WILLIAMSON CO.—The Pittsburg man who had filed a Small Claims case against the village providing his water has dropped his claim in Williamson County circuit court.

After the article featuring Pittsburg resident Jeff Jenkins appeared in the May-June issue of Disclosure outlining steps Jenkins was attempting to take in order to secure water to his business, Maverick Stables, as well as to renters on his property at the 15-acre location, the mayor of Pittsburg, Keith Violett, had called Jenkins and said they could work something out, so Jenkins had the suit dismissed.

The suit was a monetary demand of the village in the amount of $10,000 due to “harassment, child endangerment and animal cruelty” to four families with eight children among them, as well as the horses and other animals at the stables, after the village demanded that he place new water meters on the property at an incredible expense, four in all at $4,000 each.

Jenkins dismissed the suit on June 9 after negotiations came through with the village, after which Pittsburg water still expected him to put in the new meters at the $4,000 price tag.

Rather than do that, Jenkins decided to put in a well. He advised that it was almost ready other than having to tie it into the main line.

“The guy drilling the well is doing all he can,” Jenkins told Disclosure, “but apparently it’s not fast enough to suit the mayor.” This meant that, once again, Jenkins got a cut-off notice from the Village of Pittsburg that they were going to shut the water off as of Friday, August 1.

And once again, Jenkins had to call the EPA because of the families as well all the animals it would endanger.

After that the mayor called and said he would give him another seven days. They were able to find water at 125 feet, which means he “won’t have to drink the nasty Rend Lake water” that the village has as their source.

“Violett told me the well would be expensive,” Jenkins said, “and I said yes it is but not as much as the $20,000 Pittsburg wants.”

Jenkins opined that he believes the village wants his money for the new tank they are building in Spillertown.

While all this has been going on, Jenkins found out he had liver cancer and was put on top of the list for a transplant. He received a liver from a 20-year-old who was in a car accident. At the present time he is recuperating in an apartment he rented in Fairview Heights so he can be close to Barnes Hospital in case of an emergency. As a result, he has been having to deal with all the Pittsburg water business by phone.

Once the well is complete, Jenkins will be disconnected from Pittsburg water completely.

The mayor was out of state on deadline and could not comment on the village’s side of things prior to publication, but Violett’s wife extended an invitation for Disclosure to attend the village’s meetings.

FRANKLIN/WHITE COs.—Dangerous case law may have been set by an irrational and irresponsible judge in a Franklin County Order of Protection case.

The situation arose after an Enfield woman, Kendra Carter, issued concerns to a board supported in part by public funds about one of their employees, Tina Gaither Casillas, a woman who is also paid in part by public funds, which makes her a public official and thus open to criticism about the performance of her job.

Following the concerns, issued in the form of Facebook messages or other electronic communication, Casillas, who lives in Franklin County, took out a Stalking/No-Contact Order (OP) against Carter, based solely in the exchange of information Carter began with board members, many of whom she was familiar with, as she has been a fundraiser for CASA, the victim’s advocate group for which Casillas works (CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, a group formed in 1985 to be a voice for children who are victims of crimes; it is a national group supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and is funded not only on tax dollars in the form of grants, but by fundraisers/donations).

On August 5, the OP was granted Casillas on a technicality…something that never should have gotten past the “emergency” order status it was given when it was filed July 16, as the communication between Carter and the board was limited strictly to on-the-record performance, as well as a documented court case.

That court case, however, is the crux of the matter: It was that of David Casillas, 28, of White County, who was charged last year with a child sex assault count after his young stepdaughter went to an aunt and informed her that Casillas was molesting her.

Casillas was arrested and spent eight months in jail awaiting trial, which he won, largely because he refused to be interviewed by the investigator in the case, Rick White.

During the course of that trial, Tina Casillas, his stepmother, was caught lying under oath on his behalf.

It was this action, as well as a 35-page DCFS report which indicated that David Casillas was a “high-risk threat” for child sexual abuse, that prompted Carter to issue her concerns to the CASA board, as a citizen and as a long-time fundraiser for the group.

And yet judge Melissa Morgan (formerly Drew), despite the fact that the OP was filed improperly by Tina Casillas and despite the fact that Carter has a First Amendment right to have taken her concerns up the chain of command through CASA as she did, granted the onerous OP…setting the stage for others who have a complaint against a public official to be stifled in their right to not only speak the truth freely, but to redress grievances with their government/government-supported entities, as Carter appropriately did.

Gave false testimony 

on the stand

Jeffrey (David) Casillas’ trial commenced June 17 of this year.

During that trial, his stepmother took the stand, but not as a CASA worker, merely as a defense witness as called by Casillas’ defense attorney, Bryan Drew.

During testimony, it was elicited that the little girl, who was David Casillas’ stepdaughter and age 9 when the alleged sexual activity occurred, had told her aunt about the situation.

Tina Casillas testified that she was the first one the little girl’s aunt contacted; however, that wasn’t the case, according to records: The aunt actually contacted Rick White via Illinois State Police. Tina Casillas further testified that she, as a mandated reported, didn’t contact any authorities about the abuse allegations.

White County prosecutor Denton Aud caught Tina Casillas in this and hammered the point, but nothing further was done about the false information, including no charge of perjury filed.

As a result of this, Carter notified the CASA board in Franklin County about the case, and about Tina Casillas’ faux pas, stating that she was going to have to remove her support from the fundraising aspect she’d been a part of for so long, and issuing her opinion that Tina Casillas was “only for the child unless the child is not the victim of her son,” this opinion based on the DCFS finding, which Carter noted immediately following her opinion.

