Drew Peterson TV Movie To Air On Lifetime

The story of former Illinois police sergeant and murder suspect Drew Peterson airs on Lifetime this weekend. Rob Lowe plays the controversial ex-cop suspected in the death and disappearance of this third and fourth wives. The 2007 disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, touched off an investigation that prompted authorities to reopen the case involving the accidental drowning of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio. Peterson has repeatedly denied involvement in both cases, but was indicted in 2009 and charged with Savio's murder. He is currently awaiting trial. Last year, Peterson tried, unsuccessfully, to stop production on the TV movie about his case. "Drew Peterson: Untouchable" airs tonight at7 pmon Lifetime.  full story

Marion County Police Beat for Sunday, January 22

A 21-year-old Centralia woman is in the Marion County Jail on alleged drug charges. Shea Leigh Terry of Wabash Street in Centralia was arrested for alleged possession of methamphetamine, possession of meth precursors, possession of less than 2.5 grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested by Marion County Sheriff's Deputies. 36-year-old Patricia Adele Gregory of DeVonia Street in Centralia was arrested by Centralia Police for alleged driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and on Marion and Clinton County warrants.

She remains in the Marion County Jail. Centralia Police arrested 25-year-old Shane Alan Littleton of South Hickory Street in Centralia on Marion and Clinton County warrants and for alleged resisting arrest. He remains in the Marion County Jail. - http://goo.gl/whzTt

Centralia, Big Muddy, Vandalia Prisons Among Overcrowded in State

All three State Correctional facilities in the area are housing well over the number of prisoners they were designed to handle. The Centralia Correctional Center currently has 1,534 inmates, 161 percent over the design capacity of 950.

The Big Muddy Correctional Center at Ina has 1,922 inmates, 202-percent of the design capacity population of 952.

The Vandalia Correctional Center has 1,720 inmates, 156-percent of the design capacity of 1,100. Statewide, Illinois prisons have 15,000 more inmates than they were designed to hold.

The Department of Corrections say even though all the prisons are well over their design capacity, they are within the prisons' "operational capacity" even as some inmates are held in non-traditional areas such as gymnasiums.

Meanwhile, some Illinois lawmakers have been meeting with the Governor's staff in hopes of coming up with a way to address prison overcrowding by the end of the spring session. They include alternatives to incarceration, such as treatment instead of prison for low-level drug offenders.

A spokesperson for Governor Pat Quinn says he is working with lawmakers for'safe, sustainable prisons'. The prison population has grown by seven percent in two years, since Democratic Governor Pat Quinn shut down an early release program for good conduct after the AP reported a secret plan that pushed inmates out even faster.

Some of those released under the program committed more crimes. 48,620 are currently incarcerated in the state's prison system. - http://goo.gl/O8msM

Marion County Police Beat for Saturday, January 21st, 2012

Five people remained in the Marion County Jail Saturday morning after being arrested on Friday on outstanding warrants.

25-year-old Jeffrey Fleming of Sixth Street in Irvington and 18-year-old Briton McCray of South Brookside in Centralia were both picked up on outstanding felony warrants by the Marion County Sheriff's Department.

29-year-old Sarah See of Ticklin Road in Odin was arrested by Sheriff's Deputies on an outstanding DUI warrant. 20-year-old Andrew Flippen of East 15th in Centralia is being held on a small claims warrant. 18-year-old Brandon Marcum of West Noleman in Centralia was arrested on an ordinance violation warrant.

Both Flippen and Marcum were arrested by Centralia Police. full story

Patoka Man Killed in Backhoe Accident North of St. Elmo

A 44-year-old rural Patoka man was killed in a backhoe accident on a Fayette County Road five miles north of St. Elmo. Fayette County Coroner Bruce Bowen says John Cade, Junior was pronounced dead on the scene at 11:43 Friday morning. Bowen reports Cade lost control of the backhoe as it was traveling down a gravel road and overturned in the roadside ditch. Bowen says Cade was an employee of an oil field service equipment company and was in the process of transferring material from one site to another. No one else was in the backhoe when the accident occurred on Fayette County Road 200 E a half mile south of 2450 N. Bowen reports more information will be released on a cause of death following an autopsy that is expected to take place Saturday afternoon at St. Anthony's Hospital in Effingham. Since the accident occurred while Cade was working, OSHA is also involved in the investigation.  full story

Ice Covered Roads Claim Life of Centralia Man, Secondary Roads Still Icy Saturday Morning

Freezing rain is blamed for causing multiple accidents Friday night, including one that took the life of a Centralia man on Interstate 57 in western Clinton County.

