Fairfield FFA member Jacob Britt was awarded the National FFA Organization’s highest honor, the prestigious American FFA Degree, during the 95th National FFA Convention on October 29, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Less than one percent of the 850,823 FFA members in the country ever earns this distinction. Recipients of the honor are reserved for those students who have earned at least $10,000 and productively invested $7500 through Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs (SAEs), met all requirements of a twenty-page degree application, and completed an interview with a state recommendation committee. Jacob is currently majoring in accounting at University of Southern Indiana and he is the 15th Fairfield FFA member to receive the FFA degree.
A rural Fairfield Woman is back behind bars following her arrest on Halloween morning by Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies. 26 year old Baylee Ann Hutcheson turned herself in to authorities just after 11am Monday on a petition to revoke probation warrant related to a residential burglary charge. As of Tuesday afternoon, Hutcheson posted her $1,020 bond. She’ll be due in Wayne County court on December 1st at 1pm.
On 10/25/2022, at approximately 12:07 PM, Fairfield Police responded to a 3 vehicle crash at the inter intersection of West Delaware and Commerce Drive. A 2022 Ford Escape, driven by Jamia Nally, 29 of Grayville was traveling south across West Delaware. Nally pulled into the path of a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Timothy Legg, 43 of Fairfield. Upon impact, Legg’s vehicle went across the intersection, striking a 2014 Toyota, driven by Ivan Kunce, 72 of Fairfield. Kunce was facing north at the intersection, waiting to cross. Nally, a passenger in her vehicle and Legg were transported to Fairfield Memorial Hospital for treatment. All 3 vehicles were towed from the scene. Nally was cited for failure to yield the right of way. Fairfield Fire Department and Wayne County Ambulance Service assisted.
On 10/27/22, at 1:59 AM, Fairfield Police arrested Brylan C Stephenson, 24 of Fairfield, in the 100
block of Market Avenue, during their investigation into a vehicle crash in that area. Stephenson was
arrested for Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Aggravated Battery of a Peace Officer and Resisting. He was transported to the Wayne County Jail and lodged pending a bond hearing.
On 10/27/22, at 7:52 AM, Fairfield Police arrested Shannon L Cone, 35 of Fairfield, at 912 N Epworth Street, Fairfield. Cone was arrested for an incident that occurred on 10/26/22 at 705 W Water ST in Fairfield where he was accused of entering a residence and remaining after being told to leave. He was transported to the Wayne County Jail and lodged pending a bond hearing on charges of Criminal Trespass to a Residence and Disorderly Conduct.
On 10/28/22, at 4:11 PM, Fairfield Police responded to the intersection of W Delaware Street and
Commerce Drive in Fairfield for a traffic crash between a 2009 Chevrolet passenger car being driven
by Tori J Gonzalez, 16 of Fairfield and a 2015 Nissan SUV driven by Erica M Penrod, 48 of Fairfield.
The Gonzalez vehicle was Northbound on Commerce DR when it was struck in the side by the Penrod vehicle, who was Eastbound on W Delaware ST. Both vehicles were towed. No injuries were reported. Gonzalez was cited for Failure to Yield at a Stop Intersection.
* If you have any information regarding crimes, please contact the Wayne County Crime Stoppers
phone or text at (618) 842-9777. Your tip could be worth a cash reward.
* All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sunday turned out to not be much of a day of rest for White County Sheriff’s Deputies. At 9:50am, Deputy Michael Brown arrived at 28 year old Zachary Kleilein’s residence at 601 East Main in Norris City in response to a call that Kleilein’s vehichle and garage were broken into the night prior. He said his wife had just cleaned out his vehicle, but didn’t believe anything was taken. Kleilein said he thought it was kids because the car had been locked, other than the driver’s side door. Deputy Brown then asked if he wanted to sign a complaint and Kleilein agreed. Walking in front of the house, Kleilein showed the deputy where a couple items from the garage had been dropped on the ground. The items included a Christmas ornament and a bottle of water. They were photographed, but left with the victim.
