The Weekly Post public record for 5-16-24

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Elmwood locks down school after threats

ELMWOOD – An Elmwood man wanted by the military was arrested and accused of threatening his former girlfriend. The threats resulted in a brief soft lockdown of the Elmwood school building.

Peoria police took Morgan R. Ludolph, 18, into custody about 10 a.m. May 8 at McDonald’s, 627 N. Western Ave. Ludolph was making homicidal and suicidal comments, according to Semone Roth, a police-department spokeswoman.

Law-enforcement authorities in multiple jurisdictions were searching for Ludolph after a 17-year-old female Elmwood High School junior said he threatened to kill her. The girl notified school administrators, according to an Elmwood Police Department report.

Also searching for Ludolph was the U.S. Army, which accused him of being absent without leave. An Army representative contacted school administrators to try to determine the whereabouts of Ludolph, a former Elmwood student.

The death threats came via text messages beginning May 1, according to the police report. That helped prompt the soft lockdown, which lasted from about 10 a.m. until about 10:30 a.m. May 8. Activities inside the building continued as usual, but nobody was allowed to leave or to enter.

Ludolph was transported to the Peoria County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct and threatening a school building or person. The Army planned to issue an AWOL warrant for Ludolph, the police report stated.

Police reports
• ELMWOOD – A two-vehicle accident east of Elmwood left a Yates City man with an apparent minor injury.
Scott S. Vawter was driving a 2018 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck at 4:30 p.m. May 4 in the 19300 block of Illinois Route 8 when another pickup, this one a 2022 Ram, rear-ended it, according to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report.

The other driver, Matthew J. Glenn of Elmwood, said he couldn’t react quickly enough to avoid hitting Vawter’s vehicle, which slowed to turn south at Pulsifer Road. It wasn’t clear in which direction Glenn and Vawter were driving.

Vawter complained about his seatbelt causing a burning feeling in his left hip, but he refused ambulance transportation. Glenn said he was uninjured.

Glenn’s vehicle sustained major damage to its front grille, hood, bumper and fenders but was drivable, the report stated. So was Vawter’s vehicle, despite rear-bumper damage.

• BELLEVUE – A Yates City female sustained a minor injury in a two-vehicle accident in Bellevue.

About 6 p.m. May 3, Bobbi J. Ulm was driving a Ford Escape that was attempting to turn west on Plank Road from southbound Maxwell Road when a 2007 Dodge Caravan van rear-ended her vehicle, per a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report. Grant D. Wolland of Mackinaw was the other driver.

Ulm said she started to turn after the traffic light changed to green but stopped to make sure a vehicle on westbound Plank Road didn’t disobey the red light. Ulm complained about lower-back soreness but, like Wolland, refused medical attention. Both vehicles were damaged but drivable.

• BRIMFIELD – A two-vehicle wreck in Brimfield resulted in no reported injuries.

About 7:15 a.m. April 29, David E. Pepple of Hanna City was behind the wheel of a 2011 Chevrolet Impala stopped on northbound Jefferson Street at Knoxville Street when a southbound 2023 Ford Bronco struck the front of his vehicle, a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report stated.

The other driver, Dylan M. Shane of Brimfield, was turning from westbound Knoxville Street. Shane had one passenger, a male. Both vehicles sustained front-end damage but were drivable.

• BRIMFIELD – No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle crash at a Brimfield intersection.

Devon A. Stone of Chillicothe was driving a 2015 GMC Terrain sport-utility vehicle north on Jackson Street shortly after 3:30 p.m. April 24 when it collided with a 2013 Dodge Caravan van headed west on Knoxville Street. Vyizigiro Ezekieli of Moline was the other driver.
According to a Peoria County Sheriff’s Office report, Stone said he didn’t the van approaching the intersection. He said he had stopped at the stop sign on Jackson Street; there is no stop sign on Knoxville Street.
Ezekieli said he wasn’t able to stop in time to avoid hitting the SUV, which sustained significant right-side damage and was towed.

• TRIVOLI – Sean C. Brown, 45, of Trivoli was arrested shortly before 12:45 a.m. May 3 and accused of two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and of driving with expired registration, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.

• ELMWOOD – Chief Aaron Bean reported the following Elmwood Police Department activity for April: four stops, one citation, eight warnings, 16 reports and four ordinance violations.

• WILLIAMSFIELD – Chief James Robertson reported the following Williamsfield Police Department activity for April: one unwanted subject, one animal complaint, no citations and no warnings.

• YATES CITY – Chief Randy Benson reported the following Yates City Police Department activity for April: three arrests, three citations, seven warnings, seven traffic stops, three notices to appear and 22 reports.

• GALESBURG – These were among calls to which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded between April 28-May 4: threats, Galva; two burglaries, Yates City; damage, Dahinda; trespass, Williamsfield.