SALINE CO.— An Eldorado man already charged in a case of violence is now facing an additional felony.

According to information filed in the case, Benjamin C. White, 25, of 1020 Lincoln St., Eldorado, has been charged with Criminal Damage to Government Supported Property after authorities say on October 29 he knowingly damaged the window in visitation booth #5 of the Saline County Law Enforcement and Detention Center, located at 1 North Main St., Harrisburg.

The damage was estimated to be in excess of $500 but less than $10,000.

After squeaking out of several violence convictions over the years, White was found guilty November 28, 2011 of an amended misdemeanor charged of Resisting a Peace Officer for which he was sentenced to 20 days in the county jail, probation for 18 months and ordered to pay $1,978.20, of which he still owes $1,656.20.

A Domestic Battery conviction May 1, 2013 landed White in the Illinois Department of Corrections on a two and a half years sentence.

He still owes $538.20 from that case.

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

SALINE CO.— A Harrisburg man already serving a probation sentence of 12 months handed him July 21 following a conviction for Domestic Battery has been jailed for violating an Order of Protection.

Authorities say that on November 8, Cody Braxton Hamby, 34, of 421 West Sloan St., Harrisburg, committed the offense when he went to his mother’s house to take a shower.

The trouble began when cops were contacted by Kirk Wagner reporting that Hamby was on his property at 3475 Highway 13 despite an active order of protection prohibiting him from being within 500 feet of the property.

A report filed in the case shows that Hamby was located and informed officers that he “wanted to go to his mom’s and take a shower.”

His mother lives at the Highway 13 address.

While he was being taken into custody for violating the OP, police say they found a plastic baggie in his right front pocket.

The contents of that baggie tested positive for methamphetamine.

Hamby’s criminal history includes a conviction January 3, 2008 for Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis, for which he was sentenced to 150 days in the county jail, probation for 12 months and cost him $2,428 in fines and fees.

He earned himself a felony trip to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) with a December 9, 2009 conviction for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors.

The original sentence was probation for 36 months but with a revocation granted February 2012, he was re-sentenced to IDOC for four years.

He still owes $94.38 in fines and fees from that case.

In addition to the Violation of an Order of Protection, Hamby was charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.

It doesn’t appear as if the domestic problems are going to get better anytime soon as Hamby listed the Highway 13 address as his residence on his affidavit of assets and liabilities.

Cash bond in the case of the unmarried, unemployed 30-something-year-old has been set at $1,000.

WHITE/SALINE COs. – Another lawsuit has been filed against a New York businessman who inexplicably came to southern Illinois to set up shop in two counties, Saline and White.

Sal Sulaymanov, who started up the Harrisburg “amusement” facility Z Factor earlier this year, was sued in Saline County circuit court on October 11, 2016, by Tri-State Fire Protection, Inc., the Indiana company that apparently provided a sprinkler system to the amusement facility but was never paid for it.

They are claiming Sulaymanov owes them $16,228.54 for the work done.

That case is moving through Saline County Circuit Court, with a first appearance on the matter having been held on December 12.

Now, Sulaymanov’s other business in the area has been sued in another court, this where the business was located.

TrueFlo Solutions LLC, located in White County between Norris City and Carmi on Illinois Route 1, has been sued in White County civil court by Armstrong Tool.

TrueFlo was supposed to be a saltwater disposal well business for southern Illinois, and in early 2015, it opened to local accolades by mainstream news, who were apparently hoping for a big boom in the area with the advent of revision of Illinois fracking laws.

The fracking business never took off and oil costs plummeted, leaving the market for saltwater disposal high and dry as well.

Nevertheless, TrueFlo persevered and continued in business dealings. One of these was with Armstrong Tool.

However, on November 14, in White County, Armstrong, being represented by Carmi attorneys Conger and Elliott, filed an LM claim against TrueFlo.

In it, they state that on or about February 23, 2016, Armstrong and TrueFlo accounted together concerning the balance owed by TrueFlo for work previously performed by Armstrong.

It was agreed that TrueFlo owed Armstrong the sum of $18,374.02.

Trueflo promised to pay $1,000 on or before the 8th day of each month until the balance was paid in full. However, they claim, TrueFlo made one payment on said account and “has failed to make any other payments and there is now due and owing the sum of $17,374.02, together with statutory interest at the rate of 5 percent annually from March 8, 2016.”

In the lawsuit, Armstrong provided an “Agreement,” signed by one Melissa Trout, Vice President of the corporation, which outlined the above information.

Trout happens to be the person whom Tri-State Fire Protection was attempting to serve with notice about the Saline County suit with Z Factor. By mid-October, they couldn’t locate her to be served, as they noted Trout “no longer worked at Z Factor.”

Armstrong has made a money demand and is asking the court to order it done.

Armstrong’s, however, isn’t the only suit filed against TrueFlo in White County.

Earlier this year, Carmi Lumber Company had to take TrueFlo to court to try and collect money they said TrueFlo owed them.

The suit, filed January 27, resulted in a default judgment on March 11 for Carmi Lumber, in the amount of $4,416.26, plus $140 in court costs and $300 in attorney fees.

It is unclear whether or not any payments have been made in the judgment.

In the new White County case, a setting for December 16 for the complaint to be made had been scheduled.

It appeared that, as of early December, TrueFlo was still up and operating, as was Z Factor in Harrisburg, although the latter on an apparently-limited basis.

The article in the November-December edition about Z Factor outlined that not only had they been sued by Tri-State Fire, but that they were trying to work out something with their electricity.

Reports in October indicated that Z Factor had tapped on to Tractor Supply Store’s Ameren Illinois meter and were utilizing their electricity.

Disclosure has contacted Tractor Supply’s corporate offices, but as of press time, no calls had been returned.

In November, Z Factor was said to have been operating on generator power.

Few seemed to be aware of Sulaymanov’s whereabouts, although some in Harrisburg are looking for him.

Disclosure continues to look into the matter and will have updates in upcoming issues.

SALINE CO. – A violent local criminal who has been openly telling people he’s a federal nark may have committed his final alleged infraction – for a few years, at any rate.

Brian K. Potts, 43, reporting former addresses in a number of counties including Saline and Pope, was in jail as of deadline (December 11, his birthday), being held at the Saline County Detention Center in Harrisburg on a $500,000 bail ($50,000 cash bond).

He had been arrested and charged in late November with traffic citations and had been able to post bond to get himself sprung from that.

But just a couple of days later, Potts, wound up again, is alleged to have committed a much more serious crime. And now, many locals are hoping that no one is able to post the bond, or that it doesn’t get reduced has it has in the past, because it appears that Potts, in revealing the secret to his success – that he’s a nark for the feds – is about to reach the end of his usefulness…and that makes him potentially a highly dangerous individual to some.

The stand-off king

Potts has been known for the past several years in Saline and Gallatin counties as “the stand-off king.”

He has a way of being able to hold people hostage successfully, then when the law arrives, somehow manage to either slip away, or give up wimpily.

The behavior may have started years ago, but Disclosure began chronicling it in the summer of 2013 when Potts was involved in two standoffs within a couple of months, one in Gallatin County, one in Saline County.

Earlier this year, he was involved in yet another one in Eldorado, during which he could have gotten shot, as it was going on at the same time the situation with Clint Pendleton was going on just to the south.

In July, Disclosure was advised that Potts was holed up in a ratty trailer on the north side of Fairfield in Wayne County.

How he came to be in Fairfield, and whose trailer it was, remains undisclosed at this time.

However, concerned Fairfield residents reached out to Disclosure in order to apprise of the situation, in case authorities were getting ready to try to get him out of the trailer and another standoff occur.

That, fortunately, didn’t happen.

Despite the indication that Potts had stolen a ladder from someone in the neighborhood, and that he had reportedly illegally hooked up utilities to the trailer; and despite the fact that the place had no air conditioning (in Illinois summers, that could be, if not a deadly thing, then something that creates a situation whereby someone with a temper like Potts gets grumpy and resultant of that, dangerous), Potts apparently just abandoned his hidey-hole and moved on without incident.

At that time, he had bonded out of jail in Saline and hadn’t yet missed a court appearance, so authorities weren’t looking for him…although the public, alerted to his history and presence, were keeping an eye out.

