Local News

Taylorville Ameren Customers Experience Brief Power Outage Sunday

Ameren customers in Taylorville may have experienced a brief power outage on Sunday. Approximately 1200 customers were impacted by an outage Sunday that began around 8 am and affected the east side of Taylorville. Ameren Illinois crews were able to switch the load and restore power to all customers by 10:20 am. The outage was caused by a failed substation transformer.

Fikri: Daily Exercise Important During Holidays

It’s that time of year again to think about New Year resolutions. After that large Christmas meal, some people may be looking to lose some of that holiday weight gain. Joyce Fikri of the St. Louis Dairy Council offers some possible workout options to shed a few pounds:

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Fikri says the typical holiday weight gain is just a few pounds which can be avoided with 30 minutes of daily exercise. 

Family Fun Night at Taylorville Library This Week

The monthly Family Fun Night at the Taylorville Public Library is this Thursday. Head Librarian Dorothy Siles tells Regional Radio News what they have in store:

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Again the Family Fun Night will be this Thursday from 6:30-7:30?, The Taylorville Public Library  is located at 121 West Vine Street and can be reached at 824-4736 for more information

Illinois Cops Working Overtime to Crack Down on Drunk Drivers; Unbuckled Motorists for New Year?s

 

As 2013 comes to an end, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police and over 250 law enforcement agencies across the state are reminding Illinois motorists that they will put in overtime during the New Year’s holiday and into 2014. This final push has a dual purpose: Zero motor vehicle fatalities during New Year’s; and a strong, safe start to 2014.

 

Hundreds of additional law enforcement hours funded with federal funds through IDOT will provide roadside safety checks, seat belt enforcement zones and other patrols reminding motorists to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket.” This statewide effort will ramp up during New Year’s Eve and continue strong through the first weekend of 2014 to help counteract what can tragically be one of the most dangerous times on Illinois roads.

 

IDOT crash data shows in the last five years during the New Year’s holiday, 38 people died in motor vehicle crashes on Illinois public roadways. Fifteen, or 40 percent, of those 38 individuals, died in crashes involving at least one driver who had been drinking. During the same five-year timeframe on New Year’s, 2,868 people were injured.

 

Shelbyville Rout South Central

As heard on Solid Gold 98.3 WRAN, the Shelbyville Rams boys basketball team defeated South Central by a score of 70-39.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-30-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

CRASH:

On December 28, Terry L. Cripe, 57, of Nokomis was northbound on US Route 51. Approximately one half mile north of Township Road 100 North, a deer ran into the path of Cripe. Cripe struck the deer causing front end damage. No injuries were reported and Cripe was able to dive his vehicle from the scene.

ARREST:

Beth A. Hutchinson, 35, of 308 South State, Pana, was arrested December 29 for domestic battery.

Fire Department Calls 12-30-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 27
2 EMS

December 28
3 EMS

December 29
1 EMS, 1 Automatic Alarm, 1 Carbon Monoxide

December 30
1 EMS

CCFB: No Resolutions Offered this Year

The Christian County Farm Bureau offered no resolutions at this year's annual convention.  David Dorn Jr. of the local farm Bureau says while they have offered resolutions in the past, there was no need to do so this year:

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Dorn says everyone should get involved in local agriculture issues.  The Christian County Farm Bureau is located at 400 W. Market in Taylorville.

Taylorville to Hire Two Police Officers

The City of Taylorville will hire two new police officers.  The City Council unanimously voted for the move at the last meeting.  Mayor Greg Brotherton says the department has a couple of vacancies to fill:

Seahawks Blow Out Rams; Lock up No. 1 seed

Seattle,  WA (SportsNetwork.com)  - Golden  Tate caught  eight passes  for 129 
yards  and a touchdown  and Marshawn Lynch rushed for 97 yards and a TD as the 
Seattle  Seahawks locked up the NFC's  No. 1 seed with a 27-9 win over the St. 
Louis Rams on Sunday. 

Russell Wilson  was 15-for-23  passing for  172 yards and  a score and Malcolm 
Smith  returned  an interception for a  touchdown for the Seahawks (13-3), who 
won  the  NFC West and  secured home-field advantage throughout the conference 
playoffs. 

"It's a big deal. We're really pumped about that," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll 
said. 

The  Seahawks will  play their divisional round playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 
11 at 4:35 p.m. ET. 

Kellen  Clemens completed 21-of-30 passes for 157 yards, one touchdown and two 
interceptions for the Rams (7-9), who were held to just 13 rushing yards. 

"We  didn't  do the things  we had been  in the past  and that was running the 
football," Rams coach  Jeff Fisher  said. "They're  the No.  1 defense  for a 
reason." 

St.  Louis will  have the  No. 2  overall  pick in  the 2014  NFL Draft  after 
Washington's  loss earlier on Sunday. The Rams will receive the Redskins' pick 
to complete the Robert Griffin III trade. 

After  going three-and-out on their opening possession, the Seahawks cashed in 
on  an early  mistake from  Clemens  as Smith  intercepted a  tipped pass  and 
returned it 37 yards for a score. 

Seattle  drove down  the Rams' 6-yard line  on their first drive of the second 
quarter,  but  Wilson was sacked on  second down before throwing an incomplete 
pass on third and the hosts settled for a 28-yard Steven Hauschka field goal. 

The teams traded empty possessions from there until Hauschka made it 13-0 with 
his 35-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half. 

St.  Louis  finally got  on the board  just over four  minutes into the second 
half.  Austin Pettis returned Jon Ryan's punt 32 yards down to the Seattle 31- 
yard  line.  After picking up  a quick  first down on  a short pass to Stedman 
Bailey,  Zac  Stacy was  stopped  at  the line  and  Clemens  threw two  quick 
incomplete passes to set up a 36-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal. 

The Seahawks answered with a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took nearly 
8  1/2  minutes off  the game  clock. On  1st-and-10 from  the Rams' 23, Lynch 
rushed  to the  right side for no  gain. Alec Ogletree was flagged on the play 
for a late hit on Lynch, who was well out of bounds. 

On the next play, Ogletree was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct once again 
for  his  actions after tackling Seahawks  running back Robert Turbin. Also on 
the  play, St. Louis' Kendall Langford was ejected after making contact with a 
game  official. As  Langford was defending his teammate, he raised his arm and 
accidentally knocked the hat off of the official. As he was leaving the field, 
Langford spiked his helmet on the turf for yet another penalty. 

Lynch punched it in two plays later for a 20-3 edge. 

Wilson  connected  with Tate for  a 47-yard  touchdown completion early in the 
fourth to all but seal the win. 

Clemens tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Jared Cook with 4:13 left, but was 
unable to connect on the two-point conversion attempt to account for the final 
difference. 

                                   Game Notes 

Seattle  finished  7-1 at  home this season  ... The Seahawks  won the time of 
possession  battle  33:40-26:20 ... Seattle picked  up 20 first downs and held 
the Rams  to just 11 first  downs ... Lance  Kendricks led the Rams with five 
catches for 54 yards. 

Rodgers, Packers Clinch NFC North With Win In Chicago

Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb both returned 
from  injuries on Sunday  with Green Bay's division hopes on the line and they 
came through. 

Rodgers  found a wide  open Cobb on 4th-and-8 for a 48-yard score with just 38 
seconds  to play  to help the Packers  with the NFC North with a 33-28 victory 
over the Chicago Bears. 

Green  Bay has the  fourth seed in the upcoming NFC playoffs and will host the 
San Francisco 49ers in the wild card round of the playoffs on Sunday, Jan. 5 
at 4:40 p.m. ET. 

Rodgers  had been  out  since a  Nov.  4 game  against these Bears  due to  a 
fractured  left collarbone. He returned to practice this week and finished the 
game  25-for-39  for 318 yards,  two touchdowns  and two interceptions for the 
Packers (8-7-1), who won three of their last four games of the season to claim 
the division for a third straight year. 

Cobb,  who  had been out  since fracturing his right  tibia on Oct. 13 against 
Baltimore,  caught both touchdown passes by Rodgers, while Jordy Nelson had 10 
grabs for 161 yards. 

Chicago  (8-8),  meanwhile, dropped its  final two games  of the year with its 
playoff  hopes  in its own  hands. The team has  now missed the playoffs three 
straight seasons. 

Jay  Cutler  completed 15-of-24 passes  for 226  yards, two touchdowns and one 
interception,  while  Matt Forte carried  the ball 22  times for 110 yards and 
two scores with four catches for 47 yards and a TD in the loss. 

The  winning drive began at the Green Bay 13 with 6:24 to play and the Packers 
had  to  convert a  fourth down  on their first  set of  downs, with John Kuhn 
bulling his way through to move the chains. 

Rodgers  then scrambled for his only run of the game on 3rd-and-3 for a 5-yard 
gain, and converted another 4th-and-1 with a 6-yard pass to Nelson. 

Once  again,  the Packers found themselves  facing a 4th down from the Chicago 
48,  and the Bears  brought the house on a blitz. Rodgers, though, avoided the 
rush  and heaved  the ball down the  middle where a wide open Cobb easily made 
the  catch and  cruised  into the  end zone.  The  2-point conversion  attempt 
failed, and it was a 33-28 game with 38 seconds to play. 

"I looked outside to make sure we had a big play there," Rodgers said. "From 
the throw I missed Andrew Quarless on earlier in the drive, I knew I had to 
get a little bit on it to make sure I didn't way underthrow him. When that 
ball came down and he got into the end zone it was just pandemonium." 

Devin  Hester took  the kickoff  to the  Chicago 40  and Cutler  hit Martellus 
Bennett  for  15 yards, but the  next two passes were incomplete, and Cutler's 
bomb  on the  last play was picked off  in the end zone by Sam Shields to give 
Green Bay the win and the division. 

"We knew it was going to come down to who had the ball last," Bears wide 
receiver Brandon Marshall said. "Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time on 
the clock to get it done." 

Rodgers  looked  sharp  on  the  Packers'  opening  possession  of  the  game, 
converting  a  3rd-and-3 with  a 14-yard  pass to  Nelson, and turning another 
third down later in the drive with a completion to Nelson. 

Facing  a 3rd-and-goal  at the Chicago 5,  Rodgers rolled out to his right and 
tried  to  get it to  Jarrett Boykin in  the end zone,  but Chris Conte made a 
diving pick to keep the Packers off the board. 

Forte  ripped  off a 20-yard  run to get the  ball across midfield, and Cutler 
floated a pass down the left sideline for a 37-yard catch by Marshall. Three 
plays  later, Cutler  hit Forte  near the end  zone to  the left and he easily 
took  it in for  a 4-yard score  and a 7-0 lead  with 2:07 left in the first 
quarter. 

Rodgers  responded with  another sharp  drive  and got  the team  down to  the 
Chicago  26 after  a 32-yard  catch from  Nelson. The  next pass,  though, was 
behind  Nelson and  he wound up tipping  it into the hands of Tim Jennings for 
another pick. 

Chicago  was held to a three-and-out, with Rodgers finally leading the team on 
a  scoring drive as a 26-yard catch by Nelson along with a roughing the passer 
call on Chicago led to a 33-yard field goal from Mason Crosby to make it a 7-3 
game with 7:59 to play in the half. 

Following  another three-and-out, the Packers started out with excellent field 
position as they got the ball back at the Chicago 41. 

Facing  a  1st-and-10 at the Chicago  17, Rodgers found himself under pressure 
and  had  the ball knocked out  of his hands  by Julius Peppers. The ball went 
forward and bounced around a bit before Boykin picked up the ball. 

Unsure  of  the call as  the whistle  had not blown,  Boykin stood there for a 
moment  with the ball at the 15. Eventually, though, he realized that the play 
was still going and he ran it in for a score. 

The  play was called a touchdown and reviewed to determine if Rodgers' arm was 
going  forward prior to  the ball being knocked out, but the call on the field 
stood  and the  Packers held  a 10-7  lead  with 3:28  to play  in the  second 
quarter. 

Chicago  then turned the  ball over as Alshon Jeffery had the ball knocked out 
of his hands on a catch and Green Bay recovered at the Chicago 28. 

The Bears' defense, though,  did a good job of keeping the Packers out of the 
end  zone and a 27-yard field goal from Crosby gave the team a 13-7 lead going 
into the break. 

Green  Bay  started the  second half with  the ball and  was quickly forced to 
punt,  with Hester  coming up  with  a 49-yard  return  to the  Green Bay  30. 
Five plays later, Forte took the ball into the end zone around the left tackle 
for a 5-yard score and a 14-13 lead. 

The  Packers came  right back with a  scoring drive of their own as Eddie Lacy 
took  a  handoff 17 yards on  the first snap,  and James Starks bulled his way 
through the line for a 41-yard gain down to the Chicago 13. Rodgers then found 
Cobb in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard score and a 20-14 advantage with 
7:27 left in the third quarter. 

The  scoring kept coming as the Bears came right back to take the lead. Facing 
a 3rd-and-4, Cutler went deep down the left sideline and hit Jeffery in stride 
near  the  Green Bay  35. He  took it  down to  the 1-yard  line for a 67-yard 
gain  and Forte took it in on the next play for a 21-20 lead with 5:04 left in 
the third. 

Green  Bay was then  held off the board and forced to punt, and a 33-yard pass 
reception from Forte got the ball to the Green Bay 8. On the first play of the 
fourth  quarter,  Cutler tossed a pass  out to the right for Brandon Marshall, 
who  briefly took his eyes off the ball to spin around a defender, than made a 
diving catch for a 5-yard score and a 28-20 lead. 

A  34-yard catch from Nelson on the second play moved the ball across midfield 
for the Packers, and a 22-yard catch from Quarless set up Lacy's 6-yard run 
around the left tackle to make it a 28-27 game with 11:38 to play. 

Chicago  took off  five minutes  of the  clock on  its ensuing  possession and 
crossed  midfield, but  wound up punting it  back to Green Bay for the winning 
drive. 

                                   Game Notes 

Green  Bay has won  seven of the last eight games against the Bears ... Starks 
finished  with 88 yards  on 11 carries and Lacy had 66 yards on 21 touches ... 
Marshall  totaled 74 yards on six receptions ... Green Bay controlled the ball 
for  over  35 minutes  and finished the  game with 473  yards, compared to 345 
yards  for  Chicago ...  Forte finished  the season with  1,339 yards and nine 
touchdowns on the ground, along with 594 yards and three touchdowns receiving. 

Shattenkirk helps Blues top Stars in OT

Dallas,  TX  (SportsNetwork.com) -  Kevin Shattenkirk's  goal late in overtime 
lifted  the St.  Louis Blues to a  3-2 win over the Dallas Stars from American 
Airlines Center. 

A  night  after  tallying  the  game-winner in  a  shootout  to  top  Chicago, 
Shattenkirk  lit  the lamp  with 11  seconds remaining in  the extra period on 
Sunday to help the Blues win for the fourth time in five tries. 

"I  think  we just stuck with  it," said Blues winger Brendan Morrow. "Playing 
back-to-backs aren't easy, especially a team that skates as well as this  one. 
We just had to stay with it." 

Jaden  Schwartz and T.J. Oshie scored in regulation for St. Louis, while Brian 
Elliott made 28 saves to earn the win. 

Dallas  battled back from a 2-0 deficit with second period goals by Jamie Benn 
and  Ryan  Garbutt  3:18 apart  to  tie  the  score  and force  overtime,  but 
ultimately fell short to snap a brief two-game winning streak. 

"We  had our opportunity in overtime but didn't get it done," said Dallas head 
coach Lindy Ruff. 

Kari Lehtonen allowed all three goals on 22 shots to absorb the loss. 

After Dallas defenseman Kevin Connauton was whistled for a tripping penalty in 
the  final minute  of overtime,  St. Louis  took advantage  with Shattenkirk's 
game-winner, which he one-timed past Lehtonen from the left circle. 

Schwartz  opened  the scoring when  he tapped in  a feed from Vladimir Sobokta 
just 2:41 into the first period. 

Oshie  capitalized on  a Dallas turnover early  in the second when he ripped a 
shot over Lehtonen's shoulder for the 75th goal of his career. 

The  Stars finally  got on the board  at 8:13 of the second with Benn's power- 
play goal, and they tied it moments later when Garbutt deflected an Aaron Rome 
shot from the blue line. 

                                   Game Notes 

The Blues scored  on both of their power-play opportunities ... Sobotka had a 
pair of assists. 

CRIME OF THE WEEK FOR DECEMBER 30, 2013

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to criminal damage that occurred in Pana. 

Sometime between 11:00 pm on Saturday December 7, 2013 and 3:30 am on Sunday December 8, 2013, person or persons unknown used an item to cause damage to 2 vehicle that were parked at 600 South Locust Street in Pana.  The unknown subject or subjects also scratched a derogatory word onto one of the vehicles.  The total dollar amount of damage is estimated at $5000.

Please contact Crimestoppers if you any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons.  Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name.  Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

 You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES  (274632) and then your tip.  As always, you will remain anonymous.                              

Sharp Celebrates B-Day with Hat Trick as Blackhawks Roll

Chicago,  IL  (SportsNetwork.com)  -  Patrick  Sharp's  32nd  birthday  was  a 
memorable  one, as  the Chicago Blackhawks forward registered a hat trick in a 
7-2 rout of the Colorado Avalanche at United Center. 

Sharp,  who also collected an assist, scored twice in the first period and lit 
the  lamp a  third time 27 seconds  into the second period to become the first 
Blackhawk with a hat trick on his birthday. 

"It was a special game," said Sharp. "I thought maybe I could have had one the 
last  game when I  hit a post on the last shift. When things are going in like 
that  you just try to get open, get good passes from your teammates and try to 
ride it for as long as you can." 

Jonathan  Toews had two goals and two assists for Chicago, which has won seven 
of  its last  nine games.  The Avalanche  made it  fairly easy  for Blackhawk
goalie Antti Raanta, testing him with just 18 shots. 

Jean-Sebastien  Giguere was  beaten seven times by Chicago on 24 shots through 
two  periods. Semyon  Varlamov relieved  Giguere at  the outset  of the  third 
period  and  made 13 saves for  the Avalanche, who  have lost three games in a 
row, all on the road, and seven of 10 overall. 

"They  always  seemed to play well  at home and  we came out with a lackluster 
effort  in the  first," said Colorado defenseman Ryan Wilson. "It just kind of 
got out of control from there." 

Sharp  opened  the scoring 12:27 into  the contest. Positioned at the Colorado 
blue  line,  Sharp gathered  Duncan Keith's  pass and got  a step on Avalanche 
defenseman  Jan Hejda before  firing the puck from the right circle to the far 
side of the net. 

Toews and Sharp tallied 1:15 apart later in the first period. Marian Hossa was 
pokechecked  by Giguere,  but the puck went  right to Toews and he didn't miss 
from in close with 1:57 remaining. 

Sharp  then let  go a slap shot from  atop the right circle on a power play to 
make it 3-0 with 42 seconds left. 

It  didn't take  him long to complete  the trifecta as he backhanded a rebound 
past Giguere early in the middle stanza. 

Later  in  the frame, Sharp  made an  outstanding defensive play, triggering a 
counterattack  that resulted  in Toews' second goal. Sharp lifted the stick to 
thwart  a breakaway bid by Matt Duchene, then sent a long pass to Toews and he 
scored at 8:21. 

Paul  Stastny, who turned  28 on Friday, put Colorado on the board less than a 
minute  later,  but the Blackhawks  got goals from  Michal Handzus, off a nice 
feed from Patrick Kane, and Kris Versteeg to head into the second intermission 
with a 7-1 lead. 

Gabriel Landeskog scored in the third period for the Avalanche. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  last NHL player  to record a hat trick on his birthday was the late Pavol 
Demitra  with St. Louis on Nov. 29, 2002 ... Kane extended his point streak to 
13 games ... Duchene played in his 300th NHL game ... The five-goal margin was 
the  largest in a  Chicago victory on home ice against Colorado since its 1995 
relocation from Denver. 

Key Traffic Safety Laws and Changes to Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities

Two important pieces of legislation initiated this year by Secretary of State Jesse White will take effect as new laws on January 1 and include measures that strengthen the state’s heralded Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program as well as further restrict the issuance of court supervision. 

 

Kelsey’s Law

 

            Kelsey’s Law prohibits the issuance of a driver's license to a driver under 18 who has an unresolved traffic citation.  The new law also allows White’s office to cancel a GDL if it is determined that at the time of issuance the minor had a traffic citation for which a disposition had not been rendered.  Under current law, a GDL applicant is not required to report any pending traffic citations.

 

            The measure is named Kelsey’s Law in honor of Kelsey Little who in 2011 was seriously injured in an automobile crash by a young driver operating on a learner’s permit.  The driver was issued a traffic citation for the incident, of which the Secretary of State’s office was unaware due to the lack of a reporting requirement.  Three days later the teen driver applied for and was issued a driver’s license. 

 

 

Patricia’s Law

 

            Patricia’s Law will ensure that drivers involved in fatal crashes are ineligible for court supervision unless they have maintained a clean driving history.  The legislation, named Patricia’s Law in honor of Patricia McNamara who was killed in an automobile crash in which the driver received court supervision, originated from White’s Advisory Committee on Traffic Safety, which unanimously supported the measure at a meeting last September.  

 

 

Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities

 

Due to legislation passed by the General Assembly, beginning January 1, 2014, only persons with specific types of disabilities with a valid Illinois driver’s license will be exempt from paying parking meter fees.

 

The law requires the disability license plate or parking placard holder to meet more stringent eligibility requirements that must be approved by physicians in order to receive a yellow and grey permanent placard.  The new placard will exempt the authorized holder from the payment of parking meter fees because their disability restricts them from physically feeding the meter.

 

Those who do not meet eligibility requirements for the meter-exempt placard will still receive a permanent placard but will be required to pay meter fees.

 

Out-of-state disability license plate and placard holders will also have access to disability parking spaces but will no longer be eligible for meter-exempt parking.

 

Also beginning January 1, the fine for drivers caught misusing a disability placard will increase from $500 to $600.  Additionally, if a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice nurse knowingly falsifies a disability application, they will face increased fines from $500 to $1,000 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for a second offense. 

 

If the holder of the disability placard or license plates knowingly allows someone else to use their placard or license plates, that person will face a $1,000 fine for the first offense and a $2,000 fine for the second offense.

 

McGuire: Fraudsters Targeting FedEx Deliveries

If you have order a package that will be delivered by FedEx, you may want to be aware of this latest fraud. Public Advocate Mac McGuire tells Regional Radio News what fraudsters are doing:

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McGuire reminds people that in any case of a scam or fraud, you should notify local police immediately. 

Pana Community Hospital to Celebrate 100 Years in 2014

The Pana Community Hospital will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2014. Melissa Rybolt of Pana Community Hospital tells Regional Radio News that they have plans to celebrate throughout the year:

Taylorville Boys defeat Rantoul Saturday in Holiday basketball tournament.

As heard this afternoon on Newstalk 97.3, WTIM...the Taylorville Tornadoes boys basketball team defeated the Rantoul Eagles 70-47 Saturday in the 3rd Annual Peoples' Bank & Trust Holiday Tournament. The Tornadoes will take on Galesburg this evening at 8pm with our pregame to begin at 7:45pm on WTIM.

Taylorville boys defeat Galesburg in close tournament Saturday (12/28/13).

