Mesa,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com)  -  Dustin Ackley  had three  hits  to back  six 
shutout  innings from  Erasmo Ramirez  as the  Seattle Mariners  posted a  3-0 
Cactus League victory over the Chicago Cubs. 

Ramirez scattered four hits and struck out four while walking none. 

Kyle Seager and John Buck each had a sacrifice fly for Seattle. 

Cubs  starter  Jeff Samardzija  allowed two  runs on six  hits, walked two and 
fanned eight in 5 1/3 innings. 

Jupiter, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcell Ozuna smacked a solo home run in the 
sixth  inning for the  decisive run to give the Miami Marlins a 4-3 Grapefruit 
League win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. 

Adeiny  Hechavarria went  2-for-2 with an RBI, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Derek 
Dietrich  provided the  other RBI  to round  out the  scoring for  Miami. Jose 
Fernandez fanned eight, but gave up three runs over six innings on the hill. 

Jon  Jay,  Daniel Descalso and  Peter Bourjos picked up  an RBI apiece for the 
Cardinals. Lance Lynn surrendered three runs over four innings of work. 

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

Thomas Munoz, 46, of 127 East Madison Street, Divernon, was arrested March 20 for aggravated domestic battery.

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

March 20
2 EMS, 2 Brush Fire, 1 Fire

March 21
1 EMS

(From the left:  Shannon Mathis, executive director of the Springfield office of the March of Dimes; and Sheri Miller of the Miller Media Group.)

Miller Media Group radio station WMKR Genuine Country 94-point-3 held its second annual March of Dimes March for Babies Radiothon yesterday. The event raised just over 23-hundred dollars to help babies before and after they’re born.

Shannon Mathis, executive director of the March of Dimes Springfield office, says the money helps them cover a large geographical area:

[audio:mathismoney032114.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Miller Media Group’s Sheri Miller, captain of Team Princess Alexis, explains why she is raising the money:

[audio:millerreason032114.mp3]comment here[/audio]

You can support Team Princess Alexis and the March of Dimes by donating on-line at teamprincessalexis.com.

A new program debuted Wednesday on Regional Radio. Featuring Steve Henry of CSH Investments, the bi-monthly program airs on Wednesdays. Henry says he hopes the program will deal with topics not traditionally covered in the media:

[audio:henrycshnewshow031914.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The program airs on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays each month. Contact CSH Investment Management at 824-4211.

4300 Christian County residents are what is known as "food insecure".  That means they don't know where their next meal is coming from.  Krista Lisser, Public Relations Manager for the Central Illinois Foodbank, says the Mobile Food Pantry will pay a visit this weekend:

[audio:lissermobilepantry031914.mp3]comment here[/audio]

There are no pre-qualifications for those who need the goods.  Again, the Mobile Food Pantry will be at Taylorville High School Saturday from 10am until noon.  You're advised to get there early, as the food is distributed on a first-come first-served basis.

Glendale,  AZ  (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Trout  went 1-for-2 with a homer and 
two  runs scored to help the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to a 14-10 win over 
the Chicago  White Sox in Cactus League play. 

Ian  Stewart also homered for the Angels, who also received an RBI apiece from 
Josh  Hamilton, Albert  Pujols and Erick Aybar. David Freese knocked in two in 
the win, while starter Tyler Skaggs went 4 1/3 innings and allowed five earned 
runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. 

Jose Abreu, Matt Davidson and Jordan Danks all homered for Chicago, with Abreu 
and  Davidson each  knocking in  three runs. White Sox  starter Erik  Johnson 
allowed eight runs -- seven earned -- over four innings of work. 

Scottsdale, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Charlie Blackmon hit a walk-off three-run 
homer  in the  bottom of the ninth to  lift Colorado Rockies to a 9-6 win over 
the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. 

Carlos  Gonzalez  also hit a  three-run home run  in the win. Colorado starter 
Franklin  Morales  allowed one  unearned  run  over  four innings  with  three 
strikeouts and three walks in the win. 

Luis  Valbuena and  Javier Baez  each hit  solo shots  for Chicago,  which saw 
starter  Carlos Villanueva  go four innings and allow three runs on three hits 
with eight strikeouts. 

Jupiter, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Adams went 2-for-3 with a solo home run 
to  help lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in 
Grapefruit League action. 

Randal  Grichuk had an  RBI double and Peter Bourjos scored on a wild pitch to 
account  for the Cardinals'  final two  runs. Carlos  Martinez  lasted 5  1/3 
innings, striking out four and giving up one run. 

Jason Bartlett picked up the lone RBI for the Twins with a single. Kyle Gibson 
surrendered one run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. 

Philadelphia,  PA (SportsNetwork.com)  - Eight days and four games is what the 
Philadelphia 76ers have left. 

That's  how much time  they have to get a win or face tying the type of record 
even  a  team in the midst  of a rebuild doesn't  want to touch with a 10-foot 
hoop. 

The Sixers' team-record losing streak reached 22 games Wednesday night after a 
late run against another top Eastern Conference team fell short. 

D.J. Augustin scored 20 off the bench, hitting a couple of key 3-pointers down 
the  stretch, and  the Chicago Bulls held on  for a 102-94 win in the first of 
two meetings between the teams in four days. 

Taj  Gibson added 19  points and 13 rebounds for Chicago -- also off the bench 
-- and Jimmy Butler scored 16. 

The Bulls, who have won three of four, became the second playoff-bound team in 
three days to avoid a loss to the Sixers. 

The  East-leading Indiana  Pacers needed a late run to beat Philadelphia 99-90 
on Monday. 

"They  play tough.  They don't go away," said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "They 
keep coming." 

The  Sixers are within four losses of Cleveland's NBA-record streak of 26 in a 
row set during the 2010-11 season. 

Winless  since beating Boston  on Jan. 29, they got a spark off the bench from 
Byron  Mullens, whose  10 points in the fourth quarter included consecutive 3- 
pointers to get them within one. 

They  tied the game for the first time since 28-28 early in the second quarter 
on a Thaddeus Young 3-pointer moments later but missed their next three shots. 

Butler and Augustin then hit consecutive 3-pointers for a six-point Bulls lead 
with  under  six minutes left  and Augustin kept it  at six with another three 
later on. 

The  Sixers got within  four twice, the last time on a two-handed Mullens dunk 
in transition. Wroten had a layup dangle on the rim -- inches from making it a 
two-point  game -- but Joakim Noah swatted it away. Butler made a pair of foul 
shots at the other end with 24 seconds left, and that was that. 

The teams will play again in Chicago on Saturday. 

"The  energy was  there," said  Mullens. "Of  course it  always helps  to make 
shots, but it was a tough loss for us. It was a really good game. We just have 
to play like that every night." 

The  Sixers,  led by Young's 24  points, missed 10  of their 19 foul shots and 
were  outrebounded 52-38.  Wroten didn't miss a 3-pointer until the fourth and 
scored 17, ending 4-for-6 from deep. 

Michael Carter-Williams had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the 
Sixers,  but the rookie point guard also showed his youth on a turnover in the 
last  seconds when he left his feet in the paint with nowhere to go and landed 
without a pass. 

How long has it been since the Sixers last won? Their victory over the Celtics 
came  after Even  Turner, who now plays for Indiana, hit an off-balance jumper 
at the buzzer. It was four days before the Super Bowl and nine days before the 
opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics. 

Chicago led by as many as 11 points in the first half and were up 52-45 at the 
break. The Bulls took a 75-69 lead into the fourth quarter. 

                                   Game Notes 

Mullens scored 12 ... The Sixers have also lost a team-record 17 in a row at 
home. They host the Knicks on Friday ... The Bulls play at Indiana, also on 
Friday. 

Chicago,  IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Corey Crawford stopped 23 shots to post his 
second  shutout of the  season, and four different players lit the lamp as the 
Chicago Blackhawks  shut down  the St. Louis  Blues by a  4-0 count at United 
Center. 

"Tonight we knew it was going to be a tough matchup," Crawford said. "It seems 
like  it's always  physical against these guys. The first 10 minutes, everyone 
was  just running  around trying to hit  somebody to trying to avoid a hit. It 
felt like a playoff game, a playoff-type atmosphere. Our crowd was into it and 
we played really solidly." 

Duncan  Keith, Marcus  Kruger,  Andrew  Shaw and  Ben  Smith  tallied for  the 
Blackhawks,  who rallied  from a late overtime loss in Philadelphia on Tuesday 
to  post their  second win in three  outings and move into second place in the 
Central Division, one point up on Colorado. 

The Avalanche lost, 5-4 in overtime at Winnipeg. 

Patrick  Sharp and Nick  Leddy added a pair of assists for Chicago, which lost 
Patrick  Kane to an undisclosed leg injury in the second period. Following the 
contest, the club announced Kane is expected to miss three weeks. 

"Certainly  he's a  special player and we'll  have to work our way through it, 
knowing  what  he  brings  to  our team,"  said Blackhawks  head  coach  Joel 
Quenneville, of the misfortune that punctuated his 700th career victory. "It's 
definitely  a huge loss for us, but we've been fortunate as far as not getting 
hit too hard. You're going to get tested at some point." 

Ryan Miller allowed four scores on 27 shots in almost 48 minutes of action for 
the  Blues,  who lost for  just the second  time in the  last 10 and saw their 
lead in the Central shrink to six points over their bitter rivals. 

St.  Louis  picked up its first  intra-division loss in 23 games (20-1-2) this 
season. 

Keith  opened the scoring on his point blast that ticked off the left post and 
in  during a  Chicago power  play  with 54.4  seconds remaining  in the  first 
period. 

Chicago  went  up 2-0 as 4:25  remained on the second-period clock, when Leddy 
fired away from near the blue line and Shaw redirected the puck with the shaft 
of his stick past a stunned Miller. 

Peter  Regin and Kruger worked a give-and-go in close, with the latter pushing 
a  rolling puck  home from the right side  at 5:20 of the third period to give 
the hosts a three-goal margin. 

