The 14th annual Wayne County Antique Tractor Drive will be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 5. All tractors that are model year 1992 or earlier (30 years of age or older) are welcome to participate. The route will begin and end at Vaughan Equipment Incorporated, located at 908 South First Street (Route 45) in Fairfield. Planned tours during the drive include Junkyard Art by Tam-I-Am and Scarbrough Trucking. Check-in will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a planned departure time of 9:00 a.m. Pictures will be taken at the time of check-in (before departure). The driver meeting will begin promptly at 8:45 a.m. Recognition will be given for the most original unrestored tractor, oldest tractor, youngest driver, and the driver who traveled the furthest to be at the event. The oldest driver will be recognized with the Earl Smith Memorial Award. Registration is $20 per tractor if registered by August 15. After August 15, registration is $30. Lunch is included with the registration fee. Drivers must be at least 16 years of age and have a valid driver’s license in order to drive in this event. It is recommended that tractors be able to keep a 10-mph pace during the drive. Other requirements including an SMV sign, and tow chain are listed on the registration form. All the details can be found at www.waynecfb.com/tractordrive.
The Elm River Chowder will be held today at the chowder grounds, the cost is by donation. Chowder will be for sale by the bowl with seating available and chowder will also be dipped by the bulk at around 12:30. The public is asked not to bring glass or plastic containers. There will also be pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, pork burgers, hot dogs, pie by the slice or whole, and cold drinks. There will also be live music a 50/50 drawing and door prizes. The Elm River chowder grounds are six miles south of Clay City off of Route 50, or four miles east of the Rinard Crossroads off of Route 45. Signs will be posted.
Fall Fun Fest is set to begin on Wednesday, September 14th and run through Saturday, September 18th. Fall Fun Fest Buttons are now on sale for only $2 each and can be purchased at any of the following locations: Black’s Flowers & Gifts, Fairfield National Bank, John’s Butcher Block, Uniquely Rustique, Carnaby Square, FNB Financial, Peoples National Bank, The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield Banking Co., Joe’s Body Shop, the Fairfield Save-A-Lot, and the Wayne County Press. And Fall Fun Fest advance ride tickets are now on sale. Advance ride tickets can be purchased at the Wayne County Chamber office and FNB Financial (formerly McDowell, Kenshalo and Jesop). The advance tickets will once again be in sheets of 10 for $17. Tickets purchased from the carnival during the fest will be $3 each. Tickets can be purchased now through Thursday, September 15th, at noon. The carnival will start at 5pm on Thursday, September 15th.
The annual Du Quoin State Fair is continuing. Today is SIU, College Day, and Coal Heritage Day with horse pulling, livestock shows, the Whippoorwill Rodeo at 4:00, Demo Derby at 6:00, and USAC Silver Crown car racing at 8:15. Sunday is Fire Responder Day with free admission for all police officers, firefighters, and EMT’s who show their badge, plus a car show, the Illinois Products Expo, pedal pull competition, more rodeo action, a talent contest, and ARCA Racing at 8:05 that night. The final day of the fair will be Monday. For grandstand ticket sales, go online to ticketmaster.com. Stay up to date on the Du Quoin State Fair Facebook page.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that all offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day. As a reminder, Secretary White has extended all driver’s license, ID card and learner’s permit expiration dates to December 1. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses and CDL-learner’s permits. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. Individuals can visit the Secretary of State’s website at ilsos.gov for online services including checking eligibility to renew their driver’s license online, applying for a duplicate driver’s license, renewing license plate stickers, or locating the nearest Driver Services facility.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking qualified individuals to apply for seasonal positions to help with snow-and-ice removal across the state. Through the department’s annual “snowbird” program, IDOT is hiring Snow Removal Operators and Winter Salaried Highway Maintainers to help maintain more than 45,000 lane miles statewide during the winter season. Snowbirds are required to promptly respond to emerging weather situations for snow-and-ice removal and be ready to work in emergency conditions at any time, including nights, weekends and holidays. Applications must be submitted online by September 12th. For additional information, including positions available and the application process in specific districts, details on pay and potential for benefits, go to illinois.jobs2web.com, paper applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be selected based on availability, job-related experience and qualifications. Applicants must have a commercial driver’s license and submit to a criminal background check. A pre-employment physical and vision test as well as drug and alcohol screening are required. A new law provides for a veterans’ preference for these seasonal positions and IDOT encourages veterans to apply.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced grant opportunities are available for $100 million in funding made available through the state’s Reimagine Public Safety Act. The RPSA, an effort to drive violence-prevention funds to the state’s most dangerous areas, was approved in 2021 and received $250 million in the state’s current-year budget from federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. The funding announced this week will support nonprofit community-based organizations and local governments in 16 municipal areas outside of Chicago, according to the governor’s office. The state also made $113 million available in May, for which the application window is still open.
State Representative Adam Niemerg sent a letter asking Governor JB Pritzker to assist with the effort to increase the estate tax exemption enabling farmers to pass their family farms to their heirs. Niemerg has introduced legislation to double the exemption from $4 million to $8 million, but the bill has never been assigned to a legislative committee for a hearing. Niemerg noted Governor Pritzker has already expressed support for raising the exemption. At a recent forum sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Governor stated, “I think it’s totally reasonable for us to have a conversation, especially in light of inflation, about lifting the cap on that so that the exemption is higher than where it is today. It is important that we maintain family farms in our state. This is part of the legacy and history and important future of our state.” Niemerg said “The Governor seems to support increasing the expansion and legislation already has been introduced to accomplish this goal.”
Heading into the final big weekend of summer, the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police remind everyone that alcohol and drug-impaired driving is not a game. To prevent this crime and any deadly repercussions, more than 200 law enforcement agencies across the state are stepping up to arrest impaired drivers as part of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” national Labor Day campaign. During the campaign, which runs through Labor Day, the Illinois State Police is joining local police and sheriff departments to conduct high-visibility enforcement during peak periods for impaired driving, while reminding motorists that Driving Under the Influence is a serious crime with real-life, sobering consequences. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” programs in Illinois are funded with federal highway safety dollars administered by IDOT.
Some lawns rival those of the largest ball parks, while others barely get mowed. University of Illinois Extension Horticulturist Chris Enroth says if yard maintenance isn’t your thing, there are a few basics to follow so you don’t get kicked out of your neighborhood. Enroth says mowing too short really stresses the grass. That may make it grow faster and cause more weeds to pop up. Mow High, Mow Often, and make sure mower blades are sharp. He notes you shouldn’t remove more than one third of the grass blade. Enroth also notes, if you only fertilize once a year, apply it late summer to early fall.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 7.70 feet, below the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.31 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 5.64 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 4.18 feet. The Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 9.64 feet, and the Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 3.67 feet.