Macoupin County and state wide totals from the first part of the 2014 firearm deer season show a continued decline in the number of deer harvested.

Statewide totals show 51, 830 deer were harvested last weekend. In 2013, nearly 56,000 deer were taken in the first part of the season. In Macoupin County, hunters this year took 775 deer as compared to 890 during the first partof the 2013 season.

All counties around Macoupin County showed drops in the amount of deer taken this year as compared to last year.

The 2013 deer season also showed a decline in deer harvested from the 2012 totals.

Presiding Judge Ken Deihl has scheduled the Investiture Ceremony for the recently elected county officials for Sunday, November 30th at 3pm in the main courtroom fo the Macoupin County Courthouse.

The elected county officials taking part in the ceremony will include Treasurer Anne Boehm, County Clerk Pete Duncan, Regional Superintendent of Schools Larry Pfeiffer, and Sheriff-elect Shawn Kahl. Boehm, Duncan, and Kahl will each officially begin their term on December 1. Pfeiffer's new term begins on July 1, 2015. Each individual was elected to a four-year term in the General Election held on November 4.

The ceremony is open to the public and will promptly begin at 3pm.

Circuit Judge Ken Deihl of Macoupin County has been appointed the new Chief Judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit by a vote of the Seventh Circuit judges. The Circuit is comprised of Sangamon, Macoupin, Morgan, Scott, Greene, and Jersey counties.

Deihl will be replacing Judge Leslie Graves, whose current term as Chief Judge is expiring. The appointment is effective December 1, 2014.

As Chief Judge, Deihl will serve as administrative head of the Seventh Judicial Circuit. His responsibilities will include supervising the personnel, financial, and case management duties of the circuit and seeing the business of the courts in each of the circuit's counties is conducted efficiently ane effectively. He will also serve on the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges, which meets regularly to discuss issues related to the administration of justice in the circuit courts and other matters referred to the Conference by the Supreme Court. Judge Deihl will continue to preside over cases in Macoupin County.

The Benld 2014 Senior Christmas Dinner will be held the first Sunday in December.

Benld seniors (age 60+) need to register by Wednesday , December 3rd for the free Fourth Annual Build Benld Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner to be held on Sunday, December 7th in the Benld Civic Center. Those interested can sign up at the Benld City Office, Cahokia Township Office, the Benld Public Library or by calling Gina Mendenhall at 217-835-2100.

The Benld Civic Center doors will open at 11:30am and dinner will be served at noon on December 7th. Meals will be delivered to seniors that are homebound.

(Hillsboro) -- Despite the various rumors that circulated Friday morning on social media and other outlets; Hillsboro High School was not on lock down at any point. On Wednesday a series of notes, from the same notebook, were found at the High School that suggested something could happen at the high school on Friday. The notes were investigated by the authorities and deemed not to pose a threat to student safety. On Friday morning the students that wrote the notes were identified and admitted to the prank. Powell made the decision not to inform parents about the notes found earlier in the week. He understands why parents are upset but Powell says he did what he thought was best.

On Tuesday, November 11 at 11:00am, Blackburn College and the American Legion Post 554 will honor United States military veterans at the annual Veterans Day Convocation in Clegg Chapel. The convocation is open to Blackburn faculty, staff, students, and all members of the community. The memorial service usually held at the Macoupin County Courthouse will be combined with the Blackburn Veterans Day convocation. There will be no event at the courthouse.

This year's convocation speaker is Chaplain Keith GeRue, Major, U.S. Army Reserves. In 1991 he joined the U.S. Army reserves, being directly commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Chaplain Corp. He graduated from Army Basic and Chaplains Officers Basic Leaders Course in 1992. He was activated to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, for the summer of 1993 in support of Operation Desert Storm. He had a break in service from 1996 until 2006.

In 2006, Chaplain GeRue was recommissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Army reserves. He served from 2006-2007 in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From 2007-2008, he served as Battalion Chaplain in Marion, Illinois. From 2008 through the current time he serves as Group Chaplain in Springfield, Illinois. In 2013, he was selected to be promoted to Major.

Since 2008, he has served as Pastor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Girard.

(Raymond)-- Two teens are dead following a two vehicle accident on Route 48 north of Raymond. According to Illinois State Police, the accident happened Wednesday afternoon, when a car with three teens were northbound on Route 48. The vehicle went off the roadway. The driver over corrected, and drove into the path of a southbound van.

Two passengers in the car; 17 year old Jeffrey Masters of Harvel, and 16 year old Samantha DeLisle also of Harvel, died as a result of the accident. The driver of the north bound car was airlifted to a Springfield hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the van was hospitalized with non life threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

Panhandle Superintendent Aaron Hopper said that the district will have crisis counseling teams available at the school on Friday for students and staff.

Voter turnout in Macoupin County for the November 4th election was 51.54% with 16,061 voters participating.

Election results for contested races in the county were:

Macoupin County Sheriff

SHAWN KAHL 10,662
Dale Volle 4,995

County Board District 3

FRANK LONG 926
JULIA WATSON 784
Kristi Dunnagan 668

County Board District 6

WILLIAM HARDING 1,056
ROBERT QUARTON 961
James Launer 911

Macoupin County Sales Tax Proposition

Yes 7,689
NO 7,790

North Mac 34 District 2 Propostion Yes 180 NO 236
Subdistrict 3 Yes 118 NO 157
Subdistrict 4 Yes 166 NO 232
Subdistrict 5 Yes 148 NO 259
Subdistrict 6 Yes 93 NO 199
Subdistrict 7 Yes 179 NO 331

Nilwood Township Road and Bridge Tax Proposition

Yes 106
NO 131

Shipman Village Proposition

Yes 62
NO 116

Medora Village Proposition

Yes 44
NO 56

Benld Trash Franchise Propostion

Yes 209
NO 278

Beld Trash and Water User Proposition

YES 304
No 171