It was an anticlimactic City of Carmi meeting yesterday (Tuesday afternoon). A total of 9 guests including Jack Bradshaw and City Attorney Greg Stewart gathered for the meeting and public hearing, which began at 5:15 followed by the meeting scheduled for 5:30. Both were in attendance with us expecting some kind of discussion regarding the status of the City’s former Light Plant Foreman Keaton Bradshaw, which never materialized.
The public hearing, which this reporter showed up about 10 minutes late for, was apparently the highlight of the meeting where following discussion on the mobile home permit, discussion took a turn toward dialogue on city sidewalks and the like, that according to city officials in a mostly tongue in cheek manner.
In the end, Amy Wilson-Horton and Frank Lee were approved to place a 2019 doublewide/modular home measuring 28 feet wide by 56 feet long at 107 East Kearney Street.
With no other major items on the agenda, the business and comments from visitors portion went mostly quiet with only this reporter asking for an update after no one else spoke up. The mayor said he couldn’t provide a comment at the time and the council retreated into Executive Session.
Mayor Pollard did provide me with an official statement later in the evening. It reads that the City of Carmi received Bradshaw’s resignation on August 12th. Pollard continues, “After discussing the issue with the Chairman, Co-chairman, and our attorneys, the City accepted Mr. Bradshaw’s resignation.” Keaton’s employment status thereby changed after Friday, August 2nd from suspended with pay to suspended without pay and as of August 12th, Bradshaw’s employment with the City of Carmi was terminated.
Bradshaw has been charged with a Class 3 Felony of Theft valued at more than $500, but less than $10,000. He has yet to enter a plea and is working with an attorney to develop a plan. Online court records show the prosecutor is Ralph Fowler, II, a government attorney out of Effingham. The defense attorney is listed as Letitia B. Wiggins, born and raised in McLeansboro. She’s worked in the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office and more recently Saline County. Wiggins was named to the Southern Illinois Top 20 under 40 list in 2017. Bradshaw’s next court date in front of Judge Webb is set for October 9th, just under 3 weeks from his 33rd birthday.
