Danny English

OLNEY – An Olney man has been charged with counts that, in light of what he was experiencing in the lead-up to them, can only be termed as “dubious.”

More than a month after Danny English, 36, had communication with his former boss that most reasonable people wouldn’t view as “threatening” in any form, said boss at an Olney manufacturing plant was nevertheless able to get prosecutors to believe he was indeed “threatened” and was able to get charges filed against English.

This might all have to do with the long-standing plague to those looking to advance themselves in southern Illinois in any way, shape or form – “connections” – as a local big name, Kapper, happens to be connected to the manufacturer, Molding Services of Illinois.

It might also have to do with the fact that nearly a decade ago, English made a bad name for himself with the local law and the courts in Richland when he was embroiled in a very public falling-out with the Earp/Trout gang, whose previous stranglehold on Richland County (2006-approximately 2015) has been chronicled in these pages and is considered a very dark mark on the county’s history.

English came away from that battle with a felony on his record, but at least he’s alive, and out and about, by comparison to the rest of the offensive Earp/Trout scum, who are either deceased, in prison or currently on some kind of parole or probation.

The battle with the Earps, however, kept English in the eye of the authorities, even after the prosecutor who favored the thug group, David Hyde, resigned in 2015.

So because that watchful eye remains, English asserts (and incidents seem to bear out) that every single time a crime occurs to him and he makes reports on it, said reports are ignored.

And this time, things went a step further when what appears to be bogus charges were filed against English after a confrontation occurred a couple of months back.

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That confrontation happened on the parking lot of Mach 1 in Olney in mid-April, when, English said, an employee of Molding Services, Robert Franks, saw him at Mach 1 and got his his face, yelling at him and chest-bumping him in public.

By that time, English had already quit at Molding Services after several snags, including the fact that he was driving a forklift for the company but they hadn’t certified him to do so (something he found out following an unemployment claim). As a result of that, he wasn’t going to get paid forklift pay, and had been told to take the matter up with Job Works, the employment agency that had placed him there.

Conversations via text ensued after he left, centering around the fact that Molding Services – represented by Barry Hughes, human resources director – wanted him to come pick up some property he’d left in a locker on the premises, which would then become their property if he didn’t get them promptly. In that locker were a set of headphones English wished to retain (they had sentimental value, as they belonged to his father), and English, working a new job in Indiana, couldn’t seem to find time to get to Molding to get them.

Having previously sent texts to owner Anthony King regarding some quality control issues he reported at the facility, English messaged King about the matter, asking King if he (English) should come out to King’s residence to talk about things, with no response.

The “response” came, said English, in the form of Franks’ alleged assault at the gas station, which was viewed by other customers and Mach 1 employees.

English didn’t make a criminal report…because other reports to police in the past have been met with utter derision and refusal to even make a report.

Instead, English began receiving texts from others at Molding Services, advising him that there were some in upper management there who were considering taking out Stalking/No-Contact Orders against him, apparently in a preemptive move in case trouble was caused over the forklift matter.

Embroiled in that mess was at least one person bearing the name of Kapper, which until recent years was a pretty big name in Richland County, including county board leadership.

In the midst of receiving these warnings, English noted that Debbie King (wife of owner Anthony King) and Aaron Garcia (with whom English had had text convos about the issues at the facility) had taken out the OPs against him.

Then, on May 21, English was charged with two misdemeanor counts, Disorderly Conduct (for driving past Molding employee Timothy Altman’s residence) and Harassment Through Electronic Communications (for sending “threatening” text messages and phone calls to Anthony King).

Disclosure is in possession of these text messages and, without asserting anything resembling a law degree, can assure the public that unless there’s been something photoshopped, none of them can in any way be considered “threats.”

Further, “driving past” a person’s house doesn’t exactly fall under the definition of “disorderly conduct,” but is likely based on the fact that while passing by said house, English was blaring his car stereo (probably obnoxiously loud, as he’s prone to do that, based on complaints in the past), but that’s not pointed out in charging documents.

Therefore, it’s a pretty good likelihood that these charges were filed for no reason other than to appease local business people with connections at their insistence, which they might be pressuring authorities so much over because there might actually be some kind of occupational violation committed within the allegations of the forklift matter…and in that case, said charges might be dismissed.

English is next in court on the misdemeanors on July 31.

He has been handed the names of a few civil rights attorneys in the Metro-East area, as there are quite a few people getting tired of the targeting going on in certain downstate counties, and several lawyers are now beginning to stand up for the people who are suffering from it.

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Not THE purple-colored crotch rocket, but A purple-colored crotch rocket, at least.

ENFIELD, Ill. - White County Sheriff's authorities are puzzling out a bizarre situation that was reported Sunday, June 10, in Enfield.

White County Sheriff Doug Maier reports that late Sunday night at approximately 11:09 p.m., Brittany Mathis, 34, called 911 dispatch reporting that someone had just stolen a motorcycle from the back of her residence, which is located on Highway 45.

