The man who led police on a chase from Shelby County to Christian County and was arrested outside Taylorville made his first appearance in court this morning.  Deven Barger appeared in custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections alongside attorney public defender Bradford Rau.  Barger waived his preliminary hearing, waived arraignment, and plead not guilty to the charges. He demanded a trial by jury and requested pretrial only. His next court date is set for September 16th. Barger is accused of killing Samantha Cushing and her unborn child in Shelbyville on July 8th.

The Village of Edinburg has issued a boil order for customers effective at 1:16 PM on July 31st.  The boil order is for those customers on Franklin Street from Wildcat Way to Wilkinson and from Franklin Street on Sheridan, Curtis, Eaton, and Campbell Streets.

Water supply personnel will return the system to normal as soon as possible.  At present, the water in the system may be subject to bacteriological contamination which can cause waterborne disease and/or general gastrointestinal distress.

Customers are encouraged to treat all water for drinking or cooking purposes by bringing it to a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes.  For more information contact Superintendent Mike Lebshier at 217-623-5542.

In an effort to curb highway fatalities and protect construction workers, police officers, and other first responders, Governor JB Pritzker has signed legislation into law to increase penalties against those who violate Scott’s Law as it is commonly referred too. Scott’s Law requires you to move over when there is an accident or if a police officer has a vehicle pulled over. If you can’t move over then you need to significantly slow your speed.  Governor Pritzker did not mince words about how important this law is and why he supported the rise in penalties.

At least 22 stationary vehicles have been hit this year in Illinois resulting in two state trooper deaths. Governor Pritzker reiterated that if you see someone on the side of the road, to move over. 

Scott’s Law increases the minimum fine to $250 for the first violation and up to $750 for the second and more. Criminal penalties will increase to a Class A misdemeanor with up to one year in jail.  If there is damage to another vehicle, it’s a class 4 felony, and punishable by up to three years in jail. The stricter penalties go into effect immediately. There will also be an increase in penalties in construction zones especially if a worker is hit. That law takes effect in 2020.

Diabetes has an impact on nearly everyone in the United States. Whether that mean someone diagnosed with diabetes themselves or they know someone that has diabetes.

For this reason Taylorville Memorial Hospital will be hosting a free kidney and diabetes screening in the Janice Hopper Auditorium this Thursday from 10 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon.

Erlenbush says diabetes can lead to kidney problems as well and for this reason they added the kidney screening as well to make sure that they are thorough in checking all who stop and get screened.

Erlenbush appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Illinois State Fair will be here before we know it and soon people from all over the state of Illinois will be flooding Springfield to enjoy the festivities.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs always looks forward to the Annual Live Auction at the Illinois State Fair. He explains how it got its start and how much it has grown in recent memory.

Every year it is different and there are always great items up for bid. This year Frerichs says you have the opportunity to get your hands on a coin that he himself didn’t even know existed.

Frerichs shares when and where you need to be if you are hoping to bid on some of these fine items at the Illinois State Fair.

Frerichs appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville held a town hall meeting on Tuesday evening that was well attended.  The meeting was held at the Taylorville High School Cafeteria and Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry, along with Chief Dwayne Wheeler, new superintendent Chris Dougherty, and Chief Mike Crews took questions throughout the night.  Chief Wheeler once again reiterated that he and the police are working hard to fix a lot of the issues in town.

Chief Wheeler wants everyone to know that the Taylorville Facebook page is very active and that if you have an issue or you see something suspicious to call his office and let them know.  They can’t fix the issue if they don’t know about it.

Chief Wheeler has been the police chief of Taylorville since July 1st.

The city of Taylorville held a town hall meeting Tuesday evening to address any concerns that citizens might have in an open forum. Fire Chief Mike Crews addressed the room and said that they are a busy station that takes nearly 1700 calls a year but they appreciate the support they get from the city.

Crews also went on to say that planning helps the city and helped the city, especially during the tornado.

Mayor Bruce Barry opened up the floor for questions and some of the issues that were discussed were flooding issues in different spots of the city especially on Poplar, while Mayor Barry said he is aware of them and they are being handled. Chief Dwayne Wheeler spoke out on active shooters and stated that if there are any festivals, the Taylorville Police Department, along with Christian County and the Illinois State Police will be prepared. The other big topic was safety with parking and driving during drop off and pick up hours at school.  Mayor Barry and Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty assured the audience that these issues were being addressed. Mayor Barry told Regional Radio that he plans on holding this meeting again at a later date.
 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from a representative from the Christian County Development Corporation, at their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Wendi Rensing (right) is the Home Ownership Coordinator for the new organization, which acquired the assets of the former Christian County Housing Authority.  Rensing shared with Kiwanis members how she is assisting tenants of several of the housing subdivisions C-C-D-C owns, to sell them the homes they now rent, turning them into homeowners.

Rensing added that federal regulations require that many of the tax credit homes built by the former Christian County Housing Authority, be sold 15 years after they were built.  

She added that around 90 homes thru-out Christian County qualify to be sold to their tenants.

Kiwanis president Michael Evanchak (left) presided at the meeting.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

The Christian County Fair Great Chili Cookoff took place on Saturday with the winners being eligible to attend the national championships in Ankeny, Iowa. Tom Calvert, who participated in the event says he’s surprised more people didn’t compete.

Calvert says that the roots of chili run deep in Taylorville, affectionately known as the Chili Capital of Illinois.

Winners were picked in three categories; red, homestyle, and verde.  People from all over the United States competed including contestants from  Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. Regional Radio News was live for the Christian County Fair Great Chili Cookoff.

There is no doubt that in recent memory Central Illinois has been dealing with an opiod problem and Christian County is no different.

President and CEO of Tayorville Memorial Hospital Kim Bourne wants to encourage you to stop by TMH this evening at 6 for their event in opiod training to help learn how to handle someone who might be battling an opiod addiction.

Bourne points out some of the warning signs to look out for with someone who might be on opiods, she says sometimes it starts from prescription pain killers and develops to something much worse.

Bourne says often after surgery doctors would be handing out opiods to deal with pain, now that is changing as Tylenol has been go to starting dose and if that doesn't work then the next step will be up to the doctor.

Bourne appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A furniture store in Taylorville will be officially changing ownership on August 1st. Jensen’s Home Furnishings will become Wright’s Furniture. Tom Wright, President of Wright’s Furniture, which has bought Jensen’s from Jerry Jensen says that he’s excited for this new adventure.

Wright wants to know that despite the name change, Jerry Jensen’s staff will remain the same and that a grand opening will be taking place in the near future.

With all of the changes coming, Tom Wright says that he is also excited to be a part of the Taylorville community.

The furniture store is located at 400 North Webster in Taylorville.

Have you ever wanted to voice your concerns about issues affecting you? Do you live in Taylorville? If so, then you’ll want to be in attendance at the Taylorville Town Hall meeting tonight.  Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry, along with Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler will be there with other city officials to hear your concerns whether it be about drugs, street repairs, crime, the December 1st tornado, and anything in between.  The town hall meeting will be this evening from 5:30-7PM at the Taylorville High School Cafeteria. Mayor Barry says there will be some light refreshments available and encourages everyone from the community to attend. 

The community of Pana is in mourning today after it was announced over the weekend that the Pana Football Coach, Trevor Higgins son, Evan, passed away tragically after a swimming accident. Higgins announced on his Facebook page that the boy had died and the community has sent an outpouring of love and hope and support for the coach.  Higgins posted on his Facebook, “Evan was officially declared deceased at 2:55 PM. Our family is heartbroken and will never be the same. All we can do now is trust that God had a reason to take him from us! We know that he is up in heaven now playing with his grandma Stacey (my mom) who passed away from cancer in 2010. The only thing getting us through this is the love and support of our family members and the communities that we grew up in or work for! Evan was the best kid you could ask for. He was sweet, kind, full of energy and enthusiasm and never knew a stranger.”  A prayer vigil was held over the weekend and Higgins sent out a message thanking everyone for all of the support. Higgins has announced that his son’s organs will be donated as well.  Funeral arrangements for Evan Higgins are pending.

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville wants to be as involved with the community as they can be and ready to welcome all with open arms.

Laurie Hayden with HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville says a change is coming to their hospital in terms of Mass.

Tonya Bowrey also with HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville says they are staying plenty busy with their Mission Possible objective.

Hayden and Bowery appeared as guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville Studios.

Texting and driving? You might not want to do it anymore after July with ticket violation costs going up but texting and driving doesn’t necessarily mean sending that 2-second message. With tougher texting laws in place, Illinois State Police wants you to know what is allowed with your phone and what isn’t. ISP Sergeant Joey Watson says you shouldn’t even hold the phone even if it’s using it for directions.

Watson says that you shouldn’t use your phone when you're stuck in traffic, stopped at a light, going on a long trip, and if you use it for directions, set it up before your trip.

Watson says if you don’t want a ticket, use a BlueTooth speaker and put the phone away. The maximum fines for standard electronic-communication-device violations are $75 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense, $125 for a third offense, and $150 for a fourth or subsequent offense.

With County Fairs in full swing around Central Illinois, one thing that sticks out is how special these moments are for children. The 4-H fair which took place last week is a place where special moments are made. Terry Horseman, Vice President of the extension foundation and part of the Junior Fair board. She says the best part of these fairs is the youth.

Riley Walden and Garrett Figgins say that they love how much 4H means to them.

The Christian County and Shelby County Fairs wrapped up last week.

For those who may not know a lot of work goes into beef and swine shows, and the hard work that the kids put in oftentimes goes unnoticed.  But it doesn’t go unnoticed by the family members, judges, and the kids themselves.  Bo Bennett showed beef cattle at the Shelby County 4H and Junior Fair last week.  He says there is more to showing cattle than just presenting. 

Bennett says the 4-H program is something that will set him up for a career that he wants—even if he has to wake up at 4:45 in the morning.

There are over 200,000 kids that participate in 4H in Illinois.

One of the big highlights of the Christian County Fair and all fairs is the Queen Pageant.  For this year, 2019 Miss Christian County was Miss Kennedy Mann.  Most people don’t realize just how much prep work goes into the pageant. Kennedy says that it seemed like a blur.

For Kennedy this is something she has always wanted to do.

Kennedy says that this pageant means everything to her.

The Christian County Pageant took place early last week.

Several agriculture scholarships to deserving high school seniors, were announced during Thursday's Christian County Ag Group Ag Day Luncheon at the Christian County Fair.

