James T. Richardson

WHITE CO., Ill. - It was a productive day in White County Circuit Court today (Wednesday, May 3).

White County State's Attorney Denton Aud said another man has been sentenced to IDOC: James T. Richardson, 37, of Evansville, who entered a plea this afternoon to two charges he was up on: Burglary, and Possession of Stolen Vehicle, both Class 2 felonies

In exchange for the plea, Richardson received a sentence of 5 years DOC, to be followed by 2 years MSR (mandatory supervised release, or parole).

The sentences will run concurrently. Richardson was also ordered to pay fines, fees, costs, and assessments, as well as restitution.

Grayville Police Department was the investigating agency, and they received assistance from Carmi Police Department and Evansville Police Department.

Karen Miller

CARMI, Ill. - A domestic involving a knife, scissors and alcohol created an issue yesterday on North Second Street in Carmi.

Officers report that a 911 call came in at 4:16 p.m. yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, May 3), in which the caller stated that Karen Miller, 56, listing the address where the incident was happening (the 600 block of North Second Street) was trying to break into the home occupied by Robert Ray Horn, 54.

Dispatch was told Miller had "already cut Horn with a knife and had broken a window."

It was reported to police that miller left the scene in a black vehicle. That vehicle was located and stopped a couple of blocks from the scene.

It was at that point discovered that both Miller and Horn were intoxicated.

Officers were told that a verbal argument started and turned physical when Miller attempted to stab Horn with a pair of scissors and a knife.

Miller was taken to Hamilton Memorial in McLeansboro, by ambulance.

And as it turned out, the Illinois Department of Corrections had issued a warrant for Miller; that was served after she was released from the hospital and transported back to the City/County Jail in Carmi.

Miller has been otherwise charged with Domestic Battery and Aggravated Assault; both are misdemeanors, but the warrant arrest is keeping her in jail.

HAMILTON CO., Ill. - Hamilton County State's Attorney Justin Hood has announced that a former instructor at the county's high school has been indicted by a Hamilton County Grand Jury.

Chad Payne, Hamilton County Senior High School web pic

Chad Payne, who was escorted from school premises on Thursday, March 30, has been arrested on warrants issued after the release of two true bills of indictment from the grand jury, both of them for Official Misconduct, both Class 3 felonies.

Payne was the vocational arts teacher at McLeansboro High School, and the second instructor to have been walked off school grounds in two years, as you can read at this link.

The grand jury heard the case against Payne Tuesday, May 2.

Hood didn't mention what the nature of the alleged misconduct was, but our sources have advised back in March that it pertained to alleged inappropriate conduct with a student.

There'll be more in the next print version (May-June 2017) on stands May 17...be sure your subscription is up to date by clicking this link.

Lance Welch

WAYNE CO., Ill. - Wayne County law enforcement conducted a raid this morning at a downtown motel and turned up two they say are involved with dope with intent to deliver.

The raid occurred very early this morning (about 3 a.m., Thursday, May 4) at the Budget Inn Motel, the last motel located in the downtown area.

Arrested in the raid were Bradley V. Gammon, 54, of Bluford, and Lance C. Welch, 42, of Watson.

The raid turned up plenty of material, which authorities allege were not only in delivery amounts, but also packaging ostensibly for delivery.

The drug seizure was an alleged: 20 grams of bath salts; a negligible amount of meth; plastic baggies; and digital scales. Interestingly, the county deputies tending to the case were able to stop Gammon from flushing what later was found to be the suspected bath salts, which apparently didn't want to go down the toilet.

Bradley Gammon

Gammon's arresting charges are Resisting, Possession with Intent to Deliver Controlled Substance, Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Obstructing (for the alleged flushing).

Welch's arresting charges were Possession with the Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; however, his formal charges show Manufacturing or Delivery of Cannabis more than 30 but less than 500 grams, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Gammon is reported to be on parole but IDOC doesn't show that; Welch, as it turns out, entered a plea to two meth counts out of Shelby County at the end of December 2016, and that probation was for 30 months, so the fact that he's sitting behind bars in Wayne County probably won't go over well with officials in Shelby.

Welch has been set for a prelim on May 18. There's no indication of Gammon's upcoming hearings.

WHITE CO., Ill. - A detail involving the White County Sheriff’s office, Carmi police, Grayville police and Illinois State Police was conducted yesterday, May 4.