The Taylorville Tornadoes boys basketball team defeated Galesburg in the 3rd Annual People's Bank & Trust Holiday Tournament. Taylorville's Kyle Wilhour is credited with the last minute 2-pointer to win the game against the Silver Streaks in an extremely close contest 67-65 as heard on NewsTalk 97.3/WTIM. Taylorville was 3 and 2 for the tournament.

4-H Great Debate to Take Place in March

The 4-H Great Debate is a little over 2 months away. The event is for high school 4-H members and takes place March 7th and 8th at the State Capital in Springfield. 4-H Youth Development Educator Peggy Hampton tells Regional Radio News what the kids will be doing:

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-27-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ARREST:
Adam K. Cherry, 30, of 802 East Oak Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 27 for driving on a revoked license, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and possession of a controlled substance.

CRASH:
On December 26, a 16-year-old male was traveling north on County 5 when he fell asleep causing the vehicle to run off the roadway. The 16-year-old went across the ditch and into a field. As he was coming out of the ditch, damage occurred the the front of the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

 

THE PANA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

On December 20, Robert Moore of Pana reported that someone scratched the paint of his 2003 Dodge Caravan while it was parked in his yard. Moore stated that the incident happened sometime between 12/18-12/20. The subject scratched all down the passenger side, across the back, and the driver side front fender.

On December 26, Madge Morrison of Pana reported her back license plate was lost or stolen.

On December 24, Keith E. Budds of Pana was backing from a private drive at 405 East Second Street when he sturck a parked vehicle. Both vehicles have minor damage.

On December 26, Judy M. Brown, 49, of Pana was issued a citation for speeding 60 in a 45 zone.

Fire Department Calls 12-27-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 26
3 EMS, 1 Fire

December 27
1 EMS, 1 Public Assist

U of I Extension Offering Skin Care and Make up workshop

 

The University of Illinois Extension is offering a workshop called “All About Face” on Monday January 13, 2014 from 4:00-5:15 p.m. Merle Norman representative Laura Long will teach skin care basics and the art of makeup application. Recommended age to participate is 10-18. The workshop will be held at the Christian County Extension office located at 1120 N. Webster St. in Taylorville.  There is no cost for the workshop; however, preregistration is required and class size is limited. 

  Registration can be completed online at Extension office’s website or call the Christian County Extension office at 287-7246.  The class is limited to 10 youth so register early.  

Governor Quinn Announces $629,000 in Infrastructure Investments in Central Illinois

 

Governor Pat Quinn has announced $629,000 in state investments in central Illinois to support critical public works improvements, part of nearly $2 million to help rural communities improve their water and sewer systems.

The investments were made under the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)’s Community Development Assistance Program, which targets areas with populations of less than 50,000 that are outside of urban counties.

The communities receiving funds in central Illinois include:

  • Christian County: Taylorville, design storm sewer separations. $120,000 grant, total project cost $150,000.
  • Montgomery County: Butler, design water system rehabilitation. $135,000 grant, total project cost $135,000.

 

Lead Program Starts Soon

One thing to look forward to in the new year is the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce’s LEAD Program.  President and CEO of the chamber Patty Hornbuckle says there are very few spots left for the 12 week course:

Turner: Relay For Life Can Help Shape Attitude

Plans are already underway for the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life. Steve Turner of ACS tells Regional Radio News that the Relay is more than just an event to raise money for cancer research:

[audio:turnerrelaymore122513.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The annual Relay for Life takes place in June. For more information, contact the Relay for Life chairperson, Lisa Sims, at 791-1218. 

Koonce: Major Tornadoes Can Happen in Taylorville

The City of Taylorville managed to avoid the major tornadoes that ripped through Illinois last month. Alderman Ray Koonce says people shouldn’t become complacent because a major tornado could happen any time:

More Local Basketball Holiday Tournament Results for Friday, 12/27/13.

In boys' basketball on Friday, the Taylorville Tornadoes lost to Dunlap in the 3rd Annual People's Bank & Trust Holiday Tournament 72-68...but came back in their second game Friday night to defeat Rochester 57-36...both games heard on Newstalk 97.3, WTIM.

In girls' basketball, the Taylorville Lady Tornadoes remain undefeated in the 21st Annual Holiday Tournament in Charleston, defeating the Charleston Trojans 70-45 which sent them to the semi-finals where they beat Decatur-Eisenhower 77-44...as heard on Genuine Country, 94.3 WMKR. The Lady Tornadoes will play in the championship Saturday afternoon (that game will be heard on Groovy 93.5 with the pregame slated for 1:15pm).

Taylorville Girls Crush Rantoul

As heard on Newstalk 97.3 WTIM this afternoon, the Taylorville Tornadoes girls basketball team defeated the Rantoul Eagles by a score of 51-19. 

Fire Department Calls 12-26-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 23
2 EMS, 1 Carbon Monoxide

December 24
2 EMS, 1 Fire (canceled)

December 25
4 EMS, 1 Public Assist, 1 Automatic Alarm, 1 Oven Stuck On

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-26-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

David L. Miller, 44, of 357 East Church Street, Mt. Auburn, was arrested December 24 for battery.

Cale R. Sexson, 30, of 2480 South 70th Street, Decatur, was arrested December 24 for retail theft/return (720 5/16a-3-f)

Jenny L. Walker, 30, of 23323 123rd Avenue West, Illinois City, was arrested December 25 on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear/answer.

Kim E. Miller, 61, of 110 South Walnut Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 25 for domestic battery.

Piston Pushing Fun Workshops Offered by U of I Extension

 

The University of Illinois Extension is offering a workshop called “Piston Pushing Fun” on Tuesday January 7 and January 14 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Willie Hemmingway will teach about the basics of small engine maintenance and repair. The recommended age to participate is 10-18. The workshop will be held at the Christian County Extension office located at 1120 N. Webster St. in Taylorville.  There is no cost for the workshop; however, preregistration is required and class size is limited.  Registration deadline is January 2.

  Registration can be completed online at the Extension Office’s website or call the Christian County Extension office at 287-7246.  The class is limited to 10 youth so register early.  

Hornbuckle: Chamber Board of Directors Play Key Role

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce has its own board of directors but people may not know what they do. President and CEO of the Chamber Patty Hornbuckle tells Regional Radio News what role they play:

[audio:pattychamberboard122513.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Hornbuckle explains how the board of directors is chosen:

[audio:pattyboardelect122513.mp3]comment here[/audio]

For more information, call the Taylorville Chamber at 824-4919.

McGuire: Progress being made in the Fight against Scams

The exponential increase in attempted scams can be blamed on any number of things, but at least people are starting to be aware of the problem.  Public advocate Mac McGuire says he saw evidence of that at a recent Triad meeting:

[audio:mcguireprogress122613.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The rise of computer use has contributed to the increase in scam attempts.

Ahlstrom Still Working on Noise Problem

Several people turned out for a Taylorville City Ordinance Committee meeting last week, to tell committee members about the mysterious noise coming from the Ahlstrom plant on the city's northeast side.  Representatives from Ahlstrom’s were on hand as well, and Mayor Greg Brotherton says they are still trying to address the problem:

[audio:mayornoisyahlstrom122613.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The problems began when Ahlstrom’s recently installed new equipment mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Butler, Bulls top Nets

Brooklyn,  NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Jimmy Butler scored 11 of his 15 points in 
a  decisive third  quarter that propelled the Chicago Bulls to a 95-78 victory 
over the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day. 

Taj  Gibson  led six Bulls players in  double figures with  20 points off the 
bench.  Carlos  Boozer had 14  points and both  Mike Dunleavy and reserve D.J. 
Augustin  contributed 13  points apiece for Chicago, which has won consecutive 
games for the first time since a season-best five-game run from Nov. 8-18. 

"We kept fighting on defense and rebounding," Augustin said. "Once they missed 
a  shot we  got  it  and pushed  it.  When  we didn't  have  an  open shot  in 
transition, we pulled it out and ran a play." 

Deron  Williams scored 18 points to pace the Nets, who have dropped four games 
in a row. 

"When  we don't put the ball in the basket or we miss shots that are makeable, 
it  translates to our  defense of transition, first where we give up a layup," 
Nets  coach  Jason Kidd  said. "Then  we miss  another shot  and it turns into 
another layup for the opposing team." 

The Nets' offense was efficient early, as a Joe Johnson running bank shot made 
it 18-11. 

Chicago  then moved ahead with a 9-0 surge. Butler, back after sitting out the 
Bulls'  last game with a right ankle injury, drained a 3-pointer to ignite the 
run. 

The first quarter ended with Brooklyn holding a narrow 23-21 lead. 

A  12-0 Chicago  burst highlighted a second quarter during which Brooklyn shot 
2-for-15 from the floor. 

However,  behind a late Williams-led charge, the Nets were able to whittle the 
Bulls' advantage down to 41-38 at halftime. 

Aside from a brief hot stretch by Mirza Teletovic, the cold shooting continued 
for Brooklyn. 

Teletovic  powered the Nets  to a 48-47 lead early in the second half, scoring 
10  straight points for  the home team. Teletovic was shut out the rest of the 
third  quarter and  no other Brooklyn player  scored more than two points in a 
stanza that saw Chicago shoot 61.9 percent and seize firm control. 

The Bulls went on  another 12-0 run and later built a 21-point cushion in the 
waning moments of the third. 

                                   Game Notes 

Guard  Kirk  Hinrich (back) returned  to the  Chicago lineup after a five-game 
absence,  but the Bulls were  without leading  scorer Luol  Deng for  a third 
consecutive  game because  of a sore left  Achilles ... The Bulls have now won 
eight of the last 10 regular-season games against the Nets ... Joakim Noah had 
10 points and eight rebounds for Chicago ... Teletovic finished with 17 points 
...  Andray  Blatche (1-of-11) posted  seven points  for the Nets, while Kevin 
Garnett  (2-of-7) and Paul Pierce (1-of-8) both were limited to six points ... 
Brooklyn shot 35.2 percent for the game. 

Taylorville Basketball Scores 12/26/13

As heard on WTIM, Taylorville Boys fell to Chichago Vocational with a score of 67-55.

As heard on WMKR, Taylorville Girls defeated Urbana with a score of 59-14.

Shelbyville Manor Medicaid/Medicare Certified

When it comes to looking for a skilled nursing care facility, the cost is always a top concern. Kristy Gorden, Director of Marketing and Sales at Shelbyville Manor, says they accept multiple types of insurance:

[audio:gordeninsurence122413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

For more information on Shelbyville Manor, you can call 774-2111 or visit them online at shlebyvillemanor.com

McGuire: Steps to Better Protect Yourself Against Online Scamsters

With Christmas upon us, that means there will be plenty of post-Christmas sales coming up soon. Online stores especially will be running deals that are too good to be true and in some cases they are because those websites are run by scamsters. Public Advocate Mac McGuire tells Regional Radio News some steps you can take to help better protect yourself from scamsters:

[audio:maconlineprotect122413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

McGuire says if you ever come across a suspicious website or get a suspicious phone call or email, you should notify police immediately.

Taylorville Park Board Holds Public Hearing; Hears Update on Christmas in the Park

The Taylorville Park District Board held a public hearing at their Monday meeting in regards to the issuance of $850,000 general obligation limited park bonds. The Board received no letters and no one was in attendance in regards to the matter so the conducting of the public hearing was quickly approved. David Pistorius told the Board what the next step is:

[audio:Pistoriusparkboard122413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Park Board will vote to adopt the bond ordinance at the January meeting.

 

The Taylorville Park Board also heard an update on how Christmas in the Park went this year at their Monday meeting. Recreation Director Bailey Hancock said they had great turnouts at the events:

[audio:hancockxmaspark122413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The lights at Christmas in the Park at Manners Park will be lit one more time on Christmas from 5-10 pm.

The meeting adjourned at 3:38pm. 

CRIME OF THE WEEK FOR DECEMBER 23, 2013

 

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to burglary that occurred in Taylorville.

Sometime between 7:30 pm on December 19, 2013 and December 20, 2013, person or persons unknown made entry into a garage, located at 517 West Vine Street in Taylorville.  While inside, the unknown subject or subjects took tools and alcohol.  There was also damage to a vehicle inside the garage.   The total dollar amount of items taken and damage done is unknown at this time.

Please contact Crimestoppers if you any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons.  Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name.  Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

 You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES  (274632) and then your tip.  As always, you will remain anonymous.   Christian County Crimestoppers would like to wish the public a safe and merry Christimas. 

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-23-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Verna L.C. Albright, 36, of 616 West Nora Street, Farmersville, was arrested December 20 on a bond forfeiture for driving on a suspended/revoked license.

Devun L. Rohdemann, 22, of PO Box 224, Taylorville, was arrested December 20 for retail theft.

Anthony M. Hays, 22, of 106 North Hickory Street, Pana, was arrested December 21 for criminal damage to property and theft.

Kelsy A. Clarke, 23, of 5 Circle Drive P.O. Box 56, Farmersville, was arrested December 22 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Blake J. Prasun, 20, of 1548 North 1600 East Road, Taylorville, was arrested December 22 for consumption of liquor by a minor.

Tilur M. Miller, 20, of 525 East Park Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 21 on a bond forfeiture for manufacturing/delivery of cannabis.

Shelli R. Scott, 42, of 1413 East 1100 North Road, Taylorville, was arrested December 21 for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jessica L. Hebert, 25, of 84 Hillcrest Trailer Court, Taylorville, was arrested December 21 on a bond forfeiture for driving on a suspended license.

Chad L. Weber, 23, of 701 East Vine Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 22 on a warrant for false report of of (720 5/26-1-a-4)

CRASH:
On December 23, Loretta L. Beck, 21, of Shelbyville was traveling east on Township Road 350 North. Beck left the roadway to the left and hit a culvert in the bottom of the ditch. Beck went airborne for approximately 76 feet before the vehicle landed and turned on its side. Beck came to rest on the driver's side in the bottom of the ditch on the north side of 350 North facing southwest. Beck was transported to Taylorville Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries.

Fire Department Calls 12-23-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 19
2 EMS, 1 Public Assist, 1 Automatic Alarm

December 20
2 Automatic Alarms

December 21
1 EMS

December 22
4 EMS

December 23
3 EMS

McGuire: Double Check Bank Statements for Possible Frauds

This time of year we have been busy buying gifts for the holidays and may not be paying attention to our bank accounts. Public Advocate Mac McGuire tells Regional Radio News that it may be wise to check your bank account as soon as possible for frauds:

[audio:mcguirecheckbank122813.mp3]comment here[/audio]

McGuire advises that with any case of fraud, you should notify local police immediately. 

Sheriff urges Parents to Talk with their Kids

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp's December Newsletter addresses the problem of bullying.  He says it's important to keep in contact with your kids so you can find out if there's a problem:

Vatthauer: Say no to Holiday Stress

The holiday season is something to look forward to for most of us, but some people don't handle the stress well.  Licensed counselor Karen Vatthauer says you can take steps to ease your stress:

[audio:vatthauerstress122313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Vatthauer says another common cause of holiday stress is overspending.

McCoy, Eagles rout Bears

Philadelphia,  PA (SportsNetwork.com)  - The  Chicago Bears had  a chance  to 
clinch their division, but it all went downhill quickly in Philadelphia. 

The  Eagles stormed  out of the gate and  never looked back in a 54-11 rout on 
Sunday night. 

Nick  Foles  threw two  touchdown passes  during Philadelphia's 21-point first 
quarter  and LeSean McCoy  rushed for a pair of one-yard scores for the Eagles 
(9-6),  who knew  before the  game that  the Dallas  Cowboys won  to set  up a 
winner-take-all showdown next week for the NFC East title. 

Philadelphia  will  once again be  showcased on  primetime, as the contest has 
been flexed to Sunday Night Football. 

"I'm excited to go to Dallas and play another game," said Foles, who completed 
21-of-25 passes for 230 yards. "It's a huge game. Everyone knows what's on the 
line." 

The Eagles gashed the league's worst run defense. 

Not  only  did McCoy  rack up  133 yards on  18 carries,  but Bryce Brown also 
surpassed  the  century mark on  the ground, with 65  of his 115 yards rushing 
coming  on  a fourth-quarter touchdown  that put  the finishing touches on the 
lopsided win. 

The Bears (8-7) could  have secured the NFC North crown with a win after both 
Green  Bay and Detroit  lost. They will now host the Packers next week for the 
division title. 

Marc  Trestman succinctly  summed up his team's performance. "We were terrible 
in all three phases," the Bears coach said. 

Jay Cutler connected on 20-of-35 passes for 222 yards with a touchdown and one 
interception  that Brandon  Boykin returned for a 54-yard touchdown with eight 
minutes to go in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 47-11. 

Josh McCown replaced Cutler following the pick-six. 

The  Eagles  scored touchdowns on each  of their first three possessions. They 
capitalized  on a  short punt and took  an early lead when Foles, on the move, 
hit Riley Cooper in the back of the end zone for a five-yard touchdown. 

After  Devin Hester fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, McCoy finished off a five- 
play drive with a short TD run. 

Once  again, the Bears couldn't get any traction on offense, going three-and- 
out a second time. 

On  the next Philadelphia drive, McCoy bounced to the outside and picked up 10 
yards on 4th-and-1 from the Chicago 37. Four plays later, Brent Celek caught a 
10-yard TD pass. 

The  Eagles  mustered only a  Alex Henery field goal  in a second quarter that 
ended with Robbie Gould drilling a 50-yarder for a 24-3 halftime margin. 

McCoy appeared to fumble on the opening drive of the second half, but the call 
was  overturned.  The Eagles eventually  punted and  pinned Chicago at its own 
2-yard line. 

Matt  Forte  took a handoff in  the end zone on  first down and was tripped by 
Cedric  Thornton,  resulting in  a safety.  At first, Forte  was ruled to have 
gotten  out of the end zone. Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly challenged the play 
and it was reversed. 

McCoy  capped  the subsequent Eagles drive  by spinning out of Julius Peppers' 
tackle attempt near the goal line to make it 33-3. 

The Bears finally reached the end zone when Cutler found Brandon Marshall for 
a six-yard TD pass to close out the third quarter. Cutler hit Earl Bennett for 
the two-point conversion. 

Chris Polk added a 10-yard TD run for the Eagles. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  Eagles  have won four straight  at home after snapping a franchise-record 
10-game  losing streak at Lincoln Financial Field ... With 1,476 yards rushing 
in  2013, McCoy  is 37 yards rushing shy of tying Wilbert Montgomery's single- 
season  franchise  record (1,513 in  1979) ... Philadelphia outgained Chicago, 
514-257 ... The Eagles became just the fourth team in NFL history to record 12 
games  of  400-plus yards  of offense  in a single  season ... Cutler (14,687) 
broke the Bears career passing yards record. He passed Sid Luckman by a single 
yard  for  the most  in club history  ... Forte  was held to  29 yards on nine 
carries.  He ran  for more than 100  yards in each of the previous three games 
... Trent Cole sacked Cutler three times. 

Stacy, Bailey help Rams get by Bucs

St.  Louis,  MO (SportsNetwork.com) -  The St. Louis Rams  leaned on a pair of 
rookies  to  beat the Tampa Bay  Buccaneers, 23-13, from the Edward Jones Dome 
on Sunday. 

Zac  Stacy carried  the  ball a  career-high  33  times for  104  yards and  a 
touchdown,  while  fellow rookie Stedman  Bailey added a 27-yard touchdown run 
for  St.  Louis (7-8),  which has  won two  straight overall  and its last two 
meetings against Tampa Bay. 

Kellen Clemens was efficient with 158 yards on 16-of-20 passing in the win. 

Mike  Glennon threw  for 158  yards on  16-of-26 passing  and Vincent  Jackson 
hauled in five passes for 98 yards in the Bucs' (4-11) second straight loss. 

Bobby  Rainey  rushed for 37  yards on  20 carries and  had the lone Tampa Bay 
touchdown. 

"Run  the football,  play good defense and then the other things happen," said 
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. 

Tampa  Bay opened  the  scoring on  its second  possession,  as Jackson  found 
openings  in a  soft zone coverage from  St. Louis to move the chains. He made 
two  grabs for 52  yards on the drive, including a 30-yard catch on 3rd-and-10 
that moved the Bucs inside the Rams' 5-yard line. 

Rainey rushed off the right end three plays later for a 1-yard score. 

Tampa  Bay  converted all three third  down situations on the 11-play, 85-yard 
march. 

The Rams answered with a methodical 13-play touchdown drive that spanned into 
the second quarter and culminated when Stacy went up the gut and dove over the 
goal line for a 1-yard plunge. 

St.  Louis used a  heavy dose of Stacy during the possession, although not for 
many yards as the rookie toted the rock eight times for 25 yards. 

The Rams were aided  by a pair of Tampa penalties, a roughing the passer call 
on  Adrian  Clayborn along with  encroachment on  Gerald McCoy, to prolong the 
sequence. 

On the ensuing possession, Rainey coughed up the ball when trying to fight for 
extra  yardage.  Alec Ogletree caused the  fumble and William Hayes pounced on 
the loose ball at the Tampa Bay 27. 

St.  Louis  wasted no time  in converting the  turnover into points, as Bailey 
rushed the far sideline on a double reverse for a touchdown. 

Chris  Givens received the  first leg of the reverse and pitched it to Bailey, 
who followed a convoy of blockers down the far sideline before diving into the 
end zone from four yards out for a 14-7 lead. 

Following  a Tampa Bay  punt, St. Louis put together a string of plays to move 
the  ball  inside the  Bucs five, but  Clemens fumbled the  ball on a designed 
quarterback  draw.  McCoy jarred the ball  loose, and Keith Tandy recovered at 
the 4-yard line. 

Tampa  Bay went three-and-out  from there and was forced to punt in the shadow 
of its own goal post. 

The  sloppy  play continued, as  Stacy fumbled on the Rams' next play and the 
Bucs' Lavonte David recovered at midfield. 

The  Bucs  were helped by  a pass interference on  Janoris Jenkins late in the 
first  half  that placed the ball  at the Rams' 9-yard line. James Laurinaitis 
and  Robert  Quinn followed with successive  sacks to force Tampa into a field 
goal  try, in  which Rian Lindell split  the uprights from 35 yards out as the 
half came to a close to pull the Bucs within 14-10. 

"Offensively  we  need to play  better and  execute better," said Glennon. "It 
came down to execution and we need to do our part, flat out play better." 

Tampa  Bay converted  a 4th-and-1 on its  opening drive of the second half and 
Lindell finished it with a 32-yard field goal to cut the deficit to one. 

St.  Louis countered  with a 54-yard boot  off the foot of Greg Zuerlein for a 
17-13 lead. 

The Rams tacked on another field goal after Zuerlein knocked down a short 25- 
yard try to make it a 20-13 game with 11:15 to play in the fourth quarter. 

Earlier  in  the drive,  Clemens rushed for  a yard up  the middle on 4th-and- 
inches.  St.  Louis made it  to the Bucs  six. McCoy came  up with a big sack, 
however, to help stall the march and force the field goal attempt. 

The Bucs took over and moved the ball up to midfield before Glennon was sacked 
and  fumbled  on 3rd-and-3. Laurinaitis stripped  the ball and Hayes was there 
again for the recovery. 

Zuerlein  split the uprights  for the third time in the contest with a 48-yard 
kick that made it a two-possession game with 3:15 to play. 

The duo of Quinn and Chris Long put the game away with back-to-back late sacks 
that sealed it for the Rams. 

Long  rushed the right end on 3rd-and-2 and sacked Glennon for a loss of eight 
right before the two-minute warning. Quinn then followed out with a sack for a 
loss  of four out  of the timeout, and the Rams took over on downs and ran out 
the clock. 