Crazy trip through Eldorado

Then, on Sunday, November 27 and back in Saline County, Potts ran into the kind of trouble he’s used to causing.

At a little after 12:15 that afternoon, Deputy Chuck Welge noted a dark SUV passing him southbound on Trolley Road at a high rate of speed.

Welge pulled in behind it as it crossed the railroad tracks, at which point it “almost left the road” due to the speed at which it was traveling, and which action prompted Welge to activate his emergency lights.

This didn’t deter the driver of the SUV one bit.

Instead, the SUV accelerated, Welge said, and failed to stop at the stop sign at Trolley Road and Locust Street. Once on Locust, the SUV went westbound and then turned onto Ballard Street southbound, where it failed to stop at the stop sign at Ballard and Richardson streets.

As Welge chased the vehicle, it continued to run stop signs at every posted intersection, ultimately traveling past Karel Park, Raleigh Road, Masonic Cemetery Road and finally Woolard Road, where it entered the rear of a yard at the 1846 address on Woolard.

With Eldorado police and Harrisburg chief Whipper Johnson having arrived to assist, the officers used the PA loudspeaker to order the occupants of that address to exit.

The front door opened and Potts came out. Upon questioning, Potts stated that James P. Bauer, Cindy D. Potts and April L. Morgan were in the residence. All of them ultimately emerged.

It was discovered that Cindy Potts was a rear passenger in the SUV Brian Potts was driving, and she claimed she “tried to get him to stop several times,” but, as Potts said, he didn’t want to go to jail, and knew he would because his driver’s license was suspended.

It turned out that Bauer had three Saline County Failure to Appear warrants, so he, along with Potts, was taken to the Saline County Detention Center in Harrisburg.

Sprung by grandma

Potts found himself formally charged the next day with felony Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, a Class 4 felony.

Considering that Potts was already under the May 12 Eldorado incident which resulted in charges of Home Invasion while armed with a dangerous weapon (Class X); Aggravated Unlawful Restraint, Aggravated Battery while using a deadly weapon and Possession of Meth less than 5 grams (all Class 3) and Meth Precursors less than 15 grams (Class 2), this Aggravated Fleeing didn’t do well for his wallet.

However, he was able to get sprung by one Bonita Potts of Golconda, Potts’ grandmother, who provided $1,500 for that to happen…since Potts, on his affidavit of assets and liabilities, stated that he was “self-employed” (but he didn’t say at what) and didn’t have any funds on-hand.

He was released Nov. 30 with a court date of December 15.

But Potts didn’t leave the jail with the intent to be a good boy until he appeared in front of the judge.

Beaten severely

Staying true to form, Potts continued on in his ways, apparently gearing up, as is usually the case when he gets popped on one infraction or another.

Within a couple of days, he was back to sniffing around Nicole Bryant.

Bryant is an ex of Potts’. She was the woman in the trailer in Equality in the summer of 2013 when Potts held off police in what was being termed an armed standoff, but which later it was learned that he had managed to slip out of the trailer while it was surrounded by police from two counties and by state troopers as well.

Bryant was at one point a contributing citizen, having gone to school and gotten certified as a pharmacist. By all accounts, when she hooked up with Potts, she became involved in drugs and she lost everything, including her rights to her children.

Potts was able to track her down to a location outside of Eldorado on the evening of Sunday, December 4.

There, he is alleged to have beaten and strangled her.

Sources involved in the investigation said that Bryant was injured so severely that her initial condition, upon being found, was considered life-threatening. Sources have indicated that upon being strangled, pressure was so great on her that one of her eyeballs bulged to the point that had any more pressure been exerted, it might have popped from its socket.

She was found by a local woman, who gave her a ride to a hospital in the area.

The injuries were discovered to have been so severe that there was little option left but to charge Potts with something that would be very nearly impossible to get out of.

Another Class X

Potts was found at a friend’s house at a location outside Harrisburg on Dec. 7.

He learned that he was being arrested on another Class X felony – Attempted Murder.

He was also charged with two Class 2 felonies, Aggravated Domestic Battery and a second count of Aggravated Domestic Battery by Strangulation, specifically.

In his hubris, he allegedly had a gun on him, and so he was charged with a Class 3 felony Felon in Possession of a Weapon/Firearm.

He was lodged in the Saline County Detention Center.

His bail was set at a half-million dollars. In order for him to be released this time, someone would have to come up with $50,000 cash.

As of press time (December 11), that hadn’t happened.

Will ‘the feds’ come to his rescue this time?

Whether Potts’ alleged association with the feds will prevail, however, remains to be seen.

As Potts has gotten older, he’s gotten either very much more delusional, or very ignorant, which in his world probably translates to “brave.”

A host of individuals in and around Saline (including Gallatin and Pope counties) have advised that Potts these days is going around “bragging” about being a narc for the feds.

It’s his claim that he was one of the first people, some 20 years ago, who “showed the feds how to make meth” and that he’s been a useful mammal ever since, setting people up with dope buys of varying sorts, then skirting out of all charges when he does.

The court record – with the exception of the three 2016 felony cases – reflects that.

Potts has been able to get out of most major charges he has faced over the years, spending only a little time in DOC in the late 90s for a theft conviction out of Pope County.

“He preys on people to do his robbing and drug running,” said an acquaintance of Potts’ in the days following his most recent arrest. “The most recent thing I’d heard was that there was a 13-year-old boy he was using to crawl in trailers and steal for him.”

This same acquaintance said that Potts “terrorizes to control.” Like most abusive men, Potts has a long history of brutalizing people in his life in order to keep them quiet and not telling the authorities what he’s doing, both in his criminal activities outside the home, and criminal actions toward the ones he’s controlling within the home.

Victims over the years have come forward to explain that this is his methodology and that they now can admit that he’s abused them, years and years after the abuse occurred and nothing was done about it…some of the victims even being very young children at the time of the abuse.

Now, perhaps, something will be done with Potts. He was next scheduled to be in court on the Aggravated Fleeing/Eluding charge Dec. 15; and he was set for a jury trial on the May 2016 Home Invasion charges in early February. There’d been no setting for the Attempted Murder charge as of press time (Dec. 11) because of the late date of filing.

Be watching the December 28 issue for updates.

Dr. Brian Burns, in custody at the SCDC

SALINE CO., Ill. - In a hearing held today in Saline County Circuit Court, the attorney representing the former doctor accused of murder has entered a motion for a bond reduction based on failing health of the defendant.

Former doctor Brian T. Burns, who was accused back in March of this year of shooting then dismembering his wife and burning her body parts, made a brief appearance today as his attorney, Bryan Drew of Franklin County, had heard a motion to reduce Burns' bond.

Stating that Burns, 57, is suffering from macular degeneration and malignant melanoma, Drew said in his motion that Burns has had no treatment and no follow up for either condition since he was jailed in mid-March. Interestingly, there has been NO mention of either of these conditions up to this point, including during an April motion to reduce bond, as well as in Burns' filings of a financial affidavit or attendant paperwork to show any kind of medical claim or physical condition (which, in a financial affidavit, might be disclosed by stating bills or ongoing expenses associated with it).

As a result of these conditions and lack of care, Drew is asking that Burns' bail be reduced from a million dollars cash to a half-million.

Conventional wisdom might dictate that if Burns is able to raise a half-million dollars to be sprung from holding at the Saline County Detention Center, he might be able to advise jail personnel that he needs some treatment and if it's THAT bad and he's so worried about it, he'd be able to pay for treatment if the county told him they weren't able to (inmates housed in county jails and who have ongoing medical conditions are generally required to disclose such a thing; and counties are supposed to ensure that detainees are provided adequate medical care while housed there. Sometimes, however, if the ailment is too severe or expensive for the county to handle, they will either release the person on a recognizance bond if they're indigent, or will reduce bond to something manageable. It's unclear whether this will prove to be one of those cases.)

The problem with Burns' pleading on the case right now is that he'd previously told Stacey Kintner, the ISP investigator who questioned him prior to charges, that he wouldn't kill his wife and then stay here knowing he'd be the first person they'd look at; he had enough money to leave the country before that would happen, ergo, by this reasoning, he didn't kill her.

