The Crisis Center Foundation is encouraging everyone to wear orange for Teen Dating Violence Awareness month.

Anna Sprague, a Child Teen Domestic Violence Advocate at the Foundation, says that teen dating violence has become more of a common problem in recent years: “I really encourage parents and anybody who is interested in [this topic] to go to LoveIsRespect.org. It’s very informational. I’ve used it for the past few years because it gives you an outline where kids are at today. It can be a taboo subject because parents say to themselves ‘That’s not going to happen to my child’ or teens says to themselves ‘That’s not going to me in my relationship. My boyfriend/girlfriend or whomever loves me.’ You don’t really know what may be happening in a violent or abusive relationship until your questioning it and maybe experiencing it.”

Sprague says with the rise of social media and dating apps, it’s made the problem that much worse. According to LoveIsRespect.org, one in 3 teens in the US will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before they become adults, and 43% of college age women report experiencing violent or abusive dating behaviors.

The Crisis Center Foundation is planning informational posts and live session on Facebook throughout the month of February.

An Illinois Senator is defending President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer announced he would be resigning at summer recess in late June after 28 years on the court.

Senator Dick Durbin, who is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dismissed Republicans objections that it’s an affirmative action quota or a race and gender litmus test.

Durbin says Biden is simply following other past presidents, including Republican presidents: “I would remind [Republicans] to take a look back at history and recall that it was Ronald Reagan who announced that he was going to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court, and he did – Sandra Day O’Connor. And it was Donald Trump who announced that he was going to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a woman nominee, as well. So, this is not the first time that a president has signaled what they are looking for in a nominee.”

Durbin, who will oversee the confirmation process, declined to comment on which of Biden’s nominees he personally favored.

National media has speculated that the list of potential nominees include: U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner – the sister of Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams – and U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs, the choice floated to the president by Democrat House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.

Durbin says his committee will be ready to act quickly with hearings once the pick has been made.

1099-G Tax Forms are now availbe for those who collected state or federal unemployment benefits last year.

Illinois Department of Employment Security Acting Director Kristin Richards says if you received unemployment last year, you’re going to need the form prior to filing your taxes: “To access their form online, claimants need visit www.ides.illinois.gov and follow the links to 1099-G information, including how to access their 2021 form. Over the course of the last month, we have been reaching out to claimants via email to remind them that tax season is on the horizon. Forms are now available for download. For additional information claimants can visit the department’s website.”

Claimants who have already opted to get the form electronically should have gotten an email with instructions. Everyone else will get a paper form in the postal mail. Last year, the department saved over $1 million in postage and production costs by making the 1099-G form available online.

A Greene County Superintendent is clearing the air about district grant funding.

Greenfield-Northwestern Superintendent Kevin Bowman sent a letter to Greenfield parents this week clarifying the terms of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grants received by the district.

The funding was made available to school districts across the country by the federal government through the American Rescue Plan to help schools improve and reopen during the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools are currently on their third round of the funding.

Bowman says a number of concerned citizens asked about the third round of funding at the Greenfield School Board’s business meeting on January 24^th. Citizens were concerned that the school board had locked the district into a district-wide mask mandate until September 2024.

Bowman says that it is not the case. Bowman says that the district is set to operate with a mask optional policy after Governor J.B. Pritzker’s emergency executive orders and guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education’s guidance are allowed to expire. Bowman says the district is obligated to follow the law under the terms of the grant funding agreement.

Bowman goes on to say in the letter that the grant funding is not solely focused on mask compliance but helping the district remain in-person for learning and to supplement any learning loss that may have occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bowman highlighted a number of projects in the Greenfield district that the first two rounds of funding have paid for including chromebooks for all students in the district, new Promethean boards at the elementary and high school, upgrading HVAC at both buildings, and paying for extra staff to cover regular staff who may have to be absent due to Covid infections, among other things.

In total, Greenfield has received over $1.4 million in ESSER funding. Bowman reiterates throughout that at no time did the school board agree to keep masks mandated until 2024. He says the 2024 date is the deadline in which the funds must be obligated for projects.

More information about Greenfield’s ESSER funding projects can be found at greenfieldschools.org.

More information has been released about a missing Greene County woman.

39 year old Randa (Long) Davidson was last seen near the intersection of Wabash Avenue and West White Oaks Road in Springfield on foot heading southeast by herself on Tuesday evening around 11PM. She has not been seen nor heard from by family members since.

All of Davidson’s belongings were found in her vehicle on Farmingdale Road, just north of Bunker Hill Road just south of Springfield where she had ran out of gas.

Davidson was last seen wearing black leggings with colors, a blue top, and a waist-long black jacket with brown fur on the hood. She has no cell phone, money, or transportation. Her family believes she is in danger.

Anyone with any information may call the Greene County Sheriff’s Office at 217-942-6901, the Two Rivers Crime Stoppers Unit and leave an anonymous tip at 1-800-300-2590, or the Morgan-Scott-Cass Crime Stoppers unit at 217-243-7300. Tips may also be submitted anonymously online at morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com. Simply click on the “leave a tip” button on the home page and fill out the form. Anonymous tips may also be left by texting to the number 274637, the first word of the text tip must be “PAYOUT.”

Updated at 4:30 pm Monday, January, 31st.

