CARMI, Ill. - Carmi Police had a relatively easy pre-holiday weekend, although the couple of people arrested probably would beg to differ.

It seems like everything broke loose Sunday, December 22, when authorities were called to a scene on the 400 block of Seventh Street, in reference to a reported altercation.

There, they found 39-year-old Danny Stephens, of either Seventh Street in Carmi or of a location on Olive Street in McLeansboro depending on which document is being referenced, and took him into custody on a number of arresting charges: Domestic Battery, Aggravated Battery, and Criminal Damage to Property.

There also was the matter of a felony warrant arrest as issued by Illinois Department of Corrections, which provided documents don't explain any further.

Stephens remained in White County lockup as of this evening, Wednesday, December 26.

A Crossville woman was taken into custody Sunday, December 23, when very early in the morning (1:59 a.m.), she was stopped for driving on the wrong side of the road on Fifth Street in Carmi.

Miranda K. Kuykendall, 36, of West Winkler in Crossville, was arrested for DUI after she blew a .224 on the portable breath alcohol concentration unit.

She was able to post suitable bond for the infraction and went on her way shortly after her arrest and booking (4:19 a.m., making a long night of ostensible partying even longer.)

RICHLAND CO., Ill. - Richland County Clerk Alice Mullinax has released candidates who have filed for various offices throughout the county for the upcoming 2019 Consolidated General Election.

Mullinax advises that the city of Olney will not be required to hold a primary. As well, she notes that the list of candidates are those who have filed at this time only. The village clerks have until mid-January to file their certifications.

The Consolidated General Election will be held April 2, 2019.

Here are the candidates inn the various locales or boards, as provided by Mullinax.

Candidates for Richland County Community Unit #1:
Member, Board of Education
Four year terms, Vote for not more than 4
Dennis Anderson from 2N, 9E
Doug Schneider from 3N, 14W
Alex Cline from 4N, 10E
Kelsie Barnes from 4N, 10E
Jeffrey L. Wilson from 5N, 10E

Candidates for the Village of Noble
Village Trustee
Four year terms, Vote for not more than 3
Carl Klingler, Peoples
Janet Pflaum, Peoples
Jana Baker, Citizens
Gary Ulm, Citizens

Candidates for the City of Olney
City Council Member
Four year terms, Vote for not more than 2
Belinda Henton
Les Harrison
Bryce Fehrenbacher
Gregory D. Eyer

Candidates for the Village of Calhoun
Village Trustee
To fill an unexpired term, Vote for not more than 2
No candidate
Four year terms, Vote for not more than 3
Chuck Brewer
Gary Petty
Sherri Gibson
Muriel Reynolds

Candidates for the Village of Claremont
Four year terms, Vote for not more than 3

Candidates for the Village of Parkersburg
Village Clerk
To fill an unexpired term, Vote for not more than 1
Village Trustee
To fill an unexpired term, Vote for not more than 2
Four year terms, Vote for not more than 3

It's another case of "but she said she was 16!!"

DEARBORN CO., Ind. - Another young person has ostensibly managed to ruin his life after believing what he was reading on a social networking site.

From Indiana's Patch.com, here's a snip of the article about Travis McAdams, 21, who hooked up with a child he believed was 16 when in actuality, she was 11. ELEVEN, fa cryn out loud.

(The girl and) McAdams, of Greendale, messaged each other via Snapchat after meeting on Tinder, where she depicted herself as a 16-year-old, Indiana's legal age of consent, according to Dearborn County Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Dedden.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the young victim's mother reported the rape to police after learning about it in March 2018, following the December 2017 or early January 2018 incident when McAdams met the girl at the Greendale Cinema, took her to the back of the building and raped her. The man continued seeing the girl even though he knew she was just 11 years old, Greendale police told the news outlet.

Read the rest by clicking this link.

Madigan issues guidance to increase awareness of State and Federal laws governing immigration and employment

ILLINOIS - Attorney General Lisa Madigan today released guidance on the impact of immigration status on employees’ rights in the workplace. Recent policy debates and court cases regarding changes to federal immigration programs have left many employees and employers in Illinois with questions about workers’ rights and obligations under federal immigration law, state and federal workplace laws, and the intersection between the two.

Madigan’s office drafted and issued Guidance for Illinois Residents: Impact of Immigration Status on Employees’ Rights in the Workplace as a resource for Illinois employers and employees in order to detail the obligations of employers under the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as the protections afforded to authorized and unauthorized employees under state and federal wage and hour and anti-discrimination laws, among others.

