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One person dead after standoff in Gillespie

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One person is dead after a standoff in a home on Quarry Road in Gillespie after a situation that started around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday with a 911 call reporting an erratic driver.

Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl told the BenGil Post what occurred Tuesday is a “tragedy” after stopping short of formally announcing the cause of death to the 32-year-old but saying it appears to be self-inflicted. The Macoupin County Coroner’s Office was scheduled to perform an autopsy.

Sheriff Kahl said the male, later identified as Nathan Heaton of Gillespie, went inside the unoccupied house after driving erratically on Quarry and Tower Roads. Officers with the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and Gillespie Police Department were on-scene attempting to coax the suspect out of the home, but they never received a response from the subject.

Heaton reportedly drove recklessly through ditches and cornfields completing donuts and even drove through a power pole breaking it in half and struck a utility service box before stopping at a residence in the 15000 block of Quarry Road. The 911 caller witnessed the male get out of the car and head inside the house leaving his smoking passenger car outside.

“We knew something more was going on than a driver potentially under the influence,” Kahl announced. “It was intentional.” He said most of the damage to property was on Quarry Road although investigators have found some damage on Tower Road as well.

Kahl said communication was made to Heaton’s parents who told officers there would be access to a weapon in the residence and unfamiliar behavior was noticed in the past few days. At that point, Kahl told the BenGil Post he made the decision to contact the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) SWAT team and back away from the house and start forming a perimeter due to a potentially dangerous situation and subject and the lack of cover.

The SWAT team, comprised of members from eight counties, took over the scene around 11:30 a.m. although Sheriff Kahl said he remained on the scene. Police made several attempts to make contact with Heaton through their loudspeakers and a negotiator, but no response was ever received.

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“The SWAT team later made cover around 4:30 and made entry into the residence by a SWAT robot who discovered a male subject on the floor that appeared to be unresponsive,” Kahl continued. “Then police followed and confirmed the subject was in fact deceased.”

Crime scene investigators processed the scene and the Macoupin County Coroner’s office pronounced Heaton deceased at 5:15 p.m.

Kravanya Funeral Home in Gillespie is in charge of arrangements. Visitation services will be held on Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. with a memorial service after the visitation. The complete obituary can be read on the BenGil Post here.

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Thunderstorms, winds, snow, freezing rain coming to BenGil area

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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.

The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.

“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”

The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.

Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds. 

“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly.  “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”

Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.

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Police investigating death of Bunker Hill woman

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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.

Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.

The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.

The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”

The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.

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Winter storm warning issued for BenGil area

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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.

The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.

“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.

The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.

The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.

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