Jordan McGuire

LARAMIE, Wyoming—A former local man has been arrested in Wyoming for running afoul of the law in the same manner the Midwest states couldn’t do anything about when they charged him.

Jordan McGuire, 27, who was first charged with sexual misbehavior in Saline County in 2007 in an article we covered in the May 2011 edition (because of some alleged misdoings in the case as it pertained to the state’s attorney’s office), was later charged in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, in 2012, when he was a music teacher at Harrison High School.

There, it was alleged that McGuire had given alcohol to an 18-year-old student, then performed a sex on him against his will.

However, McGuire took it to a jury, and this past summer, he was acquitted on the charge.

Now, he’s up on a charge of First Degree Sexual Assault in Laramie, where he apparently moved after the jury decided in his favor.

The problem here is that Jackson County, Illinois–specifically, the city of Carbondale–had also had a case opened against the man, but it went nowhere. And that’s now four cases of sexual misconduct, this against someone who by profession is around young people, some of them of the age of consent, some of them not, but all of them prey for a predator…if only someone could get such a charge against McGuire to stick.

McGuire is being held on a $100,000 bond in Wyoming, with a first appearance scheduled for today…we’ll keep you posted.

SALINE CO., Ill.–There’s been a bank robbery in Carrier Mills at about noon today (Wednesday, December 10, 2014).

According to both official and unofficial sources, at about 12 noon today, a white male wearing overalls and a dark blue hoodie walked into First Southern Bank in Carrier Mills, bearing a Walmart bag, displayed a handgun, then left on foot.

He was last seen walking eastbound on Walnut Street with the plastic Walmart bag.

He is further described as having a mustache; no other identifying features have been given.

The high school in Carrier Mills is on lockdown and all units are on the scene.

It’s unclear whether the alleged robber was able to get away with any money.

When we learn more, we’ll bring it; stay with us.

Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff’s Department, bank surveillance footage

SALINE CO., Ill.—Two men are wanted for bank robbery in Carrier Mills, the incident having taken place earlier today.

Saline County Central Dispatch received a call of a bank robbery at 11:51 a.m. at the First Southern Bank in Carrier Mills today (Wednesday, December 10, 2014).

Officers from Carrier Mills Police Department, Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Harrisburg Police Department, Illinois State Police, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI responded to area.

A white male approximately 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-10 wearing a Fargo hat, bib overalls and a dark-colored hoodie entered the bank, displayed a weapon and demanded cash. The suspect left the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff’s Department, bank surveillance footage

A second male suspect approximately 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-11, wearing dark pants and top, including dark-colored hoodie, is also wanted for investigation of the bank robbery.

A possible suspect vehicle is a dark-colored, two-door coupe.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Saline County Sheriff’s Office at 618-252-8661.

Lyndi’s back (after a brief hiatus last night due to router issues on our part…big phone switchover, you know) and bringing you the news from the past 24 eventful hours for the evening of Wednesday, December 10, 2014, in your Nightly NewsCap!

Topics covered include: Bank robbery in Carrier Mills earlier today; and a man formerly of Marshall and Robinson has been busted in Israel on bomb threats.

Jordan McGuire

LARAMIE, Wyoming—As anticipated, a man originally from Carterville has been bound over for trial after being arrested for sexual misconduct in his latest state of residence, Wyoming.

Jordan McGuire, who made headlines earlier this week because he can’t seem to give up his alleged proclivities when it comes to trying to convince young men to have sex with him, had a hearing yesterday in Laramie, Wyoming that followed an arrest over a November 21 incident that got him arrested, much like the one that got him arrested in Saline County in 2007; the one that got him arrested in Indiana a couple of years back; and the one that got him under investigation in Carbondale last year.

This is from The Branding Iron’s article, “Court finds probable cause in sexual assault case in UW student“:

In a preliminary court hearing yesterday, Albany County Judge Robert Castor found probable cause that UW student, Jordan McGuire, committed sexual assault on the night of November 21.

“The court does find that there is probable cause to believe that the offense of sexual assault in the first degree…was probably committed, and furthermore, the defendant here in charged, Jordan Lee McGuire, is probably the person who committed that offense,” Castor said.

The hearing entailed the prosecution and defense questioning of Frederick O’ Connor, the Laramie Police Department patroller who conducted the McGuire investigation.

Connor stated the alleged sexual assault occurred between 11 p.m. November 21 and 2 or 3 a.m. November 22 at a party McGuire hosted at 2024 Binford 722 Campus Habitat. He added the victim called the police department at 3 p.m. on November 22.

During investigation questioning, the victim said he was drunk prior to attending McGuire’s party and upon arrival he consumed one or two more alcoholic drinks provided by McGuire, Connor said. The victim claimed to not remember much, as he was “blacking in and out” through out the evening, Connor said, describing blacking out as where one “commonly doesn’t remember certain time frames associated with drugs or alcohol,”

The victim told Connor he became ill at the party and passed out in the bathroom, Connor said. Upon waking up, McGuire was lying next to the victim, touching him sexually in the anal area. Connor added that the victim told McGuire to stop.

The victim passed out a second time and awoke to McGuire forcing him into sexual acts.