Nobody bought it then, and it may not play out now. There's been a status hearing set for December 27 to address this matter, and the case is still on track for a jury trial March 22, 2017. He's still under charges for Aggravated Kidnaping, wherein he was charged with trying to solicit someone to kidnap State's Attorney Mike Henshaw for a thousand dollars; that case is set for a prelim in January 5.

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DEANGELO COWPER

SALINE CO., Ill. - A violent crim who finally pulled a couple of stunts authorities weren’t going to put up with is off to IDOC.

The Saline County State’s Attorney’s office has advised that Deangelo M. Cowper, 33 of Harrisburg recently but originally of Carrier Mills, pled guilty to a sexual assault charge on Tuesday, December 14 in Saline County Circuit Court.

In a negotiated agreement with the state, Cowper entered a plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault and was sentenced to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The offense occurred June 27, 2015, in Harrisburg upon a 13-year-old victim after Cowper had her consume controlled substances.

He had been charged with three Class X felonies in that case, and five Class 2 felonies the plea was to one of the Class X felonies. As a result, Cowper will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence and register as a sex offender for life.

Cowper was still under bond from the sex assault allegations when, on August 29, he is accused of stabbing a man in an incident on Poplar Street in Harrisburg. Just prior to that, he’d been sentenced in a misdemeanor count in neighboring Hardin County.

Facing all this, Cowper, set for a jury trial on the 14th, opted to enter a plea.

It’s unclear what the status of the stabbing case - in which he’s charged with Aggravated Battery in a Public Place and Felon in Possession of a Weapon, both Class 3 felonies - currently is right now.

Assistant State’s Attorney Eva Walker handled the case for the state. Judge Walden Morris presided.

SALINE CO., Ill. - Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt, announces the results of a Roadside Safety Check (RSC) held in Saline County from late night Friday, December 16, to early morning Saturday, December 17.

The RSC was conducted at Old Illinois Route 13 and Main Street in Harrisburg, by District 19 officers.

In addition to the following enforcement activity, Troopers arrested one individual wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant.

Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, and throughout the U.S., nearly10,000 people die each year due to alcohol-impaired driving. RSCs are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road. This project was funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

HARDIN CO.— A Rosiclare convicted burglar faces a felony battery charge following a incident involving a family member.

Charges filed in the case allege that on November 25 James Austin, 48, of Rosiclare, committed the offense of Aggravated Battery when he knowingly made physical contact of an insulting nature with family member Connie Schutt when he strangled her at a time when he knew Schutt to be an individual of 60 years of age.

Austin was released from police custody November 29 when he was granted a $1,500 recognizance bond by judge Paul Lamar.

He was convicted of felony Burglary April 18, 1995, for which he was sentenced to probation for two years and ordered to pay $ 1,070 in fines and fees.

Kirkland E. Cole

SALINE CO.— A violent convicted Harrisburg thief has been charged with drunk driving following a traffic accident.

According to official reports, on December 5, at approximately 4:43 p.m. Harrisburg officers were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at Rte. 45 and Rte. 34.

Upon arrival officers say they were informed by two witnesses that a 2001 white Dodge truck, driven by Kirkland E. Cole, 58, of 108 West Sloan, Harrisburg, had crashed into a stopped vehicle.

Witnesses say Cole was swaying from one side of the highway to the other as he was coming from Carrier Mills.

Officers on scene say Cole was swaying back and forth as he walked around his truck.

When asked for his insurance and registration card Cole told officers that he had just purchased the vehicle and did not have insurance.

The officer asked if he could look in the vehicle’s glove box and Cole gave permission.

When he did, the officer spotted an open Nikolai vodka container on the passenger floor board.

The bottle was half empty.

Cole failed a field sobriety test and blew a .296 on a portable breathalyzer.

Cole was charged with one count of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol with a Breath Alcohol Contact Greater Than .08.

If convicted Cole could face an extended sentence given his previous convictions including Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol on February 2006 and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs April 17, 2006.

Both convictions were in Van Nuys, Calif.

Cole’s Saline County criminal history includes a conviction September 28, 2015 for Theft and fined $200, of which he still owes $170.

On June 8, 2015 he was convicted of Theft and sentenced to court supervision for 120 days and ordered to pay $ 300 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $180.

He was arrested September 3, 2015 and charged with two counts of Domestic Battery.

On March 21, 2016 he pleaded guilty to an amended count of Disorderly Conduct for which he was ordered to pay $ 500 in fines and fees.

At the time of his arrest Kirkland was already serving a Saline probation sentence of 12 months following a June 15 conviction for Theft.

In addition to the probation sentence, Kirkland was also ordered to pay $ 2,427 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $2,387.

Cash bond in the case was set at $300.

Kevin Stucker

SALINE CO.— Why three individuals, all with suspended driver’s licenses, would all be riding in the same car, with drugs and paraphernalia would think nothing bad was going to happen speaks volumes to the damage drugs can do to the brain.

And to make matters more curious, all three were free to go; that is until two of the trio gave police consent to search.

The saga of what some called the three began December 13 at approximately 10:04 p.m. when Harrisburg officer Nick Keltner was on routine patrol on East Robinson Street when he observed a white Ford Ranger truck with a male driver and two female passengers traveling westbound on East Robinson Street.

A quick check of the plates showed the truck came registered to Kevin L. Stucker, 38, of 507 South Washington St., Galatia, and showed that Mr. Stucker had a suspended license.

Keltner executed a traffic stop on the vehicle at South Webster and East Robinson Streets.

Upon contact with the driver the male identified himself as Kevin Stucker.

The two female passengers identified themselves as Theresa L. Wilkins, 49, of 331 West Sloan St., Harrisburg, and Jeana L. Hudgins, 42, of Carrier Mills.

Keltner interrupted Stucker reaching behind the passenger seat when he informed him he would be cited for Driving Suspended and that, since he and the woman all had suspended licenses, they would not be allowed to drive the truck and that since it was off the public roadway, it would not need to be towed.

Theresa L. Wilkins

Stucker said that he understood and that he and the women could get rides to where they were going.

Before calling it a done deal, officer Keltner asked Stucker if he’d submit to a search of himself and the truck.

Stucker is said to have agreed.

Why he agreed is unclear given what was found and the fact that at that point Stucker and both women were informed they could leave.

The women were asked to exit the truck.

During a patdown of Stucker, a knife was found in one of his pants pocket.

The knife was removed and placed in the rear of the truck.

And that’s about the time that Theresa Wilkins told officers they would find a hypodermic syringe behind the passenger seat where Stucker put it.

Sure enough, when Keltner looked he found a pink container behind the passenger seat containing a hypodermic syringe.

When asked about it, Stucker said that it was his but that he was a diabetic and that there should be a tube of insulin with the syringe.

But when asked what the bottle of insulin would look like Stucker never gave an answer.

Insulin was never found.

A large bag was found in the bed of the truck, however.

Wilkins said the bag was hers and gave Keltner consent to search that.

Multiple purses were found in the bag.

One of the purses contained a hypodermic syringe, which Wilkins said was hers.

Wilkins said that she had forgotten the syringe was there and added that she had not used drugs for more than a week. 

Officer Keltner said he tested both syringes and both tested positive for methamphetamine.

Both Stucker and Wilkins were transported to the county detention center.

Once there, Stucker was asked about the syringe and repeated that he was a diabetic, but had no clue as to why it should test positive for meth.

When Keltner interviewed Wilkins she said that she had a bag of pills, she had gotten from Ms. Hudgins, as well as a small amount of cannabis.

Wilkins said she understood the pills she allegedly had gotten from Hudgins to be muscle relaxers.

However the tablets were identified as hydrocodone.

Stucker was formally booked on one count each of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and one count of Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

At the time of his arrest Stucker had two pending cases in Saline County including one from March 18, 2016 in which he is charged with Violation of Stalking No Contact Order and another April 14, 2016 in which he is charged with Theft $500-$10,000.

Wilkins was booked into the county jail on charges of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

A little more than three months prior to her most recent arrest, September 7, 2016, Wilkins pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine in return for charges of Forgery and Driving Suspended being dismissed.

Wilkins was sentenced to pay $5,982.46 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $3,957.46.

Two days later, Sept. 23, Wilkins was charged with a single count of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.

