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Washington, DC -- U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) honors Earl and Doris Sorrells of Raymond, IL on the House floor. Earl Sorrells was a long-time radio voice on WSMI who passed away earlier this month.

Click on the Link below to watch the video of Davis' Speech on the House Floor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix-AGtuBFtw&feature=youtu.be

Washington, DC -- U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) honors Earl and Doris Sorrells of Raymond, IL on the House floor. Earl Sorrells was a long-time radio voice on WSMI who passed away earlier this month.

Click on the Link below to watch the video of Davis' Speech on the House Floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix-AGtuBFtw&feature=youtu.be

During their meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, the Panhandle School Board voted to ban a woman from school grounds and activities for a period of one year.

The board approved the ban against Kamurion Walraven after she allegedly displayed inappropriate conduct while on school grounds. School Superintendent Aaron Hopper said the board has a policy that they expect adults to abide by, specifically referring to their conduct while on campus or during school activities. He said Ms. Walraven violated those policies and is now prohibited from school grounds for one year.

In other items, the board unanimously approved the Montgomery County Career and Technical Education Consortium. It is an intergovernmental agreement between all four school districts in the county to share resources, such as vocational courses. The Hillsboro, Litchfield and Nokomis school boards had all approved the agreement prior to Monday's Panhandle meeting.

Following a nearly hour-long closed session, the board also addressed some personnel items. Johnathan Harris was approved as an after school care aide and preschool bus aide for Farmersville Grade School. Shawn Wiedner was approved as a before school care aide for Farmersville Grade School.

They also accepted the resignation of Title 1 Teacher Misty Poggenpohl, effective at the end of this school year, as well as approved medical leave for Darci Terneus. A resolution reclassifying Chris Paproth from Farmersville Grade School Principal and Physical Education teacher to a teaching position in the district was also adopted.

The next Panhandle School Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. in the Libarary at Lincolnwood High School in Raymond.

Members of the Hillsboro City Council spoke about the recent string of vehicle break-ins that have occurred in town during their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

Hillsboro Police Chief Randy Leetham said there was nothing new to report other than what has already been published. A number of vehicles had recently been broken into in the parking lots of Fusion Fitness and DaVita Dialysis. He said the suspects have attempted to cash checks that were stolen from the vehicles, and there is also some identification swapping going on.

Leetham told the council that this has occurred in at least two states, as Festus, Missouri, was also hit by the same suspects. In addition to Hillsboro, the suspects broke into vehicles at Snap Fitness in Litchfield and the YMCA in Vandalia.

Public Safety Commissioner Michael Murphy said that while Hillsboro is as close to Mayberry" without actually being it, "bad things do still happen here." He encouraged residents to take precautions such as not leaving valuables inside of vehicles, even if the cars are locked.

Mayor Brian Sullivan said the suspects are not believed to be local people, and that they appeared to be taking advantage of our good nature. He added that it's time to start realizing that it's "not only our neighbors and friends" that visit Hillsboro, but people from outside the area are paying visits and trying to take advantage.

The next Hillsboro City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m.

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Statewide, the average temperature for the month of January 2020 was 31.5 degrees, 6.8 degrees above normal.
Precipitation for the month averaged 4.28 inches, 2.67 inches above normal. As of January 26, 2020, topsoil
moisture supply was rated at 3 percent short, 57 percent adequate, and 40 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture
supply was rated at 3 percent short, 65 percent adequate, and 32 percent surplus. Winter wheat condition was
rated 3 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 41 percent fair, 37 percent good, and 10 percent excellent.

An O'Fallon man was killed on Friday, Jan. 24, in a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 64 in St. Clair County.

Dustin T. Graves was pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Clair County Coroner. He was 26.

According to the Illinois State Police, at 7:54 p.m., Graves was traveling east on I-64 near milepost 26 when his vehicle left the road to the left and traveled through the center median. The car then entered the westbound lanes and struck a semi head-on.

Ashley Mick, 38, of Dix, who was driving the semi, was taken to an area hospital by ambulance and treated for minor injuries. State Police Traffic Crash Unit Officers responded to investigate the incident.