On  the  following shift,  St. Louis  forward Dmitrij Jaskin  was sent off for 
hooking  and the Blackhawks increased their lead by one when Smith deposited a 
loose puck on the doorstep at 7:35. 

"They're  the  Stanley Cup champions for  a reason," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock 
said.  "They know when to turn the temperature up. It's our responsibility, no 
matter  what happens in the regular season, if you're going to give them a go, 
you're  going to have  to dial it up. They're getting ready. And it's up to us 
to get ready. That's the task." 

                                   Game Notes 

Quenneville  earned his 262nd win as Chicago bench boss, joining Scotty Bowman 
(1,244)  and Al  Arbour (782) as the only  members of the 700 club as NHL head 
coach  ...  Miller, who suffered  his first loss as  a Blue, allowed more than 
three  goals in  one appearance  for  the first  time since  being dealt  from 
Buffalo  on  Feb. 28  ... Brandon  Saad was scratched  for the second straight 
game  ... Prior  to the  game,  the Blues  agreed  to terms  on a  three-year, 
entry-level  contract with  forward Zach Pochiro ... Blackhawks forward Michal 
Handzus  participated in  his 1,000th NHL contest and was honored in a pregame 
ceremony. He began his career playing for Quenneville in St. Louis. 

Boston,  MA  (SportsNetwork.com) -  Rayvonte Rice  poured in  28 points as the 
Illinois  Fighting Illini  used  a  second half  surge  to  down  the  Boston 
University  Terriers, 66-62,  in the  first round  of the  National Invitation 
Tournament at Agganis Arena. 

Rice knocked down 11-of-14 shots from the floor and pulled down eight rebounds 
for  Illinois (20-14), which will take on Clemson in the second round. Malcolm 
Hill posted 10 points and eight boards in the victory. 

D.J.  Irving  paced the Terriers  (24-11) with  17 points on 5-of-7 efficiency 
from the field, while John Papale and Dom Morris chipped in 10 points apiece. 

Boston  took a 33-24  lead into the intermission after it made 40.7 percent of 
its  field  goal attempts, including a  7-of-15 clip from 3-point range in the 
opening  20  minutes of the  contest. The Illini  were limited to 40.9 percent 
shooting  from the  floor and hit on  only 2-of-8 tries from beyond the arc in 
the first half. 

Illinois  heated up to sink 58.3 percent of its field goal tries in the second 
stanza  while the  Terriers shot 44.4 percent from the floor. Boston led 55-45 
with  just over  nine minutes remaining in regulation, but the visitors scored 
the next eight points to make it a one possession game by the 5:44 mark of the 
second  stanza. Rice  tallied seven consecutive points to help Illinois take a 
64-61  lead with  just under a minute  left before the final buzzer and Boston 
could not manage to score another point the rest of the way. 

The Illini  enjoyed a 35-23  edge in the  rebounding battle and outscored the 
Terriers, 24-16, in the paint. 

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

Daniel E. McNeely, 30, of 1257 Bridon Lane, Taylorville, was arrested March 20 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Chloe L. Windell, 19, of 516 Taylorville Boulevard, Taylorville, was arrested March 20 on a bond forfeiture for resisting a peace office/correctional employee

Tawny L. Thomas, 18, of 101 South Maple Street, Stonington, was arrested March 20 on a bond forfeiture for consumption of liquor by a minor.

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPOTS THE FOLLOWING CRASHES:

On March 19, a 16-year-old female of Pana stated she had to slam on her brakes to avoid striking a van that had stopped abruptly in front of her and turned into a private drive. Another 16-year-old female from Pana could not stop in time and struck the rear of the first 16-year-old. The second female was rear-ended by a third vehicle. However the driver of the third vehicle inspected their damage and left before officer arrived. Both females reported the van was driving in a erratic matter. No injuries reported.

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness month, and one Central Illinois hospital is ready to address the situation.  Staff RN for Special Procedures at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon, Valerie Burroughs says it's important for everybody:

[audio:burroughsvaleriecolonoscopy031914.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Burroughs says lifestyle also plays a part in colon cancer.  Not getting enough exercise, not eating right and smoking and drinking can all put you at higher risk.  Call Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon at 258-2190.

Laurie Mense beat out Greg Hager in the democratic primary for Christian County Clerk. Mense, who finished with 67% of the votes, tells Regional Radio News that she didn’t expect to win by a large margin:

[audio:menseprimarywin031814.mp3]comment here[/audio]

At this point, Mense will run unopposed in the November election. 

Congressman Rodney Davis of Taylorville won the Republican Primary for the 13^th Congressional District by beating out Erika Harold and Michael Firsching. Davis tells Regional Radio News he is grateful to the voters:

Glendale,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com)  - Jed Lowrie hit a three-run homer during a 
nine-run  first inning Tuesday and the Oakland Athletics cruised to a 16-6 win 
over the Chicago White Sox in spring training. 

The A's sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning. Nine faced White Sox 
starter  Jose Quintana, who failed to get an out and was charged with all nine 
runs on seven hits and two walks. 

Michael  Taylor, Daric  Barton, Jake Elmore, Sam Fuld and Coco Crisp delivered 
five  consecutive  RBI hits in the  rally. Taylor finished the game with three 
runs batted in. 

Conor  Gillaspie  and Tyler Flowers hit  solo homers off Oakland starter Jesse 
Chavez, who went 4 2/3 innings. Chavez allowed six hits and two walks with two 
strikeouts. 

Surprise,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com)  - Michael  Choice's two-out  single in  the 
bottom of the 10th lifted the Texas Rangers to a 7-6 win over the Chicago Cubs 
on Tuesday. 

Jim  Adduci's  two-run homer in the  bottom of the eighth forced extra innings 
for  Texas, while  J.P. Arencibia, Alex Rios and Kevin Kouzmanoff each knocked 
in  runs for the Rangers. Texas starter Alexi Ogando allowed five runs -- none 
earned -- in three innings pitched with four strikeouts. 

Mike  Olt and Javier  Baez each hit homers for the Cubs, who saw starter Jason 
Hammel allow four earned runs over five innings of work. 

Philadelphia,  PA (SportsNetwork.com)  - Claude Giroux scored the winning goal 
with  just 4.2 seconds  left in overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 
win over the Chicago Blackhawks. 

With  time winding down  in the extra session, Giroux flew down the right wing 
into  the  zone and from  the circle  he snapped a  laser on net, using Duncan 
Keith as a screen, and it went in and out of the left corner for the win. 

"I  knew when I went on the ice 15 seconds, maybe 20 seconds," said Giroux. "I 
knew  there wasn't  a lot of time, so I  was just trying to shoot as hard as I 
can to the net and didn't really aim, to be honest. I just shot it on net." 

Scott  Hartnell  scored the other two  goals while Ray Emery allowed two early 
goals in the first period, but finished the game with 23 saves for the Flyers, 
who  have ripped of three straight wins and six of eight. 

Andrew  Shaw and Keith  had the goals for Chicago, which has lost three of its 
last four games. Antti Raanta gave up all three goals on 37 shots. 

"I  think  we  did a  lot  of  good  things  tonight. But,  definitely  really 
frustrating the way we gave that point up," said Keith. 

It  was  a quick start for  Chicago as Shaw scored  just 2:29 in off a blocked 
shot  from Michal  Handzus, and it was  a 2-0 game at 3:51 when Jonathan Toews 
sent  the disc  from the  right corner  to the  slot where  Keith's big  blast 
trickled past Emery. 

Philly,  though,  got one  back two minutes  later thanks to  a lucky break as 
Hartnell  was behind the  net and tried to send the puck to the left wing, but 
it hit off Marcus Kruger and snuck past Raanta. 

The  Flyers tied  the game  at 16:27  of the  first when  Giroux centered  the 
puck  from  the left of the  net and Hartnell one-timed  it in for his 18th of 
the year. 

"I  think it was a fun game to play. I'm sure it was a fun game to watch also, 
but  I think  we were  just enjoying  ourselves out  there, just  playing some 
hockey," said Giroux. "It was rough, we got a hit, we were hitting, and that's 
the best part of hockey." 

A  spirited  second period saw  each team get  a power play  and a total of 17 
shots  thrown on  net, 11 by Chicago, but  neither side was able to put one in 
and the game headed to the third period still tied. 

The Flyers appeared to take the lead with 6:12 to play when Brayden Schenn put 
in  the  puck from  down low  after it hit  the post  off a Vincent Lecavalier 
deflection,  but the goal was waived off as Lecavalier had hit the puck with a 
high stick. 

Late  in regulation Steve Downie backhanded the puck from the left side past a 
sprawling  Raanta. Schenn  had a chance to  knock it in, but his shot went off 
the post and the game went to overtime. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  Flyers host  the Stars  on Thursday  ... The  Flyers were  0-1-3 at  home 
against  the Blackhawks  in overtime during the regular season coming into the 
game  ... Chicago plays St. Louis on Wednesday at home ... Giroux has 24 goals 
and  71  points on  the season  ... Neither team  scored on  the power play as 
Philly  had five chances  and Chicago three ... The Blackhawks had taken a 7-2 
win over the Flyers in Chicago on Dec. 11. 

Lake  Forest, IL  (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bears agreed to terms on a 
one-year contract with defensive lineman Israel Idonije. 

Idonije  played  nine years with the Bears before moving to the Detroit Lions 
last  season.  In a reserve  role, he recorded 11  tackles and a half-sack for 
Detroit in 2013. 

Idonije  appeared in  134 games with 50  starts for the Bears from 2004-12. He 
recorded 196 tackles and 28 1/2 sacks during that time. 

The  Chicago Bears  terminated  the contract of veteran wide receiver Earl Bennett on Tuesday. 

Bennett,  who's spent  his entire six-year career with Chicago, appeared in 15 
games  with three starts last season and hauled in 32 passes for 243 yards and 
four touchdowns. 