Mellisa McMillan announced a scholarship to be presented to Maria Brockamp of Morrisonville, from the Christian County Ag Group.

McMillan then announced the scholarship award winners from the Christian County Farm Bureau Foundation.

Mark Baumann, general manager of Christian County Farmer's Supply Company, then shared the co-op's grant efforts over the past several years.

Baumann then announced this year's grants.

Over 250 attended Thursday's Christian County Ag Group Ag Day Luncheon.

Regional Radio News has learned that the Illinois Department of Transportation has approved the Intersection Design Study for an entrance from Illinois Route 29, to the proposed new Taylorville Industrial Park on the city’s northwest side.

The approval came within the last few weeks, and the permit will now be issued by the state to allow construction of the entrance.

The approval is one of many pieces of approvals and permits needed, to begin construction.  The Taylorville Development Association, with assistance from the City of Taylorville and technical assistance from Christian County Economic Development Corporation, raised some 537-thousand dollars locally, and then applied thru the Economic Development Administration’s Chicago office, for a 537-thousand dollar matching grant.  That matching grant was approved over a year ago, to build streets, curb, gutter, and other infrastructure for the new Taylorville Industrial Park.  

T-D-A officials are hopeful that they can break ground on the project late this year, with a completion date of next summer.

Everybody has dreams of what they want to do when they grow up.  Some kids want to be firefighters, some kids want to be doctors, and other kids want to be race car drivers.  Matthew Holt, a Decatur native, is one of those guys.  Holt got his start in racing the same way other kids did, by BMX, Go-Kart, and working his way up. 

Holt says racing brings local communities together where you have a chance to watch your friends race and gives you a feel good story.

Holt is the 17th ranked driver in the world in the National Rock Racing Association, which takes courses off-road up and down steep cliffs, valleys, water, and anything else mother nature throws at it. Holt uses local for everything and fixes a lot of equipment on his vehicle in Taylorville and continues to support small business. Holt says he encourages anyone who wants to race to just do it. 

For a child with big dreams, Holt was able to fufill his. For more information on Holt, and the Rock Racing Association, visit their website at www.southernrockracing.com.

The Farmers Market can be found Saturdays on Taylorville Square starting at 9 with great products to fit any need.

Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market. He says the weather has put a bit of a delay on the Illinois Sweet Corn, but he his hopeful that will be changing soon.

While the sweet corn is always a great product to grab Downs encourages you to check out the pork for sale as well, he says it is second to none.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square Saturday’s from 9 to noon.

The Christian County Fair is ramping up for a big finish as the week draws to a close but there is still a lot of events taking place.  Jim Curtin, Fair Board President says that some big events are coming up Friday and Saturday.

Curtin says that keeping the all-volunteer staff going for the fair keeps them busy most of the year but in the end, it’s all worth it.

The Christian County Fair finishes with the demolition derby on Saturday evening usually in front of a packed house.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club announced this week, that it has been awarded a one-thousand dollar grant from the WalMart Foundation.

The grant request was written by Kiwanis member Martin Vota.  

The one-thousand dollars will be used by the local Kiwanis Club, for continued improvements at Kiwanis Park, including a second covered pavilion.

Since 1995 when the Taylorville Kiwanis Club founded Kiwanis Park, over 20-thousand dollars has been raised locally and put into the park.  It includes a large pavilion, fire pit, rest rooms, playground and boat dock.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

The Taylorville Stock Car Races took place Wednesday evening and drew a heavy crowd to the event that featured three different styles of vehicles. Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Hornet Divisions. In the Sportsman Race which featured a finale of 20 laps, Wes O’ Dell from Springfield took the championship. Taylorville driver, Tim Bedinger finished second. Scott Landers, also from Taylorville finished 5th in a field that started with 14 cars. In the street stocks finale, Andy Zahnd, from White Heath, took the checkered flag. The 20 lap race had 9 out of the 13 drivers finish the race. Taylorville native Zach Rhodes placed 12th and did not finish the race. In the Hornet’s division, Joe Reed from Decatur took home the checkered flag. Steve Stine from Stonington finished 4th. Taylorville native Michael Abbott finished in 10th. Out of the 20 vehicles that started the 15 lap race, only 11 crossed the finish line. The crowd had quite a time, especially when one of the vehicles driven by Eldon Hemken of Sorento, flipped after hitting a tire and the vehicle did a somersault in the air. Hemken walked away from the crash.

Over 250 attended Thursday's Ag Day Luncheon sponsored by the Christian County Ag Group, at the Christian County Fairgrounds.  The event, in its 25th year, spotlights the importance of agriculture to the economy of Christian County.

The Ag Group secured some 20 local sponsors, in order to provide a free lunch for those attending.

The Ag Day Luncheon featured 2 guest speakers. 

Christian County native Nicole Moore (right) is the Marketing Representative and Grant Administrator in Marketing, Promotion and Grants for the Illinois Department of Agriculture.  Moore gave some examples of products that are part of the Illinois Products program, which identifies products grown or manufactured inside the state.

The 2nd guest speaker at the Christian County Ag Group Ag Day Luncheon, was the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, Kim Kidwell (left), who told attendees one of the most important things that the U-of-I does is support the future of agriculture thru education.

Ag Group committee member and Miller Media Group president Randal J. Miller, emceed this year's Ag Day Luncheon.

The Christian County Ag Group Committee is made up of stakeholders in agriculture in Christian County.  They hold regular meetings thru-out the year, and the annual Ag Day Luncheon is their biggest event each year.

While food, festivities, car racing, and carnival rides take center stage, behind the scenes, are hundreds of teenagers working on putting together finishing touches on fine arts, agriculture, and metal works.  One of those students, Hayden Baker has been hard at work putting together some of her designs including a painting.

All of this is building up towards either taking it to state fair, or selling it to the highest bidder at an auction at the Christian County Fairgrounds on Thursday.

All of the projects will be on display until Thursday in the Expo building at the Christian County Fair.

With the Christian County Fair in full swing, you might notice people walking in to the expo building with plants, vegetables, fruits, artwork, and much more but you might not know how to be a part of it or even that there are prizes given for the best. Linda Binger, Superintendent of exhibits says that it’s quite easy to become a part of the festivities.

Binger says this year, they are trying some new stuff for the fair, including cake mixes that are infused with other flavors.

The Christian County Fair runs until Saturday evening.

The Central Illinois Dentistry's Big Smile for the community for the month of July is presented to Christian County 4-H Youth and Development Program Coordinator, Rebecca Livingston.  Livingston says she has been involved with 4H for over 10 years.  She can’t even guess how many kids she’s worked with during that time.

Livingston says that fair times are the busiest.

Livingston says that for the most part, she looks forward to all the interactions she gets to have with the kids.

To nominate someone for the NEWSTALK WTIM Central Illinois Family Dentistry “Big Smile for the Community” award, send your nomination to bigsmile@randyradio.com.
 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club and HSHS Medical Group in Taylorville, are partnering to collect school supplies for Taylorville elementary school students.

Specifically, the 2 groups are collecting boxes of tissue, such as Kleenexes or Puffs, and hand sanitizers, to be brought to the Kiwanis Club’s July 23rd and July 30th meetings.  

These items can also be left at HSHS Medical Group’s offices on North Route 29 in Taylorville.

The effort was launched at Tuesday’s Taylorville Kiwanis Club meeting.

They’ll be distributed to teachers of elementary school students as they begin a new school year.

From the left:  Kiwanis Club president Michael Evanchak; Katie White with HSHS Medical Group Taylorville; and Kiwanis member Martin Vota who coordinated the effort with HSHS.

Next Tuesday Taylorville residents will be gathering in the cafeteria at Taylorville High School for a town hall meeting which will begin around 5:30 and last till 7.

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry says he got this idea from new Chief of Police Dwayne Wheeler and it will give the citizens of Taylorville an opportunity to voice their concerns.

Barry says he has heard nothing but good reviews in terms of the work that Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler has done since his first day on the job at the beginning of July.

Changes may be coming to Taylorville in terms of solar farms coming to town. Barry sees this as a great opportunity for the city of Taylorville.

Barry appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

L- R 2018 Miss Christian County Aly Moore; 2nd Runner Up Dariess Moreland; 2019 Miss Christian County Kennedy Mann; 1st Runner Up Danielle Epley; 2018 Jr. Miss Christian County Jhia Walker (Not Pictured) 2019 Peoples Choice Kailee Stewart and 2019 Miss Congeniality 

L - R: 1st RUNNER UP Delaney Epley and 2019 Jr. Miss Congeniality; 2019 Jr. Miss Christian County Lydia Repscher; 2nd Runner Up Alivia Kent 

L - R Front Row: 2018 Little Miss Christian County Brystol Hughes; 2nd Runner Up Hollyn Becker; 2019 Little Miss Christian County Nora Curtin; 1st Runner Up Cara Eggimann Back Row: 2018 Jr. Miss Christian County Jhia Walker; 2018 Miss Christian County Aly Moore 

When thinking of Social Security and the application process it can be intimidating and time consuming heading to the Social Security Administration to sit down and talk about applying for benefits.

Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration Jack Myers says in recent years their website has really gotten a makeover and there is plenty of benefits to apply for online.

Myers says he generally recommends use the website for all your social security needs, however he does have an exception to the rule in terms of when death occurs.

Myers appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

For those with drug addiction, life can be hard and you might not know where to turn, but Gateway Foundation in Springfield wants to help you find the help that you need.  Gateway Foundation in Springfield is a treatment facility that has locations all over Illinois. Mindy Melton, the business development coordinator with Gateway says that with a 97% success rate, Gateway is a place where you can feel safe. You don’t need to be arrested to go to Gateway as there are walk-in hours and everything is anonymous.

Melton says that there is a misconception about what Gateway is, and if you have questions, you should come and book a tour.  Gateway is not just for those with addiction it’s also for family members to get help with coping as well.

For more information on Gateway and the treatments they offer go to www.gatewayfoundation.org or 877-377-2027 or 217-529-9266.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from the new Taylorville School Superintendent, at their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Doctor Chris Dougherty has been in the Taylorville District only 16 days, with an education career spanning some 30 years as a teacher and administrator.

She said she had several offers when she decided to move from the superintendent position in DePaw, Illinois, but she chose Taylorville because the district is poised for success.  She shared a voicemail she received from Northern Illinois, that had a Taylorville connection.

She complimented the work previous superintendent Doctor Gregg Fuesterneau did in getting the Taylorville District to where it is.  

