Emily Boyer

The McDonough County Sheriff's Office placed Deputy Justin Lundgren on paid administrative leave on May 30, 2018. Lundgren's annual salary is $58,000.

The McDonough County Health Department has revoked the restaurant license of Lupe Leon, the owner of El Rancherito on W. Jackson St. in Macomb.

The Macomb Police Department has gone without a K-9 unit for more than a year following the early passing of the previous police dog. Police Chief Curt Barker told Tri States Public Radio it's time to restart the program.

Several fire departments spent Sunday night battling a house fire just west of Macomb. The fire destroyed the end unit on a row of townhomes in the Georgetown subdivision.

There are four seats up for election on Tuesday, April 2 for the Macomb City Council. Two of those races are contested. Here's a look at the candidates on the ballot.

Macomb voters will choose who will serve as the city's mayor for the next four years when they go to the polls on April 2. Current Mayor Mike Inman is running for a third term. He is not opposed on the ballot, but Kristen-Diane Pollock is running as a write-in candidate for mayor.

Macomb voters will choose who will serve as the city's mayor for the next four years when they go to the polls on April 2. Kristen-Diane (Jacqueline) Pollock is a write-in candidate in Macomb's mayoral race. Pollock is running against Mayor Mike Inman, who is seeking a third term in office.

The city of Macomb will soon allow local stores to sell alcohol on Sundays. In a unanimous vote, the Macomb City Council approved several changes to local liquor laws including the addition of package liquor sales from noon to 9:00 p.m. on Sundays.

The latest audio recordings of illegal discussions held by Western Illinois University's administration and Board of Trustees garned significant conversation during the most recent Faculty Senate meeting.

Western Illinois University's Provost Office released final recommendations to the Board of Trustees on Thursday regarding which academic programs should be eliminated.

A large crowd gathered late Wednesday afternoon in front of Western Illinois University's main administrative building on the Macomb campus.

Faculty, students, staff, and community members huddled on the steps of Sherman Hall in the cold, chanting, and waving signs with messages such as "Faculty is committed to WIU,"  "Teaching makes admin jobs possible," and "Fight for our families." The group was there for a rally in support of the 132 employees who received layoff notices on March 1.

Western Illinois University emailed layoff notices on Friday to 132 employees, which is about 8% of the total workforce.

There is a list of 18 academic programs at Western Illinois University being considered for elimination. A report reviewing each of them has been turned over to the administration and decisions are expected soon.

Western Illinois University has two campuses: Macomb and the Quad Cities. But that is not readily apparent when looking at the school's overall budget because it does not include a breakdown of revenue and expenses by campus. A new report aims to examine those costs.

Western Illinois University recently went through a major reorganization of its employees. According to the Western Factbook, WIU employs around 1,600 people. Only 39% of those jobs were classified as civil service last fall. Jeff Brownfield, Executive Director of the State Universities Civil Service System, believes that figure should be higher.

According to figures collected and released by Western Illinois University, student enrollment dropped again this spring. Enrollment at the Macomb campus for the Spring 2019 semester is down about 900 students, or 14% compared to Spring 2018. Western reported a total of 5,645 students taking classes in Macomb this semester.

Western Illinois University's new interim provost said plans for academic realignment are on hold for now. Billy Clow, the former dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, took over as interim provost at the start of the new year.

Inmates are once again being lodged at the Warren County Jail. The facility reopened last week after closing in August due to a staffing shortage.

Bishop Hill is off the beaten path, nestled among the farm fields of western Illinois. That hasn't stopped the small community from working to preserve its Swedish heritage and maintain its status as a tourist destination for day trippers.

A committee at Western Illinois University is working to review a list of academic programs being considered for elimination. Its report isn't due until the spring semester. But an audio recording from a Board of Trustees meeting in late June indicates there might already be a plan in place.

In an email and web post titled "Budget Update," Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas announced on Thursday that the university is in a structural budget deficit and expenditures are outpacing revenues. Dr. Thomas said that as a result, WIU plans to cut $5 million from this year’s budget and a total of $21 million from the budget for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins July 1, 2019.

Macomb community members and Western Illinois University faculty, students, and staff sprang to action this week planning a counter-protest after they learned Westboro Baptist Church will stage a protest on WIU's campus this weekend.

Dr. Kathy Neumann served as Western Illinois University's interim provost for more than three years before the school announced this week that she will be leaving the position.  She previously served as Dean of the College of Business and Technology at Western.

State Representative Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) fought off Democratic challenger John Curtis of Macomb 52%-48% in the mid-term elections.

State Representative Randy Frese (R-Paloma) is running for a third term in the 94th district in western Illinois. He faces a challenger, Rich Cramsey (D-Clayton), who is running for his first political office.

This is the first time Rich Cramsey (D-Clayton) has run for political office. He is campaigning to unseat incumbent Randy Frese (R-Paloma) who is seeking his third term in the Illinois House. 

Melissa Inman, a well-known artist in the region and the wife of Macomb's mayor has died. Inman was 55. She’s survived by her husband of 31 years, Mike Inman, and their four children.