A college teammate of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler at Vanderbilt, the 26-year- 
old  Bennett  has racked up  185 receptions for  2,277 yards and 12 touchdowns 
over 78 games with 29 starts, including a career-high 15 in 2009. 

The Bears  also agreed to terms  on one-year deals with safeties Danny McCray 
and Craig Steltz on Tuesday. 

McCray comes to Chicago after spending his first four seasons in Dallas, where 
he  racked up 104 tackles, seven passes defensed and two interceptions over 60 
games and made 10 starts for the Cowboys during the 2012 campaign. 

Steltz,  who's spent his entire six-year career in Chicago, played in 16 games 
with one start last season. He recorded 14 tackles and one pass defensed while 
adding 14 special teams tackles. 

(Boston, MA)  --  Illinois takes on Boston University tonight in the first round of the NIT.  Tip-off is at 6 p.m.  The second-seeded Fighting Illini went 19-and-14 this season, while the Terriers were 24-and-10 out of the Patriot League.  The winner plays either Clemson or Georgia State in the second round. The game will be played in Boston as the State Farm Center undergoes renovations. 

THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ARRESTS:

Frank K. Sedlock, 28, of 307 1/2 West First Street, Taylorville, was arrested March 19 for driving on a revoked license.

James T. Eiskant, 55, of 1537 East Matheny, Springfield, was arrested March 19 on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear.

CRASHES:

On March 18, Jake H. Walters of Moweaqua was traveling west on County 4 when a deer entered the roadway from the North. Walters then collided with the deer. No injuries reported.

On March 17, Dale A. Adomitis of Bulpitt was traveling east on Route 104. Adomitis collided with a deer near 800 East Road. No injuries reported.

On March 13, Alicia A. Pattarozzi of Bulpitt was traveling north on County Highway 1. At about 350 North, a deer entered the roadway from the west and crossed the roadway. Pattarozzi hit the deer as it crossed the north bound lane. No injuries reported.

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARRESTS:

On March 18 at 2:23pm, Taylorville Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop. Officers made contact with Erin Passini, 30, of Taylorville, whose driver's license was suspended. Passini was arrested, transported to Taylorville Police Department, processed, and released with a notice to appear.

On March 19 at 4:47am, a Taylorville Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop. Following the stop, Timari A. Tucker, 29, of Mt. Auburn was arrested for driving with a revoked license. Tucker was transported to Taylorville Police Department for processing and released on a notice to appear.

The Christian County Board approved the use of the Courthouse and its grounds for the 175^th Anniversary Celebration and Chillifest in October. Member Greg Hager told the Board about some of the requests for the use of the Courthouse and other events for that weekend:

[audio:hager175andchillifest032014.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Board also approved a $3,500 donation to the 175^th Celebration Committee.

The Christian County Board was presented with an ordinance in regards to the employment of relatives. Member Laura Wilkinson tells the Board about the ordinance:

[audio:wilkinsonrelativesemploy032014.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Board voted to adopt the ordinance.

The Christian County Board heard a request to replace the Livescan fingerprinting system at the Sheriff’s Office. Member Fred Curtin explains why this needed to be done:

[audio:curtinfingerprint032014.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Board approved the request unanimously.

The Christian County Board approved to go into joint agreements with the Illinois Department of Transportation for federal participation in the bridge replacement projects for County Highway #1 and Prairieton Bridge #21. The Board also approved the reappointment of Jim Hahn to the Board of Directors for the Illinois Economic Development Association for a 6 year term.

The meeting adjourned at 7:01pm.  

As springtime approaches, many people are anxious to get out and get some yardwork done, but University of Illinois Extension Horticulturist Andrew Holsinger says you may want to hold off on mowing your lawn:

[audio:holsingeronethirdrule031414.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Holsinger says if you are looking for something to do to prepare for spring, it might be a good idea to sharpen your mower blades.

There is help available for those who want to kick the smoking habit.  Lori Younker, Program Director for the American Lung Association, says the Tobacco Quitline is a free service which has seen a dramatic increase:

[audio:younkerquitline031714.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Smoking, which causes 44,000 American deaths every year, is the leading cause of preventable death. In ChristianCounty, over 26% of adults are smokers.

St.  Louis, MO  (SportsNetwork.com) - David Backes scored twice, including the 
game-winner with 6:51 left in the third period, as the St. Louis Blues secured 
a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday at Scottrade Center. 

Backes  broke  a 1-1 tie with  a power-play goal  at 13:09 of the third before 
being  credited  with an  empty-netter at  18:49 to help  St. Louis become the 
first team to cross the 100-point plateau in the NHL this season. 

Brenden  Morrow scored  St. Louis' other goal, while Ryan Miller made 16 saves 
to improve to 7-0-1 since being acquired on Feb. 28 by the Blues, who have won 
three straight and eight of their last nine games. 

St.  Louis has  also earned points in 22 consecutive divisions games (20-0-2), 
extending a franchise record. 

Eric O'Dell potted Winnipeg's lone goal, while Al Montoya allowed two goals on 
25 shots for the Jets, who have lost seven of their last eight games. 

With the game tied 1-1 just past the midpoint of the third, Winnipeg's Evander 
Kane was sent off for slashing to put the Blues on the power play. 

"We  just can't be in the box there," Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice said of 
Kane's  penalty, which occurred in the offensive zone. "That's the bottom line 
on that play." 

Late  in the  ensuing man-advantage, Ian Cole rifled a one-timer from atop the 
right  circle that was blocked by a defender, but the puck ricocheted into the 
slot and Backes pounded it into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead at 13:09. 

After  Montoya  left the net in  favor of the  extra attacker with just over a 
minute  left, Backes got behind the defense and had only an empty net in front 
of him when he was taken down from behind by Winnipeg's Jacob Trouba. 

The  referees  awarded Backes  with an  empty-netter to  account for the final 
margin. 

Just  after the final horn sounded, a brawl broke out between all five skaters 
on  both  teams and the  players had  to be separated  by the referees as they 
skated toward their respective locker rooms. 

"It was just a good battle," St. Louis' Steve Ott said of the scrum at the end 
of the game. "That's going to happen from time to time in this league but it's 
good that everyone to a man did their job." 

Following  a  scoreless first period,  Morrow got the Blues on the board 1:44 
into  the second  when he ripped a  one-timer past Montoya from the slot off a 
Derek Roy feed. 

However,  O'Dell  answered 1:55 into the  third with the teams skating 4-on-4. 
Kane  carried the  disc down the left  side and into the St. Louis zone before 
dishing to the slot for O'Dell, who deked past Miller before stuffing the puck 
in with a backhand to tie the game. 

                                   Game Notes 

St.  Louis reached 100-plus points for the sixth time in franchise history and 
the  second time in the past three seasons ... St. Louis has won four straight 
against  the  Jets ... Jay Bouwmeester  recorded two assists for the Blues ... 
Winnipeg went 0-for-1 on the power play. 

Maryvale,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com)  - Alexei  Ramirez went  4-for-4 with  a run 
scored  and  two RBI, and the  Chicago White Sox downed the Milwaukee Brewers, 
9-0, in spring training on Monday. 

Matt  Davidson and Hector  Gimenez also drove in a pair of runs, Josh Richmond 
added a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh and Felipe Paulino tossed five 
scoreless  innings  while holding Milwaukee to  a pair of hits and three walks 
while fanning four. 

His counterpart, Kyle Lohse, was tagged for five runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 
innings, and the Brewers managed just four hits in the loss. 

Mesa,  AZ  (SportsNetwork.com) - Edwin  Jackson pitched four scoreless innings 
and  struck  out six as the  Chicago Cubs took a  4-2 win over the Los Angeles 
Angels of Anaheim on Monday. 

Emilio  Bonifacio, Ryan Roberts, Anthony Rizzo and Darnell McDonald each drove 
in a run for the Cubs. 

Andrew  Romine and Luis Martinez each scored a run for the Angels. Joe Blanton 
allowed three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Phoenix,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Nick Punto went 2-for-3 with two RBI as the 
Oakland Athletics took a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday. 

Brandon  Moss had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Athletics. 
Oakland  starter Joe  Savery gave up two  hits and a walk with five strikeouts 
over two innings. 

Jonathan  Mota  hit a two-run home  run to account for Chicago's runs. Yao-Lin 
Wang  gave up  two runs  on two  hits with  a walk  and a  strikeout in  1 1/3 
innings. James McDonald left his start against the A's after two pitches with shoulder issues.

Fort  Myers, FL  (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Napoli's three-run shot was one of 
three  Boston longballs  in a 10-5 Grapefruit League victory over St. Louis on 
Monday. 

Dustin  Pedroia hit  a two-run homer and  Ryan Lavarnway added a solo shot for 
the  Red Sox.  Pedroia and  Napoli  both knocked  in  three runs  to fuel  the 
offense. 

John  Lackey picked  up the win despite  giving up six hits and five runs over 
five innings. He fanned three and walked two. 

Daniel  Descalso drove in  two runs, while Kolten Wong added three hits and an 
RBI for the Cardinals. 

Tyler  Lyons  was touched for  five runs on  as many hits  in his 1 1/3 relief 
frames.  Starter Shelby Miller worked the first 3 2/3 frames and yielded three 
runs and three hits with three walks.

Chicago,  IL  (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin  Durant put on another efficient 35- 
point  scoring display  and added  12 rebounds  and five  assists to  lead the 
Oklahoma City Thunder past the Chicago Bulls, 97-85, on Monday. 

Russell Westbrook, who sat out Sunday's 23-point loss to the Mavericks, netted 
17  points and was one rebound and one assist away from a triple-double, while 
Serge Ibaka checked in with 15 points for the victors. 

"Our  transition game is predicated on getting stops. We did a good job making 
them  miss a lot  of shots," said Thunder head coach Scott Brooks, whose group 
held Chicago to 34.5 percent shooting. 

