Evan Schmalshof for McDonough County Sheriff

04/01/2026

Why the Ambulance Service and EMS Changes Matter to McDonough County

Recent news that McDonough District Hospital (MDH) plans to terminate its ambulance service contract on May 3, 2026 has raised serious concerns about emergency medical care in McDonough County. This decision affects far more than a hospital contract, it impacts the entire emergency response system that residents depend on when they dial 911.

Understanding why this matters requires looking at how emergency medical services actually work in a rural community.

Emergency Care Starts With the 911 Call
Emergency medical care does not begin when a patient walks through the doors of the hospital. It begins the moment someone calls 911.

From that point forward, multiple parts of the emergency system work together:

1. 911 dispatchers send responders

2. Police or local volunteer rescue squads/ fire departments often arrive first

3. ambulance crews provide advanced medical care and transport

4. the hospital provides definitive treatment
Each part of this system depends on the others.

If one part weakens, the entire system becomes less reliable.

In 2025 alone, 2,780 ambulance responses occurred in McDonough County. These calls involved situations like heart attacks, strokes, vehicle crashes, overdoses, and medical emergencies where quick response can save lives.

The Role of Volunteer Rescue Squads

In many communities across McDonough County, volunteer rescue squads and fire departments are the first medical responders to arrive at emergencies.

These volunteers provide lifesaving care while an ambulance is on the way. They perform tasks such as:

1. CPR and defibrillation

2. controlling severe bleeding

3 stabilizing injured patients

4. administering medications like Narcan

5. preparing patients for transport

In rural areas, these responders often arrive several minutes before an ambulance, and those minutes are critical.

For example:

1. brain damage can begin 4–6 minutes after cardiac arrest without CPR

2. severe trauma patients need immediate bleeding control

3. overdoses require rapid medication to restore breathing

Volunteer responders are often the difference between immediate lifesaving care and waiting for help to arrive.

Why the EMS Coordinator Matters

Another major concern is the reported elimination of the EMS coordinator position.
This role is often the backbone of a rural emergency medical system. The coordinator helps ensure that all the different agencies work together smoothly.

Typical responsibilities include:

1. organizing training for EMTs and volunteers

2. tracking certifications required to provide medical care

3. coordinating with ambulance services, rescue squads, and the hospital

4. maintaining medical protocols and oversight
helping manage disaster and mass-casualty planning

Without this coordination, many volunteer rescue squads may struggle to maintain the training, certifications, and oversight required by state EMS regulations.

In some cases, losing that support can cause smaller volunteer squads to suspend operations entirely, which would leave some communities without nearby medical responders.

The Pressure on First Responders

If ambulance services become unstable and volunteer rescue squads lose support, the burden on other first responders increases dramatically.

Police officers and firefighters may find themselves responsible for managing medical emergencies for longer periods while waiting for an ambulance that may be coming from outside the county.

This creates challenges such as:

1. longer on-scene times

2. increased stress on responders

3. reduced availability for other emergencies

Emergency systems work best when all parts are stable and coordinated, not when agencies are forced to improvise under pressure.

The Timing of the Decision

Another concern raised by many community members is how quickly this decision was announced.

Ending a county’s primary ambulance service with only a few weeks’ notice leaves very little time to plan for a safe transition.

Creating or replacing an ambulance system requires significant preparation, including:
hiring trained EMTs and paramedics
obtaining ambulances and medical equipment
coordinating with the 911 dispatch system
establishing medical oversight and regulatory compliance

These systems normally take months or even years to build properly.

Making such a significant decision without a clear transition plan can create uncertainty for emergency responders, local governments, and residents.

Questions About Financial Priorities

Hospital leadership has stated that financial challenges are forcing them to eliminate services considered “non core,” including the ambulance contract.

However, some residents have questioned whether other financial decisions also contributed to the current situation.

For example, the hospital invested approximately $8 million in the new community pharmacy building, which the hospital acknowledges is currently operating at a loss.

Although the pharmacy building has seen increased activity, some of that traffic appears to be generated by the coffee shop located in the same space, which naturally draws visitors into the building. Increased foot traffic does not necessarily mean pharmacy revenue has increased enough to offset the significant cost of the project.

When projects like this continue operating at a loss while emergency services face cuts, it raises understandable questions about how financial priorities were set.

A Statement That Raised Concerns

One statement from hospital leadership also drew attention: that the hospital has no liability until a patient arrives at the hospital.
While that may reflect a narrow legal interpretation, it struck many in the community as concerning.