“I encourage employers and workers across Illinois to use this guidance when assessing policies and practices regarding federal immigration law and its impact on employment status,” Madigan said. “With confusion that results from the many recent changes to immigration policies and laws, this guidance will assist employers and workers alike as they navigate current workplace issues.”

According to the Guidance, federal law requires employers to verify every employee’s authorization to work in the U.S. by asking for certain documentation at the time of hire and to re-verify if the work authorization document presented is set to expire. However, Madigan’s office reminds Illinois workers that, once hired, all employees – regardless of immigration status or employment authorization – have certain legal rights. These rights include:

• The right to be paid at least the hourly minimum wage for all hours worked. The minimum wage in Illinois is $8.25 an hour and $11 an hour in the city of Chicago.  
• Most hourly employees, such as workers in retail, restaurant, construction, landscaping, childcare or home health care industries, have the right to be paid overtime (1.5 times an employee’s normal hourly rate) for any hours worked over 40 in a work week.   
• The right to a safe and healthy workplace.
• The right to join a workers’ center or union.
• The right to be free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation or pregnancy in the workplace.

Employers cannot treat employees who have a valid work permit or lawful permanent residence through a green card differently on the basis of their immigration status or fire or refuse to hire them on that basis. Employers also cannot ask for documents of certain employees and not others. For example, an employer who only asks employees of Latino descent or ancestry to provide work authorization could be in engaging in discrimination on the basis of citizenship status or national origin.

Madigan also has issued a “Know Your Rights” awareness campaign to provide guidance to members of immigrant communities, consulates and non-profit organizations to help immigrants living in Illinois to understand their rights and responsibilities when interacting with law enforcement. The Know Your Rights pocket guide and other materials can be found on Madigan’s website.

Employees who believe their employment rights or civil rights have been violated may contact Madigan’s Workplace Rights Bureau at 1-844-740-5076 or her Civil Rights Hotline at 1-877-581-3692 with questions or concerns. Madigan’s guidance also includes contact information for other relevant state and federal agencies and community resources for employees. 

The mission of Madigan’s Workplace Rights Bureau is to protect and advance the employment rights of Illinois residents, particularly low and moderate-income and immigrant residents.

Madigan’s employment guidance can be downloaded and printed here. A translated version in Spanish can be found here.

We get some press releases about some strange stuff...and this is one of them

WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. - Sheriff Bennie Vick would like the public’s help in identifying a suspect in a theft from Dee’s Pets, located at 11426 Route 37 in Marion, Illinois.

The male subject is observed in a surveillance video placing a large plastic reptile rock shelter into his pants before leaving the store.

If you know the identity or whereabouts of this person please contact the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office at 618-997-6541 or the Williamson County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-414-TIPS (8477).

Below are more photos.

CARMI, Ill. - A report of an item stolen - inexplicably - and a break-up of an alleged domestic battery comprise today's Carmi city police report.

The inexplicable theft is of an item only few would have use for: an oxygen tank.

Cynthia Ann Mitchell, 54, of the 500 block of Oak Street, reported to Carmi Police yesterday morning (Thursday, December 27) at 9:56 a.m. that that very thing occurred.

Mitchell told police that sometime between December 23 and 27th, someone took her oxygen tank, which was stored in a garage at an unoccupied residence.

Besides the bizarre (and apparently merely opportunistic) theft, Carmi PD handled an alleged domestic between two 20-nothings on Foley drive late last night, which got both of them locked up.

Reports indicate that Carmi officers were called to a residence on the 700 block of Foley Drive late last night (11:32 p.m.) reference the disturbance.

They arrested the two - Kathlyn Grant, 21, and Alex Daniel Rose, 20, both reporting the address as theirs - for Domestic Battery and, bonus: Both were issued citations for civil cannabis violations before being toted off to jail for the Dom Batt.

Apparently not taking advantage of the peaceful bliss weed brings to individuals upon use, the two probably wish they'd have toked before getting into whatever argument lead to the alleged battery, as they both remain behind bars as of today, Friday, Dec. 28.

JOHNSTON CITY, Ill. - Authorities in the Williamson County town of Johnston City are asking for the public's assistance in locating a man missing from the area.

Shawn P. Murphy, 42 is originally from Murphysboro. He was last seen on December 12, 2018, at the Arrowhead Campground in Johnston City.

Authorities have not advised as to whether they believe Murphy may have been met with foul play.

If you have any information as to his whereabouts, please contact the Johnston City Police Department at 618-983-5888.

MARION, Ill. - For the first time ever in the city of Marion, two candidates are being challenged in the upcoming city election to be held in April.

Any Marion resident who is a registered voter is entitled to exercise their right to challenge a candidate, and that’s exactly what two Marion residents have done.

