Morgan County Commissioners Hear Proposal From Local Vet

By Benjamin Cox on February 6, 2017 at 2:00pm

The Morgan County Commissioners meeting this morning heard a public comment from local veteran Tyson Manker, inquiring about the creation of a local veterans treatment court.

Manker says that many times when a veteran appears in the criminal justice system that it is because of their service related injuries.

“When Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen come back and they have post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, they are more likely to end up homeless, become addicted, or end up in the criminal justice system. It is because of the link to their preexisting service injury. It isn’t because they are a worthless part of society, that they can’t get their act together. We know that isn’t true. They have proven they have discipline because they served honorably until they went to war.”

Manker says that there is a law on the books requiring veterans treatment courts for every judicial circuit but local veterans would benefit from a local treatment court.

“The law was amended in Illinois last summer, to make veterans treatment courts mandatory across the state. The bare minimum the law requires is one veterans treatment court per circuit, but obviously veterans would prefer to have local veterans treatment courts for a number of reasons, including the mentors who would be involved. They would want to be involved with their local veterans.

Ginny Fanning, the Morgan County Board Chairman says, the County Board will review Manker’s proposal.

“ I believe the board will take it under advisement. We will do our due diligence and do our research and see what the circuit will do and see what our judge wants for our county to proceed with and we will see where it goes from there.”

Also at this mornings meetings was the approval of the reappointment of Rex Brockhouse, Alan Kircher, and Ron Surratt to the Concord Cemetery Board. The appointees will join Brian Musch, Dale Nickel, and Mary Ferguson on the Concord Cemetery Board.