St. Jacob News

Issue date: 6/11/08 Section: News SIUE's tornado sirens blared Friday afternoon, and the campus community took cover as a wave of storms with the potential for tornadoes rolled through southeastern Madison ...

Team Cornerstone, made up of Moriah Hendrick, Ashley Kunz, Emily Williamson, Kendra Martin, Amanda Coehoorn and Katherine Coehoorn swept the divisions they competed in, winning twenty one ribbons in just ...

“I just tried to find one that was unique.”

From finding petrified dinosaur dung to bribing Chinese officials to eating green eggs, Jere Bomgardner has seen just about everything. via The Lebanon Daily News

Triad's new school building has been named Silver Creek Elementary, as the district's construction program continues. via Belleville News

Cornerstone Farms will present a horse show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday to benefit Bridge the Divide, a therapeutic horsemanship program that operates at Cornerstone, at U.S. 40 and Illinois Route 4 near St. via STLtoday

A tree fell into a power line today about 11 a.m. leaving some homes in Edwardsville, Highland and St. Jacob without power.

Approximately 2,100 households are currently affected by the outage.

Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said crews are working to fix the outage but that he has no time frame for when it will be repaired. Read more

“He thinks he has a special heart”

St. Jacob Elementary students jumped rope Friday for heart disease research.

First-grader Jason Mersinger, a three-time heart surgery patient, was one of the students jumping rope in the gym for Jump Rope for Heart.

Born with a heart defect, Jason underwent his first surgery at 6 days old. The last two surgeries were performed when he was 10 months and four years old, according to his mom, Kathy Mersinger.

Physical education teacher Amy Sheehan, the school's Jump Rope for Heart coordinator, said the program teaches her students how they can be a part of raising awareness and money for medical research. Read more

“I am running to retain the seat”

Two Democrats and a Republican are vying for the District 4 seat on the Madison County Board. via Alton Telegraph

“These vehicles were Sheriff's Department vehicles that are no longer suitable for patrol and have little trade-in value, but are still in good enough shape to be in use”

Sheriff's department vehicles headed to St. Jacob, Marine Two Madison County villages received surplus patrol cars recently from the Madison County Sheriff's Department. via Edwardsville Intelligencer

“I feel very comfortable that all those things are going in the right direction”

The Highland City Council's most continuous serving member has resigned, citing personal reasons.

Councilman Mike Gould said he was moving out of the city limits and therefore had to give up his seat on the board. Planning and Zoning Board member Peg Bellm was appointed to replace him.

'We wish to thank Mike for all of his contributions through the years, and we wish him the best of luck,' said Mayor Joe Michaelis.

Gould was first appointed to the City Council by former Mayor Rob Bowman in July 2001 to fill a vacant seat. Gould ran uncontested in 2003 and again in 2007. Read more

“These vehicles were Sheriff's Department vehicles that are no longer suitable for patrol service and have little trade-in value, but are still in good enough shape to be in use”

Madison County government has sold two surplus vehicles from the Sheriff's Department to the Marine and St. via Alton Telegraph

A St. Jacob woman faces charges accusing her of serial telephone harassment, including one call in which she allegedly threatened to kill the victim of the calls. via Alton Telegraph

A 41-year-old St. Jacob woman was charged Tuesday with 29 counts of harassing another woman by telephone.

Paula C. Klaustermeier is accused of making 29 harassing telephone calls in August and September to Karen S. Miller of Collinsville.

All of the counts are misdemeanors except for one, a Class 4 felony, in which Klaustermeier is accused during an Aug. 3 phone call of threatening to kill Miller. The felony carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

Madison County Associate Judge Richard Tognarelli set Klaustemeier's bail at $50,000. She was not yet in custody as of Tuesday afternoon. Other details about the case were not available Tuesday from Madison County sheriff's deputies. Read more

A Madison County man has been charged with marijuana possession, and a daycare license issued to the address has been pulled. via KSDK-TV Saint Louis

A Madison County Jail inmate is facing attempted escape charges after authorities say he tried to dig his way out of custody using a soap tray. via CW11 St. Louis KPLR-TV News

“What Renfrow did was take out the outer part and save it. During the day he stuck it back in and used toilet paper to make it look like there was nothing wrong.”

Inmate at Madison County Jail tries to dig his way to freedom Only one inmate has ever escaped from the Madison County Jail, and that person wasn't Carl Renfrow. via Edwardsville Intelligencer

“He'll have to answer to this before he has to go to jail on this previous charge.”

A convicted sexual predator attempted to dig his way out of Madison County Jail using a metal soap tray, according to police.

But unlike a Hollywood ending when an inmate embraces freedom, the man now faces additional charges.

Carl E. Renfrow, 34, of St. Jacob, was charged with two felonies Thursday, criminal damage to state supported property and attempted escape.

On Wednesday, police discovered a 12-inch-by-4-inch hole in an interior wall of a jail unit. It was concealed with pieces of paper and was under a bed that was mounted to the floor. Police said Renfrow had been using a metal soap tray, which had been broken away from a shower wall, to dig the hole in an apparent escape attempt. Read more

A convicted sexual predator attempted to dig his way out of Madison County Jail using a metal soap tray, according to police.

Carl E. Renfrow, 34, of St. Jacob, was charged with two felonies Thursday, criminal damage to state supported property and attempted escape.

On Wednesday, police discovered a 12-inch wide hole in an interior wall of a jail unit. The hole, which was 4 inches high and 2 inches deep was concealed with pieces of paper and was under a bed that was mounted to the floor. Police said, Renfrow had been using a metal soap tray, which had been broken away from a shower wall, to dig the hole in an apparent escape attempt. Read more

“It does bother me as a parent more than anything as to finding that there are other parents trusting these people to take care of their kids and conducting illegal activities within the residence. It's very disturbing.”

One of the operators of a Madison County home daycare is facing a felony charge. via MyFox St. Louis

Jacob community is accused of possessing marijuana and possibly growing the drug at the site. via WHBF-TV Rock Island