                                   Game Notes 

Jackson  set  a new season-high  for catches (73) with  an 11-yard grab in the 
second  quarter  ... Quinn  finished  with  three sacks  to  set  a St.  Louis 
franchise record with 18 on the season. The St. Louis defense registered seven 
sacks  as  a unit  ... The Bucs  were 1-for-10 on  third downs following their 
lone  touchdown drive ... St. Louis held the ball for just over 34 minutes ... 
The Rams wrap up the season next Sunday at Seattle, while Tampa travels to New 
Orleans.

Illinois edges Mizzou in Braggin' Rights game

St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - For the first time in five years, Illinois 
has bragging rights over Missouri. 

It came with the added bonus of ending the Tigers' unbeaten season. 

Tracy  Abrams scored 22  points, the last two on a pair of foul shots with 4.6 
seconds  remaining that lifted Illinois to a 65-64 win over No. 23 Missouri in 
the Braggin' Rights game on Saturday. 

In a thrill-a-possession finish at Scottrade Center, Missouri took the lead 
twice on 3-pointers by Earnest Ross and Jabari Brown and Jon Ekey drained a 3 
that moved Illinois in front. 

On the play that led to the winning points, Abrams lost the ball out of bounds 
on a spin move in the lane but was fouled by Johnathan Williams, sending him 
to the line. 

Missouri botched the inbound pass after Abrams' foul shots -- it hit Jordan 
Clarkson -- but Tony Criswell picked the ball up, missing a long 3-point try 
just over midcourt at the buzzer. 

The Illini (10-2) snapped a four-game losing streak in the rivalry and handed 
the  Tigers (10-1)  their first loss of the season. Clarkson led Missouri with 
25 points and eight assists, Ross scored 13 and Jabari Brown added 10 points. 

"A hard-fought, high-level game," said Missouri coach Frank Haith. "I thought 
our guys competed. It was a very, very physical ballgame particularly there in 
the second half, but we came up short." 

Illinois, coming off a loss to No. 13 Oregon last Saturday, had a 59-56 lead 
with under three minutes to play but Missouri scored the next five, including 
Ross' 3 from the right corner with 1:54 left after Williams blocked Rayvonte 
Rice. 

After Abrams missed a 3 at the other end, Clarkson dribbled the ball out of 
bounds to return possession to Illinois. Ekey then knocked down a 3-pointer 
from the high left side for a 62-61 Illinois lead with 47 seconds left. 

Ross missed a tough driving layup for Missouri and Rice made 1-of-2 at the 
line to push Illinois' lead to two points. It was erased when Brown swished a 
3 from the right side to make it 64-63 Missouri with 15 ticks on the clock 
before Abrams' foul shots. 

Earlier, Missouri opened the game with an 8-0 run on the strength of 3s by 
Clarkson and Brown. The Tigers were 8-of-17 from beyond the arc in the game. 

Illinois used a 15-3 run later on to take a three-point lead and was ahead 
31-27 at halftime. 

Missouri had the biggest lead of the second half, seven points after a 9-1 
spurt sparked by a Brown 3. Illinois responded with a 9-0 run to take the 
lead. 

                                   Game Notes 

Rice scored 14 for Illinois ... The Tigers were trying to go 11-0 for the 
second time in three seasons ... Next Saturday, Missouri plays at North 
Carolina State and Illinois is at Illinois-Chicago ... The Tigers started the 
2011-12 season 14-0.

Winter Storm Continues Across Central Illinois thru Sunday

 width=The National Weather Service in Lincoln reports that a winter storm will continue to impact central and southeast Illinois through Saturday night, although conditions will begin to improve after midnight Sunday morning.

The Winter Storm Warning area along/west of the Illinois River Valley can expect a total of 25-to-35-hundredths of ice through Saturday evening, with the precipitation changing to snow and accumulating 1-3" before ending on Sunday.

The Freezing Rain Advisory area can expect less than a quarter of an inch of ice, with the freezing rain expected to taper off after midnight Sunday morning. Heavy rain is still possible in east central and southeast Illinois, where a Flood Watch is in effect.

Storm total rainfall in the watch area should average 1.5-3", with local 4" totals possible south of I-70.

Motorists should be prepared for changing weather conditions, and stay tuned for further weather updates.

Local Basketball Scores 12/21/13

As heard on WTIM, the Taylorville Boys fell to Rochester with a score of 60-43.

As heard on WTIM, the Taylorville Girls fell to Rochester with a score of 63-44.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-20-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Cody L. Henson, 20, of 934 West King, Decatur, was arrested December 20, on a bond forfeiture for burglary.

Abigail A. House, 25, of 509 South Arlington Drive, Taylorville, was arrested December 19 on a bond forfeiture for domestic battery.

Chamber Gift Certificates Great Last Minute Gifts

If you're looking for an easy way to finish your Christmas shopping, the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce may be able to help.  President and CEO of the Chamber Patty Hornbuckle says Chamber gift certificates are always a welcome gift:

[audio:pattygc122013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Chamber will be open until 12 noon Christmas Eve.  It's located on the South side of the Taylorville Square.

4-H Junior Leadership Academy Less Than 2 Months Away

The 4-H Junior Leadership Academy for 7th and 8th Grade 4-H members is less than 2 months away. 4-H Youth Development Educator Peggy Hampton tells Regional Radio News about the event:

[audio:peggyjrleadership122013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Hampton says 4-H members are allowed to bring a friend to the event. Again, the conference will be February 8th and 9th and the deadline to register is January 20th.  If you have any questions, you can contact Peggy Hampton at 532-3941. 

Mayhall: Forest Park to Feature Sleigh Rides

With Christmas now just days away, you may be interested in an activity the whole family can enjoy. Tad Mayhall of the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce says the Festival of Lights continues and you may be able to take a horse-drawn sleigh through the Forest Park:

[audio:tadlights122013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The lights at Forest Park will continue to be lit every night during the holiday season.

Thunder Top Injury-Ridden Bulls

Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Durant scored 32 points, Russell 
Westbrook had 20 and the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the Chicago Bulls 107-95 
on Thursday to remain unbeaten at home. 

Reggie  Jackson added  18 points, Durant had nine rebounds and six assists and 
Westbrook  dished out  10 assists for the Thunder, who stretched their overall 
winning  streak  to eight games and  moved to 13-0 at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 
the NBA's last unbeaten home team. 

They  are 21-4,  the NBA's best record,  and 16-1 in their last 17 games, with 
only one loss since Nov. 14. 

Joakim  Noah  had 23 points and  12 rebounds to lead the injury-plagued Bulls, 
who have lost four in a row and seven of their last eight. 

The Bulls were without Luol Deng (sore Achilles) and Kirk Hinrich (back). They 
fell to 3-11 since losing Derrick Rose to another knee injury. 

The  Thunder  led wire-to-wire and  pulled away in  the second half, turning a 
three-point halftime lead into a 15-point advantage with 3 1/2 minutes left in 
the third quarter. 

Durant and Westbrook combined for 17 points in the quarter and Durant's runner 
made  it 79-64. The  Thunder took an 84-72 lead into the forth quarter and the 
Bulls never got closer than eight the rest of the way. Oklahoma City led by as 
many as 19. 

"I  thought we did a good job in the second half of really being active on the 
ball  and  pushing them out  of their comfort  zone," said Thunder coach Scott 
Brooks. 

Durant  scored 12  points in the first  quarter, missing just two of his seven 
shots, and the Thunder took a 35-24 lead into the second. 

They led by 14 on Jackson's jumper four minutes into the quarter but the Bull
later used a 9-0 run to get within three. The burst was capped by back-to-back 
3s  from Tony Snell  and D.J. Augustin, who completed a four- point play after 
he was fouled by Westbrook to make it 47-44. 

Jackson  and Durant responded with consecutive 3s for the Thunder, who carried 
a 55-52 lead into halftime behind 17 points from Durant and 15 from Jackson. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  Thunder have won  four in a row over the Bulls ... The Thunder are on the 
road Saturday against Southwest Division-leading San Antonio ... The Bulls are 
home against Cleveland on Saturday. 

Steen, Blues Crush Canadiens

St.  Louis,  MO (SportsNetwork.com) -  Alexander Steen  lit the lamp twice and 
T.J.  Oshie had  two assists as the  St. Louis Blues cruised past the Montreal 
Canadiens, 5-1, at Scottrade Center. 

Jaden Schwartz, Chris Stewart, and Maxim Lapierre all scored for the Blues and 
Brenden  Morrow  tallied his  300th assist  to help the Blues snap a two-game 
losing streak. 

Jaroslav Halak stopped 25-of-26 shots in the victory. 

Brendan  Gallagher  supplied Montreal's lone  goal and Carey Price allowed all 
five goals for the Canadiens, who have lost two of their last three. 

"We're  making simple  mistakes that  we shouldn't  be making,"  said Montreal 
winger  Brian Gionta. "We're not supporting each other. We're not backing each 
other up and ... that's just not the way we need to be playing." 

The Blues started  the scoring 4:20 into  the first. Oshie rushed up the left 
wing and dished a pass to Steen over towards the right of Price. Steen reached 
to  gather the  puck and lifted a  shot past a sliding Price for a shorthanded 
marker. 

Steen tallied his 24th goal of the season almost four minutes later. Derek Roy 
carried  the puck  into the Montreal zone  and dropped a pass back to Steen at 
the  right  circle. Steen quickly wristed  the puck over the shoulder of Price 
for his second of the night. 

"We  stuck  with it and just  played the way we  should be playing, the way we 
were playing early in the season," said Steen. 

The Blues went  up by three at 13:33  in the first. Morrow dished a pass from 
behind  the net  and into the slot  for Stewart, who snapped the puck into the 
net. 

Gallagher  knocked a rebound out of the air to get Montreal on the board 12:51 
into the second. 

Schwartz  fired a  shot through the arm of  Price to give the Blues a 4-1 lead 
12:21 into the third. 

The Blues  made it 5-1  with 2:27 remaining.  Douglas Murray sent an inerrant 
pass  through the slot  and Lapierre slapped the puck into the back of the net 
to account for the final score. 

                                   Game Notes 

The Blues are now 20-1-2 when scoring first ... St. Louis went 0-for-6 on the 
power  play despite scoring  five goals ... The Blues have won their last five 
games against the Canadiens ... Montreal plays in Nashville on Saturday, while 
St. Louis travels to Edmonton on Saturday. 

National Weather Service Revises Major Winter Storm Threat

 width=The National Weather Service in Lincoln says a major winter storm will affect the Midwest this weekend. A winter storm warning is in effect northwest of the IL river Saturday and Saturday night. A freezing rain advisory is posted southeast of the IL river to along the I-55 corridor on Saturday.

As temperatures slowly climb on Saturday, the freezing rain will change to rain across areas southeast of the IL river Saturday afternoon and evening. Up to a tenth inch of ice is possible along and northwest of I-55 with around a quarter inch northwest of the IL river. As temperatures cool again Saturday night, the freezing rain will shift back eastward, toward I-55.

Further northwest across the Illinois River Valley the freezing rain may persist through Saturday evening and turn to snow after midnight Saturday night. At this time, it appears the highest threat for a significant ice accumulation will be northwest of the Illinois river.

As colder air arrives, the precipitation will change to snow in most of the area on Sunday, with 2 to 3 inches of snow likely along and northwest of the Illinois River with 1 to 2 inches of snow southeast of the Illinois river.

In addition to the winter weather, heavy rain will be likely across portions of central Illinois and southeast Illinois, starting overnight Friday night through Saturday night.

A Flood Watch is in affect for areas along and southeast of a line from Taylorville to Decatur to Champaign, where rainfall amounts of one-point-5 to-3 inches will be possible with up to 4 inches possible by the Wabash River near Lawrenceville.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio for further updates on this winter storm.

Local Basketball Scores 12/20/13

As heard on WTIM, Taylorville fell to Lanphier with a score of 72-56.

As hearn on WRAN, Shelbyville defeated Moroa-Forsyth with a score of 43-28.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-19-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARREST:

Kevin P. Clutter, 45, of 1 Cherokee Street, Pana, was arrested December 18 for aggravated battery.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

On December 18 at 9:07am, a Taylorville Police Department officer observed a vehicle make a traffic violation in the area of Cherokee and East Main Street. The officer stopped the vehicle and found Delbert R. Dilley, 39, of Taylorville to be the driver. The officer learned through the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System that Dilley's license is revoked. Dilley was arrested and transported to the Taylorville Police Department.

On December 18, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to Route Mart on West Park Street in reference to a two vehicle accident. Following their arrival, Toni L. Sargent, 41, of Springfield was placed under arrest for driving while license suspended. Sargent was later released on a notice to appear in court.

Bears Ink Tackle Long

(Lake Forest, IL)  --  The Chicago Bears have signed offensive tackle Joe Long from the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad.  The contract is for two seasons.  Long joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Rams.  He is the brother of former number-one pick Jake Long of St. Louis and of Bears right guard Kyle Long. 

Cardinals Likely Done With Offseason Shopping

(St. Louis, MO)  --  The St. Louis Cardinals are likely set for the 2014 season.  Cards General Manager John Mozeliak called the organization's offseason activity "short" and "quick."  St. Louis recently signed second baseman Mark Ellis to a one-year contract and recently struck a deal with the Angels to acquire center fielder Peter Bourjos.  Mozeliak also signed free agent short stop Jhonny Peralta. 

Coach Dino Babers Moving On From Eastern Illinois

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Dino Babers has stepped down as the head coach of the Eastern Illinois football program to accept the head coaching position at Bowling Green State University.

 

Babers completed two seasons as the Panthers head coach leading the team to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Championships and FCS playoff berths.

The team was ranked No. 2 during the 2013 season posting a 12-2 record while advancing to the FCS Quarterfinals.  Babers was twice named the OVC Coach of the Year and the AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year.  This season he was the runner-up for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year.

 

Babers coached back-to-back OVC Players of the Year in wide receiver Erik Lora (2012) and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (2013).  Garoppolo was named the

2013 Walter Payton Award winner on Monday.  His two year record at EIU was 19-7, 14-1 in the OVC.

 

"We would like to thank Coach Babers for his service to Eastern Illinois University and the Panther football program," said EIU Athletic Director Barbara Burke.  "Coach Babers and his staff brought an exciting brand of football to Charleston winning consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Championships.  While we hate to lose him as our head coach, we do understand that this is part of the collegiate coaching business and coaches move on to other opportunities."

 

Burke stated that EIU would begin a search for a new head football coach in the coming days.

Type 2 Diabetes Affects Thousands in Illinois

You may have type 2 diabetes and not even know it.  Vanessa Wiseman of the American Diabetes Association says thousands of people in Central Illinois suffer from the disease:

[audio:wisemanstats121813.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Williams says you should get yourself checked every year.  If you need information about living with diabetes, call Vanessa Wiseman at 875-9011.

Wellness Center in Pana can help you Lose Weight

With the New Year coming, many resolutions will be made concerning weight loss.  Melissa Rybolt of Pana Community Hospital says their Wellness Center can help you keep those resolutions:

[audio:ryboltwellnesscenter121813.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Wellness Center will offer several special deals as we head into January.  Pana Community Hospital Celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2014.

Drea Thanks Public For Support

Christian County Treasurer Mike Drea recently announced that he will be resigning from the Treasurer position and will not be running for re-election. Drea thanks the public for all the support:

[audio:dreathanks121913.mp3]comment here[/audio]

In a letter to the Christian County Board, Drea stated unforeseen circumstances as the reason for his resignation. Drea has agreed to continue his work as the Treasurer while the Board finds a replacement.

Triad: Watch for New ?Senior Crime Watch? Scam

There is a new scam in play.  Richard Peters of Triad says he received a call from someone representing themselves as being from a group called "Senior Crime Watch":

[audio:petersdenverscam121913.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Again, the phone number to beware of is (720) 452-5598.

Howard's big night leads Rockets past Bulls

Houston,  TX (SportsNetwork.com)  - Dwight Howard scored 23 points on 11-of-14 
shooting  and  grabbed nine rebounds as  the Houston Rockets pulled away for a 
109-94 victory over the overmatched Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. 

Chandler  Parsons  and James  Harden  each  scored  19 points,  while  Patrick 
Beverley  and Omri  Casspi contributed 15 and 11 points, respectively, for the 
Rockets,  who shot 53.7 percent from the field en route to their fourth win in 
six games. 

"I  thought we did some good stuff offensively," said Rockets head coach Kevin 
McHale,  who  had missed the  three previous games  following the death of his 
mother. 

The Bulls,  losers in  three straight and  six of seven  overall, were led by 
Jimmy Butler's 20 points. 

"When  you  lose, it's  not fun, but  we have to  keep battling," Bulls center 
Joakim Noah said. 

Chicago was done in by a six-minute field goal drought that stretched into the 
fourth  quarter. Houston's  subsequent  17-1 flurry  --  highlighted by  seven 
points  from  Casspi --  turned  a  three-point  Houston  lead into  an  85-66 
advantage in the opening minute of the fourth. 

Eight  of the Bulls' 17 turnovers came  in the pivotal third quarter, and the 
closest they came in the final period was 14 points. 

Even  though the Rockets essentially led wire-to-wire, it was a one-possession 
game for a good portion of the second quarter. 

Parsons drained a 3-pointer during a 7-0 Rockets run that pushed their lead to 
46-36  late  in the half,  and Beverley beat  the halftime buzzer with another 
triple for a 57-46 cushion. 

                                   Game Notes 

Howard  was one  rebound shy of a seventh straight double-double ... Chicago's 
Luol  Deng had 18  points and Carlos Boozer chipped in with 17 in the loss ... 
Chicago has lost four straight meetings against Houston.

Miller Media Group to Acquire Another Central Illinois Signal

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(Taylorville)--The Miller Media Group's Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Incorporated, of Taylorville, has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission, to acquire WINU AM 870 Shelbyville, from New Life Evangelistic Center of St. Louis.

Terms of the transaction were not announced.

The daytime signal covers an area bordered by Effingham, Paris, Bloomington and Jacksonville. It will make the 6th signal that will operate from Miller's Taylorville cluster of stations. Miller will announce what programming the new signal will broadcast, after it takes possession which is expected during the first quarter of 2014.

The Miller Media Group also owns 3 signals in Clinton.

Major Winter Storm Heading Towards Central Illinois

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN SAYS A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO TRACK TOWARD CENTRAL ILLINOIS FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

A COMBINATION OF HEAVY RAIN...FREEZING RAIN...AND SNOW CONTINUES TO GET READY TO DEVELOP AND MOVE TOWARD PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

A FRONTAL SYSTEM HAS STRENGTHENED TODAY OVER NORTHERN MISSOURI TO
NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY THROUGH THE                           DAY FRIDAY. SOME LIGHT RAIN WILL DEVELOP ON THE FRONT...WITH ONLY SOME                   LIGHT FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE NORTH.

THE MAIN PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP EARLY SATURDAY AND MOVE INTO
THE STATE...AS A LOW PRESSURE CENTER DEVELOPS ON THE STALLED
FRONT...AND MOVES NORTHEAST OVER ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN INDIANA.
THE RAIN MAY BE MIXED WITH FREEZING RAIN DURING THE DAY SATURDAY
IN THE NORTHERN HALF...WITH HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF
CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

ON SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...THE LOW CENTER WILL PULL TO THE
NORTHEAST AND THE COLD AIR WILL MOVE IN. THE RESULT WILL RAIN
CHANGING TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
WILL BE THE HEAVIEST OVER THE REGION NORTHWEST OF THE ILLINOIS
RIVER...AT 3 TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.

DETAILS ON THIS WINTER STORM CONTINUE TO CHANGE, AND THEREFORE
SOME OF THE MORE CRITICAL POINTS ARE STILL UNCERTAIN. THE WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES YOU TO KEEP TUNED TO LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING WINTER EVENT.

Cubs Sign Pitcher Jose Veras

(Chicago, IL)  --  The Cubs have added some bullpen depth.  ESPNDeportes.com reports Chicago and right-hander Jose Veras have agreed on a one-year, four-million-dollar deal.  The contract includes a 5.5-million-dollar option for 2015 and incentives.  The 33-year-old started last season as the Astros closer before being dealt to the Tigers in July.  Veras went 0-and-5 with a 3.02 ERA, while posting a career-high 21 saves in 67 games between Houston and Detroit last season.  

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-18-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ARREST:
Holly A. Conaway, 19, of 4040 Hannan Court?, Taylorville, was arrested on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear.

CRASH:
On December 17, Breanna K. Cvengros, 20, of Tower Hill and a 16-year0old male were both traveling south on Route 51. The 16-year-old stopped to turn into a driveway. Cvengros didn't see the 16-year-old stop and hit him causing damage to both vehicles. No injuries were reported.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARREST:

On December 17, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to Walmart in reference to a call that Loss Prevention had a shoplifter in custody. Following their arrival, officers placed Kimberly M. Snow, 29, of Cowden under arrest for retail theft. Snow was later released on a notice to appear in court.

Blackhawks use power play to top Predators

Nashville,  TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Duncan Keith tallied a goal and an assist 
as   the  Chicago  Blackhawks  defeated  the  Nashville  Predators,  3-1,  at 
Bridgestone Arena. 

Patrick  Kane and  Nick Leddy supplied the other goals. Chicago has now scored 
power-play  goals  in 10 straight games  with Kane and Leddy both lighting the 
lamp on the man advantage. 

Antti  Raanta turned  aside  27-of-28 shots  as the Blackhawks  have won  two 
straight and five of their last six. 

Nashville  captain  Shea Weber scored  his team's  only goal and Carter Hutton 
allowed  all three goals  on 27 shots in the defeat, snapping a three-game win 
streak. 

Chicago scored quickly when Keith received a dish from Marian Hossa and ripped 
a shot from the blue line to beat Hutton 1:29 into the game. 

Nashville tied the game less than two minutes later. Marcus Kruger went off to 
the  box  for a face-off  violation. After Brent  Seabrook failed to clear the 
zone,  Roman Josi slipped  a pass over to Weber, who blasted the puck from the 
left circle on a one-timer past Raanta at 3:03. 

After  taking a  pass from  Patrick  Sharp, Kane  lifted a  backhand over  the 
shoulder  of Hutton on the power play for his 20th of the season with close to 
four minutes left in the first. 

Leddy  fired a shot from the left side of Hutton that quickly crossed the goal 
line  into the net  and flew out. The goal was originally waved off, but after 
further review it was deemed a good goal 11:33 into the second. 

                                   Game Notes 

Chicago  is 19-0-3  when scoring first ... Nashville generated 17 shots in the 
first  period  ... Nashville  will play  in Tampa Bay  on Thursday ... Chicago 
hosts Vancouver on Friday. 

Extension's Herb Day Coming up

The University of Illinois Extension has its annual "Herb Day" coming up.  Master Gardener Gwen Podeschi says having fresh herbs around brings a new level of flavor to your cooking:

[audio:podeschiherbday121713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

If you want to find out more about Herb Day, call 244-1693.

Christian County Board Honors Art Students; Hears Update on Treasurer Resigning

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Left to Right: Camille Beyers, Matthew Campbell, Chairman Paul Chairman Schmitz.

 

The Christian County Board met Tuesday night and started the meeting by honoring Taylorville High School senior art students Camille Beyers and Matthew Campbell for their map design that will be on mugs and postcards celebrating Taylorville’s upcoming 175th anniversary. Carol Alexander of the Taylorville Tourism Council tells the Board about the process:

[audio:alexandermapdesign121813.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Chairman Paul Schmitz presented both Beyers and Campbell with a certificate of appreciation. The mugs are available for purchase now at Cottage Rose and PS Printing. Alexander says a portion of the proceeds will go to the Art Department at the Taylorville High School.