Carter did not communicate a threat to the board members as regards either Casillas, only expressed that she wasn’t interested in participating or fundraising for the program while Tina Casillas was involved…an opinion that she was within her rights to do.

Fraudulent pleas in petition

It was this communication with the CASA board members that Tina Casillas used as her request for the OP.

Franklin County court documents show that in her petition for OP, Tina Casillas stated that “via Facebook messages and postings…Kendra contacted my boss and program in June with claims that I need to be removed from my job due to my son. This has continued with her posting my picture, name and where I work claiming my son is a sexual offender. She has contacted board members as recently as today” (July 16, 2014).

“I have not responded to her and have not (had) contact with her,” Casillas admitted on court documents…which is of note, since one of the tenets of getting a Stalking/No-Contact order includes “any contact with the victim that is initiated or continued without the victim’s consent, or that is in disregard of the victim’s expressed desire that the contact be avoided or discontinued.” Nowhere in the definition of legal terms is there addressed a portion that includes electronic messaging of a board of directors regarding a person’s employment. However, in the terms, it does clearly state that “Stalking does not include an exercise of the right to free speech…that is otherwise lawful.”

Invalid OP request from the outset

Further, in her petition, Tina Casillas included her stepson as a “protected person.”

According to Illinois law, a “protected person” under such an order means a child/minor, an elderly person, or a disabled adult who cannot in a court of law speak for himself due to a disabling mental or physical condition.

Jeffery David Casillas is undergoing a divorce from his wife Amanda right now; on his court paperwork filed in that case, it clearly states that he, under oath, is an adult resident of the state who is “under no disability,” as is standard on such proceedings…but which shows that he would be perfectly capable of filing his own OP if he so desired one.

It also invalidates Tina Casillas’ request for her own Stalking/No-Contact Order.

Associate judge Tom Dinn was the one who signed the emergency order. Dinn should right away have seen through the two factors that invalidated the request—the inclusion of David Casillas as a protected person, and the fact that Tina Casillas is a public person with a public job open to scrutiny by those who help fund her paycheck—but he did not.

Further, judge Melissa Morgan (formerly Drew, as she was at one time married to David Casillas’ attorney Bryan Drew) should also have seen such a problem with the order…but she did not.

Witnesses at the August 5 plenary hearing for the OP stated that Morgan (who has been an embarrassment to the Second Judicial Circuit since almost the day she was seated in 2006) was flippant and brusque from the stand when Carter came to file an entry of appearance and answer the OP.

Worse, though, was the fact that Morgan told Carter she was in default because she hadn’t filed a response and entry of appearance within seven days of the OP’s emergency order entry, despite Carter’s protestations that that was not the direction she’d been given when she talked to the people in the circuit clerk’s office.

Morgan, witnesses in the courtroom say, was churlish toward Carter and made “immature facial expressions and hand gestures throughout Carter’s and everyone else’s court appearances.”

Morgan has painted a target on the backs of media

Morgan signed off on the OP, and Carter, a person who did not stalk, threaten, harass or otherwise bother Tina Casillas, but only expressed an opinion to a publicly-funded body, now has the order against her until this time next year.

Disclosure was able to contact Carter, but she stated that she did not want to be in violation of the order, and so would not comment on the case at all.

Attempts to contact Casillas were unsuccessful.

The greater damage in the case, however, isn’t necessarily what it means for Carter…but what it means for a petulant publicly-funded person who doesn’t like it that she is being criticized.

As with the fraudulent OP that family members of Disclosure Publisher Jack Howser attempted to perpetrate against him and against the publication, the greater implication is that a First Amendment right to free speech and criticism of taxpayer-supported bodies and individuals has now been impinged upon…and case law has been set.

Against the better judgment of this publication’s owners, Disclosure is compelled to point out that once just one instance of such abridgment has been entered into a court record, others can use the case to follow suit.

This could include Tina Casillas, or any other public employee, attempting to file something against Disclosure for writing something that “causes emotional distress,” using the state’s arbitrary Stalking/No-Contact Order to pursue the claim.

Morgan stated from the bench that “because Tina Casillas isn’t an elected official,” the “public official” designator doesn’t apply.

That statement is not true. Any person who is employed by or even volunteers in any capacity at an agency that receives public funds (grants) in any amount, no matter how small, is under the First Amendment considered publicly-funded, and as such, a “public person,” open to criticism of their job and especially of their behavior in a court proceeding (making false statements on the witness stand) under the most important amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Melissa Morgan, in her apparent ignorance of the law, has subverted that…and recourse will only come with the next such claim made under this irrational and irresponsible decision, which will have to be fought valiantly to overcome.

SALINE CO/ELDORADO— It appears Eldorado Chief of Police Shannon Deuel is responsible for a late-July “kidnapping” incident, which made headlines across the country, and which very well could have turned deadly… all because he put overtime concerns over the safety of the general public.

The high-profile incident has raised questions about the long-time police chief at a time when he has just returned to work in Eldorado on a consistent basis, this after bilking taxpayers through workman’s compensation for months, all while reportedly being employed at a Harrisburg gun range.

Meanwhile, two young people from Georgia, at the heart of the “kidnapping that wasn’t really a kidnapping,” have found themselves hemmed up on charges in neighboring Missouri, where they drove on the evening of July 23 in an allegedly stolen vehicle, and charges against them are pending here in Illinois.

Thugs assault citizen

According to sources, on July 23 at approximately 3:02 p.m., Chief Deuel and Eldorado officer James Williams were in the Eldorado Police Department when county dispatch advised them that had received a 911 call from Jeff French, who was at Ferrell Hospital, reporting that he had been assaulted by two males, one with a knife and the other with a gun.

French told officers that he and his niece, Amy French, had been driving eastbound on Benton Street when he noticed two males standing in the middle of the road.

