Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott & Cass Counties are requesting Information to assist the Jacksonville Police Department in their investigation of a recent burglary.
Sometime between 1 am and 8 am on July 26th unknown subject(s) damaged a door to make entry into a garage in the 700 block of South Church Street.
Once Inside, a Phillips flat-screen television, an assortment of tools, and a toolbox were then removed.
The police are asking that anyone who has information concerning this incident or any other crimes within the three-county area submit an anonymous tip online by going to www.morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com and clicking the leave a tip button on the home page, or by calling Crime Stoppers at 217-243-7300.
Tips may also be submitted by texting to the word CRIMES, that’s the number 274637. The first word of the text tip must be “payout”
Crime Stoppers says if your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward.
Nearly twenty different area organizations came together along with law enforcement and first responders last night in Community Park for National Night Out.
The nationwide event happens the first Tuesday of August each year and is aimed at community building through police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in an effort to make neighborhoods safer.
Representatives from the Jacksonville, South Jacksonville, Murrayville-Woodson, Chapin, and Beardstown Police Departments along with the Jacksonville and South Jacksonville Fire Departments, LifeStar EMS, and West Central Joint Dispatch mingled with community members throughout the evening.
Morgan, Scott, Cass County Crime Stoppers Coordinator Loren Hamilton said following the event, that Tuesday’s event was quite possibly one for the record books. “I almost think this might be our best-attended National Night Out so far. We had a few more vendors than we’ve had in years past. The weather was perfect, and the presentations were good so we couldn’t be happier.”
Spectators gather for the prize drawing at National Night Out in Community Park Tuesday.
Vendor booths lined the east side of Community Park near South Main Street while the Rotary Club of Jacksonville gave free rides on the Community Park Ferris Wheel.
Among those who attended were the Girls and Boy Scouts, the Early Years Program,
Stars for suicide prevention and Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson, Springfield FBI, the Jacksonville Citizen’s Police Academy, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, The Crisis Center, and the Prairie Land Heritage Museum.
Several presentations were also made over the course of the evening, which Hamilton says were all very appreciated. “We had the Jacksonville Drumline Institute, Detective Poore from the Jacksonville Police Department did a drone demonstration, Morgan County Deputy Jerrod Degroot did a self-defense presentation for the kids, and then, of course, we had the Air Evac helicopter land.”
Corporate vendors also were in attendance with representatives from Ameren Illinois handing out information and the Home Depot Kids Workshop.
The Jacksonville Fire Department’s smoke house was also available for kids to go through. The Jacksonville Salvation Army Canteen provided free snacks and The Grotto Bus was there selling concessions.
Special thanks were given to DJ Eddie Baldwin who provided entertainment and emcee work throughout the evening.
An annual event aimed at supporting deployed members of the military will again be roaring its way through the area soon.
The 4th Annual R.E.D. Ride of Central Illinois is happening this year on Saturday, August 26th. R.E.D. stands for Remember Everyone Deployed and was started by a local group of friends who had a mutual friend on his fifth overseas deployment at the time.
The group decided to start sending care packages to deployed members of the military and later began working with the Franklin Waverly Military Support Group which sends monthly care packages to deployed soldiers.
One of the founders of the R.E.D. Ride, Gordon Gibbs says they created the ride to help support the Franklin Waverly Military Support Group, which was seeing the level of donations falling and having a hard time keeping up.
Gibbs says the ride, which is now in its fourth year, has nearly doubled in size each year. “The first year for the ride was in August of 2020. We had 89 bikes, 42 Jeeps, roughly 400 people and raised $12,000.00 Last year we had 227 bikes, 160 Jeeps, roughly 40 just random vehicles and raised just shy of $56,000.00.”
The groups have since then joined forces with the Springfield Cares Group to help keep the funding coming in so both can keep sending packages out.
Gibbs says the care packages consist of anything non-perishable from toiletries and cosmetics, to different types of snacks. He says the packages not only provide needed items to deployed troops, but they also try to make sure they each have touches of home as well.
“It does and they speak really highly of that. If you go on the Facebook pages of these two groups you’ll see some testimonials from soldiers who have received packages, you know, thank you letters they’ve sent back. It makes it all worth it to see how welcome that stuff is when they receive it.”
The 2023 R.E.D. Ride of Central Illinois starts with registration at 9:00 am at Bogart’s Banquet Hall in Jacksonville at 9:00 am and then a short ceremony before they hit the road at 10:00 am.