Dougherty added she’s sensed a lot of optimism in the Taylorville community as a whole, and that moving to the community has been an amazing experience.

One guest attended Tuesday’s Taylorville Kiwanis Club meeting.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

The Taylorville Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and the Central Illinois Enforcement Group executed a drug investigation which resulted in a search warrant being conducted at 608 South Arlington in Taylorville. Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler says it all started because of calls about drug trafficking. 

During the execution of the search warrant, contraband was confiscated including methamphetamine. 50-year-old William Scott Single of Taylorville was arrested. Single was charged with unlawful use of a residence in response to methamphetamine delivery. 42-year-old Nicholas J. Dyer of Taylorville was arrested.  Dyer was charged with methamphetamine delivery. 21-year-old James M. Assad Jr. of Taylorville was arrested for a valid Christian County Warrant. 22-year-old Tracy L. Stevens of Decatur was also arrested for methamphetamine delivery. Chief Wheeler says Taylorville is a safe place to live, but that Taylorville has a drug problem and he intends to fix it.

The investigation is still ongoing.  Anyone with a tip should call the Taylorville Police Department or Christian County Sheriff’s office.

JAMES MICHAEL ASSAD JR.

NICHOLAS JAMES DYER

WILLIAM SCOTT SINGLE

TRACY L STEVENS

The Christian County Fair held their annual ribbon cutting Tuesday morning. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at 11 AM with members from the City of Taylorville, and Christian County attending as well.  Patty Hornbuckle, with the Taylorville Area Chamber of Commerce, helped with the festivities and 2018 Miss Christian County Aly Moore cut the ribbon officially opening the fair.  Aly Moore says that she is excited for this year’s fair and is looking forward to the pageant Tuesday evening.

The fair opens with culinary arts, textiles and fine arts, and a general show from the 4H club in the expo and wraps up on Saturday evening. For more information on the Christian County Fair, call 217-824-3100.

Tim Bedinger races in a Taylorville Race from 2018.

With racing coming to Taylorville on Wednesday, some local drivers are using this as a chance to have “home field advantage.”  Scott Landers, a Taylorville native, leads the point list for the sportsman class.  Tim Bedinger, also from Taylorville was last year’s point champion and both drivers figure to be the front runners for Wednesday night’s race at the Christian County Fairgrounds. Bedinger says that winning in front of the hometown crowd means a lot because often his family can’t make it out to Macon. Other racers from Taylorville that will be competing in the Sportsman class include Mitch Ringler, Stefan Bedinger, Brad Bedinger, Conor Klay and Ty Nation. In the Hornet’s class, which is the slowest racers of the night, Michael Abbott will be racing.  The Taylorville native is tenth in the Macon Speedway standings.  For more information on the races visit www.trackenterprises.com or www.christiancountyfair.com.  

With the 4H participants flooding the Christian County Fairgrounds yesterday some might be in the dark as to what 4H is actually all about.

Brooke Bates is a 4H Ambassador and she has us covered on that topic, she explains the meaning behind 4H and how big of a difference it can make in a youth's life.

Bates knows that there are plenty of 4H projects to get through at the fairgrounds and as a former 4H participant she knows what it is like standing in front of the judges presenting your project.

Bates appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Christian County Fairgrounds.

It can be nerve-wracking standing in front of the judges at a 4H show to talk about your project and you hope that the judges are giving you good marks.

Mackenzie Harmon is ready for the challenge this year at the Christian County she has three entries this year including a plasma cutter project.

Harmon says this plasma cutter project was almost too much fun and she loves the feeling of taking a blank canvas in a sheet of metal and turning it into a beautiful piece of art.

Harmon appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Christian County Fairgrounds.

After much anticipation, the playground is finally open at Manners Park.  Despite it being a rainy spring, the Park District was able to finally get some good weather and finish up working on a playground that to some may have seemed like it would never open.  Maintenance Superintendent Gary Brown says he is excited that this project is finally complete.

One thing is for sure, the kids have never been more excited as it has been busy nonstop since it opened despite there being some rain early Monday morning.

The Christian County Fair is officially in full swing as plenty of 4H participants were at the fairgrounds showing their projects.

Caleb Grover has been lending his services as a judge for the Christian County Fair as well as he is hoping to hear good news about his project which is his college and career readiness portfolio which he has spent years working on.

Grover says he is not done adding to this portfolio yet, any event he goes to he is thinking of how he can better his portfolio and make it stand out over the rest.

Grover appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Christian County Fairgrounds.

With a new superintendent, comes new ideas and a new direction.  Dr. Chris Dougherty, new superintendent for Taylorville School District, says that her philosophy about teaching has always been about hands-on learning, and how as a human you never stop learning.

Dougherty says some of her goals for this year are to work with literacy and with development.

Dr. Dougherty took over as the new School District Superintendent on July 1st.

The Taylorville Park District met Monday evening and focused on an issue that is being talked about not just in the Park but in Taylorville as a whole.  Jason Boldig, who is the general manager for the Lake Shore Golf Course in Taylorville asked the board to consider a motion to approve liquor sales for Sunday Morning.   Boldig says liquor sales would help business especially when other cities are already selling liquor on Sunday mornings.

This is an issue that is also being discussed in City Council, as the Council board would have to approve it. Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry says that at the last ordinance committee it was voted to go to the City Council to vote on it for final approval.  One of the underlying concerns is taverns being open on Sunday mornings, but an ordinance would be passed to make places like convenience stores and grocery stores able to sell on Sunday Mornings and not taverns or bars.

The motion was approved, pending approval at City Council.  Security Cameras for the Playground was also discussed including adding some cameras that cover the concession stand area.  Bailey Hancock says that things are going well with the pool but due to kids going back to school, the pool will most likely be closing for the season around August 9th.  A discussion took place about ways to figure out how to get people to slow down through the park district. A management agreement vote was approved between the Taylorville Park District and J & D Golf Management.  The next Park Board meeting will be held on August 26th.  

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest Committee held their monthly meeting at the Angelo's Pizza meeting room Monday night, as plans continue for the annual event on the Taylorville square October 5th and 6th.

C-E-O of the Chamber Patty Hornbuckle told Regional Radio News after the meeting, that committee members shared what each are doing in their specific area to improve the event.

Hornbuckle added that even though many Chillifest commmittee members have served for many years, it still takes a lot of work to make it happen.

Volunteers are what make the Greater Taylorville Chillifest happen.

To volunteer to work at this year's Greater Taylorville Chillifest, contact the Chamber office at 824-49-19.

A Shelbyville resident is dead after a vehicle crash in Shelby County Sunday evening.  49 year old Wesley J. Watson of Shelbyville was pronounced deceased after General Motor’s ONSTAR service reported a vehicle had deployed it’s airbags and they weren’t able to contact the driver. When police arrived with Shelby County Rescue Squad, Fire Department and Decatur Area Ambulance, they found the vehicle in a deep ravine just west of a curve located on County Road 900 North near County Road 2000 East.  Watson was taken to Bloomington for an autopsy.  The Shelby County Sheriff’s office is still investigating the crash.

Picture Courtesy Google Maps.

The Taylorville School District welcomes a new Superintendent this year.  Dr. Chris Dougherty will take over as superintendent for Dr. Greggory Fuerstenau who left to become Litchfield’s new superintendent.  Dougherty comes from the DePue School District.  Dougherty served as Superintendent at DePue for 2 ½ years but she’s been an educator for over 30 years.

Dougherty is excited to be in Taylorville and says that she knew she wanted to be here pretty quickly.

Dr. Dougherty started the new job on July 1st and is excited for the new school year to begin.

By now every American citizen across the country is aware of the situation going on at the southern border with illegal immigrants making their way into the United States.

Congressman Davis represents the 13th District of Illinois, he says anyone who does not think there is a problem at the border could not be more wrong. Davis just wants to see that the laws are followed.

Being in Illinois citizens of the state may be thinking that the southern border is over 1,200 miles away so they will not feel the effects of the immigrants, Davis says this is not the case. 

Davis appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show. 

Steve Henry with CSH Investments is the go to guy in Taylorville for investment advice on the stock market and bonds.

Steve Henry is looking at the big changes coming to the market in terms of China opening up their market to the world. Henry says this has been a project China has been trying to accomplish for a while, but now it is finally done.

There is some strategy involved to the implementation of China joining the world market. If China were to attempt this feat in just one year Henry says it would be pure chaos.

Henry appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A landscaping company is closing down after 13 years. Seth McMillan from McMillan Landscape And Garden Center announced on the companies Facebook page that they will be selling their business and ending the store on July 31st.   McMillan says he has taken a full time teaching job.

McMillan says that even though the store is closing, they will honor any contracts that they still have until they are complete. McMillan wants to thank the community for everything over the last 13 years.

McMillan said on his Facebook page, “ After 13 years in business, We have decided to sell out. Our retail store will officially close on July 31st. Please know that any client who has a current lawn care agreement or landscape project your contract will be honored. Our business will continue to operate until all of our current agreements have been fulfilled. Thank you for supporting our small business over the years!”
 

Changes are coming to Pana as the community continues to grow with new businesses wanting to come to Pana and call this town home.

Pana Mayor Don Kroski says he is hopeful that CTI might be making their way to town to install some fiber internet, as long as the community shows enough interest.

Kroski believes bringing a business like CTI to town is whats best for Pana and its residents, saying that it comes down to consistency and keeping the internet running at high speeds.

Kroski appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The sounds of roaring engines, screaming fans, and heart-pumping action will once again take center stage at the Christian County grandstand on Wednesday evening on July 24th. Larry’s Service Center is presenting the 6th annual triple header of racing. Adam Landers says the racing will be broken up into three sections.

Landers says there will be an exhibit for Modified’s as well. 

Prizes for the faster races will be $500 while the Hornets is $200.  Gates open at 5.  Races start at 7. For more information contact 217-764-3200.

Arguments for the bail hearing for the man accused of shooting two people in Taylorville on Tuesday evening was heard in court Friday morning. Nathan Howell appeared in court Friday with two deputies from the Christian County Sheriff’s office. Howell, alongside public defender, Michael Drake listened as State Attorney Sarah Carlson gave the State’s argument of not only the probable cause statement that was read on Wednesday but also highlighting Nathan Howell’s extensive criminal history including being currently on probation in Montgomery County for a battery charge and facing a methamphetamine charge in that county as well.  Due to all of those factors, the State asked for a bond set at one million dollars.  When Judge Christopher Matoush asked public defender Michael Drake for his side of the case, Drake informed the court that they would not argue for reduction of bond at this time, but was hoping to push forward on having a mental evaluation done.  Bond was set at one million dollars and Judge Matoush informed Mr. Drake that any motion for an evaluation would have to be done at a later date. The preliminary hearing plus any evaluation motions filed will be heard on August 16th. 

