The Illinois Eastern Community College Board of Trustees will meet tonight at 6:15 at Bob Boyles Hall at Frontier Community College. FCC student Raechel Hnetkovsky is set to be seated as the new Student Trustee before the board moves to reports and new business. Trustees are anticipated to approve fees for Truck Driving students and for student professional liability, and they will also discuss a bid committee report for resurfacing the Wabash Valley College Gymnasium. The meeting will also be held by Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/98425725617 Meeting ID: 984 2572 5617 Dial in number: 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
32-year-old Mt. Vernon resident Jeremy M. Pitchford was sentenced in Wayne County Circuit Court last week. He pleaded guilty to a Class 2 felony count of aggravated DUI and was sentenced to three years probation, plus time served. One count and several cases against him were dismissed per his plea. Pitchford was also ordered to pay $4,259 in fines and court costs. 38-year-old Geff resident Brandon L. Thomas pleaded guilty to a Class 3 felony count of possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to two years probation and time served, and he was ordered to pay $1,931 in fines and court costs.
35-year-old Fairfield resident Shannon L. Cone was booked in the Wayne County Jail yesterday. He was arrested on a charge of criminal trespass to a residence. Cone was held in the jail, pending the posting of $90 bond.
Wayne County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons who recently stole an H&H Black 10-foot trailer from the Harley Frey property in Barnhill Township. Anyone with information should call or text Crime Stoppers at 842-9777.
Richland County Deputy Kevin McCormick was awarded the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Life-Saving Award last week for on-duty actions involving the rescue of an elderly man who had fallen overboard while boating near Olney. Deputy McCormick was the first responder to arrive on-scene and found another boat was attempting to help. McCormick removed his gear and swam to assist the man, helping him safely to the shoreline.
Jerame Simmons, a man who pleaded guilty to arson in 1999, received a pardon clearing his record and allowing him to head a fire department in East Carondelet, near St. Louis. A plea deal allowed him to avoid prison years ago, but prohibitions coming with the conviction stood in the way of a public safety career and gun ownership. Now, following the pardon in May, he is also a part-time police officer and is allowed to carry a gun and use lethal force if warranted; though the governor’s pardon did not restore his gun privileges, a federal law exempts police officers from needing a FOID card or concealed carry license. Herb Simmons also formerly served as police chief and is the head of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency.
The state is launching a new tourism campaign called the “Middle of Everything.” The effort stars actress Jane Lynch and highlights what Illinois is all about, says Governor J.B. Pritzker. The ads will run in 20 markets in Illinois, seven neighboring states, and cable stations nationwide. More about the campaign can be found at enjoyillinois.com.
The inaugural Renew Fairfield event is scheduled to be held this Saturday. The day will include electronics recycling at the Fairgrounds from 8 to noon and paper shredding at FNB from 9 to noon, and the Street & Bridge Department will accept items from 8 to noon in a consolidated clean-up effort. The day was initially intended to include the painting of a few homes, but that has been pushed back to later in 2022, per Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Libby Lingafelter.
The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at noon for Dr. Shawn Bladel and Recreated Health. The event will be held at 215 Southeast Third Street, Suite 200, in Fairfield, at the old People’s National Bank Building. The public is welcome to attend and welcome Dr. Bladel and his family to the community. In other Chamber business, The annual Chamber Golf Scramble is scheduled for May 27th. Lunch by The Green Pig will begin at noon, and tee time will be 1:00. 14 teams will be able to participate, and slots will fill quickly. The cost for a four-person team is $200. People can secure a team by calling the Chamber at 842-6116 or by emailing chamber@fairfieldilcitygov.us.
55-year-old Bluford resident Roger Smith was injured in a single-vehicle accident near Goreville Monday morning. According to Illinois State Police, at approximately 10:45, Smith was southbound on Illinois Route 37 in a semi when he left the road and struck a ditch embankment. He was flown to a regional hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was cited for improper lane usage.
A state appellate court last week said it would not block enforcement of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s mandate for certain categories of public employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing. The 2-1 ruling by the 4th District Court of Appeals upheld a Sangamon County decision not to issue a temporary restraining order on the policy.
The IDPH reported one new case of COVID-19 in Wayne and Wabash counties since Friday afternoon. Marion and Jefferson counties added two cases, and Clay, Richland, Lawrence, Edwards, Hamilton, and White counties held steady on the state website. As a state, Illinois announced 5,755 new cases and seven additional deaths.
Homeowners affected by COVID-19 can now apply for housing assistance. Qualifying homeowners can get up to $30,000 in grant money to pay for a number of expenses as part of a $309 million program, per the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Applications will be accepted through May 31st, and people can begin the process at illinoishousinghelp.org.
Central Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis has sponsored a bill prohibiting local governments from banning or regulating the use of pesticides at levels more stringent than state and federal regulations. He says some local officials try to mandate usage already regulated by experts at the federal level, but he says a bipartisan process is already in place that should be used. The bill is supported by the Illinois Pest Control Association and Illinois Farm Bureau.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 22.13 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 6.09 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 9.17 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 4.44 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 24.81 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 16.89 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $101.25, up $1.25 from yesterday. The May crude oil price is $107.32, up $0.85 from yesterday morning.