• • • Recent warm weather sure has been nice after that frigid snap, but it’s also cause for concern. My indicator plant for early flowering is a big star magnolia bush on the west side of our house. Gauging by the magnolia’s slightly opened buds, there will be some flower damage, but it doesn’t look too bad, yet. If we get many more 60-degree days followed by the inevitable frosts to come, there could be real impact on early spring bloomers. … Many parents dream of children someday earning Division I scholarships for sports. In all but a very…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post WILLIAMSFIELD – Use of snow days this year and how to handle any more moving forward was one of several topics of conversation Monday at a lengthy meeting of the Williamsfield School Board. Williamsfield has already used all scheduled emergency days are a result of inclement weather. If any more time off is required, the school will request Act of God days from the Illinois State Board of Education to guarantee May 31 as the last day of school. But moving forward, Superintendent Tim Farquer said Billtown and sports co-op partner ROWVA are exploring the…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – A new official logo and a new video that promotes Elmwood are in the works. The items are a joint effort between city officials and Discover Peoria, the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The video is to replace one that’s about 4 years old, according to Amy Davis, the city economic-development director. The current logo is much older than that. “It’s been around so long that we don’t even have it digitally,” Davis said following a City Council meeting Feb. 6. “We want to do something a little more modern and we…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Incidents & AccidentsStark County 1-13 – A two-vehicle accident that also involved injury to a pedestrian occurred on Route 40 and 800N. The vehicle drivers involved were identified as Bruce Swan, 63, Kewanee and Ryan P. Somers, 31, of Freeport. According to the accident report, from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, the road conditions were icy and snowy with nearly white-out weather conditions at the time of the crash. Swan was reportedly traveling north on Route 40 when he struck Somers vehicle which caused the chain…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• DAHINDA – An Elmwood man avoided injury after his vehicle slid off an icy road south of Dahinda and caught fire. A Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy was summoned about 1:30 a.m. Jan. 18 to the 1700 block of Knox Highway 17, where he found ablaze a tan 2004 Dodge Dakota pickup truck. The vehicle was off the road, in a snow-filled ditch. The driver, 20-year-old Clayton M. Moechnig, was nearby. Moechnig said he was driving on Knox Road 1700 East about an hour…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Traffic Citations &Ordinance Violations 1-24 – Cole N. Cook – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.1-25 – Susan L. Hendricks – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.1-25 – Jeremy M. Andrzejewski – Unlicensed.1-29 – Shelli J. Trone – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. Misdemeanors& Felonies1-26 – Criminal misdemeanor – Andrew W. Szparkowski – Possession of drug paraphernalia. 2-1 – Criminal misdemeanor – Andrew W. Szparkowski – Criminal trespass to a building (Toulon Public Library). Incidents & AccidentsStark County 1-13 – A Victoria man reported no injuries after his…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports • FARMINGTON – A vehicle chase that exceeded 100 mph between Farmington and Trivoli resulted in the arrest of a Peoria man for multiple crimes, according to authorities. About 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28, a Farmington police officer detected a 2015 Ford Escape traveling at 50 mph in a 35-mph zone in the 600 block of E. Fort St. The officer initiated a traffic stop in front of County Market, 1090 E. Fort St., but when he approached the vehicle, it accelerated. The driver didn’t obey…

By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post The Illinois Supreme Court will not intervene on behalf of a Knox County woman accused of murdering the former Maquon police chief. In a ruling issued Jan. 24 in Springfield, the high court rejected a request from Marcy L. Oglesby to reverse a ruling that reinstated murder charges against her. The court didn’t provide any rationale regarding its decision, according to Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin. Oglesby, 51, of Maquon was accused of poisoning Richard Young, then concealing his body in a storage unit. A pre-trial hearing for Oglesby, who is not in custody,…

Williamsfield seeking consistent look By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post WILLIAMSFIELD – “Logo Roulette” no longer is being played in Williamsfield.With hopes of presenting a consistent look, the Williamsfield Village Board winnowed to one the number of logos municipal government is to use officially.The pastels-heavy logo features a farmscape with “Williamsfield” written in script and “Illinois” written below it in block letters.The logo is one of three or four being used in various places, including on signs that welcome drivers approaching town, according to Village President Robert Johnson. That number was too many, in his view. In at least one case…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• BELLEVUE – A Farmington man was arrested following a domestic dispute inside a disabled vehicle west of Bellevue. Illicit drugs also were found, according to authorities. Shortly after 10:30 p.m. Jan. 18, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Illinois Route 116 and Tanager Drive regarding a vehicle in a ditch. A female was reported to possibly be fighting with someone in the vehicle. A dispatcher said someone could be heard saying “Don’t hit me again.” While en route, a deputy was told…