A Hoopeston man who worked directly with children in a number of roles was sentenced to prison on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to child pornography charges.

Connor S. Gilonske pleaded guilty to two felony child pornography charges in September, one Class X and the other Class 2. As part of his plea, 10 other child pornography charges were dismissed, court records show.

 

On Tuesday, Gilonske appeared in court for a sentencing hearing. He was sentenced to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Class X count and six years in prison for the Class 2 count. Gilonske was also sentenced to three years to life of mandatory supervised release. The sentences will run consecutively and will be served at 50%, records show.

 

In 2024  Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 5 agents arrested 24-year-old Connor S. Gilonske of Hoopeston, IL for Possession and Dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material. After receiving a cyber tip, ISP agents began an investigation into the possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material by Gilonske. On November 7, 2024, ISP agents located and arrested Gilonske in Danville, IL. A subsequent residential search warrant was then executed at Gilonske’s residence in Hoopeston, IL. 

Gilonske has been in custody since his arrest, and he will get credit for the 733 days he has already served.

Accident Hit and Run H26-6004

Date: 11/04/2026 (Late Entry)

Time: 6:37 p.m.

Location: 415 S. Dixie Hwy. - Dollar General

Unit #2: 2026 Hyundai Utility owned by Viola Martinez

Details: Unit #2 reported her vehicle was struck while she was in the business. The other vehicle involved has not been located.

 

Speeding H26-6012

Date: 11/05/2026

Time: 5:48 a.m.

Location: 800 Blk of N. Market St.

Cited: Frank Cappellano (M) (62) of Wellington, IL

Details: HPD officers conducted a traffic stop and cited Mr. Cappellano for the above violation. He was released with an NTA for Vermilion County Court.

 

Fire Call

Date: 11/06/2026

Time: 6:03 p.m.

Location: 300 Blk of Cedar St.

Details: HFD responded to the above location for a service call.

 

Traffic Accident H26-6037

Date: 11/06/2026

Time: 7:15 p.m.

Location S. Market St./E. Elm St.

Unit #1: 2006 Mercury Milan driven by Eden Snapp of Tilton, IL

Unit #2: 2011 Hyundai Sonata driven by Aubry Matherne of Hoopeston

Details: Unit 1 was attempting to turn southbound onto S. Market St. when it struck Unit 2 in the intersection. Both vehicles were insured and no citations were issued.

 

 

Date: 11/07/2026 Nothing To Report

 

Fire Call

Date: 11/08/2026

Time: 9:36 a.m.

Location: 500 blk of W. Elm St.

Details: HFD and HPD responded to the above location for a structure fire. All units later cleared the scene and no injuries were reported.

 

Criminal Trespass to Residence (Persons Present); Criminal Damage to Property (Over $500) H26-6080 2026-7887

Date: 11/08/2026

Time: 11:53 p.m.

Location: 200 Blk of W. Main St.

Arrested: Shannon Downing (M) (26) of Rossville

Details: HPD responded to the above location. Mr. Downing was arrested and taken to HPD where he was processed then was later transported to the PSB to await arraignment.

The Vermilion County Coroner, Jane McFadden stated that an afternoon motorcycle accident on 2250 North Rd., in Fithian, IL resulted in the death of a 43-year-old Catlin woman. The victim has been identified as Genie M. Appelman.

 

The accident occurred at approximately 1:38 p.m. Ms. Appelman’s family was notified and an autopsy is scheduled. The Illinois State Police and the Vermilion County Coroner’s office continue to investigate.

Fire Call

Date: 11/3/2026

Time: 10:04 am

Location: Teasdale Foods 215 W. Washington St.

Details: HFD was dispatched to the report of a fire alarm. It was a false alarm.

 

Fire Call

Date: 11/3/2026

Time: 11:17 am

Location: 300 Blk E. Maple St.

Details: HFD was dispatched to assist Arrow Ambulance.

 

Illegal Burn H26-5957

Date of Incident: 11/2/2026

Time of Incident: 1:34 p.m.

Date Cited: 11/3/2026

Time Cited: 9:20 p.m.

Location of Offense: 600 Blk of W. Elm St.

Cited: Darryl Stevens (M) (24) of Hoopeston

Details: HPD officers responded to the above location. After investigation, Mr. Stevens was issued an NTA for Vermilion County Court.

 

Warrant Arrest (Ford) H26-5982 2026-7781

Date: 11/3/2026

Time: 9:05 p.m.

Location: 600 Blk of W. Elm St.

Arrested: Darryl Stevens (M) (24) of Hoopeston

Details: Known to have an active Ford County warrant, HPD officers located Mr. Stevens and placed him under arrest. He was processed at HPD, then later transported to the PSB in Danville to await extradition.

 

 

 

Burning of Trash or Refuse (city) H26-5986

Time: 8:11am

Location: 300 blk N 8th Av

Cited: Titus Barber (M) (48) of Hoopeston

Details: HPD officers were dispatched to the area of an illegal burn. Mr. Barber was

found burning plastic and metal. He was issued a city citation and given a city

court date.

