13^th District Congressman Rodney Davis heard a mixture of praise and concerns during his visit to Carrollton last month for his open office hours.

Davis has made regular stops in Greene County ever since he was first elected to Congress in 2013. He says he was happy to meet with constituents to talk about two programs he helped facilitate grants for local improvements: “The good news is we were able to celebrate the USDA investing in Greene County once again with the HVAC improvements at the historic Courthouse and also the fire truck purchase to help the Roodhouse Fire Department out in the Greene County area. These are the types of investments that we, in Congress, help put forth to allow communities like Roodhouse and Carrollton and Greene County as a whole to benefit from.”

The Roodhouse Fire Department recently had members return from the State of New York to pick up their new fire truck. The truck is expected to be put into service in a few short weeks after lettering is completed and the truck is set up.

Davis said the biggest concern he heard from citizens in Greene County last month concerned the Spire STL Pipeline. The county recently reached a settlement over damages to the county’s roads during the pipeline’s construction last month after a nearly 2 year legal battle.

The pipeline’s remaining existence is currently in limbo as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently ruled that the previous sitting commission did not go through proper protocols when issuing the pipeline’s permit of operation.

Davis says landowners are concerned whether the land will be restored to its previous state and if Spire will be held to account: “We heard concerns about the pipeline and remediation efforts, and ensuring that the land that the Spire pipeline is under is reclaimed as promised by the company. Those are concerns we are continuing to address. We want to make sure that Spire lives up to its promises to reclaim that land to where it was before that project was moved forward.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Tuesday rebuffed a request filed by Spire STL Pipeline LLC to reconsider an earlier decision that vacated the Midwest natural gas conduit’s FERC certificate. What happens next for Spire, a 65-mile, 400,000 Dth/d project designed to tap supplies from the Rockies Express Pipeline for delivery into the St. Louis metropolitan area, could depend on how the now-Democratic-led Commission chooses to act. Current FERC Chairman Richard Glick dissented in the issuing of the certificate in 2018.

Several members of the Jacksonville area’s first responders as well as public officials gathered downtown on the square for the first of two ceremonies honoring the 20^th anniversary of the September 11^th terrorist attacks yesterday.

Jacksonville Police Chaplain Alan Bradish recounted the history of the attacks and said the ceremony yesterday was to honor the work that the area’s police, fire, military, and EMS put in every day to risk their lives for others: “As we remember this tragic event, we want to pay tribute to all of our first responders. Those brave men and women of the fire department, law enforcement, EMTs, and military who were willing to risk their lives so that others might live. One picture which remains indelible in my mind is this: while others were running out, first responders were running in.”

A second ceremony will be held at the traveling World War II memorial at 10:30AM Saturday at the Prairieland Heritage Museum grounds hosted by the AMVETS Post 100.

The State of Illinois is overhauling how it will do energy. Late last night, the Illinois House passed the controversial green energy bill, Senate Bill 2408. The bill specifically requires the following:

* 50% renewable energy by 2040 and zero carbon emissions by 2045
• All privately owned coal generation closed by 2030; municipally-owned coal plants to reach zero carbon emissions by 2045
• $700 million in negotiated subsidies for 3 Com-Ed owned nuclear plants in the northern portion of the state for 5 years to sustain Illinois’ primary source of current clean energy
• Expanded apprenticeship and training programs for increased representation
• Strongest labor standards in the country on wind and solar developments
* Project labor agreements required on all utility-scale wind and solar projects and prevailing wages for all non-residential clean energy projects
• “Just transition” program for areas economically reliant on fossil fuel generation
• 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, with state rebates funding up to 80% of charging station installation and requires prevailing wages on installation. This provision does not include electric motorcycles
• Increased energy efficiency for public schools
• Increased accountability and transparency — return to traditional rate-making vs. formula rates, and requires utilities to establish a chief ethics and compliance officer who must report to the Illinois Commerce Commission

The bill passed largely along party lines 83-33 with some Republicans crossing the aisle to vote in favor of the bill. Local representatives CD Davidsmeyer, Avery Bourne, Norine Hammond, Tim Butler, and Mike Murphy all voted against the bill.