“McGuire had his right hand on the back of the victim’s head and hair, and his left hand on the back of his neck, forcing his mouth on his penis,” Connor said.

This is reflective of the charges in at least Vanderburgh County, Indiana in 2012…as well as in Saline County, which occurred in 2007 and was quite the scandal at the time. Due to the high interest in the situation, we’ve opted to produce here a portion of the June 2011 article where in we first encountered McGuire’s name.

The article was about county ‘anti-crime’ funds and their alleged misuse, a response to a hit piece produced by Belleville reporters Beth Hunsdorfer and George Pawlaczyk. McGuire’s case was caught up in one of a bunch that were selected out of Saline by various defense attorneys who apparently went to the two reporters and griped about said cases. Here’s the excerpt about McGuire:

Jordan McGuire was the young man (20 at the time) from Carterville who was accused of rape in 2007 after he and some other boys attending school at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg held a party in Harco, and one of the boys, Phillip George, accused McGuire of having forcible anal sex with him.

There were other circumstances surrounding the incident besides the alleged forcible sex, including another boy, Robert Scates, who claimed that after becoming highly intoxicated, he decided to spend the night at the Harco residence, then awoke on a sofa sleeper in the residence next to McGuire, with “the taste of semen in his mouth and on his chest.” George was not present in the room at that time, according to reports.

While the whole thing smacked of a night of homosexual debauchery among underage kids, authorities took the overall reports into consideration and as a result, took the accusation of forcible sodomy very seriously.

McGuire was bonded out of the Saline County Detention Center with $25,000 posted by his grandfather.

Because the alleged victim became uncooperative (in that he couldn’t be found to proceed with the case), and because of defense wranglings provided by McGuire’s attorney John Clemons, the matter dragged through the Saline County court system until April 2009, when McGuire, Clemons and Henshaw sat down and worked out a plea agreement—nothing new to any courtroom in Illinois or indeed America, for that matter.

As part of the plea—which included, on the state’s side, reducing a charge of Criminal Sexual Assault by use of Force, a Class 1 felony, to Battery with physical contact, a Class A misdemeanor—McGuire received a 24-month supervisory sentence, but also negotiated fines and fees.

The fines and fees were in the amount of $11,840.00, which was taken from the $25,000 bond posted. The remainder of the bond was returned to the grandfather.

In fines and fees assessed were such matters as a $2,500 fine (without specification as to what type; just “fine”), $2,540 “clerk’s” fee, $630 surcharge/LEADS fee, $600 probation fee, $250 violent crime fee….and a $5,000 “Mandatory Drug Fee,” part of the fees authorized by the county board in 2005 when requested by then-prosecutor David Nelson to be assessed against defendants.

In a letter dated April 20 from Henshaw to Pawlaczyk, Henshaw explained the several obstacles his office had in following through on the prosecution, including inability to locate the alleged victim, no eyewitnesses to the alleged sexual assault, and the results of a complete colonoscopy done on the alleged victim three days after the alleged incident, which showed nothing abnormal (although that in itself is not necessarily telling.)

Nevertheless, McGuire, represented by the very capable Clemons, did NOT have to accept the plea agreement and ergo the suggested amount of fines and fees withdrawn from the bond money. Because the state had a weak case with all the obstacles, it was likely that McGuire would have prevailed in a jury trial.

However, it’s also very possible that McGuire, knowing the real circumstances of that night, may have thought his chances weren’t quite as good as they looked on paper.

McGuire was not, therefore, ‘forced’ into either the plea deal or giving up the five grand for the drug fund. Represented by his attorney, he accepted the negotiated deal willingly, and the matter was done.

The June 2011 issue is still available by back issue order only, if anyone would like to read it, but this is the pertinent excerpt. Links to other articles about McGuire are at this linked article.

As his case progresses through the Wyoming court, we’ll keep you updated; check back frequently.

District 19 Christmas Auction 2014 Lieutenant Nathan Douglas and Captain Kelly Hodge

CARMI, Ill.—Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge, would like to announce the results of the 13th annual in-house Charity Auction held at the District 19 Headquarters on Friday, December 5.

Retired District 19 Troopers and current staff, along with local businesses and vendors, donated the various items that were auctioned off.  At the end of the day, $2,100.00 was raised from the Charity Auction and other monetary donations. As a result of the auction, District 19 will be able to make a $300.00 donation to charitable organizations already identified in each of the seven counties it serves.  The donations are being made to those charitable organizations coordinating programs for underprivileged
children in the area this holiday season.

Captain Hodge stated, “I would like to recognize and thank all those who made the 13th annual District 19 Charity Auction a success.  If it was not for the continued generosity of those involved, these monetary donations would not have been possible.”

Captain Hodge would like to give special recognition to the following businesses and organizations for their donations to this year’s District 19 Charity Auction:

The Willow Tree – Fairfield
Fairfield Crossfit – Fairfield
John’s Butcher Block – Fairfield
Main Street Gym – Fairfield
Wayne County Press – Fairfield
Amy’s Sweet Gallery – Fairfield
Farmer’s Daughter – Fairfield
Carnaby Square – Fairfield
Studio 117 – Fairfield
The Male Connection – Fairfield
Your Flower Shop – Fairfield
Auto Zone – Carmi
Cherry Street Automotive – Carmi
CVS Pharmacy – Carmi
Palace Cleaners – Carmi
Larry’s Gun Shop – McLeansboro
Southern Illinois Pool – Eldorado
Southern Illinois Workwear – Harrisburg
Auto Trim Mart – Harrisburg
Saline County Circuit Clerk’s Office – Harrisburg

CARMI, Ill.— Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge announced this week activity and enforcement figures for the month of November.

