A Taylorville man is dead after a stabbing on Tuesday afternoon.  At 1:08 PM Taylorville Police responded along with Taylorville Fire Department and Dunn’s Ambulance to 1015 East Adams Street.  Upon arrival, they found 40-year-old Jason R. Bright bleeding from a single stab wound to the chest area. Officers began first aid and secured the scene. Bright was taken to Taylorville Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler spoke to Regional Radio News about the incident.

During the investigation, it was revealed that 21-year-old Michaela L. Herpstrieth fled to a different location. Officers were able to take her into custody without incident and she was transported to the Taylorville Police Department. Both were known to law enforcement to be in a relationship. Michaela L. Herpstrieth was charged with homicide and transported to the Christian County Sheriff’s Office for processing. The investigation is ongoing.

The Taylorville Police Department says this is an isolated incident and not a danger to citizens of Taylorville.

Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler thanked States Attorney Mike Havera for reviewing the case and approving charges.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more updates as this story progresses.

Illinois State Trooper Travis Molloy talked about the importance of remembering the basic rules of the road to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Trooper Molloy went on to say that if you decide to drink to make sure you have a designated driver and that with all of the options available there is no excuse to drink and drive.

Finally, Trooper Molloy talked about the importance of slowing down and giving yourself plenty of extra time if you have to drive in bad winter weather.

Trooper Travis Molloy was a guest on the News Talk WTIM Morning Show.

Laws in Illinois are changing and in 2020 over 250 new laws will be added.  While some changes are minor other changes to laws will have major impacts on the way things are done. In civil law, disputes over the disposition of a decedent’s remains must be resolved within 30 days. Numerous changes to employment and civil rights laws are being worked to ensure that workers who experience sexual harassment and discrimination have a meaningful remedy.  

A person who wishes to change his/her name after divorce doesn’t have to provide notice of the changed name to file a petition to change it. Victims of revenge pornography may recover economic, non-economic, and punitive damages under the Civil Remedies For Nonconsensual Dissemination Of Private Sexual Images Act. Nobody may be excluded from jury service based on sexual orientation and all single-occupancy restrooms must be identified as all-gender or nongender specific.

Under criminal law, penalties for crimes committed in worship places increases. A provision requiring incarcerated people to reimburse the DOC for the cost of their incarceration ends. Any threat against schools is expanded under new laws as well. The statute of limitations for criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse for all ages is removed.  The daily fines for those incarcerated on bailable offenses will go up from $5 to $30. 

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News all week for more updates on laws that will be changing in 2020 in Illinois.

Janelle Cornell is a registered dietitian at Taylorville Memorial Hospital and she talked about the upcoming Lose-To-Win Weight Loss Challenge. Cornell said that most people know how to lose weight, but they just need a reason to do it.

Cornell went on to talk about the positive impact that losing 10% of your body weight does for your overall health.
 

The Lose-To-Win Weight Loss Challenge will start on January 8th and run until April 15th. Registration costs $25 dollars if you’re a new participant or $10 if you’re a returning participant. You can weigh-in and register at the hospital on January 8th in room 403 from 7am until 6pm.

For more information on the Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation Lose-To-Win Challenge call Janelle Cornell at 824-1840 or email her at cornell.janelle@mhsil.com.

A new study from the National Institute of Health says that 30,000 deaths happen every year due to obesity-related issues. A study that was conducted with The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that 49% of US adults will be considered obese with  ¼ of those predicted to have severe obesity. The CDC estimates that 40% of adults right now are considered obese. Kaela Ketchum, a registered dietitian with OSF says she’s not surprised.

Ketchum says there are a lot of factors that can lead to obesity issues.

Ketchum says there needs to be better education on healthy foods and access to healthier choices.

To learn more, visit osfhealthcare.org/weight-loss or talk to your physician. 

WTIM and People’s Bank and Trust in Taylorville have announced their students of the month for January. The program recognizes one outstanding student from each of the four classes.

The Taylorville High School Students of the month for December are: Senior Kristina Allen; Junior Toby Winans; Sophomore Grace Heberling; Freshman Macy Richards

L - R:  Peoples Bank and Trust Representative Lindsay Lopian; Senior Kristina Allen; Junior Toby Winans; Sophomore Grace Heberling; Freshman Macy Richards

A company based out of Peoria announced that there will be a new country music festival in Taylorville. USA Concerts and Events is an entertainment consulting company and co owners Wayne Klein and Steven Crusen announced that Tailgate N’ Tallboys will be moving to South Fork Park in Taylorville July 30th through August 1st.

The festival’s theme in 2020 will be “taking country back to the country.”  Artist announcements will be held on February 4th, at 10 AM. Klein and Crusen own two locations in Peoria and will be opening a third location in Creave Coeur.

Wayne Klein says that “Next year will be the 5th year of the festival and we are just excited to be a part of it and make sure it’s around for another 5 years. We are refocusing on the experience part of the festival. It’s going to be a lot more than just music.

Leroy Harris, owner of South Fork says that "he is looking forward to joining USA Concerts & Events to continue bringing more top Entertainment to Central Illinois.” 

For more information visit www.USA-Concerts.com. 
 

Pastor Nathan Woolery is the pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Shelbyville and he talked about his background and how he almost never became a pastor.

Pastor Woolery went on to talk about how he came to be the Pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Shelbyville.

Pastor Woolery went on to say that the job of a pastor is a lot like being a shepherd. A shepherd’s main job is to take care of the sheep and according to Woolery that’s the job of a Pastor.

Pastor Nathan Woolery was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville studios.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is doing his part to try to help relieve child care centers who are hurting for workers. Pritzker announced that reimbursement rates for child care providers will see increases by 20% under the Child Care Assistance Program.

In order to address the daycare workforce crisis, rates for all child-care centers and home-based providers will increase by 5% statewide with 15% for providers in counties that are classified as rural.

State Senator Andy Manar hopes that this move will improve access to child-care and boost wages for workers. “I commend Governor Pritzker for working with downstate legislators on a bipartisan budget that prioritized Illinois’ child-care woes. These rate increases are much needed, especially in underserved communities. These investments will provide relief to child-care centers that are struggling to keep their doors open and is a step toward ensuring every working family, no matter your ZIP code or economic status, has access to high quality child care.” 

Montgomery, Macoupin, Macon, and Christian County will see 20% increases with Madison and Sangamon seeing a 5% increase. 

The state also announced that there will be $3 million for training and education as well.
 

Dustin Theiss is the Coordinator for Broadband and Member Services at the Shelby Electric Cooperative and he talked about being BPI Certified and what that means.

Theiss talked about why they work to help homeowners save money on their electric bill.

Finally, Theiss talked about what he has to do to stay BPI Certified.
 

Dustin Theiss was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville studios.

While there is a main focus on cannabis being legalized on January 1st, there are plenty of other new laws that will take center stage when Illinois and the rest of the US say goodbye to 2019. Over 250 of them in fact. On January 1st, Illinois will raise its minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade as minimum wage will increase from $8.25 to $9.25  and $10 in July with a total of $15 by Jan 1, 2025.

A lot of changes to driving and safety protection on the road will be vital in 2020 as well. A new law goes into effect where you can not stream videos while driving with fines of $75 for the first offense. Passing a school bus will lighten your wallet. The new law doubles the fines for illegally passing a school bus from $150 to $300 for the first violation and from $500 to $1,000 for any subsequent violations. Scott’s Law (moving over for emergency vehicles) also sees a huge increase of at least $250 for the first violation (rather than the previous $100 minimum penalty) and at least $750 for the second, reaching as high as $10,000.

Other laws that go into effect will include some new education laws. If you finish in the top 10% of your high school you automatically gain acceptance into NIU, WIU, SIU, and EIU. For grades K-12, history classes must teach the history of Illinois.  A new law will also give access to a higher education fund which will deposit $50 into a college savings fund for every person born or adopted in Illinois after December 31st, 2020.  

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more information on some of the other laws that will be coming to Illinois in 2020. 
 

Aaron Puchbauer is the President and CEO of HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville and he talked about what HSHS stands for and what type of presence they have in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Puchbauer talked about his love of small communities and his background working with HSHS.

Finally, Puchbauer talked about the renovations that they recently did at the hospital.

Aaron Puchbauer was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our downtown Shelbyville studios.

With all of the eating, celebrating, and making merry in the holiday season, one area that often gets overlooked is your refrigerator. While taking care of your refrigerator may seem like an afterthought, a few simple tips can help take care of not only your refrigerator but also the food and drink that sits inside of it. Nathan Hamm, a wellness service manager with Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford says too much food can be a bad thing.

Hamm also warns against reheating food multiple times, as well as too many times of reheating, can create foodborne illnesses. 

Hamm says while it may seem like an afterthought, washing hands when switching between foods can help with illness as well.

For more information on food safety and refrigerator use, visit www.statefoodsafety.com. 

State Senator Andy Manar has sponsored legislation designed to help the City of Pana and more importantly, dormant land near Pana Lake. The city of Pana is moving forward on a plan to develop more than 140 acres of this land around Pana Lake. The bill was signed into law earlier in December by Governor JB Pritzker. 

Greg Holthaus, who is the Pana City Engineer is excited about this move. “This is very exciting for everyone involved in the planning of the Pana Lake development. This allows us to develop hiking trails, campsites, and other recreational amenities. We’re grateful to Senator Manar for his effort in removing this barrier.” 

Senator Manar says that local leaders are what drives these decisions. “It’s important that local leaders be in the driver’s seat and have a say regarding land that lies within their boundaries. Transferring this land from state ownership will provide Pana with the authority to most effectively use the land to benefit its residents and the region. I appreciate Mayor Kroski reaching out to me about this important issue and I am pleased that we were finally able to get it resolved.”

The contract had been originally created as an agreement between the city and the department of conservation in 1949 but it never happened. The state had intended to develop the land for recreational use. 

Senate Bill 1597 authorizes the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to relinquish the state’s right to manage and develop the Pana Lake dam and the surrounding area and will go into effect immediately.

Morrisonville United Methodist Church is hosting a blood drive. The blood drive will take place from 3 PM to 7 PM on Tuesday, January 7th at 109 SE 5th Street inside of the United Methodist Church—Fellowship Hall. 

Blood donation is a safe simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to an hour and individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors. For more on donor eligibility criteria, you must be at least 17 years of age or have parental permission if you are 16.  You must weigh more than 110 pounds and photo identification is required. For questions about eligibility, please contact the Central Illinois Community Blood Center at 800-747-5401. Donors who last gave blood before November 12th are also eligible to give as well. 

To set up an appointment, please contact the community blood center at 241-7550 or visit www.bloodcenterimpact.org with the code 60529. 

For more information contact Central Illinois Community Blood Center at 753-1530. 

Regional Radio News has learned that a Taylorville man died last weekend in McDonough County after his vehicle went off the road. ISP says 66-year-old Rodney Murphy of Taylorville, was driving on County Road 50 North when for unknown reasons, he drove his vehicle off the road before coming to a curve and hit a ditch embankment.

ISP and crash investigators say that the vehicle flipped over while on 50 East and landed on the driver’s side on 50 west. ISP says the cause of the accident was improper lane usage. Murphy was not wearing a seatbelt which investigators believe contributed to his death. He was pronounced dead on the scene by the McDonough County Coroner’s Office. 

McDonough County Sheriff’s Office, McDonough County Coroner’s Office, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Life Guard Ambulance, and Tri-County Fire Department all responded to the accident. No further information is available at this time.

Kevin Rice is the Assistant District Manager at the Social Security Administration Springfield office and he talked about the process of helping your loved ones with their social security.

Rice went on to talk about the process that the Social Security Administration will go through to see if your loved one needs assistance with their social security.