Mathis told dispatch that two individuals in a dark-colored pickup loaded her motorcycle - described as a "crotch rocket," white in color, with a purple motor and windshield, and missing a seat and throttle grip - in the back of a truck, which then headed north on 45. Mathis advised that she gave chase to the truck, but it continued traveling north toward Fairfield.

She stated she was in the house when the theft occurred, advising that she heard some loud noises and went out the back door just in time to see the suspects leaving in a pickup. The pickup had been backed up to the back porch where the motorcycle was parked.

At that point she noticed damage to her 2003 Dodge van. When authorities inspected it, they found it appeared that someone had taken a sledgehammer and dented the rear driver's side door and driver's door. The hood of the van was also dented severely. Mathis advised that she had just purchased the van three days before, from Steve Talley at S&E Salvage.

The motorcycle, she told authorities, had been purchased in Mt. Vernon, Ill., about two weeks before, and she was unsure of the name of the person she bought it from. She did not have a bill of sale or title for the motorcycle; she did, however, have photos of it, and those were collected up by authorities. The bike had plates on the back; when dispatch ran the plates, though, they were for a different bike.

As Mathis didn't have the vehicle identification number for the bike, she was going to try to recover it.

Anyone with info about the theft or damage is encouraged to call 618-382-5321.

SUMNER, Ill. - A little boy is in critical condition tonight following an incident Monday night that could have cost him his life.

But more importantly, because of a lack of critical resources in Lawrence County when it comes to the E-911 system, the child could have died on the spot if it weren't for a local man who is on the fire department and knows how to respond...even if the rest of those who were supposed to be assisting were quiet.

We're still collecting the full story, but what we've been told goes like this.

The two-year-old boy was playing with his brothers near a water-filled ditch on the 100 block of East Locust Street in Sumner (Lawrence County), this at about 8 p.m. last night, Monday, June 11. There had been heavy rains yesterday in Lawrence and across the region, and the water was reportedly really rushing.

The little boy somehow fell into the water-flowing ditch, and was quickly pulled under and up against or partially into a culvert that the water was being funneled through.

How much of him was actually under the water isn't being said.

However, a woman (it might've been the boy's mom, but we don't have that info) called 911, and the response came in the form of Brent Parrott, who lives right there in Sumner. Parrot is Christy Fire Protection District Fire Chief and was until recently the former assistant at the county's E-911 system.

Which is a problem. Not Parrott, but the county's E-911 system. It's BEEN a problem since taxpayers started paying for it in 2005. They paid and paid and paid and nothing came of it until a couple of years ago, when a state mandate ordered the sheriff's department to turn over 911 calls to a dispatch center in Bridgeport that wasn't quite ready to go (after 10 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funding). To this day, it's not completely operational, at least to the point that it's supposed to be according to mandates.

And some of that came out last night when Parrott was dealing with this incident.

Parrott was heard radioing to dispatch at least five times asking for an ambulance and a LifeFlight ETA (estimated time of arrival). There was no answer heard from dispatch, which likely accounts for Parrott having to holler to them many times. Finally, the ambulance driver actually answered Parrott himself. There was to be no air evac, however; the storms that produced the rain made flight too risky.

Ultimately, an ambulance transported the little boy out of the area, and he was taken to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.  It's reported that efforts by the first responders were what saved his life. His condition is listed as critical.

And "critical" can also describe the state of things with the county's E-911 system.

We were advised in early May that at that time, Lawrenceville's fire department had just purchased a new repeater and all new radios, with no coordination whatsoever with E-911. This is the bailiwick of the reprehensible Mike Mefford, Lawrenceville fire chief who used to be the city police chief and fortunately missed a bid to win sheriff a few years back. When the new radios were installed, there was discovered a problem, ostensibly with the repeaters...and the Lawrenceville fire department couldn't communicate with other fire departments. Whether there were other agencies they couldn't communicate with, we've not been able to discover yet...but the whole thing has created a dangerous situation for the county.

So besides Parrott, and others like him who actually care about people who might be in a dire situation - like the little boy last night - Lawrence is still populated with the same kind of indifferent or self-aggrandizing pukes we've been writing about there for FIFTEEN YEARS...because the same dolts are in charge, and no one wants to change anything, no one wants to work together - every agency wants to be "the" agency - and the humble taxpayer who is funding all of it with very little say (not that too many in Lawrence care, go to meetings, vote...or even pay taxes, as the county is one of the more impoverished in downstate) is the one getting the shaft.

A cursory glimpse at this issue might make a person believe that one situation (the nearly-drowned child) doesn't necessarily have to do with the other (the abject buffoonery of elected or appointed officials). But our sources in Lawrence assure us the two are irretrievably connected. So we're going to be looking into it in the coming weeks. In the meantime, don't go near swollen ditches or rushing water, no matter where you are...but bear in mind that in Lawrence, there's a significant lack of anything resembling appropriate emergency services support, so if such a thing happens to you or someone in your family...you might not be so fortunate as this baby was to have a Brent Parrott nearby.

