The McDonough County Voice
Your eyes could tell you that Monday was a special day at Macomb City Hall. First, there was a tent on the city hall lawn. Second was the number of people gathering under and around the tent.
The tent was in place as an alternative to indoor crowd prohibitions. The Macomb City Council met inside the building as usual. Then they recessed and reconvened under the tent.
The outdoor gathering was to permit as large a group as possible to witness and participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Police Chief Jerel Jones. In addition to his family from Chicago, and many Macomb residents, representatives of the NAACP were on hand including the state president.
Patrick Stout
MACOMB A Chicago family came to Macomb this week to watch their nephew and son sworn in as the city s first African-American chief of police.
Chief Jerel Jones took the oath of office from City Clerk Melanie Falk in an outdoor city council session that was brought to order by the Macomb Police Department Honor Guard.
Then the chief s uncle, Lonnie Jones, a 30-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, took the podium. He spoke about his father, the grandfather of Jerel Jones. His grandfather was a Chicago police officer for 30 years, Lonnie Jones said. We re a police family. The uncle then presented Chief Jones with materials that had been given to his grandfather during his police career.
OPS Director interviews set
WIU University Relations
MACOMB Two candidates for the Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety (OPS) director position are set for interviews (virtual and in person) Monday, April 26 and Tuesday, April 27.
Candidates include Derek Watts, interim director of the Office of Public Safety, (Monday, April 26) and Michael Parkinson, emergency preparedness coordinator and Clery compliance officer at Saint Louis University (Tuesday, April 27).
Open sessions will be held via Zoom with each candidate from 10:50-11:30 a.m. April 26 (bit.ly/WattsOpenSession) and April 27 (bit.ly/ParkinsonOpenSession). Individuals interested in participating in the open sessions
Watts has served as the OPS interim director since March 2019. He joined OPS in 1998 as a patrol officer. He was promoted to corporal in 2006 and to sergeant in 2009. Watts was promoted to lieutenant in 2018. He started his law enforcement career with the Bushnell Police Department in 1996. B
April 12, 2021 MACOMB,IL- The Western Illinois University Office of Student Engagement (OSE), in conjunction with numerous other campus offices, will host Spring Into a Fun Semester April 12- April 18 during the Spring 2021 semester.
The goal of the events is to help engage students and help them make meaningful connections.
The week schedule includes:
• Monday, April 12
- 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. – Bi ce Cream Social and Pan Pizza Palooza- in person, located in the MCC
- Noon-3 p.m. – FSL and Child Abuse Prevention Month Tabling- in person, located outside the Union
- 2-5 p.m. – Clothesline Project- in person, located in the MCC
February 18, 2021 MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Office of Student Engagement (OSE), in conjunction with numerous other campus offices, will host Spring Into a Fun Semester during week five of the Spring 2021 semester, Feb. 22-28.
The goal of the events is to help engage students and help them make meaningful connections.
The week five schedule includes:
•
Monday, Feb. 22 – 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.- The Vagina Monologues swag giveaway at the WIU Women s Center in the Multicultural Center
• Tuesday, Feb. 23 - 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Tuesdays on the Terrace with the Military Science department, University Union terrace
• Wednesday, Feb. 24