Starbucks, Cell Tower, and Craft Grow Marijuana Among Projects Considered by City Plans Commission Wed.

The Village of South Jacksonville may have to consider raising water and sewer rates just as the treatment plant has come back online. Village President Dick Samples updated the Board of Trustees during committee of the whole Thursday night, that the village has been off of the line from the City of Jacksonville since last Friday.

Morgan County has been chosen as a recipient of emergency food and shelter funds from the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded Morgan County just a little over $14,000 through Phase 40 under the Emergency Food & Shelter National Board Program.

Chapin resident Cynthia “Cindy” Staake of Worrell Land Services has earned the highest rank of appraisal licensing in the state. The Journal Courier reports that Staake has received the Certified General Real Estate Appraiser license, fulfilling two years of education and testing. According to her biography on the...

County leaders have some big plans this year to celebrate today’s 200th anniversary of the formation of Morgan County. 200 years ago today, on January 31st, 1823 which was a Friday, Morgan County was officially founded. County Commissioner Ginny Fanning says even though today’s anniversary has been quiet, big things are in store this year as the days get longer and warmer.

Two area fire departments will be losing a wealth of knowledge and experience here in the next few months. New Berlin-Island Grove Fire Chief Steve Frank has decided to retire after 48 years of service. The announcement was made on the fire department’s Facebook Page last night. The White...

Morgan County area residents are being warned of a new phone scam. According to a press release from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office this morning, a business in rural Morgan County and another located within the City of Jacksonville have reported receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be from the corporate office of the business.

A pre-pandemic program aimed at giving assistance to the Jacksonville community returns to the Jacksonville Public Library today. The Community Intern Program officially restarts today at the library. Head Librarian Jake Magnusson says the program was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic and because of the shuttering of MacMurray College: “In the past, we had a relationship with MacMurray College when they had their social work program. We had a social work student here in the library to help people with some of those sorts of issues. When they closed, that program went away and that was kind of around the time that the Covid-19 pandemic began. Last year, we had a sociology student from Illinois College come in for a little while. That kind of ended up being around the time the library had some staff changes, so it kind of fell by the wayside also, so we are starting it up again.”

Local unemployment rates in some counties appear to be heading in opposite directions. Morgan County’s unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percent from last month, down to 3.6% staying almost in line with national averages. Sangamon and Greene also saw declines from the previous month down to 3.6% and 3.9% respectively.

The Winchester EMS had a good return of their annual fundraiser over the weekend. The 24th annual chili cook-off took place on Saturday. Twelve chili teams and six salsa teams were in the competition for top prizes in each category. The cook off had been on hold the last two...

The Kenneth Acree murder trial may have reached its final continuance in Morgan County Court. Acree was in court Thursday on status after both the defense and state have been waiting for multiple search warrants get completed from AT&T Mobile for phone records needed for the case. State’s Attorney Gray...

A Springfield man who was one of the first inside the U.S. Capitol Riot more than 2 years ago was convicted of federal charges on Monday. 40 year old Thomas B. Adams, Jr. was found guilty of entering a restricted building and obstructing an official proceeding. According to the Washington D.C. Federal court, Adams will remain free on recognizance until his sentencing on June 16th.

The Carrollton School District recently removed a teacher from its online instruction program through a third party. According to the Greene Prairie Press, the Carrollton School District sent letters home to parents on January 19th notifying them that Kristy L. Sicard had been removed permanently as the district’s online math instructor. Sicard was employed through Chicago-based third party online vendor ELEVATE K-12. The district had been using the online vendor for math instruction after unsuccessfully finding a full-time in-person math instructor for the district.

The Beardstown School Board has selected an interim Superintendent while they search for a permanent replacement of the late Michael Smith. The 55 year old Smith passed away suddenly on January 7th in Jacksonville. According to the Cass County Star Gazette, the Beardstown School Board named former Superintendent Reggie Clinton...

A former Greenfield baseball coach and IHSA official appeared in Greene County Court on Friday for a pretrial status hearing. 24 year old Austin L. Bishop of Greenfield faces a charge of unlawful grooming, stemming from an arrest by Greenfield Police and Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies in September 2021. According to charging documents filed in the case by the Greene County State’s Attorney’s Office at the time, Bishop is alleged to have requested nude photographs and videos of a juvenile via text messages.

A Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy is now facing charges in Adams County for assaulting a pregnant woman. Cody Shaffer, no age provided, was arrested Friday in Adams County. According to a report by WGEM in Quincy, Shaffer allegedly struck his pregnant girlfriend with a pistol before then trying to strangle her.

A Quincy woman facing first-degree murder charges after a 2020 car crash killed four people has chosen a bench trial for her case. 39 year old Natasha McBride appeared in Adams County Court yesterday with her attorney, Public Defender Todd Nelson, before Judge Tad Brenner. According to Muddy River News, McBride waived her right to a jury trial and Judge Brenner set aside three days for the trial after deliberations on the length between the state and defense.

Tonight, we have two games for you, both in Jacksonville. Routt hosts West Central tonight, and the pregame on WEAI will be at 7:05. On WLDS, the pregame begins at 6:45, as Decatur MacArthur comes to town to play JHS. Elsewhere, Greenfield-Northwestern welcomes Carrollton, Triopia is on the road at...

The Jacksonville J’ettes captured a state title over the weekend. The J’ettes won the Class 1A state competitive dance title at Bloomington on Saturday. The dance competition is divided into 3 classes. It’s believed to be the second ever state team title for JHS. The Crimsons volleyball team...