The Village of South Jacksonville’s board of trustees wants to take some time to discuss the passage of a local grocery occupation tax. 

The State of Illinois did away with their version of the tax in the most recent Spring legislative session. Governor J.B. Pritzker has urged municipalities not to re-institute the tax locally. As of May 2nd, 106 municipalities – including the City of Jacksonville – have passed the tax in order to keep the revenue stream.

One trustee for the village says he’s opposed to the tax. J.W. Coleman says its time to find other revenue streams or to simply tighten the belt on the village’s finances: “My ideas are to not even enforce it. We do not have enough sustainable grocery [business] to produce any giant revenue off of it anyway, in my opinion. If we can control anything, try to control it at the local level and reduce a little bit of our tax burden especially since we were all hit July 1st with a monumental amount of new taxes. Now, do you see it directly every day? No, but when you go to pay your cell phone or go to the gas pump you see it. And if we can do something as a little village to help out to save a few hundred dollars a year, I’m all for it.”

Village Treasurer Mindy Olson said that the village was $193,000 under budget in the previous fiscal year. Auditors will be finalizing those numbers during the week of July 28th. Olson says if the village removes the tax, they will lose approximately $15,000 in annual revenue.

Coleman says while it’s not a drop in the hat, he says the village can find other ways to better direct services, audit processes and simply be conservative with taxpayer money: “I’m not saying it’s a drop in the hat. I’m thinking we can tighten our belts a little bit because I have to at home. If my expenses go up at home, I can’t go to my employer and say ‘Hey, I need an offset of 3% to cover this.’ I have to manage my checkbook accordingly and my budget accordingly. Why should the village be any different, in my opinion?”

Communities have until October to decide whether to keep or kill the 1% tax on everyday grocery items. According to the Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois residents saved approximately $360 million in total the year state leaders suspended the tax as a way to combat rampant inflation.

A former Sangamon County man now incarcerated in Joliet was sentenced to additional prison time in Greene County Circuit Court for a methamphetamine arrest last year.

Justin L. Livingston, 41, pleaded guilty to Class 1 felony possession of methamphetamine 15-100 grams in front of Greene County Circuity Judge Zachary Schmidt on Monday. Livingston was arrested by a Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy in a traffic stop on August 4, 2024. The case was also investigated by the Roodhouse and White Hall Police Departments.

“I want the people of Greene County to know that we are committed to fighting the ongoing methamphetamine crisis,” said Greene County State’s Attorney Craig Grummel in a press release today. “These drugs fuel crime, destroy lives, and tear families apart. My office will continue to seek meaningful prison sentences for those trafficking or possessing meth in our community.”

Livingston was sentenced to 5 additional years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and ordered to pay fines, fees and court costs.

The Scott County State’s Attorney’s Office has announced charges in an investigation surrounding theft of funds from the Winchester EMS.

According to a press release, on Monday, the Illinois State Police Special Investigation Unit presented a completed investigation to the Scott County State’s Attorney’s Office concerning unauthorized purchases and transfers of funds at the Winchester EMS, with an investigation that started in early May. “The ISP Special Investigation Unit is dedicated to upholding public integrity and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public’s trust,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.

Today, Scott County State’s Attorney Rick Crews filed a 16 Count Information against and issued a warrant for the arrest of former employee and board member of the Winchester EMS, Jennifer J. McMillen, 46, of Winchester. “I am very impressed with the information presented to my office.” State’s Attorney
Crews said. “The investigation did a thorough review of all EMS purchases and transfers for the past four years.”

The counts included nine counts of theft, two of which were in excess of $10,000 but less than $100,000 (Class 2 felonies), the remaining were in excess of $500 but less than $10,000 (Class 3 felonies); and, seven counts of wire fraud, all of which are class 3 felonies. These offenses were committed against the Winchester EMS and are alleged to have occurred between the dates of August of 2021 and April of 2025.

When questioned about whether or not the Defendant obtained any taxpayer money provided by Scott County, State’s Attorney Crews responded, “There is no evidence that shows that the Defendant misused
any of the funds provided by Scott County. Those funds are deposited into a payroll account in a different bank from where her alleged misconduct took place.”

The Roodhouse Fire Protection District announced a new program to attract new firefighters.

The Roodhouse Fire District has recently created a CADET program for students aged 16-18 that has an interest working in the fire service. Cadets will work directly under an officers supervision at medical/fire scenes, with limitations. Trainings are provided.

Roodhouse joins the Jacksonville Fire Department who started a cadet program for 19-20 year olds who are interested in pursuing a career as a firefighter. JFD opened their program in January.

The Roodhouse Fire cadet program is open to students who live within the district. Parents/guardians are urged to contact the fire department either through their Facebook page, call 217-589-5134, or visit the fire department located 1140 South State Street to pick up an application and inquire about the program. If you have an interest but live outside of the fire district, you are asked to contact your local fire department and inquire about if a cadet program is offered.

A woman accused of acquiring drugs that killed a woman in her White Hall home in December 2024 has died, according to online court records.

Shanda D. Griffin, 55, of Eldred is said to have died and her case abated according to online court records filed yesterday. Griffin was charged March 4, 2025 with Class 4 felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in Greene County Circuit Court. According to charging documents in the case, Griffin “agreed with Derek Nolan to possess fentanyl and [the two] … made arrangement and traveled to obtain” it. Nolan, 36, of Eldred, has been charged with Class X drug-induced homicide in relation to the death of Angela Kristine “Krissy” Virgin, 52, of White Hall, who was found dead in her home of an alleged overdose on December 21, 2024. Nolan is accused of providing the drug to Virgin a day earlier.

