Published on May 26, 2026 4:08 pm
Last Updated on May 26, 2026 4:10 pm
Legislation is moving through the Illinois General Assembly honoring two fallen members of the military from our area.
Those being remembered are Sergeant Timothy Sayne and Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Donaldson.
(SAYNE)
The Fayette Avenue overpass in Effingham would be named the Sgt. Timothy Sayne Memorial Overpass. The 4th Street Overpass in Effingham would be named the Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Donaldson Memorial Overpass.
(DONALDSON)
The legislation honoring Donaldson is sponsored by St. Rep. Blaine Wilhour of Beecher City, while the measure honoring Sayne is sponsored by St. Rep. Adam Niemerg of Dieterich.
Chief Warrant Officer Donaldson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), out of Ft. Drum, New York. Donaldson died May 5, 2006 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was traveling on crashed during combat operations east of Abad, Afghanistan.
Sergeant Sayne was killed in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan on September 18, 2011.
Niemerg’s measure, Senate Joint Resolution 62, was adopted by the House Transportation: Regulation, Roads and Bridges Committee Tuesday, as was Wilhour’s measure, Senate Joint Resolution 61.
Both measures now await final approval by the Illinois House of Representatives.
Effingham City Council member Libby Moeller has been working on the effort behind the scenes, and we thank her for letting us know of the project.
