Pike County residents may soon have an option to see expanded broadband capability.

The Journal Courier reports that Illinois Electric Cooperative has chosen telecommunications company Ericsson through its partnership with XtremeLTE to expand broadband and 5G Radio Access Network availability in Pike County.

The partnership is due in part to the FCC’s second phase of Connect America funding. Matt Haverfield, network operations manager for Illinois Electric Cooperative told the Journal Courier that it’s an effort to bring expanded connectivity and coverage, especially to the most rural parts of the county.

IEC currently offers rural Internet services in Morgan, Scott, Greene, Pike, and Calhoun counties.

The battle for the new 15^th Congressional district between two Republican incumbents is turning bitter.

On Thursday, the Rodney Davis campaign released a slough of public records about Mary Miller’s business practices.

The Davis campaign revealed that Miller’s farm, which she shares with her husband State Representative Chris Miller in Oakland, is incorporated in the State of Delaware, which the Davis campaign classifies as a tax shelter.

According to the public records release, the Davis Campaign says that the State of Illinois and Coles County have both levied fines, penalties, and liens against Mary Miller’s farming operations for failing to pay business taxes and property taxes and make unemployment insurance contributions. According to the records release, Miller even had her business license revoked by the Illinois Secretary of State for failure to pay taxes in 2019.

The Miller campaign hit back with an ad questioning Davis’ loyalty to former Republican President Donald Trump and the Republican Party by accusing Davis of supporting Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney and Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The video also claims that Davis supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Miller also calls Davis a RINO, the acronym meaning Republican In Name Only.

On Monday, Miller had hit the Davis campaign with a Bloomington Pantagraph article about his alleged support of a “red flag” law for gun owners. On March 21st, Miller received endorsement from Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz for her campaign. Miller has also received endorsement from embattled Trump advisor Mark Meadows in recent weeks.

Either way, the race to November and the General Election will see the winner of the primary face off against Quincy Democrat Paul J. Lange to return to Congress.

The Richard Irvin gubernatorial campaign is acknowledging a mailer blasting Republican rival State Senator Darren Bailey violated state election code.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the mailer failed to disclose in the fine print who paid for them to be sent out throughout the state. The mailers landed in Jacksonville mailboxes late last week.

The Tribune obtained a letter sent to the State Board of Elections on Sunday by Irvin’s campaign attorney, John Fogarty, that acknowledged the violation and blamed it on the printer who sent the mailing. Fogarty’s letter says the placement of the postal permit used on the piece covered up the required disclosure. Fogarty says in the letter that the campaign was informing the elections board “immediately” of the violation and said that a new version of the mailer with the legally required disclosure would be sent to voters at some point this week.

The mailer features Bailey between photos of President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama with the headline: “Bailey breaks with Trump.” It goes on to quote Bailey from a campaign event discussing his decision to pull a Democratic ballot in 2008.

In reaction to Irvin’s mailer, Bailey’s campaign retweeted a tweet from David Smith, executive director of the evangelical conservative Illinois Family Institute accusing Irvin of “lying like a rug.”

The Tribune reports says the State Board of Elections says a public complaint filing alleging a violation of the state election code would be required for the board to consider any action against the Irvin Campaign

The Greenfield community is coming together after a recent tragedy took the life of a child.

11-month old Danika Alderfer tragically perished in a structure fire on Thursday. Danika is the daughter of Greenfield Police Officer Nate Alderfer and Greenfield Alderwoman Kari Alderfer.

In an effort to show community support for the family and raise awareness about fire prevention, members of the community are selling pink porch light bulbs for $20 each.

Starting on what would have been Danika’s first birthday on April 16th, the group selling the light bulbs is asking those who purchase the light bulbs to light up the night in support of the family and to show their support.

100% of the proceeds are going towards starting the Danika Alderfer Fire Prevention & Protection Program for local school age children.

The group is looking to sell 1,000 light bulbs in order to raise $20,000 to kick start the program. Pick up of light bulbs will be available in Carrollton and Greenfield. Delivery and installation options are also available.

For more information, contact Morgan Vinyard or Morgan Coffey from Greenfield on Facebook Messenger.

