SALINE CO.— An Eldorado man whose charges of theft of a four-wheeler were featured in the last issue has moved to Harrisburg and has been charged with the same offense in a different case.

And one of his buddies from that arrest has been charged in the new case right along with him.

It is unclear if Zachary Allen Russel, 27, of 703 South Ledford St., Harrisburg, and Donald Deon Harris, 56, at 603 Madison St., Eldorado, steal ATVs for a living or if they just needed drug money.

At any rate, Russel, his buddy Harris and Tony D. Patrick, 30, of 7998 Grater Rd., Equality were charged last month with Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle identified as a 2002 red Yamaha Big Bear 4-wheeler.

This issue features Russel and Harris being charged with Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, identified as a 2006 Yamaha Raptor 4-wheeler.

Russel is a convicted meth felon having been found guilty September 1, 2011 of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.

Harris currently has a pending case in Saline from August in which he is charged with Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine.

In May of this year Patrick, along with Hardin County notable Leslie E. Alyse Williams, 18, of Largent Street in Harrisburg, were both charged in Kentucky with possessing marijuana, a plastic baggie full of a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for meth, and a “large sum of money.”

During an interview, Patrick told one of the officers that the stolen ATV had been at the South Webster home of Christine Rovito, 43.

Rovito has a pending case in Saline County from March 21, 2015 in which she is charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine 15-100 grams and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (Alprazolam).

Russel was bonded out of jail on last month’s charge to the tune of $1,500 cash by David Williams, of 510 Cherry St., Rosiclare, father of Leslie E. Alyse Williams, former running buddy of Tony Patrick.

Cash bond in Russel’s latest case was set at $1,000.

Golconda man charged with stolen weapons

Ryan W. Dixon, 38, of Rural Rte. 1, Box 175A, Golconda, has been charged with three felony counts after authorities say he stole weapons from the Harrisburg Rural King.

The investigation into Dixon actually began internally at Rural King.

Local authorities were contacted August 12 and informed of the missing weapons.

Authorities were told that the store was in the process of conducting an internal investigation and just wanted the weapons reported as missing in order to have a number for the ATF should they suddenly surface.

Seven days later, August 17, authorities were contacted with the results of the internal investigation.

Authorities were told that Dixon had confessed.

When he spoke with officers, Dixon admitted taking the weapons and told them he felt he was suffering from a mental disorder brought on by his step-children and money problems.

Dixon was taken into custody and charged with one count of Aggravated Possession of a Stolen Firearm namely one each Taurus M65 .357 magnum revolver, Sig Sauer SP2022 pistol, Sig Sauer .223 rifle, Springfield XDS slide pistol, Sig Sauer P226 pistol, Glock G19 9 mm pistol and one Hi-Point 9 mm rifle.

Dixon was also charged with two counts of Retail Theft.

Cash bond in the case was set at $2,000.

SALINE CO.— A local Inn has joined the ranks of businesses in the area that have been the victim of theft, but the local Walmart seems to remain a favorite with local thieves.

A Harrisburg teen has been charged with felony Theft after authorities says she slid a credit card amount away from her place of employment and onto the credit card of her babydaddy.

According to police reports, on July 30, at approximately 11:07 p.m. Harrisburg Police Sgt. Bob Smith responded to a call from Quality Inn owner Naresh Patel, 51, of 19 Cherry Tree Place, Harrisburg, who said he had an employee who had taken money from his business.

When Sgt. Smith arrived at Quality Inn, located at 100 Seright St., Harrisburg, he spoke with Patel and the evening desk employee Crystal Mitchell, 31, of West Barnett St., Harrisburg.

Smith was informed that Mitchell had been running the evening audit and found that $600 was missing.

Patel said when he contacted his credit card machine company he discovered that the amount had been refunded to a Keegan French.

Mr. French, Patel knew, was the father of a child of one of his desk clerks identified as Chelsea V. Prestenbach, 19, of the 900 block of West Barnett St., Harrisburg.

When Prestenbach came to work that night at 11:59 p.m. she was taken into custody.

During an interview Prestenbach admitted that she had transferred the funds.

Cash bond in the case was set at $1,000.

Hunting knife in pants

A Rosiclare convicted felon has been charged with swiping merchandise from the Harrisburg Walmart.

According to information filed in the case, on August 15, at approximately 3:20 p.m., Harrisburg officer Terry Sisky responded to Walmart on a report of a shoplifter.

When Sisky arrived he spoke with loss prevention agent Matt Stanton who informed Sisky that he watched as James K. Huettemann, 30, of Williams St., Rosiclare, selected a hunting knife from the sporting goods department.

Stanton said he spotted Huettemann looking at the security cameras as if he were watching for something.

Stanton said Huettemann then walked around the store for some time and after a while opened the package that contained the knife and stuck the knife in his front pocket.

Huettemann was then observed by Stanton meeting up with two females whom he joined.

Stanton said Huettemann walked through checkout with the girls as they paid for their items and then walked out of the store.

And that about the time Stanton and loss prevention agent Ryne Johnson stopped Huettemann, brought him back inside the store and contacted police.

Huettemann was convicted February 16, 2010 of felony Retail Theft for which he was sentenced to 60 days in the county jail, probation for two years and ordered to pay $786 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $284.

Marion man runs like little girl

A Marion man who ran from the Harrisburg Walmart like a scared little girl was nabbed nearby and charged with Theft.

On August 16 at approximately 5:05 p.m. Harrisburg officers responded to yet another report from loss prevention agent Matt Stanton reporting that he had one shoplifter in custody at the store and another who took off running on foot.

Upon arrival officers were informed by Stanton that he had watched a female, identified as Wendi A. Tennyson, select two eye liners and lip stick and hand them to Tyler Scott Kipping, 26, of 12855 Kyler Crt., Marion.

Stanton said as he continued to watch he saw Kipping cut open a DVD player box and shoved the player down the front of his pants.

Waiting until both Tennyson and Kipping left the store, Stanson quickly caught up with the pair and escorted them back into the store.

As they walked back into the store Kipping is said to have taken the DVD player, remote and cables out of his pants and shove them into one of the carts at the entrance.

And that’s about the time Stanton said Kipping got nervous and took off running leaving Ms. Tennyson to face the music by herself.

No better at escape and evasion than he was at shoplifting, Kipping was nabbed hanging out at the Dairy Queen across the street.

He was taken into custody and charged with Theft.

Mr. Kipping has quite a record in Williamson County including a June 16, 2010 conviction for Burglary for which he was sentenced to 102 days in the county jail, probation for 48 months and ordered to pay $1,543 in fines and fees.

In a stunning display of stupidity, Kipping was arrested and convicted nearly one year later, June 24, 2011, of Burglary which earned him a sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections of five years and $398 in fines and fees.

At the time of his arrest in Harrisburg, Kipping was out on bond from Williamson County on a February 12, 2013 charge of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.

He was also serving a sentence of conditional discharge for 18 months after he was convicted March 19, 2015 of Criminal Trespass to Land.

He still owes $285 in fines and fees from that case.

