By Ben Cox
Rushville man sentenced to Morgan County Jail time, awaits conclusion of case in Cass County
A Rushville man pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to local jail time in Morgan County Court last week. He will serve out his time while he awaits a sentence in Cass County.
Taylor D. Lewis, 24, pleaded guilty to Class 3 felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on July 29 in Morgan County Circuit Court. Court records indicate the incident and/or initial arrest took place on June 28, 2024. Lewis has been featured as a Crime Stoppers “Most Wanted” subject recently.
Morgan County Circuit Judge Chris Reif sentenced Lewis to 180 days in the Morgan County Jail and 6 months of conditional discharge. He was given credit for 8 days served on the charge. Lewis is currently awaiting sentencing on a slew of charges in Cass County. Lewis faces felony charges of Residential Burglary, four counts of Aggravated Battery to a Peace Officer, Aggravated Battery to an EMT, Criminal Trespass to Vehicles and Criminal Trespass to a Residence. He is next due in Cass County Circuit Court for a scheduled hearing on September 15 for sentencing. According to online court records, he pleaded guilty on August 4 to a single count of Class 2 felony aggravated battery to a peace officer.
Springfield Congresswoman hosts roundtable on poor Postal Service in Central Illinois
Springfield Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (13-D) hosted a roundtable discussion focused on improving mail delivery and protecting postal services across Central and Southern Illinois at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield on July 28.
Budzinski said that three-to-five-day mail in central and southern Illinois is on time about 59% of the time, as opposed to 93% of the time less than seven years ago. She convened local union leaders, postal workers and other community stakeholders to talk about efforts to improve on-time delivery, protect local postal jobs, oppose privatization, and stop harmful facility consolidations that reduce access in rural and underserved areas.
“The Postal Service is a lifeline in rural communities, and lagging delivery rates have meant delayed prescriptions, late bills, missed paychecks, and much more,” said Budzinski. Earlier this year, Budzinski introduced the bipartisan Protect Postal Performance Act, which would prevent the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from downsizing facilities in underserved areas, provide more oversight over modifications to delivery schedules and increase public transparency on proposed changes. Budzinski also led a letter to President Donald Trump expressing concern over his proposal to fire the USPS Board of Governors and merge the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce.
Jacksonville Police Department releases speed enforcement numbers from month-long campaign
The Jacksonville Police Department conducted a focused traffic safety campaign July 8-August 1 to remind motorists that “Speeding Catches Up With You” and encourage safer driving habits. The campaign was part of a statewide effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Police, aiming to reduce highway fatalities and injuries associated with speeding.
During the campaign, the department issued the following: (32) speeding citations, (3) driving on a revoked/suspended license citations and (1) operating an uninsured motor vehicle citation.
“We continue to urge all drivers traveling through our community to slow down, obey speed limits and drive responsibly,” said Chief Doug Thompson. “Every decision you make behind the wheel matters — it’s truly not a game.”
This campaign aligns with the Illinois Department of Transportation’s broader “It’s Not a Game” initiative, emphasizing that dangerous driving behaviors have serious consequences. This speed enforcement effort was funded by federal highway safety dollars administered by IDOT.
Carrollton woman wins second round of Rep. Davidsmeyer’s photo contest
State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) is pleased to announce the second winning entry in his 100th District Photo Contest. The winning photograph, titled “Bountiful Crop” was captured by Andrea Winters of Carrollton and will be proudly displayed in Davidsmeyer’s Springfield office at the Illinois State Capitol. The contest invited residents from across the 100th District to submit photographs that reflect the character and charm of the region. Submissions included images of local landmarks, scenic views and vibrant community life, all showcasing the diverse beauty of the district. The winning photograph captures a group of deer standing alert in the middle of a lush green field, was selected from dozens of entries submitted by residents across the district. The serene yet vibrant image highlights the connection between wildlife and agriculture that defines much of the 100th District’s landscape.
“This photograph perfectly captures the essence of rural life in our district,” said Davidsmeyer. “It’s a powerful reminder of the natural beauty and agricultural heritage that surround us every day. I’m proud to display this image in my Capitol office as a tribute to the land and wildlife that make our region so special.” Davidsmeyer extended his thanks to all who participated and expressed his appreciation for the wide range of submissions, noting the impressive talent and deep sense of community pride evident in each entry.
The final winner will be selected in early August. Constituents are encouraged to submit their photos showcasing the unique beauty and character of the 100th District by emailing them to repcddavidsmeyer@gmail.com.
Jacksonville Marshalls store location on West Morton Avenue set to open August 14
TJX Companies, which also owns brands such as HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Sierra and HomeSense, announced on August 5 that the Jacksonville Marshalls store will open August 14. It is all a part of a company-wide expansion in locations for the brand.
Jacksonville’s location will be among four other Marshalls locations opening across the country in the month of August. There are more than 1,100 Marshalls stores in the U.S., including in Springfield’s west end and in Alton.
