Ashley Dawn McNeal

CARMI, Ill. - A traffic stop in Carmi lead to the serving of a Franklin County warrant.

The situation went down Monday night (February 6) when Carmi police stopped a white 1997 Ford truck for loud exhaust.

During a check of the driver's license status, it was determined she had an outstanding Franklin County traffic warrant.

The driver, Ashley D. McNeal, 28, of Carmi, into custody and transported her to the White County Jail where she was held in lieu of $375 cash bond, which apparently she was able to later post.

EFFINGHAM/CARMI, Ill. - The Illinois Sate Police in Districts 12 and 19 - Effingham and Carmi - have announced enforcement activity for the month of January 2017.

In District 12, which includes Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Lawrence, Marion, and Richland counties, answered 171 calls for service and initiated 1,579 incidents in the field. 

In addition, enforcement figures totaled 631 citations and 785 written warnings, including 348 speeding citations, 12 DUIs, 57 seat belt citations, 1 child restraint citations, 785 written warnings for speeding, and 27 criminal arrests.

Troopers also assisted 252 motorists, conducted 405 Motor Carrier Inspections, and investigated 54 traffic crashes.

There was 1 fatal traffic crash investigated by District 12 in January.

During the month, 252 citations and 252 written warnings were issued for "Fatal Four" violations. These violations are most associated with fatal traffic crashes and include Speeding, DUI, Failure to Wear a Seat Belt, and Distracted Driving.

In District 19, which includes Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, White, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin counties, troopers recorded 1,195 incidents during the month.

Enforcement activity consisted of 385 citations and 835 written warnings, including 180 speeding citations, 5 DUIs, 34 occupant restraint citations, 15 criminal citations, and 319 written warnings for speeding. Troopers also assisted 60 motorists, conducted 214 Motor Carrier Safety Inspections, and investigated 39 traffic crashes. There were no fatal traffic crashes investigated by District 19 during January.

Moreover, 222 citations and 383 written warnings were issued for “Fatal Four” violations. These violations are most associated with fatal traffic crashes and include Speeding, DUI, Failure to Wear a Seatbelt, and Distracted Driving.

JACKSON CO., Ill. - On February 7, 2017, Lucas L. Holland, 31, of DeSoto, was sentenced to federal prison for a methamphetamine violation, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.

MARION, Ill. - Here's your Marion city police report for the time period covering January 30 through February 5, 2017.

Summer Kirby, 28 of rural Marion has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines and Possession of Cannabis in the 2600 block of W DeYoung St on January 30.

Clay Kirby, 30 of rural Marion has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines, Possession of Cannabis and Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 2600 block of W DeYoung St on January 30.

Matthew Stewart, 29 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines in the 2600 block of W DeYoung St on January 30.

Kristy McIntosh, 37 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines on January 30, 2017 in the area of Russell St and DuFour St on January 30.

Austin Reid, 31 of Marion has been arrested for Resisting/Obstructing a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct in the 1300 block of Enterprise Way on January 31.

Lawrence Smedley, 51 of Marion has been arrested for Aggravated Domestic Battery in the 1100 block of W Main St on January 31.

Chad Kayis, 35 of Marion has been arrested for Disorderly Conduct on February 1.

Misty Copher, 39 of Marion has been arrested for Disorderly Conduct in the 1000 block of E Main St on February 1.

Cari Madison, 35 of Johnston City has been issued a citation for Retail Theft at Menard’s on February 1.

Jon Carmickle, 32 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines with Intent to Deliver and Possession of a Controlled Substance on February 3.

David Ronkowski, Jr, 25 of Marion has been arrest for Retail Theft at Wal-Mart Supercenter on February 3.

Johnna Bloodworth, 36 of Creal Springs has been issued a citation for Retail Theft on February 4, in the 200 block of E DeYoung St.

Tonya Huse, 44 of Marion has been arrested for Resisting/Obstructing a Police Officer in the area of Jodi Ln on February 4.

Brandon Plowman, 31 of Marion has been arrested for Violating of a Bail Bond in February 4 in the 1400 block of N Glendale St.

Izell Jones, 38 of Marion has been arrested on charges of Domestic Battery on February 4 in the 1400 block of Morgan Ave.

Roy Stinson, 40 of West Frankfort has been arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Manufacture/Delivery of Cannabis, Possession of Methamphetamines and Resisting a Police Officer on February 5 in the area of DeYoung St and Halfway Rd.

Susan Davis, 39 of Marion has been issued citations for Disobeying A Stop Sign, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Cannabis and Improper Lane Usage on February 5 in the area of N State St and Red Row.

Jennifer Jackson, 35 of Harrisburg has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines on February 5, in the area of W DeYoung St and Vicksburg St.