A former Jacksonville City Attorney and Winchester Grade School Teacher who became one of Downstate Illinois’ most well-known lawmakers in the late 1970s has died. Jim Reilly was 77.

Reilly grew up in Springfield, graduating from Springfield High School. He moved to Jacksonville in 1962 and graduated from Illinois College in 1967. From there, he would go on to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School in 1972. Reilly would return to Jacksonville and become the City Attorney in the 1970s. During this time, Reilly also worked as an aide to Chicago Republican State Representative George Burditt and taught at Winchester Grade School for 2 years.

In 1976, Reilly was elected to the Illinois General Assembly as one of 3 representatives from the then 49th District. According to several sources, it was during this time that Reilly started his close political relationship with Jim Edgar.

In 1983, Governor Jim Thompson selected Reilly to serve as his Chief of Staff, a position he retained through 1989. Reilly returned to the post for his old friend Jim Edgar in his re-election bid in 1994. According to the Chicago Tribune, Reilly was one of Edgar’s trusted advisors during his recovery from emergency quadruple-bypass heart surgery that year.

Reilly is also largely regarded as one of the driving forces in creating Navy Pier in Chicago the tourist attraction it is today. He was also a part of several civic boards, even heading the City of Chicago’s convention and tourism bureau for a time.

Reilly is survived by his wife of 30 years, Veronica Lynch.

Greene County Circuit Court sentenced an Eldred man last Monday who escaped a sheriff’s deputy’s vehicle during an arrest in 2020.

31 year old William W. Carey pleaded guilty to felony escape from an incident in September 2021. Carey was initially arrested 18 months prior to the plea on a battery charge. According to a Journal Courier article at the time, while being detained in the deputy’s vehicle, Carey managed to climb out of a window and escaped. He tripped and fell during the escape, breaking his collarbone, eventually leading him to call an ambulance. Sheriff’s Deputies arrived to his location first; had him treated for his injuries, and then took him back into custody.

While awaiting sentencing in the case, Carey was arrested by McDonough County Sheriff’s Deputies on new charges and a Brown County warrant for cyber-stalking after he allegedly sent photos of his genitalia to a woman via Facebook Messenger. The Brown County charges were dropped in October, after the stalking victim suddenly passed away.

Carey was sentenced in Greene County Court to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections last Monday and up to 1 year of Mandatory Supervised Release. He was also assessed court fees and costs.

Carey was remanded back to the custody of the McDonough County Sheriff’s Department. He awaits sentencing on felony obstruction, possession of methamphetamine, and resisting a peace officer charges stemming from a different September 2020 arrest in La Harpe.

Five days remain in the Illinois legislative session.

The session ends on Friday due to the June 28th primary election.

The state’s budget remains on the slate for the General Assembly to vote on and pass before they recess. 50th District State Senator Steve McClure said on Friday he and has fellow members of the Senate Republican caucus will be watching for any expansions or creation of new programs by Governor J.B. Pritzker and state Democrats: “Right now, we have a lot of federal money. We call them Biden bucks…Joe Biden bucks, where there is lots of money going out, which by the way has caused inflation to skyrocket right now, but it’s out there. We have got a ton of money from the federal government. So what we are trying to do is be very resourceful with what we have and not go into these areas where we are going to be in massive debt in a few years because of the fact of these new or expanded programs. I think what we are looking at in these negotiations whenever we see these original…whenever they come up with the actual language in the bills… We are looking for these programs and how much they are going to cost us, and whether or not we are going to be able to afford them into the next fiscal year.”

McClure says that the GOP will also be keeping an eye on any new crime and public safety legislation introduced by Democrats over the next few days. McClure says he’s especially concerned with portions of the recently passed SAFE-T Act, with several provisions slated to begin in January: “One of the things that the governor talked about was trying to give money for witness protection programs and that thing. I fully support that. And, obviously because of that he signed into law, victims are now going to be more at risk than ever before, because people that are accused of witness intimidation are not going to be able to be held in jail before trial. That will start come January of next year.”

McClure says he’s curious to see how the budget and other public safety items will be address, or if any amendments to the SAFE-T Act will come about.

100th District Republican State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer expressed his frustration with House Democrats last Thursday because the House session was spent adopting a number of family planning bills and resolutions.

