News Headlines & Chapel Report - 11/25/25

Federal investigators are now working to piece together what led to Sunday night’s fatal plane crash near Griggsville, as questions continue to surface about the aircraft’s final moments and even how many people were on board. Authorities returned to the crash site Monday, where the wreckage of the 1977 Piper PA-28R remained visible from Interstate 72. The Pike County Sheriff’s Department and NTSB confirmed the pilot was killed and at least two passengers were hospitalized, though conflicting reports from the FAA and local officials differ on whether three or four people were in the aircraft. Flight data shows the Piper made multiple trips Sunday and diverted from Quincy to Pittsfield amid dense fog and poor visibility that aviation safety advocates said made landing attempts “impossible.” An Illinois-based NTSB team is now documenting the scene before moving the wreckage for further analysis, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days and a final determination of cause anticipated in up to two years. Investigators are asking anyone with relevant information to contact witness@ntsb.gov

The Pike County Board met for three hours Monday night, spending nearly two of them attempting—without success—to approve a new budget as tensions rose over how to address the county’s growing financial crisis. One board member warned the proposed plan would leave Pike County entering 2026 with a roughly half-million-dollar deficit, arguing that the board simply accepted department requests rather than crafting a responsible budget. Another noted the county is already relying on about $1 million from the highway department and cautioned that “the last Band-Aid has been used,” while the chairwoman raised concern that the proposal includes no raises for non-union employees. Despite the stalemate, the board did pass several measures aimed at easing financial pressure, including siting approval for a commercial solar energy facility, a 9.26% tax levy on the county’s share of property taxes, and placing a March 2026 ballot question asking voters to approve an additional 25-cent sales tax to support the sheriff’s department. With no agreement on the budget and lingering questions about potential cuts, the board recessed and will reconvene at 5 p.m. Tuesday to continue deliberations.

Residents in the Twin Pikes can expect a cold holiday weekend with our first winter weather event of the year possible on Saturday and Sunday. A mix of rain and snow is likely on Saturday, creating the potential for slushy travel as temperatures fall into the low 20s overnight. Light snow is also possible Sunday morning before low clouds and continued cold settle in for the rest of the day, with highs only in the low to mid-30s. Travelers are encouraged to use caution, especially during the Saturday and Sunday morning hours when slick spots may develop.

Illinois is expanding its fight against invasive species, adding nine plants to the state’s Exotic Weed Act — though one of the most widespread offenders, the Callery pear tree, won’t be fully banned until Jan. 1, 2028, due to the large amount of existing nursery stock. Long promoted as an ornamental tree, the Callery pear has overtaken landscapes for decades, especially in the St. Louis Metro East, and experts say its rapid spread crowds out native plants, degrades habitat, and disrupts soil chemistry. University of Illinois horticulturists are urging residents not to plant the tree despite the delayed ban, noting it is already being phased out. The Callery pear remains legal in neighboring Missouri for now, though conservation groups there have warned of its invasive impact as well. Illinois’ updated law—originally passed in 1987 and amended most recently in 2025—also restricts several other invasive species, including garlic mustard, sericea lespedeza, Japanese stiltgrass, tree-of-heaven, Amur corktree, and leafy spurge.

No New Obituaries for Today's Chapel Report