Cash bond in Kipping’s Saline County case was set at $1,000.

It is not clear whether or not Ms. Tennyson was charged.

SALINE CO.— As of press time of this issue (August 23), a Marion man was being sought on an outstanding Saline County warrant charging him with Attempted First Degree Murder.

According to preliminary details released in the case, on August 20, Rodney D. Brooks, 28, of 1307 West Main St., Marion, knowingly and without authority entered the home of Amanda Brooks, located at 401 Raymond St., Harrisburg at a time when he knew that one or more people were present at the home and while there, repeatedly stabbed, with intent to kill, Brooks about her body with a knife.

Anyone with knowledge as to the whereabouts of Rodney D. Brooks is asked to contact their local police department.

In addition to the murder charge, Brooks also faces one felony count of Home Invasion.

Cash bond in the case has been set at $10,000.

Barb Wingo, shown in inset over the property where the office of the Anna Bixby Women’s Center are located adjacent to the park in Harrisburg, is said to still be puling strings behind the scenes at the center, despite being forcibly removed from the board and from the position of director after her indictments in March of this year on a multitude of very serious charges. Sources associated with the place say that Wingo might have been the driving force behind the OPs taken out recently against Barbara Ray and Debbie Ramsey.

SALINE/HARDIN COs.—As if the Anna Bixby Women’s Center debacle couldn’t get more bizarre, the filing of Emergency Stalking/No-Contact Orders in both Saline and Hardin counties by the agency’s newest hire just took the whole matter a step beyond.

Breauna Kumorek, all of 20 and from Elizabethtown, is the new hire. And she is one of two who, on August 12, attempted to take out the ESNCO, these against Barbara Ray, who was appointed director of the ABWC board by the Attorney General’s office when former director Barbara Wingo was charged on a multi-felony indictment earlier this year.

Kid in charge/under charges

Bre Kumorek is the granddaughter of Diane Kumorek, who is running ABWC – a domestic violence agency designed to assist women and children living with that scourge – since Wingo has been gone. Bre Kumorek was recently hired to be a “children’s advocate” at the facility, despite having no qualifications whatsoever to perform such a role, as well as despite being under felony drug charges herself in her home county of Hardin, this coming to the fore in early July, when she was popped as part of a drug sting in Hardin, her part in it being that she allegedly sold her Ritalin to a confidential informant.

ABWC sources have advised that Kumorek’s “qualifications” are that she’s a babysitter, and that she alone, among those left at the center after the fall-apart in March, has had a 40-hour “crisis hotline” course.

The whole thing stands as a display of how far the women’s center, since the indictments of Wingo and her daughter, Terrie Eichorn, has fallen.

How much further it will fall lies in whether the authorities will step in and wrest control of the center from Wingo, however…since it’s being reported that she’s running it behind the scenes thanks to Diane Kumorek.

Ranted in two counties

Bre Kumorek’s rantings in the ESNCO – in both counties – brought the matter back to the fore.

The unfortunate-toothed and perpetually-selfie-taking Breauna Kumorek, shown here in her natural habitat, is now manning a desk at ABWC as a “children’s advocate” at the center. Her qualifications, according to those associated with ABWC, are that she’s been a babysitter, and she’s one of the few still remaining at the center who has gone through the 40-hour training course for the “crisis hotline” the place uses.

On August 12, in her petition, she wrote “Tuesday, August 4, Barbara and Debbie came upstairs at ABWC, where the fire doors are to stay locked and shut.”

Debbie Ramsey is a friend of Barbara Ray’s.

“Debbie came up first and beat on the door screaming that the door was not to be shut and that I better unlock it and let her in now!” the petition went on to state. “When I got to the door and opened it she repeated herself, Barbara was coming up now. I tried to tell Debbie that the door locks automatically, there is no unlocking it and the fire marshal says it does have to stay shut.

“That’s when Barbara got in my face screaming in the hall which is a little square, that I was not to talk to Debbie, she backed me up against my door. Thursday August 6 Barbara came upstairs again yelling and yelling through the door, I opened it and she said to come with her, I asked what for? She replied with you’ll see over there. So I started out the door when she grabbed my sleeve and tried to lead me down the stairs, I pulled away and told her to ‘let go, I’m not a dog’ she got mad and started yelling again I just went into my directors office, she followed telling my director I was insuboreinant (sic) and horrible worker etc.”

Of course, her “director” is Diane Kumorek, her grandmother.

Fox piles on

Alongside the Saline County petition by Breauna Kumorek was a nearly-identical but barely-legible petition from Adrienne Fox.

Fox is on the board of directors for ABWC, along with Ray.

Fox also is a former client who resided in an ABWC-owned house, provided through state grants and there for victims of domestic violence as a “safe house” to reside in while going through court proceedings or getting away from abusive spouses/significant others, until October of 2014 when the entire grand jury investigation kicked off and everybody had to give up their cushy benefits being provided by ABWC if they were individuals whom Wingo favored.

There didn’t appear to be an OP filed by Fox in Hardin County.

Judge said ‘no’

It appears the filing was first made by Kumorek in Hardin County, where she was told by the judge, Paul Lamar, on August 11, that the request was going to be denied. At that point it appears she told the judge that she would take up the matter in Saline County.

The judge scratched out his record sheet entry, so it’s very difficult to ascertain exactly what he was trying to indicate on it, other than the petition was dismissed, and the petition was going to file in Saline County.

However, in Saline, Judge Todd Lambert refused to grant the matter on an “emergency” basis because it was filed under Stalking/No-Contact, which by statute requires that two or more instances of stalking must take place before any emergency status can be conferred to it, and before it can be granted.

Therefore, Lambert set the matter over for a plenary order hearing on August 29, wherein Kumorek can plead her case again, only not on an emergency basis.

Apparently Kumorek is going to have to come up with another instance of what she considers “stalking” by Ray before the judge is going to grant any such sort of a thing.

Why Kumorek didn’t just call the law and report an assault and battery by Ray and Ramsey (since someone grabbed her sleeve and dragged her along) to local police is unknown…unless it’s Anna Bixby’s policy to ensure that the use (and abuse) of orders of protection continue in Saline County circuit court.

Center’s meltdown

The entire debacle is one that is a perfect display of the slow meltdown Anna Bixby is experiencing in the wake of the grand jury indictments.

It’s reported that the current board – necessitated when the Illinois Attorney General’s office filed a Chancery suit in Saline County to dissolve the then-existing board when the indictments were issued – was seated in toto when Diane Kumorek, who took over for Wingo in directing the place, brought in a batch of people to the courtroom, and the IAG approved them all.

Among that bunch were Ray, as well as another former client, Charlotte Parrish.

Regular readers will recall that Barbara Ray is the mother of child murderer Ricky Turner, who is spending life in prison over his various crimes, including the killing of four-year-old Jessika James in 2009.

Regular readers will also recall that Ray venomously defended her son before, during and throughout the 2013 trial, going so far as to get into vicious online arguments with Disclosure about the innocence of her son when the evidence clearly showed otherwise.

