Day: December 21, 2022

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post  “What are the big white birds I’ve been seeing?” That question, asked increasingly over the past few years, has a simple and encouraging answer: Trumpeter swans. Thanks to protections from hunting and active breeding programs in several states, trumpeter swans are recolonizing areas of the Midwest – including Illinois – where they were eliminated from by 1900. In addition to numerous reports of breeding swans in Illinois, the large birds are increasingly over-wintering in central Illinois. In the past few years, flocks have spent time resting in fields throughout The Weekly Post circulation area. For the…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post The Princeville Holiday Tournament received an early Christmas present, courtesy of Brimfield. When the boys basketball tournament begins Monday, Brimfield will be among its eight teams, although that wasn’t the case originally. Brimfield will replace DePue, which was the subject of a scheduling mix-up.A change in DePue administration and coaching left its officials unaware the school was obligated to play at Princeville, according to Princes Athletics Director Jeff Kratzer. He was unaware of a conflict until after he sent an early-December email regarding the tourney seeding meeting, which was Sunday. “The new AD emailed back…

Turnovers hurt in loss to West Central By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post MONMOUTH – Turnovers and the flu conspired to keep Elmwood (10-3) out of the title game at the United Tournament last week. After winning its first two tournament games, Elmwood lost to West Central, 50-40, on Dec. 13.The Lady Trojans then went on to rout Farmington in the third-place game, 55-20, on Dec. 15. Illini Bluffs (11-4) beat West Central in the tourney title game, 57-41. That was the game Elmwood had planned to play, but those plans were cast aside when the Lady Trojans turned the ball…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post GALESBURG – Finding a positive identification for certain human remains found in October in Maquon might take two or three more months, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office investigator. Meanwhile, a woman arrested following the discovery remains in the Knox County Jail as her case proceeds through circuit court after additional charges were filed. A University of Illinois forensic pathologist is to analyze additional samples from the remains found Oct. 7 in a storage unit, Sgt. Brad Davis said last week. Initial samples contained insufficient DNA. That isn’t uncommon in a body as badly…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Police reports• FARMINGTON – A disturbance at a Farmington residence led to the arrests of two Chillicothe women.Amanda M. McMurtry, 35, and Brittany S. Walliker, 33, were accused of mob action in connection with the incident, on Dec. 17 at about 10:30 p.m. in the 100 block of N. Cedar St. McMurtry also was accused of battery, and Walliker was accused of domestic battery.It appears the women arrived at the Cedar Street address to pick up Walliker’s son, according to a Farmington…