One, later identified as 19-year-old Roy Austin Rector, of 406 Apple St., Broughton, was on a bicycle waiving his hands in the air.

The other male was later identified as 23-year-old Sonny R. Pilgrim, of 1113 Beulah St., Eldorado.

French said he pulled up to Rector and Pilgrim and asked them to get out of the road.

Rector is said to have flipped off French, who then asked him what his problem was, to which Rector responded, “No you have the problem!” and then spat on French.

Gun pulled

That’s when French said Rector pulled out a knife and was threatening French to get out of his truck.

“Pull it out!” Rector shouted to Pilgrim, who upon that command pulled out a black handgun and pointed it toward the ground.

When French informed the pair he was calling the police, Rector attempted to get Pilgrim to take the knife, but he refused.

Rector then took off on a bicycle, scraping the knife down the side of French’s truck.

Pilgrim was seen running toward the east side of Ferrell Hospital.

Deuel located Pilgrim in the north parking lot of the hospital and he was taken into custody.

When French showed authorities where he had last seen Pilgrim, near the hospital, they found a backpack hidden under an overturned trash can.

The backpack contained a black airsoft handgun, one cannabis smoking device and one bottle of alcohol.

Informed authorities he was a felon

After speaking with Pilgrim, who informed authorities that he was from Georgia and was a convicted felon, Deuel, Williams and Trooper Ashley Reeder went to speak with Pilgrim’s girlfriend’s step-grandfather, Carlton VanNess.

VanNess said the backpack belonged to Pilgrim and even identified the airsoft handgun as his.

He told officers he used it on stray animals on his property and informed them that Pilgrim had taken it from his home some time ago.

Chief orders officers NOT to guard suspect

With Pilgrim in custody, Williams drove to the Eldorado Police Department at which time Pilgrim informed him that he had swallowed two small baggies of methamphetamine.

Officer Williams took Pilgrim to the local emergency room to be checked out.

While there he was advised that French was at the police department to give his statement.

Officer Clint Hooper arrived at the hospital for shift change to keep an eye on Pilgrim at which time officer Williams returned to the police department to get a statement from French.

When Hooper advised Chief Shannon Deuel that the hospital was going to keep Pilgrim overnight for observation, Deuel, more worried about overtime than public safety, ordered the officer to clear the hospital and that they could file charges in the next couple of days.

Leaves hospital/takes girlfriend

Later that night a call came in that Courtney B. Godwin, 19, (Pilgrim’s girlfriend) had been abducted at knife-point from her step-grandparents’ home in Eldorado.

Pilgrim, unguarded via Chief Deuel’s orders, reportedly left the hospital, entered the step-grandparents’ home wielding a knife, took some cash, car keys and toted Godwin out the door, put her in the car and fled.

A nationwide all-points bulletin was issued and internet social media pages were buzzing as thousands began looking for/keeping an eye out for the kidnapped teen and her alleged abductor.

Found in Missouri

The pair was spotted the next day at a truck stop in Mathews, Mo., in the southeast part of the state, and subsequently taken into custody.

Godwin appeared in a New Madrid County, Mo., courtroom July 28 where she pled guilty to one count each of Unlawful Tampering with a Motor Vehicle and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

She was sentenced to 10 days in the county jail.

Pilgrim was charged in Missouri with Unlawful Tampering with a Motor Vehicle and Resisting Arrest.

His case has not yet completed its journey through the Missouri court system.

Meanwhile, back in Saline

Back in Saline County, Pilgrim and Godwin, both of 1113 Beulah St., Eldorado, have both been charged in what many are calling a dangerous juvenile prank.

Pilgrim faces charges of Armed Robbery after authorities say he took not only the key to Carlton Herman VanNess’ Chevy Equinox but $4 in cash, Kidnapping for allegedly using force in carrying Ms. Godwin away with intent to confine her against her will, and Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, identified as Ness’ 2005 Equinox.

Bond in Pilgrim’s case has been set at $50,000 cash.

Godwin, on the other hand, has been charged with Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

Godwin is said to have told authorities in Missouri that she left willingly with Pilgrim.

Thus far no formal charges have been filed for false reporting and the like.

Cash bond in her case has been set at $2,000.

Rector charged

Nearly lost in all the ruckus was the fate of the alleged mad spitter, Roy Austin Lee Rector.

The man with four names and arguably a disagreeable personality, who has been in the pages of Disclosure repeatedly since the tender age of 15, was formally charged with Criminal Damage to Property $300-$10,000 and Aggravated Assault in a Public Place.

At the time of his arrest, Rector was out on bond in a June 10 case in which he is charged with Assault.

Rector is currently behind bars in the county detention center on a $1,000 cash bond.

Here’s Lyndi bringing you the headlines for the evening of Monday, August 11, as well as the weekend’s news (August 9/10) in your Nightly NewsCap!

Topics covered include: Indiana man falls at Garden of the Gods; multiple sentencings take place in the month of July through early August in Saline County; Nicholas Troy Sheley is sentenced upstate in multiple murders; young teen girl is missing from her home in Mt. Carmel; and Peabody’s guard dogs dog Disclosure when they went to get photos for the current issue, which is on stands tomorrow and Wednesday!!

Angelo Hightower, outside city hall

MARION, Ill.—As of the conclusion of the Marion City Council meeting last night (Monday, August 11, 2014), Marion Police Officer Angelo Hightower says the city has had plenty of time to decide on the Lieutenant position.

And now, Hightower says the situation has left him with no choice to file a grievance with EEOC on the matter.