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Coal Country Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Saturday night at JoDanni's Amore'. Mike Brill recognized Maya Marcacci the 2019 Macoupin County Fair Queen and 1st runner up at the Illinois County Fair Queen Pagent. Mike Brill then presented 2019 special awards to area media who have helped promote chamber events. Awards were presented to The Ben Gil Post, Austin Peterson; Bunker Hill Gazette-News, Laura Dabbs Manager; Coal Country Times, Paula Endress; Journal Publications, John and Susie Galer; The Litchfield News Herald, Micki Houlihan and John Hanifan; and WSMI Talley Broadcasting Corporation, Brian Talley. Kenote speaker Renee Katich honored Mickey Robinson Coal Country Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.

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Coal Country Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Saturday night at JoDanni's Amore'. Mike Brill recognized Maya Marcacci the 2019 Macoupin County Fair Queen and 1st runner up at the Illinois County Fair Queen Pagent. Mike Brill then presented 2019 special awards to area media who have helped promote chamber events. Awards were presented to The Ben Gil Post, Austin Peterson; Bunker Hill Gazette-News, Laura Dabbs Manager; Coal Country Times, Paula Endress; Journal Publications, John and Susie Galer; The Litchfield News Herald, Micki Houlihan and John Hanifan; and WSMI Talley Broadcasting Corporation, Brian Talley. Kenote speaker Renee Katich honored Mickey Robinson Coal Country Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.

A Hillsboro man inadvertently turned himself into police on Monday, Jan. 20, in an incident Police Chief Randy Leetham said the department has never encountered before.

William Blechle, 32, was arrested in the parking lot of the Hillsboro Police Department and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine.

According to Chief Leetham, officers were doing paperwork in the office just before 9 p.m. when they noticed someone knocking on the door outside. They opened the door to find Blechle. Leetham said the man had been interacting with police for several days before requesting that they test the metabolic compound and strength of his methamphetamine. Blechle had never been in possession of the substance during any of the previous encounters.

When he arrived at the Police Station Monday, Blechle handed an officer an envelope. When asked what was inside, he responded that it was none of his concern, and he turned and walked away. Police opened the envelope and found a crystal-like substance, suspected to be methamphetamine. The officers quickly stopped Blechle as he was leaving the parking lot on foot. He was then taken to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was charged.

Three male juveniles have been arrested in connection with a break-in and vandalism of Faith Bible Christian Academy in Rosamond.

Christian County Sheriff's Deputies responded at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, to a reported break-in at the school on Mary Street. When deputies arrived, they found damage inside the facility, including the security system, computers, trophy cases and a school-owned van.

Investigators say the suspects also gained access to a locked office by destroying a door. A classroom window had been destroyed as well. Items such as candy, sports drinks and an undetermined amount of money had been stolen. The school van was also stolen, but was later returned by the suspects.

Video footage obtained by the Sheriff's Office showed three male suspects inside the building at approximately 12:40 a.m. on Sunday. The ensuing investigation led to the arrest of the three juveniles, who all admitted to taking part in the incident. Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said Some of the stolen property was recovered in their possession.

Two of the three subjects were enrolled as students at the school. All three are facing multiple felony charges, and were detained in a juvenile detention facility pending their first court appearance before a Christian County Judge.

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Members participating for Hillsboro were (left to right): Joseph Keiser, Preston Lyerla, Riley Hemken, Harley Page, Haley Garcia, and Wesley Stockstill.

The Section 19 Parliamentary Procedure contest was held at Greenville High School on Tuesday, January 14, with Hillsboro FFA placing second and Greenville placing first. The six members of each team were required to complete a written test on basic parliamentary law. The teams then completed a ten minute presentation of parliamentary procedure, with judges assigning various motions and points of order to be covered. The team also answered oral questions, following their presentation.
The teams will now compete at the Illinois FFA District 4 competition in February.

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident on Friday, Jan. 17, on Interstate 70 west of Brownstown.

According to the Illinois State Police, a juvenile was westbound while fleeing from a Police Officer who was attempting to conduct a traffic stop. Investigators say the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control while crossing an elevated bridge. The car then hit a guardrail head on.

