ILLINOIS STATE POLICE SQUAD CAR STRUCK ON I-57

ARCOLA – An Illinois State Police (ISP) squad car was hit this morning on I-57 in Douglas County as the Trooper was conducting traffic control for a previous crash.

 On October 30, 2025, at approximately 5:50 a.m., an ISP Trooper was parked across the northbound lanes of I-57 conducting traffic control for a previous crash involving a commercial motor vehicle. ​ The Trooper had activated the emergency lights in the squad car, directing traffic to exit at milepost 203 onto IL 133. ​ A Chevrolet Trailblazer failed to move over, failed to exit, and struck the front passenger side of the Trooper’s squad car. The Trooper was outside of the squad car at the time of the crash and reported no injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet, 68-year-old Donald E. Morecraft of Robinson, IL, was charged with Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident and a Scott’s Law/Move Over Law violation.

 In 2025, ISP has now suffered 12 Move Over Law-related crashes. In 2024, ISP suffered 27 Move Over Law-related crashes with 12 Troopers injured and one death. In 2023, ISP had 21 Move Over Law-related crashes with seven Troopers injured. ISP reminds the public the Move Over Law, also known as “Scott’s Law” in Illinois, requires all drivers to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle or any vehicle with its emergency or hazard lights activated. ​ ​ ​

 A person who violates the Move Over Law faces a fine of no less than $250 and no more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years. Additional information about ISP related crashes can be found at the following link: https://isp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/340d57​cd956​c453d​a2de2​5af80​4c268​d.

 

SOS Pushes Back; Not Backing Down From Plan To Close Mt. Carmel DMV

The Illinois Secretary of State's office responded Wednesday to erroneous claims made by elected officials regarding the upcoming closing of the Mt. Carmel DMV, at 219 W. Second Street.

The office made the decision to close the facility based on data and facts, which showed that keeping it open was not an efficient use of taxpayer dollars based on the low volume of transactions.

The DMV only processes a total of 15 driver’s license transactions a day, making it among the lowest in terms of transactions out of the state’s 122 DMVs.

Furthermore, four other DMVs are located within 20 miles of the Mount Carmel facility, one of the highest concentrated areas in the state in terms of the number of DMVs.

In addition, customers and staff regularly complained about the condition of the facility, which the landlord failed to address when negotiating terms for a new lease.

The Secretary of State’s office reached out to legislators informing them that it was having difficulty reaching an agreement with the landlord and asked for suggestions of alternative locations but none were provided.

The office eventually performed detailed surveys of alternative locations proposed by Mt. Carmel officials over the last year, but none of the properties came close to meeting the requirements from a service and property management perspective, making them poor uses of taxpayer money.

The DMV will close on Friday, November 14. Residents who utilize the Mount Carmel DMV can obtain services at nearby facilities, including Lawrenceville, Fairfield, Carmi and Olney.

The office will retain all the Mount Carmel facility’s five employees and redeploy them to nearby locations.

Officials Press Case To Keep Driver's License Facility Open

Mount Carmel city officials are demanding answers from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office over the sudden closure of the local driver services facility.

Mayor Joe Judge announced that a press conference will be held Wednesday, alongside State Representative David Severin and State Senator Terri Bryant, to address what they call a lack of transparency about the closure.

“There will be a press conference with State Representative David Severin and State Senator Terri Bryant and myself to address the Secretary of State’s closing and the lack of transparency on the real reason why the Mount Carmel location is closing.”

The mayor said numerous calls from local and state officials to the Secretary of State’s office in Springfield and Chicago have gone unanswered.

“As of right now, the only details they’ve provided have been very slim and limited and not been fully transparent on why.”

Residents will be able to join the meeting online, with a link expected to be shared through local media. The mayor says he hopes the Secretary of State himself will attend to answer questions directly from Mount Carmel residents.

The local SOS office is set to close November 14th.

8th Delay In Preliminary Hearing Of Ex-Deputy

December 11th is now the scheduled date for the preliminary  hearing of former Wabash County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Cheadle. A cdocket entry yesterday stated that the preliminary hearing had been moved from tomorrow to December 11th. There have been continuous delays of Cheadle’s preliminary hearing dating back to last November 14th. The latest is the 8th delay in Cheadle’s preliminary hearing. The sheriff’s department’s canine handler, originally faced four charges of official misconduct, 1 count of Theft, 1 count of Cruelty to animals, and 2 counts of Animal owner duties. Five of the eight charges are felonies. But in June, two of the felonies, the theft charge and one of the official misconduct  charges were dismissed at the request of Special Prosecutor Brian Towne. The 30 year old Cheadle found Kiki unresponsive in July of 2024 and was arrested following an investigation. He resigned from the sheriff’s department a month later.

Police Investigate Dollar General Break-In

Police spent a good deal of time Monday investigating a break in at the Dollar General store on West 9th Street in Mt. Carmel. Police Chief Mike McWilliams told the city council Monday that the front door of the business was broken and at least person had entered the building. McWilliams said it was not clear yet whether anything was taken from the store.

Police tape marked off the Dollar General entrance Monday as police investigated a break-in.

Indiana State Police Post Wants Everyone to Stay Safe This Halloween

It’s that time of year when kids are looking forward to dressing up in their favorite costumes and spending time with family and friends trick-or-treating!  Although everyone loves to get lots of candy and have fun, the most important thing is health and safety while trick-or-treating and making sure everyone gets home safely!

