NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Princeville 2-year-old wanders off from homePRINCEVILLE – A 2-year-old boy not dressed for cold weather wandered from his residence to another, apparently in search of Princeville Grade School. The incident happened about 10 a.m. Dec. 8, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. A woman who resides on North Town Avenue heard a light tapping at her front door. The child at the door said he was looking for an orange building, the same color as the grade school, where his…

Rambling through central Illinois, remembering Yukon Cornelius. • • • Should someone under age 21 be allowed to own a gun or ammunition? Isn’t that a constitutional right? Or is it only OK for people under 21 to touch guns while toiling in the military and putting their lives at risk? And when will we finally decide what age constitutes adulthood? 18? 21? 75? Those are among many questions worth asking in regards to House Bill 5855, which will generate plenty of headlines between now and its appearance during the Jan. 4-10 lame-duck session of the Illinois legislature. Worth noting…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations & Ordinance violations 11-26 – Kyla R. Cassidy – Operating a vehicle with suspended registration and operating an uninsured vehicle. 11-28 – Lucas A. Clayes – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. Felonies & Misdemeanors 10-14 – Felony – Zachary D. Jacobson was arrested for unlawful possession of a controlled substance. 11-26 – Domestic violence – Collin P. Murphy was arrested for domestic battery/physical contact and criminal damage to property. Incidents & Accidents Stark County 1-9 – A deer-related vehicle…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Edwards man jailed for hitting father of fiancee • EDWARDS – An Edwards man punched in the face the father of his fiancée during an altercation that involved all three, according to authorities. Trevor L. Smith, 24, was arrested following the incident, which happened about 5:30 a.m. Dec. 2 at a residence in the 6300 block of N. Grace Lane in rural Edwards. Events culminated with an intoxicated Smith punching the 59-year-old victim, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report….

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations & Ordinance violations 11-13 – Trevor D. Schaeffer – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 11-13 – Amber E. Larabee – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. Incidents & Accidents Stark County 11-13 – Jataun A. Stone, 29, Peoria, was ticketed for speeding 72 mph in a 55 zone and for illegal transportation of adult use cannabis in a vehicle. 11-16 – Joseph B. Leeper, 50, Chillicothe, was charged with deceptive practices. 11-15 – Donna J. Bantz, 35, Toulon, was ticketed…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations & Ordinance violations 10-29 – James B. Groter – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 10-29 – Bruce R. Libolt – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 10-29 – Felipe Moran Aguilar – Driving 21-25 mph above limit. 10-29 – Wesley S. Cully – Driving 11-14 mph above limit. 10-29 – Clarissa Fuentes – Driving 1-10 mph above limit. 10-29 – Jose A. Flores – Driving 15-20 mph above limit. 10-29 – Aaron D. Ressen – Driving 15-20 mph above limit….

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Police reports • YATES CITY – A garage at the east edge of Yates City was destroyed Sunday in a fire. Firefighters were called about 12:30 p.m. to 415 Knox Road 2300 E., where the one-car garage was ablaze. The garage was detached but close to a house, said John McKinty, chief of the Elba-Salem Fire Protection District. The homeowner was charging batteries inside the wood-frame garage, McKinty said. That led the chief to believe the fire source was electrical. “It…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Police reports • HANNA CITY – A Farmington man was arrested for drunken driving after he drove his pickup truck into a ditch west of Hanna City. A Peoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy found Robert L. Thomas, 53, inside his vehicle about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the eastbound-lane ditch along the 14000 block of W. Farmington Rd. Another driver alerted authorities regarding Thomas, a sheriff’s-office report stated. That driver said Thomas almost hit her vehicle in East Peoria. She was…

By JEFF LAMPE For The Prairie News PEORIA ‑ In a dark, cold corridor in the U.S. Courthouse Thursday morning, Jason Musselman exchanged hugs and tears with his parents. Less than one hour later, Musselman was handcuffed and led out of Courtroom A by two U.S. Marshals after pleading guilty to three felony child pornography charges. Musselman pleaded guilty to production, distribution and possession of child pornography and now faces 15-30 years in a federal prison, according to his attorney Kevin Sullivan of Peoria. Judge James E. Shadid scheduled Musselman’s sentencing for March 23, 2023, at 10 a.m. Shadid also…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Incidents & Accidents Stark County 10-26 – A two-vehicle accident occurred at 310 Diagonal St. in Wyoming. Driver Joshua M. Belville, 31, of Wyoming, attempted to back out of a private drive and was struck by an oncoming vehicle driven by a 17-year-old Wyoming girl. No injuries were reported but both vehicles sustained estimated damages over $1,500. No tickets were issued. 10-27 – A two-vehicle accident occurred at the intersection of W. Clinton and N. Union St. in Toulon. Drivers involved…