Finally, Rice talked about how the social security benefits don’t change ownership if your loved one ends up needing help with their social security.

Kevin Rice was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce talked about the process that you go through to use the Chamber gift certificates.

Hornbuckle went on to talk about how the Chamber works with the different businesses after someone uses a gift certificate at one of the many businesses you can use it at.
 

Finally, Hornbuckle talked about how using the Chamber gift certificates guarantee that your dollars stay local.

Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation has received a $10,000 grant from the Bertrand Hopper Memorial Foundation supporting the Healthcare Careers Education Grant program.  The program is used for aiding students interested in studying healthcare and giving opportunities to work at TMH upon degree completion. 

Bertrand Hopper Memorial Foundation has supported the hospital for many years and TMH Foundation Executive Director Raedena Ryan says that thanks to their continued genorosity, TMH Foundation is able to support its mission to improve health.

If you would like to support hte Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation, tax deductible contributions may be given to Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation and mailed to 201 East Pleasant Street, Taylorville, IL 62568.  You can also pay online at taylorvillememorial.org/foundation.

For more information contact TMH at 824-3331.
 

Pictured: L to R: (front) Ken Hart, Dr. Ron Mizer and Adam Vocks – Bertrand Hopper Memorial Foundation; (back) Kim Bourne, president and CEO, Taylorville Memorial Hospital; Billy Williams, vice president and education committee chair, TMH Foundation; Scott McClure, chairman, TMH Foundation; and Raedena Ryan, executive director, TMH Foundation.

Garrett Ulmer is a risk advisor at Shelbyville Insurance and he talked about some misconceptions people may have about what is covered when your pipes were to burst in your home.

Ulmer went on to talk about how water backup is not the same thing as when your pipes burst.

It’s that time of year when the pipes in your home can freeze and potentially even burst, so Garrett Ulmer gave some tips and tricks on how you can potentially keep that from ever happening.

Garrett Ulmer was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is looking for actors. Auditions will be held in January for their next play, “Alabama Story.” The play is a drama about censorship and civil rights.  The play is based off of real events. 

The play has been widely produced around the country and tells the story of Emily Wheelock Reed, an Alabama State Librarian who defends a 1958 children's book from a local senator who wants it banned because it portrays a black rabbit marrying a white rabbit.

The play was written by Kenneth Jones and has a cast of six with four men and two women. The play will be performed May 7th through the 9th and from the 14th to the 16th. 

Auditions for the play will be held on Thursday January 2nd from 1 to 7 PM and on Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM. To set up an appointment contact director Phil Funkenbusch at 785-6085 or email him at phil.funkenbusch@illinois.gov.  Learn more about the Abraham Lincoln library at www.presidentlincoln.illinois.gov. 

Jeri Danneberger is the Maternal Child Health Coordinator at the Shelby County Health Department and she talked about what the WIC program is and who it’s for.
 

Danneberger went on to discuss the different types of services they offer to those who are signed up for the WIC program.

Finally, Danneberger talked about how you qualify for the WIC program.

Jeri Danneberger was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

Memorial Health System gave their top leadership award for 2019 and the winner is the director of cardiovascular invasive services. Shari Hill began her career as a staff nurse in 1992. She became the nurse manager in 1994 and was promoted to director, all while overseeing the cardiovascular operating room, cardiac catheterization laboratory and one of the ICU’s. 

Mitch Rogers who is the system administrator for cardiovascular and pulmonary services for Memorial Health nominated Hill for the award and says that she was nominated for relationship building, and building a true family and team culture picking up those people who are down and supporting those in need. 

Hill went to school at Indiana University School of Nursing and Indiana Wesleyan University. She was born and raised in Marion, Indiana and her and her husband live in Springfield. They have five children and three grandchildren. 

Hill’s plaque says “for guiding others through an unwavering commitment to performance excellence; inspiring a shared vision of Memorial Health System as a national leader for excellence in patient care; reflecting our values in word and action; and possessing the courage to act with conviction while leading others toward fulfilling our mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve.”

We here at Regional Radio News salute you, Shari Hill. 

Kevin Rice is the Assistant District Manager at the Social Security Administration in Springfield and he talked about the 2020 cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase.

Rice went on to discuss the recent $9.10 Medicare Part B premium increase and how it is tied directly to the cost of living adjustment.

Finally, Rice talked about the importance of changing your name with the Social Security Administration if you ever decide to do that.

Kevin Rice was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Illinois State Police is urging safety in driving over the holidays. ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly is reminding motorists that ISP will be out in full force for the holiday season looking for the fatal four: Driving under the influence, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, and distracted driving.

ISP will also be on the lookout for the Move Over (Scott’s Law). The ISP will be conducting extra patrols and roadside safety checks. The ISP is encouraging you to be the sober driver, designate a sober driver, or use a ride-share service.

“Holidays should be a time for celebration with family and friends. Our troopers will be strictly enforcing all laws, with the goal of keeping our roadways safe and preventing unnecessary tragedies.  We also ask motorists to assist us in keeping our first responders safe while they work to keep US safe. We are confident that with your help everyone can have an enjoyable holiday season.” 

ISP also wants to warn against texting and driving and to keep your eyes on the road. For more information on road conditions and other issues visit gettingaroundillinois.com.
 

This time of year is always one of the busiest times to travel, so Derek Hayden, the Risk Architect at the Shelbyville Insurance talked about if your rental car is covered by your insurance.

Hayden went on to recommend that you should purchase the rental car physical damage waiver even though your rental car is covered by your insurance.

Finally, Hayden talked about why he makes that recommendation.

Derek Hayden was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced earlier in December that unemployment in November fell to 3.8 percent, which is a new historical low. Last year at this time Illinois unemployment was 4.3 percent.

The largest gains were recorded in government, educational and health services, and leisure and hospitality. The largest declines were in construction, professional and business services, and information. 

Deputy Governor Dan Hynes praised Governor Pritzker. “With unemployment at a record low, this administration remains committed to strengthening Illinois’ economy and implementing policies that lift up working families. Governor Pritzker has taken historic actions this year to build a foundation for long-term job growth. From a new bipartisan capital bill to pension reform and a raise in the minimum wage, this administration is working towards its goal of fostering an environment for businesses and working people to thrive in.”

Unemployed workers decreased from the prior month, 2% to 246,000. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. If you are looking for a job IDES maintains the state’s largest job search engine, Illinoisjoblink.com where there are over 94,200 jobs available.
 

Jennifer Beeson is a Registered Nurse at the Shelby County Health Department and she talked about the importance of keeping track of your immunization records and how Illinois has an immunization registery that can help you do just that.

The Shelby County Health Department recently received a grant to address the low colorectal cancer screening rates in rural communities within Illinois.

There is no cost for the colorectal cancer screening kits. If you would like one please contact the Shelby County Health Department at 774-9555.

Jennifer Beeson was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has announced a new way to provide smoke alarms for families that are served by the department if they don’t already have working smoke alarms. Families served by DCFS can request smoke alarms from their caseworkers; while caseworkers will have a supply of smoke alarms as well.

Maria Miller who is the DCFS Regional Administrator, says that half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February. According to the National Fire Protection Association; 3 out of every 5 home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. More than ? of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present. 

The program was launched in Macon County and DCFS is proud to announce that they have already distributed 15 smoke alarms to Macon County Families.  Illinois law requires every household to have smoke alarms within 15 feet of every bedroom and at least one on each floor of the home.

For more information on this program contact DCFS or call 312-814-6800.
 

The Taylorville City Council held a special meeting on Monday, December 23rd to vote on the tax levy before the new year. The meeting started with role call, with only Alderman Shawn Burtle absent. Following that was the vote, where the tax levy passed. Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry explained what this tax levy is.

Including the mayoral vote, the tax levy passed unanimously by a vote of 8-0.

The Taylorville Park District passed 2 ordinances, and heard a great report about this year's Christmas in the Park, at their monthly meeting which was moved to 3pm today from their normal 7pm start time due to the Christmas holiday.

Board members approved an ordinance patterned after a state law, prohibiting the use of cannabis on any Park District property.

The 2nd ordinance passed dealt with prohibiting the use of any tobacco or vaping product near Park District buildings.  While the ordinance was patterned after a similar one in Hoffman Estates, the board revised it to allow smoking on golf carts, which the Park District don't own, and at the district-owned Lake Shore Golf Course, as long as it's away from children under 21.

Recreation Director Bailey Hancock reported that this year's Christmas in the Park was a big hit, with great participation at the many Park-managed Christmas events, and a big night for the December 12th "Jingle Bell Walk," when only foot traffic was allowed.

The Taylorville Park Board this afternoon also OK'd an agreement with Ameren for work to be done on Park District property, they were told of some 54-thousand dollars received from the District's insurance company from last December's tornado damage, and OK'd moving up to 50-thousand dollars of Park District funds to a money market account.

Bruce Manola is a long time dance instructor and athletic coach in Central Illinois and he talked about everything that dancing can provide to students.

Manola went on to talk about how dancers are athletes, but athletes are not necessarily dancers.

Finally, Manola discuss how some of the best athletes are also dancers.

Bruce Manola was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

Lisa Peterson is the nutrition and wellness educator at the University of Illinois Extension office and with 2019 coming to an end and 2020 just a little over a week away, she discussed the topic of New Year's resolutions and why it’s important to set resolutions that are realistic.

Peterson went on to discuss why being specific and setting mini goals when it comes to your resolutions is crucial.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, one of the biggest resolutions that people make is going to the gym more often. Peterson talked about how you can set yourself up for success if that is one of your resolutions.

Lisa Peterson was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Lake Land College is offering a welding class to potential students. An eight-week welding fundamentals course will begin Saturday, January 11th. The class will meet every Saturday from 8 until 3:30 on campus in Mattoon. The welding course will include oxyacetylene welding, cutting, and brazing.

The condensed course has a cap of 12 students and will run a total of eight weeks.  The course is open to the public, however regular tuition and fees apply. 

For more information on the course contact welding instructor John Gentry at 234-5065 or email him at jgentry@lakelandcollege.edu.

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she discussed the e-blast program that they have available if any business or organization has any event that they would like to promote.

Hornbuckle went on to discuss the LEAD Program and how they’re still looking for a few individuals to join the class. You can get more information by contacting the chamber at 824-4919.

Hornbuckle went on to talk about what it is that they’ll be doing in the LEAD Program.
 

Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville Community Pleasure Driveway & Park District will meet today, December 23rd at the Manners Park Office Board Room at a new time. The Board will meet at 3 PM at the Park Office in Manners Park. After approval of minutes and a treasurer’s report, the board will discuss new business.  

On the agenda are two ordinances 2019-3 and 2019-4. Ordinance 2019-3 is an Ordinance adopting smoke-free regulations on the grounds of the Taylorville Community Pleasure Driveway and Park District. Ordinance 2019-4 is an ordinance prohibiting cannabis consumption on the grounds of the Taylorville Community Pleasure Driveway and Park District. 

The Ameren agreement that has been worked on will be discussed.  There will be reports from Maintenance Superintendent Gary Brown along with a report from the Recreation Director Bailey Hancock. 

The meeting will end with an executive session and adjournment. You will be able to find the entire meeting on WTIM TV after it’s completion.

The Christian County Board recently gave permission to Invenergy to build a large scale solar farm and wind farm in Christian County. Michelle Pavan is a Project Developer at Invenergy and she talked about what it means for Invenergy to be doing both a large scale solar and wind farm in Christian County.
 

Pavan went on to talk about where they are in regards to the wind farm project.
 

Finally, Pavan talked about how a wind farm can create long term financial stability for farmers.