Carlos  Boozer  totaled 12  points and  11 assists  for the Bulls, who got 16 
points from Taj Gibson and finished their six-game homestand with a 3-3 mark. 

The Bulls,  wearing green jerseys in  honor of St. Patrick's Day, entered the 
fourth  quarter in a 74-67 hole but scored eight straight points following two 
Reggie Jackson free throws to pull within 76-75. 

Unfortunately for the Bulls, their luck stopped there. 

They  had two chances  to take the lead, but Derek Fisher blocked Gibson under 
the basket and Jimmy Butler was off the mark on a 3-point try -- the first and 
second of 11 consecutive misses by Chicago. 

Oklahoma City's subsequent 16-1 run, capped by Ibaka's dagger corner 3-pointer 
with  just  over three  minutes to  play, gave the  Thunder a healthy 16-point 
cushion they did not relinquish. 

Durant  scored  10 points in  the first  quarter, including a step-back jumper 
just before the buzzer to break a 21-21 tie. 

"Durant  is tough to guard," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You have to 
guard him with your team." 

A back-and-forth second ended with the Thunder still holding a two-point lead, 
47-45,  and  Durant keyed an  8-0 run midway  through the third that stretched 
Oklahoma City's lead to 69-58. 

                                   Game Notes 

Durant  extended his  consecutive games  streak with  25-or-more points  to 32 
games,  the  longest in the  NBA since  Michael Jordan strung together 25-plus 
points in 40 straight games during the 1986-87 season ... The Thunder improved 
to  6-4 on the second night of a back-to-back ... The Thunder swept the season 
series  and  have won five  straight meetings  ... Oklahoma City shot 13-of-25 
from behind the arc. 

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

Christopher A. Schulz, 27, of 204 South Adams Street, was arrested March 17 on a bond forfeiture for operating an uninsured vehicle.

Kevin R. Hendricker, 29, of 222 Elm Street, Kincaid, was arrested March 18 for driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs.

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DPEARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from Taylorville High School athletic director Paul Held, at their weekly meeting Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Held reviewed the move next school year, of Taylorville High School from the Central State 8, to the Apollo athletic conference. Held said the Apollo is a 6-team league including schools in Mount Zion, Effingham, Charleston, Mattoon, and Salem. Held added that non-conference football opponents next school year will include Mount Vernon, Peoria Limestone, Rantoul, and Chillicothe.

Held said the conference re-alignment was mostly due to the ability for schools to compete in football, as well as travel.

[audio:HeldaudioMar1814.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Kiwanis member Gina Prinzavalli announced that the club will again help provide manpower for the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Manners Park on Easter Sunday.

Jennifer Richardson was a guest at Tuesday’s Kiwanis Club meeting.

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.

It's Election Day, and the polls closed at 7pm tonight.

Listen for complete election coverage of contested state and local races on the Regional Radio Stations as follows:

--inside NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament coverage on WTIM Newstalk 97.3

--at :20 past the hour inside local news updates on WMKR Genuine Country 94.3 and groovy 93.5

--at :40 past the hour on WRAN Solid Gold 98.3

--at :50 past the hour on NEW Country 96.3

Be watching for election updates all night long as well, on taylorvilledailynews.com.

Here are links to the tonight's election returns as they come in:

Primary Results

Christian County Clerk

Laurie J. Mense (Dem) 67 %

Greg Hager (Dem) 33%

Christian County Treasurer

Rep. Primary

Betty Ausmussen 559

Matt Wells 150

Dem. Primary

Dick Adams  525

John Ippolito 31

Shelby County Clerk

Jessica Fox (Dem) 66%

Delbert A. Lenz (Dem) 34%

Shelby County Sheriff

Don Koonce (Dem)   52%

Michael A. Miller (Dem) 48%

13th Congressional Republican Primary

Rodney Davis 55%

Erika Harold 41%

Michael Firsching 4%

13th Congressional Democratic Primary

Ann Callis 55%

George Gollin 31%

David Green 14%

96th District - State Representative Republican Primary

Michael Bell of Edinburg  76%

Landon Laubhan  24%

Referendums

1. Morrisonville-Panhandle School Consolidation

            Christian County- Morrisonville: No   

            Montgomery County- Pandhandle: Yes

2. Shelby County 1% Sales Tax Increase to Benefit Schools- yes

3. Towns have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program

Yes

Edinburg, Morrisonville, Stewardson, Windsor, Strasburg, Raymond, Farmersville, Coalton, Waggoner, Sigel

NO

Butler, Litchfield, Nokomis, Witt, Irving, Taylor Springs

4. The sale at retail of alcoholic liquor should be prohibited in the Village of Moweaqua.

Christian County- No

Shelby County- No

5. The sale at retail of alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises should be allowed within the Village of Tower Hill- Yes

6. Proposition to increase the limiting rate in Oconee- Yes

7. Maximum allowable tax rate for Shoal Creek Fire Protection District should increase from .30% to .40% of the value of all taxable property within the District. -- No

A Pana photographer recently had a picture of a baby making a funny face become a hit on the internet. Holly Stark, who runs her own photography business, originally posted the picture on her Facebook page. After several hundred "likes" on her business Facebook page the photo was eventually shared to Reddit, a website where users vote on content, where it became even more of a hit. Stark tells Regional Radio News that she never saw this coming:

Key Q                                     …anything like this                                         (:09)

Stark explains how she got into photography:

Key W                                     …from there basically                                     (:12)

Stark says she has been contacted by some big names since the picture became popular:

Key E                                      …it’s just overwhelming                                 (:28)

Stark says she does a little bit of everything but mostly does senior, wedding, and kids pictures. For more information, contact Holly Stark Photography at (217) 565-1567.

The drama continues in the town of Kincaid.  The mayor has been arrested twice for harassing his ex-boyfriend and the chief of police was also taken into custody on separate charges.  Now parents in the small town think the drama will put a wrench in plans to merge school districts. 

[audio:rddMLawrence11.mp3]comment here[/audio] 

Mike Lawrence is a Kincaid resident who says they’re trying to consolidate schools in the Edinburg and South Fork School Districts because of low enrollment.  But now he’s afraid parents in Edinburg will back out, thinking there’s too much corruption in Kincaid’s South Fork district.  He says that’s sad because they’ve been discussing the merger for three years.  Lawrence has filed a petition calling for the mayor to step down but the mayor says that’s not going to happen. 

Surprise,  AZ  (SportsNetwork.com) - J.P. Arencibia  hit a grand slam and Brad 
Snyder  clubbed a  three-run shot to lead  the Texas Rangers to a 14-8 rout of 
the Chicago White Sox. 

Alex  Rios and  Ronald Guzman also hit  solo shots for the Rangers. Starter Yu 
Darvish allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three 
over 4 2/3 innings. 

Paul  Konerko went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Adrian Nieto added a pair of RBI 
for  the  White Sox. John Danks  was touched for  three runs on seven hits and 
three walks over five frame. 

Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.com) - Arismendy Alcantara went 3-for-3 with a 
solo home run to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 6-3 win over the New York Mets in 
Cactus League action. 

Donnie Murphy and Dan Vogelbach each added a solo home run and Ryan Sweeney 
picked up an RBI single. Chris Rusin gave up one hit and struck out two 
through four innings for the Cubs. 

Zach Lutz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and Andrew Brown added a two-run 
homer for the Mets. Jenrry Mejia threw 2 1/3 innings while giving up three 
runs on four hits. 

Mesa,  AZ  (SportsNetwork.com) - Carlos Santana  went 2-for-4 with a solo home 
run  and two  runs scored to lead the  Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 win over the 
Chicago Cubs. 

Jeff  Francoeur added a pair of RBI and starter Justin Masterson scattered two 
hits and struck out eight over five innings for the Indians. 

Luis  Valbuena  had a  pair of  doubles and an  RBI for  the Cubs. Travis Wood 
was touched for two runs on four hits while fanning eight out five frames. 

Jupiter,  FL (SportsNetwork.com)  - Cory  Vaughn went  3-for-4 with  a two-run 
homer  and four RBI to lead the New York Mets to a 10-4 win over the St. Louis 
Cardinals in Grapefruit League action. 

Mark  Reynolds added two  hits and two RBI and Matt Clark went 3-for-5 with an 
RBI  for the Mets.  Jon Niese started for the Mets and surrendered two runs on 
three hits over two innings. 

Jhonny  Peralta was 2-for-4  with an RBI while Greg Garcia, Jon Jay and Kolten 
Wong  finished with  one RBI  apiece for  the Cardinals.  Adam Wainwright  was 
touched up for three runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. 

Chicago,  IL (SportsNetwork.com)  - Marian Hossa scored a goal and assisted on 
two  others in his return to Chicago's lineup, helping the Blackhawks beat the 
Detroit Red Wings, 4-1, at United Center. 

Hossa  missed five  consecutive games  with an  upper-body injury  he suffered 
against  Pittsburgh at  Soldier Field on March 1. The Blackhawks went 2-3-0 in 
his absence and snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday. 

"(Hossa)  changes  the look  and complexion  of our  team game.  He made a big 
difference tonight," said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. 

Ben  Smith  had a  goal and one  assist for Chicago,  which continues to trail 
second-place Colorado by one point in the Central Division. 

Duncan  Keith collected  two assists, giving him 300 for his career, and Corey 
Crawford earned the win with 19 saves. 

Jimmy Howard stopped 26 shots for the reeling Red Wings, who have lost five of 
their  last seven  games but  are still  positioned just  outside the  Eastern 
Conference's playoff picture. 

Nick Leddy's blast from the left point on a power play staked Chicago to a 1-0 
lead at 8:44 of the second period. 

Gustav  Nyquist  tied it on  a Detroit power play,  beating Crawford on a shot 
that deflected in off the skate of Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook with 4:50 
remaining in the middle stanza. 