It is the second national retailer to move into the former Shopko property, located at 1964 West Morton Avenue. Hobby Lobby is set to open its doors in the newly-renovated space some time early next year.
Tory Kaufmann, property manager for Marx Commercial Development Company, who owns the site, said they are still looking for a final tenant for approximately 32,000 square-foot of space in the building. Kaufmann is the nephew of the late Tom Marx, who purchased the property at auction in February 2022.
“We are getting close to the finish line on one of Tom’s biggest redevelopment projects he’d ever done,” Kaufmann said in July 9 social media post. “Tom loved taking old properties and breathing new life into them…We are happy to see Tom’s vision through.” Kaufmann told the Jacksonville City Council in February that it had been an approximately $6.3 million investment to put the property back into productive use.
A group of circuit clerks in region to participate in Certified Court Manager Program
The Illinois Judicial College has approved a group of Illinois circuit clerks and selected members of their staff to participate in the Certified Court Manager (CCM) Program, a nationally recognized professional development initiative developed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).
The CCM program, part of the NCSC’s Institute for Court Management, is highly respected for its rigorous curriculum focused on enhancing leadership, operational excellence, and accountability in court administration. Participants will dive into core topics, such as caseflow management, court performance measurement, and public trust and confidence in the judiciary.
The Illinois participants were nominated and selected for their demonstrated commitment to court excellence and their potential to contribute meaningful improvements within their local systems. Scott County Circuit Clerk Staci Evans and Sangamon County Chief Deputy Circuit Clerk Erin Tozer are among the more than 30 participants in the program that started earlier this month.
Belobrajdic-Stewart named new principal at Virginia Elementary School
South Jacksonville’s Paula Belobrajdic-Stewart has been hired as the new principal for Virginia Elementary School.
Belobrajdic-Stewart is a 2006 graduate of MacMurray College with a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education. She began her career in education almost five years prior to her college degree as a pre-kindergarten teacher for the Nursery School in Jacksonville before becoming a coach and special education paraprofessional in Jacksonville School District 117.
Most recently, Belobrajdic-Stewart worked as a special education teacher for the Four Rivers Special Education District and then as a regional specialist for Behavior Assessment Training Project facilitated through a partnership between SIU-Carbondale and the Illinois State Board of Education. When she is not in the classroom, Belobrajdic-Stewart serves as a South Jacksonville Village Board trustee, a position she has held since 2015.
Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, Jacksonville Police Department sued in federal court
A Jacksonville man currently serving time in the Illinois Department of Corrections for a February 2024 robbery in the 200 block of West College Avenue has sued the agencies that arrested him.
Dakota J. Powell, 33, of Jacksonville, filed a federal lawsuit on May 23 in the federal Central District Court of Illinois claiming civil rights violations due to what Powell claims was aggressive and rough treatment during his arrest in the 400 block of West College Avenue on the evening of February 12, 2024.
Powell claims that officers carried him down the stairs of a residence by handcuffs thereby causing his left shoulder to become dislocated. Powell claims that bodycam footage will show he was thrown into a police cruiser by the throat, which then caused his shoulder to get broken. Powell claims he asked for medical treatment over the next two days for pain but was only given Tylenol and returned to his jail cell. Powell says the pain and injury caused a heart attack in May 2024.
Powell is asking for $80 million and an apology from the named defendants. According to online court records, Powell pleaded guilty in April to robbery and is serving a five-year sentence at Big Muddy River Correctional Center. Powell currently does not have legal counsel. No hearing on the matter has been set as of press time.
Davidsmeyer, McClure bill to ease red tape for disability license plates has been signed into law
Legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) and State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville), to cut unnecessary red tape for people with permanent disabilities, has officially been signed into law.
Senate Bill 1256 codifies changes that reduce the burden on individuals seeking disability license plates or parking decals. Under prior law, permanently disabled individuals, or their parents or guardians, were required to submit documentation from a doctor to the Secretary of State to receive placards on an annual basis. The new law allows certifications to remain valid for five years and permits licensed physical therapists to sign off on applications, saving families time and the cost of additional medical visits.
“With this law, we are making sure that people with permanent disabilities no longer face repetitive and burdensome hurdles just to access parking accommodations they rely on,” said McClure. “This law addresses a real problem by cutting red tape and making state government work better for the people it serves.”
“This bill was just basic common sense. There’s no reason a person with a permanent disability should have to prove that every year,” said Davidsmeyer. Governor JB Pritzker signed the bill into law on August 1 and it will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
IDOT begins resurfacing project on I-72 west of Jacksonville
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a 6.5-mile resurfacing project on Interstate 72 from the Old US-36 interchange to the US-67 interchange started on August 11. Work is expected to be completed in September 2026.
Lane closures are expected but at least one lane will be open in each direction for the duration of the project. Flaggers and cones will be used to direct traffic through the work zones. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area.
Other work includes guardrail replacement, shoulder maintenance and drainage improvements. Benefits of this project includes safety improvements and a smoother driving surface. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered.
Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.