HARDIN CO., Ill. - An early-morning shooting incident has left a Hardin County resident dead.

Unofficial reports have it that at about 3 a.m. this morning (Friday, February 10, 2017), an individual in a household located in the Lamb Town area north of Cave-in-Rock, armed with a weapon, shot another household member - a female in her late 40s - fatally.

We have information on the identities of those involved, but are withholding everything else we have until we hear from officials in Hardin. We have been able to verify that there is a male juvenile in custody at this time, and that he's scheduled to appear in court in Hardin County at the courthouse in Elizabethtown at 1 p.m. The general public are not allowed in on juvenile hearings.

Responding agencies involved were ISP District 22 in Ullin, Hardin County Sheriff's Department, Elizabethown Police, Hardin County Coroner, and the Hardin County State's Attorney's office.

There's been no word on what kind of weapon was allegedly involved.

It's expected that there will be a press release either from Sheriff JT Fricker or new State's Attorney Daniel Cockrum following the hearing.

When we learn more, we'll post it. Be watching.

Hardin County courthouse

HARDIN CO., Ill. - In a move that not very many people are used to, Hardin County's State's Attorney Daniel Cockrum, in conjunction with other investigative agencies, has issued a press release regarding the death of an individual north of Cave-in-Rock earlier today.

The press release notes that today February 10, 2017, a shooting occurred in Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois. The shooting resulted in the death of a Hardin County resident.

Neither the identity of the victim, nor the suspect is being released pending notification of family and due to the continuing nature of the investigation. The investigation will continue to be conducted by the Illinois State Police, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department and the Hardin County Coroner.

FRANKLIN CO., Ill. - One of our regular letters-to-the-editor correspondents is in trouble.

Albert Smith, of Benton, who has been a regular letter writer to Disclosure as well as to other publications for the better part of three years, was arrested Wednesday afternoon (February 8) at about 3:30 after an altercation at Fred's Super Dollar in Benton.

The altercation was with the Benton mayor, Fred Kondritz.

Published reports would lead the reader to believe that Smith just walked up to Kondritz and punched him in the nose and forehead. We're pretty sure that's not how it went. Kondritz is belligerent and disagreeable as a rule; it was probably more likely that Kondritz saw Smith, said something crappy about all of Smith's letters criticizing his actions in office, Smith went up to him to make sure he said what he said, and Kondritz probably at that point said something uber crappy and that set Smith off, and whammo. Punch to the nose and forehead. Not that we're advocating violence, but....some people just NEED a punch to the face.

Smith was booked on an arresting charge of Aggravated Battery of a Public Official. He posted bond and was released that same day, but we're not seeing formal charges. The investigation is reportedly underway...but there doesn't seem to be much movement.

Maybe some of the investigators believe some people just need punched, too.

More if we get it. Be checking frequently. And if you want to read Al's letters, sign up for an online membership to the e-Edition; that way, you can run his name through the search field and see just what he's had to say over these past few years.

MARION, Ill. - Police activity in the City of Marion is highlighted in this report, showing what's been going on from February 3 through the 9th.

Emily Ramsey, 22 of Marion has been issued a citation for Theft on February 3 in the 400 block of E White St.

Dawna Havens, 53 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Methamphetamines and Possession of Cannabis on February 6 in the area of Maureen Dr. and Morgan Ave.

Ryan Owens, 31 of Marion has been arrested for Aggravated Domestic Battery on February 7 in the 400 block of E Allen St.

Dewey Weeks Jr, 45 of Christopher has been issued a city ordinance citation for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia following a traffic stop in the 700 block of E DeYoung St on February 8.

Caleb Hinz, 19 of Goreville has been issued city ordinance citations for Possession of Cannabis and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on February 8 in the 800 block of N Fair St.

Raven Carter, 34 of Marion has been arrested for Criminal Damage to Property on February 8 in the 500 block of E Allen St.

Halie Parks, 19 of Carbondale has been arrested for Theft over $500 at Payless Shoes in the Illinois Centre Mall on February 8.

Angel Avery, 27 of Creal Springs has been arrested for being in Possession of a Stolen License Plate on February 9, following a traffic stop in the area of N Russell St and W Central St.

Damian Walls, 31 of Marion has been arrested for 2 counts of Delivery of Controlled Substance within 1000 ft. of a School and Possession of Controlled Substance on February 9 in the 400 block of E Marion St.

Jessica Renshaw, 21 of Carterville has been issued a citation for Retail Theft at Target in the Illinois Centre Mall on February 9.

Jason Griffith

SALINE CO., Ill. - A Raleigh man whose original arrest was featured in the last issue of Disclosure (January-February 2017) in the article at this link has been arrested again.

Jason Griffith, 42, was arrested in early January on multiple charges of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Child and Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault when two alleged victims came forward with complaints. Both of them were male, both of them juveniles (one age 11, the other, 9 when the alleged abuse occurred). One of the cases date back to 2001; the other, 2012.