 

The Christian County Board was updated on the Treasurer situation after current Treasurer Mike Drea announced he will be resigning. Chairman Paul Schmitz read the resignation letter to the Board and then told them the latest on the situation:

[audio:schmitztreasurerresign121813.mp3]comment here[/audio]

In his resignation letter, Drea cited unforeseen circumstances as the reason for stepping down.

 

The Christian County Board heard from Christian/Montgomery Counties Regional Superintendent Marchelle Kassebaum about the Regional Office of Education consolidation. Kassebaum tells the Board about the next step:

[audio:kassebaumroenext121813.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Kassebaum says her term will end June 30, 2015 and adds that they hope to maintain the office in Tayloville.

 

The Christian County Board was also informed that the Raymond-Morrisonville school consolidation will be on the upcoming ballot. The Board approved the reappointment of James Hafliger as a trustee to the Taylorville Sanitary District. The Board approved the request to hire in preparation for retirement for the Circuit Clerk Office.

The meeting adjourned at 7:15pm.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-17-13

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARREST:

On December 16, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to Walmart in reference to a retail theft. Following their arrival, officers placed Brandon M. Banning, 20, of Taylorville under arrest for retail theft.

Ceci's first NHL goal lifts Senators past Blues in overtime

Ottawa,  ON (SportsNetwork.com)  - Cody Ceci scored 3:59 into overtime to lift 
the Ottawa Senators over the St. Louis Blues, 3-2. 

It was Ceci's first NHL goal. 

Bobby  Ryan and  Jean-Gabriel Pageau also lit the lamp for the Senators. Robin 
Lehner stopped 30-of-32 shots. 

Chris  Stewart had a pair of goals for the Blues, who had a three-game winning 
streak snapped. Brian Elliott made 29 saves against his former team. 

Ryan  tied the  game at two at the  5:44 mark of the third period. Kyle Turris 
controlled  the puck at the left point before sending a pass to Ryan, who beat 
Elliott with a backhander. 

Ceci,  playing in his  third NHL game, beat Elliott with a shot from the right 
point to give Ottawa the win in overtime. 

Pageau gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at the 3:57 mark of the first period. Ryan 
gathered the puck behind the net and found Pageau in front. 

Stewart  scored goals 2:57 apart late in the middle stanza to give the Blues a 
2-1 margin. 

Stewart  lit the  lamp on  a breakaway  at 16:50.  He scored  off a  pass from 
Derek Roy with 11.5 seconds left. 

                                   Game Notes 

Blues  captain  David Backes  left the  game during the  second period with an 
upper-body  injury and  did not  return  ... Senators  defenseman Jared  Cowen 
returned  after  serving a  two-game suspension ...  St. Louis center Vladimir 
Sobotka (upper body) missed the game. 

3 Taylorville Teenagers Arrested for Home Invasion

 

Three teenagers were arrested over the weekend for home invasion. On Saturday at 2:50am, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to 600 West Third Street Apt. 2B in reference to an assault. During the investigation, a 17-year-old male, 19-year-old Andrew D. Foster of Taylorville, and 19-year-old Shane J. Horve of Taylorville, were located and arrested for home invasion and illegal possession and consumption of alcohol by a minor. The 17-year-old and Foster were also charged with resisting a peace officer while Horve was charged with burglary from a motor vehicle. They were transported to Taylorville Police Department for processing and then transported to the Christian County Correctional Center in lieu of bond.

2 Lincoln Residents Sent to Hospital After One Car Crash

A one vehicle crash sent two Lincoln residents to the hospital Monday. 56-year-old Debra D Taylor of Lincoln was traveling southbound on Interstate 55 approaching milepost 60 in Montgomery County.  At that time, Taylor reportedly attempted to change lanes, but allegedly failed to see the lane was already occupied by another vehicle.  Taylor swerved to miss striking the other vehicle, lost control, and went off the right side of the roadway.   Taylor rolled twice before coming to rest in the ditch.  Taylor and front seat passenger, 88-year-old Laverda Taylor of Lincoln, were transported by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield.   

Relay for Life Plans Already Underway

Even though it doesn't take place until June, plans are already well underway for this year's Relay for Life.  Steve Turner says the annual American Cancer Society event is as much about supporting victims of cancer as it is about fundraising:

[audio:turnerrelaymtg121713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

You can contact the Relay for Life chairperson, Lisa Sims, at 791-1218.

Gowin Parc Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary of Taylorville Location

Gowin Parc recently celebrated the 1 Year Anniversary of its Taylorville location. Owner Theresa Gowin tells Regional Radio News that it doesn’t feel like a year:

[audio:gowin1year121713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Gowin Parc in Taylorville is located at 920 McAdam Drive. For more information, you can call them at 287-7000.

CRIME OF THE WEEK FOR DECEMBER 16, 2013

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This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to a burglary that occurred in Taylorville.

At around 2:00 pm on Friday December 13, 2013, an unknown subject entered into Sloan Implements, located at 240 South Spresser Street in Taylorville.   While inside, the unknown subject took a generator from inside the business and then left without paying for the item.   The suspect is described as a white male, tall, with a shaved head.  The suspect was believed to be driving a dark colored full size Ford 150.  The total dollar amount of the loss is estimated at $800.

Please contact Crimestoppers if you any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons.  Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name.  Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

 You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES  (274632) and then your tip.  As always, you will remain anonymous. 

Magic edge Bulls

Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Arron Afflalo poured in 23 points with eight 
rebounds  and the  Orlando Magic held off  the Chicago Bulls with an 83-82 win 
from United Center. 

Glen Davis and Nikola Vucevic each posted double-doubles with Davis scoring 14 
with 11 rebounds and Vucevic adding 10 points and 11 boards. 

Jameer Nelson scored 14 points with seven assists for the Magic, who snapped a 
five-game losing streak against Chicago. 

Luol  Deng scored  26  points,  while Mike  Dunleavy  and  D.J. Augustin  each 
chipped in with 14 points. Joakim Noah added 13 points with eight rebounds for 
the Bulls, who have lost five of their last six games. 

"I  am glad  that we pulled it out,"  said Afflalo. "At the end of the day you 
get a road win, it's well deserved." 

Afflalo  hit a  jumper midway through the  third to give the Magic its largest 
lead of the game, 63-46. 

Chicago  ended  the third with  a 13-4 run and  trailed 67-59 heading into the 
fourth.  Augustin, Deng,  and Dunleavy all hit triples to ignite the spurt and 
Taj Gibson capped the run with a driving slam courtesy of Augustine. 

The  Magic  pushed their lead to  as many as  11 following a Davis jumper with 
5:40 remaining in the contest. 

The Bulls proceeded to go on a 12-2 run and make a game of it late. Deng had a 
chance  to  send the game to  overtime with Chicago  down two, but he missed a 
wide open layup with 2.9 seconds left. 

Deng  inbounded  to Noah and then  bolted to the  rim when Noah made a perfect 
back-door pass, but Deng's layup was off the mark. 

Davis recovered the rebound and made two at the line to secure the win. 

"We  got  ourselves into  a little  bit of  a hole  early," said Dunleavy. "We 
fought back and battled, but we didn't make enough plays down the stretch." 

The Bulls scored the first six points of the night but Orlando followed with a 
15-0 run. 

Vucevic  opened and  closed  the spurt  with  a couple  of  baskets and  Davis 
scored  six points to help Orlando to a nine-point advantage with 4:33 to play 
in the first. 

Orlando led 21-14 after one quarter and 43-35 at half. 

                                   Game Notes 

Carlos  Boozer had 13 rebounds ... The game was tied just once and the Magic's 
largest  lead  was 17  ... Each  team is  in action  on Wednesday with Chicago 
visiting Houston and the Magic returning home to host Utah. 

Taylorville Kiwanis Club Holds Christmas Luncheon at Vision Way Christian School

It was a special day for the Taylorville Kiwanis Club, as their weekly meeting Tuesday was a Christmas luncheon and program hosted by Vision Way Christian School.

Following a meal served by the Vision Way lunch staff, Kiwanis members and guests were treated to remarks from principal Glenna Tolliver, who told the group that Vision Way now has some 215 students and 25 staff, plus volunteers which assist.

She then introduced the first grade class, followed by the junior high class, which both sang a Christmas song to Kiwanis members and guests.

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Here’s a sample of the first grade class’ musical number.

[audio:Kiwaniscut1Dec1713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

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And, the Vision Way Christian School junior high school class sounded like this at the Kiwanis luncheon Tuesday:

[audio:Kiwaniscut2Dec1713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

It was the last Taylorville Kiwanis meeting for 2013.  The club’s next meeting will be January 7th at their regular location, which is the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing 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.

 

Taylorville City Council Hears Update on Ahlstrom

The Taylorville City Council met Monday night and heard an update on the noise coming from Ahlstrom. Mayor Greg Brotherton says they are continuing to work towards a solution:

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Several Aldermen who live near Ahlstrom’s said they have noticed the noise and it has bothered them as well. Mayor Brotherton says they are in a tough situation since Ahlstrom is under Christian County’s ordinances and not the City of Taylorville’s. Mayor Brotherton says the County has been contacted and representatives have been asked to attend the meeting on Thursday. Again, that meeting will be at 6:00pm in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building.

 

The Taylorville City Council was presented with a subordination agreement with Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative concerning the City’s storm sewer easement in regards to West Elm Street. Alderman Rob Heberling voiced concern over the wording:

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The Council barely approved the agreement on a 5-4 vote. Aldermen Martin Vota, Ray Koonce, and Shawn Burtle also voted against it. Mayor Brotherton voted yes to break the tie.

 

The Taylorville City Council was presented with a motion for Mayor Greg Brotherton to send a letter to the Board of Fire and Police Commission to begin the process of hiring two police officers for the Taylorville Police Department. Alderman Ray Koonce urged the Council to approve this motion:

[audio:kooncepolicehire121713.mp3]comment here[/audio])

The Council approved the motion unanimously.

 

The Taylorville City Council held a discussion over a Motion to amend the Spiller Pay Ordinance to include the following language: “an instance in which two non-residents are involved in an accident, the driver that is determined to be the majority at fault is the one responsible for paying the charges”. City Attorney Rocci Romano says the Council should       re-consider the wording:

[audio:romanowording121713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Council voted to table the topic while City Attorney Romano works on the wording.

 

The City Council also approved the Fire Union Local #3144 contract. The Council approved the execution of an easement agreement in regards to Enlow Sanitary Sewer Easement. The Council approved to review applications on file and to advertise if necessary for one heavy equipment operator for the Street Department.

The meeting adjourned at 7:31 pm.

White Sox Trade Closer Reed to Arizona


Phoenix,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com)  - The  Arizona Diamondbacks  acquired right- 
handed  relief  pitcher Addison Reed  from the Chicago White Sox on Monday in 
exchange for infielder Matt Davidson. 

Reed  set career  highs in wins, saves, appearances, innings and strikeouts in 
2013,  going 5-4 with a 3.79 earned run average, 40 saves and 72 strikeouts in 
71 1/3 innings over 68 games with the Solid navy;background-color:yellow"> White Sox. 

A  third-round  pick of Chicago  in 2010,  Reed, who turns  25 on Dec. 27, has 
compiled  an 8-6  record with a 4.17 ERA  and 69 saves in 136 games over three 
seasons, all with the Solid navy;background-color:yellow"> White Sox. 

Davidson,  22, made his big league debut last season with the Diamondbacks and 
hit  .237  with six doubles,  three home runs  and 12 RBI  in 31 games. He was 
selected 35th overall by Arizona in 2009. 

Taylorville High School Sports Rescheduling (Update)

 

Due to the weather cancellations over the weekend, the following are the rescheduled dates for Taylorville Athletics.

 

Boys Basketball vs. Hillsboro – The game has been rescheduled for Saturday January 4, 2014 at 5:00 pm for the JV game, the Varsity will follow at 6:30 pm.

 

Girls Basketball vs Bethalto Civic Memorial HS – The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday January 22, 2014 at 6:00 pm for the JV game, the Varsity will follow at 7:30 pm.  

 

The Freshmen boy basketball game vs. MacArthur that was scheduled at 6:00 pm on January 22, 2014 will be moved up to 4:30 pm and will be an “A” game only.

 

Fr. Girls Basketball Tournament: Scheduled for January 4th beginning at 8am at the Taylorville Junior High School.

 

Bowling and Wrestling tournaments will not be made up.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-16-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICER REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

CRASHES:
On December 13, Tristan J. Atkinson, 24, of Taylorville, was eastbound on County #6. Approximately one half mile east of County #7, Atkinson lost control of the vehicle on the slick road. Atkinson left the roadway and overturned in the north ditch. No injuries were reported.

On December 13, Derek W. Bourke, 21, of Decatur was traveling southwest on IL. Route 48. Bourke lost control in ice and slushy conditions and went off the roadway to the west. Bourke entered a plowed field and overturned two times before coming to rest on the roof. No injuries were reported.

On December 11, Cody W. Basil, 22, of Kincaid was stopped in the roadway on TWP Road 2300 East due to a semi tractor-trailer broken down. Bryson E. Thompson, 45, of Taylorville came up behind Basil on TWP Road 900 North. Thompson states he came to a complete stop and Basil backed into his vehicle. Basil states he was getting ready to back up due to the blocked roadway when he was struck in the rear by Basil. Thompson was issued 3 citations unrelated to the crash. No injuries reported.

ARRESTS:
James D. Snell, 20, of 2812 South Price, Springfield, was arrested December 13 on a bond forfeiture for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Donald G. Kloever, 37, of 406 West Olive, Pana, was arrested December 13 on a bond forfeiture for criminal damage to property.

Andrew D. Foster, 19, of 600 West Third Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 14 for home invasion and resisting a peace officer.

Shane J. Horve, 19, of 600 West 3rd Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 14 for home invasion and illegally possessing/consumption alcohol by a minor.


THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:
ARRESTS:
On December 14 at 2:50am, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to 600 West Third Street Apt. 2B in reference to an assault. During the investigation, a 17-year-old male, 19-year-old Andrew D. Foster of Taylorville, and 19-year-old Shane J. Horve of Taylorville, were located and arrested for home invasion and illegal possession/consumption of alcohol by a minor. The 17-year-old and Foster were also charged with resisting a peace officer while Horve was charged with burglary from a motor vehicle. They were transported to Taylorville Police Department for processing and then transported to the Christian County Correctional Center in lieu of bond.

On December 9, Nathan C. Scholes, 30, of Altamont was traveling south on Route 29 when a deer ran into the roadway. Scholes was not able to stop in time and struck the deer which was knocked off the roadway. Scholes' vehicle suffered damage but he was able to drive away from the scene. No injuries were reported.

On December 8, Sierra M. Durbin, 18, of Taylorville was traveling north on Clay Street just past the intersection of Clay and Market Street. Durbin advised that she tried to slow down and that due to the icy conditions, begun to spin. Durbin spun around and struck a utility post on the West side of the roadway. The post was broken off at its base. Durbin had damage but was able to drive from the scene.

 

THE PANA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

On December 13, Starla D. Hostetler, 42, of Bingham was arrested on a Macon County warrant for failure to appear. Hostetler was transported to the Macon County jail in lieu of bond.

After an incident on December 13 at 207 Hayes Avenue, Pana, a temporary complaint was signed against Rachael L. Purkes, 27, of Pana for aggravated battery (victim over 60 years of age). Purkes was arrested and transported to the Christian County Jail in lieu of bond.

Following a dispute on December 13 at 711 Railroad Avenue, Pana, Jacob C. Krouse, 28, of Springfield was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. Krouse was issued a notice to appear in court and released. Additional information is being forwarded to the State's Attorney for consideration of charges for battery and criminal trespass to real property.

On December 14, Joyce McKittrick of Pana reported the theft of money and jewelry from 406 East Second Street approximately one month ago.

On December 15, Jennifer Sisk, of Pana reported the theft of an elephant yard ornament from 100 MacArthur Boulevard sometime during the evening of December 14 and the early morning hours of December 15.

On December 15, Crystal Durham of Pana reported the theft of several items from 404 East Second Street in the last six months.

Fire Department Calls 12-16-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 12
2 EMS

December 13
3 EMS

December 14
3 Power lines down, 2 EMS

December 15
4 EMS, 1 Automatic Alarm, 1 Public Assist, 1 Gas Odor

Stacy, Rams knock off Saints

St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Zac Stacy posted a game-high 133 yards and 
one  touchdown on 28 carries as St. Louis jumped out to an early 17-0 lead and 
held on to beat New Orleans, 27-16, in Week 15 action. 

Kellen Clemens was an effective 14-of-20 for 158 yards with TD strikes to Cory 
Harkey  and  Lance Kendricks for the Rams (6-8), who snapped a two-game slide 
and beat their Sunday foes for the fourth time in the last six meetings. 

"Everybody  contributed and  everybody last night felt like we had a chance to 
win  the  game," noted Rams head  coach Jeff  Fisher. "We  got a couple early 
turnovers which really helped us put them in a hole." 

Drew  Brees threw for 393 yards and one touchdown on 39-of-56 attempts but was 
intercepted  twice for  the  Saints  (10-4), who  have  dropped  two key  road 
contests in a three-game span and failed to lock up a playoff berth. 

Marques  Colston  topped an eight-man  receiving corps with  92 yards and a TD 
catch  on eight receptions, to counterbalance Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas 
being limited to a combined 45 yards on 15 attempts. 

"Today's  game  was unacceptable and it's  on me," said Saints head coach Sean 
Payton.  " We did all the things a team does to keep itself from winning. That 
was pretty ugly and it was an extremely disappointing loss." 

Capping  an 80  yard drive on the 14th  play, Brees went over the top from one 
yard  out but the conversion run failed, and New Orleans trailed 27-9 early in 
the fourth quarter. 

It  was a 27-16 game on the Saints' ensuing possession, as Brees found Colston 
for  a  touchdown on 4th-and-5  and the visitors  recovered the onside kick at 
their own 44. 

However,  the potential momentum-turning drive was wasted when Garrett Hartley 
dug his toe into the turf and shanked a 26-yard attempt wide left. 

St.  Louis  took over  on its own  20 and  ran off the  remaining time in four 
plays. 

"Anytime  you  win, it's  a good  feeling, regardless  of who you're playing," 
Stacy said. 

Brees  was picked  off on  the first  snap of  the Saints'  first drive,  with 
T.J.  McDonald doing the honors before being tackled at the New Orleans 31. On 
the next play, Clemens connected with Harkey for a touchdown. 

New Orleans reached the St. Louis 10 on the following possession, but Trumaine 
Johnson stepped in front of a Brees offering at the goal line and advanced the 
ball  seven  yards. Clemens ended  that 9-play series  with a 4-yard strike to 
Kendricks for a 14-0 edge. 

The Rams recovered  the  ensuing onside  kick  at the  Saints'  47, and  Greg 
Zuerlein's 31-yard make on the first play of the second quarter made it 17-0. 

On  the following  series, Hartley's 45-yard make put the Saints on the board, 
then  after both teams exchanged punts, Stacy rumbled 40 yards to paydirt on a 
2nd-and-4 to give the Rams a 24-3 advantage that stood at halftime. 

Brees  was sacked  and coughed up the  ball on New Orleans' first drive of the 
third  quarter, but  the Rams didn't capitalize. That wasn't the case on their 
next  possession,  when Zuerlein booted a  35-yarder and the hosts took a 27-3 
lead to the fourth. 

                                   Game Notes 

New Orleans plays at Carolina next Sunday ... The Saints outgained the Rams by 
a  432-302 margin and  gained 30 first downs to 17 for the hosts ... St. Louis 
converted 7-of-14 third downs and held the Saints to 5-of-15 efficiency. 

Cutler returns, leads Bears past Browns

Cleveland,  OH  (SportsNetwork.com) -  Jay Cutler  had three touchdown passes, 
including  two in  the fourth quarter, to  lead the Chicago Bears to a crucial 
38-31 victory over the Cleveland Browns. 

Cutler returned under center after missing the previous four games with a high 
left ankle sprain, with Josh McCown filling in admirably during his absence. 

Chicago  (8-6) went  2-2 without Cutler to  stay in the thick of the NFC North 
race,  with Sunday's  win giving the team a half-game lead over Detroit, which 
hosts Baltimore on Monday night. 

Should  Detroit win, though, the Bears will find themselves in second place in 
the division due to a pair of losses to the Lions this season. 

Cutler finished the game 22-for-31 for 265 yards with a pair of interceptions, 
while Matt Forte had 24 carries for 127 yards for Chicago, which has won three 
of the last four meetings with Cleveland. 

Brandon  Marshall,  Alshon Jeffery  and  Earl  Bennett  each caught  a  Cutler 
touchdown pass, with Michael Bush adding a score on the ground and Zack Bowman 
taking an interception into the end zone. 

"I  thought  our team  showed tremendous resiliency  today," said Chicago head 
coach  Marc Trestman.  "There was  a lot  of adversity  today and  they fought 
through it without losing their poise or their energy." 

Cleveland  (4-10)  continued its  free-fall,  as  the  team has  dropped  five 
straight and eight of nine to sit dead last in the AFC North. 

Jason  Campbell  had a  tough day  under center, getting  picked off twice and 
going  just 23-for-39 for 273 yards with a late touchdown pass. Tashaun Gipson 
had  two interceptions  and returned one for a touchdown for the Browns, while 
T.J. Ward returned a fumble for a touchdown in the loss. 

"This  was  a disappointing  and frustrating loss  here today," said Cleveland 
head  coach Rob Chudzinski. "Disappointed we weren't able to win the last game 
at home here for the fans who have been loyal to us throughout this season. We 
turned  the ball  over too much, despite getting two turnovers for scores. The 
guys  fought all game, but we weren't able to make the plays we needed to down 
the stretch." 

Chicago entered the fourth quarter down 24-21 and got the ball back at its own 
5  with  13 1/2 minutes left.  The first snap  saw a pass interference call on 
Cleveland  move the  ball 30  yards,  and that  was followed  with an  illegal 
contact penalty for another five yards and a first down. 

Facing  a 3rd-and-11  at the Cleveland 45  later in the drive, Cutler lofted a 
bomb  down  the right sideline  into double  coverage, but Gipson mistimed his 
leap and the ball went into the hands of Jeffery to tie the game with 10:59 to 
play. 

"I  thought  it was just going  to be floating  20 yards down the field," said 
Cutler. "That was Alshon doing what Alshon does best." 

After  a  three-and-out from  the Browns, the Bears got the  ball back at the 
Cleveland 36 after a 21-yard return from Devin Hester. The team took advantage 
of  the  short field to take  the lead, as Cutler  hit Bennett in the end zone 
from  four yards  out to cap the  six-play drive and give Chicago a 31-24 edge 
with 5:41 to play. 

The  Cleveland offense  continued to struggle and Chicago got the ball back at 
its  own  22. After a 24-yard  run by Forte  on 3rd-and-9, Bush took a handoff 
around  the  right guard and  ran into the  end zone on  a 40-yard score for a 
38-24 lead with 2:17 left. 

Campbell  and Josh Gordon  got together on a 43-yard score to make it a seven- 
point  game with 59 seconds left, but the Bears recovered the onsides kick and 
Cutler took a pair of knees to seal the win. 

