By Ben Cox
Two-year-old survives drowning in pool in Waverly
A 2-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a pool in rural Waverly on the evening of August 15. Waverly and Auburn EMS paramedics responded to a home near Stuart and Caruthers Roads in Waverly at approximately 7 p.m. The Waverly Fire Department told WCIA the boy sneaked out during a cookout. He was found shortly after unresponsive by family members, who performed CPR for five minutes. The boy was taken by helicopter to St. John’s Hospital where he was in stable condition as of 10 p.m. on August 15. No further information about the incident is available.
Several arrested after large brawl in downtown Jacksonville parking lot
Several people have been arrested or cited for a large fist fight involving a number of people, including police, in the early morning hours of August 17.
Patrol officers were called to a municipal parking lot in West Diamond Alley at South West Street shortly after 1:30 a.m. on August 17. Upon arrival, several police officers saw a large group of people with a number of them engaged in a fist fight.
Officers intervened in the melee and arrested several individuals. Trenton M. Brockhouse, 25, of the 1900 block of Sinclair Street, was cited for disorderly conduct.
Keagan A. Gilbert, 23, of the 900 block of Beasley Avenue, was cited for disorderly conduct. Police reports say the incident remains under investigation and several other subjects may also be cited in relation to the incident.
Two injured in motorcycle, car collision
A man and a woman on a motorcycle were severely injured after their motorcycle was struck by a car on East Morton Avenue at the South Clay Avenue intersection on August 17. Jacksonville Police Department reports indicate that a car driven by Linda L. Harness, 32, of Delavan, was traveling westbound on East Morton Avenue and turned north onto South Clay Avenue, striking a motorcycle being driven by Richard K. Carter, 58, of Bowling Green, Missouri, in the intersection. Carter and a passenger, Heather D. Carter, 49, also of Bowling Green, Missouri, received severe lower body injuries and both were transported from the scene by ambulance to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Harness was later cited for failure to yield while turning left.
Memorial Health partners with area libraries to distribute Mental Health Wellness Kits
As part of a regional community health initiative, Memorial Health will partner with public libraries in Decatur, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Springfield and Taylorville to provide free, family mental health kits to local residents.
The kits include books about emotions and mental health, worksheets on breathing and grounding techniques, coloring pages, local support and mental health resources. The kits, designed for ages 3 and older, can be checked out for a two-week period. Anyone in the community is free to check out the kits, and a library card is not required.
“Our hope is that families read together from an age-appropriate book to spark conversation and connection about issues that can affect mental health,” said Claire Peak, Memorial Health community health consultant. “The worksheets provide strategies to manage feelings through breathing, grounding or exploring emotions. There are also coloring pages when a moment of calm, focus or creative expression is needed.”
Tips provided for how to use the kits include:
• Read together from an age-appropriate book to spark conversation and connection
• Try a worksheet to learn a new way to manage feelings through breathing, grounding or exploring emotions
• Use the coloring pages or fidgets whenever you need a moment of calm, focus or creative expression.
Mental health was identified as a final priority for all five counties in the Memorial Health service area as part of the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment report. Kits are available at the Jacksonville Public Library, located at 201 West College Ave. For additional information, contact Peak at 447-784-3212.
State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer’s gun violence prevention bill signed into law
Legislation sponsored by State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) to prevent school gun violence was signed into law on August 15 by Governor JB Pritzker.
Davidsmeyer filed his legislation after hearing of an incident in his district where a student threatened to commit an act of gun violence against another student. The victim told the school staff about the incident, but they did not report it to the principal because it was just a threat.
House Bill 1316 requires all school officials to immediately notify the principal’s office in the event of any threat of gun violence on school grounds. The principal shall attempt to notify the offending student’s parents as soon as possible so that the parents may ensure that the student does not have access to a firearm. “I don’t want to take any threats of violence lightly,” Davidsmeyer said. “My legislation will help prevent school gun violence while not impeding on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. If we can help to ensure these horrific incidents no longer happen, our gun rights will not be under constant attack by anti-gun politicians.”
House Bill 1316 passed both chambers unanimously and was sponsored in the Senate by State Senator Jil Tracy of Quincy.
Bluffs Community Picnic crowns royalty
Front row from left: Little Miss Lois Hoots and Little Mister Blane Howland. Back row from left: Miss Bluffs 2025 Victoria McGee and Junior Miss Maggie Schnake.
Illinois College receives reaffirmed accreditation by commission
Officials with Illinois College announced on August 12 that the college had again earned reaffirmation of accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. College officials say it is something the college has consistently done for over 100 years. The College was granted a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation with no follow-up reports required. Illinois College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
Area fugitive arrested in Morgan County last week
A man wanted in three counties in West Central Illinois was captured by authorities in Morgan County on August 17.