His cases were working their way through the court system and Griffith was out on a $7,000 cash bond when he was arrested again yesterday (Friday, February 10) on four new counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault. These, we're being told, are based on information from at least one new victim, and are not associated with either of the previous charges or victims.

We've not been given any information as to whether the new alleged victim is male or female, nor what the age of the new alleged victim is. It's unclear whether or not the new alleged victim/s came forward because of previous coverage, but that's highly likely, as it's happened just that way several times in the past.

It's our understanding that there will be some press material released on Tuesday of this week (Feb. 14) about the situation.

It's being reported to us that Griffith has bonded out after the most recent arrest.

POPE CO., Ill. - We know that a lot of southern Illinoisans luv pop country music; and we know that another batch of southern Illinoisans who don't necessarily like country prefer rap.

We're not really sure what to say, however, about people who like country rap. I mean, by and large, a lot of people eschew the very thought. It's like sour clotted milk. Country rap has "gone over," both country, AND rap. It takes a special kind of listener to appreciate it. We generally envision toothless folk (as opposed to gold grills) with sagging jeans (as opposed to...oh, I dunno...work clothes maybe) enjoying what musically can easily be declared the mashup of the worst of two really unlistenable genres.

That said, this guy we're about to discuss here is a kuntray myoosick rap-sanger (country music rap singer)...if you can call the vocals in that kind of music "singing." And he's attracting attention, not because he's so great and they genre is so innovative...but because of his road crew who allegedly are overly aggressive in the effort to get his sucky CDs out there.

Mikel Knight, who touts himself as just such a sanger and claims he knows whereof he speaks because he's a convict who's done a stint in prison (something, it looks like he believes, perhaps that can be substantiated by the tatts on his arms as well as his general badass attitude), is the guy in question. In short, Knight has made a name for himself, not for his rapping-about-kuntray-gals-n-beer prowess, but because since he doesn't actually play very many venues, and because he's not on a major label, he's gotta make money somehow...and that comes from the aggressive sale of his homemade CDs. So aggressive, in fact, that there are other media outlets that are warning people about the "tour bus" being sighted in their general vicinity; you can read about those warnings here, and here.

And that, actually, is the point of this post: We received reports over the weekend that the bus was spotted in both Marion (in Williamson County) and Eddyville (in Pope County).

We waited to see whether there were any law enforcement reports, but there were none, just individuals who are aware of the reputation this kuntrayrapper has, and their concern as to what might come of the tour van's presence in the area. So consider yourself apprised of what's being said about this guy and his crew; and if you see this van...let us know! We'll post what's available, and you'll help others in the area perhaps avoid being done the way people all over the country are reporting has happened to them in the presence of this crew. And if you LIKE this kind of music, tell us that, too. Maybe these ongoing reports are unfair...maybe prompted by jealous other singers....who knows. We're open to opinions on this rather strange circumstance.

HARDIN CO., Ill. - Authorities have officially released the name of the woman who was fatally shot this weekend at her residence north of Cave-in-Rock in Hardin County.

State's Attorney Daniel Cockrum has identified the woman as 48-year-old Laura J. Ghalyon. Cockrum said she was shot in her home located at Rural Route 1, Box 221 F, Cave-in-Rock.

The call came in to the Hardin County Sheriff's Department of a shooting at 3:57 a.m. February 10. A deputy was dispatched, and upon arrival, he discovered that the shooting had resulted in Ghalyon's death.

After confirming Ms. Ghalyon's death, deputies placed a 12-year-old juvenile in custody; he remains in custody at this time, and due to his juvenile status, his identity is being withheld by authorities.

The Illinois State Police and Hardin County Coroner were then contacted for assistance with the investigation, which is ongoing and will continue to be handled by ISP District 22 and the Hardin County Sheriff's Department.

Hey readers, we're almost at the end of volume 14 (meaning our 14th year of publication) and about to go into volume 15...one more issue to go, then we're into our 15th year. Can you believe that? And below would be the reason why...because we're big on telling you what all the other media in the area DOESN'T, and with the appropriate analysis of what it means to YOU. Which is why we're bringing to THIS ISSUE'S PRINT HEADLINES, so you can see what's in the February 2017 edition.

Print headlines are a way to check out what's in the current edition, as well as an easy way to link straight to the article if you have an online membership to the e-Edition. Print headlines are presented as they appear in the paper - Front Page, Back Page (our second front page), pages 2 and 3, Features if any (presented on pages 12 and 13), Egypt, Heartland, Central and Op-Ed. They are presented here dateline first (the location where the material in the article took place), headline (with e-Edition hotlink) and a brief synopsis in our own patented snarky Disclosure style. And now, without further ado, here's THIS ISSUE'S PRINT HEADLINES!