Troopers in District 19, which includes Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, White, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin counties, answered 285 calls for
service and initiated 1,318 incidents in the field during the month.

In addition, enforcement figures totaled 554 citations and 920 written warnings, including 227 speeding citations, 8 DUIs, 105 seatbelt
citations, 6 child restraint citations, 229 written warnings for speeding, and 20 criminal arrests. Troopers also assisted 61 motorists, conducted 143 Motor Carrier Inspections, and investigated 68 traffic crashes.

There were two fatal traffic crashes, resulting in two fatalities, investigated by District 19 during November.

During the month, 363 citations and 310 written warnings were issued for “Fatal Four” violations. These violations are most associated with fatal traffic crashes and include Speeding, DUI, Failure to Wear a Seatbelt, and Distracted Driving.

SALINE CO., Ill.—Of all the juxtapositions we’ve ever had in print articles, our top story on the front page was such a huge one that it actually had to be presented in part on the front and in part on the back.

That’s because the crossover came when a Hardin County punk, Kyle Eichorn, after what he claimed on his Facebook page was a night of drinking (underage), crashed his car nearly head-on with a coal truck in the early morning hours of the Saturday of production weekend (November 30), which landed him as the big news…and his mother, father and grandmother managed to make the front page by being involved in an Attorney General’s grand jury currently being held in Saline County over his grandmother Barbara Wingo’s not-for-profit organization, the Anna Bixby Center.

So while rather futile fundraiser attempts were being held in order to raise money for the young Eichorn’s self-inflicted medical expenses,  his parentage were being put through the AG grand jury wringer and few people actually knew that the lot of them were under investigation for thieving public funds, both state and federal.

The irony may be lost on Eichorn-ilk supporters…but it’s not lost on those who have been supporting the Anna Bixby Center for 36 years, as Saline, Hardin, Pope, Gallatin, Hamilton and White counties have been. And to add to the drama, no other media outlet has come to the point of covering the investigation, so the whole thing breaking like it was was very big news indeed.

Here now is your noontime Read the Lead, the front page article, Women’s center under AG investigation in Saline Co.

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SALINE/HARDIN/POPE COs.—A year-long rumor regarding a well-known women’s advocacy group has been officially confirmed by authorities: the Anna Bixby Women’s Center is currently under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

The situation had long been hinted at, with Disclosure staff learning of it first during the summer of 2013; however, there was no one willing to officially confirm the situation, which is reported now by sources close to the investigation as one of improper use of state and federal funds that support the center.

The Anna Bixby Center, (ABC) named after a legendary southern Illinois physician Anna Pierce Hobbs Bixby who lived in the deep southern Illinois area of Hardin County in the mid-to-late 1800s, is a local domestic violence advocacy program. It is headquartered in Harrisburg and serves Saline, Hardin, Gallatin, White, Hamilton and Pope counties across both the First and Second judicial circuits; and runs a 24-hour crisis hotline to provide assistance for a person in a domestic abuse situation, as well as provides emergency shelter, counseling, women’s support groups, children’s services and legal advocacy (meaning a representative from ABC can and frequently does attend court hearings with an abused partner, and assists in filling out Orders of Protection/Stalking/No-Contact Orders for court purposes.)

The group is among a number of similar ones throughout the country, which in downstate Illinois includes SWAN (Stopping Women Abuse Now). ABC might be considered unique, however, in that one woman, Barbara Wingo of Pope County, started it up 36 years ago…and since that time, has by and large run it solely on her own, with the assistance of her daughter, Terrie Eichorn, and a small staff of employees over the years.

The group is funded solely by grants, both federal and state; taxpayers’ dollars that are kept out of federal and state taxes as paid by every individual and business in Illinois and throughout the country as they can be allocated.

As a result of that, when the investigation began in earnest into ABC’s use of those taxpayers’ dollars, Illinois’ Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office was the one to manage the investigation…and now, as the matter has been taken up by a local grand jury, the AG’s office will also be part of any prosecution that may arise.

What happened October 6

As mentioned, Disclosure first began learning about a possible investigation as early as the summer of 2013.

Tipsters couldn’t—or wouldn’t—be any more specific, however, than noting that Wingo and Eichorn were being scrutinized at ABC for how they were handling their funding.

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To read the rest of this extensive article, click the headline link above if you have an online membership to the e-Edition; or if you don’t and would like to get started with yours, click this link here! But if you prefer to read a newspaper in hard copy, get out and get one at our many vendors, including in Saline County Book Emporium on Gum Street in Harrisburg and Discount Food Mart on Main Street in Harrisburg, and Raleigh Quick Mart in Raleigh; in Hardin County at Harbison’s at the Karber’s Ridge turn on Highway 34; in Gallatin County at Patton’s in Junction and Davis Enterprises in Omaha; in White County at Rock Bottom, East Side Package and Pundrake BP in Carmi, Mimmo’s Pizza in Norris City, One Stop in Enfield, and Shell Mart at the Interstate and Liquor Barn in Grayville; and in Hamilton County at Hunt’s Hardware and Grocery in Dale and Food Park in McLeansboro.

