JBS USA in Beardstown is in compliance with handling of animals.

The Cass County Star Gazette reports that the Beardstown pork producer took immediate steps to correct the mishandling of animals at their facility according to a report they received from the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to a statement attributed to Jackson Collier, a public affairs specialist for FSIS in Washington D.C., the inspection personnel with FSIS immediately acted to stop violations that were observed on April 6^th of last year in which a hog was hit in its face with a driving aid.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, sought a criminal investigation into the incidents during the first week in March after non-compliance reports were published to the FSIS’s website.

According to Collier, corrective actions both in writing and in plant processes have been taken at JBS that have been deemed acceptable. JBS USA has not issued a public comment about the incidents in question.

Residents of Menard County are dealing with telecommunications problems this morning.

The Menard County Sheriff’s Office reported last night at 6PM that AT&T services in Petersburg and other areas throughout the county were experiencing outages last night. AT&T Service was restored to the county around 5:15 this morning. The Menard County Sheriff’s Office says the outage was due to a cut fiber optic cable line.

9-1-1 service remained available throughout the outage. However, calls were diverted to neighboring counties and then re-routed. The Menard County Dispatch administrative lines are still down this morning and are presently working on being restored. The Sheriff’s Office says that calls to the administrative offices can be routed through the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office dispatch.

Neighboring counties have been alerted to the ongoing problems and will respond and re-route calls for Menard County when necessary.

Information has been released by the Illinois State Police about an arrest yesterday of a Chandlerville man cited for child pornography possession and distribution.

ISP Division of Criminal Investigation says that 20 year old Bryce A. Eilers of Chandlerville had been under investigation by DCI agents since May of last year after learning a subject was distributing child pornography via a social media application. According to ISP, a thorough investigation ensued, and during the course of the investigation, ISP Investigators assigned to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Internet Crimes against Children Task Force gathered evidence supporting the arrest.

On Monday, the Morgan County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a two-count information, charging Eilers with one count of Dissemination of Child Pornography and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. Zone 4 Agents took Eilers into custody and transported him to the Morgan County Jail where he remains held on $100,000 bond.

Anyone with further information concerning this case is asked to contact ISP Zone 4 Investigations at (217) 782-4750.

Two individuals out of Tazewell County were arrested today in Pleasant Plains after a scheme of passing counterfeit money to several businesses across the area.

Pleasant Plains Police Chief Mike Long posted on the department’s Facebook page this morning security footage of two individuals who had allegedly passed counterfeit U.S. currency during a transaction at the Pleasant Plains Dollar General on Saturday afternoon.

After multiple tips from the public were posted on the police department’s Facebook page, the individuals were later identified as 49 year old Shane A. Sornson of Pekin and Carla J. Sheppard. Both were taken into custody this afternoon.

Sornson is also currently facing outstanding failure to appear warrants in Cass County for possession of methamphetamine, possession of hypodermic needles, and driving on a suspended and/or revoked license. 

Chief Long says that many locations across the area were allegedly hit with the fake money. Long says charges are currently being written up by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney Office. 

Long says if you have any further information or believe your business may have been hit with the counterfeit money to contact the Pleasant Plains Police Department on Facebook or by calling the department at 217-626-1351. 

Pike County authorities are searching for a Pittsfield man wanted for an alleged role in a recent drug investigation.

The Pike County State’s Attorney’s Office has issued a warrant for 55 year old David S. Smart of Pittsfield for Class 2 Felony Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine.

Smart is a white male, is going bald on top, with dark hair on the sides of his head. He may be wearing a dark goatee that does have some gray hair in it.

If you have any information on Smart’s whereabouts, all Pike County Crime Stoppers at (217) 285-1500. All callers will remain anonymous and if your tips lead to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.

Pittsfield Police arrested a man on March 12th in Pittsfield on drug charges in a traffic stop.

Pittsfield Police Michael Starman says in a press release that 28 year old Zachary Banfield was pulled over by a Pittsfield Police officer on Washington Street in Pittsfield. The officer allegedly had prior knowledge that Banfield’s license was suspended and/or revoked.

Upon initiating the stop, Banfield was cited for driving with a suspended license, illegal possession of cannabis by a driver in a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Banfield was subsequently transported to the Pike County Jail where bond was set at $10,000.

Banfield was currently out on bond from a previous drug arrest in January. Banfield made his first appearance in Pike County Court last Wednesday. Bond remained set, with Banfield’s next appearance set for April 19th.

Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White’s Office announced on Friday more than $1.4 million in School District Library grants to 672 public school districts.

Based on Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations, school library grants were awarded based on a formula of $.885 per student, with a minimum grant award of $850.

The grants are used for new books, multimedia materials, electronic resources, computers, and wi-fi connectivity for school libraries.

Jacksonville School District 117 received the largest grant in the area with $2,590.12 awarded, followed by Beardstown with $1,144.31, and Pleasant Plains at $1,063.33. Auburn, North Mac, and Pikeland all received over $900 with the remainder of school districts in the area receiving the $850 minimum.

More information can be found here: ilsos.gov/departments/library/grants/schoolpercapgrant.html.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office has released more information about the recovery of a body of a man missing since early March in rural Pike County.

According to a press release, a ground search began on Sunday of approximately 240 acres in northwest Pike County and southeast Adams County. The location was selected based on a week-long investigation on the whereabouts of Austin Shaw. Shaw had been missing since the early evening hours of March 7th when he was dropped off in rural Fishhook to go rock collecting.

The release goes on to say that 2 hours into the search a body was discovered just across the Pike County line in Adams County and was positively identified as that of Shaw. Shaw’s body was transported to the McLean County Coroner’s Office in Bloomington for an autopsy. The preliminary manner of Shaw’s death is still pending toxicology results. No assault or altercation was identified prior to Shaw’s death, according to the release.

The Pike County State’s Attorney’s Office has announced additional charges against a pair of individuals arrested for drug offenses in January.

According to a joint press release from Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Starman and Pike County State’s Attorney Zachary Boren, 26 year old Jacob Holtz has been charged with two separate of counts of delivery of methamphetamine and two separate counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

29 year old Sierra Sidney of Pittsfield has been charged with one count of unlawful use of real estate and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Both are currently lodged at the Pike County Jail.

Both were initially arrested after a court executed search warrant at a residence in the 500 block of Kespohl Street in Pittsfield on January. The additional charges stem from a separate investigation by the Pittsfield Police Department in which covert drug buys were conducted.