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Morgan County, Illinois

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About Morgan, IL

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Complete local news coverage for Morgan County, Illinois. Stay updated on local government, community events, business developments, and civic matters affecting residents of Jacksonville, Meredosia, Franklin, Waverly, and surrounding west-central Illinois communities.
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Jacksonville, Meredosia, Franklin, Waverly and 572 square miles in west-central illinois

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Newsroom monitoring local Morgan, IL developments. Next update cycle in 37 minutes.

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Kiwanis point-5-K to help fund Jacksonville fire safety house

Kiwanis point-5-K to help fund Jacksonville fire safety house

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Rain moves Jacksonville concert indoors, crowd still turns out

Rain moves Jacksonville concert indoors, crowd still turns out

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Brett Gilbreth takes over Routt Catholic football, eyes faster offense

Brett Gilbreth takes over Routt Catholic football, eyes faster offense

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Ken Bradbury's Couplings returns to Jacksonville as youth arts fundraiser

Ken Bradbury's Couplings returns to Jacksonville as youth arts fundraiser

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Jacksonville Memorial Hospital honors Jesse Hubbard for training, performance

Jacksonville Memorial Hospital honors Jesse Hubbard for training, performance

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More Local News

Jacksonville museum preserves Morgan County African American history
Community

Jacksonville museum preserves Morgan County African American history

Jacksonville’s museum gives Morgan County a year-round starting point for Black history, with the Asa Talcott Home, Diamond Grove Cemetery and Woodlawn Farm extending the story.

Lisa Park5m read
Jacksonville Public Library special collections help Morgan County history research
Community

Jacksonville Public Library special collections help Morgan County history research

Jacksonville Public Library’s Special Collections Room gives Morgan County residents a hands-on way to trace family roots, houses and school records from directories, maps and microfilm.

Lisa Park4m read
Morgan County Courthouse traces roots to frontier log cabin courtrooms
Government

Morgan County Courthouse traces roots to frontier log cabin courtrooms

Morgan County's courthouse began in log cabins, burned in 1827, and still anchors court, records, and county services at 300 W. State Street.

James Thompson4m read
Morgan County assessor explains property values, exemptions and appeals
Government

Morgan County assessor explains property values, exemptions and appeals

Morgan County homeowners can track values, exemptions and appeals in one system, and the biggest money-saving mistakes usually happen before the tax bill arrives.

Marcus Williams4m read
Morgan County clerk’s office handles elections, records and taxes
Government

Morgan County clerk’s office handles elections, records and taxes

Morgan County residents turn to the clerk for election calendars, vital records and property-tax administration, with online tax lookups and weekday courthouse hours.

Marcus Williams5m read
Jacksonville’s Big Eli Wheel links Morgan County to Ferris wheel history
Community

Jacksonville’s Big Eli Wheel links Morgan County to Ferris wheel history

Families still ride Big Eli each summer in Community Park, where a 1907 wheel keeps Jacksonville tied to the birth of the modern Ferris wheel and its own civic story.

Sarah Chen4m read
Murrayville-Woodson Grade School project saves district substantial money
Education

Murrayville-Woodson Grade School project saves district substantial money

Ptacek told the JSD 117 board the Murrayville-Woodson school project is avoiding the cost of a water tank and pump, easing pressure on the district’s bond plan.

Sarah Chen2m read
Eight high school football teams train at Illinois College camp
Education

Eight high school football teams train at Illinois College camp

Eight area programs used Illinois College’s Jacksonville campus for preseason work as the school also advertised a July 20 prospect camp for grades 9-12.

Marcus Williams1m read
Crime Stoppers seeks tips in Jacksonville vehicle damage case
Community

Crime Stoppers seeks tips in Jacksonville vehicle damage case

Crime Stoppers asked for help in a Jacksonville criminal damaging case involving a broken vehicle window, with anonymous tips accepted online or at 217-243-7300.

Marcus Williams2m read
Family honors Jacksonville teen killed in fatal crash
Community

Family honors Jacksonville teen killed in fatal crash

Addy Johnson, 15, died in a Morgan County rollover near Jacksonville, and her school honored the Jacksonville High sophomore in pink.

Sarah Chen2m read
Jacksonville house explosion leaves two hospitalized, neighbors step in
Community

Jacksonville house explosion leaves two hospitalized, neighbors step in

Two Jacksonville residents were hospitalized after an East Morton Avenue explosion destroyed their home, and neighbors quickly organized help for the recovery.

Marcus Williams2m read
Jacksonville man gets probation in child pornography case
Government

Jacksonville man gets probation in child pornography case

Austin Castleberry avoided prison after a negotiated plea in Morgan County court, receiving four years of probation in a child pornography case.

James Thompson2m read
Wanted Jacksonville man arrested on robbery and weapons charges
Community

Wanted Jacksonville man arrested on robbery and weapons charges

Police arrested Montrel Burton after a four-day search tied to a Missouri robbery case with gun allegations.

Marcus Williams1m read
Troopers stop wrong-way DUI driver on I-72 near Jacksonville
Community

Troopers stop wrong-way DUI driver on I-72 near Jacksonville

Troopers blocked a wrong-way DUI driver on I-72 near Jacksonville before a head-on crash, but the suspect still hit a squad car and deployed its airbags.

Sarah Chen1m read
Salvation Army launches year-long homeless survey effort in Jacksonville
Community

Salvation Army launches year-long homeless survey effort in Jacksonville

Jacksonville will spend a year interviewing unhoused residents, seeking a data set that can shape shelter space, outreach funding and local policy.

Marcus Williams1m read
Crime Stoppers seeks Morgan County man wanted on meth charges
Community

Crime Stoppers seeks Morgan County man wanted on meth charges

Jacksonville’s Cornelius Nick Handy is wanted on four drug counts, and Crime Stoppers is asking for anonymous tips that could lead to an arrest.

Sarah Chen2m read
Jacksonville man sentenced to eight years for fentanyl possession
Government

Jacksonville man sentenced to eight years for fentanyl possession

A Jacksonville man with a violent-crime history got eight years in prison after police found fentanyl hidden in his engine compartment. The case adds to Morgan County’s drug-court load.

Marcus Williams1m read
Morgan County man arrested on child pornography production charges
Community

Morgan County man arrested on child pornography production charges

Illinois State Police arrested Corey J. Lucas of Murrayville on six Class X felony counts after a March 2024 probe linked child abuse material to his Morgan County home.

Marcus Williams2m read
Franklin tightens utility bill rules, first shutoffs set for September 9
Government

Franklin tightens utility bill rules, first shutoffs set for September 9

Franklin will start shutting off delinquent utility accounts on Sept. 9 after approving tougher collection rules. The village says thousands of dollars in unpaid water, sewer and gas bills are already weighing on the books.

James Thompson2m read
Jacksonville delays vote on solar field rezoning amid neighborhood concerns
Government

Jacksonville delays vote on solar field rezoning amid neighborhood concerns

Jacksonville put off a vote on a 3.5-megawatt solar field as Prairie Knolls neighbors pressed for answers on drainage, traffic, screening and decommissioning.

Marcus Williams2m read
Cass County man gets 20 years for Jacksonville vehicle hijacking
Government

Cass County man gets 20 years for Jacksonville vehicle hijacking

Gabriel Greer of Ashland got 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to hijacking a vehicle on East Morton in Jacksonville, a public-area crime that ended in Morgan County court.

Marcus Williams1m read
Jacksonville Public Library highlights new reads for summer readers
Community

Jacksonville Public Library highlights new reads for summer readers

Jacksonville Public Library’s new Shelf Life picks pair with free summer programs, instant digital borrowing and adult reading challenges for Morgan County readers.

Sarah Chen4m read
Morgan County commissioners clash over agenda wording at tense meeting
Government

Morgan County commissioners clash over agenda wording at tense meeting

A fight over “other business” turned a routine board meeting tense, while Michael Woods also updated commissioners on HRAPP bids and wage-rate business.

James Thompson2m read
Jacksonville nursing home launches teddy bear drive for hospitalized children
Community

Jacksonville nursing home launches teddy bear drive for hospitalized children

Arcadia Care Jacksonville launched a teddy bear drive for children at HSHS Children's Hospital in Springfield, giving Morgan County residents a simple way to help right now.

Marcus Williams1m read
Meredosia's French roots, river trade shaped Morgan County history
Business

Meredosia's French roots, river trade shaped Morgan County history

Meredosia’s history runs from French river legends and steamboats to railroads and pearl buttons, and that layered past still shapes its future on the Illinois River.

Sarah Chen5m read
Morgan County groups push data center referendum for November ballot
Government

Morgan County groups push data center referendum for November ballot

Two county groups are collecting signatures for a November vote on whether Morgan County should restrict data centers, as residents weigh water, power and tax tradeoffs.

Marcus Williams2m read
Franklin student expands summer meals project to feed local children
Community

Franklin student expands summer meals project to feed local children

Andrew Ford’s summer meals project served 260 Franklin children in its second week, up from 196 the week before, as school-year food access ran thin.

Lisa Park2m read
David Strawn Art Gallery marks more than a century in Jacksonville
Community

David Strawn Art Gallery marks more than a century in Jacksonville

A 1915 deed turned the Strawn home into a gallery that still gives Jacksonville free exhibits, classes and a downtown cultural anchor.

Sarah Chen5m read
Jacksonville author Kara Dalton turns expertise into books for children
Education

Jacksonville author Kara Dalton turns expertise into books for children

Kara Dalton turns 17 years in special education into children's books that help families talk about autism, medical care and confidence.

Lisa Park4m read