March 17 primary election is around the corner
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
Voters will be heading to the polls for the primary election on Tuesday, March 17.
Early voting at the county clerk's office at the Clinton County Courthouse is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voting hours on March 17 are 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election day voting at the precinct polling places will be from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The last day to mail a vote by mail ballot is Thursday, March 12. Vote by mail ballots must be postmarked by election day to be counted. A late postmark will not be counted.
Those who are returning their ballots within a week of or on election day should go to the post office counter and request a manual postmark or deliver the ballot directly to the Clinton County Clerk's Office.
While there are no contested races at the county level, there are federal and state contests.
On the Republican ballot, two candidates — incumbent state representative Charlie Meier of Okawville and newcomer Zachary Meyer of Aviston — are vying for the state representative for the 109th district. The district includes parts of Bond, Clinton, Madison, St. Clair and Washington counties.
Four candidates are going for judge in the Fourth Judicial Circuit - Brenda Mathis, Wesley A. Gozia, Aaron C. Jones and Phillip Givens. They will be filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Douglas L. Jarman. The fourth judicial district includes Christian, Clay, Clinton, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Montgomery and Shelby counties.
Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick, Darren Bailey and Rick Heidner are all vying for the Republican nomination for governor.
Walter Adamczyk and Diane M. Harris are vying for the Republican nomination for secretary of state. On the Democratic ballot, Karina Villa, Stephanie A. Kifowit, Holly Kim and Margaret Croke are vying for the nomination for comptroller. On the federal side, Casey Chlebek, Don Tracy, R. Cary Capparelli, Pamela Denise Long, Jimmy Lee Tillman II and Jeannie Evans are vying for the Republican nomination for United States senator. Kevin Ryan, Robin Kelly, Juliana Stratton, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Steve Botsford Jr., Bryan Maxwell, Jonathan Dean, Sean Brown, Awisi A. Bustos and Christopher Swann are vying for the Democratic nomination for United States senator.
Voters in the St. Rose and Highland-Pierron Fire Protection Districts will vote on a proposition to create the new Eastern Madison County Ambulance Emergency Services District.
See you at the polls!
Major Case Squad suspends investigation in Carlyle death
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
According to a press release sent on Friday, March 6, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has suspended its investigation into the death of a 41-year-old Carlyle resident.
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was called to Carlyle around 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 3. Officers from the Carlyle Police Department responded to a residence in the 2100 block of Fairfax Street for a welfare check. They discovered a 41-year-old female, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The victim was identified on Wednesday, March 4, as Sadie Tull, who was a dog groomer and artist in the area. There are reports that two of Tull's dogs were also killed in the incident, but the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis could not confirm those reports. Her obituary says she was preceded in death by three dogs - Olaf, Piper and Meiko.
A release from the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis said Tull was discovered with a single gunshot wound to the head. As of Wednesday, the detectives had followed up on more than 63 leads and continued to pursue all avenues of the investigation.
The release on Friday said that after an extensive four-day investigation, the manner of death remains undetermined pending the return of laboratory results and search warrant returns. During the investigation, 36 investigators followed up on more than 90 leads, putting in 1,000 man hours.
The release said that there are no persons of interest being sought at this time and there is no believed threat to the Carlyle community.
Meier vs. Meyer race takes center stage at Lincoln Day Dinner
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- Written by: Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal Reporter
A group photo with Clinton County officials and Congressman Mike Bost. Nearly 270 people gathered Saturday evening for the Lincoln Day Dinner at Albers American Legion and hosted by the Clinton County Republican Central Committee — the first time the event has been held in the county since 2009.
The annual Lincoln Day Dinner, traditionally held around the February birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, serves as a fundraising and networking event for Republicans and typically features conservative speakers and political candidates.
Several candidates and elected officials attended the event, including Republican candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey, State Rep. Charlie Meier and his Republican primary opponent Zachary Meyer. 
Candidate for Illinois Governor Darren Bailey spoke about making sure you get out to vote. Also speaking were candidates for the Fourth Judicial Circuit judge positions, including Brenda Mathis, Wesley A. Gozia, Aaron C. Jones and Phillip Givens, along with Amy E. Sholar, a candidate for the Illinois Appellate Court for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Republican candidate for Illinois comptroller Bryan Drew also addressed the crowd.
“We were excited to see so much engagement and the turnout of individuals throughout our county to better understand how voting directly impacts the every day lives of everyone in Clinton County,” said county board chairman Brad Knolhoff.
Congressman Mike Bost served as the keynote speaker at the event.
A key highlight of the evening was the contrast between incumbent State Rep. Charlie Meier and Republican challenger Zachary Meyer.
Zachary Meyer Meyer, of Aviston, was introduced first and asked the audience several questions about the direction of Illinois over the past 14 years.
“Over the past 14 years, has your overall tax burden gone down or even stayed the same?” Meyer asked. “Has it become more affordable to drive when you factor in the gas you buy and the registration you pay?”
He also asked whether residents hear more about businesses moving into Illinois or leaving the state and whether life has improved for families.
“Be honest with yourself. Have you ever thought about picking up and leaving?” Meyer asked. “Because when you look around in Illinois today, it is hard to point to much that is moving in the right direction.”
Meyer said he was raised by a single mother after his father died when he was 10 years old. He credited his mother for teaching him “resilience, responsibility, and the value of hardwork.”
To put himself through law school, Meyer said he purchased a failing Tropical Sno stand, and took it from unprofitable to profitable, tripling its sales.
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