Some residents in the area will need to watch when and where they park their cars next week.

The Village of South Jacksonville announced today that the Public Works Department will begin oil and chip work on a number of village streets.

Weather permitting, oil and chip work will be completed on Tuesday, September 3^rd, and Wednesday, September 4th on ten different streets in the area including portions of Pennsylvania, Greenwood, South Church, and more.

Residents are asked not to park on the street on either day. Any vehicle found parked on a street at the time work is to begin will be towed according to village officials.

The streets being worked on include:

Pennsylvania Ave from South Main to Church St.

S. Church from Michigan to Greenwood

Village Lane from Michigan to Greenwood

West Street from Greenwood to Michigan

Havendale Dr.

Havendale Ct.

Michigan from Diamond to Village Lane

Southville Dr. from Diamond to Church St.

Pendik St. from Diamond to Church

West Greenwood South West to S. Main

Anyone who makes and sells products, or has restored a building that could help attract visitors to Morgan County might be featured in a new campaign soon. The Jacksonville Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has launched a new program called Morgan County Marvels.

Executive Director Brittany Henry says the new initiative is designed to shine a spotlight on the remarkable products and/or achievements that are created right here in Morgan County.

“We kept thinking about what program can we release that can really highlight some of the best that Jacksonville has to offer while recognizing the hard work that has been put in by these small makers and those that have redone buildings, whether it’s a vacant building or a historic building that serves visitors and locals alike.”

Henry says the Morgan County community is full of talented individuals and businesses whose work deserves recognition. “We’re looking a makers, so small locally made products, anything from-…well, I don’t really want to give too many things because I don’t want to tip off or influence the nominations. So just think of small local businesses that create products in our area.

We’re not exclusive just to Jacksonville because we know we have some great surrounding businesses. So we’re looking at the Morgan County Area as a whole, and why we’re calling it the Morgan County Marvels. But anyone that has some type of product that visitors may want to purchase while they are here in town that was locally made.

Same thing goes for the vacant or historic building. Maybe it’s a site that has been revitalized to serve a visitor when they are here in Jacksonville and have put in a ton of time and money and talent to make that an attractive site for those that visit.”

Henry says she thinks the Morgan County Marvels will not only help promote the products and spaces locally but also have the potential to help boost tourism in the area as well.

“Showcasing these businesses and the talents of these local makers- people want an experience when they travel into small communities, and even large communities, but it’s nice to put a face to the person who made that product or did the work. Maybe you’re enjoying a great meal in a revitalized building, or in an entertainment space highlighting a fun activity with your family. Or maybe it’s that local product that you purchased and took home that says made in Jacksonville, Illinois. Those are the things that we’re most proud of and that we think we can help highlight.”

A new Morgan County Marvel will be chosen each quarter. Those selected will receive recognition on the JACVB website, a feature in their newsletter, reel video footage, opportunities for media coverage, and an item of recognition from JACVB.

Henry says the item is being kept a secret for the first recipient, but she hints that it just might be something locally made as well.

Nominations can be made by going to the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau website at jacksonvilleil.org and clicking on the “About The CVB” following the “Morgan County Marvels” tab to download and fill out the nomination form. Submissions should include a brief description of the product or achievement, along with any relevant photos or supporting information.

The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2024. For more information on the Morgan County Marvels, go to jacksonvilleil.org, or call Henry at 217-243-5678.

A Jacksonville area veteran’s support and service organization is looking for help from the community to keep their heads dry. Jacksonville AMVETS Post 100 will be hosting a fundraiser next month to help raise funds for a new roof for their facility located at 210 East Court Street in downtown Jacksonville.

Jimmy Duncan with the Jacksonville AMVETS says the post houses one of the most active veterans groups in the area that is more accustomed to giving back than to asking for help.

“We’ve had hundreds of fundraisers in that building and none for ourselves. We’ve never done one for ourselves and we finally decided that we can keep doing the same things we’re doing to raise money, and we’ll pick up a couple hundred bucks here in a 50/50 drawing or something like that, but we’re not going to get what we need in my lifetime or yours. So we decided to try and do a fundraiser.”

Duncan says the Jacksonville AMVETS Post 100 continues to offer resources to veterans as an active Vet-2Vet Chapter that includes emotional support and counseling. Post 100 also offers a computer lab where veterans can apply for jobs, take online courses, research career opportunities, or apply for veterans’ health benefits.

Duncan says they also are involved in the community by providing color guard duty for local parades and events, complimentary meals on holidays, informational seminars to local schools, as well as use of the post for private and community events. The post also includes a bar that is open to the public seven days a week.

Duncan says the building has served both the AMVETS and the community well for decades, and even though the organization has seen a resurgence in activity, the roof is in desperate need of being replaced and help is needed.

