NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty Traffic citations &Ordinance violations4-3 – Kimberly J. Strong – Uninsured vehicle. Incidents & AccidentsStark County3-25 – Trudy A. Holmes, 60, Wyoming, was cited for improper lane usage, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report an accident to police. She was issued a court date to appear. The tickets were issued in conjunction with a single-vehicle accident Holmes reportedly was involved in on 1050E near Duncan Road where a rural mailbox was struck.4-3 – Stark County Sheriff Steve Sloan was involved in a deer-related…

By JOHN A. BALLENTINEFor The Weekly Post WYOMING – The Wyoming Drivers and Motor Vehicles Facility at 107 E. Williams St. has been permanently closed due to concerns over criminal activity nearby. State officials are working with the City of Wyoming to find a possible spot to relocate the facility, which closed abruptly on March 27. According to State Rep. Travis Weaver, use of a mobile unit is also a possibility.“The government-affairs liaison for the Secretary of State said (the closure) was due to criminal activity,” Weaver said. “The liaison also said that the Secretary of State can’t have this activity…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Traffic citations &Ordinance violations3-30 – Hunter J. Garretts – Unlawful use of cannabis. Misdemeanors &Felonies2-25 – Felony – Leslie F. Prozzo – Possession of methamphetamine.2-22 – Steven J. Earthely – Domestic battery/physical contact.3-30 – DUI – Jared C. Dougherty – Driving under the influence BAC .08 2 counts, uninsured vehicle and improper turn signal. Incidents & AccidentsStark County3-15 – Jeremy W. Stevens, 31, of Dahinda was involved in a single-vehicle accident on Illinois Route 78 north of 500N. Stevens was transported by Stark County Ambulance to…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports • PEORIA – An Elmwood man was arrested after he punched a police officer during a confrontation in the parking lot of a Peoria medical facility. First responders were summoned about 3:30 p.m. March 13 to the OSF HealthCare psychiatry-and-psychology facility at 7317 N. Willowlake Court. There they found Austin E. Foster, 30, pacing around the parking lot and speaking to himself and others. According to a Peoria Police Department report, Foster’s demeanor was uneven. He cracked his cellphone in half and threw a piece…

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,”…