District 117 Calls 2015 Bonds to Set Up New Construction of a Murrayville-Woodson Elementary School
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 9:20am
Jacksonville School District 117 officials appear to be ready for a new elementary school to be built in the Murrayville-Woodson area. The district received a clean financial audit last night. Superintendent Steve Ptacek says that accounting firm PMA also gave the district the green light to call the district’s 2015 bond for refinancing that would […]
Final Pair Accused in a Violent Roodhouse Drug Deal Receive Dispositions in Greene Co. Court
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 9:01am
The final pair in a group of people arrested by Greene County authorities in February accused of a drug deal turned violent in Roodhouse had their day in court on Thursday. 54-year old Sherri K. Sprague of Roodhouse pleaded guilty to Class 1 felony possession of methamphetamine between 15-100. Sprague’s husband, 51-year old Robert K. […]
ILGA Passes Dignity In Pay Act to Phase Out Subminimum Wage
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:53am
The full Illinois Senate passed a bill yesterday that ends the subminimum wage in the state. The Illinois Senate Executive Committee passed the Dignity In Pay Act out of committee on Wednesday on a 9-3 vote with bipartisan support. The bill had previously passed the Illinois House at the end of the Spring Session. The […]
Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Bill Passes U.S. House Committee
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:41am
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act on Wednesday. The legislation sponsored by 16th District Congressman Darin LaHood would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, expanding economic and historic development opportunities across all communities and states along the iconic Mother Road. LaHood said in […]
Hardin Woman Charged For Alleged False Sex Assault Report that Led Authorities to Louisiana
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:40am
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman, and she has been charged with filing a false police report for an allegation of sexual assault last month. According to a press release, deputies were notified of an alleged sexual assault on October 22nd. The assault was said to have occurred on October 20th in […]
Kane Man Sentenced to Prison For Attempted Burglary in Nov. 2023
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:38am
A southern Greene County man is heading to prison in relation to an attempted residential burglary last year. 40-year Jordan M. Deffenbaugh of Kane pleaded guilty to Class 3 felony attempted burglary to a residence on Monday in Greene County Circuit Court. Deffenbaugh was arrested by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies on November 17, 2023 after […]
Crime of the Week: Suspicious Mobile Home Fire in Rolling Acres
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:36am
The Morgan, Scott, Cass Crime Stoppers are requesting information from the public to assist the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Jacksonville Police in their recent investigation of a suspicious fire in a vacant mobile home. At approximately 11:45PM on Thursday, November 14th, the Jacksonville Fire Department was summoned for a structure fire at a […]
New Brown County Public Library Nearly Complete
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:35am
The new Brown County Public Library in Mt. Sterling is nearly complete. Construction on the building broke ground on October 27th of last year. Library Director Richard Young tells WGEM that while the exterior of the building appears to be complete, there is plenty of work left to finish the interior. Young says that new […]
Jacksonville Salvation Army Seeking $25K to Start Children’s Food Program
By Benjamin Cox on November 22, 2024 at 8:34am
The Salvation Army of Jacksonville says it needs to raise a $25,000 match as the final step to accept an approved grant that would provide over $445,000 in funding over five years for new food programs for Jacksonville kids. The five-year tiered grant from the Thomas Lyle Williams Trust Fund would award $125,000 in its […]
White Hall Man Sentenced to Prison For Failure to Register Address Change as Violent Offender Against Youth
By Benjamin Cox on November 20, 2024 at 7:54am
A White Hall man pleaded guilty to a failure to report an address change charge in Greene County Circuit Court on Friday. 38-year old Darin M. Morrell pleaded guilty to Class 2 felony failure to register an address for at least the second time as a classified violent offender against youth. Morrell’s timeline for the […]