A former Carrollton Grade School Social Studies teacher facing two charges of violating a no-stalking order of protection in Greene County is now being sued in Sangamon County Circuit Court.

An unnamed female, known as Jane Doe in court filings, is being represented by Belleville attorneys Jarrod Beasley and Matthew Young in a lawsuit filed in Sangamon County on December 29th against the Riverton Community Unit School District #14 Board of Education, retired Riverton High School Principal Bill Lamkey, Riverton High School Guidance Counselor Tamara Sturdy, and former Riverton High School teacher and head coach Kyle A. Price.

The lawsuit alleges that the now-36 year old Jane Doe, who was a student at Riverton High School between 1999-2004, began receiving alleged illicit sexual grooming and sexual abuse from Price starting as a 15 year old sophomore and continuing until she graduated. During that time, Price was employed as a social studies teacher and girls’ head basketball coach at Riverton High School.

The lawsuit details allegations that Price invited the victim to his home under several different false pretenses in order to groom her and have sex with her while they were alone. It further alleges that the victim and Price had sex on class trips and on school grounds for the duration of the victim’s time as a Riverton High School student.

The lawsuit also accuses and alleges that Price used his authority as the victim’s coach and teacher to isolate the victim from other teachers and students in order to both shame the victim and to keep the alleged illegal conduct secret. The details say that Price “harrassed” the victim in front of both teachers and students to keep the conduct hidden and to “denigrate and humiliate” the victim to “prevent her from discussing” the conduct with her friends and family.

According to the lawsuit, members of the Riverton School Board became aware of Price’s abuse towards the victim and after speaking with the victim “suggested…she was to blame for Price’s sexual misconduct, that it was a misunderstanding and/or admonished Doe to remain quiet about their relationship lest she would cause Price to lose his job.” The lawsuit also accuses Riverton High School Guidance Counselor Tamara Sturdy of not promptly reporting the misconduct to the Illinois Department of Child & Family Services in 2001 after learning of Price’s alleged first sexual assault of the victim. The lawsuit says that Sturdy in turn only reported the incident to Riverton High School Principal Bill Lamkey and that after a meeting between Lamkey, Sturdy, Price, and the victim’s parents no investigation or further report was filed with DCFS only that “Lamkey was made aware of Doe being uncomfortable around Price and the things he was doing to groom her.”

The lawsuit further details an incident in which the victim attempted to come forward again. This time, according to the suit, the victim wrote a letter detailing the alleged abuse and grooming to a Riverton Middle School teacher who also served as an Assistant High School Girls’ Basketball Coach. The teacher allegedly reported the letter to Fred Lamkey, Riverton Middle School Principal. Fred Lamkey later would call the victim to his office and she would recount the contents letter. After which, Fred Lamkey asked her to retrieve the letter from the teacher but it had disappeared. The teacher and assistant coach was told never to have contact with the victim again, and the lawsuit says that the teacher left the district a short time after “in part due to this incident.” The lawsuit says that Fred Lamkey did not report the incident to Bill Lamkey at the high school, nor to DCFS, and no further investigation was alleged to have been conducted. The Lamkeys are brothers.

The eleven Count lawsuit accuses all of the defendants of willful and wanton conduct, negligence, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress to the victim. It further says that the defendants failed to follow established policies and procedures and committed a breach of fiduciary duties. The suit specifically accuses Price with alleged assault and battery of the victim. Under Illinois law, public teachers and public school employees are considered mandatory reporters of neglect and abuse of juveniles pursuant to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. If public school employees are found to have failed to report abuse or neglect, they may be subject to a misdemeanor for one violation and up to a Class 4 felony for two or more subsequent violations as well as further penalties to their teaching license and certification.

The victim is seeking $550,000 plus court costs, expenses, fees, and interest. Summons have been issued in the case, but Sangamon County Judge Ryan Cadigan has yet to set a court date.

Price worked for the Riverton School District in various capacities for 21 years between May 1995-May 2016 including serving as an 8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach, Girls High School Basketball Head Coach, Boys Basketball Head Coach, and an Assistant Varsity Football Coach along with serving as a High School Social Studies Teacher. Price was Dean of Students at Riverton High School his final 8 years in the district.