What she’s doing on the board of such an important women-and-children’s domestic violence center, therefore, is one of those mysteries that stands in stark contrast to what ABWC is all about.

Sources advise that Ray’s presence on the board, like Kumorek’s presence flying a desk at the actual facility at its location next to the park in Harrisburg, is only explainable in connection with Wingo, who likes to keep the thing close-knit, and since Diane Kumorek is running the facility, it must be okay for her grandchild to be there too, despite the fact that the younger Kumorek is a Kyle Eichorn discard, this Eichorn being Wingo’s only grandchild and a boy facing his own serious problems with drug and alcohol abuse following a felony conviction in Saline this year.

Sources also advise, however, that somehow, Wingo and Ray have recently had a falling out, which might account for the obtuse behavior recently toward Kumorek.

And while Barb Wingo is not supposed to be having any kind of directoral impact toward Anna Bixby, it’s being indicated that she most certainly is, having meetings at Diane Kumorek’s house on Tuesday and Thursday nights nearly every week.

These same sources indicate that it was very likely Wingo’s suggestion to both Bre Kumorek and Adrienne Fox to take out the failed Emergency Stalking/No-Contact Orders.

Wingo and her daughter Terrie Eichorn aren’t scheduled to be back in court on the hefty charges involving abuse of state funds and other incredible alleged abuses at ABWC until October.

Sources in Harrisburg have advised that while they seemed bulled-up and defiant at previous court hearings, of late, both women have seemed somewhat deflated, and while talk of a jury trial for each was all that was going on throughout the Spring, now, there’s talk of a plea deal.

The IAG’s attorney on the matter, Jonas Harger, has been quoted by many at the courthouse as saying that “a plea deal isn’t going to happen.”

SALINE CO.—No arrests had been made by late August in a shooting incident that occurred in the city of Harrisburg mid-month, however, authorities are saying charges are pending once the investigation is complete.

And despite the fact that these same authorities are being very tight-lipped about the matter, Disclosure has been able to learn from friends and family just what happened on the afternoon of Saturday, August 15, at a residence on Lincoln Street on the south side of Harrisburg.

The residence is ostensibly the home of James E. Hayes, 35, a cocaine felon in Saline County who has recently gotten in trouble over leveling threats at an ex-girlfriend involving nude selfies of her, of which he has possession.

The word “ostensibly” is used because apparently, Hayes believes himself to be slick enough to try and convince authorities that he’s not really living there, therefore, the weapons found on the premises, which “weren’t his” and so in turn he “wasn’t in possession of them,” can’t be charged against him.

However, that’s not exactly how it works.

And given the fact that a six-year-old child and another person in the home were both shot in the incident gives rise to a much more serious problem than just Felon in Possession of a Weapon, which is but one of the multitude of counts that could be charged in the matter.

Bizarre living arrangements

The situation within the residence is bizarre enough in its details to begin with.

Residing in the Lincoln Street home supposedly are Hayes, his wife Dana Vick Hayes, 32; their teenage daughter together, Brianna; and James Hayes’ new babymomma, Taylor Patterson, 22, of Galatia. The offspring of Hayes and Patterson, who is still just an infant, also resides in the home.

Whether Hayes is a major proponent of free love or is trying out the polygamy angle in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that ruled basically, traditional marriage is out the window, is unknown, but those are the living arrangements.

Disclosure has been advised that Patterson’s family in Galatia are fairly incensed over said living arrangements.

Be that as it may, on the afternoon of Aug. 15, Hayes wasn’t in the home.

Instead, Patterson and Dana Hayes were present when Patterson’s father Joe stopped by with his six-year-old grandson, Taylor Patterson’s nephew.

The two had been there about five minutes, and the little boy was playing while the adults were sitting around the coffee table (or some such piece of furniture) on which there sat a semi-automatic handgun, caliber undisclosed by authorities.

Weapon discharges

Stories diverge at this point.

Those in the home say that the little boy ran up against the coffee table or into it, and, in so bumping it, caused the weapon to discharge.

Authorities, however, are indicating that the child actually handled the weapon, causing it to discharge.

Whatever the case, the weapon was loaded, cocked, and sitting out on the table in plain sight where the little boy could come in contact with it.

The round that discharged actually grazed the child’s right buttock and hit Dana Hayes in the knee.

The wound to the little boy, while authorities wouldn’t say exactly how it occurred (as in, from what angle), was officially termed “allegedly self-inflicted,” the term ‘allegedly’ being used only as a formality pending the outcome of the investigation.

The wound to the little boy wasn’t as significant as the one to the Missus Hayes, but according to those who talked to him later, “he wasn’t inclined to sit down.”

Dana Hayes’ wound, according to those who saw it amounted to “her knee is a mess.”

The law steps in

Into all this, the law stepped, as any gunshot wound, self-inflicted, accidental, etc., must be investigated.

Authorities were told that the weapon, as well as others in the home, was registered to Dana Hayes, who is a valid FOID card holder.

However, these authorities said that until the ATF and another registration agency concludes an investigation, that registration/ownership cannot be definitively proven.

The greater problem is the fact that the weapons were out and accessible – as well as loaded – in a home where a convicted felon ostensibly resides.

Naturally, those in the Lincoln Street home are not cooperating much with the investigation according to authorities, and so making a conclusive determination of James Hayes’ actual living arrangements has proven somewhat daunting.

The fear, it appears, is that Dana Hayes will somehow get in trouble.

Authorities in Saline say that her level of culpability lies not in the fact that a felon was in the home with access to her weapons (if indeed they are hers), but in the fact that the child had access to them with her present in the room.

If a convicted felon is in a home where weapons are not stored/secured away and out of reach, it is incumbent upon the felon, officials said, to ensure that either the weapons are kept away from him…or that he keeps himself away from the weapons. The responsibility does not lie on the gun owner at that point; it lies only on the felon.

Fingerprinting the weapons, therefore, might prove valuable in determining exactly the culpability of all persons.

Right now, the max charge anyone could be facing is Endangering the Life or Health of a Child against Dana Hayes, as it would have been her responsibility, as a gun owner and one actually present in the home, to ensure that a child didn’t have access to a loaded weapon.

There might also be a situation emerging as to the fact that there is a licensed daycare very close to the property where the incident occurred.

But no charges have been filed, and the Saline County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case until more information is turned in.

Meanwhile, James Hayes’ next court hearing on the Intimidation case, wherein he is charged with attempting to secure money from a former girlfriend by using nude selfies she sent him (it’s unclear in the scheme of things where this girlfriend fits in, as it appears she’s married, just like Hayes is) has been set for October 16.

Steven Wagoner, Saline County mugshot

SALINE CO., Ill. - The resolution of a sex offender's case in Saline County Circuit Court has finally been accomplished, according to a press release by the state's attorney's office.

In it, they've announced that Steven L. Wagoner, 44, of Carrier Mills, was sentenced today (Tuesday, August 25, 2015) in Saline Circuit Court to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on sex charges.

In a negotiated plea agreement with the State, Wagoner pled guilty to four counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, Class 2 felonies, admitting he had committed acts of sexual conduct upon a 5 to 6 year old child over the course of one year beginning in October 2013.