FRONT PAGE

Lisa G. Rodgers

GALLATIN CO. - Kidnapping charged after keeping child from alleged abuser: There is a dangerous trend going on in downstate Illinois judicial circuits, and that trend is returning children to a dangerous environment after a concerned relative has successfully removed them from one. There are serious developments about to take place in this nightmare scenario; however, they're coming a little too late for a Gallatin County woman, who's actually been charged with kidnapping her grandson. Be watching this website and these pages carefully as this matter develops. There IS hope; it's just that the authorities have had to been handed enough rope to hang themselves with.

CLAY CO. - Arrest made in vile internet messaging/imposter case: As we said when the press release on this one hit early on: this is likely one of the strangest circumstances we've ever seen. And that's saying a lot. However, things may not be as they appear....so this will be one to watch. As a side note, those of you who contacted us about receiving messages from "Zac Leaf" over the past couple of years or so - around 20 of you - will get an infusion of confidence, as you will ascertain that we kept your identities private.

RICHLAND CO. - DQ, owner/managers, sued: The civil litigation is taking off in Richland County. We don't know why, unless it's because criminal complaints are not being taken seriously by authorities. Because the last couple we've had on the front page could very easily have been charged as such.

WABASH/EDWARDS/WHITE COs. - Water commission being tried again: It's not like folks in these three counties didn't already pay for all the "studies" being done back in 1999-2000. They did. WE did, all of us taxpayers, because a lot of it was being funded by grants. Which some people still refer to as "free money." But now, we're all paying for it again. Why they couldn't just increase the costs adjusted for inflation and give us all a break is beyond me...but here we go again. Is it all because of "somebody" wanting a regional water distribution, using our good southern Illinois aquifers? Probably. And when that happens, we'll tell you. For now, there's this.

BACK PAGE

Monte Newlin

HUTSONVILLE - Credit card use disallowed by supreme court; under investigation: The article we placed here as written by the Edgar County Watchdogs (which apparently people are clueless about, thinking WE wrote it) prompted deeper coverage of this matter with a regional superintendent up in the Heartland area. And we're pretty sure people are STILL griping over this issue, which, by their comments on this guy's Facebook page, they have limited understanding of.

MICHAEL GRIMWOOD

WHITE CO. - Sex offender charged again: Regular readers will recall that this guy's case in 2009 is the reason why we got after former White County Circuit Clerk Ellen Pettijohn for keeping public documents from us. It took us a year...but we won; we now get to view alleged sex offender files. It took this guy a little longer...but he is alleged to have offended again.

RIETTA MILLER

SALINE CO. - Miller gets felonies reduced; then gets indicted by feds: Rietta Miller runs hot and cold; she's either your best friend or your worst enemy, sometimes in the same 24-hour period. It kinda looks like she does this to HERSELF, as well...and she's deep in it now.

LITIGANTS SOUGHT: This is a public service announcement that appears in this issue twice, because it's important. Read it and take action if you can.

PAGE 2

EDWARDS CO. - Pavement sealing wars: Business alleged wrongdoing with former partner/employee: Moral of the story probably is...don't trust members of your own family when it comes to business matters. Personally, we're surprised at the behavior of dude in this instance; we've known these people for a long time. You just never know.

Gerald Foster

RICHLAND CO. - Foster catches first OV of 2017 for violating junk ordinance: Gerald Foster is in the headlines again...only this time, for something a lot less serious than a DUI/death.

PAGE 3

Darin Brandt

CORRECTION/AMPLIFICATION: Let it not be said that if we make a mistake in an article, we don't fix it. We do. It just needs to be brought to our attention...nicely, of course.

MARION CO. - School board member latest in a long line of accused sex offenders: There's something seriously wrong in Marion County. We just keep reporting about these guys who are old enough to know better getting hemmed up on sex assault charges. Pretty horrific stuff here.

FEATURE (PAGE 12)

Martha Perkins, above left, mother of Williamson County Commissioner Ron Ellis; and Jeff Robinson, above right, tax assessor.

MARION - Williamson Commissioner and Plat Officer busted for violating subdivision ordinance: Yep. Ron Ellis is at it again, using his position in office to ensure that certain things get done in the county. The only thing he ISN'T using his office for is to bring about his mother's death...but don't put anything past him.

EGYPT

HARDIN CO. - Man claims ex would rather blow her brains out than see her children: The parenting report for the month out of Hardin.

KIM Y. SMITH

POPE CO. - Former village treasurer wants outpatient treatment for alleged amnesia issue: Kim Smith is caught in a big Catch-22 she probably didn't anticipate when she pulled her "Ah gawt am-NEE-shuh!" thing back in August. Read this article to see what it is she may have messed up on.

