PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Photos circulating online appear to show political signs supporting Ashley Greger being damaged, adding another ugly chapter to an already tense political atmosphere surrounding the Pike County Clerk’s Office. The images show signs that appear to have been deliberately damaged. At this time, RiverNewsLive has seen no evidence identifying who was responsible, and there is no indication connecting the vandalism to any candidate, campaign, county employee or s

PIKE COUNTY, Mo. — A major Ameren transmission project could substantially change portions of the Pike County landscape, replacing miles of existing power-line structures while potentially creating as much as 11 miles of entirely new transmission corridor through the county. The project is officially known as the Eastern Missouri Grid Transformation Project, a joint undertaking by Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois and Ameren Missouri. The overall project calls for more

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — A 36-year-old man is being held in the Pike County Jail after authorities say an investigation into allegations involving a child under the age of 13 led to two Class X felony charges. The Pike County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest of Jack L. Green, 36, who authorities listed as homeless, on two counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13. According to the Sheriff’s Department, investigators received a report on Aug

PITTSFIELD — Pike County has lost a contested unemployment claim totaling $10,314 after failing to participate in a scheduled telephone hearing with an administrative law judge, according to information and documentation published by Pike County Zombie Control. Catherine Rafferty of the Pike County Clerk’s Office reportedly told county officials that the hearing had been scheduled by telephone, that employees in the office knew they were expecting the call, and that the call

BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — The Bowling Green R-I School District is celebrating a perfect score in its 2026 special education performance review, receiving the highest designation available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. According to the district, Bowling Green R-I received a 4.0 out of 4.0 and was designated as “Meets the Requirements and Purposes of the IDEA” by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The district reported e

PIKE COUNTY, Ill. — The Pike County Jail’s weekly arrest report for August 10 through August 16 includes several arrests involving felony-level or otherwise significant charges. Among the most serious cases, Lukasz W. Czarnik, 33, of Schiller Park, was booked August 12 on multiple charges, including aggravated battery involving the use of a deadly weapon, reckless conduct causing bodily harm or endangering safety, reckless driving, attempted theft involving property valued be

WINCHESTER, Ill. — Scott County West Central COOP students will play a significant portion of their home sports schedule in Meredosia this school year after the Winchester Elementary School gym was demolished because of structural concerns. The West Central COOP comprises atheletes from across Scott County in the Winchester and Bluffs districts. Winchester school district Superintendent Jeff Abell and Principal Dennis Vortman met with members of the Meredosia-Chambersburg sch

HULL, Ill. — The tiny Pike County community of Hull welcomed hundreds of runners, walkers, volunteers and supporters Saturday morning for the 20th annual Hull of a Race, continuing a tradition that has now generated more than $200,000 for the fight against Parkinson’s disease. This year’s event drew a record 288 runners and walkers, a significant increase from the 104 participants who took part when the event began two decades ago. The August 15 event included competitive 5K

QUINCY, ILLINOIS — Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in Quincy is now holding a ticket worth more than one billion dollars. The Illinois Lottery confirmed Thursday that the sole jackpot-winning ticket for Wednesday night's $1.04 billion Powerball drawing was purchased at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 310 North 36th Street in Quincy. The ticket matched all five white balls — 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69 — along with Powerball 9. The August 12 drawing ended a run of more than three mo

PIKE COUNTY, Ill. — Authorities have identified the teenage driver killed Thursday morning in a fiery collision involving a Pleasant Hill School District bus in rural Pike County. Pike County Coroner David Greenwood identified the victim as Isabella R. Johnson, 16, of Rockport, Illinois. The crash occurred on U.S. Route 54 west of 165th Avenue, approximately three miles from Atlas. Preliminary information from Illinois State Police indicates the school bus was slowing to pick

BARRY, Ill. — A teachers union representing employees in the Western Community Unit School District is asking a longtime School Board member to resign and is calling on the board to consider formally seeking his removal from office. The Western Education Association has filed a uniform grievance accusing Board Secretary James Broeckling of violating district policies governing board member conduct. Athena LaReau, an Illinois Education Association UniServ Director speaking on

BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — The City of Bowling Green is asking the community to help create a permanent downtown tribute to one of Pike County’s most accomplished native sons — legendary basketball coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. The city is raising private donations for a life-size bronze statue of Fitzsimmons that would be placed on the southwest corner of the downtown square beside the Bowling Green Annex Building. According to city officials, no taxpayer money will be used for the pr

CARROLLTON, Ill. — A Greene County man has been sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a felony methamphetamine possession charge. Greene County State’s Attorney Craig M. Grummel announced that 57-year-old Donald G. Dawson was sentenced Monday, August 10, after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case stems from an April 12 incident in Greene County in which Dawson was found in pos

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Rural ambulance services across Illinois will have more options for keeping emergency crews on the road under a new state law aimed at easing staffing shortages in smaller communities. House Bill 5446, sponsored by State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer of Murrayville and State Senator Steve McClure of Springfield, allows qualifying rural and semi-rural ambulance services to use part-time employees along with volunteers and paid-on-call workers. The change

MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Mount Sterling is partnering with the Central Illinois Land Bank Authority on an effort to turn long-vacant properties into new homes, with three city lots selected for the first round of development. The project is part of the land bank’s “Vacant Lots to New Homes Initiative,” which is designed to make it easier and less risky for developers to build housing on unused property in smaller communities. The three Mount Sterling properties are located at 5

WINCHESTER, Ill. — A 75-year-old Winchester man was arrested Monday after a private online predator-catching group says a decoy posing as a 13-year-old boy engaged in sexually explicit conversations with him and investigators were provided the alleged communications. Gilbert E. Wellenreiter of Winchester was arrested by Winchester Police and the Scott County Sheriff’s Department on allegations of grooming and indecent solicitation of a minor. Jail records show Wellenreiter wa

LOUISIANA, Mo. — Louisiana City Councilman Woodrow Polston is raising a new question in the city’s ongoing debate over Flock Safety license plate-reader cameras: whether the agreement was ever formally approved by the Louisiana City Council. In a public statement Friday, Polston said he has found no record showing that council members voted to authorize the Flock camera contract before the system was placed into use. “Here is the bombshell about our Flock cameras in Louisiana

LOUISIANA, MISSOURI — Louisiana City Councilman Woodrow Polston is asking residents whether they would support keeping the city’s Flock Safety license plate reader cameras if access to stored camera information generally required a search warrant. Polston previously proposed removing the cameras, but said Saturday that he was contacted by a retired military police officer and former Pike County detective who encouraged the city to consider additional safeguards rather than el

LOUISIANA, MISSOURI — The Louisiana City Council will consider several personnel, legal and utility matters during its regular meeting Monday evening. Council members are scheduled to consider a contract for continued legal representation in a lawsuit filed against the city by Bryan Spencer. Bill Number 7260 would authorize Mayor Mark Haddock to execute an agreement with attorney Kevin A. Richardson and the law firm of Zick, Voss, Politte, Richardson and Brinker to continue d

ALTON, ILLINOIS — A Carrollton man was arrested by police Thursday following an online sting in Alton involving allegations that he attempted to meet someone he believed was underage. Aaron G. Settles was taken into custody by officers at the scene on July 31. Video of the encounter shows police placing Settles in handcuffs and leading him away. The operation reportedly involved online communications conducted through a decoy account before a meeting was arranged in Alton. Sp