Hightower has been attending meetings regularly and has been voicing his opinion on why the city hasn’t promoted him to the position of Lieutenant after the previous Lieutenant, Dawn Tondini, was promoted to chief in the wake of the retirement of John Eibeck. The matter has been perpetually tabled at the meetings and remains unaddressed.

Hightower plans to hand-deliver the grievance in person later this month in Chicago. Most people don’t know that Hightower has scored higher than current Chief Tondini on the tests for sergeant’s position (Hightower was passed over for that position) as well as the test for Lieutenant position that was created for Tondini. Now some members of city council want to do away with that position. Hightower says he was shocked at a recent article in the Marion paper that quotes Mayor Bob Butler as saying Hightower’s performance “didn’t qualify him for the position.”

Hightower also says he texted Tondini recently and ask if she was still on vacation and her immediate response was no she was not.

He replied in a text say”ing how about we do lunch to talk about the lieutenant position, my treat” he said. He got no response until the next day when she declined the lunch offer and said they could talk in her office. The next day he went to her office and she said there would be some changes in the position if it were to be Hightower appointed to it. One would be that it would be primarily nights. Interestingly, Tondini never worked nights and kept her daytime shift.  She also mentioned that there would be the problem of overtime. However, Hightower said there were always overtime issues ,even when Tondini was lieutenant.

There are over 17,000 residents in the city of Marion. Over 300 people are on the payroll that work for the city. Of that 300 employees, there are only about six, including Hightower, who are African-American. Hightower is the only African-American on the police force.

GALLATIN CO., Ill.—The popular Red Onion restaurant in Equality has been seriously damaged by fire.

Our sources have advised that the fire started at about 6 p.m. this evening, Tuesday, August 12, in the kitchen of the restaurant. At the most recent information we have, the restaurant was still owned by Equality mayor Frank Sisk.

The fire was quelled by multiple departments, including Equality’s which is just around the corner from the establishment, as well as Eldorado Fire Department. Upon putting out the fire, the report is that there is intense smoke damage in the building, which was reportedly not open at the time of the fire, as it’s one of those very-early restaurants that close by afternoon.

Our information right now is that an ambulance has been called for a firefighter down. We don’t know the condition of him, but will bring that as soon as we get it.

Here’s Lyndi with the roundup of the headlines for the past 24 hours for the evening of Tuesday, August 12, 2014, in AUDIO!

Topics covered include: Marion police officer Angelo Hightower expresses what’s coming from him for the city; girl missing from Mt. Carmel since Saturday night is found; robbery at the Econolodge in Effingham; and Kitch Kitchen is sentenced in Edwards County.

GALLATIN CO. (Equality), Ill.—The restaurant that was largely destroyed by fire last night in the village of Equality was scheduled to be signed over to new ownership this Thursday, according to local reports.

The Red Onion in Equality last night after firefighters had cleared the scene

Frank Sisk

Sources in Equality said the Red Onion, owned by Equality mayor and local businessman Frank Sisk, is still standing but the interior has heavy smoke damage from a fire that broke out yesterday evening (Tuesday, August 12, 2014) around 6 p.m. in the kitchen area of the business, this after the restaurant had been closed for a few hours. Firefighters from Equality and Eldorado battled the blaze for an hour; one firefighter was taken to Harrisburg Medical Center with smoke inhalation. The fire rekindled shortly after the departments had left the scene, and the Equality department was toned out, but it was put down quickly.

Equality sources are the ones who advised that the restaurant was to have been signed over Thursday to a new owner. We do have a name but are holding it for confirmation. There has been no word on how significant the loss is in the building, one of the few viable businesses remaining in Equality.

More as we get it; check back frequently.

Hopefully all glitches have been worked out with SoundCloud, as last night we couldn’t get the ‘cap posted, and had to put it up this morning. But now here’s Lyndi with the evening’s headlines in AUDIO for Wednesday, August 13, 2014!

Topics covered include: Red Onion fire in Equality occurs days before a pending sale of the restaurant; a Carmi woman arrested for possession of meth; and Family Video in Murphysboro robbed.

HAMILTON CO., Ill.—Illinois State Police released information about a traffic crash very early this morning in Hamilton County that’s left a young Johnston City man seriously injured, and the passenger of the vehicle is missing.

The incident occurred on Route 14 at Hamilton County Road 675 East this morning (Friday, August 15, 2014, at 12:01 a.m.

According to the preliminary traffic crash investigation, the driver of a white 2008 Ford F-150, Derek Smith, 18, of Johnston City, was eastbound on Route 14 at 675 East when, for unknown reasons, the pickup left the roadway to the right and struck multiple culverts on the south side of the roadway.

After striking the last culvert, the pickup rolled onto the passenger side and came to rest.  Upon arrival by law enforcement officials, the passenger of the pickup, Andy Vaughan, also 18, of Carmi, fled from the scene on foot. A search of the area for Vaughan was unsuccessful. Smith was cited for Driving under the Influence of Alcohol. Additional charges against Smith and charges against Vaughan are pending.

Smith was transported from the crash scene by Air Evac to an area hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. The Ford F-150 pickup removed from the scene by J & R Towing of McLeansboro, Illinois. ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by the Hamilton County Sheriff?s Department, McLeansboro Police Department, McLeansboro Fire Department, Hamilton County EMA, Harres Ambulance, Air Evac, and J & R Towing.

Amy J. Bradley…the real one

WILLIAMSON CO., Ill.—In an article in the July-August 2014 edition, there was a mistake made of an identity of a Marion woman with a prominent last name.

Our sources providing information for the front page article about State Representative John E. Bradley of Marion grabbed up everything from every Bradley in the court system in Williamson County, and in the confusion to sort things out, we inadvertently tagged the wrong Amy Bradley as having a DUI in that issue.