Chicago  started the  game with  the  ball and  went on  an impressive  drive, 
highlighted  by a  23-yard catch from Martellus Bennett that was followed by a 
16-yard  grab from Marshall  to the Cleveland 14. The next play, though, saw a 
Cutler  pass into  the end  zone tipped  by Ward  into the  hands of  teammate 
Gipson, who took the ball back to the Cleveland 27. 

A  44-yard screen  catch by Greg Little  got the Browns into the red zone, but 
the  drive  stalled and  the team  settled for  a 35-yard  field goal by Billy 
Cundiff for a 3-0 lead with 7:26 left in the first quarter. 

The Bears answered with  a very long drive of their own, running 15 plays and 
getting  down  to the Cleveland five.  The possession lasted 9 1/2 minutes and 
resulted  in a a  23-yard field goal from Robbie Gould that tied the game just 
over two minutes into the second quarter. 

Campbell then floated a pass down the left sideline that was easily picked off 
by  Bowman, but the Bears were held to a three-and-out before getting the ball 
back at their own 19 after an equally short trek from the Browns. 

However,  Cutler snapped a high pass to his left that Marshall tried to make a 
leaping  grab on but  tipped the ball right into the hands of Gipson, who took 
the ball 44 yards into the end zone to give the Browns a 10-3 lead. 

Chicago  got  a 40-yard return  from Hester on the  kickoff, and a 15-yard run 
from  Forte  got the ball to  the Cleveland 33.  Facing a 4th-and-1 at the 24, 
Chicago lined up to go for it, but a false start penalty on Jeffery pushed the 
ball back five yards. 

The Bears then went to Gould for a 46-yard field goal attempt, which he booted 
true  through the uprights, but a holding call on Corey Wootton moved the ball 
back another 10 yards and the team had to punt. 

Chicago,  though,  got the ball  back at its  own 34 with  1:29 to play in the 
half,  and a  41-yard catch by Marshall  got the ball to the Cleveland 13. Two 
plays  later, Cutler found Marshall in the right side of the end zone for a 5- 
yard score that tied the game at 10-10 with 24 seconds left in the half. 

Cleveland  started the  second half with the  ball, but Bowman stepped up on a 
Campbell  pass for  a clean pick, then took  it 43 yards the other way to give 
the Bears a 17-10 lead. 

The Browns came back with an impressive drive, with Campbell converting a 3rd- 
and-8  with a 17-yard run. Running out of the Wildcat formation, MarQueis Gray 
took  a pair of direct snaps for 18 and 12 yards, respectively, to the Chicago 
2.  The next snap  saw Edwin Baker, playing his first NFL game, take a handoff 
to  the  left and bull  his way in  to tie  the game with  8:20 to play in the 
third. 

Cleveland then regained the lead on another Chicago miscue, as Bennett had the 
ball  punched out  of his hands by  Billy Winn, with Ward scooping up the ball 
and taking it in from 51 yards out for a 24-17 advantage with 3:40 left in the 
quarter. 

                                   Game Notes 

It  was the  first time that players from separate teams had two interceptions 
with  one returned  for a  touchdown  in the  same game  since Pittsburgh  and 
Philadelphia accomplished the feat on Dec. 12, 1965 ... Gordon has a touchdown 
in  five straight  games, tying  the  team record  held by  Paul Warfield.  He 
finished  the  game with  three catches  for 67 yards  ... Chicago totaled 179 
rushing  yards on  31 carries,  with Cleveland  gaining 93  on 17  carries ... 
Chicago  controlled the  ball  for  nearly 35  minutes  ...  Chicago plays  in 
Philadelphia  next  Sunday night  ... Cleveland,  which went  3-5 at home this 
season, hits the road for its final two games against the Jets next Sunday and 
closing the season in Pittsburgh the following Sunday. 

Fuerstenau Reacts to ROE Controversy

The decision to consolidate the local Regional Office of Education is a disappointment to area school officials.  The Superintendent of Taylorville Schools, Dr. Gregg Fuerstenau says it's typical Illinois politics:

[audio:fursteneauroe121613.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The State had originally assured local officials that the office would not be consolidated.

 

Cardinals To Add Mark Ellis

(St. Louis, MO)  --  Free agent second baseman Mark Ellis has agreed to terms with the St. Louis Cardinals.  ESPN reports the 11-year veteran will receive a one-year contract from the Cards.  Ellis batted .264 over the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  At 36 years old, Ellis figures to serve as a utility infielder while rookie Kolten Wong takes over as the regular second baseman. 

Blackhawks put an end to Kings' win streak

Chicago,  IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Antti Raanta stopped 21-of-22 shots to lead 
the  Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-1  win over the  Los Angeles Kings in a battle 
between two of the top teams in the Western Conference. 

Marian  Hossa,  Kris Versteeg and Patrick  Sharp scored first period goals for 
the Blackhawks, who have won four of five overall. 

Alec  Martinez  lit the lamp  for Los Angeles,  which saw its six-game winning 
streak come to an end. 

Ben Scrivens made 37 saves in defeat. 

Jonathan  Toews created the  first Chicago goal when he won a race to the puck 
short-handed  deep in  the LA zone. Toews  took it from Jake Muzzin behind the 
net and snuck a pass for a charging Hossa, who batted it home for a 1-0 margin 
less than six minutes in. 

"It was big," Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg said of the early goal. "We 
know that they can really sit on leads and really clamp down, so it was big to 
get those goals and really play into our hands." 

Midway  through the  first, Versteeg netted the eventual game-winner. Versteeg 
led a 2-on-1 rush and faked a pass before wristing his shot past Scrivens. 

"Definitely not the start that we wanted," Kings center Anze Kopitar said. 
"It's hard when you play catch-up, especially three goals. It's quite a bit to 
overcome against that kind of team. It's no secret that we lost the game in 
the first period." 

As  the first  period was  winding down,  Chicago went  on a  power-play after 
Jarret  Stoll was called for cross checking. Toews again was in on the action, 
faking a shot before sliding a pass to an open Sharp, who blasted it home. 

The  second period ended without any goals, and Chicago held its shutout until 
the  final minutes  of the game, when Martinez ended Raanta's shutout with his 
second goal of the season. 

                                   Game Notes 

Chicago  leads the NHL with 53 points ... The Blackhawks improved to 12-2-4 at 
home  ... Duncan  Keith and Patrick Kane recorded their 28th and 26th assists, 
respectively, for Chicago. Both players rank in the top six in the league. 

Lady Raiders defeat Maroa-Forsyth Monday night (12/16/13).

The Central A&M Raiders girls basketball team defeated the Maroa-Forsyth Trojans 65-61 Monday night as heard on Genuine Country 94.3, WMKR. The Raiders are now 9 and 3 for the year so far...3 and 1 in the Okaw Valley Conference.

Dunleavy lifts Bulls past Bucks

Milwaukee,  WI  (SportsNetwork.com) -  Mike Dunleavy's go-ahead 3-pointer with 
5.8  seconds  left lifted  the  Chicago Bulls to  a  91-90  triumph over  the 
Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. 

Milwaukee's Khris Middleton broke an 88-88 tie with 29.8 seconds left after he 
got  a circus  left-handed shot  to  fall over  Dunleavy with  the shot  clock 
running down. 

Jimmy Butler was called for traveling at the other end, but Joakim Noah forced 
a jump ball along the left baseline on Gary Neal. 

Noah  won the  tap back to Boozer  and Kirk Hinrich dribbled to the right wing 
before finding Dunleavy, who banked home the triple from the top of the arc. 

"When  it left my hand,  I thought it had a good chance to go in. I thought it 
was  going to bank  in because (John) Henson was out there and I had to get it 
up over his outstretched arm," Dunleavy said. 

Noah blocked O.J. Mayo's runner at the other end to seal the outcome. 

"It  should  not have come  down to  it," Bucks head  coach Larry Drew said of 
Dunleavy's  shot.  "We were in position  where we should have closed that game 
out." 

Noah  filled  the stat sheet with  21 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three 
blocks  and three steals for Chicago, which snapped a three-game slide. Boozer 
added 14 points and 12 boards and Butler netted 16 points in the victory. 

John  Henson had 15  points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, who have dropped 
five of their last seven tilts. 

The Bulls  trailed 88-83 with 1:30  left, but Dunleavy sunk three free throws 
after he was fouled on a three to get Chicago within two. Mayo missed a jumper 
at the other end and Boozer swished in a left baseline jumper to knot the tilt 
with 54.9 ticks on the clock. 

Earlier,  Butler capped a 10-0 Bulls run during the latter stages of the first 
with  a trey  to make it 26-16 in  favor of Chicago before the visitors took a 
26-18 spread into the second. 

Neal  knocked  down a triple  and recorded  a three-point play on back-to-back 
trips  down the floor to finish off an 11-3 spurt to knot the contest at 29-29 
near the midway point of the second. 

The Bucks took a 51-47 spread into the break and led 69-62 after three. 

                                   Game Notes 

Hinrich had 13 points and eight assists ... Mayo scored 14 points ... Chicago 
outrebounded Milwaukee 44-38 ... The Bucks defeated the Bulls in Chicago 78-74 
on Tuesday. 

Towson Upsets Eastern Illinois in Quarterfinals

Charleston, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Towson went west to Eastern Illinois for 
the FCS national quarterfinals Friday night. 

Make that Towson followed Terrance West to an upset victory. 

The junior tailback rushed for a playoff-record 354 yards as well as five 
touchdowns to earn the seventh-seeded Tigers a 49-39 win at second-seeded 
EasterIllinois and their first-ever berth in the semifinals. 

The game was billed as a battle of top Walter Payton Award finalists between 
West and national passing leader Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois. Each 
hopes to have his name called Monday night as the outstanding player in the 
FCS, as does Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams. 

If third-seeded Eastern Washington can beat Jacksonville State in a national 
quarterfinal on Saturday, it would host Towson (12-2) and its amazing 5- 
foot-11, 223-pound tailback next weekend for the semifinals. 

Garoppolo came up big as usual Friday night, finishing 38-of-50 for 321 yards 
and two touchdowns but with three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble). He 
also rushed for two touchdowns. 

But West, the 2011 Jerry Rice Award winner as the national freshman of the 
year, enjoyed his biggest game ever on snow-covered O'Brien Field. He averaged 
over nine yards on his 39 carries as Towson posted its 11th straight road win, 
including eight this season. 

"It took us a while to get used to the snow," said Towson coach Rob Ambrose. 
"We have never even practiced on a snowy field. Once we figured out what we 
could do, we were fine." 

Neither team had much fun defending the other in the offensive showcase - also 
the first-ever meeting between the two programs. 

Towson, from CAA Football, took its first double-digit lead at 35-24 on West's 
fourth touchdown run, a 5-yarder with 1:13 left in the third quarter. 

But Eastern Illinois quickly responded on Garoppolo's 39-yard touchdown pass to 
an open tight end Jeff LePak in the Towson end zone at the 14:35 mark of the 
fourth quarter. When Garoppolo connected on a 2-point conversion to wide 
receiver Erik Lora, the Panthers pulled within 35-32. 

But that the was the closest the Ohio Valley Conference champion got again. 

EIU later punted from its end zone, and that set up short field position for 
Towson at the Panthers' 42. West broke off a 37-yard run on the second play of 
their ensuing drive and freshman Darius Victor scored from 3 yards out on the 
next play to push the Tigers' lead back to double digits, 42-32 with 9:53 left. 

Following a Garoppolo fumble that was recovered by Towson's Syd Holt at the EIU 
22, the Tigers put the game away on West's fifth touchdown from 3 yards out. 
The TD tied his career high as well as the FCS single-season record of 39, 
first set by Delaware's Omar Cuff in 2007. 

Most opponents don't survive an early onslaught from Eastern Illinois, but 
Towson did after the Panthers scored touchdowns on their first two drives. It 
pushed their first-quarter scoring advantage to 257-38 this season. 

But the Tigers scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 
halftime lead. West scored on a pair of runs, including a 63-yard bolt along 
the EIU sideline to give the Tigers the 21-14 lead with 4:39 left in the half. 

It marked the first time EIU trailed at halftime since its only other loss to 
Northern Illinois back on Sept. 21. 

The loss to Towson was EIU's first against an FCS opponent this season. The 
visiting Tigers were seeded seventh in the playoffs despite finishing the 
regular season with a No. 5 national ranking. 

West went over 2,000 rushing yards for the season. The FCS rushing leader has 
2,305 yards. 

Garoppolo finished his season with FCS passing highs of 374 completions (a 
national single-season record), 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns. 

Lora caught 18 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. He set the OVC career 
record with 4,006 receiving yards. 

Davis Fears Future of Affordable Care Act

One of the biggest issues with the Affordable Care Act is people losing insurance that they were told they would be able to keep. Representative Rodney Davis of Taylorville tells Regional Radio News what he fears will happen next:

Illinois State Police Announce Official Concealed Carry Website In Advance Of Application Process

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have launched a website to provide the public with information regarding the Concealed Carry application process. 

 

The Concealed Carry License (CCL) website is being launched in advance of the January 5 application posting date to provide citizens with additional information that will assist with eligibility requirements, application fees, training requirements, official forms, information for firearms instructors, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

 

A feature contained within the website includes information on how to access and obtain an Illinois Digital Identification (Digital ID) and electronic fingerprinting prior to Jan. 5. 

 

Applicants can obtain their Digital ID through the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services website (CMS), which they will need when the electronic CCL application becomes available on Jan. 5.  The electronic CCL application will require an electronic signature prior to submission. 

 

Fingerprints are not required for the CCL application; however, background checks will be expedited for those individuals who submit fingerprints.  The CCL website includes a list of licensed Live Scan vendors to help applicants locate the more than 60 licensed Live Scan vendors across the state and their multiple locations.  Applicants will receive a transaction control number (TCN) from the licensed Live Scan vendor at the time of fingerprinting and must retain that TCN to complete the application.

 

The new website address can be accessed at www.ccl4illinois.com

Lake Land College Foundation receives generous donation from Farm Credit Illinois

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From left are: Josh Bullock, president of Lake Land College; Bob Pancoast, president of the Lake Land College Foundation; Jack Crumrin, Farm Credit Illinois board member from Martinsville and Lake Land College alumnus; Kevin Miller, Farm Credit Illinois board member from Teutopolis and Lake Land College alumnus; Dave Owens, Farm Credit Illinois president and CEO; and Karen Neff, Farm Credit Illinois board chair; Mike Sullivan, chairman for the Lake Land College Board of Trustees; Jon Althaus, chair for the Agriculture Division; and Dave Cox, director of the foundation and alumni.  

 

Farm Credit Illinois, based in Mahomet, recently gifted the Lake Land College Foundation $50,000 as the inaugural gift for a newly established Agricultural Division Endowment. The company has also committed an additional gift in the amount of $25,000 to establish the Farm Credit Illinois Endowment, and has committed $5,000 each year for the next five years to the Foundation. 

According to Dave Cox, director of the foundation and alumni, these gifts will be used to support the agriculture programs at the college in addition to supporting scholarships for agriculture students.

In exchange for the donation, Lake Land has agreed to name room 123 in the West Building the Farm Credit Illinois Learning Laboratory. The naming rights will be in effect from January 2014 through December 2025. 

Gowin Parc in Taylorville to Host Blood Drive

Gowin Parc in Taylorville will be hosting a blood drive on Monday, December 23rd from 9am to 1pm. Jenni Stephens of Gowin Parc tells Regional Radio News about the drive:

[audio:stephensblooddrive121413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Again to reserve a spot call 241-7550 or got online to bloodcenterimpact.org. Gowin Parc is located at 920 McAdam Drive in Taylorville. 

Santa Appearances at Christmas in the Park

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are coming to Taylorville and will appear at Christmas in the Park at Manners Park. Recreation Director Bailey Hancock tells Regional Radio News that people will have the opportunity to have soup with Santa and Mrs. Claus:

[audio:hancocksantasoup121413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Hancock says on Tuesday, people will have the chance to get a picture with Santa:

[audio:hancocksantapics121413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Santa will also be visiting at other times throughout the Christmas in the Park event. For more information, go to taylorvilleparkdistrict.com.

Taylorville High School Friday and Saturday Sports Cancellations (Update)

Taylorville High School Boys Basketball vs Hillsboro for tonight 12/13/13 has been postponed

All events at Taylorville High School and on the road have been postponed for Saturday December 14, 2013. 

Teams affected:

 

Fr. Girls Basketball – Tournament is postponed

Soph and Varsity Basketball – game vs. Bethalto is postponed

 

Wrestling – trip to tournament at Pontiac is canceled and won’t be made up.  Additionally, the team will meet with Coach Mateer in the weightroom.  It should last 15 minutes.

 

Boys Bowlling – tournament at Columbia is postponed.

 

Girls Bowling  - tournament at East Moline is canceled.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-13-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Cortney M. Chaplin, 27, of 201 East 6th Street, Pana, was arrested December 12 for driving on a revoked license.

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Pictured above: Reginald L. Britton, 24, of 1027 North Franklin Street, Springfield, was arrested December 12 on a warrant for murder(knowingly acted with strong probability of death).

Daniel W. Hammond, 42, of 609 East Union, Litchfield, was arrested December 12 on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear and a bond forfeiture for driving on a suspended license.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARREST:

On December 12, a Taylorville Police Department officer was patrolling northbound on Spresser when the officer observed a white Jeep Cherokee traveling southbound on Spresser with the tail lights out. The officer stopped the vehicle on Spresser and Silver Streets and ran Daniel Hammond's, 42, of Litchfield, driver license through the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System and he came back with two valid warrants out of Montgomery and Macoupin Counties. Hammond was placed under arrest and transported to the Taylorville Police Department where he was processed and then taken to the Christian County Correctional Center in lieu of bond.

E-Blast a Chamber Benefit

One of the many benefits of being a member of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce is the "E-Blast" program.  President and CEO of the Chamber, Patty Hornbuckle explains:

[audio:pattyeblast121313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The E-Blast recipients number is over 400.  Call the Chamber at 824-4919 to find out more.

Holsinger says be Careful with Christmas Trees

This may be the weekend for you to purchase a Christmas tree.  If so, there are a few things you should know about live trees.  Andrew Holsinger, Extension Educator for the University of Illinois Extension says the main thing is to keep the tree from drying out:

[audio:holsingertree121313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Holsinger says you should water often and turn the tree's lights off at bedtime.

Weekend Christmas Activities in Shelbyville

There are several Christmas related things going on in Shelbyville this weekend.  Tad Mayhall of the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce says it's a great way to get into the spirit of the season:

Illinois State Police Remind Motorists To Be Cautious In Winter Weather

 

The winter driving season is upon us and the Illinois State Police are reminding motorists to take the necessary precautions before getting behind the wheel.  Vehicle safety is equally important to driving safely while on the roadways.

Extreme weather can have a devastating impact on driving conditions, especially when ice and snow are involved.  Freezing rain, icy roads and white-out snow conditions can result in road hazardous for drivers of all ages. Illinois State Police officials urge motorists to reduce their speed, increase distances between vehicles, allow extra travel time to get to final destinations, and if involved in a crash, to remain in their vehicles until assistance arrives. 

Proper vehicle preparation is also important.  Motorists should have their battery, wipers, and tires checked prior to traveling in hazardous weather. 

Listed below are a few safety tips drivers should keep in mind during the winter months:

 

  • Plan ahead and check the forecast - Determine if the trip is necessary during inclement weather

 

  • Don’t crowd the plow – remember, a snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they may not see you.

 

  • Watch out for black ice – roads that appear clear may be treacherous. Take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges, and shady areas – all are prone to black.

 

  • Always keep your gas tank at least two-thirds full to prevent the vehicle’s fuel line from freezing.

 

  • Dress warmly for the weather—dress in layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing in anticipation of unexpected winter weather emergencies.

 

  • Make sure someone is aware of your travel route.

 

  • Always carry an emergency car care kit that contains jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, a small ice scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food and a first aid kit.

 

  • Always carry a cell phone.

 

  • Always wear a safety belt.  

 

Blues Double Up Maple Leafs

St.  Louis,  MO (SportsNetwork.com) - David  Backes scored twice and St. Louis 
used  an early  three-goal barrage  to take  down Toronto,  6-3, at  Scottrade 
Center. 

Jaden  Schwartz  matched a  career high  with three  points on  a goal and two 
assists for the Blues, who have won three of four. 

Derek  Roy, Alex  Steen and Chris Stewart  also lit the lamp to back a 19-save 
effort from Brian Elliott. 

Nazem Kadri, Nikolai Kulemin and James van Riemsdyk tallied for the Leafs, who 
suffered their third straight defeat. 

James  Reimer started, but  was chased after giving up three goals on 15 shots 
in less than one period. Jonathan Bernier finished the contest with 18 stops. 

"It  looked like we were brain dead in a lot of areas," Maple Leafs head coach 
Randy Carlyle stated bluntly. 

All  but out of  the game and facing a four-goal deficit, the Leafs managed to 
make  things interesting late. Kulemin beat Elliott on a shot from between the 
circles  with 5 1/2  minutes to play, and Toronto pulled within 5-3 on a fluke 
chance by van Riemsdyk just over two minutes later. 

Backes  put  any comeback  hopes to  rest, as  he deposited  his second of the 
night, a bank shot off the boards, into the empty net with 30 seconds to play. 

Backes  put the  hosts on the board at  4:48 of the first with a low shot from 
the  high slot,  and Schwartz added a  tally by picking up his own rebound and 
slipping the puck home from the right side with 7:01 on the clock. 

Bernier  came on  for Reimer after Roy's  marker -- a one-timer from a Stewart 
dish -- with 3:50 to play in the period gave the hosts a 3-0 edge. 

"We  really created a number of offensive opportunities," Blues head coach Ken 
Hitchcock said. 

Stewart  made it a four-goal St. Louis margin with only 29 seconds gone in the 
second, then Kadri finally answered for the Leafs at 1:45. 

It  was 5-1 for the Blues just after the seven-minute mark of the third period 
when Steen deked a Toronto defender in the right circle and scored with a high 
wrister. 

                                   Game Notes 

St.  Louis improved  to 13-2-2 on home  ice ... The Blues have scored at least 
six  goals in one game five times this season ... Toronto has won just once in 
its last nine road contests (1-5-3). 

Knicks Hold Off Bulls

New  York, NY (SportsNetwork.com)  - The New York Knicks were on the wrong end 
of  back-to-back blowouts.  They were hurt. They built a 23-point lead against 
the Chicago Bulls, let  them come back to tie the score, then escaped Madison 
Square Garden on the winning end of a stinker. 

But  a win  is a win -- and the  Knicks haven't seen many of those in the last 
month. 

Carmelo  Anthony scored 30 points, Amare Stoudemire had 14 and the Knicks beat 
the  Bulls 83-78  on Wednesday night despite shooting 21 percent in the fourth 
quarter. 

The Knicks took control with a 19-0 run to start the second quarter and led by 
as  many as 23 before a 33-10 Bulls run spanning the third and fourth quarters 
tied the game. 

Stoudemire's  jumper  and Anthony's free  throws stopped the surge, giving New 
York  a four-point  lead with 1:29 left,  and the Bulls let the shot clock run 
out then turned the ball over on two possessions in the final minute, allowing 
Anthony to seal the win at the foul line. 

"We closed it out," Anthony said. "We figured out a way to close the game out. 
Everybody  did  their job  defensively, communicating, and  we pulled the game 
out." 

