By Ben Cox
Two women charged with arson after allegedly lighting trailer on fire
Two Jacksonville women were arrested for arson on Sept. 7 after police reports say they lit a utility trailer on fire on purpose.
Jacksonville police and the Jacksonville Fire Department responded to a call of a vehicle trailer on fire in the 400 block of South Prairie Street at 5:11 a.m. on September 7. The 12-foot-long utility trailer was said to be filled with household goods and was considered a total loss in the blaze.
After a brief investigation, fire officials determined that the trailer had been intentionally set on fire. Police are said to have gotten security footage which captured the incident. According to reports, the video depicted two individuals getting out of a smaller-sized SUV, pouring a liquid accelerant on the trailer, and using a hand torch or lighter to light the fire. Police say that a small gas can was located nearby where the trailer was parked.
At 11:04 p.m. on September 7, police later located the two persons of interest in the case, Hollye L. Wilson, 36, of the 1400 block of Hardin Avenue and Amanda R. Wilkinson, 38, of the 300 block of West Walnut Street and arrested both on citations of arson. Both were held at the Morgan County Jail for a pretrial detention hearing. No court information on the case is currently available.
14th annual Jacksonville Rotary Oktoberfest scheduled for Sept. 20
Prost! Oktoberfest is set for Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Morgan County Fairgrounds. This fun, family-friendly festival includes live music, German food specialties, games and contests, a dog parade and races, Oktoberfest beers and wine, and so much more!
The event runs from noon to 7 p.m. Food, beer and wine sales get underway at noon. There will be a great selection of beers and wines available all day. Draft German beers will be featured and American beers will be available in bottles. Red, white and Sangria wines will be available.
This year’s menu will feature traditional German food including bratwurst, sauerkraut, and other treats. The official “Willkommen” ceremony and Tapping of the Kegs is set to take place at 12:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Entertainment will feature Tony Blazonczyk’s New Phaze with their high energy polka music from noon to 3 p.m., with local favorite musicians in Trio DeGroove on stage from 4-7 p.m. Entertaining games and contests will take place throughout the grounds, including Keg Toss, Stein Endurance, and the “Dachshund Dash.” At 1:30 that afternoon, costumed dogs of all sizes and breeds can participate in the “Costume Dog Parade.” There is no entrance fee for the dog races and dog parade, but donations will be accepted.
Toss for Autism will again be administering the Oktoberfest Cornhole Tournament. Entry fee is $40 per two-person team with cash prizes for the winners. Registration opens at noon and bags fly at 1 p.m. Games and activities for kids will be happening from 1-6 p.m. There will also be an Oktoberfest souvenir shop where kids of all ages can buy items to help celebrate everyone’s favorite festival of the season!
Tickets for the event are $4 in advance and $5 at the gate. Advance tickets are available from any Rotarian. Rotary President Kelly Pool said, “Last year our Rotary Club donated more than $36,500 in college scholarships and grants to local organizations. This event is our largest annual fundraiser. We hope everyone will plan to meet their friends for a fun day, while helping support the charitable aims of our Rotary Club.” For more info about Oktoberfest, visit jacksonvillerotary.org/oktoberfest/. For more information about the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, its service initiatives and how to become a member, visit jacksonvillerotary.org.
Shults presents program on haunted vacations at public library
Join award-winning paranormal reporter Sylvia Shults on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. for a look at the darker side of your summer vacation! Come along as she takes you on a supernatural road trip to the world’s most haunted zoos, museums and amusement parks — where animals, zookeepers, curators and thrill-seekers from the past continue to linger into the present. For more information, contact adult services librarian Ali Jones at 217-245-5435, ext. 235.
Pilot Club thanks community for successful summer concert series
The Jacksonville Pilot Club says that 2025’s summer concert series was another success thanks to the community and some community partners.
The announcement reads: “Thank you to everyone who made this summer’s Concerts in the Park its usual success — Land of Lincoln Chorus, The Howard Boys, The Peeks with Tom Jones, Just Friends, Robert Sampson, Sonshine Quartet, Jacksonville Drumline Institute, Rod Nicholson with Aaron and Curt Barger, Pam & Danny Lovelace, Terry Brennan, Two By Two, Community Summer Band and Rob Brogdon.