Jonathan L. Well, 39, of Alton and formerly of Jacksonville, was arrested by Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputies and then extradited to the Greene County Jail on August 18, according to Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen.
Well is wanted on felony driving on a revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and other traffic violations based on charges filed in August 2023 in Greene County Circuit Court. Well also has outstanding felony cases in Morgan County. Well’s charges include felony driving on a revoked license, possession of a firearm without a FOID Card, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and various traffic violations based on charges filed over a period of time between December 2022 and late January 2023.
Well’s most serious charges reside in Pike County. Well was arrested in a traffic stop in Pearl in early May 2023 and was cited by Pike County Sheriff’s deputies for driving on a revoked license, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and other traffic related offenses. Deputies followed up with the investigation and executed a search warrant on a residence along Illinois Route 100 in Pearl. During the execution of the search warrant, several firearms (including stolen firearms), ammunition, and methamphetamine were seized. Well also has an outstanding felony charge of driving on a revoked license in Montgomery County from 2020 that has not been resolved as well as similar charges in Scott County from 2024.
Golf Championship winner receives special letter and hat from time capsule
The Jacksonville Country Club held their men’s and women’s golf championship tournament August 16-17. Hunter Chumley won the men’s division with a 227, three strokes ahead of Harrison Chumley. As a part of his winnings, Hunter Chumley received a special letter from the 1975 time capsule that was opened earlier this summer. The letter was signed by then-Jacksonville Mayor Milt Hocking and included a commemorative cap.
Miss Illinois’ Teen receives special send-off and certificate
Miss Illinois’ Teen Lillie Brown of Jacksonville received a special send-off party at Hamilton’s on Sunday, August 17. Several area pageant queens along with friends and family gathered for refreshments and to provide wishes to Brown as she heads to Orlando, Florida to compete for the title of Miss America’s Teen at the Walt Disney Theatre from September 2-6.
State Representative Kyle Moore and State Senator Jil Tracy were also in attendance and provided brief remarks to the crowd commending Brown on her representation of the state as well as her community initiatives. Moore and Tracy also presented Brown with an Illinois General Assembly Certificate of Recognition.
Tickets on sale for Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce Steak Fry Day
Tickets for the annual Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Steak Fry Day officially went on sale August 18. The 68th annual Steak Fry will be held Thursday, September 11 at the Jacksonville Municipal Airport, located at 1956 Baldwin Rd. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with serving beginning at 5:30 p.m. Drive-thru service will be offered from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Early bird ticket pricing is $30, which will last until September 3. The ticket will include a 10-ounce ribeye steak, baked potato, dinner roll, cole slaw and an adult beverage. There will also be music and a live auction. To order tickets online, visit the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce’s website, jacksonvilleareachamber.org, or email your ticket order to chamber2@jacksonvilleareachamber.org. For more information, call 217-245-2174 or stop by the chamber office at 155 West Morton Ave.
Midwest Athletic Center to resurface basketball courts
John and Rachel Rohn announced on August 19 via the Midwest Athletic Center’s Facebook page that the former Bob Gay Basketball Courts inside the center will be resurfaced for the first time in over a decade. The courts were last resurfaced after the Jacksonville Town Brook flood occurred in 2011. “Courts like this require a ton of regular maintenance to be kept in good enough shape to do such a thing and unfortunately these have not received the love they deserve in almost 13 yrs!” the announcement proclaimed.
“Over the next month we will be sanding down and repainting and resealing this beauty and returning her to glory!” The former Bill Wall Gymnasium continues on its legacy of athletics as it has hosted hundreds of players from the region since its birth as Midwest Athletic Center in early 2023.
Our Town Books hosts bestselling “The Woman They Could Not Silence” author for book signing, discussion
Our Town Books in Jacksonville is inviting the public to attend a special literary night with bestselling author Kate Moore (“The Woman They Could Not Silence,” “The Radium Girls”) on the campus of Illinois College.
On Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m., Moore will speak at Rammelkamp Chapel and also offer a book signing, specifically discussing her book, “The Woman They Could Not Silence,” which is based upon true events that occurred at the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane in Jacksonville.
The book discusses the commitment to the hospital and circumstances of the life of Elizabeth Packard. Moore will discuss behind-the-scenes details in her research of the book and more. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. with the hour-long discussion of the book along with a question and answer session starting at 7 p.m. The book signing will then follow. An ASL interpreter will be available and special seating will be reserved for persons in the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
Tickets are required and available exclusively in-store at Our Town Books (64 East Central Park Plz) or online at ourtownbooks.com.
Jacksonville Police Department seeking information on shots fired into a home
Jacksonville Police Department detectives are seeking information about gunshots being fired into a home in the early morning hours of August 20.
