As a West Chester Township social worker and counselor was being sentenced for sexually abusing young boys the judge presiding over his case said his crimes were among the most serious a person can commit was ordered by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Michael Oster Jr The sentence matches an agreed-upon prison term reached as part of Lesko's guilty plea earlier this month to numerous counts of rape as well as a gross sexual imposition charge He must also register as a sex offender for life gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual contact with a minor but prosecutors agreed to dismiss 14 of those counts as part of his plea deal volunteer youth counselor and personal mentor according to township officials and court records "These are things that never should be done by one human to another," Oster said Prosecutors said in court filings that the abuse started around April 2008 and continued until July 2023 The abuse happened at addresses in Middletown and West Chester Township as well as in Miamisburg in Montgomery County Lesko compelled his victims "by force or threat of force," according to prosecutors Authorities arrested Lesko while he was in Georgia in September Lesko's private practice advertised "community psychotherapy to children His LinkedIn page indicates he was also a social services manager with UC Health until April 2024 Although a UC Health spokesperson confirmed that around the time of Lesko's arrest family members of the victims said Lesko used his education and knowledge to take advantage of the boys Lesko declined to speak during his sentencing hearing "He has taken full responsibility for his actions," said Mark Wieczorek "We're ill-equipped in courts to fix anything," Oster told the victims and their loved ones who packed the rows of benches in the courtroom's gallery He added that courts can only administer justice after the fact "That doesn't fix anything," the judge told them This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application who unexpectedly passed away on January 17 1989 to John and Linda (McGee) Lesko in Hazleton Pennsylvania and was a 2008 graduate of Weatherly Area High School He then continued his education at Lock Haven University majoring in Sports Management and Administration he pursued his career in sports working in sales for the Pittsburgh Pirates the Milwaukee Bucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets Jeff moved onto medical sales and most recently worked for Abbott Laboratories in Wisconsin Jared Lesko and Zachary Lesko; and paternal grandmother Jeff had a remarkable ability to make friends wherever he went and all who knew him will remember his boundless curiosity He loved spending time outdoors in the summer completing intricate LEGO villages with his kids His natural curiosity drew him to learn about people and places and his genuine interest in everyone he met Jeff had an adventurous spirit and a love for travel attending countless Dave Matthews Band concerts and bringing friends together to watch the game or simply enjoy each other’s company he had a genuine heart and a thoughtful spirit A service to honor and celebrate Jeff’s life is being planned for the end of March in Pennsylvania the family kindly requests donations to support his children’s education fund As a tribute to Jeff’s love for Dave Matthews Band we remember these words: “Celebrate we will but sweet for certain.” May we honor his memory by cherishing the moments we share with the ones we love Online condolences or a fond memory of Jeff can be expressed by visiting www.griffithsfuneralhomes.com This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Lesko's lead from Election Night shrank by 37 votes but the Springfield City Clerk and former city council member held on for the slim win "I think the people have spoken," Lesko said in the county clerk's office I wanted to hear what the people of Sangamon County wished for More: 'This isn't over yet.' Final ballots to be counted in Springfield-area recorder race The two opponents shook hands after Clerk Don Gray announced the results is the only Democrat holding a county-wide office He was the chief deputy to Recorder Mary Ann Lamm from 1999 to 2004 The recorder's office is the land records depository for the county There were 212 provisional ballots and 244 late-arriving votes by mail ballots counted by election judges from both parties Lesko's vote total stood at 49,124 to Langfelder's 49,093 with 2,320 "under votes" after the count Gray said any candidate who lost an election by a 5% or less margin is able to apply for a discovery recount "This is the closest result I have ever been a part of in Sangamon County (on this scale)," Gray said of the Lesko-Langfelder race "It's an amazing testament to how important it is for those who are qualified to be able to take part in our electoral process do because their vote does matter even in 100,000-plus vote races "I'm proud of the Sangamon County team which executed an incredible election administratively." tried to stay on an even keel the past couple of weeks "You have to put things in perspective and know that God's in control of everything that's going on," Lesko said Lesko touted in campaign ads "Hire me so you can fire me," a reference to a plan to merge the recorder's office with the clerk's office Lesko said he would start on the plan on Day One in office derided the merger talk as "a terrible idea." You need someone who understands the office not somebody who is going to go in there and say I'll get rid of it for political favors vote 'no' to consolidate because they're going to lose a lot of leverage." "I need to sit down with the people I have around me and go over it and decide what we want to do to proceed with the discovery recount." Langfelder said he "wasn't ruling out" another run for public office County-wide officers will be sworn in on Dec County Board members will take their oaths at the Dec (This story was updated to add new information.) Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788: sspearie@sj-r.com: X (WICS) — After the Sangamon County Recorder's race was decided by just thirty-one votes Josh Langfelder says he will not be pursuing a full recount due to the length and cost of the process Frank Lesko will take over the office as he prepares to fulfill his "Hire me His idea came from other offices across Illinois and says eighty-two percent of counties in the state have merged their county clerk and recorder offices "Some of the larger counties have done it so I looked into it and saw that we could save quite a bit of money for the taxpayers to go back into the funds to have some bigger projects and better projects to take care of "It's going to save about $200,000 $250,000 a year and that can go back into the general fund and it just makes sense in this day and age if you're wasting money and any time you have an opportunity to streamline it One concern could be job security when the offices merge "The staff that's here will remain I can't promise through attrition and as things