Jacksonville’s fire chief is making a case for a deputy fire chief.
Matt Summers made the argument in front of the Jacksonville city council last night.
Summers says his department is fully staffed now. In fact, he says one extra fireman has given him the flexibility to seek out a deputy fire chief.
Currently, the next level of leadership is captain.
Summers says Jacksonville needs a deputy fire chief, to prevent a gap in leadership if the current chief is out or incapacitated.
Summers says a deputy fire chief would probably cause the salary base in the fire department to raise about $45-thousand.
Summers says the explosion on West Morton a couple of weeks ago shows the need for a deputy chief. He says accidents on the job, such as the investigation of the West Morton explosion, could leave the fire department without a leader if the chief gets injured.
The Jacksonville city council took the request under advisement. The request prompted alderwoman Lori Large Oldenettal to ask about a personnel audit to make sure all city departments are staffed as they should be.
The drought of 2025 continued into October for Jacksonville.
Rainfall last month reached only 1 and 8 tenths inches. That’s a full 2 inches below normal.
For the year, Jacksonville is now running 11 inches behind. Normal rainfall through October is close to 36 inches. Jacksonviille now stands at 24 and three quarter inches for 2025.
The heaviest rain was the three fourths of an inch we received October 19th and 20th. There was measurable rain on just six of the 31 days in October.
It was also hotter last month. The mercury hit 80 or better on the first six days of the month, and six more days starting on the 13th.
Daily highs averaged 75, and lows 49.
The average reading, not surprisingly checked in at 62 degrees. That’s nearly 8 degrees hotter than normal.
Normal readings average a little over 54 degrees.
The coldest day of the month was 32 on the 24th, and the hottest was 91 on the first.
The 62 degree average was among the hottest Octobers on record. The record is 66 and a half degrees back in 1963.
Jacksonville police chief Doug Thompson made a bid to replace police department-issued handguns Monday night.
Thompson says the current guns now being used have been found by several departments to misfire.
He says that puts the department in a position not to trust the guns.
Thompson says the guns have reportedly been firing without anyone pulling a trigger.
Thompson proposes buying new guns for about $68-thousand.
He says officers have fired several models, and prefer a Smith and Wesson.
He says the money will be paid this year, but he will include it in next year’s budget.
The council also voted 6 to 3 to allow a convenience store liquor license to the North Clay Convenience Store. An attempt to get a hard liquor license failed last month before the council.
Alderwomen Darcella Speed, Lori Large Oldenettal, and Eren Williams voted last night against the extra license. Williams explained she believes the neighborhood has enough outlets selling alcohol.
The council approved the hiring of a probationary patrolman for next spring. That patrolman would come on board when Deputy Chief Rodney Cox retires from the force next summer.
Aldermen approved a new ordinance that would set up formally rules with industry over non-domestic discharges into the city’s sewer system. The city currently has individual agreements with each of the industries. This would make the rules more uniform, and set up penalties if non allowed substances are released.
The council agreed to spend $15-hundred to buy land at 1001 Cox. That land will be used for parking for a nearby park.
And, the finance committee will meet on the 17th at noon to discuss the 2026 tax levy.
The Jacksonville city council last night wrestled with the elephant that is in the big room of the city..homlessness.
A packed commission room greeted 9 of the 10 aldermen as the council heard from several people.
The list included Jada Lutzke, who is trying to organize a low barrier shelter in the city to be called the Station. Duke Demoss, who is from the Philadelphia-Virginia area, has been ministering to the homeless here in Jacksonville. He asked that the city provide, rent free, the community park center for meals and gatherings on Sundays. No answer was given at the meeting.
Others included Alan Bradish, the now retired chaplain for the city police department, and Sue Brosmith and David Bergman from New Directions, as well as a representative from In His Service.
All agreed that first and foremost the city needs a place where the homeless can get shelter in frigid weather. Bradish says a center needs to be found soon.
Brosmith says New Directions, which now focusses on temporary housing, can handle up to 20, and there is supposed to be a 60 day limit. But, all who come must be sober and have a police background check.
Bradish says the need becomes more prominent with the start of colder weather. And, the center needs to be centrally located, preferably downtown.
Alderwomen Eren Williams chairs the special studies committee for the city council. This committee is tasked with finding at least a temporary solution.
The hurdles that a solution would need to overcome is insurance, funding, and a location, preferably close to the center of town.
Estimates of the homeless in Jacksonville range anywhere from 15 to 35. Because of the services here, several claimed last night that Jacksonville is taking in homeless from nearby counties, such as Greene, Cass, Macoupin and Montgomery counties. And, several also claimed there are some coming to Jacksonville from Springfield because it’s safer here.
The committee will meet again later this month, an hour before the council workshop session.
The leader of the Jacksonville Catholic Church has had a setback after heart surgery.
Father Joe Ring leads the Our Saviour Catholic Church on East State.
He underwent surgery to place stints in his aorta Halloween Day, and the surgery was considered a success.
Father Joe returned to the Our Saviour Rectory after he was discharged on the fifth.
But, he returned to St Louis last weekend, after suffering an aneurysm within his chest cavity.
Messages to the church membership indicate he had two more operations over the weekend, and as of Monday, was listed in guarded condition. His recovery period will probably extend through the end of the year.
Our Saviour held a school mass today in which prayers were offered for Father Joe.
Meanwhile, the other priest at Our Saviour, Father Zach Patibandla, is also recovering from heart surgery. He is recovering in Jerseyville, and is expected back before the end of the year.
A Greene County man will serve time in jail after a sentencing hearing Monday in Greene County Court.
43-year-old Roger Cox the second of Hillview admitted to a class 4 felony charge of possession of a controlled substance in a hearing Monday before Judge Zachary Schmidt.
Cox was arrested in July. He was picked up for controlled substance possession, possession of a hypodermic needle and violating an order of protection.
In the plea agreement, the two other charges were dropped, after Cox admitted to the drug charge. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison, and given credit for 120 days already served.
The Roman Catholic bishop in Springfield is critical of a bill legalizing doctor assisted suicide that passed the Illinois Senate late last week.
Bishop Thomas Paprocki issued a statement last Friday.
He said it was fitting that the senate passed the bill on Halloween, a day he says has become synonymous with glorifying death and evil.
Paprocki also said it was fitting the bill was passed at about 3 Friday morning.
The head of the Springfield diocese said there is no doubt that killing oneself is not dying with dignity. He says doctors take an oath to do no harm and under this bill, they can prescribe death.
He is calling on Governor JB Pritzker to reject the bill.
Paprocki said Illinois should be a state that offers compassion, care and hope, and not death.
There are no changes in the candidate filings for next springs primary from last week at the Morgan County clerk’s office.
Jamie Jackson, who filed as a Republican, remains the lone candidate for sheriff. Mike Carmody has already announced he would not return.
There are three candidates for the seat now held by Dr. Michael Woods. Dr. Woods was the lone Democrat candidate to fill his post.
Two Republicans have filed for Woods’ seat. Former Morgan County deputy and state trooper Greg Hacker, and local farmer and radio salesperson Vikkie Becker have filed on the GOP ticket.
Sherry Sills has filed for re-election as county clerk, and Crystal Meyers has filed for re-election as treasurer. Both are Republicans.
That means the lone race to be decided in March is between Hacker and Becker.