SALINE CO. - Farmhand found with rolling drug operation, including drugs and cash: Dude from Kentucky brings his alleged bad habits to Saline County, where they don't put up with it.

SALINE CO. - Saline/Gallatin Cos. sex predator charged with skipping out of town: At least someone's tracking him.

SALINE CO. - Former state's attorney's brother says he was picking up a 'script for sis when he shoplifted: We're starting to feel sorry for these kids' momma...she's a nice gal. The kids are off the chain, however. It happens.

SALINE CO. - Couple busted for cruising in stolen ride: Auto theft is...just dumb, actually.

Casey Walters

HAMILTON CO. - Equality husband gets probation for spousal abuse: At least somebody charged and convicted him of it...unlike SOME prosecutors in SOME southern Illinois counties....

SALINE CO. - Eldorado parolee found with weed, pills, pseudoephed, meth: The only thing she was missing was a bit of coke and some smack.

SALINE CO. - Georgia couple charged with passing numerous forged 'scripts to get codeine: If you want to read the saga of the south for this issue, this is the one. Good grief...the lengths these people go to are absolutely mind-boggling.

Illinois Youth Center, aka kiddie prison

SALINE CO. - Another violent attack reported at Kiddie Prison: Well. Those kids are there for a reason; violence being among that.

HARDIN CO. - Rosiclare woman afraid to block ex on Facebook: What is it about Fecesbook that people just can't stay off it....? Seriously...if you're being harassed online, um....get off of online. Ignore that idiot. Report that idiot and fuggedaboudit.

HARDIN CO. - Alleged E'town vehicle chase and threat lead to stalking no-contact order: There weren't a lot of criminal charges filed in Hardin this month, so we went with OPs and wow...I'm thinking we probably need to always write up the OPs!!

SALINE CO. - Convicted felon fresh from prison gets her arm, nose broken: And wait til you see how THIS happened.

SALINE CO. - Superintendent files civil complaint against man accused of arson: Back in October when we were on vacation (and so we kinda missed it when it happened....sorry....), someone allegedly set fire to Harrisburg Schools Superintendent Mike Gauch's house. That criminal case is dragging through the court system. So Gauch has also filed a civil against the dude.

HARDIN CO. - Having third party contact, OP-protected person, lands man in jail: Again with the OPs in Hardin, which are actually quite entertaining.

HERRIN - Concerns over charges of threatening public official; will it be dropped? A little tip we received about a well-known woman in Herrin turned into a fairly decent article. See what it's alleged she has done by clicking the link.

SALINE CO. - Shoplifted chicken tenders and gravy lands Sloan Street man behind bars: You can't make this stuff up...it would appear that dude just walks into Walmart when he's hungry, walks out with food, and, occasionally, gets caught. So next time you're griping because your pre-prepared food is so high...blame this guy.

HEARTLAND

Troy Cannon, many feel, besides being an alleged stalker and cornpone Casanova, is extremely unstable, and they hold his social networking activity up as proof.

MARION CO. - Bizarre county coroner prompts concerns among citizens; many asking for resignation: Since we produced this article, the effort to try to get Marion County Moroner Troy Cannon to get out of office has intensified. We might even have a follow up for the next issue. But in the meantime, here's what we discovered about this nut...and if you weren't aware of these things, you're going to be that much more disturbed by his existence in office.

Dakota W. Boyd

JASPER CO. - $10k cash bond set in Newton felon violence case: The crimes against persons report, Jasper co.

James Raymond Coulter

JASPER CO. - Ste. Marie sex offender convicted of not registering: Showing that at least if you've screwed up badly enough to get on the sex offender registry...REGISTER.

JASPER CO. - Newton DUI drugs driver and elderly buddy busted over pills: Substance abuse makes strange bedfellows.

JASPER CO. - One Newton man sentenced, another charged: Some of the lower-level offenses logged in Jasper this past month.

SALEM - Former SA defends accused Salem shooter: A LOT of people in and around Marion County are pretty upset over the fact that Matt Wilzbach gets out of office and immediately begins representing those he was fighting against previously.

JASPER CO. - Richland convicted meth felon charged with having pills in Jasper: A lil crossover to liven up your reading.

CENTRAL

HAMILTON CO. - McLeansboro man accused of keeping girlfriend captive, terrorizing her: This, my dear readers, is one of the most atrocious stories I've ever transferred from the pages of a court document to a print document. And you know what's hideous about it? It's probably happening to a lot more people, just this way, than anyone can even imagine. That's dude, there at the right.

CLAY CO. - Flora man sentenced after struggling with police: And not just any police...it was a state trooper.

RICHLAND CO. - Noble man accused of South Camp sexual assault: Annnnnnnnd....he just got out of IDOC. Whatta charmer.