We must also thank the Jacksonville Parks Department, the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, The Source, Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, WJVO and WLDS for their help — and of course the community for their continued support. A special thanks goes out to First Baptist Church, which so graciously offered their sanctuary to us numerous times because of this summer’s high temperatures. We are most grateful and hope to see everyone again next summer!”
Centenary’s Fall Salad Luncheon scheduled for October 1
The public is invited to a Fall Salad Luncheon at Centenary United Methodist Church, located at 331 East State St. in Jacksonville, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
The suggested donation is $10. Tickets are available from members of Centenary United Women in Faith, the church office at 217-245-8417 or at the door on the day of the luncheon. This will be Centenary’s first luncheon since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are excited to bring back our tradition of serving delicious salads in our beautifully decorated Fellowship Hall,” said Martha Vaché of the United Women in Faith. An elevator is available. As an added feature, Terri Benz will share piano music in the sanctuary as everyone arrives. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m.
Cass County teen sentenced for early September fight with police
A Virginia, Illinois man is heading to prison after he got into a fight with local police during an arrest in early September.
Christian R. Treadway, 19, of Virginia, pleaded guilty to Class 2 felony aggravated battery of a peace officer on Sept. 4 in Cass County Circuit Court before Judge Timothy J. Wessel.
Treadway was arrested on that charge along with a second charge of aggravated battery of a peace officer, criminal damage to government-supported property between $500-$10,000, domestic battery and illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor.
At his initial appearance in court on Sept. 2, Treadway reached a plea agreement on the charges. No information about the incident leading to his arrest is currently available. Judge Wessel sentenced Treadway to 3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 1 year of mandatory supervised release and ordered payment of court costs. Treadway was given credit for 3 days served in the Schuyler County Jail.
House of Worship Church of God In Christ invites community to services
Elders at the House of Worship Church of God in Christ, located at 424 West Court St. in Jacksonville, are inviting the public to attend church services.
Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m. with the message being brought by Pastor Jim Burries at 11 a.m. There is also a Tuesday night Bible study at 6 p.m.
Illinois College students are being welcomed back from their summer break. If you need a ride to church, contact Elder George Haley for a free ride to and from church by calling 217-461-0507.
Jacksonville man sentenced to 40 years in prison for Beardstown murder
A Jacksonville man was sentenced to four decades in prison on Sept. 8 in Cass County Circuit Court for a home invasion and murder in Beardstown in March.
Benchy R. Coulute, 45, of Jacksonville was found guilty by a jury on July 18 of first-degree murder and home invasion in the death of Junior Kalnoji, 37, of Beardstown.
During a five-day trial requiring the use of multiple language interpreters, Coulute was shown to have stalked Kalnoji and his ex-wife from the parking lot of DOT Foods in Mt. Sterling to Kalnoji’s residence in the 1200 block of State Street in Beardstown.
Coulute is then said to have forced his way into the residence in the early morning hours of March 24 and fatally stabbed Kalnoji twelve times in the neck. DNA evidence inside of Coulute’s vehicle taken during the subsequent investigation by local authorities further linked Coulute to the crime.
Coulute was arrested on April 5 in the State of Indiana with the assistance of Illinois and Indiana State Police. On Sept. 8, Judge Timothy J. Wessel sentenced
Coulute to 40 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on the first-degree murder charge and 15 years in prison on the home invasion charge. The sentences will run concurrently.
Coulute was also ordered to serve three years of mandatory supervised release During sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements from two family members of the victim.
Morgan County Fair officials donate proceeds from Salute the Troops night to Land of Lincoln Honor Flight
Morgan County Fair representative Tyler Aring and Rabbi Rob Thomas, representing WW2 Armor, attended the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight’s send-off dinner on Sept. 8 in Springfield.
The Salute the Troops night at the Morgan County Fair raised $6,000 for the honor flight to help pay for veterans to take part. The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight #75 took off the following morning on Sept. 9 with veterans from Jacksonville, Ashland and New Berlin among others throughout Central Illinois.
Jacksonville City Council votes to seek for pickleball court proposal
The Jacksonville City Council voted 5-4 in favor of seeking a grant that would put pickleball courts near Ludwig Pavilion on the east edge of Nichols Park at their Sept. 8 meeting.
