Letter to the Editor:
I am the president of Spoon River Valley FOP Lodge 427 and responding to a misleading Letter to the Editor dated Friday, February 6, 2026, 'Facts Over Spin: Why Joe Moon Earned the Support of Law Enforcement, 'written by Eric Jameson, McDonough County Coroner.
May I provide a little history of Lodge 427. Seven active-duty police and retired police officers met with then President Chris Southwood of the Illinois FOP State Lodge to discuss the formation of an FOP Lodge on September 30, 2020. On that day, the seven of us established two goals: 1: We would serve the membership and 2: We would be engaged in local politics to assist in the betterment of Lodge 427 members. Lodge 427 received our official FOP Lodge Charter on January 1, 2021. We now represent a 12-county area in central Illinois with 345 active members of which McDonough County Sheriff's Office personnel are members.
It is disturbing to read Lodge 427 member Eric Jameson's comment 'The only lodge claiming to support Nick Petitgout is Spoon River Valley FOP -- and even that 'endorsement' was not legitimate.' Nick Petitgout is a dues-paying member in good standing of Spoon River Valley FOP Lodge 427. We do not claim to endorse Nick is a FALSE statement.
The Executive Board and Board of Trustees voted unanimously to endorse Nick and made that public at the Macomb Legion with the presentation of our letter of endorsement. Our Executive Board and Board of Trustees vote on all endorsements presented to the board, the same way Troopers Lodge 41 and Corrections Lodge 263 do their endorsements. I am attempting to understand the words 'That's not transparency, That's not accountability and It's not leadership.'
If Eric would have taken the time to go to the Illinois Sheriff's Association, Eric would have learned that McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout is the current President of their board.
It would appear that Eric Jameson has a personal beef with Incumbent McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout and Spoon River Valley FOP Lodge 427.
Donald 'Ike' Hackett President Spoon River Valley FOP Lodge #427