She was released from police custody in that case November 8, after posting $1,000.

Cash bond set in both Stucker and Wilkins’ cases have been set at $1,500 each. 

James Virgil Mattingly

Reports of drug activity lead lawmen to drug trio

SALINE CO.— With all of the complaints about drug activity allegedly going unchecked, mainly due to those pesky Constitutional Rights the reporters of such activity hold so dear, perseverance seems to have won out, bagging authorities a trio of well-known drug convicts.

The incident began to unfold at December 12, at approximately 1:15 p.m. when Harrisburg Police Sergeant Michael Riden was driving southbound on Granger Street.

When Sgt. Riden drove past the intersection of Granger and Sloan streets he spotted a vehicle parked in the driveway at 600 South Granger St.

“This house has had numerous complaints recently about the traffic coming and going and possible drug activity,” said one police source.

Court records show the address has been listed in numerous drug cases over the years.

Sgt. Riden ran the plate on the vehicle through the police computer and they came back as the registered owner being Kristi Wilson.

Wilson came back wanted on an arrest warrant out of Saline County.

Drug history

Wilson’s history includes an arrest September 28, 2011 during which she was charged with Unlawful Possession of Anhydrous Ammonia, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Material.

Kisha Marlene Roberson

She was charged a little more than a year later, August 27, 2012 and charged with Unlawful Manufacture of Methamphetamine 15-100 grams, Unlawful Possession of Anhydrous Ammonia, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Materials, Possession of Methamphetamine in an Unauthorized Container and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors.

On August 7, 2014 all charges were dismissed with the exception of possession of meth precursors, for which she was sentenced to probation for 48 months and ordered to pay $ 18,857.78 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $7,957.78.

Backseat fidgeting

Sgt. Riden turned his cruiser around and headed back to 600 South Granger.

On his way back he spotted the vehicle, with a female driver, back out of the drive and head south on Granger.

Riden radioed for backup as he followed the vehicle into the parking lot of Discount Food Mart, located at 401 South Main St., where he executed a traffic stop.

“As I pulled behind the vehicle I observed a backseat passenger trying to inconspicuously take off his coat and put it on the other side of the backseat,” Riden said. 

As Riden approached the vehicle the individual in the backseat, identified as James Virgil Mattingly, 44, who lives at the 600 South Granger St., Harrisburg, address, opened one of the rear doors and stepped out, reaching in his pockets.

Riden ordered Mattingly to get back in the car and had to tell him several times to take his hands out of his pockets.

Riden said he recognized the driver of the vehicle as Wilson and had her step out and began the process of taking her into custody.

While he was doing that, he heard one of the officers who arrived for backup telling Mattingly to take his hands out of his pockets.

When lawmen checked the backseat, under Mattingly’s coat they located several vehicle gauges, a Milwaukee straight grinder and other tools that were identified as items stolen earlier that morning from a vehicle at the Economy Inn Motel.

Initials on the back of the grinder, NBS, stood for National Belt Service, which was the name of the company reporting the theft.

On parole with drug history

A front seat passenger identified as Kisha Marlene Roberson, 35, of 2552 Ledford Rd., Harrisburg, was asked to step out of the car.

Roberson is a known drug convict beginning with a conviction January 10, 2003 for Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication) and sentenced to probation for two years and ordered to pay $3,717.48 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $2,997.48.

Eight months later, August 4, 2003, she was again Convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication) for which she was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for 18 months.

Following a January 18, 2013 conviction for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Roberson was sentenced to probation for 30 months and ordered to undergo drug treatment and to pay $4,532.54 in fines and fees, of which she still owes $1,887.34.

An August 20, 2014 conviction for again for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine earned her a probation revocation and another IDOC sentence of five years.

As part of that second drug case Roberson had charges of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors dismissed, making it appear as if Ms. Roberson is somewhat of a mule when it comes to transporting ingredients to cook meth.

Mother load found in purse

A quick check of Roberson through police computers showed she was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), which makes her subject to search at anytime until the terms of her parole are completed.

Kristi Wilson

At first Roberson hesitated when Riden asked for her purse to search.

But after Riden reminded her she would be in violation of her parole if she refused, Roberson handed it over.

Inside the purse Sgt. Riden discovered a syringe that contained a purplish liquid in it.

“I asked Roberson if the syringe contained methamphetamine and she nodded ‘yes,’” Riden said.

Riden also found numerous other drug and drug-related items in her purse.

Charges filed

Kristi Wilson was taken into custody on her outstanding warrant.

It is unclear what that warrant was for.

James Virgil Mattingley, reportedly unemployed, was formally charged with felony Theft.

He is a convicted drug felon, having been convicted October 24, 2012 for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Materials, for which he was sentenced to IDOC for seven years and ordered to pay $ 3,600 in fines and fees.

Precursor charges usually indicate an individual is involved, in some form, of cooking meth.

Cash bond in the single father of three’s case was set at $1,000.

Kisha Marlene Roberson was formally charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.

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

All three are expected in court later this month.

Roy W. Tipton

SALINE CO.— A former Hardin County man has been jailed in Saline on a pair of felonies that could land him in prison for a significant amount of time if found guilty.

Hours later, an Elizabethtown man of the same last name, was arrested for shoplifting. 

According to information filed in the case, on December 12, at approximately 4:30 p.m. Harrisburg Police Sergeant Michael Riden observed a truck westbound in the 000 block of West Homer Street failed to signal when he turned into an alleyway.

When Sgt. Riden ran the plate it came back registered to Johnny E. Tipton, 58, of 781A Combs Rd., Campton, Ky., who was listed as having a suspended Kentucky license.

A subsequent inventory of the vehicle uncovered a plastic tool case located in the backseat.

Inside that case Sgt. Riden located a sawed-off 20-gauge shotgun.

Johnny E. Tipton

Tipton is a convicted felon out of Hardin County.

His criminal history form Hardin includes a conviction August 23, 2005, for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Chemicals for which he was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections for four years and ordered to pay $2,767 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $173.

He was convicted in Hardin of a reduced felony-misdemeanor charge of Battery June 15, 2009 and sentenced to conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay $1,230 in fines and fees.

Tipton was arrested in Hardin on December 19, 2009 and charged with Armed Habitual Criminal and Unlawful Possession of Narcotics.

Both charges were later dismissed.

He was sentenced to probation for 30 months February 22, 2011 after he was convicted in Hardin of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.

He was also ordered to pay $4,585 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $2,055.

With the finding of that shotgun in Harrisburg, Tipton was taken into custody and charged with Armed Habitual Criminal and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

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

Another Tipton

About four hours later another Tipton was taken into custody.

Police reports indicate that on the same date, Dec. 12, at approximately 7:26 p.m. Harrisburg officer Nick Keltner was dispatched to the city Walmart on a complaint of retail theft.

Once on scene Keltner spoke with loss prevention specialist Connor A. Pulliam who informed him that he observed Roy W. Tipton, 48, select several pairs of gloves off a shelf and put them into a cart.

He said he then watched as Tipton selected a coat off of a shelf and ripped the tag off of it.

He said he continued watching as Tipton selected a backpack and placed it in the cart.

Pulliam said that Tipton then went into the purse asle with his goods and placed the gloves and coat into the backpack and then walked out of the store without paying for anything.

Pulliam said he confronted Tipton and the men walked back into the store.

Keltner said he ran a check on Tipton and he came back as being wanted on a Kentucky arrest warrant on charged of Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Production of Cannabis.

Tipton, of Rte. 2, Box2, Elizabethtown, was formally charged in Saline County with Retail Theft.

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

Whether or not the two Tiptons and/or their arrests are related is unknown.

Xzavier B. Gibbs

SALINE CO.— With as much fun that is had with the term ‘Kiddy Prison,’ it is no laughing matter when on of the youths from the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) comes unhinged and attacks an employee or fellow inmate.

In the latest burst of violence from the facility, Khaleel Lott, 18, of IYC, located at 1201 West Poplar St., Harrisburg, has been charged with two counts of felony Aggravated Battery.

The charges allege that on May 22, Lott, in one case, punched correctional institution employee Christopher Cain and in the second, kicked Cain.