Anthony  had  a double-double, getting  10 rebounds, and Stoudemire approached 
one  off the  bench with nine boards. It  was only the Knicks' third win in 14 
games  and just  their third victory at  home this season. They snapped a six- 
game losing streak to the Bulls. 

Both  teams were coming off losses Tuesday night. And the Knicks, who had lost 
to  the Celtics and Cavaliers by a combined score of 223-167 in their last two 
games, were without point guard Raymond Felton, who sat with a sore hamstring. 

But  Kenyon Martin  was back after missing  two games with an ankle injury and 
the Knicks benefited from playing an equally hurt Bulls team. 

Chicago,  which lost its  third in a row to fall to 2-9 in its last 11, missed 
Luol  Deng  (sore left Achilles)  and Jimmy Butler  (toe) again but had Joakim 
Noah back from a thigh injury, 

Mike  Dunleavy led the  Bulls with 20 points while Carlos Boozer, Noah and Taj 
Gibson scored 12 apiece. 

"It's  real  tough right  now,"  Gibson  said of  his  team  dealing with  the 
injuries. "We're just trying to find a way to win." 

Gibson had 10 points during Chicago's big run, which turned a 23-point deficit 
midway  through the  third quarter into a  tie game on Noah's tip-in with 3:38 
remaining. 

Pablo  Prigioni started for Felton and scored half of his six points on a 3 to 
spark  a 9-2 run opening the game for New York. The Knicks trailed 17-15 going 
into  the second quarter,  but 19 straight points shifted the tone of the game 
for the home team. 

Stoudemire  and  Beno Udrih scored six  points apiece and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 
five  in a row  during the surge, which gave the Knicks a 17-point lead midway 
through the quarter. 

They led by 14 at halftime, 46-32, and took a 23-point lead on J.R. Smith's 3- 
pointer  that made it 64-41 six minutes into the third quarter. Gibson sparked 
an  8-0  run for the Bulls  near the end of  the quarter, helping to pull them 
within 68-54 going into the fourth. 

                                   Game Notes 

New  York's last win  over the Bulls came April 8, 2012 ... The Knicks play on 
the  road against Boston on Friday ... The Bulls remain on the road to play in 
Milwaukee on Friday. 

Blackhawks Blast Flyers

Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Duncan Keith and Andrew Shaw scored within a 
39-second  span, fueling a five-goal second-period outburst which sent Chicag
over Philadelphia, 7-2, at United Center. 

Michal  Handzus, Kris  Versteeg and Jonathan Toews also produced red lights in 
the  deciding  period for  the Blackhawks,  who were  coming off  a 6-2 win at 
Dallas on Tuesday and have won three in a row after dropping three straight. 

Antti  Raanta picked up the win with 28 saves, as Chicago boosted its NHL-best 
point total to 51 and its league-high goal total to 129. 

Jakub  Voracek and  Steve Downie tallied for the Flyers, who finished 2-4-0 on 
their six-game road trip. 

In  his return to Chicago, Ray Emery was shelled for six goals on 18 shots in 
just over two periods of work to take the loss. Steve Mason made four stops in 
the third. 

The  barrage  began when Patrick  Sharp fed  Keith for a successful left-point 
blast  in the  middle portion of Chicago's initial power play at the 43-second 
mark. 

Shaw   put  the  'Hawks  ahead  to  stay  39  seconds  later,  fooling  Andrej 
Meszaros behind the Flyers' net and scoring on a wraparound at the right post. 

Handzus  finished  off a 2-on-1  short-handed break with  a shot from the left 
side of the crease which tipped off his skate and stick to make it 3-1 Chicag
at 5:27. 

Philly got it back while up a man 44 seconds later, with Downie being credited 
on  the  final push  in a goalmouth  scramble, only to  see Versteeg convert a 
Brandon  Saad  pass on the doorstep  just after the next advantage expired and 
give the hosts a 4-2 edge just prior to the midway point. 

Emery  did the splits  facing the crease to stop Toews in close minutes later, 
but couldn't stop a screamer from Sharp that caromed off Toews atop the crease 
for a 5-2 game at 14:15. 

Brent Seabrook managed to snap his stick in half on a right-point drive, which 
still  knuckled its  way past Emery for  a 6-2 Blackhawks' edge at 1:05 of the 
third. 

Raanta kept up his end of the bargain despite some shoddy play, as he casually 
gloved down a Brayden Schenn short-handed breakaway, then Michael Raffl failed 
on his chance alone on the Chicago netminder on the following shift. 

Sharp's shot from the left post seconds into a Blackhawks two-man edge boosted 
the hosts to a 7-2 lead and the hosts took their collective foot off the gas. 

Things  were much different for Philadelphia early on. Voracek's low shot from 
the left circle zipped home inside the far post in the early stages of a power 
play with 7:29 remaining in the first period. 

After  a second advantage fell by the wayside, Raanta stood firm in his crease 
to  stop a Downie  breakaway, but the visitors led by one after 20 minutes and 
enjoyed a 10-6 shot margin. 

                                   Game Notes 

Tuesday's  five-goal margin  marked  the  Blackhawks' largest  in  a win  over 
Philadelphia  at home  since a similar 7-2  result on Feb. 11, 1973 at Chicag
Stadium  ... Chicago  hadn't scored at least six goals in three straight games 
since doing so from Jan. 21-24, 1993 -- all 6-2 wins (vs. Washington, Hartford 
and  Vancouver)  ... The Blackhawks  halted a three-game regular-season losing 
streak  to  the Flyers, since a  5-1 decision in Chicago on Dec. 26, 2008 ... 
Philadelphia  fell to 17-28-19 all-time in Chicago, but 7-4-1 since October of 
1993  ...  The Blackhawks entered  play ranked 28th  on the penalty kill (74.7 
percent) and gave up two goals on five chances. 

12/11 23:28:53 ET 

Marlins, Cubs Swap Outfielders

Miami,  FL (SportsNetwork.com)  - The  Miami Marlins  and Chicago Cubs traded 
outfielders  on  Thursday, as Justin  Ruggiano was sent  to the Cubs and Brian 
Bogusevic was dealt to South Beach. 

Ruggiano,  31,  batted .222 with  18 homers  and 50 RBI  in 128 games with the 
Marlins last season. 

A  career .251  hitter with 37 homers and  109 RBI in 317 games with Miami and 
Tampa  Bay,  Ruggiano has batted .281  with a .365 on-base percentage the last 
two years against left-handed pitching. 

Bogusevic,  29,  appeared in 47 games  with the Cubs last season, batting .273 
with six home runs and 16 RBI. 

In  parts  of four seasons  in the big  leagues, Bogusevic, a 2005 first-round 
pick  by  Houston, owns  a .236 average  with 17  home runs and  62 RBI in 299 
games. 

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-12-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Stacia A. Tom, 24, of 1916 Rhodes Street, Madison, was arrested December 11 on a bond forfeiture for possession of an amount of a controlled substance.

Nicole L. Erwin-Gaynor, 22, of 318 South Walnut Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 11 on a bond forfeiture for driving on a suspended/revoked license.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ARRESTS:
On December 11, Taylorville Police Department officers received a phone call from an off-duty officer regarding a wanted subject's location. Following investigation, officers arrested Nicole L. Erwin-Gaynor, 22, of Taylorville on a warrant for failure to appear in court.

On December 9, Taylorville Police Department officers went to Prairie Street and made contact with James W. Lunsford, 24, of Taylorville, who they knew to have a valid warrant out of Christian County. The officers ran Lunsford's information through the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System and verified the warrant. Lunsford was placed under arrest and transported to Christian County Correctional Center in lieu of bond.

CRASHES:
On December 19, Taylorville Police Department officers responded to a two vehicle accident in the 400 block of Springfield Road. Gregory B. Saling, 35, of Sherman said that Clarence I. Moore, 65, of Taylorville slowed in front of him and he could not stop in time and struck Moore in the rear end. Moore stated vehicles in front of him slowed and he had to slow down. A witness who was driving in front of Moore stated that the vehicles in front of her slowed down suddenly. Moore had rear bumper damage and Saling has front end damage. No injuries were reported. Saling was issued a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident

On December 9, a Taylorville Police Department officer was dispatched to a traffic crash on Springfield Road near Arby's. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with Kara M. Yonker, 28, of Taylorville. Yonker advised she was traveling east on Springfield Road and Taylor L. Brinkoetter, 29, of Stonington turned in front of her at the Arby's entrance. Yonker advised she applied the brakes but was unable to stop in time. Brinkoetter advised she was turning left into Arby's and did not see Yonker coming. No injuries reported.

On December 8, Julia L. Shoop, 19, of Taylorville was traveling north on Cherokee Street. The weather conditions at the time caused the streets to be extremely icy. Shoop was not able to continue north on Cherokee Street due to vehicles stuck on the icy street both in front and back of her. Shoop advised she was pulled over about a foot from the curbing on the east side of the road and parked there. Kim D. Blakely, 38, of Taylorville was traveling south on Cherokee. Blakely advised that as she was traveling south, Shoop was in the middle of the roadway and that she could not avoid striking Shoop on the icy roadway. Shoop advised that she was in her lane and that when Blakely was traveling, she began to slide on the ice and struck Shoop's vehicle. A witness in the vehicle south of Shoop advised that Shoop was in their lane and that Blakely did slide into Shoop while trying to break on the icy roadway. Both vehicles suffered damage but were able to drive away from the scene. No injuries reported.

Fire Department Calls 12-12-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 11
3 EMS

December 12
1 EMS, 1 Automatic Alarm

National Weather Service Winter Storm Update

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The National Weather Service in Lincoln reports that a new winter weather system is headed for central Illinois. A trough of low pressure is expected to move out of the western plains states, moving into Missouri and western Illinois on Friday.

 

The storm system will begin to spread snow across central and southeast Illinois Friday afternoon. Once the snow develops, periods of snow are expected into Saturday. However, the majority of the accumulation will fall late Friday afternoon and Friday night. Most areas will see snowfall accumulation of 3-5 inches before the snow ends. However, a potential mix with sleet or freezing rain in southeast Illinois may reduce snow totals there.

 

Residents should be prepared for changing weather conditions Friday afternoon into Saturday.

CNB Bank & Trust Contributes to YMCA

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Left to right: Kent Richardson, CNB Bank & Trust Market President and Chris Weittenhiller, YMCA Executive Director.

CNB Bank & Trust in Taylorville presented a check Tuesday in the amount of $5,000 to the Christian County YMCA as part of their $15,000 commitment to the YMCA’s 2012 Debt Reduction Campaign. To date the YMCA has raised $635,000; which represents 67% of their long-term debt.  

Fikri: Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals for Holidays

For those concerned about their weight, temptations abound during the holiday season.  Joyce Fikri with the St. Louis Dairy Council says it's best to be realistic:

[audio:fikriholidayexercise121213.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Fikri says having a healthier snack before the party can take the edge off your appetite and make it easier to eat in moderation. 

Pension Relief May Improve School Funding

Governor Pat Quinn signed the pension reform bill into law last week.  Taylorville School Superintendent Dr. Gregg Fuerstenau says he hopes school funding levels will improve after the issue is completely settled:

Jingle Bell Walk Tonight

A prelude to Christmas in the Park takes place tonight. The Jingle Bell Walk gets underway at Manners Park, according to Recreation Director Bailey Hancock:

[audio:hancockjbellwalk112013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Christmas in the Park opens for drive-thru traffic Friday night at Manners Park. There is no charge to drive through.

Taylorville 8th Grade Girls Basketball Falls in Sectionals; 7th Grade Plays for 3rd at State Tonight

The Taylorville Junior High Lady Terriers 8th Grade Girls Basketball fell to Chatham Glenwood in the Class 4A Sectional game by a score of 47-31. This marks the end of their season.

 

Also, the 7th Grade Girls basketball play tonight at 6pm against Effingham in the 3rd place game of the Class 4A State Tournament. The game will be played at Normal Parkside Junior High in Normal, IL.

National Weather Service: Up to 6 Inches On The Way

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The National Weather Service in Lincoln says a strong storm system will begin to spread snow across central and southeast Illinois this (Friday) afternoon. Once the snow develops, periods of snow are expected into Saturday morning. However, the majority of the accumulation will fall late Friday afternoon and Friday night.

Most areas will see snowfall accumulation of 3-6 inches before the snow ends. However, a potential mix with sleet or freezing rain in southeast Illinois Friday afternoon and Friday evening, may reduce snow totals there.

Areas along and just east of the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Quincy, are expecting a coating of ice followed by at least 6 inches of snow. They're under a winter storm watch.

Keep aware of the latest forecasts on this approaching winter storm as the potential for higher snow totals exists in many areas.

Girls Basketball Results from Thursday, Dec. 12.

In girls' basketball action from Thursday night, the Central A&M Raiders soundly defeated the Shelbyville Rams 91-50 as heard on 94.3, WMKR. And, the Taylorville Tornadoes beat the Southeast Spartans 58-31 as heard on NewsTalk 97.3, WTIM.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-11-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

James R. Flanagan, 47, of 1130 West Rich Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 10 on a warrant for hold for other agency.

Illinois Handles Dartmouth



(Champaign, IL)  --  Rayvonte  Rice paced  five teammates  in double  figures  with 13 points as  the Illinois Fighting Illini outlasted the Dartmouth Big Green at the State Farm Center, 72-65. 

Joseph  Bertrand, Nnanna  Egwu and Jon Ekey each scored 11 points for Illinois(9-1), which has  won back-to-back  games. Malcolm  Hill chipped  in with  10 points for the hosts. 

For  Dartmouth (3-4), Connor Boehm and Gabas Maldunas mirrored each other with 17  points and nine  rebounds apiece, while Eli Harrison added 14 points on 4-of-7 from 3-point range. 

Illinois  shot  a blistering  57.1 percent  from the floor  in the first half, compared to just 40 percent for Dartmouth, as it carried a 39-27 lead into the halftime locker room. 

The Illini  cooled to 45.5  percent from  the field after intermission, which allowed  the Big  Green to get to  within five in the game's final minute, but Illinois  closed  it out by shooting  5-of-6 from the free-throw line over the final 23 seconds. 

It  was a  relatively mistake-free contest, with Illinois committing just nine turnovers and Dartmouth only 10. 

Bulls Fall To Bucks

(Chicago, IL)  --   John Henson  had a  monster night with 25 points, 14 rebounds                 and six blocks as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls, 78-74, from United Center. 


Brandon  Knight  also added  a double-double  with 19  points and 10 rebounds, 
while Ersan Ilyasova chipped in with 10 points. 

"We  just  kept fighting," Henson  said. "As a young  team, a scrappy team out 
here, that's what we got to do." 

Milwaukee's  leading scorer,  O.J. Mayo,  shot a  pedestrian 2-of-12  from the 
field for seven points. 

Mike  Dunleavy paced Chicago with 24 points and Carlos Boozer netted 21 points 
with 12 rebounds in the loss. 

"The  main thing  is we  have to  play  hard and  compete and  grind it  out," 
Dunleavy said. "That's a mindset thing. That's not a skill thing." 

Henson capped a 10-2 run to open the fourth with a nice left-handed dunk off a 
feed from Mayo. Henson received the pass and dribbled baseline where he had to 
transfer the ball from his right to left as he was in the air for the flush. 

The Bucks continued to front-run for most of the period when Dunleavy buried a 
triple with 1:59 to play which cut the deficit to 73-72. 

Henson  answered with an unorthodox shot as the shot clock was running down to 
extend the margin back to three with 1:35 remaining. 

Henson  was guarded  by Taj Gibson at the  top of the key and worked his pivot 
foot  looking for someone to pass to. When the forward couldn't find anyone to 
hand  it  off to  and he  realized the shot  clock was  running out, he turned 
around and fired it to the rim where it hit nothing but net. 

Neither team scored from that point on and the Bulls had a chance to tie it or 
at least make it a free throw contest down the stretch. 

Chicago  got the  ball with 13.1 seconds left when Kirk Hinrich drove baseline 
and  hit a cutting  Boozer. Henson's sixth block of the night proved to be the 
biggest  as he knocked  it away from Boozer and the ball went out of bounds to 
Milwaukee. 

Milwaukee  hit all three attempts from the line and closed out the hard fought 
win. 

Chicago  took  its first lead  of the game, 28-27,  after a jumper from Boozer 
midway through the second quarter. 

Knight  hit  a bank-shot seconds  later to regain  the lead for Milwaukee, but 
Dunleavy  scored  eight points during a  10-0 run. Dunleavy's jumper with 3:48 
left capped the run and had Chicago in front, 38-29. 

The Bulls led 42-35 at the break. 

Chicago extended the lead back to 52-43 after a Tony Snell jumper with 5:40 to 
go  in  the third. The Bucks,  however, used a 12-5  run to end the period and 
trailed 57-55 heading into the final frame. 

                                   Game Notes 

The teams split the season series last year with each winning two games on the 
road ... Chicago's 74 points were a season-low ... Milwaukee shot 30-of-75 (40 
percent)  from the  floor compared to 31-of-83 (37.3 percent) from Chicago ... 
Milwaukee outscored the Bulls 10-2 on the fastbreak ... Both teams are back at 
it  on Wednesday with Milwaukee hosting San Antonio and Chicago heading to the 
Big Apple for a meeting against the Knicks. 

Blackhawks Blow Away Stars

(Dallas, TX)  --  Patrick  Sharp and Brandon Saad both scored two goals and  the Chicago Blackhawks ended the Dallas Stars' point streak at six games with a 6-2 win on Tuesday night. 

Michael  Kostka and Patrick  Kane also scored and Kane had two assists for the 
Blackhawks,  who extended their road winning against the Stars to six games -- 
including two last month -- and pushed their NHL-best point total to 49. 

Antti Raanta had 27 saves for Chicago on the same day the team announced Corey 
Crawford  will miss around three weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered in 
the  first period  of Sunday's win against Florida, which snapped a three-game 
losing streak for the Blackhawks. 

Dallas  starter  Kari Lehtonen  gave up four  goals on 19  shots before he was 
pulled  8:20 into  the second period. Dan  Ellis allowed two goals on 14 shots 
after that. 

Antoine  Roussel  scored both goals for  the Stars, whose point streak (3-0-3) 
included three points against the Blackhawks (1-0-1). 

The  teams played four  times in a little over a month -- Chicago won three -- 
but Stars captain Jamie Benn said that kind of familiarity doesn't necessarily 
lead to games like this one, where one side blows the other one out. 

"Every  game's a  new game," Benn said. "They just outworked us. That's pretty 
much all it is." 

Kostka  scored 2:03  into the game, his  shot from the high right side hitting 
traffic  in  front and just  sliding over the  line off Lehtonen's glove. Kane 
made it 2-0 when he beat Lehtonen with a backhand on a breakaway at 12:05. 

Chicago  scored early in  the second, too, on Saad's rebound at 2:26 and Sharp 
scored  twice in  a 2:48 span later in  the period, first on a slapshot on the 
power play and then on a backhand to make it 5-0 with 11:08 elapsed. 

"We  were throwing the puck at the net and it was going in," said Kostka. "But 
we  have to  make sure we always keep  our foot on the gas and don't let teams 
crawl back in once we get a lead. I'm pretty sure we did a good job tonight of 
that." 

Roussel  got Dallas on the board 2:28 later from in close but Saad's second of 
the period came in the final minute to restore the five-goal lead. 

Roussel scored again in the final minute of the game on a deflection. 

                                   Game Notes 

Dallas  was  0-for-5 on  the  power  play and  Chicago  went  1-for-5 ...  The 
Blackhawks  are  home against Philadelphia on  Wednesday ... The Stars play at 
Nashville on Thursday to start a three-game road trip. 

Blues Edge Jets In Winnipeg

(Winnipeg, Manitoba)  -- Kevin Shattenkirk's power-play marker with 
3:02 left in regulation was the winner, as St. Louis clipped Winnipeg, 2-1, at 
MTS Centre. 

Alex Steen also lit the lamp and Brian Elliott stopped 20 shots for the Blues, 
who  reached the 20-win plateau by taking their seventh victory in the last 10 
outings. 

"Our  goalie made some great saves and I think we were getting nervous when we 
didn't score on some opportunities, but I really like the way we fought," said 
Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. 

Bryan  Little scored  and Ondrej Pavelec made  18 saves for the Jets, who have 
dropped three of their last five. 

I  thought the game was a game that was a chess match played game early," said 
Jets  head coach  Claude Noel. "They ended  up scoring a seeing eye power play 
goal, so what can you do?" 

Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was sent off for hooking with 3:26 to play in 
the third period, and the Blues wasted little time in breaking a 1-1 deadlock. 

Derek  Roy fed  across to Shattenkirk at  the left point, and his shot changed 
direction en route to the net and floated over Pavelec. 

"Sometimes  you get rewarded  with a couple lucky ones and it was a great game 
by both teams," said Shattenkirk. 

Steen  opened the scoring with 4:44 gone in the second period, as his low shot 
from  along the goal  line to the left of the Winnipeg net found space through 
Pavelec. 

Little  evened the  game on  a  power play  at  the three-minute  mark of  the 
third,  taking an  Andrew Ladd dish and  scoring on a high shot from the inner 
edge of the right circle. 

                                   Game Notes 

The Blues have won  two of three against the Jets this season and five of six 
since  the  start of the  2010-11 campaign ... According  to the Free Press on 
Tuesday,  the Jets  will host a Heritage  Classic -- the NHL's outdoor game in 
Canada -- some time during the winter of 2016. 

Taylorville Kiwanis Heard About Equine Therapy at Kemmerer Village

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Pictured Left to Right: Kiwanis President Chris Weittenhiller, Amber Miller, Kiwanis Program Chairman Dick Wamsley.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club met on Tuesday for their weekly meeting. Amber Miller spoke about her Equine Therapy program at Kemmerer Village. She uses equine therapy to help children with mental health problems through both mounted and ground activities. Many children with mental health issues are able to build relationships with horses that they are unable to build with adults. These relationships with horses in turn help them to relate to their human relationships. She also teaches work skills to the children through caring for the horses. They learn responsibility, a strong work ethic, and financial independence. For more information on Taylorville Kiwanis go to www.taylorvillekiwanis.com. 

Davis: AGI Limits not a Good Idea

At least one U.S. Congressman is not supportive of Adjusted Gross Income limits for farms.  Representative Rodney Davis of Taylorville says it makes unneeded changes:

[audio:davisagi121013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Adjusted Gross Income can directly impact the deductions and credits a farmer eligible for—which can wind up reducing the amount of taxable income they report on a tax return. Deductions include farm expenses, the cost of self-employed health insurance, one-half of the self-employment tax and contributions to retirement accounts. The Obama Administration supports lowering the AGI limit to $200,000. 

Police Explorers for Kids Considering Law Enforcement Career

The Police Explorers Program recently found itself in the headlines after members stepped in to help out this year with the troubled Kids Cops and Christmas program.  You may be wondering what the Explorer Program is all about.  Sergeant Alan Mills of the Taylorville Police Department says it's a way for young people to see if a law enforcement career is right for them:

Hathaway Homes Now Under Construction

A controversial building project is getting underway.  The Hathaway Homes are being constructed.  Taylorville Mayor Greg Brotherton says he doesn't think the subsidized housing project will affect property values:

[audio:mayorhathaway121113.mp3]comment here[/audio]

City Alderman tried to stop the project after complaints from residents, but a lawsuit brought by the construction company forced them to drop their objections.