Price joined Turner Jr. High (now Jacksonville Middle School) in June 2016 as an Assistant Principal. Price was a student teacher at Jacksonville High School and shadowed at Turner while he was studying at Illinois College from 1990-1995. According to a Journal Courier article in 2016, while at Turner, Price’s main work was with 7th Grade students. Price left the position at Turner Jr. High after July 2018 to take a position as a Jr. High Social Studies teacher at Carrollton Grade School.

Price was dismissed from Carrollton Grade School pursuant to the end of the year by the Carrollton School Board in March 2021 after he was arrested by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies on February 12, 2021 for two counts of violating an order of protection of a juvenile. Price later went on to resign from the district on March 25, 2021 from the district. According to a March 31, 2021 Greene Prairie Press article, Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe was awaiting a report from Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen to see if further charges were warranted in the Greene County case. To date, no further charges have been filed.

Price’s counsel requested a change of venue in his Greene County case due to conflicts of interest last month. Price is due to appear in Macoupin County Court in front of sitting Macoupin County Judge Kenneth Diehl on Wednesday, January 12th.

The City of Winchester is still dealing with the fall out of the natural gas price spike from last year.

Mayor Rex McIntire explained to the Winchester City Council on Wednesday night that some people who pay a particular amount each month (known as Level Pay) for natural gas usage have struggled with the 3% extra cost from the February 2021 spike. The city approved a plan in March last year that allowed residents and businesses to repay their February 2021 bill in 33 interest-free installments to get the outstanding bill paid off.

McIntire says some on the level pay option are struggling to meet the 3% extra cost: “I just want people to know if they don’t understand what we had to do [in March 2021 with the installments ordinance], come in to City Hall. We’ve got people that will talk to you and explain to you what the situation is. We also have a problem with some people, and it might be somebody on Level Pay…I’m not picking on anybody in particular…but they don’t make their Level Pay monthly payment and then they wonder why their bill balloons up. I mean we can explain that to you and how that works, too. I know Level Pay works well for a lot of people but for some people, to me, it’s not working; and I know it has created a problem with the 3% payment to try and get caught up.”

Alderman Lawrence Coultas noted that only 4 citizens have been meeting the 3% extra obligation on their Level Pay bill each month. Last year, McIntire said that over 200 customers in Winchester opted to pay the larger February 2021 bill in full.

Compounding issues further was the billing system that the city used having a miscalculation issue. Coultas says he came to City Hall and called the company in an effort to get the problem straightened out: “We had a major problem a month and a half ago. Everybody on Level Pay, their balance was messed up, so we got ahold of Locust and explained to them that we had a problem. We also explained to them that when we went through several bills, the amount that was messed up was the amount of their September bill in every case. It had to do something with those customers being billed twice or something. At any rate, Locust finally got it straightened out and we got them all okayed, but everybody that was on Level Pay was messed up.”

Coultas says that no one should be on Level Pay right now in the city save for the 4 people who have made their 3% obligation according to the rules of the level pay option: “The reason being is that the ordinance says, and I realize that February was a unique case, but the ordinance that was drawn up for Level Pay for Winchester stated that once you were delinquent on any amount on a past bill, you were no longer on Level Pay. Well, last February’s bill threw everybody off, so everybody’s behind. If you look at the ordinance, the one’s that paid the full amount could have stayed on Level Pay and I don’t think there were a whole lot that did that.”

Coultas went on to say that the Level Pay system itself needs reworked completely and refigured for new usage numbers for the city’s customers. None on the council could recall on Wednesday night the last time the refiguring of average usage was done. Coultas says the refiguring needs to be done, according to the city’s ordinance, at the end of each fiscal year.

Coultas also thinks the city should change how it notifies customers of delinquent payments. He says currently that the city doesn’t have a way to distinguish between someone who is frequently late and someone who misses a utility payment for the first time ever, and everyone gets a notice stuck on their front door if they are delinquent: “If you are delinquent for the first time in who knows how many years and you’ve paid your bill religiously and never been a problem and all of a sudden one month, you miss a payment…you know, first time maybe in three years, we still go put a notice on your door. I understand why somebody would be upset about that, but how do we distinguish between that and somebody that’s been delinquent several times? To me, there is a difference. If you are delinquent in the first time in maybe three or four years or forever, I’d rather they get a phone call that first time instead of putting a delinquent notice on their door.” Coultas says the notice is often an embarrassment and he understands that it often spurs people to get their bill paid, but he believes it would be more courteous for a City Worker to call or check on the person first before taping a notice on their door.