State Police say 21-year-old Maurice Currie was a rear seat passenger in a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Gavan Hooper of Mt. Vernon. Hooper and three other passengers in the car were injured and taken to Belleville Hospitals.

They are identified as 20-year-old Dwayne Moore and 22-year-old Theodosia Hooper of Mt. Vernon and 20-year-old Shantae Harris of Hammond, Indiana. All of their injuries were classified as non-life threatening.

State Police say the wreck occurred after a SUV driven by 89-year-old John Barr of Nashville left the road and struck the center median guardrail. Barr then crossed both eastbound lanes of traffic and came to rest partially in the right lane of traffic.

A vehicle driven by 71-year-old Larry Kogl of Atwood, Kansas struck the Barr vehicle in the rear as he tried to change lanes to avoid the crash. Kogl then struck the right rear of the Hooper car in the other lane as it was drastically reducing speed to try and avoid the crash.

State Police say numerous other vehicles had run off icy sections of the road in the vicinity of the crash. The freezing rain left motorists stuck for hours in traffic on Interstate 70 in parts of Fayette and Effingham Counties. Area police departments say the major highways are mostly clear of ice this morning, but secondary roads remain extremely slick and hazardous.

Untreated parking lots and sidewalks are also extremely hazardous. Interstate highways in Fayette and Effingham Counties north to the Chicago area are still reported to have scattered slippery spots. - http://goo.gl/JSB10

Illinois Lawmakers Seek Prison Crowding Fix

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois lawmakers say they hope to come up with a way to address prison crowding by the end of this spring's session. There are 48,620 prisoners in a system designed for 33,700. The population has grown by seven-percent in two years, since Democratic Governor Pat Quinn shut down an early release program for good conduct after the AP reported a secret plan that pushed inmates out even faster. Some released under the program committed more crimes. Rep. Dennis Reboletti is an Elmhurst Republican who has been meeting with Quinn's staff. He suggests alternatives to incarceration such as treatment instead of prison for low-level drug offenders. Quinn has previously said he supports such ideas. His spokeswoman says he is working with lawmakers for "safe, sustainable prisons."  full story

Illinois State Police Handled Over 38,000 Incidents, Seized Over $600,000 in 2011

The Illinois State Police in Effingham conducted a summary of district activity for 2011. State Police handled 38,023 incidents in 2011, with 18,097 citations for seatbelt and speeding violations. There were 368 drivers arrested for driving under the influence, 575 citations for other alcohol violations, and 953 criminal arrests. Eleven-hundred pounds of cannabis was seized, estimated at $1.6 million, and 136 kilos of cocaine seized, estimated at $13.6 million. $618,174 were seized in other criminal activity. District 12 troopers handled 1,087 crashes. District wide, there were 31 fatal crashes, claiming 35 lives. Alcohol was a factor in nine-crashes. Preliminary ISP statistics show 832 fatal traffic crashes, with 915 fatalities during 2011. Through partnerships with the Illinois Department of Transportation and area local law enforcement agencies, 12 fewer people lost their lives on Illinois roadways than in 2010. Locally, District 12's fatalities declined from 41 in 2010 to 35 in 2011.  full story

Marion County Crimestoppers Asking for Help in ATV Theft in Rural Alma

The Marion County Crimestoppers is asking the public to help solve an ATV theft in rural Alma. A black 2008 Polaris Sportmen 800 CC four-wheeler was taken from Greenridge Road in rural Alma between January 13th and January 19th. The owner is offering a $500 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft. Anyone with information is urged to call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 548-2141, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-499-UTEL (8835). All calls to crimestoppers are anonymous.  full story

Illinois Ranks 3rd in Green Building Nationally

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois is on the U.S. Green Building Council's list of the top ten states for green buildings. Illinois ranks third on the nonprofit group's list, behind the District of Columbia and Colorado. The list ranks states for the number of commercial and institutional green buildings per capita based on the 2010 U.S. Census. Illinois has 34.5 million square feet of green building space, or 2.6 feet per capita. Doug Widener is president of the council's Illinois chapter. He says the state's high ranking marks the diversity of those in Illinois who understand the significance of green building's environmental, economic and social impacts.  full story