Messages from the ex-Mrs. Bradley’s friends came in to us early this week—too late to get the correction/clarification into the current print version (August-September issue, on stands now)—that it was the wrong Amy Bradley in the DUI-mention, so we opted to put it here at the site in its own independent post, and here it is: the ex-Mrs. John E. Bradley has NOT had a DUI, in ANY location that we could find (and we researched it painstakingly over four days), and especially not Williamson County. The Amy Bradley that DID have a DUI in Williamson County in 2010 is NOT the ex-Mrs. State Representative. We extend our apologies to the real Amy for any grief this might’ve caused.

The Bradleys were in court this morning in Union County on custody matters, and our correspondent is there now. When she returns, we’ll try to bring you an update if there is one. In the meantime, the Page 3 article has more info about the current court battle, as well as information about the state rep’s brother, attorney Josh Bradley. DON’T MISS THIS ISSUE…in Marion you can pick it up at ROC One-Stop and Hunter’s Cove Barbershop on West DeYoung, and at Pit Road Racing downtown on the square (where there’s now free wifi), and in Johnston City at ROC One-Stop!

Garden of the Gods

Saline County — Another person was reportedly injured today at the Garden of the Gods in Saline County.

Saline County Central Dispatch reportedly received a call at 10:32 AM this morning, reporting that a man had fallen near the Devil’s Smokestack. Saline County deputies and Equality Fire Department were then dispatched to the scene.

First responders found that Hines Basse, 50, of Laatzen, Germany, fell approximately 15 feet to a ledge. Basse sustained injuries to his ankle, knee, and leg.

The rescue process took approximately 3 hours to complete. Basse was flown from the scene by Lifeflight helicopter to St. Mary’s Hospital in Evansville, Indiana.

Saline County Sheriff Keith Brown reminds hikers to wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and to exercise caution. “It takes several minutes for law enforcement and rescue to arrive to the park when someone falls and it takes even longer to get an injured person to a medical facility, so we urge caution when out on the rock formations,” said Brown.

We’ve had a busy day in the Disclosure readership area, and we’ve got the recap of it in tonight’s Nightly NewsCap, for the evening of Friday, August 15, 2014!

Topics covered include: Car crash early this morning in Hamilton County hospitalizes one and gets another in trouble for running; brazen bank robber in Marshall doesn’t even cover his face, as seen here; and a man from Germany takes a fall at Garden of the Gods.

The mess that hit us overnight, now off to the east…but more is to come

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS—Overnight storms dumped nearly two inches of rain on the region, and in some locations, flood watches have been issued…but there’s more to come.

The National Weather Service has issued this statement for the counties in our coverage area, which are listed at the outset of the statement.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
407 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2014

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-181000-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
407 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT AS
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES FROM EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI TO SOUTHERN
INDIANA AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE MAIN
HAZARD. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS...MAINLY
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI INTO WEST KENTUCKY THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

ON AND OFF CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST...BUT DIMINISH
BY MID TO LATE WEEK...TO JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE. STRONG STORMS
CANNOT BE RULED OUT TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL PUSH 100 DEGREES FROM
TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT IN WITH RAINFALL RATES AND
AMOUNTS. PLEASE REPORT ANY STRONG WIND GUSTS AS WELL.

Bobby Deppen

HARDIN CO., Ill.—The former Hardin County chief deputy who’s been on unpaid leave since he was first charged with Johnson County felonies in June has now been charged in Hardin County.

Bobby Deppen, 47, of Harrisburg, was arrested at his home this evening by Harrisburg Police Department and Hardin County Sheriff’s office on a Hardin County warrant for Official Misconduct.

We don’t know what the “official misconduct” in Hardin County entails, and likely won’t until we see the file tomorrow, but the probability that it has to do with his legal problems in Johnson County dating back to 2011 is a good one.

Deppen stands charged in Johnson with filing fraudulent insurance claims in that county after he reported a theft and loss of $72,000 worth of property at that time. The alleged fraud was perpetrated against COUNTRY Financial Insurance, for whom Deppen used to work.

The ensuing investigation was, as we reported in the June issue, the “tip of the iceberg” according to authorities. We spoke with Harrisburg police chief Bob Smith a couple of weeks ago, who advised that to his knowledge, the investigation was “ongoing” and involved a number of different agencies.

We’ve since learned that Deppen might not be the only one charged in alleged schemes to defraud insurance companies; and that other area police officers who used to work for insurance companies have allegedly conducted themselves similarly and might be arrested and charged as follow-ups to this investigation. Whether they were associated with Deppen or acted independently remains unknown.

Deppen is reported as being held in Saline County Detention Center tonight on a $1,000 cash bond.

FORMER Carbondale police chief Jody O’Guinn

CARBONDALE, Ill.—Carbondale’s police chief was fired this morning, city officials reported at 9 a.m.

City officials averred the real reason for the termination of Jody O’Guinn, who has been with the department in his capacity as chief since June 2009…nearly all of them marked with some form of controversy, but all of that controversy O’Guinn’s own doing, and most of it only lightly (or incorrectly) covered by mainstream media.

City Manager Kevin Baity, during a press conference this morning, stated that his decision to dismiss O’Guinn was a “confidential matter and has nothing to do with the unsolved cases or recent litigation filed against the city and the chief. Any assumptions/allegations to this effect are completely unfounded,” thus perpetuating the nonsense and cover-up surrounding O’Guinn for the past several years, which includes the 2011 death of a resident after O’Guinn’s pistol was taken from his vehicle and used in the homicide; the death of Molly Young in 2012 that remains still unaddressed in criminal court but is now in civil litigation; and the death of Pravin Varughese, which only a couple of weeks ago also landed in civil litigation in Jackson County circuit court.

