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Jacksonville Bicentennial Gala To Be Held Saturday

The City of Jacksonville begins its year-long celebration of its bicentennial on Saturday.

The gala will be held Saturday, starting with a cocktail hour at 6PM, dinner at 7PM, and live entertainment starting at 8PM with Diamond Empire at Hamilton’s North East. The gala is being hosted by the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets are just $50 per person and can be purchased at the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, 155 West Morton Avenue. Call to reserve your tickets with payment by phone at 217-245-2174.

Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Kristin Jamison, who sits on the city’s bicentennial celebration committee says that the year-long celebration has been in the making for over a year and a half after Mayor Andy Ezard formed the group. Jamison says that the group has reached out to many of the city’s organizations who have annual meetings and fundraisers to use the city’s 200th birthday as a rallying point for community participation and also a celebration of the bicentennial: “We have a list of events on the Jacksonville Convention & Visitors Bureau website that shows things that are happening throughout the year. Then, our committee decided to plan some events starting with the Gala on Saturday and culminating with a ceremony on October 4th in Downtown Jacksonville, which have a day’s worth of activities including live entertainment, a time capsule will be unearthed, and a special aerial show to end the festivities.”

Settlers from New England founded Jacksonville on 160 acres in 1825.

Crime of the Week – Suspicious Garage Fire in Meredosia

Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott & Cass Counties are requesting the public’s help to assist the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall in their investigation of a recent suspicious structure fire in Meredosia.

At approximately 9:30AM on December 26th, local firefighters were called to a garage on fire in the 300 block of South Morgan Street in Meredosia. A white vehicle was reportedly seen near the location at the time of the fire. No one was injured in the fire.

The fire marshal and local authorities are asking anyone who has information concerning this incident to submit an anonymous tip online at the Morgan, Scott, Cass Crime Stoppers Facebook Page. Click on the ‘Contact Us’ button at the top of the page or visit their website morganscottcrimestoppers.com. Select the ‘Submit A Tip’ option at the top of the home page. You may also phone in your tip to 217-243-7300.

Remember, Crime Stoppers just want your information and not your name. If your tip leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.

South Jacksonville Fire Department Contain Small Fire On South West Street

The South Jacksonville Fire Department responded to a house fire on Christmas Day that resulted in significant smoke damage.

At approximately 11:30am on Wednesday, the South Jacksonville Fire Department responded to a structure fire at a residence at 1457 South West Street. The fire department was called to the
scene after neighbors reported observing smoke coming from the back of the house. Nobody was present at the residence at the time of the fire. The home suffered a large amount of smoke damage, but no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire has been linked to a stove that was left on and unattended. The South Jacksonville Fire Department was assisted by the Jacksonville Fire Department, with Echo Ambulance on stand by.

Debris in Chimney Causes House Fire on King Street

The Jacksonville Fire Department responded to a house fire on Christmas Eve that started as a controlled fire in a fire place.

Just after 9:30pm Tuesday, firefighters responded to a structure fire at 1108 King Street. The cause of the fire is believed to be linked to debris in the chimney that caused the fire to spread outside the fire box while the residents of the home were using the fireplace. After about an hour and a half, members of the fire department were able to get the fire extinguished.

The fire did damage to the roof and attic. It’s estimated that there was a total of $25,000 worth of damage. No injuries were reported. The Jacksonville Fire Department was assisted by members of the South Jacksonville Fire Department.

Authorities Announce Identities of Two Decedents Found on South East Street

Morgan County authorities announced the identities of two people found dead at two separate locations on Jacksonville’s south side on Wednesday.

Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson’s Office says that Jacksonville Police first located 28-year old Kyle Tribble of Jacksonville at his residence in the 1200 block of South East Street with serious injuries and was pronounced deceased at approximately 8AM. According to a police report on Wednesday, a head injury was initially reported on an unresponsive subject in that location. After further investigation, police detectives also discovered 28-year old Christopher A. Norton at a separate residence in the vicinity, who was pronounced deceased at 2PM.

Autopsies are being conducted at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield to determine the cause of death. The investigation remains open and is being handled by members of the Morgan County Coroner’s Office, Jacksonville Police, and the Illinois State Police.

Kimbro Sentenced in February 2023 Macoupin County Murder Case

A former Bethalto man was sentenced to over four decades in prison for the first-degree murder of his ex-wife last year.