During a debate about Planned Parenthood, Davidsmeyer chided Democrats for talking about politically divisive issues rather than talking about other issues that Davidsmeyer says is more important to all residents of the state.

Davidsmeyer reminded the House about the federal indictment of House Speaker Michael Madigan, and says the chamber hasn’t properly dealt with the ethics issues that allowed the “Madigan enterprise” to work.

Davidsmeyer accused House Democrats of skirting the issue of what he says is necessary ethics reform: “Ethics is something that we should all care about. We shouldn’t be talking about the divisive issues, the issues that we know divide us. We should talk about the things that unite us, right? We should all want to get rid of corruption. Who is sick of people thinking politicians are all dirty, right? I think each and every one of us is sick and tired of it, but your party hasn’t talked about any of it. You haven’t said a word about ethics. In fact, the ethics reform that you passed last year, if I can remind you, the Legislative Inspector General resigned because it took power away from her office.”

Democrats in the super-majority have not signaled whether an overtime, emergency session will be necessary to pass the state’s budget or any other outstanding pieces of legislation at this time. The session is scheduled to end Friday night, two months earlier than normal.

Week Two of a trial against 2 Western Illinois Correctional Facility guards began this morning in federal court.

53 year old Todd Sheffler of Mendon and 30 year old Alex Banta of Quincy face charges of conspiracy against civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, witness tampering, destruction/alteration or falsification of records in a federal investigation, and witness intimidation charges in the death of inmate Larry Earvin. Both men could face up to life imprisonment.

Earvin’s death was ruled a homicide after he died five weeks after an alleged beating took place in 2018.

Last Monday, Sheffler and Banta’s defense counsel filed a motion to have Earvin’s background information, sentencing, and parole eligibility in September 2018 removed from admission as evidence. The defense argued the information’s relevance and believed it to be unduly prejudicial. Judge Sue E. Myerscough denied that motion allowing its admission. Monday concluded with a seating of the jury and the government beginning its case in chief.

The trial continued on Tuesday with defense counsel seeking an order to prohibit the testimony of Dr. Patrick Collier, an expert witness who is a trauma surgeon. Collier was being called as an expert witness by the government to render an opinion based upon the work of neuorologist Dr. Todd D. Elmore. The defense claimed Collier’s opinion on whether or not Larry Earvin suffered a traumatic brain injury that ultimately resulted in his death doesn’t reasonably rely on anything that Dr. Elmore said. The defense also wished to suppress and redact all of the St. John’s Hospital Medical Records that rendered whether Earvin had a traumatic brain injury.

Prosecutors responded saying that the court had previously ruled in July of last year that Dr. Collier’s testimony was admissible. The court ruled that prosecutors must establish a proper foundation for including Earvin’s medical records and that Dr. Collier’s testimony was admissible to proceed, again denying the defense’s motion.

Wednesday of last week was spent dealing with juror issues. One was dismissed due to an illness, with one of the jury’s four alternates impaneled in the morning. Judge Myerscough has instructed the jury to remain masked in the courtroom, according to federal court records.

Thursday saw another juror dismissed after mask compliance issues, and that juror was held at the courthouse for possible sanctions. No other information about this incident was noted in court records. Technical issues for video testimony as well as playing of evidence were also addressed Thursday.

Friday continued with more witnesses called by the government for their case in chief. More witnesses and evidence are expected throughout ongoing hearings today.

Brown County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a man after a single-vehicle crash in rural Timewell last Monday night.

According to a press release from the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, at 11:42PM on March 28^th, a vehicle driven by 42 year old Wyond L. Bynum of Clayton failed to negotiate a curve on US 24 at the intersection with County Road 200 East. According to the report, while attempting to get out of the ditch the vehicle caught on fire. Bynum left the scene with a Juvenile and was located on Timewell Tile property a short time later. No injuries were reported, and damage to the vehicle was over $1500.

Bynum was issued citations for Driving While License Revoked, Leaving the Scene of an Accident Over $1500, No Valid Insurance, Failure to Notify Police Authority, Improper Lane Usage, and Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident. Bynum also had several outstanding warrants in the State of Missouri and throughout West Central Illinois.

Bynum is currently lodged at the Adams County Jail.