It’s Friday, and it’s been a BUSY day in the downstate area…and Lyndi has it all for you in your December 12, 2014 Nightly NewsCap!

Topics covered include: Illinois State Police District 19 Charity Auction recap;, Robert E. Godsey of Alhambra hemmed up on child porn by the feds; an update on Adam Everett Livvix, the man formerly of Marshall and Robinson who was indicted by an Israeli court for bomb threats; Timothy S. Griesemer sentenced by feds after an attempt to have sex with an 8-year-old; and someone in the federal pen is singing, which has hemmed up Jacque Lee Brown of Olney on pill purchases in federal court.

JACKSON CO., Ill.—A strange situation has emerged at Carbondale’s Walmart this evening.

Reports around 6 p.m. indicate that a disturbance, being termed “possibly a domestic or a kidnapping,” occurred on the east side of the city’s Walmart (where the market/grocery section is located.)

There a male was reported to have busted out the windows on a 1997 Chevy Suburban registered to a Crystal Miles living in Harrisburg.

After this, it was reported that he forced a woman into the vehicle, and headed out of the parking lot toward the Taco Bell restaurant nearby.

The reporting person said that they lost sight of the vehicle at that point, but it was suspected that they may have turned east onto Illinois 13 (which heads toward Harrisburg, through Marion).

UPDATE: Carbondale police are requesting that Saline County authorities make contact at the registered owner’s address in Harrisburg, this at about 6:30 p.m.

If we learn more, we’ll report it; be watching.

SALINE CO., Ill.—A two-car vehicle collision today sent an octogenarian to the hospital and resulted in a traffic citation for another octogenarian.

The crash occurred at Route 13 at Carrier Mills Road today (December 17, 2014) at approximately 2 p.m.

According to the preliminary traffic crash investigative details, Wilbert C. Dunn, 86, of Carrier Mills, the driver of a silver 2008 Ford Ranger, was northbound on Carrier Mills Road and had stopped at the stop sign at the intersection with Illinois Route 13.  Mr. Dunn then proceeded across the eastbound lanes of Route 13 and attempted to turn west onto Route 13.

A yellow 2012 Volvo truck-tractor pulling a utility box trailer and being driven by Alberto Rafael Carmona Salas, age 51, Laredo, Texas, was westbound on Route 13 traveling in the far left lane of travel while approaching the intersection of Carrier Mills Road. Mr. Dunn disobeyed a yield sign and turned into the path of the truck tractor semi-trailer combination.

A passenger in the Ford Ranger, Ellen M. Dunn, age 85, Golconda, was transported to Harrisburg Medical Center for the treatment of her injuries. She was transported to Harrisburg Medical Center by Saline County EMS. Winters Towing towed the Ford Ranger to Harrisburg.

ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by Saline County EMS.

Mr. Dunn was cited for disobeying a yield sign.

We had to skip the NewsCap last night because we were on the road and couldn’t get it to the site; so here’s Lyndi bringing you a LOAD of news for the Wednesday, December 17, 2014, Nightly NewsCap!

Topics covered include: Ivan Hinds Jr. sentenced in Edwards County; Clay City Schools are holding an intruder drill Monday; incident at Walmart in Carbondale leads police to believe there was either a domestic disturbance or an abduction tonight; Mt. Carmel’s Lewis W. Linder hemmed up in Edwards County on sex charges; and a two-vehicle crash occurred on Illinois 13 in Saline County today.

Here’s Ang to deliver the NewsCap tonight for the evening of Friday, December 19, 2014, in lieu of the meeting-coverage-burdened Lyndi! Give it a listen.

Topics covered include: Dakota Moss of Centralia is indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple firearms offenses; a host of guys get charged or sentenced in Jackson, Alexander, and Madison counties, and the shooting last night in Carbondale adds to the strangeness of recent incidents there.

HARRISBURG, Ill.—A traffic crash on Illinois Route 13 at Illinois Route 34 sent twins and woman who was a passenger in the vehicle they were riding in, to a hospital yesterday afternoon in Harrisburg.

The accident occurred at approximately 3:26 p.m. yesterday (Saturday, December 20, 2014), and closed Illinois Route 13, between Illinois Route 34 and US Route 45, for approximately two hours while the traffic crash was investigated by Illinois State Police.

According to the preliminary traffic crash investigative details, the driver of a white 2000 GMC Safari van, a 31-year-old male from Eldorado who was not identified by ISP, was eastbound on Illinois Route 13 at the intersection of Illinois Route 34, when he entered the intersection on a green light.

The driver of a red 2011 Lincoln MKX, Willie D. Langford, 72, of Harrisburg, was traveling northbound on Illinois Route 34 and entered the intersection with Illinois Route 13 on a red light, striking the rear passenger side of the GMC Safari van. Two passengers in the GMC Safari van (2-year-old twin boys), a 23-year-old female and one of the twins, none of them identified by ISP, were ejected from their vehicle following impact.