WHITE CO., Ill. - A location in rural Carmi was the subject of a report to sheriff's officials yesterday in White County.

White County authorities said that at 12:46 p.m. (Tuesday, June 12), they responded to a call at a location on CR 1700N, after a storage trailer on the property had been discovered to have sustained damage after a break-in attempt. This trailer was located to the south of the residence.

The side entrance to the trailer had an outside padlock on it that had been pried on and damaged, but no entry was made into the trailer. The back entrance door of the trailer had been pried upon as well, and damaged, but no entry was gained by that route, either.

The scene was processed, and authorities are welcoming any calls that might give insight into who might've done this, so feel free to call 618-382-5321 if you have information.

Shanna A. Steele

CLAY CO., Ill. - Clay County Sheriff Andy Myers said that a woman from Chicago is his latest guest in the county hoosegow, this after she apparently believed us vapid downstaters would overlook fraudulent prescriptions.

Sheriff Myers said that on June 11, 2018 at approximately 4:30 p.m. the Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of subject(s) passing fraudulent prescriptions at a local pharmacy.

Upon the deputy’s arrival, the suspects fled the area, one in a vehicle and the other on foot. A short time later one of the suspects was located hiding behind a business and was taken into custody. 

As a result of the investigation Shanna A. Steele, 26 of Chicago, was arrested for the offenses of Forgery and Unauthorized Possession of a Prescription Form. Steele is currently incarcerated in the Clay County Jail awaiting the setting of bond.

The sheriff’s office continues their investigation into this matter.

CARMI, Ill. - A gas drive-off occurred last night in Carmi, according to police reports today.

Carmi police said that the situation occurred Wednesday, June 13, at about 7:30 p.m., a Pundrake's gas and convenience store on Fifth Street.

A complaint was signed; authorities didn't indicate how much the thief made off with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gregory Williams....apparently wearing his fave Christmas t-shirt

In a separate incident (and in an adjacent county), a Carmi man was arrested last night after a high-speed chase out of Mt. Carmel in neighboring Wabash County, following a crash.

Reports indicate that the chase began in Mt. Carmel when a patrol officer attempted to pull over Gregory Williams, 56, of Carmi, at a location on West Ninth Street in town.

Williams, however, pulled away from the stop and sped off, with the Mt. Carmel officer in pursuit.

Reports don't indicate what route Williams took, but authorities advised that the pursuit reached speeds of 100 mph, unsafe in any direction out of Mt. C (except, maybe, for the straightaway stretch of Illinois Route 15 toward Albion until the big curve midway between the community of Maud and village of Bellmont.)

And as it turned out, that's apparently where Williams went, as he crashed into a field off County Road 570E, right at the curve.

And even then, Williams is alleged to have run from the crash site...but he apparently wasn't fast enough to evade a TASER. He was subdued, and a subsequent search turned up the likely reason why he was disinclined to stop: Besides the requisite traffic citations of No Taillights and Driving While License Suspended, he was also taken in on arresting charged of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Resisting a Police Officer and Aggravated Fleeing and Attempting to Elude a Police Officer.

Williams was toted off to jail and awaits future court dates.

CLAY CO., Ill. - A woman from Harrisburg, as well as a guy from Marion in Williamson County, are among those arrested in Clay County, according to the just-released sheriff's report.

Sheriff Andy Myers has announced his department's activity from June 5 through the 13th:

June 5, Jacob Moseley, 33, Marion, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Deceptive Practice. Bond set at $4,000.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. He is currently incarcerated in the Clay County Jail.

June 6, Brian Medler, 42, Fairfield, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Criminal Trespass to Land. Bond set at $2,000.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. He appeared in Clay County Court and was released.

June 8, Natalie Koehler, 33, Flora, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Operation of an Uninsured Motor Vehicle. Bond set at $4,000.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. She is currently incarcerated in the Clay County Jail.  

June 8, Dustin L. Johnson, 29, Louisville, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Disorderly Conduct. Bond set at $3,000.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. He posted bond and was released.

June 10, Mikayla Hammonds, 22, Farina, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Theft.  Bond set at $2,000.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. She posted bond and was released.

June 11, Clay County Sheriff's Deputies arrested John R. Thomas, 41, Louisville, for Resisting or Obstructing a Peace Officer. Bond set at $1,500.00 (10 percent). He posted bond and was released.

June 11, the Clay County Sheriff's Office was notified of a motor vehicle accident at 10:11 a.m. south of the intersection of South Main Street and South 5th Street in Clay City. Apparently Johnny D. Wilson, 82, Clay City, operating a 2004 Lincoln, was traveling south on South Main Street, when he ran off the roadway and struck a utility pole. No injuries reported. He was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.  

