Four Plead Guilty in Marion County Court

A 29-year-old Centralia man has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to one of two unlawful delivery of a controlled substance charges pending against him. Brandon Lashbrook of Clinmar Street was also ordered to serve two years of mandatory supervised release when released from prison.

Lashbrook had been charged with delivering cocaine in December 2010 and January of last year. The judge ruled costs in the case were uncollectable. A 19-year-old Centralia man has pleaded guilty to felony theft. Nathan Hale of South Locust admitted taking power tools from George Lackey, Harvey Loeger and Bruce Humphrey of Centralia in September.

Hale was placed on one year conditional discharge, ordered to make $1.040 in restitution and have no contact with the victim. 20-year-old Jonathan Stevenson of South Maple in Centralia has pleaded guilty to criminal defacement of property for defacing the spillway walls on Raccoon Lake near 710 East Green Street in Centralia in November of last year.

He was placed on two years court supervision, fined $100 and court costs, and 100 hours of public service work. Restitution was reserved for a future court hearing. Stevenson was also ordered to undergo drug evaluation and treatment and earn his high school diploma or GED. 36-year-old Chad May of West Spruce Street in Salem entered a guilty plea to a battery charge. Chad May of West Spruce was placed on two years probation, ordered to pay court costs, pay $337 restitution and serve 45 days in jail. May was also ordered to undergo drug and metal health evaluation and treatment. - http://goo.gl/LLknk

Local airport fence project almost complete

MT. VERNON — The $1.2 million fence project at Mt. Vernon Outland
Airport is expected to be completed next week.

"We made great strides earlier this week," said Outland Airport Manager Chris Collins.

"This was a requirement for all commercial service airports. We still hold a commercial license and this was a part of mandated requirements that we have 10 foot wildlife/security fencing around the grounds."

The move forward, Collins said, "Shows we are being proactive. These type of things are starting in different places. We're already beginning to see it in terms of air rescue and firefighting along with security lights and fencing."

Collins noted the local share of the project cost totaled $31,000.

"In the future, there could be insurance mandates where commercial planes can only go into air fields that have air rescue and firefighting," Collins said. "We could start to see where they can only go to the type of air fields that have security fencing."

While crews constructed the remaining 2,000 feet of fencing between buildings at the airport, Collins noted the six foot fence was still present in those areas.

Electricians also put the final touches on wiring which supplies power to the electric gate motors on the grounds.

The airport, Collins said, has five electric gates.

"We had this type of technology before. We are just updating it as part of the overall project," Collins said. - http://goo.gl/8WbN1

Rockford-Based Airline Lays Off 200 Employees

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - Rockford-based Ryan International Airlines has announced it will lay off about 200 pilots, flight attendants and other workers. The Rockford Register Star reports Thursday that the airline will make the cuts at four U.S. bases and said the reduction reflects less business coming from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Much of the company's business has come from moving troops around the world. Ryan executive vice president Mark Robinson says there is "just less military flying." Robinson says the airline will restructure over the next six months to add more charter flights. The airline employs 585 people. Those affected by the layoffs are based in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Rockford.

A spokeswoman for the Airline Pilots Association says the union was notified of the layoffs on Wednesday.  full story

One Person Injured in Jefferson County Accident Thursday Afternoon

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and the Jefferson Rural Fire Department responded to an accident early Thursday afternoon. The accident occurred at Route 37 and Idlewood Road north of Mt. Vernon at 1:02pm. One person was taken to a local area hospital. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department would not release the names of those involved in the accident, or any specific details regarding the accident.  full story

Two arrests made, cash and drugs seized

An investigation into an alleged criminal sexual assault led to two
arrests, a cache of money and drugs, and the seizure of four dogs and a
pet snake in rural Jefferson County earlier this week.

Richard M. Foutch Jr., 39, and a juvenile were arrested after Jefferson
County detectives executed a search warrant at 4588 E. Dix-Irvington
Road in connection with the assault investigation Monday, Jefferson
County Sheriff Roger Mulch said.

During the search, officers discovered $16,685, more than 500 grams of
cannabis and drug-related paraphernalia inside the residence, Mulch
said.

The juvenile was charged with criminal sexual assault and taken to the
Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center in Benton, while Foutch was
charged with manufacture/delivery of cannabis more than 500 grams.

Both Foutch and the juve-nile lived at the residence in northwest
Jefferson County.

Foutch is scheduled for a first appearance in Jefferson County Court at
9 a.m. March 2.

Four dogs and a pet snake were taken from the resi-dence and placed with
the Jefferson County animal warden.

More charges could be filed once the investigation is finished, Mulch
said. - http://goo.gl/0lx4N

Former Salem Community High School Student Arrested for Sending Text Messages Wanting to 'Do a School Shooting'

