Cass County man jailed after drugs, weapons arrest
By Benjamin Cox on January 3, 2026 at 1:42pm
A Beardstown man is currently incarcerated at the Morgan County Jail after being arrested after a brief car chase into northern Morgan County. Bruce R. Hacker, 41, was arrested by Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputies on December 27. Deputies were attempting to stop a car that Hacker was driving for alleged traffic violations around 10:23 p.m. […]
Jacksonville man sentenced to prison on 2024 meth possession charges
By Benjamin Cox on January 3, 2026 at 12:55pm
A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to prison following a guilty plea to felony methamphetamine possession. Joshua M. King, 44, of the 1200 block of Center Street, pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2025, to Class 3 felony possession of methamphetamine (less than five grams). The plea was entered at a bench trial setting before Morgan […]
December Early Snows
By Gary Scott on January 3, 2026 at 11:09am
We had double the snow last month, but temperatures were very average. Snowfall is the biggest weather note from last month. Snowfall totaled a little over 8 and a half inches in December. That’s more than double the normal snow cover. The snowfalls occurred with an inch and a half on the 2nd, 4 inches […]
Narcan Free from the Health Dept
By Gary Scott on January 3, 2026 at 9:12am
The Morgan County health department is attempting to educate the public about the use of Narcan. Narcan is used to treat opiod overdoses. It’s now available at several locations downtown. Erika Newman of the Morgan County Health Department says Narcan is effective in the short term against overdoses. She says there are injections, but the […]
Wabash Avenue crash victim’s identity released
By Benjamin Cox on January 2, 2026 at 5:01pm
Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon has identified the 60-year old Springfield who died in a single-vehicle crash on Springfield’s west side on Tuesday. Rhonda Mueller was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident on Wabash Avenue in Springfield. An autopsy done showed she died from blunt force injuries sustained in the crash. The death […]
New Berlin man dies in single-crash in Sangamon County on New Year’s Day
By Benjamin Cox on January 2, 2026 at 4:46pm
Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon has announced the death of a New Berlin involved in a single-vehicle crash near rural Lowder Township. Brandon Pond, 30, of New Berlin, was the driver and sole occupant of a motor vehicle that left the roadway and crashed in the early morning hours of January 1st near the 17000 […]
Cass Co. Deputies arrest Tennessee armed robbery fugitive
By Benjamin Cox on January 1, 2026 at 12:55pm
A Tennessee man wanted in connection with an armed robbery was arrested in Cass County on Tuesday and now faces multiple felony charges in Illinois, along with extradition proceedings back to Tennessee. Caleb M. Patterson, 21, of Lewisburg, Tennessee, was arrested by Cass County Sheriff’s deputies near Beardstown on December 30. According to court records, […]
Pike County Sheriff’s Office Warns of Sextortion Threat
By Harold Smith on December 9, 2025 at 9:37am
An area law enforcement agency has issued a warning about a rising threat to children and teenagers. It’s called sextortion, and Pike County Chief Deputy Sheriff Zack Orr is urging parents, guardians and educators to take steps to protect children from a rising wave of online sextortion cases impacting minors across the country. Orr says […]
Homelessness Takes Center Stage for the Council
By Gary Scott on November 13, 2025 at 6:26am
The Jacksonville city council last night wrestled with the elephant that is in the big room of the city..homlessness. A packed commission room greeted 9 of the 10 aldermen as the council heard from several people. The list included Jada Lutzke, who is trying to organize a low barrier shelter in the city to be […]