37-year old Jacob T. Kimbro, Sr. originally pleaded guilty to the single count of first-degree murder in the shooting death of ex-wife Theresa (Sullivan) Kimbro on September 29th in Macoupin County Circuit Court.

On the afternoon of February 25, 2023, a call was received by Macoupin County Emergency Dispatch about a male subject that had been shot and a woman had possibly been killed at a residence in the 500 block of Young Lane in Shipman. A deputy responded to the residence and found 31-year old Theresa Kimbro deceased from gunshot wounds, a dog deceased from gunshot wounds, and Theresa’s father John Sullivan severely injured with gunshot wounds. Sullivan was later transported from the scene to a St. Louis area hospital. Information about Sullivan’s recovery is not currently available.

Reports of a white truck fleeing the scene were received by area law enforcement and were traced to Madison County, where Jacob Kimbro was taken into custody after reports of a “suicidal man with a handgun” was made in Cottage Hills. After an intense standoff, Kimbro was detained and booked into the Macoupin County Jail, where he has remained in custody since.

The case has gone through the court system for more than a year, including several pretrial hearings, attorney changes, and various motions according to online court records.

Jacob Kimbro’s prior criminality is said to include domestic violence toward Theresa Kimbro, and that violence was described during sentencing on Wednesday in open court.

Macoupin County Circuit Judge Joshua Meyer issued a 46-year prison sentence in the case. Kimbro must serve 100% of the sentence. He will not be eligible for parole until 2070.

Motown Sounds of Touch Rounds Out Jacksonville Downtown Summer Concert Series

The final concert of the Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Concert Series is tonight.

The Motown Sounds of Touch wraps up things tonight with sounds from the Motor City. The Dayton, Ohio-based group has been entertaining audiences for over 17 years and were a Top 3 finalist on the NBC TV Show “The Winner Is” in August 2013. They also were featured entertainment during the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame induction ceremony in the recent past.

Jacksonville Main Street Executive Director Judy Tighe says it’s a great way to wrap up a great summer of concerts: “Entertainment has been from top to bottom. I loved all of the music, the cover [songs], so many memories. It’s been great to dance to. This is American homegrown music right here in Jacksonville. Fortunately, the weather has been on our side. We are praying hard for tonight. This year has just been wonderful. The crowds have been fabulous. All of our supporters, sponsors, everybody through the whole season – it’s just been incredible.”

Main Street will next turn its focus towards their 25th Anniversary Celebration scheduled for September 7th. Local, world renowned singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons will headline the entertainment for the anniversary concert. Trolley tours, Big Eli Ferris wheel rides, food trucks, and street are all part of the plans for the anniversary with more announcements to come within the next few weeks.

For tonight, the Motown Sounds of Touch start on the stage at 7PM with food and drinks starting up at 6. Partly cloudy skies and highs in the lower 80s are expected to cap the 2024 season.

Ben Cox assisted with portions of this report.

Rotary Looking for 4th of July Parade Entries

The Rotary Club of Jacksonville invites you to join in the fun and be part of the 4th of July parade on Thursday, July 4th. This year the parade’s theme is “Building Community Magic.”

Joan McQuillan of the Jacksonville Rotary Club says there are some special people this year serving as parade marshals: “This year we decide to honor the folks who help connect us to each other. To build a
sense of community, to inspire us, and have an impact on us. And make us think differently about our place in the world and each other. Those folks are from the local museum. They are McKenna Servis, who is the manager of the Jacksonville Area Museum, Alberta Robinson, who is the President of the Board of the African American History Museum, and Steve Varble, who helps not only with museum projects but with local projects.”

The parade route will again originate at the Morgan County Fairgrounds gate, head east on West State Street to Central Park, turning right and proceeding around Central Park Plaza, then turning right onto North Main Street.

Registration begins the morning of the parade at Westgate and Horsebarn Road at the southwest gate of the Morgan County Fairgrounds and runs from 830am until 9:45am. Preregistration deadline is June 28th at 5pm. Anyone who doesn’t preregister cannot be guaranteed a spot but may be offered an opportunity to form up at the end of the parade.

Registration forms can be downloaded at Jacksonville rotary.org/ independence-day- parade. For questions contact Joan McQuillan at 217 370 2813.