Here's something you won't be able to see on our Facebook page.

This is insensitive to an entire class of people, most of whom are the idiots addicted to Fecesbook. You can't piss them off, because they make Zuckerberg money. He's part of the government now, you know, so he gets it in both ends...I mean, from both sides, the poor (welfare) AND the wealthy (subsidy-suckers). So you won't be able to share this on Facebook, or you'll get reported, and your account will get shut down. Welcome to the new reality, where social networking is running your life. If you don't stay connected to your social networking (in specific, Fecesbook), you'll feel like you aren't going to know what's happening in your world. However, if you don't get off social networking, it's BECOMING your world and you WON'T know what's happening in your world because they forbid it. And you are being told what you can and cannot post...what you can and cannot "say"...what you can and cannot THINK. You are being told what you should and should not LIKE. You are being MANIPULATED...because you're being lead by people with an agenda and you MUST NOT think for yourself.

We've told you repeatedly over the years about this, here, here and here. It's a lot to consider. We're going to be giving you more over the next couple of days. Be watching.

Here's something you won't be able to see on our Facebook page.

This is just wrong for a media outlet to post about itself. Fecesbook has very stringent guidelines about how a media outlet is supposed to present itself, and so, if you are one, you cannot, I repeat, cannot post such a thing about yourself. You're supposed to be all happy and swavay and wondermous, dontchano. So you won't be able to share this on Facebook, or you'll get reported, and your account will get shut down. Welcome to the new reality, where social networking is running your life. If you don't stay connected to your social networking (in specific, Fecesbook), you'll feel like you aren't going to know what's happening in your world. However, if you don't get off social networking, it's BECOMING your world and you WON'T know what's happening in your world because they forbid it. And you are being told what you can and cannot post...what you can and cannot "say"...what you can and cannot THINK. You are being told what you should and should not LIKE. You are being MANIPULATED...because you're being lead by people with an agenda and you MUST NOT think for yourself.

We've told you repeatedly over the years about this, here, here and here. It's a lot to consider. We're going to be giving you more over the next couple of days. Be watching.

Here's something you won't be able to see on our Facebook page.

This is a baby giraffe, and not everyone can have a baby giraffe, so you're going to make the underprivileged who don't have the ability to have a baby giraffe feel bad about not having one. Shame on you. And it's a cute meme; made by someone other than the person looking at it, and that might make them feel bad about themselves because they can't make cute memes. Further, the person holding that baby giraffe is holding it by its neck. BY ITS NECK. So they might actually be strangling it, and that might be animal cruelty, and you can't promote that on Fecesbook. So you won't be able to share this on Facebook, or you'll get reported, and your account will get shut down. Welcome to the new reality, where social networking is running your life. If you don't stay connected to your social networking (in specific, Fecesbook), you'll feel like you aren't going to know what's happening in your world. However, if you don't get off social networking, it's BECOMING your world and you WON'T know what's happening in your world because they forbid it. And you are being told what you can and cannot post...what you can and cannot "say"...what you can and cannot THINK. You are being told what you should and should not LIKE. You are being MANIPULATED...because you're being lead by people with an agenda and you MUST NOT think for yourself.

We've told you repeatedly over the years about this, here, here and here. It's a lot to consider. We're going to be giving you more over the next couple of days. Be watching.

Here's something you won't be able to see on our Facebook page.

Actually, you WILL see this on Fecesbook. Because this isn't a meme; this is a screencap of what was to the side of my feed last week, right after we got reported for a comical meme that in no way was terroristic, right-wing, a direct threat to the president, or racist...but was determined to be such by the brilliant Fecesbook gods in the sky. Yet "Barack H. Nobama Sucks" and "Conspiracy Watch" are allowed to operate with impunity. Why? Because they're small. We cannot, because we're huge. Because we're so enormous, and we're not paying to play on Fecesbook, they slam us and cut us off at every opportunity. And that's what happened last week, and that's why we're bringing you this series of funny, ridiculous - yet perfectly exemplary of what point we're trying to make - posts about Fecesbook. Why do we call it "fecesbook"? Because it's sh!t in our book. It's taken over our lives, and we're thinking about being done with it. We have news to bring you. If you can't be entertained by what we bring you, the way we bring it to you, that's okay. Go to Fecesbook. But we're not living our lives around it, not when it's so arbitrary. When people like the above can get by with what they post, but we can't even bring you a comical meme, we're done.

But we're going to let you make the ultimate decision.

Do you want us back? Go to our Fecesbook page and tell us whether you do or not, or opine right here. It's not going to make a difference to us one way or the other if you do or don't; if you do, we'll come back. If you don't, we'll keep doing news the way we've done news for 13 years. But we want to hear from you. So post away.

Jessica Ford, Gibson County, Ind., mug

GIBSON CO., Ind. – Given the number of crossover crims from Saline getting busted in Wabash recently, it shouldn't come as any kind of surprise that one got popped across the river in Gibson County, Indiana...which is exactly what happened last night near Owensville.

Press information indicates that last night (Sunday, January 17) at approximately 11:30, Indiana State Police Trooper Ross Rafferty was patrolling Indiana State Road 65 near Owensville in Gibson County when he spotted a vehicle parked just off Base Road west of SR 65.

Gibson County Sheriff's Department said Rafferty approached the vehicle and identified the female driver as Jessica N. Ford, 23, of Harrisburg, Ill. An odor of marijuana was detected inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed an eyeglass case containing three unused syringes and one spoon containing an unknown white residue. A small amount of marijuana was also located inside the vehicle.

Ford was arrested and taken to the Gibson County Jail where she was, as of this morning (January 18), being held on bond. She is charged with Possession of Syringes, Class 6 Felony; Possession of Marijuana under 30 grams, Class B Misdemeanor; and Possession of Paraphernalia, Class A Misdemeanor.

CARMI, Ill. - Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Kelly Hodge, announced activity and enforcement figures for the month of December. Troopers in District 19, which includes Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, White, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin counties, recorded 854 incidents during the month.

Enforcement activity consisted of 401 citations and 729 written warnings, including 168 speeding citations, 9 DUIs, 33 seatbelt citations, 7 child restraint citations, 284 written warnings for speeding, and 14 criminal arrests. Troopers also assisted 40 motorists, conducted 213 Motor Carrier Safety Inspections, and investigated 35 traffic crashes. There were no fatal traffic crashes investigated by District 19 during December.

In addition, 219 citations and 341 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.

HARRISBURG, Ill. - An incident that's being handled "in-house" by Southeastern Illinois College has many people concerned about whether a law was violated and if so, why local law enforcement haven't been involved in it.

And if a law hasn't been broken, there then remains a concern about whether SIC isn't overreacting some, given the nature of the situation. And if that's the case, there exists a possibility that a student's civil rights might be abrogated if too much attention is made toward this.

Here's all we know right now: A guy by the name of Scott Kiesecoms, 41, of Harrisburg, reportedly uttered some remarks during a class at SIC last Thursday that were inappropriate. The remarks, which we're working on the exact nature of right now, were more along the lines of generalized threats, not toward anyone or anything in particular, but instead were kind of a general statement of his feelings of what was going on in the particular class he was in.

Kiesecoms, we're being told by unofficial and official sources alike, is a former coal miner, and this accounts for some colorful language and expressions he uses while in class.

However, colorful language doesn't equate to a "threat"...and that's what many are stating occurred last week, with some students even declaring that they were scared following the particular incident.

According to one well-placed source, "The environmental director Ed Fitzgerald and dean of students Chad Flannery spoke to the guy for a whole total of 3 minutes Friday and let him go back to class." The source pointed out that Kiesecoms has a history of domestic battery/bodily harm on three occasions...however, these are just charges, and we could only find two on judici, and both of those were nolle prossed (dismissed)...likely because the alleged victim didn't want to pursue charges.

"They're claiming the incident is 'still being investigated' although supposedly they have statements from the entire class minus one or two students who are scared to get involved," the source concluded.

This source is indicating that what went down last week was a "Class X felony." No charges, however, have been filed.

The major gripe, according to the people with whom we've spoken today, is that law enforcement (in the form of the sheriff's department, ostensibly) either hasn't gotten as involved as the students would like, or haven't gotten involved at all. This is puzzling everyone who's reported it to us.

It's just weird enough to warrant looking into further, and that's what we're doing....and we'll bring you more in the print version, which is on stands in another week, Tuesday, January 26 and Wednesday January 27. Be watching...and be sure your e-Edition membership is active, as we have a continuing series going on and you don't want to miss a word.

SALINE CO.— Responding to a report of a domestic disturbance Harrisburg Assistant Chief of Police Todd Cavender found himself in the middle of a hayseed crap-storm.

When Cavender arrived at 408 Small St., Apt. 4, on Christmas Day at approximately 3:22 p.m. he found a white female, later identified as Allyson M. Whitby, crying in the parking lot with a white male near her, later identified as Dakota E. Personette, 21 and who lived in Apartment 4.

When Cavender got out of his car Whitby instantly came toward him.

“I asked her what the problem was,” Cavender said. “It was obvious she was very upset and I noticed several bumps on the right side of her forehead near her hairline.”

Whitby then asked Cavender to keep Personette away from her because he had hit her.

Cavender instructed Whitby to step to the rear of his cruiser and she and Personette began arguing.

Little Julie Cusic

Personette was taken into custody and placed in the rear of the police car as Cavender attempted to talk to Whitby.

And that’s about the time a car pulled up driven by Edwards Cusic, his unnamed girlfriend and his sister Julie R. Cusic, 16.

Little Julie began yelling and cussing at Whitby.