change that we may not fill a position that's vacant Before the voters can "fire" Lesko they will have to vote on the referendum that Lesko hopes to have on ballots in 2026 file the proper papers to get it on the ballot so that we're able to ask the people and see what they want to do with it But I believe from the way that I've spoken with people throughout the county everybody's wants to save money when they can" says Lesko Lesko tells us that his dual position of Springfield City Clerk and Sangamon County Recorder will be ending on January 1 after which he will be serving only as county recorder a Republican and current Springfield City Clerk was declared the winner of the race for Sangamon County Recorder on Tuesday Lesko held a 68 vote advantage over incumbent Democrat Josh Langfelder on election night But it took several more days for mail ballots to be counted The office keeps track of property records But the main issue in the race was whether or not it's necessary Lesko has argued merging the office with the county clerk's would save taxpayers money and make the operation more efficient That would require voters to approve the change Langfelder has been the Sangamon County Recorder since 2008 Lesko's campaign was based on calls for more efficient government including merging the recorder's office with that of the Sangamon County Clerk He indicated the plan would save taxpayers approximately a quarter of a million dollars a year without a reduction of service He said more than 80-percent of counties already combine the functions "Hire me so you can fire me," was his campaign slogan Langfelder posted the following message on Facebook: "Yesterday wasn't the outcome we hoped for As I reflect on my time - not just on this campaign - but in the Recorder's office The people I have met in this capacity and the friends I've met along the way have been truly a blessing This was the position I loved and was there for the people I served 100% of the time But I know this is not the last you hear from me The final ballot tabulation also showed a close win in the Sangamon County Board race for District 26/ Republican Jennifer Ghesquiere Deaner finished with 1,921 votes just seven ahead of Democrat Jennifer Merritt with 1,914 and and Libertarian Russ Clark with 271 In an animated exchange at Tuesday's Springfield City Council meeting Shawn Gregory said clerk Frank Lesko was "hindering" city business by not resigning his position More: Hearing for potential release of ex-deputy in Massey shooting is delayed Gregory, who went through his own close election with Gail Simpson to gain his seat in 2019 They don't need 50% (on the city side) and 50% on the county side This is about the city of Springfield continuing on our business and you having to do two jobs at one time." We have to do interviews (for your vacancy) figure out that process and you're hindering us Gregory then asked Lesko if he would resign as clerk if he came out as the winner in the recorder's race Lesko also insisted he wasn't hindering anyone "There's a process (to the discovery recount)," he said "These circumstances are out of my control I challenge anybody to qualify anything that hasn't been done in the city clerk's office That office has been covered and will continue to be covered I'll do whatever the hell it takes to make sure the constitutents are taken care of and that they are able to be served "I believe in serving and I believe in giving to the people That's why I'm not backing off because of this political play that's going on right now." Langfelder said the only "political play" being made was by Lesko "claiming he can do both 40-hour-plus-a-week jobs he is trying to turn the tables and blame me for his decision to keep the two $100,000-a-year positions paid by the taxpayers It comes down to him being terrified of losing both jobs and that's why he's not resigning." forfeiting his county salary for the time being Lesko won a third term for clerk in 2023 when ran uncontested Larry Rockford said he had talked to city attorney Gregory Moredock earlier about Lesko's situation and that he should "morally Ralph Hanauer said if Lesko resigns as clerk and the recorder election is overturned "I think we owe it to him to give him a couple of weeks," Hanauer said adding that Lesko is "going to have to make it work." Moredock said Lesko's election as recorder "wasn't a disqualifying event for office of city clerk." He added that the Illinois Attorney General and state courts have made no determination yet that the clerk's office is "incompatible" with being recorder Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X In a taut race, challenger and Springfield Clerk Frank Lesko leads incumbent Sangamon County Recorder Josh Langfelder by 68 votes But there are still 3,510 votes by mail still outstanding "Additional work needs to be completed in terms of finalizing the results." More: Rhetoric ratchets up in election for Sangamon County Recorder any qualified ballot postmarked by Tuesday and returned no later than Nov All provisional ballots that are qualified The provisional ballots will be counted Wednesday gathered 48,934 votes to Langfelder's 48,866 votes Langfelder has been recorder since 2008 and was the only Democrat to hold a county-wide seat Lesko had touted in ads "Hire me so you can fire me," in reference to the merger of the recorder's office with the Sangamon County Clerk Lesko claimed the merger of the two offices could save county taxpayers $250,000 annually Langfelder said merger talk was "a terrible idea." The recorder’s office is the official land records depository for the county Instruments filed with the office include deeds Other documents include veteran’s discharge papers corporation papers and instruments pertaining to the Uniform Commercial Code said the recorder's staff would be merged into the new office Lesko said the recorder would leave the office at the completion of the merger Lesko said he would take "a business approach" to running the recorder's office (This story has been updated to add new information.) Former Sangamon County Recorder Josh Langfelder maintained Thursday there was "enough information to substantiate a change in the (Nov 5) election totals" separating current recorder Frank Lesko and him But a daunting court schedule and potential prohibitive costs made Langfelder decide not to pursue a petition for a full recount first elected to the office in 2008 and the only Democrat to hold onto a county-wide office made the announcement via text around 8 p.m Langfelder's team would have had to file the court petition by the end of Thursday More: 'The people have spoken:' Lesko bests Langfelder by 31 votes in Recorder's race Langfelder said he consulted with his attorneys Jim Morphew and Brian Lee of Sorling Northrup Lesko, who has held on to his position as Springfield Clerk, won the election by 31 votes with over 98,000 votes cast. He had a 68-vote lead on Nov. 5, but that shrank after provisional ballots and late-arriving vote by mail ballots were counted two weeks later Reached by The