The Marion County Sheriff's Office, along with Marion County Crime stoppers, is asking the public for help in solving several thefts of farm equipment over the past couple of weeks from throughout rural Marion County. The thefts include the following: -a red 21-foot Kewanee fold up disk, model # 1020, taken from Allen Road in rural Iuka on or around October 7th, 2011 -a 1983 John Deer 750 tractor w/ belly bush hog mower, a 20 horsepower Simplicity lawn mower, and an Allis Chalmers tractor with front end loader taken from a barn on Possum Trot Road in rural Alma on or around October 10th, 2011 -a black homemade from 4" steel pipe low boy trailer with fold over ramps, wood floor, tandem axle in rear and single axle in front, and one red wheel, taken from Keller Road in rural Iuka on or around October 13th, 2011 -a homemade 20 foot long green flatbed hay trailer with an orange frame taken from Seedhouse Road in rural Iuka on or around October 14th, 2011 -a 300 bushel capacity Kilbros grain wagon, hand painted pea green with a blue chassis, taken from Krutsinger Road in rural Kinmundy on or around October 15, 2011. Anyone with any information on these thefts is urges to call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 548-2141 or Marion County Crime stoppers at 800-499-UTEL (8835). Callers are reminded that all calls to Crime stoppers are anonymous and confidential. Those with information leading to an arrest in these thefts may be eligible for a cash reward. Oag0a
Monday, October 17, 2011
Five New Casinos Coming To Illinois, Two In Chicago
Springfield, IL -- Five new casinos are coming to Illinois, including two near Chicago. "Having something that's honest all the time with proper oversight is very important to the city of Chicago and to all cities in Illinois. It's making sure you don't have excessive expansion. Chicago is not interested in that", said Quinn. Governor Pat Quinn announced today a new casino would be built in Chicago and one in southern Cook County. Quinn also rejected an expanded gambling bill, saying it was too "willy-nilly" and would over saturate the market. Other casinos will be built in Danville, Lake County and Rockford. There will not be any slot machines at city airports and the State Fair. BWILo
Combines Start Three Fires In Kinmundy-Alma Area, One Burns 40 Acres Of Crops
Combines are blamed for starting three fires in the Kinmundy-Alma Fire Protection District over the weekend. A Sunday fire ended up burning 20 acres of standing soybeans and another 20 acres of standing corn before being brought under control. Kinmundy-Alma Fire Chief Kevin Day says the fire began when Randy Engle was harvesting in a field off the Gray Road southeast of Kinmundy. The combine apparently picked up a piece of metal, creating sparks that started six fires along a half mile path. The wind fueled fire quickly moved to land farmed by Gary Conant, which sustained most of the damage. Day reports the combine escaped damage. Firemen were on the scene for about two and a half hours beginning around 2:20 Sunday afternoon. Farina Fireman provided mutual aide, bringing a pumper truck to the scene. The other two fires were late Friday afternoon. Some bean dust on a combine being driven by Gary Conant in a field off the Kinmundy Road in rural Alma caught fire due to a small fuel leak. There was no damage to the combine and the fire did not spread to the field. A combine on the Robb Farms off the Press Road north of Kinmundy received minor damage after picking up a piece of metal and causing sparks. The fire on the combine went out on its own. Several spot fires started in the field caused no serious damage. - http://goo.gl/o1bAx
Two Arrested On Methamphetamine Charges Following Separate Traffic Stops
Two people are in custody following separate Sunday night arrests on methamphetamine related charges. 41-year-old Lindle Tarlton of Marvin Street in Central City is being held in the Marion County Jail for alleged possession of methamphetamine and meth manufacturing. Centralia Police say they initially stopped Tarlton's vehicle for an expired registration. After the Centralia canine alerted on the car, police discovered a plastic bottle under the passenger seat with a clear liquid melting down lithium batteries. Police determined the bottle contained an active 'shake and bake' meth lab. At that point, the State Police Meth Lab response team was called. Centralia Police say the bottle contained 359 grams of liquid being cooked into meth. A 37-year-old Centralia man, Daniel Rivera of East Broadway, is in the Marion County Jail for alleged possession of methamphetamine under five grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license. Marion County Sheriff's Deputies say Rivera was initially stopped after learning his license was revoked. They allegedly found a flashlight with cannabis residue in the battery compartment and a metal container in Rivera's pocket that had a white residue that later tested positive for meth. Rivera told deputies he had used the methamphetamine in the bathroom at the Gas Mart on East McCord in Centralia after he spotted police watching him. Rivera said at the same time he placed a package with three grams of cannabis in his shoe that was recovered during the booking procedure. - http://goo.gl/Wz50B
Walnut Hill Motorcyclist Hurt in Crash
A 61-year-old Walnut Hill man was injured when his motorcycle crashed into the rear of a car on the Walnut Hill Road two miles west of Walnut Hill early Saturday night. State Police say Gerald Murphy was eastbound on the Walnut Hill Road behind a car driven by 21-year-old Joshua Telford of Walnut Hill. When Telford stopped quickly to avoid a deer, Murphy wasn't able to stop and struck Telford's vehicle in the rear. Murphy was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia for treatment of injuries. He was also ticketed for following too closely. Telford was not injured in the wreck that occurred at 7:05 Saturday evening. - http://goo.gl/AGvga
Marion County Police Beat for Monday, October 17th, 2011
Two people remain in the Marion County Jail following Sunday arrests on outstanding warrants. 40-year-old Michael Wheeler of East Nolen Road in Mt. Vernon is being held in lieu of $5,000 bond for failure to appear in court or pay fines on an outstanding possession of drug paraphernalia conviction. 54-year-old Kenneth Pokojski of Devonia Drive in Centralia was arrested by Centralia Police on an outstanding traffic warrant. 21-year-old Christopher Keech of Hillcrest Road in Salem posted 150-dollars bond and was released after being arrested by Marion County Sheriff's Deputies for driving on a revoked or suspended license. The Marion County Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft of a trailer taken from the Marlin Hanks residence on Krutsinger Road in rural Kinmundy. The trailer is owned by Linda Heistand of Perry Road in Alma. The sheriff's department also is investigating the theft of a deer stand. Curtis Black of South Perrine Street in Salem reported the deer stand was taken from a field off Omega Road in rural Kinmundy. - http://goo.gl/edoaU
Saturday Search For Jared Hanna Near Jolliff Bridge Road Northwest of Centralia Fails To Produce Any New Leads
Clinton County Sheriff's Department officials say a search of an area where personal items belonging to a missing Jerseyville man were found last Monday failed to turn up any new information on his whereabouts. 28-year-oldJared Hanna disappeared on July third after his truck apparently ran out of gas on the Jolliff Bridge Road northwest of Centralia. The personal items found Monday were located about a mile and a half closer to Centralia than where the truck was found. Clinton County Chief Deputy Mark Etter declined to discuss the items that were recovered, but says they had been positively identified as belonging to Hanna by his family members. He says the location and condition of the items did not give them any new information on what may have happened to Hanna. About 40 volunteers and cadaver dogs were involved in the search Saturday morning. Hanna is believed to have last been seen knocking on a door near where his truck ran out of gas asking for directions to the nearest town. He then headed east towards Centralia. Hanna is the father of two young children, ages 3 and six. He was last seen wearing a dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans. Hanna may have been wearing a black and white hat. He is five foot seven inches tall, weighs 195 pounds and had a buzz haircut. Anyone with information on Hanna's whereabouts is asked to contact the Clinton County Sheriff's Department at 594-4555. - http://goo.gl/XZjQK