The proposal was brought by the city’s Parks & Lakes Committee. The city is now going to apply for an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The state program is financed by a percentage of the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax. The City of Jacksonville will be responsible for paying for 50% of the project’s total cost while the grant would take care of the remaining half. The city will have until Sept. 30 to submit the application to be considered in the upcoming calendar year’s grant cycle.
The cost for installing the courts has been estimated at $750,000, which means the city would be responsible for $362,500 of the project’s cost. Possible construction on the new courts likely wouldn’t begin until some time in 2027 if the grant goes through.
Members of the city council have expressed an interest in a public-private partnership to fundraise for the city’s portion of the money.
South Jacksonville to drop Morgan County Animal Control agreement
A months-long disagreement on a contract for animal control between Morgan County Animal Control and officials with the Village of South Jacksonville have resulted in the village’s plans to drop the service.
WLDS News reports that the South Jacksonville Board of Trustees voted to end the agreement at their Sept. 4 business meeting saying contract talks had stalled beyond a point of no return.
The two sides had been arguing for months over verbiage in the contract over off-hours coverage and the costs. Village President Dick Samples and Village Treasurer Mindy Olson had taken their grievances to the Morgan County Commissioners. The commissioners had diverted all complaints to county animal control administrator Lisa Ladely, saying they were not going to “micromanage” the department.
According to the Thursday night meeting, the dialogue between the two sides never went any further resulting in the vote to end the program.
Annual flu and vaccine clinics scheduled in the area
The 2025 Flu Bowl and COVID-19 clinic hosted by the Morgan County Health Department is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9-10 at The JHS Bowl, located at 215 South Church St.
The Flu Bowl will run from 1-6 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday. For more information, call 217-245-511.
The Scott County Health Department has scheduled flu vaccine and COVID-19 clinics for Monday, Oct. 6. Officials will be providing shots at the Manchester
Baptist Church on Oct. 6 from 9-10 a.m., the Alsey Baptist Church from 10:30-11 a.m. and the Bluffs Senior Citizens Building from 1-3 p.m.
The Scott County Health Department will offer the clinics again on Friday, Oct. 10. The shots will be provided on Oct. 10 at the health department in Winchester from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. ‘
If you are a Scott County citizen and unable to come into the building or have questions about the Scott County clinics, call 217-742-8203. Both counties are able to bill insurance. Please bring your insurance cards with you.
JMH offers free breast cancer screenings through October
Free breast cancer screenings will be available at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital during October for women age 40 and older who are uninsured or underinsured. The free screenings are part of Memorial’s annual Mammogram Mondays program, held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Appointments are required; no walk-ins are available. Educational materials will be provided, including information on general breast health and how to perform breast self-exams. To schedule an appointment, call 447-784-3585.
The free screenings are being funded by the Jacksonville Memorial Foundation.
The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) recommend that all women 40 years of age and older have screening mammograms annually. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Early detection is key.
Advocacy Network for Children in search of more local CASA workers
The Advocacy Network for Children says it is in urgent need of CASA volunteers in Brown, Cass, Morgan, Pike, Scott and other surrounding counties in West Central Illinois. As a CASA volunteer, you’ll be trained to represent a child’s best interests in the local court system, working alongside professionals to ensure safety, permanency and well-being.
No special experience is required — just compassion and a commitment of 10 hours per month. The Advocacy Network for Children is offering a streamlined option for accelerated training to help volunteers to get on board quicker. The accelerated training will be offered Sept. 20-21 at 1420 Harrison St. in Quincy. If interested or for questions, contact Brittany Durst, CASA manager, at 217-223-2272 or bdurst@advonet.org for more information.
Freeman named Jacksonville hospital’s August Colleague of the Month
Jamie Freeman, a medical laboratory technician at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, is the nonprofit hospital’s Colleague of the Month for August.
Colleagues appreciate Freeman’s willingness to share his knowledge and expertise to help others. He mentors evening shift colleagues and is conscientious about instilling knowledge of laboratory medicine into the team.