Spending an extended amount of time outside in the heat will take its effect the Christian County Sheriffs Office wants to make sure you and your loved ones stay safe.

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp says with this heat check on the elderly and if they say they are doing fine check on them in person to make sure everything is alright.

Kettelkamp says make sure you check the back seat before getting out to run errands. Even if you think it will be a quick in and out stop it does not take long for the heat to be deadly for a young child or pet.

Kettelkamp appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The party starts tomorrow at the Pillar Event Center in Taylorville for the Adult Prom which starts at 7 in the evening.

CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Patty Hornbuckle says they are expecting a good crowd to come out and tickets will still be available at the door.

The Clinton J Hornbuckle Memorial Foundation is near and dear to Patty’s heart. The foundation is hoping to raise funds to cover transportation costs for Taylorville youth sports.

The Lori Bedinger Memorial Foundation is also helping put this event together. Hornbuckle says for this foundation it is about helping the arts.

Hornbuckle appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show. 

The heat is here in Central Illinois! With heat index values reaching upwards of 110 make sure you are staying hydrated.

Nutrition and Wellness Educator with the Christian County U of I Extension Office Lisa Peterson wants you to make sure you are getting plenty of water in your system.

Men sweat more and lose more water than women. Peterson goes over the numbers of how many cups of water you need to be drinking on a daily basis to stay hydrated.

Peterson appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County Historical Society is hosting a quilt show on July 20th from 10-2.  The proceeds will go towards the Historical Society.  Museum Director Maureen Bruns says the cost is 5 bucks but that gets you a whole lot more than just seeing the quilts.

Bruns says there is something for everyone at the quilt show.

For more information visit the Christian County Historical Society’s Facebook Page.

The Farmers Market can be found Saturdays on Taylorville Square starting at 9 with great products to fit any need.

Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market. He knows the heat is on the way Saturday but says they will be out at the square and to come early to beat the heat and get your Calhoun County peaches.

Downs is excited to announce that the sweet corn is on its way back this weekend a little later than normally anticipated but he expects the sweet corn to go fast.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square Saturday’s from 9 to noon.

The man who shot two people in Taylorville on Tuesday appeared in court for the first time Thursday afternoon. Nathan L. Howell appeared via video conference from the Christian County Jail.  State Attorney Mike Havera issued new charges against Howell. He is being charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and attempted 1st-degree murder (2019CF203). Judge Christopher Matoush had State Attorney Havera read the probable cause. At 10:32 PM on July 17, a 9-1-1 call came in for an unresponsive subject from a possible gunshot. Officers were dispatched to 1259 N1250 East Road. As officers arrived, shouting was heard. A male and a female flagged down police.  The officers were trying to establish where the gun was, and the male and female didn’t know. As police cleared the house, a man, later identified as Mike Staton, was found bleeding from the head in the kitchen. EMS was called and began working on Staton.  Police went and cleared the rest of the house. A weapon was found at the bottom of the stairs in the back of the house, a .22 caliber Ruger in a pool of blood.  As police gathered to spread out to find the shooter, a woman, later identified as Roxanna C. Anthony, approached the group of about 6 people. A shot rang out and hit Anthony in the head and she slumped to the ground. Police later found Nathan C. Howell with a .22 caliber rifle and live rounds of ammunition as well.  Both patients were airlifted for treatment. Judge Matoush found probable cause. According to Anthony’s sister, Mary Henderson, she is in ICU and heavily sedated. She also said she is unsure if Roxanna Anthony will be able to see again.  Staton was released from the hospital. Howell requested an attorney for the bond hearing. Bond is set for Friday morning at 10:30.  Howell said on record, he wouldn’t be able to pay bond. Howell faces 6-30 years, a $25,000 fine, and 3 years parole for aggravated discharge of a firearm and 25-life for attempted 1st-degree murder. Howell will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence if convicted and no probation will be granted.

In late May representatives in Springfield wrapped up the spring session and it has been mostly quiet since then.

State Senator Andy Manar represents the 48th District of Illinois. He admits he is eager to get back into session as there is still plenty of work to do, towards the top of the list will be working on property taxes.

Manar is ready to get back to a state of normalcy when back in session in the fall. He assures though that he has not been on summer vacation, he has stayed plenty busy.

Manar appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

With people going to pools to beat the heat, the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s office wants to make sure you practice pool safety. Drowning is the leading cause of deaths for children ages 1-4 through the United States and in Illinois alone, 6 kids under the age of 15 died from drowning last year.  JC Fultz who is a spokesperson for the Illinois State Fire Marshall says that you can teach your kids early about pool safety.

Fultz says to learn CPR and teach kids that toys and floats should be put away after swimming as well.

Fultz says pools and spas should have a four-sided fence with a self-closing self-latching gate around it for extra protection.

With most of central Illinois in a heatwave, the Illinois State Police would like to remind you to never leave children or pets in a hot car.  According to www.heatkills.org, a car's interior temperature can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes and up to 43 degrees in an hour. Illinois State Police Trooper Mindy Carroll says that if you see a child or pet locked up in a car that’s shut off, you should call 9-1-1, give the location and description of the vehicle than stay with the vehicle until help arrives. 

Carroll says if the situation is urgent, or the child or animal looks in trouble go ahead and break the window.  Carroll advises you to have someone with you as a witness.

For more information on car safety and heat visit the U of I Extension website at https://web.extension.illinois.edu/ccdms/facts/110621.html 

UPDATED: Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp held a press conference on Wednesday morning at 10 to discuss the shooting.  He informed the press that Nathan Howell had been in court for incidents in the past.  Trooper Sean T. Ramsey from the Illinois State Police stated that the shooting took place in two buildings and that the evidence would take quite a while to gather.  Kettelkamp said he wasn’t going to be able to comment a whole lot on what took place, but did say that Howell was arrested about 15 minutes after the 9-1-1 call came in.

A shooting on Route 48 and Nokomis Blacktop Tuesday evening has sent two to the hospital and one in custody. The shooting took place Tuesday evening around 10:30. The Christian County Sheriff’s office along with Illinois State Police are investigating the shooting that took place at 1259 North 1250 East Road in Taylorville. Taylorville, Morrisonville, and Edinburg Police assisted in the scene.  Both victims were taken to Springfield Hospital their conditions are unknown at this time. The suspect that was taken into custody is 40-year-old Nathan L. Howell. He is being held at the Christian County Jail and is already being charged with unlawful use/possession of a weapon by a felon. State Attorney Mike Havera said that he didn’t have a whole lot that he could say at this time, but did inform Regional Radio News that official State charges would be filed later today and that Howell could add additional charges as well pending the investigation. A press conference is scheduled for 10 AM at the Christian County Jail.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

For months Congressman Rodney Davis fought for his fellow Illinois Natives to get the Farm Bill through Congress.

Congressman Davis represents the 13th District of Illinois, he says now that the Farm Bill has been implemented he is wanting to hear from Central Illinois residents about the bill.

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos has been attempting to get an Agriculture Disaster Declaration. Davis says this might be coming down the road as it is gaining bipartisan support.

Davis appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show. 

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville along with Shelby County Farm Bureau will be hosting a health and wellness fair.  The fair will have a number of health care vendors, and Director of Marketing Kristy Gorden says that the idea kind of came together as a way to provide farmers with a health fair.

There will be all kinds of vendors at the health fair including one that will be giving free minute sleep apnea tests.

The event is free to the public and vendors will be set up in the classrooms off the main entrance with parking available in the main lot of the visitor’s center.  For more information visit HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital's Facebook page.

Pana Community Hospital is inching closer to its goal of raising 1.5 million dollars for its hospital renovations.

Marketing Manager with PCH Melissa Rybolt says while the end is in sight for the building project they are making their final push to raise the money to reach their goal.

With 1.1 million dollars accounted for towards the goal Rybolt recaps some of the fundraisers to get where they are today, and says without the community this wouldn’t be possible.

Rybolt sees the 400,000 dollars left to get and is hopeful that number can be reached by the end of the year. She says to keep an eye out for their letters for the end of year appeal around the end of October.

Rybolt appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Christian County will be offering real estate and mobile home items through a sealed bid auction, for properties that were delinquent on their taxes.  21 real estate items and 2 mobile homes will be available through a sealed bid auction. The required minimum bid on real estate is $828.00 and on mobile homes is $900.00.  All items need to have their bids in no later than close of business on August 16th.  Regional Radio News tried to reach out to the Auction Sale Department but they did not want to comment. All bids must be turned into either the Christian County Treasurer’s Office located in the Courthouse at 101 South Main Street or online at www.iltaxsale.com. For more information contact 618-656-5744.

An informational meeting will take place on July 30th at Taylorville Memorial Hospital to discuss opioid overdoses and to hand out Naloxone kits. The Naloxone kits help prevent overdose deaths. Dennis and Chris Metsker, from the Sharpe House, will give a presentation in the Janice Hopper Auditorium at 6 pm on July 30th.  Dennis Metsker says while they won’t be able to completely eliminate opioid deaths, bringing awareness to an ongoing issue is important. 

Both Dennis and Chris Metsker will speak about what opioids are, what the signs of withdrawal is, what the Good Samaritan Law is, what medication-assisted treatment options there are, and how we can reduce overdose deaths.  

RSVP’ing is appreciated, and you can call 217-824-1601 to RSVP.  The event and kits are sponsored by The Illinois Department of Human Services Division of substance use, prevention, and recovery.

Several hundred Taylorville residents attended Tuesday night's "Taylorville Night to Salute Responders to the December First Tornado" at the Springfield Sliders baseball game.  The night was arranged by the Miller Media Group, and co-sponsored by the Taylorville Fire and Police Departments.

Those intoduced in a pre-game ceremony included Taylorville Fire Department Union President Matt Adermann, Taylorville Police Department Union President Alan Mills, Taylorville Fire Chief Mike Crews, and Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry.  

Adermann sung the National Anthem; here's a portion of Adermann's performance.

Adermann's son Jaxon threw out the first pitch after his dad sang the Anthem.

Mills spoke with Regional Radio during a live broadcast of the game on Genuine Country 94-point-3 WMKR, and said he was taken aback when traveling thru his hometown of Hewittville the morning after the December First tornado.