The detail began at 6 p.m. and resulted in numerous individuals arrested on warrants and on-view (in plain sight of officers) drug-related arrests.

Those arrested and their arresting info are:

Gary Soltermann

Gary Soltermann, 61, 300 block of Brown St., Springerton, warrant for Unlawful Production of Cannabis and an on-view arrest of Possession of Meth and Drug Paraphernalia.

Eli Locher

Elijah Locher, 31, 300 block of Rudolph St in Crossville, warrant for Failure to Appear with body attachment.

Sean Spurlock

Sean Spurlock, 24, 100 block of Pumphrey, Maunie, warrant for Failure to Appear on Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and on-view arrest for Possession of Meth/Drug Paraphernalia.

Cecil Mizell

Cecil Jackson Mizell, 39, 100 block of Land St. in Maunie, on-view arrest for Possession of Meth and Drug Paraphernalia.

David W. Strean, 61, 800 block of Smith St. in Carmi, arrested on a warrant for Theft; posted 150 cash and was released.

Anthony Yokel

Anthony J. Yokel, 30, 100 block of Chandler Dr. in Mt. Carmel, arrested on a warrant out of Gibson County, Ind., arrested by Grayville City police.

Dustin Lee Pierce, 41, of the 200 block of County Road 2175N in Springerton, arrested on an unspecified warrant and has posted bond of 2,000 cash.

James Belka

James E. Belka, 26, of the 700 block of Sycamore St. in Carmi, arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a Possession of Meth charge.

Amanda M. Mercer, 36, 200 block of Fackney in Carmi on a warrant arrest for theft, bonded out with 150 cash.

Michael Hobbs

FRANKLIN CO., Ill. - A man from Sesser who has been in charge of financial oversight at the formerly-struggling Clay County Hospital when it was struck with a computer-records ransom issue has been charged with multiple counts of child porn and sex abuse.

Michael Hobbs, 40, was arrested yesterday (Thursday, May 4) by Franklin County sheriff's officials.

He's been charged with some significant counts: Soliciting a Child for Production of Child Pornography and Production of Child Pornography, both of them Class X felonies; and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse/5 years older than Victim, two counts, both Class 2 felonies. Those four counts were alleged to have occurred on April 13.

However, another set of alleged crimes were apparently thought to be the lead-up to the first four listed here.

Those are Indecent Solicitation of a child for purposes of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 3 felony said to have taken place on October 11, 2016; and a count of Grooming, a Class 4 felony, said to have taken place the same day.

The victim, it's being reported, was 15. It's not been made clear whether it was a male or female.

Hobbs' bail has been set at half a million dollars ($50,000 cash bond), so he's still in jail in Franklin County.

The interesting part is what happened with Hobbs while he was CFO at Clay County Hospital (he's on unpaid leave, according to a hospital source), back a few years ago.

Disclosure gave thorough coverage of the upheaval at CCH in Flora, when they were attempting to recover from a cyberattack on their computer systems.

A hacker had submitted a "ransom" note to CCH, stating he had control of patient records and he wanted to be paid a ransom in digital currency, Bitcoin.

That whole debacle resulted in not only the payment of the ransom, but of all the hospital's computers having to be replaced...an extremely expensive proposition.

Mike Hobbs, from the CCH website two years ago.

Hobbs was at the helm of finances as Chief Financial Officer when this occurred...and it took a long time for the truth to come out. While the Bitcoin thing happened in 2012, it was literally a couple of years before the public came to know the full extent of problems at the hospital, and then only when Disclosure began uncovering material pertinent to the way Hobbs and others of his crew at the time (many of whom are now gone) were running the hospital into the ground.

What may have really been behind that Bitcoin ransom - and the subsequent need to replace every computer in the hospital - will be examined in the upcoming issue (May-June), on stands May 16/17....if your subscription to the print version is up, be sure you renew (check your labels...if there's an orange mark on your date, you won't get the next issue) by either clicking the convenient PayPal link, or sending a check or money order for $53 for zip codes starting with 624, 628 or 629, $57 for all other zips, to Disclosure at PO Box 83, Harrisburg, Ill., 62946...or get your news right here at the e-Edition by clicking this link...so you can have Disclosure at your access all day long.

David Brockett

CARMI, Ill. - Carmi authorities report they've affected a warrant arrest on a man wanted for allegations of passing counterfeit $100 bills...after catching him on his bicycle.