State Journal-Register Thursday Lesko said he planned to submit his letter of resignation as clerk on Friday The resignation would be effective at the end of the day on Tuesday Lesko, who was officially sworn in as recorder on Dec said he hasn't been taking a salary or benefits from the county since that time was "a positive step in the right direction for the citizens of Sangamon County and I wanted my opponent to feel whole in our election and in the results and I look forward to serving the people in Sangamon County." Langfelder on Thursday said he thought he had evidence gathered by volunteers during the discovery recount to present to the court Langfelder was able to apply for a discovery recount because he lost by a margin of less than 5% "When you weighed that (the case) could potentially go for a year and cost in excess of estimates of $50,000 I felt I needed to move on," Langfelder said "Elected offices are difficult on families and I didn't want to put my family through that again." While Langfelder said he felt he had a strong case there were no guarantees the recount would flip the election in his favor which lasted over a week and wrapped up Dec had volunteers from both camps looking at ballots Langfelder said it was "a mixed bag" of city and county precincts Langfelder presented evidence to the media that there was "a strong chance" 36 votes most likely could have gone into his column He added there were also 10 rejected ballots for "no signature," but did have a signature on the white mailing envelope "With the other precincts (in a full recount)," Langfelder said "they might have found more (votes) that went in favor (of Lesko) and it could have kept him in the lead or it could have flipped the election going for me Lesko, 64, touted in campaign ads "Hire me so you can fire me," a reference to a plan to merge the recorder's office with the clerk's office Lesko said no one would lose his or her job and that the recorder would leave the office at the completion of the merger More: Langfelder files for discovery recount after Lesko is sworn in as recorder derided the talk as "a terrible idea" and "a political gimmick." Lesko's decision to stay on as city clerk caused some consternation among alderpersons "One of my issues was that (Lesko) was sworn in (as recorder)," Williams said recently "That changes everything I think (the city council is) not being responsible for allowing this." Langfelder said it was Lesko's prerogative to hold both offices City attorney Gregory Moredock said while Mayor Misty Buscher can receive interested inquiries about Lesko's successor "it is ultimately up to the city council to select and appoint a new clerk." The staff I dealt with in the county clerk's office The extra work Clerk Don Gray's staff did reinforced why it wasn't beneficial to merge the two offices Langfelder said he did not contact Lesko on Thursday The two shook hands and wished each other good luck after mail-in ballots were counted Nov "I wish Josh and his family nothing but the best in their lives," Lesko said Thursday whose only other job other than in the recorder's office has been in the banking world but wouldn't rule out another run for office "whether that be a county-wide office or a city-wide office "The only way I get to run for another office is if my family allows me to do that This has been a rollercoaster ride not just for me but for my family." was sworn into office in a ceremony at the Sangamon County Complex Monday morning Lesko held on for a 31-vote win over Langfelder, who has been Recorder since 2008, after late-arriving vote by mail ballots and provisional ballots were tallied on Nov Forty-one precincts will be inspected in the recount Just over 100,000 votes were cast in the race We're looking forward to doing the things we promised to the office and ready to get started," Lesko said after the ceremony Also sworn in Monday were Coroner Jim Allmon State’s Attorney John Milhiser and Circuit Clerk Joe Roesch Milhiser defeated Kimberly Talken while Roesch outdistanced Juwanda Burrage Any candidate who loses an election by a 5% or less margin may apply for a discovery recount Jennifer Merritt, who lost the county board District 25 race to incumbent Jennifer Ghesquiere Deaner by seven votes "I'm optimistic on (the discovery recount)," Langfelder told The State Journal-Register last week "I feel I owe it to the 49,000 people who voted for me to look into it to make sure everything was counted correctly and if (it wasn't) Lesko's response"I want him to do whatever he needs to do to feel whole in the process," Lesko said of Langfelder on Monday get it taken care of and get on to the business of serving the people." Langfelder selected 25% of the precincts in the county "It's a mixed bag of county precincts and city precincts," he said voter rolls and signatures among other things Langfelder's camp will be looking for any discrepancies or errors in tabulation that could push the candidate over the top That discovery recount would be held in the county clerk's office and involve representatives of both candidates The timelineClerk Don Gray now will have three days to officially notify both candidates The clerk's office will start gathering information on the requested information so a discovery recount is likely to start the week of Dec "It's the first we've engaged at this (at a county-wide level)," he said The stage after the discovery recount--the sum of any discrepancies--is an actual filing for contest with the circuit court The court would then rule if the matter could proceed — The state of North Dakota is full of athletes playing two sports at the high school level but there are very few who are playing three in the same season while also getting their pilot's license LaMoure/Litchville-Marion senior Owen Lesko is one who fits that bill Lesko is playing for the Loboes baseball and golf teams and running and throwing for the track and field team I haven’t played spring baseball in school yet “I love playing golf and doing track as well at the same time I never really gave it a thought beforehand but I’m definitely glad I am doing it now and I wish I would’ve done it sooner to be honest.” the 4-by-100-meter relay and the sprint medley relay and throwing the shot put His best time in the 100-meter dash came on April 11 when he finished in third with a personal record time of 11.51 seconds while his season record time of 24.52 seconds in the 200-meter dash came on April 15 he ran the second leg in the 4-by-100-meter relay and helped his team finish first and he finished first in the shot put with a throw of 48 feet the center fielder and pitcher is hitting .667 with one triple Lesko said his best sport out of the three is track and field He’s very passionate about what he does but he’s got a very good family and comes from a long family of hard workers,” Loboes baseball head coach Gaige Dunn said he loves baseball and he’s very good at it.” One of the most important things that Lesko said allows him to be a tri-sport athlete is his communication with his coaches