It took less than an hour for the jury to return a verdict of guilty in the Dustin Finlaw murder trial today in Morgan County Court.

The jury was handed the case just after 11:00 this morning after hearing closing arguments today. After four days of testimony last week, the jury deliberated for 50 minutes before a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder was handed down.

Finlaw was found guilty of murdering 42-year-old Robert L. Utter of Rushville in the early morning hours of May 24^th, 2018 in Meredosia. Utter’s body was found in his own vehicle in the 300 block of Montgomery Street.

According to evidence presented by the prosecution, Finlaw stabbed Utter 13 times with a pairing knife while Utter was sitting in the driver’s seat of his Ford Escape where he had parked in the Naples Boat Club’s parking lot.

During closing arguments, this morning, Assistant State’s Attorney Chad Turner said it was thanks to Utter that Finlaw was ultimately caught, as he was able to drive a couple of hundred yards away from the attack before he lost consciousness, which meant Finlaw was not able to clean up any evidence that he had been in the vehicle.

Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll gave his condolences to the victim’s family, following the verdict. “First and foremost, our hearts go out to the victim’s family. Robert Utter’s loved ones were present in court throughout the trial. This was a difficult process for them. A long four years, which is how long this particular case took to get to a verdict. So first and foremost, condolences to them, and hopefully this provides some sort of closure.

The jury found the defendant guilty of first-degree murder of Robert Utter. It has been set for a sentencing hearing on April 1st of this year. At that point, Judge Davis will be sentencing the defendant. The sentencing range is twenty to sixty years on what he is charged with right now, along with some other charges that will be set for status and are still pending.”

Finlaw still faces two charges of aggravated battery of a peace officer, two counts of obstruction of justice and destroying evidence, and one count of resisting a peace officer. The status hearing on these charges will also be heard on April 1^st following sentencing in the murder case.

When asked by Judge Jack Davis III, Finlaw informed the court he would continue to represent himself in his case and during sentencing.

Jeremy Coumbes assisted with this report.

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Winter Storm watch beginning tomorrow night.

The watch extends to the entire WLDS-WEAI listening area. The storm is expected to begin tomorrow night with a brief onset of sleet and freezing rain turning to snow.

The National Weather Service is predicting 6-9 inches of snow and approximately a quarter inch of ice with this storm, with blowing and drifting snow set to begin late Wednesday night on into Thursday morning. Blustery winds are expected through the duration of this storm, as well.

Travel is expected to be difficult to impossible beginning tomorrow night.

A Macoupin County man was convicted on four counts last Tuesday in relation to a theft and high speed chase in Carlinville from last year.

33 year old Caleb J. Prose of Girard was found guilty of burglary, aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated battery with a motor vehicle, and aggravated fleeing with property damage. The Alton Telegraph reports it took the jury just 40 minutes to find Prose guilty in the case.

According to Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison in court proceedings, Sgt. Larry Rayburn of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department was called to University Street in rural Carlinville on Sept. 5 after a property owner noticed tools appeared to have been hidden so they could be picked up later.

Officers determined the tools had been taken from Davis Towing in Carlinville between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5. A motion-activated surveillance camera was placed to observe the location of the hidden tools; and at approximately 1 p.m. Sept. 5, the camera was activated by a dark SUV entering the property. The SUV was later seen being driven by Prose and a high-speed pursuit ensued, ending on Deer Lane about 5 miles north of Carlinville in rural Macoupin County.

According to court testimony, Prose rammed a deputy’s squad car and ran from the scene. Prose was later apprehended on October 18^th near Girard.

Sentencing in this case is set for March 7^th. Prose is awaiting a trial on another Macoupin County case for theft of a motor vehicle. He is due back in court on February 14^th on a motion to suppress evidence that was allegedly illegally seized in that case. The Alton Telegraph further reports that Prose is also awaiting extradition to the State of Georgia on a probation violation.

A Greene County woman went missing in Western Sangamon County on Tuesday. 

39 year old Randa Davidson of Hillview has not been heard from by family members since the afternoon of January 25th. Davidson’s last known whereabouts were on the west side of Springfield Tuesday night. Davidson’s vehicle was found parked and vacant along Bunker Hill Road, about a mile from Wabash Avenue just outside of Springfield. 

Family say that Davidson’s cellphone was found in a ditch by two coyote hunters in Winchester. Davidson has regular contact with her family, and they believe her to be in danger. 

Davidson is believed to have a small dog with her. 

Davidson is a 39 year old white female with a slightly tan complexion. She stands 5’8” tall, weighs approximately 140 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. 

If anyone has any further information of her whereabouts, please call the family at 217-491-7025 or 217-831-0142. You may also contact the Greene County Sheriff’s Office at 217-942-6901.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced yesterday that the Illinois House would be returning to session next week.

In a statement released yesterday, Welch says that with Covid-19 on the decline once again that the session would be conducted in a cautious and vigilant manner. Welch urged his colleagues to take care of the SHIELD testing available to all workers at the Capitol complex.

Session has been scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday next week, with Governor J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State Budget address to be given at the Capitol on Wednesday in person, according to the governor’s own announcement yesterday.

The chamber will have capacity limits and the gallery at the Capitol will be closed to the public for the speech. Guidelines for the media will be released in the coming days.