Weekly Safety Report: Felony Charges and Fire Incident in Jefferson County, Illinois
Two incidents occurred in Jefferson County, Illinois this week. In the first incident, a Bluford woman is facing multiple felony charges including unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. She will appear in court on January 10th. In the second incident, a Dix man suffered burns while fighting a fire at his home. He was airlifted to receive medical treatment. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and prevent further damage.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Fires Damage Homes in White Hall and Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois
Two incidents occurred in Greene County, Illinois this week. The first incident involved a home and garage fire on the western edge of White Hall on Saturday night. Multiple fire departments responded to the fully involved garage fire, which spread to the adjacent house. Unfortunately, one family pet perished in the fire. The second incident took place in Carrollton on Monday morning, where a vacant home undergoing renovation caught fire. The upper story of the home was fully involved, requiring firefighters to tear out walls to access and extinguish the fire.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Hit-and-run, Domestic Attack, Bike Collision, and School Bus Fight Sentencing in Jacksonville, Illinois
This week in Jacksonville, Illinois, there were several incidents that occurred, including a hit-and-run accident, a domestic attack involving a homeless man, a bike hitting a vehicle in a school parking lot, and the sentencing of individuals involved in a school bus fight from last year.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Diesel Repair Shop Fire and Prison Guard's Failure to Assist Inmate in Cass County, Illinois
Two incidents occurred this week in Cass County, Illinois. In the first incident, a diesel repair shop in Beardstown caught fire due to the use of an oxy/acetylene torch during repair work on a semi truck. One person was inside the building at the time and was transported to a hospital. In the second incident, a former prison guard was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to provide medical assistance to an inmate who later died. The guard observed the inmate's symptoms but did not notify medical staff.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Dixon Police Seek Assistance for Shop With a Cop, Amboy Fire Department Implements Siren Notification System
This week in Lee County, Illinois, there were two incidents of note. The first incident involved the Dixon Police Department seeking assistance from SVCC Impact students for their Shop with a Cop event. Students were asked to help wrap Christmas presents for families in need. The second incident involved the Amboy Fire Department using a siren as a public notification system. The siren is sounded between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. when the department is called into action, in order to alert pedestrians and make them aware of emergency vehicles impeding traffic.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Homeless Attack, Rollover, Hit and Run, Bike Collision, and School Bus Fight in Morgan County, Illinois
This week in Morgan County, Illinois, several incidents occurred that require attention in the weekly safety report. These incidents include a homeless man sentenced for a domestic attack and stand-off with police, a semi-truck rollover causing road closure, a hit-and-run investigation, a minor injury incident involving a bike and vehicle collision, and the sentencing of the final person involved in a school bus fight from December 2022.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Crash with Injuries and House Fire Claim Life of Columbia Alum in Monroe County, Illinois
Two incidents occurred this week in Monroe County, Illinois. The first incident involved a two-vehicle crash with injuries on North Market Street in Waterloo. Emergency personnel responded to the scene. The second incident was a house fire in Brighton Park, resulting in the death of a Columbia alum. Rocío Villaseñor, a local journalist, lost her life in the fire. She was a graduate student at Columbia and had written for various publications. These incidents will be included in the weekly safety report for Monroe County.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Fire at National Guard Armory and Incentives for Macomb Police Officers
Two incidents occurred in Macomb, Illinois this week. The first incident involved a fire at the Macomb National Guard Armory, which was reported due to a burning odor and haze within the building. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The second incident pertains to the Macomb Police Department offering incentives to officers to encourage them to stay with the department. This initiative is being funded by a grant and aims to address the issue of turnover within the department.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Fatal Shooting and Illegal Guns Uncovered in Freeport, Illinois
Freeport, Illinois experienced two incidents this week that raised concerns for public safety. In the first incident, a 30-year-old man was fatally shot on Sunday morning in the 600 block of S. Carroll Avenue. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Christopher Calvin, is still at large. The second incident involved the arrest of a 17-year-old boy after illegal guns were found in his home on North Cherry Avenue during a search warrant. The guns seized included two semi-automatic pistols, one of which had an illegal switch device, along with other related items.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Speeding, Suspended License, and Retail Arrests in Rochelle, Illinois