Mayor Rex McIntire noted that some of the late payments problems can be attributed to late deliveries from the Post Office. Someone in attendance noted that White Hall had recently faced similar issues of mailed out bills not arriving to customers ahead of their due date. McIntire issued a warning and a stern reminder to the public about their utility bill due date in Winchester: “If you live in Winchester and you are on our utilities, you are going to get a bill or be billed whether you receive it in the mail or not…you have a bill that is going to be due the 25th of each month. If you don’t get [your bill] in the mail, you better be calling up to City Hall to find out what happened because we are sending them out.”

McIntire also said that he had recently spoke with Ron Ragan of UGM saying that December bills and likely January’s bills will be higher than normal because of cold temperatures, but the city’s gas provider had hedged enough natural gas in the summer and fall to keep prices from spiking to the record high that happened last year.

The council came to a consensus to add a note on next month’s utility bills to remind customers about the 3% overage they are charged from the February 2021 spike. A look into billing procedures including adding an electronic option online may be explored in a future meeting.

The former Lafayette School has sold to a day care center looking to expand.

The Journal Courier reports that Janene Purdon-Menke was the highest bidder on the property at 747 West Lafayette on Tuesday with a bid of $49,200.

Purdon-Menke is owner of the Little Red Wagon Daycare currently located at 3001 West Lafayette Avenue. The daycare center opened in April and will now move to the Lafayette School building.

Purdon-Menke told the Journal Courier she hopes to have the move completed within the next 6-12 months, as the time frame will be dependent upon renovations and code approval from the City of Jacksonville.

Purdon-Menke hopes to use the more than 16,000 square foot building to expand programs by using the school’s gymnasium and theatre. Future plans for the site include installing an in-ground pool.

Currently, the Little Red Wagon at its current location is open until midnight seven days a week and holds a capacity of 133 kids. Purdon-Menke says that DCFS will allow the daycare to expand to a capacity of 174 children at the new location.

Purdon-Menke says she also expects to hire more staff in the new expansion.

Springfield and Sangamon County authorities are looking for an endangered woman missing for approximately three weeks.

38 year old Angela C. Landholt of Springfield has been missing since December 20^th at approximately 7:30AM according to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department.

She was last seen in the 2900 block of South Lowell in Springfield. She was last seen wearing a purple unicorn pajama shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes.

According to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Landholt suffers from a mental illness and left the South Lowell residence without her medication placing her in danger.

Landholt stands 5’4” and weighs approximately 120 pounds. She has a tattoo of a phoenix in the middle of her back and unknown initials on her right ankle. She has single piercings in each ear and a stud under her bottom lip. She has dark blue dyed hair and blue eyes. She typically travels with her brindle & white pit bull mix dog.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts can contact the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department at 217-753-6840 or Sangamon County Dispatch at 217-753-6666.

Sangamon County authorities held a press conference Wednesday providing details about the death of DCFS child advocate Diedre Silas in Thayer.

Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, and DCFS Director Marc Smith gave remarks about the investigation that surround Benjamin Reed allegedly stabbing Silas to death while she was on a home visit after reports of children being in danger at a residence in the 300 block of Elm Street in Thayer.

Wright and Smith largely side-stepped details about procedures that Silas and local law enforcement followed in responding to the endangered child call.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell confirmed previously reported details of the call and responding agencies to the scene. Campbell also confirmed that six children , ages 1 to 7, were present at the home when the stabbing occurred but could not confirm whether they witnessed the incident. He said all of the children were currently safe and being held in protective custody. Campbell said he didn’t know if any of the children were Reed’s. He also says that other adults were confirmed to be living at the residence and present at the time of the incident, but he did not know how many. Campbell did confirm that the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department wasn’t called in initially to assist any other agencies prior to the stabbing. Campbell says it is regular routine for the Sheriff’s Department to assist other government agencies in dangerous situations.

Wright says he has formally charged Reed with three charges: first degree murder, aggravated battery, and unlawful restraint. Wright says if Reed is convicted, he could face up to natural life in prison: “As a result of the conduct which caused the death of Ms. Silas was as the statute says ‘exceptionally brutal, heinous, and indicative of wanton cruelty.’ As a result he is eligible for a term of natural life in prison. His bond is currently set in the amount of $5 million.”