Jacksonville Children’s Foundation opens grant applications
The Jacksonville Children’s Foundation is now accepting grant applications for youth-focused charitable and educational projects that benefit children in Jacksonville and the surrounding Morgan County area.
Applications must be submitted online by the deadline of October 10, 2025, through the Foundation’s website at JacksonvilleChildrensFoundation.org.
Founded in 1967, the Jacksonville Children’s Foundation has awarded more than one million dollars in grant funding to local organizations committed to improving the lives of children and youth.
Grants are provided to nonprofit, charitable, and educational organizations that are aligned with the Foundation’s mission. Applicants must be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State, and a Certificate of Good Standing is required at the time of submission. Failure to provide this documentation may result in disqualification from the current or future funding cycle(s).
All applicants are required to attend and present their project in person to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting on Monday, October 20 held at the Jacksonville Community Center in Community Park. Meeting details will be shared with applicants upon submission. Funding decisions will be made in early January 2026, with grant distributions made in mid-January 2026.
To submit your application, visit JacksonvilleChildrensFoundation.org.
For additional questions, contact Ann Baker at jvillechildrensfoundation@gmail.com. The Jacksonville Children’s Foundation encourage all eligible organizations to apply and looks forward to learning more about your meaningful work for the children of our community.
Village continues to tangle with Morgan County on animal control contract
The Village of South Jacksonville officials want a direct meeting with the Morgan County Commissioners over what they see as unfair treatment when it comes to the county’s response to their questions about an animal control contract.
Village Treasurer Mindy Olson has gone back and forth with county officials on the animal control contract since March. Olson says with the most recent response from the county, the two sides are just as far apart as they were five months ago.
“I gave the trustees a copy of the City of Jacksonville agreement that is in effect now,” Olson said at the August 7 village board meeting, “and then the proposed agreement that [Lisa Ladely] sent to us. I highlighted some of the items that are not there that I feel like I would want to see in a contract and an agreement. Specifically, it doesn’t talk about rate increases. Are they going to increase it every year? Is it going to increase whenever they feel like it? I feel like [this proposal] doesn’t address it at all. I proposed a three-year agreement because that’s what they have with the City of Jacksonville. They took that out completely.”
Olson went on to say that the county’s response also did not include what services would be rendered, information for hours of operation — specifically for after-hours calls, required monthly or even quarterly reports on services rendered and whether or not rates would increase on a regular basis. She says the rate increases are the biggest concern from a budgetary standpoint.
Olson says that most of the items that were left out of the proposal to the village are in the City of Jacksonville’s contract with the county, which is a three-year agreement that expires at the end of this year. Olson wants to know if the new draft the village received will be the new standard for all the municipalities in the county, including Jacksonville.
“Is Jacksonville going to get this contract?” Olson asked, “Is Meredosia going to this contract? Or is this just specific to the village? Because of the drastic differences between this contract and the one that the city has, I would like to know if this is going to be the standard across the board for all of the municipalities in the program. Are they going to go to the City of Jacksonville and change this now? These are some of the concerns that I have.”
The Village Board came to a consensus that what is good for the City of Jacksonville should be good for the Village of South Jacksonville as far as contract obligations, rates and services. Morgan County Commissioner Chair Mike Wankel has previously said that the village should deal directly with Morgan County Animal Control Director Lisa Ladely. Olson says the responses from Ladely have not been informative or satisfactory.
Village President Dick Samples did not give a date or time when they would be meeting with the commissioners, but he believed that meeting directly with the commissioners would be the best course forward.
Emerge Testosterone Clinic opens in Emerge MediSpa & Wellness Center
Emerge MediSpa & Wellness Center announced on August 8 the official launch of Emerge Testosterone Clinic, a specialized extension of its wellness brand that was created to serve men ages 40–60 experiencing symptoms of low testosterone.
Located in Jacksonville, Emerge Testosterone Clinic provides expert-guided testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) designed to help men regain their drive, confidence and performance, both at work and at home.
Men experiencing fatigue, low libido, irritability, brain fog or stubborn weight gain may be dealing with hormone imbalance. At Emerge Testosterone Clinic, patients receive a comprehensive one-on-one TRT consultation for $150, personalized treatment planning, a free 30-minute infrared sauna session with scheduled consultation for the month of August and private support from a licensed provider.
“Most men think they’re just getting older, when in reality their hormones are out of balance,” said Mischaela Aring, nurse practitioner and founder of Emerge MediSpa & Wellness Center. “I take the time to listen carefully and work with each patient individually, we don’t brush off your problems. Together, we create a plan to get you back to feeling like yourself again.”
Appointments can be booked directly at emerge-trt.com or by calling 217-271-7858. All new consults include a free infrared sauna session, and lab work is ordered separately based on patient needs.
“Our goal is to help men feel like themselves again, strong, focused and alive,” said Aring. “We don’t just treat symptoms. We uncover what’s really going on.” Emerge MediSpa & Wellness Center is located at 1515 West Walnut St., Suite 3A, Jacksonville.