June 11, Chuck Vinson, 29, Cisne, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Criminal Trespass to Residence. Bond set at $20,000.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. Vinson is currently incarcerated in the Clay County Jail.

June 12, Kristina Cameron, 29, Harrisburg, was arrested on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Contempt of Court. She appeared in Clay County Court and bond was set in the amount of $500.00 cash. She is currently incarcerated in the Clay County Jail.

June 13, the Clay County Sheriff's Office was notified of a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of West North Avenue and Worthey Street in Flora. Apparently Tabitha J. Durre, 26, Flora, operating a 2014 Toyota was traveling west on West North Avenue, when a 2008 Ford, operated by Kylnne Callahan, 20, Clay City, stopped on Worthey Street and then entered into the intersection striking the Durre vehicle. No injuries reported.

June 13, Clay County Sheriff's Deputy arrested Donna S. Phillips, 53, Flora, on an outstanding Clay County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Aggravated Battery. Bond set at $2,500.00 (10 percent), plus $75.00 warrant fee. She appeared in Clay County Court and was released. You can read about Phillips' most recent exploits in the new issue; pick up your copy at any of our fine vendors listed here, or hit this link to read it if you're an online member with the e-Edition....and if you're not already a member, that same link will take you to the signup page, where with just a few clicks and a few dollars, you can get started on the e-Edition experience!

FLORA, Ill. - We're halfway through the month of June, and the city of Flora is catching us up with that's been going on in their town with this arrest report covering late May through early June (up to the 4th), courtesy Chief John Nicholson.

Monday, May 28 at 6:37 pm, Timothy Phillips, 39, of Centralia was issued a citation for No Valid Drivers License, following a traffic stop on North Stanford Road.

Monday, May 28 at 8:18 pm, Maura Huffman, 53, of Flora was issued a citation for Speeding, following a traffic stop on Old Route 50.

Monday, May 28 at 8:35 pm, Kendra Harrison, 27, of Fairfield was issued a citation for Expired Registration, following a traffic stop in the 200 block of South Mill Street.

Tuesday, May 29 at 11:10 pm, Flora Police arrested Brittney Brown, 28, of Flora on a valid Clay County Warrant. Brown was transported to Flora Police Department for booking procedures and then transferred to the custody of Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Thursday, May 31 at 12:24 am, Flora Police arrested Walter Stockon, 56, of Flora for Aggravated Battery, following an incident in the 1000 block of South Main Street. Stockon underwent booking procedures at Flora Police Department prior to being transported to Clay County Jail. 

Saturday, June 3 at 12:21 am, Gabriel Horn, 34, of Flora was issued citations for Improper Passing and Improper Lane Usage, following a traffic stop in the 900 block of West North Avenue. 

Saturday, June 3 at 2:12 am, Nelson Hickman, 48, of Flora was issued a citation for Disobeying a Stop Sign, following a traffic stop in the 200 block of North State.

Sunday, June 4 at aprox 4:00 pm, Flora Police arrested Shawn Crutchfield, 18, of Flora for Criminal Sexual Abuse, following an incident in the 400 block of Emory. Crutchfield underwent booking procedures at Flora Police Department and was transferred to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

WHITE CO., Ill. - White County Sheriff Doug Maier has released information on the search for a man who jumped into the water yesterday at the Skillet Fork Bridge and has yet to be located.

Maier said that at about 4:51 p.m. yesterday (Thursday, June 14) Which County Sheriff's Officials responded to a 911 call of a subject having jumped off the Skillet Fork Bridge on County Road 2100N approximately three-quarters of a mile east of CR250E.

A witness advised that Dwight Tullis, 65, had stopped a vehicle on the bridge and jumped over the south side of the bridge. He advised that he heard Tullis hit the water and a short time later observed Tullis' head emerge from the water. The witness then advised that he saw Tullis go under water again and did not see him resurface after this.

The sheriff's office was assisted by the White County Ambulance Service, Enfield Fire Department, Illinois Department of Conservation, Fairfield Rural Fire Department and numerous people from the area.

Several boats were put in the water, from Department of Conservation, Fairfield Rural Fire, White County Ambulance and Enfield Fire Department. Also some local citizens assisted with boats and 4-wheelers to search the bank area. Sonar equipment was utilized to search the river bottom.

Unfortunately, Mr. Tulllis was not located. Efforts resumed today with Department of Conservation again placing a boat in the water.

Clyde Wilkinson

WABASH CO., Ill. - Here's a brief report from Sheriff Derek Morgan in Wabash County on a couple of items his department dealt with this week.

Morgan said that on Monday (June 11) at 5:34 p.m. the Wabash County Sheriff's Office conducted a vehicle stop on a 2006 Jeep on E 640 Rd. in the rural Lancaster area. The driver, Joseph A. Stevens, 36 of Lancaster, was found to have a suspended driver's license. Stevens was taken to the Wabash County Jail where he was held on a $150 cash bond. He's since that time posted bond.

