Logan County begins new year with familiar faces filling official positions

 

[December 31, 2020] 

Logan County's fiscal year began on December 1, as did terms for newly elected officials.

The swearing-in ceremony was a bit different this year due to the implementations of Tier 3 Covid restrictions that started December. Instead of all elected officials and guests gathering at the same time, the ceremonies were spaced by times and days.

In three separate morning ceremonies on Tuesday, December 1, Kelly Elias, Brad Hauge, and Donald Peasley were sworn into office in the Orr Building.

Logan County Circuit Clerk Kelly Elias

Elias has worked in the circuit clerk’s office for 10 years, serving as chief deputy circuit clerk to Mary Kelley since December 1, 2010.

Elias was sworn in by Kelley.

Afterward, Kelley talked briefly about all the changes in the office that Elias had assisted with over the years. Elias thanked Kelley for all she had taught her about being a circuit clerk.

State’s Attorney Bradley Hauge

Hauge previously served as the Assistant State’s Attorney under State’s Attorney Jonathan Wright. Hauge was appointed to the State’s Attorney position in January 2019 after Wright was appointed as Resident Circuit Judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Hauge was sworn in by Judge Wright.

Coroner Don Peasley

Peasley has served for many years as a Funeral Director for Peasley Funeral Home in Lincoln and Quiram Peasley Funeral Home in Atlanta . He replaces the recently retired Bob Thomas.

Peasley was sworn in by Judge Thomas Funk.

Resident Judge Jonathan Wright

 

On Thursday, December 3, Jonathan Wright was sworn into the Eleventh Judicial Circuit by a judge from Bloomington. Judge Wright had been serving the position since January 2019, when he was invited to fill a vacancy created by Justice Thomas M. Harris who was appointed to the Fourth District Appellate Court.

Logan County Board

On the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 1, five Logan County Board members were sworn in as a group by Logan County Clerk Teresa Moore.

Three board members were re-elected:

Bob Sanders - District 3

Janet Estill - District 2

and Annette Welch - District 5.

Two board members,

Cameron Halpin - District 6

and Jim Wessbecher - District 4, had served as appointees since 2019 and won their first election.

The board also has one newly appointed member to fill the District 1 seat, which opened due to the sudden passing of Chuck Ruben in August. Keenan Leesman was appointed at the November Logan County Board meeting.

Leesman was raised in Hartsburg and has worked in the Information Technology Department at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital for 17 years.

While serving as a Village Board Treasurer for Hartsburg, Leesman said he made changes in their budgeting practices. These changes included cleaning up their loan payment program, making tough choices for expenditures and figuring out several other improvements.

The year past served up quite a bundle of unique challenges for the board. Of greatest accomplishment was a restoration plan and how to finance the courthouse repairs.

You can read all about it as the first 'Year in review' in today's issue.

[Angela Reiners]

Past related article:

Illinois Supreme Court appoints Jonathan Wright as Circuit Judge in Eleventh Judicial Circuit