Even after she was instructed by Cavender to calm down and go into her apartment, little Julie continued yelling and cussing.

By this time, several young children were outside the apartments, but that didn’t seem to bother little Julie much, as she kept yelling and cussing.

With the help of fellow officers, Cavender secured lil Jules in the rear of a police cruiser so he could deal with the reason he was called in the first place.

She only screwed him once

When Cavender finally got to speak with Whitby, she informed him that she had met Personette on what is quickly becoming the downfall of modern society, Facebook.

She said she had been talking to him for “some time” and that she came from Mt. Vernon and stayed with him for two days.

She said that on Christmas Day they had gotten into an argument and Personette called her a “dumb f^cking bitch” which seemed to upset her as she said she got up to “confront him.”

And that’s about the time she claims he struck her repeatedly in the head and shoved her down on a small table.

Whitby said she struck back at Personette by kicking him off of her (which, had she thought of doing so earlier, the entire incident may not have happened).

She said she then struck at him with her fist and even hit him with a phone.

After describing how she fought Personette to get him off of her, Ms. Whitby advised Cavender that she was 28 weeks pregnant by someone other than Personette.

Whether or not she knew the name of the “someone other” or not is unclear.

“I questioned Whitby about her relationship with Personette and she stated there was not a relationship and they were not dating but did have sex once,” Cavender said.

And that’s about the time Cavender wrapped up the questioning and handed the mother-to-be an Illinois Domestic Violence form to fill out.

Personette’s version of the story

Personette was transported to the county detention center where he was read his rights and told Cavender that he and Whitby were sitting on different couches when they got into an argument over who the guy was that was going to bring them cigarettes and he called her a “dumb f^cking bitch.”

Personette said that’s when Whitby launched herself off her couch and began swinging at and hitting him.

He said after being hit several times he pushed her back, causing her to fall backward over a small table.

Personette said they then got “tangled up” with each other and they both fell, with him landing on her unintentionally.

He said she pushed him off and started hitting him again and he retreated to a bedroom and tried to shut the door to keep her out catching Whitby between the door and the frame.

That’s where Personette claims the bumps on Whitby’s head came from.

Personette said Whitby kicked the door opened and demanded the phone to call for a ride and that’s when he called police.

Personette, who claims to be unemployed and a single but a father of two, was booked on a felony count of Aggravated Battery of a Pregnant Person.

He was released from police custody January 7 after a $1,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Edwards Cusic III, who apparently lives in the same apartment as Personette.

Little Julie released to mom

Police reports indicate that little Julie Cusic was released to her mother, identified as Marcella Cusic.

Marcella Jean Cusic, 37, has somewhat of a criminal history herself including a January 30, 2006 felony conviction for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, for which she was sentenced to 120 days in the county jail, probation for two years and ordered to pay $1,770.48 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $1,450.48.

In 2007 she was charged with eight counts of Forgery and one count of Theft.

Pleading to one of the forgery counts in return for the remainder of the counts being dismissed, she was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for four years and ordered to pay $3,109.58, of which she still owes $3,099.58.

On March 25, 2010 Marcella Cusic was charged with five counts of Manufacture/ Delivery of a Controlled Substance with 1,000 feet of a School, or Park and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.

On October 6, 2011 she pleaded guilty to the possession count in return for the remainder of the charges being dismissed.

She was ultimately sentenced in that case to IDOC for eight years and ordered to pay $3,322.30, of which she still owes $2,822.30.

Personette is due back in court later this month.

SALINE CO. – There’s a reason why the etymology of the words “misdemeanor” and “miscreant” reflect similarly, and this issue’s installment of Saline County’s petty crimes report displays that connection well.

Repeat offender Coston

The first report filed in the ever-burgeoning office of the circuit clerk came in the form of one Keith Coston, 30, of Carrier Mills.

Coston was arrested November 18, 2015, by none other than Illinois State Police inspector Glenn Rountree.

The charge was a petty Unlawful Possession of Cannabis more than 2.5 but less than 10 grams. While it might’ve been petty, the arrest set Jacob Stevers back $100 to post the bond for Coston.

Coston, who has a record in both White and Saline, first became a felon in the latter county in 2009 over a dope charge; then again in 2013 after a weapons charge in 2011.

The felon status probably won’t bode well for the misdemeanor weed count; Coston (whose relationship to White County killer Danny K. Coston remained unknown as of press time) was set for a next court appearance on deadline of this issue, January 25.

Holiday issues

Christmas issues are still haunting the courts as of mid-January, and alleged crimes that occurred during the 2015 holiday season are pretty certain to hang on longer than the season’s credit card bills.

A Christmas Eve-Eve incident in Eldorado underscores that. Police responded to a reported domestic on Benton Street that day at shortly before 5 p.m. after a resident there, Preston Clark, 32, came up into the house and began yelling at his fiancée, Tisha Watt. Watt said she was holding some gifts and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew when her fiancée began screaming in her face, kicking the gifts and soda out of her hands. When she tried to text her parents, she said he slapped the phone out of her hand, then allegedly followed that up by punching her in the middle of her back; this latter being observed by her son.

When Watts’ parents arrived, Clark left. After she and her son, almost 14 years of age, left to fill out statements, then returned to the house, they found Clark present. Cops arrived and placed him under arrest for domestic battery. Despite the appearance of egregiousness in the allegations, Clark’s actions only qualified for a misdemeanor charge.

Clark, who’s a convicted batterer from 2002, made first appearance on deadline for this issue (Jan. 25).

Vague complaint; easy case with admission

One misdemeanor on file is an easy one to report, albeit one that’s frustratingly vague in light of all the other detailed reports: One Joseph Jackson (the one that’s almost 20 years old, NOT the grouchy county board member) was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct.

The incident occurred on Dec. 22, during which time young Joseph R. Jackson, of South March Street in Harrisburg, was accused of alarming and disturbing Weston Cluck and provoking a breach of the peace. Jackson has been set for a February 22 hearing.

A report of an incident in Harrisburg on New Year’s Eve, however, had a little more material…and probably made every cop in town wish they could manage such an easy involving their alleged suspect.

The situation involved a burglary as reported by one James Vaughn on Dec. 4, as it happened on Lover’s Lane. Vaughn reported several items stolen including DVDs, watches, clocks and coins. Vaughn then reported that he had told another man, Jerry Mills, that he was going to be out of town for a while and was gone from Nov. 24 through Dec. 4.

On Dec. 23, Harrisburg Detective Mike Jones went to Midwest Pawn and Cash and located several DVDs that were sold by Jerry Mills on Nov. 21. Jones contacted Vaughn, who identified the DVDs as belonging to him.

Deputy Steve Sloan interviewed Mills, who openly admitted to selling several DVDs at the pawn store, perhaps not realizing that they were asking him about Vaughn’s DVDs.

Whatever the case, Mills was arrested and charged with Possession of Stolen Property.

When it got to formal charges on January 7, however, that became misdemeanor Theft. He’s next in court Feb. 22.

Mental in the Mills

A 44-year-old Carrier Mills woman found out that she can’t behave badly in public, else she can find herself hemmed up with an arrest and charges that address her actions.

The incident here happened on Jan. 4 at 10:46 p.m., when Mills police received a call from the assistant manager on duty at Carrier Mills’ Casey’s, Josh Durant. Durant reported that a black female had been into his store trying to return a pack of cigarettes – after having smoked one of them – because the one she smoked “tasted like pesticide.”

When he refused to do this, she started to leave, he said, then shoved the counter display and cash register toward him, causing numerous items to fall to the floor. Durant told police that he believed the woman was going to shove the display off the counter at an angle, but instead she pushed it toward him, and at one point caused him to believe she was going to strike him.

When Durant described the female to officers, they immediately recognized her by the description as a local character with the ubiquitous name of Roshima Jahmilla Shelton, who according to police has “in the past exhibited the behaviors of an emotionally disturbed person.”

When Durant later pulled up the security video, Shelton was positively identified by police, and they also noted that her child was with her as well.

Shelton was charged with Aggravated Assault (for shoving the display and register in Durant’s direction in a public place, placing Durant in reasonable apprehension of receiving bodily harm), and Disorderly Conduct for same.

Shelton was up front on her Affidavit of Assets and Liabilities, stating that she’s been “employed” by DCFS for the past 11 years, as a “paid adoptive parent,” through which she receives several hundred dollars a month plus food stamps, yet she has “various outstandin (sic) dilinquent (sic) accounts” to the tune of $15,000 and seventy-five cents on hand…meaning that we the taxpayers are funding her to behave badly enough to the point that local police know her to exhibit behaviors of an emotionally disturbed person and now, we’re funding her legal defense in doing it, since she qualified for Nathan Rowland to represent her free of charge, public school system spelling education and all.

She was set to appear on Feb. 22.

Passive-aggressive way of dealing with OP

A man in Harrisburg took alleged violating of an order of protection to a new level on Jan. 7 when he proved passive-aggressive can come in all forms, including the pitiful and pathetic.

This incident was reported at about a quarter to 3 that day, when Chase Pickering called dispatch to report that his mother, Paula Pickering, had been receiving phone calls and text messages from Jeff Pankey, 56, against whom Paula had an active order of protection. While the two weren’t in Harrisburg, the calls were still being logged and the two Pickerings wanted something done about it.

As it turned out, a Saline County deputy had served the OP at 315 E. McIlrath Street the day before. That was a “protected address.”

So Paula gave officers the keys to her house and they went there…since Pankey had called dispatch to report to them that he’d been served, but refused to leave “his residence.”

