Cisne FFA members Kevin Hyder, Avery Smith, Emily Milner, Abigail Biggs, Isabella Cline, and Noah Atwood finished as the second place varsity team at the Section 23 Parliamentary Procedure Leadership Development Event last night at Richland County High School. Hyder was named first place chairperson, and Atwood and Biggs placed third and fourth, respectively, as overall floor members. The Cisne FFA Conduct of Chapter Meetings team of Joshua Biggs, Kadence Smith, Macy Tannahill, Kaileigh Smallwood, Ella Krupp, Allie Brach, and Alex Paul earned first place at Section 23 competition last night in Olney.
Conduct of Chapter Meetings Team
Parliamentary Procedure Team
The Western Wayne Water District says the boil order that had been in effect for residents on Gateway Water has been lifted. Parts of Keenes, Wayne City, Sims, and Bluford were impacted, as were Cisne, Farrington, Flora, Geff, Iuka, Johnsonville, Rinard, and Xenia. The order was issued on February 22nd, but, again, residents on Gateway Water no longer need to boil water to be used for human consumption.
Wayne County deputies arrested 57-year-old Cisne resident Brian E. Fitzhugh early this morning. He was wanted on a Clay County warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Fitzhugh was released after posting $1,095 bond.
The Greater Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual dinner on March 14th at the Willow Creek Venue near Fairfield. La Fuente was named the 2022 Business of the Year in February and will be honored at the dinner. The 2022 Community Service Award winner will also be awarded. Tickets are $20 and are on sale at the Chamber Office through next Wednesday, March 9th. Anyone seeking more information should call the Chamber at 842-6116.
The Wayne County Soil and Water District Spring Fish Sale is set up for delivery on March 17th. The deadline for grass carp is tomorrow, and all other fish orders are due by noon on the 10th. The Spring Tree Sale will accept orders until March 25th or while supplies last, with delivery the week of April 4th. People can call 842-7602, extension 3, to order or for more information. Office hours are weekdays from 8 to 4:30.
Governor J.B. Pritzker is asking the state’s five pensions systems about divesting from any Russian companies. He says the state’s nearly one billion dollars in pension fund assets should include any ties to the country in light of its attack on Ukraine. He says he isn’t sure if the pension system has any Russian investments, but, if it does, it needs to take action.
Wayne County farmers saw significantly better soybean yields in 2021 than in 2020, per a recent report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. County farmers harvested 121,700 soybean acres in 2021, compared to 154,600 in 2020. The average yield per acre jumped more than 10 bushels, however, going from 51.1 in 2020 to 62.6 last year.
The Fairfield Memorial Hospital Skilled Care Unit has been named among the top Skilled Nursing Facilities in the United States, per the 2021-2022 US News and World Report Best Nursing Homes list. The unit was given an overall five-star rating, and FMH CEO Dr. Katherine Bunting-Williams said the recognition reflects the dedication the staff puts forth daily.
Wayne City Matters will hold a Soup and Sandwich Fundraiser March 13th at J.T.’s Restaurant from 4 to 6:30. Dine-in, carry-out, and drive-through options will be available for chili, potato, or vegetable soup plus ham salad or peanut butter sandwiches. Five pound containers of any soup are available for pre-order at a cost of $20 by calling 599-4522. Pre-orders are needed by Tuesday.
The IDPH reported seven new cases of COVID-19 in Wayne County yesterday. Wabash County added five cases, White County four, and Hamilton County two. Richland and Clay counties each added one case on the state website, and Edwards and Lawrence counties had no change. Marion County saw its total increase by four cases, and Jefferson County’s increased by two. As a state, Illinois announced 1,841 new cases and 40 additional deaths. Statewide totals sat at 3,033,061 cases and 32,803 deaths. The Southern Region had a seven-day positivity rate of 3.1 percent on February 26th, down from 3.3 percent on the 25th.
This is Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency has some tips for keeping families safe. IEMA says keys include being ready for anything, having a family communication plan, having an emergency kit, and knowing the biggest threats in a given area. It says people may also want to invest in a NOAA Weather Radio.
State Senate Republicans are offering legislation aiming to empower the parents of schoolchildren. The package wants to allow greater access to school curricula and a voice in statewide educational decisions, partly by adding five new elected positions to the state Board of Education, one per judicial district, per Senator Terri Bryant. She says ISBE is fundamentally different from local boards, which have elected members, as the state board is, at present, entirely appointed by the governor.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 25.04 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 6.60 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 12.22 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 7.11 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 32.32 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 25.66 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $96.50, up $7.75 from yesterday. The April crude oil price is $110.10, up $11.50 from yesterday morning.