The Illinois State Police have confirmed an investigation into theft of funds at the Winchester EMS.

An anonymous email from a Scott County citizen was sent to several news outlets on April 26 saying that a member of the Winchester EMS “has been stealing…taxpayer money.” The email says that the Scott County Commissioners and EMS leadership were aware of the issue and the email reported that “EMS leadership is reportedly seeking to handle the investigation internally rather than involving the proper authorities.”

The Winchester EMS began receiving taxpayer funding in January 2024 after citizens passed an advisory referendum to set up a special service area tax. The referendum and funding was a four-year long back and forth battle between EMS’s leadership and the Scott County Commissioners for the EMS to remain in operation. As the referendum was written, the tax levy for the special service area would provide about $260,000 a year strictly to fund salaries, allowing the service to establish paid positions to alleviate the strain on volunteer members of the group. The quarterly payments on the salaries carry a requirement of incident reporting to the commissioners along with progress reports on ALS certification, among other items that are controlled by the county commissioners. The remainder of the funding for capital improvements and other items are funded through the EMS’s 501(c)3 status and private fundraising.

The Illinois State Police confirmed via email to The Source reporter and WLDS News correspondent Ben Cox on Friday that ISP Special Investigations has an open investigation referencing the theft of funds at the Winchester EMS. The email did not confirm any further information.

A phone call placed by Cox to the Scott County Commissioners with a message on May 1 has not been returned. An email inquiry with Scott County State’s Attorney Rick Crews’ office has also not been answered.

KHQA reported on April 29 that the State’s Attorney’s Office had launched an investigation into theft of taxpayer funds at the Winchester EMS. The report said that one employee had allegedly stolen taxpayer money despite the aforementioned requirements of the Special Service Area referendum. Winchester leadership said in a phone conversation with Cox on May 1 that their legal counsel has advised for them to make no public comment at this time as an investigation remains open and ongoing.

As of press time, no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.

A Greene County man with multiple charges across several West Central Illinois counties was sentenced this morning to prison time in Greene County Circuit Court.

Charles W. Swarringim, 41, formerly of Roodhouse was sentenced to 1 year in the Illinois Department of Corrections for criminal damage to government supported property. Swarringim pleaded guilty to the Class 4 felony this morning after representing himself during court proceedings, according to Greene County State’s Attorney Craig Grummel.

The charges stem from an incident on April 15th in which Swarringim damaging a blanket at the Greene County Jail without consent.

Swarringim has several pending cases in Cass County, including Class X felony methamphetamine delivery and failure to return from furlough as a felon. Swarringim was initially arrested on the charges back on November 14, 2024 for incidents that had occurred in September 2024. Swarringim has failed to appear for court proceedings on multiple occasions since then, and has appeared as a Crime Stoppers Most Wanted individual.

Swarringim also has an open case in Morgan County stemming from a traffic stop arrest on July 23, 2023 for possession of methamphetamine between 5-15 grams and felony driving on a revoked license.

New court dates for those outstanding cases have not been announced. Swarringim was remanded to the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections immediately following the hearing.

A Springfield man pleaded guilty to a string of vehicle burglaries in hotel parking lots in Sangamon County on Friday, but is believed to be linked to over 100 thefts and burglaries across the region over the last two years.

Christian Halberstadt, 34, of Springfield pleaded guilty to the burglaries and was sentenced to 11 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to online court records. Capital City Now reports that Springfield Police identified Halberstadt in the series of burglaries in lots in the area of Dirksen Parkway between South Grand Avenue and Stevenson Drive. The incidents involved criminal damage to vehicles and theft of Milwaukee and Dewalt tools back in January. Officers arrested Halberstadt on 8 charges on January 31, and he’s been residing in the Sangamon County Jail since.

A news release from Springfield Deputy Chief Sara Pickford says that Halberstadt is also suspected to be involved in over 100 burglaries to vehicles in 2024 including several in Jacksonville, Decatur and in other locations in Sangamon County. Anyone with information concerning this investigation is being asked to call the Springfield Police Department at (217) 788-8311 or leave a tip with the Sangamon-Menard Crime Stoppers.

One person was injured and a car ended up in the front yard of a residence in the 1700 block of Mound Avenue on Sunday morning.

Jacksonville Police, LifeStar EMS and Jacksonville Rescue responded to the intersection of Westgate and Mound at approximately 9:30 Sunday morning for a report of a two-vehicle collision with injuries.

According to a police report, a vehicle driven by 26-year old Earl Q. Green of Springfield was stopped at the intersection of Westgate Avenue at Mound Road and then proceeded northbound through the intersection on Westgate before striking a vehicle driven by a 17-year old female juvenile, who was traveling eastbound on Mound Avenue.