Two officers went to see if he were there, and he was. They asked him if he knew that he wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Jeff said he knew that (he wasn’t supposed to be at the residence),” the police report read, “but he had nowhere to go.”

He ended up having somewhere to go – jail – and he was initially held on a $200 cash bond. However, Judge Walden Morris, upon reviewing the file Jan. 7, opted to make it a little harder for the “homeless” Pankey to get anywhere, and raised that amount of $500.

Pankey was officially charged with Violation of an OP, and issued a Feb. 22 court date along with all the previous misdemeanor-ly-charged people.

Contender for most OPs filed against him…?

Another alleged OP violation happened on that same day and in Harrisburg, when one Patrick T. Sawyer, 28, apparently went to great lengths to contact the person seeking protection from him.

Harrisburg police dealt with serving the OP, which was delayed due to an error on date of birth for Sawyer, as issued by Michlynn Hunt. In that delay, Sawyer was reported as being at Hunt’s house and making several calls, and then he had waved down police officer Bobby Ragsdale to drive to the Family Video lot to speak with Sawyer.

In short, Sawyer was served there at Family Video…then took off in the direction of Hunt’s house, where police had just left, at 311 E. Poplar.

Police saw Sawyer pass by Hunt’s house while they (the cops) were sitting in an adjacent alley…and Sawyer was pulled over and arrested, this in the CVS parking lot, with Sawyer complaining that he only drove that direction so he could get to Walmart.

Sawyer was set for a Jan. 25 hearing on the misdemeanor. He’s apparently had a lot of practice with the OPs, however; since 2003, he’s had 11 of them filed against him by Lindsey Karns, ex-wives Carie Sawyer and Adrianne Sawyer, and Cortney Joyner, and this one will be his third of the year…in just one week of it.

Worth 10 of the mother….

A young Eldorado guy who apparently never quite grasped the concept of the old saw “A child is worth 10 of the mother” ended up being charged with battery against both in early January.

An altercation was reported at the housing project there at 12:17 p.m. that day, and police were dispatched. When they arrived, the male had left the residence, and police were advised that the male might have a gun on him.

However, officers couldn’t locate a male, so they went to the apartment and spoke with the complainant, Rachael Mann, who said that she was having problems with her 24-year-old boyfriend Tyler Worrel and, while they were arguing and she was holding their baby, Worrel grabbed Mann by her neck and threw her to the floor, casing the child to hit her head on the coffee table. Mann was able to get to the phone and called 911.

Worrel was located at Huck’s on Route 45, who, naturally, said that he’d not done anything and that Mann was hitting him as he was leaving.

Because Mann had visible injuries, Worrel was taken into custody. He was charged with Domestic Battery for grabbing Mann and shoving her; and with Endangering the Life or Health of a Child for shoving Mann to the floor while the one-year-old baby was in her arms, causing the baby to hit her head on the coffee table.

Worrel was able to make bond a week later, and is set for the Feb. 22 court schedule.

A Schauf in Egypt

An unemployed man from Marion with a strange name was accused of domestic battery against a Crim – last name, not legal status – in Eldorado a couple of days later, Jan. 9.

At this time Shai Armundez Schauf (any connection to federal felon former mayor Max Schauf in Bridgeport unknown, but, anything is possible), 21, was reported by a Jessie Farmer, 20, of striking Clara Crim, 32. Crim had gone to the hospital thinking her ribs were broken.

When cops arrived, a Willie Grant, 22, let them in the residence, and Schauf came from the second floor, “stating he started to curse and yell at Crim for sleeping around on him.”

After Schauf was detained, he advised that he was upset because “the baby she could be pregnant with could not be his” and that after he started to yell at her, “she hit him with a frying pan.” Schauf also stated he didn’t hit Crim at all.

When an officer went to speak with Crim at the hospital, she didn’t say anything about being pregnant (or being accused of being a ho), and complained that she was “slapped a couple of times” and that Schauf had “punched her in the ribs twice.” She didn’t, however, want to sign a complaint.

This didn’t prevent Schauf from being charged with Domestic Battery; he, too, was set for a Feb. 22 court appearance.

SALINE CO.— A Marion thief fresh out of prison just can’t seem to help herself.

Kayla Anne Sadler (Evrard), 31, of 1305 North Atchison St., Marion, has an extensive criminal history out of Williamson County.

Sadler was convicted June 3, 2013 of Domestic Battery Causing Bodily Harm for which she was sentenced to 27 days in the county jail, probation for two years, ordered to get alcohol treatment and to pay $785 in fines and fees.

On February 10, 2014 she was convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance for which she was sentenced to 34 days in the county jail, probation for two years, ordered to get drug treatment and to pay $1,600 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $1,365.

She was convicted again on March 26, 2014 of Use of Forged Credit/ Debit Card for which she was sentenced to 38 days in the county jail and conditional discharge for two years.

When she screwed that up with a February 23, 2015 conviction for Retail Theft, her probation was revoked and she was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for two years.

And on January 11, so fresh from prison she still probably smells like the prison togs she wore, Sadler decided it would be a good idea to steal flowers from the Harrisburg Kroger store.

According to information filed in the case, at about 7:20 p.m. that night Sadler was observed by Kroger Loss Prevention Specialist Bill Moore walking into the store, waltzing over to the floral department, grabbing flowers out of a vase, hide them in her coat and waltz back out of the store and that’s about the time Mr. Moore confronted her outside and asked for the unpaid merchandise back.

Sadler, being the kind thief she is, opened her coat, handed the flowers to Moore and proceeded to run to a nearby car and climb into the back seat.

And that’s about the time Mr. Moore told another individual in the car that if they left they would have the police in their rear-view mirror within minutes.

That seemed to persuade Sadler to climb her butt out of the car and accompany Moore back inside, where he contacted authorities.

Harrisburg Police Department Officer Zach Popetz had the honors of receiving the call and responded at approximately 8 p.m., where he found Sadler in the Loss Prevention Office with her hands deep in her heavy coat, probably still smelling of flowers.

For officer safety, Popetz patted Sadler down and subsequently found a set of earrings still attached to a black piece of paper.

Upon checking, Popetz discovered that Sadler was wanted on a warrant out of IDOC for probation violation.

Once at the Saline County Detention Center, Sadler was asked what she intended to do with the flowers.

She said she was going to decorate with them.

When asked if the earrings were stolen she replied, “Obviously.”

When asked if they came from Walmart, she said, “I think so, probably the Marion Walmart.”

Apparently Sadler has such a thieving jones that she can’t remember where all she stole from.

In addition to a charge of Theft, Sadler was handed a trespass notice by Mr. Moore, which bans her from all Kroger property for life.

Since Kroger is known far and wide for having one of the best health food sections in southern Illinois, it looks like Sadler’s diet will be taking a serious plunge; but then she’s used to eating prison food.

Cash bond in the case was set at $750.

SALINE CO.— A Harrisburg man with a repeat violent record has been charged with beating his wife.

According to police reports, on January 10, at 9:02 a.m. Harrisburg officer Nathan Moore responded to a report of a male subject outside yelling at 435A West South St., Harrisburg, the residence of Paul D. Thorne, 33 and his wife Dara.

Upon arrival, Moore found Paul Thorne standing in his doorway.

Moore told Thorne why he was there and Thorne said he had not heard anything.

None one else was around and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so officers cleared the area.

Then at 12:46 p.m. united were dispatched to 501 West South St., the residence of Adell Baggett, who had made the call to dispatch.

Baggett had reported that her neighbor, Dara Thorne, had come to her house following an altercation with her husband during which she had been struck several times.

Moore responded, this time with officer Brent Davis and they located Dara Thorne.

She told Moore and Davis that she had arrived home from work at approximately 2 a.m. and that her husband Paul had decided to stay up until daylight drinking.

She said that at approximately 7 a.m., things went downhill when Paul brought up a past infidelity of hers.

She said that he began to berate her by calling her a “whore” and other degrading names.

Physical attack

Dara said her husband then began to throw shoes and clothes at her as she sat on the couch before eventually jumping on top of her and hitting her with a closed fist on the head, face and shin.

She said she curled up in the fetal position and after a few minutes he quit hitting and went back to throwing things at her.

He then is said to have proceeded to go into the back of the house and knock a window out of the back door and bust the mirror in the bathroom.

While her husband was in the back of the house she said she grabbed her shoes and went to hide in a spare bathroom attached to the kids’ room.

There was no mention of where the children were.

He eventually came back into the house and began looking for her.

Dara said she stayed in the bathroom so long she fell asleep.

Then by 12:30 p.m. the house was so quiet she figured her husband was asleep so she crept out and went to Baggett’s, who called authorities.

Officers say they observed injuries to Dara’s left eye and her neck.

Cops converge

Officer Moore, along with deputies Steve Sloan, Charles Welge and Illinois State Trooper Brett Lane, walked over to Thorne’s house and knocked several times but there was no answer.

As they entered the house they observed drug paraphernalia and cannabis on the kitchen table as well as pieces of mirrored glass in the hallway outside a bathroom.

Paul Thorne was found asleep in bed.

He told officers that he was asleep when his wife came home and that he didn’t remember having an argument with her.

When asked by Moore if he remembered talking with him in front of his house the night before, he said he did not.

Thorne then changed his story and said he remembered being awake and playing Call of Duty when his wife got home.

Paul Douglas Thorne was taken into custody and charged with felony Domestic Battery, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis.

Williamson violence

Thorne has an extensive history of violence out of Williamson County including a conviction for Domestic Battery March 36, 2004 for which he was sentenced to 90 days in the county jail, probation for two years and ordered to pay $562 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $242.