He said he plans his schedule out up to two weeks in advance and has to be flexible with any weather-necessitated changes that might come up Lesko and the other two coaches talk every week and get an understanding of what Lesko’s plan is for that particular week Lesko gives credit to his parents for helping him with advice and travel to and from events Dunn said he and other coaches around the district are more than willing to stay after practice to help Lesko get some extra baseball work in if needed “We try and communicate with him often and be flexible with him,” Dunn said he’s still a kid and we need to let him be a kid.” Lesko has not had to make a decision to miss one team’s event to participate in one of the other two sports he said when it comes time to make that decision this spring he will choose track over baseball and golf After helping the Loboes football team make it all the way to the state title game in the fall Lesko missed his entire basketball season thanks to getting surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder While he missed being on the floor with his teammates during the basketball season he said he was proud of how well the team did in his absence making it all the way to a state qualifying game “I think the physical rest was definitely a huge help very fun but it was also very physically challenging,” Lesko said “So getting that time off in between … the fall sports and spring sports is definitely a big help.” Lesko has been working on getting his commercial pilot's license after spending time in the air with a friend “I thought it was a cool career and a cool thing to do,” Lesko said “ … I talked about it one day with my parents and my mom was like why don’t we go ahead and give it a whirl.’ I went and flew with a buddy of mine … He flew me around a little bit in LaMoure and then I fell in love with it after that and decided to pursue it.” While he has been practicing with a 1960s model Piper Warrior plane Lesko said he has been flying into and out of the unmanned landing strip in LaMoure Before he can officially get his pilot’s license Lesko said he needs to get approximately five more flight hours fly into and out of an airport with a tower While flying a plane and playing the three sports might not seem to have a lot of skills that would translate to his three spring sports I think that goes a long ways to whatever you’re doing especially with a busy schedule,” Lesko said “For flying you always have to keep all your documents in line or keep prior knowledge into your system so always staying up to date with information and then staying organized and manage your time well.” In addition to the three sports and his work in getting his pilot's license Lesko also helps out his parents at their hardware store and antique store when he has time where I get to go and work there during the end of the school day,” Lesko said “I’ve been also busy so I can talk to them and they direct me on where to go I haven’t been the best at attending that but I work there throughout the whole year If they ever need a shift covered on the weekends they always call me or if I ask to be on the schedule Lesko said he will be going to the University of North Dakota to study at the John D Lesko said he has thought about being a commercial pilot specializing in being a commercial cargo pilot but he is open to seeing what happens and where his interests move while he is in college We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Michael J. Lesko passed away on August 7, 2024, surrounded in love by his three favorite people in the world – his wife, daughter, and granddaughter – and with music from some of his favorite composers, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Michael Lesko created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne « Back The decision on the next Sangamon County Recorder hinges on mail-in ballots that have yet to be counted wound up ahead of Democrat Josh Langfelder by 68 votes once all precincts were counted Tuesday But Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said there are still more than 3,500 ballots outstanding that will be processed over the next several days and the race is still too close to call But the main issue in the race was whether or not it's necessary Lesko has argued merging the office with the county clerk's would save taxpayers money and make the operation more efficient That would require voters to approve the change it was a good night be an incumbent officeholder in Sangamon County All other countywide officials won by comfortable margins Republican State's Attorney John Milhiser defeated Democrat Kimberly Talken a Republican appointed as circuit clerk last fall won a full term over Democrat Juwanda Burrage Auditor Andy Goleman and Coroner Jim Allmon were unopposed Ohio — A former social worker and youth counselor in West Chester was in court Wednesday to answer to allegations he sexually abused minors Michael Lesko was given a $500,000 straight bond for his various 21 charges including seven counts of raping a minor under the age of 13 He was charged with crimes against five victims Lesko's defense team issued a not guilty plea for the charges Prosecutor Jackie Welp said Lesko groomed the children A spokesperson for West Chester Township previously said that Lesko operated a privately-run counseling service out of his West Chester residence His defense said he was working at UC Medical Center during the time of some allegations ages of the victims and the trusted positions Lesko held it is possible that there are other victims that have not been identified," the spokesperson wrote in an email when Lesko was indicted "The investigation reported that Lesko had been engaging in the abuse for the past 15 years." Abuse cases tied to Lesko were also reported in Montgomery County Lesko was arrested in Georgia after he was indicted The defense said Lesko happened to be staying with his parents at the time of his arrest He has since been extradited to the Butler County Jail He also cannot have contact with anyone under the age of 18 Lesko is expected to be back in court on Monday Police said anyone with additional information about Lesko, or anyone who may have been a victim of Lesko's alleged actions can contact 513-759-7270. Ohio (WKRC) - A therapist appeared in court on Wednesday on 21 counts Prosecutors say Michael Lesko used his job as a therapist to groom his five young victims Lesko would start grooming his victims by mentoring them and he would be helping their families to care for the children or void their financial hardships Then he would have sexual contact and conduct with his victims When the newest victim made a police report and was residing there until he was arrested on his warrant," said Prosecutor Jackie Welp He pleaded not guilty to all 21 counts during his arraignment said that Lesko planned to turn himself in "When the police report was initially filed earlier this year before he moved down to Georgia with his parents He's still married but is separated from his wife this caused a difficulty in their relationship which is why he went down to live with his parents He did retain counsel and vents with intent to return It was never his intent to flee," Nelson said Judge Michael Oster ordered him held on a $500,000 bond He must also agree not to counsel anyone under the age of 18 until the charges are resolved Lesko is accused of committing the child sex crimes between 2008 and 2023. