Local News

Amy Fulk of St. Elmo was crowned the 2008 Miss Fayette County Fair on Monday night. Fulk (seated) also won the People's Choice Award. Also shown are the retiring queen, Shayla Branham (far left); first runner-up, Samantha Morrison (second from left); and second runner-Up, Jaclyn Michel (second from right). Michel also won the Most Photogenic and Miss Congeniality awards.

Greenville Attorney Dan Goggin, who planned to run as an independent candidate for Fayette County state's attorney, has decided to drop out of the election.

Fayette County Clerk and Recorder Terri Braun announced late Monday morning that Goggin had filed a request to withdraw as a candidate earlier that morning.

Because of his withdrawal, an electoral board hearing slated for Monday afternoon was canceled.

A little more than four years ago, Vandalia area residents successfully staved off Gov. Rod Blagojevichs proposal to close Vandalia Correctional Center. Today, residents in another community area having to put up the same kind of fight.

State legislators who say they are tired of the governor playing political games with Illinois prisons are asking Blagojevich to take action that would keep that from happening in the future.

A little more than two months after a county electoral board ruled that a Greenville attorney could not run as the Republican candidate for states attorney in November, it is being asked to determine whether he may run as an independent candidate.

Not only is that Greenville attorney willing to fight for the right to be on the November ballot, but he is also alleging that the incumbent states attorney has abused the power of his office in an attempt to keep him off the ballot.