The first is Andrew Ball, who is being challenged due to the validity of his residency within the city. Ball's listed residence when he picked up his packet is a vacant lot. Ball says he can park his RV there since it’s his deceased mother’s property, which is in litigation with the appellate court (full disclosure: we should also mention Ball is attempting to sue the city for one million dollars for illegally demolishing his mother’s house). If Ball loses his place on the ballot he has 5 days to appeal. He tells Disclosure he has a backup plan but would not reveal what that was. He says he has his ducks all in a row and will have witnesses in his favor.

The other candidate being challenged is Jason Powell, who is one of eleven candidates vying for the four open seats on the city council. Another concerned citizen is also challenging the validity of Powell’s residence.

Today’s hearing (Friday, December 28) was to adopt the rules and appoint a hearing officer and clerk for the next proceedings on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 at 1 p.m. Attorney Rhett Barke of Carbondale was appointed as hearing officer and city manager Gail West was appointed as clerk.

A drawing was held on December 26 to see what order names would be placed on the ballot. Tentatively they are as follows; it is possible a new drawing will have to be held in case the two candidates are deemed ineligible.
For mayor 
1.  Andrew Ball 
2 . Michael Absher 
3.  Anthony Rinella 
4.  Angelo Hightower

 For Commissioner 
1.  Steven Lore 
2.  John Monroe Barwick Jr
3.  Jim Webb
4.  Doug Patton 
5.  Donald K Holman 
?  Jason Powell 
?  John Stoecklin 
8.  John Goss 
9.  Rick Herring 
10. Ed Killman
11. Chris Sheffler

WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. – With last week’s Felony Friday being a big fat one, this week’s looks somewhat…anemic. However, rest assured the cops and courts have been busy, and apparently it was the crims that took a little holiday break, so let’s get to those felonies filed this week for FELONY FRIDAY!

Felonies Filed

Hershel G. Graham, 25 of Marion, is charged with Possession of Methamphetamine between 5 and 15 grams, Aggravated Battery in a Public Place and a misdemeanor charge of Domestic Battery Making Physical Contact.

Joshua M. Sloan, 37 of West Frankfort, is charged with Possession of Controlled Substance Except (A)/(D).

Timothy L. Spears, 48 of Carbondale, is charged with Retail Theft over $300 and Retail Theft under $300 with previous conviction.

Jennifer L. Darter, 40 of Herrin, is charged with Retail Theft over $300.

Keith Darter, 37 of Herrin, is charged with Retail Theft over $300.

Victor A. Shea, Jr., 32 of Herrin, is charged with Violating Sex Offender Registry.

Charles Edward Curry, 47 of Marion, is charged with Violating Sex Offender Registry.

Michael R. Doan, 38 of Marion, is charged with Violating Sex Offender Registry.

Jericha N. White, 31 of Pittsburg, is charged with Possession of Controlled Substance Except (A)/(D)

Kevin W. Padgett, 43 of Ava, is charged with Possession of Methamphetamine less than 5 grams.

Elizabeth Mae Wagoner, 30 of Marion, is charged with Criminal Damage to Property between $500 and $10,000. Codefendant Jennifer A. Koy, 21 of Marion, is also charged with Criminal Damage to Property between $500 and $10,000.

Terrance J. Hanner, 35 of Marion, is charged with Aggravated Battery With Great Bodily Harm.

Felony Dispositions

No dispositions this week

ILLINOIS - Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit Friday (December 28, 2018) against a Chicago diabetic supplies reseller and its owner who advertised online that his company would purchase unused diabetic testing supplies from consumers in Illinois and throughout the country but failed to pay people for their supplies.

Madigan filed her lawsuit Friday in Cook County Circuit Court against Surplus Diabetic Supplies LLC, operating under the name Cash Now Offer, and its owner, Jonathan Avila, for convincing consumers to send in their unused diabetic testing supplies for a certain amount, but then failed to pay consumers as promised. Madigan alleges that Cash Now Offer and Avila promised to pay consumers within 24 hours of receiving their unused diabetic testing supplies but delayed sending payment or, oftentimes, never sent any payment at all. Thousands of consumers nationwide are owed over $1 million for diabetic testing supplies they sent to Cash Now Offer.  

“The defendant blatantly and brazenly deceived people through Cash Now Offer and my lawsuit will put an end to this ludicrous and harmful business in Illinois,” Madigan said.  