He was convicted of Domestic Battery Causing Bodily Harm July 1, 2004 and sentenced to 16 days in the county jail, probation for two years and ordered to pay $672 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.

Thorne was sentenced to Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) December 16, 2004 after he was found guilty of Violation of an Order of Protection.

He earned himself another sentence in IDOC for two years on May 12, 2005 after a conviction for yet another Violation of an Order of Protection.

Saline County

He was arrested in Saline County December 14, 2006 and charged with Domestic Battery, Criminal Damage to Government Supported Property and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Entering into a plea deal January 16, 2007 he admitted to the criminal damage in return for the remainder of the charges being dismissed and was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for two and a half years and ordered to pay $2,554.50 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.

Cash bond in his most recent case was set at $1,000.

SALINE CO.— A drunken Poplar Street domestic left authorities with a slew of unanswered questions as to how one man ended up with head injuries so bad he had to be flown by helicopter to an area hospital.

According to information filed in the case, on December 29, 2015, at approximately 9:57 p.m., Harrisburg Police Sgt. David Morris responded to a call from dispatch to 1913 West Poplar St., to assist an ambulance crew.

Upon arrival Morris observed Jonathon B. McKinney, 29, in the ambulance with another man, identified as his brother, 35-year-old William B. McKinney, in the front yard with a woman, identified as Elizabeth A. Hirsch, Jonathon McKinney’s girlfriend.

Hirsch was reported to be crying and attempting to check on Jonathon in the ambulance.

Worried about William

Ambulance personnel said they requested police backup because they were worried that William McKinney would cause a scene due to his brother being in the ambulance.

Authorities say that William and Elizabeth Hirsch both smelled strongly of alcohol.

Paramedic Mike Burford came out of the ambulance and asked William to tell him what had happened to his brother because he was suffering from trauma to his head as if he had been punched or kicked.

William responded by saying, “I didn’t punch or kick anyone, Jonathon was drunk.”

And that’s when Hirsch started yelling at William for him to tell the truth.

Morris was advised by the ambulance crew that Jonathon McKinney was in serious enough condition that he would be flown out of the area by helicopter for treatment of his head wounds.

Argument over Christmas Day

When questioned by Sgt. Morris, Hirsch said that she and William had gotten into an argument and that Jonathon had tried to break it up.

She explained that the argument was over her reporting Jonathon for domestic battery on Christmas Day.

Hirsch said William didn’t want her staying at the house with him and his brother.

She said William began shoving her around the bedroom area, into the living room and finally onto a couch, where he held her facedown by her throat and neck.

Hirsch said that’s when she noticed Jonathon lying on the floor in vomit.

She said William broke off his attack of her and went to assist his brother.

Nobody gave any indication as to how Jonathon McKinney ended up on the floor in vomit with severe head trauma.

Criminal history

Criminal history of the group includes Jonathon McKinney being arrested March 25, 2015, and charged with Aggravated Battery Strangulation and two counts of Domestic Battery.

McKinney was arrested again September 3, 2015 and charged with Aggravated Domestic Battery Strangulation.

There is also a pending case against Jonathon McKinney in which he is charged with Aggravated Domestic Battery for allegedly on Dec. 25, 2015 for strangling Hirsch.

This is apparently the incident being argued about.

He is also charged in the case with one count of Aggravated Battery for hitting her so hard as to cause a facial fracture.

Elizabeth Ann Hirsch, 40, was convicted February 17, 2012 of felony Retail Theft and sentenced to probation for 24 months and ordered to pay $1,630 in fines and fees.

Morris was assisted at the scene by HPD officer Steve Sloan and county deputy Mike Gooch.

William McKinney was taken into custody and transported to the Saline County Detention Center where he was booked on formal charged of felony Unlawful Restraint and Battery.

There has been no report as to the condition of Jonathon McKinney and no further charges filed in the case.

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

SALINE CO. – The woman who was with a local crim during his November bust by a conservation police officer has been hemmed up in Saline County on a serious felony after an investigation into where a weapon in his vehicle came from.

Merissa Berlin Thompson, 24, most recent babymomma of William Michael (known by turns as both ‘Billy’ and ‘Mikey’) Cummins, 27, both of Harrisburg, now faces a felony charge in conjunction with the weapon that was located in a Hummer the two were in on November 10, 2015. Cummins was spotted by a conservation office who knew that Cummins was wanted on a warrant out of Williamson County on a traffic ticket, and effected the arrest.

When the vehicle was searched, it turned up pot and packaging to deliver it, hydrocodone without a prescription attached, more than $11,000 in cash, and a handgun.

Cummins was arrested and charged with all of those, and is awaiting trial.

Thompson, however, has been busy being disagreeable, which is, by and large, what she was charged with initially: Two misdemeanor resisting arrest counts, each filed on November 23. One count alleged that Thompson resisted arrest by Saline County Deputy Lindsay Agin who was trying to handcuff her when Thompson was alleged to have jerked her arm away from Agin; the second was that she resisted the conservation officer, Charles Diggins, when she refused to obey a direct order not to leave the scene.

The arrest set back a friend, Melinda Clingman of Harrisburg, $200 on Thompson’s bond that same day.

A little bit of insight might have been gained by law enforcement when Thompson filled out her Affidavit of Assets and Liabilities.

There, she listed her job of two-and-a-half years as a pharmacy tech at Walgreen’s, ostensibly in Harrisburg.

No one has put forth any suggestion – yet – that the unlabeled hydrocodone might’ve come from said employment, but…stranger things have happened in Harrisburg.

Thompson’s bad attitude came glowering through a few days after the December Special Edition was available; that paper, containing the article about the November 10 arrest, had a misspelling of Thompson’s name, as “Marissa,” which is how it was delivered to Disclosure by police sources.

“Why can’t you guys put together a paper with some truth in it. Get your facts together before you hit print!!!” Thompson said, apparently not realizing that all the “facts” came straight from either court files or in person from police officers.

But she went on to show her age…and intellect.

“And spell people names your bashing correct!!” she wrote in a keen display of her lack of command of the English language, common among those her age and ilk. “Your a poor excuse for a newspaper. But I’m sure your life and family are so perfect that they never mess up to be in there” (again, apparently not a frequent reader). “Or is that why your so busy making up lies because you have no family or friends. That would explain why you have no ethics or morals when it comes to your gossip paper.”

This barely-intelligible tripe was delivered to a non-viewable area of Disclosure’s Facebook page on November 26, 2015.

Just a few weeks later, though, Thompson’s own “ethics” AND “morals” were brought under question.

On January 13, she was charged with a felony and hauled in front of a height chart for a mugshot that wasn’t nearly as cheery as all the selfies she and her larva (courtesy Cummins…ostensibly) were posing for on her Facebook page.

The felony count was Unlawful Purchase of a Firearm.

This count alleges that on October 18, 2015, Thompson knowingly purchased a firearm with the intent to deliver it to Cummins…who is prohibited by Illinois law from possessing a firearm because he’s a felon (this dating back to 2009 when he was convicted of a Class 1 felony narcotics count, and for which he was supposed to have spent 8 years in DOC…which, if he had, Thompson might be in a better position today, since she would not have bred with the miscreant.)

How authorities “knew” Thompson purchased the firearm “for” Cummins – something she should have known better than to do – remains unclear, as there are no investigative materials on file with the charge.

However, it is possible that Billy/Mikey might’ve narked her out, as he’s said to be pretty good at that, and might have seen Thompson as just another expendable babymomma, since he has bred with such proliferation throughout Saline and thus, has so many of them.

The disagreeable and largely-nonsensical – and apparently badly-mislead-by-Cummins – Thompson is set to have a first appearance in Saline County on her first felony February 8 (she had been set for an appearance on the misdemeanors on deadline for this issue, Jan. 25; she was first charged with misdemeanors in 2011 – underage drinking, the gateway crime to everything – but those were later dismissed).

Cummins, who, despite six children and no visible means of support or income (unless one is counting the alleged $11,000-plus…) has managed to hire one of the Drews out of Franklin County to represent him, has had his case delayed in Saline County due to an indeterminate cause.

SALINE CO.— Four individuals have been charged in the January 3 break-in and robbery of Gunslinger’s Gun Shop, located at 810 Karel Park Rd., Eldorado.

On January 3, Gunslinger’s owner Ronald Frailey contacted authorities and advised that his business had been broken into and multiple firearms had been taken.

Frailey said that entry into his shop had been made by pulling sheet metal away from a newly-installed door, pushing the insulation away from the door, and then reaching through the insulation to unlock the door from the inside.

He also advised that the wires to the security camera system had been cut.

Frailey provided a list of stolen firearms to authorities, which includes 30 handguns and one long gun identified as an AK-47.

Total value of the weapons was said to be $11,845.

Frailey also reported that $450 in cash had been taken from the register.

Juvenile tips police

At approximately 1:30 p.m. January 4, Saline County Detective Mike Jones received a call from the Eldorado Police Department advising him that a 16-year-old male juvenile, later identified as Tyler D. Copher, was at their department wanting to give details concerning the burglary and theft of the firearms.

Copher was transported to the Eldorado Police Department by Erik J. Burtis, owner of Redbird Machinery, located at 1408 US 45 North, Eldorado.

Burtis informed authorities that Tyler’s father, Eric Copher, was one of his employees and that he resides in Burtis’ rental house, located at 1408 US 45 North, Eldorado.

