Month: December 2024

The Weekly Post will not publish a Dec. 26 edition and The Prairie News will not publish a Dec. 27 edition. Offices will be closed Dec. 19 – 26. ALL ADS and AD COPY DUE Dec. 27 at noon for the Jan. 2/3 editions of The Weekly Post (Jan. 2) and The Prairie News (Jan. 3) We wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Deer were not cooperative Sunday morning as I sat high in a tree overlooking French Creek in scenic Knox County. But the beauty of sitting in nature long enough is that something will usually catch your eye, if you stay awake and attentive and ignore your cellphone. Sure enough, as an otherwise slow morning neared an end, the cackle of a rooster pheasant caught my ears … then my eyes. There not 50 feet away, a gaudy rooster floated into our prairie following a group of 9-10 hen pheasants. Breeding season is months away, but those hens sure acted like…

Farmington planning school enhancements By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – The Farmington School Board on Monday took another step toward facilitating projects designed to enhance and maintain school facilities. The board voted to approve a resolution for the sale and issuance of no more than $8 million in debt certificates for the purpose of improving and repairing district facilities. Farmington Superintendent Zac Chatterton said the district tax rate would not increase as a result of the bond issuance. Chatterton said the bonds are a continuance of enhancement bonds issued in 2018, for which the district still owes $2.6 million….

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post GALESBURG – A jury trial is likely in February for a woman implicated in the apparent murder of the former Maquon police chief. Meanwhile, another woman accused of murdering former Chief Richard Young has pleaded not guilty.Both women – Karen Doubet and Marcy Oglesby – appeared Tuesday morning in Knox County Circuit Court. Oglesby, 52, was arrested in October 2022 after Young’s decomposing body was found in a box inside a Maquon storage locker. Doubet, 78, was arrested about two months ago. Doubet made her not-guilty plea in front of Judge Andrew Doyle about 10…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Incidents & AccidentsStark County 12-3 – Abbie L. Burgess, 18, Princeville, was cited for speeding 72 mph in a 55 zone. Also charged in the same traffic stop was Taylor D. Caldwell, 26, Edelstein, for adult use cannabis by a passenger.12-5 – Harassment and or threats were the source of a complaint received from a LaFayette resident in the 300 block of Hodgson St.12-6 – Demetrio M. Ordas, 21, Bakersfield, Calif., was cited for disobeying a no passing zone, driving without a valid driver’s license and…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports• DOUGLAS – A Lacon man threatened to beat up the Maquon Township road commissioner, authorities stated. The commissioner, Brandon Gray, was told two men aboard skid steers were logging about 4 p.m. Nov. 18 in the 600 block of Knox Road 1800 East north of Douglas. The log work damaged the road and a ditch, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report. When Gray visited the scene and asked the workers about it, an expletive-filled argument ensued, the report indicated. One of the workers,…

Once upon a time, I was a naive new business owner who thought everybody paid their bills. That was back when we started printing the magazine Heartland Outdoors. As part of the purchase, we inherited a stack of past-due invoices. I figured a few weeks of tracking down non-payers would end that problem. But non-payers have never disappeared, even as we moved on from the magazine to our current weekly newspapers. Lately, unpaid debt has reached a level that has raised my ire and rekindled memories of past collection forays. One such expedition ranged far and wide across Illinois and…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – Prep girls basketball has evolved into a rough-and-tumble sport, with physical play and plenty of fouls a feature of most games. This year’s Elmwood girls team appears to be well-suited for the rigors of that brand of basketball.Even after dropping a 43-27 decision to visiting Canton on Monday, the Lady Trojans (4-1) have started fast despite graduating three starters and learning a new system under first-year coach Kevin Faulkner.Deep, fast and physical, Elmwood capped a 4-0 record at its Thanksgiving tournament last Friday with a 49-38 win over Tremont. That followed a 42-40…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post KEWANEE – Five games into the season, Josh Fugitt is cautiously optimistic about his Elmwood boys basketball team. Elmwood finished 3-2 and placed third at the Wally Keller Invitational in Kewanee. The Trojans won the middle three games they played – 62-43 on Nov. 26 against Putnam County, 58-48 on Nov. 27 against host Wethersfield and 63-48 on Nov. 29 against Stark County. The bookends were a 50-37 loss Nov. 30 against Bureau Valley and an opening 55-28 loss Nov. 25 to tourney-champion Annawan. The other matchups were more favorable, according to the Elmwood coach….

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – The Farmington Police Department will soon have a new way to remain compliant with changing law-enforcement regulations. The Farmington City Council on Monday voted to approve an agreement with Lexipol, an online service that provides up-to-date, state-specific policing policies and training opportunities. Farmington will pay $2,172 for the remainder of this fiscal year (through April 30) and $5,212.80 for Fiscal Year 2025 service. “Our general orders need to be revamped either using Lexipol or a local attorney,” Farmington Chief Chris Darsham said before the vote. Farmington Attorney Bill Connor advised that the service was worthwhile….