The Carmi Chamber of Commerce would like to announce that the 2023 Carmi Chamber of Commerce scholarship application is now available. The application is available to all qualifying seniors in the Class of 2023 at Carmi White County High School as well as those home or church schooled living in the Carmi White County School District. The scholarship is for a one-time $500 payment. Students interested in the scholarship should contact the guidance office and complete all the necessary steps outlined in the scholarship application. The completed application forms must then be turned into the guidance office. Home schooled or church schooled applicants, may pick up the application packet from the Carmi Chamber of Commerce during regular business hours.
The Carmi Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on Friday to welcome new member and new business, Little Sprouts Learning Center. Little Sprouts Learning Center is a privately owned faith-based learning center and preschool located at 1220 Oak St. in Carmi and is owned and operated by a mother/daughter team, Beth Conner and Alexis Schmittler. Little Sprouts is also a 2022 recipient of the Carmi Chamber Start-up Grant.
Tomorrow night at the CITY OF FAIRFIELD COUNCIL MEETING they will discuss Wayne-White Electric Update…Audit Report – Kemper CPA…share and discuss the Ordinance Adopting the Supplement to the Code of Ordinances…also the Ordinance Authorizing the Purchase of Real Property on Leininger Rd. And Approval of Recreation Fund Expenditure for Tourism Grant.
It has been announced that County Road 250 North from County Road 2475 East to County Road 2600 East will be closed until further notice.
Jess L Owens, 59 of Fairfield, pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court to a charge of Unlawful Possession with the Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine, a Class X Felony. Over $12,000 in cash was seized at the time of Owens arrest, which was applied towards fines and costs.
Michael L Trost, 49 of Albion, pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court to a charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Class A Misdemeanor. He was ordered to pay $750.
Judith Hart, 58 of Fairfield, pleaded guilty in Wayne County Cour to a charge of Obstructing Justice, a Class 4 Felony. She was sentenced to one year of probation. A review hearing is set for Dec. 7, 2023 at 9 a.m.
Zechariah Jergenson, 25 of Fairfield, pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court to a Class A Misdemeanor charge of DUI, and a Class 4 Felony charge of Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Peace Officer. He was credited for 6 days served, and one year of Court Supervision on the DUI charge; and one year of probation in the Felony case.
The Second Judicial Circuit is proud to recognize former Official Court Reporter, Katie Schroeder for her distinguished career spanning 26 years of service to the Second Judicial Circuit. Reporter Schroeder officially retired at the end of 2022, serving her last day in Court on December 30. She was recently honored for her dedication and commitment to the administration of justice throughout the Second Circuit. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Katie Schroeder began her employment with the Circuit on January 6, 1996. While she initially served as a per diem Reporter, she was hired as a full-time Official Reporter in 2002. She began her court assignments in Hamilton County and was then transferred to Jefferson County. The Second Circuit is comprised of twelve counties, Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White, and Schroeder has worked in each of the twelve. Official Court Reporters are tasked with the responsibility of making a verbatim record of all testimony in a court proceeding, and, upon request, producing a written transcript of the proceeding. Reporters must be excellent grammarians and spellers, and must be adept at vocabulary –particularly legal, medical, and technical terminology. In an average day, a reporter may transcribe between 30,000 and 50,000 words
Family, friends, fellow firefighters, are preparing to say goodbye to the longtime chief of the Maroa Fire Department. A visitation for Chief Larry Peasley will be held today at Calvert’s Funeral Home in Clinton from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. A funeral will be held on Tuesday morning at eleven at Maroa Methodist Church. Peasley had served with the department for over forty years.
A bill that would ban the sale and manufacture of assault weapons in Illinois advanced out of the state House on Thursday and now awaits action in the Senate. The bill was prompted in large part by the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park during an Independence Day parade which left seven people dead and dozens more injured or traumatized. Among those who traveled directly from Highland Park was Ashbey Beasley, who told a House committee Thursday that her 6-year-old son was traumatized by witnessing the parade shooting and is now undergoing therapy. The bill was the subject of extensive committee hearings in December and negotiations over details of the measure continued until right before its passage in the House. It will still need approval in the Senate and from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law.
Activists are urging lawmakers to pass the Protect Illinois Communities Act. Dozens of groups, including Moms Demand Action rallied at the State Capitol to urge legislators to vote yes on
the measure, which would ban the sale on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The bill would also raise the age to own a FOID card from 18 to 21.
Governor JB Pritzker has a busy weekend leading up to his inauguration. His inauguration will be held at 11:30 Monday morning at the Bank of Springfield Center. This will culminate with a celebration at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Monday night.
Illinois’ organ/tissue donation registry has reached 7.5 million registrants. Secretary of State Jesse White made that announcement yesterday and also said there have been more than 270 thousand sixteen and 17 year-olds who have registered since 2018. White has led the state’s organ/tissue donation registry since 1999.
The Illinois Conservation Foundation is accepting applications for the 2023 Conservation Achievement program. The foundation annually awards scholarships to outstanding high school students who demonstrate effective, voluntary long-term protection or enhancement to the state’s natural resources. Applications must be received by March 23rd. The applications are available online at ilconservation.org.
The Illinois Public Pension Fund Association is reminding retired public safety officers an often-un-used tax deduction for healthcare coverage. The Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety Retirees Act allows retired police officers, firefighters, emergency services personnel to lower their taxable pension income by excluding premiums for health insurance. These retirees may reduce their taxable earnings by up to three-thousand-dollars.