Knox County jailer arrested for off-duty assault
A Knox County correctional officer is on administrative leave after being arrested this week for aggravated assault.
Galesburg police arrested Matthew Ferry after an investigation into an incident on July 5.
Ferry was off-duty at the time of the incident, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
He has posted bond and is awaiting a court appearance.
Maquon storage unit murder case continued
A Maquon woman accused of murdering the village’s former police chief appeared in court Monday for a pre-trial conference.
Prosecutors say Marcy Oglesby, 51, poisoned Richard Young with eye drops and hid his body in a storage unit.
Murder charges were dismissed by Judge Andrew Doyle this spring over concerns Oglesby’s right to a speedy trial was being violated. Oglesby was later released from custody.
She still faces felony concealment of death and forgery charges, and the dismissal of murder charges is under appeal with the Appellate Court.
Because of the ongoing appeal, the court took no action at Monday’s hearing. The case was continued to September.
Downtown Burlington gets cultural district designation
There are only 18 designated Iowa Cultural and Entertainment Districts – and now downtown Burlington is one of them.
The designation comes from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs following a collaborative application effort between the Art Center of Burlington, the Capitol Performing Arts Center, and Downtown Partners, Inc.
A release from the Greater Burlington Partnership said the recognition highlights the downtown district as a “vibrant hub of cultural activity and artistic expression.”
The program recognizes well-defined, pedestrian-friendly areas with a concentration of cultural amenities, a robust arts and cultural scene, and entertainment options.
With the designation comes benefits for downtown Burlington, such as marketing opportunities, promotional programs, and technical assistance
Drought conditions improving some
The latest drought report from the National Weather Service shows conditions are improving a bit in the tri states.
The agency said much of the region is now in a moderate to severe drought. However, portions of northeast Missouri and the southwest corner of Adams County in Illinois are still experiencing extreme drought conditions.
Just a couple weeks ago, the drought was severe through much of the region and extreme in a larger portion of the area.
Macomb could allow residential greenhouses
Macomb residents might soon be allowed to build greenhouses in residential areas zoned R-1 and R-2.
The proposal under consideration would require residents to obtain a special use permit, and the greenhouses would be limited in size to 800 square feet.
The Community Development Committee met on July 5 and recommended the city council adopt the plan.
City council members could approve the ordinance during their July 17 meeting.
Sandburg approves $34M budget
Carl Sandburg College has approved a budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which began July 1.
The budget includes revenues and transfers of $33.7 million, up from $30.5 million the previous fiscal year, and expenditures of $33 million, after building construction costs.
The budget includes $22.9 million in a building bonds fund for the construction of the college’s new Science and Technology Center and other campus construction projects.
The board of trustees adopted the budget at its June meeting.
Tri States Public Radio produced these stories. 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.