By MOLLY COPHERFor The Weekly Post YATES CITY – Power surges from a downed wire have created problems for the Village of Yates City.On March 3 at around 5 p.m., a downed power line in Elmwood that also runs to Yates City produced power surges in Yates City, burning out the surge protector for the village well pump.Two nights later, around 2 a.m. on March 5, more surges were produced. “The surges went all the way to Galesburg,” Yates City Village President Mark Hostetler said at the March 11 board meeting. “Princeville ended up losing their reverse-osmosis water, too. It…

Ambiguous language in plea deal delays case of Farmington woman By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post LEWISTOWN – For the first 45 minutes or so, a Farmington woman’s sentencing hearing last week in Fulton County Circuit Court was progressing as expected. But it’ll be at least eight more weeks before Kelli Miller finds out for certain her punishment after she pleaded guilty to propositioning a 13-year-old boy. Judge William Rasmussen cited ambiguities in Miller’s proposed probation order in deciding to continue the sentencing hearing, which began March 12. It’s to resume at 1:30 p.m. May 14. The sticking point appeared…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports Galva ReportOfficer dispatched:3-9 – to the 600 block of SW 2nd Ave. for a verbal domestic disturbance between adult siblings.3-9 – to meet with a subject at the Galva Police Department to return items from a theft complaint that was reported last week. The victim declined to press charges and was able to get property back.3-9 – to the Galva-Atkinson blacktop just north of town for an obstruction in the roadway. Officer was able to remove several items that likely fell off an unknown vehicle.3-9…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports • BRIMFIELD – A Brimfield man was arrested following an apparent domestic dispute.A Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched shortly after 1:30 a.m. Feb. 28 to a residence in the 14500 block of W. Schlink Rd. southeast of Brimfield. Someone there called 911 and hung up. Arguing could be heard in the background, according to a heavily redacted sheriff’s-office report.Tyler S. Behm, 33, was accused of battery and domestic battery, as well as abandoning a vehicle on a highway. The vehicle was a 2006…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports Incidents & AccidentsStark County2-25 – The Stark County Sheriff’s Department assisted at the scene of a rural Wyoming residential structure fire shortly before 9 a.m. The Wyoming Fire Department responded to the initial emergency call located west of Wyoming on Route 17. A 48-year-old resident reportedly was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for medical treatment. The incident remains under investigation through the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s office.2-27 – John R. Potter, 33, address unavailable, was arrested by the Stark County Sheriff’s Office following…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Police reports • TRIVOLI – An Elmwood man was arrested after he was accused of stealing copper wire in Trivoli.Jesse J. Eldridge, 41, was apprehended shortly before 10:45 a.m. Feb. 21 in a field behind a residence in the 100 block of W. Cedar St. in Elmwood, according to heavily redacted Peoria County Sheriff’s Office reports. About two hours earlier, a Trivoli man attempted to prevent Eldridge from leaving a property in the 100 block of S. Trivoli Rd. The victim’s vehicle, a 2022 Ford F-250 pickup…

New Brimfield HealthCare facility to open in 2027 By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post BRIMFIELD – The questions can stop. Following a Feb. 18 groundbreaking for its new OSF HealthCare Brimfield medical office, there’s no need to ponder whether a clinic is coming to the corner U.S. Route 150 and Maher Road just east of town. “It’s a pleasure to do this project. A pleasure to work with a great partner and so many great people,” Brimfield business owner Rita Kress said. “So many people have been saying, ‘When’s it going to happen?’ “Well, it’s happening.” Construction on the 4,300-square-foot primary-care…

Intends to sell Peoria building By NICK VLAHOSFor The Weekly Post PEORIA – The Peoria County Farm Bureau planned more than 50 years ago to move its headquarters out of Peoria. It looks like that finally might happen, perhaps this year. The Farm Bureau intends to sell its building at 1716 N. University St. and construct a facility at its park along Kickapoo-Edwards Road south of Interstate 74 near Kickapoo. The new building might cost between $1.5 million and $2 million. Location, convenience and proximity to Farm Bureau members are primary reasons for the proposed move, according to Cheryl Walsh, the…

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…