Emergency care in a rural community depends on a continuum of services, beginning with first responders and ambulance crews long before a patient reaches the hospital.

For the firefighters, rescue volunteers, paramedics, and police officers who respond to emergencies every day, the responsibility for saving lives starts at the scene, not at the hospital door.

What This Means for the Public

For residents, the most important question is simple:

What happens when someone calls 911?

If ambulance coverage becomes uncertain or rescue squads lose support, communities could experience: longer response times, fewer trained responders nearby, delays in getting patients to hospitals

In medical emergencies where seconds and minutes matter, those delays can have serious consequences.

Moving Forward

The challenges facing rural healthcare and emergency services are real and complex. However, protecting public safety requires coordination, transparency, and long-term planning.

Emergency medical services are not just a hospital service or a government responsibility, they are a community system that everyone depends on.

Ensuring that system remains strong will require cooperation between:
hospital leadership, county and local governments, ambulance providers, first responders,and the community itself.

Impact on the Sheriff’s Office

These changes could also have a significant impact on the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office and its deputies, who are often among the first to arrive when someone calls 911.

In many parts of the county, deputies frequently reach emergency scenes before ambulances. When that happens, they help stabilize patients until trained EMS personnel arrive. If ambulance response times increase or volunteer rescue squads struggle to operate due to the loss of EMS coordination, deputies may be forced to manage serious medical emergencies for much longer periods of time.

This could include situations involving overdoses, cardiac arrests, severe crashes, or other life-threatening medical incidents. Deputies are trained to assist in emergencies, but they are not paramedics and are not equipped to provide prolonged medical care on their own.

Longer waits for ambulances could also affect crash scenes, rural emergencies, and medical incidents in the county jail, where deputies rely on rapid ambulance transport when someone’s life is in danger.

Ultimately, when ambulance services or rescue squads become unstable, the burden often shifts to law enforcement and other first responders, increasing strain on those agencies and potentially leaving fewer deputies available to respond to other calls across the county.

The goal should be simple: when someone calls for help, the system is ready to respond.

Our community is deeply grateful for the volunteers, firefighters, deputies, EMTs, and paramedics who answer the call to serve others in their most difficult moments.

Their willingness to step forward reminds us of the spirit reflected in John 15:13:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

McDonough County is fortunate to have so many people willing to serve their neighbors when it matters most.

03/13/2026

Voters deserve facts, not labels.

Recently, some people have claimed that discussing issues involving the Sheriff’s Office is a “smear campaign.”

Voters deserve the opportunity to review documented information and draw their own conclusions.

The documents and screenshots shared here come from public records, FOIA responses, government meeting minutes, or previously published news reporting. They are provided so voters can review publicly available information and decide for themselves.

Reasonable people may interpret information differently, and that’s okay. What matters is that voters have access to the facts needed to make informed decisions.

This race currently has three candidates.

While we are political opponents, it is clear that two of the three candidates recognize many of the same issues affecting the Sheriff’s Office today.

Where the candidates differ is perspective and experience.

1. The current sheriff has years of service within the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office and experience leading the department and serving the community. That service deserves recognition, and there are positive qualities and valuable lessons I learned during my time working under his leadership.

2. I bring firsthand experience working inside the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office, understanding how leadership decisions affect deputies, daily operations, and the community we serve.

3. Joe Moon does not have inside working knowledge of the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office, but brings something equally valuable, extensive law enforcement experience from other agencies. That experience includes areas of policing, leadership, and investigation that simply do not exist within a small rural sheriff’s office like McDonough County.

Different agencies operate in different ways. Seeing how other departments handle challenges can bring new ideas and solutions that smaller departments may not encounter.

I also have a deep respect for the office of Sheriff.

It is an important position that carries tremendous responsibility to both the department and the community.

Respect for the office and accountability for leadership can exist at the same time.

When the same types of issues continue to arise over time, it becomes fair for members of the department and the public to ask an important question:

Is this an individual issue, or is it a leadership issue?

Leadership sets the tone for an organization. When leadership succeeds, that success spreads throughout the department. But when leadership falls short, those problems can trickle down and affect the entire organization.

That is not a smear. That is accountability.

Some individuals have suggested that discussing these issues amounts to a smear campaign.

In small communities, supporters of any candidate will naturally defend the people they support through letters to the editor or public statements. Those perspectives are part of the democratic process.

However, many of the people raising those concerns have not worked inside the Sheriff’s Office and may not have firsthand knowledge of how the department operates internally. None have worked under the direct leadership of the current sheriff in his current role.

