Headlines for Monday, March 7th

Kindergarten registration for Johnsonville Elementary School will be held March 31st from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is for all students who will be entering kindergarten in the fall at Johnsonville, and children must be at least five years old by September 1st to enroll. People should call 673-3044 to schedule an appointment for the registration.

Wayne County deputies arrested 32-year-old Wayne City resident Michael R. Smith Friday afternoon. He was charged with criminal trespass to a residence, felony criminal damage to property, and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police. Smith was taken to the Wayne County Jail and held, pending the setting and posting of bond.

Edwards County Commissioners will meet today at 4:30 at the county courthouse. The highway department is set to open bids for a dump truck and to approve agreements for two bridges, and EMS employees are scheduled to be transitioned to the county as of April 1st. The 911 board is also set to make an appointment to replace Duane Lear.

The Fairfield Public School District Board of Education will hold special meetings tonight and tomorrow. No action is scheduled to be taken either night, as the meetings will consist entirely of executive session, wherein members will discuss personnel before adjourning.

Officials say said yesterday seven people were killed in Iowa after tornadoes swept through Saturday, destroying homes, downing trees, and taking out power lines. Locally, we had some storms Sunday night and accumulated about an inch-and-six tenths of rainfall from Saturday night to this morning.

Fairfield Mayor Mike Dreith says he will propose 36-year-old Cody Attebery to fill the unexpired term of Alderman Brett Coale, who announced he would step away from the seat in February and has moved to Florida. His name will be presented to the City Council tomorrow night for a vote. If approved, Attebery would serve for the next year before deciding if he will run as an incumbent in 2023. Mayor Dreith says the nomination was based on Attebery’s qualifications and the fact he ran for a seat on the council in 2021, losing by five notes to Dewey Eckleberry.

Cody Attebery

The Fairfield City Council will meet tomorrow at 6:00 at City Hall. Following the resolution to appoint Attebery as First Ward Alderman, the council is set to appoint a leadman for the Water Distribution Department, authorize the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners to proceed with hiring and testing, and discuss fees for transient or temporary ag operators. It is also anticipated to change utility collection dates. There will be a public hearing at 5:30 to discuss the proposed business district, as well.

The Greater Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a “Ready, Set, Spring” Open House on the 20th from 1 to 4 p.m. Director Libby Lingafelter says the event has been moved up a bit in the year to try and entice people to shop local for Easter decorations. Similar to the Christmas Open House, participating merchants will have sales, snacks, and door prizes throughout the event.

The Albion City Council will meet tonight at 7 at City Hall. It is scheduled to discuss demolition of a burned house at 23 South Third, a contract with Suez for water well maintenance, and a sewer grant in old business. It will also hear an update on the Water Treatment Facility and will open bids for mowing at the cemetery. After various reports, the council will move to new business. It will also discuss a project on Elm Street and mosquito spray, as well as repairs at the animal control shelter.COVID-19

According to the CDC over the weekend, Wayne County had 21 new COVID cases and no hospitalizations or deaths in the last week, and its seven-day positivity rate was 4.4 percent. Edwards County had no new cases. 6,346 people in Wayne County were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or 39.1 percent of its population, including 48.3 percent of people over 18 and 68.5 percent of people over 65. 44.5 percent of fully vaccinated people had been boosted. 39.9 percent of Edwards County residents were fully vaccinated, including 49.6 percent of those over 18 and 75.4 percent of those over 65. 44 percent of vaccinated people had been boosted.

The Illinois House passed a bill last week designed to increase the number of substitute teachers in the state. It would make college education majors with at least 90 credit hours eligible for a substitute teaching license, and lawmakers say more districts than ever are struggling to field enough substitutes. The measure received unanimous support in the House and now heads to the Senate.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin will chair a committee to question President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nomination of Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson. Testimony on the nomination is set to begin March 21st. President Biden nominated Jackson to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer, who has announced his retirement.

River stages as of this morning:  the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 22.09 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 10.86 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 17.21 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 14.32 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 30.02 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 20.33 feet.

Today’s crude oil price is $108.75, up $8.00 from Friday. The April crude oil price is $123.67, up $14.87 from Friday morning.