Carmi police report that on Friday (May 5) at 1:43 p.m., an officer traveled to a residence on the 400 block of Seventh Street in Carmi, believing that a suspect, David Brockett, 43, was in that residence.

Brockett was wanted on a warrant for forgery, passing counterfeit $100 bills.

When the officer arrived, Brockett took off out the back door and headed down the alley on a bicycle; officers report he ignored verbal commands to stop.

The responding officer caught up with him in the squad car at Eighth and Smith and placed Brockett under arrest.

Brockett was additionally charged with possession of meth after a baggy was found in his pocket containing a small amount of a suspicious substance, which field-tested positive for meth.

CARMI, Ill. - Besides the earlier report we brought you of the arrest of a Carmi man on counterfeit bills charges, other arrests that were made across Carmi were all courtesy of a warrant sweep being carried out by law enforcement in recent days.

Those picked up are as follows:

Melinda Rankin, 49, of the 500 block of Hillsdale Ave, Carmi. Her warrant arrest was made at residence for Failure to Appear on a DUI charge at 1:13 p.m. on May 5. Rankin was also held on a Hamilton County warrant for FTA on an Aggravated DUI. Bond on the White County warrant was set at $575; on the Hamilton, $375.

Brittany McDonald

Brittany S. McDonald, 19, 604 Schumaker, Carmi, was arrested Friday, May 5, at 7:27 p.m. at a location on the 1000 block of West Sycamore Street. She was taken into custody without incident and was able to post bond on the misdemeanor warrant.

Serena Jo Short

Serena Jo Short, 34, 100 block of Herbert Ave., Carmi, was arrested Saturday, May 6 at 1:51 p.m. on two White County warrants for Theft.

Steven Smith

Steven L. Smith, 33, 100 block of West Kerney Street in Carmi, was arrested at 10:47 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at a location on the 200 block of Fairview Drive in Carmi on a White County warrant for Failure to Appear on a traffic citation of Driving While License Suspended.

MARION CO., Ill. - Two drivers were injured in a crash this morning outside of Centralia, in what police say is an incident of an improper left turn.

Illinois State Police said the accident occurred on Illinois Route 161 a mile east of Centralia in Marion County this morning (Monday, May 8) at 10 a.m.

Preliminary investigative details indicate that a silver 2009 Ford passenger car being driven by Jane M. Baldridge, 58, of Salem, was traveling westbound on 161 one mile east of Centralia, while a white 2012 Chevrolet pickup being driven by Kenneth R. Helm, 51, of Iuka, was traveling eastbound on 161 at the same location.

Helm was cited for Improper Left Turn.

The flooding of Lake Lawrence, June 9, 2008, photo by Steve Hardesty. The water came in from the area shown in the top portion of the pic, flooded across the lake at the center, and slammed into the other side (bottom of pic) in what observers called a 'tsunami' that was estimated to be 12-feet high.

LAWRENCE CO., Ill. - Lawrence County officials are warning certain county residents that there may be a repeat of flood events from 2008.

That was when a "500-year flood" flattened houses out at Lake Lawrence and impacted others at Lake Sun & Sand and in the vicinity of the Gun Club, in June.

That flooding was the result of two major levee breaches.

While authorities say that there have been no levee breaches right now, they are watching them. And they've issued news reports about it, including the following:

The various levee districts, along with the county's sheriff's department and EMA such as it is, have announced that while there's been no failure on the Wabash levee system, there is an area of risk. Measures are being taken to fix the problem, the agencies has said, but a breach in the levee is possible.

Residents of Westport, Lake Sun & Sand and Lake Lawrence need to be prepared to evacuate within 24 hours when given notice.

Lawrence County Sheriff's Department has a Facebook page, which you can find at this link. They've reported that they will make announcements on that page, and we'll be following it, so that we can keep you on top of things if you don't have a Facebook page.

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Hit our Facebook page (yes we still have one), and this post on it if you'd like to discuss this subject on Facebook; and be sure you check your "get notifications" selection under the 'like' button on our page; recent Facebook upgrades have booted many of our followers off from getting our posts. Also check us on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr!…and if you like what you’re reading here, why not subscribe? You can get the print version as well as the e-Edition (the electronic version of the print version, where we put the in-depth articles as well as the serious crime and corruption rundown for the previous weeks; more than local papers provide) at this link…get clicking and get on board so YOU can be informed!