It is also worth remembering that political campaigns in our county have historically included strong criticism between candidates.

For example, during the last sheriff’s election a campaign advertisement stated that Sheriff Petitgout’s opponent had “0 to Limited” experience serving warrants compared to his own experience and training.

Political debate and comparisons between candidates have long been part of elections.
What matters is whether the information being discussed is true, documented, and relevant for voters to consider.

Something voters often notice during elections is that when difficult questions are raised, the conversation sometimes shifts away from the issues themselves and focuses instead on labeling the discussion as a “smear.”

But calling something a smear does not address the facts.

The real question voters should ask is simple:

Are the issues being discussed true, documented, and relevant to the leadership of the office?

If the information comes from public records, court filings, official documents, or news reporting, then the focus should remain on the facts themselves.

Finally, there is one important thing voters should know.

I will not appear on the primary ballot because I am running as an Independent candidate.
However, the March 17 primary election will determine who the Republican nominee will be in the general election.

Even though my name will not appear on that ballot, the outcome of the primary will determine which Republican candidate advances to the general election in November.

If you are eligible to vote in the Republican primary, please make sure you vote on or before March 17.

Primary elections often have low turnout, but they play a major role in shaping the choices voters will have in the general election.

No matter where you stand politically, informed voters participating in the process strengthens our community and our democracy.

Leadership in law enforcement requires professionalism, accountability, and a commitment to the people we serve. Those are principles I take seriously and will continue to stand by.

I trust the voters of McDonough County to review the information available and make their own informed decision about the future leadership of the Sheriff’s Office.

02/17/2026

Before any election, one simple question matters more than endorsements: have things actually improved?

Endorsements are easy. Results are harder.

This is simply my perspective as a member of the community based on what has been publicly discussed and observed over time.
With the election coming up, there have been several letters praising Sheriff Nick Petitgout.

Endorsements are part of politics, but they do not answer the question many people in the community are asking.

Is the Sheriff’s Office stronger and more trusted today than it was years ago?

What stands out to many residents is that the public endorsements do not appear to be coming from current employees within the Sheriff’s Office or from active local law enforcement working alongside the department today.

In most organizations, strong internal support tends to show itself naturally. When it does not appear publicly, people notice and ask questions.

Over time, the office itself appears to have changed. Many long time employees who built careers there are no longer part of the department, at least from what has been publicly visible to the community, and there has been ongoing local discussion about staffing challenges, retention issues, and workplace concerns. Those things matter because they affect service, safety, and morale.

There have also been interagency disagreements, contractual disputes with municipalities, and legal matters resolved outside of trial that appeared to receive little public attention locally. While settlements are not admissions of wrongdoing, situations like that can still lead residents to ask questions about transparency and whether issues were fully addressed moving forward.

Accountability tools like body cameras are often highlighted as examples of transparency and modernization in law enforcement. When transparency becomes a central talking point during election cycles, many residents reasonably expect consistent use of those tools and clear availability of recordings when requested through normal public processes. Some community members have raised concerns about whether body cameras are used consistently at all levels of the organization or whether recordings are always available when expected. Whether those concerns are perception or reality, they highlight an important point. Transparency is measured by everyday practice, not by campaign messaging.

As voters compare candidates, another reasonable question is what type of background and experience best serves the office. Some voters may prefer leadership that comes primarily from long term political roles or administrative experience, while others may place more value on candidates who have spent the majority of their careers working directly in operational or street level law enforcement roles.

That distinction is not personal. It is simply part of how voters decide what kind of leadership they believe best serves the community.

At the end of the day, this is not about personalities. It comes down to a few simple questions:

•Is the office more transparent?

•Are employees supported and held to consistent standards?

•Are relationships with other agencies stronger?

•Does the public have greater confidence today?

These are not political questions. They are community questions, and they are worth asking before any election.

02/07/2026

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT - Safety over Revenue, Transparency over Politics.

Vehicle impoundment should be about public safety, not revenue.

After reviewing the county impound records, it’s clear the financial impact on our community is significant. As deputies, we know impound decisions can be complex and sometimes necessary. But we also know a vehicle isn’t just property. It’s how people get to work, how kids get to school, and sometimes it’s even someone’s home. Taking a vehicle away can create real hardship for families already struggling.

I’m urging every candidate for Sheriff to commit to reviewing impound policies so they focus strictly on safety and necessity, not income. And any expenses connected to the impound lot should be openly bid. Competitive bidding lowers costs, increases transparency, and reduces the financial burden on taxpayers.