The report says that the 17-year old female failed to obey the stop sign at the intersection and struck Green’s vehicle. The female told police that she believed that she had stopped or slowed down at the intersection but also said she was looking down at her radio. An eye witness told police that the 17-year old female’s vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and that she was looking down while driving the car.

Both vehicles sustained major damage and was towed from the scene. The female’s vehicle ended up damaging bushes in the front yard of a home located in the 1700 block of Mound Road before coming to rest in front of a utility pole.

Green was transported from the scene to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital for left leg, left hip, and neck pain; but all were considered non-life threatening.

The 17-year old female was later cited for disobeying a stop sign.

Some area residents have raised concerns that Jacksonville School District 117 paid too much for an 8-acre plot of land that will be the eventual site of the new Murrayville-Woodson Elementary School.

The site near the intersection of the Woodson-Winchester Road and Water Tower Road sits less than a quarter of a mile from Illinois-267 and was purchased from Mark Pennell at $40,000 per acre at the end of March.

District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek says the purchase was at a premium because the land wasn’t really for sale. He likened it to going up to someone’s home who wasn’t for sale and asking to buy their house, which he says would happen at a premium. He says the rate that was paid for the property was actually near a commercial development property rate, compared to what Dollar General paid for their current site in Woodson. He said the premium was worth it because the school was placed at the site that is best for the district and the area.

As for getting the school built, Ptacek says that site soil sampling and testing is currently taking place. He says more developments with the design and other state regulations will be given in the next few months.

A Winchester man who is said to have slashed the throat of a Carrollton resident during a domestic disturbance last summer was sentenced to prison in Greene County Circuit Court today.

27-year-old Austin Williams of Winchester pleaded guilty to Aggravated Battery, a Class 3 Felony, stemming from an incident that occurred on June 3 of last year. According to a Carrollton Police Department report, Williams is accused of slashing the throat of Joshua Aguirre with a box cutter. According to a report from the Carrollton Police Department, at approximately 4:45PM on that date, the Carrollton Police Department was notified that a male subject had a cut to his throat at a residence in the 100 block of Third Street. The injured male subject was transported to Boyd Memorial Hospital prior to officers’ arrival. Williams was later found and arrested by police and booked into the Greene County Jail.

The case had gone through lengthy pretrial deliberations over Williams’ mental fitness.

Following the guilty plea today, Judge Zachary Schmidt sentenced Williams to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Fines and court costs were waived per the plea.

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office has announced a student at Franklin schools has been arrested for threatening a school shooting.

According to a press release, at 10PM on Monday, April 21, Morgan County Sheriff’s deputies took a complaint from Franklin Schools superintendent Jeff Waggener. Waggener told deputies that a student had threatened to shoot up the school at 10:30AM today. Waggener said that he decided to call off school for the day due to the alleged threat. Deputies continued to investigate the threat throughout the night.

Today, Morgan County detectives interviewed several individuals about the incident. Deputies were eventually contacted by a parent who believed their child was the person of interest in the case. Detectives then responded to a residence in rural Alexander at approximately 11AM today. After speaking with the parent and the juvenile, the juvenile was taken into custody without incident and taken to the Morgan County Jail, where the juvenile was booked on a disorderly conduct charge and later released back to his parents. Juvenile probation has been contacted for further assistance.

Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott & Cass Counties are requesting information to assist the Jacksonville Police Department in their investigation of a recent Hit & Run.

On Tuesday at 1:30pm, a Hit & Run was reported at a business located in the 800 block of West Morton Avenue. A newer model gray Ford truck struck a parked vehicle and left the scene.

The police are asking that anyone who has information concerning this incident to submit a tip online by going to the Morgan, Scott, Cass Crime Stoppers Facebook page and click the “Contact Us” button on the top of the page or visit their website morganscottcrimestoppers.com and click on the “Submit A Tip” button at the top of the home page.

You may also call the Crime stoppers hotline at 217-243-7300.

Remember: Crime Stoppers just want your information and not your name. If your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.

Village of South Jacksonville officials are seeing more engagement this year with the community garden plots.

The plots are located south of the police department on Sequoia Drive. Village Police Chief Eric Hansell says the plots will be ready to go for planting soon, with tilling starting in the next 3-4 days depending upon the weather. Two plots have already been taken by outside agencies in the community. Hansell says a large sweet corn plot has also been marked off. “Pretty much anytime the weather is good, we are ready for people to start planting,” Hansell says, “Then, eventually they can some and start harvesting and consuming some of the food.”

Parties interested in speaking up for a plot can call 217-245-9222 and speak with Chief Hansell or Sheryl Dossett.

Hansell says you do not have to be from the village or have a plot to come harvest food when it’s ready, but Hansell asks that you be respectful and allow everyone to have a little bit of what is grown.

The original idea of the plots was to help meet some of the community’s food insecurity needs while also helping those who may not have enough room to raise a garden on their property to have one.