The Cisne Village Board met Monday and approved its annual Motor Fuel Tax. It also approved the installation of gas to a private property, with the owner paying $8,000 of the cost, reducing the cost to the village to $24,474. The board approved another dumpster for a property purchased for demolition to improve the community, as well.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department has released more details on the arrest of 24-year-old Rodney A. Esmon earlier this month. Upon being taken to the Wayne County Jail, Esmon attempted to hold open a door so it couldn’t be closed and ran from correctional staff inside the secured jail, barricading himself behind the booking desk. Corporal Justin Curry deployed a Taser, and Esmon was restrained by Sheriff Otey and a correctional officer. Esmon currently faces charges of aggravated domestic battery, aggravated unlawful restraint, armed violence, theft, possession of methamphetamine, and obstructing or resisting a peace officer.
The Grayville City Council met Monday night. Members granted a TIF request for a body art, gift shop, and tattoo parlor, as well as a Revolving Loan request. A party does have interest in the former IGA building, as well, but Mayor Travis Thompson says they wished to remain anonymous at this time. He says they are trying to gauge potential city assistance before moving forward.
The Edwards County 4-H Food and Clothing Show was held Monday. Claire Doelling was awarded Best of Show in Clothing. In the food show, Best of Show designations went to Landon Loyd for Cooking 101, Madison Miller for Cooking 201, Hayley Perry for Cooking 301 and Food Science II, Addison Anderson for Cooking 401, Alyson Williams for Food Preservation, and Lillian Bare for Sports Nutrition.
The Fairfield City Council met last night. It voted to approve the use of credit or debit cards to pay various departments, not just utility payments. Acting Mayor Gary Moore detailed various fees associated with card usage, but the City is currently paying a one percent fee; he said he doesn’t like the idea of paying a fee to use his own money and was not keen on adding a fee structure to the City. Alderman Tyler Lampley agreed and said Save-A-Lot chalks up the fee as a cost of doing business. The Council indicated the City should absorb the cost at no additional charge to the customer and unanimously approved that motion. Acting Mayor Moore also said a town hall meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on June 30th at City Hall. He says he wants to give residents an opportunity to voice concerns, see what can be done better and what has been done well. The town hall will be open to any city resident, and there will be no time limit as long as the conversation is constructive.
Acting Mayor Moore provided a financial report to attendees as well for the month of May. Fairfield revenues topped $1.66 million and expenses about $1.36 million, for a total revenue of about $301,000. He said the General Fund balance was about $2.45 million, and the City had payroll expenses of about $336,000. He says he will continue to give financial reports at each meeting going forward.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital says Urgent Care will begin seeing patients at its new location on the first floor of the new Surgical Pavilion starting today. Patients needing to be seen in Urgent Care can enter through the main doors of the Surgical Pavilion, and Urgent Care will be straight ahead. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 7 to 5 on weekends. The Emergency Department began seeing patients on the first floor of the new building Monday night. Patients seeking care after 10 p.m. will need to ring the buzzer at the entryway to be admitted by security. Before 10, anyone needing emergency treatment should follow signs to the new department. Tomorrow, the FMH Orthopedic Clinic and Urology Clinic will see patients on the second floor of the Surgical Pavilion. The Pain Clinic will move to Suite C in the Medical Arts Complex tomorrow, as well.
University of Illinois Extension Offices in Wayne and Edwards counties are offering free testing of dial gauge pressure canners this summer. Anyone interested in a free test can drop off lids at the Wayne or Edwards county offices, and, once lids are checked, people will be contacted for pickup. Offices are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays but are closed from noon to 1 for lunch. The Wayne County Office is at 2B Frontier Drive in Fairfield and can be reached at 842-3702, and the Edwards County Office is at 350 North Seventh in Albion and can be reached at 445-2934.
The IDPH reported nine new cases of COVID-19 in Wayne and Wabash counties yesterday. Marion County added 12 cases, Clay County added eight, Richland County added six, Lawrence and Jefferson counties added three, Hamilton County added two, and Edwards County added one. White County held steady on the state website. As a state, Illinois announced 3,879 new cases and 21 additional deaths.
Wheat harvest is underway in Illinois; three percent of the crop had been harvested, and 70 percent was rated in good-to-excellent condition, per the latest statewide weekly crop report. Corn planting had finished, and 96 percent of the crop had emerged. 94 percent of soybeans had been planted, and 88 percent had emerged. Average statewide topsoil moisture was at one percent very short, 11 percent short, 85 percent adequate and three percent surplus.
Heat advisories or excessive heat warnings are in effect for most of Illinois through tomorrow, and Ed Shimon with the National Weather Service in Lincoln has a reminder about heat-related illnesses. He says people aren’t acclimated to high temperatures after a relatively moderate start to June, so they should be certain to properly hydrate before performing physical activities.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 5.96 feet, below the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.07 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 5.15 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 1.86 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 3.97 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 7.72 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $112.00, down $2.00 from yesterday. The July crude oil price is $119.07, down $2.81 from yesterday morning.