CLAY CO. - Edgewood, Flora men both charged with drug conspiracy: While this is bad enough, at least it doesn't involve anyone from The Ridge....

Charles Robert Mainer, of Flora

CLAY CO. - $10K cash bond set for Flora doper charged with multiple OP violations: What's with these people who feel the need to threaten to cut off appendages...??

HAMILTON CO. - Norris City men facing weapons, drug charges: This one guy wasn't messing around...it was a 357 Magnum.

RICHLAND CO. - Snap-On robbery: Feds impressed with Richland County's work on case: We wanted this for the early January paper, but couldn't cut through the crap to get it to you. We were able to gather enough info to bring it this month, though. Absolutely amazing work by the boys at the sheriff's department in Richland.

Mark S. Garner, of Lawrenceville

LAWRENCE CO. - Suspected Lawrenceville drug dealer, child molester cheats drug test: This DESPITE the rules being stated on the whiteboard in the basement there in the courthouse...

Harry K. Boudreau, of West Salem

EDWARDS CO. - Twice-suspected West Salem child batterer now busted for holding methamphetamine: As it turns out, a lot of child batterers do meth, and a lot of methheads batter children. Whodathunkit.

HAMILTON CO. - Fireball whiskey, Amsterdam vodka and beef n cheese sticks land woman behind bars: She apparently isn't as handy with this kind of thing as that guy down in Saline County is.

Randy G. Baker, mud-roller

RICHLAND CO. - Elderly man found lying in mud at the side of the road: This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy was allegedly driving drunk and got out and went rolling in the mud...and we have an article about it. Grinning mugshot and all.

RICHLAND CO. - Another Casey charged: Sex abuse against 15-year-old alleged: We've learned that SOME people will pimp out their young daughters for dope. We're not at ALL saying that this is the case in this instance. But hey, if that shoe fits....lace that sucker up and WEAR IT.

X-TRA: LAWRENCE CO. - Hot checks and a Japanese changer focus of general crim report: No, seriously....that's not a typo. It's a Japan Cash Machine Sega Changer, you know, for changing bills.

X-TRA: RICHLAND CO. - Olney man busted with multiple stolen firearms: How all the best crims get their start.

X-TRA: LAWRENCE CO. - Violent Lawrenceville man beats his way back into the headlines: Because there's nothing else to do in Lawrenceville except do dope and get in trouble, apparently.

X-TRA: RICHLAND CO. - Confusing ordinance violations in Olney might be why problems remain: And look who is back in our pages...? Yep. Another Thacker.

OP-ED

COLUMNS
SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE (Jack): Voter fraud? We proved it right here...!
ICY (Ang): Let's tend to the problems at HOME first, k?
GUEST COLUMN (Kale): Collectivism vs. individualism to avoid racism

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE: Letters to the editor

HARRISBURG, Ill. - A benefit for the Alzheimer's Association is set to be held in Harrisburg this Saturday.

It's being called "Hope Community Breakfast" and will be held at The Villas of Holly Brook, 220 Ron Crank Drive in Harrisburg from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. this Saturday, Feb. 18.

It's a $5 breakfast buffet, which includes waffles, pancakes, sausage, bacon, a fruit bar, coffee, milk and juice.

There'll be a gift basket giveaway at 9:30 a.m. in the Theater Room; you must be present to win.

A drag racing car, sponsored by Great Clips, will be on site for folks to view.

All funds raised will be donated to benefit the Alzheimer's Association.

For more information, call 618-252-9218.

Scroll down for the flyer.

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RIETTA MILLER

HARRISBURG, Ill. - One of our lead stories in this current issue has reached a resolution.

Rietta M. Miller, 51, of Harrisburg, has pled guilty to a bankruptcy fraud charge pending against her in federal court in Benton, U.S. Attorney Donald S. Boyce for the Southern District of Illinois announced today.

Charges were filed against Miller on January 30, 2017, as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s effort to crackdown on those who commit fraud in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

You can read about how all of this went down by clicking this link if you have an online membership to the e-Edition; otherwise, check out the vendors list to see where you can pick up this current issue, on stands for only about another week and a half.

"Federal bankruptcy laws enable debtors to gain a fresh start in life through a discharge of their debts,” Mr. Boyce explained. “In order to get this fresh start, however, the law requires debtors to disclose their assets so that their creditors can be paid back as much as possible before the debts are discharged. Individuals who hide their assets during bankruptcy cases are defrauding their creditors. Our office will continue to prosecute those who engage in this type of conduct.”

“This case is an example of the collaborative efforts of the Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group and other law enforcement partners to combat fraud and abuse in our nation’s bankruptcy system,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Southern Illinois, Central Illinois and Indiana (Region 10). “I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Boyce and our law enforcement partners for their strong commitment to combating fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases.”

