GREENE PRAIRIE PRESS
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INSIDE NEWS Census Bureau calls on Greene to make 2020 count. See page A4
LOCALS
COVID-19 impacting court cases in Greene By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than just life as we know it – it has affected the justice system as well. Three major trials were scheduled to take place during the month of April in Greene County Circuit Court, and those trials have had to be postponed. They included the double murder trial of Adam Gowin, who is accused of murdering his two uncles, Jamia Ellis, who is accused of murdering her fivemonth-old son and Ryan Wheeler, who
is accused of concealing a homicidal death in the death of Ellis’s son. Gowin and Ellis have been incarcerated since 2018 when the alleged murders were committed, as has Wheeler. Due to the pandemic and the shelter in place order, the Illinois Supreme Court has suspended the right to a speedy trial mandate. “Back in March, the Illinois Supreme Court issued a ruling that due to the pandemic and the fact that we were not supposed to gather, that they were suspending the rule for at least 60 days,� Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe said. “That time wouldn’t be charged to the State or defendant in order to keep everyone safe for the trials.�
The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following notice in response to the COVID-19 Emergency/Impact on Trials: “The Chief Judges of each circuit may continue trials until further order of this Court. In the case of criminal proceedings, any delay resulting from this emergency continuance order shall not be attributable to either the State or the defendant.� As for other cases, they are being postponed as well. “We are doing a very limited schedule at the moment,� Briscoe said. “People who get arrested we are still bringing over and advising them of the penalties and appointing council, but if you are out on bond we are trying not
to bring you back into the system any earlier than it is safe to do so. We don’t want a bunch of people coming in and out of the courthouse, so a number of cases have been continued until the later part of May and into June.� Briscoe said Judge James Day is still issuing emergency orders of protection, but no civil cases are being held. “I think he might be doing some civil cases by phone conference with the attorneys,� he said. “But we are just on a very limited schedule right now.� So how is it working out so far? “We all have a job to do here, and (See, COURT, A2)
Greene County Courthouse security is now in place Welcome, baby Theodore. See page A3
SCHOOL North Greene awards bids for asphalt repair, HVAC units. See page A6
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By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press If you haven’t visited the Greene County Courthouse in the last month, you will notice some changes when you do visit. Effective April 1, visitors must pass through a metal detector when entering the courthouse. “This is something we have been trying to get in the courthouse for over 10 years now,� Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen said. “We were finally able to do it using funds from the courthouse security fund.� It wasn’t as simple as just setting up a metal detector. There are multiple entrances to the courthouse including the north and south entrance and the entrance on the side for the elevator. Rather than having to have three metal detectors and three guards on duty during operating hours, it was decided to close off the south entrance and adapt the elevator to initially only stop on the first floor. “Reprogramming the elevator was probably the biggest cost associated with this security measure,� McMillen said. “Now, when you enter the elevator, no matter which button you push, it will automatically stop on the first floor where you must exit, go through the metal detector.� Once an individual passes through the metal detector, they may then proceed to their destination on the first floor, take the stairs to the second floor offices or reenter the elevator. “If they choose to use the elevator to go to the second floor, the security guard must enter a code before the elevator will proceed to the second floor,� McMillen said. “However, once on the second floor, entering the elevator you can go down to the first floor without a code having to be entered.�
The metal detector itself consists of three scanning levels at the top, middle and bottom to ensure no weapon can be snuck in hidden around the shoe area. Among items prohibited from being brought into the courthouse are cell phones, computers or any kind of recording device. These items must either be left in the car or left at the entrance to be picked up on the way out. Some might wonder why a cell phone might be dangerous. “We deal with all types of cases, and sometimes the domestic cases can get pretty heated,� McMillen said. “If someone has a cell phone on them, they can relay a message to someone outside which could potentially put our officers in danger as well as the public in general. The deputies who will be working the security detail are all either presently employed or retired police officers who will have specialized training in security and conducting searches for weapons and contraband. The following items will not be allowed in the building: Q Firearms, knives, cutting instruments or any dangerous weapon. Q Cell phones, cameras or video or audio recording devices, computers or any other electronic device. Q Alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia or lighters. Q Any other item declared to be illegal by law or deemed to threaten the safety of the employees of the building or the public visiting the building. Currently, no one except employees are allowed in the offices. Should someone have business to conduct with any office, they are required to call before coming to the courthouse and an office employee will meet them in the hallway.
Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press
White Hall Police Officer David McCollum is one of several current and retired law enforcement officers who are manning the metal detector at the courthouse. Security measures were implemented on April 1.
WHNR parade brightens lives of residents By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press Everyone loves an Easter Parade, especially the residents of White Hall Nursing and Rehab. They were treated to a special parade the Friday before Easter by the facility as a way to both celebrate the holiday and give them an opportunity to see their relatives – from a safe distance of course. Scott Phares, Director of Admissions and Marketing, said the idea for the parade came from Bobbie Pratt, Regional Director of Admissions and Marketing. “She saw where some other facilities were doing something similar and broached the idea to us,� Phares said. “It came together over the course of about a week. We reached out to the relatives of our residents and they liked the idea.� It has been more than a month since relatives were able to see their friends and loved ones in the facility because of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the facility to be placed on lockdown. The response was more than anyone expected. “We thought that there might be 10 or 11 vehicles take part in the parade, but we ended up having 35 vehicles – from cars to ATV’s to motorcycles take part,� Phares said. “They were lined up for several blocks – much more than we ever expected.� And you can’t have a parade without sirens, so the facility reached out to both the White Hall and Roodhouse fire departments. “We reached out to them and asked if they would like to participate, and they both said yes immediately,� Phares said. “They even brought the Easter Bunny to wave (See, PARADE, A2)
North Greene considers graduation options By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press With Gov. JB Pritzker’s announcement last Friday that school would be canceled for the rest of the year and that students would be doing remote learning for the remainder of the school year, school districts were scrambling over two very important issues – grading and graduation.
“The stay at home order will be day by day, so we don’t know what is going to happen in these weeks prior to graduation. We are going to just have to play it by ear.�
Mark Scott North Greene Superintendent
Submitted photo
Shirley Nord, a resident of White Hall Nursing and Rehab, holds up a sign wishing everyone a Happy Easter during a parade organized by the facility to give the residents an opportunity to see their relatives – even if they were still in their vehicles. Local fire departments took part along with residents’ family members and friends. A total of 35 cars took part in the parade, and residents sat on the sidelines with messages to their loved ones
At North Greene School District, whatever grade a student had before the pandemic started in the middle of March is what they will have at the end of the school year – unless their remote learning work shows improvement. “We had just finished our third quarter when the stay at home order was issued,� North Greene Superintendent Mark Scott said. “Whatever their grades were at the end of the third quarter is what they will be for the second semester unless they do better. (See, GRADUATION, A3)