Butler had especially pointed remarks to his fellow House members during the bill’s debate last night: “You drive through my district every time you come down to Springfield from Chicago. What you drive through is wind turbines, solar panels, and coal plants to come sit here at this building powered by coal. What this legislation will do will go against the wishes of my community who made a decision a decade ago under the Obama Administration and under a Democrat governor in Illinois who approved a state-of-the-art coal-fired power plant that sits on Lake Springfield that’s doing wonderful things, providing base-load power when you come here to Springfield and you go to turn on your lights at your apartment or your hotel room. What you are going to do is shut down that plant. That’s what this bill does. You are going to shut down a facility in southern Illinois in Representative Myers’ district. As I drove across Interstate 64 the other day, I looked to the south and I saw a few little puffs of white smoke coming out [of that plant]. All that has been said terrible about Prairie Power, I would encourage you to actually look at it and what that facility is. What this legislation will do will put my constituents, my neighbors, Representative Murphy’s neighbors on the hook for their utility bills, fully funding an out-of-commission power plant. Guess what? We are already tapped out on our property taxes. Every dime that I pay in property taxes goes to pension debt. Now, you are going to say that every dime I pay in my utility bills is going to out-of-commission power plants. I don’t have my head in the sand on this issue. I voted for FEJA a few years ago. As I said, I have a district that is home to more renewable energy than almost every one of you who are going to vote for this bill. I know what it is all about. This is not the right path forward. When you turn off these power plants in Southern Illinois…mind you, MISO – the power grid that covers most of Illinois geographically, when you turn off these power plants, we are going to be getting power from that coal plant that I saw just across the river in Indiana last week, that coal plant that I saw just across the river in Kentucky last week. 50% of the energy generated by MISO comes from coal. You’re not doing what you think you’re doing with this bill. You’re putting people out of work. You’re raising rates on my constituents. You’re shutting things down that shouldn’t be shut down.”

Several groups have warned that the bill will cause a 3-5% municipal utility increase to resident of the state. The Illinois Senate is set to reconvene on Monday to approve the House’s amendments and send the bill to the Governor’s desk.

Winchester residents were alarmed by an out-of-state van on Wednesday with individuals approaching community members and businesses about COVID-19. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that this van was a Community Outreach team aimed at “amplifying and expanding the efforts of the local health departments to raise awareness of the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Scott County Health Department officials received the report of the van around mid-day on Wednesday an approached the group who said they were subcontracted out of Florida. According to the Health Department officials, they were asked to give proper credentials and identification about who they were and who they were connected to but could not produce the proper ID or credentials and were asked to leave the community.

In an email to WLDS News, IEMA Communications Manager Rebecca Clark says that “Outreach Team members are required to carry official photo identification. We have been in touch with this particular team to reiterate this requirement.” The Scott County Health Department says it will continue to publicize its own efforts to get the greater community vaccinated from COVID-19. For questions about vaccination clinics through the health department or to reserve a time slot, call 217-742-8203.

A former Jacksonville business is returning home. Twyford BBQ and Catering announced on its Facebook Page on Monday afternoon that they will be returning to Central Illinois in the coming months.

Twyford’s ended operations in the Jacksonville area in September 2020 and moved the business to Playa Lobos, Puerto Rico. Owner Randy Twyford at the time cited Illinois’ business climate as well as the Lincoln Land Wind Project being built near his home in rural Jacksonville for his reasons for leaving.

Citing an unexpected opportunity, a business in Isabela, Puerto Rico approached Twyford to purchase their business in order to expand its own operations. Twyford said he took the deal and will be returning to Central Illinois to offer his mobile food truck and catering services once again. Twyford BBQ and Catering has been in operation since 2007.

A Central Illinois venture capitalist has announced he is throwing his name in the Republican primary for governor.

37 year old Jesse Sullivan of Petersburg, is the founder and CEO of Alter Global, a venture capital group associated with international technology related investments.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Sullivan’s announcement for his gubernatorial bid was followed by a campaign finance report filing showing him with nearly $10.8 million in donations, largely from California-based business executives.

Sullivan becomes the 4^th declared candidate for the June 28^th Republican primary looking to challenge current Governor J.B. Pritzker. The other candidates include Bull Valley businessman Gary Rabine, State Senator Darren Bailey of Xenia, and former State Senator Paul Schimpf of Waterloo. 13^th District Congressman Rodney Davis is among several others who are considering a bid, but Davis says he’s awaiting the fate of the 13^th District’s design by Illinois Democrats.

A familiar face is joining Boyd Hospital’s Healthcare Services team. Dr. Michael McNear is joining Boyd’s Rural Health Clinic Staff.

McNear has practiced medicine in Jersey and Greene counties since 1999. He was previously the Chief Executive Officer for Illini Medical Associates prior to becoming the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Group President for Jersey Community Hospital for the last six years. He still is the Medical Director of the Mt. Gilead Shelter Care facility in Carrollton.

