Montgomery County: Construction on Interstate 55 between the Carlinville and Litchfield interchanges resumes with nighttime lane closures this week and then full lane closures beginning Friday, April 1. I-55 will then be reduced to one lane in each direction through late October. 

Less than a year into his term, Witt Mayor Shawn Cady has called it a day, leaving office along with his wife and sister, who serve on the City Council in Ward One. Lyn and Catherine Cady joined Mayor Cady in resigning last week. It all began after an intense conversation about Mayor Cady’s cleanup push and questions from Council member David Cearlock in particular, who didn’t question the need for cleanup but the legal bills the city would face with potential court fights.  There were also questions about the long term success of nuisance complaints in the courts. Alderman Tim Taylor is the Mayor Pro Team and is a likely choice to serve as Mayor for the timebeing.  The City has to find replacements for the three Cadys in a 60 day period already underway.  Taylor says he’s sorry to see Shawn Cady go.  Cady won the Mayor's race over Taylor through an Easter Egg drawing and then brought Taylor back to the City Council when a vacancy occured.   

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The date, time and locale is set for the 74th Annual Litchfield Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet. This year’s event is set for April 29th at 5:30 at Litchfield Community Center.  

 5:30-6:30pm Cocktail Hour & Appetizers 

6:30-7:00pm- Awards Presentation 

7:00-9:00pm- Dueling Piano 

Meanwhile, the chamber is asking the public to nominate recipients for two community awards, including one award making its debut. 

We would like to announce to the public the request for nominations for Citizen of the Year, and a new award that we are extremely excited to be presenting for the first time – Educator of the Year. 

The Litchfield Chamber of Commerce would like to continue to recognize citizens that make a difference in our community and calls on the community to submit nominations on who they believe should be awarded the 2021 Citizen of the Year.  

In addition to our annual awards, we have added a new award for Educator of the Year.  We want to take this opportunity to ask our community to let us know who they believe should be awarded based on the criteria listed below. 

Please take a moment to review the criteria for each award and send us your nomination on who you would like to see recognized for their service and commitment to Litchfield. 

Citizen of the Year criteria: 

• Participates in activities that make a difference in community/quality of life 

• Strives to improve and preserve the Litchfield community 

• Models ethical qualities 

• Displays great citizenship/volunteer spirit 

• Litchfield Resident 

Educator of the Year 

• Educator of students at a public or private organization within the Litchfield city limits, from Pre-K through Grade 12.  

• Can include educators in childcare/daycare facilities, preschools, public and private schools. 

• Demonstration of commitment to student success and love for learning 

• Exhibition of the quality and/or innovation of an educational program or entity 

• Demonstration of supportive and caring attitude toward students 

• Demonstration of support for the school mission and vision 

Send nominee’s full name, address, and telephone number, along with a description of why the nominee deserves this award. 

Email or Mail nomination by Thursday, March 31st, 2022. 

info@litchfieldchamber.com 

Litchfield based Helmet maker Schutt may be leaving Litchfield and the state in the days to come, but they are in the mix for a battle between top Illinos products.  The Illinois Manufacturer's Association has included Schutt among more than 400 Illinois made products in its Illinois Makers Madness Bracket Challenge.  Voters can weigh in at www.makersmadnessil.com.   Meanwhile, the only thing moving at Creekstone Kettleworks is the popcorn. They are also among the companies you can vote for as the field will be narrowed down to 16 finalists.

SIUE Police Department Investigations Division announce the arrest of Adam D. Carrell, a 31-year-old male of Nokomis, Illinois for Distribution of Child Pornography. 

In August 2021, SIUE PD Investigators initiated an investigation after learning that a subject was distributing child pornography electronically in the Nokomis, IL area. During the course of the investigation, SIUE PD Investigators assigned to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) gathered evidence developing probable cause in support of a search warrant. 

On March 16, 2022, after receiving a residential search warrant for a Nokomis residence, SIUE PD Investigations located Carrell and executed a search warrant on his residence. Carrell was subsequently placed under arrest and Nokomis PD transported him to the Montgomery County Jail. SIUE PD appreciates the assistance provided by the Montgomery County States Attorney Andrew Affrunti and the Nokomis Police Department. 

On March 17, 2022, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office filed a single count information, charging Carrell with Dissemination of Child Pornography (Class X Felony). An arrest warrant was issued for Carrell and bond was set at $200,000 (10 percent to apply). This case is still under investigation and no additional information is available at this time. Additional charges are anticipated. 

Anonymous tips of child pornography can be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) cyber tip line at www.cybertipline.com. 