 

Criminal Damage to Property (over), Trespassing H26-5514

Offense Date/Time: 10/11/2026 @ 2:15 am

Citation Date: 11/04/2026

Location: 100 Blk. of E. Washington St.

Cited: Daniel Ferrell (M) (39) of Hoopeston

Details: Mr. Ferrell received a citation for the above offense. He was released on an NTA in Vermilion County Court.

State Representative Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) issued the following statement regarding the results of the November 3 general election:

 

 

 

 

 

“First and foremost, I want to give thanks to the Lord. We praise Him in times of joy, and we must also praise Him in times of disappointment and defeat. Even when we don’t understand His plan, we can trust that He has one. I am grateful for the opportunities He has given me and trust Him with whatever comes next.

“I want to congratulate Mary Catherine Roberson on her victory. I wish her success as she prepares to serve the people of the 104th District. My office stands ready to work with her team to ensure a smooth transition of constituent services, because the people of our district must always come first. I will be praying for wisdom and strength as she takes on this responsibility.

“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. The relationships and friendships built along the way are something I will always cherish. Serving the people of Vermilion and Champaign Counties has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I especially want to thank my staff, Tracie and Barb, for their years of dedicated service, and my wife, Amy, and our boys for their unwavering support.

“While this chapter may be ending, my commitment to serving others will not.

“Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving you. God bless.”

 Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer said this morning he's been relieved of his duties.

 

Speaking at the end of a Rantoul Rotary meeting — he's the club president — Eisenhauer said he was informed of the decision by Mayor Sam Hall III on Monday.

Eisenhauer, 61, has been on the job since 2018 after a 15 years as Danville mayor.

Reached Tuesday morning by The News-Gazette, Eisenhauer said "I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished here in Rantoul," citing the addition of the Rantoul Family Sports Complex, the emergence of Flyover Film Studios and "the work we've done to revitalize downtown Rantoul and change the face of what the core of our community looks like.

 

"Regardless of the mayor's decision, I will fondly think back on what we've accomplished and the people that I've been able to work with to make those great things happen."

 

In 2023, Eisenhauer resigned following charges filed against him for domestic battery. However, village board members did not accept the resignation, the mayor at the time — Chuck Smith — citing staff shortages as the reason.

The Vermilion County Coroner Jane McFadden has identified the victim of a shooting, yesterday on Woodbury Street in Danville as 21-year-old Kumarrion Owens of Danville. He was later pronounced deceased.

 

Vermilion County Coroner Jane McFadden stated that Mr. Owens’ family has been notified. An autopsy is scheduled for this week. The Danville Police Department and the Vermilion County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate. If anyone has information about this or other crimes, they are encouraged to call the Danville Police or Crime Stoppers at (217) 446-TIPS.

Christmas is coming! The Hoopeston Jaycees will host registration for their annual Toys for Kids Project, which allows qualifying families to select new toys and stocking stuffers for children ages 0-12. Participation will be open to all residences within the Hoopeston Area School District, including Hoopeston, Rankin, East Lynn, Wellington, and Cheneyville. Income qualification will be based on the book waiver through the school district. Applicants must be parents and/or guardians, and are asked to bring proof of residency and children.

Registration will take place in person only at the Hoopeston First United Methodist Church (403 E. Main St.) on the following dates:

Monday, November 9: 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 10: 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 14: 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Please direct any questions to info@hoopestonjaycees.org or our Facebook page at “Hoopeston Jaycees”.

On October 29, 2026, Lacey Arnsperger (DOB: 12/10/1985), formerly of Danville, Illinois, 
pleaded guilty in 2023-CF-405 to Retail Theft, a class 3 felony. The defendant also pleaded 
guilty in 2025-CF-67 to three counts of Forgery, all class 3 felonies, and pleaded guilty in 2025-
CF-625 to Forgery, a class 3 felony. The defendant was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in the 
Illinois Department of Corrections in each case, with all sentences to be served concurrently. 
Following her term of imprisonment, the defendant will also serve 6 months of mandatory 
supervised release. The plea and sentencing hearing were presided over by Judge Karen E. Wall.
The People presented evidence in 2023-CF-405 that on June 6, 2023, officers with the Danville 
Police Department responded to Walmart in Danville for a reported retail theft by two females in 
a red Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck. The officers identified the suspects in the truck as Lacey 
Arnsperger and Kori Spisok and the bed of the truck was full of groceries. The suspects told 
police they worked for the delivery app, Shipt. The loss prevention officer of the store explained 
to police how the Shipt app functions, and stated that the suspects had not followed the app’s
procedures, and walked out of the store without confirming their items with store employees. 
Furthermore, the suspects took alcohol items, which would require age verification by store 
employees before checking out. Officers requested to view the receipt of the transaction, but the 
suspects could not produce a receipt. The items were recovered and returned to the store, having 
a total of $576.79. Co-defendant Kori Spisok’s case is pending.
In 2025-CF-67, the People presented evidence that on December 20, 2024, January 24, 2025 and 
January 27, 2025, Danville Police received reports of four fraudulent checks that had been 
written by Lacey Arnsperger to area businesses from an invalid checking account. The defendant 
told police that her checking account was valid and that she had been using it recently. 
Detectives had previously spoken to the defendant during a previous investigation regarding the 
invalid checking account. Detectives confirmed with the credit union that the account numbers 
the defendant was using were fake. One of the businesses learned that the check was invalid and 
when the store contacted her, the defendant claimed she would provide valid payment, but never 
did.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Possession of Methamphetamine H26-5949 2026-7724