Michelle Pavan was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

For some people, winter can be depressing. Shorter daylight hours, missing family members, and a melancholy feeling shouldn’t stop you or slow you down at your work. If it does, maybe you have season affective disorder or SAD. Physicians Assistant Kristin Hayden with HSHS Good Shepherd explains that SAD is a mood disorder.

Hayden says that even just going outside for a few moments can help.

Hayden says that you don’t necessarily need a doctor's diagnosis for this but if you are feeling down for a long period of time, you can talk to someone.

As always, see your doctor for anything that may be affecting you for long periods of time.

ISP responded to a one-vehicle crash on I-55 southbound near milepost 68, 5 miles south of Farmersville in Montgomery County. 53-year-old Daniel C. Behrends of Sullivan, Missouri was in a 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup truck. 

On Sunday morning around 5:17 AM the truck left the roadway for unknown reasons and rolled over. The driver was trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extricated.  Behrends was airlifted to a local trauma center with serious injuries. Both front and rear-seat passengers were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle. 

The rear seat passenger, 51-year-old Alvin L. Hunter of Sullivan Missouri was pronounced deceased on arrival from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. 33-year-old Raven E. Smith of Sullivan, Missouri was also transported by ambulance to a local trauma center with serious injuries. 

The crash is still under investigation by the Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit and ISP. No further information is available at this time. 

The Illinois State Police is investigating a two-vehicle personal crash. On Friday afternoon around 4:25 PM on Route 66 ¼ mile south of Grosenheider Lane (South of Litchfield) in Montgomery County. A Toyota Camry was traveling northbound on US Route 66 while a Ford Taurus was traveling southbound.  The Toyota entered the left lane to pass a vehicle in front of it and struck the Ford head-on. The driver the Toyota, 83-year-old Georgia D. Weidler of Mount Olive was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. The driver of the Ford, 30-year-old Joseph D. Faulkner and 24-year-old Taylor L. Richards of Staunton were not wearing seat belts and were air-lifted to a local trauma center with serious injuries. There was a 1-year-old male from Staunton in the back of the Ford Taurus. The juvenile was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. No further information is available at this time.

A man is in custody today after an assault on a Taylorville Police Officer. On December 18th, 2019 the Taylorville Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the 500 Block of Cottage in Taylorville. Taylorville Police arrested 18-year-old Trae Fisher of Taylorville. Fisher was arrested for Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer, Armed Violence and Delivery.  Taylorville Police recovered two handguns from Mr. Fisher along with contraband, scales, and baggies.  Fisher is a person of interest in crimes in Kincaid and Taylorville.  Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler wants to thank the citizens of Taylorville for their assistance on information that led to this arrest.  Wheeler also wants to thank Christian County States Attorney Mike Havera for reviewing the case and filing charges. 

Picture from left Matthew Nichols, Sgt Ben Toberman, Chaplin Lee lanzotti and Chief Wheeler

The Taylorville Police Department has hired a new police officer. The Taylorville Police Department would like to welcome Officer Matthew Nichols from Taylorville to the TPD family.  Matthew graduated yesterday from the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois and Matt was recognized at graduation for excellence in academic performance.  Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler says, “We know Matt will be an asset to our police department.”

Tommy TV is a club at Taylorville High School that teaches students different broadcasting skills. Matt Hutchison is the Principal of Taylorville High School and he talked about what the goal of Tommy TV is.

Izzy Miller is a co-anchor with Tommy TV and a student at Taylorville High School and she talked about why she decided to join Tommy TV.

Toby Winans is the Camera Director at Tommy TV and a student at Taylorville High School and he talked about what led him to join Tommy TV.

Matt Hutchison, Izzy Miller, and Toby Winans were all guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Illinois Farm Bureau along with the IAA Foundation will be offering scholarships for IFB members and their children. 76 college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,500 will be offered with totals of nearly $118,000 for the 2020-2021 school year. Susan Moore, Director of the IAA Foundation says that these scholarships help those who want to pursue degrees in agriculture.

Moore says when they give these scholarships, they are looking for a wide range of elements.

Moore says visit iaafoundation.org for more information.

The winners will be announced in May.

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she discussed the upcoming Dinner Seasoned with Love event that will take place this Saturday from 11:30 to 12:30 at Calvary Baptist Church in Taylorville.

Hornbuckle went on to discuss the many possible uses of a Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce gift certificate. You can purchase a chamber gift certificate by contacting the chamber at 824-4919.
 

If you are having trouble finding a gift for a friend or family member, a Chamber of Commerce gift certificate is the perfect gift.

Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A US Representative is listing his reasons for why he voted “No” on the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Wednesday.  Congressman Rodney Davis released the following statement after he voted against both articles of impeachment.

 

“This is the second most consequential vote we have to take in this House. The first is to send our men and women in uniform to war and the second is to vote to impeach and remove a President of the United States. This is the first partisan impeachment in our nation’s history and I am fearful it sets a dangerous precedent. I will not vote to remove a duly elected president of either party or bar them from running without a legitimate independent investigation and proof of a crime, neither of which exist in this case. I am hopeful we can put this kind of partisanship aside and move forward on bipartisan legislation to improve the lives of hardworking American Citizens.”

 

President Trump was impeached Wednesday on one count of abuse of power and another count of obstruction of Congress. The vote was 230-197-1 on the abuse of power charge and 229-198-1 on obstruction of congress charge. Representative Tulsi Gabbard voted “present” as opposed to yea or nay.

The Christian County Board recently gave permission to Invenergy to build a large scale solar farm in Christian County. Michelle Pavan is a Project Developer at Invenergy and she talked about where they are in the process.

So, why did Invenergy choose Christian County to build their new solar farm? Pavan talked about what it was about Christian County that made the decision so easy.
 

There are numerous benefits to the new solar farm according to Pavan including hundreds of new construction jobs and millions of dollars in additional tax revenue.

Michelle Pavan was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Macon County Conservation District received an award that very few organizations ever get. The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation has awarded over $1 million in grants to the Macon County Conservation District in order to add 180 acres to Fort Daniel Conservation Area. Executive Director of the Conservation District Richie Wolf says this is important for the Park.

Wolf says the sale closed today and will start right away getting it ready to be open but it will take a while.

Wolf says that the end goal is to provide habitat for wildlife and to allow the public access.

Over 1.4 miles of Big Creek will be preserved. Big Creek is a tributary that feeds into Lake Decatur. For more information visit www.maconcountyconservation.org. 

Darby Seabaugh is the owner of The Makers Mercantile Shop and she talked about the support that her store has gotten from the Sullivan community.

Seabaugh went on to talk about a brand new section of her store that is dedicated to showcasing local kids and their work.

Finally, Seabaugh talked about her work on helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

Darby Seabaugh was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Grant Wade is the Senior Pastor at the First Christian Church in Sullivan and President of the Ministerial Association in Sullivan and he talked about some of the recent turnover that they’ve had at the churches in Sullivan.

Pastor Wade went on to talk about a few of the new pastors in Sullivan.

Finally, Pastor Wade talked about what it is that he does at the Ministerial Association in Sullivan.

Pastor Grant Wade was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Sullivan Mayor Richard Glazebrook talked about the success of the recent Christmas event.

Mayor Glazebrook thanked the street department for their outstanding work at getting the roads cleared during the recent snow storm.

Finally, Mayor Glazebrook talked about why it’s a great time for businesses to come to Sullivan.

Sullivan Mayor Richard Glazebrook was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is currently performing maintenance to the boundary line around Lake Shelbyville. If you own land next to US Army Corps of Engineers property around Lake Shelbyville you may see people walking along the boundary for your house. These people are doing the inspections. 

Corps rangers will inspect and maintain over 140 miles of boundaries around the lake replacing worn or broken boundary signs and posts. This year Corps Rangers will concentrate on painting trees on the western portion of the boundary line where woodlands are on both sides of the boundary line.

These trees will be painted at breast height with orange, 4-inch horizontal stripes around the entire trunk of the tree. Spacing will be between 25 and 50 feet depending upon visibility. This will help people visiting the park distinguish between government and private property. The work should be completed by March of 2020.

For more information about boundary maintenance and cleanup around the Lake contact Park Ranger Taylor Finks at 774-3951 extension 7028.

Tommy TV is a club at Taylorville High School that teaches students different broadcasting skills. Adam Vocks is the Vice President at CTI and he talked about how the idea for Tommy TV came about.

Vocks went on to talk about how Tommy TV is teaching students important skills that they need to learn.

Izzy Miller is a co-anchor with Tommy TV and a student at Taylorville High School and she talked about what Tommy TV has done for her.

Adam Vocks and Izzy Miller were guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A familiar face will run the Illinois Farm Bureau for another two-year term. Richard Guebert Jr. of Ellis Grove in Randolph County was re-elected earlier this month as Brian Duncan was elected Vice President at the annual meeting in Chicago. Guebert says he’s just honored with this privilege.

Guebert still has a lot of goals that he is working on including membership.

Guebert is also so thrilled to have a fantastic staff working for him and for Farmers in Illinois.

For more on the Illinois Farm Bureau visit www.ilfb.org.

Melissa Rybolt is the Marketing Manager at Pana Community Hospital and she talked about the recent open house that they had to show off the brand new front entrance of the hospital.

Rybolt went on to talk about some of the additions that they were able to make at Pana Community Hospital.

Finally, Rybolt talked about the importance of the brand new lab.

Melissa Rybolt was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville Memorial Hospital is working hard to try to stop the spread of influenza. The Illinois Department of Public Health is encouraging hospitals to put temporary visitor restrictions in and Memorial Health System is obliging with their five hospitals. 

The five hospitals; Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville and Taylorville Memorial Hospital, have all put a limit to two visitors per patient per time and all visitors must be 18 years old or older and show no signs of illness.

The CDC says that as many as 20 percent of all Americans get the flu each year, and washing your hands thoroughly can help prevent the spread of the flu along with getting the vaccination.

The state is starting to see an increase in the flu and that is why the IDPH has recommended these visitor restrictions. For more information about the flu including symptoms and prevention, visit the CDC website, or on Memorial’s Live Well Blog, livewellmagazine.org.

Another Christian County Board meeting, and another night filled with comments for and against wind turbines. Turbines wasn’t even on the agenda tonight, but the meeting was moved to Taylorville High School regardless in order to accommodate the huge crowds that have been gathering at these meetings. Tuesday’s County Board meeting had over 150 people in attendance. 

In committee reports, Committee head Phil Schneider called for a vote on having an inspector come out and look at the Courthouse elevator. The elevator which is operated by OTIS is already slated to be fixed in February. Schneider announced that OTIS has already ordered the parts, and if the County Board pulls out of the deal, they could face serious litigation. 

The motion passed and the county will bring someone in to do another inspection to see if the 57 year elevator truly needs to be replaced. Repairs will also be looked at for the sagging floor at the south entrance of the courthouse. 

An approval went through for hiring an assistant public defender position. Judge Brad Paisley had requested that the County hire one as the work load has gone up tremendously.  State’s Attorney Mike Havera said that the need is strong.

Christian County Board members also voted to push back the “safety tax” vote till April of 2021 so the County would have time to explain to the public why this was so important. The county abolished the office of Jury Commissioner and revised the County Cannabis Retailers’ Occupation Tax Ordinance to add a %3.75 sales tax to unincorporated areas of Christian County and a 3% sales tax made in municipalities located in Christian County.

As far as the wind turbines go, Havera also announced that they would be seeking to hire an attorney to represent the county not pro or against wind energy. Havera stressed that whoever the County hires should be involved with the process immediately. 