We can enforce the law while still protecting our community from policies that make life harder. Public safety should never depend on how much money is generated.

01/28/2026

Facts Over Fiction: What the News Didn’t Tell You

A recent news story about my federal lawsuit said it was “dismissed” and that I was fired for lying. That is false.

I was fired under a false claim of lying, and an independent arbitrator later ruled the Sheriff did not have just cause to fire me. The arbitrator found my statements were taken out of context and, when read together, they are consistent and truthful. The entire arbitration report is available on (https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2024/12/mcdonough-county-sheriff-wrong-deputy-reinstatment-ordered-by-arbitrator/) for those who care to read it and be fully informed.

The judge did not dismiss the case, the complaint was dismissed. She gave me 14 days to amend the complaint. I also had to file an emergency motion because my attorney abandoned me. A simple phone call or email would have shown the case is still active, yet the story was published without confirming facts or checking publicly available filings.

All of this information is public and available with a simple Google search, yet the article presented a one-sided, misleading view of the situation.

The reporting shows a lack of basic journalistic responsibility, fact checking, or concern for accuracy, especially given the timing right before an election.

Facts matter. Readers deserve the whole truth, not just a partial story.

12/31/2025

An open letter as we enter a new year

A new year doesn’t erase the past, but it gives us permission to start again. We all carry struggles, doubts, and quiet battles from the year behind us. Still, faith, family, and friends remind us that we were never meant to walk through life alone.

As we look toward the unknown, remember this, change is good, and time always brings clarity. What feels confusing today will make sense in time. Let this be the year we refocus on what truly matters and move forward with hope instead of fear.

A prayer for the year ahead, “God, guide our hearts into this new season. Strengthen our faith, bless our families, surround us with true friends, and remind us that even our hardest days are shaping us for something greater.”

However this year finds you, know this: you are human, you are loved, and you are never alone.

12/08/2025

After I filed a FOIA request for messages from the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office WhatsApp system, something happened that raised major red flags.

Just 13 minutes after my FOIA was submitted, Lt. Robbie Phelps left the WhatsApp group. This is the same system the Sheriff’s Office claimed hasn’t existed for years or hasn’t existed at all in other FOIA responses.

I have the screenshot showing it clearly: FOIA filed at 11:37 AM on 9/18/24. Phelps left at 11:50 AM on the same day.

Other activity shows the system was still being used long after they claimed it was gone:
* Nick left in 2020, rejoined, then left again in 2021.
* Adam was active in January 2023.

So the system wasn’t “gone.” People were still in it. People were still communicating. The timestamps prove that.
Then things got even more concerning.
Lt. Phelps told the Public Access Counselor (PAC) that he had contacted other deputies to help with the FOIA request. But every deputy I have asked with access says they were never contacted, never asked, and never involved. So either every deputy is lying, or he is. The evidence speaks for itself.

Ironically, I was able to download WhatsApp, sign in, and restore the chats from my time in the group with no issue.

This matters because it shows a serious issue: some inside the Sheriff’s Office appear willing to give false or misleading information on official documents and during an investigation to block access to records and control the narrative. This isn’t a simple misunderstanding. It’s a pattern of hiding information.

And instead of investigating any of this, the PAC simply took Lt. Phelps’ word at face value, didn’t ask for proof, didn’t verify anything, and ignored the evidence showing the opposite.

When oversight bodies don’t investigate and law enforcement can give statements without accountability, transparency disappears.

This is how records go missing. This is how misconduct continues. This is why public trust breaks down.

People deserve to know what’s actually happening in McDonough County.

These aren’t opinions, they’re timestamps, actions, and contradictions coming directly from the people involved.

More information is coming, and it’s time for the truth to be seen.

11/14/2025

A Hard Lesson, A Changed Perspective

This isn’t easy to talk about, but real change requires honesty, especially when it’s uncomfortable.

During the last election, I signed a letter that was circulated throughout the Sheriff’s Office. At the time, it was presented as something we we were all expected to support.

The letter was laid out openly on a table directly in front of the Sheriff’s office for everyone to see, and on duty deputies, in uniform and in marked patrol vehicles, distributed it across the county with the full knowledge of the Sheriff and his now-retired Chief Deputy.

Looking back, I regret signing that letter. Not because anyone told me to feel that way, but because I’ve had time to reflect on what it represented, and how it was used.

That letter became a political tool, circulated under pressure, and most signed it out of fear of retaliation. Only two deputies refused to sign, and following the election, one of them was demoted. That spoke volumes, and confirmed the fear many of us quietly shared.