Burtis said that Eric Copher had left his job site early without permission and when he confronted him about it, Eric Copher informed him that he had a family emergency concerning his son Tyler and then went on to say Tyler had attempted to commit suicide with a handgun.

Burtis said he spoke with Tyler – with his father’s permission – in an attempt to find out where the boy had obtained the handgun, and that’s when Tyler admitted that he and another male, whom Tyler would not identify, had stolen several firearms from Gunslinger’s.

Eric Copher stated he had seven firearms in his possession that Tyler had admitted stealing.

Those weapons were turned over, by Eric Copher, to agents of the department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

Interview with ATF agents

Later with his parents Eric and Misty Copher present, Tyler Copher was interviewed by ATF agents Eric Shevly and Kevin Schuster.

Tyler admitted to breaking into Gunslinger’s with William Jaydon Emmons, 18, of Eldorado, along with admitting they took the $450 in cash.

Tyler said he and Emmons then stole a blue 1999 Ford Escort, owned by Tyler Slone, of 2120 Ridge Street, Eldorado, in the early morning hours of January 3 and that he drove it to Gunslinger’s to commit the burglary and theft.

Slone had reported his vehicle stolen to the Eldorado police that morning at 4:19 a.m.

The vehicle was recovered by Eldorado police at Beulah Campground, on Trolley Road, at approximately 7:55 a.m.

Inside the vehicle, authorities recovered two firearms that were later identified as being stolen from Gunslinger’s.

Tyler Copher has been charged with Burglary, Aggravated Possession of Stolen Firearms and Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

Bond information in his case was unavailable.

Off to grandma’s house

ATF agents, Eldorado police, along with Det. Jones and county deputy Jerod Campbell all traveled to 1110 Franklin Street in an attempt to locate Emmons.

ATF agents spoke with Emmons’ grandmother, Roxie McMillan, who advised that there were several firearms in the basement of the residence. After obtaining a consent to search from McMillan, agents located eight handguns inside of a black nylon rifle/shotgun case along with several boxes of ammunition.

A check of serial numbers showed the weapons were stolen from Gunslinger’s.

Emmons was later tracked down by ATF Special Agent Paul Heiser and interviewed by him and ATF Special Agent Scott Venable at the Eldorado PD.

Emmons admitted to helping Copher steal the Ford Escort and driving it to Gunslinger’s.

Emmons said that it was Copher who pulled the insulation away and reached inside and unlocked the door.

He said that he and Copher began taking firearms from the gun cases and placing them into rifle cases to be carried out of the business.

Berhens, Payne connection

Emmons said that Copher told him he knew someone who would purchase the stolen weapons from them and so they headed to Nathan Behrens’ residence, located at 1485 Dewey Road.

He said Copher spoke with Behrens about buying the weapons and was told to bring the weapons inside the house so he could look at them.

Behrens then allegedly took several of the weapons, including the AK-47, and said he would pay them $500 in a couple of days.

The pair then left Behrens, with his selection of weapons, and headed to Chestnut Street in Eldorado to visit Charles “Eddie” Payne.

Emmons said he stayed in the car while Copher went to the house.

He said Payne was not there but that firearms were given to Austin Rector, who was at the residence.

After leaving Payne’s house, Emmons said the Ford Escort ran out of gas so they left it at Beulah Campground.

He said the remaining weapons were split between him and Copher.

Emmons said he took his share of the loot, placed the weapons in a black nylon bag and stored them in the basement at his grandmother’s house.

He also said that it was Copher who took the cash out of the register at Gunslinger’s and gave him $100 of it.

Emmons was taken into custody and transported to the county detention center where he was charged with Aggravated Possession of Stolen Firearms, Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Burglary.

Wailing Emmonses

Emmons is not to be confused with his deceased crim father, over whom many multiple Emmonses in Saline were wailing because Disclosure chose to make a distinction online that the one arrested in this instant case was the “Junior” and not the “Senior,” since the Senior is dead. However, given the Senior’s extensive criminal record, it became pertinent to the story, particularly since it came to light that the Junior had never really known the Senior, making it apparent that some traits are obviously genetic.

The elder Emmons is William Donald, who died at the approximate age of 50 , reportedly about three years ago (this information is coming from whining family members; no obituary notice could be found, so the accuracy of it is unknown). His exploits in Saline include felony charges dating back to 1990 starting with a series of bad checks, then a couple of battery counts, then firearms/FOID violations, which weren’t even misdemeanors back then but were instead conservation violations (not much more than a traffic ticket; nowadays, they’re felonies), the CVs stemming from an unlawful hunting event in November of 1990. Every single charge was dismissed nolle prosequi, meaning to the discerning individual that Emmons learned early on how to provide information or services to local law enforcement so as to stay out of trouble or receive any kind of meaningful punishment if he were in trouble.

Theft was subsequently dismissed in 1991; Robbery in 1999 (although a Domestic Battery misdemeanor was pled to in exchange for that Robbery); and finally, in January of 2010, he was busted on two meth possession counts, which were nolle’d three months later.

And these are just the Saline County records that could be located.

Apparently having passed on the genes to his kid-whom-he-never-met, and despite the wailing family members insisting that said kid “is a good kid who just made bad decisions!”, the younger Emmons was released from police custody in his arrest, the first felony filed in Saline County for 2016, after a $5,000 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Sarah Attebury, of 705 Bramlet St., Eldorado.

He’s set to make first appearance on the charge February 8.

Incidentally, the wailing Emmonses griped about “Jaydon’s” mom and her alleged criminal record and why Disclosure wasn’t covering it. Disclosure advised that this would be done in the print article with the name of the mom disclosed by the whiners; however, they failed to provide a name by deadline.

Look for subsequent coverage if indeed they do following the publication of this article in both print and electronic format.

What a Payne

Armed with a search warrant signed by Judge Walden Morris, Federal agents, deputies from the Saline County Sheriff’s Department and members of the Eldorado Police Department converged on 3011 Chestnut St., Eldorado, the home of frequent crim, Charles “Eddie” Payne.

Payne, with no doubt a load of feces in his britches, was patted down for officer safety and found to have on his person 2.5 grams of methamphetamine.

During the execution of the search warrant, a Jimenz Arms .22 caliber pistol was located in a bedroom and was confirmed as being stolen from Gunslinger’s.

Once he realized the gravity of the situation and after his rights were read him, Mr. Payne sat down and spilled it to federal agents.

Payne admitted to several other weapons that had been received at his residence and was even kind enough to assist ATF agents in locating six additional firearms along with several rounds of ammunition, which he had hidden in holes in two trees near his property.

Weapons recovered included two Smith & Wesson .22 caliber pistols, a Charter Arms 44 Special .44 caliber pistol, a Bersa 9mm pistol, a Beretta .32 caliber pistol and a Hi-Standard .22 caliber pistol.

Payne was then transported to the county detention center where he was booked on charges of Aggravated Possession of Stolen Firearms, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.

Payne’s cooperation might’ve been fueled by the fact that he already was not in good graces with local law enforcement and the courts: He was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for one year in 2005 for Driving Revoked and to probation for 48 months between 2011 and 2012 for Theft $300-$10,000.

And at the time of his arrest Payne was out on bond in a June 24, 2015 case in which he is charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis.

Cash bond in his most recent case was set at $3,000. He was set to make first appearance on Feb. 11.

Behrens interview

Nathan Dale Behrens, 27, was interviewed by ATF Special Agents Schuster and Matt Inlow.

Behrens admitted that he had taken receipt of five handguns and an AK-47 assault rifle from Copher and Emmons and said the pair wanted $600 for the assault rifle.

Behrens said he told the two he would hold on to the weapons for them but that he did not pay for them.

He also told ATF agents that he had hidden the weapons under a bridge near his house but then when he caught wind that police were looking for them, he contacted a friend, identified as Brittany Bishop, and that he and Bishop retrieved the weapons and transported them to 115 East Benton St., in Macedonia and buried them in the back yard.

ATF agents later recovered five handguns, an AK-47 assault rifle, three handgun magazines, three boxes of firearm ammunition and an AK-47 magazine from the backyard of the residence.

Behrens was booked into the county detention center on formal charges of Aggravated Possession of 6-10 Stolen Firearms and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Cash bond in his case was set at $2,500; his first appearance on the weapons counts as well as the theft was scheduled for the day of delivery of this issue, January 26.

There is no indication that Bishop will be held accountable for anything she may have done to assist Behrens.

Behrens steals thousands from grandma

Apparently Behrens, who appears to be a special brand of scumbag, was also busy the latter part of 2015 stealing thousands of dollars from his own grandmother.

According to information filed in the case, on December 28, 2015, at approximately 9:01 a.m. spoke with deputy Chuck Welge and informed him that she believed her grandson, that would be Behrens, had been taking her bank card and removing money while she was sleeping.

Margaret J. Stone informed Welge that she had given Behrens the PIN to her card when he was with her at the local Walmart and she was having trouble getting the card to work.

Stone said she had gone to see her daughter-in-law, Diana L. Johnson, and that they were going through her bank statements and noticed that there were 18 ATM transactions Stone had not authorized.

The transactions include 9-28-15 for $500, 9-29-15 for $204, 9-29-15 for $300, 10-2-15 for $40, 10-5-15 for $500, 10-13 for $204, 10-13-15 for $264, 10-15-15 for $40, 10-15-15 for $40, 10-22-15 for $504, 10-23-15 for $255, 10-28-15 for $254, 11-2-15 for $404, 11-9-15 for $254, 11-9-15 for $335, 11-9-15 for $504, 11-12-15 for $205 and 11-12-15 for $304.