Then on Thursday, June 14 at 7:10 p.m., the Wabash County Sheriff's Office served an arrest warrant at 302 N. 1st. St. in Allendale. Taken into custody was Clyde W. Wilkinson, 31 of Allendale. Wilkinson had an active original charge warrant for possession of methamphetamine. The warrant stemmed from a March 28 traffic stop by Mt. Carmel Police and a K9 Narcotics sniff by Deputy Bogard and K9 Roy. Items of evidence collected on that stop resulted in the issuance of this warrant. Wilkinson remains in the Wabash County Jail on a $1000 cash bond.

WHITE CO., Ill. - Authorities are looking for three inmates who escaped this morning from the White County Jail in Carmi.

Sheriff Doug Maier said that at approximately 5:30 a.m., White County Corrections Officers advised that three inmates had escaped. A pipe was used to break a hole in the outside concrete block and brick wall. Outside video showed all three subjects running on foot down the alley at 3:05 a.m.

Zac Shock

The first of the three is the man charged with killing a relative in the fall of 2016: Zachery J. Shock, 24, is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes. He is formally charged with Aggravated Battery With a Firearm and Murder, out of Hamilton County.

Justin Bray

The second inmate is Justin M. Bray, 28, who is 6 feet tall, 185 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. His formal charges are Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Resisting/Obstructing a Peace Officer, and Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude.

Johnny E. Tipton

The third is Johnny E. Tipton, 61, who is 5-foot-9, 200 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was under formal charges of Theft and Possession of Stolen Property.

If anyone in the public has information on the whereabouts of these subjects, contact the White County Sheriff's Office at 618-382-5321 or your local law enforcement agency. These subjects are considered dangerous; do not attempt to approach them.

Justin Bray

WHITE CO., Ill. - One of the three inmates that escaped the White County Jail in Carmi has been located.

Carmi authorities have advised that Justin Bray was taken into custody a little earlier this evening, more than 12 hours after he, Zac Shock and John Tipton were able to bust a hole in the wall of the jail and escape.

White County Sheriff Doug Maier advised that at approximately 7:34 p.m. last night (Saturday, June 16), Bray was taken into custody at a rural location east of Crossville (basically, the Calvin Bottoms). Bray was spotted by a deputy walking along a country road, and fled on foot. He was located hiding in an oilfield tank.

Bray was taken into custody without incident, taken to the White County Jail from whence he escaped, and is now facing charges associated with that escape. Bray's bail is a warning to those who attempt to pull such a thing: It's a million dollars ($100,000 cash).

Our citizen sources advise that there may have been a girlfriend involved in the jailbreak, but exactly whose girlfriend, and her identity along with what support may have been provided, has not been addressed by authorities.

The public is encouraged to stay alert and contact authorities if you see Shock or Tipton. Here are their mugs.

Johnny E. Tipton

From Zachary Shock's Facebook page

WHITE CO., Ill. - White County Sheriff Doug Maier has outlined the most recent sighting of two of the three who escaped the White County Jail early Saturday morning...as well as the arrest of three individuals who allegedly assisted them.

Zac Shock

Maier said that last night (Sunday, June 17) at approximately 8:30 p.m., several motorists reported two male subject matching the descriptions of Zachary Shock and Johnny Tipton walking along Illinois Route 1 about a mile north of Illinois Route 131. They advised the subjects had left the roadway and ran into a wooded area, between Norris City and Omaha. The two were described as male, one older with gray hair and one in his mid-20s with a stocky build. Both subjects were said to be wearing shorts and no shirt.

Johnny E. Tipton

Officers from numerous departments from White and surrounding counties responded to this area. A drone from Hamilton County and two K9s from Illinois State Police were called to the area. A massive effort to locate these two individuals was undertaken. At this time, the individuals have not been located.

One of the three, Justin Bray, was caught over the weekend.

In the interim, three subjects have been held in connection with the escape from the jail. White County State's Attorney Denton Aud was scheduled to charge these three this morning (Monday, June 18): Wendi M. Owen, 46, of Grayville; Carly D. Schmittler, 28, also of Grayville; and Elijah R. Locher, 32, of Crossville.

Wendi Owen

Carly Schmittler

Eli Locher

The White County Sheriff's Office wishes to remind the public that any attempt to aid a fugitive can result in criminal charges. Anyone with information on the location of Shock or Tipton should contact law enforcement immediately and not assist them in any way.

Brian Ball

WHITE CO., Ill. - A deputy out searching for the escaped inmates from White County Jail in Carmi, Illinois, came upon an individual who turned out to not be one of the two, but someone who managed to get himself arrested anyway.

Deputy Randy Graves reported that yesterday (Sunday, June 17) at approximately 10:36 a.m., he along with multiple officers from the Norris City and Carmi police departments and the White County Sheriff's Department were in the Norris City area checking for the White County escapees, Zac Shock and Johnny Tipton.