As is usual with juvenile offenders, there is no way to determine if this is Lott’s first burst of violence or if this is a continuation of violent acts much worse.

And because the teen is already serving an unknown sentence for some unknown crime, there is no bond set in such cases.

X Gibbs

Another IYC inmate, whose name is well known in Harrisburg, has also been charged.

Xzavier B. Gibbs, now 19 years old and now of IYC/formerly of Carrier Mills and of Harrisburg (depending on where the transient punk opted to land), has also been charged with felony Aggravated Battery after authorities say on July 24, he pushed an IYC employee identified as Arnold Elam in the upper torso.

At the age of 17 Gibbs was charged in a December 14, 2014 incident wherein he was accused of shooting Bobby Evans, Jr., age 32, and subsequently sentenced to an undetermined amount of time at IYC. 

Old violence

In a non-Kiddy Prison violence-related story, Robert D. Huff, 65, of 530 Liberty Rd., Harrisburg, has been charged with Aggravated Battery after police say that on December 10 he struck Adam Henson in the face while at Morello’s restaurant.

The alleged battering of Mr. Henson was filed as a felony because it happened in a public place.

There was no indication in court files as to what may have kicked off the alleged fracas and there was no bond information.

Joe Debose

SALINE CO.— A Harrisburg man who fancies himself a political operative has surfaced once again.

Joe Debose, who put himself out of be some kind of political strategist and was one of the campaign brains behind the embarrassingly poorly-run campaign of state representative wannabe and local Beck’s pharmacist Jason Kasiar, got his name on another public document, only this time, it had nothing to do with an election, but instead, it was a bond sheet.

Debose may not have been one of the many to deny the existence of the married Kasiar’s very public adulterous affair with married mother of three, state’s attorney candidate Molly Wilson-Dearing, but he did nothing to denounce it, either.

Many claim it was the exposure of that affair that sunk Molly’s chances in a year when anybody with an ‘R’ behind their name was a shoe-in, given the national political climate.

Jason D. Reynolds

What is said to have taken out Kasiar’s bid for office was not necessarily the way he carried on openly with a mistress, but the repugnant way he treated his near-saint of a wife, Kristi.

And even once the election was over and Kasiar lost, Debose did nothing but defend his actions and threaten Disclosure with lawsuits that never materialized, either because he knew he would lose or because he was afraid of the publication suddenly gaining the power to subpoena campaign records including emails, texts and phone logs.

And now the ever-helpful Joe Debose has surfaced in the posting of cash bond following a Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol arrest.

According to case files, on November 26, Jason D. Reynolds, 40, of 3540 Hwy 145 South, Harrisburg, was riding his motorcycle on State Street and Locust Street in Eldorado when he pulled into a nearby parking lot and proceeded to fall from the motorcycle.

Once police officers arrived they found Reynolds unable to maintain his balance without assistance from officers.

Police say his eyes were bloodshot, speech slurred and he had the smell of alcohol coming from his person.

Reynolds is said to have failed a field sobriety test and did not submit to a breathalyzer test, which earned him an automatic revocation of his license for the next 12 months, which may not affect his driving habits too much given that his license were already revoked/suspended when he fell of his motorcycle.

Reynolds was ultimately charged with a pair of felonies including Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving Revoked.

Reynolds was released from police custody Nov. 27 after a $300 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Joe Debose, of the same 540 Hwy 145 South, Harrisburg, address listed by Reynolds.

SALINE CO.— A Harrisburg woman is facing a felony after police say she walked out of a local pharmacy with an item for sale that she didn’t bother paying for.

According to the formal charge, on November 27, Tonya L. Baggett, 28, of 21 West Walnut St., Harrisburg, knowingly carried away a package of Gerber Soothe Colic Drops from CVS pharmacy, located at 1 Commercial St., Harrisburg.

Court documents indicates that this isn’t the first time Ms. Baggett fell prey to sticky fingers.

She was convicted July 14, 2010 of Retail Theft in Saline County.

Cash bond in the case was set at $500.

Eric Gregg

SALINE CO. – Those who were jumping up and down with glee back in October when a former Harrisburg mayor was reinstated to his state job – which he lied in order to obtain, as documents prove – might find their jumping slowing a bit.

The governor of the state of Illinois, Bruce Rauner, as well as Rauner’s general counsel, Craig Findley, were sued by Eric Gregg last year not long after Rauner terminated Gregg’s employment on the state’s Prisoner Review Board.

The termination came about after members of the governor’s office received an anonymous piece of information in mid-July of 2015, which indicated that Gregg “had to fill out the Secretary of State Economic Disclosure Form” (Statement of Economic Interest), and “he does not tell the truth about his income on this form.

“People are afraid to call in a complaint about Mr. Gregg,” the anonymous complaint stated. “Even filed anonymously, he will know it could be someone out of a group of 2-30 people.

“After a tornado hit the city of Harrisburg, the state stepped in with money to help. There was a local bidder from another county. The bidder from the other county offered a lower bid, but the money was rewarded to the local person. It was only changed when Mr. Gregg, the mayor at the time, was called out on this.”

At about the time this email came in (July 2015), Gregg, who was still on the PRB, was filing for bankruptcy in federal court and made a “mistake” on his filings, claiming annual income – something that’s against the law, as a person serving on the PRB cannot have any other form of income (since it could potentially be perceived as a conflict of interest if a person on the parole board, asked to consider the parole of an Illinois Department of Corrections inmate, might be beholden to an employer or other source of funds) – which he later explained away as both an error made by his bankruptcy attorney, Brad Olson of Marion, and as an error Gregg himself made, claiming income of his wife’s as his own.

The sequence of events raised red flags, and people from Governor Bruce Rauner’s office began making inquiries.

Not actually realizing the level of subterfuge Gregg is used to conducting in his life as a matter of rote, the governor’s office went forward with terminating him from his employ with the state. Using the various deceptions Gregg had listed on his Statement of Economic Interest he filled out in 2012 for the previous year – but apparently missing some of the obvious problematic issues, such as not claiming income that he’s in a battle with LuAnn Walker in Saline County Court over – the governor’s office advised Gregg that he was being terminated for “malfeasance.”

Gregg, who has gone through half a dozen local attorneys in his fight against Walker’s case (in which she claims he withheld money from her that year in their business partnership, an electricity aggregate outfit), lawyered up and demanded, through a court case, that the governor give him his job back.

The case was heard in front of Saline County Judge Todd Lambert.

Gregg argued that what he may or may not have done on his Statement of Economic Interest and application for the PRB didn’t rise to the legal definition of “malfeasance” and that his termination, as a result, was wrongful.

Cleverly shell-gaming the information on the paperwork the governor’s office had provided as evidence that he’d committed malfeasance, Gregg was able to distract from the real problematic areas of it and instead got Lambert to focus on time frames of submission of the SOEI, insisting that the material wasn’t “inaccurate.”

The biggest problem was that the omissions were the area of malfeasance. Gregg had omitted any reference to income from the electric aggregate business in the 12 months prior to his hire through the state; and it’s hard to know something’s missing if no one knows to even ask.

‘Victory’ short-lived

Lambert determined that “malfeasance” hadn’t been met…and ordered the reinstatement of Gregg to the PRB. He also ordered that the state pay all of Gregg’s income he’d missed out on since the year-prior termination.

The jumping-up-and-down being done by the Gregg camp was all over mainstream media for a few days, as Gregg apparently notified any and everyone that this was his “victory”…and he was going to rub it in the face of his haters.

He even had enough hubris to have his attorney file, three days after the judgment (September 29), a Rule to Show Cause as to why the governor’s office shouldn’t be held in contempt for not turning over his pay, as well as for “interfering” with him returning to the PRB. Gregg said he’d contacted the PRB to get the reinstatement going, and they’d told him they couldn’t do it yet; so he was going to the court to have Lambert “force” the PRB to put him back to work and on the payroll.

This motion was met with a stinging retort, however, by the office of Illinois’ Attorney General, Lisa Madigan.

She filed an answer on October 3.

In the response, which was a motion to stay judgment pending appeal, Madigan said that because the state planned to appeal Lambert’s decision, and because there was a money award involved (over $80,000 in back pay), state law allowed a stay until the appeal could be determined.