Here's your Richland County Board meeting agenda for the upcoming meeting, Thursday, May 11, held at 7 p.m. at the board room, located on the west side of the Richland County Detention Center across from the courthouse.

The regular board meeting will be preceded by a Finance Committee Meeting at 6 p.m. at the same location, with agenda below the main meeting's agenda.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ill. - Below is your agenda for the City of Lawrenceville May meeting, to be held Thursday, May 11.

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CARMI, Ill. - A woman who made a phone call to the police in Carmi ended up behind bars at the city/county jail.

Carmi police report that an officer responding to a very early-morning call today (at 2:55 a.m. Tuesday, May 9) met with Sylvia H. Mitchell, 37, of the 300 block of North Church Street.

Mitchell had made a call to dispatch in reference to lost or stolen medication.

Upon arrival, however, she was arrested on a White County warrant for Domestic Battery.

She was toted off to jail, where she was held until bond of $300 could be posted.

Arthur Barger

WHITE CO., Ill. - An Enfield man is one of three taken into custody on arrest warrants in White County Monday and Tuesday.

Carmi police officials advised that Arthur R. Barger, 36, of Enfield, traveled to a location on the 600 block of North Second Street in Carmi to serve the warrant on Barger Tuesday (May 9) at 10:19 p.m.

Barger was wanted on a Failure to Appear on a 2015 charge of Theft of a four-wheeler.

He was taken to the White County Jail, where he was held on a $575 cash bond.

Jedediah Burnett

Also taken into custody Tuesday was Jedediah D. Burnett, 39, of the 800 block of North Fifth Street in Carmi. Burnett was located on Third and Cherry in Carmi, and booked on the 2017 misdemeanor warrant for Violation of Order of Protection; he was able to post $320 cash bond to secure his release.

And then there was one arrest to report from Monday: Kimberly A. Yates, 53, of the 200 block of Commerce St. in Carmi, was taken in on a DUI-drugs count, this after an apparent stop at Walmart in Carmi.

She was able to post $120 cash bond and was released.

WHITE CO., Ill. - Illinois' prisons are full of meth users, and White County continues to send them a load.

Two were sentenced Wednesday, both of them having been charged for only a couple of months.

Heather Chitwood, White County mug

The first was Heather Chitwood, 38, of Maunie, whose arrest you can read about here.

Chitwood entered a plea of guilty to a Class 3 felony count of Possession of Meth, and received in exchange three years in DOC, with a year of mandatory supervised release (parole) to follow. She must also pay all fines, fees and costs, currently in the amount of $437, none of which has been paid.

David Brockett

Then there's the guy who was featured just the other day regarding funny money, David P. Brockett, 43, of Carmi.

He was sentenced following pleas in two cases, a Class 3 felony Possession of Meth, and Class 3 felony Forgery. He received a sentence of four years IDOC to be followed by a year of parole. He must also pay all mandated fines, fees and costs, as well as restitution; this in the amount of $675.54, none of which has been paid.

Brockett's case will be featured in full in the upcoming print edition; be sure your subscription is up to date and if it's not, click this link to renew if you have a Paypal account. Or, you can read here at the comfort of your computer if you're an online member; click this link to get started and get the last five years of Disclosure at your fingertips.

James Braddock

WHITE CO., Ill. - An Eldorado man remains behind bars today after being stopped in Carmi in the early hours this morning...and alleged meth was discovered on his person.

James R. Braddock, 48, of the 1900 block of Saline Avenue in Eldorado, was the subject of a traffic stop near the intersection of Smith Street at Eighth Street in Carmi this morning (Thursday, May 11) at 1:26 a.m.

A search of Braddock turned up a digital scale with alleged meth residue on it in his back right pants pocket and approximately 1.1 grams of suspected meth in a plastic bag in his right front pants pocket.

Inside the vehicle was found a metal socket with cannabis residue inside in the center console glove box of the 2007 Nissan Sentra; a glasses case with a red bag and spoon inside, found in a gym bag in the rear passenger side seat; and a box of Sudafed pills containing only 10 tablets in the rear driver's side street.

Braddock has been lodged in the White County Jail on felony Possession of Meth; misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; and two civil cannabis charges, Possession of Cannabis less than 10 grams and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Apparently there were no charges filed against a passenger, Sarah E. Brown, 32, of Carmi.