The Rochelle Police Department in Illinois had three incidents between November 11 and December 1, 2023. These incidents include a speeding citation, an arrest for driving with a suspended license, and an arrest for retail-related charges.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Stolen Ambulance and Thanksgiving Weekend Accident in Carmi, Illinois
Two incidents occurred in Carmi, Illinois this week. In the first incident, a 54-year-old man pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen ambulance. The theft occurred in front of the ambulance barn and was reported by a concerned citizen. In the second incident, a two-vehicle accident resulted in two injuries and one arrest. The crash took place on Highway One at Little Giant Grocery, with one driver cited for failure to yield turning left.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Robbery and House Fire Hit Johnston City, Illinois
Two incidents occurred in Johnston City, Illinois this week. The first incident involved a robbery at Dr. Liquors, where two individuals broke into the store through the drive-through window and stole approximately $1,200 worth of merchandise. The second incident was a house fire on West 5th Street, where a couple was trapped inside. Firefighters from Johnston City, Herrin, and Marion responded, and the couple was eventually freed by breaking out a bedroom window. The fire caused significant damage to the home.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Threats, Crash, and Stolen Mail Fraud Impact Centralia, Illinois
This week in Centralia, Illinois, three incidents occurred that are important to note for the weekly safety report. A woman pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct for making threats against a school principal. A man was injured in a single vehicle crash on Gragg Street Road. And another man received a 94-month sentence for his involvement in stolen mail used to defraud two banks.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Hit and Run Accident and Theft of City Decorations in Oregon, Illinois
The Oregon Police Department in Oregon, Illinois, is seeking the public's assistance in two separate incidents. The first incident involves a hit and run accident where a pedestrian was struck by a silver, four-door sedan with possible tinted windows. The second incident involves the theft of several new City of Oregon Holiday Bell decorations from downtown planters. City officials are hoping for the return of the stolen decorations.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Stabbing Plea Deal and New City Hall for Marseilles, Illinois
Two incidents occurred in Marseilles, Illinois this week. In the first incident, Terry Clark pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to two years in prison for stabbing a man during a fight. The second incident involves the City of Marseilles and the Marseilles Police Department moving into a new city hall in 2024, as the owners of the Illinois Valley Cellular Building have agreed to sell it to the city.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Woman in Truck Incident and Alcohol Compliance Checks in Mount Vernon, Illinois
The incidents in Mount Vernon, Illinois this week involved a woman in a truck who was initially reported as trying to escape, but was later found with no evidence of criminal activity. Additionally, Mount Vernon police conducted alcohol compliance checks at county businesses, resulting in several citations for selling alcohol to a minor.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Cannabis-related arrests decline, Clergy Patrol introduced in Urbana
Cannabis-related arrests in Urbana have reached a historic low since the legalization of cannabis in January 2020. The decline in arrests has been more dramatic than expected, with the presence of numerous cannabis stores for recreational and medical use in the city. However, it is concerning that black people are still being arrested more often after legalization.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Vehicle Shooting, Cannabis Arrest Disparities, and Clergy Patrol in Champaign County, Illinois
This week in Champaign County, Illinois, there were three notable incidents. First, a man in Champaign survived a graze wound to the head after being approached by three unknown individuals who discharged a firearm. Second, cannabis-related arrests in Urbana have reached a historic low since the legalization of cannabis, but disparities in arrest rates between Black and non-Black individuals persist. Lastly, the Chief of Police for the Urbana Police Department plans to introduce a clergy patrol program in an effort to prevent and decrease crime in the city.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Retail Theft, DUI, Warrants, Battery, and Fraud in Salem, Illinois
This week in Salem, Illinois, several incidents occurred that required police intervention. These incidents include a woman being arrested for retail theft at a local Walmart, a man being arrested for driving under the influence by State Police, a woman being arrested on outstanding felony warrants at a nursing home, another woman pleading guilty to financial institution fraud, and a woman being arrested for domestic battery in Centralia.
Read full storyWeekly Safety Report: Liquor Theft and Downtown Fire in Moline, Illinois
This week in Moline, Illinois, two incidents were reported. In the first incident, two women stole over $380 worth of liquor from a CVS store. While one woman distracted the store clerk, the other hid the liquor under her dress and left without paying. They fled the scene in a white sports car. The second incident involved a fire in downtown Moline. The fire was reported by a passerby and was located in a small, two-story multi-family structure. Fire crews quickly arrived and extinguished the fire, finding no occupants inside.
Read full story