Money funded drug habit

On January 6, just days after the Gunslinger’s burglary and robbery arrests, Behrens told authorities that he used his grandmother’s ATM card to withdraw money from her account on several occasions.

Behrens claimed that he had permission but that he always took more money than he had permission to take.

He also said that he has a problem with drugs including crystal meth and ecstasy and used the money to fund his drug habit.

All totaled, Behrens stole $5,111 from his grandmother in less than three months.

Behrens’ criminal history shows him elevating his criminal game to felony status after be was convicted April 30, 2013 for Aggravated Battery in a Public Place and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine for which he was sentenced to IDOC for four years and ordered to pay $7,253.88 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $5,153.88.

On his affidavit of assets and liabilities Behrens described himself as an unemployed, engaged individual with one dependent whom he lists as a girlfriend.

Apparently larceny, stolen gun purchases and expensive drug habits are something this young woman can look forward to, that and mail postmarked from one prison or another.

SALINE CO. – The first criminal misdemeanor of 2016 in Saline County is a doozy and many hope it’s not setting the tone for the rest of the year.

The situation arose months before it was charged, and came about, according to sources within the city of Harrisburg, when the sewer system at the old middle school on the corner of West Church and South Webster streets became plugged.

Efforts to relieve the blockage turned up chicken feathers.

In short, workers traced the blockage back to the middle school, which hasn’t been a middle school for ages, and to a resident there – Qiao Yang, who was found to be up to something a little strange for us Americans, but not so much for the 44-year-old woman.

The investigation ended up being conducted by the city’s fire chief, John Gunning.

He found that Yang was effectively running a butcher shop of sorts out of the portion of the building she had converted to living quarters. There, it was alleged that she was butchering chickens, cleaning them…then letting the offal (in particular, the feathers) run into the facility’s drainage system, where ultimately, it was clogging up the pipes.

Gunning filed his complaint, which lead to the charges filed January 4, which states that on October 9, 2015, Yang committed the offense of Operating an Establishment Without a License in that she slaughtered poultry for resale without first securing a license from the Illinois Department of Agriculture; and Unlawful Transport of Poultry Products, with alleges that she transported poultry products which had not been inspected and passed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture or the USDA, knowing that such poultry products were intended for human consumption.

Reports came in to Disclosure in early December that the meat was being sold to local restaurants; despite attempts to confirm this, however, those reports were never substantiated.

The fact that the chickens she was allegedly slaughtering and selling were probably superior in quality and nutrition than anything sold in any local market, the charges, while misdemeanors, are fairly serious and carry stiff penalties.

Despite the report that Yang’s entire family was residing on the premises, authorities were apparently having trouble finding her to serve the warrant for her arrest.

They were stymied when, on January 7, they learned that they had spelled her name incorrectly on the initial warrant, having it as “Qiuo” instead of “Qiao,” and having to amend and reissue the warrant.

As of press time, however (January 24), it still hadn’t been served, so no initial court date had been set.

Cocaine dealer & sex offender shot at with AK-47

SALINE CO.— In an ever-more-increasingly violent environment in and around Saline County, authorities are taking seriously a report from a cocaine convict that he and his sex offender friend were abducted at Sahara Lake, beaten, sexually assaulted and dumped in a local cemetery.

Lured out by Alyse…? 

According to police sources, Saline County 911 received a call October 7, 2015 at approximately 3:37 a.m. from coke convict James Edward Hayes, 33, of 210 West Lincoln St., Harrisburg, reporting that he and his friend, sex offender Michael Lee Irvin, 35, who is said to live with Hayes, were out at Sahara Lake with two girls identified as Leslie “Alyse” Williams and ShaNae Redd Thomas.

According to Hayes, he had been contacted by Williams through Facebook on or about Oct. 2, 2015.

Hayes said that Williams expressed an interest in meeting with him.

What exactly Williams wanted to meet Hayes for is unclear.

Opens fire with AK

At any rate, Hayes said that he and Irvin were standing outside his car, parked at Sahara Lake, waiting for Williams to show, when a blue Chrysler 300 passenger car, owned and driven by a David Riley, pulled into the parking lot.

Hayes said within seconds of the Chrysler arriving and a Stavon Riley (relationship to David Riley, if any, unclear) opened fire with an AK-47 from inside the Chrysler at him and Irvin.

At that point Hayes said he and Irvin jumped back into Hayes’ car and subsequently drove the vehicle into the lake in an attempt to get away from the rounds blasting at them out of the assault rifle.

Forced in trunk at gunpoint

At some point the gunfire stopped and Hayes said he and Irvin were forced out of the water at gunpoint and forced to get into the trunk of the Chrysler.

Hayes said he and Irvin remained locked in the trunk of the car as it was driven, he presumed, away from the Sahara Lake area.

After several minutes, the Chrysler stopped and Hayes said he and Irvin were forced out of the trunk, presumably at gunpoint, and into David Riley’s residence, located at 227 East Washington St., Carrier Mills.

Once inside Riley’s house, Hayes said there was a tarp spread out on the living room floor.

He said that gray pillowcases were then placed over his and Irvin’s heads and that they were forced to lie down on the tarp.

Beaten and sexually assaulted

At that point Hayes said that he and Irvin were then beaten with baseball bats and struck with a rifle butt.

He also said that that, while lying on the floor with the pillowcases over their heads, the assailants shoved knives into both his and Irvin’s rectums.

Hayes reported that the assailants removed his wallet from his pants and took his iPhone.

Irvin also reported that $37 was taken from him along with his ZTE Straighttalk cellphone.

How long the beating and sexual assault went on is unclear.

Dumped in cemetery

Hayes said once the beating and assault stopped, the pillowcases were removed and the assailants duct-taped his and Irvin’s hands and faces, and placed the pillowcases back over their heads.

He said that he and Irvin were then placed into the back of a small, black sport utility vehicle and driven away from Riley’s residence.

Hayes said the when the vehicle stopped, he and Irvin were released.

Once they got the pillowcases and duct tape removed, Hayes said they found themselves in the Harrisburg Sunset Lawn Cemetery.

Search warrant snags Williams’ Facebook

According to authorities, the investigation is ongoing and no formal charges have been filed in the case at this time.

Sources have not been able to address whether or not Hayes or Irvin received treatment at a local hospital for their injuries following the sexual assault with the knives.

There was also no mention by sources as to whether or not Williams or Thomas were present at Sahara Lake during the gunfire and abduction, Riley’s residence during the beating and sexual assault, or were present for the drive to Sunset Lawn Cemetery.

However, a search warrant was signed by Judge Todd Lambert December 10, 2015 at 2:55 p.m.

Sources indicate that as of December 29, 2015, authorities are now in possession of a 1,257-page document generated subsequent to the search warrant being executed on Alyse Williams’ Facbook page, which covers all activity from October 1, 2015 to late December 2015.

Leslie “Alyse” Williams

Alyse Williams, now all of 18, now of Harrisburg, formerly of Cave-In-Rock, rose to the top of the Hardin County crap heap in early 2012 when she and another HC miscreant, Madison Hirsch, developed what they dubbed as a “Kill List.”

The reported plan at the time was to lure certain individuals to the San Damiano retreat outside Golconda, and push victims off the cliffs to their deaths.

For her part in the serial murder plan, Williams was tossed out of Hardin County and into Harrisburg’s alternative school.

When she returned to the Hardin County School the next year (2013-14) she continued bad acts including a viciously violent attack on a fellow student in the parking lot of the school that was videotaped and made its way around the internet, specifically, YouTube.

Williams’ junior high and high and school days in Hardin County have been dubbed by some as a mini reign of terror perpetrated by what appears to be a deeply disturbed young woman, the wonder of which is actually no wonder, considering her mother is the repugnant Tina C. Williams, about whom this publication has written more frequently than we might have liked.

Williams’ high-speed chase in Kentucky

In her apparent ever-increasing spiral into crime, Williams was arrested in the early morning hours of Friday, May 1, 2015, along with Tony Patrick, 30, of an undisclosed town in Alabama, after a high-speed chase resulted in a traffic stop on a Kentucky interstate.

The chase started just before 3 a.m. on the morning of May 1 when the Marshall County, Kentucky, sheriff’s department was contacted by McCracken County, Kentucky, to be advised that a state trooper was attempting to stop a car moving at speeds near 100 mph on Interstate 24.

At that point, a Marshall County deputy saw the car take an exit off I-24 and on to the Purchase Parkway, and joined the KSP trooper in the chase…which at that point was reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and going around other vehicles.

Drugs and money found

Police vehicles closed in on the car and one was able to do the “PIT” maneuver (precision immobilization technique) on it, which involves a law enforcement car “tapping” the bumper of the fleeing car, causing it to go out of control, and the vehicle was finally stopped at exit 27 on the interstate.

After police pulled the two from the vehicle, they searched it and located marijuana, a plastic baggie full of a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for meth, and a “large sum of money,” the exact amount undisclosed.

Williams was charged with Fleeing or Evading Police, Wanton Endangerment, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, and Failure to Maintain Required Insurance on a vehicle.

James Hayes, coke dealer

Hayes has his own criminal history.

He was arrested June 2, 2003 and charged with two counts of Manufacture/Delivery of Cocaine.

He was convicted on one of the counts and ultimately sentenced to 182 days in the county jail, probation for 36 months and ordered to pay $4,534.75 in fines and fees.

As part of the plea deal in that case one count of Manufacture/Delivery of Cocaine, filed May 30, 2003 was dismissed.

Currently Hayes has a pending 2014 felony case in Saline County in which he is charged with two counts of Intimidation after authorities say he attempted to extort money from a former girlfriend over nude photos she had sent him.

