The Fairfield Public School District #112 will hold their Regular Board Meeting tonight at 6:00 pm in the District Board Room at Center Street School. Items listed in the Superintendent’s Report include the Transportation Report, Second Reading of the FY Student Handbook changes, the Tentative FY23 Budget, and the Return to Learn Plan with action expected. The board will hear the Principals’ Reports from Center Street and North Side Schools before going into closed session to discuss information regarding appointment, employment, retirement, or dismissal of an employee. In action items the board is expected to act on employment of paraprofessionals and a long-term substitute, along with the resignation of a paraprofessional, assistant girls basketball coach and interim bookkeeper.
The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board will meet on Tuesday, August 16th at 6:15 p.m. at Frontier Community College’s Bob Boyles Hall. Items on the agenda include program review for FY22, Affiliation Agreements with Lakeland Rehabilitation & Health Care Center and Lawrence Crawford Association for Exceptional Citizens, and a policy first reading with possible approval of policy 400.30 regarding Prohibited Consensual Relationships.
The Tax Increment Financing Committee of the City Council of the City of Fairfield will conduct a Committee Meeting on Wednesday, August 17 at 5:15pm at City Hall.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital will be hosting a blood drive for the public on Wednesday, August 17th. Give blood to save lives! The blood drive will take place from 10:30am-3:30pm at Fairfield Memorial Hospital’s Educational Annex Building 203 NW 10th Street. Be sure to register online at: redcrossblood.org with sponsor code: Fairfield Memorial or contact Shauna Williams at 847-8242.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital’s Senior Life Solutions will hold the next Coffee Club from 9:30am – 10:30am on Thursday, August 18th. The Coffee Club will meet in the Fairfield Memorial Hospital Cafe and is open to anyone interested in attending. This is a great opportunity to get together with other people in the community in a social atmosphere. You do not have to be a participant in the Senior Life Solutions program to attend. Free blood pressure checks and refreshments will also be offered at the Coffee Club. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information about this Club or to learn more about Senior Life Solutions, call 847-8298.
The Wayne County Historical Society will meet at the Fairfield Park shelter closest to the Olive Branch Schoolhouse for the annual back to school picnic meeting on Thursday evening, 6pm, August 18th. The meat, bread, drinks, table service will be provided. You may bring a covered dish, dessert, or finger-foods, if you wish, but it is not required. Everyone is welcome, the schoolhouse will be open.
The Wayne County Farm Bureau is pleased to honor Jeremy & Yvette Anderson as their 2022 Farm Family of the Year. The organization made the announcement at the member Appreciation Dinner last on August 11. The Anderson family is not only involved in production agriculture, but they are also leaders in the agricultural community, in the Wayne City community, and in their home church. They are active volunteers in 4-H and FFA programming in the county, and are actively involved in Wayne City Bean Days, Fairfield Festival of Lights, Fairfield Lions Club, and the Fairfield Rotary. They are members of the Southern Illinois Beef Association and are also founding members of the Wayne County Livestock Association. According to the nominating application, The Andersons possess “strong moral character and Christian principles that guide their everyday life.” For being selected as our 2022 Farm Family of the Year, the Andersons received a framed aerial picture of their farm and a $100 gift card to a local restaurant. Last spring, the Wayne County Farm Bureau asked members to nominate families they felt made a significant impact on agriculture and the community. The Andersons were selected from several nominated families by a group of county Farm Bureau leaders outside of Wayne County.
Jeremy & Yvette Anderson of Wayne City were recognized as the 2022 Wayne County Farm Family of the Year during the Member Appreciation Dinner last month. President David White presented the Andersons with a framed aerial photo of their farm and a $100 gift certificate to a local restaurant. Photo by Katie Peters.
On 08/12/22, at 2:00 AM, Fairfield Police arrested Eddie D Brooks III, 26 of Fairfield, at 709 Westwood Drive, Fairfield. Brooks was arrested following an investigation of possible drug use at that location. Brooks was located in the bathroom and placed under arrest on a Wayne County Warrant for revocation of his probation on a charge of Possession of Methamphetamine. He was transported to the Wayne County Jail and lodged on $150 cash bond. Additional charges and additional arrests are pending.
On 08/12/22, at 3:30 PM, Fairfield Police were notified of a possible stolen vehicle located in the 300 block of North First Street. The vehicle, a 2002 GMC Yukon had been reported stolen from Donnelson, IL. With assistance from the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Mark A. Myers, 34 of O’Fallon, Missouri was located hiding in an apartment at the High Rise. Myers was taken into custody on 2 Missouri warrants, Jefferson City Parole warrant (no bond) and a St. Charles County Failure to Register as a sex offender ($500 Cash Bond). A local charge of theft of motor vehicle. Myers was transported to the Wayne County Jail. The report has been submitted to the State’s Attorney with anticipation of additional charges being filed
Illinois State Police (ISP) District 19 Interim Commander, Lieutenant Kerry Sutton, has announced ISP will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) in Wabash, Edwards, and White Counties during late August and early September, as part of the Labor Day Holiday Enforcement period. OREPs allow the ISP to focus on safety belt and child safety seat laws. Illinois law requires all vehicle passengers (front and back) to be buckled up. Safety belts are still one of the most effective safety devices in vehicles, estimated to save nearly 14,000 lives each year. Half of vehicle occupants killed in a traffic crash were not properly buckled up. The objective of this program is to increase occupant restraint compliance through education, child seat inspections, and enforcement. Lieutenant Sutton has also announced ISP will conduct Distracted Driving Enforcement Program (DDEP) patrols in Wayne and Saline Counties during late August and early September, as part of the Labor Day Holiday Enforcement period. This program allows ISP to focus on distracted driving laws to prevent traffic deaths and serious injury crashes. Distractions can increase a driver’s risk of being in an accident. Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who disobey Illinois’ distracted driving laws. This distracted driving enforcement campaign is made possible by traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Additionally, ISP will conduct a Nighttime Enforcement (NITE) patrol in Wayne County during September, as part of the Labor Day Holiday Enforcement period. NITE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to impaired driving and occupant restraint violations especially between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The number of unrestrained drivers killed in traffic crashes is significantly higher at nighttime and combined with impaired driving means even more traffic deaths during these critical hours. Officers will strictly enforce violations including: Driving Under the Influence (DUI); Safety Belt and Child Restraint use; Speeding; Distracted Driving; and, All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations. Alcohol and drug impairment are factors in more than 30% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Over half of all fatal crashes in Illinois occur at night. The NITE program allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous impaired drivers from the road and making sure everyone is buckled up. This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 26.70 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.15 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 18.51 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 1.74 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 30.10 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 4.71 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $85.09 down $2.25 from Friday. The September crude oil price is $91.73 down $0.36 from Friday.