As debate ramped up between both sides on the wind energy discussion. Both sides made comments during the public

comment section and Chairwoman Becky Edwards admonished the crowd who applauded loudly during anti wind farm statements. Edwards asked repeatedly for the audience to stop cheering. When the crowd refused, Edwards called for adjournment for the meeting. The motion failed but only one other person spoke afterwards. The meeting was only adjourned when no one else came forward to speak.

The next County Board meeting will take place on January 21st, 2020.

 The Taylorville Kiwanis Club hosted HSHS surgeon Dr. Afdub Jafri as its guest speaker at its Tuesday meeting.  From the left:  Kiwanis Club secretary and member Martin Vota; HSHS Medical Group office manager Katie White, HSHS surgeon and guest speaker Dr. Afdub Jafri; HSHS Medical Group president Dr. Loren Hughes; Taylorville Kiwanis Club president Sarah VanHuss.

TAYLORVILLE KIWANIS CLUB HEARS FROM NEW HSHS SURGEON AT WEEKLY LUNCHEON

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from the newest HSHS Surgeon that’s joined their practices in Decatur and Taylorville, during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the club’s new meeting place, the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Dr. Afdub Jafri recently joined the HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital surgery staff in Decatur, and is also seeing patients on Wednesdays at HSHS Medical Group in Taylorville.

Dr. Jafri, a native of Pakistan, shared with Kiwanis members his journey of getting into medicine and becoming a surgeon.  He told the Club that he specializes in minimally evasive surgery, which provides patients a much better experience, and in many cases is done as an outpatient so patients can go home the same day.

During the meeting, the local Kiwanis Club also presented a check totaling some 427-dollars to officials with HSHS Medical Group in Taylorville, who partnered with the club to provide Christmas for needy children in the community.  From the left: Sarah VanHuss, Taylorville Kiwanis Club president; Dr. Loren Hughes, HSHS Medical Group president; Katie White, HSHS Medical Group Taylorville office manager; Mary DelValle, HSHS Medical Group Taylorville; Deanna Vota, HSHS Medical Group Taylorville, Martin Vota, Taylorville Kiwanis Club secretary and member.  

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

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs talked about how the federal government has been selling US Savings Bonds for over 70 years, but they haven’t paid out bonds to individuals who have either misplaced them or just forgotten that they had them.

Treasurer Frerichs went on to discuss that the United States is sitting on over $26 billion in unpaid US Savings Bonds. Treasurer Frerichs estimates that there is around $1 billion in unpaid US Savings Bonds in Illinois.

Finally, Treasurer Frerichs talked about the mechanism that’s in place to help return those funds.

Treasurer Frerichs was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Kelsey Bentlage is a nutrition educator and registered dietitian with the St. Louis Dairy Council and she talked about how important it is to involve your children in meal preparation.

Bentlage went on to discuss at what age it is appropriate to involve your kids in meal preparation.

Finally, Bentlage talked about some ways that you can involve dairy into your meal preparation.

Kelsey Bentlage was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry talked about how impressed he was with new Street Superintendent Mike Mann and his crew at how they made sure the roads were in good shape for yesterday's morning commute.

Mayor Barry went on to talk about the success of the recent Christmas parade.

Finally, Mayor Barry talked about the history and success of Christmas in the Park.

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County Board will meet this evening at a different location than usual. The Christian County Board Meeting will take place at Taylorville High School Cafeteria. Enter the cafeteria west door from Knute Rockne Drive on Tuesday, December 17th at 6:30 PM. 

Courthouse topics will be discussed including the south entrance, clock tower, elevator, and boiler insurance. Highway business will also be discussed including 2020 fuel bids, MFT Maintenance, Retirement Fund, and County Engineer Salaries.

Under executive, personnel, liquor, and legislative, a revised county cannabis retailers’ occupation tax will be discussed. A resolution will be voted on to abolish the office of jury commissioner. A proclamation will recognize Christian County School week. A motion will be put forward to retain legal counsel for WECS ordinance. 

Under audit, finance, purchasing, and budget, claims will be approved. An assistant public defender position will be discussed and approved. Courthouse repair proposals including the elevator project will be discussed. 

Under new business, public safety tax will be discussed including adding to the election ballot an increase to local sales taxes by 1% for public safety purposes.

Again, the Christian County Board Meeting will take place at the Taylorville High School Cafeteria in Taylorville. Enter the cafeteria on the west door from Knute Rockne Drive at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, December 17th.

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar talked about the teacher shortage crisis that Illinois is currently facing and what the Accelerator Program will do to address that crisis.

Senator Manar went on to discuss what the Golden Apple Foundation has done to help address the teacher shortage and how the Accelerator Program will work.

Finally, Senator Manar talked about the importance of not lowering standards to address the teacher shortage.

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville City Council met Monday evening and discussed issues affecting the community. Four firefighters were sworn in tonight. Nathan Childers, Eric Dodd, Daniel Tatge, and Kobe Wheaton were all sworn in as new firefighters for the city. Andrea Conrath was sworn in as Human Resource Manager. Kevin Hamell was appointed to the planning commission. Andy Goodall was approved to take over as health and building officer for George Calvert, after George retires on January 1st. 

An ordinance was approved authorizing the execution of a business development district redevelopment agreement between Taylorville and Robert and Rebecca Steiner. Andrea Conrath was appointed as an authorized agent, and Fairl Lane was approved for a special use permit for fish taken from Lake Taylorville.

Jim Olive was authorized to bid on items for the city/street department. Alderman Olive stated that they might not buy anything, but if they do they will keep it reasonable and know what they need for the city. 

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry wanted to wish everyone happy holidays.

A motion was approved for the city to purchase one Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual Drone from Company Fire Cam out of Bellevue, Illinois at a cost of $4,990.  Alderman Kathy Driskell explained that it was for a drone for the police department and not for an airplane. Alderman Chris Skultetty thought the spending was a little bit frivolous and felt that the money should be spent on body cameras.

The motion passed 6-2 with Alderman Skultetty and Alderman Ernie Dorchinecz voting no. A motion was also approved for purchasing a turn-key 2020 Dodge Charger not to exceed $37,978. Mayor Barry also announced that Alderman Ernie Dorchinecz would be appointed as Mayor Pro-tem in case of emergencies. 

The eighth-grade girl's basketball team was also honored for their fantastic run in basketball this year with the Youth of the Month Award. George Calvert was honored with a plaque for his hard work for the city of Taylorville.

The National Weather Service at mid-afternoon updated their Winter Storm Warning for the Regional Radio listening area.

The Weather Service says 2 to 3 inches of snow will fall this evening into early morning on Tuesday.  They say that most of Christian County will receive 2 to 3 inches, while Montgomery, Fayette, Shelby, Effingham and counties to the east, will receive around 4 inches of additonal snowfall.

They add that road conditions will continue to be challenging this evening into Tuesday morning.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio for the latest weather information, and for school closings, cancellations, and road conditions, find each of those icons on the blue menu bar of taylorvilledailynews-dot-com.

A Nursing Home in Taylorville celebrated a new life, new beginnings, and new friends on Monday afternoon.  Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center held an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony in support of the changes and new ownership at the complex. Ashley Davis, the Executive Director, says she is excited for the changes that are happening at Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center.

Davis says that the residents are looking forward to the changes as well. 

Davis says that within the next month Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center will be gearing up for their Skilled Memory Care support which will be coming up within the next month. 

For more information on Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, please visit their Facebook page or call 824-2277.

The Taylorville City Council will meet for a full meeting for the last time this decade Monday evening. 4 new firefighters will be sworn in as Nathan Childers, Eric Dodd, Daniel Tatge, and Kobe Wheaton will swear in at the meeting. Andrea Conrath will also be sworn in as the new Human Resources Manager. A motion will be put forth to approve the appointment of Kevin Hamell to the Planning Commission.

A discussion and approval motion will be put forth for the vacant lot located at 828 West Vandeveer to go to the Taylorville Community Unit School District 3. Bills will also be put forth for payment for construction on the new water treatment plant. 

Under committee reports, a motion will be put forth to purchase Mavic 2 Dual Aircraft "DRONE" from Company Fire Cam in Bellevue. A motion will be put forth to hire a new Police Officer and to appoint a person as Mayor Pro-tem for the continuity of Government Plan. There will be a motion to approve the purchase of 6 sets of turnout gear. 

There will also be city attorney and Mayoral updates along with a closed session to discuss collective negotiating matters between the City and AFSCME Local 3349. The meeting will take place at 7 PM at the Municipal Building.

Shane Schuricht is the Superintendent of Community Unit School District #4 and he talked about some good news that they got recently.

Every person that works at CUSD #4 recently went through what is known as ALICE training. Superintendent Schuricht talked about how ALICE training is a change in thought and practice on how you confront dangerous situations.

Superintendent Schuricht talked about how the ALICE training was a great chance for them to sit down and look at things in a different way.

Superintendent Shane Schuricht was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

The new SIU Family Medicine and Memorial Behavioral Health location at 303 East Bidwell across from Kroger in Taylorville on Wednesday, showed off their new free-standing location during an Open House December Eleventh.  

Miller Media Group radio stations WTIM and WMKR broadcast live, and visited with President and CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Patty Hornbuckle about what this building and this facility means to the city of Taylorville.

Hornbuckle was thrilled to find out just how much this helps those who need insurance help in the Taylorville area.

SIU Family Medicine has provided the Christian County community health care for the un-and-underinsured, since January of this year, in space provided by Taylorvillle Memorial Hospital, before moving into their free-standing location and opening October First.

The new SIU Family Medicine and Memorial Behavioral Health location at 303 East Bidwell across from Kroger in Taylorville on Wednesday, showed off their new free-standing location during an Open House December Eleventh. Miller Media Group radio stations WTIM and WMKR broadcast live, and visited with Dr. Janet Albers who is the professor and chair of the S-I-U Center for Family Medicine. Dr. Albers talked about how we have siloed our mental health from our physical health, but that it really shouldn't be that way.

Dr. Albers went on to talk about how they see everyone regardless of ability to pay. 

SIU Family Medicine has provided the Christian County community health care for the un-and-underinsured, since January of this year, in space provided by Taylorvillle Memorial Hospital, before moving into their free-standing location and opening October First.

Pana Community Hospital celebrated its open house for phase 2 which signified the end of the building project. The project has been in the works for a few years now, and many people are excited to be celebrating the finish line. One of those persons is Trina Casner, President, and CEO of Pana Community Hospital. Casner says this has been a long time coming.

Casner was also excited at all the people that showed up for the open house.

You can find out more about the new additions to the Pana Community Hospital by clicking here. 

Freddie Fry is the Director of the Shelby County Office of Tourism and she talked about how they encourage churches to reach out with any Holiday related events that they can add to the calendar, but those submissions need to be made by December 20th. You can submit your event by calling 774-2244.

Fry went on to talk about an upcoming Brandy tasting on December 20th at Twilight Distillery. For more information or for tickets you can call 682-3229.

Freddie Fry was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

With the United States, Mexico, and Canada coming to an agreement on trade, Illinois Farm Bureau president, Richard Guebert Jr. couldn’t be happier. For him, it’s been a long time coming. Guebert says that the USMCA will help Illinois farmers in much bigger ways than trade.

Guebert says that even though Illinois doesn’t border Mexico or Canada, it can’t be understated how important that relationship is.

Guebert says the farmers are absolutely elated as well.

The President has said he will sign the USMCA agreement when it gets to his desk.
 

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Regional Radio listening area until midnight on Monday.

The Weather Service says that heavy snowfall is expected through late Monday night, with 4 to 7 inches expected and locally higher amounts possible.  Ice accumulations of a light glaze is also being predicted.

Slippery road conditions can be expected with hazardous conditions for the morning and evening commute.  Officials ask you to slow down and use caution when traveling.  Keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.  