Date: 11/1/2026

Time: 6:13 p.m.

Location: 400 Blk of N. 9th Ave

Arrested: Wayne Propes (M) (53) of Hoopeston

Details: HPD officers were dispatched to the above location. After investigation, Mr. Propes was arrested on the above charges and transported to HPD for processing. He was later transported to the PSB in Danville to await arraignment.

 

Theft (Under) H26-5675

Date of Report: 10/19/2026

Date of Citation: 10/29/2026

Location: 800 Blk. of S. 2ND Ave.

Cited: Kevin Lambert (M) (40) of Hoopeston

Details: HPD Officers located Mr. Lambert and issued him a citation with an NTA for Vermilion County Court for the above charge.

 

Tinted Windshield / Front Side Windows , Illegal Squealing of Tires H26-5877

Date: 10/29/2026

Time: 11:24 p.m.

Location: 100 Blk. of W. Main St.

Cited: Ryley Watson (M) (26) of Hoopeston

Details: Mr. Watson was issued citations for the above violations and released from the scene on an NTA for Vermilion County Court.

 

Passed School Bus – Loading or Unloading H26-5880

Date of Incident: 10/29/2026

Time of Incident: 4:07 p.m.

Date/Time Reported:10/30/2026 @ 6:42 a.m.

Location: N. Market St./E. Honeywell Ave.

Cited: Emilce Salamanca (F) (44) of Hoopeston

Details: Ms. Salamanca was located and issued an NTA for Vermilion County Court for the above violation.

 

Driving While Registration Suspended H26-5898

Date: 10/30/2026

Time: 6:02 p.m.

Location: 714 W. Orange St. 

Cited: Lucivet Ortega (F) (26) of Hoopeston

Details: Ms. Ortega was issued a citation for the above violation and released on an NTA for Vermilion County Court.

 

Disorderly Conduct H26-5738

Date of Incident: 10/22/2026

Location of Incident: 912 S. Dixie Hwy. - Casey’s General Store

Date of Citation: 10/31/2026

Time: 10:38 a.m.

Location: Hoopeston Police Department

Cited: Austin Williams (M) (20) of Danville, IL

Details: HPD officers located Mr. Williams. He was then issued an NTA for Vermilion County Court for the above charge.

 

Found Item

Date: 10/31/2026

A wallet was found on rt. 9 by Casey’s belonging to Michael Newman. The owner can claim at the Hoopeston Police Department.

 

 

Driving While License Suspended , Operating Uninsured Vehicle, Operating Vehicle When Registration Suspended for Noninsurance H26-5920

Date: 10/31/2026

Time: 4:56 p.m.

Location: 200 Blk of E. Main St.

Arrested: Megan Lane (F) (29) of Hoopeston

Details: Ms. Lane was arrested and processed at the HPD for the above charges. She was later released with citations and an NTA for Vermilion County Court.

 

Trespass to Real Property H26-5926

Date: 10/31/2026

Time: 9:34 p.m.

Location: 502 E. Penn St.

Arrested: Jacob Conn (M) (22) of Hoopeston

Details: Mr. Conn was placed under arrest for the above charge, processed at the Hoopeston police department, then later released on an NTA for Vermilion County Court.

 

 

Wanted on Vermilion County Warrant #26CM444 H26-5927 2026-7691

Date: 10/31/2026

Time: 9:52 p.m.

Location: 502 E. Penn St. 

Arrested: Zachary Jones (M) (27) of Hoopeston

Details: HPD officers located Mr. Jones. He was taken into HPD custody and processed, then transported to the PSB in Danville

 

 

 

Aggravated Battery x2; Aggravated Battery w/ Great Bodily Harm x2; Aggravated Battery w/ Dangerous Weapon x2; Armed Violence x2; Domestic Battery & Criminal Damage  H26-5931 2026-7709

Date: 11/01/2026

Time: 2:35 a.m.

Location: 300 Blk. of N. Market St.

Arrested: Alexander Rossolille (M) (21) of Rankin, IL

Details: Mr. Rossolille was arrested on the above charges. He was processed at HPD and later transported to the PSB in Danville to await arraignment.