The Miller Media Group and the Taylorville Fire and Police Unions, provided a free pair of sunglasses to all those in attendance Wednesday night.

The Sliders lost their game in 12 innings to the Cape Girardeau Catfish by a final score to eleven to 9.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from the new Taylorville Chief of Police, at their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Dwayne Wheeler took the reins of the Taylorville Police Department on July First.  He says that 2 major priorities are mentoring the younger officers, and lowering the number of thefts and burgularies in the city.

Chief Wheeler added the reason there are so many thefts and burgularies, is due to drug addicts stealing to support their habit.  He went on to explain that the Department is aware of as many as 12 drug houses in the city, and his goal is to do the police work necessary to cause arrests at each of them and close them down.

Chief Wheeler said that both he and Assistant Police Chief Vince Childers, are working the streets along with the officers, to provide more manpower to reduce crime in the city.

7 members of the Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, were guests at Tuesday’s Taylorville Kiwanis Club meeting.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

The Taylorville Police Department responded to a fight in the downtown square Monday evening. Taylorville Police received a 911 call at 10:43 stating that a fight was about to occur. According to the police statement, when police arrived, there was a group of people that were there. One man was running towards a Police Officer’s squad car. The man, later identified as Willie Jones II, approached the squad car. When the officer went to talk to him, a juvenile grabbed the officer’s arm to stop him.  The officer pulled away, but the juvenile insisted. At this point, the officer placed the juvenile under arrest. As the officer was arresting the juvenile, the officer stated that Jones came around the back of the police car and grabbed the officer to keep him from arresting the juvenile. The juvenile fought with the police officer until another police officer arrived, and from police statements, the other officer pulled out a taser but never used it. Both suspects were finally detained and placed in police vehicles. After being placed in the squad car, the police report states, that the juvenile calmed and stated that the fight happened when an unknown male had sprayed Jones with mace. The juvenile also apologized for his role in the engagement. Jones was charged with aggravated battery of a police officer. The juvenile was processed and released to his parents. Jones made his first appearance in court Tuesday morning via videophone where probable cause was found by Judge Christopher Matoush and a bond was set at $10,000 with 10% to apply.

One week from today we will find out who will be crowned Miss Christian County 2019 as well as the coronations of Junior Miss and Little Miss.

Miss Christian County 2018 Aly Moore admits that she never thought of her self as a pageant girl, but once she got involved she was quickly glad she did.

Whoever wins Miss Christian County next week will never forget that day. Moore does acknowledge though that winning the crown is just the beginning of the journey.

Moore looks back on her year as Miss Christian County and says that she will be forever grateful for the opportunities that have come from this experience.

Moore appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville City Council met for the second time in July and was able to get a lot of business taken care of.  The payment was approved for materials for the sidewalks and curbs for the First National Bank parking lot project along West Main Cross, Webster, and Market Streets, with First National Bank paying labor costs.  It was also approved to provide reimbursement for the School Resource Officer from this last school year.  Senator Andy Manar was honored for his efforts in securing Taylorville $500,000 towards tornado relief.  Mayor Bruce Barry thanked him and the VFW, who participated in their annual PTSD ride over the weekend.

Mayor Barry also encouraged everyone to attend the Christian County Fair next week and spoke of a Town Hall meeting that new Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler will be having on July 30th.  

Alderman Larry Budd announced that they will be discussing the motor fuel tax fund on Thursday and all who want to know more about the status of it, should attend the event Thursday evening at 6 at the ordinance and finance committee meeting.

State Senator Andy Manar was honored at a reception at the Taylorville fire hall on Monday evening. Manar was honored for his work in securing Taylorville $500,000 towards tornado relief. Mayor of Taylorville, Bruce Barry, hosted the event which was well attended. Senator Manar thanked both Mayor Barry and the attendees. Manar says that he is surprised at how just how much Taylorville has done in a short time.

Manar says that this is what the government needs to get back to doing, which is helping the citizens of their state no matter where they live.

Manar was also honored at the City Council Meeting as well.

Lincoln Land Community College is hosting a hands-on training program for a construction and welding expo.  The College will host the expo at LLCC-Taylorville’s north building.  Director Dee Kruger says it’s an event you won’t want to miss especially if you are wanting to get into the construction or welding business.

Kruger says with so many construction jobs available, this is the perfect time to visit the expo.  

The expo will be held on July 29th and no registration is needed.  Attendees can visit labs, talk with faculty and staff and start their enrollment process. Refreshments will be provided.

July is Ice Cream Month so remember next time you are trying to beat the heat think of ice cream as the perfect treat.

Dietitian with the St. Louis Dairy Council Jill WIlliams shares some of the history of Ice Cream Month, sharing that a former President born in Illinois is the man who made Ice Cream Month happen.

Williams says ice cream is thought of as a desert but can also be a healthy treat, it all boils down to proportions and sticking to the appropriate serving size.

There is dairy is ice cream so it is possible to get your three servings to get your three daily servings of dairy however, Williams would recommend against this strategy.

Williams appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The talk around both Illinois and National Government, of course, is the 2020 census.  The State Board of Education is looking for teachers to discuss the census and why it’s done with students. These teachers are called Census Ambassadors.  Liz Hiler, who is a principal consultant for the Illinois State Board of Education says that a census ambassador does more than just promote the census.

There are plenty of materials online and Hiler encourages all teachers to use that material

For more information on Census Curriculum and available activities, go to the Census’ website at census.gov/schools.  Hiler says teachers need to apply by the end of this month to be an ambassador.

Lincoln Land Community College is hosting a College For Kids program and while the first week is in the books, registration is still open for the third week. Kyla Kruse, Director of marketing says there is things for all children no matter what their educational level is.

For more information about College for kids visit Lincoln Land Community College’s facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LLCCCollegeForKids/. Kruse says registration is open right now as well for the Fall Session of regular classes.

For more information on Lincoln Land Community College in general call 217-786-2200.

The grand stage will be the place to be next week for the Christian County Fair as great entertainment will be provided on a nightly basis.

Curt Micenheimer is on the Board of Directors for the Christian County Fair. He expects to see a full crowd in the grand stand for the demolition derby.

Micenheimer encourages you to get your tickets sooner rather than later as this event is always popular. He explains how you can reserve your seat for the demolition derby in advance.

Micenheimer appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville Memorial Hospital held a hands-on healthcare session earlier this week in order to give high school and college students some ideas of what all goes on behind the scenes.  The session was held on July 9th at 6 PM in the Janice Hopper Auditorium at TMH.  Nurse Educator, Becky Erlenbush says that the session was broken into three different areas.

The Hands-On Healthcare session allowed people that wanted to go into Nursing a small taste to see if this is something they would want to do.  Erlenbush says that most people come away with a good feeling about the program.

The next hands-on healthcare session will be this fall and will focus on therapy.

The Taylorville City Council will meet Monday evening to discuss business.  The council will honor Senator Andy Manar.  There will also be discussions on the payment for materials for the parking lot project along West Main Cross, Webster, and Market Streets.  The Council will also discuss a new hiring in the Fire Department after a resignation.  There will also be talk about a bike trail shelter, dredging of Lake Taylorville, removal of some trees at the new water treatment plan, and old and new business as well.  The meeting will be held on the second floor of the municipal building on Monday night at 7 PM.

The City of Taylorville and Mayor Bruce Barry will be hosting a reception on Monday evening at the Taylorville Fire House.  Mayor Barry says that this reception will be to honor Senator Andy Manar.

Mayor Barry says the food will be delicious and encourages everyone to come.

The reception will be held at the Taylorville Fire House on Monday evening from 5:30 until 7. The Taylorville Fire House is located at 202 North Main Street.

When the calendar flipped to July Illinois residents saw the price of gas jump up nearly 20 cents a gallon. Our representatives in Springfield are putting every penny of this towards improving our roads.

State Senator Andy Manar represents the 48th District of Illinois. He says this gas tax is long over due as it has been nearly three decades since the tax was raised.

Manar sees the gas tax paying dividends in the long run as once the roads are fixed tax payers will be saving their vehicles from the wear and tear of driving on rough roads.

Manar appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The City of Pana continues to find ways to spruce up the city and help make Pana a better place to live.  Melissa Rybolt who is with Pana Pride says that one of the ways that they are doing this is by demolishing run-down homes.

The city will also be adding a little Americana on its power poles.

For more information on Pana Pride and what they are doing for the city of Pana contact Melissa Rybolt at 217-562-6379.

Monday is the day! The Christian County Fair will be in full swing when participants bring in their items to be judged for the Food and Clothing Shows.

Rebecca Livingston is the 4H and Ag Lit Program Coordinator with the Christian County U of I Extension Office, her calendar will be full beginning Monday with the Food and Clothing show kicking off the 2019 Christian County Fair.

Livingston says there are a couple of examples that stick out from both the Clothing and Food Shows in recent years at the Christian County Fair.

Livingston appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A seminar for women and being safety aware is coming to Shelbyville. The Shelby Christian Church will be hosting a personal protection seminar for women on Thursday, August 1st at 6PM.  Val Gaddis, a spokeswoman for the event, says that everyone can learn something from this session.

Gaddis says the speaker, Katie Johnson who is from Granite City, has dealt with a lot of car jackings in her town and has developed protection measures to deal with that.

For more information visit Shelby Christian Church’s Facebook page. The event is free and all women are encouraged to attend. Shelby Christian Church is located at 200 North Hickory in Shelbyville.

The Christian County Coroner has released the name of the woman that was found in the alleyway in Taylorville on Wednesday morning. 27-year-old Isabelle J. Triezenberg of Taylorville was found in the 600 block between West First and West Maple on Wednesday morning at 6:41. The Taylorville Police Department is handling the investigation. An autopsy was held Friday afternoon in Bloomington and Autopsy results are pending toxicology studies. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

A convenience store in Blue Mound has been closed due to a pest problem.  Casey’s in Blue Mound was closed earlier this week for flies and other insects. Brian Wood from Environmental Services with the Macon County Health Department explains that the first priority is protecting the ready serve food.

Wood says that Casey’s will be having another inspection today to see if the problem is fixed.

The Casey’s in Blue Mound is located at 413 North Railroad Avenue.

Pana Pride had their monthly meeting on Tuesday evening.  Melissa Rybolt, who is on the Pana Pride committee says that one of the areas Pana Pride is working on is getting a better internet connection in Pana in order to attract new businesses. One way that Pana can do that is by adding CTI from Taylorville. There are some caveats though.

