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Another Chester Character Trail statue Page 7 Twardoski hearing is delayed Page 2 Serving The Area With Local News Since 1980 Prison sentences Page 3 S’ville RIF cuts Page 6 © Copyright 2014, County Journal www.countyjournalnews.com Volume 35 Number 12 28 Pages Your Local News Leader Thursday, March 20, 2014 60¢ Cindy Jones, Jeffers, White nominated The turnout in Randolph County Tuesday was 32.76 percent as the political parties Doyle Jones nominated candidates to run in November. Returns came in fairly loses quickly until it came to Baldwin. County Clerk Pat Laramore said the judges treasurer’s showed up at the courthouse without their computer race and memory cards and had to go back and get them. When the votes were party post counted, incumbent Democrat Treasurer Doyle Jones had Cindy Jones Justin Jeffers Ronnie White lost his bid to run in Novem- For a six-year seat on the ber to Justin Jeffers. The vote county board, the Democrat defeated Brad Coke 1,322 to Democrat challenger Tio Randolph County Republi- total was 2,083 for Jeffers and nominee is Cindy Jones. She 782. Hardiman was 1,914 to cans gave the most votes, 1,762 for Jones. There is no defeated Ben Picou 2,257 to In the governor’s race, Quinn’s 1,288. Quinn won 1,165, to Kirk Dillard. Bill Republican candidate, so 1,426. Randolph County voters statewide. Brady had 402, Dan Ruther- Jeffers will be the next trea- In November, she will face showed their disfavor with Bruce Rauner won statewide surer. Republican Ron White, who Pat Quinn. The vote for his on the Republican side, but Continued on Page 5____ Kellerman, Bareis Sales tax referendum passes Sales tax in Randolph January or February. Sparta will become a home County is going up after re- “I am committed to lower- rule city after the election. sults of Tuesday’s voting. ing property taxes since this Home rule won 518 yes to win in Perry Co. After the third try, the 1 sales tax passed,” said 319 no. Mayor Charles percent sales tax for schools Beattie. “We should be able Kelley has said if the mea- Perry County Sheriff Keith has passed. The total was to abate about $250,000 in sure passed, he would work Kellerman easily withstood a 3,269 yes and 3,147 no, a property taxes a year.” to get a half cent sales tax challenge from two other difference of only 122 votes. He expects that Sparta will passed by the council. Un- Democrats Tuesday to win the There are still about 100 receive about $1.1 million in der home rule, no vote of the right to run for another term. absentee votes out, but they taxes from the new sales tax. people is needed. Unofficial totals showed could not change any re- Everywhere but Sparta, With both new taxes, Kellerman with 887 votes to sults, according to County Randolph County sales tax Sparta sales tax will likely Dennis Cole’s 498 votes and Clerk Pat Laramore. will go up to 7.25 percent. go to 8.25 percent. Jerry Speers’s 309. The tax can be used only For the second time, All city commissioners That means Kellerman will for school facilities and not Randolph County voters de- will no longer run for office face Steve Bareis, who cur- salaries. feated a chance to get lower at the same time. With the rently is a Perry County Sparta school Superinten- electricity rates through a vote Tuesday, their terms deputy sheriff, in the Novem- dent Larry Beattie said he bulk purchase. The measure, will be staggered. The mea- ber 4 general election. was very happy with the which was not well pro- sure passed 684 to 199. At Bareis defeated Gale Reidel- results, but was unsure just moted, lost 3,177 no to 2,684 the next election, two will berger for the Republican when the tax will be applied. yes. run for two-year terms and nomination for sheriff 910 to He said schools could start There were two city coun- two for four-year terms. 