Also charged in the case, is Megan M. Henson, 34, of Roodhouse in the alleged drug conspiracy. According to Virgin’s obituary, Henson is Virgin’s daughter. According to charging documents, Henson allegedly acted with Griffin in acquiring the drug. According to a report from the Journal Courier, Henson had been sentenced May 13, 2024 to drug treatment and a year’s probation after pleading guilty in Jersey County to a charge of felony possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. She had been arrested February 28, 2024, on that charge, as well as on charges of possession of methamphetamine and obstructing identification. Both of those charges were dismissed under her plea arrangement, according to online court records.

Nolan is set to return to court on his charges on July 14. Henson is scheduled for a status in her case for July 29.

A Brown County woman is heading to prison on drug charges.

Christina L. Passmore, 40, of Mt. Sterling pleaded guilty on Monday to Class 3 felony possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams before Judge Jerry Hooker. Passmore was arrested on the charges on April 5, 2024. Passmore received subsequent citations for city ordinance violations on April 22, 2024 and June 3, 2024 for dogs running loose and failure to inoculating dogs according to standards.

Passmore then failed to appear in court for scheduled hearings on at least two occasions and was sanctioned with 30 days of temporary imprisonment in February 2025. After her release, she was arrested again by Mt. Sterling authorities for possession of methamphetamine on March 31, 2025. After failing to appear in court one more time, Passmore was arrested and imprisoned at the Schuyler County Jail on May 26th.

Judge Hooker sentenced Passmore on Monday to 4 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and ordered to pay fines on both the drug charges and the ordinance violations. All other charges were dismissed per the plea. Passmore was given credit for 39 days served in jail.

Ray Long, 67, and a native of Winchester, announced his retirement from the Chicago Tribune on July 2.

Long started with the Tribune in 1998 as their Springfield correspondent covering state news and eventually moved to their watchdog group in 2015. Long took a buyout from the Tribune Publishing ownership this week, saying on his social media that he was considering retirement prior to the offer. Before the long stint at the Chicago Tribune, Long worked for the Associated Press, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Peoria Journal-Star and the Alton Telegraph, totaling up over 45 years covering Illinois politics.

Long has won several awards for his work over the years, including being a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2017 and 2018.

In 2022, he published the critically-acclaimed book about now-convicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan called “The House that Madigan Built.”

Never one to forget his hometown, Long was a frequent radio guest on WLDS over the years, providing information on Chicago, Madigan and state politics to local listeners.

The Sangamon County Coroner’s Office has earned national accreditation from the International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners (IACME), a distinction that recognizes the office for achieving the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and service to the public.

The accreditation follows a comprehensive review process, during which the Coroner’s Office was evaluated against 285 internationally recognized standards. To qualify, agencies must demonstrate 100% compliance with all mandatory standards and maintain a minimum overall compliance rate of at least 90%.

“This accreditation is more than just a certificate. It recognizes the work we do every day and the standards we hold ourselves to,” said Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. “From the moment a call comes in to the time we complete our reports, our office approaches every case with professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail. I’m incredibly proud of my staff and the work they do to serve families in some of their most difficult moments. This recognition belongs to them.”

The accreditation review examined a broad range of practices, including administrative operations, investigative protocols, forensic standards, and facility management. The IACME’s process is voluntary, and only a select number of coroner and medical examiner offices nationwide have achieved this honor. Sangamon County is the fourth Coroner’s Office in Illinois to receive IACME accreditation, and the first in downstate Illinois.

The recent opening of the new regional morgue supports the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office in meeting IACME’s rigorous standards. By bringing autopsy, storage, investigation, and administrative functions together in one modern facility, the office can work more efficiently and coordinate more effectively. This setup helps ensure the highest quality of service for residents of Sangamon County and surrounding communities including Morgan, Scott, and Cass counties among others.

The IACME commended the office for its transparency and willingness to undergo external evaluation, noting that accreditation signals a strong commitment to best practices and ethical service.

Multiple agencies responded to a reported standoff at a residence in Chapin on the evening of July 5.

According to a post on the Chapin Police Facebook page, at approximately 4 p.m. July 5, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, the Chapin Police Department, the Murrayville-Woodson Police Department, and the Jacksonville Police Department Special Response Team responded to an active stand off with an individual inside a home in the 400 block of Poplar Street.

According to a report today by the Journal Courier, arriving officers determined a firearm might have been involved in an altercation with family members. Three family members were able to leave the house while the alleged armed individual remained inside the home and was unable to be contacted for well over two hours. At 6 p.m., residents were asked to stay away from the area as well as Chapin Community Park

The man surrendered to police around 6:40 p.m. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. Samuel A. Morris, 28, of Chapin was arrested on two counts of Class A misdemeanor aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was taken to the Morgan County Jail.

Chapin Police Chief Steve Helmich thanked local departments for their support with the incident: “We thank our law enforcement partners for a professional, coordinated response that brought this incident to a peaceful and safe conclusion. We also thank our community members for staying away from the area to allow law enforcement to do their jobs.”