Flags

 It is unfortunate the Lions Club flags get vandalized so often. From what a member of the Club tells me, Marion and Carterville put out similar flag displays with even larger numbers of flags with no problems.

Flag Vandalism

 If you drove through downtown Carbondale this past weekend, you should have noticed the flags lining Illinois and Main Street, courtesy of the Lions Club.  Someone, or someones, vandalized 5 of the flags on North Illinois, near the intersection of Illinois and Washington.  5 of the flags were cut from their staffs and stolen. 

The Lions Club is offereng a reward for information leading to the recovery of the flags and/or arrest of the vandals.  Contact the Carbondale Police Department at 618-457-3200 if you have any information.

Vandalism

 The feds are looking for whomever vandalized the Federal Building last week.  Here is a photo of the "person of interest" but apparently they are not looking too hard as the reward is only $1000.  Make it $10,000 and you would have a line out the door waiting to turn him in.

Federal Building Vandalism

 The Paul Simon Federal Building got vandalized sometime on Tuesday and the DOJ is promising to find whomever did it.  I walked around the building this after noon and, if there was vandalism, it was cleaned up very quickly. The only sign I saw of any vandalism was a sand blasted area on the east side of the building where it looked as if some one had spray pained graffiti. 

Vandalism Suspects Arrested

Well that was fast. Police have announced 5 suspects arrested in the case of the Splash Park Vandalism last week. All juveniles, one went to a juvenile detention facility and the others were released to their parents.

If found guilty, I hope they get multiple  thousand hours of community service. Much more useful than locking them up.

Splash Park Vandalized

 The Super Splash Park is closed today. Someone broke in last night and vandalized the pool area throwing furniture into the pool and overturning counters. Hopefully the pool will reopen tomorrow

Not sure how much of a coincidence it is but a group of thugs also vandalized the Brookside Apartment complex last night. Shortly after midnight, they pulled fire extinguishers off the walls and knocked on residents doors. When the door opened, the vandal sprayed whomever opened it with fire extinguisher foam. This happened to several residents of the apartment complex.

Church Vandalism

 Man wallking through the parking lot at St. Francis Xavier Church one afternoon last week decided, for whatever reason, to pick up a rock and wing it through a church window. Happily a staff member saw the man break the window and got Carbondale police there before he left the area.

Law Firm Damages

 Someone has been wandering the street the past few nights chucking rocks and concrete chunks through law office windows including the front door of the Barrett, Twomey et. al. offices at the corner of Main and Illinois. Since 4 of the five buildings vandalized housed law offices, I would assume the culprit has a grudge against lawyers or the legal system.

Vandalism

Here are links to the Carbondale Police Departments press releases on the arrest for spray painting on a wall on South University after an evening protest march. This release describes the arrest and this one expands on the story and the name provided by the individual arrested.

Broken Windows

It seems someone went nuts this weekend along Main Street. There are reports of broken windows in the 200 block of East Main (police took the alleged vandal into custody) as well as broken windows in the Memorial Hospital parking lot.

Vandalism at Bowen Gym

Carbondale Police reported a third incident of graffiti spray painted inside Bowen Gym, where the new Southern Illinois Pharaohs basketball team plays. The vandalism took place sometime between Sunday night and Monday afternoon. 

More Graffitti

The Regions Bank building at the corner of Main and Poplar got vandalized for the second time in a month this week, likely due to the high visibility of the building and the light color of the bricks.

Thanksgiving Vandalism

Proving that stupidity never takes a holiday, the Regions Bank building and the building at the corner of Main and Springer got spray-painted sometime the night the before Thanksgiving

Boo Rochman Park Vandalized

According to this story from WSIL, Boo Rochman Park, known locally at Castle Park, was vandalized by a group of six teenagers last week.  Video footage caught the group walking away after vandalizing a donation box at the park.

Had no idea there was so much vandalism going on at the Park but apparently it is bad enough that the family that built it as a memorial to their son had to cut back evening hours in an attempt to curb it.

Church Damage

Sombody last Wednesday night took a dislike to two churchs  located on South Poplar.  A window was broken in one and graffiti written on the walls of the other.  Though the police report doesn't specify, from the locations given it looks as if Calvary Campus Church and St. Francis Xavier were the targets.

Update:  Just received this email forwarded from Fr. Bob Flannery, pastor at St. Francis Xavier:

Unfortunately I need to let you know that a large pane of glass in the entrance way to the front of Xavier Hall had a brick thrown through it shattering the window. Also, the large wooden cross in front of church with a long purple cloth for Lent was moved around and disturbed. Finally, the Fish Fry sign attached to our church sign was removed. Actually, we had the church sign toppled over a couple of months ago as well. Just wanted to let you know. A heck of a way to celebrate Ash Wednesday! We reported to the police, but a report was not written up (at least on site) nor were any pictures taken.