In early May of 1948, Washington Police Chief Ray Portsheller proudly stood on the Washington Square and had his picture taken with a brand new, black 1948 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe.

The car was the first ever purchased by the city. The photo then disappeared for the next 59 years.

In 2007, a citizen, whom current Washington Police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker said is presumed to be a relative of Portsheller, gave the photo to the department.

In an effort to free up a stretched police force, the Washington Police Department announced last week that it will cut some services.

Beginning Oct. 1, officers will no longer respond to most vehicle lockouts and collisions on private property.

A former Washington banker and developer pleaded guilty Friday to defrauding various area real estate companies of more than $174,000 over the last several years.

David Thornburg, 46, waived indictment by a grand jury and entered a plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud at the Federal Courthouse in Peoria.

Thornburg admitted in court that from fall 2006 through February 2008, he embezzled funds for his personal use from various real estate development companies in the Washington area.

For years, law enforcement has targeted retailers who sell alcohol to minors. But the shift has focused recently, as police and health officials take aim at parents who provide booze to underage drinkers.

The “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most” campaign, spearheaded by the Tazewell County Health Department and local law enforcement is designed to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of providing alcohol to teens, said Sara Sparkman, community relations manager at the health department.

Jim Kuchenbecker sat at his desk Friday and pulled out an inscribed coin that read “If you do this job properly, there is nothing more noble you will do with your life.”

“I think that’s really what this is all about,” said Washington’s police chief. “It’s about service.”
Kuchenbecker recently celebrated his five-year anniversary at the police department and does not plan on going anywhere any time soon, he said.

Last year, Mike Vaughn only had one day to enjoy his retirement from the East Peoria Fire Department.

City officials threw him a retirement party July 31, 2008, but the next morning, he had to report for duty as the new fire chief in Washington.

It is now a year later, and Vaughn said he has settled into his new leadership position.

“The overall attitude of the department and the welcome I’ve received from the community has been great,” Vaughn said.

A former Washington real estate broker has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme.

Owners of Kep’s Place in Washington have been forced to wait on cleanup and rebuilding plans, as the investigation continues into how the popular bar and grill burnt to the ground on June 28.

When manager Elizabeth Barry closed Kep’s Place at 3 a.m. Sunday, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she said.

“I closed like I always do,” Barry said Monday, as she stood in the parking lot of the bar and grill. “I turned off the lights and the games and locked the doors.”

But six hours later, she awoke to a phone call from the alarm company notifying her that the motion detector at the front of the building was going off.

The Washington police chief said he hopes a proposed amendment to the Smoke Free Washington Ordinance will clear some of the haze surrounding enforcement of the statewide smoking ban.

In an effort to make the ordinance more user friendly, Police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker said he would like police to have the power to issue a ticket with a fine payable at City Hall or issue an order for an administrative proceeding with the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Subir Dhingra was working out at Five Points Washington a week ago when his mother called and told him something was wrong.

She had not heard from Subir’s father, Anil, who usually called home about 8 p.m. when he was closing the family’s gas station on Peoria’s East Bluff.

“She called me at 9 p.m., and we were there (at the gas station) by about 9:20,” Subir Dhingra said. “When we turned left onto Prospect and saw the police lights and the road closed off, that’s when I knew.”

Dhingra would soon find out his father, Anil, 58, died after being shot several times as he worked behind the counter at Gas USA, 2506 N. Prospect Road.

Nearly a year and a half after the statewide smoking ban went into effect, Washington bars appear to be abiding by the rules more so than some of its neighbors.

The Washington Times-Reporter recently investigated Christy’s Place, Gracie’s Chicago Style Grille, Katy T’s, and Parish’s Pub and did not find smokers in any of the bars.

“That shows we have good licensees who are willing to cooperate with police,” said Police Chief Jim Kuchenbecker. “I commend tavern and restaurant owners because they truly make an effort to work with us.”

Washington Fire Department vehicles lead the funeral procession for Dana Frantz April 14.

Four Tazewell County police chiefs met at a preschool in Pekin to take a bite out of crime.

After a rigorous testing and interview process, Sgt. Rosalie Gerkin recently made Washington history when she was promoted to sergeant at the Washington Police Department.