A prior conviction for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child in 2001 subjected him to an extended term sentence in the current case; and he is required to register as a sex offender for life upon release.

Pope County Circuit Judge Joe Leberman presided. Assistant State’s Attorney Eva Walker handled the case for the State.

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Foster

SALINE CO., Ill.--An Eldorado man has been charged with multiple felony counts of cild sex abuse dating back almost ten years.

And according to information gathered in the investigation, the victim is his own daughter.

Jacob Lawrence Foster, 33, of Eldorado, is accused of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child in the first county, which is at least one incident of oral sex on the child occurring between October 1, 2005 and May 31, 2006 with a child who was 5 and 6 years old at the time.

A second count lists the same charge and same time frame on the same child, but this incident involves digital penetration.

The third count is the one dating back to 2010, in which he's again accused of performing oral sex on the same child, who was by that time 10 years of age.

All counts are Class X felonies.

Our sources are saying there may be more charges to follow.

Foster was taken into custody late last week; charges were filed this week.

We'll have more as the situation is updated.

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Joseph Robertson

U.S. DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS - Joseph Scott Robertson, 45, of Eldorado, Illinois, was sentenced on August 26, 2015, in United States District Court in Benton to 14 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute four ounces of highly pure methamphetamine (commonly known as “crystal” or “ice”) and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The offenses occurred on August 19, 2014, in Eldorado.

Evidence introduced in support of the guilty plea and sentence showed that in August 2014 Robertson took delivery of four ounces of methamphetamine that had been sent to him through a commercial carrier service, but was intercepted by law enforcement before its delivery. The delivery to Robertson was made by an undercover law enforcement agent.

A subsequent search of the residence Robertson was living in revealed $18,845 in cash which Robertson admitted was obtained from the sale of methamphetamine, delivery receipts for numerous other shipments of methamphetamine he had previously received, and a .38 caliber revolver Robertson admitted he possessed to protect his drugs and cash.

Robertson had previously been convicted of several felony offenses.  Laboratory tests conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration showed that the methamphetamine Robertson possessed was 100% pure.

In addition to the 14 year prison sentence, Robertson was ordered to pay fines and special assessments totaling $400 to the United States and was placed on a 4 year term of supervised release to follow his incarceration.

Following his sentencing, Robertson was returned to the custody of the United States Marshal, where has been held without bond since his arrest on the federal charges in December, to await designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force with the assistance of the DEA.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.

Well, we're in the last days of August, actually, and the release date of the current issue was August 26...but it FEELS like September, and September is right around the corner, so SEPTEMBER it is!! At least for this issue.

And here it is...the end of our every-other-week run (for now). Did you enjoy it? Did you get lots of news? Let us know. We're going to get on with showing you what's in this issue, which, as in many cases before, is flying off the shelves and we're doing the best we can to keep up with it...so get out and get one, because here pretty soon, once they're gone, they're GONE, and you'll only be able to read many of this issue's articles online at the e-Edition. Which you can access, per story, by clicking the headline link if you have an online membership to the e-Edition. Print Headlines are a way for you to know what's in this issue, and we give them to you this way every issue, starting with dateline (the place in the coverage area where the action in the article occurred), headline line, and a brief synopsis in our own irreverent style. Print Headlines are laid out in the manner they're presented in the paper: Front Page, Back Page (our second front page), page 2, page 3, features if there are any (featured on pages 12 and 13), Egypt, Heartland, Central and Op-Ed. And so now, without any further ado, here's September 2015's PRINT HEADLINES!

FRONT PAGE

One of the multitude of images that's helping move this issue FAST

RICHLAND CO. - Car crash, one left, two flee: One of the huge stories this issue that's making this one fly off the shelves: The accident that occurred on Illinois 250 and Higgin Switch Road in Richland county's kept quiet in early August for investigative purposes. Considering who was involved in it, you'll fully understand why. Don't diss our sheriff's department for not letting anyone know the specifics earlier; they were doing their jobs, and they did them WELL. When you read this article, you'll see how and where.

James E. Hayes. Is he constipated? Bulking up? Evading questioning? Who knows.

SALINE CO. - Gunshot incident being investigated: This shooting incident occurred a couple of weeks ago and then seemingly fell off the radar. Wait til you read the full details...you'll then understand why it only has APPEARED to have fallen off the radar, when in actuality...it's still simmering back there, on the back burner.

LAWRENCE CO. - Charged in fatal DUI crash; Are child sex abuse counts next? Everybody will remember when we reported on the horrific August 9 rear-end collision in Lawrence County just across the river from Vincennes. What everybody might not know is about an investigation that may have led to the alleged erratic and irresponsible acts of the driver who collided and killed another on that day. Here's the full story, and it's pretty hard to take; be prepared.

CLAY CO. - Explosion at The Ridge: Lots of confusion occurred in mid-August surrounding this story; we attempted to sort it out and presented snippets here and here. However, the full story is here at the headline link. Be sure you read it; and if you want a print version of this one, you'd better hurry, as everybody has been selling out quickly and in a couple of cases, restocked already.

BACK PAGE

CRAWFORD CO. - Tragic car crash in Crawford: A preview, as it turns out, of the big article about this incident from July that we have coming up in the September 16 edition. Don't miss it. We have exclusive pics and information.

WHITE CO. - Sex offender's pregnant girlfriend joins him in jail: So everybody in White County now knows who Jacob Holland is - a sex offender. And now, he's breeding...and now, his bad habits have carried over to his babymomma. At least they're in jail together.

Willow Long

EFFINGHAM CO. - Willow Long Memorial, two years later: A sad reminder, via feature photo, of that day two years ago when we learned of the horror surrounding the death of 7-year-old Willow Long.

CORRECTION/AMPLIFICATION: Correcting the big faux pas we had on the front page of the August 2015 issue, as well as a little one we had on page 3.

PAGE 2

The audience at last week's County Board Whiteash-themed meeting

WILLIAMSON CO. - Village in limbo has debt, water problems; county left to handle it: There was a special Williamson County Board meeting called just this morning to address this. Looks like they might have some of it under control...which might be to say, maybe it wasn't QUITE as bad as Johnston City was making it out to be...?

PAGE 3

HARDIN CO. - County's Housing Authority "One Strike You're Out" criminal policy: Is it legal? We're not asking if it is or is not okay to have such a thing. What we're asking is...with the way this thing is worded, it simply isn't constitutional. And so someone with a law degree might want to get in there and make sure that it says what it MEANS, not just what they're "hoping to get across."

FEATURE, PAGE 12

Hm. This kind of art might be why Hardin Countians are dreading this. But...No zombies will be present. We promise.

HARDIN CO. - First European-style open-air metal festival calls Southern Illinois its home: There have been quite a few in Hardin County balking about this - which is usually the case, and who can blame them, with the Juggalos having frequented the area annually for so long - but this isn't quite as bad as all that. No drug bridges, etc. Just loud music. Check it out.