The Blackhawks took  a  2-1 lead  into the  second  intermission after  Smith 
chipped in a rebound while falling down with 14 seconds left. 

Hossa made it 3-1 during 4-on-4 play at 6:33 of the third period, accelerating 
down  the  right wing  and firing  a wrister  behind Howard,  and later set up 
Jonathan Toews for a short-handed tally. 

A  takeaway  by Hossa  triggered a  2-on-1 rush  and he  dished to the Chicago 
captain, who scored on a backhander with 2:10 remaining. 

"I thought we were in a good situation after two," Red Wings head coach Mike 
Babcock said. "We were set up and we let it slip away." 

                                   Game Notes 

Quenneville  picked up  his 699th  win  as an  NHL head  coach ... Blackhawks 
forward Brandon Saad left the game with an upper-body injury. 

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

On March 10, Chadwick Spencer telephoned the Christian County Sheriff's Office in reference to criminal damage to property. Spencer stated sometime overnight, unknown subject(s) spray painted his and his boyfriend's vehicles. Both vehicles were parked in the driveway of 110 Beach Street in Kincaid. Both vehicles were spray painted on the driver's side with black paint.

ARRESTS:

Tammi G. Brown, 40, of 715 East Poplar Street, was arrested March 14 for delivering a fake substance. 

Richard Daniels, 39, of 2116 Manley Street, Granite City, was arrested March 14 on a warrant from another county.

Joseph T. Klein, 33, of 415 Kitchell, Pana, was arrested March 14 on a bond forfeiture for felony possession and use of a weapon and a bond forfeiture for driving on a suspended/revoked license.

Misty M. Carlile, 32, of 500 Northwest Avenue, Taylorville, was arrested March 14 on a bond forfeiture for a canceled/suspended/revoked registry.

Donald G. Kloever, 37, of 406 West Olive Street, Pana, was arrested March 15 on a warrant for domestic battery.

Pamela L. Muffick, 42, of 508 South Webster Street, Taylorville, was arrested March 15 for possession of a methamphetamine manufacturing materials and aggravated methamphetamine manufacturing.

Richard M. Ruff, 41, of Taylorville, was arrested March 15 for possession of a methamphetamine manufacturing materials and aggravated methamphetamine manufacturing.

Julie A. Hampton, 56, of 508 South Webster, Taylorville, was arrested March 15 for possession of a methamphetamine manufacturing materials and methamphetamine manufacturing.

Jeremy R. Masters, 23, of 204 North Vollentine, Taylorville, was arrested March 15 for violation of an order of protection.

Jacob A. Campbell, 21, of 24 Hillcrest Trailer Court, Taylorville, was arrested March 15 on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear.

Blake A. Hoffman, 23, of 1105 Springfield Road, Kincaid, was arrested March 16 for aggravated battery.

Zachary V. Hay, 25, of 310 Southeast 3rd Street, Morrisonville, was arrested March 16 for aggravated battery/great bodily harm.

Antonio Haynes, 32, of 1125 North 7th Street, Springfield, was arrested March 16 for driving on a revoked license.

CRASHES:
On March 14, Andrew R. Livingston of Nokomis was traveling westbound on County Highway 12. At approximately 1400 East, a deer came from the north side of the road onto the roadway. Livingston struck the deer with the front of the vehicle. Livingston had damage to the front grill and front bumper of the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

On March 13, Kathy D. Guyot of Nokomis was traveling west on County Highway 10 at about 550 East. A deer entered the roadway and crossed in front of Guyot. Guyot struck the deer. No injuries were reported.

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

ARRESTS:
On March 15, a Taylorville Police Department officer stopped a vehicle that was driven by Jeremy Masters, 23, of Taylorville. Masters was arrested for violation of an order of protection. The officer ran a check on a male passenger identified as Jacob A. Campbell, 21, of Taylorville. Campbell came back with a valid Morgan County warrant for failure to appear. Campbell was processed and lodged at Christian County Correctional Center.

On March 15 at 8:12pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to 604 Northwestern in reference to a fight in progress. Following investigation, a male juvenile was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released to his mother.

On March 13 at 3:08pm, a Taylorville Police Department officer made contact with Gayle L. Miller, 36, of Pana who the officer had just observed driving. Miller was wanted on a warrant and also driving while license suspended. Upon further investigation, Miller was also charged with possession of cannabis, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Miller was placed under arrest and transported to Taylorville Police Department for processing. Miller was later lodged at Christian County Sheriff's Office.

On March 15 at 11:26pm, a Taylorville Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop at Cherokee and Vine. Timothy B. Ostermeier, 54, of Edinburg was arrested for driving suspended. Ostermeier was transported to Taylorville Police Department for processing and released on a notice to appear.

On March 15 at 8:18am, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to 2100 Grand Boulevard Apt. E5 in reference to two females that had kicked the door in. Both females had left the area prior to officers' arrival. Both females were located a few minutes later. Rachel Dixon, 28, of Taylorville was arrested for disorderly conduct and Madison Samson was arrested for illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. Both were processed and released on a notice to appear.

On March 14 at 4:10pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were dispatched to Taylorville High School in reference to a student breaking a window. Following the investigation, a male juvenile was arrested for criminal damage to State supported property.

On March 14 at 5:56pm, a Taylorville Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the parking lot of Taco Bell. Following the stop, Shane L. Lamber-Miller, 23, of Taylorville was arrested for driving while license suspended.

On March 14 at 10:30pm, Robert Mcpeek, 37, of Taylorville came to post to report he had been in an altercation at the Cork and Keg. Following the investigation, Mcpeek was issued a local ordinance for fighting in public. Another party involved has not been located at this time.

CRASHES:
On March 13, Gavin M. Walker of Taylorville was traveling west on Route 48 approximately 1/4 mile from South Spresser. Walker struck a deer as the deer crossed the road. No injuries reported.

On March 10, Allison N. Edge of Taylorville was merging into the turn lane on Cheney Street. Edge did not see Christine K. Norris of Taylorville coming up behind her. Norris had been traveling behind Edge but had drove past Edge when she entered the turn lane. No injuries reported.

The ex-boyfriend of Kincaid Mayor Doug Thomas had his vehicle vandalized last week. On March 10, Chadwick Spencer telephoned the Christian County Sheriff's Office in reference to criminal damage to property. Spencer stated sometime overnight, unknown subject or subjects spray painted his and also his boyfriend's vehicles on the driver's side with black paint. Both vehicles were parked in the driveway of 110 Beach Street in Kincaid. 

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

March 14
3 EMS, 1 Fire

March 15
1 EMS, 1 Automatic Alarm

March 16
4 EMS, 1 Public Assist

Three people in Taylorville were arrested for methamphetamine charges this past weekend. On Saturday, the Taylorville Police Department executed a state authorized search warrant on a residence located at 508 South Webster Street in Taylorville in connection with the unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine. During the search of the residence an active methamphetamine lab was discovered.

42-year-old Pamela L. Muffick, 56-year-old Julie A. Hampton, and 41-year-old Richard M. Ruff all of Taylorville were taken into custody without incident for Aggravated Unlawful Participation in Methamphetamine Production and Unlawful Possession of Meth Manufacturing Materials.

The Illinois State Police Meth Response Team (MRT) assisted in dismantling of the lab and respective lab cleanup.

These arrests come from an ongoing investigation by the Taylorville Police Department into the unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine. The Taylorville Police Department is asking anyone with information relating to the unlawful manufacturing or distribution of methamphetamine or any other illegal substance to contact them at 217.824.2211 or Crime Stoppers at 824-9100.

Richard Ruff

Pamela Muffick

Julie Hampton

Kincaid Police confirmed late Monday afternoon to Regional Radio, that there was a near drowning on Saturday in the Christian County village.

This (Monday) evening, Kincaid Police indicated they are working on getting everyone involved in the incident interviewed and cannot release any further information at this point. Kincaid Police added it may be a few days before the investigation is complete.

Kincaid Police would not confirm to Regional Radio, earlier reports we had on how the near-drowning occurred.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio and taylorvilledailynews.com for further information as it becomes available from Kincaid Police.

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

Sometime during the overnight hours between February 28, 2014 and March 1, 2014, person or persons unknown made entry into a garage located at 309 Willow Street in Kincaid.   While inside, the unknown subject or subjects damaged a 2002 Chevy pick-up.   The front and back windows were broken out, all 4 tires slashed, the hood damaged, and scratches all over the vehicle.   The total dollar amount of damage 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. 

The Taylorville City Council met Monday night. Alderman Larry Budd informed the Council that the noise at Ahlstrom’s continues to be a problem:

[audio:buddmoreahlstrom031814.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Again, the problem started when Ahlstrom installed EPA-mandated equipment.

The Taylorville City Council was presented with an ordinance to disconnect the two southern parts of the Evergreen Aviation Property located at 2301 South Spresser from the City. City Clerk Pam Peabody explains the error that was made when the property was annexed into the City:

[audio:pamannexerror031814.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Council approved the ordinance on a 7-2 vote.

The Taylorville City Council heard an update in regards to several businesses violating liquor laws by selling alcohol to minors. City Attorney Rocci Romano tells the Council the latest on the situation:

[audio:romanoliquorfines031814.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Alderman Earl Walters said that he believes the time of closure should be longer and the fine should be higher.

The Taylorville City Council approved an ordinance to amend the City Code to add Langley Road from Cheney to Broaddus to the Emergency Snow Routes. The Council approved the motions to forward the Police Budget, Water Department Budget, Airport Budget, and Lake Budget to the Finance Committee. The Council also approved motions to allow Police Chief Dave Herpstreith to send one officer to attend Dare Instructor Training and two officers to tactical firearms training classes.

Alderman Ernie Dorchinecz noted post-meeting that plans are underway for the new water plant and with the construction, there will be a water rate increase that will likely begin May 1^st.        

The meeting adjourned at 7:44pm. 

