Second arrest in Galesburg shooting
Police have arrested a second man on attempted murder charges in a July shooting in downtown Galesburg.
James M. Wilson, 42, turned himself in on Wednesday at the Galesburg Public Safety Building.
Gregory O. Wallace, 39, was previously arrested in Chicago by the FBI Fugitive Task Force. The men are accused of shooting Mario D. Washington, 45, outside a bar on Cherry Street on July 6.
Fort Madison remains identified as missing man
Fort Madison police have identified the human remains found in a creek behind a bar as a man reported missing last month.
Jeffrey Allen Moore, 39, was last seen in the early morning hours of Oct. 13 in the 2400 block of Avenue L.
His remains were found behind Vinnie’s Bar in the 2600 block of Avenue L on Nov. 2.
Police are still investigating the circumstances of Moore’s death.
Western Illinois Museum receives grant for major project
The Western Illinois Museum in Macomb is receiving a financial helping hand from the state for ongoing renovations.
A $130,000 grant will allow the museum to buy a heating and cooling system for a portion of the building constructed in 1941 as an automobile garage.
Once the system is installed, the museum will be able to use that section throughout the year and expand its programming.
The funding comes from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Tourism Attractions Grant Program.
Other renovations to the building in the last three years include tuckpointing the brick exterior and replacing all windows with energy-efficient, warehouse-style replicas.
Macomb chamber hires new director
The Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director.
Steven Brody most recently led the Burlington/West Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce from Oct. 2021 to June 2024.
Previously, Brody was executive director of the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce from Aug. 2012 to Oct. 2015.
He replaced Lauren Merritt, who led the Macomb Chamber for six years. She began a job with Wesley United Methodist Church in Macomb in October.
Appellate court denies Bliefnick appeal
The Illinois Appellate Court has rejected an appeal from a Quincy man convicted of murdering his estranged wife.
An Adams County jury found Timothy Bliefnick, 41, guilty last year of first-degree murder and home invasion in the shooting death of Becky Bliefnick, 41.
He filed an appeal, saying he did not get a fair trial. He argued the court admitted hearsay statements, that there was a conflict of interest between the trial judge and the prosecutor, and that the prosecutor referenced matters in closing arguments that were not in evidence.
But the Fourth District Appellate Court did not find merit in Bliefnick’s arguments.
The court affirmed his conviction and a sentence of natural life in prison.
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