At approximately 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, August 20, officers responded to a residence in the 400 block of South Mauvaisterre Street for a report of shots being fired into a home. During the investigations, officers determined no one was injured in the incident.
If anyone has any further information about the incident, contact the Jacksonville Police Department’s Investigations division by call 217-479-4630 or leave an anonymous tip with the Morgan Scott Cass Crime Stoppers by submitting information to their website or Facebook page.
Texas man arrested for large cocaine bust on I-72 in Morgan County
On the morning of Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, while conducting criminal interdiction on Interstate 72 near mile marker 64, seized approximately 30,000 grams of powder cocaine in a traffic stop.
The narcotics were recovered from the bed of a pickup truck traveling from Texas to Chicago, according to a press release from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.
Subsequently, David Hernandez, Jr., 39, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested for Controlled Substance Trafficking, Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
The estimated street value of the narcotics is $3 million. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Central Illinois Enforcement Group, Drug Enforcement Administration and South Jacksonville Police Department. Hernandez is currently held at the Morgan County Jail.
Jacksonville man sentenced to prison for failure to register as sex offender
A Jacksonville man arrested in late June on two sex related crimes has been sentenced to prison. Devontay T. Dunkines, 39, of the 1400 block of Passavant Drive, pleaded guilty on August 15 to Class 2 felony failure to report annually for the sex offender registry for at least the second time.
Dunkines was arrested on June 26 on the charge along with a Class 2 felony charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor. The sex abuse charge was dropped per the open plea. Dunkines was sentenced by Circuit Judge Chris Reif to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 1 year of mandatory supervised release and ordered payment of a $500 fine. Dunkines was given credit for 52 days served in the Morgan County Jail.
Former Ponderosa site purchased by commercial real estate developer
The site of a former smorgasbord and steakhouse has been purchased by a commercial real estate developer. The Jacksonville Journal-Courier reports that the former home of Ponderosa at 1001 West Morton Ave. has been sold to Peoria-based developer Vertex Commercial Real Estate for $547,500. The site had been owned by Marx Commercial Development Co. in Quincy since 2023.
Ponderosa closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic citing economic hardship. Representatives of Vertex told the Journal-Courier there are no immediate plans for the site; however, the site would be redeveloped before being given over to a new tenant.
LLCC President Warren announces retirement
Lincoln Land Community College President Dr. Charlotte Warren has announced she will retire from her role as LLCC’s sixth president in June 2026.
Dr. Warren shared the news in a heartfelt message to faculty and staff during the college’s annual convocation on the morning of Aug. 22. “Serving our students and strengthening the communities we call home has been a privilege beyond measure. I am deeply proud of all that LLCC’s students, faculty, staff, alumni and community leaders have accomplished and continue to accomplish together. LLCC is an institution of learning and so much more. It’s a place where dreams take root and bright futures take shape.”
Warren has served as president of LLCC since 2006. Under her leadership, LLCC has expanded with four new facilities and the renovation of nine others throughout the 15-county LLCC district. She has secured millions of dollars in gift and grant funding for the college, including an $18 million gift benefiting LLCC’s agriculture program and a partnership with Memorial Health to address the nursing shortage and construct a Nursing Education Center within Montgomery Hall.
Building on strong transfer programs, Warren has broadened the college’s educational offerings and created more options for students of all ages. She has developed the college’s workforce training, grown health care education programs and expanded opportunities to add new skills and grow professionally — making LLCC a truly comprehensive college. She has also enhanced community partnerships, meeting regularly with legislative, business and community leaders to determine how the college can best serve its district. Warren is active in leadership roles on national, state and local levels.
IC, City once again partner for annual homecoming parade
Illinois College is proud to join the City of Jacksonville in celebrating 200 years of community and connection with a special bicentennial and homecoming parade on Saturday, October 4, at 10 a.m.
This year’s parade will feature a new route. The parade will kick off on Park Street, with staging in and around the Jacksonville Middle School and Illinois College facilities parking lot. From there, it will travel north on Park Street, east on West College Avenue, and continue into downtown Jacksonville. At Mauvaisterre Street, the parade will turn north along the east side of the square, concluding just past the Illinois Theater and The Little Stove.
Parade-goers can expect classic floats, student and alumni groups, local organizations, marching bands, and special tributes marking both Illinois College’s deep-rooted presence in the city and Jacksonville’s rich 200-year history.
Additional details about street closures, parking and viewing areas will be announced in the coming weeks. Those interested in participating in this year’s parade can visit the “Homecoming” page at ic.edu for more information.
Prize money will be awarded by the City of Jacksonville based on creativity for the best overall bicentennial theme: $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $100 for 3rd place.
