By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post BRIMFIELD – Late last year, the Brimfield School Board approved a 9% increase in the district property-tax levy. That might not be enough to keep the district in decent financial shape. Brimfield Superintendent Chad Jones suggested a possible next step might be decreases in what the district offers. “All options are on the table,” Jones said during a board meeting Feb. 18. “If revenues are flat or going down, we have to look at cutting costs. “I don’t want to cut people or programs, but there’s only so much money in the bucket, and if…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – Next year’s track athletes will compete on a new surface at Elmwood High School.The Elmwood School Board at Monday’s monthly meeting voted to approve a $103,000 bid from Track Surfaces Company of Elburn to resurface the track. A portion of the payment will be from a $50,000 School Facility Project Grant. Work is expected to be completed by July 31. The last resurfacing was done eight years ago, according to Board Member Grant Strom. Strom said Track Surfaces was the lowest of three bids received. Also approved was an additional $3,500 to resurface…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post PRINCEVILLE – Goodbye, valedictorians and class rankings. Hello, Summa Cum Laude, or something similar. The Princeville School District is considering changing the way it honors academic achievement among its high school students. Grade-point averages still would be calculated for each student. But instead of students being ranked in their graduating class, they would receive one of three academic distinctions.Categories are to be based on the Latin honors system. Students with final GPAs from 3.50 to 3.74 would receive Cum Laude honors. Magna Cum Laude honors would be reserved for GPAs between 3.75 and 3.99….

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post LaFAYETTE – Illinois State Police Officer Braden McFall of Elmwood was hospitalized after a two-vehicle accident last Friday night along the border between Stark and Knox counties. According to an Illinois State Police statement, an officer was sitting inside a parked squad car on Illinois Route 17 at Knox Road 2400 East when it was struck by a vehicle at about 7:20 p.m. The trooper involved was McFall and the driver of the other vehicle has been confirmed as Joseph S. Pruiett, 45, of Wyanet.Both McFall and Pruiett were transported by ambulance to OSF Saint…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Incidents & AccidentsStark County2-16 – James E. Crockett, 53, Newport News, Va., was cited for DUI (2), DUI (1), driving while his license was revoked and speeding 72 mph in a 55 zone. His vehicle was impounded and he was issued a notice to appear in court.2-18 – Thomas M. Snitchler, 54, Sterling, was ticketed for speeding 78 mph in a 55 zone.2-19­ – Thomas P. Freeburg, 30, Kewanee, was cited for speeding 75 mph in a 55 zone. Galva ReportOfficer dispatched:2-16 – to the 00…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports • KICKAPOO – A Princeville woman’s vehicle caught fire after it struck a deer northeast of Kickapoo.Jamie M. Huber was driving an eastbound 2016 Chevrolet sport-utility vehicle shortly before 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 in the 7200 block of W. Grange Hall Rd. when she was unable to avoid hitting the deer, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated. After Huber pulled to the side of the road, she noticed flames emanating from the vehicle’s right-front side. A deputy doused the fire with a bucket…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – The Farmington City Council on Monday paved the way for a major repaving project.The council approved four ordinances Monday that were required by the Illinois Department of Transportation for an upcoming resurfacing project on Illinois Route 78. Resurfacing work scheduled for this year runs from the four-way stop at Fort Street in Farmington to just north of East Alder Road in Canton, which is south of Davis Ford. Also to be resurfaced is the loop of Old Illinois Route 78 through the southeast corner of Norris. Farmington Mayor Kenn Stufflebeam said IDOT will…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post PRINCEVILLE – Local school-district personnel are accused of restraining 2-year-old twins for more than an hour while in daycare, a violation of state administrative law. The twins’ mother is the district’s former school resource officer. The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office reassigned her following a subsequent, unrelated daycare incident. A lawsuit filed Jan. 20 in Peoria County Circuit Court on behalf of Eric and Crystal Strauss claims Princeville School District daycare personnel placed the twins in belted chairs as a response to alleged behavior problems. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services regulations limit such restrictions…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports • ELMORE – No injuries were reported following a fire that destroyed a house in Elmore.The blaze at 22025 N. Main St. began shortly before 10:45 p.m. Feb. 3, according to Ty Landon, chief of the Williamsfield Fire Protection District. The wood-frame, one-story house was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived. Both occupants, a man and a woman, evacuated by then. Also safe were two dogs and two goats. Landon indicated a wood burner inside the house might have been the fire source….

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Incidents & AccidentsStark County2-1 – The Toulon Police Department arrested three individuals for possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance(s). Charged in the incident was Mariah S.N. Best, 26, Houston, Texas, along with Nakeya M. Harper, 29, and Reginald M. Jackson, 24, both of Katy, Texas. The trio was transported to the Bureau County Jail where they were booked.2-2 – A 16-year-old Bradford teen was ticketed for operating an uninsured vehicle. He was issued a court date to appear.2-3 – Tanya S. Walker, 52, Bradford, was cited…