News Progress

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Arthur-Lovington high school principal Brian L. Hatfield, 42, was arrested recently on two counts of domestic battery, which were filed on January 21 according to documents filed by the Champaign circuit clerk’s office.

According to an Urbana Police Report, the incident occurred at the 1800 block of Cunningham on January 18 around 1:30 a.m. when witnesses saw Hatfield and his wife “mutually battering each other.”  Read More

Some of the state’s highest per capita rates here in central Illinois, though still low overall

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

According to data provided by Moultrie County Sheriff Jeff Thomas, 80 Moultrians have applied for concealed carry permits as of Monday, January 27. And while that may not seem like many, especially compared to the 5,305 that Cook County had reported earlier this month, it’s the per-capita rate that is of some interest.

Per-capita or per person, Moultrie sees 54 out of 10,000 applying for a license compared to Cook County, which is at 10 per 10,000.

Neighboring counties Douglas and Piatt each saw higher per capita rates with the former at 65.5 per 10,000 and the latter at 69.7 per 10,000. Coles County was lower with just 36.3 applicants per 10,000. Read More

Provided by the Illinois State Police
Above is a smaller version of the official signage prohibiting concealed carry firearms into private businesses and other locations.

Though many concealed carry applicants are still waiting to hear back from the state, applications filed on the first applicable day, January 5 (4,525 in total), will hear word by April 5, no doubt many then seeing permits in the mail. But with the new concealed carry law, there are dozens of areas that are prohibited, including private and public elementary or secondary schools, or public events that require a permit of any sort from the local government, such as the Fourth of July parade in Sullivan.

“If someone sees a weapon in a prohibited place, obviously he or she should let law enforcement know or management,” urged Moultrie County Sheriff Jeff Thomas. “The law requires the majority of the weapon be covered, but the public should expect occasions where they might see the butt of a gun or a holstered gun; I can’t tell people how to react if it’s a legitimate place to conceal carry. They can’t be taken into bars or festivals or those with a city permit; basically you can keep it in your vehicle and you always could, before, on your property.” Read More