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Hit our Facebook page (yes we still have one), and this post on it if you'd like to discuss this subject on Facebook; and be sure you check your "get notifications" selection under the 'like' button on our page; recent Facebook upgrades have booted many of our followers off from getting our posts. Also check us on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr!…and if you like what you’re reading here, why not subscribe? You can get the print version as well as the e-Edition (the electronic version of the print version, where we put the in-depth articles as well as the serious crime and corruption rundown for the previous weeks; more than local papers provide) at this link…get clicking and get on board so YOU can be informed!

WABASH CO., Ill. - A young Grayville man has been transferred to a trauma center after a rollover accident in Wabash County last night.

Sheriff Derek Morgan reports that yesterday (Wednesday, May 10) at approximately 6:21 p.m. the Wabash County Sheriff's Office responded to the one-vehicle crash on Highway 1 south.  

During the crash investigation it was discovered that 23-year-old Jacob Knight of Grayville was northbound on Highway 1 just two miles east of E 400 Rd., when he ran off the roadway to the right.

Reports indicate that Knight swerved back onto the roadway while overcorrecting, thus losing control of his 2000 Chevrolet Blazer.

Knight ran back off the roadway to the right, striking the ditch and rolling over twice, bouncing into the air and striking a tree before coming to rest. 

Knight was transported to Wabash General Hospital by ambulance and later transferred to a trauma center by air ambulance due to his injuries. 

No citations were issued, the Sheriff's Office was assisted by WGH Ambulance Service and the Bellmont Fire Department.

Photo submitted by Wabash County Sheriff's Office

Motorists are Reminded to Buckle Up Every Trip, Every Time

EFFINGHAM, Ill. - The Illinois State Police (ISP) in District 12 remind motorists to buckle up, before heading onto Illinois roadways, during the May 15-24, 2017 Click It or Ticket mobilization. 

Troopers will be conducting seatbelt patrols, encouraging all vehicle occupants to wear seatbelts, in order to reduce traffic crash fatalities. 

Late night hours are the most dangerous for driving. Those hours are when the highest percentage of motorists die in alcohol-involved crashes and seat belt usage is the lowest.

"Traffic safety is a priority of ours," said District 12 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt.  "One fatality is one too many. As the heavy summer travel season approaches, remember to buckle up to increase the chance of reaching your destination safely," added Captain Ristvedt.

As of January 1, 2012, seat belt use is required in all seating positions -- front seat and back!  The best defense against an impaired driver is a seat belt. Buckle up! Every trip, every time, day or night. 

EFFINGHAM, Ill. -  Illinois State Police District 12 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt, today announced activity and enforcement figures for the month of April. 

Troopers in District 12, which includes Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Lawrence, Marion, and Richland counties, answered 209 calls for service and initiated 1,590 incidents in the field. 

There were 3 fatal traffic crash investigated by District 12 in April. During the month, 263 citations and 345 written warnings were issued for "Fatal Four" violations. These violations are most associated with fatal traffic crashes and include Speeding, DUI, Failure to Wear a Seat Belt, and Distracted Driving.

JASPER CO., Ill. - Two men from Olney were transported to Richland Memorial Hospital late Thursday night after a single-vehicle accident in neighboring Jackson County.

Illinois State Police in District 12 worked the wreck, which occurred at 10:12 p.m. last night (May 11, 2017).

Preliminary investigative details indicate that Brian L. Mason, 58, of Olney, was southbound on Jasper County Road 2125E, just north of County Road 350N, in a red 2007 GMC truck; with him was James L. Wesner, also 58 and also of Olney.

ISP reports that a deer entered the roadway into the path of Mason's truck; he swerved to avoid striking the deer and exited the roadway to the left. The truck struck a culvert and then came to rest at the intersection of County Roads 2125E and 350N.

Both Mason and Wesner were transported to Richland Memorial for treatment of unspecified injuries; citations issued included Improper Lane Usage and Failure to Wear Seatbelt, although who wasn't wearing a seatbelt wasn't specified.

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Hit our Facebook page (yes we still have one), and this post on it if you'd like to discuss this subject on Facebook; and be sure you check your "get notifications" selection under the 'like' button on our page; recent Facebook upgrades have booted many of our followers off from getting our posts. Also check us on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr!…and if you like what you’re reading here, why not subscribe? You can get the print version as well as the e-Edition (the electronic version of the print version, where we put the in-depth articles as well as the serious crime and corruption rundown for the previous weeks; more than local papers provide) at this link…get clicking and get on board so YOU can be informed!