Hard to believe it’s almost another new year…but here we are, within weeks of it, hence the “January 2013″ at the top of the current edition, on stands beginning Tuesday, December 18, and continuing until Wednesday, Dec. 19 until all vendors are delivered. Here are your print headlines, with links to the e-Edition articles, for the new issue. Each print headline is preceded by a dateline (where the info in the article occurred) and are followed by a brief synopsis. Be sure to pick up a print version; we’ve upgraded the print job a bit, and our colors are sharper, graphics more interesting, paper a higher bond and the segments of the coverage areas now are easier to locate!
FRONT/BACK PAGE
Ed Hataway
RICHLAND CO.—Death now a homicide investigation: The identification of remains found in Lawrence County in early November was made Nov. 28. Illinois State Police finally admitted that the case is now a homicide investigation. Are there suspects, and what lead police to them? This article gives some revealing information as answers to those questions.
EDGAR CO.—Watchdog group wins FOIA lawsuit: Edgar County Watchdog John Kraft had to take a public body to court because they violated Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act. Find out how serious the situation was for this group, and what this court case means for others who do the same.
LAWRENCE CO.—Single-count sex crime: Indecent Solicitation involving children: Lawrence County was shocked to learn of the arrest of well-known area radio man Skip Thomas. We have some information about just what he’s alleged to have been doing over the years that no other news media will bother to print.
Ed Cusic
GALLATIN/SALINE COs.—Charged in First-Degree Murder; crowbar used in bludgeoning: Exclusive interview with the brother of Ed Cusic, who tells us an intriguing background story that involves public officials ignoring Cusic’s crimes to the point that he was free to allegedly kill his mother in early December. This one’s going to grit your teeth folks…beware.
COLES/RICHLAND/WAYNE COs.—Bogus charge dismissed; damages suit pending?: In a major crossover story that spans both Heartland and Central regions, former ISP investigators have apparently been targeted by their current counterparts…but to what end? And why is it okay for one of the current agents to leak everything about the case to local mainstream media?
HARDIN CO.—Board wrangles with prospective ambulance owner issues; proposal stalled til January? We’ve known for a long time that there are significant problems at the Hardin County Ambulance Service…but now it appears they’ve gone from out of the frying pan (Ed Conkle) into the fire (Doc Collier).
GALLATIN/FRANKLIN COs.—Resentencing results in the same sentence from 2011; former sheriff gets life in prison: Was the sentence Raymond Martin received too steep? The judge in the case doesn’t think so; here’s coverage of the case that went down on Dec. 7 in Benton.
EGYPT
SALINE CO.—Heated 911 meeting flatlines Doc Collier: Richard (aka “Dick” or “Doc”) Collier seemes to think he knows ambulance services. And he wants to have his hand in all of them in southernmost Illinois, it seems. But the Saline County E911 board has other ideas.
SALINE CO.—Mother charged with beating disabled son; good police work thwarts Eldo violence: Hard to believe in this day and age that people would do such a thing as leave marks on a toddler…but apparently it happened. Also, this is the article that contains the piece, in a separate subhead, about Freeman Shannon Todd Deuel (STD) breaking his finger.
HARDIN CO.—Former Elizabethtown principal being sued by hospital: Poor Jimmy Stunson. Maybe if he hadn’t been perched on a barstool so many times after school was out for the day, he wouldn’t have bought so much beer…and he could’ve paid his hospital bill from Lourdes.
HAMILTON CO.—ISP busts Rick White on DUI: Yeah, that’s what we thought when we saw the name, too.
SALINE CO.—No arrests made in alleged meth lab explosion in rural Saline County: Coverage of the horrible meth lab explosion in late November that seriously injured Mary Beth Hutchison….and there are STILL no arrests made.
SALINE CO.—County says goodbye to officer: Coverage of the death of Capt. David Underwood.
GALLATIN CO.—Serial Saline Co. drunk busted in Gallatin Co. while on Probation: Crim report from GallCo….there’ve been a lot of rowdies these past 30 days. And we’re getting fed up with nothing being done with Doug Harner.
