It was a night for more than just remembrance in downtown Jacksonville Thursday night. The S.T.A.R.S. for Suicide Prevention’s Walk Out of the Darkness event brought a sizable crowd to the downtown plaza Thursday evening for a night of hope and remembrance for those who have been lost to suicide, those left behind, with a focus on those who are struggling with thoughts of self-harm.

Sherri McLaughlin served as the keynote speaker during the event. Mclaughlin drew from her years of experience as a school counselor to encourage support and understanding while pushing for an end to the stigma surrounding both suicide and mental health.

“I work with a lot of students who have suicidal thoughts ideation, have attempted and have completed suicide. So I am passionate about getting the message out that you can talk about it. You’re not a crazy person, you are someone that just is in despair and just needs a support system around you and we’re going to be there to do that.

The S.T.A.R.S. organization is one that is great about bringing awareness and connecting people to resources, so my message is let’s get rid of the stigma and let’s talk about what needs to be talked about and get some things in place.”

During her presentation, Mclaughlin shared some of the personal triumphs and tragedies she has witnessed during the course of her career as a school counselor while helping to remind and encourage both survivors and anyone struggling with their own mental health that they are not alone.

Attendees lit luminaries in memory of a loved one lost to suicide which were then placed around the Central Park Civil War Monument. During the ceremony, John Rohn of Jacksonville sang songs of praise and hope.

The evening culminated with the annual candlelit Walk Out of the Dark around the square.

S.T.A.R.S. for Suicide Prevention is a Jacksonville area group that meets once a month to support family and friends of those lost to suicide as well as promoting prevention and support to those with thoughts of self-harm.

To find out more information, go to the STARS for Suicide Prevention Facebook page, or email them at STARS 4 SP @ mail dot com.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm and needs immediate help, you can contact the State Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. Assistance through the lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

More information has become available on an incident that led to the arrest of a Jacksonville Middle School student after a purported gun threat.

According to a press release by the Jacksonville Police Department late Friday, the department’s Investigative Division was made aware of a complaint of a student possessing a firearm.

After an investigation by the JMS School Resource Officer and detectives found that a 13-year-old juvenile had told several individuals at the school they had possession of a firearm.

According to the report the incident happened near the end of classes and outside of the school building on Thursday. Investigators say after interviewing all parties involved they were able to confirm that no weapon was ever displayed or seen and that the 13-year-old juvenile did not possess a firearm at the time of the incident, nor were firearms accessible at the juvenile’s home.

In a statement released late Thursday, Jacksonville School Superintendent Steve Ptacek said that a second student had shared rumors that he had seen the gun, however after being questioned by authorities he recanted and said he had not seen any weapon.

Ptacek said the district is considering the incident involving the second student as an active attempt to disrupt school and that the student would receive discipline for the incident.

The 13-year-old juvenile who purported to be in possession of the firearm was subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct and was later released to the custody of a family member. Police officials say the matter has been turned over to the Morgan County State’s Attorney and Morgan County Juvenile Probation Department.

The Jacksonville Police Department also confirmed that one day earlier on Wednesday, they were made aware of multiple online threats being shared across multiple social media platforms of threats to both Jacksonville Middle School and Jacksonville High School.

They say shortly after the threats were reported, detectives and the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center (STIC) were able to deem the threats not credible, and that the online threats that were reported on Wednesday were unrelated to the arrest of the 13-year-old juvenile for disorderly conduct.

Investigators went on to say the Jacksonville Police Department is continuing to work with District 117 officials to ensure the safety and security of all students and faculty. They are encouraging anyone with information regarding online or in-person threats to report them immediately.

According to Ptacek on Thursday, JMS administrators were set to visit each classroom on Friday to address students and staff about the Thursday incident and review a proper and standard operating procedure for dealing with valid threats at the school.

One boil order was lifted just as another was put into effect this afternoon.

The Village of South Jacksonville has announced the boil order that was issued for ALL South Jacksonville Rural customers West of Riggston on Wednesday has been lifted.