At 1pm, Deputy Brown arrived at the home of 38 year old Jason Laymance at 404 Wilson Street in Enfield for a warrant check. Laymance was wanted on a White County warrant for Retail Theft (fuel from Huck’s). The report indicates Laymance became upset and asked what the bond amount would be. After checking with dispatch, it was revealed, Laymance was also wanted on a Hamilton County warrant for Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Police Officer. The deputy had allowed Laymance to go inside to change his shirt and shoes. After asking him to come back outside, there was no response prompting Deputy Brown and Deputy Malone who had arrived to assist to enter the home where they were unable to locate Laymance. After a brief manhunt on foot, officers located Laymance, took him into custody and gave him an additional charge of Resisting or Obstructing a Police Officer. Jason Laymance is being held in the White County Jail on $2,550 bond.
Former Hawaii congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is standing behind Republican Darren Bailey in the Illinois governor’s race. The Democrat-turned-independent endorsed the downstate senator in his quest to defeat incumbent Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker. During a rally yesterday in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Gabbard called Bailey a man of the people. Pritzker’s campaign blasted Gabbard’s endorsement of Bailey, calling her a “Russia apologist and conspiracy theorist.”
The following courtesy of Jerry Nowicki and Peter Hancock of Capital News Illinois
In the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election, Illinois voters will cast a ballot on a state constitutional amendment, every statewide constitutional office, every seat in the General Assembly and, in 12 counties, a spot on the state’s Supreme Court.
For more information about voting, including how to and where to cast an in-person ballot on election day and prior to it, you can visit your local election authority. You can find information for all local election officials on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Information on where your Election Day polling place can be found here.
As of Monday, the Illinois State Board of Elections had reported 590,333 early votes had already been cast, including 362,604 mail-in ballots, 224,595 early in-person ballots and 3,134 grace period ballots.
Below is a brief summary of the statewide races. Links to other coverage on the races and interviews with the candidates and coverage of the Supreme Court races can be found here in the Capitol News Illinois voter’s guide.
Governor’s Race
Gov. JB Pritzker is facing off against state Sen. Darren Bailey, a Republican farmer from downstate Xenia. The candidates’ views diverge widely on just about every topic, from abortion to state spending to pandemic response to addressing gun crime. The Libertarian candidate is Scott Schluter.
The candidates’ differences are demonstrated by Bailey’s voting record on some of the major policy proposals backed by Pritzker. Bailey was a “no” vote on almost all of them, saying in one public appearance that he’d like to repeal “everything” Pritzker signed into law during his first term in office.
Bailey voted against the state’s operating budget each year, saying it contains wasteful spending. Pritzker, meanwhile, has cited those budgets as the reason Illinois was able to pay down a backlog of unpaid bills that ballooned to $16 billion under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, along with other interest-accruing debt.
Bailey also opposed the legalization of marijuana and a $45 billion public works infrastructure plan. The public works plan was funded by a measure that doubled the motor fuel tax and increased license-related fees, as well as a gambling expansion. Bailey voted against both proposals.
He was one of just 13 lawmakers to vote against a measure capping insulin prices for some insurance plans, and he voted “no” on increasing the minimum wage to $15 hourly by 2025.
He also opposed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that increases investment in renewable energy and aims to force fossil fuel producers offline in Illinois over the next two decades, citing the bill’s upward pressures on downstate energy prices as his reason for opposing it.
Pritzker’s refrain in recent debates has been that Bailey “has no plan” for Illinois, and he has painted the Republican as a conservative “extremist.”
Bailey, meanwhile, has focused his attention on crime, especially in Chicago, as well as taxes and state spending.
In a recent Springfield campaign stop, Bailey said his plan is to “come in with a totally new approach to government because nothing’s working right.”
He said he believes there’s $10 billion to $15 billion of waste within the state budget, although he hasn’t said what he would cut, aside from arguing that administrative costs in public education are too high.
He frequently mentions his plan for a “zero-based budget,” which, he said, means “accounting for every dollar that’s spent.” He put the responsibility for identifying the waste on the shoulders of yet-to-be-named agency heads. And he said later in a recent debate he’d begin identifying them the day after the election.
Bailey has also been a staunch opponent to every measure that expanded abortion rights in Illinois in recent years, a point Pritzker has frequently reiterated on the campaign trail. Despite endorsements from the state’s anti-abortion groups, Bailey has recently said he wouldn’t try to repeal state abortion laws, because he wouldn’t have the backing in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to do so.
He would, however, look to repeal a criminal justice reform known as the SAFE-T Act, which passed in 2021 on slim Democratic majorities. Pritzker has said he will look to pass an amendment to that bill when lawmakers return to Springfield a week after the election.