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — Frank Lesko (R) has been elected as the Sangamon County Recorder. Lesko received 31 more votes than Langfelder, A new crew of Republican politicians will soon take control of Maricopa County’s high-profile elections a major change for a key swing county that has for years contended with unproven claims of widespread voter fraud The outgoing Republican officials built national profiles for fiercely defending the county’s elections against critics within their party But the newcomers — also all Republicans — have signaled a different approach saying they will be looking for ways to improve the system The incoming recorder, Justin Heap, in particular, has been a consistent critic of the county’s elections, and is pushing for major changes. Heap, currently a Republican state representative, defeated incumbent Recorder Stephen Richer in the primary and went on to win the general election in a race that drew national attention Heap has said he has doubts about the fairness and security of the county’s elections called the county’s system a “laughingstock,” and promised voters he would overhaul things But he splits control over the county’s elections with the five-member board of supervisors the incoming board members said they plan a measured approach to any changes will replace current Chairman Jack Sellers Incumbents Clint Hickman and Bill Gates both declined to run for another term and will be replaced by U.S The starkest shift may ultimately be to the county’s united front when it comes to messaging and tone. County officials have banded together since the 2020 election to issue swift and uniform responses to false claims and criticism, an approach the officials felt helped voter confidence the new officials themselves will be the ones asking questions — and must build trust with each other while responding to distrust from voters Incoming supervisors also hope to rebuild the county’s relationship with the state Legislature, which fell apart after the 2020 election when lawmakers sued to get the county’s ballots to conduct their own audit and verify voter signatures on returned early ballots Heap didn’t respond to multiple requests for an interview for this story, but in a recent radio interview on KTAR he said he will be weighing changes to staffing and to how mail ballots are tracked and kept secure “The people have clearly spoken,” he said in the KTAR interview “They demand change to elections that we haven’t had in quite a while and I’m looking forward to getting into office.” Heap also emphasized that he wants to speed up the production of final election results. But he won’t have much control over that. He can make changes to how quickly his team verifies mail ballot signatures but ballot processing and counting is controlled by the supervisors the majority of the new board said in interviews that they want to try to find ways to speed up the process and Stewart all said separately that they have begun to try to learn more about how the county’s elections currently work in order to see what’s working and what isn’t Republican Thomas Galvin and Democrat Steve Gallardo said in interviews that they’re optimistic about how their new colleagues will oversee the process Asked about whether they trust the county’s elections now adding that she believes there’s room for changes “to make it better,” though she wasn’t specific said she believes that “past elections have been fair.” “But it takes too long to get the results,” she said and she believes that lengthy results timeline contributes to public distrust Stewart said in an interview after his primary election win that the courts have proven there was no widespread fraud in the state’s elections he criticized Maricopa County for its technical problems during the 2022 election and he said that he did not believe that election was fair to the voters who had to wait in long lines because of the problems He said the polarization of party politics is “frustrating everybody” and he wants to get back to a place where everyone can communicate with one another Brophy McGee and Lesko said they believe that they can leverage their existing relationships to improve supervisors’ relations with state lawmakers The first idea they want to collaborate with the legislature about State law divides election duties between the recorder and supervisors and they have a shared services agreement that outlines their roles in more detail delegated more authority to the recorder’s office but have repeatedly revised the agreement to take back control “I think you kind of do it at your peril unless you have really good reasons for it.” The current board of supervisors decided to again take direct control over areas where state law grants them authority in part because Hickman said if the new supervisors again delegate duties to the recorder it’s still “going to be their butt on the fire.” The latest change to the agreement came in October when Richer and the supervisors agreed the recorder would no longer control the information technology division or ballot processing Hickman said supervisors wanted to exercise direct oversight over the IT office in the wake of a few different problems including the ballot printing errors in 2022 Heap said in the KTAR interview that it was “shortsighted” for the “lame-duck board” to sign this new agreement “I’m already talking to the incoming board members and one of the first things that we will do is work on a new agreement that makes more sense,” he said though it isn’t clear exactly what he would propose changing Lesko and Stewart confirmed separately that they had spoken to Heap and that they are open to revising the agreement Lesko said that she talked to county staff and they told her that it’s normal for new recorders and supervisors to reopen such agreements Gallardo and Galvin said they support keeping the current agreement The days of having the recorder in control of functions beyond those specifically laid out in state law Heap’s record in the state Legislature over the last two years provides hints to his priorities would have required recorders to keep additional documentation tracking each ballot all the way through the system from the time it is printed to the time it is cast he could change the way Maricopa County’s ballots are tracked a Democrat who served with Heap on the municipal oversight and elections committee this year said some of Heap’s positions concerned him This includes when Heap pushed to eliminate early voting and voting by mail saying that’s what his constituents wanted Heap told KTAR that he recognizes he is “not going to have the power to