Anyone with further questions can call the South Jacksonville Village Hall at 217-245-4803.

The City of Jacksonville issued a boil order this afternoon for a west-side Jacksonville neighborhood.

Residents are asked to boil water if they live in the following areas:

Edgehill Road from Woodland to Lincoln,

West Chambers from Woodland to Lincoln, Turner Road, Baldwin Road, Crampton Road.

Woodland from Edgehill to W Chambers, Lincoln from Edgehill to West Chambers.

Anyone with questions can contact the Jacksonville Municipal Utilities Department by calling 217-479-4660.

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month and in collaboration with National Suicide Prevention Week, a special event is returning to downtown Jacksonville on Thursday.

Jacksonville’s S.T.A.R.S. for Suicide Prevention will be hosting the annual Walk Out of the Darkness Event on the downtown plaza Thursday starting at 6:30 pm.

Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson says the annual event is one of the most important events held in Jacksonville each year, yet many people are not aware of it.

Patterson says in her role as Morgan County Coroner, she sees the devastating impact suicide can have “One year ago when I stood at this event and spoke on the microphone, it was about that we want to prevent this and we want to make it where people have options and resources available besides that.

But yet here we are twelve months later and we’ve lost four people by suicide since that night. So our word is not out yet. It’s not loud enough, we don’t have enough places for help. And this is way as a community that we can all get together and we can remember that we need to be there for people and provide an opportunity for people to know that they can reach out.”

Patterson says Walk Out of the Darkness is not only a night of hope and remembrance of those who have been lost to suicide, but it is also a way for anyone who is struggling with the thought of suicide to find where and how they can get help and support.

“At that event, there are resources available, there is pastoral care, there are staff members from different support organizations available so that anyone who is not sure where to go for help, they can look around there and there will be a resource available to give to them to help make the right decision for their own care. And

Patterson says the event also offers a safe place for those family and friends who are dealing with the loss of a loved one from suicide. “Everyone now it seems like has a suicide story in their life somewhere that hurts them and this is an opportunity for them to come and stand together in silence and remembrance.

And it’s a little bit darker outside so nobody is watching, nobody is talking or making you feel uncomfortable. It’s just an opportunity for a little bit of quiet reflection and listening if you care to, to someone else’s story to help let you know that you are not alone.”

The Walk Out of the Darkness event starts with introductions followed by a keynote speaker. John Rohn will sing a few songs of hope and inspiration during the event which concludes with the walk around the square.

Luminaries will be available for those to honor their loved ones during the event. Activities begin at 6:30 pm with the program starting at 7:00 on the plaza in Downtown Jacksonville.

For more information on the Walk Out of the Darkness event or the S.T.A.R.S. for Suicide Prevention group, you can find them on Facebook under STARS for Suicide Prevention.

John Wood Community College will honor local and national first responders and the freedoms they protect in a special presentation this week.

JWCC has received permission from the 9-11 Memorial and Museum to be a viewing site for the organization’s annual anniversary film on Wednesday, September 11.

This year’s film honoring the sacrifice of first responders and their families will be premiered locally in JWCC’s Heath Center auditorium on Wednesday, at 12:15 p.m.  The event is open to first responders from area EMS, police, fire, and other supporting agencies as well as the greater community.

The viewing was made possible through a collaboration with JWCC’s criminal justice program and the Quincy Police Department. 

In addition to the film, JWCC will host a voter registration drive for students as part of Constitution Day and Week.  Constitution Day is a federal holiday commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, which is the world’s longest-surviving written charter of government. 

JWCC encourages all citizens to check out some of the great resources to help us learn more about our constitution on the United States Census Bureau’s website.

Scott County residents now have a new way to contact 911 during an emergency. As of Friday, 911 call centers in Scott County began accepting text messages via the Text-to-911 service.

A push by the Illinois State Police is pushing county emergency systems across the state to upgrade to enhanced Next Gen 911 service. Scott County 911 Service Director Brady Milnes says Scott County is just the third county in the state to implement the text feature in its Next Gen 911 service.

