A Springfield couple recently made a quarter of a million dollar gift to Lincoln Land Community College’s Foundation to provide scholarships to nursing students.

Drs. Pradeep and Manjula Mehta of Springfield made the donations to ensure scholarships for the next decade for LLCC students pursuing their associate degree in nursing, licensed practical nurse, and basic nurse assistant programs. The amount of each scholarship award will vary based on student needs.

Dr. Pradeep Mehta served the local community as a nephrologist for 35 years. Dr. Manjula Mehta taught psychology for 18 years at LLCC and was the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award for adjunct faculty.

Recently 19 students were named the first recipients of the Mehta scholarships including students from Jacksonville, Arenzville, New Berlin, Oakford, and Springfield.

The City of Jacksonville swore in their new City Treasurer tonight.

Beth Hopkins, Emergency Management Systems Program Coordinator, was appointed by Mayor Andy Ezard to fill the role left by the late Ron Smiljanich. Smiljanich died at his home on November 23rd at the age of 73. Smiljanich was in the midst of his fifth term in office at the time of his death.

Ezard tearfully recounted Smiljanich in the announcement tonight at the Jacksonville City Council’s regular meeting saying that both he and Ron eventually wanted Hopkins to step into the role at some point in the future.

Ezard said through tears that he has the utmost faith in Hopkins in fulfilling the duties of her late predecessor: “Ron wanted this, and I wanted this. I miss Ron Smiljanich. He was my go-to. Everything went through Ron and me about money [for the city], but I have the most faith in Beth Hopkins to fill his seat. I’m so proud…I grew up with Beth. We went to Franklin Elementary School together…It is what Ron wanted, and I wanted it, too. I am so looking forward to working with you, Beth as City Treasurer…I think it would be appropriate to take 20 seconds and bow our heads and remember Ron. He was a gem. He was a true gem to Jacksonville…He really did a great job as a treasurer. He had the best interests at heart and he worked the banks on behalf of the city, and he was one of my best friends.”

Hopkins says she hopes to maintain the level of service that Smiljanich gave in his 21 years in office to the Jacksonville community: “Very big shoes to fill. Ron did a great job for this community. He served this community very well. I’m looking forward to continuing that service. I want to maintain the legacy that’s been set forth. I need to get in and see what Ron has done. I’m sure I’m going to have a big learning curve, and again, they are big shoes to fill.”

Hopkins says that she’s stepping into a good situation in the Treasurer’s Office. The city council passed the second reading of the 2022 tax levy tonight with a 0% increase, and police and fire pension funding has improved over the last year.

Hopkins says she’s fortunate in the timing and with the people that surround her in the City Treasurer’s Office. She says her current job in the Emergency Management Office and her prior work in the police department afford her a broad view of the city’s operations: “I have worked for the city for a very long time, and I’ve been kind of all over with the Emergency Management. You kind of work with all of the departments. There is a lot of grant management, and many things like that to make us constantly work with the other departments.” Hopkins believes that working in various capacities over the years provides a unique versatility to the office: “I know a lot of what the city does to operate, but I know there is a lot left to learn.”

Hopkins’ official term begins on January 3^rd.

The Morgan County Republican Party announced a nominee to replace the late Bill Meier today.

The Republican Central Committee met on Tuesday last week an unanimously voted to recommend Jacksonville Ward 4 Alderman Mike Wankel to fill the vacancy.

The County Commissioners are expected to make the appointment official at their regular meeting next Monday, December 20^th. The Republican Central Committee also voted to support Wankel as the Republican Candidate for Commissioner in the 2022 election cycle.

Wankel is a native of the county, and a graduate of Triopia High School. He and his wife Lori of 35 years, reside on Jacksonville’s north end. Wankel is a U.S. Air Force veteran and has owned and operates AB&C Moving and Storage for close to 30 years with his wife.

Wankel is serving in his third term as Alderman from Jacksonville’s 4th Ward, and was first elected in 2013. He currently serves as Chair of the Utility Committee and Vice Chair of the Finance Committee.

Jacksonville School District 117 will have a small amount of money left over after some major renovation projects are put into motion this month.

Superintendent Steve Ptacek released a video presentation of projects for Phase 3 of the Vision 117 plan that outlines the budget for the district’s most recent bond sale and federal ESSER funds.

Ptacek says that Washington Elementary School will practically be a new school next year after an $11.5 million renovation.

Ptacek says the next largest project comes at the high school which includes new HVAC systems for the Central and West gyms and the vocational classrooms; a new marquee at the front of the school, and an extensive renovation of the JHS auditorium.

Total renovations at the high school are estimated to cost just over $4.1 million. Eisenhower’s internal renovations are $5.175 million. Emergency repairs like new windows and brick work at Murrayville-Woodson and new windows at Early Years make up the final projects so far. Total remaining funds will be approximately $1.5 million left to spend by September 2024.

Ptacek says the money needs to be spent where they will have the most long-term impact because they will not occur again. Ptacek plans to officially present these projects at this Wednesday’s business meeting.

You can view the full video of the presentation at this link.

A Beardstown School District bus had a bit of a scare this morning.

According to the school’s Twitter this morning, a low-hanging power line got caught on top of the bus’ emergency hatch near Airport Road, about 1 mile south of the Beardstown Wal-Mart.

Beardstown EMS, Police, and Fire all responded to the scene. No one was injured in the incident.

The Beardstown City Council has approved an emergency service dispatch agreement after tabling a contract last month.

