Month: March 2025

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post There are few headlines or television commercials promoting candidates running in next Tuesday’s election. But from a local perspective, the vote that will be conducted on April 1 for school boards, township positions, mayors, village trustees and other grassroots positions still has a very direct impact on our lives. How else to explain the standing-room-only crowd that gathered March 11 in Monica for a meeting of the Princeville Township Board? Among the topics discussed was mowing and maintenance of Princeville Township’s 20.5-acre cemetery. That issue and how it played out since last fall led to…

Board OKs ex-Limestone teacher, coach Bell By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – While the weather is warmer in Arizona, Tom Bell is excited to leave the Grand Canyon State for a more familiar lifestyle and climate in central Illinois. The Elmwood School Board on Monday unanimously approved hiring Bell as junior and senior high principal to replace Tony McCoy, effective July 1. McCoy is retiring after eight years as a principal in CUSD 322. Prior to spending the past five years in Arizona, the last three as principal at Southern Arizona Community Academy in Tucson, Bell’s educational work was…

By MOLLY RICHESONFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – The City of Elmwood has lost $1 million in federal funding for planned improvements of its wastewater lagoons. U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen had requested funding in May 2024 to remove sludge from the bottom of the wastewater lagoon’s four cells (ponds) and to replace the system’s existing rock filter in the 2025 fiscal year. Wrote Sorensen in his request, “The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the lagoons discharge into a nearby creek which empties into the Illinois River. This project will protect the waterways from contamination by sewage.” At…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• HANNA CITY – An Elmwood man was found dead about 2:30 a.m. on March 22 behind dumpsters at a business in the 12900 block of W. Farmington Rd., according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Keith A. Siegel, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene. Security-camera footage indicated Siegel might have fallen from a retaining wall and struck his head. An autopsy revealed Siegel died from traumatic closed-head injuries, according to the Peoria County Coroner’s Office. Toxicology results are pending. About four hours earlier on…

Rambling through central Illinois, happy to see tom turkeys fanning and strutting on camera. • • • Hollywood paid a visit to Elmwood’s Palace Theatre last Saturday and the result was interesting, to say the least. No question if Elmwood had paid for a movie to be filmed in town, it would not have included cursing, a sex scene, nudity and a grisly murder. But the city did not pay to be the setting for director David Ferino’s first full-length narrative feature “Wardcliffe,” which packed a lot into its 75-minute run time. And while Saturday’s showing no doubt ruffled some…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post BRIMFIELD – The Brimfield Indians are being threatened again. A bill making its way through the Illinois House of Representatives would prohibit school districts from using Native American mascots for their sports teams. That includes Brimfield, where the Indians nickname has been in place for at least 100 years.Brimfield Superintendent Chad Jones said his district is preparing for a ban but prefers the status quo. “We try to be proactive in the fact that we’re proud of our mascot, but if it’s something the lawmakers in Springfield take from us, we’ll make accommodations for it,”…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – A crowded field of six is vying for three four-year positions on the Farmington CUSD 265 School Board. Based on responses from some who attended a March 12 Meet the Candidates forum, choosing among the six may not be an easy choice when the April 1 election arrives.Kent Kowal, moderator of the candidate forum attended by a crowd of about 45, said afterward he was so impressed with the candidates it will be difficult to decide how to cast his votes. The field includes three incumbents – Dustin Blunier, Keith Deppermann and Daniel Gorsuch…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Stark Co. drops charges against Powell TOULON – Stark County has dropped charges filed against Amanda Powell on Oct. 11 after a multi-task police raid of the Wyoming apartment she shares with Caleb Deck.That apartment is located at 111 E. Williams St. Powell was arrested and taken to the Bureau County Jail after the raid along with Deck. “After I received the evidence and charges for Amanda Powell, I determined that the charges were more appropriate for Caleb Deck and not for Amanda Powell,” Stark County…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• TRIVOLI – A Hanna City woman was accused of drunken driving following a two-vehicle crash west of Trivoli. Jenni M. Nagel, 44, was driving a northbound 2006 Chevrolet Astro about 11:15 p.m. Feb. 28 on Stone School Road when the vehicle did not stop at an intersection with Illinois Route 116, per a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The front passenger-side bumper of the Astro struck the rear of an eastbound 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by Jeremy S. Kling of Farmington. The Astro continued…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Traffic citations &Ordinance violations3-7 – Grace M. Greulich – No valid registration for a vehicle and for a horse trailer. Incidents & AccidentsStark County3-4 – Anabelle E. Twomey, 23, Galva, was cited for improper lane usage and possession of a controlled substance. She was released with a notice to appear and the vehicle was towed to the Stark County impound lot.3-5 – Caleb A. Deck, 47, Wyoming, was arrested for domestic battery. He was taken into custody and later transported to Bureau County Jail.3-6 – Colin…