Smith says that DCFS is taking responsibility for the situation and will work on amending policies and procedures while not compromising the communities they serve: “DCFS recognizes what a horrible tragedy this was. We understand the emotions that people are feeling around what happened, because nobody feels them outside of her family, deeper than we do. We work hard to try to ensure that our staff are able to manage this extraordinarily challenging work in the most difficult environments possible. We do have protocols and policies that staff are trained on and that we respond to from going into a home that does not present any immediate danger to go into a very challenging and difficult situations. Our staff will call the police when they feel it’s appropriate. They will go in pairs when they feel it’s appropriate, or they will go alone when they feel it’s appropriate. In this tragic circumstance, the family we were there to help had a negative response to our presence. We are not avoiding any responsibility. At DCFS we take responsibility for all of our staff as well as the children and families that we serve. We will continue to work that way. We will continue to improve our policies and procedures as best we can. We will continue to work with local law enforcement to help us work with families that need our help, and we are committed to that.”

Wright said that due to the nature of the case, he wasn’t going to answer certain specifics as to not compromise the investigation. Reed was due in court Thursday for a formal arraignment in Sangamon County Court, where he was denied bail and deemed a threat to the public.

According to WICS Newschannel 20, prosecutors said that Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon’s autopsy report of Silas revealed “brutal and heinous cruelty” and “pure, unadulterated evil” in her manner of death. The defense maintained Reed was innocent of Silas’ death. Defense attorneys also asked that Reed’s mental fitness be determined before bail be denied. The prosecution argued in court Thursday that statements made by Reed to medical staff and law enforcement established he is a danger to the community. Associate Judge Jennifer Ascher agreed and said the prosecution met the threshold to deny bail. Reed is next due in Sangamon County Court on January 20th.

According to court document obtained by Newschannel 20, Reed allegedly fled the residence in Thayer to St. Mary’s Hospital’s in Decatur where he had other family withalong an adult woman and four of six children. The report says he made multiple incriminating statements to law enforcement and medical staff while being treated for a wound at the hospital and later on at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.

In the interim, a GoFundMe has been set up for Silas’ family. Silas is survived by her husband, her two-year-old daughter Amelia, and her autistic five-year-old son Ashton. Organizers say the money raised will go toward ABA Therapy and a College Fund for Ashton and Amelia. As of this morning, the page has raised $29,675. To donate, visit this link. Silas’ Family hopes that Deidre’s death can be used for good in improving the system in which DCFS responds to dangerous situations.

Governor J.B. Pritzker in a statement on Tuesday night called Deidre Silas a “Hero” on the front lines of saving children around the state.

The Illinois General Assembly is now reviving measures to stiffen penalties for those that attack DCFS and state social workers in the line duty, a measure that has been talked about several times in the past. Members of ASCFME 31, the union representing DCFS workers, have been meeting with DCFS management for years asking for more safety measures, and they’re hoping this tragedy will help shed light on just how much they’re needed.

Governor JB Pritzker yesterday also announced his support for SB 3070 in the General Assembly that will increase penalties for individuals who commit crimes against Illinois Department of Childhood and Family Services (DCFS) employees. The legislation is known as the Knight-Silas Bill.

The last time a DCFS worker died in the line of duty was September 29, 2017 when Pamela Knight was beaten to death at a home in Milledgeville by Andrew Sucher. Knight was attempting to remove an infant from the home due to an order of protection, related to a pending charge against Sucher of physically abusing a 6-year-old. Despite being unable to secure an escort to the home, Knight decided to risk picking up the child by herself for the safety of the toddler. Sucher was alerted by a Whiteside County sheriff’s deputy that DCFS was coming and met Knight in the driveway by her car, and proceeded to push her down on the concrete driveway and kick her in the head. Knight died 132 days later from severe brain injuries among others. Sucher would later plead guilty to one count of first degree murder. He is currently completing a 21-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with no chance for parole. As a result of Knight’s death, former Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation that allowed law enforcement to cross jurisdictions if needed to help out DCFS agents in the field.

The current legislation would grant all DCFS employees the same protections as police, firemen, private security employees, correctional officers, and community policing volunteers. The legislation allows for a person who causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to a DCFS employee to be charged with a more serious Class 1 felony as opposed to a Class 3. Just like other first responders, it is not the extent of the harm or injury that allows the aggravated battery charge to be brought, but rather the status of the victim as a DCFS employee.

A West Central Illinois community took an extra step Wednesday night to increase their chances at a major grant from the state.