The inability displayed by city leadership remains in question when it comes to effective law enforcement, and residents are concerned about the city’s pick for interim chief, Jeff Grubbs; some have stated that Grubbs, as deputy chief under O’Guinn, will be nothing but “more of the same.”

There’s been no word about locating a permanent replacement for O’Guinn.

Our congratulations go out to the two other media outlets who, along with Disclosure, have reported the FACTS about O’Guinn’s lack of interest, lies and deferral on the above-mentioned cases, calling a spade a spade as we always have done: The Carbondale Times and Monica Zukas’ Reality Check on WGGH radio in Marion have never one time spewed the party line without checking into the facts and giving them, facts which dispute the “official” stories and have assisted in landing the two wrongful death lawsuits in Jackson County court. Hats off to you!!

Can you believe it’s almost Fall?? This year has flown by…and there’s been plenty of news to report, especially throughout the Summer. That’s why we run papers every three weeks, at least three times per year, in order to make sure you’re kept apprised of what’s REALLY going on in your area, and not just the gloss and fluff the mainstream (state-influenced) media want you to believe!

Last week, we placed on the stands the last of the three-week run for now, so there’ll be four weeks until the next issue…meaning this one will be on stands til September 10. To assist you in knowing what we cover, we produce This Month’s Print Headlines, a run-down of material appearing in the current issue. Each print headline is the link to the e-Edition article, and is preceded by the dateline (the town or county where the material in the article originated) and is followed by a a brief synopsis of the article. Print headlines are broken up into sections, including Front Page, Back Page (the second front page), pages 2 and 3, Features, Egypt, Heartland and Central, and then Op-Ed. So without further ado, we present to you THIS MONTH’S PRINT HEADLINES.

PAGE 1

Ed Hataway

OLNEY—New details in Hataway death case: We know there are a lot of people who’ve been wanting something new about the murder case of Ed Hataway, who disappeared from his home in mid-September 2012. This is that update you’ve been waiting for…and it pus a few puzzle pieces together that no other media dare do.

Greg Hill

CRAWFORD CO.—Judge’s son takes OP case to appeals: In another one of those articles that local mainstream media dared not touch because of the associations of the people involved, this is one of the most bizarre cases we’ve seen in a long, long time. You need to read it, not just for the comedic value, but because of how thought-provoking it really is…and how sometimes, there are just some things—like a person’s mental status—that shouldn’t go ignored, and yet…they do.

JASPER CO.—Multiple lawsuits filed in biodiesel plant construction; company moves forward: Two years ago in June we brought you material about mechanic’s liens filed against Blue Northern Energy because of non-payments of bills. Now, Blue Northern, the biodiesel plant to the south of town, is in deeper financial trouble.

Freeman STD

ELDORADO—Was police chief responsible for ‘kidnapping’?: This article covers the incidents leading up to the late-July ‘kidnapping-that-wasn’t-a-kidnapping ‘ in Eldorado, and tells you the parts that mainstream media either didn’t bother to find out or overlooked completely if they saw the police reports. Long story short: ‘rado’s errant chief of police, Freeman Shannon Todd Deuel, may have been responsible for Sonny Pilgrim’s activities on the night in question. Read how at the link, as we’re hearing we’ve sold out at both Eldorado ROC One-Stop locations and won’t get a restock until Tuesday, August 19!

Danny Coston

WHITE CO.—Double-murderer has court setting for appellate argument: Danny Coston is in the headlines once again, as there’s just something about his stipulated bench trial/plea agreement that went down a year ago that he didn’t like. What he’s arguing in the appeals court in Mt. Vernon is unclear…but it’s disturbing. Read this story to see why.

BACK PAGE

Yes, that’s a judge. Yes, she still looks like that. Yes, looks can be deceiving.

FRANKLIN/WHITE COs.—OP: Dangerous case law set by radical judge in Franklin County: We knew that voting Melissa Drew in as judge in 2006 was a bad idea, but she was a classic case of the lesser of two evils, as she wasn’t Brian Shinkle. Now, Drew (known as Morgan, as she’s taken back her maiden name after her divorce from greasy criminal defense attorney Bryan Drew) has done what we’ve feared some judge in the Second Circuit would do as soon as civil Stalking/No-Contact Orders were made available to the general public: She’s ordered one entered where the petitioner lied on the form…and is a public official who sought an OP against a member of the public criticizing her. This convoluted garbage sets the precedent for other public officials to petition to shut someone up who’s complaining about the job they do while on the taxpayers’ teat…and is dangerous for independent media and citizens alike.

WILLIAMSON CO.—Truce called in water war: Remember Jeff Jenkins from a couple of months back? He’s had some incredible things happen in his life…and a resolution to the situation in the village of Pittsburg and the water issues the village created for him and tenants on his property.

MARION—Son speaks freely about his father’s cannabis charge: As we listed in the last issue, there was something hinky about the arrest and charge against a Marion man who’s a volunteer on a community board. Now, his son speaks out about just how hinky that is…but whether anyone will do anything about it at this late date remains to be seen.

PAGE 2

WILLIAMSON CO.—Williamson County property taxes: coverage continues of questionable doings: Part 4 of our continuing series of what a Marion resident, Lily Abbott, found during her investigation into practices of the Williamson County tax assessor and improper assessments being made of properties belonging to the “names” in Marion and throughout the county.

RICHLAND CO.—Child sex offense charged after OP filed in Richland: While there are mostly ridiculous uses and abuses of Illinois’ OP option, in this case, it appears warranted. Also, it gave cops a heads-up when it came to alleged child porn.

