The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has released more details on the tragic  death of a young woman inside a Farmersville convenience store restroom Friday.  

At approximately 11:25 a.m. on Friday, October 20, 2023 the Montgomery
County Sheriff’s Office Telecommunications Division received a call in reference to an
unresponsive female who had been located in the female latrine at 30239 W. Frontage
Rd. in Farmersville, IL. Local law enforcement and EMS personnel responded to the
scene and discovered a female, identified as Josyln Malone (18), to be deceased. The
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and the Montgomery County
Coroner’s Office conducted an investigation. A Forensic autopsy was conducted in
Springfield, IL. on the morning of October 21, 2023 where evidence was gathered
showing a medical issue resulted in the natural manner of death. The investigation
revealed no indication of criminal activity contributing to the death.

After extensive discussions and battles with farmers, regulators, landowners and others,  Omaha based Navigator Co2 has announced it's pulling the plug on its plan for a 1300 plus mile pipeline through the Corn Belt that would have pushed Carbon Dioxide deep below the soil.  The proposal has been dealt setbacks in its proposed starting point of South Dakota, as well as Iowa and here in Illinois.  It has been a dominant topic at Montgomery County Board meetings for months.   

Board Chairman Doug Donaldson said he's cautiously optimistic that this saga is over but he also notes there are other players in the carbon capture game, so there's always potential for someone other than Navigator to raise the issue again locally.

This was to be a pivotal week as Navigator was preparing to make their sales pitch for the project to the Illinois Commerce Commission but they pulled the proposal a second time, saying they were reassessing their plan.  Then, yesterday (Thursday), Navigator made significant layoffs, an indicator that the carbon capture plan was in peril.

Here's the statement from Navigator. 

The development of Navigator CO2’s pipeline project has been challenging. Given the unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa, the Company has decided to cancel its pipeline project.

Matt Vining, CEO of Navigator CO2 remarked, “As good stewards of capital and responsible managers of people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Heartland Greenway project. We are disappointed that we will not be able to provide services to our customers and thank them for their continued support.”

Vining continued, “I am proud that throughout this endeavor, our team maintained a collaborative, high integrity, and safety-first approach and we thank them for their tireless efforts. We also thank all the individuals, trade associations, labor organizations, landowners, and elected officials who supported us and carbon capture in the Midwest.”

A 38-year-old Litchfield woman is dead after she was struck by a vehicle on Route 16 in front of the Illinois State Police Headquarters. The incident was reported last night (Tuesday) at 9:05 p.m. to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The State Police were already there by the time deputies arrived after they also received a report of a pedestrian in the roadway. The victim, 38-year-old Rachel Marsala, was pronounced dead at the scene last night by Montgomery County Coroner Randy Leetham. Litchfield Fire Dept. EMS was dispatched to the scene.  Litchfield Police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist IL State Police. IL Dept. Of Transportation provided traffic control and road closure while IL State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit conducted their investigation. The roadway was closed for several hours. A forensic autopsy is scheduled for Thursday in Springfield.

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A Carlinville Funeral Home operator  accused of providing the wrong cremains to families and failing to provide mortuary care for individuals no longer has a license to practice mortuary services.  The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation  has revealed that Albert Heinz of Heinz Funeral Home has had his license to serve as a funeral director and embalmer permanent revoked.  The agency's website reports that decision was based on vital records non compliance, professional incompetence or untrustworthiness in funeral practice,  taking undue advantage of clients amounting to perpetration of fraud, performaning any act or practice that violates funeral regulations, unprofessional conduct and charging for professional services  not rendered.

Springfield, IL The investigation continues at Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville over the treatment of human remains. State Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) and State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) are completely shocked over allegations that the wrong cremated remains were intentionally provided to families, and they extend their condolences to the families who were affected.

“It’s appalling to me allegations of illegal practices have been ongoing within this family-owned funeral home that has affected multiple families,” said Rep. Rosenthal. “This investigation will unravel the truth behind the doors and the director will be held accountable for his actions. I send my condolences to the families who are grieving through this difficult and disgraceful time.”

“It’s heart-wrenching to imagine what the families are enduring over the handling of their loved ones,” said Senator McClure. “If these allegations are true, the funeral home needs to be held accountable to set an example so that this never happens again.”

Heinz Funeral Home has been a family-owned business for over 160 years providing central Illinois with cremation services and grief counseling.

A task force, which includes the coroner’s office and several law enforcement agencies, continues to investigate allegations of unlawful activities inside the funeral home. As of now, The owner of Heinz Funeral Home had his license to operate in Illinois permanently revoked due to records of non-compliance, professional incompetence, taking advantage of clients amounting to perpetration of fraud, violating funeral regulations, misconduct, and charging families for professional services which were not rendered.

The City of Hillsboro confirms a boil order in place since a weekend water main break has come to a close.  State officials tested samples of the water after the break on Tremont and gave the all clear.  The neighboring towns are getting test results separately, despite feeding off of the same water system.