The City of Winchester earmarked $25,000 towards their application to the Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets Capital Grant. The money is going towards a $1.5 million proposal to rehabilitate pavement, utilities, and sewers in the Downtown Winchester area.

Greg Hillis of Benton & Associates told the Winchester City Council that the extra money would help earn their application extra points towards possibly getting awarded the grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity: “There is one piece in the application that the city can put money towards this grant. Like I’ve said, it’s a 100% grant and it doesn’t say that you have to, but if you do put some money towards this grant, you get additional points. That would be up to the city council if you wanted to look at putting some money towards this grant or not to get the additional points. It doesn’t say how many additional points that you get. It just says additional points.”

Hillis says that the grant paperwork doesn’t specify how much of a potential match would be required to get points to move up in the award process. Hillis says that Winchester already has some potential past projects working in its favor in the application: “The cost of the project is $1.5 million. When we went for this grant previously, some time back it was $1.7 million. Since then, you’ve done sidewalks and you’ve enhanced some areas and the lighting’s already in there, so we were able to deduct that out. So, this project is for new concrete [pavement] completely around the square and we are also putting in the new water mains and a storm sewer because this is not just street work only. We are doing it for utilities also. Once you get done with this, you are going to have new storm sewer underneath the street, as well. So you are right at a little over $1.5 million for this grant.”

Hillis says that city would also be eligible to earmark from their federal ARPA money since the project does include water and sewer utility upgrades. Winchester is among several communities in the listening area competing for a portion of the $50 million available in the grant program. The application is due to DCEO by Monday.

The Illinois General Assembly is now without an Inspector General.

Current Inspector General Carol Pope’s last day on the job was Wednesday, leaving no one in the office to answer and investigate complaints of misconduct within the legislature. State Senator Jil Tracy of Quincy, Chair of Legislative Ethics Committee, says lawmakers have known a replacement was needed for months now, but no one has been hired.

Tracy blames state Democrats for holding up the process and trying to use their supermajority to hand-select a new Legislative Inspector General: “We are going to keep trying to get this rectified so that we do have an appointed Legislative Inspector General very soon. At this point, we don’t and it’s a disgrace to the people of Illinois who trust us. It’s just troubling that the last three Legislative Inspectors General have left in disgust of working with the General Assembly because their hands are often tied.”

Tracy, in turn, has introduced SB3030 to the General Assembly to provide the LIG with more leeway to do their job without as much oversight from the General Assembly. The bill would require the Legislative Ethics Committee to meet and have those meetings open to the public and have the meetings publicly posted; no longer allow elected officials to sit on the Legislative Ethics Committee; and provide the LIG with subpoena power to investigate ethics complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly.

Democrats have accused Tracy and Republicans on the Legislative Ethics Commission from blocking at least two names from being sent to the General Assembly to select a new LIG. Democrat State Senator Cristina Castro accused Tracy and fellow Republicans of politicizing what should be an apolitical process: “I’m disappointed that Senator Tracy continues to politicize a process that was intentionally set up to try to keep politics out. The fact is the Ethics Commission has been prepared to send names to the General Assembly but Senator Tracy and other Republicans blocked those votes. If not for those actions, we could have had a new inspector general in place.”

Tracy, in kind responded in a quote to Capitol Fax, saying state Democrats were attempting to strong arm a candidate of their choosing into the office: “Using your supermajority to hand pick a candidate by going around the independent search committee is politicizing the process. The search committee dedicated many hours and thoroughly vetted each candidate. To completely disregard their recommendation is insulting and a disgrace to the people of Illinois who are demanding a corrupt-free government.”

Republican Representative Avery Bourne and member of the LEC also told Capitol Fax that Republicans have been consistent in the process: “Republicans on the commission have all voted consistently to appoint to the office of LIG the unanimous selection of the independent and bipartisan search committee appointed by the four legislative leaders. We’re not playing politics, but the Democrats sure make it easy to point out their insincerity in calling for ethics reform. The last democratic chair of the LEC was indicted. Dem majorities passed a bill that further disempowered the LIG’s office forcing the resignation of LIG Pope. Democrats have voted against the unanimous selection of the search committee forcing a vacancy in the office. It’s more evidence Illinois Democrats are not serious about true anti corruption reforms.”

