Headlines for Wednesday, October 12th

The Fairfield City Council met in regular session last night with all members in attendance. The sale of the former Auxiliary Police Building was completed with 2 bidders submitting bids for the property. The successful bidder was Ian Bare, who informed the council that he intended to open a flooring store in the building and would add 3-4 jobs in the process. His successful bid was $67,000. The other bidder was Martin & Bailey, who operate the Hucks Convenience Store next to the Auxiliary Police Building. Their plans included moving their game room to the rear and expanding the kitchen offerings. They too stated they would add 3-4 jobs when completed. Their bid was $66,750. The vote was unanimous to accept the bid from Bare with Alderman McGill abstaining. Properties at 1010 West Court and 110 NW 10th St. were rezoned from R-2 to B-3. It was revealed that there will be new construction in that location, but no details have been released regarding the nature of the construction. These properties are directly behind the former Hase Interior building. Both, the bid opening and the rezoning requests were the subject of a public Hearing just prior to the council meeting. A TIF Agreement in the amount of $15,000 was approved for B Wa  y Design & Decorating. A new roof, along with other exterior improvements are being planned. The council approved the purchase of a new backhoe for the Street & Bridge Dept. The cost of the unit is $123,000, but with a trade in, the final cost to the city is $95,000. Aldermen Stahl and Eckleberry voted No on the purchase. The council unanimously approved a street closing request for the Christmas Parade on Dec. 3 and voted to provide $1,500 from the Recreation Fund for parade prize money. Discussion was held regarding the possibility of extending a water line on the Burnt Prairie Blacktop area to provide water for 2 new homes to be constructed in the area. It was revealed that the material cost alone for the project would be $38,000, with the possibility of only 4 customers hooking onto the extension. The matter will undergo further study and be brought back to the council at a later date. The council voted to pay their risk Management Insurance in 2 installments and also voted to approve a policy concerning back billing or credit for metering errors, including electric, water, and gas.

 

West Salem Fire Chief Harvey Fenton after 32-years of service as West Salem Fire Chief was fired late Tuesday night by West Salem Mayor Dan Baker. The Village has not made any formal announcement about the dismissal of Chief Fenton which is without leadership until a new chief is appointed and agreed to by the fireman’s association. A special meeting has been called for next Monday night at Village Hall. The Fire Department has recently been accused of OSHA violations of which have been resolved and no fines were ever imposed by the state OSHA office according to OSHA officials attending the meeting.

 

On 10/6 52-year-old Tina M Chrtt entered a Plea of Guilty in Wayne County Court to a Class 2 Felony of Aggravated DUI. Chrtt was sentenced to 2 years of probation, and ordered to obtain her GED. She was credited with 2 days served, and all required counseling by an approved agency. She was ordered to pay fines and costs in the amount of $5,534. Counts 2-7 (all traffic tickets) were dismissed as part of the plea. A review hearing has been set for September 5, 2024 at 9 am.

 

On 10/6 40-year-old Ricky L Robertson entered a Plea of Guilty in Wayne County Court to a Class A Misdemeanor for a charge of Criminal Damage to Property. Robertson was given 1 year of probation, and ordered to obtain his GED. He was credited with 13 days served, and counts 1 & 2 were dismissed. He was ordered to pay $2,705 in fines and court costs.

 

On 10/11 56-year-old Timothy D Herring entered a Guilty Plea in Wayne County Court on a Class 3 Felony charge of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. Herring was given 18 months of probation. He is an Indiana resident, and therefore is not being restricted to Illinois. Herring was given credit for 8 days served, ordered to obtain his GED, and ordered to pay $4,303 in fines and costs. A review hearing has been set for March 14, 2024 at 9:10 am.

 

Fairfield residents on East Douglas Street from South 1st to S.E. 6th Streets will have no water on October 18 and maybe October 19 due to valve repairs.