At that point, the sheriff's department was notified of a person meeting the description of one of the suspects walking down Route 1 just a few miles north of Norris City.

All officers hurried to the area and set up at intersections between 550 East and Norris City at the lakes. Graves and Sheriff Doug Maier drove the old railroad tracks from 550 East to Norris City. Graves used his own personal side-by-side four-wheeler to drive the tracks; however, they didn't locate the suspect anywhere along the tracks. At the location of the lakes in Norris City, Maier exited the side-by-side and rode with another officer to his squad care, with Graves driving the side-by-side on the back roads headed back toward his residence.

While driving back home, Graves kept a lookout for the possible escapees. At the location of 400 East at 820 North, he observed an older red Chevy car turning onto 400E from the Corrin Russell residence, which is approximately a quarter-mile north of Route 1 in the same general area they'd been searching previously.

Graves pulled up next to the person, a white male with brown hair and age ranging from the 20s to the 30s. Although Graves was in his personal ATV, he was wearing a sheriff's department hat (with "sheriff" displayed on the front), a bulletproof vest with black undershirt, sheriff's duty belt with radio and all the items for duty, including a gun and TASER. Graves advised the individual to stop, and he identified himself as a sheriff's deputy, but the man never looked at him closely, Graves said, but acknowledged him and pointed as if he were going to pull over to the side of the roadway.

Instead, he sped off, headed south toward Route 1.

Graves contacted all units on his radio to advise them of the incident, and noted that when the suspect got to Route 1 at the stop sign, he had to stop due to cars driving on 1. He was attempting to turn left, headed toward Carmi, so Graves pulled his side-by-side to the left side of the red Chevy to keep the driver from turning left.

Instead, he turned to the right, doing a U-turn, and heading back north on 400E. The suspect then sped back to the same location he came from at 820N at 400E. The suspect tried to exit the car on the driver's side as an attempt to flee from Graves, but Graves was able to drive his side-by-side up next to the driver's side door to enclose the suspect in the vehicle.

Graves pulled his service weapon and ordered the person out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

The man exited his window, and was ordered to the ground; he was handcuffed without further incident.

After getting a closer look at the suspect, who was later identified as Brian Ball, Graves was able to determine that at least it wasn't Zac Shock. Ball advised Graves of his name and told him that he was trying to get away from the deputy, due to Ball being a suspended driver.

Graves awaited for backup to arrive before getting Ball off the ground, in the interim explaining to Ball what he (Graves) was doing out there and the importance of trying to stop Ball and speak to him, as it pertained to the safety of those in the area regarding the fact that two inmates were still at large...and Ball somewhat fit the description of one of them.

Ball was patted down, and an Altoids container was located in the front pocket of the shorts he was wearing. Bal advised that the items inside were 15 hits of acid (LSD). The suspected acid was white on one side with multi-colored drawings on the other side. It was taken into evidence.

Norris City police Officer Shain Stokes assisted Sgt. Craig Poole of the White County Sheriff's Office in a tow inventory of the vehicle which located a black-colored sunglass carrier with a glass smoking pipe. The pipe was located under the driver's side seat. The pipe field-tested positive for meth. It was tagged as exhibit 2, and the vehicle was towed by Jimmy Hoskins from the scene.

Ball was taken in on arresting charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He remained in custody of the White County Jail as of this morning, Monday, June 18.

Here are a number of briefs of news events occurring over the past week, this weekend, and today in the Disclosure coverage area.

In White County, the report we brought to you last week about the man who jumped into the Skillet Fork River in White County east of Springerton has been updated: The body of Dwight Tullis, 65, was located about 12:15 Saturday afternoon, June 16. Tullis, himself from Springerton, had been observed by a witness at the scene last Thursday (June 14) driving up on the bridge, stopping his vehicle, getting out and jumping into the water on County Road 2100N.

Up in Wayne County, a young man was severely injured (corrected from earlier report) an a 4-wheeler accident last night (Sunday, June 17). Cody Burroughs, 33, of Geff, was the victim. He was riding northbound on County Road 1075E when he lost control of the vehicle, ran into a ditch, and overturned. Burroughs was airlifted to Deaconess in Evansville from Fairfield Memorial Hospital. The accident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. and was reported at about 9:15.