SALINE CO.—Son accused of stealing from parents, Monster drinks and batteries top theft report: It’s pretty sad when you have to hide Christmas gift and other things from your grown kid because they have a klepto problem.
SALINE CO.—Thefts and burglaries spike as holidays approach: The headline says it all. See who’s been naughty in the past 30 days.
HARRISBURG—Harrisburg Fire Department to county: We need public safety tax funds for fire runs: There was a lot of hype last week over the vote by the city council to stop making fire runs out of the city of Harrisburg. We have the REAL story of why the decision was made, and what the county can do to stop it from becoming a dangerous reality….and it’s a common thing that happens when public safety tax funds are hogged by one entity.
No caption necessary…
WHITE CO.—Violence dominates White crime report: Headline says it all.
HAMILTON CO.—Convicted weed grower faces weapons charge: Seriously. If you’re going to have a felony on you (even if it IS a stupid one over pot), don’t have a weapon on you!
HARDIN CO.—Rosiclare man gets 15 years after alcohol fueled crash: Seems to be a lot of that going on down south.
SALINE CO.—Convicted housekeeper busted again for drugs: It didn’t work in March…why would she think it’d work now??
SALINE CO.—Doper busted for cooking meth in storage unit: This has become a pastime in Saline. Seriously.
HAMILTON CO.—Domestic leads to couple pointing fingers: It never fails. Holidays are tense, I guess.
SALINE CO.—Cocaine dealer gets 12 years: Got one off the streets. Got plenty more to go, however.
HAMILTON CO.—Violent felon gets 10 years on weapons charge: Again: don’t have a gun if you’re a felon. Very simple math, here.
SALINE CO.—Teen busted with cocaine while meth cooked with children in the house: Well…at least they’re not cooking children with meth in the house. But that day is probably coming.
WHITE CO.—Serial thief, meth doper back in prison: This gal has problems. DOC doesn’t seem to be able to solve em.
HEARTLAND
EDGAR CO.—Civil suit threatened over breastfeeding: This is the big story for the Heartland section, and shows just how unbelievably corrupt public officials there really are. This story is going to grind your gears, folks….be prepared.
CRAWFORD CO.—Thugs said to have beaten Flat Rock man: Just prior to the uber-violent Jody Stifle being released prior to sentencing to DOC in a recent case (something we didn’t know was happening when the story was going to press…his release happened the day after), his dad and brother were said to be under suspicion of a beating in Flat Rock.
CRAWFORD CO.—Deputy’s resignation reason unknown: We’ve got both the official version, and then a run-down of all of everyone else’s versions, of why Troy Love is no longer employed as a deputy in Crawford….just to keep it fair.
COLES CO.—Unauthorized bathroom vid charged, man beats dog to death and dopers rounded up: A guy who beats animals is as bad as a guy who beats kids. This guy admitted to beating his dog to death with a ball bat. Hope authorities will take strong action against him.
CLARK CO.—Child endangerment charged in Clark drug case: There seems to be a LOT of “child endangerment” in these alleged meth cooking cases…either’s either proliferant, or something the prosecutor likes to do…but at least someone’s DOING something about it.
JASPER CO.—Man who claims law don’t apply to his Islamic sect has date set with jury: Very interesting story about a man who’s bucking the system, saying our laws don’t apply to him because he’s a sovereign citizen and of a particular religious sect.
CUMBERLAND CO.—Booze violates suicidal con’s bond: Problems, courtesy vodka & beer.
NEWTON—Past month’s Newton City meetings lighthearted around Christmas—Baseball team congratulated: Two Newton city council meetings covered.
CUMBERLAND—State’s attorney dismisses talk of challenges to his elected office despite Illinois ‘law’: Jonathan Braden, Independent state’s attorney in Cumberland, has been attacked on all sides since a strange law took effect in March of this year. Read why this is an issue at all.