Madigan alleges that Cash Now Offer and Avila advertised through the website cashnowoffer.com and on social media platforms. Avila and his company incentivized consumers to send their diabetic testing supplies by offering cash bonuses, referral bonuses and price matching guarantees. Madigan alleges that Avila and Cash Now Offer promised to pay consumers a certain amount for their diabetic testing supplies but that in most cases people never received any payment and their diabetic testing supplies were never returned to them. Madigan also alleges that in some instances consumers received checks that appeared to be from Avila and Cash Now Offer but were invalid and ended up bouncing.  

Madigan’s office and the Better Business Bureau of Chicago & Northern Illinois have received hundreds of complaints from consumers who were victims of Avila’s scheme. Madigan’s lawsuit seeks full restitution for people impacted by the scheme and asks the court to ban Cash Now Offer and Avila from engaging in this business in Illinois.  

Assistant Attorneys General Jacob Gilbert and Andrea Law are handling the case for Madigan’s Consumer Fraud Division.

By jmkraft on December 27, 2018

PARIS, Ill. (ECWd) – After more than five years of arguments and two years of legal wrangling, RIDES Mass Transit District loses lawsuit designed to extract more than $154,000 from the residents of Edgar County by claiming they were owed funds left over from the defunct East Central Illinois Mass Transit District.

We wrote several in-depth articles on the proper way to dissolve a Mass Transit District, and where any left-over funds were to be deposited. We focused our opinions almost exclusively on the Mass Transit District Act and Dillon’s Rule.  The Edgar County State’s Attorney Mark Isaf ignored all attempts we made to stop the illegal process that he initially approved of and participated in.

Now, more than five years later, we are proven correct and we are grateful a county board member decided to champion the fight to keep those funds within the county.

Here is the timeline of events:

• May 7, 2013 – Watchdogs communicate with the Mass Transit District about the sale of assets
• Jun 12, 2013 – Watchdog Kirk Allen ejected from County Board meeting while attempting to object to the County’s gifting of funds to RIDES-MTD
• Jun 17, 2013 – Watchdogs speak at County Board meeting (video here) stating that the County keeps all funds remaining from the dissolution of ECIMTD.
• Dec 15, 2015 – Watchdogs wrote about the questionable memo from IDOT’s Bureau Chief of Transit Operations. We wrote about his wrong advice and then we explained in detail that all funds left over after dissolving the ECIMTD were to go to the County General Fund and not be given to RIDES. In this article, we predicted there would be a lawsuit, and we predicted that Edgar County would prevail. We were correct.
• Aug 8, 2016 – RIDES files lawsuit against Edgar County
• Jan 11, 2017 – Court strikes both Counts from the lawsuit and grants RIDES leave to file amended Complaint, Motion to Dismiss allowed against RIDES
• Jan 25, 2017 – We wrote about how RIDES blamed “a local watchdog group”, in Court, for Edgar County’s keeping of the funds in this article. 
• Feb 9, 2017 – RIDES files Amended Complaint
• Mar 15, 2017 – Edgar County files Motion to Dismiss

To read the rest, click this link

By Kirk Allen on December 27, 2018

COLES CO., Ill. (ECWd) – The Coles County State’s Attorney, Brian Bower, was selected to fill a vacancy for an associate judge position in the 5th Judicial Circuit. The local paper reported that he was chosen out of twelve applicants, and, according to Judge Shick, he really had all areas of law well covered.

We contend one area of law that clearly is not well covered is County Government, but please don’t take our word for it.  Just follow the paper trail.

Brian Bower, as the current State’s Attorney, provides legal counsel to the County Board.  Contained in his resignation letter was his legal advice to the County Board as it relates to their duties of replacing him.

“It will be necessary that the Coles County Board appoint an interim State’s Attorney to serve until the next general election, November 2020, prior to the 31st day of December 2018”.

So a future judge, the best of 12 candidates, instructs the County Board that it will be necessary to appoint an interim States Attorney to serve the rest of his term and that it should be done before December 31, 2018, which was his effective resignation date.

Future Judge missed a few key points in his instructions. 

What does the law point to as the steps to follow in this situation and did the County Board follow the law with this future judge sitting next to them during the entire process?

• “the county board or board of county commissioners shall declare that such vacancy exists”

The Coles County Board has never declared a vacancy for the office of State’s Attorney, the first step to take before any appointment can be made.

• “The vacancy shall be filled within 60 days by appointment of the chairman of the county board or board of county commissioners with the advice and consent of the county board or board of county commissioners.”

During December 18, 2018, Special Meeting of the County Board, the County Chairman appointed a State’s Attorney to serve until November 30, 2020, and by a majority vote of the board, the appointment became effective on the date of the vote, December 18, 2018.  Effective on that date because there was no mention of a beginning term of office, thus it is effective the day of the action, as outlined in the minutes and video of the meeting, shown at this link, where the article continues.

WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. - A registered sex offender who has escaped the local law by fleeing the country might finally be brought to justice, if Williamson County has its way.

On Thursday (December 27, 2018), Williamson County prosecutor Brandon Zanotti filed a Class 3 felony charge against Jordan McGuire of Violating Sex Offender Registry.

While the effort is likely done as a matter of rote (there were several other alleged non-registered registered sex offenders in Williamson, which you can view here at Felony Friday), it nevertheless is movement in a case that's spanned several years - almost four, which is when McGuire became a registered sex offender in the state of Wyoming, a few months after this incident in 2014. McGuire, who first became a part of our coverage more than 10 years ago after an incident in Saline County at Southeastern Illinois College, has been allegedly offending for years prior to his ultimate conviction. That conviction was merely a misdemeanor, but it got him registered in Wyoming and when he came back to Illinois, he was required to register here, too.

In an attempt to evidently cover up this situation, McGuire - who is an accomplished music performer but somehow has managed to fancy himself some sort of Zac Efron-wannabe - attempted a name change in Jackson County, where he was residing at the time. But when the judge disallowed the change, McGuire fled the country rather than register as a sex offender - and was ultimately discovered in Europe, where he fit right in as not only a good-looking queerboy, but also a master of a number of languages.

That was in 2015 (if you have an online membership to the e-Edition, you can read all the hotlinked articles in full at McGuire's name). And upon realization that McGuire was not only out of the area but not on the continent, it appeared authorities were going to give him a pass...unlike other registered sex offenders that wouldn't benefit from such a thing.

Then this week, perhaps as a year-end symbolic gesture, Williamson County State's Attorney Brandon Zanotti made his filing, citing an address for McGuire as a prefab modular home on Arctic Fox Drive in Carterville (likely his mom's digs). Apparently it's hoped that because this is his last known address in the area, and if mom (who is as obsessed with covering over her boi's doings as he is, if her constant activity on the now-defunct topix is any indication) gets word to him that there's now a warrant for his arrest to answer to the charge, he might save everyone (including himself) some grief and turn himself in.

Or not. He's been gone for almost four years; personally, we don't expect for him to emerge anytime soon. But one can never tell. Since we were able to track him down three years ago, maybe someone will get fed up enough and send a bounty hunter after swishy lil Jord...and bring him back to face the same law everyone else in this country has to face.

ILLINOIS - The headlines all over the state this week are as vomit-inducing as the actual situation.

Check this out:

Chicago Reader: "Trans woman Strawberry Hampton reports continued assaults while detained at men’s prisons"

WGN: "Illinois transgender inmate gets rare transfer to female prison"

Blavity: "Illinois Inmate Strawberry Hampton Finally Transferred To Women's Prison After Long Legal Battle"

BuzzFeed: "The Plight of Trans Women in Prison"

New York Times: "Transgender Woman Cites Attacks and Abuse in Men's Prison"

Of course, all of those are left-leaning libwhack sites that are ginning up the current battle cry for "inclusiveness," while the rest of us hard-working, sensible slobs are actually funding the nonsense generating the headlines.

The bottom line is this: Deon Hampton, 27, is a man who "thinks" he's a woman. In this sick world in which we live these days, that's calls "trans," as in "transsexual." As in a condition that as recently as when Deon was born, it was considered a mental illness for which there was really no treatment except to just let the thing be the thing it wanted to be, and too bad for the thing if people made fun of it/he/she/whatever.

Fast-forward to 2018, and all of a sudden, this particular illness is a protected class, with all the attendant "special treatment" that comes with it. Guy thinks he's a girl, dresses like one, still has guy's junk? Gets to go in the girl's bathroom/locker room/whatever, freaking people out...and opening the way for predators to "pretend they're women (in their brains) too!" so they can go in the restroom with YOUR daughters/granddaughters/little sisters, etc. It's a fraud that's been perpetrated upon the public since the second term of Obama, and it's an obamanation that should never have happened, but here we are.

And now, the biggest fraud of all has been perpetrated upon the people of Illinois, because now, yours-mine-and-our tax dollars are paying for it. Because Deon, now known as "Strawberry" for whatever reason, is sitting in Logan Correctional Center for Women in Lincoln, Illinois, with women, as it's a women's prison. Note I did not say "other women," because Deon isn't a woman. Like I said - and like most of mainstream media is ignoring, because they don't want to hurt anyone's widdle feewings - he's a man who WANTS to be a woman. He has never had gender reassignment surgery; he's "thought he was a female" since the age of 5 (ye gads); and has been taking hormones to change his appearance since 2016.