McNear has been a Greene County resident for over 22 years and previously served on the Greene County Board until 2020. McNear joins the 8 other full-time doctors at the 4 rural health clinics that are located in Carrollton, Greenfield, Roodhouse, and White Hall.

McNear will begin accepting patients in his clinic in Carrollton starting sometime in October. More information will be posted as soon as phone numbers and office hours are decided.

A man on trial for first degree murder charges in Morgan County court won’t be able to proceed next week as planned.

21 year old Dustin A. Finlaw argued in Morgan County Court on his own behalf that State’s Attorney Gray Noll had sabotaged his defense by providing a list of 100 names that may potentially be called to the stand to testify at the upcoming trial.

Noll says he may potentially whittle down the list of potential witnesses based upon Finlaw’s evidence discovery and witness list which he turned over to Noll at the conclusion of the hearing yesterday afternoon: “Whenever there is any sort of felony case, especially when it’s a murder case, the State has disclose everybody who might take the stand in any sort of case. The reason for that is twofold. One: so the defendant is aware who might testify and Two: when this list of potential witnesses is read to the potential jurors, they are asked some specific questions about whether or not they may know the witnesses that may testify or if they have any sort of relationship with the witnesses that may testify. Their answers effect the ability to serve on the jury obviously. Often times, the State, the Prosecution, in this case myself, list witnesses that potentially could testify but are not necessarily likely to testify. As I informed the court and Mr. Finlaw, we will attempt to pare [the list] down as much as we can, but a lot of it depends upon how the evidence is coming out at trial whether or not we would call certain witnesses, etc. We always try to over-include individuals on witness lists out of an abundance of caution.”

Finlaw said he was unprepared to move forward next week because the list contained too many names and was not specific. At one point during proceedings, he called the list “ridiculous” and “unacceptable” saying he wished to know a specific list of names and be provided an outline of their actual testimony so he could finalize his opening statements to his case. Judge Jack Davis III reminded Finlaw of his rights and that the burden of proof in any case lies solely on the prosecution, and in doing so, they must provide the jury why without a shadow of a doubt the crime may have allegedly been committed. Judge Davis then instructed the State to provide Mr. Finlaw with information on the jury selection process and instructions by Friday, September 17th.

Judge Davis then vacated the Tuesday, September 14th jury call. Based upon the witness list, Finlaw told the court he would be able to proceed in October, but Noll and Judge Davis disagreed based upon the time needed to issue subpoenas for witnesses and the time required to set a jury. A status hearing has been set in the case for Thursday, September 30th, with a final pre-trial hearing with all motions in limine due by October 27th. The jury trial has now been moved out to November 16th beginning at 10AM.

The Illinois House failed to pass an ethics reform bill during special session last week. House Republicans held a press conference yesterday asking a new ethics reform bill be taken up with more robust measures in place. The bill that failed to pass will be taken up according to statements made by Democratic House Leader Greg Harris yesterday to Chicago media.

95^th District Republican Representative Avery Bourne of Morrisonville says major loopholes and problems with the current bill need to be fixed: “[The Democrats] say this will create a revolving door ban so that lawmakers can’t immediately go and lobby their colleagues, but we know that there is a loophole that they would be able to. Most concerning to me and to our caucus is the lack of independence of the Legislative Inspector General. If we are ever going to get true and meaningful anti-corruption reform in Illinois and true accountability for politicians, we need an independent Legislative Inspector General. The bill that [Senate Democrats] passed, Senate Bill 539, actually takes away some of the jurisdiction of the Legislative Inspector General and limits the scope of the investigations that she can investigate. It also doesn’t include any of the really important reforms that [Carol Pope] and previous Legislative Inspectors General have requested.”

Bourne says that Governor J.B. Pritzker failed to use his amendatory veto power to create some of the changes in the current bill. Pritzker’s only amendatory veto, which is why the bill was sent back to the General Assembly to begin with, got rid of a portion of the bill that required his office to use a federal monitoring program for hiring. Bourne and her GOP colleagues said yesterday that House Democrats and the Governor’s Office have failed to listen to any of their proposals for true ethics reform in the state.

The Morgan County Health Department is seeing COVID-19 cases rise once again after declines began happening at the end of August.

19 new cases were reported yesterday, bringing Morgan County’s active case count to 125. Garrison School has also been listed as a new outbreak in the county, with 5 cases. The report did not split the number of cases between staff and students.

The Cass County Health Department announced 12 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. The active case count is currently 70 in Cass, with 5 of those cases hospitalized.

Schuyler County reported no new cases since Tuesday of this week. It’s that’s county’s first stretch of two days with no new cases since the early summer.