simply end mail-in voting nor would I do that right off the bat if I did.” But he said that he wants to make changes to ensure the county is securely handling early ballots But he has not specified what he would do differently and both state and federal law limit when and why voters may be removed from the rolls said that Heap’s policies will be subject to scrutiny from the county attorney’s office “For any kind of stupid move where he tries to violate the law Heap also signaled that he’ll push for personnel changes saying many current employees were “hired under the radical Democrat Adrian Fontes,” a former Maricopa recorder who is now secretary of state and describing others as career bureaucrats he told KTAR that he’s “not planning to come in and clean house or anything.” “We need to make sure we have the right people in the right spots,” he said Jen Fifield is a reporter for Votebeat based in Arizona. Contact Jen at jfifield@votebeat.org Some communities vote Tuesday on local issues and school funding Warring partisan priorities and disagreements over voter ID specifics continue to make election deals tricky in Pennsylvania Wisconsin lawmakers want to streamline the process for towns to select new clerks as some municipalities go months — or longer — without a clerk in office The Texas House is considering a bill to abolish May elections which have the lowest turnout of any election Between a new vote and a nearly identical petition drive starting soon voters still have a chance to weigh in on proof of citizenship in the state Arizona’s election manual sought to make it clear that county supervisors had no choice But a judge’s ruling says it’s not up to state officials to decide nonpartisan reporting on Arizona elections and voting news By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. 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You may also receive occasional messages from sponsors Sangamon County Recorder Frank Lesko ran on a "hire me to fire me" platform in the November election Sangamon County Democrats wanted to make sure the Republican got his wish with a referendum going on the April 1 ballot that would transfer duties and responsibilities of the recorder to the county clerk by Dec More: Grayson appears in court while Illinois Supreme Court mulls state petition The vote of the Sangamon County Board Monday ended up in favor of the resolution 17-9 formed in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey by a former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy on July 6 the board voted down giving voters a referendum to recall the election of the sheriff the board signaled its approval for a commission to study the formation of a 708 Mental Health Board with the idea that it would go before the voters in 2026 'A campaign promise'Lesko, the former Springfield Clerk who eked out a win over Democrat incumbent Josh Langfelder previously told The State Journal-Register he started researching at the start of his political run how other counties in Illinois had successfully abolished the office Lesko never mentioned a date when he saw the office collapsing "I'm talking about however long it takes to get the job done," Lesko said about the merger Mike Ingram said he left the Champaign County Recorder's office on Dec a little over a year after being elected to the office Ingram spoke to the board Monday during the public comment section and sat in on both parties' caucuses Board member Tom Madonia proposed amendments that would have put the referendum to voters in 2026 and merged the offices in 2028 It also provided contracting with a firm to study the proposal But board member Tony DelGiorno asked why the board would delay the issue "I'm just trying to help the guy keep his campaign promise," he told reporters afterwards Board member Sam Cahnman said giving the voters the opportunity to recall an elected sheriff was "a safety valve" if things went awry in the future Despite calls from Gov. JB Pritzker and other officials, Sheriff Jack Campbell initially rebuffed resigning in the aftermath of Massey's murder before opting to retire on Aug The board voted down having Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser ask the Illinois Attorney General's office for its opinion on recall The establishment of a Mental Health Board also had the blessing of the Massey Commission A nine-person committee was given $50,000 to study the issue and coordinate a comprehensive system of services for mental health intellectual and developmental disabilities and substance use disorders in order to benefit citizens," according to the Illinois League of Women Voters website There are over 90 such boards around the state including in Christian and Montgomery counties Another vote by the board would consider an annual tax to provide the facilities and services Ohio and worked as a Manufacturing Supervisor Robert was a proud veteran of the United States Army and served with honor in Vietnam He was preceded in death by his parents Michael and Betty; siblings Jerry and Carol; and daughters Melanie and Kelly He is survived by his wife Brenda; sons David (Theresa) and Richard (Sarah); 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; brothers Ken and Rick; and many nieces and nephews.  Funeral Service will be held at The Bedford Church of the Nazarene Donations can be made in Robert’s honor to the Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text has been sentenced to 25 years in prison following a plea deal in which he admitted to multiple counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition was accused of exploiting his position to gain the trust of his victims and their families Lesko pleaded guilty to six counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition several victims expressed that the 25-year sentence was insufficient for the trauma inflicted Prosecutors detailed how Lesko groomed his victims by mentoring them and assisting their families with childcare and financial hardships before committing the abuse Judge Michael Oster heard emotional impact statements from family members of the abused children "25 years will never be enough for the pain you have caused You have affected more lives than you know of And I hope you feel nothing but shame for the rest of your life," said a family member I've been waiting for some kind of closure and all of this or number of years served that can ever fix the hurt he has caused," said another family member Judge Oster addressed the severity of the crimes "I told too many victims over the years that I had a gavel that sits next to me but what we can try to ensure is that justice is done," said Judge Oster Lesko has 30 days to appeal his guilty plea but cannot appeal the sentence itself he could face further imprisonment if he violates his five-year community control Lesko is required to register as a Tier III sex offender for life The four-term incumbent in the Sangamon County Recorder's office and the only Democrat to hold a county-wide seat said he is feeling upbeat despite having to make up a 