“Jamie is very patient-focused and quality-driven,” wrote a leader. “He doesn’t hesitate to bring ideas forward for possible improvement in all areas. He is also very respectful and compassionate, a role model for others.” Freeman has worked for Jacksonville Memorial Hospital since 2024.
JHS Class of 1965 adds Storyteller Brunch to Bicentennial Celebration
The Memory Book Team, editors and compilers of two volumes of stories, photos and news clippings, are hosting a celebration in honor of JHS Class of 1965 classmates who sent in stories to them.
The team will present the books in honor of the city’s 200th birthday as Jacksonville played a crucial role in all of the stories. The presentation will be held during a brunch at the Jacksonville Country Club at 10 a.m. on Oct. 4. Members of the JHS Class of 1965 (who are celebrating their 60th reunion), as well as members of the Jacksonville community who have interest, are invited.
The books are the culmination of three years of work by The Memory Book Team, organized by Suzie Dowland Glisson. Festivities at the brunch and an appearance by a potential celebrity are two are planned.
Entitled Storytellers Diamond Edition ($45) and Storytellers Sports Supplement ($35), the two books will be available for purchase at the end of September at Our Town Books, 64 East Central Park Plz. In downtown Jacksonville. The books may be preordered on the store’s website or by emailing ourtownbooks@gmail.com.
Reservations to the brunch must be made in order to attend. To make a reservation, contact Tarry Damrau at 512-825-5011 or email tdamrau@sbcglobal.net. Cost is $20 per adult. Children 12 and under are able to attend for free. Storytellers in the book receive complimentary attendance.
Local Museum invites visitors to see expansion during 200th Celebration
Jacksonville’s Oct. 4 Bicentennial participants are invited to briefly “leave” the festivities on the square and walk two blocks east for a rare chance to see the Jacksonville Area Museum’s ongoing expansion project that includes the partially completed Elm City Gallery with its life-sized, life-like elm trees.
Museum visitors on Oct. 4 will also be able to see the nearly-completed new MacMurray Gallery that showcases the former college’s history. “We invite Bicentennial participants to go out on a limb and branch away from the square for a while to see the amazing transformation that is occurring inside the old Post Office building with the museum’s ongoing expansion project,” said Jacksonville Area Museum Board Chairman David Blanchette.
“Visitors to the Elm City Gallery will have it made in the shade as they are transported to the city’s formerly elm-lined streets, and the new MacMurray Gallery proves that our roots continue to run deep in this community. Come and see us on October 4 for this rare chance to experience our work in progress.”
The special viewing of the museum’s expansion progress will be held only on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There is no admission charge, and visitors may also see the areas of the museum that are currently open to the public, including exhibits on the former Jacksonville State Hospital and the Capps Clothing factory.
The museum is located at 301 East State St., just two blocks east of the downtown square in the former Jacksonville Post Office building. No official opening date has been set for the museum’s expanded area, which will triple the amount of exhibit space at the institution. The area will remain closed to the public as work resumes after the Oct. 4 event.
The current exhibit area, which has been open to the public since September 2021, remains open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. The museum’s expansion project is made possible by generous donations made to the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation, a private, 501(c)(3) organization that supports the institution.
Memberships may also be purchased that help to support the museum’s daily operations and programs. For more information about the museum, visit jacksonvilleareamuseum.org.
Sunrise Rotary ‘Food Raiser’ planned for Saturday, September 20
The Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club will be collecting non-perishable food items at Jacksonville HyVee on Saturday, September 20. Instead of raising money for a cause, the club is raising stocks of non-perishable food items to help replenish the stock at the Jacksonville Area Community Food Center.
“Just purchase some extra cans of vegetables, or boxes of oatmeal or pasta when you do your grocery shopping, and on the way to your car, drop those items off at our table in front of HyVee between 8 a.m. and noon,” said Jay Jamison, who is helping coordinate the event.
The Jacksonville Area Community Food Center needs just about any non-perishable food item. Lists of food items will be provided to shoppers as they enter the supermarket. “Club members became aware through news reports that the Food Center needed help, so we decided to make them the recipient of this year’s Food Raiser,” Jamison said.
In past years the club received upwards of 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food items in the four hours of the food raiser. The club also extends thanks to the management and staff of Jacksonville HyVee.