“If you pull out your phone and type 911 into the “To” section where you would type in someone’s name or phone number, you will be directly communicating with 911. Our telecommunicators will take that 911 call just like they would a voice call. It will ring the phone just like when you dial 911. They will answer it and will start typing back to you. It may take a little bit longer because of the fact that they have to type everything out, but it will be just like the usual communication.

Now if it’s an emergency to where you can’t talk, such as a hostage situation or some sort of medical emergency where you are unable to talk or anything like that, it is the perfect solution. However, the state has encouraged us to put out there that if you are able, to make a voice call as that is still the preferred method.”

The Next Gen 911 service now works off of a cloud-based system that Milnes says will actually be more reliable and less prone to system issues. He says in the event the Scott County 911 system does go down, there is a backup plan so residents can still be in contact with emergency services.

“So this I think will be a more secure line for calling 911. However, in the event something does go down with our systems, we partner with West Central Joint Dispatch in Jacksonville and they are our emergency call-taking backup, and they also have the capability for texting to 911.

So in the event something happens here, your call will automatically be rerouted to West Central. They will take it just like we would and they will let us know immediately what is going on and help will be on the way just like it would if you called here.”

The updated 911 system also works with the location services for each cell phone and can pinpoint a 911 caller’s location with accuracy of within a few feet instead of within a few hundred yards as the previous system did.

Milnes says the service also uses the RapidSOS system, which allows residents to create an online emergency profile that can get vital medical information to dispatchers immediately.

“I’ve already made a profile there for myself. All you do is log in and fill out your information, you put in your cell phone number and they ask if you have allergies to medications, any pertinent medical history, and emergency contact- that kind of stuff.

So that way in the event of an emergency, you’re able to dial 911 but if you can’t talk or you don’t think to provide that information, as soon as you dial 911 from that cell phone number that is registered to the account, that information is automatically populated to our screen. So we have your emergency contact, medical history, allergies, that kind of stuff as we respond.”

To create your own record, go to emergency profile dot org. Milnes says as we move into the new age of technology, he hopes the updated Scott County 911 system will help first responders have faster response times with more accurate information which ultimately can be the difference to help save a life in an emergency.

The Morgan County Health Department is reminding residents to be alert to the dangers of lead poisoning in the home.

Any building constructed prior to 1978 likely still has lead paint lying under the surface of the current finish which can be harmful to children if they are exposed.

Deanette Schwanke with the Morgan County Health Department says even though state and federal authorities are pushing to help municipalities remove old lead water service lines from their systems, the biggest danger to children from lead still comes from inside the home.

“Most of your lead is going to come from the contaminated dust and the deterioration and disturbance of lead-based paints. So yes, you can have a very minimal amount in old pipes, but most of it is coming from your dust and your dust and your paint in your homes.”

Schwanke says in 2022, 194,000 children in Illinois were tested for lead and approximately 15,000 came back with concerning lead levels, and of those, approximately 5,000 children had lead levels high enough to trigger an investigation into lead mitigation for their homes.

Schwanke says the most common way a child ingests lead is by coming into contact with lead dust and then putting their fingers in their mouth. She says lead can cause serious health issues in young children.

“So it’s a small number but it can cause kids to have delayed learning, lower IQ, lower growth, slower growth with behavioral problems as they start to get older.”

Children are regularly tested for lead at ages one and two as well as before they enter kindergarten.

For more information, or if you suspect your house might have lead that could be dangerous to your child, call the Morgan County Health Department at 217-245-5111

Jacksonville Main Street is giving attendees the chance to make their mark on the downtown during Saturday’s anniversary celebration.

Jacksonville Main Street is celebrating its 25^th Anniversary this weekend with a bevy of activities on the Downtown Plaza. Executive Director Judy Tighe says one such activity will let the public help literally paint the town.

“We have a really fun Paint the Square event going on. For twenty-five dollars you can get a square and paint it up with a fun, and hopefully inspirational artistic drawing. Something that would help enhance our downtown and so we’ll have several of those going on.”