68-vote deficit against his opponent The vote by mail ballots have to be received by the county clerk's office by 10 a.m Langfelder built up an early lead on Election Night only to see that lead vanish and then to swing to Lesko's favor as the final precincts in Auburn reported and it came down to the last two precincts," Langfelder said last week "Like I told everybody (at my Election Night gathering at The Alamo Bar) there are 23 ballots still to process in that race the ballots will be run through the tabulator and the results updated The office will have until Nov. 26 to certify the results to the Illinois State Board of Elections for any candidate who had lost an election by a 5% or less margin to apply for a discovery recount losing candidates have an opportunity to select 25% of the precincts of the jurisdiction for review of ballots "whatever it is they prescribe they would like to review in order to be able to examine election administration and potentially craft arguments to the circuit court," Gray said said he felt good about the campaign he ran and the fact that he outdistanced Lesko in the city "We have hope we'll flip it (Tuesday)," he said A Republican, Lesko, 64, touted in campaign ads "Hire me so you can fire me," a reference to a plan to merge the recorder's office which is the land records depository for the county An ad also ran for Lesko claimed Langfelder "(made) more than $2 million from taxpayers." Though it didn't explain it was thought to be Langfelder's salary over his four terms in office it made it look like people were sticking money in my pocket," Langfelder said "When Lesko decided he was going to run against me I'm not going to do any attack ads or anything like that.' distanced himself from the ad in earlier comments to The State Journal-Register More: All incumbents on Sangamon County Board returned by voters; Milhiser, Roesch other winners Langfelder has also insisted that bad feelings against his brother, former Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, who lost in the 2023 election to Mayor Misty Buscher fueled some people to engage Lesko to run against him "Elections are funny things," Langfelder said "I've always said this is going to be a close election As for what's next if he can't make up ground Tuesday I've always focused on winning this election I'll cross that bridge when (I get to it) and I'll decide what I want to do." Photo by J. Adrian Wylie Steve Lesko says he “really lucked out” with his next-door neighbors They don’t mind if he plays his music loud they let him pop in any time for a home-cooked meal and he’s always welcome to borrow their tools That’s because Lesko’s neighbors are his parents when their longtime neighbor put her house up for sale and its renovation became a father-son pandemic project Ten minutes from Chelsea in Lyndon Township and woods—and are home to the family’s two horses Lesko and his younger sister Ciara attended Chelsea Public Schools, where Lesko played the violin starting in fifth grade. By freshman year of high school, he’d “burned out” on classical music and joined the Chelsea House Orchestra That was where “I fell in love with Celtic music,” says Lesko The 1996 brainchild of Chelsea High’s then–music director Jed Fritzemeier CHO offers an alternative to classical orchestra who transformed a small orchestra program into a thriving success Lesko is one of at least seven touring fiddlers among its alumni Related: Kiana June Weber After he graduated, Lesko brought his enthusiasm and a crate full of sheet music to Grand Valley State and convinced fellow fiddler and GVSU student Carly Meloche—his close friend from CHO—to form a band. Carly “roped in” her cousin, vocalist and keyboardist Clare McMillan, and CrossBow was born in his apartment building’s “dinky basement room.” The group played its first gig at the Albion corn festival with an audience of five—“two were Carly’s parents,” he laughs Since then, CrossBow has performed everywhere from the Detroit Highland Games to the Highlands of Scotland. From St. Patrick’s Day through the end of summer, “we go hard,” Lesko says. Regulars at the Michigan Celtic Festival in Saline they’ve played all of Michigan’s major festivals as well as venues in the Midwest and on the East Coast whom he calls “family,” have full-time careers—there’s a physician he has “lived a very unconventional life.” Though he got his degree in sound design for film and video Lesko’s paid the bills as a substitute teacher creator of radio and TV spots for a local company and an AV tech for the Chelsea City Council That’s where he learned about the “nitty gritty” of Chelsea He says he’s especially encouraged by Chelsea’s “downtown boom,” the improvements at TimberTown He recently accepted a new job as a sales manager for a music industry–adjacent software company making music and managing CrossBow remains his first love Next April, Lesko will lead the group’s fan tour to Scotland he’s practicing what he calls “high-energy toe-tappin’” Celtic music in Chelsea’s countryside Related: Music Around Every Corner and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 Ann Arbor Observer. Michigan web development by Boxcar Studio A Sangamon County elected official is proposing to merge the office with another Current Springfield City Clerk Frank Lesko who is running as the Republican candidate for the Sangamon County Recorder position this November is proposing to merge the office with the Sangamon County Clerk’s office Lesko says the merger would make the county government more accountable Lesko says it will will reduce bureaucracy and save more than a quarter million dollars in taxpayer money every year the proposal would save even more taxpayer money as current employees retire and positions are not filled Lesko says the merger would not require the elimination of any county workers’ jobs Lesko says if he wins in November he plans on placing the proposal on the November 2026 General Election ballot as a referendum Lesko says he got the idea out of conversations he’s had with voters in the county since becoming Springfield City Clerk in 2015 the position of County Recorder is elective in counties with a population of 60,000 or more county clerks serve as ex officio county recorders Lesko is running against Democrat incumbent Josh Langfelder for the county recorder position this November College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America Sunday’s trade deadline dealings started with a bang, as the the Padres acquired Rays bullpen ace Jason Adam for a package of three Top 30 Prospects The sizable return for Adam includes the Padres’ former first round draft pick and No Lesko’s inclusion is particularly notable given his prospect pedigree 15 overall two years ago and signed him to a $3.9 million bonus but fell out of the list as he continues to fight his command and control.  