Law enforcement makes noise during federal raid in Macomb
Macomb police said they helped the FBI apprehend a fugitive on the city’s northeast side at around 6 a.m. Thursday.
No shots were fired, but law enforcement used noise flash distraction devices, which produce a loud bang and flash. Police said they’re used to confuse and disorient suspects.
The person the FBI was seeking was taken into custody.
Police said there was no threat to the community.
Burlington’s public pool to remain closed this year
Burlington’s Dankwardt Park Pool will not open for the 2025 season, due to ongoing maintenance issues and a city budget crunch caused in part by property tax reform at the state level.
Burlington families will have access to the West Burlington Aquatic Center, however.
“Our goal is always to serve the people of Burlington as best we can,” said Mayor Jon Billups in a release. “While we’re disappointed that Dankwardt Pool won’t open this year, I’m grateful for the collaboration with West Burlington to make sure families still have a place to swim and stay cool this summer.”
The city is exploring long-term solutions to ensure the sustainability of public amenities in the future.
Monmouth moving forward with public square sculpture
The city of Monmouth will move forward with putting a steel sculpture of a rotating Maple Leaf in the center of the public square.
That’s after local business owner Sarah Walters raised $30,000 in a couple months to make that happen.
The sculpture will be made by Henderson County artist Gabe Stevens, who also made the Macombopoly structures on the Macomb courthouse square.
The city of Monmouth will begin removing the existing fountain on the public square, to make way for the new artwork.
New contract for Macomb firefighters
The Macomb city council gave unanimous approval to a new three-year contract with the city’s firefighters.
The agreement gives the employees a four-percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) each year.
The contract covers 15 unionized firefighters.
Prairie Players kicks off fundraiser honoring longtime volunteer
Galesburg’s Prairie Players Civic Theatre is in need of new risers.
The organization has launched a fundraising campaign to replace the aging, heavy plywood risers with a new, lightweight modular riser system.
The campaign honors the memory of longtime Prairie Players volunteer Larry Diemer, an actor, director, builder, and mentor who helped shape both the physical theatre and the generations of artists who’ve performed within it. Memorial gifts made in Diemer’s name have already contributed more than a third of the total cost of the new risers.
“Larry believed in giving people a place to belong—and that’s what Prairie Players has always been,” said Judy Diemer, Larry’s wife. “These new risers would have made him smile, not just for the convenience—he was known to grumble a bit every time they had to be taken up or down—but for the opportunities they create.”
Donations to the riser campaign can be made online at www.prairieplayers.com/risers or by mail to Prairie Players Civic Theatre, PO Box 831, Galesburg, IL 61401.
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