Over in Jefferson County, an ATV accident was responsible for the loss of another man's life the day before (June 16). Authorities there advise that an ATV crash occurred Saturday at some point; nothing specific has yet been released on it, as the man's identity hasn't been given yet. However, the man and the four-wheeler were found in a field just off Presley Lane, located just west of the city of Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

Also in Jefferson County, several people were injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday night (June 16) that authorities are attributing to texting/talking on cell phone while driving. Happening at about 10:20 p.m., the head-on crash occurred on Route 148 in the community of Scheller, south of Mt. Vernon/southeast of Waltonville. Two vehicles, one occupied by Felicia Smith, 21, of Mt. Vernon; Ethan Cook, 22, of Odin; and a 2-year-old child, the other being driven by William Chaffin, 44, of Scheller, collided head-on on Route 148 near East Emerson City Road. Smith and Cook were transported to a Good Samaritan Hospital, then on to St. Louis for treatment; the child was uninjured. Chaffin was treated at the scene, then cited for Text/Talk While Operating a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, and Improper Lane Usage (likely that last charge meaning he crossed the center line...which is something we see every single time we go out, and almost got run off the road a couple of weeks ago because of it. PUT YOUR CELL PHONES DOWN. Some of us don't mess with our cell phones while driving and get along just fine. But we're sick of those of you who do, so QUIT. Please and thank you).

Christopher Shurtz, Franklin County mug

In Franklin County to the south, a man has been arrested following an alleged hammer attack. Christopher H. Shurtz, 48, of Buckner, was the subject of a 911 call at about 6:20 a.m. Friday morning, June 15. Shurtz, it was reported, had forced his way into a home in that town, and allegedly attacked a man inside it with a claw hammer, who has not been named by law enforcement. Shurtz fled the scene and was located a little after 9 a.m. at a place in rural Macedonia (the Franklin County side) and was taken into custody on charges of Home Invasion, Aggravated Battery and Unlawful Violation of an Order of Protection.

And lastly, up in Lawrence County, a fire destroyed a home in Lawrenceville last night (Sunday, June 17), on the 1600 block of Orchard Street. The fire was reported at 8:25 p.m. Fortunately there were no injuries, but damage estimates at the residence, owned by Marty Robinson but occupied by Tristan Davis, have reached $10,000. There was no mention in any reports about how long it took LFD (headed up by Mike Mefford, who may have irretrievably screwed up equipment at the city's fire station recently) to get there...or whether the fact that the new equipment Mefford had installed was, as we've previously reported, unable to communicate with other fire departments in the area for mutual aid calls and phones had to be resorted to.

Timothy Wilson

WHITE CO., Ill. - An ATV being stolen from a residence in Carmi and report of someone helping himself to water from an outside faucet got a young Crossville man arrested yesterday in White County.

Observant White Countians are on edge as two of the three jail escapees from Saturday's jailbreak are still at large. So many reports coming in are based on folks being concerned about happenings on their property, as reflected in the two reports sheriff's officials handled yesterday morning. The first came in at approximately 4:59 a.m., when dispatch received a call from Keaton Pollard, of North Elliott Street in Carmi, in reference to someone stealing his ATV. Pollard stated that someone had taken the four-wheeler from behind his grandfather's house, and that he could hear the ATV leaving town toward the west.

At approximately 6:17 a.m., dispatch receive a call from Marsha Humphrey at her location on the 1400 block of County Road 1950N, reporting that a white male subject with no shirt, short dark hair and a tattoo came to the back of their residence and was drinking out of the outside faucet. Her husband confronted the subject at which time the man went back into the woods toward the south of their residence. During this specific time, the sheriff's office was looking for two of the three who escaped, and the description given by Humphrey fit the description of one of the escapees (Zac Shock).

Sheriff Doug Maier was notified, and organized a search detail to respond to Humphrey's residence, this detail consisting of law enforcement from White County, Carmi, Norris City, the area Drug Task Force, and a K9 unit from Mt. Carmel police. An airplane for overhead surveillance was provided by Greg Brown. The pilot, Jim Sullivan, provided his time to pilot the aircraft. A search perimeter was established by Maier, and K9 search of the area complete. Maier and several of the team members began a search of the same perimeter intending to cover more portions of the search area, and a white male suspect was immediately located within a few yards of the back yard of the residence. The suspect, identified as Timothy Wilson, 21 of Crossville, was not one of the escapees, but was detained in reference to the suspicious activity at the Humphrey residence.

While setting up the search perimeter, Deputy Randy Graves located a blue ATV 4-wheeler on County Road 1500E just south of County Road 1950N. After further investigation, that ATV was identified as Keaton Pollard's ATV that was taken earlier that morning. Graves secured the vehicle and requested a tow truck to tow and secure the ATV.

Maier questioned Wilson about the ATV and Wilson admitted to stealing it from Pollard. Carmi Officer David Agee transported Wilson to the White County Jail to be processed for the theft. After Wilson was turned over to corrections officers, Agee located a cigarette lighter, a green glass pipe and a small baggie with a white crystal-like substance on the inside. That tested positive for meth. Wilson was subsequently charged with Theft Over $500, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of less than 10 grams of Meth.

OLNEY, Ill. - Officials with the Richland County Coroner's Office have confirmed the death of a baby in a family pool in the city of Olney Sunday, June 17.

It's being called an apparent accidental drowning of an 18-month-old baby girl in an above-ground pool at a residence on West Main in town, according to a deputy coroner today. The baby girl was reportedly found by a family member.