National Weather Service: Another Winter Storm On The Way Friday, Saturday

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The National Weather Service in Lincoln reports that a new winter weather system is headed for central Illinois. A trough of low pressure is expected to move out of the western plains states,moving into Missouri and western Illinois on Friday. The result will be precipitation developing over Missouri on Friday, and moving into western Illinois on Friday afternoon. The precipitation will spread east over all of central Illinois Friday night, and gradually moving east and clearing Illinois by late on Saturday.

The precipitation may start out briefly as a mixture of snow and sleet on Friday afternoon over central Illinois. It should quickly change to snow over all of central and northern Illinois, but remain a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow over the southeast portions of Illinois into the evening, then changing over to all snow. Snowfall amounts over central and southeast Illinois are expected to be generally between 2 and 4 inches before it tapers off later on Saturday.

Residents should be prepared for changing weather conditions Friday afternoon into Saturday.

White Sox Acquire Adam Eaton in 3 Team Trade

Lake  Buena Vista,  FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 
have  acquired Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Tyler Skaggs and Chicago White 
Sox southpaw Hector Santiago in a three-team trade. 

The  Angels sent power-hitting first baseman Mark Trumbo to Arizona, while the 
White Sox received outfielder Adam Eaton from the Diamondbacks. 

Arizona  also acquired a pair of prospects, one each from the Angels and White 
Sox, in the deal. 

Skaggs  was  selected by the  Angels in the first  round (40th overall) of the 
2009  amateur draft but was sent to Arizona as the player to be named later in 
the July 25, 2010 deal that landed Dan Haren in LA. 

The  22-year-old left-hander has made 13 starts since breaking into the league 
in 2012, going 3-6 with a 5.43 earned run average. 

Santiago,  a 25-year-old southpaw, appeared in 34 games with 23 starts for the 
White Sox last season and went 4-9 with a 3.56 ERA. Over two-plus seasons with 
Chicago, Santiago has gone 8-10 with a 3.41 ERA. 

Trumbo  notched  career-highs in  home runs  (34), RBI  (100) and games played 
(159) last season despite batting a pedestrian .234 with Los Angeles. 

Over   three-plus  seasons  with  the  Angels,  the  27-year-old  slugger  has 
registered 95 homers and 284 RBI while batting .250 in 460 career games. 

Eaton,  25, batted .252 with 10 doubles, three homers and 22 RBI over 66 games 
with Arizona last season. 

Blackhawks' Crawford Out Three Weeks

The Chicago Blackhawks will be without goalie Corey Crawford for a while.  Head coach Joel Quenneville says Crawford will be sidelined about three weeks with a lower body injury.  He was hurt in the first period of Sunday's game against Florida.  Crawford is 17-6-and-3 with a 2.47 goals against average in 27 games this season. 

Michael Medved Returns to WTIM Newstalk 97.3

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          Michael Medved has returned to WTIM Newstalk 97.3 in Taylorville.

 

          Medved had been heard from 4 to 5pm since 1994, and made way for Dennis Miller in the 2 to 5pm slot in July.

 

          But, as of Monday, Medved’s syndicated talk show has returned to WTIM and this time live from 2 to 5pm.

 

          Miller Media Group president Randal J. Miller, said the return of Medved to WTIM was a natural fit for the local newstalk station.  Medved is recognized by “Talkers” Magazine, as one of the top 10 talk show hosts in the United States.

 

          Medved’s topics range from politics to pop culture.  His show includes both guests and listener calls.

 

          Medved is the newest part of the revamped WTIM programming schedule which premiered on the station in July.

McCarver To Join Cards' Broadcast Team

FOX Sports Midwest is nearing completion of a deal that would add Tim McCarver to the Cards' broadcast booth next season.  McCarver played 12 seasons with the Cardinals and recently wrapped up an 18-year career as a national baseball analyst alongside Joe Buck on FOX.  The terms of the deal would have McCarver calling 20-25 games in 2014, according to MLB.com. 

Fillmore Resident Killed in One Vehicle Crash

A Fillmore resident was killed in a one car crash on Monday. Around 10:45am, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division received a 911 call which reported that a vehicle accident occurred and the driver was unresponsive. The truck was located in the yard of 14351 Fillmore Trail, Hillsboro.

A Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff arrived on the scene at 11:00am and Hillsboro Fire Depart and Ambulance Service were already on scene. The driver, 57-year-old Ronald W. Koonce of Fillmore, was pronounced dead on the scene by a Montgomery County Deputy Coroner.

Koonce was driving a 2001 Ford pick-up traveling East on Fillmore Trail and was reportedly on a cell phone when his vehicle left the roadway. The truck went back onto the roadway and crossed both lanes of traffic into the north side ditch. The truck rolled multiple times and came to rest on its wheels.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office are continuing the investigation.

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-10-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Learned N. Leavell, 50, of PO Box 8717, Springfield, was arrested on December 9 on a warrant for retail theft.

James W. Lunsford, 24, of 708 West Prairie Street, Taylorville, was arrested on December 9 on a bond forfeiture for possession of cannabis.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CRASHES:

On December 9th, Anthony E. Nation, 27, of Taylorville stated that both he and Daniel S. Ward, 47, of Taylorville were stopped at the intersection of Walnut and Pleasant. Nation stated that they both went at the same time and he struck Ward. Ward stated that as he was going through the intersection, Nation proceeded and struck his vehicle. Ward stated that the windshield on Nation's vehicle was completely iced and frosted over. A Taylorville Police Department officer observed Nation's vehicle and the windshield was still iced and frosted over. Nation was issued a citation for a defective windshield (ice/frost). Nation had front end damage and Ward had rear driver's side quarter panel damage.

Bears Blow Away Cowboys

(Chicago, IL)  --  Josh McCown threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bears in a 45-28 blowout win over the Cowboys at Soldier Field on "Monday Night Football."  McCown hit Brandon Marshall for six catches and 100 yards while tossing TDs to Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte, Earl Bennett and Michael Bush.  The Bears scored on every offensive possession except for their final one, which came with just seconds left in the game.  Forte added 102 yards on the ground as Chicago climbed to 7-and-6 and into a tie with the Lions atop the NFC North.  DeMarco Murray ran for 146 yards on just 18 carries for Dallas while Tony Romo threw for 104 yards and three touchdowns.  The 'Boys dipped to 7-and-6 and failed to keep pace with the 8-and-5 Eagles for the NFC East lead. 

 

The Bears also honored former player and coach Mike Ditka at halftime of last night's game.  Chicago retired Ditka's number-89 during a ceremony.  Ditka was the first tight end enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and led the Bears to the 1985 Super Bowl as a coach. 

City of Taylorville Raises $710 for Tornado Victims

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Pictured left to right: Alderman Ray Koonce, City Clerk Pam Peabody, Mayor Greg Brotherton.

 

The City of Taylorville has raised $710 to benefit those in Illinois affected by the tornadoes last month. Alderman Ray Koonce, who was behind the idea to raise the money, thanks all those who donated:

[audio:kooncetornado1121013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Koonce says people should always be mindful of tornado sirens:

[audio:kooncetornado2121013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Again, the money will be donated to the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross.       

Taylorville School Board Hears Update on Ameresco Building Project and School Bonds

 

The Taylorville School Board heard about the final plan for the Ameresco Building Project at North Elementary. Superintendent Dr. Gregg Fuerstenau gave the Board an update on the latest plan:

[audio:feurstenauameresco121013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Several members of the Ameresco team were on hand with several layouts to display the new plan to the Board. In the new plan, the multipurpose building/gym will be built on the back half of North Elementary. The Board unanimously approved the plan.

 

The Taylorville School Board was presented with a resolution to provide for the issue of General Obligation School Bonds of the District for the purpose of improving existing school buildings and facilities. David Pistorius (Pi-story-us) with First MidState told the Board the two things they were doing by adopting the resolution:

[audio:pistoriusresolution121013.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Board approved the $9 million-450 thousand dollar amount in sold bonds which they will receive on December 20th.

 

The Board also approved a contract extension with Durham Bus Service and approved a bid of just under $21,500 from Paper Corporation for paper for the 2013-14 school year. The Board approved for the 2013 Tax Levy to be filed.

The meeting adjourned at 8:47pm.

Rosenthal: Court to Decide Pension Issue

The pension reform bill passed by the Illinois Legislature last week is almost certain to be challenged in court.  Representative Wayne Rosenthal of Morrisonville voted against the bill.  He says he thinks the courts will address the issue fairly:

Miller Media Group Stations To Carry EIU 3rd Round FCS Playoff Game

3 of the Miller Media Group radio stations will carry the Eastern Illinois University Football third round game in the Football Championship Series, this Friday night.

 

WRJM newstalk 1270 AM and 96.1 FM in Charleston, the flagship station for the EIU Panther Football Network, as well as WMKR Genuine Country 94.3 in Taylorville and WHOW-FM 92.3 FM in Clinton, will broadcast the game.

 

The pre-game show will begin at 6:30pm, with kickoff at 7pm.

 

City of Taylorville Holds Award Dinner

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The City of Taylorville recently held their Awards Dinner.  Pictured are:

 

Row 1: Mayor Greg Brotherton, 25 years; Jim McCarty, 35 years; and Marilyn Garmon, 25 years

 

Row 2:Ron Smith, 20 years; Evert Nation II, 15 years; Leah Avila, 5 years; and Pam Peabody, 20 years

 

Not pictured: Kevin Krueger, 5 years

Area Arrests/Crashes/Incidents 12-9-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

CRASHES:
On December 8, Margaret C. Burgener, 49, of Taylorville advised she was westbound on 1350 North when she attempted to slow down to turn north on 1025 East Road. Burgener advised due to the condition of the road (being ice covered), she was unable to complete the turn and ran off the road onto the shoulder of 1025 East. Burgener struck a guide wire causing damage to the front right side to her vehicle and pulling the cable out of the ground. Burgener's vehicle was not disabled and she was able to drive out of the ditch, back onto the roadway and eventually home. Burgener advised she did not have any injuries and was not in need of medical attention.

On December 8, Cindy A. Woodrum, 49, of Athens, was traveling north on County 5. At
approximately 1340 North, Woodrum lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road, and hit the ditch causing damage to the driver side of the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

On December 7, Casandra N. Pinnell, 22, of Morrisonville, was traveling west on south street and Gary L. Jones, 67, of Morrisonville was traveling south on SE Third Street. The intersection is an unmarked intersection and four pickup trucks were parked on the northeast side of the intersection which obstructed the view of both drivers. Pinnell and Jones entered the intersection at the same time causing a collision. Pinnell was taken to Taylorville Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries that were not physically evident. Jones reported no injuries.

On December 6, Kelley M. Brooks, 45, of Lincoln was traveling north on County 22 when a deer ran into the roadway. Brooks hit the deer causing damage to the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

On December 5, Carole E. Brown, 48, of Nokomis was northbound on County Highway 1 about 2/10ths of a mile north of 225 North Road when she ran off the roadway on the east side and overturned coming to a rest on the passenger's side facing southeast. Brown was taken to Taylorville Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries.

On December 5, Nehemias S. Montes, 30, of Beardstown, was traveling southbound on Illinois Route 29 and was approaching Township Road 1000 North. Montes stated he lost control of the vehicle on the icy roadway. Montes began to rotate clockwise and slid in the west ditch for approximately 115 feet before striking a drainage culvert. Montes overturned once and the vehicle landed on its wheels facing west. Montes reported minor injuries.

On December 7, Shane W. Lucas, 23, of Kincaid left the scene of a crash. Later it was determined that Lucas had hit a deer causing the vehicle to strike the ditch. There were no signs of damage to the vehicle from the deer. No injuries reported.

ARRESTS:

William M. Lewis, 32, of 407 South Jefferson, Litchfield, was arrested December 6 on a bond forfeiture for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jacob G. Fahl, 19, of 186 North 500 East Road, Morrisonville, was arrested December 7 for domestic battery and consumption of liquor by a minor.

Joshua F. Haines, 28, of 1519 West Elm Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 7 on a warrant for failure to complete sex offender registry. 

Michael P. Mason, 28, of 2117 East Whitmer, Decatur, was arrested December 6 on a bond forfeiture for driving on a suspended/revoked license.

Lester C. Callahan, 21, of 1550 East 2500 North Road, Blue Mound, was arrested December 6 for using the credit card of someone else.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

On December 7th, Taylorville Police Department officers went to 1519 West Elm Street in reference to a warrant for the arrest of Joshua F. Haines, 28, of Taylorville. Following making contact with Haines, officers placed Haines under arrest for failure to appear in court and was transported to Christian County Correctional Center.

On December 6, at 9:23pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to the alley way behind 202 East Poplar in reference to a possible domestic disturbance. Following investigation, Douglas W. Cushing, 39, of Pana was arrested and issued a local ordinance violation for public intoxication.

On December 6 at 3:49pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to Taco Bell in reference to a male subject acting suspiciously. Following investigation, Robert M. Shake, 32, of Taylorville was arrested for disorderly conduct.

On December 6 at 5:32pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were out at 727 West Vandeveer Street in reference to Gary Klinger, Andrea Kennedy, and Gregory Boyer being involved in a dispute. Following investigation, Klinger, 27, of Taylorville was arrested for disorderly conduct.

CRASHES:
On December 7 at 2:12am, Taylorville Police Department were dispatched to the KFC parking lot on 510 North Webster Street in reference to a one car accident. On scene, a 2002 Ford pickup was found crashed into a light pole in the middle of the parking lot. There was major front end damage to the truck. Logan A. Neville, 18, of Taylorville and Caleb N. Dean, 18, of Taylorville were outside the vehicle. Officer checked to see if Neville and Dean were injured and both said they were okay and did not need medical assistance. Neville said he was eating his Taco Bell when his drink fell. He reached down to pick it up and struck the light pole head on.Taylorville Towing towed the vehicle to their lot. Logan and Dean left in Dean's vehicle.

Sometime during the overnight hours of November 16, Zachary R Newberry of Taylorville was legally parked in the 500 block of South Cherokee Street. An unknown vehicle struck Newberry's vehicle and then left the scene. Newberry was able to leave the scene.

 

THE PANA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

On December 6, Dave Neville of Taylorville reported a burglary and theft from the Electronic Purchasing Agent on 201 South Locust in Pana. Several cell phones, miscellaneous accessories and money was reported to have been taken. Case is under investigation.

On December 7, Joan M. Perry, 53, of Pana was eastbound on Route 16 when a deer entered the roadway. Perry was unable to avoid a collision with the animal and struck it with the front passenger side of the vehicle. Perry sustained moderate front end damage. The deer could not be located. No injuries reported.

Following a traffic stop on December 8, Michael R. McKitrick, 26, of Pana was issued a citation for speeding 65mph in a 45mph zone.

Following a traffic stop on December 8, Jarad R. Bartimus, 31, of Peoria was issued a citation for speeding 69mph in a 45mph zone and a citation for driving while license is revoked.

On December 8, Amy L. Schoonover of Pana reported criminal damage that occurred at the above location. Unknown person(s) used a sharp object to scratch the paint on her 2007 Chevy Tahoe and her 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. The incident occurred sometime between 11:30pm on Dec. 7 and 3:00am on Dec 8 while both vehicles were parked in the drive of 600 South Locust Street, Pana. The paint damage is valued at over $1500.

On December 8, Zachary T. Apke, 17, of Pana skidded out of control and struck a utility pole on Chestnut Street. Apke had major damage while the pole had no damage. Apke was issued citations for driving too fast for conditions, graduated drivers unlawful number of passengers front seat, and operation of an uninsured vehicle. An 8-year-old boy reported injuries that were not physically evident and was taken to Pana Community Hospital. No other injuries reported.

On December 9, Shayla N. Roberts, 33, of Shelbyville was westbound and lost control due to ice on the road. Roberts hit Phillip D. Banning, 56, of Pana in the driver side door. No injuries reported.

Fire Department Calls 12-9-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 6
2 EMS, 1 Public Assist

December 7
1 EMS

December 8
3 EMS, 1 Illegal Burn, 1 Assist Coroner

Rep. Davis Introduces the School Nutrition Fairness Act

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville, at a press conference at Pana Jr. High School Friday, introduced legislation that would require the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to abide by the same nutritional standards imposed on our nation’s students.

The School Nutrition Fairness Act would force the White House to abide by the breakfast or lunch requirements currently imposed on students for any official meal and require USDA cafeterias and White House cafeterias to abide by these new standards as well.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was created in 1946 to provide students, especially low-income students, with access to “nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches”. During the 2012-13 school year, new nutritional standards, including set calorie ranges and weekly limits on grains and meat consumption, for the NSLP were implemented by the Administration.

During a House Committee on Education & the Workforce hearing on June 27th, 2013, the General Accountability Office (GAO) testified that of the eight school districts they visited during the 2012-13 school year, five expressed that the new school lunch requirements were leaving some students hungry and most of the school districts reported increased costs in their school lunch program. Additionally, five of the eight districts indicated that the meat and grain maximums made it difficult to plan menus, and in order to achieve compliance some districts added foods that “do not improve the nutritional value of lunches”, such as ice cream, butter and cheese sauce.

At the hearing, GAO shared two recommendations to help schools with menu planning and compliance with the new regulations. The first recommendation would permanently remove the weekly meat and grain maximums for school lunch and the second would give flexibility to schools in order to comply with the calorie ranges. To date, the USDA and the Administration have not acted on either one. 

Geothermal Heating can be Efficient

If you're tired of high power bills, you might want to contact Curtis Ryan of Pioneer Homes in Taylorville.  Ryan says there are a number of ways to cut your heating and cooling needs, including geothermally:

[audio:ryangeothermal120913.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Ryan says geothermal works for both heating and cooling.  If you'd like to find out about more ways to cut your power bill, call Pioneer Homes at 820-0481 or stop by 430 S. Spresser in Taylorville.

Associate Judge Ericka Sanders to Run for Circuit Judge

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Associate Judge Ericka Sanders of Marion County announced that she will run for the 4th Circuit Judge position that will be vacated by retiring Judge Sherri L. E. Tungate. Sanders tells Regional Radio News why she decided to run and what she brings to the table:

[audio:sanderscircuitcourt120513.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The 4th Circuit Court represents Christian, Clay, Clinton, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Montgomery, Shelby Counties.

Christmas in the Park Begins Thursday

Christmas in the Park at Manners Park in Taylorville is right around the corner. One of the biggest events will be the Little Miss and Mister Snowflake Competition this Saturday, December 14th. Recreation Director Bailey Hancock tells Regional Radio News about the event:

[audio:hancocksnowflake1120713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Hancock says there are benefits to winning the competition:

[audio:hancocksnowflake2120713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Christmas in the Park kicks off on Thursday with the Jingle Bell Walk at 6pm.

Slippery Roads Today

Although we didn't receive a lot of precipitation, some of it fell in the form of freezing drizzle, making things messy for the morning commute.  The bad road conditions have caused some closings and cancellations. You can find the latest cancellations by clicking here: Cancellations.

 

Conditions are expected to improve as sunshine today should help clear the ice.

Taylorville 7th Grade Girls Basketball to Play in 3rd Place Game at State

The Taylorville Junior High 7th grade girls basketball team will be playing in the 3rd place game of the IESA Class 4A State Tournament this Thursday at 6pm against Effingham Junior High. The Taylorville Lady Terriers won their first round game against Chicago Heights Washington 33-14 early Saturday but then lost 35-25 to unbeaten Canton Ingersoll later that night. The 3rd place game will be played at Normal Parkside Junior High in Normal, IL.

American Cornhole adds a junior Division trial region to a number of its exciting programs and events

American Cornhole, LLC announces the appointment of Jim Novar, as a new ACO Certified Official Group operating out of the Springfield, IL area. The ACO and Taylorville Cusd#3 have teamed up to bring cornhole to their physical education program and to start a grassroots program to educate and promote the sport of cornhole. Jim works as a health and physical education teacher for Taylorville High School.

Jim's focus as an ACO Certified Official will include: coordinating ACO World Ranking Points earning tournaments, including the director of the NEW junior division, selling ACO merchandise and promoting the overall sport of cornhole in his community while developing  and implementing a cornhole curriculum for the ACO’s  physical education pilot program.

For more information, contact Jim Novar at 217-816-8770.

Judges left out of Illinois pension reform plan

The Illinois House and Senate Tuesday passed the pension reform bill, a major overhaul aimed at addressing Illinois' $100 billion pension crisis. State Representative Bill Mitchell of Forsyth says the legislation will reduce the benefits for recipients, except for the judges.

Judges receive the highest average annual pension of any public employee, yet their benefits would remain untouched.

The nearly 1,000 retired judges earn an average annual pension of more than $112,000 while the average public employee retiree draws an average annual pension of about $40,000.

USDA: Central Illinois Remaining in Moderate to Severe Drought

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Central Illinois remains in what the United States Department of Agriculture is calling a moderate to severe drought.

The latest information released from U-S-D-A, shows severe drought conditions still plaguing Macon, DeWitt, Piatt, and Moultrie Counties. Moderate drought conditions remain in Christian, Sangamon, Logan, McLean, Champaign and Douglas Counties.

The U-S-D-A says 24-percent of the state is in moderate drought, with another 3-point-4 percent in severe drought. 31-percent of the state is not suffering drought conditions.

Area Arrests/Accidents/Incidents 12-6-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Jeremy R. Kline, 33, of 6125 East Stevenson Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 5 on a bond forfeiture for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Paul E. Allen, 18, of 220 North 1960 East Road, Pana, was arrested December 6 for a violation of an order of protection and on a warrant for hold for other agency.

Fire Department Calls 12-6-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:


December 5
1 EMS

December 6
1 Fire, 1 EMS, 1 Public Assist

Taylorville Junior High 8th Grade Girls Basketball Wins Regionals

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Taylorville Junior High School 8th grade girls basketball team won over Rochester last night 40-31 to win the Class 4A IESA Regional. They will face Chatham Glenwood in the Sectional next Wednesday Dec. 11, at 6:00pm in Rochester. 

Rutherford Concerned Over Pension Plan

The recently passed pension deal is a hot topic in Illinois. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford says he has some concerns with the passed bill:

[audio:rutherfordconcernedpension120613.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Rutherford says in his opinion, the passed pension deal is unconstitutional.  

Holiday Craft Workshop Saturday

Your kids could make their own Christmas presents this year.  The University of Illinois Extension in Taylorville will host a Holiday Craft Workshop Saturday, and 4H Program Coordinator Jodi Heberling says there are still a few openings for the event:

[audio:heberlingcraftworkshop120613.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The event is intended for kids ages 6 to 16.  Call the Extension Office at 287-7246 to reserve a spot.

People's Bank and Trust Hands out Award at Business After Hours

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce's monthly Business after hours event took place Wednesday at Ace Hardware.  President and CEO of the Chamber Patty Hornbuckle says People's Bank and Trust handed out it's Volunteer of the Quarter Award, and it went to someone close to her:

[audio:pattyaward120613.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Greg Hornbuckle has been the Chairman of the Chillifest Committee for four years now.

Hometown Holiday Weekend in Shelbyville

It'll be a Hometown Holiday Weekend in Shelbyville.  Tad Mayhall of the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce says it's all about reminding people of the importance of keeping the money local:

Angel Tree for Senior Citizens

There are a number of Angel Tree programs for children at this time of year, and now there is one to benefit Senior Citizens as well.  Jerry Mahr, Director of the Christian County Senior Citizens Center says they are looking for seniors in need:

[audio:mahrangeltree120313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Christian County Senior Center is at the corner of Adams and Shumway streets in Taylorville.  Call 824-4263.           