CRAWFORD CO.—County board receives resignation, names replacement at December meeting: Crawford County board coverage courtesy our intrepid correspondent.
CUMBERLAND CO.—Tip on traffic offender nets police doper convict: HERE’S the tip…don’t LIE to the cops about your name thinking you’re going to avoid a warrant..
COLES CO.—High-speed chase leads cops to meth operation: Another tip…don’t run from cops with meth in production at your destination.
CUMBERLAND CO.—Officer cares for choked woman seizing, puts her attacker behind bars: This is a strange little story….with an even stranger ending.
CRAWFORD CO.—Sex offenses lead Crawford County police blotter: At least there’s some movement on this case, which we’ve heard has been going on for a number of years now.
COLES CO.—Synthetic cannabis heist lands one in jail: Fake cannabis is bad enough…but whay compound the problem by stealing it?
CENTRAL
RICHLAND CO.—New chairman shuts down town idiot: Brian James O’Neill II/Deux/Jr…PWNED.
Ronnie Nuthugger Ragon….a man and his stick
LAWRENCEVILLE—Calls for resignation of alderman begin after altercation at business: Who can physically and verbally assault an old man and get away with it? Lawrenceville alderman Danny Lynn, apparently.
Lawrenceville alderman Danny Lynn. Doesn’t matter what you do with your glasses, Danny…you still look fruity.
EDWARDS CO.—Local man, pastor at popular church, charged with major theft: The details in the story that shocked the community of Albion and those who attend the House of Prayer church there.
WABASH CO.—16-hour standoff with SWAT not too cut & dried: Did you know there was a tense situation that unfolded before Chris Cash allegedly went nuts and had a standoff with police in Mt. Carmel? We didn’t either, til we went to research the case. Now you can read about it.
RICHLAND CO.—Amended complaint in OP case allowed: like hanging ornaments on a Christmas tree: Part 3 of a multi-part series about how Disclosure publisher Jack Howser’s family was brought in to target him and help a corrupt attorney win a losing battle to take Angela Howser’s granddaughter away from them after the Howsers gained custodial guardianship. This is the first of multiple parts about how the ridiculous OP was allowed to be “amended,” meaning that even more frivolous notions were added to the “complaints”…none of the applying to Illinois Domestic Violence Act, upon which the state’s OP “law” is based.
LAWRENCE CO.—Lawrence dope runner lands behind bars: Dufus alleged doper from last month apprehended. Yes, sometimes it takes them this long in Lawrence.
CLAY CO.—Dope and weapons part of felony charges in Clay: We’ve already gotten complaints about this story. There’s not really much to it. Standard fare as regards pill purchases…but Chelsea says she didn’t buy the pills to make meth, and it’s highly likely that she didn’t…so what’s Marilyn Brant up to?
WAYNE CO.—Theft, dope and repeat offenders keep cops busy: Some strange little thefts in this one.
RICHLAND CO.—Possible drug ring busted, heroin found and procurement charged: Heroin, right here in Richland County? Authorities say “yes.”
CLAY CO.—Convicted doper busted on drug charges again: Mr. Cornwell. Being CornUNwell…as in bad bad bad.
OLNEY—Olney gets a new fire truck…then asks for another one: Nothing like a person spending OPM (other peoples’ money)…
WABASH CO.—Gets seven years for theft: The usual suspects keep on keeping on…til they land in DOC.
RICHLAND CO.—Thug from Earp clan killing arrested for violence: Aw. Chris Arteberry wants everyone to believe he’s just a big lovable teddy bear kinda guy. And wait…why is CASEY KING’S pic on this article, too?
FEATURES
COLUMNS
SURLY & UNCOOPERATIVE: Is being quiet a good thing or a bad thing?
PROSE & CONS: Corruption in da house…The White House, that is
GUEST COLUMN: Finding Illinois cemeteries with restoration expert: (this column is by our guest, Angie Johnson, of the Illinois Association of Gravestone Studies, a fascinating group. Please take time to read it, it really is interesting.)