The coroner's office was called to the location and pronounced the baby girl deceased at 1:08 p.m. yesterday.

At this time, the coroner's office is not releasing the name of the baby, nor the family. Please be respectful and not post the name if you know it.

The coroner's office said that the situation is currently still under investigation.

HAMILTON CO., Ill. - Authorities are now openly advising the public that there is an active search going on in southeastern Hamilton County at a specific location for the escaped White County inmates.

We were advised at 6:44 this evening (Monday, June 18) that there were plenty of law enforcement officers heading out of Saline County toward at location just past the county line with Saline into Hamilton and a location called Sandy Run Lake.

Online postings say that a house was broken into in the Gossett Road area, and weapons were stolen, so the two might be armed. We've not received official confirmation of that as yet, but please use caution if you're in the area.

Now Hamilton County Sheriff Bob Crow has sent out a Nixle alert to let folks in his county know that there is plenty of activity there.

His alert reads:

Hamilton County Sheriff Robert Crow wants to alert residents in the Southeast part of Hamilton County of a possible sighting of White County escapees Zachary Shock and Johnny Tipton. Residents should be aware of a heavy law enforcement presence including ATVs and helicopters. Shock and Tipton are believed to be wearing no shirt and shorts. Any person seeing any suspicious activity is asked to call 911.

We'll try to give info as we get it, but please feel free to post what you know, see and hear.

LAWRENCE CO., Ill. - Here's your agenda for the Lawrence County Board meeting, to be held tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. at the county board room of the courthouse in Lawrenceville.

This is brought as a public service to you; attend your local meetings so you know how your property and other taxes are being spent.

Scroll down to read.

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FLORA, Ill. - Flora City Police have had a lot of activity between June 8 and 16th, and Chief John Nicholson has sent it all here in this report for your reading pleasure.

Friday, June 8 at 1:30 am, Lindsay Osborn, 32, of Johnsonville was issued a citation for Disregarding a Stop Sign, following a traffic stop at the intersection of West North
Avenue and State Street. 

Friday, June 8 at 10:49 pm, Flora Police arrested Katie Sebring, 34, of Flora on a
Contempt of Court Warrant out of Effingham County. Sebring underwent booking at
Flora Police Department and was released after posting the necessary cash bond.

Saturday, June 9 at 11:09 pm, Flora Police arrested Jamie Willis, 38, of Flora for Theft, following an incident in the 600 block of West 7 th Street. Willis underwent booking procedures at Flora Police Department prior to being transported to Clay County Jail.

Monday, June 11 at 2:21 pm, Flora Police arrested Leesa Lopez, 40, of Iuka for Retail
Theft, following an incident in the 1500 block of North Worthey. Lopez underwent
booking at Flora Police Department and was released with a Notice to Appear.

Tuesday, June 12 at 2:38 pm, Flora Police arrested Kathryn Hartley, 51, of Cisne for
Driving While License Suspended and Operating Uninsured Vehicle, following a traffic stop in the 200 block of South Mill Street. Hartley was released with a Notice to Appear.

Tuesday, June 12 at 5:35 pm, Flora Police arrested Michael Read, 45, of Flora on a
Failure to Appear Warrant out of Clay County. Read was taken to Flora Police
Department for processing and was released after posting the necessary cash bond.

Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30 pm, Flora Police arrested Robert Reynolds, 23, of Flora for Disorderly Conduct, following an incident in the 700 block of North Sycamore.
Reynolds was taken to Flora Police Department for booking and then released to Clay
County Sheriff’s Office.

Wednesday, June 13 at 2:39 pm, Flora Police arrested Michelle Viehmeyer, 41, of
Louisville fro Improper Lane Usage, DUI, Improper Use of Communication Device and DUI/alcohol, following a traffic stop in the 200 block of East Maple. Viehmeyer
underwent booking procedures at Flora Police Department and was released with a
Notice to Appear.

Thursday, June 14 at 12:47 am, Flora Police arrested Tyler Stewart, 32, of Flora on a
Clay County Warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of DUI. Stewart was
transported to Flora Police Department for booking procedures before being transferred to the custody of Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Friday, June 15 at 11:21 pm, Cody Cook, 33, of Rinard was issued a citation for
Operating Uninsured Vehicle, following a traffic stop on North Olive.

Saturday, June 16 at 5:32 am, Michael Persinger, 31, of Flora was issued a citation for Speeding, following a traffic stop in the 200 block of North Main Street.

Saturday, June 16 at 5:03 pm, Flora Police arrested Darren Davis, 48, of Flora for
Domestic Battery, following an incident on June 15 in the 100 block of Shady. Davis
was also arrested for Violation of Bond and Disorderly Conduct stemming from an
incident in the 200 block of East North Avenue. Davis underwent booking on the
charges at Flora Police Department and was then transported to Clay County Jail.