How he managed to get all this done and still get into a life of crime seems beyond many, but he did: He's a Cook County crim with a 2009 Class X Home Invasion Causing Injury conviction, a Class 2 Burglary conviction that same year, and a 2014 Class 1 Residential Burglary conviction (maybe he was looking for some pretty dresses and bling to go with some new heels, who knows.) And for the past several years now, he's been transferred around and around Illinois men's prisons - including Lawrence Correctional Center - because he claims he's mistreated and abused in all of them. He whines that he's been called "fag, gay, thing and it" (um...because he IS), whines because the inmates and COs make fun of him and in a couple of locales, forced him to commit sexual acts (it's prison...where is this NOT the norm...?) and he even tried to commit suicide at one point. Which is sad, but, you know...so is prison. Don't commit a crime, and you won't end up there. You can do all the drag shows you want and behave similarly with the guys of your choice as a free man....thing...tranny...whatever. What's so different about being locked up, right, except breathing free air...? Everything else is pretty much the same.

Except Deon prevailed with his whining, and now, he's sitting in prison with a bunch of women, some of them quite butch, and those ones don't take too kindly to a man who wants to be a woman. These are women who look, act, think and sound like men. Does Deon believe that his "Strawberry" persona is going to now win friends and influence people there?

Who knows. We'll have to see if he whines some more and gets sent somewhere else. The clearest likelihood here is that he just doesn't want to be in prison, and he's using his mental illness to the full regarding that. And apparently he can't be put into the care of the Department of Human Services, where he'd be a little safer...because that's where Illinois Department of Corrections puts their people with mental illnesses...and now, being a tranny doesn't qualify you as having a mental illness...so you can see the state's conundrum here. Which they've brought upon themselves.

The fact that he's still listed as "male" (see above) in his inmate profile is at least heartening where IDOC is concerned. Apparently some of the COs and others who were involved in his "abuse" are having to undergo "sensitivity training" so as to offset some of the behaviors displayed toward the mentally-ill Deon. Another fine expenditure of your tax dollars.

So let's get this straight here: Deon Hampton is a man. He started "living as" a girl at age 5 and no one stopped him. He became a hardened criminal at age 21 and his punishment didn't take. He's taken female hormones for the past couple of years and has altered his appearance so as to look like a female, but didn't stop his criminal conduct, and is now boohooing because his fellow inmates have about as much sympathy for him as I, and a couple of million other people, truth be told, do. And we, the taxpayers of Illinois, are now paying for his male rear to sit in a women's prison.

And people wonder why there's a mass exodus out of Illinois. At this rate, all that's going to be left here are the freaks and those who support them....and maybe that's a good idea, since they're destined for failure, as there really are very, very few, and maybe, just maybe, they'll all self-destruct and leave something of the Land of Lincoln for those of us leaving to come back to someday.

GIBSON CO., Ind. - The woman who was behind the wheel in a fatal September DUI crash that claimed the lives of two young men has changed her plea in the Gibson County, Indiana, case.

Ashley N. Sanders, 25 of Patoka, will be sentenced in mid-January after changing her "not guilty" plea to guilty on Friday, December 28.

Sanders was operating a vehicle while allegedly intoxicated back in September of 2018 when she collided with a another vehicle on U.S. 41 near Princeton, Ind. The high-speed rear-end collision took the lives of Trevor Watt, 19 of Princeton and James Gasaway, 20, of Haubstadt. A subsequent investigation revealed that Sanders not only had a BAC of .27 percent, but also had marijuana and meth in her system.

Sanders was charged with a plethora of Indiana counts: Felony Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More; Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance; Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More; Causing Death When Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance; Driving Too Fast for Conditions; Driving Left of Center; Failure of Occupant to Use Safety Belt; Improper Use of Center Lane on Roadway with 3 or More Lanes/Driving in Center Lane; and Failure to Obey Signs and Markings While Driving a Vehicle.

Sanders had been free on bond since mid-October according to electronic records. She was working her way toward a jury trial with a public defender when, last Friday, she opted to file a motion to change her plea instead. This vacated the pending trial date of January 14 and set a hearing for January 4 to actually hear the motion on the change of plea, which will undoubtedly be accepted.

Of the host of charges she's facing, it remains unclear exactly what all Sanders will be pleading to. She does, however, face a prison term of up to two decades in the charges related to the two mens' deaths.

Victim had criminal history, with most recent charges of Agg Batt - including one Class X - filed in September

PULASKI CO., Ill. - A woman in Pulaski County is behind bars after a domestic situation turned deadly Friday night.

Illinois State Police are working the case at the request of local authorities after a brief investigation into the incident, which occurred at some time Friady evening, December 28.