The ride goes to the Hill Prairie Winery, the Sherman Athletic Club, the Lake Springfield Elks Club, and then the Auburn Slaughter House, before heading up to Springfield to take in a band at the Curve Inn.
Gibbs says there is food along the way starting with biscuits and gravy and donuts at Bogarts, a hamburger and hot dog lunch, and then pulled pork dinner. Any kind of vehicle can join in on the ride and there are raffles along the way and an auction featuring some unique items at the end with all the proceeds going to the groups to keep the care packages going out.
You can pre-register on either the R.E.D. Ride or Springfield Cares Facebook pages. The cost is $15.00 per driver before and $20.00 the day of and each passenger is just $5.00.
Gibbs says they are always welcoming donations and business sponsorships to help support the ride. He says the groups are also always in need of names and mailing information of troops who are deployed and would want a care package.
To submit a name or to support the endeavors, go to the R.E.D. Ride or Springfield Cares Facebook pages for more information.
More information has been released on a Pike County man who was the subject of a missing person’s search.
The Pittsfield Police Department has been seeking information on the whereabouts of 51-year-old Larry J. Coffey, commonly known as Joe Coffey, of Pittsfield who was last seen by friends and family on July 21st.
In an update on the Pittsfield Police Department’s social media this afternoon, officials say that during the investigation, officers determined Mr. Coffey has traveled out of state and is now not considered missing at this time.
He had last been seen leaving his residence in his 2000 gold extended cab Chevrolet S-10 pickup and was reported to likely have his two German Sheppard dogs with him.
Police Officials say license plate reader camera photographs of the truck and his animals have been obtained from out of state.
The Pittsfield Police Department is asking that if anyone has contact with Larry Joe Coffey, to please have him contact them. They stress that Coffey is not in trouble, nor is he wanted by authorities.
Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott & Cass Counties are accepting applications from anyone interested in serving on their volunteer Board of Directors who live or work in Beardstown, Meredosia, or Winchester.
Questions can be directed and applications sent to Coordinator Loren Hamilton by e-mail at morganscott2010@hotmail.com
Hamilton says a criminal background check on applicants will be required
An area congressional leader announced office hours for today this morning.
15th Congresswoman Mary Miller’s casework team is available today at the Jacksonville Public Library from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
According to the announcement sent from Miller’s office just before 11:00 this morning outlining the schedule for today through August 15th, the team is available to help with Social Security, IRS, VA, and other federal issues.
Miller says in the announcement that constituents needing assistance with a Federal Agency can also find a contact form on her website at marymiller.house.gov.
Jacksonville Police are investigating a pair of criminal incidents that occurred early this morning.
Officers responded to the 800 block of West Lafayette Avenue at approximately 3:30 am for a call of an attempted break-in.
According to police reports, sometime between 3:00 and 3:23 am, a white male wearing a ski mask attempted to enter the complainant’s garage. The incident remains under investigation.
Approximately 90 minutes later, Jacksonville Police were called to the 500 block of North Fayette Street for a report of a stolen vehicle.
According to the report, a woman told officers that the vehicle was removed sometime between 1:30 and 5:00 am today. The report also remains under investigation by police.
The police are asking that anyone who has information concerning any of these incidents to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott, and Cass Counties online by going to www.morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com and clicking the leave a tip button on the home page or calling Crime Stoppers at 217-243-7300.
Tips may also be submitted anonymously by texting to the word CRIMES, that’s the number 274637. The first word of the text tip must be “payout”
Crime Stoppers says if your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward.
This week’s heat wave put a damper on many area events, but couldn’t sour the excitement for one annual event at Lake Jacksonville.
The 47th annual Camp Courage was held this week at the Great Western Youth Camp on the eastern side of Lake Jacksonville.
Camp Courage is a week-long summer camp that gives disabled children the opportunity to experience a summer camp like any other child. Camp Courage is a non-profit that is completely supported by donations each year.
Despite the heat wave that moved into the area this week, 21 campers still came from far and wide to spend the week with friends at a camp that has no air conditioning.
John Hunter with Camp Courage says despite the high heat this week, the campers were not dissuaded at all. “Well, it’s a little more difficult when it gets extremely hot. Obviously, our activities slow down quite a bit. We mingle in the Rec Hall more and maybe in the Craft Hall with fans on. You know, just enjoy each other’s company as opposed to volleyball or baseball.
We did have a volleyball game before the heat got too bad this week, and we’ve gone swimming a couple of times this week and gone fishing. The Jacksonville Fire Department came out and they brought one of their pumper trucks out and hosed everybody down and allowed us to climb on the truck and play on the truck and kind of experience that.”