Langford was transported from the crash scene by ambulance to an area hospital.  The 23-year-old female and the two-year-old male twins were transported via helicopter to hospitals in Evansville, Indiana.

Bishop’s Towing of Harrisburg, Illinois, removed both vehicles from the crash scene.

ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by the Harrisburg Police Department, Saline County Ambulance Service, MedForce Ambulance Service, Air Evac, Life Flight, and Bishop?s Towing.

Willie D. Langford was cited for Disobeying a Traffic Control Signal. Additional Charges are pending.

Here’s Lyndi with your Disclosure News Online Nightly NewsCap for the evening of Monday, December 22, 2014, as well as the news from the previous weekend (Friday-Sunday, Dec. 19-21)!

Topics covered include: Crash Saturday injures twin brothers and their mom in Harrisburg, one man cited; feds go after Jersey County man David Ray for tax evasion (and, oh yeah, drugs); and the Williamson County prosecutor gives a press conference on their recent round of grand jury activity.

mmmm…yummy

SALINE CO.— The use of a cell phone while driving landed a Ridgway man behind bars on a drug charge.

According to authorities, on November 28, at 1:11 p.m., Illinois State Trooper Roy Glasscock executed a traffic stop on Barnett and Granger streets in Harrisburg on a red 1999 Isuzu passenger car after he spotted the driver using a cellular phone.

The driver of the car was identified as Charles Nick Wenzel, 45, of 402 South 6th St., Ridgway.

When Glasscock asked Wenzel for his license and proof of insurance Wenzel informed him that his license had been suspended.

Once the suspension was confirmed through police computers, Wenzel was taken into custody and transported to the county detention center for booking.

While Glasscock waited for a tow truck for the Isuzu he was contacted and informed that jail staff had located a pill bottle full of hydrocodone behind Wenzel’s right knee.

Wenzel was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Driving Suspended and Using an Electronic Communication Device While Driving.

Wenzel was sentenced to 30 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) in 1993 after a conviction for Obstruction of Justice.

And in 2000 he was sentenced to another two years in IDOC following a conviction for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Materials.

Wenzel was released from police custody after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Rebecca Sue, 62, of 502 South 6th St., Ridgway.

On the bond sheet Wenzel listed his address as 250 Fairview Dr., Carmi.

SALINE CO.— A Marion woman and a Carrier Mills man have been charged with driving about the countryside in a vehicle they allegedly knew to be stolen.

Savana J. Miller, 21, of 11441 Song Bird Lane, Marion, and Kyle Martin Day, 23, of 262 East Trammel St., Carrier Mills, have both been charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle after authorities say on December 7, they possessed a 2000 Chevrolet automobile at a time when they knew it to be stolen.

At the time the charge was filed, Miller was out of jail on bond awaiting trial on charges of Burglary, Theft greater than $300 and Forgery.

Miller was convicted of Burglary Dec. 20, 2013 and sentenced to 36 months probation and ordered to pay $4,038 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $3,988.

Day was also out of jail waiting trial in two separate cases, the first a July 8, 2013 case in which he is charged with Receiving/Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Aggravated Fleeing and the second, filed September 1 in which he is charged with Criminal Damage to Property $300-$10,000.

Cash bond in their more recent cases has been set at $1,000 each.

ATV stolen

In an unrelated story, George Fowler, 23, of 41 Old Cain Rd., Harrisburg, has been charged with one count of Theft over $500.

According to information filed in the case, on July 16, Fowler knowingly exerted unauthorized control over the property of Lashonna Deon Sayne identified as a 2004 ATV.

Fowler was released from custody after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Katie Marie Cox, 21, of 3700 Somer Set Rd., Harrisburg.

On the bond sheet, Fowler listed his address as 41 Old Cani Rd., Harrisburg.

Fowler is expected in court later this month.

Sherrod makes another Wal-Mart trip

Bad girl Tara Sherrod, 44, of 121 Wiley St., Carrier Mills, has found herself back in the headlines with another trip to the Harrisburg Wal-Mart, Nov. 13.

Sherrod has been charged with Retail Theft, again.

No itemized list was provided for what the plump pilferer allegedly took this time.

Her criminal records includes:

*   2006 Aggravated Battery in a Public Place, Disorderly Conduct. Pled to disorderly and was fined $1,000

*   2008 Bad Check conviction, sentenced to one year probation, ordered to pay $1,225 in fines and fees

*   2011 Retail Theft, fined $190

Sherrod gained extreme notoriety in August of 2012 after it came to light that she was a noted concubine of one of Harrisburg’s former bigwigs, Steve Patton, formerly of MediCap Pharmacy out on Commercial Drive in that town. Sherrod had long been connected with the then-married Patton, but only on a surreptitious level; once MediCap was raided (in early August 2012) and files gone through, and Sherrod and another Patton-concubine, Carolyn Glore McGhee, were identified as those who’d been receiving ‘favors’ of Patton in various forms, the gig was up and many believed Sherrod was going to fade away into obscurity.

That, obviously, was too much to ask; and now, Sherrod is expected back in court later this month.