 

The Wayne County Historical Society will hold their monthly meeting Thursday, October 20th at the Hanna House Museum  at 6:00 PM.  A scavenger hunt will be held at the Hanna House.  There will be light refreshments and prizes for those who complete the hunt.  If those attending do not wish to participate in the hunt, they are free to look around the museum as well.  This is an opportunity for folks to enjoy the fall weather, have a little fun, and see the museum before it closes for the winter on October 29th.

 

Fairfield Public School District #112 will conduct Parent/Teacher Conferences at both North Side and Center Street Schools on Tuesday, October 25, and Wednesday, October 26.  School will dismiss at 2:00/2:10 on both Tuesday and Wednesday.  Conferences will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday and from 3:00 to 6:30 P.M. on Wednesday. The date and time of conferences will be arranged with the teachers.  Grades will be issued at conferences or mailed to the home. Additionally, school will not be in session for student attendance on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28.

 

A reminder The Wabash Area Development, Inc., as administrator of the Home Energy Assistance Program in Edwards, Hamilton, Gallatin, Saline, Wabash, Wayne, and White Counties are currently taking applications for the LIHEAP energy assistance program to assist income-eligible households with their natural gas, propane, and electric bills, as well as furnace assistance. Various requirements apply, including proof of documentation and more. Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis through May 31, 2023. There will be no priority groups this program year. Households in need are encouraged to apply. Prior year recipients are eligible to re-apply. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides one-time benefits to income eligible homeowners and renters to help with energy bills and for reconnection of energy service. Propane customers are encouraged to apply when the program opens in September to take greater advantage of lower propane prices. Propane prices typically increase during the winter months so by applying early propane customers will see their LIHEAP benefit go further. Applications are being accepted at the county outreach offices in Edwards, Hamilton, Gallatin/Saline, Wabash, Wayne, and White. Call Wabash Area Development, Inc. at 963-2387 for outreach locations and schedules, and for information on what documents are needed to apply and different ways to submit your application.

 

With winter approaching, there’s a good chance that folks in Illinois will be paying more to heat their homes. It appears the problem is sharply higher costs for natural gas, which is used to heat a majority of homes in the state. Nicor, the utility serving a large portion of Illinois, estimated its average residential customer will pay almost $450 more for natural gas supplies this winter, almost double the cost of a year ago. Peoples Gas said it does not have an estimate yet, but the utility noted that bills will jump sharply as well. The reason given for the price increase is the rising cost of all fossil fuels due to new policies. Speaking of high heating costs and the winter months just around the corner, authorities are reminding everyone to take time now to prepare for the colder weather conditions that will soon be arriving. Homeowners and motorists are encouraged to winterize their houses and vehicles now, and to make sure each has a winter survival kit in the event of being stranded. To learn more about being prepared for the winter weather, go to the IEMA website for preparedness tips and more. That’s at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

 

Another dry week gave farmers plenty of time for harvesting. Seven days were suitable for fieldwork and 75% of the Illinois corn crop is now mature, and 27% has been harvested,says statistician Mark Schleusener. 31% of soybeans have been harvested, with 89% dropping leaves. 16% of winter wheat has been planted. Average statewide topsoil moisture dropped to 26% very short, 33% short and 41% adequate.

 

A new year-long University of Illinois program will train beginner specialty crop growers. The Illinois Small Farm Apprenticeship Program offers lessons from U of I faculty experts in soil science, pest management, and more. The application deadline is this Saturday, October 15th, with the program starting on January 23rd, 2023. The program cost is at $6,000 for the year. To apply, send a letter to illinois-ssf@illinois.edu describing the interest in the program with a list of skills and experience (experience is not required).

 

River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 4.95 feet, below the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.01 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 4.13 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 1.39 feet. The Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 3.29 feet, and the Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 2.53 feet.

 

Today’s Crude Oil Price is $82.35 down $1.78 from yesterday . The November Crude Oil Price is $89.72 down $1.42 from yesterday morning.