PAGE 3

John E. Bradley

WILLIAMSON CO.—Divorce file shows possible proof of ARDC complaint; brother finds his case amended: The saga of the Bradley boys in Marion continues…and things are getting deeper and deeper for both of them. Will they be able to extricate themselves with all their buds in downstate…or will they drag the buds down WITH them?

EGYPT

SALINE CO.—Troubled officers connected by psychiatrist who overmedicated: Remember the cases of Kyle Schwartz and Brent Stanley? Guess what they had in common?…a lovely doctor who was possibly overprescribing medication for them. She’s already in a heap of trouble with the IDPFR…will there be more? Check this story for the who, what, why and where to see.

GALLATIN CO.—Big names busted in Gallatin County: This isn’t your usual obligatory crim roundup in GallCo…nooooo….this is ENHANCED crim roundup.

HARRISBURG—Medical marijuana distribution facility considered in Harrisburg property bid: Will a medical marijuana facility be sited in Harrisburg? The possibility is there…and since it’s a distribution facility, it’ll be heavily controlled so that the criminal element won’t be able to access it easily. Let’s keep our fingers crossed…and while crossing, read this article for the full report.

SALINE CO.—Teen gets busted with meth after hitting deer: Talk about adding insult to injury…that poor deer.

SALINE CO.—Questions arise over board members being removed from IMRF without their knowledge: THIS again? Yes. This again. The matter of retirement funds, which is decimating the Saline County budget, has reared its ugly head again…and has gotten even MORE ugly if that can even be imagined.

HARDIN CO.—Hardin prosecutor either doesn’t know the law or is continuing a promised vendetta: What’s Tara-ble Tara Wallace been up to this past month? You’re not going to believe this one…it’s basic lawyer school 101…but, to be fair, she might’ve been out of class on the day they explained “double jeopardy.”

GALLATIN CO.—Man who tried to run over woman forgiven: I’d say “only in Gallatin County”…but you know that’s not true; this kind of shit goes on EVERYWHERE.

GALLATIN CO.—Shawneetown sex offender charged with not registering: Broken out from the usual GallCo crim roundup because, well…SEX OFFENDER.

SALINE CO.—‘Rado woman charged after allegedly busting man’s head open with bottle: This gal told us today that she didn’t hit dude in the head with a bottle; only with her fist. Cops beg to differ.

SALINE CO.—Man jailed for trying to steal ambulance at Huck’s: A never-ending supply of weird criminal antics in Saline; here’s yet another.

SALINE CO.—Stolen handgun, with a live round in the chamber, found in wake of fight: Looks like someone was pretty intent on causing harm somehow, in this scenario.

HARDIN CO.—Legally challenged prosecutor has plate full: More Tara-ble anecdotes. Will she ever just give up? Don’t count on it.

SALINE CO.—Eldorado felon charged with selling firearm: How do weapons become “illegal”? This article will give you a pretty good idea.

SALINE CO.—Revoked driver arrested after cops find drugs: Drug felons, doing what they can’t seem to QUIT doing…which would be, violating the law. Allegedly, of course.

SALINE CO.—Woman arrested after found in city park, digging around her breasts for drug stash: No comment from the arresting officer on whether or not it was a NICE “digging,” or was something that someone wouldn’t necessarily want to observe.

SALINE CO.—Homeless man with history of ‘bothering young girls’ arrested: Harrisburg has such a nice park. And this guy was busted out in it. Two guesses as to why, and the first doesn’t count.

SALINE CO.—Marion woman charged with stealing purse, using bankcard: This is a sad, sad tale of youth in Saline and Williamson counties, I’m here to tell ya.

HARDIN CO.—Woman charged with threatening a public official by phone; cyberstalking considered: The BIG REVEAL is right here! What the hell has Tina Williams done in Hardin County? Stuff that others wouldn’t continue to get away with, rest assured…but now, time to pay the piper.

PAGES 16/17

SALINE CO.—Fight for Rocky Brand Road taken to state capitol on appeal: The residents of Rocky Branch in Cottage Township are not giving up without a fight. Find out how far they’re willing to go to ensure their lives and livelihood are saved from the encroachments of Peabody Coal.

HEARTLAND

CRAWFORD CO.—Pair of sex offenders continue to violate terms of release in Robinson: Sex offender crim roundup leads the way for the section, right behind the jump off page 1 about the Newton biodiesel facility.

CRAWFORD CO.—Palestine man charged with hitting nurse: The general crim roundup as regards violence for Crawford, with this punk leading the way.

CRAWFORD CO.—Burglaries, thefts plague Crawford: The personal property crim roundup in Crawford.

JASPER CO.—Hidalgo man charged with sexual abuse: Jasper County sex offender roundup.

CRAWFORD CO.—Stimulants and meth precursors charged: The Crawford County dope roundup.

CENTRAL

OLNEY—Locals object to council’s support of possible siting of medical marijuana facility in Olney: Who WOULDN’T want a pharmaceutical production facility in their community? A group of good churchgoing people in Olney, evidently. Oh if only this many people could have showed up and demanded answers for the uninvestigated deaths of Jaimee Rupe, Ed Hataway, and Joe Galyean, or the ridiculous charges Brandon Jenkins faced after one of the REAL menaces of Olney, Michael Scott Earp, managed to shoot himself with Jenkins’ gun. But noooooo….they’ve got to oppose something LEGAL. Go figure.

LAWRENCEVILLE—Bank robbery still being investigated: Details about the bank robbery that occurred in L’ville in late July.

RICHLAND CO.—Drugs, violence focus of Richland police blotter: Combined drug and violence report in Richland, with some of the most unattractive mugshots available ANYWHERE!