Stay tuned to Regional Radio for the latest closings and cancellations.  You can also find those, along with the latest Illinois highway conditions, by going to taylorvilledailynews-dot-com.

Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Informational meetings will be provided at the following locations for Shelby and Effingham County Producers.  2019 enrollment runs through March 15, 2020. The deadline to signup for 2020 is June 30th, 2020.

December 16th at 9:30 at Strasburg Community Building in Strasburg.

December 17th at 9:30 AM at the US Army Corps of Engineers Lake Shelbyville Visitors Center in Shelbyville.

December 18th at 6 PM at Kluthe Building in Beecher City.

December 19th at 9:30 AM at Effingham Event Center in Effingham.

December 23rd at 9:30 AM and 6 PM at Shelby County FSA Office in Shelbyville. Call ahead to reserve seating.

December 30th at 9:30 AM and 6 PM at Effingham County FSA Office in Effingham. Call ahead to reserve seating.

Producers are strongly encouraged to attend a meeting to hear the new farm bill changes and options available for signup. Please contact the Shelby County FSA office at 774-5561 extension 2 to schedule an appointment to sign up prior to the program deadlines.

Through many tears of joy and congratulatory hugs and somber moments, four people finished up their problem-solving court commencement Friday afternoon at Davis Memorial Christian Church in Taylorville. Judge Brad Paisley led the ceremony and thanked everyone for their hard work saying that problem-solving court is not easy.

Probation Supervisor Ann Wolfe warned the participants that recovery is hard, but the probation office was there to help.

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp informed the group that recovery is the most important step for them.

Regional Radio News wants to salute the following graduates of Problem Solving Court: Joe Cushing, Joshua Lynch, Dylan Russell, and Kelsey White.

A Rochester man is facing criminal charges after threatening a US Representative. 64-year-old Randall E. Tarr of Rochester has been charged with making a threatening communication against US Congressman Rodney Davis. Tarr appeared in court before US Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins in Springfield on Thursday. 

Tarr called up to Representative Davis’s office on Thursday morning and left a profanity-filled voicemail message in which he threatened to shoot the congressman.

“Man, I just saw you (unintelligible) on the TV. You backing the Russians, boy? What’s wrong with you? Are you (unintelligible) so ****** stupid? I was in the military for eight years, and you ********** are backing the Russians over our own intelligence? What is wrong with you Rodney? Oh my God. I’m not voting for you next time. You ******. I’m not voting for, boy, you are a stupid ************* I don’t care if you back Trump. But stupid ********* you’re gonna go against our military and back the Russians? You ****** ****** (Unintelligible), If I (unintelligible), I’m a sharpshooter. I could. I’d like to shoot your ***** head off you stupid ********).”

According to the affidavit filed in District Court, the voicemail message was forwarded to US Capitol Police in Washington D.C. and through caller ID, police were able to identify Tarr as the alleged caller and U.S. Capitol Police contacted the Rochester Police Department to ask officers to make contact with Tarr. Rochester Police along with the FBI interviewed Tarr and arrested him. 

Tarr admitted that he made the call and stated that he is an Army veteran but that he did not own any firearms. He also denied being under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he telephoned Congressman Davis’s office.

Tarr was charged with one count of communication of a threat to injure a person, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and one count of making a threat to a federal official which carries a statutory maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. 

In court on Thursday afternoon, Judge Schanzle-Haskins appointed the federal public defender for the bond hearing. Tarr was released from custody with the following conditions: home detention and location monitoring, prohibited contact with any victims and witnesses, no consumption of alcohol, and cooperation in drug and alcohol screening and mental health evaluation. 

Tarr is scheduled to appear in court next on December 17th. Assistant US Attorney Crystal Correa is representing the government in the prosecution, while the FBI and Rochester Police Department continue conducting the investigation.

The Department of Justice would like to remind everyone that a complaint is merely an accusation and all people are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The new SIU Family Medicine and Memorial Behavioral Health location at 303 East Bidwell across from Kroger in Taylorville on Wednesday, showed off their new free-standing location during an Open House December Eleventh.  

Miller Media Group radio stations WTIM and WMKR broadcast live, and visited with Iris Wesley, Executive Director of the SIU Center of Family Medicine, about how this is a win-win for all patients.

Wesley also appreciates the partnership with Taylorville Memorial Hospital as well.

SIU Family Medicine has provided the Christian County community health care for the un-and-underinsured, since January of this year, in space provided by Taylorvillle Memorial Hospital, before moving into their free-standing location and opening October First.

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar discussed the misuse of isolation rooms within some school districts in Illinois.
 

Manar went on to say that some of the things that have been exposed about isolation rooms are deeply disturbing.

Senator Manar was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation hosted a fundraiser titled “Gifts of the Season.” The fundraiser was hosted at the Pillars Event Center in Taylorville on December 7th. Shirley DeFraities and Cheryl Huggins hosted the event which had music by group “Wild Columbine” and food from Italian Restaurant Angelo’s. 

The program showcased 6 scholarships and educational grants that have been given by TMH Foundation this year and recognized through a ceremony those who had helped the night of the December 1st tornado.

Raedena Ryan executive director of TMH Foundation thanked the donors. “This evening was such a special event to recognize donors who have invested in local students who have aspirations to achieve higher education. It is truly wonderful to have the community come together to support these students and to recognize the impact of their donations.”

The TMH Foundation announced that there were $57,000 given to local students for educational assistance in 2019. For more information visit taylorvillememorialhospital.org/foundation.

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she talked about some upcoming events that will occur in Taylorville. On Monday afternoon, there will be a ribbon cutting at Taylorville Skilled Nursing and Rehab. The celebration is from 1-3 and the ribbon cutting will be at 1:30 at 800 Mc Adam Drive in Taylorville.
 

Safe Passage will be hosting an event this Saturday, December 14th starting at 4 o’clock at the Moose Hall in Taylorville. Tickets are $10 at the door. There will be a cash bar, DJ, live & silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and a wing bar.

Finally, on Saturday, January 25th starting at 6:30 AM and running until 11 at the Moose Lodge, the Taylorville Kiwanis Club will be having their annual breakfast. Tickets are $7 for adults and kids 12 and under are $4 dollars.

Hornbuckle was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A marijuana cultivation center will be coming to Shelby County. The State of Illinois along with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announced that Shelby County Community Services in Shelbyville is approved to grow cannabis for adult use. This brings the number of cultivation centers in Illinois to 16. The cultivation centers will sell the product to the dispensaries who will then distribute it.

Jeff Cox, Bureau Chief of Medicinal Plants for the IDOA says that this will allow freedom for these licenses to move from medicinal to recreational cannabis.

Adult-use cannabis license applications for craft growers, infusers and transporters will be available through the IDOA beginning on January 7th, 2020 with an application deadline for March 15, 2020. Cox explains what craft growers are.

Cox also explained what infusers and transporters are as well.

Cannabis will be legal in Illinois on January 1st, 2020.

Suzie Edwards is the Child Passenger Safety Technician at the Moultrie County Health Department and she talked about the importance of using car seats for your children even if your just going a very short distance.
 

Edwards went on to talk about the importance of understanding what type of car seat that your child belongs in.

Edwards went on to say that your child should stay in a rear facing car seat as long as possible.

Edwards was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

The new Accelerators Program is going to help Illinois. That is the message that Golden Apple President Alan Mather wants everyone to know. The program, that was announced by Senator Andy Manar on Wednesday, will help fix the teacher shortage in Illinois. Mather says that people probably don’t realize just how important this program is to Illinois.

Mather says if you want to be a teacher and you have a bachelor’s degree, this is a good way to get a jumpstart on that teachers degree.

Mather also says that he wouldn’t be able to do this without the help of Blackburn College.

For more information on Golden Apple and the Accelerators Program visit https://www.goldenapple.org/. 

Glenda Plunkett is the Public Health Service Coordinator at the Moultrie County Health Department and she talked about what happens once you quit smoking.

Plunkett went on to say that the longer you don’t smoke the more your body is able to heal.

Smoking doesn’t just impact your health, but the health of those around you, so when you quit smoking you’re not only doing yourself a favor, but you’re doing your loved ones a favor as well.

Plunkett was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

Lake Land College held its board of trustees meeting on December 9th and approved funding and construction bids for a new Foundation and Alumni Center. Several bids were approved and over $725,000 has already been contributed to the project.

Christina Donsbach, executive director for college advancement, says that she is absolutely excited. “We are very excited to have a generous donation from the Neal Charitable Lead Trust to invest in the new center.” 

Lake Land College Board Chair Doris Reynolds says that she thinks this will do a lot for the students and the community. “The Foundation and Alumni do so much for our students, our college and our community. We are very pleased to partner with the Foundation to create a new center that not only recognizes their contributions but welcomes alumni home to their alma mater.”

The old pole barn bookstore building will be demolished and the new foundation and alumni center will be built there. The facility will be used as a welcome center, and help current students with the Alumni Office. It will also include a location for the College Advancement Staff that includes foundation and alumni.

Construction is expected to begin in early spring with a completion date of August 2020. The project will cost $2.2 million dollars.

Zak Horn is the founder of Metro Communications and he talked a little bit about what it is that they do every day. 

Horn went on to talk about how it was that he started Metro Communications and what they did as a company when they first got started.

Finally, Horn discussed the success that Metro Communications has had and how they had no idea that doing one project for a friend would expand the way that it did.

Horn was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

Senator Manar Speaks at Blackburn College. Picture courtesy: Jack McNeil

A new program is being put together to bring more teachers into the classrooms in Illinois. State Senator Andy Manar joined officials from Golden Apple and Blackburn College Wednesday morning for an announcement of the Accelerators Program.

This Accelerators Program will help quickly prepare highly-qualified teachers in areas of the state where they’re most needed including Central Illinois. Senator Manar says that he is proud of the direction of this movement.

Manar says that he put out a call to the state to fix the teacher shortage and Golden Apple stepped up.

Within the first year, 50 candidates will begin their training so that they can enter the teaching profession by 2021/2022. The program is part of a series of initiatives put forward by Senator Manar that has garnered bipartisan support. Manar thanked Golden Apple President Alan Mather for his hard work on the project.

The program will provide a one-year residency and training program allowing for additional assistance to districts while also preparing teachers. Program participants will receive a $30,000 stipend towards coursework or housing, teaching licensure within 15 months, one-year residency in a partner school in Southern, Central, or Western Illinois and much more.

Laurrie Minor is the Executive Director of the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development and she talked about the upcoming big Christmas celebration tomorrow in Sullivan.

The event will kick off at 4 o’clock tomorrow afternoon on the square. The parade will kick off at 6 o’clock. There will be Christmas music, a tree lighting ceremony, a smores bar, and real Reindeer.

Kathleen Preissing is a Peace Corps Fellow working with the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development. Preissing talked about some of the local businesses that will be open late on Friday night.

Minor and Preissing were guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

Springfield Memorial Center will be hosting a monthly breast cancer support group in 2020. A series of monthly meetings will take place at 5 PM on the second Tuesday of each month in the Clarke Conference Room at 701 North First Street in Springfield.

In January Dr. Patricia Fank will speak on dealing with anxiety, stress and other emotions. In February, Dr. Karen Hoelzer will talk about Mission Ghana. In March, Dr. Casey Younkin will talk about bone health as it relates to Breast Cancer. In April, Dr. Nicole Florence and Wendi Schutte will talk about healthy lifestyle choices and in May Mary O’Conner will talk about genetics and breast cancer.

In June Walgreens will stop by and talk about skincare for cancer patients and in July Peggy Means will be hosting an art project. In August Dr. Leslie Smith will be talking about healthy cooking and in September Richard Wiese will speak about emergency management at home. In October Dr. Namita Vinayek will talk about targeted therapies for breast cancer treatment and in November there will be a holiday social with a dinner.