The public is reminded that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

After the November election, the Montgomery County Board will shift from 21 members to 14.  That's been well documented.  One thing that wasn't apparent until candidate filing wrapped up, was the fact that the number of women on the board would shrink considerably.  We're talking percentages, not just raw numbers.  Five women currently on the board have opted not to seek another term:  Bev McCoy, Earlene Robinson, Donna Yeske, Sandra Johnson and Megan Beeler.   Patty Whitworth and Connie Taylor Beck are running for another term and barring a surprise write in victory, will remain on the board.  Currently one out of every three members of the board is female, after members are sworn in for the new term, that figure will drop to one out of seven.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has received several calls today in reference to citizens receiving phone calls from unknown individuals claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office. Individuals are receiving the call from a person claiming to be a representative of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, informed that they told that they failed to appear for jury duty, and that a warrant has been issued for their arrest. As usual the scammers are giving instructions on how to take care of the fraudulent warrant and as well as asking for personal information. The caller(s) have left fraudulent call back numbers of (217)599-6221 and (217)216-4283. The fraudulent number is being answered by an automated answering service purporting itself to be associated with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. This call is a SCAM. If you receive a similar call please do not provide the caller with any personal information or follow the caller’s instructions on how to send money or gift cards to have the warrant canceled. If you have any questions the correct number for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is (217)532-9511.

It has been a difficult commute for Northbound I-55 motorists trying to make their way from Montgomery County to Sangamon County.  Icy conditions have sent many vehicles off the road, including a semi into the median and a bus (non school bus) flipped onto its side.  12 occupants were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The remaining seven occupants were transported off the interstate to a safe location by the ISP. All lanes are open, but the bus will be removed later this afternoon, when roadway conditions improve.

The Litchfield School Board has big shoes to fill.  School Board member Mike Fleming will step down next week.  He delivered his letter of resignation to School Board President Julie Abel.

Dear Julie, 

This letter shall serve as my official notice of resignation from my school board seat at the close of our regularly scheduled meeting, March 15, 2022. 

Regrettably, this is in response to recent changes in the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420) regarding the new disclosure requirements in the Statement of Economic Interests form. While I hope this was enacted with good intentions, I find it too far reaching in requiring submission of my personal financial information in order to hold an unpaid position and serve my community. 

I have enjoyed working with the board, the school administration and staff over the past 3 years and wish all of you continued success. I am proud of all we have accomplished for our school district and the community. I am especially looking forward to seeing the building projects come to fruition. Looking back, I am grateful for how we managed though these unprecedented times. It has been an interesting and worthwhile experience to have been a part of the progress of our wonderful school district. I plan to still be engaged as a citizen, and I am willing to volunteer for anything that is needed. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me at any time. 

Blessings to all of Panther Nation! 

Sincerely, 

Michael F. Fleming 

HSHS St. Francis Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of a new service line to our facility, a specialized Wound Care Center, which started seeing patients the week of March 8, 2022. The hospital is partnering with Healogics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced, chronic wound care services, to manage chronic or non-healing wounds. The center is located in the main hospital at 1215 Franciscan Drive in Litchfield.

Patients who could benefit from treatment at the Wound Healing Center are those suffering from wounds that haven't healed within a reasonable time frame, diabetic ulcers or pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts. The Wound Care Center is designed to complement the services offered by patients’ primary care physicians – in fact, it can be thought of as an extension of their physician’s practice.

 “There are a lot of people in our area who can benefit from the services we will be providing at our Wound Care Center,” states Dawn Davee, RN, CPD, program director for the Center. “Our team of specially-trained professionals will work in partnership with the patient and their physician throughout the course of treatment with the goal of achieving the best possible standard of living for the individual.”

The highly trained team uses the most up-to-date treatments to create a program specifically tailored to the patient’s needs to provide the most effective approach, which may include:

• Vascular evaluation

• Debridement

• Laboratory evaluation

• Infectious disease management

• Physical therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Lymphedema therapy

• Edema management

• Nutritional management

• Pain management

• Diabetic education

• Nuclear medicine

• Radiology

• Home health services

• Ostomy management

Patients can be seen with or without a physician’s referral. Anyone interested in learning more about the services offered can call 217-324-8260.

St. Francis President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Timpe notes, “The decision to start an outpatient center, devoted exclusively to wound care, reflects our commitment to a need in the community to address an overall increase in chronic non-healing wounds. I’m proud we can offer easy access to these proven therapies conveniently within our facility.

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A semi rollover crash shut down Route 16 between Irving and Witt for more than two hours.  Witt Volunteer Firefighters extricated the driver, there's no further word on their identity or condition.  The driver was airlifted from the scene.  Firefighters were on the scene for two to three hours. 

Photo courtesy of Witt Volunteer Fire Department 

The Panhandle and Morrisonville School Districts take a bigger step toward teaming up with a best of best worlds scenario that doesn’t include the dirty word to some, consolidation. The deactivation plan that would provide for continued local control in both districts with separate grade schools, school boards and administrators could come to a vote as soon as June. Students would begin taking Junior High Classes in the 2023-2024 school year in Morrisonville and the Raymond based Lincolnwood campus for High School. Officials with both districts believe combining district resources would boost academic opportunities for students in sixth through twelfth grades, increase the number of CTE (Career and Technical Education) opportunities and expand non sports extra-curricular opportunities. 

The Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District is now accepting 

orders for the 2022 Spring Fish Sale. The sale is planned for Thursday, March 17 

at 8:00 a.m. and pre-orders are due on March 10 for fish other than Grass Carp.   

Many species of live fish for pond stocking will be available, as well as Fathead 

Minnows. Order forms can be obtained by calling 217-532-3361, ext. 3 or by download at www.facebook.com/MontgomeryILSWCD and www.montswcd.com .