The first count alleges that he threatened to send “lewd” photos the woman to her family and the second count alleges that he threatened to show “lewd” photos her husband if she didn’t leave him.

Hayes is currently out on bond in that case after $2,000 cash was posted on his behalf by Taylor Patterson of East Church St., Galatia. Patterson later became his babymamma, and went to live with Hayes and his still-current wife, who was shot in the leg in an incident of carelessness when someone left a handgun laying around the Hayes household (located next door to a licensed daycare) and a 6-year-old child picked it up and shot off rounds, injuring himself as well.

Michael Irvin, convicted sex offender

Irvin was the subject of a manhunt in Saline February of 2013 after a local woman was raped.

Details of the incident alleged that Irvin had caught his girlfriend in Harrisburg with another man and so he and three other men went after both the girlfriend and the man she was allegedly with.

Irvin and his three buddies were accused of beating both the girlfriend and the other man badly, causing serious injuries including facial fractures.

The woman was reportedly viciously sodomized with broomsticks.

Irvin was ultimately charged with Home Invasion Involving a Sex Offense, Aggravated Sexual Assault Causing Bodily Harm, Aggravated Domestic Battery with Strangulation and Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm.

Convicted on the battery charges, Irvin was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for four years and ordered to pay $802.10, of which he has paid not a dime.

How bizarre…

Given Williams’ increasing criminal proclivities, it is not known if the Sahara Lake incident was drug-related or not.

Given Irvin’s status as a sex offender (and a recalcitrant one, at that), it is not known if the Sahara Lake incident was revenge-related or not.

Given Hayes’ propensity toward every form of bad act imaginable, it is not known if the Sahara Lake incident was merely generated by disgust at the fact that Hayes is still taking in oxygen.

No one seems to know much about the dubiously-named ShaNae Redd Thomas.

However, the investigation continues, and, if it holds true to form for Saline County, the real reason for the whole sordid situation is probably more bizarre than anyone has yet come up with a theory for at even this point.

Frank W. “Bill” Bonan, Jr.

What does this mean for certain political aspirations?

SALINE CO.— After several months and numerous rumors, it appears the location of an elusive, members-only, alleged “gentlemen’s club” in Harrisburg has been found.

In addition, the names of individuals involved in creating and supporting the club may send shock waves through the community.

At least three separate sources, willing to testify in court, have informed Disclosure that the club is the brainchild of local businessman and banker Frank W. “Bill” Bonan, Jr.

The exact name of the establishment is said to be the “Chess Club.”

The exact location of the “Chess Club” is said to be the top floor of the Clearwave building located in the center of Harrisburg.

That would explain the logo provided by another source to Disclosure bearing the image of king and queen chess pieces; and since the top floor is also the seventh floor, it explains the Roman numeral “VII” in the logo (as featured on the front page of the December Special Edition 2015).

“He (Bonan) told me he wanted to create the club so public people will have a place to go without being in the public eye,” said one of the sources.

While Bonan is said to have bankrolled the entire venture, including accommodations on the roof of the building for events to be held, it is unclear whether or not he is aware of whether there actually exists a private sex room (or rooms) for “special members,” the alleged open practice of drug use, or the exact wording of bylaws members are required to sign.

Sources, willing to testify, do indicate that Bonan has lost his temper on numerous occasions when anyone aware of the details of the club has told others.

Of concern to the upcoming election season is documentation showing that Harrisburg Mayor Dale Fowler not only cleared the way, but picked up the liquor license for, the Chess Club from city hall.

Above is a screen shot from the website of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. The bottom line clearly shows the name of the club, the address and the owner of the license as Frank Bonan. The bottom photo is a picture taken of a Liquor Checklist kept at the Harrisburg City Hall. The top line shows the name of the club and that Robert Wilson’s son-in-law, Grady Gaskins, was the contact person. It was explained to Disclosure staffers that the name ‘Dale’ at the end of the first line refers to Harrisburg Mayor Dale Fowler and indicates that he is the one who picked up/delivered the approved city license for the Chess Club.

Fowler has announced his candidacy for the office of State Senate for the 59th District, running as a Republican against long-time incumbent Gary Forby.

The connection between Fowler and the Chess Club has caused substantial misgivings among those studying the coming election season.

Apparently that concern has reached Bonan who, according to a source, contacted Fowler after the Chess Club stories began breaking and suggested that they might consider terminating, or at least playing down, their connection.

That connection could prove difficult to play down, considering the publicity given the Fowler-Bonan Foundation, which is said to raise money for charity.

The source indicated that Fowler told Bonan that he saw no need to terminate or play down their connection.

It is interesting to note that, according to state documents, Bonan has contributed a substantial amount of money, with amounts being in the thousands, either personally or through other entities, toward Fowler’s bid for State Senate.

Some believe that Fowler couldn’t afford to terminate or down play ties with Bonan, who appears to be a major contributor to his campaign for state senate.

There is an additional concern that former Harrisburg mayor/current attorney and CPA Robert Wilson was the man who penned or at least orchestrated the legal agreement prospective members are required sign prior to handing over their $5,000 membership fee.

That agreement includes members being forbidden from talking to non-members about the goings on in the club, restricts them from posting anything about the club on social media, restricts cameras, recording devices and is enforced by a $10,000 fine per violation, with the ultimate punishment being they will get kicked out of the club and the violators’ $5K not being refunded.

Wilson is believed to be the man who brought Fowler to Harrisburg in the first place (more on that in subsequent stories).

Fowler recently appointed Wilson to the Saline County Conservancy District Board on which Wilson also serves as attorney and has additional, behind-the-scenes interests.

Wilson also happens to be the uncle of Molly Dearing, who is running for the office of Saline County State’s Attorney on the Republican ticket, despite the entire family being diehard Democrats for generations.

Additional stories Disclosure is working on in connection with the Chess Club include the breakup of at least one marriage of a Harrisburg doctor after one spouse allegedly caught the other having an affair with a member of and at the club; the connections between the club and prospective political candidates; the facilitating of illegal drugs into the club for use by members; what was allegedly found in one Chess Club board member’s car while it was at a local Harrisburg shop being worked on; and connections with area financial institutions.

Despite Bonan being observed by numerous witnesses arriving and leaving the Clearwave building with what some describe as an entourage, it is unclear how he feels about the allegations being leveled concerning strippers, illegal drugs, prostitutes and a sex room for special members.

Attempts by Disclosure to reach out to Bonan have gone unanswered.

Disclosure will also be publishing a substantial portion, with editorial comment, of the membership agreement in the next issue with a complete copy of the agreement provided for e-edition subscribers on its website at www.disclosurenewsonline.com.

The members-only Chess Club has been confirmed to be on the seventh floor of the Clearwave building, located at 2 North Vine St., Harrisburg. A crane was brought in this past summer in order to install railing along the top of the building.

Into our second paper of the year! And believe me when I say, it's the second of many because it looks as if the every-three-week papers event enough to contain the investigative stuff, and we're planning on at least two runs of every-other-week papers later this year (without the attendant snakes that interfered with last August's run). So you are being bestowed with plenty of Disclosure, while other papers around us are laying off entire staffs so they don't fold (but they will...you watch...have we been wrong about ANY of that yet? No)...and we're taking up the slack.

Take this issue for example. All four of the front pagers, and two of the three back-pagers, are articles that NONE of the other media in the area would touch. They should, because it's pertinent to you. But they WON'T, because "that's not the kind of stuff we write." Too bad for them...that's the kind of stuff WE write, because YOU want to know! And so we're sorting it out in THIS MONTH'S PRINT HEADLINES.

Print headlines are a way for you to be able to see what's available in the print edition, as well as a direct link, per headline, of what you can read at the e-Edition. Print headlines are laid out by section, Front Page, Back Page (our second front page), pages 2 and 3, features if any (usually presented on 12 and 13), Egypt, Heartland, Central, then Op-Ed. They are presented by dateline first (the place where the action in the article occurred), headline link, then a brief synopsis in our own snarky Disclosure style. And so without further ado, here now are THIS MONTH'S PRINT HEADLINES.

FRONT PAGE

Frank W. “Bill” Bonan, Jr.

SALINE CO. - 'Gentlemen's club' located on top floor of Clearwave building?: This is the article you've been waiting for, Saline, Hamilton, Gallatin, White, Williamson and other counties in the readership area. But guess what...? There's more.

RICHLAND CO. - Shooting in Olney: It's not just the coverage that you got the day after it happened. No no no no no. Don't think we do that to you, dear reader. There is more...so much more...in this piece, we can't even begin to describe it to you. You just have to read it.

James Hayes

SALINE CO. - Report: Crims raped with knives following Sahara Lake abduction: This isn't speculation. This all happened. I know, I know...You didn't read it anywhere else. That's the problem, here; that's why these crims are able to do what they do...because you "didn't read about it anywhere else." If media outlets don't start covering this type of bullpuckey, two things are going to happen - the crims are going to keep doing it, and the other outlets are going to fold. We're now covering it, so the crims have a heads-up...but the other outlets are still going to fold. You watch.

What happened to the old middle school the day after the article was published. They were looking for the gal, from what we hear.

SALINE CO. - CHICKEN SLAUGHTER ALLEGED: Have you been wondering what's been going on at the old middle school on Church St? Well, wonder no more. And yes, it's as weird as you've heard.

BACK PAGE

SALINE CO. - Four charged following theft of 31 weapons from Gunslinger's Gun Shop, rural Saline Co.: The print coverage of the Gunslinger's incident, with a LOT more detail...and yes, we've named the juvenile.

