Keokuk city administrator charged with OWI
Keokuk’s city administrator is facing charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of marijuana.
Emmanuel A. Bellegarde, 48, was arrested following a traffic stop in 1200 block of High Street around 2:20 a.m. on Feb. 8.
Criminal complaints were filed on Feb. 10, and Bellegarde pleaded not guilty to the charges on Feb. 11, according to online court records.
The Keokuk city council unanimously voted to hire Bellegarde in October.
Both charges are serious misdemeanors. A first court appearance is set for March 25.
WIU spring enrollment down from one year ago
Western Illinois University is reporting a spring 2025 enrollment of 5,760 students.
That’s a decrease from spring 2024, when the enrollment was nearly 6,500. It’s also a drop from the fall 2024 enrollment of 6,332.
Figures from the university show there are 5,107 students attending classes in Macomb and 653 students on the Quad Cities campus.
WIU’s total current enrollment includes 3,983 full-time students and 1,777 part-time students.
Wintery weather around the tri states
Snowfall from Wednesday’s winter storms was generally pretty light around the tri states.
Early forecasts projected up to 7 inches of snow. But most areas ended up with 1 to 2 inches, though the National Weather Service did receive reports of a few higher figures from southeast Iowa, with 3 inches near Burlington, and 2.5 inches in Denmark.
More wintery weather is in the forecast for the weekend.
Snow, sleet, and freezing rain are possible around the region late Friday afternoon. And more mixed precipitation is expected Saturday and Saturday night, possibly lingering into Sunday morning, with some accumulations probable.
Brisk winds might produce blowing and drifting snow for much of the weekend, especially in rural and open areas.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.