SALINE CO.—The Saline County board ran into the same issue at their November 25 meeting that the city of Harrisburg did on their December 18 meeting: A tax increase that exceeded the amount that precludes a truth in taxation hearing prior to passage.

The county board, however, handled the matter a little more forthrightly than the city did, however…despite the gyrations it took to get there.

Old board, new board tasks

The Nov. 25 meeting was the last meeting before the newly-elected board members were seated. Before swearing in the new board, however, the old board had to set the budget and tax levy for the 2015 Fiscal Year.

The board first moved to pass the budget for the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year, which was passed unanimously. Secondary to that, the board was asked to pass the established tax levy for Saline County. As the motion was made and put up to vote, then-board member Danny Gibbs stopped the motion to inquire how much of an increase the new levy represented, in terms of percentage, before casting his vote.

Then county board member Danny Gibbs is shown here informing the rest of the board that he will not vote in favor of any tax levy over 4.99 percent. Come to find out that’s exactly what the board did only to rectify the situation during a special meeting held later.

“I’ll only move to pass the levy if the increase is less than 4.99, which is allowed without a truth in taxation hearing,” Gibbs stated.

The meeting stalled at this inquiry, and resumed when the room came back to life with an unsure answer, being that no one in the room was certain exactly what the percent of increase was

Saline County Tax Assessor Sheryl Pearce left the room as this discussion proceeded. The board members had not been supplied with any form of documentation on the tax levy as it was being presented at that meeting, but the board was told that those documents had been a part of the previous month’s packets for the purpose of review.

Pearce entered the room again as Gibbs voted with a “yes” to the levy, after being told it was less than the 4.99 percent increase that was allowable without a truth in taxation hearing. With the voting resumed, the levy was also passed unanimously.

As the meeting moved along, Pearce and Saline County Treasurer Danny Ragan gathered around the computer that Pearce had retrieved and brought back in to the meeting.

The two then delivered the bad news; the levy that the board had just passed actually came to a total of an 18 percent increase from the previous year’s levy.

With this revelation, the board was forced to rescind both the tax levy and the budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. With those actions taken, the county was faced with a choice; leave the budget and tax levy alone and hold a truth in taxation hearing, or reduce the tax levy and hold a special meeting to again pass the budget and levy for the new fiscal year.

The board opted to hold a special meeting, during which they would present the newly-reduced levy.

Back to the 4.99

On December 9, the special meeting was called to order, and Budget Committee Chairman Joe Jackson presented the newly reduced tax levy, which now fell under the required 4.99 percent.

The budget and levy were passed again at that time, and the county’s finances were set in stone for the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year.

While the actions of the board were not taken gracefully, and were clearly done with a degree of difficulty at each step, this is not the end of the fiscal issues and questions for the Saline County Officials.

During the November 25 meeting, the Budget Committee had prepared the budget and tax levy to accommodate the fiscal needs of the county’s offices and financial obligations. Those needs and obligations are what produced a tax increase of 18 percent. While the board chose to reduce the levy in order to keep the county residents’ tax bills at the lowest possible rate, this also resulted in reduced revenue for the county, which in turn hampers the county’s ability to float expenses. One example of this was briefly mentioned during the December 9 meeting, which was the fact that Saline County had been forced to pay IMRF pension expenses out of the Social Security fund. While this is an allowable movement of money, it is debatable whether or not this is in the county’s best interests.

What’s up with public defender contracts?

Another glitch in the financial shuffle was the late presentation of the Public Defender contracts for the State’s Attorney’s office.

Sources had indicated that Saline County State’s Attorney Mike Henshaw did not deliver the contracts to the Budget and Finance committee during the time when the budget was being written, but rather delivered it after the board discovered that the tax levies were over the allowable amount without a public hearing.

Henshaw, however, advised Disclosure that this was presumptive on the part of the source, and noted that it wasn’t his responsibility to provide said contracts, but was under the sole purview of Circuit Judge Walden Morris.

Ultimately, the county’s budget was set with lower tax revenue than would have been possible if the board had opted to hold a public hearing. That was certainly an issue, but not the greatest one in the minds of some of the county board member’s minds.

During the December 18 meeting, County Treasurer Danny Ragan issued the usual financial report showing the county was going to end the month $130,000 in the hole.

During the December 18 meeting, County Treasurer Danny Ragan issued the usual financial report, which is delivered every month during the regularly scheduled board meetings. While the report reflected only half of the first month of the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the report already reflected a deficit in revenue from the projected revenue by that point.

“The most important number on here, I think, is the one in the middle column, of how we are gonna end the month right now,” Ragan began his presentation. “And, that one shows that we are gonna be $130,000 in the hole.”

Shortfall through the jail

By the end of the 2013-2014 fiscal year, several accounts reflected the greatest shortcomings in revenue, and the concern that these same accounts would again fail to bring in the necessary revenue was already weighing on the minds of Saline County’s governing body. One of the greatest revenue deficits in the previous fiscal year was found in the shortcoming of housing revenue from the Saline County Detention Center. This did not go unnoticed by the Budget & Finance Committee Chairman Joe Jackson, who called out Saline County Sheriff Keith Brown on his failure to use the new detention center to bring in revenue for the county.