“That building- I don’t even know how old it is. It was old when we got it back in the 50’s I think. It’s a lot older now, it’s had some good care, but then when the AMVETS went through some rough times they just couldn’t afford to do any maintenance. Once we kinda started coming back around, we started patching it and sealing it. But it’s past the point of that now and it’s new roof time.”

The Raise the Roof fundraiser will be held on Saturday, September 14^th at the post. Duncan says the roof work will cost approximately $130,000 and that they have secured matching funding to help, however, they need to raise their fair share to see the project get off the ground.

“We’ve gotten a grant from the city [of Jacksonville], a matching grant for $50,000, and another gentleman, Rabbi Rob who everybody has heard of by now, has stepped forward to match us dollar for dollar up to $40,000. But as far as actual cash on hand we’ve probably got about $5,000 or maybe a little more than that right now.”

Donations are being sought for the fundraiser and Duncan says a recent mailer went out to area businesses for donations for the live auction. More details on the Raise the Roof fundraiser events will be announced in the coming weeks.

For details or information on how to donate, contact Jimmy at 217-473-5988, or call the post and ask for an officer at 217-243-9990. All donations are tax-deductible.

With a little more than 10 weeks until the November election, one area municipality is already looking ahead to the spring of 2025.

April 2025 Election Petitions are now available at the Village Hall in South Jacksonville. , 301 Dewey Dr, South Jacksonville, IL 62650

The offices of the village president and three trustee positions are all up for the full four-year term in April. The position of Village Clerk is also open for a two-year stint to fill the unexpired term following the resignation of Rebekah Pentecost in July of last year. Current village Treasurer Mindy Olsen has served as interim clerk since Pentecost left office.

Petitions can be circulated from August 20, 2024, thru November 12, 2024. Filing dates with the Village Clerk are November 12, 2024, through November 18, 2024. Petition forms are available at Village Hall on Dewey Drive between the hours of 7:00 am-4:00 pm Monday-Friday.

Twenty-nine signatures by village residents are needed for a potential candidate to appear on the April 2025 ballot.

Anyone with questions can contact Mindy Olson, by calling 217-245-4803 ext. 807 or email at admin@southjacksonville-il.gov

A boil order is in effect for a portion of Woodson. According to an announcement by the Murrayville Water Department, Victory Lane and Jeffrey Drive in Woodson are under a boil order until further notice.

Officials say the notice only covers the area involving those two streets. Residents along those streets are asked to boil water until further notice.

Area firefighters were on scene for several hours on Sunday after another fire broke out in an abandoned building on the grounds of the former Jacksonville Developmental Center.

The Jacksonville and South Jacksonville Fire Departments both responded to a call of a fire on the JDC grounds at approximately 6:45 Sunday morning after a passerby reported to West Central Joint Dispatchers they could see smoke coming from one of the buildings on the west side of the campus.

Lt. John Stock with the Jacksonville Fire Department said light smoke was showing from a large area on the second floor of the two-story Gillespie building when crews arrived on scene.

Stock says firefighters had trouble gaining access to the building. He says doors were open to access the other wing of the building, however the portion with the fire was locked tight.

A crew made entry via a second-floor window and Lieutenant Stock said they were immediately met with heavy fire and high heat. He says once the second crew gained access, the fire was knocked down and contained within approximately fifteen minutes. He says however that fire had made its way up into the attic and light smoke began showing through a hole near a chimney.

Jacksonville Fire Captain Dan Klendworth says crews were then directed to open holes in the roof to attack the fire from above in an effort to keep firefighters safe and out of the confined space of the attic.

Klendworth says the former Jacksonville Developmental Center grounds pose additional concerns when firefighters need to make entry to one of the many abandoned buildings.

“Sending manpower in here- we worry about the guys going in. This building hasn’t been taken care of for however many years and as we’ve known, [the State of Illinois] has the barricades up so it’s always an issue for us with access getting our trucks to these buildings.

But of course, we have to worry about if there is a vagrant or somebody in there just messing around. We still have to worry about life safety that’s our number one priority. But also our priority is our guys’ safety.

There’s nobody in there now, we’ve searched it and it’s clear. We’re just trying to take care of this so that when people get in there and mess around again, this doesn’t happen and it’s a little bit safer.”

Sunday’s fire was at least the fifth suspicious fire within the last four years on the grounds. The Developmental Center campus has sat dormant since November 2012 after then-Governor Pat Quinn announced the closure of the facility.

Jacksonville Fire Department officials say that the building was unsecured and evidence of trespassing was discovered, including signs of multiple previous fires being set inside the building.

No utility services have been operational since its closure including water, meaning when a fire breaks out in one of the buildings, water must be brought in by a water tender or large hoses must be run to hydrants off the property.