FRANKLIN CO., Ill. - All the self-adulating mainstream media out there in real-media-deprived Southern Illinois are falling all over themselves trying to prop up a local "business man" who has been picked up by one of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps, this following being flagged by a decade-old DUI arrest.

Yep. A man that ICE is saying is here illegally is being detained, having been picked up in a February 9 detail. Not that big of a deal, right? Innocent until proven guilty, right? Even on the DUI (which fact was buried at the bottom of the reports, if reported at all.)

But noooooo. It's a big deal. Mainstream media is all over this like flies on feces. Because "he sucha nahss GUYYYY!!" (translated from hickinese: "He's such a nice guy.")

We've been watching all this unfolding folderol in the national headlines about the nonsense surrounding President Trump's executive order regarding illegal immigrants and travel bans and etc., and one point that's emerged from most of it is that people don't understand that being in this country illegally is a crime.

Yep, it is. See, there are civil sanctions imposed for violation of some immigration laws, and those include punitive action in the form of fines and fees. But being caught in this country as in violation of immigration laws in and of itself is a violation of Title 8 of U.S. Code (federal law), and that's criminal, not civil:

8 U.S. Code § 1325 - Improper entry by alien

Roger D. Hedger

SALINE CO., Ill. - Authorities with the Saline County State's Attorney's office have advised that there's been a plea and sentencing in a 2016 sex abuse case originating in Eldorado.

Roger D. Hedger, 63, of Eldorado, pled guilty and was sentenced on February 8 2017, in Saline County Circuit Court by Judge Mark Clarke to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, four years mandatory supervised release (parole) and costs.

Hedger was found guilty of two counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, both Class 2 felonies. Class 2 felonies are punishable by a term of 3 to 7 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and a $25,000 fine. Hedger was sentenced to five years in DOC on each count, to be served consecutively.

The Illinois State Police led the investigation with the assistance of the Guardian Center. On April 30, 2016, the minor disclosed to her mother she was being molested by Hedger. The incident was reported to the Illinois State Police, who opened an investigation. Special Agents with ISP learned the abuse occurred between October 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016, at a house in Eldorado.

The 13-year-old female minor disclosed multiple incidents of abuse at the hand of Hedger when she was 12 and 13 years old. Hedger was subsequently arrested and charged with Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse.

Hedger is also required to register as a sex offender after his release from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

MARION, Ill. – The police report for Marion’s city cops highlights activity from February 13 through the 22nd, and includes folks from all over Williamson, Jackson, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and this time, even Hardin County.

Lisa Long, 47 of Colp has been arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance and Obstructing Identification on February 13, in the area of W DeYoung St and DuFour St.

Britney Barreiro, 26 of Benton has been issued a citation for Retail Theft at Wal-Mart Supercenter on February 17.

Harry Edwards, 48 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Cannabis, Driving While License Revoked and Unlawful Possession of A Weapon by a Felon following a traffic stop in the 2700 block of W DeYoung St on February 17.

Kelly Lonergan, 21 of Marion has been issued a citation for Operating a Vehicle without Insurance on February 17, following a traffic accident at the intersection of Vicksburg St and DeYoung St.

Gregory Strong, 49 of Marion has been arrested for Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Property Damage in the 1400 block of W DeYoung and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol on February 18.

Damian Rhyne, 27 of Carbondale has been arrested for Domestic Battery on February 18, in the 1200 block of E Carter St.

David Sussen, 29 of Goreville has been issued citations for Improper Lane Usage and 2 counts of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol in the area of S Market St and Texas Ave on February 18.

Cleshae Parker-Brantley, 26 of Opdyke has been issued citations for Improper Lane Usage, Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Property Damage and Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle in the area of N Fifth St and Michelle Dr. on February 18.

Krystal Buckingham, 27 of West Frankfort has been arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on February 19.

Misty Copher, 39 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on February 19.

Joshua Landes, 33 of Carterville has been arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Methamphetamine Possession on February 19, in the area of Blue Heron Dr.

Charles Hodge, 56 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on February 19, in the area of Blue Heron Dr.

Cedrick Marshall, 29 of Marion has been issued citations for 2 counts of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Improper Lane Usage on February 20 in the area of DeYoung St and Main St.

Chris Kovach, 40 of Marion has been arrested for Battery and Disorderly Conduct on February 20 in the 1400 block of Boulevard St.

Marcellus Smith, 37 of Marion has been issued citations for Driving While License Revoked and Resisting Arrest in the 900 block of S Vicksburg St on February 20.

Quovadis Myers,19 of Murphysboro has been arrested for Domestic Battery on February 20, 2017 in the 1600 block of N Cash St.

James Metter, 51 of Eldorado has been arrested for Domestic Battery in the 1500 block of W Central St on February 20.