746. That was the only Repub- receiving the money as soon cil questions on the Sparta Then all will run for four- lican race that had candi- as November but as late as ballot. year terms. dates. Perry County Democrats also cast a protest vote of Keith Kellerman sorts. They gave unknown Democrat gubernatorial can- Chester parents sentenced to prison didate Tio Hardiman 788 votes to Governor Pat Quinn’s By Greg Myers reason,” said Walker. “This 586. The Chester parents who case deserved the maximum Quinn easily won his nomi- pleaded guilty to not feeding punishment. I am thrilled nation statewide, but it ap- their infant resulting in his they didn’t get probation, pears he might have a tough death December 3, 2012, were though. This is the justice fight for the governorship in sentenced to four years in system and the judge makes November against Bruce prison but may be eligible for the final call. Judge Flynn Rauner, who won the Repub- parole next year. told me when I was younger Jackson Downey lican nomination. Christina Ann Downey and that if both parties are upset birth, while he was in the Rauner didn’t fair that well Bradly Dale Jackson were about a sentence then the hospital and when he was dis- in Perry County, as he came sentenced March 12 by Judge prosecution probably did a charged from the hospital. in second to Kirk Dillard by a Richard Aguirre for the good job. This case was the Bradly was a sick baby, he did wide margin. death of Bradly Dale Jackson result of a lot of hard work not feed well. The parents Voters in Pinckneyville pre- Jr., who was 29 days old. The by all of the officers and agen- were overwhelmed and tried cincts 6 and 7 and Sunfield four-year sentence is eligible cies. A lot of man hours went to do their best, but it was not approved a referendum to dis- for day-to-day credit for good into this case. enough and they admitted to solve the consolidated water behavior. With time already “This baby could have been that. That is why they served in jail by the parents, saved. The Carbondale hospi- pleaded guilty. Neither one Continued on Page 5_______ Steve Bareis Downey’s projected parole tal made a courtesy call to the has much of a criminal his- date is March 8, 2015, while mother at noon December 3 tory and probation would be Jackson’s is April 15, 2015. to see how Bradly Jr. was the best sentence.” “This is a very difficult case doing. The parents said ev- “The death of this baby was to sentence,” said Aguirre. “I erything was fine, but told not brought about by a single do not believe the parents de- police the baby was in dis- act,” said Kelley. “It was the serve an extended sentence to tress that morning. Less than result of numerous cascading the penitentiary. However, two hours after that phone events. My client (Downey) is they do deserve punishment call, the baby was dead.” suffering more than anyone. more than probation. The Jackson’s attorney Jeffrey The child never had a healthy parents are not felons, they Hammel and Downey’s law- day in his life. It is not fair to did not abuse the child. They yer James Kelley both argued demonize the couple for that. killed it by failing to act as for probation. A sentence of probation is parents. It was neglect that “They are remorseful and appropriate.” killed this child.” have to live with this tragedy Before the sentence was State’s Attorney Jeremy for the rest of their lives,” handed down, both Downey Walker asked for the maxi- said Hammel. “We have and Jackson made state- mum sentence of 10 years learned that malnutrition can ments. Wilson Day and was a little disappointed happen just because a child “I am very sorry for not be- Last Friday was actor Scott Wilson Day in Sparta. Above, with the couple getting just is not absorbing the nutri- ing able to protect my son,” Mayor Charles Kelley presents Wilson with the key to the four. ents. The baby was malnour- city. See two stories on Pages 7 and 15. “I asked for 10 years for a ished before he was born, at Continued on Page 5_______ Sparta school board makes layoffs, dismisses coach Bevis The Sparta Lincoln library When the board came out of was full Monday night as the closed session, several mo- board of education was set to tions were made, many of make personnel cuts. It was which followed recommenda- part of a move to trim tions for cuts announced in $800,000 from next year’s February. budget. One recommendation was to Almost 100 students and cut an administrator, and that parents waited as the board has been accomplished. went into closed session for The man out is Dennis Hall, more than two hours. They principal at Lincoln. He will heard from more than a dozen be able to take a teaching po- students and others about sition at a lower salary if he various teachers and coaches. wishes. At Lincoln, Hall will “We are here to try to save be replaced by Ryan teaching and coaching posi- McClellan, who is the current tions,” one student told re- porters. Continued on Page 5______ The Sparta Lincoln library was full Monday night for the school board meeting.