Captain Klendworth says the continued problems with the JDC grounds have become a frustration for area first responders as well as a life, health, and safety hazards and he hopes something can be done with the state-owned property to alleviate the issues.

“Unfortunately, you know, on our end we’d like the state to do something with this or us to do something with this. I know Community Development has been working on that with the state and our representatives as much as we can. There’s only so much we can do on our end. We’re getting this [fire] taken care of and keep it safe. So we’re going to keep doing what we do, but we need somebody else to do something about this place honestly.”

Legislation filed by 99th District State Representative Randy Frese last year to remediate and demolish buildings on the JDC grounds failed to pass out of committee in the General Assembly. The bill estimated the costs needed to remove asbestos and get demolition going at more than $67 million.

A surplus property bill by State Senator Steve McClure that was passed and signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021 has also not brought any movement from the state.

Fire crews were on scene just over 5 hours to ensure the fire was out. No injuries were reported. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate the cause of the blaze.

The South Jacksonville Fire Department addressed a post to Governor J.B. Pritzker yesterday imploring the state government to do something with the buildings before someone gets seriously injured.

Two of Jacksonville’s oldest and storied institutions are currently featured in an exhibit in Springfield. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has announced the addition of a new exhibit focusing on The Illinois School for the Deaf and Illinois School for the Visually Impaired.

The schools are featured in an exhibit in the museum’s Community Case with a number of artifacts from both institutions. ALPLM Executive Director, Christina Shutt says the museum is excited and honored to be able to give visitors a snapshot of the history of both schools.

“It really came out of a place of, we’re always looking for ways to tell more untold stories in the larger narrative of American history and Illinois history. And we have this wonderful Community Case where we invite members of the community to share their stories related to different themes we are doing.

So we reached out to the schools and they so graciously agreed to share their stories in the case, and not only that, but to also add a number of accessibility features to make the exhibits more inclusive so that their students could better enjoy the exhibition.”

Shutt says the exhibit features a number of items that showcase the history of the schools, with enhanced access features created by both institutions. “You will see things in there like uniforms worn by some of the student-athletes, and items that students made while attending one of the schools. One of the the things that I really love about the exhibit, is for example, The School for the Visually Impaired made braille labels for us.

So people will be able to touch and see a 3D printed logo of each of the schools as well as read through the labels by the use of braille. In addition to that we have also added on a more enhanced audio experience for folks. So when they get to hear the exhibit they will get really great descriptive translations of each of those items. So no matter how they interact with the exhibit, they will get to experience it and to see the richness of its history.”

Shutt says the exhibit has inspired what will become a long-term partnership with both schools to help the museum be more accessible. “One of the great benefits of this really cool partnership is that The School for the Visually Impaired and The School for the Deaf are continuing to help us improve our accessibility throughout the museum.

So we want people to know this is not a one-and-done experience for us. But we’re really looking at how can we make the museum truly accessible for all people, or as we often say here, Abe is for all. So we invite people to experience that as well as well as if they come and think about ways that we can make things more accessible and inclusive for their communities, then we would love to hear that as well.”

Shutt says the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired and School for the Deaf exhibit is an example of the Museum’s overarching mission to tell not just the story of Abraham Lincoln, but the many stories of the state and residents who helped to shape both his life and his legacy.

“That’s really part of our mission which is to inspire engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history, and sharing with the world the life of Abraham Lincoln. But that first piece of it of telling the diverse lens of Illinois history is so important and critical to who we are.

That of our collections while we do represent one of the largest Lincoln collections in the world, second only to the U.S. Library of Congress, we also are tasked with telling Illinois history and sharing these important Illinois stories like The School for the Visually Impaired and The School for the Deaf.

So we are really honored to be able to share these stories with people to talk about something that is right up the road from us in Jacksonville, and so that many of the visitors who travel from all over the world to come to Illinois- they may not know that information, and so we hope this will give them a taste of the history and that it will be something they want to explore more of.”

The exhibit runs now through October 29th. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm seven days a week excluding certain holidays. Admission is $15.00 for adults with lower costs for children. Shutt says the museum has a number of low or no-cost days throughout the year as well.

More information can be found on their website at presidentlincoln.illinois.gov, as well as on the ALPLM’s social media including Instagram and Facebook.

Jacksonville Police are investigating a rash of vehicle break-ins that occurred overnight.

Officers were called to the vicinity of Park and Edgehill Streets at approximately 4:00 am Saturday for multiple reports of vehicles being broken into.

In all three vehicles were found to have been entered by an unknown person. As of the time of the report, no items were reported missing from any of the vehicles.

Investigation into the break-is remains ongoing and Jacksonville Police are reminding the public to keep their vehicles locked and to not leave any valuables inside.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jacksonville Police Department by calling 217-479-4630 or leaving an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott, and Cass Counties by calling 217-243-7300.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by texting to the word CRIMES, or via the Morgan, Scott, Cass Crime Stoppers website or Facebook pages.