Rybolt says that it’s just important that the community of Pana has choice. 

Rybolt says there are still 382 signatures needed for sign up. Pana Pride encourages everyone to show up for their monthly meetings the second Tuesday every month at 6:30 at the United Methodist Church.

The Shelby County Board met Wednesday morning in Courtroom B in order to discuss some changes and to appoint some new Board members.  Jessica Fox, Shelby County Clerk and Recorder, welcomes some of the new appointees.

Fox also says that some road improvements will be coming as well.

For more information on the Shelby County Board, visit https://www.shelbycounty-il.com/ 

Peoples Bank & Trust has a new award for community service.  Peoples Bank & Trust will receive a 2019 community service award which is awarded annually by the Illinois Bankers Association for three Illinois financial institutions that go above and beyond in the area of community service.  CEO John Gardner says he is excited about this award.

This is the first time that Peoples Bank & Trust has won this award and Gardner says that it’s all about going out and doing things for the community.

Peoples Bank & Trust employees donated over 5,000 hours last year in community service along with over $180,000 in donations and community support to charities.  The award was presented on Monday, June 24th at the IBA Annual Conference in Austin, TX.

The Taylorville Police Department is investigating a death after a body was found on Wednesday morning. At 6:41 on Wednesday morning, 911 dispatched the Taylorville Fire Department and Police Department along with Dunn’s Ambulance to the 600 block of West First Street after a report of an unresponsive female lying just off the roadway. A female was located in the alleyway of the 600 block between West First and West Maple Streets.  TFD attempted to find a pulse and determined that the female was deceased.  The female is 27 years of age.  No identity has been released until all family members have been notified.  Taylorville Police has contacted Christian County Coroner’s office and at this time no foul play is suspected.  An autopsy will be conducted later today in Bloomington.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

A Shelbyville man who led police on a multi-county chase was formally charged in court on Wednesday in Shelby County.  Deven Barger, of Shelbyville, is being charged with murder with an intent to injure or kill, A Class M felony, and homicide of an unborn child, also a Class M felony.  Barger is accused of killing 22-year-old Samatha Cushing.  Cushing’s body was found at 112 North Will Street in Shelbyville.  Monday morning Shelbyville Police investigated the homicide when Barger fled. Barger led police on a chase from Shelby County until he was stopped outside of Taylorville before he was taken into custody without incident. Barger's bail has been set at $5,000,000 with 10% to apply.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio for more updates.

The S-I-U Center for Family Medicine, which has been providing primary doctor care to patients while being housed inside Taylorville Memorial Hospital since January, has announced it will re-locate to a free-standing building at 303 East Bidwell next to Kroger in Taylorville, in September.

Doctor Janet Albers, who is leading SIU's Taylorville efforts, tells Regional Radio News that SIU will be expanding the services they provide in Taylorville, with the move.

Doctor Albers added that SIU will also expand their mental health services at the new Taylorville location.

Doctor Albers answered the question as to why would a health care patient go to SIU with 4 other primary medical providers in Taylorville.

And, Doctor Albers says the move to to a free-standing building in Taylorville will make SIU eligible as a federallly qualified health center.

Again, SIU Family Medicine doctors that are providing services while being housed at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, will move to a free-standing building at 303 East Bidwell next to Kroger, in September.

Missions for Taylorville is still doing all they can to help those who might be struggling to get back on their feet from the December tornado.

Bill Kerns with Missions for Taylorville acknowledges they are struggling currently with roofing and are welcoming volunteers of any kind that are looking to lend a hand.

Kerns says fundraising efforts are still on going so keep an eye out for their two stage fundraiser in the near future.

Kerns appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The  Taylorville Farm Crawl will be coming on July 28th. Five area farms will have their own items for sale and are all located within a 5-mile radius of each other.  If you go to all five farms you get a ticket for a pork chop dinner at Podeschi’s Tree Farm for dinner from 11-5.  Sharon Hill, a master gardener with the U of I extension program, says that the crawl has things to see and do on every farm that’s taking part.

Hill says that you can go to Facebook for more information on directions and what to expect.

You can also visit Facebook’s Taylorville Farm Crawl for more information. 

All aboard the Christian County Gardeners party bus to St. Louis. There will be refreshments, snacks, and hopefully a slideshow to put gardeners to the test.

Christian County Master Gardener Gwen Podeschi says they are always trying to expand their horizons, and they are excited for a trip coming up to St. Louis.

Podeschi says this garden is one of the top gardens in the world. She explains why saying that there is so much to do there and so much more behind the scenes.

Podeschi appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Pana Community Hospital will be hosting a movie afternoon on Saturday, July 27th.  The movie will be at the downtown Pana theater.  Melissa Rybolt, marketing manager for Pana Community Hospital says this is an event you will not want to miss.

This isn’t the first time the Hospital has hosted something like this.  The Hospital also has hosted a Wizard of Oz Night.

For more information call 562-6340.  The cost is $5 and all proceeds go to the PCH building project.

Students from Pana High School will leave Wednesday morning for the Solar Car Challenge in Texas. The car has been worked on for the last two years.  The team won multiple awards last year including a rookie award for best technological advancement, and out of 4 personal achievement awards given out, to a possible 250 students, Lucas Duduit and Katelyn Townsend from the Pana team won 2 of them. The group from Pana High School was the only team from Illinois to compete in the challenge and finished fifth last year. Team Captain Lucas Duduit says that the team is trying to improve on last year’s finish.

Duduit says that there is much more to the Solar Car Challenge than just the race.  The team also participates in something called Scrutineering which is a play on words for scrutinizing and engineering.

The team is comprised of Lucas Duduit, Jessica Pollman, Katelyn Townsend, and Boone Elledge.  The team will race for 4 days six hours a day, 3-hour shifts with each driver driving three hours at a time against 30 other teams at Texas Motor Speedway.  The car will be running at 23 MPH on average. To keep up with the team, like their Facebook page “Pana Solar Car” or go to solarcarchallenge.org for live updates.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about stopping bleeding from an emergency room nurse at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, at their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Lukas Schneider, a trauma nurse at T-M-H, talked about an education effort sponsored by several medical organizations, to teach the public how to “stop the bleed”.  Schneider said car accidents are the leading cause of bleeding, and the public can be helpful before paramedics arrive, to stop the bleeding of those who are injured.

Schneider told Kiwanis members of the A-B-C of stopping bleeding:  Alert 9-1-1, then perform efforts to stop the bleeding by compression of the wounded area.  

Schneider also showed Kiwanis members of how to apply a tourniquet to stop bleeding on a simulated arm wound.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

State Representative Avery Bourne and her husband, Aaron Degroot welcomed a new addition to their family.  Their son Marshall Dean DeGroot, was born on Saturday, June 29th at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.  The baby weighed 7 lbs and 4 oz and was 20 ½ inches long.  The paternal Grandparents are Paul and Cindy DeGroot of St. Anne and maternal Grandparents are Rod and Kim Bourne of Pawnee. The Paternal Great Grandparents are Frances Lentz of Bradley and Maternal Great Grandparents are Lynda Skinner of Pawnee and Ruby Skinner of Jerseyville. Representative Bourne wants everyone to know they are doing fine and that her office in Litchfield will remain open.
 

The man arrested after Monday’s incident involving three separate counties has been identified. According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s office, Shelbyville Police Department initiated a homicide investigation of 22-year-old Samantha Cushing at a Shelbyville Residence.  24-year-old Deven Barger was developed as a suspect and after a multi-county vehicle pursuit, was taken into custody without incident.  The Illinois State Police was contacted to assist in the investigation.  The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County Coroner’s Office, and the Shelby County State Attorney’s Office are also assisting in the investigation.  According to Judici, Barger plead guilty to three years in the IDOC for aiding, abetting and possession of a stolen vehicle along with multiple traffic tickets in 2017.

We are a little over seven months removed from the EF3 tornado that touched down in Christian County and made its way through Taylorville.

Bill Kerns with Missions for Taylorville says there is still a need for tornado relief efforts, he compares Taylorville to both Washington and Kincaid in terms of dealing with disaster.

Kerns says House in a Box is a faith-based group designed to help communities rebuild in terms of helping families get the essential items for a home.

Kerns says the new Chief of Police in Taylorville Dwayne Wheeler has been a helping hand with House in a Box. He was involved with them during the flooding in Kincaid.

Kerns appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The countdown is still on for the Christian County Fair as we are now just a couple of weeks away.

Superintendent of Exhibits Linda Binger shares some of the details if you are looking to get involved with the exhibits and set up a display.

If you are wanting to be a part of the fun there is still time as they are still taking people wishing to sign up. Binger explains who you need to talk to and by when.

Binger appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville School Board met Monday evening with a new face and a few missing.  Dr. Chris Dougherty, the new Superintendent sat in on her first meeting taking the seat over for Dr. Gregg Fuerstenau.  There was also a special board meeting earlier in the evening to discuss the replacement for the departure of board member Pamela McConnell whose letter of resignation was accepted on June 21st.  The board announced tonight a passage handing over the Stonington school building back to the people of Stonington by giving it to the Stonington Park District.  The building will be used for the library, board rooms, and an all-purpose room for the village of Stonington.  Mary Detro, President of the Library board, didn’t know that the school board had agreed to do this.

The board also approved a resolution to give the resource officer $12,000 more a year.  Dr. Stephen Turner School board president explained that it was important because of benefits.

Lizzy Schafer from the Future Farmers of America also came by along with other members of the FFA to give her “State Champion Creed” public speaking presentation and talk about the group’s recent trip to Europe. The next board of education meeting will be August 12th.

Lizzy Schafer gives her FFA creed.

Safe Passage, the successful program that has helped addiction to both drugs and alcohol in Kincaid, is being utilized now in Taylorville and Kincaid.  Denise Evans, Safe Passage Coordinator, says that the entire program stems from you wanting it.

Evans says that there are meetings every night and that Safe Passage is set to help not only addicts but also family members as well.

Denise Evans’ office is located at the Taylorville police station.  You can reach Denise whether you are in Taylorville or Kincaid at 824-2211 or call her cell at 217-638-3247.

The Taylorville School District will have its regular monthly meeting on Monday evening at 7 at the Administration Education Center. This will be new Superintendent, Dr. Chris Dougherty’s first school board meeting that she will be at. Dougherty will take over for Dr. Gregg Fuerstenau. New business will include Stonington discussions. Namely, a resolution and intergovernmental agreement authorizing and directing the transfer of real estate between the School District and Park District and Stonington Township Library.  There will be consideration of the 2020 public school calendar. The meeting will adjourn with a report from the new Superintendent.  