While attempting to slow down, a second vehicle, driven by Cliff Edwards of Centreville, swerved to avoid striking the first car, which was partially in the left lane facing the wrong direction. Edwards' vehicle hit the rear passenger side of the first vehicle and the guardrail simultaneously. The first car came to rest between both westbound lanes. Edwards' car came to a stop in the left lane.

Edwards, 19, was taken to Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia and was later released. The juvenile driver and his passenger, 38-year-old Brian Roedl of Vandalia, both suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries. They were also taken to Fayette County Hospital.

The accident occurred at 6:15 p.m. Charges are pending.

One person was killed and two others were injured on Saturday, Jan. 11, in a single-vehicle accident on Route 40 east of Vandalia.

According to the preliminary investigation by Illinois State Police District 12, Craig Frailey of Brownstown was driving a pickup east on Route 40 near County Road 1050 East when the truck began to leave the road to the right. Investigators say the vehicle traveled into a ditch and continued off the roadway down an embankment, sliding sideways before rolling over several times.

Frailey, 28, and his passengers, 23-year-old Brittany Hall of Ramsey and 32-year-old Ryan Ward of Brownstown, were all taken by ambulance to Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia. Frailey was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The incident occurred at 5:42 p.m.

Washington, DC U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), John Shimkus (R-Ill.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) today released this joint statement calling on the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged rape and cover up in Champaign, IL.

These revelations are extremely troubling and a thorough independent investigation needs to happen immediately. We are very concerned that the Champaign County States Attorney has determined she will not investigate this alleged crime. If these disturbing allegations, that were revealed this week, are true theres a victim out there that deserves justice and a criminal that should be prosecuted. Given the unwillingness of the local states attorney to investigate this alleged crime and ties to the governors campaign, we believe a special prosecutor is warranted.

Springfield-based Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) Agriculture is one of just six programs nationwide to receive the 2019 National Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award.

LLCC officials broke ground on a new home for the ag program in 2019. The Kreher Agriculture Center will open on campus during the spring semester of 2021.

LLCC offers a transfer degree in agriculture along with occupational degrees and certificates in agribusiness management, precision agronomy, fertilizer and horticulture.

Davis' written remarks:

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise today to ask the Democrat leadership to answer the question from my constituents as to why the Articles of Impeachment were not yet transmitted to the Senate.

It was urgent enough to have the first ever partisan articles pass this institution almost 3 weeks ago, but not urgent enough to follow our constitution, by walking them from this House out that door through Statuary Hall, under the Capitol Dome and to the Senate floor.

It will only take a matter of minutes to get them there and it will codify the first ever partisan impeachment process in our nations history.

History will not judge this process and this partisan impeachment favorably. If you dont like who gets elected, work to elect someone else.

Instead, Democrats will ask themselves years from now, why did we allow partisanship and hatred of this president to change history and precedent, when this institution is paralyzed by future partisan impeachments of duly elected Presidents of both parties?
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The Litchfield City Council voted to accept a pay request from Brewster Construction on Thursday, Jan. 2, for work on a subdivision south of 16th Avenue and west of Solar Circle.

Brewster was contracted to do the work, which consists of clearing timber, grading, building roads, storm sewer work and installing water main infrastructure. This pay request covers the grading, clearing of timber and storm sewer work that has been completed to date.

The amount approved was $76,668.04. It will come from the City's Lake Subdivision construction fund. The motion passed, 4-3, with Mayor Steve Dougherty as the deciding vote. Council members Kassidy Paine, Woodrow Street and Dave Hollo voted yes, and Dwayne Gerl, Marilyn Sisson and Mark Brown voted no. Tim Wright and Ray Kellenberger were absent from the meeting.

The next Litchfield City Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16, at 6:30 p.m.

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A Glen Carbon man has been charged with two counts of Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine in relation to an incident that occurred on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The Madison County State's Attorney's Office announced the charges this week against 48-year-old Damon K. Lomax. On December 19, Glen Carbon Police and mutual aid responders from the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System executed a search warrant at a residence in the 400 block of Glen Carbon Road. The warrant was a result of an investigation that was initiated by the Glen Carbon Investigative Division.

Lomax is in custody with bond set at $75,000. Anyone with further information related to the warrant is encouraged to contact the Glen Carbon Police at 618-288-7226.