Front July 21
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Pinckneyville hospital auction went well Page 13 Chester fire set Page 2 Landon honored Page 14 Alligator gar Page 16 www.countyjournal.org © Copyright 2016, County Journal Volume 37 Number 29 24 Pages Your Local News Leader Thursday, July 21, 2016 75¢ Crystal Steinheimer gets minimum sentence By Travis Lott trial was set to begin. Her prior to sentencing. It was an emotional day in court-appointed defense attor- However, little is known a packed Monroe County ney Arlie Traughber had re- about how the plea agreement courtroom July 14, when quested a change of venue, cit- came to pass. Therefore, the Judge Dennis Doyle handed ing his concern that she County Journal filed a Free- down a prison sentence to would not face an impartial dom of Information Act re- 21-year-old Crystal Stein- jury due to heavy media cov- quest with the Monroe County heimer, the woman who erage of the proceedings. state’s attorney’s office, seek- killed Abby Liefer, 19, and A plea agreement was ing any documentation related Hannah Porter, 20, both of reached, and the reckless ho- to the plea agreement. The re- Red Bud, while driving micide charge was dismissed. quest came back with no re- drunk January 10, 2015. Steinheimer ended up receiv- sults, as the state’s attorney’s Steinheimer pleaded ing the minimum sentence for office does not have any docu- guilty last month to caus- the remaining charge, aggra- mentation on file. ing the deaths of Liefer and vated DUI. Abby’s stepmother, Terri Porter after her car crossed The terms of the agreement, Liefer, said Reitz and the fami- the center line and struck which were likely negotiated lies went back and forth on the Liefer’s car head-on. by Traughber and Monroe terms of the plea agreement She had previously plead- County State’s Attorney Kris before Reitz came to them and ed not guilty, changing her Reitz, were already known by plea three days before her the families of the victims Continued on Page 5______ Abby Liefer Hannah Porter Two die in separate automobile accidents Campbell Hill man killed on Oraville curve According to the Jackson north of Main Road and hit County Sheriff’s Department, several trees. a Campbell Hill man died in Shaffer was pronounced dead a pickup truck crash in a at the scene by a representa- residential yard in Oraville tive of the Jackson County about 7:13 the morning of coroner’s office. July 16. The investigation of the ac- The sheriff’s department cident was continuing. said Stephen Shaffer, 49, was Shaffer grew up in O’Fallon, driving his pickup truck Illinois and worked in con- north on Route 4 and failed struction. The trailer home of Vance and Deanne Corves in Baldwin was destroyed. to negotiate a curve. His His full obituary is on Page truck ran off the highway 18 of this issue. More photos on Page 24 Strong winds cause damage Red Bud man killed in crash at intersection in several Randolph towns A young Red Bud man was car driven southbound on killed in a two-vehicle crash Doza Creek Road by Tonya A severe thunderstorm, pack- parked on the east parking lot in Randolph County July 18 Welten, 39, of Baldwin. ing wind gusts of around 70 of NorthTown Center, was at about 6:40 p.m. The Jeep overturned multiple miles an mile or more, rolled Baldwin and blown onto its side and into a According to the Randolph times. Antry was thrown out, through Randolph County light pole, bringing the pole to County Sheriff’s Department, and the vehicle came to rest on July 13, knocking down trees Sparta took the the ground. the accident occurred on its side. The vehicle had no and power lines and causing A large tree also fell on the Randolph County Line Road doors, and the top was open. some damage to a few struc- brunt of storm home of Evelyn Kiefer on Vine at its intersection with Doza Antry was pronounced dead tures. Street, causing significant Creek Road between the at the scene. He was the son of Baldwin and Sparta ap- damage. She was not home at shooting complex and Ma- Mr. and Mrs. Charles Antry of peared to have taken the occupied by Vance and Deanne the time. rissa. Red Bud. brunt of the storm. Corves was destroyed when Ben Miller of the National A Jeep Wrangler driven by Welten was not injured. In Baldwin, large trees and large tree limbs fell on it. Weather Service office in St. Zacharie Antry, 21, was A passenger in the Antry ve- tree limbs littered streets The Corveses were inside Louis said a severe thunder- westbound on Randolph hicle, Cassidy Dickerson, 17, throughout town. Fifth