Travis Curry, 32 of Marion has been arrested for Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of a Defaced Firearm and No Valid FOID Card on February 20, in the 900 block of S Vicksburg St.

Crystal McCay, 35 of Orient has been issued a citation for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia on February 20.

Holly Mann, 20 of West Frankfort has been arrested for Possession of Methamphetamines following a traffic stop in the area of Court St and Robinson St on February 20.

Robert Hamm, 29 of Elizabethtown has been issued citations for 2 counts of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Improper Lane Usage on February 20, in the area of Halfway Rd and DeYoung St.

Adam Jennings, 30 of Marion has been arrested for Disorderly Conduct at Heartland Regional Medical Center on February 21.

Raven Carter, 34 of Johnston City has been arrested for Criminal Damage to Property on February 21 in the 500 block of E Allen St.

Jordan Schumer, 28 of Herrin has been issued citations for Possession of Cannabis, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstructing Justice in the 700 block of N Carbon St on February 21.

Dalton Wagner, 18 of Marion has been arrested for Illegal Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor and Resisting a Police Officer in the 1200 block of E Boyton St on February 22.

WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. - The Illinois Sheriff’s Association announces that it will be awarding over $54,500 in college scholarships throughout the State of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2017-2018 academic year. 

The scholarships are to be applied to tuition, books, and fees only.  The student must be enrolled full-time at a certified institution of higher learning within the State of Illinois.

Williamson County Sheriff Bennie Vick will be awarding one scholarship in the amount of $500.00.

There will be no restriction on any applicant by reason of race, age, creed, color, sex, or national origin.  The only limitations are as follows:

·        Applicants must be permanent Illinois residents 

·        Scholarships must be utilized at institutions of higher learning within the State of Illinois

·        Students must be enrolled as a full-time student during the 2017-2018 school year (excluding summer session)

Applications are now available at your local Sheriff’s Office or on Illinois Sheriff’s Association website at www.ilsheriff.org. Students must complete the application, answer the essay question, and return all documentation to the Sheriff’s Office in their permanent county of residence by March 15, 2017 (must be postmarked by this date).

For more information, please contact your local Sheriff’s Office, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, high school advising center or college financial aid office.

HARRISBURG, Ill. - The shooting that occurred early this morning in Harrisburg is being addressed by Harrisburg's new police chief, David Morris.

According to a press release Morris presented this morning, a shooting was reported by multiple callers at about 2:30 a.m. (Saturday, February 25) with victims in the 200 and 300 blocks of East Dayton Street.

Harrisburg City Police, the Saline County Sheriff's department and Eldorado Police Department all responded to the scene.

Officers found three gunshot victims in or near the location listed above.

All three were transported from the scene to area hospitals. Their conditions haven't been listed by authorities.

The matter is under investigation by Harrisburg police and Illinois State Police; updates will be presented here.

GALLATIN CO. – A bad first date prompted an Order of Protection to be filed in Gallatin County circuit court.

Lisa Holmes, no age given, of Ridgway, was the one to take this action on February 14, after what she described as simply a bad date with a Belle Rive resident, Rodney Aaron Wallace, also no age given…and her own paranoia about it.

According to the petition for protection, Holmes wrote that “On January 27, I went to his home for a first date. We watched TV then we went into town to get his paycheck. During that time, he showed me his Ruger in his console of his truck, then we went to eat supper at a gas station/truck stop at Dahlgren. Afterwards we go back to his house, he shows me his AR-45 along with a box of bullets, and begins to talk about his Glock in his ‘bedroom.’ We sat on the watching a NBA game he leaned over started kissing me aggressively, then asked to go to the bedroom. I feared for my life because of the guns so I followed his lead, frozen at times, scared the whole time. Feb. 1 I seen my physician assistant and emergency psychiatrist visit. Both knew I feared for my life. He’s a truck driver who has more access towards my home. Fearful he has a concealed carry. I suffer from paranoia when I see other men and semi trucks enough to have my license plate changed. He never told me to stop texting him. But I did on Feb. 2 and it was not threatening, it was apologizing for fear again he may be up to something.”

While “somebody being up to something” isn’t necessarily a predicate for a no-contact order, Holmes was granted one on an emergency basis on the day it was filed.

That means that when Wallace was served, he had to do something with all his guns, as those under an OP aren’t allowed to possess them until either the dismissal or expiration of the order.

It remains to be seen if this passes the test of an actual civil no-contact order, as it appears this is more on Holmes and her self-admitted paranoia than it is on anything that Wallace may have done. Recent filings such as this one, where no one was harmed and there was no ongoing communication that alarmed or disturbed one or more parties, have become frequent, and many believe it’s an abuse of the order of protection/civil stalking/no-contact order as set in place by Illinois legislators.

The next court date on the matter is March 2.