By NICK VLAHOS andJEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post The eerie sound of tornado sirens wailing Monday night were a precursor to high winds that left damage in their wake across the area. Storms felled trees, flooded roads and disrupted electricity service for thousands. Farmington was among the hardest-hit communities. Power poles on Main Street, Knox Road 2300 East and Industry Road were broken, according to the Fulton County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency. Power lines and tree branches also were felled, but no building damage or injuries were reported, Farmington Police Chief Chris Darsham said. According to the police chief, tornado sirens…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Prairie News WYOMING – The Stark County School Board on Monday approved a plan to add vape detectors to restrooms in the Junior-Senio High School. Principal Megan McGann recommended adding vape detectors to reduce the number of incidents and increase student security. Heart Technologies will install the vape detectors for $35,083. The board also approved athletic/activity fees for the upcoming year. The cost is $60 per student and capped at $120 per family. The free and reduced fee will be $30 per student and $60 per family. Superintendent Brett Elliott reported that work on the new gym…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Traffic Citations &Ordinance Violations 7-8 – Lakeshia D. Jones, 37, Kewanee, was fined for improper lane usage. The citation was issued after Jones reported to authorities that she had fallen asleep while driving on Illinois Route 91 north of Toulon and drove her vehicle into the ditch. 7-9 – Jaylon A. Reints, 19, Rock Falls, was cited for speeding 78 mph in a 55 zone, driving on a suspended registration and driving without vehicle insurance. His vehicle was impounded and he was issued a court date…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports • DAHINDA – A pool party in Dahinda resulted in a fistfight, followed by a local man’s arrest. According to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report, 47-year-old Jason M. Scott encouraged women to take off the tops of their swimsuits during the party, which took place June 30 at a residence in the 1400 block of Wenona St. For unknown reasons, Scott became upset later and held a woman’s head under water until the two hosts, a man and a woman, intervened. After that,…

By MOLLY RICHESONand JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post BRIMFIELD – The Brimfield Village Board has approved GFL Environmental of Peoria tohandle the village’s waste-disposal services.  The board voted at its July 1 meeting to allow GFL, which is in the process of acquiring G&O Disposal of Elmwood, to take over an existing contract with no changes through 2027. G&O Owner Gary Maness spoke at the meeting and said then he expected a smooth transition between companies, adding that all employees were keeping their jobs and that garbage pickup schedules would remain unchanged. On Tuesday, Maness said, “There’s no finalized paperwork. We’re exploring the…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post WILLIAMSFIELD – Rolf Sivertsen knows a primary expectation regarding his new job is to leave it as quickly and as seamlessly as possible. That’s fine with him. “’Steward’ is what I’d call it,” the new Williamsfield School District interim superintendent said. “I’m being trusted by the people in this community to take care of their district to the best of my ability until they can get a replacement in here.” A former superintendent at Canton and Varna-based Midland, Sivertsen helped oversee his first Williamsfield School Board meeting Monday night. He became interim superintendent July 1…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post PRINCEVILLE – Businesses in Princeville probably will be receiving regular messages from the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Newly appointed Princeville officer Shawn Yarger has started placing cards in doors of local businesses. The cards indicate Yarger has checked to see if the buildings are secure.“I would like business owners in town to know I’m checking the building, and that’s what this card means,” Yarger said. The date and business name are included on the card. So are the time checked and comments from Yarger regarding the state of the property at the time he checked….

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – A lack of Spanish teachers is not unique to the Farmington School District. But the nationwide issue is still a problem for Farmington with the school year starting in about one month. School-board members heard from High School Principal Dennis McMillin about efforts to find a teacher to handle more advanced Spanish classes. McMillin said the district has a first-year teacher to instruct first-year students but doesn’t think it would be fair to ask that teacher to handle advanced studies. “We’re still diligently looking for a Spanish teacher, but this is a problem…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Traffic Citations &Ordinance Violations6-28 – Erika M. Bailey, 20, Camp Grove, cited for driving on a suspended registration and possession of adult use cannabis in a vehicle.6-29 – Lacey D. Hall, 35, Galva, cited for driving with a defective windshield.6-29 – Dale E. Livingston, 54, Kewanee, cited for driving a vehicle on a suspended registration.7-1 – Neal R. Shryock, 53, Wyoming, cited for driving on expired and suspended registration.7-5 – Joshua R. Petty, 44, Toulon, cited for driving with no front registration plate and no insurance.7-5…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports • KICKAPOO – Someone from Williamsfield was being sought for violating an order of protection. The alleged violation took place about 10:15 a.m. July 2 at Freedom Oil, 7200 N. Kickapoo-Edwards Rd. The victim also is from Williamsfield, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. The report was heavily redacted, including the names of the suspect, the victim and a witness from Kickapoo. No arrest was listed on the report, which indicated Knox County authorities issued the order. • FARMINGTON – A Farmington…