Shown above from left to right are Chris Weittenhiller, YMCA Executive Director and Blain Cornwell, First National Bank in Taylorville President. 

The First National Bank in Taylorville recently presented a check in the amount of $11,000 to the YMCA as part of their $55,000 commitment to the YMCA’s 2012 Debt Reduction Campaign. To date the YMCA has raised $636,456.

The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) will honor 88 Veterans by taking them on a no expense, day long trip to Washington, DC, so they may visit and reflect at their national memorials on Tuesday March 25th. Local veterans on the flight will be:

Hillsboro:   Joe "Doc" Page, Army, Vietnam Era

Shelbyville:  Leslie "Les" Black, Navy, WW2

Taylorville:  Roy "Dick" Ziegler II, Army, Vietnam Era

Morrisonville:  Gilbert "Gib" Meiners, Army, Korean Era

Nokomis:  Gene Johnson, Army, Korean Era

                   Jim Reese, Army, Korean Era

                   Donald Stauder, Army, Korean Era

This is the first flight of the 2014 season. The public is invited to welcome home the Veterans when they return to the Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport on March 25th, arriving at approximately 9:30 PM.

Josh Dill of Springfield is looking to make a run at the 13^th Congressional Seat in Illinois but he’s doing it under his own party. Dill tells Regional Radio News about the Lincoln Liberty Party:

[audio:dillparty031514.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Dill tells what he would bring to the table if he was elected:

[audio:dillqualifications031514.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Dill will have to get 16,000 signatures by the end of June in order to make it onto the ballot in November. For more information, visit his website lincolnliberty.org

A Taylorville business is offering some new services.  B and R Construction owner Ross Kirkendoll says they are now selling and servicing boats:

Governor Pat Quinn has announced capital investments of more than $20 million for construction projects in Christian, Logan, Montgomery and Sangamon Counties.

Five bridges along Interstate 55 in Logan, Montgomery and Sangamon Counties will be cleaned and painted. Interstate 55 frontage roads in Montgomery County will receive surface treatment.

The decks and parapets of various bridges in Christian, Logan and Montgomery Counties will be sealed. Mount Auburn Road in Christian County from 8.5 miles south of the Sangamon County line to three miles north of Taylorville will receive surface treatment.

The projects are part of Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! Program.

Jessica Fox, the current Shelby County Clerk and Recorder, is running for the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s elections.  Fox, who was originally appointed Clerk in January of 2013, has been working in the office since 2001.  Fox says in her 14 months as Clerk, she has achieved a number of goals:

[audio:foxjessicascc031414.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Delbert Lenz is also running for the nomination.

Like many Illinois Counties, ShelbyCounty is trying to pass a sales tax increase referendum in Tuesday’s elections.  Shelby County Businessman and Chamber of commerce member Tad Mayhall says it’s up to us to improve school funding:

[audio:tadreferendum031414.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Illinois State School Superintendent Christopher Koch says funding cuts proposed by the legislature would be “devastating”.

(Tempe, AZ)  --  Jose Quintana gave up seven runs on six hits in three innings of work as the White Sox fell 8-6 to the Angels.  Blake Tekotte hit a two-run homer while Jordan Danks and Matt Davidson each had two hits.  Micah Johnson drove in three runs in the loss.  The White Sox are back in action today as Dylan Axelrod will make the start.  

Jupiter, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Xavier Scruggs highlighted a seven-run sixth 
inning with a three-run double as the St. Louis Cardinals shut out the Atlanta 
Braves, 11-0, in Grapefruit League action. 

The Cardinals  were already ahead  4-0 when they turned  the game into a rout 
with the sixth-inning outburst. 

Matt Carpenter had two hits and an RBI, while Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina and 
Jhonny Peralta each doubled in a run. 

St.  Louis starter  Lance Lynn recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed only one hit 
in four innings. 

Freddy  Garcia threw the  first four innings for Atlanta and gave up four runs 
-- three earned -- on six hits and a walk. 

The Braves had only three hits and committed three errors. 

Chicago,  IL  (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike  Dunleavy took Chandler Parsons' best 
shot, left the game in a bloody mess, but returned in the third quarter with a 
vengeance and buried the Rockets. 

Dunleavy  scored  18 of  his 21  points in  the third  quarter and boosted the 
Chicago Bulls to a 111-87 win over Houston Thursday night at United Center. 

With  7:54  left in  the second quarter,  Parsons drove into  the lane and his 
elbow collided with Dunleavy's face. Dunleavy, who held his ground to take the 
offensive foul, was forced off the court due to excessive bleeding. 

Dunleavy  received 10 stitches to close the wound and returned to the court to 
start  the  third quarter  and came  out on  fire. He  scored 10 points during 
Chicago's  20-2 run to open the period which expanded the lead to 70-44 midway 
through the quarter. 

For  the  period, Dunleavy went 7-of-11  from the field, including 3-of-4 from 
beyond  the arc,  and helped the Bulls  bounce back from a 104-96 home loss to 
the Spurs on Tuesday. 

"I  was  able to  get back here  quick enough.  They did a  pretty good job of 
stitching me up," Dunleavy said. "The doctor said I had thick skin." 

Joakim  Noah  narrowly missed a triple-double  with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 
nine assists for Chicago, which won for the 12th time in the last 16 contests. 
Kirk Hinrich scored 19, Carlos Boozer 18 and D.J. Augustin 13 for the Bulls. 

James  Harden was held to a season-low tying eight points for the Rockets, who 
have lost back-to-back contests following a five-game winning streak. It's the 
first  time Houston  has lost consecutive games since Jan. 24-25, both against 
Memphis. 

Jeremy  Lin led  the way with 21  points for the Rockets, who also received 12 
points,  10  rebounds and  four blocks  from Dwight  Howard. Houston shot 35.4 
percent, including a 5-of-26 showing from 3-point range. 

"We  did not come  out ready to play. I have no idea why," Rockets coach Kevin 
McHale  said. "If I knew I would stop it. We didn't do anything offensively or 
defensively to start the game." 

Boozer  scored 10 in the first quarter to carry the hosts to a 25-20 advantage 
after 12 minutes. The Rockets went 6-of-20 from the floor in the period. 

"We  feel the games  where we get off to good starts we're pretty successful," 
Hinrich said. 

Lin  had nine points in the second quarter, but the Bulls shot 58.8 percent in 
the stanza, helped by Augustin's 10 points on a 4-of-4 effort from the field. 

Two  free throws  from Howard closed Houston within 35-34 with 5:31 remaining, 
but  Chicago scored 10  of the next 12 points, buoyed by a pair of Augustin 3- 
pointers.  Hinrich's shot from beyond the arc in the closing seconds moved the 
hosts to a 50-42 edge at the break. 

The Bulls led by as many as 29 in the third and coasted in the fourth. 

                                   Game Notes 

Jimmy Butler scored 11 for the Bulls, who made half of their 86 shots and went 
14-of-24  from  beyond the arc ...  Houston had won the previous four meetings 
... Hinrich and Dunleavy combined to go 9-of-12 from 3-point range. 

(Chicago, IL)  --  The Bears agreed to terms with former Detroit Lions defensive end Willie Young on a three-year deal.  Young is guaranteed four of his nine-million-dollar contract.  Young was drafted out of NC State by the Lions and last season turned in a three sack, 47 tackle season while recovering two fumbles.  Domenik Hixon signed a one-year contract with the Bears to provide depth at the receiver position and compete for a special teams return position.  Hixon enters his ninth season in the NFL with Chicago being his fourth team.  Hixon caught only seven passes for 55 yards and a score last season in Carolina but had success with the Giants, catching 102 passes for more than 1,400 yards and six touchdowns in his five years there.  

Indianapolis,  IN (SportsNetwork.com)  - Tracy Abrams scored 25 points to lead 
the Illinois Fighting Illini to  a 64-54  win over  the Indiana  Hoosiers in 
first-round action of the Big Ten Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. 

Rayvonte  Rice  added 13 points for  the ninth-seeded Illini (19-13), who will 
advance to take on top-seeded Michigan in the quarterfinal round on Friday. 

Yogi Ferrell scored 14 points and Will Sheehey added 13 points for the eighth- 
seeded  Hoosiers  (17-15), who stayed close  with the Illini, but couldn't get 
over the hump in the second half. 

Down 38-33 early in the second half, the Illini went on a 15-2 run to take the 
lead. Ekey's three-pointer with 8:42 left capped the surge and gave Illinois a 
47-40 cushion. 

Indiana remained within striking distance the rest of the way, but could never 
take  the  lead. Austin  Etherington hit  a layup  with 3:13  left to draw the 
Hoosiers  within 53-52,  but after the Illini  came up empty on the other end, 
Noah Vonleh attempted a jumper but was blocked by Nnanna Egwu at the 2:32 mark 
that would've given Indiana the lead. 

Tracy  Abrams  responded with a  three-pointer for  Illinois with 2:06 left to 
extend  the  lead back to two  possessions, 56-52. He  then hit a pair of free 
throws with 1:19 left to make it a six-point game, 58-52. 

Illinois  hit  four more free  throws down the  stretch before Indiana got its 
next bucket to ice the win. 

Kendrick  Nunn ended with 10 points for Illinois, which outscored Indiana 11-2 
to end the game. 

Illinois jumped out to a 9-0, but Indiana responded with a 14-2 run, capped by 
a  Ferrell three-pointer  with 10:38  left. Play  remained close  the rest  of 
the half, with Illinois carrying a 30-28 lead into the break. 

Troy Williams had 11 points for Indiana. 

Illinois faces top-seeded Michigan in today's quarterfinals. Coverage of the game can be heard on Newstalk 97.3 WTIM with pre-game at 10:30am.

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

On March 11, Kimberly D. Miller of Pana was traveling westbound on Illinois Route 16 and was approximately 1/8 of a mile west of Township Road 2700 East when a deer entered the roadway. Miller was unable to avoid striking the animal. Miller received front driver's side quarter panel damage. No injuries were reported.