 

 

 

 

Local Sports for Boys Basketball 12/6/13

As heard on WTIM, Taylorville fell to Lincoln with a score of 59 to 23.

As heard on WRAN, Shelbyville fell to Okaw Valley with a score of 68 to 60. 

Taylorville Junior High 7th Grade Girls Basketball Wins Sectionals

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The 7th grade girls basketball team at the Taylorville Junior High School won their Sectional game Wednesday night and have advanced to the Class 4A State Tournament. They beat undefeated Springfield Franklin with a score of 50-35 and improved to 19-6 on the season. The 7th grade girls will play their first game in the State Tournament this Saturday at 10am against Chicago Heights Washington. The game will be played at Normal Parkside Junior High School in Normal, IL. 

Fire Department Calls 12-5-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 4
2 EMS, 1 Public Assist

Area Arrests/Accidents/Incidents 12-5-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ACCIDENTS:

On December 3, Lawrence J. Grant, 70, of Owaneco was traveling northbound and slowing in traffic on Illinois Route 29 to turn left onto Township Road 800 North. Nathan A. Roley, 27, of Altamont was also traveling northbound on Illinois Route 29 and was behind Grant. Roley began to pass Grant. Grant them began to turn left and Roley could not stop in time to avoid a collision. Both drivers advised Grant had his left turn signal activated. Roley received front end and passenger side damage and Grant received front driver's side and front undercarriage damage. No injuries were reported.

On December 4, Erica L. Wessling, 25, of Taylorville was traveling southbound on Illinois Route 48. Around Township Road 1150 North. Wessling lost control of the vehicle and it began to skid in a clockwise direction. Wessling left approximately 24 feet of visible skid marks before leaving the roadway to the right. Wessling continued to rotate, skidding approximately 63 feet before totally leaving the roadway. Wessling entered the west ditch, overturned, and landed on its top. Wessling's vehicle received total damage. Wessling was transported to Taylorville Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries.

On December 4, a 16-year-old male was northbound on County Highway 23. Melanie A. McQuire, 33, of Edinburg was turning left onto County Highway 23 from 2300 North Road. McQuire failed to yield to the 16-year-old and struck him in the driver's door. McQuire was transported to St' John's Hospital in Springfield for treatment of injuries. The 16-year-old and a 15-year-old male passenger were transported to Taylorville Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries.

Home Tour Features Lunch This Year

The Taylorville Tourism Council's annual Holiday Home tour is coming up Friday and Saturday.  The Tour will feature something new this year.  The Tourism Council's Carol Alexander says there will be a luch included this year:

[audio:alexanderfreelunch120513.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Taylorville Tourism Council Holiday Home Tour is Friday 10am to 8pm, and Saturday from 10am to 6pm.  For tickets, call 824-9447, or stop by Cottage Rose Gift Shoppe on the Taylorville Square.

Cops Advise Caution Driving in Winter Weather

Our first round of wintry weather this year is coming, and police advise caution.  Sgt. Alan Mills of the Taylorville Police Department says it's a good idea to review some winter driving tips:

[audio:millswinter120413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Sgt. Mills also reminds everyone that police will be extra watchful for drunk drivers as we head into the holiday season.

Federal Grand Jury Charges Former Taylorville Bus Driver With Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor

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            A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former Taylorville school bus driver, 43-year-old James Marshall Owens of Owaneco with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receiving child pornography.  The indictment, returned yesterday, also seeks criminal forfeiture of various computers and a telephone belonging to Owens.

 

            The indictment alleges that for each of the two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Owens enticed individuals under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity for which a person could be charged with a criminal offense.  The indictment alleges that Owens committed the offenses from about Aug. 16, 2012, to May 23, 2013, and from about December 2012 to February 2013.  Further, the indictment alleges that Owens received child pornography on or about May 27, 2013.

 

            If convicted, the statutory penalty for each count of sexual exploitation of a minor is a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison.  For receiving child pornography, the penalty is five to 20 years in prison.  The defendant may also be ordered to remain under supervised release for life following any term of imprisonment.

           

            The charges are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Illinois State Police, and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris with the cooperation of the Christian County State’s Attorney’s Office. 

 

            Owens was previously charged in state court following his arrest in May 2013, and has remained in the custody of law enforcement since his arrest.  A date for Owens to make his initial appearance in federal court will be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court. 

 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

National Weather Service Updates Snowy Forecast for Friday

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The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Winter Storm Warning thru Friday for Clay, Richland, Lawrence, Jasper and Crawford counties in southeast Illinois.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect thru Friday for Effingham, Shelby, Clark, Coles and Edgar counties in south central Illinois.

The heavier snow has tapered off for now across much of southeast Illinois. Another wave of heavier snow is expected to spread into southeast Illinois by midday.

Another wave of snow will spread across southeast Illinois today. Storm total snowfall since yesterday, by the time the snow tapers off tonight, should average 5-11 inches south of I-70, with totals increasing with distance south from the interstate. North of I-70, snow totals will quickly taper off, with areas from Springfield to Danville only expecting a dusting of snow.

Local Sports Scores for Thursday, December 5th

In girls basketball Thursday night, the Lady Tornadoes of Taylorville lost to the Springfield High School Senators 67-39 as heard on 97.3, WTIM. And, the Sullivan Tigers defeated the Central A&M Raiders 69-68 as heard on 94.3, WMKR.

2 Taylorville Residents Arrested on Meth Charges

Two more Taylorville residents have been arrested on methamphetamine charges. On Tuesday, the Taylorville Police Department executed a state authorized search warrant on a residence located at 417 Bryant Street in Taylorville in connection with the unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine. During the search of the residence an active methamphetamine lab was allegedly discovered.

50-year-old Janis K. Baird and 50-year-old Susan L. Hogge, both of Taylorville were taken into custody without incident for aggravated unlawful participation in methamphetamine production and possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials.

The Illinois State Police Meth Response Team assisted in the dismantling of the lab along with the cleanup. The Taylorville Fire Department also assisted with the safety and ventilation of the scene due to the active methamphetamine lab.

This arrest comes from an ongoing investigation by the Taylorville Police Department into the unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine which could result in additional arrests. The Taylorville Police Department is committed to the investigations into the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine along with other illegal drugs and prescriptions. If you have any information concerning these issues, call the Taylorville Police Department at 824-2211 or the Christian County Crime Stoppers at 824-9100.

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50-year-old Janis K. Baird 

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50-year-old Susan L. Hogge

Area Arrests/Accidents/Incidents 12-4-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Richard D. Beck, 36, of 1105 Chris Court, Decatur, was arrested December 3 for driving with a suspended license.

Susan L. Hogge, 50, of 1325 East Powell Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 3 for methamphetamine manufacturing and possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material.

Janis K. Baird, 50, of 417 West Bryant Street, Taylorville, was arrested December 3 for methamphetamine manufacturing and possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material.

Corey L. Ondrey, 23, of 4105 Grimick, Springfield, was arrested December 4 on a warrant for driving under the influence of alcohol.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ACCIDENTS:
On December 2, Anthony A. Adams, 24, of Taylorville, was traveling south on Shumway Street and was approaching the intersection of Shumway Street and Route 48. A deer ran in front of Adams coming from the west. Adams was not able to avoid hitting the deer causing damage. Adams was able to drive from the scene.

ARRESTS:
On December 3, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to the square in reference to a female possibly damaging cars with rocks. Dispatch then advised the female entered Cork and Keg wearing a grey Taylorville High School hoodie. An officer entered Cork and Keg and located the female. She was identified as Angela M. Beard, 39, of Taylorville. Another officer spoke with the complaint and he positively identified Beard as the one causing the disturbance. Beard was placed under arrest.

Fire Department Calls 12-4-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

December 2
1 EMS

December 3
2 EMS, 1 Automatic Alarm, 1 Assisted Police Department

December 4
2 EMS, 1 Motor Vehicle Accident

Shelbyville Resident Collecting Relief Kits for His Hometown of Washington

A Shelbyville resident is collecting relief kits to help tornado victims in Washington. Kevin Bernson, who is originally from Washington, tells Regional Radio News how he got the idea:

Key Q                                     …wife’s shop downtown                   (1:20)

Bernson says other needed items in the totes beside toiletries and snacks include work gloves, extra strength garbage bags, and flashlights. Again you can drop off the kits at the Shelby Electric offices on Route 128 or at Simply Yours on 119 E. Main Street in Shelbyville.

Shelby County Office Candidates

 

County Clerk: Delbert A. Lenz, Party: D, and Jessica Fox, Party: D

County Treasurer: Debra S. Page, Party: D

County Sheriff: Michael A. Miller, Party: D, and Don Koonce, Party: D

Supervisor of Assessments: Marlene Waggoner, Party: D

County Board District 1: Robert G. Hunter, Party: R

County Board District 2: Robert N. Jordan, Party: R

County Board District 3: Joseph Woodall, Party: D

County Board District 4: Robert Simpson, Party: D

County Board District 5: Barbara L. Bennett, Party: R

County Board District 7: Donald Strohl, Party: R, and Tim Cyr, Party: D

County Board District 8: Linda L. Kessel, Party: D

County Board District 9: Larry E. Lenz, Party: R

County Board District 10: Kay Kearney, Party: D

County Board District 11: Frank Mulholland, Party: D, and Lynn Williams, Party: D

Board of Review District 1: Brenda Brooks, Party: D

Board of Review District 3: Christine Johnston, Party: D 

Montgomery County Office Candidates

First Name Last Name Office District or Precinct
Jim Vazzi County Sheriff N/A
Ronald D. Jenkins County Treasurer N/A
Sandy Leitheiser County Clerk N/A
Megan I. Beeler County Board  #1
Joseph V. Gasparich County Board  #2
Jay L. Martin County Board #3
George L. Blankenship County Board #3
Earlene Blackburn-Robinson County Board #4
Pam Thacker County Board #4
Mike Plunkett County Board #4
William D. Bergen County Board #5
Sharon Kuchar County Board  #5
Tim  Hopper County Board  #6
Ronald E. Deabenderfer County Board  #6
David Ronen County Board #6
Robert (Bob) Sneed County Board #7
Judy Lott Precinct Committee Rep  Bois D'arc
Gregory Springer Precinct Committee Rep  Butler Grove
Jimmy Ricke Precinct Committee Rep  East Fork 1
Stephen Voyles Precinct Committee Rep  East Fork 1
Steven White Precinct Committee Rep  East Fork 3
Stanley Casey Precinct Committee Rep  Grisham 1
Richard D. Reincke Precinct Committee Rep  Grisham 2
Michelle (Micki) Chappelear Precinct Committee Rep  Grisham 2
John Richard Lyons Precinct Committee Rep  Harvel
Terry L. Richmond Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 1
David Ronen Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 1
Daryl Hodges Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 2
Elizabeth Wilson Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 2
L. R. (Dick) James Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 3
Mary Margaret Dal Pozzo Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 3
Vernon Durbin Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 4
Roy L. Hertel Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 5
Jim Moore Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 5
Dean Lessman Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 6
Dickie Elam Precinct Committee Rep  Hillsboro 6
Nelson E. Aumann Precinct Committee Rep  Nokomis 1
Lance L. Lehnen Precinct Committee Rep  Nokomis 3
William J. Johnson, Jr Precinct Committee Rep  Nokomis 3
Dennis K. Matthews Precinct Committee Rep  Nokomis 4
Mary Bathurst Precinct Committee Rep  North Litchfield 1
Frank Carroll Precinct Committee Rep  North Litchfield 1
Louis Lewey Precinct Committee Rep  North Litchfield 2
Timothy L. Fogle Precinct Committee Rep  North Litchfield 3
Ted Elizondo Precinct Committee Rep  North Litchfield 5
Chuck Napier Precinct Committee Rep  North Litchfield 6
Jeremy L. Jones Precinct Committee Rep  Pitman
Lewis Ray Durston Precinct Committee Rep  Pitman
Timothy J. Mizera Precinct Committee Rep  Raymond
Nathan G. Broaddus Precinct Committee Rep  Raymond
Clarence Keiser Precinct Committee Rep  Rountree
Ben  Matli Precinct Committee Rep  Rountree
Shelley Elizondo Brakenhoff Precinct Committee Rep  South Litchfield #1
Sharon Kuchar Precinct Committee Rep  South Litchfield #1
Marcia E. Salisbury Precinct Committee Rep  South Litchfield #2
Chris Baugher Precinct Committee Rep  South Litchfield #3
Rich Wendel Precinct Committee Rep  South Litchfield #4
David P. Graham Precinct Committee Rep  Zanesville

Christian County Office Candidates

The candidates for Christian County offices have been announced. Christian County Clerk Linda Curtin tells Regional Radio News who is running for what spot:

Davis' Opponents File for Candidacy

A total of 6 people, 2 Republicans and 4 Democrats will vie for the congressional seat held by Rodney Davis of Taylorville.  The deadline for filing papers for candidacy was Monday.  Congressman Davis tells Regional Radio News it’s a crowded field for many reasons:

[audio:davisopponents120413.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Davis won the 13th district seat by a narrow margin last year.

Taylorville Kiwanis Hold Business Meeting At Weekly Luncheon

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

 

Committee chairs reported on Kiwanis activities benefiting children and youth in the Taylorville community and around the world.

 

Kiwanis treasurer Dan Sneed reported that the recent Peanut Days on the streets of Taylorville, raised over 73-hundred dollars for local Kiwanis projects.  That amount was a new record. 

 

Sneed added that over 3-thousand dollars was spent recently as part of the Kiwanis Club’s “Coats for Kids” project, providing needy children coats, hats, and gloves.

 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing 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.

National Weather Service: First Significant Snow of Season Expected Thursday, Friday (Updated)

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Precipitation will begin to develop across parts of south central Illinois this afternoon as much colder air continues to filter in from the northwest. Initially, the precipitation will start out as a mix of rain and sleet, and then gradually transition to snow tonight with a period of freezing rain and sleet possible along and south of the I70 corridor. The snow will continue through most of the day Friday before ending by evening. Total accumulations are expected to range from 4 to 7 inches roughly along and south of I70, with the amounts diminishing quickly as you head north. Cold weather will continue this weekend and into next week with daytime highs mostly in the 20s, and early morning lows in the single digits and teens.

Senator Manar Says Passed Pension Deal is Flawed

The Illinois State Legislature passed a new pension deal Tuesday night. State Senator Andy Manar voted against the deal and tells Regional Radio News why he did:

Area Arrests/Accidents/Incidents 12-3-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Jennifer A. Girard, 25, of 817 West Market, Taylorville, was arrested December 2 for driving with a suspended license.

Keith A. Lyons, 37, of 106 East 7th Street, Pana, was arrested December 2 for no driver's license.

Michael D. Kline, 30, of 1212 West Pauline, Taylorville, was arrested December 2 for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Chloe L. Kindell, 19, of 516 Taylorville Boulevard, Taylorville, was arrested December 2 for driving with a suspended license.

Steve M. Stolte, 41, of 301 Snell, Blue Mound, was arrested December 2 on a warrant for theft by deception.

Deric D. Brown, 26, of 48 Fairview Court, Taylorville, was arrested December 2 for possession of a controlled substance and possession of cannabis.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ARRESTS:
On December 2 at 2:37pm, a Taylorville Police Department officer was assisting Christian County deputies on a traffic stop at Walgreens. While on scene, the officer observed a male subject driving a vehicle on Webster that then proceeded to pull into Walgreens. The officer made contact with Deric D. Brown, 26, of Taylorville. Following the investigation, Brown was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis, and no valid driver's license. He was transported to Christian County Correctional Center.

On November 21, Kirby D. Hames of Taylorville was parked in the 100 block of North Main Street. An unknown vehicle tried to park in front of Hames and while backing, struck Hames' vehicle. The unknown vehicle then left the scene. Hames was also able to drive from the scene.

On November 13, a vehicle registered to Stefanie A. Oats of Taylorville pulled into the parking lot of Circle K. The vehicle was apparently left in reverse as the driver exited the vehicle. The vehicle backed out of the parking lot of Circle K and into the 400 block of West Spresser Street. The vehicle made a half circle and struck Christena M. Smith, 58, of Owaneco who observed what happened and was stopped in traffic. The vehicle continued up over the curb and struck a landscaping area in front of McDonalds before coming to a stop. No injuries reported.

Taylorville City Council Discusses Issues Concerning West School Investments LLC

The Taylorville City Council met Monday night and discussed a motion to ratify Mayor Greg Brotherton’s decision to waive any conflict of interest concerning West School Investments LLC and for any legal opinions in the future concerning this matter. City Attorney Rocci Romano explained why he needed the Council to pass this motion:

[audio:romanomotionconflict120313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Alderman Rob Heberling voiced concern over the issue:

[audio:heberlingconcerns120313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Council unanimously approved the motion.

 

Mayor Greg Brotherton provided an update at the Taylorville City Council meeting in regards to the noise from Ahlstrom’s:

[audio:mayorahlstrom120313.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Ahlstrom recently had to install some EPA mandated equipment which is causing the noise.

 

The Council also approved the motion to direct City Attorney Rocci Romano to prepare an ordinance annexing Spresser Street, Cheney Street, and Water Street in the city. The Council approved the proposed ordinance regarding fire hydrants inside city limits with the additional wording of “at the City’s expense”. The Council approved the annual abatement ordinance and approved pay request #4 to McIntire and Company for the Ward II-City Park Addition-Phase 4 Park Avenue Storm Sewer Project.

The meeting adjourned at 7:28pm.

CRIME OF THE WEEK FOR DECEMBER 2, 2013

                                      

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to a hit and run that occurred in Taylorville.

On the morning of  Wednesday November 27, 2013, a male subject was crossing the East circle drive of the Taylorville High School.  While the male subject was walking across, he was struck by a unknown vehicle.  The vehicle briefly stopped and then left the scene.   The vehicle was described as a silver colored SUV, with a female driver.   The male subject was treated and released at Taylorville Memorial Hospital.

Please contact Crimestoppers if you any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons.  Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name.  Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

 You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES  (274632) and then your tip.  As always, you will remain anonymous.

                           

Area Arrests/Accidents/Incidents 12-2-13

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

Michael J. Masterson, 28, of 409 North Elm Street, Centralia, was arrested on November 27 on a warrant for criminal damage to property and a bond forfeiture for battery.

Zachry W. Bough, 29, of 315 East Franklin, Taylorville, was arrested on November 29 on a bond forfeiture for driving while license is revoked or suspended.

Alicia A. Pattarozzi, 28, of 410 South Pawnee Street, Taylorville, was arrested on November 29 on a bond forfeiture for driving while license is revoked or suspended.

Jeffrey S. Declerck, 52, of 614 East Main Cross Street, Taylorville, was arrested on November 30 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Jacob B. Melton, 30, of 8 Mary Street, Tovey, was arrested on November 30 on a warrant for domestic battery and an on-view arrest for domestic battery, aggravated robbery, and telephone harassment.

Briar D. Samson, 18, of 901 East Stevenson, Taylorville, was arrested on November 30 on a warrant for knowingly damaging property.

ACCIDENTS:

On November 27, Jeff A. Cravens, 40, of Pana was parked in a driveway at 23 North 2700 East Road and Dakota J. Rudow, 21, of Pana, was parked behind him. Cravens backed up in the driveway and hit the passenger side of Rudow damaging the side mirror and door.

On November 29, Dorris L. Althoff, 54, of Assumption was traveling east on County 6. At about 2050 East Road, a deer ran into the roadway. Althoff hit the deer causing damage to the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

On November 30, Heather L. Brummet, 44, of Pana was traveling north on County 1. At approximately 340 North, a deer ran into the roadway and Brummet was unable to stop and hit the deer. No injuries were reported.

On December 1, Hannah N. Bowerman, 25, of Troy was southbound on County Highway 1 when she looked down to get her glass of tea and ran off the edge of the roadway. Bowerman over-corrected and began to slide sideways. Bowerman continued to slide but was able to regain control. Bowerman ran off the east side of the roadway and hit the ditch causing damage. No injuries were reported.

 

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

On November 30 at 2:58pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to Amity Food Mart in reference to a subject stealing liquor. Following investigation, Jake E. Tucker, 21, of Taylorville was arrested for two counts of retail theft.

On November 30 at 2:58pm, a Taylorville Police Department officer was dispatched to Amity in reference to a theft that had occurred. Upon arrival, the officer observed Briar D. Samson, 18, of Taylorvillle who the officer knew to have a valid warrant out of Christian County. Samson was placed under arrest and transported to the Christian County Sheriff's Office where he was lodged without bond.

On November 30 at 6:38pm, a Taylorville Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for an equipment violation. Upon further investigation, Ronald D. Fisher, 19, of Taylorville was arrested for illegal consumption/possession of alcohol by a minor. Fisher was transported to Taylorville Police Department for processing and released on a notice to appear.

 

THE PANA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

On November 27, Kenneth Evrley reported an incident of deceptive practices-stolen checks. The case is under investigation.

On November 27, a complaint was signed against Shauna N. Green, 30, of Pana for unlawful visitation interference. Information is being forwarded to the State's Attorney for review.

On November 28, Lisa R. Neal, 45, of Pana was stationary in the drive-thru lane of McDonalds. Jabbaria S. Gore, 18, of Pana was traveling south on the west side of the drive-thru lane. Gore turned eastbound and struck Neal. No injuries reported.

Following a traffic stop on November 30, John S. Mikalik, 47, of Lockport was issued a citation for speeding 64mph in a 45mph zone. Mikalik posted a cash bond and was given a court date.

On November 30, Weston T. Smith, 17, of Pana was issued a citation for disobeying a stop sign.

Following a traffic stop on November 30, Steven E. Peralta, 43, of Springfield was issued a citation for speeding 65mph in a 45mph zone. Peralta posted his driver's license as bond and was given a court date.

Following a traffic stop on December 1, Kyle A. Matthews, 20, of Charleston was issued a citation for speeding 55mph in a 30mph zone. Matthews posted his driver's license as bond and was given a court date.

Following a traffic stop on December 1, Amy J. Puckett, 27, of Shelbyville was issued a citation for disobeying a stop sign. Puckett posted her driver's license as bond and was given a court date.

Fire Department Calls 12-2-13

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

November 27
2 Illegal Burns, 1 EMS, 1 Motor Vehicle Accident

November 28
6 EMS, 1 Public Assist

November 29
3 EMS, 2 Motor Vehicle Accidents, 1 Brush Fire, 1 Automatic Alarm,

November 30
1 Automatic Alarm, 1 Fire, 1 EMS, 1 Public Assist

December 1
2 EMS

December 2
1 EMS

Taylorville Main Street Christmas Parade December 7

Thoughts are turning now to Christmas, and Taylorville Main Street has a great way to get you in the holiday spirit.  Director of Main Street Elizabeth Hohenstein says this year's parade theme is "A Story Book Christmas":

[audio:hohensteinparade112713.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Again, the Taylorville Main Street's annual Christmas Parade is Saturday December 7 at 5pm on the Taylorville Square.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Needs Male Volunteers

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Illinois Capital Region is looking for a few good young men.  Director of Community Relations for the organization Lisa Rakey says they have a serious shortage of Big Brothers in Taylorville:

 

Key 1                    .....good attitude every week.             (:47)

 

If you can help, call 753-1216 or sign up online at bbbscapitalregion.org.

4 H Helps Tornado Victims

It's not too late to help victims of last month's Southern Illinois tornado outbreak.  Peggy Hampton of the local 4 H says they are collecting goods to be given to those who lost everything in the November storms:

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