“The petition (for Rule to Show Cause) should be denied,” the response outlined. “It is groundless and frivolous. Three days after this court made its decision, and well before the 30-day deadline for taking an appeal had arrived, (Gregg) asked the court to hold the Governor of Illinois in contempt for not complying with the court’s order to restore (Gregg) to his Prisoner Review Board position. He cited no facts and no authority.”

On October 18, Gregg withdrew his petition for Rule to Show Cause.

The case is currently at the appeals court in Mt. Vernon.

SERS wants their money

Gregg’s apparent anxiety over getting his paycheck might be based in a couple of things on file in Saline County.

The first is the fact that the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS, one of the many overburdened retirement programs the state of Illinois made the mistake of enrolling in years ago, the combination of which has broken the financial back of Illinois) is making a pay-in demand (like a premium for an insurance policy) of a huge sum of money.

Gregg has been an on-and-off state employee for a number of years, sliming around with hit-and-miss jobs in an effort to be enrolled long enough to get some sort of retirement. 

SERS, as of July of 2013, determined that he needed to pay in $83,084.72 to meet his required portion. He was making payments upon receipt of his first paycheck with the PRB that year, however, which he reported to Disclosure happened in May of 2013.

But because he hadn’t made contributions for the past year (as he wasn’t a state employee, having been duly fired), and because of other ‘lag’ time in past years, his in-kind contributions continued to mount, and in June of this year, he received a payment-due notice of $44,420.72 to SERS.

Additionally, on October 13, a Small Claims case was filed against Gregg’s wife Patti.

Apparently they hadn’t folded in all their debt with the bankruptcy; a Synchrony Bank credit card in her name, which Midland Funding (a collection agency for defaulted credit cards) claimed she’d stopped making payments on more than a year ago and which they’d charged off in October 2015, claimed she owed them $1,374.35 plus costs.

A hearing was set for Dec. 12.

At that time, the case was dismissed in favor of Midland, apparently because a repayment plan had been established; but whether that was in light of the bankruptcy or not wasn’t clear.

And the bottom line is…

In the meantime, the appeal continues through that court.

It appears the governor’s office needs to be made aware of the subterfuge that Gregg carries out, and the basis of this is in the case with LuAnn Walker, which Gregg had been attempting to bankrupt out of. Walker, in her suit, claims that Gregg had defrauded her of at least $10,000 in commissions between 2011 and 2012.

There is no claim of money made through their business partnership for 2011 in the SOEI Gregg submitted.

The very thing that can prove the governor’s case of malfeasance is a case that is in Judge Todd Lambert’s court; but apparently, Gregg’s sleight-of-hand – or the governor’s lack of knowing the right questions to ask or the right shell to look under – has prevailed up to this point.

Should the governor’s office be made very clearly aware of the case with Walker, things might change. All it takes, apparently, is someone who isn’t afraid of Eric Gregg to let them know.

Be watching for any upcoming developments.

Wait, what?

Yes. It's 2017. How many papers did we bring you in 2016....? A LOT. And the last one we brought you is technically the first of the year...January Special Edition 2017...and it's on stands RIGHT NOW, as of Wednesday, December 28. That'd be 2016, but who's counting. Actually...we are. We produced THREE papers for you in December, and we're hoping you've read all of them. if not, here's your chance if you're an e-Edition subscriber, with THIS ISSUE'S PRINT HEADLINES!

Print Headlines are a way we can show you what's in the current issue on stands as well as what's available here at the e-Edition. They're presented in order of appearance in the paper: Front Page, Back Page (second front page), Pages 2 & 3, Features if any (usually presented on 12 and 13); Egypt, Heartland and Central, then Op-Ed (a little out of order.) We are also featuring e-Edition X-tras, since we overwrote for this one. Each article is laid out here by dateline (the location where the material in each article took place), headline (with link directly to the e-Edition article) and a brief synopsis in our own patented snarky Disclosure style. And so now, without further ado, here are THIS ISSUE'S PRINT HEADLINES!

FRONT PAGE

CLAY/GALLATIN COs. - BANK WOES CONTINUE: What does a whole handful of people in Clay County have ANYTHING to do with a bank from way down south, in particular, Gallatin County (Shawneetown) and Pulaski County (Karnak)? That's what WE were asking ourselves when we came across this file at the Clay County courthouse in Louisville. And then at about the same time, we obtained info from the FDIC about the "troubled" bank, Grand Rivers Community Bank specifically in Shawneetown, and there was tangent number two. That bumped over to the guy who was unceremoniously removed from said bank in S'town, Lil Bill Bonan and his blatant infidelity as illustrated by a recent photo shoot. That bumped over to the guy who's supposedly only in office for a two-year term (we've not figured that out yet), former Harrisburg mayor Dale Fowler...which technically leads to the page 3 article, but we'll stop here. Whew. These public people and their doings...

The only effective way to get rid of bedbugs is illustrated here. That's a high-heat generator. Blowing heat into a house. Yep. No pesticides will do it.

HARDIN CO. - Bedbugs infest Hardin County: We've already had people griping about this article. But I'm telling you...why would you put up with PESTS like this?? I mean, we know that DCFS and other state agencies consider lice and bedbugs as "nuisances." They're just not a "health threat." Or are they...? Read this, as well as this from Lawrence County, to edify yourself. Then maybe take action. What action...? If I have to tell you, you've not read enough of our paper. Get an online subscription and get to reading.

RICHLAND CO. - Battery on high school grounds alleged in civil suit: Parents of students at Richland County High School (at right) want to think their kids are safe while they're at school. A new lawsuit filed at Richland County civil court indicates that might not be the case. This is a somewhat startling story; if your kids go there, ask them about what happened a year ago, right on the school grounds.

Bradley Maier

RICHLAND/WHITE COs. - Sheriff's brother catches meth charge: There's just this ongoing connection between White County and Richland County, even though a couple of counties separate them. We've been noting this for years; still no explanation for it. But here's another case...and it unfortunately involves the White County Sheriff's brother.

BACK PAGE

Bill Milner

MARION CO. - Frivolous charge over Facebook post nelle pros'd by new prosecutor: Well, who'd a-thunk it...Bill Milner is our new hero, undoing the inexplicable charge against Shirlena Barnes in Centralia after she's lost her job of 20 years and has gone through all kinds of grief, thanks to the equally-inexplicable former prosecutor Matt Wilzbach. Wilzbach has done a lot of weird things in his time in office, and we've chronicled a few...but this one is just out there.

The millennials in question

CLAY CO. - Convicted in Clay weapons case: Wayne County kid sparks mess with Facebook pic: This situation has gone from ridiculous to legendary. And it, to us and to many who know those involved, is little but a symptom of the entitlement mentality many people believe area subsidy farmers - and their millennial offspring - suffer from. Whatever the case...dude's a felon now. Check out this article to understand.

PAGE 2

WABASH CO. - Defining irony: Farmers sue GMO company that government forces them to use corn from, over China's refusal to buy GMO corn: And speaking of subsidy farmers...this one is just a jaw-dropper. The sheer irony can be found in the fact that planting season is just a few months away. Let's see if there's a protest-non-plant.

PAGE 3

Eric Gregg

SALINE CO. - Former mayor's job suspended in appeals court: Eric Gregg. If he's good for nothing else on this planet, he's certainly good for sales...because in his hubris, he continues to jump the gun regarding his many lawsuits.

SALINE CO. - 'Burg woman busted for boosting colic drops: If you're a crim who's going to make our pages, what a more ignominious way to do it than colic drops. I mean...COLIC DROPS. I think we should all be grateful that she was at least trying to get her baby some relief as opposed to SOME in the area, who just turn violent toward their kids...

GALLATIN CO. - Felony DUI charged in wake of ATV trip through town: Apparently this is a thing in Shawneetown. When we're over there, we see it a lot. The ATVs, not the DUIs. Although I'm sure they are quite interchangeable.

EGYPT

Joe "my poop is odorless" DeBose

SALINE CO. - Political operative posts bond for man who falls off his motorcycle: The re-emergence of Joe DeBose, who might've been a standout while he was in school at SIU-C...but then again, that's a libtard school, and he's a conservative, supposedly, so what would THEY know.