After weeks of pressure from many including Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Sangamon County Sheriff has announced he will be stepping down by month’s end.

Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement released this afternoon, that he will retire from the post “effective no later than August 31^st.”

Campbell has remained under pressure to leave office in the wake of the death of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy in her home on July 6^th, after she had called 911 about a possible prowler outside.

30-year-old Sean Grayson, the deputy who was seen on body camera footage shooting Massey, was promptly fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

The announcement by Campbell to retire comes after five Democratic members of the Sangamon County Board have been pushing for an advisory referendum on the November General Election ballot to give the county’s voters a chance to weigh in on his future.

At a bill signing in Chicago on Monday, Governor J.B. Pritzker at first side-stepped calling on Campbell’s resignation but admitted there remained too many questions about Grayson’s hiring, saying that the Sheriff’s Office “had to have known” about the now-fired deputy’s background.

Campbell, a Republican, has been the Sangamon County Sheriff since 2018 and won re-election to the post in 2022. The next countywide election for sheriff is scheduled for 2026.

In the announcement, Campbell says “The tragic death of Sonya Massey has been a heartbreaking event for our community. My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends.’

He goes on to say in the release that he has committed to being transparent and making changes to his office’s standards to prevent incidents like this in the future. But despite his efforts, some in the community want him to pay the price for Grayson’s actions that even included threats to his life, as well as those of his family and deputies.

Campbell says as elected leaders, they must always put the overall good of the community above themselves and he will not risk the community that he swore to protect, so for that reason, he will retire as Sangamon County Sheriff by the end of this month.

Campbell’s full statement reads as follows:

Statement from Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell

I was first elected Sheriff in 2018. I embraced that role, to lead SCSO, but I always saw myself as a cop, not a politician. And for over thirty years, my career has been dedicated to improving and protecting our community. As Sheriff, I have committed my life to advancing our capabilities and effectiveness, implementing new policies and practices to ensure we serve the community with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. All this was done with the idea of creating a safer Sangamon County.  

The tragic death of Sonya Massey has been a heartbreaking event for our community. My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends. Since the incident, I have been proactive and transparent, working tirelessly to present all of the facts to the public. I have committed to making changes to our standards and collaborating with other units of government on ways to prevent incidents like this in the future. The one person truly responsible for this act is in jail, and I believe justice will be served through the legal process.

Despite these efforts, some in our community want me to pay the price for that person’s actions, even threatening that I pay that price with my life, my family’s lives, or the lives of my Deputies. We will only persevere together as a community if we turn down the temperature and resolve to do better. We must honor the life of Sonya Massey by ensuring that no one else falls victim to such tragic and senseless action. That has been my sincere mission since that fateful day. But it has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue effectively in my role. Some individuals would rather see our community divided and in turmoil, than allow me to continue serving as Sheriff.  The health of me and my family, the Sheriff’s Office, and our community has to be my priority.

As elected leaders, we must always put the overall good of the community above ourselves; and I will not risk the community that I swore to protect. For this reason, I am announcing my retirement as Sheriff of Sangamon County, effective no later than August 31st. 

While it is painful to say goodbye, I do so knowing I have fulfilled my duties and served to the best of my ability. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the citizens who have supported me throughout the years. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I had, for the people I met and for this Office that I love.  

Jack

Snapping a picture of your latest purchase could land you some extra shopping cash in downtown Jacksonville this month.

Jacksonville Main Street announced today the Downtown Finds Contest will run throughout August, leading up to the organization’s 25th-anniversary celebration in early September.

Executive Director Judy Tighe says the contest was inspired by a growing social media trend. “This is along the lines of the popular Instagram movement with Hauls. So you find things that are cool about downtown whether it’s something that you bought or something that you’re just happy to see. Take a picture of it or with it and post it with the hashtag Jacksonville IL Downtown Finds.

Every submission will be entered into a drawing and at our big 25^th Anniversary Party on September 7th. We will draw from all of those entries and there will be five lucky winners of a one hundred dollar gift certificate to their downtown business of choice.”

Tighe says the new Jacksonville Main Street tear-off maps are also now available at a number of retailers in the downtown district. She says the full-color maps can help shoppers find that store or restaurant they’ve heard good things about but have not explored yet.

The Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Finds Contest is running now through September 7^th. To enter, snap a pic of something you find or purchase downtown and post it to your social media with #JacksonvilleILDowntownFinds.

You can enter as many times as you like. Each of the five winners will receive a $100.00 gift certificate to their favorite downtown district business.

For more information on Jacksonville Main Street, go to Jacksonvillemainstreet.org, or on the Jacksonville Main Street Facebook or Instagram pages.