The public is invited to celebrate a breakthrough moment today (October 31st)  for the new career center engineered by the Litchfield School District that will serve both Macoupin and Mongomery Counties.

 $8.6 Million DCEO Grant Public Announcement
Project: South Central Illinois (SCI) Training & Innovation Center
Location: 2001 Eilerman Ave., Litchfield, IL 62056
Event Date: Monday, October 31, 2022
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Event Description:
The Litchfield C.U.S.D. #12 school district is hosting a public event to
announce its receipt of an $8.6 million DCEO grant. The grant will be used
to re-develop an existing warehouse within the City of Litchfield’s Industrial
Park for Career & Technical Training to help meet regional workforce
demand. The facility is slated to become a regional career center and will
help serve CTE programming needs for potentially ten K-12 Districts
located in Montgomery & Macoupin Counties. The region is also partnering
with its local community colleges (i.e. Lincoln Land Community College &
Lewis and Clark Community College) to provide dual credit CTE
programming opportunities for H.S. and post-H.S. students.

Details are emerging from a Thursday tragedy first discovered in Litchfield, the death of a toddler. On Thursday, a report was made at the Litchfield fire station that a minor child was in distress. It was determined moments later the three-year-old was deceased. The initial investigation was handled by the Litchfield Police Department but investigators determined the unrevealed acts that appeared to lead to the child’s death occurred in Macoupin County and a coordinated investigation between the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, Carlinville Police Department and Litchfield Police Department was conducted.  Multiple search warrants were executed with the assistance of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney Office and interviews were at the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department by detectives from Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department and the Litchfield Police Department.  Macoupin County State's Attorney Jordan Garrison, Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl, Carlinville Police Chief David Haley and Litchfield Police Chief Kenneth Ryker have announced  that 33-year-old Ashley N. Bottoms of Carlinville was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Endangering the Life of a Child causing Death, a class 2 and a class 3 felony respectively.  The Honorable Joshua A. Meyer set bond in the matter at $250,000. 
Garrison issued a statement. “Crimes against children are, by their very nature, some of the worst crimes, with perpetrators leaving families destroyed by their actions," . "It is alleged that this defendant, a trusted household member, committed this horrific act. I would like to thank Sheriff Shawn Kahl, Chief David Haley, and Chief Kenneth Ryker for their agencies coordinated effort. I would also like to thank Detectives Ryan Dixon, Brian Lawton, Brian Reid and Larry Rayburn for their swift actions leading to these charges." 
 
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant's guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government's burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Tinderbox conditions weren't cured by this week's rain.  Witt Volunteer Fire Chief Don Kaiser, who works the fields himself, offers this assessment.

Elevated fire danger today and tomorrow! Humidity low in upper 20’s to 30 and very strong 30 plus mph winds. The fuels are damp right now but with those conditions things will dry out quickly. I had half inch rain and was much needed but not enough to get us through next couple days. Please no open burning or flame next few days, one spark or ember and it could get ugly. We farmers needto  be careful parking hot vehicles in the fields and keep our machines free from debris buildup which is hard to do and hope we don’t have a bearing go out and get hot on the combine.

The Montgomery County Health Department will also have flu shots available at walk-in clinics at its main office, located at 11191 Illinois Route 185 in Hillsboro, Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm during the months of October and November. If special assistance is needed, please call 217-532-2001 when you arrive and the shot can be administered in your vehicle. Vaccinations are also available, by appointment, at our Litchfield office, located at 317 W. Union. To make an appointment, please call 217-324-3430. 

The cost of the regular adult vaccine is $30. The cost of the high-dose 65+ vaccine, which is covered by Medicare, is $100. The Health Department accepts cash and checks, and is also able to bill insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicaid MCOs for the vaccination. 

MCHD would also like to invite any business that is interested in providing immunizations to its employees (minimum of 5) to contact its Hillsboro office to make arrangements for a nurse to come to the business and administer these shots. 

COVID vaccinations will also be available at all of these clinics. This includes the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent boosters. 

Please note: Montgomery County Health Department will be following CDC and IDPH guidelines. 

Witt Witt Lions Club Parking Lot Tuesday, October 11 th 8:30 am to 10:00 am 

Irving Century House Parking Lot Tuesday, October 11 th 10:30 am to 12:00 pm 

The Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District is continuing to accept orders for the 2022 Fall Fish Sale.  Pre-orders are due Monday (October 10th) for Grass Carp & by Monday, October 17th for all other species, like Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, and Bluegill. Order forms can be obtained by calling 217-532-3361, ext. 3 or by download at  facebook.com/MontgomeryILSWCD and www.montswcd.com 

The sale is planned for Thursday, October 20th at 8:00 a.m., at the Hillsboro Township Shed parking lot, 9056 IL Route 127, Taylor Springs. 

Litchfield FIre Chief Joe Hollomy has called it a day. Weeks after a marathon two day termination hearing for fire captain Curt Glover led to a 30 day suspension, Hollomy’s last day was Friday. There’s no official word on his reasons for departing the department and there's no word on an Interim Chief.