On March 12, Joshua A. Palmer of Mattoon was southbound on Illinois Route 29 about 4 tenths of a mile north of 1900 East Road when the crash occurred. Palmer stated that the cigarette butt can he had in the truck fell down by his feet. It was rolling towards the pedals and he bent down to try to pick it up. The truck drifted across the southbound lane and ran off the roadway. Palmer over corrected and went into a slide as the truck came back onto the roadway. The truck overturned at the east edge of the north bound lane and continued off the roadway into the right ditch where it came to rest on the passenger's side. Palmer reported minor injuries but refused treatment. Aaron M. Shartzer of Pana, who was a passenger in Plamer's truck, was taken to Taylorville Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries.

On March 13, Weston T. Smith of Pana was westbound on 100 East Road about 1/2 mile east of US Highway 51 when Smith glanced down and ran off the roadway into the loose gravel on the shoulder. The ditch is very steep and as the right tire went off into the ditch it pulled the truck down into the ditch. Smith hit the embankment and part of a concrete culvert. Smith complained his head hurt but did not want to go to the hospital. He was eventually transported to Pana Community Hospital by private.

On March 13, Shawn E. Carey of Mt. Auburn was east bound on County Road #2. Carey lost control of vehicle on the slick road and slid off the roadway striking a utility and coming to a rest in a farm field on the south side of the road.

On March 11, Jordan N. Stout of Taylorville was east bound on Bel Haven. Stout struck a mail box at 108 Bel Haven. Mailbox was damaged as well as the front of Stout's vehicle.

ARRESTS:
Gayle Miller, 36, of 206 State Street, Pana, was arrested March 13 for possession of methamphetamine.

Douglas A. Thomas, 48, of 114 Cherry Street, Kincaid, was arrested March 13 for violation of an order of protection.

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

March 13
2 EMS, 1 Automatic Alarm, 1 Motor Vehicle Accident

Kincaid Mayor Doug Thomas appeared in court this morning following his second arrest for the violation of an order of protection. Probable cause was on March 1^st Chadwick Spencer contacted the Christian County Sheriff’s Office to report that Thomas had left comments on his Instagram account. In the interview with Illinois State Police on March 13^th, Thomas admitted to leaving the comments on the pictures. Judge Paisley ruled that the probable cause existed and the bond was set at $30,000. This charge will be added to the already scheduled preliminary hearing in regards to the first violation of the order of protection and drug possession charges. The date for that hearing is set for April 14^th at 10:00am. If convicted on both charges, Thomas would have to serve a mandatory consecutive sentence meaning he has to serve the first before the second.

Boys Basketball - Athletic

The primary elections are this Tuesday, and one of the candidates for the Democratic nomination for Christian County Clerk is Greg Hager.  Hager says his experience in county government and management makes him a good choice:

[audio:hagerccclerk031314.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Hager says he’d like to update the office’s computer systems.  Long-time County Clerk Linda Curtin is stepping down.

The Edinburg and Kincaid/South Fork Schools are continuing to talk about a possible consolidation. Kincaid Superintendent Ron Graham tells Regional Radio News about the benefits of the consolidation:

[audio:grahambenefits031314.mp3]comment here[/audio]

Graham says the recent controversy in Kincaid won’t play a major factor in the consolidation talks:

[audio:grahamcontroversy031314.mp3]comment here[/audio]

For more information on the consolidation, visit the Committee of Ten’s website at comm10.org or their Facebook page by searching for Edinburg-South Fork Consolidation Committee of Ten.

Scottsdale,  AZ (SportsNetwork.com)  - Joaquin Arias drove in Nick Noonan with 
the  winning run in the bottom of the ninth, as San Francisco topped the White 
Sox, 4-3, in Cactus League play. 

Noonan  tied the game  when he scored Hector Sanchez with a double, Mike Morse 
added  an early RBI  double, and Buster Posey finished 2-for-3 with an RBI for 
the Giants. 

Mason  Tobin snagged the win with a scoreless top of the ninth despite walking 
two  batters. Tim  Lincecum yielded four hits and two runs while fanning three 
over 4 1/3 innings. 

Alejandro  De  Aza scored  twice  and  drove in  a  run,  and Adam  Dunn  also 
contributed an RBI for Chicago. 

Nestor Molina was charged for both runs on three hits in the deciding frame. 

Peoria,  AZ  (SportsNetwork.com) - Ty Kelly's  RBI single in the bottom of the 
10th  inning  gave the  Seattle Mariners an  8-7 win over  the Chicago Cubs in 
Cactus League play. 

John  Buck tied the game for Seattle with a two-run single to left in a three- 
run ninth inning. 

Randy  Wolf  gave up a  pair of  solo homers in  his four-inning start for the 
Mariners,  who received  a home run and  two RBI from Brad Miller and two hits 
and an RBI from Robinson Cano. 

Mike  Olt went  3-for-4 with two home  runs and three RBI, John Baker drove in 
three  runs  and Javier Baez  added a solo blast  for the Cubs, whose starter, 
James  McDonald, gave  up two  runs on  two  hits and  five walks  over 2  2/3 
innings. 

Port  St. Lucie,  FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Carlos Martinez spun four scoreless 
innings and Kolten Wong belted a two-run homer in the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-4 
Grapefruit League win over the New York Mets. 

Both  Wong  and Stephen  Piscotty finished  with two hits  for St. Louis, with 
Piscotty scoring a pair of runs and driving in one. 

Martinez held the Mets to just two hits and a walk while striking out three in 
a sharp effort for the highly regarded prospect. 

New  York  starter  John  Lannan  also worked  four  innings,  recording  five 
strikeouts but getting touched for a pair of unearned runs. 

Juan  Lagares  produced the Mets'  top offensive highlight, stroking a two-run 
single in the seventh inning. 

Denver,  CO  (SportsNetwork.com) - Semyon  Varlamov stopped 37 shots to record 
his  100th career  victory, as  Colorado slipped  past Chicago  3-2, at  Pepsi 
Center. 

Matt  Duchene and  Ryan O'Reilly  picked up  a goal  and assist  each for  the 
Avalanche,  winners  in six of their  last seven to vault over their Wednesday 
opponents into second place in the Central Division. 

Brad  Malone added  a tally as Colorado  won four of five in the season series 
from the defending Stanley Cup champions. 

"As  a  team we expected them  to come hard the  later it got. There's still a 
long  way to  go,"  said Avalanche  captain Gabriel  Landeskog  of his  club's 
opponent.  "Tonight was a huge win, and we certainly sent a message. We're not 
going to give them anything." 

Patrick  Kane  and Brandon Saad scored  for the Blackhawks, who saw a two-game 
win streak halted. Antti Raanta made 26 saves in defeat. 

The  Avs went  up by a 3-1 count  during a 5-on-3 power play, as Duchene fired 
from  the outer edge  of the right circle and O'Reilly tucked home the rebound 
in front at 10:53. 

Raanta  was pulled for an extra skater with more than 2 1/2 minutes remaining, 
and  the move paid  off one shift later as Saad's rolling shot inside the left 
post to make it a one-goal contest. 

He went to the bench once more shortly after the ensuing faceoff, but Varlamov 
only  needed to make one quality save, on a long shot up the middle from Saad, 
in the closing seconds. 

"This  is another  frustrating  loss  for our  team.  Varlamov  is a  talented 
goaltender, and we haven't found a way to get pucks past him," said Blackhawks 
captain  Jonathan Toews. "We have not matched their intensity and we have much 
more to show against this team." 

Malone earned his first of the season and sent the Avs to intermission up 1-0, 
when his low shot from the left wing near the boards eluded Raanta at 18:24. 

"It  was  a controlled  break.  I  got some  speed  along  the wall,  got  the 
chip  and then just  shot it. I'm glad it went in," noted Malone. "We have run 
that  play in  practice  and tonight  we  got  a good  bounce  on it.  There's 
something very special here and I'm proud to be a part of it." 

Colorado  led  by two at  the 19-second mark of  the middle frame on Duchene's 
22nd  of  the season, but  Chicago responded in the  person of Kane, who moved 
around  Avs  defenseman Jan Hejda  on the right wing  and beat Varlamov with a 
backhander to the near post at 8:23. 

                                   Game Notes 

Varlamov's  overall  record with  Colorado stands at  70-57-11, and his season 
mark  improved to 33-12-5 ... Paul Carey made his NHL debut for the Avalanche, 
a  two-time NCAA  title winner (2010, '12) at Boston College ... Malone's only 
other score occurred against Calgary on Apr. 8, 2013. 

Offensive tackle Rodger Saffold is reportedly heading back to St. Louis.  ESPN reports Saffold will sign a five-year contract with the Ramsfollowing a disagreement with his physical condition in Oakland.  The Raiders, who reportedly agreed to a five-year, 42.5-million-dollar contract with Saffold on Tuesday, are worried about his shoulder.  The Rams, however, have no concerns with his shoulder, according to the report.  The 25-year-old Saffold appeared in 12 games last season for the Rams, playing every position on the offensive line but center.  St. Louis selected the Indiana product in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. 

The Buffalo Bills are bolstering their offensive line with the addition of free agent Chris Williams.  He has agreed to a reported four-year deal worth 13.5-million-dollars, with 5.5-million guaranteed.  The 28-year-old started all 16 games for the St. Louis Rams last season and was part of a unit that allowed the eighth-fewest sacks in the NFL.  Williams was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2008. 

(Lake Forest, IL)  --  Former Green Bay Packers safety M.D. Jennings agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears.  Jennings, 25, recorded 74 tackles last season in all 16 games for Green Bay, but failed to produce a turnover.  The signing of Jennings gives the Bears some depth in the secondary.  Jennings was undrafted out of Arkansas State in 2011 and has 133 tackles and a pick six on his resume.  


