THE
Daily Egyptian SERVING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1916.
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026
VOL. 109, ISSUE 31
ISP confirms investigation of ‘an allegation’ of Cambria’s top cop BRAYDEN GUY bguy@dailyegyptian.com
The Illinois State Police have confirmed an investigation into “an allegation” involving Cambria Police Chief Phillip Boss. In an April 23 email, ISP Public Information Office Deputy Chief Lt. Brian Lavin told the Daily Egyptian that the Illinois State Special Investigations Unit is investigating an allegation
regarding Boss. ISP did not provide further information regarding the investigation nor the allegation. Boss did not respond to a request for comment. The DE previously reported that the police chief admitted he shared a photograph with other people, and he shouldn’t have done it, village records show. “I think I know what this is about and it’s about the photograph and I
Interim provost search proceeds with new committee, 3 candidates CARLY GIST cgist@dailyegyptian.com
SIU Carbondale is restarting its internal search for an interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs after a lastminute addition to the position’s search committee led all original members to resign and raised questions about the university’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity. Sheryl Tucker, who has served as provost since July of 2023, is departing the role in June and will remain a chemistry professor at SIU. A search committee to identify potential replacements was formed on March 18 and quickly planned to begin interviewing candidates on April 17. While the committee featured an array of constituency groups on campus, the Black Staff and Faculty Council said it did not accurately reflect SIU’s racial demographics. David Shirley, Lane’s chief of staff, said in an email to the Daily Egyptian that to increase diversity, Chancellor Austin Lane added representation from four constituency groups to the committee on April 8 — nine days before interviews. The original committee members announced in a letter sent to Lane and distributed by email April 15 to SIU faculty and civil service LISTSERVs that they were resigning “en masse.” The committee said that while they value inclusive participation, the timing of the addition “compromised the transparency, credibility, and integrity of the search process.” They requested that the process be paused and a new committee formed.
InsiDE
Shirley said the search was paused and invitations for new members were sent. He said the search resumed on April 21, and the new committee is working to hold interviews with candidates this week. According to an April 13 email provided to the DE, five people applied for the interim position. Three SIU deans are moving forward to the next round: Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu (College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics), Robert Morgan (College of Health and Human Sciences) and Marc E. Morris (College of Business and Analytics). Shirley confirmed one candidate dropped out. It is not clear why the fifth candidate did not move forward. A virtual public forum for Liu was held Tuesday, April 28. Virtual public forums for Morgan and Morris are on April 29 and April 30 respectively, both set for 3 to 4 p.m on Microsoft Teams. Links to access the forums were provided in a campuswide email from HR. The interim will be allowed to apply for the permanent position, Shirley said. Transparency issues preceded the search According to documents obtained by the Daily Egyptian through a Freedom of Information Act request, Tucker, the incumbent provost, planned to announce her departure from the role in November of 2025, but Chancellor Lane told her in an email not to do so, saying that he would announce the departure after her contract ends in June 2026. The DE previously reported that Tucker’s PROVOST | 4
Local threats to journalists, Page 4
realize I shouldn’t have shown it to the others,” the chief told the village board, according to minutes from its Jan. 6 meeting. Williamson County Sheriff’s Office records show that on Oct. 16, 2025, Boss responded to a call involving a woman who was naked in her neighbor’s vehicle. Two additional Williamson County law enforcement agencies also responded. The woman was subsequently taken by
ambulance to Herrin Hospital. Craig Ward, the woman’s neighbor, said in a Facebook comment on the DE’s original story that he had sent a photo of the woman to Boss during the incident out of concern for her. The board in January voted to allow village attorney Webb Smith to investigate Boss’ conduct. There is no evidence, however, that the investigation has been conducted. Smith refused to
comment on the investigation for the DE’s initial April 14 story. Since then, the village’s government has faced turmoil. Three village officials resigned, and the village board found itself deadlocked over a vote in February to terminate Boss — a tie that was broken by then-Village President Ron Modglin and resulted in the chief being retained. CAMBRIA | 4
Why did the snake cross the road?
Story and photos on pages 6-7 A cottonmouth holds its head up as it crosses Snake Road March 22, 2026 in the LaRue-Pine Hills area of the Shawnee National Forest in Union County, Illinois. Cottonmouths are the most common species to be seen crossing the road. Olivia Luesing | oluesing@dailyegyptian.com
Caracas to Carbondale: Julio Guerrero’s path to SIU Baseball stardom NOAH PETSCHKE npetschke@dailyegyptian.com
Centerfielder Julio Guerrero hit a walkoff home run on March 27, his fourth long ball in the last five games. The surging Junior was greeted with excitement by his teammates and showed love for his family in the stands. Guerrero hails from Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city, and made his way to the United States in 2022. After
Airport maintenance in Murphysboro, Page 5
moving countries, Guerrero started playing in a spring baseball league in Florida before dominating in his two years at North Central Missouri College. The Salukis scouted the talented and upbeat centerfielder, and Guerrero made his way to Southern Illinois University to play Division I baseball in 2025. “It was an amazing transition,” Guerrero said. “I loved my
experience with JuCo, but you can see the difference between JuCo and D1.” After meeting with Guerrero, head coach Lance Rhodes praised his presence on and off the field, which made him a prime target to bring to Itchy Jones Stadium. “You can just immediately tell that he is a good human,” Rhodes said. “He can do everything on a baseball field really well, GUERRERO | 9
SIU hosts fashion show, Page 11