Those who use the net to get information about their accounts with Social Security may now have to make some changes.

Jack Myers says those who created their “my social security accounts” before September 18 of 2021 must start over in setting up their accounts.

Up to now, the old log in would work to access your account.

Myers says people will need to make an adjustment now and create a new log in.

Myers up til last Saturday, people could get to their accounts using the old log in.

He says the site will lead visitors through the set up for the new account.

And, Myers reminds people to go to ssa.gov, and don’t trust similar named sites.

He says the change was made to make the site more secure.

A Jacksonville man has been arrested in connected with a fire that destroyed a vacant house in Roodhouse early yesterday morning.

Roodhouse police chief Kyle Robison says 23-year-old Christopher Webb was arrested for arson, and remains at the Greene County Jail.

Robison says a description of the suspect and vehicle was circulated, and Webb was found in Jacksonville, thanks to Jacksonville police. Webb was then questioned and arrested by Roodhouse officers.

Roodhouse firemen responded to the fire at 333 East North in Roodhouse about 4:30 yesterday morning. The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire fighters arrived.

The fire was under control within an hour and did not spread.

Roodhouse fire chief Brian Dossett believes Webb was smoking on a couch, and set the couch on fire.

There were no utilities connected to the home. The state fire marshall’s office was called in to help with the investigation.

The vote to continue the 1-percent grocery tax Monday night by the Jacksonville city council had one dissenting voice.

3^rd Ward Alderwoman Terri Heape cast the lone no vote. The measure passed 7 to 1.

Heape says she wanted to hear more about other possible options.

She says it’s not that she was against the money that the tax would produce. She would have like to look around at other options, and save local residents a few bucks.

The state plans to discontinue the tax after the end of this year.

Heape says she would like to look elsewhere to find extra monies.

She says she is still learning on the job and would have liked to have had more information before being asked to vote.

The tax would bring in anywhere from $500-thousand to over $700-thousand a year for the city.

Jacksonville mayor Andy Ezard says the city needs that money in order to fulfill needs through capital improvement projects.

An Arenzville woman who has been on the lam from charges in multiple counties was sentenced to prison in Cass County Circuit Court on Monday.

34-year old Brooke Johnson of Arenzville pleaded guilty to methamphetamine delivery between 15-100 grams. The charge stems from a series of arrests by Cass County Sheriff’s deputies in November 2024. Johnson then escaped from a penal institution on January 2nd of this year and never returned. She was additionally cited for failure to return from furlough on April 25th. Johnson has an outstanding felony theft warrant in Morgan County from an incident in January 2024 as well outstanding traffic violations; and an outstanding traffic warrant in Scott County.

Cass County Circuit Judge Timothy Wessel sentenced Johnson to a total of six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and ordered payment of court costs. Johnson was given credit for 59 days served in the Schuyler County Jail.

A Beardstown woman arrested on multiple alleged cocaine possession charges two years ago was sentenced to probation and supervision time in Cass County Circuit Court on Monday.

48-year-old Whitney Valente of Beardstown pleaded guilty to one court of manufacture and/or delivery of cocaine between 1-15 grams, a Class 1 felony on Monday. The charges stem from an executed warrant search that occurred in the 300 block of East 7th Street in Beardstown on March 22, 2023. According to a report from Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn, the search warrant was obtained as a result of a drug investigation into the illegal sale of a controlled substance from an address in that area. Valente was initially charged with 3 citations of delivery of a controlled substance, a single count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

After release from jail, Valente was arrested by Cass County Deputies in May 2024 under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and running a stop sign.

Valente was sentenced by Cass County Judge Timothy Wessel to 2 years of probation and ordered payment of fines and assessment costs. The sentence will run concurrently to one year of supervision on the DUI charge.

State officials are trying to minimize damage after a security breach within the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

The breach occurred on or about February 11^th this year.

Officials say the department became aware of a bad actor who was conducting a phishing campaign, targeting HFS workers, trying to get access to their usernames and passwords.

The bad actor used a previous employees account, making the request seem trustworthy and the emails and documents of one of the workers were compromised.

HFS worked with state officials to block the link contained in the e mail, and passwords were reset.

The information compromised may have included customer names, social security numbers, driver’s license or state ID numbers, financial information about child support and date of birth.

The total number of individuals impacted was 933, of which 564 were Illinois residents.

The department completed notifying the affected clients May 23^rd.

Anyone with questions about the compromised information is urged to e mail HFS.Privacy.Officer@Illinois.gov.