Wayne City Schools will conduct Child Find/Preschool Screenings tomorrow and Friday for children up to five years old who are not yet enrolled in public school. The screenings will be held at Wayne City Baptist Church from 8:30 to 2:30, and appointments must be made by calling Tesia Maxey at 895-0357. Wayne City will also conduct Kindergarten Screening and Registration in conjunction with the Pre-K event. Again, people can schedule an appointment by calling Maxey at 895-0357.
22-year-old McLeansboro resident Jesse J. Rose was booked in the Wayne County Jail yesterday. He was wanted on a Wayne County failure to appear warrant for driving with a suspended license, and Rose was held, pending the posting of $595 bond.
Illinois State Police District 19 Commander Captain Nathan Douglas has announced the activity and enforcement figures for the month of March. Troopers in District 19 recorded 1,221 incidents during the month. Enforcement activity consisted of 437 citations and 1,144 written warnings, including 206 speeding citations, 39 occupant restraint citations, seven distracted driving citations, 12 criminal arrests, and 367 written warnings for speeding.
The Norris City Village Board met Monday and approved about $29,000 in TIF requests. Nearly $6,000 will go to Lisa’s Attic for roof repair, and more than $23,000 will repair the roof and back wall of a building owned by Big Inch Investments. With limited TIF money left over, the village put two other requests for funding on hold until the fund can be replenished.
Democratic state lawmakers have offered several ideas they say take a smarter approach to supporting law enforcement in Illinois. A recently introduced package aims to recruit and retain police and ensure they are fairly compensated. The package would also offer substance abuse and mental health services and grants for departments to pay to store data from body cameras.
The Wayne City Village Board met Monday night in front of a sizeable crowd. It said it will be better about enforcing ordinances, with the mayor saying letters will be sent posthaste for violations. It reminded the crowd many ordinances are listed on the city website, and it is a resident’s responsibility to know the rules or to ask about them. The Ambulance Committee and firefighters thanked everyone who made their fundraising lunch a success, but they are still short on EMTs. Anyone interested in joining should contact Village Hall for more information. The village is looking to hire a high-school worker this summer, as well, to help with various tasks, and another to help in the park.
The City of Fairfield and Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will hold an Easter Egg Hunt at Leo French Park at noon on April 16th. Children will be divided into three age groups: Pre-K through Kindergarten, 1st through 2nd, and 3rd through 5th grades. Special eggs will be hidden for each age group for prizes such as a new bicycle and money. Eggs will be collected at the amphitheater following the hunt, and special prizes can also be claimed there. Children under three can hunt for eggs and claim a prize bag, while supplies last, after the hunt.
The Fairfield City Council will meet in special session tomorrow at 6 at City Hall. Aldermen are scheduled to immediately enter executive session to discuss personnel upon opening the meeting. No action is scheduled to be taken at the conclusion of the session.
The Illinois Department of Revenue reminds people the Income Tax Filing Deadline is quickly approaching. People have until Monday, April 18th, to get their returns in, and taxpayers are strongly encouraged to file electronically for free. More information can be found at mytax.illinois.gov.
The IDPH reported two new cases of COVID-19 in Wayne and Marion counties yesterday. Lawrence County added one case, and Jefferson and Wabash counties had their totals decline on the state website. Clay, Richland, Edwards, Hamilton, and White counties held steady. As a state, Illinois announced 1,798 new cases and 34 additional deaths. Statewide totals sat at 3,074,434 cases and 33,434 deaths. The Southern Region had a seven-day positivity rate of one percent on the 2nd, unchanged from the 1st.
This is the final week of the Spring Legislative Session, and some big issues are still on the table. The top priority is a state budget for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1st, and some lawmakers also say they want to address the rise in violent crime. The spring session typically adjourns May 31st, but it was moved up this year to April 8th.
Farmers haven’t been able to get into the fields much in recent weeks, according to the latest statewide weekly crop report. Less than one day was suitable for fieldwork on average, and average statewide topsoil moisture was reported as five percent short, 53 percent adequate, and 42 percent surplus. 48 percent of the winter wheat crop was rated in good-to-excellent condition.
Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced a $309 million assistance program for homeowners impacted by COVID-19. Eligible households can receive up to $30,000 in aid for a variety of expenses, like mortgage payments, property taxes, and homeowner fees. Applications will be accepted starting Monday. More information can be found at illinoishousinghelp.org.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 24.18 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 6.84 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 19.96 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 7.20 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 24.64 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 16.56 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $95.00, down $1.25 from yesterday. The May crude oil price is $103.08, down $1.43 from yesterday morning.