FEATURE, PAGE 13

MARION - EPA Meeting/Open Burning Permit Violations by Marion Heights LLC: Just when you thought Doug Bradley couldn't get more obvious...along comes the heavy machinery out in plain sight, where he, well...couldn't get more obvious. This is the first of a two-parter you're going to want to read...because when does the IEPA do its job, and when do they just kinda casually whistle and look the other way? This will tell it...and you'd better watch out, because YOU could be next.

EGYPT

SALINE/HARDIN COs. - Anna Bixby employee takes out Orders of Protection against members of the board: The Anna Bixby crew more or less exist thanks to Stalking/No Contact Orders and Orders of Protection. However, what happens when the next OP is internal? That question isn't exactly answered here...but it makes for some interesting copy. Read it and see.

SALINE CO. - Marion man charged with attempted murder of Harrisburg woman: Apparently, no one told this Brooks guy that it would just be a really bad idea to come to Saline County and allegedly try to kill someone...Mike Henshaw don't play.

SALINE CO. - Marion Man, Rosiclare man and Harrisburg woman charged with theft: Talk about your crossovers! And the stuff they're accused of pulling...man. Short of actually picking their brains, there's no way we'll likely ever know WHY this particular circumstance ever happened.

GALLATIN CO. - Shawneetown appears to be focus of county criminal activity: Gallatin County was slow these past couple of weeks. That's okay. They needed a break after the previous several weeks.

SALINE CO. - Members of meth-connected ATV theft ring now facing additional charges; multiple weapons stolen from Rural King: If you own an ATV in Saline County, watch out. It's like every sticky-fingered vehicle thief wants it. And the weapons...? Well, just read the article to see.

HARRISBURG - No smart meter here: We like our SmartCars, we like our smart phones...but we refused to have a smart meter installed at the Harrisburg house. We sent a letter to Ameren telling them we don't want it, and they sent a tech out to tag the existing meter so that future techs won't come out and install one by mistake. So we took a pic of the guy doing just this, for posterity.

SALINE CO. - 'Rado crim who owes $12,000+ in back fines and fees busted again: They keep giving this guy a chance to stay out from behind bars and earn a living so he can PAY his fines and fees, and he keeps getting in trouble. I think it's time to shut the door on him and do a write-off.

HARDIN CO. - Hardin County prosecutor burdened by crime wave: Are we being facetious...? Perhaps. The Tara-ble truth awaits you in this article.

SALINE CO. - Galatia man charged with aggravated battery of a child after drunken beating of his nine-year-old son: The kid's old enough to tell about it. It's about time someone did something about it, before the kid's not around to TELL...which is what a lot of abusers ultimately get themselves, and their victims, into. Think Ricky Turner.

SALINE CO. - Bank statements hidden beneath panties: Hey. Get your mind out of the gutter; it's not what you think! Okay...well...maybe it IS what you think.

SALINE CO. - Daughter charged with pulling clumps of mother's hair out: They took em out of the institutions and thought they could solve the problem with "medication"...but there are some things that even THAT won't fix.

HEARTLAND

EDGAR CO. - Why is board member so scared of Bogue...& why did he lie about police background? You can always count on at least ONE Edgar County public official per issue to be dishonest. In this one, he's not only being dishonest, but he's stepping in big piles of poo while doing so. You gotta read it to see.

CRAWFORD CO. - Five-count criminal drug case puts Oblong man on the hotseat: One of the most major drug reports we've seen coming out of Crawford County in quite some time.

JASPER CO. - Altered pee and escape charged in latest Jasper County criminal files sweep: You'd think that by now, unless you have something surgically implanted, you're not going to be able to foil a drug screen (and even then, it'd be iffy.) But..determined crims are gonna try.

JASPER CO. - Jasper man charged in sexual assault: It isn't very often that it occurs in little Jasper County, but it does occur...and here it is.

JASPER CO. - DUI suspect said to be so drunk he handed police officer debit card instead of license: "Here ya go, ossifer...mah PIN number is XXXX...at least, thayut's whut it wuz (*hic*) layust tahm Ah checked"....No. It didn't quite go that way. But it brings to mind such images, yes?

CENTRAL

Will Krup and Madonna Peach

WABASH CO. - Prelims continued for pair accused of sexual assault of Indiana woman: Well, local mainstream media can't exactly overlook Willy Krup's sex assault charge...but they can pretend like it's not bothering them, by doing big feature articles on someone who's been a good advertiser for so many years. Does that work to get the public's mind off the alleged crime...? Probably not. Does it make you as MSM look pretty foolish...? I'm thinkin yeah.

Clifford Darrell. Still missing.

RICHLAND CO. - Man charged with disrupting funeral now reported missing: Talk about weird. If it's weird, though, it'll happen in Richland County. Maybe ol Durrl just went back to Salem, Oregon...?

Tim Highsmith

CLAY CO. - Mug causes grief among victims: Tim Highsmith. Look at his mug ^^^^^. Just LOOK AT IT. Then get back to me with what you think about it, since the owner of it is now the proud recipient of a lengthy sentence in DOC for nearly killing Jamey Tolliver.

RICHLAND CO. - Two-year OP granted for protection of family of trouble Olney man; voices telling him to 'kill them': We knew Tyler Leaf was a jerk and an idiot when he reacted this way when we made a typo regarding another Leaf related to him Zac, because we were tired last year. But "hearing voices telling him to kill" people...? Set down the bottle, son, and go home.

WHITE CO. - Bat attack and a broken window featured in roundup: The crimes against person/property report out of White County for just TWO WEEKS. Wth is going on...?

WABASH CO. - Battered wife, hot checks and unclothed buttocks featured in misdemeanor report: It could be worse. It could be an "unclothed hot wife battering buttocks and checking them." But then, it likely wouldn't be Wabash County. It'd be someplace weirder. You tell us what county YOU would attribute that altered headline to. We say Wayne. What say YOU?

LAWRENCE CO. - Meth-fueled car chase reaches 100 mph: Did we happen to mention that this occurred in Lawrence County...?

CLAY CO. - Fairfield doper facing extended sentence in Clay: Wait...we had a crossover that included somebody from WAYNE COUNTY...? Man, as much as we try to avoid that place...

WHITE CO. - Indiana man charged with sex crime in White County: He came all the way from Evanston, Ind., to commit a sex crime in White...allegedly, of course. But then again, the internet knows no distance, nor boundaries...and apparently, neither does this guy.

RICHLAND CO. - Olney man charged in beating of disabled woman: We are very fortunate to have a prosecutor in office in Richland who will actually charge this kind of thing now.

WABASH CO. - Allendale man suspected in debit card fraud case: A sort of an identity theft issue...but it's probably more along the lines of a 'greed' issue.

WABASH CO. - DUI suspect declares "I'm f&cking drunk!" Between the guy up in Crawford trying to hand the cop his debit card, and now this guy in Wabash being so brutally honest with police, it kinda looks like the alleged drunk drivers just need to hide their keys before they imbibe.

WHITE CO. - Enfield woman/convicted meth head charged in one-woman crime spree: The "convicted meth head" part is important; it not only explains her mugshot, but it also (sort of) explains the items that she allegedly stole.