There will be no event in December but events will resume in 2021. For more information on the listed meetings call 757-7684.

A great crowd got tours of the new SIU Family Medicine and Memorial Behavioral Health location at 303 East Bidwell across from Kroger in Taylorville on Wednesday, as an Open House was held.  The 2 entities moved into the free-standing facility and opened October First, after operating inside Taylorville Memorial Hospital on a limited basis since the first of the year.

Miller Media Group radio stations WTIM and WMKR broadcast live, and visited with Doctor Jerry Kruse, Dean and Provost of the SIU School of Medicine, who said the need to serve the unserved and underserved for health care in Christian County, was why the Taylorville facility opened.

Doctor Kruse added the new free-standing location is optimal for family health care.

For an appointment at the new SIU Family Medicine and Memorial Behavioral Health in Taylorville, call 824-eleven-thirty-four.

The Christian County C-E-O, or "Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities" students, held a breakfast for their parents, board members and mentors, at their new meeting location, the Christian County Extension Office, this morning.

Following the breakfast, students showed those in attendance how they're brainstorming for their next class business which will be an event taking place this winter.

C-E-O facilitator Dick Adams told Regional Radio News what the students were doing in their class this morning.

Adams says the students follow Roberts Rules of Order to vet what will become their next business.

The Christian County C-E-O program, now in its 4th year, offers high school seniors in Christian County, the opportunity to learn business experience away from the classroom.  Find out more on-line at christiancounty-c-e-o-dot-com.

Safe Passage is a program that helps people with serious addiction issues and they’re currently looking drivers who can drive clients to rehab. If you’re interested in helping, you can call Denise Evans, the Director of Safe Passage by calling her at 777-0080.
 

Evans went on to discuss how Safe Passage is a self funded program and that they’ll be hosting a fundraiser this Saturday, December 14th, 2019 at 4 o’clock at the Moose Hall in Taylorville.
 

Evans went on to talk about how they are still looking for donations for the fundraiser.

Tickets are $10 dollars at the door. There will be a DJ, Silent Auction, a 50/50 raffle, and a live auction. For more information call Denise Evans at 777-0080. Evans was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

January 12th is the last day for you to see The Greatest Generations Exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in the Illinois Gallery. The exhibit, according to Joe Crain the Director of Public Programs at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, is dedicated to the greatest generation and tells the story of WWII from beginning to end.

Crain went on to discuss what you will be able to find at the Greatest Generation exhibit.

Finally, Crain talked about the new exhibit that will debut at the museum in March of 2020.

For more information about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum please visit PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov. Crain was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County Hazards and Mitigation Teams met on Tuesday afternoon for their third meeting in an effort to secure grants from FEMA and IEMA. In the meeting today, Andrea Bostwick with AEC informed the group what vulnerabilities affect Christian County and the vulnerability assessment.

One way to assess vulnerabilities was to calculate the size of an area impacted by the tornado, then use the area impacted followed by estimating potentially damaged housing. Some areas would get more than others based on how many houses were in what areas. For instance, Stonington has a smaller population but many more houses crowded together in a small area than Taylorville does. 

The other vulnerability that was discussed was flooding. This time the type of flood was looked at along with the scope of the flood event and what areas would flood. 

The participants of the meeting rated tornadoes as the biggest hazard with thunderstorms, floods, winter storms, and hazardous materials incidents rounding out the top 5 for hazard rankings. The next Christian County Mitigation Meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 3rd.

The EF-3 Tornado that went through Taylorville on December 1st, 2018 completely devastated the community. Mayor Bruce Barry hosted an event to commemorate the one year anniversary of the tornado on December 1st, 2019. State Representative Avery Bourne was at the event and she said that it was all about the helpers.

Representative Bourne went on to say that the event on December 1st, 2019 was a good way to say thank you to everyone who helped Taylorville recover from the devastating EF-3 tornado.
 

Finally, Representative Bourne went on to talk about the two ethics measures that Governor JB Pritzker recently signed into law.
 

Representative Bourne was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

Stonington Mayor Ryan Marucco has announced he is resigning his position as Mayor in January. Marucco says that he is just a little too busy with his other job which is Regional Manager for the Secretary of State.

Marucco says that he will most remember how his town came together during the EF-3 Tornado.

Marucco just wants to make sure everyone in Stonington knows just how much they mean to him.

For more information on Stonington visit villageofstonington.com.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club hosted some 25 Taylorville High School students that are part of this year’s Madrigal performances, during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the club’s new meeting place, the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Under the direction of music instructor Keith Chase, the THS students performed several of the songs they’re performing as part of this year’s Madrigal Dinner.

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

Gwen Podeschi and Sharon Hill are Master Gardeners with the University of Illinois Extension Office in Christian County and they talked about how they feel responsible to let people know about the importance of taking care of your live Christmas Tree.

Hill talked about how you should care for your live Christmas Tree after you bring it home.

Podeschi went on to talk about the beauty of a live Christmas Tree and how long it’s safe to keep your live tree up.

Podeschi and Hill were guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

CTI presented a check to the Taylorville School District Monday Night. Adam Vocks presented the $400 check to Superintendent Chris Dougherty after the School Board meeting. Vocks says that this was a promotion for the School District for everyone that signed up in October.

Vocks says that it’s great to see how much the community supports the School District.

CTI continues to help the community and the school through technology. For more information on CTI call 824-6398.

Joe Crain is the Director of Public Programs and Marketing at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and he discussed the recent showing of the Gettysburg Address at the museum and when they’ll have it out for people to see again.

Crain went on to discuss some of the upcoming events that they’ll be having at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum over the next few months.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will be hosting a Tales from the Vault: Civil War Battles event with Dr. Christian McWhirter this Thursday at the Library at 12 o’clock.

For more information about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum please visit PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov. Crain was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Illinois Farm Bureau conducted an annual survey and found three overwhelming things: Farmers have less optimism for 2020, there is a need to regain lost export demand, and building new global markets is vital for the future. 

Other priorities that were listed in the survey include pushing for USMCA ratification, expanding investment in modern waterway infrastructure on the Mississippi and Illinois River and keeping the renewable fuel standard.

Farmer's big concerns over 2020 included holding off on purchases of new and improved equipment, working at or below break-even income levels, restructuring debt, and expenses higher than income which meant more risk.

Over 50% of Farmers also indicated that it was likely that farmers would continue to be farmed by the next generation. Over 2,700 people responded to the survey and this is the ninth year that the Illinois Farm Bureau has conducted this survey. 

Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Junior is concerned for the future. “In 2019, farmers were challenged with historic flooding, delayed planting and harvesting, ongoing trade wars, and demand destruction to the biofuels market, all of which were key factors in contributing to a sluggish farm economy and continued uncertainty for our Illinois farmers. This is the ninth consecutive year we’ve surveyed members to gauge their feelings on key farming issues and concerns. It helps us as leaders ensure we’re tackling the issues and needs of our members and prioritizing our resources to the best of our abilities.”

The IFB has a total membership of more than 386,000 members and represents 3 out of every 4 Illinois farmers.

Illinois State Representative Avery Bourne talked about the big push that they’re getting ready to make on Fair Maps.

Representative Bourne talked about the bipartisan support that Fair Maps has within the Illinois General Assembly and across all of Illinois.

Representative Bourne went on to discuss the misuse of isolation rooms within the Illinois school system.

Representative Bourne was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Village of Strasburg held a recognition ceremony on Saturday, December 7th. The 2019 Volunteer of the Year award was given to Doug Quast. Mr. Quast is an original member of the Strasburg Community Action Network. 

The nomination that had been written up for Mr. Quast noted that he had served on the village board. Mr. Quast woke up at 2:30 AM and smoked sausage for SCAN’s Santa Brigade Breakfast, he has mowed the park during village employee transitions, was co-chair of the Hog Roast for several years, helps organize the parades int eh Village, has been instrumental in ordering the new brackets and rehanging the Gnome flags in town and building new mailboxes in the Village.  Mr. Quast has also volunteered his time on the Burnout in the Burg committee and gave his time to frame out and pour concrete for the Burnout in the Burg as well. 

Regional Radio News wants to salute Doug Quast for his hard work this year and recognize him as the 2019 Strasburg Volunteer of the Year.

Pictured – Doug Quast and Strasburg Village President Cinda Held

The Taylorville School District met Monday evening and went through plenty throughout the night. The School Board honored 17 students for outstanding academic achievement. Kristina Allen, Victoria Anselm, Jase Bergschneider, Connor Chase, Abigail Danielson, Natali Daum, Blake Donnan, Nicholas Goodman, Alexander Morelock, Parth Patel, Chloe Reed, Eric Schafer, Tyler Sherbert, Molly Smith, Peyton Smith, Ashlee Vocks, and Camden Woodward were all recognized. 

The School Board also recognized the music department for it’s Madrigal Dinner and successful 7th-grade girl’s basketball state run. 

Under old business, the 2019 tax levy was voted on and approved 7-0. Strategic Planning Committee meeting updates were given. Among things that were discussed during the strategic planning committee meetings was an approval to look into a new building for the District Offices. Board Member Sarah Van Huss talked about improving Taylorville’s Social Media presence. 

Under new business, a motion was approved for looking into work on the Memorial Drainage maintenance project. Maintenance Director, Steve Walters informed the board that there were two plans, but they were relatively the same idea. 

The sewer system that is in place was built in 1893 and it just can’t handle the amount of rainwater and other liquid that it has to remove so the building floods constantly. The plan was approved for “B” which wouldn’t remove the playground but add mulch in an effort to try to control the water that is coming into the area from the surrounding buildings.

Right now Walters is estimating that the project will be $350,000-$400,000 dollars. 

There will also be a school improvement plan worked on for Taylorville Junior High School as well. Dr. Chris Dougherty spoke highly of the work that the teachers have done with their students.
 

Rosanne Reynolds is the Shelby County Community Services Case Manager and she discussed what it is that she does at Shelby County Community Services including a really important program called the Respite Program.
 

Reynolds went on to discuss the different types of clients that she works with at Shelby County Community Services.

Reynolds went on to discuss the Respite Program and how they’re looking for more families who might be interested.

If you’re interested in getting more information about the Respite Program, you can call Rosanne Reynolds at 774-5587. Reynolds was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

After much waiting and anticipation, Pana Community Hospital will be finishing up the second phase of its building project.  Phase II of the building project will be unveiled in an open house celebration on Thursday, December 12th. The event will have a short program and ribbon cutting at 4:30 with the open house to follow until 6 PM. 

Updates to the hospital include a front addition including reception, registration, and urgent care that you can view with the open house. You can also see updates from Phase 1 during the open house as well. The 20.3 million dollar project for Phase 1 began in 2017. The project added 30,000 square feet to the hospital. The first phase added space for a new surgical suite, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, cardiopulmonary, materials management, and nutritional services including a harvest cafe.

The project slogan has been called, “Your Health, Our Future.” To get more information on Pana Community Hospital, visit their website or find them on Facebook.

Ariel Short is the Director of the Greater Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce and she discussed the December 2019 member of the month.

Short went on to discuss how the member of the month is chosen.

Finally, Short went on to discuss how Downtown Shelbyville is growing and some new businesses are going downtown.

Short was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

The Taylorville School Board will meet this evening to discuss school business and go over communications. Taylorville High School will recognize its Illinois Scholars. There will be 16 students recognized for their hard work. Personnel moves will be discussed. Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty, will discuss strategic planning committee updates and school board conference takeaways.