CLAY CO. - Daughter of man killed in Xenia files OP against foster mother: Does anyone remember Terry Jenkins, the guy who was beaten to death in Xenia because he came on to a young guy...? He had two daughters. One of them is asserting her ability to keep herself safe, alleging that her foster mother is beating her. And you know...? It really kinda looks that way.

PATRICK E. VAUGHAN

SHAWNEETOWN - U.S. Marshals look for parolee in Gallatin: Did you all in Gallatin have any idea that there's a violent punk gangsta-wannabe possibly in your midst? No? That's because nobody else tells you this stuff except us. And a of this writing, nobody's found him yet.

PAGE 2

(Contains the jump of the big front page article about the Gentlemen's Club....because this piece is so big, and has a lot of art)

PAGE 3

Trending in the Disclosure area: Floods, crashes, shaking the meth tree and more: We had a request or two recently to go back to "Briefs from around the area" like we used to do, so we've picked em back up again. These are from Effingham County, Edwards County, Lawrence County and more.

HAMILTON CO. - Thief fights with, injures officer: If a guy is going to hurt a police officer, he'll hurt ANYBODY.

PAGE 12

WILLIAMSON CO. - $250,000.00...Was it just a mistake? Commercial building NEVER assessed in 20 yeas by Williamson Co. Tax Assessor: Is it a crime to not assess a building for 20 years...? If it's not, it SHOULD BE.

EGYPT

Not so smart in THIS pic now, are ya, whiner?

SALINE CO. - Ranting Merissa slapped with weapon felony in November Cummins case: Some of these little idiots who get arrested, we just don't care; they're just another news story. And then they make complete jerkettes of themselves...and they make the lead page of the section.

SALINE CO. - No clue as to how man lying in vomit ended up with severe head trauma: There were a lot of really badbadbad goings on over the holidays in the 'burg. This is the first of many being chronicled in this issue.

HARDIN CO. - Seven busted in Hardin County in connection with Hydrocodone charges: It's hayseed hijinks in Hardin...and people can't seem to be able to nark fast enough!

SALINE CO. - Harrisburg man charged with attack on wife: Violent crim report out of Saline.

GALLATIN CO. - Child endangerment charged in Gallatin: Not a lot happening in Gallatin outside of the bad punk from Hardin County who's on parole out of an Indiana and upstate Illinois location, but here's a little bit of info about another crim.

SALINE CO. - Marion thief, fresh out of prison, caught snatching flowers from Kroger, banned for life: She just wanted to brighten up her home, y'all.

SALINE CO. - Misdemeanor miscreants abound in Saline: The misdemeanor report out of Saline is full of potatoes. I kid you not.

SALINE CO. - Violent hayseed fracas breaks out in Harrisburg on Christmas Day: And after the hayseed hydrocodone hijinks, now, we have violent hayseeds in Harrisburg.

SALINE CO. - Barnett Street trespasser beaten with baseball bats: Well. If you've got a situation wherein someone NEEDS beaten with a baseball bat, I mean...don't hesitate, right?

HEARTLAND

SALEM - New doc in Salem just off suspension - Former doc in court over temporary restraining order regarding practice: Lovely Miriam Baumgart. Successful in rehab (we presume) and now doctoring in Salem...because they got rid of her in Mt. Carmel.

CLARK CO. - Clark County has a new circuit clerk after Ramsey is forced out due to 'bonding' issue: We covered this online, but we have those in Clark who are print-only readers, and so this is for them.

CRAWFORD CO. - Lawrenceville sex predator/doper found in Oblong school: We really thought this Jennifer girl had gone away. So did people at the school. Not so.

JASPER CO. - Jasper knifeplay lands Newton man in jail, Willow Hill woman battered: The violent crim report from Jasper County

EFFINGHAM CO. - Man who abducted 13-year-old sent to prison by the feds out of Missouri: Steven Larson is going away for a somewhat meaningful sentence, considering his age. But he'll probably just end up honing his skills with the other sex pers in federal lockup.

JASPER CO. - West Liberty pills on Christmas and underage drinking charged: The substance abuse report out of Jasper County.

CRAWFORD CO. - Man charged with damaging padded cell: Now you KNOW you're not doing good when you are charged with DAMAGING padded cell...

EDGAR CO. - Effort to stifle public participation via a SLAPP lawsuit; Edgar Co. Watchdogs sued in DuPage: The Chicago papers carried the exact, identical information about this Burkhardt woman as the Edgar County Watchdogs have (and had, long before the Chicago papers bothered). The Chicago papers didn't get sued, but the ECWd did...? Can you say "Carla Burkhardt is gonna be out a LOT of that contract money when the 'dogs are done with her..."?

CRAWFORD CO. - Suspected cocaine dealer busted at country club, intent to deliver filed: We found this article intriguing. What WAS this guy, and subsequently his girlfriend, doing out at the country club in Robinson...? We may never know the truth.

CENTRAL

RICHLAND CO. - Richland lawmen nab two more suspected drug dealers: No surprise here. But when you sit down and just really pay attention to the ones that they're busting...holy cow. This thing is fanning out.

LAWRENCE CO. - Lawrence state's attorney's actions come under fire - AGAIN: Chris Quick has been doing a lot of inexplicable things lately. This one, however...wow. We couldn't figure it out. And when we got through it...we didn't want to.

RICHLAND CO. - Salem woman attacked in Olney: Talk about your crossovers. If I could give advice to the people of Salem, I'd state unequivocally: stay out of Olney.

RICHLAND CO. - What's in a name...? Olney convicted doper caught with brass knuckles: Generally, only criminals carry brass knuckles. Generally, dopers are stupid. Generally, a stupid criminal dopers is going to get busted ....like this guy did.

CLAY CO. - Non-compliant, violent sex offender jailed: Rodney Washington. He's back. And as obnoxious and criminally-inclined as before.

Chad W. Street

WABASH CO.: Lewd and indecent Bellmont man charged with theft: What's with the repeat folks this month...? Can't we get some NEW crims...?

WHITE CO. - Drug dealer busted stealing feminine pads, boxer briefs: Well, this gal is a new crim...and she has new ideas on what constitutes obtaining her necessities.

RICHLAND CO. - Threatened to kill woman and throw her body in river: In Richland County, authorities should always take this kind of threat seriously...not because it's so serious, but because there are so many people in Richland who NEED thrown in the river (Not this gal, however...just an observation.)

WHITE CO. - Police say suspected stalker's victim served as his accomplice: Want a twist...? Go to White County. You'll always get a twist.

CLAY CO. - 30-500 grams of weed lands Clay City man in jail: I believe they call that 'delivery amounts'...and this guy probably has a lot of people crying because their delivery hasn't been made.

LAWRENCE CO. - Lawrence County becoming county for fastest trip through justice system via deal-making prosecutor: Well...there's obviously a reason why he's called "Quick," eh?

HAMILTON CO. - Thief and meth-head accused of boosting ATV: More of this going on in Hamilton; last year it was the Urps; this year...these guys.

RICHLAND CO. - Father allows son who broke into his house to move in...? People need to stop coddling their kids. This article is proof.

OP-ED

SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE (Jack): A study into the minds of the ant population
ICY (Ang): Frogs: Dissecting or boiling, the day of reckoning is coming for Lawrence County

Our own Becky, with Burton Cummings of The Guess Who in Vegas

GRAYGOOSE (Becky): The Faithful's night with Burton Cummings in Vegas
MINKUS INK (Bubba): The frightening lapse into sofa spuddery

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (letters): An inmate from the St. Clair area speaks out; Albert Smith warns Benton residents.

SALINE CO., Ill. - An Illinois Youth Center inmate who attacked a guard at the Harrisburg facility found out the hard way that no one is going to take pity on him just because he's been a juvenile detainee.

On January 28, 2016, a Saline County jury found Kameron R. Moore, age 18, of Rock Island, Illinois guilty of a Class 2 felony charge of Aggravated Battery.

Moore’s conviction arose out of an incident in which it was alleged he struck and tackled Jacob Miller, while Miller was working as a guard at IYC‐Harrisburg.

Because Moore was 18 years old when he committed the offense, he was prosecuted in adult court by Saline County Assistant State’s Attorney Jayson Clark.

The investigation of Moore’s case was led by Officer Nathan Moore of the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant State’s Attorney Jayson M. Clark handled the successful prosecution of the case, including trying the case before the jury.

Kameron Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2016.

SALINE CO., Ill. - Less than two years after running people out, ruining the land, causing hardship for the county on many levels and other generalized angst, Peabody Coal is reducing their presence in Cottage Grove, announcing the layoff of 75 miners this morning.

In a statement obtained from the coal company, they stated:

In response to market conditions and production requirements, Peabody Energy's Arclar Mine Complex (specifically the Wildcat Hills and Cottage Grove mines) announced a workforce reduction of approximately 75 positions effective immediately.

The Illinois mines, located in Saline and Gallatin counties, will continue to safely produce coal at volumes targeted to meet customer demand.

All impacted employees are being offered severance benefits and will be provided assistance in securing new employment.

The company regrets the negative impact this action will have on affected employees, their families and local communities.

You can read about what Peabody did to the area - which we covered carefully in 2014 - by clicking through the articles at this link.

Supporters of those in the area impacted by Cottage Grove have stated that they believe Peabody might even go as fra as to file bankruptcy.

"That'd be a good way to walk away from toxic impoundment structures and slurry ponds, leaving the community to clean up," one source said. "It is just a way to restructure finances and go back into operation under a new name."

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