UPDATED: Noon July 8th.  A man wanted in connection with a murder in Shelbyville in the block of 100 N. Will Street led police on a high-speed chase Monday morning around 8:30 from Shelby County to Christian County.  The unidentified male had a 3-year-old in the maroon SUV with speeds of up to 70 MPH at points.  The arrest came around 10 AM and stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates. 

A man is in custody following involvement from the Illinois State Police, Shelby County Sheriff, and Christian County Sheriff's office's Monday morning.  Shelby County Sheriff Don Koonce would not say that it was a high-speed chase, just that it was an incident involving multiple agencies and the Illinois State Police would take over the investigation.  The vehicle was stopped in front of the water treatment plant outside of Taylorville on Lincoln Trail. Only one man was taken into custody.  A news release is expected this morning.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

The Greater Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce is your one stop shop for anything happening in town from events to new businesses arriving these guys are in the know.

Derek Hayden is the President of the Greater Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce he says they are excited to welcome some fresh faces to the team.

Ariel Short is excited as can be to get on board with the Chamber seeing as she has experience in the field and is local she is hoping to do some good.

Hayden and Short appeared as guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville studios.

From near and far people of all ages gathered at Lake Shelbyville to show their patriotism and enjoy the firework.

Ashley Florey with the US Army Corps of Engineers says it doesn’t get much better than the 4th of July fireworks on Lake Shelbyville.

If you missed the show last Thursday the Greater Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce has you covered. Florey encourages anyone who wants to see the fireworks to head to the Chamber’s Facebook page.

Florey appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville studios.

In a time where everyone looks at everything in terms of the differences they have, one thing we all share is stress and dealing with it on a daily basis.

Ed Lacheta is the Director of the Mental Health Clinic with Shelby County Community Services knows that stress isn’t going away at any time soon and effects everyone different.

Lacheta sees the daily battle everyone has with stress and his advice to help fight it can be give yourself a break, take sometime to yourself and try to relax.

Lacheta appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville studios.

A local agriculture company has been selected for nomination for a prestigious award for the sixth time.  Jenner Ag has been selected as a finalist from 80 nominees for the great game of business 2019 All-Star awards.  Chief Financing Officer Clint Hohenstein says that this is a competition that makes employees strive to put their best forward.

Hohenstein says, being nominated for this award goes a long way, but it starts with the employees and the customers can feel at ease knowing they are getting the best experience they can with Jenner Ag.

Jenner Ag will represent at the 2019 All-Star Awards.  The Great Game of Business All-Star Awards will be presented at the 27th Annual Gathering of Games, the worlds largest open-book management conference on September 4-6 in Dallas Texas.

A new police chief is feeling right at home in Taylorville.  Chief Dwayne Wheeler, former chief of Kincaid, was sworn in on July 1st at a City Council Meeting to take over as new police Chief of Taylorville after former chief of police Brian Hile retired at the end of June.  Wheeler says that he feels Taylorville is a safe and great place to live but knows there are always improvements.

Wheeler says that he plans to be involved with the community.

Wheeler also stresses to not be afraid to speak up if you see something.

For more information visit the Taylorville Police website at: https://taylorville.net/police-dept/ 
 

UPDATED AS OF 2PM:  The man arrested in a DUI arrest in Blue Mound appeared in Macon County Court today after a crash that resulted in a person being airlifted to an area hospital.  35 year old Zachary Dionne of Pana appeared in court today with multiple charges including aggravated DUI causing bodily harm, failure to reduce speed, operating an uninsured vehicle, and improper lane usage.  Dionne has a $30,000 bond and appeared in court on Friday morning.

Dionne was booked at 3:17 Friday morning.

A crash in Macon County has led to a person being airlifted to an area hospital. The Macon County Sheriff’s office is investigating a crash that happened on Route 48 and Seberling Street in Blue Mound at 11:40 PM on the fourth of July. A Pontiac Grand Prix was headed North on Illinois Route 48 when it ran off the side of the road striking a tree, utility pole, outbuilding and a parked camper. The accident also damaged a garage. One passenger suffered what was originally thought to be serious injuries but has since been downgraded to minor injuries in the crash. That person was flown by helicopter to an area hospital. The driver of the Grand Prix was arrested for DUI. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

The Grand Prix was headed north on IL Route 48 and lost control. Picture courtesy Google Maps.

The Sullivan Library has plenty of opportunities for you to come out and join them for some fun.

Sullivan Librarian Laura Davison encourages you to stop by and see them on Friday afternoons for their moving showings.

Coming up in July the Sullivan Library will be celebrating the 50th anniversary Apollo 11 moon landing by launching rockets, Davison hopes to see you there.

Davison appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Jackson Family of Dealerships in Sullivan.

The Square in Sullivan always has a little something for everyone, whether that is getting a bite to eat or stopping by to see a show.

Brenda Abbott is the Marketing Director for the Little Theater on the Square she says she loves pulling into work and seeing the parking spaces full.

Oklahoma is the next show that the Little Theater on the square is performing. Abbott says reserve your tickets now as they may be hard to come by if you wait too long.

Abbott appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Jackson Family of Dealerships in Sullivan.

As we get older sometimes it feels as though our minds begin to fail us, for some it is just a momentary lapse in memory but for others, it turns out to be something more serious.

Kathy Albin with Aspen Creek Memory Care originally had different plans in her work life but now that she is with Aspen she says it couldn’t be more perfect.

Albin says there are plenty of warning signs that it might be time to get some help such as items being misplaced around the home.

Mistakes will be made by someone dealing with dementia. Albin has been in these situations and says when it happens it should be handled a certain way.

Albin appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Jackson Family of Dealerships in Sullivan.

The Carlinville Area Hospital Auxiliary still has seats available for a wine tour.  The Auxiliary will be taking a motorcoach tour of Illinois and Missouri vineyards on September 14th.  As Rich Minster, Carlinville Auxiliary member, says the trip almost didn’t happen.

The trip will have stops at Missouri’s Defiance Ridge Vineyards and Grafton, Illinois.

The tour costs $30 per person and includes transportation.  The coach will leave the CAH parking lot at 9 AM on Saturday and return by 7 that evening.  For more information contact Kelly Kaganich at 217-854-7317 or online at dukekj@frontiernet.net.

A new construction project will help fix an old culvert on US 51.  Construction work will commence July 15th in an effort to widen and resurface pavement and replace a 1920’s culvert a mile north of Illinois 16.  Joe Schatteman, A community outreach liaison for the Illinois Department of Transportation, says that this has been in the works for nearly 5 years.

Schatteman says that motorists can expect delays and check IDOT for more information on the delays.

The project is supposed to finish by mid-September. 

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville has many different events and activities going on all the time, but they have had some upgrades to help make things at the hospital a little easier.  Kristy Gordon, marketing director for HSHS says that one area that they are improving in is the food industry.

The Hospital will also start accepting debit and credit cards at its Wildflower Cafe:

The Hospital also had a color guard prayer service for Independence Day.

For more information on events going on at the hospital visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HSHSGoodshepherd/.

The Carlinville Hospital Auxiliary will be hosting a Couch to 5K event to help you get in shape for the 5K run in September.  Rich Minster, who works for the Auxiliary says that this is a no-pressure way for you to get ready for the event.

The first meeting will be on July 29th  and you can meet at the wellness track just south of the main entrance at 5:30. For more information on the run call 854-3868 or go to the Auxiliary website.

This program is not a fundraiser and is free to all those who want to participate.  

Illinois State Police responded to a fatality in Montgomery County Tuesday evening. 58 year old Menno M. Yoder of Wright City, Missouri was heading northbound on the I-55 entrance ramp from Mine Avenue. At 9:33 PM Yoder was on a 2011 black triumph and left the entrance ramp sliding into a ditch. Yoder was ejected and pronounced deceased by the Montgomery County Coroner. He was not wearing a helmet. No further information is available at this time.

Yoder was getting onto I-55 from Mine Avenue.

The Central Illinois Foodbank is giddy with excitement as they recently announced that they will be receiving a new grant worth over $50,000.

Public Relation Manager Ashley Earnest says this money will go along way in furthering their efforts at the Central Illinois Foodbank to fight hunger.

Earnest says applying and receiving this grant was a fairly quick process, and credit needs to be spread among the group that helped make this possible.

Earnest gets into the details of what this grant will be put towards, saying they are hoping to be more connected with local restaurants to stop food from going to waste.

Earnest appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Julie Wollerman, the Regional Superintendent of Education has been elected and sworn in as she continues to help Region 3 grow.  Wollerman has been Superintendent of Education of the Region since 2011 and seen it grow from three counties to five counties.  Wollerman says that she has seen changes in education in the last 10 years especially in trauma and the shortage of teaching staff.

Technology is changing schools and the way we learn. Wollerman says this helps everyone: teachers and students.

Wollerman wants to let everyone know she’s excited for the opportunity and thankful that you believe in her to continue to work hard for their children.

The Farmers Market can be found Saturdays on Taylorville Square from 9-12 with great products to fit any need.

Ed Downs is the Co-President of the Farmers Market. He says while it has been a slow start to the Farmers Market things will really start to take off this weekend.

While the temperatures certainly have it feeling like the dog days of summer Downs says that they are starting to get products at the Farmers Market that remind him of the fall.

Downs encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and see them on the Taylorville Square Saturday’s from 9 to noon.

The Taylorville Headstart Program is currently accepting applications for families for enrollment for the next school year. Headstart director Nikki Denning says that it is so much more than just helping your kids.

Denning says depending on the age of your child will determine the level of support and care they get.

For more information call or text 217-663-7822. 

Shelby County held their Miss and Junior Miss Pageants on Friday.  This is the fifth year, Shelby County has done the pageants.  Sara Long, who is a former Miss Shelby County and current pageant director says that these pageants go a long way towards helping young women with interview skills, manners, and appearance.

Long says while the industry hasn’t changed much since she competed you are seeing women going into job industries usually held by men. 

The Miss Pageants had a great turnout. Adilyn McCray was crowned 2019 Miss Shelby County.