Under new business, there will be consideration of memorial drainage maintenance project, a school improvement plan for Taylorville Junior High School, the first reading of ISBE Press Plus Policy Updates, and a superintendent report to include curriculum and legal.

The Taylorville School Board meets at the Administration Education Center which is located at 512 West Spresser Street in Taylorville on December 9th at 7 PM for the regular Board of Education Meeting.

Sarah Haslett is the Natural Resources Specialist in the Interpretative Services and Outreach Department at the US Army Corps of Engineers. She discussed the upcoming 2020 Lake Shelbyville Fish Habitat Alliance Banquet at the VFW Hall in Sullivan from 4 until 9:30 on Saturday, February 22nd.

Haslett went on to talk about sponsorships at the upcoming Fish Habitat Alliance Banquet.

Haslett went on to discuss the need for volunteers for the upcoming summer 2020 season.

Haslett was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

A candidate will challenge Avery Bourne for her seat in the Illinois House of Representatives. Lawrence Oliver is running against Avery Bourne for the 95th District. Oliver, will run in the primary against Bourne on March 17, 2020 with the election for the seat in November. Oliver says he’s running because of taxes.

Oliver talked about taxes and said the State needs to stop living beyond its means.

Oliver also said that while he agrees we need to put money into road projects, he’d like to see the money actually go towards fixing the roads and not padding pockets.

Oliver says that he and Bourne actually agree on quite a few topics, but taxes are definitely not one of them. Regional Radio News will have more on Lawrence Oliver and Avery Bourne as the primary elections get closer.

Illinois State Police arrested one of their own on Friday afternoon. 29 year old Trooper James T. Dierkes of Greenville was arrested on one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault. On Tuesday, Vandalia City Police required assistance for allegations of criminal sexual assault made against Dierkes. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred, at Vandalia Community High School, before Dierkes became a state trooper.

ISP Agents conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations made. The victim said that there had been inappropriate sexual contact made on multiple occasions during his employment at the High School. During the investigation, it was revealed that Dierkes had sexual contact with another victim as well. 

On Friday, Dierkes was taken into custody and immediately relieved of his duty as a State Trooper. He is being held at the Fayette County Jail facing the charges put forth by State’s Attorney Joshua C. Morrison.  His bond was set at $1,000,000.  

Brendan F. Kelly, ISP Director, released the following statement, “Illinois State Police Special Agents treated the victim’s allegations as credible and within hours of disclosure initiated an investigation leading to these charges. ISP agents are fiercely protective of brave crime victims and fiercely protective of the integrity of the Illinois State Police so we urge any victims to come forward." 

When the ISP did their background checks, no evidence had been shown that he had committed any criminal misconduct. Anyone with additional information should contact the ISP at 622-0924.

Taylorville Home Source will be getting a new building. The new store will be located on East Park Street near the Department of Motor Vehicles. The footing was poured late last month. Owner Rick White says that he is hoping to have the building completed by April or May. This has been something they have been working on for the last 6 months. The store which will be about 3,500 square feet bigger is exactly what Rick is looking for. It will go from about 5,000 square feet to about 8,500 square feet. They simply were outgrowing where they were at. 

Rick also loves the location due to the fact that they do a lot of work in Pana and the new location puts it on a better route and feels there will be more traffic rather than where he is at right now.

Rick also told Regional Radio News that most customers are supportive of the move and are happy with all of the different lines he carries and the work that he does.

Tara Nickerson is the Program Director at Physician's Choice Wellness and she talked about the abundance of overeating that happens during the holiday season and how things have evolved over the past few decades.

Nickerson went on to talk about the importance of not giving up on your diet during the holidays.

Finally, Nickerson talked about how they’re trying to grow in and around Taylorville and because of that they’re waving the $135 enrollment fee during the month of December.
 

For more information you can visit their website, healthylifestyleweightloss.com or call 864-2085. Nickerson was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A new survey is being issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation and they are looking for feedback on the state’s transportation system. The survey will be available through December 31st. You can access it here by visiting idot.illinois.gov.  The survey is conducted with the University of Illinois Springfield and topics range from road conditions to public transport to the way you drive. The survey has been conducted annually since 2001 and results from every year can be found on the IDOT website. For full IDOT updates visit Twitter at @idot_illinois or visit gettingaroundillinois.com. 

The Holiday Business After Hours was at Ace Hardware on December 3rd and Patty Hornbuckle, the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce talked about a special guest appearance that they had.

The SIU Center for Family Medicine-Taylorville and Memorial Behavioral Health will be hosting a ribbon cutting and Open House from 4-6 on December 11th.

Florinda’s Italian Restaurant will be hosting their first ever New Years Eve Party from 9pm until 1am on New Years Eve. For tickets you can call Florinda’s at 287-2226 and $20 per ticket is being donated to Missions for Taylorville.

Hornbuckle was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A new food stamp policy could affect over 2500 people in Central Illinois counties and over 140,000 people in Illinois.  The Trump administration announced new rules that would take able-bodied people off of the food stamp program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Meghan Powers, Director of Communications with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) released a statement denouncing the move.

 

“Our administration has adamantly opposed the federal rule change to SNAP policy that would require work requirements from approximately 140,000 low-income individuals in Illinois and hundreds of thousan ds more across the country. Many SNAP participants face serious barriers to employment, such as mental illnesses, substance use disorders, justice involvement and significant physical limitations, and would not be able to immediately meet the work requirements. IDHS has been working for months to appropriately exempt any individuals with these barriers so they do not need to meet the work requirements. However, we also recognize that some of our customers can and want to work. To that end, IDHS has also engaged in a robust effort to prepare for this rule chage so we can help as many SNAP participants as possible find employment and training that would meet the work requirement.”

Illinois, in general, has worked hard on ways to implement several new initiatives and expand employment programs. Specialty teams have been established that work solely with able-bodied customers to help them with work or training. An interagency team was established with the Illinois Departments of Employment Security and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Community College Board to develop robust referral resources for work. Funding services were provided for transportation, uniforms, professional licenses and other work-related needs were provided. IDHS continues to work with the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities to analyze the new rules. 

In Central Illinois, 625 people in Christian, 214 in Shelby, 495 in Montgomery, 310 in Fayette, and 674 people in Macoupin County could lose benefits.

Tara Reed is the manager of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Sullivan and she discussed that they’re looking for the next family for the next Habitat Home.

If you’re interested in being considered for the next Habitat home, the application process will start in January and is open to anyone who is willing to relocate to Moultrie County.

Everything that is sold from the ReStore goes towards the purchase of the Habitat home.

Reed was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

US Representative Rodney Davis spoke at the House of Representatives and recognized the city of Taylorville one year after an EF-3 tornado went through the city. Representative Davis praised former EMA Director and Fire Chief Mike Crews for their hard work during and right after the catastrophic event.

Representative Davis also was encouraged by the generosity of so many people.

There were special thanks for Missions for Taylorville and a prayer for those still in need.

US Representative Rodney Davis made his remarks to the House on Thursday morning.

Regional Radio News has learned of death investigation results for a motor vehicle accident that occurred in November. Christian County Coroner Amy Calvert Winans announced that 61-year-old Cheryl D. Laughlin died on November 5th of multiple blunt injuries of the chest due to a motor vehicle striking multiple fixed objects. The death was determined to be accidental.  Mrs. Laughlin was pronounced dead at Pana Community Hospital E.R. The investigation was handled by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

Stephanie Helmuth is the Moultrie County Treasurer and she talked about how she was able to work with the Circuit Clerk to create a dropbox for tax payments.

Helmuth went on to discuss how they were able to implement ACH payments.

Finally, Helmuth talked about why she decided to change up the investment strategy for Moultrie County.

Helmuth was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

The Taylorville Public Library always has events going on, and the month of December is no different.

There is a recurring club called Lego Club. Program and Outreach Coordinator with the Taylorville Public Library, Jessica Green, is excited for what December has in store for the group.
 

Lego Club allows kids to use creativity, and Green says what they come up with is really amazing.

To see what creations have been made by the Lego Club, Green says you just have to visit the library.
 

For more information and to see upcoming events you can visit the Taylorvile Public Library website.

Jeri Davis is the coordinator of the Sullivan Hometown Holidays Parade and she discussed what you can expect to see at the parade on December 13th at 6pm in Sullivan.

Davis went on to discuss why they decided to move the parade to the night time.

Finally, Davis discussed why they decided to have a parade grand marshall for the first time in almost a decade.

Davis was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Center in Sullivan.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is offering tips for helping people with safety. There are plenty of ways for you to stay safe this holiday season, whether it’s decorating, heating, shopping, or traveling.

For holiday decorating, the IEMA reminds you to never leave candles unattended. Always place candles on stable furniture in fire-safe holders that will catch the wax. Holiday lights should always be tested for safety and kept away from flammable materials.

For winter heating, make sure your fireplace is regularly inspected and cleaned. Check furnaces every year to make sure that they are functioning properly and nothing is blocking the flue. Furnaces that malfunction can cause fire and carbon monoxide issues.

For holiday shopping, if you are online, make sure your internet is password protected. Shop online through trusted retailers. Do not download attachments from unknown senders. For shopping in retail stores, make sure you park near a well-lighted area, and if you can always bring a friend shopping.

For holiday travel, remember to pack an emergency supply kit with essentials. Make sure you have cell phone numbers and chargers with you. Check local road conditions and avoid travel during difficult storms. If traveling in the air, review TSA security screening tips and bring a spare USB power bank.

For more information on holiday safety visit IEMA on Facebook or Twitter. Get more safety news on www.ready.illinois.gov.

Ashley Earnest is the Public Relations Manager at the Central Illinois Food Bank and she discussed an upcoming event tomorrow at the Walmart in Springfield.

Bob Bartolazzi is the Manager of Program Services at the Central Illinois Food Bank and he discussed a brand new program called Nudges that’s designed to help individuals make healthier food choices.

Finally, Earnest discussed how they introduced Nudges into Central Illinois.

Bartolazzi and Earnest were guests on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Moose Lodge in Taylorville honored first responders on Wednesday in a special ceremony that also featured the Moose Lodge Supreme Governor Rodney Hammond. David Luttrell, the administrator with Moose Lodge 1516 thanked everyone for coming. 

Governor Hammond spoke to the people that were there and thanked the first responders for their work in Taylorville. He also had a present for all of the first responders, a stuffed animal named “Tommy Moose.”

Hammond went on to say he hopes that they never have to use the Tommy Mooses and that he along with the other members of the Lodge appreciate all First Responders do for Taylorville.

The Moose Lodge is located at 720 McAdam Drive and for more information on Moose Lodge 1516, visit their Facebook page.

A death investigation by the Christian County Coroner, Amy Calvert Winans, has been released to Regional Radio News. On Monday, December 2nd, 2019, Taylorville Police responded to a check welfare call at the residence in the 800 block of East Stevenson. Upon arrival, officers located a 34-year-old male deceased in his residence. Coroner Winans identified the male as 34-year-old David Brown of Taylorville. Preliminary investigations indicate that Mr. Brown died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  The Taylorville Police are handling the investigation.

The Taylorville Public Library always has events going on, and the month of December is no different.

According to Jessica Green, Program and Outreach Coordinator with the library, one of their big events is their Holiday Open House happening on December 13th.
 

The Taylorville Public Library does several open houses during the year, but Green says they hope this one is different.
 

Later in the month, the Taylorville Public Library will be hosting a Holiday Movie Premiere that Green hopes the community will enjoy.
 

For more information and to see upcoming events you can visit the Taylorvile Public Library website.

With flu season officially underway, being prepared is very important. One way to stay healthy is by getting a flu shot.

It’s National Influenza Vaccination Awareness Week and Dr. Ngozi Ezike with the Illinois Department of Public Health, wants people to know it’s not too late to get a flu shot.