Jackson spoke about the original reason the new Saline County Detention Center was built, being that it was to be used to house both inmates from neighboring counties as well as federal inmates. The money paid to the Saline County Detention Center would then be used to pay for the new building, as well as bring in funding for the sheriff’s yearly budget, and finally to help the county’s budget.

Since the Saline County Detention Center was built, numerous sheriffs have come and gone in Saline County, Jackson noted.

“With the exception of Keith Brown,” Jackson said, “every sheriff has succeeded in bringing in inmates, keeping the beds of the jail full, and in turn keeping the county’s budget healthy and happy.”

Jackson stated that December is the only month when the board can really look and see how they did in the previous fiscal year, and December showed that the sheriff was behind by $100,000 in projected revenue at the end of the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

“I’ve harped on this, and I’ll continue to harp on it,” Jackson said. “That jail was meant to make revenue for the county.”

Solely Brown’s doing?

Jackson attributed the loss in projected revenue solely to the hands of the sheriff, saying “We would be more than a million dollars better off if he’d have done the housing (of) inmates in his tenure as the previous sheriffs did in theirs.” Jackson indicated that the jail was designed to be 20 percent larger than it would have been otherwise, specifically for the housing of inmates to produce revenue.

Prior to the general election, Jackson called Brown out on this matter during a board meeting when Brown was in attendance. Brown had explained that, at the time the jail was built, competition for inmates had not been as stiff as it is currently. Jackson wished aloud that Brown had been in attendance to hear him speaking about this again, not so they could argue, but so Jackson “could tell him the facts.” However, this wish was unlikely, as Brown rarely attends meetings.

“Something’s gotta give,” Jackson said, noting his displeasure in this matter was rooted deeply in the county’s financial woes. “Our budget over there (the Sheriff’s Department) is over $2,000,000. That’s over a third of our county’s general budget.”

Jackson did credit that the Safety Tax brought in approximately $1,500,000, all of which goes directly to the sheriff’s department.

“But on top of that,” Jackson stated, “we have to give him more! I’m sick of it.”

Jackson made it clear that he didn’t have a good answer, but that there would have to be something done. It may be a decrease in budget, or possibly ceasing to house prisoners, and sending Saline County’s inmates in other county’s jails.

Chairman Carey Harbison agreed, saying that something would have to be done, but that ultimately it would require work from both the Sheriff’s Department and the board.

Jackson asked Harbison if county elected officials could be required to attend meetings, to which Harbison replied that he had sent out a letter asking for exactly that, but he wasn’t sure they could be forced to attend.

Jackson stated that this was exactly what he wanted, and if elected county officials wouldn’t attend, the public had the right to know about that “failure.”

This discussion grew, and ultimately the majority of the board agreed that this was a festering sore on the county’s back, and that it just didn’t make sense to continue in this manner.

The assessor issue rears its ugly head again

In what might be one good note for the county’s residents, Saline County Tax Assessor Sheryl Pearce reported to the board that she expects the county to send out property tax bills by mid-summer, which would put the county back on track, and would save the citizens from having to pay their taxes at Christmas time.

Pearce said she felt optimistic that they could achieve this goal, and had already notified her staff that they would be putting in overtime at that time in order to make this goal a reality.

However, there is a possibility that the county might have to fight the same force that has held taxes up for the past several years, that being the township assessors who are responsible for turning in the assessments so that tax bills can be generated by Pearce’s office.

While fighting to get those assessments done in time is, and has been, a challenge, Pearce felt it was an achievable goal, there was one sour note to the tune: This year the township assessors have a requirement that only happens once every few years, and that is to assess every property in their township.

This statement caused a collective look of displeasure from the board, who ultimately asked Pearce to continue attending meetings and keep the board briefed on the progress that the township assessors have made, which will allow the board to keep the citizens apprised of the situation.

HARRISBURG—An increase in taxes—one that may or may not have barely made the cut for the city to not have to hold a “truth in taxation” hearing—was the big news at the last meeting of the Harrisburg city council for 2014.

If everyone’s math is on point, the city did not make it under the 5 percent wire that requires such a hearing (4.99 percent will do it). With this year’s tax levy coming in right at 5 percent on the dot, it’s unclear why no hearing was held prior to the passage of the levy.

However, that didn’t stop the city from plunging right ahead, and saying nothing at all about any truth in taxation hearing; so when tax bills for the city increase, the best residents can do is take it up with city leaders…since no one had the opportunity to do so in advance.

Busy first meeting

The meeting wherein the increase took place was the second in the month of December, held on the 18th; at the first meeting of the month, Dec. 4, the city was able to wrap up one major project that had been undertaken at the sewage treatment plant. The city had been working on a project with Haier Plumbing to install a new Rake Bar Screen to eliminate the flow of trash into the sewage processing system (which might not be necessitated if people would just PICK UP the trash floating around their yards and sidewalks). That project was completed with the payment of $117,494 out of the TIF funds.

In a separate project that was being done at the sewage treatment plant, Jim Brown, pseudo-engineer with Brown & Roberts engineering firm, notified the council that the additional riprap that had been needed for the sewage treatment plant had been approved under the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Grant that is being used to pay for the project. As such, Brown asked the council to approve a payment for the riprap to Mott Excavating out of the EDA grant for a total of $273,817 for the completion of the project. Commissioner Ron Fearheiley made the motion to approve the payment to Mott Excavating, and Commissioner Bart Schiff seconded the motion.