CLAY CO. - Wandering Chestnutter and a stolen Mongoose in misdemeanor sweep: Some interesting misdemeanors coming out of Clay this issue.

HAMILTON CO. - Galatia man charged with $30,000 cash theft: Whoa. That's, like...wow...some of our federal crims didn't even get accused of taking THAT much.

WABASH CO. - Bone Gap man charged with kicking pregnant girl: Remember, ladies: If he'll kick you when the babe is in utero, after that kid it birthed he won't experience a significant change...it just gives him more people to kick.

LAWRENCE CO. - Meth cook charged in baseball bat attack: This guy doesn't know where he's from, or where he is, most of the time, apparently.

WHITE CO. - Two DUI alcohol and one DUI drugs charged in White: A bit of diversity for the DUI roundup from White County this issue.

WABASH CO. - Serial crim busted on dope charge: Hey. Don't knock those jail-size TV dinners...some of those crims LIKE that kinda food!

OP-ED

Danny K. Coston. And his beard.

SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE (Jack): When good things happen to bad people
ICY (Ang): Of drama queens & foolers: 'Total waste of time'
MINKUS INK (Bubba): Political frignosis and the politics of... politics

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (Letters): Says families need to know about sex offenders

Trenton Byrd

HARRISBURG, Ill. - Harrisburg High School has become the most recent public entity to have a problem with an historical item: The Rebel Flag.

Yesterday (Thursday, August 27), we're told, an incident occurred in, of all places, a U.S. History class, conducted by Robyn Williams.

There, one Trenton Byrd, 18, was confronted by Williams because of an emblem on a t-shirt he was wearing. The emblem was that of the Rebel Flag (mistakenly called the Confederate flag), located on the front in the left breast position, and on the back, where a larger version declared something about the original homeland security, defending the country since 1861 (the start of the Civil War).

Ms. Williams was unhappy about the shirt and wanted Byrd to turn it inside out. He refused. Instead, he began schooling her about the reality of the Rebel Flag, and what it actually stood for...something that so many people over the past 150 years have forgotten as abuses in symbols like this flag have occurred and have obscured the real meaning and purpose of it.

Ms. Williams wouldn't stand for it, and sent Byrd to the principal's office. The principal, Scott Dewar, advised Byrd that he needed to do as he was told or go home. Byrd opted to go home.

Byrd showing one of the Rebel Flag emblems on his truck he's been flying for months now

Today, Byrd (whose truck has sported the Rebel Flag as well as other flags since the debacle first stirred up this summer) arrived to find that others were supporting his cause. Some of the kids had their own Rebel Flag wear, including belt buckles and bandanas. One girl, we're being told, was the subject of several complaints about her bandana, and she was asked to remove it. We're told she was sent home when she refused; we're trying to finalize that report.

When Ang was up there at the school a little earlier, there seemed to be a little more police presence than was probably necessary over such a thing as a flag being on apparel, which has been likely standard gear around here for decades without anyone making an issue over it.

This ridiculousness is being fueled, unfortunately, by adults who should not only know better, but shouldn't fan the flames. This morning, Ang called Dewar; he characterized it as a "disruption to the school day," and advised that there were no rude comments, noises, gestures made as "disruption," it's just that to wear the Rebel Flag was "like having a 'kick me' sign on the back of a shirt.

"There are some that are complaining about it," Dewar said. "We're just trying to keep peace and order here in the school."

Byrd, however, says that there's no disruption, and no disorder...and that it's sad that his own U.S. History teacher doesn't know real history.

It's not a tatt; Byrd just applied this with a couple of Sharpies. He was told to remove it; it wouldn't exactly wash right off. And further, there's his belt buckle in the background; he refused to take that off, too.

Stating that U.S. History is actually a hobby of his, Byrd gave some explanation for a video Ang shot (coming to the page soon as we get it loaded). Then he pointed out that wearing a Rebel Flag emblem on any kind of apparel - hat, bandana, t-shirt, belt buckle - isn't frowned upon at ANY other school in the area, including Eldorado, Pope County, even in Marion.

"This is Freedom of Speech," Byrd said. "And they're stepping all over it."

Byrd says he's not removing the flags from his truck, which school officials told him he couldn't park on school premises, hence why he was parked on South McKinley behind the high school today.

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SALINE CO., Ill. - A Carrier Mills woman is in an Evansville hospital tonight after sustaining injuries in a cash on Illinois 13 in Saline County earlier this morning

The crash occurred on Illinois Route 13 westbound, 2 miles east of Carrier Mills Road this morning, Saturday, August 29, 2015 at 8:26 a.m.

According to the preliminary traffic crash investigation, the driver of the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser, Kristen Lee Day, 27, was traveling westbound on Illinois Route 13 in the passing lane. For unknown reasons, the vehicle drove off of the roadway and onto the shoulder. Day was initially able to drive the vehicle back onto the roadway, before she lost control of the vehicle and it began sliding across the pavement and into the median, where it overturned.

Day was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. A 17-year-old female passenger from Harrisburg who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained only minor injuries. Both Day and her passenger were transported from the scene to local hospitals. Day was later transferred to a hospital in Evansville, Indiana. The vehicle had to be towed from the crash scene.

Illinois State Police District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by the Saline County Sheriff's Office, Harrisburg Police Department, Harrisburg Fire Department, Saline County Ambulance Service, and Bishop's Towing.

Day was cited for Driving Too Fast for Conditions, Improper Lane Usage, and Failure to Wear a Seatbelt.

SALINE CO., Ill. - Illinois State Police informed media today in a 12:29 p.m. release that they were informed this morning that Kristen Lee Day, Age 27, of Carrier Mills, Illinois, passed away from the injuries sustained in the traffic
crash yesterday morning in Saline County.

You can read the original post here.

HARRISBURG, Ill. - The sensation Harrisburg High School student Trenton Byrd created Friday carried over to a peaceable assembly last night...but that was followed by vandalism that remains unaddressed today.

Byrd, age 18, and some 40 supporters rallied last night (Saturday, August 29), first on the parking lot of Harrisburg's Parker Plaza. The group was present to show support to each other over the issue that arose Friday at Harrisburg High School, featured in this post, about Byrd being singled out at the school for his apparel, which included the Rebel Flag, despite the flag not being one of the items listed in the school's dress code.

"There were a bunch of people including Trenton there, children and adults, but then the cops came and had us move to Walmart," said Hallie Ann Palmer, one of those present

"We were there (at Walmart) for about 30 minutes," Palmer said, "then the manager came out and told us we needed to move because of complaints."

She said they were giving speeches consisting of the history of the flag, as well as how the whole thing has nothing to do with violence or race, that it was about "showing support and respecting each other's rights."

Trenton Byrd, telling it like it is.

Byrd being joined in his presentation by supporters

After getting kicked off Walmart property, Palmer said, they moved over to the parking lot of Rural King, where there was no trouble.

