Western Illinois Today

Red Cross Blood Draw June 15 At VFW; Donors Needed

The American Red Cross is asking you to donate blood as we get into the summer months. The organization says coming out of the pandemic there is going to be more need, as many cancer patient visits and procedures were…

Wisconsin Man Charged In Aledo Dollar General Incident

Two felony charges have been filed against an out-of-state man stemming from an incident at the Dollar General in Aledo late last month. 49-year-old Miguel Angel Valadez Cortes of Beloit, Wisconsin was taken into custody May 27. He has been…

Fyre Lake Dog Shooting Case Continued To Next Month

A July 19 pre-trial conference has been set for a Sherrard man accused of shooting and injuring a neighbor’s dog with a pellet gun. The continuance was asked for Tuesday in Mercer County Circuit Court by Michael Elsbury’s attorney. The…

Aledo City Council Presented Audit This Week

A clean financial bill of health for the city of Aledo. Aldermen were presented the fiscal year 2020 audit this week says Finance Director Cynthia Parchert. The city’s fiscal year coincides with the calendar year and runs Jan. 1 to…

Hawthorn Ridge Rezoning On County Board Agenda This Week

Final action due on the Hawthorn Ridge rezoning this week. It comes after the Mercer County Board reaffirmed the zoning board’s position last month allowing for a campground on the property says Mercer County State’s Attorney Grace Simpson. Neighbors opposed…

Child Charged In Viola Fire In Parents’ Custody

Juvenile court is handling the case of a 12-year-old boy charged with arson in the fire at St. John’s Catholic Church in Viola late last month. A pre-trial conference is set for this week with discovery still being collected in…

Visit MerCo Administering Side-By-Side Stickers

One final step before side-by-side stickers are available in Mercer County and that should be done following this week’s Mercer County Board meeting. The stickers will be administered through the Visit MerCo office and Economic Development Director Kasi Henshaw. Visit…