I want to be clear: using government property, time, and authority to influence an election is not just unethical, it’s illegal and immoral.

When some of us reported this and other related conduct to the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit, we were told it was considered an “administrative issue.” That response showed just how deeply the lack of structure, policy adherence, and accountability runs in our local system.

More recently, we’ve seen the use of the Sheriff’s official government page to issue political statements and campaign-style responses. That, too, is an abuse of position and nothing less than “campaign shenanigans.”

Using an official government platform in that way is completely inappropriate and perfectly in line with the same pattern of conduct we’ve seen before: using department property, resources, and personnel to advance a political agenda.

This culture, the “go along to get along” model has allowed questionable actions to go unchecked for far too long. It has created an environment where silence is rewarded, and integrity is punished. That must change.

I share this not to point fingers, but to take responsibility for my own part in allowing things to be this way. I’ve learned from it. I’ve grown from it. And I am now determined to be part of the change that replaces fear with fairness, silence with transparency, and politics with accountability.

It’s time we move toward a new era of law enforcement leadership, one that values openness, ethics, and courage over comfort and compliance.

11/11/2025

This Veterans Day, I want to honor a man who helped shape my life and the lives of so many others, my step grandfather Mike Smith.

He served this country with a quiet strength and unwavering dedication that only true service members carry. But his impact did not stop there.

Mike was the kind of man who did not just fulfill the role of father, husband, or grandfather. He elevated it.

He stepped into those places not because he had to, but because it was in his nature to give, to guide, and to love. He showed us what it means to stand tall, to lead with humility, and to live with purpose. To me he will always be a legend in the truest sense of the word.

Today, honors Mike’s memory along with the lives of service members across our country, those who are here with us today and those who live on forever in our hearts.

This is my thank you to all service members past, present, and future for selflessly giving us the freedoms we enjoy every day.

May we all say thank you and send up prayers for the brave men and women of our armed services not just today, but every day, for their strength, their love, and their courage.

May we never forget them. May we continue to live in a way that honors what they stood for. And may we carry their stories forward, just as I proudly carry his.

11/05/2025

Building Hope, Rebuilding Homes

Across McDonough County, there are old homes waiting to be torn down, but what if we saw them as more than just broken boards and bricks? What if we saw them as a way to rebuild lives too?

My idea is simple: use these properties as opportunities for people in recovery or rebuilding after mistakes to learn trades like HVAC, plumbing, electrical work, and more.

They would gain skills, earn certifications, and build resumes, while helping to restore homes and pride across our county.

While we’ll go out every day with the goal of removing drugs and crime from our streets, we also carry the duty to help, guide, and educate those we arrest and the community we serve.

Law enforcement should be about more than punishment, it should also be about prevention, restoration, and opportunity.

This kind of program could be made possible through partnerships with outside organizations and by seeking grant funding. I believe it’s an idea worth exploring alongside the WIRC (Western Illinois Regional Council) , especially after seeing similar projects already taking shape in nearby communities like Galesburg. Hats off to the hard work WIRC puts in every day for our local communities.

This approach could tackle several challenges at once, housing shortages, addiction recovery, and the sense of hopelessness that often follows prosecution. It’s about turning second chances into strong futures, for individuals, families, and the entire community. Everyone needs a hand sometimes.

Let’s be the life ring in the ocean, the one that helps people find solid ground again.

What do we have to lose by exploring new, compassionate ways to lift up our neighbors and everything to gain if we succeed together?

Let’s build more than homes. Let’s build hope.

10/29/2025

I’m running as an independent because McDonough County deserves honesty, accountability, and transparency, not politics, special interests, or promised promotions.

Since I’m running independently, I won’t be part of the March primary, but I encourage everyone to research the candidates and vote in the primary anyway.

You’ll be able to vote for me in the general election on November 3, 2026, and I truly hope to earn your support.

As we get closer to gathering petition signatures and the weather warms up, we’ll be ramping up our campaign efforts, We will be holding meet and greets and community events. We’re also happy to come to you so you can ask questions about what matters most to you. Just send us a message to setup meeting with me, if you wish to do so.

In the meantime, I’m always available by call or text, whichever you prefer. You can also submit questions through our website, and I’ll share video responses, no filters, no edits, just honest answers from me to you.

We’re not backed by big donors or any political party. Everything we do is made possible by my wife, kids, and family, whose love and support keep this campaign moving forward.

No deals. Just justice.

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