Pulaski County sheriff's authorities initially responded to the scene in the little town of Karnak, where they had been called in reference to a domestic disturbance. However, upon arrival, they found Durial D. King, 33, having been stabbed. The other half of the domestic was Christie Brown, 31, who was arrested as the stabber.

King was transported to an undisclosed medical facility, where he died of his injuries.

Brown was jailed Friday night and formally charged on Saturday with a count of Involuntary Manslaughter of a Family Member and a count of Aggravated Domestic Battery, both of them Class 2 felonies and probationable. Considering she has no criminal history,

King, on the other hand, is a different story.

His criminal history in Pulaski County stretches back a number of years and, most recently in September of 2018, was charged with Class 3 felony Aggravated Battery in a Public Place and Class X felony Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm using a Flammable Substance. Online court records don't show who the victim was; chances are, however, that people in Karnak are aware of it.

Those charges were dismissed today (December 31) upon King's death.

Brown is being detained pending either setting of a bond (if she can post it) or a preliminary hearing, which has been scheduled for January 14.

MARION CO., Ill. - The Christmas Eve burglary of several cars at a church in Kinmundy may have developments, but the holidays are holding up any indication of them.

However, a local man is reportedly under suspicion of same, and while he's currently only charged with misdemeanor DUI in Marion County, it appears he's headed for charges a little more serious than that, with the vehicle burglaries being the center of the investigation.

Randal Armstrong, 41 of Kinmundy, was the subject of a traffic stop by Illinois State Police on December 24. Besides the suspected DUI, ISP somehow figured out that Armstrong might've been behind some alleged burglaries to cars parked at the Kinmundy Christian Church, whose owners were in attendance for holiday services.

While ISP didn't state exactly how many cars were allegedly burglarized, they did report that these would be "multiple charges." So Armstrong was taken in on arresting charges of DUI, felony Criminal Trespass to a Motor Vehicle and Burglary, and misdemeanor Theft.

Because the alleged burglaries are still under investigation, Armstrong is currently only formally charged with the DUI. Because that's only a misdemeanor, he's free on bond.

JOHNSON CO., Ill. - There's finally been a development in the case of a former Johnson County deputy's DUI-with-death crash that occurred earlier this year.

Court records indicate that Ed Parkinson, of the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor's office in Springfield, has stepped in on a conflict with Johnson County State's Attorney Tambra Cain, as she had to recuse herself in the case of a JC deputy, Cyle Harner, and his DUI accident in March 2018 that claimed the life of another man.

And while the charges aren't quite as serious as many believed they might be, they are at least something, albeit not something that might be afforded a regular citizen, given that Harner is a former deputy in JC as well as the former sheriff's son (former sheriff Charles Harner resigned about a month after the accident, citing "family needing him at home" as the reason for the resignation).

It's been determined after nine months that Cyle Harner, 28 of Vienna, was the one behind the wheel of a truck that, at a little after 2 a.m. on the morning of March 22, 2018, went off the road at a high rate of speed (later determined to have been 93 mph) on Illinois 146 outside of Vienna in what was very obviously an accident fueled by some kind of substance (later determined to have been booze, with a BAC at .22, almost three times the legal limit) or at the very least, bad behavior brought on by such.

Initial reports were evidently purposefully vague, prompting many JC residents to contact Disclosure regarding the matter. We produced this article in the May edition (you will need an online membership to the e-Edition, available at the hotlink if you don't have one), which is the first article produced to indicate what other media was leaving out but what everyone pretty much already knew: That Cyle Harner and buddies Tyler Inman and Troy Newman had been drinking heavily at Big Boys at the Loop, a bar popular with the Vienna prison employees crowd, and that the young Harner, who owned the truck, was likely the one behind the wheel and behaving stupidly. The ensuing accident claimed the life of Newman; however, it wasn't his family, but rather was Inman and his family, who filed a civil lawsuit against Harner in June of 2018, seeking damages against Harner as well as Big Boys (in a dram shop petition).

Harner, upon Parkinson requesting a thorough investigation into the matter, was finally arrested last week and now stands charged with three felonies in differing degrees: Class 2 felony DUI Causing Accident/Death; Class 3 felony Reckless Homicide with a Motor Vehicle; and Class 4 felony Aggravated DUI Causing an Accident with Great Bodily Harm. While the Class 2 felony is indeed serious, all charges are probationable upon conviction...and many in JC are decrying that situation. However, despite Parkinson's best efforts, he can only charge with the evidence he's presented, and the evidence doesn't bear out anything more serious.

