Kenny Balfour A Greenville man was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a September 2020 shooting that occurred at the Cherry Court Apartments in Breese.
Kenny Balfour, 18, appeared in Clinton County Circuit Court last Wednesday, Jan. 6, with his attorney, Robert Bas, before Judge Mark Stedelin, where he entered a negotiated plea to Class X felony aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm.
In exchange for pleading guilty, Clinton County State's Attorney Doug Gruenke said that the state would forego their right to file additional charges, which could have included attempted homicide charges.
Balfour will receive credit for 95 days in the Clinton County Jail with credit for time already served and placed on three years of mandatory supervised release after his prison stay. He was also fined $799 in assessment costs.
Balfour is expected to serve 85 percent of his sentence.
Balfour could have been sentenced up to 30 years and fined up to $25,000.
At the Jan. 6 court appearance, Gruenke provided a factual basis in which several law enforcement officers would have testified that, on Sept. 15, 2020, Balfour was with another person when a firearm (a .40-caliber handgun) was purchased at a store in St. Clair County.
Logan Speiser At the Carlyle City Council meeting Monday night, Alderman Logan Speiser announced his resignation from the city council.
Speiser, in announcing his resignation, added that his house was under contract and he will be moving. Speiser is an alderman of the city's Ward 4.
Mayor Judy Smith thanked Speiser for serving on the city council, adding that he will be missed.
In other business, Carlyle Police Chief Mark Pingsterhaus warned the council about "dangerous police reform" that could hit Illinois if passed.
"We are watching to see what lawmakers are trying to push through and it would really affect us," he said. "I hope they (lawmakers) take a breath and get through this lame duck session without passing anything and actually discuss with the Illinois chiefs and sheriff because it will handicap not just law enforcement, but also the city of Carlyle."
Pingsterhaus is referring to Illinois House Bill 163, a 611-page bill amendment which would change the criminal justice landscape, under the Pretrial Fairness Act.
One of the big changes would be the elimination of cash bail and would eliminate qualified immunity for individual police officers, potentially exposing officers to civil lawsuits.
The COVID-19 quarantine period for Carlyle School District students has been lessened.
In a letter to district families issued Jan. 6, Carlyle District Superintendent Annie Gray and district registered nurse Chrissa Boatright outlined COVID-related changes, on day three of the students' return to school.
According to the district's return-to-school plan, starting the second semester, from Jan. 4-7, students were on a remote-learning schedule.
Starting this past Monday, students returned to in-person instruction four days a week.
Schooling took place from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a full remote-learning day on Jan. 8.
And starting Feb. 1, students will attend classes five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The quarantine period was changed, from 14 days to 10 days.
Gray writes that the quarantine time frame can change, based on a number of factors, but 10 days is the new minimum.
The quarantine can end after the tenth day, without testing and if no symptoms have been experienced during those 10 days, and a release from the health department is provided.
If that were the case, staff and/or students would return to school on the 11th day.
Also, if a child tested positive over the Christmas break, or they are presently in quarantine, they are to notify Boatright, at 594-3766.
Having a record of that positive test can help eliminate future quarantines within a 90-day period, the letter states.
In addition, if a child is experiencing any COVID-related symptoms, they should remain at home.
Those symptoms can include a fever, chills, a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, a new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, a headache, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, or congestion or runny nose.
Students experiencing any of these symptoms will still need an alternate diagnosis or a negative COVID-19 test to return to school, the letter states.
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