A local representative’s bill to help ease the bus driver shortage in the state has passed the Illinois House.

State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer’s bill helps out an applicant who may have had their license suspended for a specific reason but is now back in good standing and wishes to drive a school bus. Davidsmeyer said during floor debate that the situation came up in his district and a person was turned away over issues due to unpaid child support. He says the chamber has a recent history of passing bills that alleviates penalizing people for the rest of their life for something they did in their past: “This gentleman has since fully paid up his child support, but the law currently says that you have to have had your driver’s license for the 3 years prior to be able to drive a bus.”

Davidsmeyer says that the bill will require someone to have their child support fully paid off or in a payment plan to secure bus driver employment: “A payment program allows them to pay the back child support and continue to work towards continuing to pay that child support.”

HB4230 was approved 99-1, with 25^th District Democrat Curtis Tarver as the lone no vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for their consideration.

Pittsfield City Hall is expanding.

Pittsfield’s City Council approved a $130,000 purchase of a neighboring building to add an additional 4,400 square feet, according to the Journal Courier.

The expansion will allow for private offices for city officials, including a small business incubator. The city council will also get a new meeting room, along with a separate conference room.

The money for the purchase will come from the city’s TIF funds. Mayor Gary Mendenhall told the Journal Courier that the city is seeking grants for any additional necessary construction.

The move into the new space isn’t expected for several months as the adjacent building’s tenants are looking for a place to relocate.

An international animal rights group is saying a Beardstown pork producer is mistreating its animals.

The Journal Courier reports that PETA wrote to Cass County State’s Attorney Craig Miller this week, urging action in light of a U.S. Department of Agriculture investigator’s reports from April and May while at JBS USA in Beardstown.

A USDA investigator reported an employee of the facility striking a hog in its face with a driving aid on the two occasions, which is not in compliance with USDA regulations involving the humane handling of livestock. The investigator noted in the report that compliance was not properly implemented.

Miller has acknowledged to the Journal Courier receiving an email about the incidents, but had yet to receive the complete report. Miller declined to comment further to the paper about whether an investigation would take place.

The National Weather Service of Central Illinois says there is a threat for severe weather near and west of the Illinois River Valley this evening.

Severe storms will be most likely between 6 pm and midnight. Damaging wind gusts to near 60 mph will be the primary hazard. Damaging wind gusts are expected to become more isolated farther east. An isolated tornado or two are also possible. The line of possibly areas that should be on watch stretches from Pittsfield in Pike County to the northeast towards Havana in Mason County. Other cities in the area that could be on watch are Beardstown and Meredosia.

The entire listening area is under a Wind Advisory until 6AM Sunday.

Be alert for storm development, and know where you would take shelter if severe storms occur.

A Versailles man was arrested yesterday by Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 4 investigators and Brown County Sheriff’s Deputies for Criminal Sexual Assault and Aggravated Domestic Battery.

According to ISP DCI Zone 4 reports, ISP DCI Zone 4 Investigators and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into 24 year old Robert W. Crafton, Jr. after a victim came forward and disclosed that she was both sexually and physically abused by Crafton.

Crafton is currently out on bond from a December 2021 arrest for 4 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, domestic battery, 4 counts of criminal sexual assault, and unlawful restraint. Crafton was set to appear in Brown County Court on the charges on March 14th. All of the 2021 charges are in regards to a different victim.

Crafton was arrested yesterday after being located on a traffic stop by the Brown County Sherrif’s Department. Crafton was transported to the Schuyler County Jail. Crafton is initially being charged with Criminal Sexual Assault and Aggravated Domestic Battery, and is being held in custody pending the completion of a risk assessment.

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

Governor J.B. Pritzker has issued updated guidance for Covid-19 in schools.

Yesterday, the governor issued an executive order lifting the school exclusion requirements, shifting schools back to the ordinary processes for handling infectious diseases.

According to a press release from the administration, the executive order was initially put in place to standardize CDC requirements for schools and alleviate the burden on overwhelmed local health departments from having to provide individualized recommendations. The order says that schools and local health departments can now resume exercising their own authority to address infectious disease cases among students and staff.

According to the CDC guidance, everyone who has presumed or confirmed COVID-19 should stay home and isolate from other people for at least 5 full days. They should wear a mask when around others for an additional 5 days. For close contacts: CDC guidance continues to recommend that individuals who are not up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations stay at home and quarantine for at least 5 days after exposure to COVID-19 and wear a mask until day 10. The CDC recommends that close contacts who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines or who are within 90 days of a COVID-19 infection do not need to quarantine. The new CDC guidance was issued on February 25^th that lifted masking requirements for most indoor facilities, including schools.

According to the order, it has no impact on the state’s vaccination or testing requirements to screen unvaccinated school staff. Additionally, school districts and private businesses can continue to require masks at their discretion.

A Roodhouse man charged for first degree murder in Macoupin County for the death of an infant in 2020 was acquitted by a jury this week.

29 year old Allan Castleberry Jr. of Roodhouse was accused of striking 23 month old Gracie Ellen Rose Nance of Carlinville’s head against a wall on February 3, 2020. Nance would die on February 5, 2020 at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

Castleberry was the live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother Courtney L. Rice of Carlinville who reported the child not breathing to 9-1-1.

According to the Macoupin County Enquirer-Democrat, Castleberry’s trial lasted for four days with the jury returning the verdict on Tuesday after 30 minutes of deliberation. Castleberry was facing 20-60 years in prison.

WLDS News has reached out to Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison for comment. Garrison took over the case in 2020 after he won election against Jennifer Watson who originally brought the charges against Castleberry while still in office.

This story will be updated.

One of Jacksonville’s Internet service providers is moving to a new retail location in town.

Mediacom Communications announced today it will open the doors to its new customer service center on Monday at 8AM located at 1223 West Morton Avenue. Mediacom’s Senior Director for Area Operations, Dan Stuhr, said in a press release that the new location was chosen to provide a more convenient location, better and ample parking, and a significantly larger customer area. The retail space was previously occupied by a Payless Shoe store.

Mediacom says they contracted locally with Mike Griffitts of Griffitts Properties of Jacksonville to convert the space.

For the past 40 years, Mediacom and its predecessor companies operated from a building at 409 Massey Lane. The company will vacate that leased space by April 30^th, with broadband technicians and other “back office” operations transitioning to the new location over the coming weeks.

The new customer center will maintain its previous operating schedule of Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Stuhr says they are working with the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce to schedule a ribbon-cutting and customer open house later in the spring.

Mediacom’s move to the new service center follows on the heels of its construction of a new fiber-optic network in nearby Franklin that now provides access to Gigabit-speed broadband service. The broadband service has been delivered throughout Jacksonville, Chapin, and South Jacksonville for nearly five years.

John Wood Community College President Michael Elbe announced yesterday his plans to retire, effective Dec. 31^st.

WGEM reports that Elbe told staff and faculty during a college-wide meeting that he felt it was a good time to begin the transition. Elbe has been president at JWCC for the past 8 years, succeeding John Letts in 2014. Elbe, a native of Camp Point, had been with JWCC since 1990 in various capacities.

According to Muddy River News, Elbe has been in higher education since 1987, previous serving in roles as the director of student life (1999-2002) and assistant dean of students (1998-99) at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. He was an academic advisor (1988-90) for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and served as a resident director (1987-88) for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C. Elbe also coached the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team for 13 seasons, compiling a 246-165 record. He led two teams to top-seven finishes in the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament.

JWCC Board of Trustees Chair Diane Ary said that the board would begin a thorough and collaborative process to find Elbe’s process.