GALLATIN CO. - Morganfield, Ky., man charged with child sexual assault: No word back yet on whether dude has a record in Morganfield, or whether he just up and decided allegedly to come to GallCo and commit such a crime.

Xzavier B. Gibbs

SALINE CO. - Two from 'Kiddy Prison' charged with violence: Here's another familiar face and name...the badly-spelled Xzavier Gibbs is back in the headlines.

HARDIN CO. - DUI drivers nabbed on Karber's Ridge and Eichorn Roads: The Hardin County DUI report...which is infinitely more interesting now that Tarable Wallace is out of office.

SALINE CO. - Hardin County suspected cannabis grower busted in Harrisburg: People probably just need to leave the growing to the state-sanctioned until it's decriminalized completely.

SALINE CO. - Nabbed in Discount Food Mart parking lot: Even our vendors get some of the criminal element coming around.

SALINE CO. - Traffic stop nets diabetic with no insulin and a forgetful meth convict: The damage drugs do to the brain is outlined in this article.

GALLATIN CO. - Ridgway man charged with destroying toilet, cabinets and doors, etc.: The damage-against-property report out of GallCo.

HARDIN CO. - E-town doper popped with pills: The Hardin County dope report.

SALINE CO. - Violent Harrisburg thief now facing drunk driving charge: And maybe, just maybe, this will be the thing that gets him taken out of society for a while.

HARDIN CO. - Rosiclare convicted burglar accused of strangling 60-year-old woman: Right up there with crimes against children is crimes against elderly, in our book...both unforgivable.

Duston Michael Hearn

X-TRA: SALINE CO - Forger who owes $10K+ charged with escape: The first of our overwriting offers, exclusively for e-Edition readers.

X-TRA: HARDIN CO. - Daughenbaugh accused of battering family member: And now, he doesn't have Tarable Wallace to bungle the case and let him go.

X-TRA: GALLATIN CO. - Equality man charged with driving revoked: Which we don't ordinarily cover unless it's also combined with some other stuff...and he's charged with other stuff.

Katie Dawn English

SALINE CO. - Suspected Hardin County drug dealer and E-town woman charged in Saline: You'd think that with all the doping going on in Hardin County, they wouldn't need to cross into Saline County.

X-TRA: HARDIN CO. - Man charged with stealing stove then selling it: Only in E-town...

HARDIN CO. - Mother accused of letting 22-month-old play in street: And she went all the way down to Hardin from Harrisburg to do it...allegedly, of course.

HARDIN CO. - Rosiclare child sex offender charged with handing out candy: With all those Halloween warnings Lisa Madigan sends out every year, it appears everyone pays attention to them except the registered sex offenders. Allegedly, of course.

Michael G. Harrelson

SALINE CO. - Meth-making Carrier Mills man jailed on possession charge: Because what's an issue of Disclosure without featuring a story out of the Mills?

PAGE 12

Tabitha D. Carwile

Shane Babbs

RICHLAND CO. - Drug dealers charged after escape attempt: The run-down of the extremely ignorant alleged antics of two well-known area dopers, who got four counties involved on a cold, rainy Sunday in their latest foray.

WABASH CO. - Mt. Carmel drug felon runs from police: The Mt. Carmel foolish crim report, evidently.

PAGE 13

Glenn Ramey's boys

RICHLAND/MASSAC COs. - Glenn Ramey's impact on his own children will be carried with them for life: A one-on-one interview with two of Glenn Ramey's early victims - his two boys. This is an interesting exclusive and was touched upon in the December 2016 issue...if you are wanting to know the REAL story behind the man accused in the rape and murder of 8-year-old Sabrina Stauffenberg, you're going to want to follow everything we're learning about it, so if you read nothing else in this issue, don't miss this article.

HEARTLAND

Travis D. Nordyke

RICHLAND CO. - $10,000 cash bond set for Effingham County drug dealer busted in Richland County: This crossover was so crossover, we opted to put it in Heartland as opposed to Central. That's him, shown above. You're welcome.

CRAWFORD CO. - Suspected Lawrenceville drug dealer may lose Jaguar: Everybody, say it with me now: "Awwwwwwww."

Kathryn Louis Weaver

CRAWFORD CO. - Palestine gal jailed for beating boyfriend, breaking his phone: At least she didn't break HIM. Or maybe she did, emotionally. Who knows.

JASPER CO. - Newton convicted felon accused of thieving booze from local Circle K: He has a rising criminal career going on...

Bryan A. Baker

CRAWFORD CO. - Violence report includes Robinson man who reportedly attacked police cruiser with shovel: And his hairstyle might be to blame. I mean really. Look at it. 1980 is OVER, dude.

Carl E. Fisher

X-TRA: JASPER CO. - Robinson man adds lying to ID theft charge: What do you expect from someone whose inclination is to thieve?

X-TRA: CRAWFORD CO. - Doper on probation facing felony meth count: Part of the dope report for Crawford Co...and another Goff shows up on a court report.

CRAWFORD CO. - Suspected drug dealer busted with weed, cops want his cash: Of course they do. That's why they're still busting people for weed.

JASPER CO. - Willow Hill man busted driving with opium: Oh? Opium? Who says droogs are expensive.

CENTRAL

Samantha Cessna

Kathi (aka Sue) Cessna

Mary Ann Cessna

WABASH CO. - Lawrence County Cessna drug legacy surfaces again in Wabash County: There are crime families, and then there are crim families. This would be the latter. (We left one out, out of deference to those still grieving.)

HAMILTON CO. - McLeansboro crim caught hiding in a wall: Sure. Why not. If you have a wall to hide in, give it a try, at least.

CLAY/JASPER COs. - Clay City man facing child abuse charges in two counties: This crossover even made the police report earlier in December.

STEVEN P. LOCKHART

LAWRENCE CO. - Felony dismissed against man accused of terrorizing family this past summer: The ongoing saga of Steve Lockhart, who's been something of a fixture in our pages for about ten years. Maybe Michael Strange can do something with him. Three other prosecutors haven't been able to.

WHITE CO. - Crossville crash with injury lands one behind bars: A little alliteration. Just a little. Don't want to be like those obnoxious TV commercials, all that alliteration and rhyming and stuff.

WABASH CO. - Pair busted for cruising without license: Always fun to cruise together. Just...be sure you can legally drive.

CLAY CO. - Iola man charged with violating OP then knocking ex to the floor: Those people who say "Oh, that OP, it's just a piece of paper" are the ones you have to watch out for.

HAMILTON CO. - Bogus bills passed at Huck's: Those dastardly counterfeiters. We were told years ago by a federal person that the feds are only concerned with larger denominations, $20 and up. So pro tip to counterfeiters: Do tens and below.

Traci Earp, alleged hatchet-weilder

RICHLAND CO. - Hatchet attack on Robinson woman lands Noble woman behind bars: Have I mentioned that we have a lot of crossover this issue...?

EDWARDS CO. - Villa Grove man charged in Albion: He come all the way down from central Illinois to get into badness...? Couldn't he find some up at his own stomping grounds?

WABASH CO. - Hoosier intruder lands behind bars: The WabCo crim report, crimes against persons.

WABASH CO. - Elderly drunk driver busted with meth: See? Alcohol IS a gateway drug. In some people, it just takes longer.

CLAY CO. - Druggie busted at John Boy's Saloon: See? Alcohol IS a gateway drug. LOL

Randy Lee Reynolds

LAWRENCE CO. - Bridgeport man may remain single after beating fiancé: I couldn't help it with the headline. I had to.

LAWRENCE CO. - The civil suits just won't go away: Thacker foreclosure filed: We knew it was coming. We just didn't know who the financing entity was.

CLAY CO. - Clay City woman facing meth felony: Clay County drug report.

Bryan Bishop Conner

WHITE CO. - Cyberstalking filed against Norris City man who threatened wife and kids: Denton Aud, White County's State's Attorney, is one of the few in the area who will actually charge cyberstalking, despite it going on - and being reported - all over the state.

WHITE CO. - Tequila Sheila's dust-up lands woman behind bars: What's a paper without a good bar fight?

X-TRA: LAWRENCE CO. - Violent Sumner man facing felony for driving suspended: If you can't get em when they're violent, get em for a driving infraction.