36th Distric Representative Kelly Burke who is also an LEC member says Tracy has mischaracterized the situation: “Senator Tracy’s claims today are wildly mischaracterizing the situation. Democrats have sought to advance two candidates for final selection, both of whom have been deemed qualified by the search committee and the LEC. Republicans have blocked that effort, insisting on only advancing their preferred candidate—even though both candidates have worked for former Governor Rauner and have demonstrated nonpartisan, professional expertise. In fact, both are also former federal prosecutors. As we’ve said all along, this should be a straightforward process and we must end the political theater so we can fill this critical position. Senator Tracy is right on one thing, the people of Illinois deserve better.”

Lawmakers are not expected to return to Springfield the rest of this month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Tracy says by allowing the LIG position to sit open for an entire month is a terrible disservice to the citizens of the state.

The Village of South Jacksonville had a very docile and brief meeting last night, the first one under new Village President Dick Samples.

The Village Board met in just under 20 minutes time and breezed through a few quick action items. They formally accepted the resignation of Tom Pinkerton from the Streets Department retroactive to Tuesday and of trustee Megan Davidson retroactive to December 31^st.

The village also accepted a new silver logo that was recently designed. The logo’s implementation will be discussed in the next several weeks. Samples brought a resolution to the board to add him as a signatory on village payables and business. Since the resolution didn’t make the official agenda last night, it will be formally approved at their February meeting retroactive to this month. Samples also noted several old names that were still listed as signatories. He said he would send an email with names that should no longer be valid on the Village’s signatory list that will be removed by resolution in February.

Samples is also moving away from single committee meetings back to a single committee of the whole meeting once a month: “My plans are to just have committee of the whole. I think it is very redundant to have two. The one time I came, you had six meetings and then you had a committee of the whole, too. I think you can just get it all discussed that one night.”

Trustee Stacy Pinkerton said that she would be for the idea as long as the meetings don’t last an exorbitant amount of time. Samples assured her that the committee of the whole meetings would not last extremely long as they have at different times in the past.

The next committee of the whole was scheduled for next Thursday at 6PM. Samples presented the board a list of 20 items that he could think of that he says is general housekeeping that has come to his attention in his few days in office: “These are things that need to be talked out or need to be caught up on and see where we are at and go from there. It ranges anywhere from fixing a lock on the door of the board room to the fire department.”

Samples says he is also currently talking to one prospect to fill the City Clerk position and has already begun his search for the open trustee position.

He says that his transition into the village presidency has been mostly amicable, but he’s had a few come visit him at Village Hall who have voiced their opposition to his appointment: “I’m not going to fight with them. I’m not here to fight with them. I’m trying to get along. I want to do the best that we can do for the Village of South Jacksonville. We didn’t get in this shape over night and we sure ain’t going to get out of this predicament over night. Again, I got a good bunch of people that I am working with here.”

The Village Board also heard from Casa Real owner Jose Lopez asking about the status of his TIF grant and licenses for operation. Samples told Lopez that the trustee handling his TIF application just resigned but his TIF application and licenses are on the agenda for next Thursday’s meeting.

An annual Christmas lights display in rural Greene County kept up its annual tradition of helping area cancer patients.

The Greene Prairie Press reports that the Haypress Falls Christmas lights display was able to raise and donate $3,500 this year to Boyd Memorial Hospital’s gas cards for Cancer program.

The money is the proceeds that Denny Vetter raised from the donation box that sits at the entrance to his annual Christmas Lights display for those that enter to give of their own free will. Vetter never charges people to enter the display that surrounds his home. This year’s dollar amount was the second-largest they have collected since they began accepting donations.

The display has been regularly raising money for the program since they began donating to it after a suggestion from one of Vetter’s neighbors 6 years ago. The display has been a regular Greene County holiday tradition since 2005. The Vetters have raised $16,500 for the program over the six years they’ve began collecting donations.

According to Vetter, there were 43 full pages of his guest book this year with visitors from 7 different states.

A Montgomery County man missing since New Year’s Eve around Jacksonville has been located and found safe.

Family members messaged WLDS News shortly after 9PM this evening saying that 26 year old Austin Corrado had been located and found safe at approximately 8:30PM this evening.

Corrado had gone missing after being spotted walking along East Morton Avenue near the Knight’s Inn in Jacksonville during the evening of New Year’s Eve. Corrado’s family believed him to be in danger at the time.

No further details have been provided at this time.