NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• ELMWOOD – A Yates City man was accused of spending $350 in counterfeit money at an Elmwood business.The transaction took place shortly after 8 p.m. Dec. 8 at Dollar General, 812 W. Main St. A man later identified at 36-year-old Chance D. Blankers handed the cashier the money to recharge his mobile-payment account, according to an Elmwood Police Department report.Later, the cashier and store manager realized the three $100 bills and a $50 bill were fakes. Elmwood and Yates City officers tracked down Blankers…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• OAK HILL – A Brimfield man was arrested after an early-morning confrontation with two women at an Oak Hill-area residence. Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputies were summoned shortly before 7 a.m. Dec. 10 to the 16900 block of W. Oak Hill Cemetery Rd. There they found Dylan J. Snider, 31, who according to a sheriff’s- office report arrived at the residence about 4 a.m. One victim accused Snider of hitting her in the face with an empty beer case. The other accused him of grabbing…

By Jeff Lampe Driving in the dark through northern Iowa last week, our senses were still under constant assault. Most obvious on the landscape were blinking red lights for miles in all directions. Those flashing lights mark are indicators of wind-turbine fields that since 1983 have spread steadily across Iowa. The lights are noteworthy, but not as intrusive as the smells. All the way across U.S. Route 20, our noses were buffeted by the scent of animals living in confined buildings: hogs, dairy cattle, chickens and turkeys, stinky all of them. My youngest son was with me for the drive…

Traffic Citations &Ordinance Violations12-4 – Renee L. Brown – Driving 21-25 mph above the limit. Incidents & AccidentsStark County12-6 – William D. Lubben, 27, Peoria, was ticketed for driving without headlights when required and for driving on an expired driver’s license.12-7 – A deer-related vehicle accident occurred near the intersection of 300N and 800 E. The driver was Wesley J. Morrissey, 38, of Wyoming. No injuries reported. The vehicle sustained over $1,500 in estimated damages.12-7 – A deer-related vehicle accident occurred on Route. 17 east of the 950E intersection. The driver was John Boarman, 61, of Toulon. No injuries reported….

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Police reports• FARMINGTON – An employee of a Farmington laundromat-bar admitted to stealing more than $500 in cash and goods from it.The thefts attributed to Carrie A. Denniston, 50, of Gilson took place between Sept. 18 and Nov. 29 at Spin City Laundromat, 217 S. Main St., according to a Farmington Police Department report. Security footage showed Denniston taking money from the cash register and inserting it into video-gambling machines while she worked, Spin City owners reported. Video also revealed Denniston absconding with pizzas, toilet paper…

By JEFF LAMPE Preparing for the first snow of the year has become hit and miss around here. Quite often, predicted storms do not materialize, so there’s a temptation to shrug off forecasts calling for white stuff. Ahh, but when the weathermen are correct, it’s wonderful. After draining and storing hoses, raking last leaves, cleaning up after the dog, placing scrapers back in vehicles, getting ice-melt together, locating shovels and generally readying for winter, anything less than measurable precipitation is disappointing. So Sunday was cause for celebration, except for driving the oldest to the airport at 5 a.m. That’s one…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post FARMINGTON – Surveillance cameras are no longer just a Hollywood movie or big-city thing. As prices drop and technology improves, more and more small towns and cities are signing up to use surveillance cameras to assist law enforcement. Farmington may soon join that list. The Farmington City Council heard a presentation on FlockSafety cameras at Monday’s meeting. The presenter was Deputy Vinnie Porcaro of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, who said he is not paid by Flock, but is a strong believer in the company’s license plate recognition cameras. “Bad guys don’t like these,” he…

For The Prairie News TOULON – The Stark County Health Department will open its new First Choice Healthcare Clinic in Toulon on Monday, Dec. 11. The Health Department has entered into a partnership with the State Bank of Toulon, First Choice Healthcare and OneroRx Inc.-Local Health, Inc., to bring this new multi-service facility to Stark County. The clinic is located in the former Aunt Martha’s-Great River Community Health Center location at 120 E. Court St. Clinic hours will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “This new healthcare center will offer Stark County and area residents public…

By JOHN A. BALLENTINEFor The Prairie News TOULON – Matthew R. Shipp faces further evaluation in his child pornography case. Shipp, 19, of Toulon, was transported from the Henry County Jail in Cambridge to the Stark County courtroom, in Toulon, for a scheduling conference hearing on Dec. 1. He appeared in Circuit Court with his Stark County Public Defender Robert M. McBride. The State’s Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutor Shanti Kulkarni was also present in the courtroom. McBride had filed a motion on Nov. 27 for “the defendant’s pre-trial release” from custody. Judge James A. Mack did not rule on this…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – Chad Wagner will leave his job as Superintendent of Elmwood CUSD 322 at the end of this school year. Wagner on Nov. 30 accepted a job as superintendent of Genoa-Kingston CUSD 424 in northern Illinois after approval by that district’s school board. He will start at Genoa-Kingston on July 1. “It’s exciting but bittersweet, all at the same time,” said Wagner, who spent the past 10 years leading the Elmwood district. “I’ll have 45 minutes from my office to my fiancee’s front door. It’s a good move for us. The timing is right….