Scott County Times
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020
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WINCHESTER, IL 62694
Thursday accident Republicans pick Crews for state’s attorney claims life of Phil Kilver By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press A one vehicle accident Thursday evening, March 12, claimed the life of Phil Kilver, 51, Winchester. According to Illinois State Police reports, Kilver was driving a 2011 Chevrolet pickup truck west bound on Cherry Street in Winchester at 7:54 p.m. when the vehicle traveled off the roadway, struck a utility pole and overturned. Kilver was taken to Passavant
Hospital in Jacksonville and was pronounced dead. A passenger in the vehicle, Jesse M.Pitman, 51, also of Winchester was also taken to Passavant for treatment of what the ISP termed “moderate� injuries. Assisting at the scene were the Winchester Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Scott County EMS and the Winchester Fire Department. An obituary for Kilver is on page A4.
By BETH ZUMWALT Scott County Times Approximately 1,300 voters voted in the Illinois primary in Scott County March 17. In the Republican threeway race for state’s attorney, Rick Crews was the winner, followed by John Paul Coonrod and Bethany Doolin. The three were vying to replace Mike Hill, who has chosen to move back to Brown County. Hill ran for the state’s attorney’s position in Brown County, also in a three-way race and won. Crews took 844 votes, followed by Coonrod with 324 and Doolin with 215. “I am overwhelmed with the results,� Crews said.
Cox, Howard are all state selections. See page A8
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READY
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This was the scene Monday morning in the Winchester Grade School cafeteria as hundreds of prepared lunches are ready to be picked up by parents at the beginning of a two-week shutdown of schools in Illinois. Parents may come to the cafeteria doors from 11 a.m. to noon on school days to pick up lunches plus they are delivered to specified areas in other communities throughout the district.
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Scott County Times Obituaries listed in this issue: Kilver All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
“The turnout and the great support. You know when you run for an office like this, you campaign, you tell the people you want the job, which I did. But then you receive that many votes and it hits you how many people are behind you. It’s a great feeling.� Crews said his number one focus will be the county’s drug problem. “People say to me, there aren’t that many court cases,� he said. “That just tells me there are people not getting caught. The rural areas are being hit hard by meth. I want to work on that and the forfeiture of the properties of the messes they leave behind.� The Democrats had no
RICK CREWS candidate for state’s attorney. Crew’s victory does not mean he will automatically be states attorney in December. The Democrats have until mid-May to place a (See, CREWS, A2)
What is the coronavirus
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FRIDAY, MARCH 20
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VOLUME NO. 153 NUMBER 12
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WEEKEND WEATHER
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Scott County Nursing Center closes to visitors By CARMEN ENSINGER Scott County Times Scott County Emergency Management Director Justin Daws, along with the Scott County Nursing Center and Scott County Health Department announces the temporary closing of the nursing center to visitors due to the COVID-19 virus. On March 12, Daws and the two other entities, announced a new measure to ensure the health of the Center’s residents. Beginning Friday, March 12, the Scott County Nursing Center was closed to all but essential personnel. No visitors of residents will be allowed until further notice.
range from very mild to severe and includes death in some cases. People who are older or have existing medical conditions, such as heart disease, may be at higher risk of serious illness. It is unclear exactly how contagious the new coronavirus is. It appears to be spreading from person to person among those in close contact. It may be spread by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes. Although there is no vaccine available to prevent infection, there are steps one can take to reduce their risk of infection. The CDC recommends following these standard precautions: Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if your hands are not clean. Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick. Avoid sharing dishes, glasses, bedding and other household items if you are sick. Clean and disinfect surfaces you often touch Stay home from work, school and public areas if you are sick.
“The newly adopted measure is purely pre-emptive in an attempt to try and ensure the safety of Scott County residents who are the most susceptible to the COVID-19 virus and the flu virus,� Daws said. “We understand the inconvenience this may cause to the families of the residents, but it is our duty to try and safeguard any illness our residents could unnecessarily fall victim to.� Scott County Nursing Center will remain closed to the general public until further notice to protect those residing at the facility. Local emergency managers are working closely with local and state officials to keep monitoring this situation.