The Paint the Square event will give participants a six-foot by six-foot area in the downtown parking area to create their own unique piece of art expressing what downtown and the Jacksonville community mean to them. Each entry will be eligible for a special viewer’s choice award.

The event runs from 10 am to 2 pm and kicks off the day long celebration. Thige says there will be activities throughout the day and night for the community to celebrate 25 years of Jacksonville Main Street and the impact the organization has had on the downtown district.

“Also during the day, we’ll have kids bubble yoga from Jax Yoga on the square. The Jacksonville Drum Line is going to get the evening events kicked off at 4:00. Then we will have music from Romine & Douglas, and that will be followed up by a brief announcement from Jacksonville Main Street. The William Fitzsimmons will polish off the evening with his world-renowned folk music.”

Other attractions include Ferris wheel rides, Art in the Yard presented by the Art Association of Jacksonville, and trolley tours as well as food trucks and a beer tent.

To find out more information on the Jacksonville Main Street 25^th Anniversary Celebration, go to jacksonvillemainstreet.org, or the Jacksonville Main Street Facebook page.

Pathway Services’ Tara Morris, a Residential Supervisor for the Agency, has been named the 2024 Community Care Professional of the Year by the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities.

Morris, a native of Jacksonville, started as a Direct Support Professional at Pathway on August 18, 2022. She assumed the Residential Supervisor role on July 2, 2023 for Pathway’s home on Nazarene, which houses four men supported by the agency.

President and CEO of IARF Josh Evans said in a press release: “The CCPY is one of our most prestigious awards, and one we are honored to bestow this year on Ms. Morris.”

The purpose of the award is to acknowledge excellence and seeks to recognize a frontline staff member working in an IARF member agency that exemplifies quality care, compassion, person-centered focus and commitment to the individuals and families they support and understands the value of the care professional’s work.

Morris was honored with the award and a check on Thursday. Morris said: “I would like to thank everyone who offered my name for this award. It’s an overwhelming feeling that’s hard to describe. I’m very dedicated to my job, all my clients and especially my house, Nazarene. I am where I want to be in life. Thank all those at Pathway who have taught me and listened, as we are the voice for our individuals.”

The IARF represents nearly 80 member agencies providing services and supports in more than 900 locations across the state.

Scott County residents are picking up the pieces this morning after storms caused severe damage Friday afternoon.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning just before 3:00 pm for Central Scott and Morgan Counties. Minutes later a severe storm tore through the Winchester area knocking down trees and leaving several residents without power.

Mayor Rex McIntire says thankfully no one was injured, however, most of the town suffered damage. “There were a lot of tree limbs down and in some cases damage to houses. My wife and I are pretty sick about it- we lost a big portion of two of our big beautiful trees in the front yard. But fortunately, nobody was hurt that I am aware of.

Our crew was working diligently until I think 9:00 or 9:30 trying to get things cleaned up last night. They are going to be in today working and we’ve also called in a tree service from Greene County to come help us. Laverdiere [Construction] is working on a water main project for us and fortunately, we caught them before they got out of here and they helped get some of the streets opened with some of their equipment too last night.

We’re trying to get streets opened up so everyone can get around and hopefully get a lot more of this mess cleaned up, and so that the power company can get poles reset and the lines back up.”

According to the Illinois Electric Cooperative’s online outage center, power has been restored to all Winchester residents with no active outages currently listed.

McIntire says a number of homes suffered damage in the storm as did the Winchester Post Office which he says will be closed until further notice. “I got a call from the Postmaster and he told me that they would be closed today because of the roof damage. They’re not supposed to go back into the building until the roof is repaired so there will be an outage for those folks. Hopefully, they can get service going again as soon as possible.”

The full extent of the damage to the post office roof was not available as of press time. McIntire says the current employment climate with it being difficult to find good help has hampered clean-up efforts somewhat. However, he says despite that, city crews have been working hard and hope to have the majority of the damage cleaned up soon.