A 17-year-old former Salem Community High School student will face a felony disorderly conduct charge for allegedly sending a series of text messages about wanting to 'do a school shooting'. Marion County State's Attorney Matt Wilzbach says Caleb Myer of Eblin Road in rural Texico was arrested at his home Tuesday afternoon after a search warrant on his cell phone provider confirmed the messages had been sent. Wilzbach says Myer had sent the message to a 16-year-old Salem Community High School student on Saturday who he was trying to get to help. The 16-year-old thought Myer was serious and went to his guidance counselor at school on Monday. The guidance counselor got the school administration involved and they went to police after seeing the messages on the phone of the 16-year-old.
Wilzbach says Myer admitted his cell phone was in his pocket all day Saturday, but initially would not deny or admit sending the messages. Myer told the sheriff's department investigator that he sometimes suffered from blackouts. However upon further questioning Wednesday, Myer allegedly admitted sending the messages, but said he had no intent of following through with the shooting. Wilzbach says Myer gave several different reasons why he was sent the messages, including that he was upset with a bully at school. However, he would not provide any names or other information leading Wilzbach to discount the story.
In addition to the search warrant to get Myer's phone records, a second search warrant was executed on Myer's home looking for guns. None were found. Wilzbach says Myer had dropped out of Salem Community High School a few weeks ago. Myer will be charged under the felony disorderly conduct charge for transmitting or causing to be transmitted a threat of destruction of a school building or school property or a threat of violence, death or bodily harm directed against persons at a school, school function or school event. He will make his first appearance in court on the charge on Thursday.  full story

Investigation leads to two arrests

MT. VERNON — Detectives with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office were
in the process Tuesday of investigating a criminal sexual assualt
incident. The investigation led detectives to a residence in rural
northwest Jefferon County, located at 4588 E. Dix-Irvington Road.

Detectives arrived at the residence at approximately 3:40 p.m. where a
search warrant was served to collect evidence pertaining to the case.
During the course of the search, officers located more than 500 grams of
cannibas, $16, 685 and other drug-related paraphernalia inside the
residence.

A direct result of this investigation led to the arrest of a male
juvenile for criminal sexual assault. The juvenile is currently being
held in juvenile detention with bond to be set. Also arrested was
Richard M. Foutch Jr., 39. Foutch is currently being held in the
Jefferson County Justice Center and is charged with manufacture/delivery
of cannibas over 500 grams with bond to be set.

Four dogs and a pet snake were also seized from the property and secured
by the Jeferson County Animal Warden for safe keeping as a result of the
incident. The investigation by the JCSO is ongoing. - http://goo.gl/Y9jbW

Centralia Man Faces Multiple Charges After Leading Centralia Police On High Speed Chase

A 35-year-old Centralia man is being held in the Marion County Jail on multiple charges after leading Centralia Police on a high speed auto chase Tuesday afternoon that ended in a crash and foot pursuit. Melvin Creps of South Pine is being held in the Marion County Jail for alleged driving on a suspended or revoked license, fleeing or eluding police, reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Centralia Police say they initially tried to make a traffic stop in the 200 block of South Walnut.

Creps reportedly sped away in his vehicle, with speeds in the chase reaching over 70 miles per hour on Brookside Avenue near 17th. Creps lost control at the T-intersection at Brookside and Center Street and skidded into a utility pole before going down an embankment. He then reportedly ran on foot into a creek. Centralia Police attempted to taze Creps when he initially refused to stop. However, a few minutes later Creps put his hands up and surrendered. Police say a search of the car turned up a white flaky material in a tightly wrapped corner of a plastic baggie that field tested positive for cocaine.  full story

Owner of Bargain Alley in Centralia Arrested For Sale of Synthetic Drugs

The owner of the Bargain Alley on South Poplar in Centralia has been arrested for selling synthetic drugs from the store. Centralia Police arrested 55-year-old Joan Worley of North Maple in Centralia Tuesday afternoon for alleged possession and intent to deliver a controlled substance and maintaining a public nuisance. She remains in the Marion County Jail pending a first appearance in court.

Centralia Police say they made the arrest after five products found in the store tested positive for the presence of MDPV, one of the chemicals found on a list of controlled substances made illegal at the beginning of the year. The products testing positive were being sold under the names White Surge, White Magic, Disco Solution, Snow Bunny, and Crystal Clean Hookah and Pipe Cleaner. The police department seized 84.5 grams of the synthetic drugs.

Worley is the first person to be arrested in Marion County on the new law designed to crack down on the sale of synthetic drugs which police have identified as the fastest growing drug problem in the area. - http://goo.gl/diXCo

Fire department warns of scam

MT. VERNON — The Mt. Vernon Fire Department and Mt. Vernon Police Department are warning businesses of a scam by a person presenting himself as a local fireman.

According to MVFD Assistant Chief Kevin Sargent, a local business was the victim of the scam, in which a man entered the establishment and identified himself as a member of the Mt. Vernon Fire Department.

Sargent said the man then allegedly conducted a fake inspection of the business and at the end, charged the establishment money for conducting the so-called inspection.

“We don’t charge for any inspections,” Sargent said. “If anyone shows up saying they are with the fire department and they are there to do an inspection, always ask for identification. If they have no identification, call the police department.”

The police department is investigating the incident, and Sargent said he wants to get the word out that no fire fighter will ask for money from any business to conduct any inspections of property.

“We have fire fighters who go out and do what we call pre-fire planning inspections,” Sargent explained. “They make sure the contacts for the business is updated, and update any changes to the interior of the buildings on our plans. They do it two times a year and there is no fee for the pre-fires. Pre-fires are part of the things we do to maintain our ISO rating. We do have people who do official inspections, but again, we do not charge to do them. The inspection encompasses the health, life and safety codes and building codes.”

Sargent said all official fire fighters with the MVFD have identification on their person and will be able to present it when asked.

If anyone has a question about what inspections they can expect from the MVFD and how they are conducted, they may contact the MVFD for additional information.  full story