Sparland News

Some Sparland residents are fighting to keep a cell phone tower out of their backyards.

Murder suspect Tony Smith was officially indicted by the Marshall County grand jury 'Wednesday. Smith faces four counts of firsta 'degree murder in the shooting death of Judith Berchtold on April 11th.

Marshall County Sheriff Rob Russell wheels accused murderer Tony Smith back to jail after a court appearance Monday morning.

Accused murderer Tony Smith made his first court appearance Tuesday morning on a charge of killing his estranged girlfriend in Sparland 10 days ago with five blasts from a 12-gauge shotgun.

Becky Okerberg of Princeton, and Dennis and Mary Czech of Little Falls, Minn., are announcing the engagement and approaching marriage of their children, Jennifer Czech of Hoffman Estates and W. Kyle Okerberg of Schaumburg, formerly of Princeton.

A Marshall County jail inmate who tried to hang himself Monday night was rescued by jail personnel and taken to a Peoria hospital for about 24 hours.

WMBD/WYZZ TV - LACON -- A 49-year-old Sparland woman was killed by her estranged fiance last night.

Tony Smith shot his estranged girlfriend five times with a 12-gauge shotgun Saturday night and then beat her with the butt of that weapon, an investigator testified Tuesday in a Marshall County murder case.

Friends of Judith Berchtold knew there was trouble between her and her live-in boyfriend, Tony Smith, but they never imagined he might go "this far," a close friend said Monday.

A fatal shooting in Sparland Saturday night may end with the alleged shooter sitting on death row.

A Lacon man who allegedly shot and killed his estranged girlfriend late Saturday night was then shot by a Lacon police officer, authorities said.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources expanded its partnership with Ducks Unlimited today during its annual state convention in East Peoria.

Property owners in the Midland School District can expect to see tax hikes next year in the wake of the School Board's recent approval of increases in both the annual levy and the tax rate.