Also related to the work done to the sewage treatment plant, the council moved to pay Haier Plumbing a total of $12,425 for a series of pipes and valves that had been replaced after they had failed and cracked during construction at the plant.

Water, sewer and Smuggler’s

These were not the only water and sewer related projects that the council addressed.

Additional to these projects, Brown presented the council with a final pay estimate for Mott Excavating in the amount of $11,998 for the new Lagoon Emergency Outfall project. This project was undertaken earlier in the year by the city council in an effort to stem the flooding issues that Harrisburg has faced in recent years.

The council had also undertaken the new project of installing sewer and water lines to the new Cummins Commercial Subdivision in the previous month’s meetings. Brown first reported that the council needed to pay Dean Bush Construction a total of $83,854 for the installation of the new lines, which was approved. This project was reported by Brown as staying within budget, even with a requested change order for $5,200 for the separation of the water and sewer lines. Brown reported that, at that time, the sewer lines still needed to be tested, but that aside, the project had gone according to plan.

In new projects that the city planned to undertake, the city attorney, Todd Bittle, reported that the purchase agreement for the old Smuggler’s Restaurant/Dragon Garden Buffet was nearly ready, and presented it to the council. With the correction of a few typing errors, Bittle reported it would be ready for signatures soon. The total amount of money that the City of Harrisburg has received in grants from FEMA for this project equals $210,500, of which $139,000 will be applied to the purchase of the derelict restaurant. The cost of the project had not yet been determined.

Electric service aggregation

Bittle also brought to the council an ordinance that would allow the aggregation of the city’s electric services to the ballots during the April 7 election. If passed by the voters, the city would aggregate electric services through Select Energy to all residents and small commercial properties, unless those individuals and business’ opted out of the program. This ordinance was passed, thereby replacing a previously passed ordinance from December 2013 that had carried “miscommunications” to Select Energy. Bittle then asked the council to approve Mayor Dale Fowler to act as an approved person to sign a contract with Select Energy. The council also passed this request.

In good news for the city, Fearheiley announced that the city’s premiums for city employees’ insurance would not go up in the coming year. That being said, Fearheiley still wished to meet with Bittle to work on establishing the restricted fund for the payment of health insurance costs, and moved to approve City Clerk Sally Wofford to sign the health insurance contract. The motion carried, and the council gave their blessings on the pursuit of a restricted insurance fund.

Before closing the meeting, Mayor Fowler moved to appoint Jim Guard to the Board of Fire and Police Commission for a three-year term. This motion was seconded by Schiff, and unanimously approved during a role call.

Tacking that tax increase on

During the December 18 meeting of the Harrisburg City Council, other than the 5 percent tax increase, the council faced even less work.

After the passing of the consent agenda, the meeting moved right along to commissioner’s reports. With Schiff having nothing to address, Fearheiley took the floor. First, Fearheiley noted that he wished to table the matter of the Health Insurance Restricted Fund pending “some clarification from the auditor.”

Fearheiley then moved to pass the 2015-2016 Tax Levy Ordinance, as the Tax Levies had been posted in the City Clerk’s office for the required two weeks. With that, the Council passed the ordinance setting the Tax Levies for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The levies for the new fiscal year totaled $1,594,215, which is being drawn from the General Corporate tax, Garbage Disposal, Police pension, fireman pension, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, Municipal Audit, ESDA, Unemployment Insurance, Workman’s Compensation, Medicare, Social Security, Insurance & Tort Liability. This new Tax Levy was raised from the previous year’s levy, which totaled $1,518,300, for an overall increase of $75,915. This is a 5 percent increase from the previous tax year, which exceeds the 4.99 percent allowable increase without a public Truth in Taxation public hearing.

Mayor Dale Fowler then took the floor, announcing that he wished to make an appointment to the Emergency Management Coordinator’s position. Mayor Fowler then announced the appointment of Curtis Rowland, which was subsequently passed by the council, and Rowland was sworn into his office.

With no action taken during executive session, Mayor Fowler adjourned the meeting, wishing everyone a Happy New Year, and not addressing any truth in taxation matter at all.

SALINE CO.— An Eldorado teen has been charged with an act of violence after authorities say he entered an occupied home and attacked someone inside.

Dillon A. Street, 18, of 1320 South McKinley St., Harrisburg, has been charged with Criminal Trespass to an Occupied Residence and Battery.

According to information filed in the case, on November 16, Street entered the home of Ashley N. Clark, 31, of 2408 Eldorado, at a time when he knew one or more persons were in the residence.

Once inside police say Street made physical contact with Jared Brown by hitting him.

Street was released from custody Dec. 5, after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Michelle Unthank, of 2870 Douglas Rd., Eldorado.

Fractured jaw

In an unrelated case, Joseph Lee Pate, 20, of 1950 North 570 East, Sidell, has been charged with one count of Aggravated Battery after authorities say on October 7, he caused great bodily harm to Joe A. Billips when he struck Billips in the face causing multiple fractures to the right jaw area.

Cash bond in the case has been set at $2,500.