Notice has been given that a lottery to determine ballot placement for the Consolidated
Election to be held April 4, 2023 will be conducted on Wednesday, December 21 at 9:00 a.m.
This lottery will be held for 2nd Ward Aldermen candidates who filed simultaneously at City
Hall at 7:00 a.m. Monday, December 12th. The lottery will be conducted in the office of City
Clerk Tina Hutchcraft, Local Election Official for the City of Fairfield.
The Albion Area Chamber of Commerce is taking nominations for their Business of the Year,
Person of the Year and Non-Profit of the Year. Nominations are open to anyone living or
headquartering their business in Edwards County and are due back to the Chamber by
December 31st. Nomination forms can be picked up from The Watering Can, Fifteen West.
Bailey’s Bistro and from Averi at Citizens National Bank. You can also request a form. Reach
us on our Facebook page, Albion Area Chamber of Commerce for any questions.
Wayne County Sheriffs responded to an accident near Cisne. 18-year-old Tiffany Spataro, of
Centralia, was traveling west on Rt. 45 when she failed to navigate a curve and came to rest
in a ditch. Spataro was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, and Operating
an Uninsured Vehicle (No Proof of Insurance).
On Friday Wayne County responded to an accident near Barnhill. 43-year-old Fairfield
resident Staci L Hodges was traveling north on County Highway 6 when a deer entered the
roadway. Hodges was unable to avoid contact, causing over $1500 vehicle damage. There
were no injuries
On 12/8 21-year-old Fairfield resident Rebeca Nunez pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court
on a charge of Unlawful consumption of Alcoholic Liquor, a Class A Misdemeanor. She was
ordered to court supervision for one year, and will be reporting for a probation review
hearing set for 11/2/23 at 9:00 a.m. Nunez was credited for one day served, and ordered to
pay $1,169 in fines and court costs.
On 12/08 23-year-old Fairfield resident James M. Kincart pleaded guilty in Wayne County
Court to a charge of DUI, a Class A Misdemeanor. Per the plea agreement an additional
charge was dismissed. Kincart was given credit for one day served, and fined a $2,061. A
review hearing for this case is set for 11/2/2023. Kincart was represented by Heidi Hoffee.
On 12/08 51-year-old Fairfield resident Tanya R. Ford pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court
to a charge of Reckless Discharge of a Firearm, a Class 4 Felony. Ford was sentenced to 18
months’ probation, given credit for one day served, and ordered to pay $1,944 in fines and
costs. Ford was represented by Heidi Hoffee.
On 12/13 40-year-old James R. Savage pleaded guilty to Unlawful Possession of
Methamphetamine, a Class 3 Felony. Per the plea Savage was sentenced to 24 months of
probation, ordered to fulfill 30 hours of public service, and ordered to pay $3,891 in fines and
court costs. Savage was credited with eight days served. A review hearing has been set for
this case on 11/14/2024 at 9:00 a.m. Savage was represented by Bill Milner.
On 12/13 20-year-old Macey L. Novak, of Junction City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to a charge of
Unlawful Consumption of Alcoholic Liquor, a Class A Misdemeanor. She was sentenced to one
year of court supervision, credited with one day served, and ordered to pay $959 in fines and
costs.
On 12/13 George W. Rankin, 38 of Charleston, IL, pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court to a
charge of Possession of Methamphetamine, a Class 3 Felony. He was sentenced to two years’
probation, given credit for 24 days served, and ordered to pay $4,986. A review hearing in
this case has been set for 5/9/2024 at 9:00 a.m.
With holiday shopping in full swing, all residents and business owners are being warned to be
alert to the possibility of counterfeit money being passed. Three fake $100 bills were recently
discovered in the Effingham area and two were discovered at Greenville businesses. It was
just a few weeks ago that counterfeit bills, in the $20 and $100 denominations, were showing
up in various downstate locations. While the fake bills all had different serial numbers, some
were easy to spot as fake due to the texture of the paper, coloring, and centering.
Authorities ask everyone to inspect all bills upon receipt and contact local law enforcement
or state authorities if any fraudulent bills are suspected.
Hunters in Illinois harvested a total of 76,854 deer during the week-long 2022 Illinois Firearm
Deer Season that concluded on December 4. The counting comes from the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources, who released the preliminary numbers Thursday.
Randolph, Jackson and Williamson Counties were near the top of the list for the number of
deer killed. The preliminary harvest for the first segment of this year’s firearm season
November 18 – 20 was 52,354 deer.
The Illinois State Police Friday commissioned 42 new Troopers from Cadet Class 138 at a
graduation ceremony at the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield. The total number of
ISP troopers added since 2019 now stands at 368. The new Troopers reported to two ISP
patrol districts on Monday. The 42 newest Troopers have completed a demanding 28-week
program of physical and classroom instruction, which included training in Cultural Diversity,
Procedural Justice, Domestic Violence, Critical Incident Response, De-escalation Tactics,
Firearms, First Responder Certification, Control and Arrest Tactics, Illinois Vehicle Code,
Criminal Law, Motor Carrier Safety, Juvenile Law, and more. In addition to the 28-week
Academy training, Troopers are required to participate in one-on-one mentoring with Field
Training Officers as part of a 14-week field training program, expanding their total training to
42 weeks. Troopers who successfully complete the field training program advance to solopatrol status. 32 Cadets will be assigned to District Chicago, and 10 Cadets will be assigned to
District 11 in Collinsville. Anyone interested in joining the ranks of Illinois State Police is
encouraged to visit the Illinois State Police Merit Board website at illinoistrooper.com for
application information.