Comptroller’s Race
In Illinois, the position of chief fiscal officer is that of comptroller.
Democrat Susana Mendoza has been elected to that post twice, for a partial term beginning in December 2016 before gaining reelection in 2018. She touts the reduction of a $16 billion bill backlog to a standard 30-day billing cycle, the state’s largest-ever $1 billion balance in its rainy-day fund and a pension payment that went $500 million beyond statutory levels in the current fiscal year as some of her greatest accomplishments.
Her opponent, Shannon Teresi, is a newcomer to state politics and is the McHenry County auditor. It’s an experience, she said, that will help her root out “waste, fraud and abuse” in state government – one of her most-repeated reasons for running.
The Libertarian candidate is Deirdre McCloskey.
Treasurer’s Race
The race for treasurer – the state’s chief investment officer – pits two-term incumbent Michael Frerichs against Republican Tom Demmer, a deputy minority leader in the General Assembly and House GOP point person on budget issues. The Libertarian candidate is Preston Nelson.
Frerichs touts more than $1 billion in investment gains as his greatest achievement while emphasizing his administrative work on returning unclaimed property, a state college savings plan and other programs overseen by the office.
Demmer has focused his race on being a statewide check on Democratic power when it comes to tax and budget issues. He has frequently attacked Frerichs for a comment he made in 2020 regarding a proposed graduated income tax amendment: “One thing a progressive tax would do is make clear you can have graduated rates when you are taxing retirement income. And I think that’s something that’s worth discussion,” Frerichs is quoted as saying in the Daily Herald.
The treasurer, meanwhile, has no formal role in setting tax policy and Frerichs has frequently stated he does not support a retirement tax.
Secretary of State’s Race
Incumbent Secretary of State Jesse White is stepping down at the end of his term, creating a vacancy in the office for the first time in 24 years.
The race to succeed him features Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, a former state treasurer from Chicago, and Republican State Rep. Dan Brady, of Bloomington. Each has a long list of initiatives they would like to implement to modernize the office.
While Giannoulias has White’s endorsement, the outgoing secretary has also spoken highly of Brady. And Brady has the endorsement of Republican former governor and secretary of state Jim Edgar.
The Libertarian candidate is Jon Stewart.
Attorney General’s Race
Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Republican private practice attorney Thomas DeVore differ starkly on a number of issues, with the AG’s response to COVID-19 executive orders leading that list.
DeVore was a frequent challenger of the governor’s executive order authority throughout the pandemic, while Raoul defended that authority in court. But it’s not the only issue on which the pair differed.
In an hourlong discussion organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors earlier this year, DeVore defended his use of the private lawsuit to go after individuals, including the governor and a special education teacher, who he believes have defamed him.
Raoul, meanwhile, said it’s a waste of court resources. They also differed on the SAFE-T Act, which DeVore believes is unconstitutional, and whether the AG should be prosecuting public officials. The Libertarian candidate on the ballot is Dan Robin.
Constitutional Amendment 1
Voters will decide on whether the state’s constitution will be amended to give a right to workers to unionize. It reads:
SECTION 25. WORKERS’ RIGHTS
(a) Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work. No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and work place safety, including any law or ordinance that prohibits the execution or application of agreements between employers and labor organizations that represent employees requiring membership in an organization as a condition of employment.
(b) The provisions of this Section are controlling over those of Section 6 of Article VII.
Supporters of the amendment say it is needed to prevent future governors and lawmakers from attempting to pass “right to work” legislation, which former Gov. Rauner attempted to do. Right to work laws prohibit employers from requiring membership in a labor union as a condition of employment.
Opponents, meanwhile, argue that passage of the amendment would give public-sector labor unions greater power, which could lead to more expensive government contracts that create upward pressure on property taxes.
River Stages:
The Little Wabash at Golden Gate sat at 5.64 feet (flood stage 17 ft). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 4.65 feet (18 ft). The Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 4.93 feet (15 ft). Elsewhere in the region, the Little Wabash at Main St in Carmi shows 3.54 feet and teh Wabash River at Mt. Carmel is at 3.17 feet. The Little Wabash at New Harmony sits at 1.63 feet (15 ft). The Ohio River meanwhile at Mt. Vernon, IN is at 24.9 feet (35 ft) and the Ohio at Shawneetown is at 15.59 feet (33 ft).