"This is all about pride," Palmer said, "I myself an not someone who's for or against the flag. I am a part of this because I am proud to see my hometown come together and stand up for something they believe in. Being an outsider to this whole thing, I can tell you for sure that there is no violence here and no one at these events are here to hurt people by making it a race thing; these are some wonderful, respectful, non-judgmental people who I believe will not stop no matter what to get what they believe in back into school."

Unfortunately, at least one person didn't feel that way.

It's being reported that one of the flags flying on Byrd's truck was set afire last night.

There is a suspect (one kid posing on his Facebook page with it), but whether he's being considered officially or not is something we haven't confirmed, so we're not posting it here.

More to come tomorrow; check back, and be sure you mark this page for feeds!

HARRISBURG, Ill. - Well, THAT'S taking it to a whole new level.

We received photos this morning at about ten til 8 of a Rebel Flag having been hoisted below Old Glory down at Harrisburg High School.

there has been a lot of hubbub over the Rebel Flag since last Friday, when a student, 18-year-old Trenton Byrd, was asked to turn his t-shirt inside out because it bore a Rebel Flag on front and back, but contained no offensive verbiage alongside it. You can read about the incident at this post here.

Last night, we posted about a Saturday night peaceable assembly in Harrisburg over the matter; you can see it at this post here.

Below is a photo sent to us just prior to 8 this morning.

We'll follow up as the day goes on.

Sent to us at 7:54 this morning, Monday, August 31.

HARRISBURG, Ill. - Nothing went on at Harrisburg High School, despite the hoisting of the Rebel Flag beneath Old Glory on the flagpole...temporarily.

We never did find out who did that, and no one's stepping up and taking credit.

However, plenty of people were sending plenty of rumors flying today, especially after last Friday's article about Trenton Byrd.

For whatever reason, there started, shortly after school began for the morning, rumors that a kid had brought a gun into the school. That, we've confirmed with local law enforcement authorities, was simply not true.

Then shortly after that, someone floated out there that there had been threats, supposedly of a racial nature, made by one set of kids to another. That, we've confirmed with local law enforcement authorities, was simply not true.

Then, long about noontime, it was going around with head-spinning intensity that there had been a bomb threat at the school and that the school was on lockdown. That, we've confirmed with local law enforcement authorities, was simply not true.

The best the local law enforcement can speculate about is that some kids were relaying to their parents the events of the weekend, which were peaceful, and parents were getting all the perhaps third- and fourth-hand and stuff was escalating completely out of control.

But. None of it true. Just a bunch of kids standing up for their right to express themselves, in particular, off the school grounds as was the case this weekend.

There's nothing more to report for right now...but keep watching. It's been interesting driving around Harrisburg and seeing all the Rebel Flags adorning vehicles and being flown on porches and in front of homes!

HARRISBURG, Ill. - The 18-year-old who rose to recognition last week when he refused to turn a t-shirt inside-out in class and was ordered to leave is under fire today.

Trenton Byrd, 18, a Junior at Harrisburg High School, has been the subject of Facebook stalkers who have screencapped and are now asking for wide distribution of what they claim to be "racist" posts/memes on Byrd's page.

The memes being distributed are these as follows:

Naturally, the PeeCee crowd is jumping on this in an attempt to "prove" that the boy is a racist...but does it? We've posted this next one on OUR Facebook page with no racist intent, and with no one claiming we were such:

Byrd himself told us:

People are trying to make us look bad; yesterday there was a rumor we all had weapons or something so we volunteered for police Chief Johnson to search our trucks and cars and nothing was in them. Anyone has their right to speak their mind, I could care less. I stand behind my flag and my supporters do too. We will not stop till we win and that's a fact. Saturday night we are gonna have another rally or get together whatever you prefer to say but people want to talk trash for attention; I am clearly stating facts.

People in this town didn't care about us sporting the flag last year or the years before that so why's it racist now all of a sudden.

When asked what he would say to the people who are saying he's making HIMSELF look bad posting "racial" memes, Byrd said:

I haven't posted one in a long while and I think there was only one ever pointed towards African Americans. It's not that I wanted to be racist; it's just ironic. If someone wants to go dig up the past that's up to them. People change. I will admit I used to not like 'colored people' but I grew out of that a long time ago; my dad influenced me to change. I wasn't an extreme like most but they wasn't my favorite. I have changed since then and have multiple African American friends.

It appears that the evidence of this - the photo below, which was shown on television over the weekend throughout the area - just happens to have been one the TV stations "overlooked" when they ran their coverage of the rally Saturday.

Byrd being joined in his presentation by supporters

Whatever the case, the spin is on to demonize Byrd, and it's gaining steam. All over Facebook today, the trendies have jumped on these memes (a couple of which are quite accurate, all of which carry irony, and one is just in poor [juvenile] taste) and now the whining begins about the school dress code (which was not violated) and how horrid it was that someone "violated" the flagpole.

We'll let you decide. What's your opinion on the whole matter? More mainstream media hype, unperpetuated here and just handed to you straight...or does everybody have their agenda and are trying to push it on each other?

ILLINOIS - Troopers will be on the Lookout for Speeding, DUI, Driving Distracted and Seatbelt Compliance Carmi, Ill., Illinois State Police (ISP) District 19 Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge, would like to remind motorists to make safety their number one priority while driving during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The Labor Day weekend is one the busiest driving periods for motorists and millions of people are expected to hit the roadways and interstates nationwide.

Law Enforcement officials will push for ZERO fatalities by enforcing the four most common causes of fatal crashes:  Speeding, DUI, Seat Belts, and Distracted Driving. Troopers will patrol the roadways looking for fatal four violations. At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to be involved in a serious crash.

Driving under the influence continues to be a factor in fatal crashes. Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United Sates involve drunk drivers.  During the Labor Day weekend in 2013, there were 424 crash fatalities nationwide. Almost half (48 percent) of those fatal crashes involved alcohol.

"Our goal is to ensure all travelers make it safe to their destinations this upcoming holiday weekend.  As a result, in addition to impaired and distracted drivers, troopers will be focusing on those motorists driving too fast and not wearing seatbelts," said Commander Hodge.

Illinois State Police are responsible for the public safety of the citizens of Illinois and patrol more than 20,000 miles of the state's highways.

Garden of the Gods

SALINE CO., Ill. -  A Louisiana woman was injured following a fall at the Garden of the Gods Saturday.

Saline County Central Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call reporting the fall Saturday afternoon, September 5, 2015.

Saline County deputies responded to the 1:15 p.m. call to the Garden of the Gods, along with Saline County EMS and the Equality Fire Department.

Linda, J. Cross, 23, of Baton Rouge. Louisiana fell approximately 15 feet. Cross was flown from the scene by Air Evac helicopter to an Evansville, Indiana hospital with a head injuries.

Saline County Sheriff Keith Brown urges caution while in the Garden of Gods. “As the leaves begin to change color, more and more visitors come out to the park. Visitors should wear good footwear and appropriate clothing, while hiking in and along the trails.”  The trails and rocks can become very slippery from falling leaves or even damp conditions.

“It takes a while for responders to make it to the wilderness area and cell reception in the park is poor at times, be prepared,” continued Sheriff Brown.