In the meantime, simpering mainstream media is presenting the situation as if they've never heard of favoritism being shown toward public officials in the state of Illinois. With disingenuous rhetorical questions being posed in such articles as one a local TV station produced - "Parkinson filed charges against Harner Wednesday, but why did it take so long?" - they appear to be verging on inviting a credibility issue...because OF COURSE Johnson County residents know why it "took so long": In Illinois, and particularly in deep downstate Illinois, public officials are a protected class and when it comes to such incidents as this, they are a favored class. After such a DUI crash with death, higher authorities, such as ISP, take their time "investigating," as opposed to making an immediate arrest and letting the chips fall where they may, as they ordinarily do with a civilian. Factor in the issue of the county's prosecutor technically being county officials' legal counsel, which prompts recusal and the seating of a special prosecutor, and that makes for additional delays. In the interim, the public officials gin up support for their "plight," appealing to the citizens to feel sorry for them...and oftentimes, it works.

Whether or not it has in this instance is a subjective matter, depending on which side one adheres to - the one that says public officials can do no wrong, or the one that says they're fallible just like the rest of us and should be treated as such.

Which one Cyle Harner will fall into remains to be seen as well. He's set for a court hearing this Friday, January 4, on the criminal charges, and a review of the civil case on the same day. Judge Todd Lambert of Saline County has been brought in on the criminal case on a conflict with the local judge. Harner remains free on $5,000 cash bond.

MT. CARMEL, Ill. - A Mt. Carmel guy hemmed up in Hamilton County is one of four incidents featured in this Mt. Carmel Police Department activity report covering the holiday at the end of December.

The report starts with Christmas Eve doings, however, and a domestic disturbance along the lines of those that often come with the holiday stress.

Stress for the holidays might've lead to dom batt

On December 24, Mt. Carmel city police arrested Kenneth Wheeler II, 44, of Mt. Carmel, following a domestic dispute with his girlfriend earlier in the day at her residence in the 1200 block of N. Walnut St. After investigating the report further, officers found evidence to indicate a battery had occurred and placed Wheeler under arrest for Domestic Battery. Wheeler was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was charged and held pending a bond setting by a judge.

Theft turns into bonus meth warrant arrest

Also that same day, police arrested Matthew L. Hess, 24, and Megan M. Jackson, 26, both of Mt. Carmel, after investigating a theft report. Officers spoke to the victim who reported accidentally leaving her wallet on a table while at Tastee Freeze. Officers were able to determine Hess and Jackson as suspects and later located them at a residence in the 100 block of N Division St. Both were arrested for Theft of Lost or Mislaid Property and transported to the Wabash County Jail. Hess was also wanted out of Dubois County, Indiana, for Dealing Methamphetamine. Hess was held pending extradition back to Indiana while Jackson was released after the posting of bond. The victim’s property was recovered and returned to her.

Hamilton County warrant served

On Dec. 27, police in Mt. C arrested Anthony E. Nold, 47, of Mt. Carmel, following a traffic stop in the 1000 block of N Cherry St. The officer knew Nold had an active warrant for his arrest out of Hamilton County Illinois. Nold was placed under arrest and transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was held on a $300 cash bond.

Holiday DUI-ing....allegedly, of course

Then on the 29th, MCPD arrested Derek W. Deisher, 38, of Mt. Carmel, following a traffic stop in the 600 block of N Walnut St. During the traffic stop, the arresting officer observed signs of impairment on Deisher due to suspected alcohol consumption. After conducting a roadside investigation, police placed Deisher under arrest for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and transported him to the Wabash County Jail. Deisher was charged with DUI and later released on a $300 cash bond after processing.

PALESTINE, Ill. - Palestine Police Chief Jeff Besing said last week that other arrests would likely be coming in the break-in and theft at the town’s popular Saratoga Tavern…and now, that claim has been made good.

A second arrest was made this past weekend, Saturday, December 29, in the break-in and theft at the Saratoga Tavern, the village’s main watering hole. The unfortunately-named Keondre Weck, 18 of Robinson, joins the other 18-year-old charged in the incident, the equally-unfortunately-named Keagan Pittenger, of Palestine, at the county jail, both charged with felony Burglary and Theft Over $500, and misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property. The break-in occurred in the early morning hours of December 17, and involved the theft of cash and quite a bit of liquor, not to mention the damage to the bar, called the “’togie” by locals.

Weck is additionally charged with misdemeanor Criminal Defacement of Property. This is in relation to vandalism at the marquee sign located at the intersection of Franklin and Jackson streets, which occurred December 16.

A cash reward had been offered for information into the crime; whether anyone will collect that upon possible conviction of either of the two teens remains to be seen.