X-TRA: WHITE CO. - Carmi drug felon accused of meth possession: White County dope report, in the X-tra file. Kinda like the X File, only different.

X-TRA: LAWRENCE CO. - Felon said to have beaten family member: Lawrence County crimes-against-persons report.

X-TRA: WHITE CO. - Parrish popped for pilfering items from parked car at DQ: Okay, yes, I went over the top on the alliteration with this one. You got me.

X-TRA: CLAY CO. - Bridgeport man caught with stolen credit card: In Clay County. Um. Yeah. Crossover.

WABASH CO. - $10K cash bond set in case of Cali man in suspected vehicle theft ring: Say it with me now: Dude, you came all the way from California to allegedly get involved in a car theft ring...? I swear people watch too many movies...

CLAY CO. - Flora man strangles, threatens to kill elderly woman, police say: I reiterate what I said earlier about people who (allegedly) commit crimes against the defenseless.

WABASH CO.- Drug flow back and forth from Indiana appears alive and well: It does, frequently. It has for years. I'm totally surprised there isn't more federal action here.

LAWRENCE CO. - Former mayor gets DUI; probation on meth conviction in jeopardy: Brian Straub better lay off the sauce and get his life together.

OP-ED

COLUMNS
SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE (Jack): Whiners: Don't go away mad, just go away
ICY (Ang): Time to give sanity in America a decent burial
GUEST COLUMN (Kale Meggs): Timely tips for the Che-shirt-wearing crowd

BACK OVER YOUR TALES: From the pages of the December 2011-January 2012 edition of Disclosure

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - Welcome to winter weather, the first snowfall of which ensures whether or not people remember how to drive since the LAST snowfall we had.

Everybody is kinda flipping out about the potential for snow starting very early in the morning tomorrow, Thursday, January 5. NOAA of course is issuing Winter Weather Advisories, and Illinois State Police are doing their part to send out reminders of how to drive in snow. Yes. That's what it's about...because so many people DO forget how to drive. Feature this:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the prediction of falling temperatures and snow beginning tonight into Thursday morning, Illinois State Police (ISP) District 12 is reminding motorists to take the necessary precautions before getting behind the wheel. Vehicle safety is equally important to driving safely while on the roadways.

"Winter weather brings additional challenges and responsibilities for drivers," said District 12 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt. "We ask that drivers be well prepared: Allow extra time to reach your destination,
ensure passengers in the vehicle are securely restrained, drive defensively, and confirm that your vehicle is properly maintained to handle the effects of cold temperatures," added Captain Ristvedt.

Stranded motorists are encouraged to remain inside their vehicles and wait for first responders to arrive. Motorists involved in accidents that do not require emergency assistance may file a crash report within 10 days at the nearest police station.

Illinois State Police also want to remind motorists to yield to emergency and snow removal equipment. Scott's Law (Move-Over Law) requires drivers to reduce speed, change lanes if possible, and proceed with due caution when approaching emergency vehicles. Further, a new law that took effect on January 1, 2017 will require motorists to slow down and move over for any disabled motorist exhibiting hazard lights.

Other safety tips include:
· Make sure someone is aware of your travel route.
· Dress warmly - choose layers of clothing in anticipation of unexpected winter weather emergencies.
· Keep your gas tank at least two-thirds full to prevent the vehicle's fuel line from freezing. Plenty of fuel is also important if your vehicle becomes stranded.
· Don't crowd the plow - remember, a snowplow operator's field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they may not see you.
· Watch out for black ice - roads that appear clear may be treacherous. Take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges, and shady areas - all are prone to black ice.
· Have an emergency car care kit that contains jumper cables, a flashlight, a small ice scraper, blankets, gloves, food items, water, and a first aid kit.
· Carry a cell phone AND charger.
· Always wear a safety belt.

Motorists are urged to check travel conditions before any trip. You may get interstate condition information by calling 1-800-452-IDOT (4368) or on the Internet at www.gettingaroundillinois.com.

For additional winter travel information:
Like us on Facebook at Illinois State Police District 12 Effingham
Follow us on Twitter @ISPDistrict12
Instagram at ISP District 12

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Here it comes. Looks blue and gray to me.

Here's what NOAA has to say about north counties:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
258 PM CST WED JAN 4 2017

SHELBY-CUMBERLAND-CLARK-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-CRAWFORD-CLAY-RICHLAND-LAWRENCE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SHELBYVILLE...GREENUP...MARSHALL...EFFINGHAM...NEWTON...ROBINSON...FLORA...OLNEY...LAWRENCEVILLE
258 PM CST WED JAN 4 2017

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 3 PM CST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 3 PM CST THURSDAY.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS AROUND 2 OR 3 AM OVERNIGHT AND THEN DIMINISH FROM THE WEST DURING MID AFTERNOON THURSDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70.

* ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 MPH.

* IMPACTS...THE WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES... OVERPASSES...AND UNTREATED ROADS. PARKING LOTS AND SIDEWALKS WILL BECOME SLIPPERY AS WELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

And south and central counties:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
119 PM CST WED JAN 4 2017

JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-PERRY MO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION...MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO...CARMI...CARBONDALE...MURPHYSBORO...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG...POSEYVILLE...EVANSVILLE...PERRYVILLE
119 PM CST WED JAN 4 2017

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST THURSDAY GENERALLY NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM PETERSBURG INDIANA TO SHAWNEETOWN ILLINOIS TO PERRYVILLE MISSOURI.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE ADVISORY AREA STARTING LATE TONIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATION EXPECTED GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 64.

* MAIN IMPACT: WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW FREEZING THE SNOW WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES...OVERPASSES AND UNTREATED ROADS. PARKING LOTS AND SIDEWALKS WILL BECOME SLIPPERY AS WELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Garden of the Gods

SALINE CO., Ill. - There's been no word on the outcome regarding a call earlier this afternoon about a man stuck atop a popular formation at Garden of the Gods on the Saline County side of the Shawnee National Forest.

Reports to law enforcement indicate that at about 4 p.m. today (Thursday, January 5, 2016) Saline County's Sheriff's Office received a 911 call. The caller indicated that a male climbed to the top of Devil's Smokestack at GotG (as it's popularly known down here).

The caller - whose identity hasn't been noted; we don't know if it was the guy himself, or someone with him - stated that the climber couldn't get down from the rock formation because it was "too slick."

Equality Rescue plus a rappelling team and a Saline deputy were all dispatched to the call, but no one has issued an outcome yet; when we learn more, we'll post it. This, however, illustrates one point if nothing else...if it's snowing or icing outside, DON'T go climbing around on the rock formations of our favorite stomping grounds down here in South Counties, especially so close to sundown.

One of the markers at Garden of the Gods

SALINE/HARDIN COs., Ill. - A young man from Canada is very fortunate that the rescuers from Hardin County know their way around Garden of the Gods, and more importantly, that they are trained in retrieving stranded hikers - even in icy conditions.

The man in his late 20s, whose identity we're still working on obtaining, was the one rescued from Devil's Smokestack, a rock formation in the Shawnee National Forest not far from the famous Camel Rock featured here, in the late afternoon of Thursday, January 5.

He and a buddy were visiting friends in Madisonville, Kentucky, across the river from Hardin County, which happens to be where the rescue crew is from; Hardin County Emergency Management Agency is specifically trained in locating and rescuing lost hikers in the SNF that spans several downstate counties, including Saline and Hardin.

Even if that rescue involves rappelling on icy rock outcroppings.

HCEMA located the guy, who had climbed off a formation called "Monkey Rock" that's actually above Devil's Smokestack. He was sitting on a 4-foot by 4-foot ledge and couldn't go up OR down due to the snowy weather and cold that had rendered most of the park icy and dangerous.

However, a rappeller took a double harness down from Monkey Rock, and got to the guy, then latched him into the harness and, carrying the hiker basically across his legs, the rappeller went all the way down Devil's Smokestack to the bottom of GotG, and EMA was able to walk the guy out. The rescue was effected at about 5:30, an hour and a half after the initial call. Rescue crews returned to base at about 8:30, according to official reports.

It's our understanding the guy got a stern talking-to by personnel on-scene, who also risked life and limb in order to bring the guy out safely.

If we learn more, we'll post it.