Bardolph man sentenced in meth case
A federal judge sentenced a McDonough County man to more than 15 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
Shawn Thomas Connelly, 48, of Bardolph will also have to serve five years of supervised release after he leaves prison.
Prosecutors say Connelly was involved in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of “ice” methamphetamine.
He pleaded guilty on March 23, 2021.
His co-defendants were sentenced last fall to multi-year terms in federal prison. They are John William Yates, 56, of Bushnell; Christopher Allen Yates, 39, of Joliet; Jeanna Rechkemmer, 36, of Bushnell; Amber Michelle Phelps, 31, of Colchester; Jerel Jay Guarin, 44, of Colchester; Amanda Sue Edwards, 42, of Bardolph; and Trenton Lee Sealock, 28, of Bardolph.
Sandburg tuition rates to remain flat
Tuition at Carl Sandburg College is staying the same for the third straight year.
The college’s board of trustees approved tuition rates for the 2023-24 academic year.
Tuition for students in the district will remain at $175 per credit hour.
For out of district students, tuition will remain at $292 per credit hour.
Quincy woman convicted of drug and gun offenses
A federal jury found a Quincy woman guilty of distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine, possessing meth with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Kelsey Hickman, 31, was acquitted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Knox Highway 10 closure
Knox Highway 10 over the BNSF rail yard in Galesburg will be closed beginning next week.
The highway is expected to be closed for six months for bridge repairs.
A detour route will be posted during the closure.
Highway 34 road work
A construction project on U.S. Route 34 in Warren County, just west of the Knox County line, began this week.
The project involves removal and replacement of a culvert and will reduce the highway to one lane in each direction.
The work could continue into September.
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