Local restaurants and bars struggle to cope with mandatory closure By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press Local bars and restaurants struggled Sunday afternoon to come up with plans to continue to bring in an income after Gov. Pritzker announced that, effective March 17, all bars and restaurants would be closed to inside dining. Drive-thru, delivery and curb side pickup will still be allowed. “There are no easy decisions left to be made as we address this unprecedented crisis,� Gov. Pritzker said in a press conference Sunday afternoon. “Every choice that we face now is hard and it comes with real consequences for our residents. “But as your Governor, I cannot let the gravity of these choices prevent us from taking the actions that the science and the experts say will keep people safe. Pritzker said he tried to appeal to residents to stay at home but his advice was ignored. “I tried earlier this week to appeal to everyone’s good judgement to stay home; to avoid bars, not to congre-
By CARMEN ENSINGER Scott County Times Just a week ago, the buzzword was the Coronavirus – now it is being referred to as COVID-19. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is a difference. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). In 2019 a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak in China. The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2018 (COVID-19). There have been confirmed cases of COVID-19 in several countries, including the U.S. Public Health groups, such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are monitoring the situation and posting updates on their website. According to the CDC, signs and symptoms of COVID-19 may appear two to 14 days after exposure and can include fever, cough along with shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The severity of symptoms
gate in crowds,� he said. “It is unfortunate that many people didn’t take that seriously. The time for persuasion and public appeals is over. The time for action is here. This is not a joke. No one is immune to this and you have an obligation to act in the best interests of all the people of the state.� Pritzker said he hopes he has over reacted. “In some ways, my sincerest hope is when all of this is over that we hear a whole bunch of complaints that the state over reacted and took action that was too aggressive,� he said. “That will have meant that we survived all of this with the best possible outcome saving many people’s lives.� After the announcement, local restaurants and bars were busy trying to come up with a plan to continue to remain in business throughout the two-week shut down. Buck and Jo’s Too in Winchester will continue to serve curbside to go meals and expand their hours of operation to seven days a week for the next two weeks. “I hope our customers
understand that this is more difficult for us and our staff as hours and wages are lost,� Burk said. “This is all going to be new to us and we are sorry for the inconvenience but at least we can still serve food. Let’s just hope it all goes smooth.� Customers must call in their order then pull up to the building. An employee will come to the car and do the transaction and then get your food. No one is allowed in the building except employees. Burk said he will be posting a menu on their Facebook Page, Buck and Jo’s Too, LLC, and they will also be selling pizzas during this period of time. Hours of operation are Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Poker’s Bar and Grill in Bluffs, however, is shutting down for the two week period. “Unfortunately, we have had to make a very tough decision since our post this morning,� their Facebook (See, CLOSURE, A2)
LUNCH
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Kyler and Cade Coon, of Winchester, enjoy their lunch from the Winchester Grade School on Monday during the first day of a two-week mandatory closure of the schools in the state to combat the COVID-19 virus. While school will not be in session, the district will prepare meals for all students which may be picked up by parents at the grade school. Lunches are also delivered to specified locations in other communities served by the Winchester School District.
Scott county schools closed By CARMEN ENSINGER Scott County Times With the Governor closing down school districts throughout the state effective March 17 through March 30, both Bluffs and Winchester School Districts had planned on being in session on Monday, March 16 so students could get homework assignments for the next two weeks. However, after confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Sangamon County on Saturday, it was announced that school would not be in session on Monday. Superintendent Kevin Blankenship announced on March 13 that the school districts would not be in session. “At Winchester and Bluffs schools, the health, safety and
well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities,� Blankenship said. “With the recently elevated discussion regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the news, we want to take a moment to reinforce preventative safety measures and reference our process and communications.� Blankenship went on to say that while, at the time, only a small number of confirmed cases in the U.S., as a school district they are closely monitoring the situation and taking guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After the announcement by Gov. Pritzker that all districts would be closed, most districts (See, SCHOOLS, A2)