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Authorities investigating deaths of two area men
Many members of the community attended the candle light vigil held on Wednesday night.
Police are investigating the deaths of an 18-year-old Benld male who died Tuesday morning in Girard and a 27-year-old Gillespie male who died Wednesday morning at St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield.
Jacob Savant (Contributed photo)
Although the deaths happened within 24 hours of each other, Gillespie Police Chief Jared DePoppe explained that the cases do not appear to be connected in any way. “Autopsies are scheduled for late this week,” DePoppe said on Wednesday. “Both are under heavy investigation.”
The Girard Police Department and Illinois State Police are jointly investigating the death in Girard while the Gillespie Police Department is handling the case in Gillespie. No indications have been made of the causes of death and DePoppe said results might not be available for weeks.
“The death is considered suspicious until proven otherwise,” Girard Police Chief David Campbell said of his investigation on Wednesday.
The death is considered suspicious until proven otherwise
Jeremy Remer (Contributed photo)
Savant left for training in late July of 2014 and completed basic training in the National Guard in December. He had further training to become a diesel mechanic. A candle light vigil for Savant was held Wednesday evening at the Gillespie High School track complex.
A separate incident unfolded in Gillespie on Wednesday morning around 7:30 a.m. when emergency medical personnel were dispatched to a Gillespie residence for an unresponsive male. According to Chief DePoppe, the male, identified as Jeremy Remer, was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield where he was pronounced dead.
Visitation services for Savant will be held on Saturday at Kravanya Funeral Home in Benld from 4 to 8 p.m. with funeral services scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Services for Remer were not available at the time of publication.
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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 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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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.
