Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Paducah, KY say the southern Illinois region has a small chance for strong or severe thunderstorms late tonight and into Monday morning as a storm system moves out of the Southern Plains. Heavy rainfall is the main concern, however thunderstorms could produce damaging wind gusts, and a brief tornado or two cannot be ruled out.
Fire heavily damaged a Mt. Vernon, IL church Friday afternoon. Media reports say firemen were called to the Landmark Church on North 11th Street around 3:15 p.m. Reports also said one of the pastors suffered burns in the fire. Firemen were called back a second time late Friday night after the fire reignited. Several fire departments assisted the Jefferson County Fire Protection District in fighting the fire.
The application period for Wabash Valley College’s honor society, Phi Theta Kappa is now open. Applications are available in the Student Services office and need to be turned in as soon as possible. Phi Theta Kappa is the national honor society for American Community Colleges. Its purposes are the promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service, and the cultivation of fellowship among community college students. To be eligible, a student must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA and be enrolled full time in a degree program.
Several southern Illinois schools have been recognized for their efforts in helping seniors apply for the federal aid form known as FAFSA. Among the schools recognized are the Wayne City High School, Carmi-White County High School, and Norris City Omaha Enfield High School. Reports said the schools helped over 70 percent of seniors apply for the federal aid.
Illinois House lawmakers have passed legislation to increase access to prostate cancer screenings. The bill comes from a Chicago representative who is a prostate cancer survivor. It ensures that health insurance covers annual screening procedures without requiring co-pays or deductibles. The measure now moves to the Illinois Senate.
Area river stages as of this morning: Little Wabash River east of Fairfield is at 22.42 feet. Flood stage is 17 feet. At Clay City the stage is 9.13 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet with a crest of 20 feet expected by around Thursday. At Carmi the stage is 29.75 feet. Flood stage is 27 feet with a crest of 32 feet expected by around Wednesday. The Skillet Fork at Wayne City is at 5.77 feet. Flood stage is 15 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel is at 22.24 feet. Flood stage is 19 feet.