Several counties in southern Illinois are at what the Illinois Department of Public Health is considering a “medium” or “high community level” for COVID-19 as a result of an uptick in the recent number of cases reported. Online reports indicated Wayne County has had 61 new cases within the past week and two hospitalizations. Marion County has moved into the “high community level” with 109 new or probable cases in the past week and seven new hospitalizations. The IDPH is monitoring a slow but steady increase in COVID cases across the state, and reported 50 counties at a “high community level” for COVID-19 and 44 at a “medium community level”. As of Saturday morning, a total of 3,496,014 cases were reported across the state and 34,257 deaths.
Registration for the upcoming school year at Jasper Grade School will be held Monday from noon til 6 p.m. Parents should bring proof of residency in the Jasper district to register, including a utility bill, drivers license or bank statement. Students who will be five years old on or before September 1st are eligible to attend school this year. Parents of kindergarten and new students should bring a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate and immunization records. Fees of $40 for the school year are payable at registration. The first day of school is set for August 13th.
Fairfield Grade School District #112 will conduct its registration for all students on Tuesday in the new cafeteria at North Side Grade School. Parents are asked to enter through the North door on the new addition. Hours of registration will be 10 a.m. til 6 p.m. Appointments are not necessary but parents need to be present with their student. Registration fees must be paid at the time of registration. The first day of school will be on August 12th.
Illinois Department of Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys says the Vandalia Correctional Center is not closing, nor was it being considered for closure. Jeffreys released a statement this past Wednesday to “dispel some false information that is being spread throughout the state and specifically at Vandalia Correctional Center”. A proposed consolidation plan at the center would allow the department to efficiently operate the facility and better serve the population by moving the staff and inmate population to the newer units on the grounds of Vandalia. The plan would not have resulted in layoffs or geographical transfers, according to Jeffreys. The current population at the Center is listed at 458 inmates.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting offers for over 3.1 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Conservation Reserve Program Grassland Signup, the highest in history. The signup’s results include 550 acres in Illinois. The program allows producers and landowners to continue grazing and haying practices while protecting grasslands and promoting plant and animal biodiversity and conservation, part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader effort to address climate change and to conserve natural resources. Producers can still make an offer to participate in CRP through the Continuous CRP Signup, which is ongoing, by contacting the FSA at their local USDA Service Center.
Area river stages as of this morning: Little Wabash River east of Fairfield is at 14.08 feet. Flood stage is 17 feet. At Clay City the stage is 7.15 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet. At Carmi the stage is 11.85 feet. Flood stage is 27 feet. The Skillet Fork at Wayne City is at 5.01 feet. Flood stage is 15 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel is at 4.4 feet. Flood stage is 19 feet. Good chances for rain are in the forecast through early Monday.