NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Iowa couple foundasleep near Billtown WILLIAMSFIELD – A Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy found an Iowa couple sleeping in a sport-utility vehicle parked in the middle of a road north of Williamsfield. The deputy was called about 5:15 a.m. July 11 to Knox Highway 24 and Illinois Route 180, where the gold Volvo SUV was parked on a curve. The occupants, a 71-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, said they were lost and out of gasoline and had a dead battery…

Rambling through central Illinois, thankful to live in the heart of sweet-corn country. • • • Not that this is news, but we had it good with Jesse White in office – and not just because of his fun-to-watch tumblers. New Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has decided that requiring people to have appointments will make things run smoother at driver services facilities. “This is sort of the first major step in implementing the rest of our modernization goals,” Giannoulias said. Appointments can be made by visiting the secretary of state’s website at ilsos.gov or by calling (844) 817-4649….

By JOHN A. BALLENTINEFor The Prairie News TOULON – Toulon City parks could see an upgrade if a $750,000 grant application is approved. The council met Monday for a special meeting and voted 4-2 to use the $750,000 to refurbish Toulon’s city park and add a splash pad for children. An alternate site for the grant money were the city’s baseball fields, located east of the Stark County High School property. After discussion, the council approved directing the grant money from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, if awarded, to the city park. Connie Jacobson, Art Nutzhorn, Brandon Simpson and…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations &Ordinance violation7-15 – Michael E. Chizmar – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-16 – Raife A. Hammons – Driving 21-25 mph above limit.7-21 – Aaron M. Harmon – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-21 – Scott T. LaFore – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-22 – Christopher M. Morrow – Operating uninsured vehicle, unlicensed, and no valid registration.7-25 – Morgan Dee Ann Miller – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-26 – Nathan Scott Qatoum – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-26 – John C….

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Peoria man a suspect in Farmington crimesFARMINGTON – Authorities are investigating whether a Peoria man is connected to a spate of recent vehicle burglaries and thefts in Farmington. Cameron A. Puryear, 20, was arrested in connection with a Farmington vehicle theft that resulted in a police chase of more than 100 mph. Peoria police apprehended Puryear about 3 a.m. July 20 near Glen Oak Park in the city’s East Bluff neighborhood.A vehicle reported stolen the previous day from the 200 block…

Rambling through Wyoming, before ending vacation far too early. • • • We were hiking a scenic back-country trail last week at Yellowstone National Park when I saw a big brown hump off in the distance. Binoculars confirmed it was a sleeping bison, which was no surprise since there were bison everywhere during a wonderful three-day visit to the park. At one point, a medium-sized bison barged ahead of cars to cross a one-lane bridge in the middle of a road construction zone – to say nothing of the regular bison-induced traffic jams as they crossed roads or just stood…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations &Ordinance violations7-10 – Jessica I. Joos – Driving 21-25 mph above limit.7-11 – Dusiyantkumar A. Patel – Driving 21-25 mph above limit.7-11 – Patricia Lynn Adams – Driving 21-25 mph above limit.7-11 – Aubri J. Stahl – Driving 11-14 mph above limit.7-14 – Ryan S. Higgins – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-15 – Courtney A. Carrier – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.7-16 – Dameian B. Decker – Driving 21-25 mph above limit.7-16 – Jose M. Valentin – Driving 15-20…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Farmington man dies in motorcycle crashBARTONVILLE – A Farmington man was killed in a single-motorcycle accident in Bartonville.Jordan T. Marinich, 34, of West Fort Road was pronounced brain dead at 2:26 p.m. July 12 at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. He was transported there after the crash about 10:30 a.m. July 10 in the 2500 block of S. Kickapoo Creek Rd., according to Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood.A passerby came upon the accident and contacted rescuers. Marinich arrived at…

ATTENTION READERS and ADVERTIZERS: The Weekly Post and The Prairie News will be closed the week of July 17 – 21, and will not publish a 7-20 edition of The Weekly Post and 7-21 edition of The Prairie News. We will resume operations on Monday, 7-24 and will publish a 7-27 edition of The Weekly Post and 7-28 edition of The Prairie News. Thank you for your continued readership and patronage!

Rambling through central Illinois, wishing I had been alive for The Summer of Love, not born during it. • • • During a recent visit to the semi-large city of Buffalo, N.Y., I struck up a conversation with a native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Yooper lamented how hard it was learning to lock doors after moving to the city. I laughed and told him how hard it was learning to leave doors unlocked after moving to the Midwest. Sadly, it appears my learning experience may be a thing of the past. In case you missed it, there has been…