Gonzalez, meanwhile, was on our radar prior to the season as a prospect of note although he’s scuffled a bit in Low-A this year Padres midseason prospect rankings:5. Dylan Lesko, RHP8. JD Gonzalez, C12. Homer Bush, OFAwesome home run swing from Gonzalez this spring ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/orQ3Odd7V4 Dylan Lesko It’s been an uneven beginning to Lesko’s professional career as he’s dealt with injuries and command woes but has been unable to find the zone in 2024 Lesko still flashes above-average stuff with a four-seam fastball that sits 93-94 mph and averages 19 inches of ride with 8-10 inches of horizontal break and he also mixes in a mid-80s gyro slider and mid-70s curveball He has has shown the ability to miss bats with his secondaries but fastball command has been a major stumbling block.  JD Gonzalez Gonzalez was drafted out of Puerto Rico in the third round of the 2023 draft He struggled in his professional debut at Low-A Lake Elsinore Gonzalez has projectable power with a knack for elevating the ball on his best contact Gonzalez’s selling point is his strong defense behind the plate earning above-average grades on his glove and double-plus grades on his throwing arm.  Homer Bush Jr. boasts an 80-grade running ability and a centerfield skillset in the outfield he is a skilled contact hitter with above-average bat-to-ball skills a solid approach and the ability to wreck havoc on the base paths was hitting .272/.362/.347 with 4 home runs and 43 stolen bases He is a strong athlete with potential to provide contact above-average defense and speed on the bases in the coming years.  Jason Adam Adam has been one of the most valuable and productive relievers in baseball he ranks fourth in opponent batting average Adam is making just $2.7 million in 2024 and has two remaining years of control Adam has shown the ability to handle regular work as he’s exceeded 50 or more appearances in each of the last two seasons.  we talk about names to know in the upcoming Top 100 Prospects update crown jewel of the 2024 international free agent class tops the Hot Sheet after slashing .533/.667/.867 last week Presenting 10 Statcast standouts from the past week of minor league action led by arguably the top pitching prospect in the game 1 team in the College Baseball Top 25 rankings after another wild weekend Cooper are taking a look at basement dwellers in the AL and NL BA college writers Jacob Rudner & Peter Flaherty break Chris Lemonis’ surprise firing at Mississippi State and lots more Geoff Pontes & Dylan White highlight prospects who could be playing themselves into the Fantasy Top 100 we talk about Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Draft slide and why it wouldn’t happen in the MLB Draft Ben and Carlos talk about Red Sox and Yankees pitchers with physicality and stuff who are off to hot starts in 2025 On this week’s episode of the Baseball America Draft Podcast Carlos and Peter hop on to briefly talk about their relationship to the NFL draft… Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone The incumbent Sangamon County Recorder has taken issue with his opponent’s recent proposal to consolidate the office with the Sangamon County Clerk’s Office Incumbent Democrat Josh Langfelder issued a statement Friday saying that his Republican challenger Frank Lesko’s proposal to consolidate the two offices is sharing misinformation Langfelder says that Recorder’s Office is a fee-generating office that doesn’t operate off of property taxes like other county offices do The Recorder’s office generates fees collected for its services and in turn returns anywhere from $600,000 to up to $1 million to other County offices for their operations each fiscal year the Recorder’s office has generated revenue of $2.1 million dollars while operating under budgets totaling $985,000; returning to the other County departments over $1.1 million dollars Langfelder’s statement classified Lesko’s proposal as a “lie” that show’s his opponent’s campaign “cleary doesn’t know how the Recorder’s office operates.” Langfelder says that by consolidating the office and jeopardizes the integrity and security of property ownership Langfelder has encouraged the public to call his office to inquire more about operations at 217-415-0086 3 prospect Lesko making good on 2024 goalMay 30th This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox In March, as he readied to pitch in the Padres’ Spring Breakout prospect showcase against the Mariners, 20-year-old right-hander laid out this goal for the 2024 season: “Go out each start and get better,” Lesko said “Maybe the results won’t be better every time get in a better spot and by the end of the year Through eight starts, the Padres’ No. 3 prospect, is on that trajectory. Which is to say, he’s getting better. After a slow start, Lesko, who is ranked No. 70 overall by MLB Pipeline is coming off consecutive outings in which he pitched one-run ball over five innings He’s struck out 13 in that span and has allowed only five hits “The evidence of his stuff and the weapons that he’s able to show each week Lesko’s manager at High-A Fort Wayne and the Padres’ assistant director of player development “As he’s continued to get more starts and outings and innings It was just over two years ago that Lesko underwent Tommy John surgery which cut short his senior season at Buford High School in Georgia The Padres selected him in the first round that summer knowing his recovery would be an extended one Lesko made his pro debut on July 21 Lesko is back to just pitching -- without a focus on the injury He’s missed bats -- 35 strikeouts across 29 innings -- and he’s only allowed 15 hits But he’s been undone by his control issues putaway changeup and two supplementary breaking pitches -- remains nasty recent evidence suggests his stuff clearly plays “All the work that he’s putting in on a daily basis that gets him ready for Saturday is to continue to focus on the command,” Daly said The repetition aspect -- the opportunity just to be able to do his work day in and day out -- we continue to see positive steps in the right direction.” here's a look around the rest of the Padres' system: Triple-A El Paso: Graham Pauley (No. 6) turned in a monster effort over the weekend, homering twice on Saturday and he notched three more hits on Wednesday night who got his big league breakthrough last season has struck out 10 in his last three outings (four innings) and has a 2.08 ERA over his 21 2/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League Double-A San Antonio: No. 9 prospect Austin Krob pitched six scoreless frames May 19 to lower his ERA to 4.00. Ryan Bergert (No. 7) pitched six innings of two-run ball on Tuesday High-A Fort Wayne: In addition to Lesko's progress, Homer Bush Jr. (No. 8) is reaching at a .371 clip and has already swiped 26 bags in 43 games to lead the Midwest League. Meanwhile, Jay Beshears (No. 27) has continued to rake since his promotion hitting .283/.389/.391 in his first 13 games Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball Single-A Lake Elsinore: No. 19 prospect Isaiah Lowe was hit hard Saturday in his last outing but he's still posted a 4.26 ERA across eight outings with 36 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings