The Wayne County Board met Thursday Evening in the Basement of the Wayne County Courthouse. In appointments, Randy Ellis was appointed to the board of directors for the Rural Fairfield Fire District while Steve Deitz was named to the Orchardville Fire Protection District to fill the remaining term of Bill Lowry. It was approved in the meeting that work will be taking place soon on the State Road 161 Extension. The work will cover 8.91 miles of resurfacing from Johnsonville to the Marion County Line. The cost of the work is $3 Million with 80% of the cost covered by the state. Kevin Kakac was on hand as the board approved Wayne County to join into the Opiod Settlement. The County gave a go-ahead towards work for a new website. Finally, a resolution was approved by the board for a mobile home tax sale.
4 individuals, 2 IDOC transport officers, lawyers, and Brodey Murbarger were in Wayne County Court on Friday as there was a scheduled appeal hearing on the sentence handed down to Murbarger in January. Murbarger is currently serving a 50-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the murder of 15-year-old Megan Nichols. At 11:48 this morning, Murbarger's attorney, Christian Baril, filed a motion to leave and amend the motion to reconsider Murbarger's sentence. In court, Baril mentioned the reason for the appeal was on constitutional grounds. In court, Wayne County States Attorney Kevin Kakac and Assistant District Attorney Michael Falagario did not object to the motion filed this morning. After some time, both sides came up with a new hearing date of June 16th with the new motion to be filed no later than June 9th. Wayne County Judge Michael Molt granted the motion and set the new date for the hearing to reconsider Murbarger's sentence for June 16th.
The Wayne County Board is set to meet this evening at 7 in the basement of the Wayne County Courthouse. Claire Vaughn will be on hand to present information on the new Wayne County Website that is currently in development. Under chairperson appointments, the Fairfield Rural Fire District is requesting of Randy Ellis to serve a 3 yr term as trustee on the Fairfield Rural Fire Board of Trustees. The Orcharville Fire Department is also looking to make appointments to their fire protection board. Under new business, the board will hear from States Attorney Kevin Kakac or assistant Bill Easton in regards to the national opioid settlement. The board will also look at a resolution to assign a Mobile Home Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase. Finally, the board will hear any ARPA requests if there are any. Officer and Committee reports will also take place at the meeting.
SPRINGFIELD – Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Gov. Pritzker’s gun law unconstitutional, and state’s attorneys in 32 other counties are standing with him.
Justice for Megan: Murbarger Sentenced to 50 years in IDOC. The courtroom was packed on Friday, January 27 as Brody I Murbarger appeared in Wayne County Court for Sentencing in the murder trial of 15-year-old Megan Nichols. The hearing began with the state, represented by Michael Falagario and Myra Yelle-Clark of the Illinois Attorney General's office alongside State's Attorney Kevin Kakac, making their argument for tough sentencing in the regards to the First-Degree Murder Charge. Teresa Miller with the Attorneys General's Office read impact statements from Megan's Stepfather Jerod Hutchcraft, and Janet Poole, Megan's Grandmother; followed by an impact statement from a family friend. All statements described the profound loss felt by the family, and friends, over the heinous way Megan was killed and disposed of. Defense Attorney Christian Baril, would also enter four out of the ten defense witness statements heard in court on behalf of Murbarger's