HAMILTON CO.—McLeansboro lawnmower man busted for DUI: A general crim roundup in McL.

WABASH CO.—Dope, violence and cough medicine theft reported in Wabash: The general dope roundup for WabCo.

LAWRENCE CO.—Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse in Lawrence Co.: Singular event article about a sex crime charged.

WAYNE CO.—Thieves target air conditioning units, golf clubs, motorcycle: The Wayne Co crim roundup on the personal property level.

Steven Ritchey

HAMILTON CO.—McLeansboro man charged with attacking his own family members: Here’s a bitterly horrible situation one elderly Hamilton County couple found themselves in, courtesy one of their kids.

EDWARDS CO.—Battered couple featured in Edwards County: Well…at least they weren’t elderly.

RICHLAND CO.—Illegal credit card use and theft charges filed: More Richland County crim roundup, crimes against personal property.

WABASH CO.—Incidents of criminals entering occupied homes increase: Coverage of the Ivan K. Dill lunacy, and more, in WabCo.

LAWRENCE CO.—Pills and meth in Lawrence focus of crim report: The dope report out of Lawrence, with many of the usual suspects.

WHITE CO.—Washer and dryer, dirtbike stolen in White: Crims in White County have apparently been bulking up at the gym.

WAYNE CO.—Serial sex offender charged with battering child: He’s from up Xenia way, but he’s in Wayne Co.

CLAY CO.—Richland man faces sex charge in Clay: One of those crossover pieces that occurs all too frequently, especially in Richland and Clay counties for some reason.

OP-ED

Columns:
SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE (Jack): How to have a clear conscience and sleep like a baby
ICY (Ang): Imposing a ‘convict fee,’ dealing with stupid
NOT JADED (Jade): Public input…or shoving religion down the throats of the people?
MINKUS INK (Brian): The solution to the billion dollar question
REDHEAD RAMPAGE (Lyndi): Try being as honest as a child for a week
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (letters): Ranting about Tara-ble Wallace; the Yates situation in Clark County; and more

BACK OVER YOUR TALES: What was going on in the pages of the August 2009 edition of Disclosure!

Here’s Lyndi in prime form, comin atcha with the headlines from the past weekend as well as today, Monday, August 18, 2014, in AUDIO.

Topics covered include: Former Fairfield mayor/alderman killed in Gibson County, Indiana, wreck; the nearly tragic car crash that landed a man into floodwaters in Hamilton County; a second arrest of former Hardin County chief deputy Bobby Deppen; and this morning’s announcement of the firing of Carbondale’s chief of police.

CARBONDALE, Ill.—The reaction to the news of former Carbondale police chief Jody O’Guinn’s termination yesterday was captured in interviews with family members of the two young people who lost their lives in that city…and whose deaths remain uninvestigated and unresolved.

Molly Young was 21 when she died of a single bullet wound to the head, with her ex-boyfriend, Richie Minton, in the room as the only “witness,” yet to this day, he has never been formally questioned by law enforcement because of various screwups in the investigation on the morning of March 24, 2012, when her death was called in as a ‘drug overdose.’ It was later characterized as a ‘suicide’…until a coroner’s jury ruled manner as ‘unknown,’ thus ruling out suicide. Her father, Larry Young, has filed a wrongful death suit in Jackson County Circuit Court against Minton.

Pravin Varughese

Pravin Varughese was 19 when his body was found frozen in a wooded area behind Kohl’s and Buffalo Wild Wings on the east side of Carbondale February 18. Varughese had been missing for six days before his body was found. Police had plenty to go on, as a state trooper actually encountered another young man, Gaege Bethune, at the time of Varughese’s ‘disappearance.’ The encounter was caught on film. Yet no official questioning of Bethune has been conducted. Varughese’s family has filed a wrongful death suit in Jackson County Circuit Court against Bethune, the city of Carbondale, and O’Guinn.

Former Carbondale police chief Jody O’Guinn

Yesterday, Monica Zukas of RealityCheck at WGGH radio interviewed both Larry Young and Lovely Varughese, Pravin’s mother, for her radio show. Their reactions to O’Guinn’s firing (which has been characterized as “having nothing to do with the ‘controversies’,” as city manager Kevin Baity noted) are part of this show Zukas recorded. Give it a listen.

UPDATE 7 P.M.

We’ve learned that the girlfriend’s name is Teresa Williford, and she will be 52 years of age in October.

Williford is reported to have tried to tell authorities that she’d suffered her injuries as the result of a four-wheeler accident. She advised that Mann allegedly beat her and stomped on her face (which, authorities have said, resulted in orbital fractures around her eyes). She was able to get away despite her severe injuries, and was able to run away from the Shawneetown Equality residence and was out on Coyle Lane in the Shawnee National Forest when she went to a house and was able to have those residents make a call out for emergency services.

Below is the original article:

GALLATIN CO., Ill.—Helicopters, SWAT teams and K9s have reportedly been scouring the entirety of Gallatin County since this afternoon after an alleged beating and the man who supposedly perpetrating it going on the run.

Information we’ve obtained from both official and unofficial sources indicate that authorities believe one Lonnie Mann of Shawneetown Equality allegedly beat his girlfriend (some sources say wife; their actual status is unclear at this time) at around 6:20 a.m. this morning (Tuesday, August 19), then left the premises and went into the wilds of rural Gallatin County. We don’t have Mann’s age, nor the identity of the girlfriend. However, it’s been reported to us by acquaintances of both of them that the girlfriend is in “bad shape,” to quote one, and has been hospitalized.

The manhunt is reportedly still underway and has most recently moved out of the Shawneetown and Equality area to the Ridgway area.

We have photos coming in and will attempt to bring you the latest.

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