SALINE CO.— It has come to the attention of local authorities that an inordinate amount of violent crimes in the county lately have involved strangulation…and no one can figure any basis for the shift in methods of inflicting pain and injury on others.

Burned with cigarette/choked

The first comes from Wendell G. Mitchell, 35, of the 1000 block of South McKinley St., Harrisburg has been charged with Aggravated Domestic Battery/Strangulation and Domestic Battery Causing Bodily Harm.

Police reports indicate that on Sept. 4 Harrisburg officer Brent Davis responded to Mitchell’s home on a 911 hang-up call.

Mitchell met the officer at the front door and explained that everything was okay and that he had accidentally pushed the wrong button on his phone.

But it wasn’t.

Davis instructed Mitchell to stay on the front porch while he went into the home to speak with Mitchell’s girlfriend, identified as Melinda Davis.

Melinda first told officer Davis that that everything was fine and then broke down into tears saying that she was just crazy and things got out of hand.

When he asked what she meant she said that she and Mitchell had been arguing about a car at the residence owned by Mitchell’s father and she mostly drove because Mitchell doesn’t have a driver’s license.

She said he refused to give her the keys to make a trip to the grocery store.

She said she had her hand on the phone to call police and Mitchell burned her forearm with a cigarette.

Melinda went on to say that Mitchell then grabbed her by the throat and started choking her.

She said at one point he got behind her and placed his arm around her neck and choked.

Officer Davis noted a round burn on Melinda’s forearm.

And that’s about the time Davis informed Mitchell that he was being taken into custody.

Mitchell is a convicted drug felon, having been found guilty April 4, 2012 of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication) for which he was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for two years and ordered to pay $5,081.56 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $4,951.56.

Mitchell was booked into the county jail.

Cash bond in the case was set at $1,000.

Strangled with cell phone charger cord

The next was Jonathan B. McKinney, 28, of the 1900 block of West Poplar St., Harrisburg, who has been charged with Aggravated Domestic Battery/Strangulation.

Formal charges allege that on Sept. 3 at approximately 6:29 p.m. county central dispatch received a call from Penny Peek reporting that her sister, Elizabeth Hirsch, called her and said that her husband had wrapped a phone cord around her neck

When officer Zach Popetz arrived at the West Poplar address Hirsch said she had been arguing with McKinney, whom she described as her boyfriend, and during the argument he choked her with his hands and then with a cellular phone charger cord.

Hirsch said she did not want McKinney arrested and refused to fill out a statement.

Hirsch had visible red marks on her throat.

When Popetz spoke with McKinney he said that he and Hirsch had gotten into an argument because he thought she had stolen $20 while he slept.

During the argument he said Hirsch threw a glass candy dish at the front door of the home, breaking the glass.

He said he didn’t touch Hirsch’s neck and that she tripped over the front door casing and landed on her back.

McKinney said that Hirsch had hit him in the mouth.

Popetz placed McKinney in custody, and on the way out the door McKinney head-butted the already-broken glass in the front door, cutting his head.

When an ambulance arrived on scene to tend to McKinney, EMTs suggested he be taken to the hospital for stitches.

During the examination McKinney told Popetz that Hirsch had scratched him on the stomach and grabbed him by his testicles.

However, when Popetz checked McKinney’s stomach the only thing he saw was blood smeared on his abdomen from the cut in McKinney’s head.

There was no mention in the report of a testicle check.

Cash bond in the case was set at $500.

SALINE CO.— An investigation into possible shots fired lead Eldorado officers to find a stash of pills.

Reports filed in the case indicate that on Sept. 2 at approximately 11:55 p.m., Eldorado officers began a search in the area of Larry’s Electric, located at 2200 Locust St., for the source of what had been called into dispatch as gunshots.

When officers were checking the area around 2213 Locust, the residence of  William R. Clark, 21, they noticed Clark and another man sitting in chairs at the front of the residence.

Officers spotted three firecrackers and a lighter.

They also spotted a small baggie containing green pills.

When the officer picked up the bag Clark instantly said that it wasn’t his.

When Clark was searched lawmen found 19 sealed baggies with pills in them.

Clark croaked that those weren’t his either.

While Clark was being transported to the county jail, he informed officers that he had gotten the pills (the ones that “weren’t his”), about 20 tablets, from a Josh Bluminshine.

Clark was booked into the county jail on one count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance identified as alprazolam.

Cash bond in the case was set at $1,500.

Eleventh driving revoked charge

In unrelated stories, a Harrisburg man has earned himself his eleventh Driving Revoked charge.

Information filed in the case alleges that on July 5, Anthony P. Jennings, 34, of South Skaggs St., Harrisburg, was caught tooling down Highway 45 near Tolley Road, in Eldorado, at a time when he knew his license had been revoked.

He was convicted of Driving Revoked November 24, 2008 and sentenced to 30 days in the county jail and probation for one year.

Jennings earned himself a IDOC sentence of one year June 23, 2009 for a Driving Revoked conviction.

A December 2, 2010 conviction for Driving Revoked sent Jennings back to IDOC on a sentence of two years.

He was arrested and charged June 6, 2013 with Driving Revoked, Aggravated Fleeing and Speeding 21-25 mph over posted limit.

That case is still pending.

And then on May 31, 2014 he was taken into custody and charged with Driving Revoked, No Valid Registration and Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle.

That case is still pending as well.

It is unclear if Jennings suffers from extremely bad body odor, thus preventing him from getting a ride anywhere, if enjoys long nights in a prison cell or if he is just stupid.

At any rate he is expected in court Sept. 21 for a first advisement of his charges, although by now he could probably recite them himself.

Hummer assault

John Robert Waychoff, 39, of the 100 block of Dodd Cemetery Rd., Eldorado, has been charged with Aggravated DUI/3rd offense and Aggravated Assault Using a Motor Vehicle.

Authorities say that on Aug. 5, at 8:31 p.m. Waychoff drove a 2009 grey Hummer at a time when he was under the influence of alcohol and, of that wasn’t bad enough, he not only rear-ended another vehicle but drove in such an erratic manner as to place Roni Waychoff in reasonable apprehension of being struck by the vehicle.

When authorities arrived on scene Waychoff was said to have glassy eyes and smell heavily of alcohol.

He performed poorly on a field sobriety test and blew a .094 on a portable breathalyzer.

Waychoff was convicted of Theft October 11, 2001 and was sentenced to probation for 18 months.

He was convicted August 14, 2008 of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol for which he was sentenced to probation for 18 months.

No bond information was available in the case.

Waychoff is expected in court later this month.

Damaged window

William O. Blakey, III, 30, has been charged with Criminal Trespass to a Residence While Persons Present and Criminal Damage to Property.

Authorities say that on Aug. 27, Blakey knowingly entered the residence of Kevin and Karen Stucker, located at the 500 block of Washington St., Galatia, at a time when he knew one or more people were present and while doing so damaged a window at the residence.

Blakey was released from police custody Aug. 28 after a $200 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Natasha Madding, of 1095 Brewers Hwy., Hardin, Ky.