According to the Journal-Courier, the council approved the agreement with Cass County Dispatch in a vote of 6-1. The contract cost was around $88,000, slightly up from the year before.

The dispatch service operates out of the City of Virginia and handles calls for Cass County fire, ambulance, and police. Beardstown Mayor Tim Harris said last month that the tabling of the agreement was routine as some council members had questions surrounding specifics of the contract.

75 teachers union locals around the state have filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that seeks to eliminate mask mandates and other COVID mitigations in schools.

Attorney Thomas DeVore filed the suit against 145 school districts, which includes many schools in the WLDS/WEAI listening area, trying to overturn the COVID-19 mitigations including exclusions and mask mandates.

WMAY reports that locals affiliated with the Illinois Education Association are asking to intervene in that case in Sangamon County Circuit Court, saying that their members could be in danger if the COVID mitigations are lifted amid rising case numbers.

The matter is set for a status conference on Thursday, December 17th at 11:00 by Zoom in Sangamon County Court before 7th Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow.

Two people were transported to an area hospital after a crash in rural Scott County last night.

Illinois State Police were called to a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 67 at the Alsey-Manchester Road intersection at 9:05 last night.

A preliminary investigation report says that a 2009 Gray Chevy SUV car driven by 40 year old Richard Burton of Manchester was traveling eastbound on the Alsey-Manchester Road approaching U.S. 67 in Scott County. A 2011 Ford Fusion driven by 19 year old Meadow Hawkins of White Hall was traveling southbound on U.S. 67 at the same time. According to the report, Burton allegedly failed to yield at the intersection and struck Hawkins’ vehicle in the driver’s side.

Both Burton and Hawkins were transported from the scene by EMS to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A passenger in Burton’s vehicle, 33 year old Sarah Burton of Manchester reported no injuries.

Burton was later cited for failure to yield right of way.

The greater Jacksonville area mostly dodged severe weather last night. No major storm damage was reported around Jacksonville last night as storms moved east both to the north and south, causing major problems elsewhere.

The Menard County Sheriff’s Office announced around 8:02 last night a confirmed tornado on the ground near Tallula. They also confirmed several downed power lines, power poles, and trees in the Sandridge area north of Petersburg. Some residents in Sandridge and rural Greenview are without power this morning according to Menard Rural Electric’s outage map. Several roads remain closed in that area this morning. The National Weather Service has yet to confirm that tornado touch down.

The New Berlin-Athens high school boys basketball game was postponed in the third quarter last night due to a power outage at the Athens High School gymnasium.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed several downed power lines, power poles, and trees in the eastern portion of Cass County last night. Portions of Parlier Road remain closed this morning because of trees across the road. A few homes in rural Virginia remain without power this morning, according to Ameren’s outage map.

The most devastation came from outside the listening area last night with the collapse of portions of an Amazon Warehouse in Edwardsville that killed at least 2 people, according to multiple reports. According to a release from the Edwardsville Police, between 50-100 people were trapped inside the building when the building fell in due to severe winds around 8:33PM. The National Weather Service had confirmed tornado-like rotation on radar in the Edwardsville-Pontoon Beach area at the time of the collapse.

The following agencies are on scene and assisting: St. Clair County, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Madison County Emergency Management, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Pontoon Beach Police Department, Mitchell Fire Department, Alton Fire Department, Hamel Fire Department, Madison Fire Department, Glen Carbon Fire Department and numerous other police, fire, and EMS agencies. Additionally, several heavy equipment operators are assisting.

As of 5:45 this morning, the mass casualty event is still being labeled as a search and rescue mission for several Madison County Police and Fire Departments. Portions of Interstate 270 were closed overnight to aid in local emergency efforts. I-270 has since reopened, but there is no access on Gateway Commerce Drive from Illinois Route 111 to Illinois 255. People are asked to avoid the area at this time as efforts continue.

Another press conference by Edwardsville Police will be held late this afternoon at the Edwardsville Public Safety Building updating the public on the situation.

The trial of a Brown County man charged in the 2019 shooting death of a well-known substitute teacher in the area continues today.

Jury selection began on Monday in the first-degree murder case of 42 year old John M. Dean of Mt. Sterling. Opening arguments were presented to the seated jury on Tuesday morning. Prosecutors finished presenting their case against Dean yesterday morning.

Dean faces the single count of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 44 year old Rebecca Niewohner, also of Mt. Sterling. Niewohner had been a regular substitute teacher in the Meredosia and Brown County school districts at the time of her death. First responders found Niewohner dead with a gunshot wound and Dean critically injured in the 400 block of East Chestnut street in Mt. Sterling around 9:20PM on June 14, 2019. Dean was transported by EMS to a Springfield area hospital on the evening of the shooting, where he would spend the next several weeks recovering from a gunshot wound to the face.

In charging documents, Dean is alleged to have shot Niewohner with a .45 caliber handgun without lawful justification and with intent to kill.

Dean spent several weeks in the Schuyler County Jail until he was released on home confinement with GPS ankle monitoring, but was returned to the jail in early April after he was found to have allegedly violated conditions of his conditional home confinement by contacting someone via social media.

Dean has pled not guilty in the case, and remains lodged at the Schuyler County Jail on $1 million bond.

Due to the usage of a handgun in the case creating what’s called an “aggravating factor,” if convicted, Dean could face natural life in prison.

The defense’s case with more witness testimony is expected throughout this afternoon.