Month: June 2021

By PHIL JOHNSON For The Weekly Post WILLIAMSFIELD – Hot bats and a pair of pitchers delivered a Class 1A regional title to ROWVA-Williamsfield Monday in an 11-1 thrashing of Roanoke-Benson. Ahead 6-1 after five innings, R-W (11-5) scored five in the bottom of the sixth to end the game by way of the 10-run rule. The Cougars put on a 10-hit parade, which was very well distributed throughout the lineup. Brodie Secrist hit 4-for-5 with one RBI, Hunter Ramage was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, Denver Weedman drove in two, Adam Kohl tripled and had one RBI and…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post Two local softball teams ended last Friday hoisting Class 1A regional plaques – one expected and one a surprise champion. Actually, regional plaques are being mailed by the IHSA since there were technically no home regionals. But the point is, two teams earned a postseason title after following different paths. While top-seeded ROWVA-Williamsfield routed two regional foes, 18-0, a young Princeville squad continued its late-season improvement with a pair of wins. And neither showed any sign of slowing in the sectionals, with each winning 1-0 pitcher’s duels on Tuesday. For R-W (17-11), Katelyn Aldred…

Farmington girls top Knoxville for sectional title By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – The bonuses keep coming for the Farmington track team. One year after not being able to compete due to COVID restrictions, the Lady Farmers not only qualified eight athletes for Thursday’s Class 1A state track meet, they also won a surprise sectional title last week at Knoxville. The Lady Farmers tallied 66 points to top host Knoxville (64 points) and Kewanee Wethersfield and Stark County (62). Princeville was eighth with 38 points. “I think we were all in shock, because we thought Knoxville was going…

By JOHN A. BALLENTINE For The Prairie News TOULON – Toulon’s sanitary sewer lift station is going to cost the city $188,630 more than what was estimated to cost last fall. City Engineer Ed Andrews of the Farnsworth Group told the Toulon City Council on Monday that bids for the project’s construction were opened on June 3 and Stark Excavating, Inc. was the low bidder. Stark’s bid of $688,630 is to construct the lift station at Whitaker Street and West Prairie Street, although Farnsworth’s handout states “The lift station’s force main was…at Turner Avenue and Henderson Street” for the connection…

Felonies & Misdemeanors 1-28-20 – Felony: Donna J. Bantz – Meth delivery and possession of meth. Incidents & Accidents Stark County 6-4 – Accident Correction: The Stark County Sheriff’s Office released corrected information from a traffic accident reported last week that misidentified the driver. The deer-related accident that occurred on Route 93 at the intersection of 1100E involved driver James E. Stotler, 50, of Bradford. 6-8 – Colton J. Potter, 29, Toulon, was arrested for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. He was taken into custody and transported to the Stark County Jail. The following day he was released from custody…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Police reports • FARMINGTON – Michael Gabbert, 31, of Peoria Heights was charged on May 30 with unlawful tinting of windows, driving while license is revoked and operating an uninsured vehicle, according to a Farmington police report. • FARMINGTON – Police were called to the Farmington Pizza Company restaurant on May 5, where burglary to a motor vehicle was taking place, according to a Farmington police report. Ray Ban aviator sunglasses and a toolbox containing socket sets were taken. A radio…

Traffic citations & Ordinance violations 5-24 – Zachary P. Traenkenschuh – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 5-24 – Andrew B. Bates – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 5-23 – Chad E. Loy – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 5-23 – Penny L. Wilson – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 5-23 – Kayla A. Schlenker – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 5-23 – Daniel M. Jackson, Jr. – Driving 15-20 mph above limit and operating uninsured motor vehicle. Incidents & Accidents Stark County 5-28 – A 16-year-old Wyoming juvenile was reported missing. 5-28 – Cassel O.R. Taylor, 23, Kewanee, was arrested…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Elmwood man arrested for multiple driving violations ELMWOOD – Dakota Porter, 20, of Elmwood was arrested Monday and charged by Elmwood police and Peoria County Sheriff’s officers with several traffic-related violations. An Elmwood police officer was first informed by citizens before 11 a.m. on Monday about a reckless driver. Witnesses said the driver, who officers later determined was Porter, was driving at a high rate of speed, ran over a curb, knocked down a garbage can, struck a truck and then…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Weekly Post PRINCEVILLE – The Princeville Village Board gave tentative approval to a Village of Princeville Comprehensive Plan during its May 18 meeting. The next step for the board is to pass an ordinance that will make the plan official, according to Village President Jeff Troutman. The plan spells out what the village wants to do in a buffer zone that extends to 1.5 miles around the village’s corporate limits. “Anything that builds in that zone has to come before village approval instead of just receiving [Peoria County] approval,” Troutman said. Troutman said there is no…

Planning ongoing for proposed Elmwood Wellness Center By JEFF LAMPE Weekly Post Staff Writer RUSHVILLE – Tim Ward smiled as he stopped to watch elderly couples playing pickleball on two shiny new courts, while walkers traversed an elevated walking path above the gym floor. “That’s the beauty of this place,” Ward said last week, gesturing to the gym that sits in the center of the new Rushville Fitness & Community Center. “We’d never be able to do anything like this in Rushville without this place.” Ward was one of the driving forces behind construction and planning of the 30,000-square-foot facility that was built…