Dr. Ezike says that the vaccination takes a few weeks to kick in so it’s better to receive the shot earlier than later. However, vaccinations aren’t the only way to avoid the virus.
 

At the end of the day, Dr. Ezike wants everyone to know that getting a flu shot does just as much for the community as it does the individual.
 

For more information visit the IDPH website.

Ashley Earnest is the Public Relations Manager at the Central Illinois Food Bank and she talked about what it is that they focus on.

Earnest went on to discuss the importance of Giving Tuesday and she also discussed how you can get involved at the Central Illinois Food Bank.

Finally, Earnest discussed the brand new Meal Connect Program and how you can get involved with it.

Earnest was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

There is a whole lot going on at the Senior Center this Holiday season and Judy Gates with the Taylorville Senior Center and the CEFS Meals on Wheels Program talked about two important programs that they put on every year, the Angel Tree and the Memory Tree.

Gates went on to discuss some of the upcoming events and trips that the Taylorville Senior Center will be having over the next few weeks.

Finally, Gates discussed the upcoming Christmas Party on December 19th. Santa will be in attendance, there will be door prizes, and a silent auction.
 

Gates was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville City Council met Monday evening to discuss business and update and amend ordinances. After honoring the 7th grade girls basketball team as the recognized Youth of the Month, ordinances were discussed. An Ordinance passed for water annexations and annual abatements along with increasing liquor and gaming annual license fees. The fee will be raised to $3,000 for all establishments that have video gaming except clubs. 

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry thanked everyone for coming out to the December 1st memorial of the tornado that was held at the VFW on Sunday. Mayor Barry is still looking at ways to improve roads, sidewalks, and alleys. Mayor Barry also announced that the city will be submitting another application to the Department of Commerce and economic opportunity. The city is applying for the grant to reimburse costs for the first four months of the cleanup. 

The Alderman voted 6-2 in favor of a sewer rate increase for the next five years.  The rate would increase by about 15 cents per 100 gallons by the year 2024.  This increase would only be for city sewer fees and not water reclamation fees. Alderman Larry Budd said that the city has lost nearly 1.5 million to 2 million in the last 5 years in the sewer fund. Budd continued by saying the fund is supposed to be self-sustaining, but it’s currently running in the red.

The Alderman also voted on increasing taxi cab fees to $100 annually. There would also be changes to fines with $250 dollars for individuals who violate it and $500 for the taxi cab companies plus costs.

The bills were approved for $378,183.58.

On December First, 2018, the City of Taylorville changed forever, when an EF-3 tornado hit the community.  

On Sunday, Taylorville mayor Bruce Barry hosted an event at the V-F-W to commemorate the first anniversary of the tornado, and honored the hundreds of people that have helped in recovery.  Over 250 attended, and WMKR Genuine Country 94-point-3 broadcast the event live.

Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce C-E-O Patty Hornbuckle spoke with Regional Radio News during the event, about her involvement in the hours following the tornado.

Regional Radio News reminds you that all 13 of our features entitled “Remembering the Taylorville Tornado, One Year Later” can be heard on-line at taylorvilledailynews-dot-com.

(Taylorville)--The Taylorville Kiwanis Club held their monthly business meeting, during their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the club’s new meeting place, the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Kiwanis committee chairs reported on the work they’re doing to benefit children and youth in the Taylorville community.

Kiwanis president Sarah Van Huss reported that due to the generosity of club members during their weekly “Happy Bucks” collections in November, over 420-dollars will be presented to H-S-H-S Medical Group Taylorville, which the club is partnering with, to provide Christmas to children of some local needy families.

Also during the meeting, newly inducted Kiwanis member James LeVault was officially presented his Kiwanis name badge.

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

Bailey Hancock is the Recreation Director at the Taylorville Park District and she discussed the upcoming 32nd annual Christmas In The Park.
 

Christmas In The Park will kick off with the Jingle Bell Walk on December 12th starting at 6 o’clock. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served in the dining room and glow sticks will be available for the kids.

Finally, Hancock discussed the Supper with Santa & Mrs. Claus event on December 13th from 6 until 8 in the dining hall.
 

For more information you can visit the Park District website at taylorvilleparkdistrict.com or call 824-5878 or 824-3110. Hancock was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

A Langleyville man is behind bars today after a narcotic enforcement traffic stop. At 10:45 PM on November 27th, Taylorville Police Department initiated a traffic stop and arrested 42 year old Charles R. Hays of Langleyville. Mr. Hays was charged with armed violence, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of meth with intent to deliver.

Mr. Hays was arraigned yesterday and bond was set at $800,000. Mr. Hays has an extensive criminal history and Taylorville Police believe that he was a source for distributing methamphetamine in Christian County. Taylorville Police would like to thank Mike Havera for approving Mr. Hays's charges after review. Mr. Havera made it clear in court that this will not be tolerated in this county. 

A preliminary hearing is set for December 20th, in Christian County Court.

The Taylorville Police Department in coordination with the Taylorville Fire Department will be hosting an event. The event is a Christmas Cards for Troops event. It will take place on December 8th at the Taylorville Fire House from 3-6 PM. Taylorville Police Officer Kirsten Bollinger says that this will be a great event.

Officer Bollinger says that there will be plenty of activities going on for kids to help give back to those who can’t be at home during the holidays.

For more information visit the Taylorville Police Department Facebook page. If you know of someone who is deployedand you want to send them some cards, please email the Taylorville Police Department with their name and mailing address at community.policing@taylorvillepolice.com so they can send them a card.

Janelle Cornell is a Clinical Dietitian at Taylorville Memorial Hospital and she discussed the upcoming Cooking Under Pressure Class that will take place at TMH on Tuesday December 10th from 2:30-4:00 in the afternoon and then again from 6:00-7:30 in the auditorium.

The event is being co-hosted by Lisa Peterson from the University of Illinois Extension Office and Taylorville Memorial Hospital. The event is designed for individuals who have little to no experience with using a pressure cooker.
 

Finally, Cornell discussed some of different types of recipes that you might expect to find at the Cooking Under Pressure event.
 

Cornell was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

On December First, 2018, the City of Taylorville changed forever, when an EF-3 tornado hit the community.  

On Sunday, Taylorville mayor Bruce Barry hosted an event at the V-F-W to commemorate the first anniversary of the tornado, and honored the hundreds of people that have helped in recovery.  Over 250 attended, and WMKR Genuine Country 94-point-3 broadcast the event live.

U-S Congressman and Taylorville native Rodney Davis spoke and was thankful for no loss of life.

Stay tuned for more features as we Remember the Taylorville Tornado, One Year Later.

Taylorville Memorial Hospital was recognized by the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN).  TMH received a “4-star” rating for its ongoing commitment to exceptional quality of care. TMH was rated on four areas; patient safety/inpatient, patient engagement, care transitions, and outpatient measures. 

TMH was honored as top performer for all four areas based on surveys that were given to patients. The surveys allowed consumers to be able to rate hospitals and compare ratings of services that are provided.  TMH President and CEO Kim Bourne says that she is thrilled about the rating. “We are very proud of our team for achieving this level of excellence in health quality. This is truly a team effort that recognizes our dedication to delivering a healthcare experience of which our patients and staff can be proud.” 

TMH was recognized during a ceremony held on November 13th at the I-Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign earlier in November. For more information on the survey visit www.hcahpsonline.org. 

Kathi Garvey is the Director at the Moultrie County Senior Center and she discussed the upcoming Holiday Bazaar that will be on Friday, December 6th & 7th at the Senior Center in Sullivan. 

Garvey went on to discuss some of the new things that will be going on at the Senior Center over the next few weeks including an event with Scovill Zoo on Tuesday, December 10th at 10 o’clock.  

The Senior Center will also be watching and discussing “It’s A Wonderful Life” at 12:30 on Thursday, December 12th with a group of students from the high school.

For more information on any of these events, you can call the Moultrie County Senior Center at 728-8521. Kathi Garvey was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Citizen Center.

The Taylorville City Council will meet this evening. There will be a motion to approve construction plans for the Hathaway Homes of Taylorville Phase 2. There will be some ordinance recommendations as well including amending the ordinance on increasing liquor/gaming license fees, zoning classifications. 

For committee reports, finance will vote on the 2020 Workers Compensation Policy Renewal Premium. There will also be a discussion on the tax levy and discussion on the BDD Benefits for further review. A five year step increase for sewer fees will be discussed with an increase of $0.003 by 2024. 

Under ordinances, the motion for changing the regulation and licensing of taxicab drivers will be discussed. Under the public facilities section, there will also be a motion for approval of the electrical services company to complete electrical work for new video equipment in the council chambers. There will also be a motion to proceed with phase 3 of the existing contract with Johnson Engineering. 

As always, there will be Mayoral, Treasurer, and City Attorney updates as well. 

Jim Plank is the Senior Executive Pastor at The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois and he talked about how it is that they decided to purchase Building 1225 in Sullivan.

Plank went on to discuss how they turned Building 1225 from a big empty building into what it is now.

Finally, Plank discussed some of the recent events that they had at Building 1225 including an employee appreciation banquet and the Mistletoe Market.  

Plank was a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from the Moultrie County Senior Citizen Center in Sullivan.

Christian County and Shelby County are meeting together on December 9th to hold an information meeting for Shelby County Board members and members of the public to discuss merging the Christian/Shelby Joint Emergency Telephone Systems Board. The public are encouraged to attend and ask questions regarding the 9-1-1 system. 

Christian County and Montgomery County are already working on merging the systems together and a discussion will take place to see what the benefits and drawbacks of adding Montgomery County would be. There would also be a discussion of the operational and financial gains and losses as well. While this is being discussed no final actions will be taken at this meeting.

The meeting will be held at the Lake Shelbyville Visitor Center at 1989 State Highway 16 in Shelbyville. Questions may be sent to Jared Rowcliffe who is the EMA coordinator at 774-1499.

The end of November is the end of National Diabetes month, but the disease will continue to effect people year round.

Luckily advances in the world of medicine have found their way into the treatment of diabetes. Dr. Rick DelValle with HSHS Medical Clinic in Taylorville explains some of the advancement.

Diet is a word that not many people like to hear. Dr. Delvalle says that while that helps, it’s not the right description of how to help avoid a diabetes diagnosis.

Dr. Delvalle says to think about what was eaten in a natural environment, before all the added sugars were in food, to get an idea of the best things to eat.

On December First, 2018, the City of Taylorville changed forever, when an EF-3 tornado hit the community.  

On Sunday, Taylorville mayor Bruce Barry hosted an event at the V-F-W to commemorate the first anniversary of the tornado, and honored the hundreds of people that have helped in recovery.  Over 250 attended, and WMKR Genuine Country 94-point-3 broadcast the event live.

Former Christian County Emergency Management Agency Director and former Taylorville Police Chief Mike Crews, told the gathering that the National Weather Service’s issuance of a tornado warning and tornado emergency, meant something big was going to happen.

Stay tuned for more features as we Remember the Taylorville Tornado, One Year Later.

On December First, 2018, the City of Taylorville changed forever, when an EF-3 tornado hit the community.  

On Sunday, Taylorville mayor Bruce Barry hosted an event at the V-F-W to commemorate the first anniversary of the tornado, and honored the hundreds of people that have helped in recovery.  Over 250 attended, and WMKR Genuine Country 94-point-3 broadcast the event live.

Missions for Taylorville spokesman Pastor Bill Kerns told the gathering that while their organization, which has been the primary vehicle for donated funds the past year, has done much for those affected, many still need assistance to rebuild.

Stay tuned for more features as we Remember the Taylorville Tornado, One Year Later.