Not only is funding donated to make the camp happen each year, but different area organizations donate time and resources to give the campers a special experience.
On Wednesday the Jacksonville Ambucs provided lunch for the campers. Thursday night was the annual Camp Courage dance in the recreation hall. Hunter says a pair of area groups always donate time to make the dance a memorable time for the campers.
“The band has been coming out for many many years as well as The Grotto Bus. It’s great, the kids look forward to it every year. Actually, they go home, they unpack, wash their clothes and repack for the next year.
Monday of camp comes around and it’s “Is The Grotto Bus coming this year?”, “what’s the band, what band are we having?” And well it’s the same band that we had last year, that’s our band. Harmony Grits they’ve been coming out for many many years.”
Hunter says the number of campers was down again this year. The camp which started in 1976 with eight attendees, has a cap of 35 campers each year.
Hunter says they would like to see the numbers come up as there is plenty of room for more. “We have twenty-one this year. We’re down several and we’d like to find some new campers so if anybody out there has a physically handicapped child or know somebody who does that might benefit from our camp, we’d be glad to talk to them.”
To make or donation, or to find out more information about how to attend Camp Courage next year, go online to the camp web page at www.campcourage.info or call John Hunter at 217-473-6363.
The Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Concert Series wraps up the 2023 season tonight with a highly regarded tribute artist.
“Almost” Elton John rolls into downtown Jacksonville tonight for the final show of the downtown concert season. Jerred Price is a self-taught pianist who started playing at the age of three and whose talent carried him to be the featured performer at Sir Elton John’s 60th Birthday celebration in New York City at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s “Lunch Around the World” event.
Jacksonville Main Street Executive Director Judy Tighe says she hopes another big crowd turns out for the show tonight despite the call for hot weather. “This is an Elton John tribute band that’s really highly recommended and reviewed. So we’re really hoping that everybody braves the heat, brings some water, and we’ll have some water available, and come see this show! We want to go out with a big bang, and hopefully, that’s not the weather.”
“Almost Elton John” and his backing band “The RocketMen” are a complete tribute performance group, however, Tighe says they likely will be toning down a little bit of the pageantry for tonight’s show due to the continued heat wave.
“I know they were talking about doing some costume changing early on, and I think that has fallen off by the wayside because we were going to make a changing room for them out of a tent, and they have since reached out and said that won’t be necessary.
So I don’t know what he will be wearing but I think most likely with as much touring as this particular act has done, they’ve encountered some weather where they have to be prepared.”
Tighe says extra precautions are planned to help concertgoers beat the heat so they don’t miss an exciting performer. She says downtown itself can surprisingly be one of the cooler places around town to be outside when the temperature is high.
“The square has always been a little bit of a wind tunnel. It’s an anomaly, a lot of times the wind will be blowing in the opposite direction of what it is actually blowing around on the square. It’s kind of strange, but the buildings kind of change the direction of the airflow a little bit. So hopefully we’ll be able to take advantage of that.
Melissa [Hebron] and I are talking about a couple of options, maybe some things we might be able to do to help cool some folks down.”
Jerred Price and his band have a longstanding residency at the famous Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis, Tennessee, and were awarded the “Best Tribute Act” at the first-ever “Tommy Awards” in Memphis in 2022.
Food trucks and drinks from Golden Eagle distributing go on sale at 6:00 pm and the Almost Elton John concert runs from 7;00 to 9:00 pm on the northwest corner of the square tonight in Downtown Jacksonville.
Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott & Cass Counties are requesting the public’s help to assist the Jacksonville Police Department in the ongoing investigation of recent suspicious fires in the city.
Suspicious vacant property fires continue to dot the city. During the last week, three more fires were added to the list. The former Starlight Motel on West Morton Avenue, a vacant property in the 500 of North Church Street, and the 1000 block of Hackett Avenue all suffered extensive or total damage due to fires that have been deemed as suspicious by state and local fire department officials.
Officials are reminding you that if you have exterior cameras that might have picked up any activity regarding these suspicious fires, you can send it to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
The police are asking that anyone who has information concerning these suspicious fires, or any other crimes within the three-county area, submit an anonymous tip online by going to www.morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com and clicking the leave a tip button on the home page or calling Crime Stoppers at 217-243-7300.
Tips may also be submitted anonymously by texting to the word CRIMES, that’s the number 274637. The first word of the text tip must be “payout” Crime Stoppers says if your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward.
