Edwards County Coroner Mark Curtis has released the name of the woman killed in an accident yesterday afternoon between West Salem and the Little Wabash River Bridge. Bridgeport resident Peggy Urban reportedly lost control of her SUV, overcorrected, and went down a deep embankment and into backwater. She was extricated from the submerged vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The West Salem Fire Department and Edwards County EMS worked the accident, and officials thanked Walter Troyer, a neighbor nearby, for the use of his boat in the rescue attempt. An autopsy is to be conducted today, according to Curtis.
Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 8 continues its death investigation of a Fairfield man found Saturday near the 600 block of Southeast Fourth Street. 27-year-old Trask C. Smith was found at approximately 8 a.m. The official cause and manner of death will be released by the coroner’s office following an autopsy and toxicology report.
44-year-old Cisne resident Dennis L. Galbraith was sentenced to prison Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court. Judge Michael Molt sentenced him to two years in the IDOC for the offense of driving with a revoked license. Two separate cases were dismissed per the plea, and he was credited with nine days served. He was also ordered to pay $1,065 in fines and court costs.
Fairfield police arrested 37-year-old Fairfield resident Christopher B. Wood last night. Staff at Fairfield Memorial Hospital told officers a man in black had entered the construction area without authority, and police were able to identify him via video surveillance. Wood was found at his residence on West Main Street, taken into custody on a charge of criminal trespass to property, taken to the Wayne County Jail, and held, pending the posting of bond.
Wayne County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information for several tips. On March 10th, a residence owned by Gayle Gwaltney was entered, and a motorized lift chair was taken. Additionally, the lock of the Elm River Township Building diesel tank was cut off, and about 20 to 30 gallons were missing. Anyone with information on the incidents should call or text Crime Stoppers at 842-9777.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital has announced the addition of Nurse Practitioner Christina Frymire to its Medical Staff. From Norris City, Frymire received her Master of Science in Nursing from Graceland University in Kansas City, Missouri, and will see patients of all ages in the FMH Urgent Care Clinic.
Christina Frymire
The Greater Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting scholarship applications from Wayne County students with a Chamber connection. A $500 scholarship will be awarded, and applications can be picked up at the Chamber office, any Wayne County high school, and Frontier Community College. Applications must be postmarked or returned to the Chamber office at 121 East Main Street no later than 3 p.m. on March 25th.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s Office is giving the public more time to renew their driver’s licenses and ID cards. The expiration date extension was set to end March 31st, but Illinoisans now have until July 31st. The extension does not apply to CDL’s. People can renew their license plate sticker, get a duplicate license or ID, and, in some cases, renew a license at ilsos.gov.
Retired Civil Engineer Jerry Quindry is working with the City of Fairfield on ways to combat flooding. While much of the focus is on restoring the reservoir at Lakeside Park, he says there is no single solution to the problem. He also says some potential mitigation efforts may not be popular with residents, and essential solutions will be expensive with uncertain funding. Quindry said some smaller solutions could include on-site water capture like rain barrels by downspouts or dry wells in yards. Where possible, concrete and asphalt surfaces could be built to allow water to enter the groundwater table instead of flooding the streets with surface runoff. Debris and obstructions also need to be removed, and maintenance of streets could potentially be altered from a regular schedule to one in-line with anticipated storms. Flood-Control
According to the Wayne County Circuit Clerk’s Office, tomorrow’s court hearing for Ray Tate has been vacated. A motion to disseminate discovery materials has been entered in the case, with conditions, and with the discovery matter resolved, tomorrow’s hearing has become superfluous. Tate is now set to appear for a pre-trial conference on April 26th at 1 p.m. at the Wayne County Courthouse, though it may occur via Zoom. Tate is being held in the Jefferson County Jail. He pleaded not guilty in February to 38 counts, including 36 counts of first-degree murder, related to the death of Wayne County Deputy Sean Riley.
According to the CDC over the weekend, Wayne County had 11 new COVID cases and one hospitalization in the last week, and its seven-day positivity rate was 4.17 percent. Edwards County had fewer than 10 new cases, no hospitalizations, and a positivity rate of 8.9 percent. 6,353 people in Wayne County were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or 39.2 percent of its population, including 48.3 percent of people over 18 and 68.5 percent of people over 65. 44.9 percent of fully vaccinated people had been boosted. 40 percent of Edwards County residents were fully vaccinated, including 49.7 percent of those over 18 and 75.6 percent of those over 65. 44.3 percent of vaccinated people had been boosted.
Meteorological spring is here, and weather experts remind people they should have several ways to be notified of severe weather, including weather radios, smartphone apps, radio and TV reports, and tornado sirens. They say weather radios, in particular, can be very useful in giving advanced warnings for designated areas.
Social Security is sending out another reminder about scams and frauds targeting Americans. The agency’s Jack Myers says the most effective way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify them. He says Social Security will never threaten benefit suspension, arrest, or legal action unless one pays a fine or fee.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is accepting applications for more than 50 college scholarships for the upcoming school year. Recipients receive up to five years of tuition and fee waivers at participating state colleges, as well as money for other expenses. Applications can be found on the DCFS website and are due by March 31st.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 24.49 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.86 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 15.59 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 4.21 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 26.76 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 23.17 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $102.25, up $3.25 from Friday. The April crude oil price is $105.62, down $2.67 from Friday morning.