Listed below are some safety tips that the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post would like to provide.

1)      Know what the dates and times are in your local community for trick-or-treating.
2)      Make sure that you have a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective material on the costume so that you can be seen at all times.
3)      Always trick-or-treat with an adult or use the buddy system when approaching a house.
4)      Please walk on the sidewalks and not in the roadway and make sure that you look both directions before crossing the roadway.
5)      Only go trick-or-treating at houses where the front porch light is on.
6)      Never enter the house of a stranger.
7)      If a trick-or-treater gets separated from others, have them stay where they are and ask an adult for help. 
8)      Have an adult inspect the candy before it is eaten. 
9)     If you’re not actively participating in trick-or-treating and are out driving, we ask that you please slow down and drive with caution.
            
The Putnamville State Police Post hopes that these few safety tips help you enjoy your night out with friends and family while trick-or-treating!

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ARRESTS MAN CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED DUI AND RECKLESS HOMICIDE

WESTFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) arrested 34-year-old Edwin O. Pacheco-Meza of Indianapolis, IN after a fatal crash in Westfield, IL Friday evening. ​ Today, the Clark County State’s Attorney’s Office filed two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence and one count of Reckless Homicide against Meza. ​

 Around 7 p.m. on Friday, October 24, 2025, ISP responded to a two vehicle crash on West Lincoln Street near South Division Street in Westfield. ​ Preliminary information shows a Chevrolet Express van driven by Pacheco-Meza was traveling eastbound when it crossed the center line and hit a Ford F150 truck traveling westbound head-on. Two passengers in the F150 truck, 71-year-old Michael Clayton and 66-year-old Gail Clayton, both of Charleston, IL, were pronounced deceased on scene, and the driver and an additional passenger in the truck, 72-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, both of Charleston, were transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. ​ The passenger of the van, 18-year-old Juan L. Morales Martinez of Lawrence, IN was uninjured and the driver, Pacheco-Meza, was treated for minor injuries. ​ ​ ​ ​

 Following the crash, Pacheco-Meza was detained in the Clark County Jail. ​ On October 27, 2025, a detention hearing was conducted and Pacheco-Meza remains in custody pending court proceedings. ​ The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is available at this time.

UPDATE: Overnight road closure planned for southbound U.S. 41 in Gibson County

UPDATE: Closure delayed until 10/30 due to weather


GIBSON COUNTY Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation announces an overnight road closure for U.S. 41 in Gibson County.

Beginning on or around Thursday, October 30, crews will begin an overnight closure of southbound U.S. 41 near Fort Branch. This closure will occur between County Road 550 South and County Road 600 South.

This road closure will allow for an emergency pipe replacement project. This road closure will occur weeknightly between 5 p.m. and 4 a.m. The road will be open to traffic during non-work hours. This project is expected to take four days to complete, depending on the weather.

The official detour for this project is State Road 64 to I-69 to State Road 168. Local traffic will have access up to the point of closure. INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, avoid distractions, and use extra caution while traveling in and around work zones.

ISP TO CONDUCT OCCUPANT RESTRAINT ENFORCEMENT PATROLS IN WABASH COUNTY

EFFINGHAM – Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 9 Commander, A/Captain Brian Wilson, announces the ISP will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) in Effingham, Marion, Richland and Wabash counties during November. OREPs allow the ISP to focus on safety belt and child safety seat laws. Illinois law requires all vehicle passengers (front and back) to be buckled up! Safety belts are still one of the most effective safety devices in vehicles, estimated to save over 14,000 lives each year. Nearly 50% of vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up. The objective of this program is to increase occupant restraint compliance through education, child safety seat inspections, and enforcement.

INDOT Southwest prepares for winter weather with districtwide training exercise, urges motorists to travel safely

INDIANA – The Indiana Department of Transportation is continuing to prepare for the winter season with a districtwide training exercise in the Southwest district on Monday, Oct. 27. Starting Monday morning, motorists can expect to see INDOT Southwest's fleet of yellow trucks on state-maintained highways and interstates to test equipment and become more familiar with assigned routes. 

Crews will be active between 9 a.m. and noon. Trucks will running their snow routes with lights on. No materials such as salt or brine will be applied during the exercise. 

For safe winter travel, INDOT offers the following tips: 
 

  • Slow down and adjust travel to conditions, especially on snow-covered roads. 

  • Don’t crowd the plow – never tailgate or drive beside a snowplow, as the driver's visibility may be limited. If you must pass, do so carefully.  

  • Be prepared in case of a crash or becoming stranded; always carry an emergency kit in your vehicle with items like food, water, a phone charger, sand or cat litter, flares or bright LED alternatives, a flashlight, and blankets. 

  • Keep your vehicle full of gas, and check your battery, fluids, and spare tire. 

Motorists can stay up to date on road conditions during a winter storm by checking INDOT’s TrafficWise map at 511in.org or downloading the mobile app on Apple or Android devices. Other ways to stay connected include subscribing to INDOT News and following INDOT on social media for regional information and additional resources. 

Roadway concerns may be reported to INDOT Customer Service online at indot4u.com or by phone at 855-INDOT4U (463-6848). Learn more about INDOT Winter Operations at indotwinterops.com.