes have 20-20 eyesight because they can find that ball. Regardless of their eyesight – whether a little bit or totally blind – each player has got a blindfold on and it’s checked by the official of the match.”

Tonight’s games begin at 6PM at ISD, with tomorrow’s competition starting at 8:30AM.