A weekly roundup of news from around the region.
Bushnell man pleads guilty in child pornography case
A Bushnell man pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of child pornography.
As part of a negotiated plea agreement, five other counts of the same charge were dismissed against Jacob Mills, 25.
He’s been sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Mills was arrested in May 2024 after Illinois State Police conducted a search warrant.
The West Central Illinois Task Force and the Bushnell Police Department assisted with the case.
Grants for fire stations in western Illinois
A couple fire protection districts in western Illinois are grant recipients from the state’s inaugural Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Program.
The Bath Fire Protection District in Mason County and the Spring Creek Fire Protection District in Pike County will each receive $350,000, the maximum awarded through the program.
The state awarded a total of $5 million to 16 fire departments and fire protection districts.
The money is for repairing, upgrading, or constructing fire stations.
Al Sears Music Fest scheduled for mid-September
The Al Sears Music Fest will be held Sept. 19-21 in downtown Macomb.
This year’s lineup features:
- The Western Illinois University Jazz Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 19 at American Legion Post 6
- Vocalist Bryan Anthony on Sept. 20 at the Western Illinois Museum
- Vocalist and WIU alum Yoseph Henry on Sept. 21 at the Western Illinois Museum
The music fest is named in honor of Macomb native Al Sears, a saxophonist, bandleader, and songwriter. He was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the 1940s and was later involved in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll.
July 11 storms caused damage but no deaths or serious injuries
A series of strong storms moved through the region during the afternoon and evening of Friday, July 11.
The National Weather Service said the storms produced very heavy rainfall along with damaging winds and small hail in some areas.
Flash flooding was reported in several locations, including Macomb and Keokuk. A couple locations in Des Moines County reported more than two inches of rain. The weather service also received reports of thunderstorm wind damage near Donnellson.
10 tornadoes were reported in Iowa between 3:17 p.m. and 5:33 p.m., including an EF2 tornado that dissipated on Davenport's west side. It caused damage at an RV sales business and in residential areas near I-280, knocking over RVs and uprooting some trees.
Carman Road resurfacing project
Resurfacing work is scheduled to begin Friday, July 18 on Carman Road in Henderson County.
Crews will also improve the shoulders and guardrails along the road.
The project will reduce Carman Road to a single lane from north of Lomax to US Highway 34. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers during daytime hours.
The work should be completed in October.
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