Fairfield Memorial Hospital will host a community blood drive with the American Red Cross on November 28th from 10:30am to 3:30pm in the Fairfield Memorial Hospital’s Educational Annex. Donors of all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, B negative and A negative. According to the Red Cross, type O negative is the universal blood type that can be safely transfused to anyone and is often used to treat trauma patients. Fairfield Memorial Hospital’s Educational Annex Building is located at 203 Northwest 10th Street in Fairfield. For more information or to make an appointment to donate, call 847-8242 or sign up online at redcrossblood.org with sponsor code: FairfieldMemorial.
Dr. Amy Dixon, a long-standing and leading member of the Carmi-White County school district, is on the move. She’ll wrap her tenure with Unit 5 at the end of the year and will succeed interim Superintendent at Harrisburg Unit 3, Scott Dewar on January 1st. Dixon has seen no shortage of accolades over her career. Among the most recent, she was named President of the Illinois Principles Association for 2020-2021 and Educator of the Year by the Carmi Kiwanis Club in May of this year. Dixon will officially announce and offer her resignation at the November School Board meeting tonight. Dixon began her career in education in 1996 as school social worker with the South Eastern Special Education Cooperative, and continued working as a school social worker and early intervention service coordinator at the Wabash and Ohio Valley Special Education District. Later, Dr. Dixon served as principal of Truant Alternative Optional Education (TAEOP) programs at ROE #20 in Carmi. Dr. Dixon has served in various roles including principal, Special Education coordinator, Director of Instruction, 504 and English Language Learner Coordinator for Carmi-White County Schools since 2005. Dr. Dixon received her Bachelor and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Illinois, Master of Educational Administration from Eastern Illinois University, and her Doctoral degree from the Oakland City University.
Sheriff Graves is retiring as White County Sheriff. Here is what he had to say: On November 30, 2022, I will be retiring as the White County Sheriff. The past 32 years I have served the White County Sheriff’s Department in a few capacities. I started my career in 1991 as a Corrections Officer, later advancing to Deputy Sheriff, then Sheriff’s Sergeant. In March 2021 Sheriff Doug Maier retired from the Whit County Sheriff’s Department. I would like to thank Sheriff Doug Maier, who trusted in me and recommended that I finish his four year term. For the past 18 months I have been serving s Sheriff of White County. I am very proud of the White County Sheriff’s Department and all of my employees and past co-workers. All the employees work very hard day to day sacrificing time with their families working holidays, weekends, and nights. I would like to thank the citizens of White County for their generosity to the White County Sheriff’s Department. The citizens of White County are always there to help if help is needed and I thank you for that. I would like to thank my wife Amber and my daughter Alivia for standing beside me when I was working on weekends and working the night shift. I hope to enjoy more time with my wife and daughter in retirement. I will continue to farm in my retirement.
The Washington County Coroner’s Office is reporting an accident Friday afternoon between a pedestrian and semi-truck on Interstate 64 that claimed the life of a Fenton Missouri man. According to Coroner Mark Styninger, his office was dispatched to the scene of a fatal pedestrian/semi truck accident on Friday afternoon on Interstate 64 near the 44-mile marker. Clinton M. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:44 p.m. by Washington County Deputy Coroner Jamie Blazier. Jones was operating an eastbound vehicle when he parked his vehicle on the north shoulder, stepped out of his vehicle, and into the path of an eastbound semi-truck. Eastbound I-64 was closed for nearly two hours for the investigation. The case remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police, the St. Charles County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department and the Washington County Coroner. No other information has been released by our department at this time.
Effective immediately, hospital visitors are restricted at Ferrell Hospital until further notice due to widespread influenza. Further details about these updated guidelines are as follows:
- No visitors with influenza like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat).
- Individuals experiencing respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, or fever who need to go to the emergency room for treatment, or other departments or clinics within the hospital, must wear a mask upon entering the building.
o Masks are available at the registration desks.
- No visitors under age 18
- No more than two visitors per patient per day in a patient’s hospital room
- Influenza Isolation Patients: Visitors are limited to those necessary for the patient’s emotional well-being and care.
o Visitors in these rooms MUST wear a procedure mask while in the room
o Visitors MUST perform hand hygiene prior to entering and leaving the room
o Visitors MUST stay in room, no access to public areas
Exceptions to these restrictions may be made for cases involving critically ill patients and end of life situations. For more information about visitor restrictions, and Ferrell Hospital’s efforts to keep patients and staff safe, call 618-273-3361.