Reward offered for arrest of toilet thief

CHARLESTON — One man was hospitalized today and another charged with aggravated battery as violence erupted Friday at the Lincolnshire Apartments project in Charleston. Donald Lane, 30, of Neoga, was injured. Lane was among a group of area union workers who gathered at the project site Thursday and Friday to protest the employment of nonunion workers from out of state. Lincolnshire Superintendent Roger L. Price of Farmer City was arrested and charged. He was charged with aggravated battery in circuit court for allegedly hitting Lane with a pickup truck. He also faces charges of reckless driving, three counts of battery and one count of unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the incident, which occurred at 7:30 a.m. at the entrance to the construction site, according to Charleston police reports. A police spokesman said Price rammed his truck into a group of union workers who were blocking the entrance to the site… MATTOON — Virgil Judge of Mattoon will be installed as governor of Rotary International District 649 Monday night at the Sheraton Inn. Judge, retired president of Lake Land College, was elected for his home region by delegates to the Rotary International convention in Minneapolis, Minn. As governor of District 649, he will coordinate the activities of the 46 clubs in his district… MATTOON — A utility truck overturned on Illinois Route 121 three miles west of Mattoon at 6 p.m. Friday. The CIPS truck skidded off the highway and Ronald Phillips, 32, of Mattoon, the driver of the vehicle, lost control. Phillips was treated for minor injuries at Memorial Hospital and released.

GAYS — The Village of Gays is offering a reward for the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the theft of a miniature version of the village’s two-story outhouse. The miniature two-story outhouse, which was placed next to the full-size outhouse near the Gays Visitor Center, was ripped off its supports and stolen. Village workers are currently building a new mini-outhouse because it’s necessary to keep records of who visited the outhouse. With national media coverage of the outhouse, visitor traffic has increased. Traffic in the village will increase again soon. A segment on the two-story outhouse will air at 6:30 p.m. Friday on WGN. The full-size two-story outhouse is now 130 years old… MATTOON — After a strong high school season and a summer of American Legion service behind home plate, Ryan Hahn of Mattoon will attend Olney Central College this fall to play baseball. But that’s not all Hahn has his sights set on. “I’ve always dreamed of playing professionally,” Hahn said. “That’s what I want to do, that’s what every kid wants to do.” Hahn was named to the All-Big 12 baseball team and co-MVP for Mattoon after hitting . 440. He’s currently hitting . 353 this summer for Post 88 with two doubles and two home runs in 51 at-bats…. MATTOON — The Planning Commission is recommending the city spend about $20,000 to overhaul the city’s subdivision ordinance. Champaign engineering firm Daily & Associates provided this cost estimate to the commission for a process that is expected to take six months. Daily’s John Dabrowsky is recommending the city appoint a steering committee that would meet monthly for six months to provide guidance on revisions to the ordinance.