when the limbs fell, but they storm warning was issued for County Line Road and failed of New Athens, was taken to Street was closed for a period were not injured. all of Randolph County at 3:29 to stop at the stop sign. As St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in of time while crews worked Two vehicles parked at the p.m. Miller said the Sparta air- the Jeep went through the in- Belleville. A hospital spokes- to clear limbs, power poles home were also damaged. port recorded a peak wind tersection, it was struck in man said she was treated and and high-voltage lines. The heavy wind also took its gust of 69 miles an hour. the rear passenger side by a released. Just to the northeast of toll in Sparta, where a large By comparison, winds that Fifth Street, a mobile home box trailer owned by Mike and reach 74 miles an hour are owned by Tim Goodman and Renee Smith, which was considered hurricane-force. The Antry accident scene at Doza Road and Randolph County Line Road Deputies buy dessert With all of the recent tragic news surrounding law enforce- ment officers, especially in Dallas and Baton Rouge, some pleas- ant news came out of Oakdale last Sunday. Two Washington County deputies—Dylan Prather and Craig Campbell—decided to have lunch that day at the Oakdale Coun- try Kitchen restaurant. When Prather and Campbell were ready to pay their tabs, res- taurant owner Bonnie Gibson refused to allow them to pay. In return, the two deputies bought two pies to be sliced and given at no charge to those ordering dessert while the supply lasted. Gibson and her husband William shared a kindred spirit with Prather and Campbell. The Gibsons served as military police in the Army. “I realize what they go through,” Bonnie Gibson said. “I was A good cause wanting to help them, and they turned around and helped people. Some members of the Sternberg family of Sparta took on a noble cause last Friday, when That’s what they do.” they set up a lemonade stand in their front yard. The proceeds were donated to the Sparta Gibson said that when Prather and Campbell were in her res- Senior Center, which is raising money to purchase a new oven. The lemonade stand taurant, she was not yet aware that three police officers had raised just over $400. Shown in front are Annabelle Foster, Madison Sternberg, Logan been ambushed and killed and three more wounded in Baton Sternberg and Candace Sternberg. In back are customer Ron Steen, Alison Howell, Emily Rouge earlier that morning. Howell and Mary Sternberg. As of Monday of this week, with the donation from the Prather and Campbell told Washington County Sheriff Danny lemonade stand, the center had raised $5,345 toward its goal of $7,500. Donations can be Bradac that the pies at the Country Kitchen are awesome, and made by calling the center at 443-4020. they just wanted the people to enjoy them. Page 2 County Journal July 21, 2016 Police blotter Deanne M. Junge, 34, Lisa M. Smith, 36, of Strange happenings at Menard of Red Bud was arrested Sparta was arrested July By Travis Lott spective, citing their enforcement, anti-es- side the gates a few July 11 by the Randolph 17 by the Randolph Last year, three indi- first amendment tablishment messages years ago. County sheriff’s office County sheriff’s office viduals were caught rights. They also to the inmates. Walker said it will on a Randolph County for possession of meth- near Menard Correc- claimed the statute for Walker said, how- likely be a minimum warrant for deceptive amphetamine, posses- tional Center with a which they were ar- ever, that there was of six months until practice. She posted sion of a hypodermic radio transmitter. rested was too broad nothing on the broad- the appellate court bond. needle/syringe and pos- They were charged and did not specifically cast that told the in- hears the case. **** session of a controlled with bringing contra- cover the actions they mates to riot or harm “I’m hoping the ap- George F. Shanks, 46, substance. She was band into a penal in- took or the equipment law enforcement, pellate court will see of Tilden was arrested jailed. stitution, a Class 1 they used. which would have been things my way, and July 11 by the Randolph **** felony, because they When Gross dis- inciting a riot and filed we can reinstate the County sheriffs office Christina E. Worley, were allegedly using missed the case, Ran- as a separate charge. felony,” Walker said. for domestic battery. He 35, of Chester was ar- the transmitter to dolph County State’s He said the three “I’m disappointed in was jailed.