(Tampa Bay, FL)  --  Former Bears quarterback Josh McCown has signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers worth ten-million dollars.  McCown is guaranteed four-and-a-half million dollars in the contract with an extra five-million available in incentives.  McCown played a big role for Chicago last season winning three games in the absence of Jay Cutler.  Bucs coach Lovie Smith said McCown will compete for the starting job.  

(Indianapolis, IN)  --  Illinois is in action today as the Big Ten Tournament begins in Indianapolis.  The ninth-seeded Illini go up against eighth-seeded Indiana at 11 a.m.  The winner moves on to play top-seeded Michigan in Friday's quarterfinals.  Illinois and Indiana split their two regular season meetings. Coverage of the game can be heard on Newstalk 97.3 WTIM with pre-game at 10:30am.

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

Terry G. Edwards, 22, of 101 East Harrison Street, Edinburg, was arrested March 13 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Ralph J. Scribner, 21, of 902 East Third Street, Pana, was arrested March 12 on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear.

THE PANA POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING:

Following a traffic stop on March 11, Amber M. Williams, 22, of Vandalia was issued a citation for disobeying a traffic control device. Williams posted her driver's license as bond and was given a court date. Kaleb W. McCormick, 20, of Decatur and Paul F. Smith, 35, of Ramsey were given citations for failure to wear a seat belt by passengers. Both were given a notice to appear and a court date. Smith was taken into custody for a valid warrant out of Fayette County. Smith was transported by Fayette County Sheriff's Office.

THE TAYLORVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING CALLS:

March 12
4 EMS, 2 Public Assist, 1 Automatic Alarm

March 13
2 EMS, 1 Motor Vehicle Accident

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to a hit and run that occurred in Taylorville.

Sometime during early morning to afternoon of Tuesday March 4,2014, a vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle while it was parked at the Taylorville High School.  The unknown vehicle then left the scene.  The victim's vehicle was parked on Knute Rockne Drive during the time of the incident.  The victim's vehicle, a 2012 white Nissan, suffered driver's side damage.  The total dollar amount of damage 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. 

Kincaid Mayor Doug Thomas has been arrested for the second time in a month. Thomas was picked up by the Illinois State Police around 11:00 Thursday morning for violating an order of protection. Thomas is being housed in the Christian County Jail and is reportedly expected to go before a judge tomorrow (Friday).  ISP preliminary investigative details revealed that Thomas had violated the order by contacting a protected person on March 1 in Christian County.  Thomas was arrested February 20^th by Christian County Sheriff’s deputies for violating an order of protection and drug possession after deputies found prescription drugs in an unlabeled bottle on him. There is reportedly a petition circulating around Kincaid calling for Mayor Thomas to resign.

Nearly 200 people attended Thursday night’s Loving Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center Annual Banquet at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Following dinner, Steffan Campos and Chris Hallam performed, then center executive director Cathy Coker gave her annual report.

Amber Rice, a former client of Loving Arms, then gave her testimony about how the center helped her and her family spiritually and materially after the birth of a child 4 years ago.

Guest speaker for the evening was Shawn Carney, executive director of the “40 Days for Life” campaign that has organized 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, in cities around the world. The effort started in his hometown of College Station, Texas, in 2004, and has spread to all 50 states and 21 countries.

Carney encouraged those in attendence to remain involved in the local crisis pregnancy center efforts, because he says the solution to the abortion battle must be local.

[audio:CarneyaudioMar1314.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The Center had some 529 visits, and 25 known live births as a result, last year. The annual Loving Arms Banquet is the non-profit organization’s biggest fund-raiser.

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

Jacquelyn Booker, 23, of 110 Beech Street, Kincaid, was arrested March 11 on a bond forfeiture for failure to appear/answer.

Casey L. Conaway, 20, of 40 Hannon Trailer Court, Taylorville, was arrested March 11 on a warrant for criminal damage to property.

CRASHES:

On March 9, Corrie J. Mathes of Assumption was westbound on County #6 approaching Township Road 2600 East. Amanda R. Cantrell of Pana was northbound on Township Road 2600 East. Mathes advised Cantrell slowed and she though that Cantrell was going to turn so she proceeded through the stop sign. Cantrell stated she slowed at the intersection but did not activate her turn signal and had no intent to turn. Cantrell also stated Mathes did not stop at the posted stop sign. Mathes struck the right front end of Cantrell. No injuries were reported. Mathes was issued a citation for failure to yield at a stop/yield intersection.

On March 4, Britt M. Burton of Kincaid was traveling east 1700 North Road at about 775 East. A deer entered the roadway and Burton struck the deer. Burton had damage to front and front passenger side. No injuries were reported.

On March 11, Juanita E. Goodrich of Moweaqua was southbound on US Highway 51. Goodrich stated she was not use to the new four lane highway. A Christian County Sheriff's deputy asked which lane she was in and she said she was not sure. The deputy told Goodrich from the marks at the scene that she was not in the left turn lane. Goodrich said she was not because she was not sure where she needed to turn. As Goodrich approached the intersection of 1300 North Road, she realized she needed to turn left and began to change lanes. The front left corner of Goodrich struck the passenger side of Aaron M. Stock of Decatur. Goodrich braked and came to a stop at an angle blocking most of the left lane of the intersection of 1300 North Road. Stock stated he was southbound on US Highway 51 and he saw Goodrich traveling south approaching 1300 North Road. Goodrich was in the right lane and had the right turn signal on. Stock moved to the left lane and began to overtake Goodrich. Goodrich suddenly changed lanes striking Stock causing him to spin out of control and slide into the median on the south side of the intersection.
No injuries were reported.

THE TAYLORVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ARREST:

On March 11 at 7:20pm, Taylorville Police Department officers were out at 40 Hannon Trailer Court in reference to Casey Conaway, 20, of Taylorville having a valid Christian County Warrant. Officers made contact with Conaway and the warrant was confirmed through the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System. Conaway was arrested and transported to Christian County Sheriff's Office.

A new scandal may plague Governor Pat Quinn in this election year.  Representative Wayne Rosenthal, a Republican from Morrisonville, says the problem traces back to money intended for use in fighting violence in Chicago:

[audio:rosenthalquinnmoney031114.mp3]comment here[/audio]

The timing is part of what aroused suspicion, as the money was distributed just before the general elections.

The Springfield Clinic’s Taylorville location will be adding new services beginning in April. Doctor Renu Govindaiah tells Regional Radio News about the services she will be bringing to Taylorville:

[audio:govendaiahservices031214.mp3]comment here[/audio]

To make an appointment with Dr. Govindaiah at Springfield Clinic in Taylorville, call the Springfield office at 528-7541.   

St.  Louis,  MO (SportsNetwork.com)  -  Following  Monday's medical  emergency 
involving Dallas forward Rich Peverley, the Stars were in desperate need of an 
emotional lift. 

Enter captain Jamie Benn. 

Benn  buried the game winner 3:42 into overtime, as the Dallas Stars secured a 
3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday at Scottrade Center. 

Monday's  matchup between  Dallas and Columbus was less than seven minutes old 
before Peverley, who had a procedure performed during the preseason to correct 
an irregular heartbeat, collapsed shortly after completing a shift. 

Players from both teams frantically called for medical personnel to assist the 
nine-year  veteran,  who  was  treated  for a  "cardiac  event"  before  being 
transported to a local hospital. 

The  game was promptly postponed, with players from both teams, especially the 
Stars, visible shaken by the incident. 

Dallas  rebounded  from the  scary scene  to collect  their third straight win 
Tuesday, thanks to regulation markers from Colton Sceviour and Antoine Roussel 
along  with a 28-save effort from Tim Thomas, who made his first start for the 
Stars since being acquired from Florida last Wednesday. 

"I  told them that you  can look for a reason to lose or you can find a way to 
win,"  Dallas  head coach Lindy  Ruff said of  getting his guys mentally ready 
less  than 24 hours  after Monday's incident. "I said we need to find a way to 
win and we need to win it for a couple of our teammates." 

Alex  Pietrangelo and Roman  Polak each potted a goal for St. Louis, which set 
a  franchise  record with at least  one point in its 20th consecutive division 
game, improving to 18-0-2 this season against other teams from the Central. 

Ryan Miller made 27 saves in defeat, his first with his new club. 

"Our  execution  could be a little  better and mine as well," Miller admitted. 
"We were in the game tonight. It could have gone either way." 

With  Dallas on the attack late in the extra session, Trevor Daley carried the 
disc  along the right midboards and made his way behind the net before sending 
a  backhand  feed through  the slot to  the right circle,  where Benn ripped a 
wrister past Miller to send the Stars to victory. 

Pietrangelo  put the Blues on the board  13:01 into the tilt when he buried a 
rebound  from in  front following  Magnus Paajarvi's  wraparound try,  but the 
Stars  answered in  the final minute of the frame after Kevin Shattenkirk went 
off for holding at 18:33. 

Alex  Goligoski fired a  shot from the right point that Miller fought off, but 
Sceviour  swatted  the rebound through Miller's  legs from in front to make it 
1-1 with 52.6 seconds on the clock. 

Following  a  scoreless second stanza,  the Stars jumped  on top 2:19 into the 
third  after  St. Louis forward  David Backes fanned on  a pass near the right 
point and Benn intercepted the disc before pushing it ahead to Roussel. 

Roussel  then  raced past a  defender before flipping  a quick wrister from in 
front  that Miller got most of, but not enough to keep the puck from trickling 
across the goal line to make it 2-1. 

However,  Polak  answered with a  heavy slapper from the  high slot at 5:01 to 
retie the tilt. 

                                   Game Notes 

The  Stars  issued an  update on  Peverley's condition Tuesday  and said he is 
"resting  comfortably"  while undergoing more  tests in an attempt to discover 
what  triggered Monday's  episode ...  St. Louis  had a  five-game win  streak 
halted  ... The Blues went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Dallas finished 1- 
for-2 ... Dallas improved to 14-13-4 on the road this season.