Not guilty plea in Macomb traffic dispute shooting
A Macomb man pleaded not guilty in a shooting that followed a traffic dispute last month.
Herman Hill, 38, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. He remains in the McDonough County jail after being denied pretrial release.
Hill waived his right to a preliminary hearing and has asked for a jury trial.
He is due back in court early next year for a pre-trial hearing.
Hill is accused of shooting Ryan Westerfeld, 21, outside Hill’s home on West Pierce Street on Nov. 7. Westerfeld had followed Hill there after the two got into a dispute outside Haymakers convenience store on South Dudley Street.
Westerfeld was life flighted to Springfield with injuries to his right arm and chest.
Toll to increase on Fort Madison bridge
BNSF Railway announced that the toll will increase on Jan. 1, 2024 for drivers using the Mississippi River bridge that connects Fort Madison and Niota.
The current toll is $2.00 for cars. That will rise to $3.00 at the beginning of the year, and it will increase by another dollar in January of 2025.
The toll will also rise by various amounts for all other types of vehicles. The bridge remains closed to semi-trucks. BNSF said the approach geometry creates a safety concern.
The last toll increase was in 2012.
BNSF said the toll money collected pays exclusively for maintaining and operating the auto part of the bridge. The company said the costs are currently far exceeding the revenue collected.
Schaefer appointed Burlington police chief
Adam Schaefer has been appointed Burlington’s new police chief.
Schaefer has worked for the department for more than 30 years, beginning as a patrol officer and detective. He was Major of Operations for the department before stepping in to lead the department.
Former Chief Marc Denney stepped down in October but did not give a reason for his resignation.
Schaefer said he is committed to maintaining public trust and partnering with the community to keep Burlington safe.
High court appoints Judge Graham in western Illinois circuit
The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Nigel Graham to serve as a Resident Circuit Judge for McDonough County.
Graham had been an associate judge in the Ninth Circuit. He was appointed to that position following the retirement of Judge Bill Poncin late last year.
The new appointment continues until Dec. 2, 2024.
Graham is running for the circuit judge position in next year’s elections. He’s the only candidate who submitted nominating petitions during the filing period that ended on Dec. 4.
Federal funding for potential Amtrak expansion
The Federal Railroad Administration has selected 12 passenger rail corridors in Illinois to get $500,000 each in funding for planning expansions and renovations.
Among them is the potential expansion of the Chicago to Quincy corridor south to Hannibal, Missouri.
The funding is through the new Corridor Identification and Development Program, which is meant to create a pipeline of passenger rail projects ready for implementation.
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