Shelby County Miss Pageant Winners

From left to right- Kylie Smith, 2019 Junior Miss Shelby County; Trinity Shupe (Windsor), People's Choice Award Winner and Runner Up; Olivia Telgmann (Strasburg), 2018 Miss Shelby County; Chloe Haarmon (Neoga) 2018 Junior Miss Shelby County; Lainee Turner (Stewardson), Runner Up
Front- Adilyn McCray (Gays) 2019 Miss Shelby County
 

Junior Miss Shelby County Winners

Left to right- Alissa Shasteen (Shelbyville), People's Choice Award Winner and 1st Runner Up; Chloe Haarmon (Neoga) 2018 Junior Miss Shelby County; Olivia Telgmann (Strasburg) 2018 Miss Shelby County; Jonnie Wallace (Tower Hill) 2nd Runner Up
Front- Kylie Smith (Shelbyville) 2019 Junior Miss Shelby County
 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club held their monthly business meeting, at their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Kiwanis Club committee chairs gave reports on how each committee is fulfilling their goal of serving the children and youth in the Taylorville community.

Among reports heard, included announcing the upcoming program speakers.  July programs include on July 9th Lukas Schneider with the Taylorville Memorial Hospital "Stop the Bleed" Program; on July 16th Dwayne Wheeler, the new Taylorville Police Chief; and on July 23rd Chris Daugherty, the new Taylorville Unit Schools Superintendent. 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

After listening to testimony for an hour, Judge Chris Matoush ruled that there was probable cause in a preliminary hearing for Todd England. England is being charged with 12 counts of child pornography after a peer 2 peer server pinged the Naperville Computer crime department. A Taylorville Police Officer took the stand. The officer says the Attorney General’s office has been combing through the evidence to see if there is anything more on the hard drives and computers as there are thousands of files to go through. England’s defense attorney, Tom Finks pushed for finding out whether or not the files could have just shown up accidentally or if there was any indication that the defendant knew who the pictures were. The officer also says this was something that was searched for. After listening to the testimony Judge Matoush ruled that there was probable cause and said the case could continue.  Formal arraignment was waived, Finks said his client is pleading not guilty and demanded a trial by jury. Pretrial is set for August 20th.

The beach at Lake Taylorville has been reopened.  Mayor Barry announced that the beach will be opened in time for the fourth of July holiday.  It's been closed since Thursday due to runoff and tests showed contamination in the water.  The beach is now open and for more information on Lake Taylorville or Taylorville Beach contact the Lake department at 217-824-5606.

The Christian County Senior Citizens Center has a busy summer ahead of them and they are hoping to see plenty of familiar faces going in and out of their doors.

Gerry Mahr with the Senior Citizens Center says in the middle of the month they are starting a new education series to help you understand Medicare and insurance.

Mahr says as well tomorrow you have the opportunity to join the Master Gardeners at the Christian County Senior Citizens Center at 10 in the morning for a free class.

Mahr appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

If you are interested in getting your fill of fireworks this week than Regional Radio News has all your local area updates for fireworks.   

CITY:  Assumption
TIME: Dusk
WHERE: Football Field
WHEN: July 4th

CITY: Blue Mound
TIME: 9 PM
WHERE: Foulks Auction
WHEN: July 3rd

CITY: Herrick
TIME Dusk
WHERE: Tom Davis Park
WHEN: July 2nd-4th, But fireworks are the 4th

CITY: Shelbyville
TIME: Events start at 4/Fireworks at Dusk
WHERE: Lake Shelbyville Beach
WHEN: July 4th

CITY: Moweaqua
TIME:  Dusk
WHERE: North Park
WHEN: July 4th

CITY: Pana
TIME:  Dusk
WHERE: Tricounty fairgrounds
WHEN: July 3rd (CORRECTED)

CITY: Sullivan
TIME: Dusk
WHERE: Wyman Park
WHEN: July 4th

CITY: Taylorville
TIME: Dusk
WHERE: Lake Taylorville
WHEN: July 4th

CITY: Hillsboro
TIME: 9 PM 
WHERE: City Lake Road
WHEN: July 4th

The City of Taylorville along with Missions for Taylorville have exciting news concerning supplies.  An organization called House in A Box will be furnishing up to 20 “households” for the tornado victims of the December 1st tornado on Wednesday. Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry says even seven months later, the city is still receiving lots of supplies.

Mayor Barry says the community helping each other is what drives other agencies, communities, and friends to help still after all this time.

The supplies will be available for pick up at the old Gagne building located at 1617 W. Spresser Street in Taylorville on Wednesday, July 3rd at 10 AM.

Chief Wheeler gets sworn in as New Police Chief from Judge Brad T. Paisley.

The Taylorville City Council met Monday evening and appointed a new police chief, but the fireworks came early this week as discussions about a sidewalk stole the main stage of the meeting. Judge Brad T. Paisley swore in new Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler in front of most of his peers and companions. Wheeler promised unity saying, “We are all in this together” to a cheering room that gave a standing ovation for the new Chief.

The discussion got a little heated with remarks from Steve Millings, a general contractor, who was very upset after a recommendation to the city council to replace the curbs and sidewalks along the parking lot at West Main Cross, Webster, and Market Streets was tabled.  Millings was upset because he had already started on the project.  

The recommendation had been tabled by Ernie Dorchinecz who defended his actions by stating that he needed more time because he had been given conflicting and different answers than Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry had received.  After much debate and Mr. Millings showing the aldermen the actual contract he had with him, the motion had already been tabled so nothing could be done about it till the next City Council Committee meeting.  

Other actions that happened at Monday’s meeting included Taylorville naming July 1st Ella Hohenstein day for her contributions in music and theater and approving a business development district committee.  Mayor Barry also informed the aldermen that there are a lot of sewer issues.

The next city council full meeting will be held on July 15 at 7 PM.  

Ella Hohenstein receives her plaque from Mayor Barry.

Regional Radio has learned of a Moweaqua woman who was found unresponsive in a Decatur alley Sunday morning.  A 54 year old woman was found with facial lacerations on North Water Street.  Police say the woman has significant facial injuries and is still hospitalized in Decatur.  She is unable to speak due to being sedated. Police are not sure the causes of her injuries yet.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates.

The Christian County Sheriff’s Office is warning of phone scams in the area.  The scammers are using software to change their calls to appear as if they are from a law enforcement agency and saying they are from the Christian County Sheriff’s office phone number. The scammer claims that you have violated the law by missing a call for federal grand jury. The scammer will then threaten a warrant will be issued for your arrest, but if you pay the fine over the phone, you will have the warrant removed.

The Christian County Sheriff’s office can not remove a warrant, only a judge can withdraw a warrant.  The Sheriff’s office will not request any credit card information over the phone.  If you receive a call that doesn’t seem legit, ask for the caller’s name and then tell them you will call them back.  Hang up the phone and check to make sure it’s a legit phone number.  Don’t call the number the scammer gives you, call the actual published phone number. 

Lincoln Land Community College in Taylorville is looking to grow their numbers in both their construction and welding courses.

Director of LLCC in Taylorville Dee Krueger encourages you to come out to the construction and welding expo on Tuesday, July 16th it will begin at 6 in the evening and last till around 8.

LLCC in Taylorville renovated their welding labs in the fall of last year. Krueger says the wages for a construction or welding job fresh out of school are pretty competitive.

Krueger appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

It is almost time to flood the Christian County Fair Grounds for the Christian County Fair, it will be a busy time for all involved.

Rebecca Livingston is the 4H and Ag Lit Program Coordinator with the Christian County U of I Extension Office, she knows that the opening day for the Christian County Fair will be here before we know it.

Livingston jokingly says to her colleges that due to the hours it takes to get everything ready for the next day she might as well camp out at the fair grounds.

Livingston appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The City of Shelbyville will meet on Monday evening to discuss a pump track proposed for Dacey Trail.  The council will also request bids for demolishing a building at 113 W South 2nd Street.  The council will appoint two individuals to an economic developing hiring committee and approve a liquor license variance from the VFW.  The council is also discussing a Scarecrow Daze parade route. There will be a public information meeting at 5:30PM to discuss the combined sewer overflow. The meeting will be held at 170 E. Main Street in Shelbyville. 

A custody battle has made its way to Moultrie County and it’s not what you think.  After dozens of women came forward alleging abuse from a local Amish man in Arthur, Illinois, a court battle has broken out over who will take custody of the rights of a 90 year old bedridden woman.  A custody hearing was held on Friday to determine the future of Nettie Yoder.  Yoder’s son is the heir to the family business and finances and according to Amish Law is the guardian of his mother.  Normally, these cases are resolved in the Amish community, but Torah Bontrager, the founder and executive director of the Amish Heritage Foundation, explains why this is such a unique case.

The courts decided in favor of Doris  Gingerich but that hasn’t stopped the Amish community from speaking out about this case and the church rules.

Dozens of other women have come forward to say that they have been abused in the community as well and to speak out as there was quite a large gathering at the Court House in Moultrie County on Friday. The counter-litigant, Daniel Ray Otto’s attorney could not be reached for comment at this time.  

The city of Taylorville will swear in a new police chief Monday evening.  At Monday’s City Council meeting, Judge Brad T. Paisley will swear in Dwayne Wheeler, former police chief of Kincaid, as the police chief of Taylorville.  Dwayne Wheeler has been the chief of Kincaid since January of 2015, before being selected by Mayor Bruce Barry to be the Taylorville Police Chief.  Wheeler will be taking over for Brian Hile who will be retiring. Other actions that will take place at the meeting will be recommendations to expand the business development district, approve appointments for a business development district committee, and a recommendation to replace curbs and sidewalks along the parking lot at West Main Cross and Webster and Market Streets. The meeting will take place on the second floor of the Municipal Building at 7PM in Taylorville.

Governor JB Pritzker is putting plans into motion for one of his key campaign promises.  Governor Pritzker signed a bipartisan $45 billion rebuild Illinois capital plan with the intent to fix roads, bridges, railways, universities, early childhood centers state facilities and veterans’ homes over the next six years.  Senator Andy Manar says that all of these new laws going into effect to help the infrastructure is exactly what Illinoisans need.  

July 1st is also seeing changes with new laws in Illinois that will come from this rebuild plan.  The motor fuel tax will go from 19 cents to 38 cents.  Title fees will increase from $95 to $150 dollars and $95 to $250 for mobile homes.  Vehicle registration fees will increase from $101 to $151 beginning in 2021.  Illinois will also join 14 other states in legalizing of sports betting.  Parking garages will have a 6% tax on daily and hourly garage parking and a 9% tax on monthly and annual garage parking.  Cigarettes will have a per-pack tax increase from $1.98 to $2.98 effective July 1st.    All in all over $14 billion will go towards new roads and bridges.