Olney Woman Arrested After Jasper County Wreck

ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT

The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12

WHAT: Injury Crash

WHERE: CR 1400N approximately 2 miles west of Hunt City (Jasper County)

WHEN: December 3, 2017 at approximately 02:22 a.m.

VEHICLES: Unit #1 - Gray 2004 Ford truck

DRIVER: Unit #1- Keri Wittgan 36 of Willow Hill

Passengers: Brieanna Jones 20 of Olney

Eugene Birch 30 of Newton

CHARGES: Keri Wittgan- DUI, Failure to wear seatbelt, No valid insurance Driving on wrong side of roadway Eugene Birch- Failure to wear seatbelt Transports: Keri Wittman and Brieanna Jones were transported to Carle Hospital in Champaign. Eugene Birch was transported to Crawford Memorial Hospital

PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigation indicates that unit 1 was traveling east on county road 1400 N two miles west of Hunt City. Unit 1 ran off the left side of the roadway, returned to the roadway, over corrected and went back off the left side of the roadway. Unit 1 then overturned several times before coming to rest upside down.

All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

Several Projects To Benefit Through Frank A. Orr Trust Grants

Mt. Carmel Finance Commissioner Joe Judge has announced a variety of successful grant applications he submitted back in September. The grant money through the Frank A. Orr Trust will help aid several projects locally.  

City of Mt. Carmel Police Department $2,200 for New Body Camera's and other Equipment.

City of Mt. Carmel Fire Department.  $4,200 to replace the 1998 Imaging Camera that is not longer working. 

City of Mt. Carmel Parks Department. $3,800 to purchase new Crushed Mulch for the Children of All Abilities Playground.

Wabash County Senior $3,200 for Dining Room Improvements.

City of Mt. Carmel Amphitheater Stage Project $2,000.

City of Mt. Carmel Library $5,000 for new Tables in the main lobby.

Mt. Carmel Little League $4,500 for Field Improvements.

The total for the Grants Given to the City of Mt. Carmel is $24,900 this year .

Judge said,  "Without the Generosity of the Frank A. Orr Trust these projects and Public Safety Equipment would not be possible.  Mayor Hudson and the City Commissioners appreciate the Trust's Generosity in funding these projects."

Wildlife officials issue citations for illegal deer hunting

Conservation police in Illinois issued more than 50 citations for illegal deer hunting in November.

Ed Cross, director of communications for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said officials see four common laws being broken by hunters throughout the state each year.

“Some of the most common laws we see being broken are trespassing on someone’s property, hunting without a license, using someone else’s permit and baiting,” Cross said. “All these are laws we see being broken from year to year.”

It is illegal for hunters to attract or lure white-tailed deer by using bait such as corn or peanut butter. Mineral licks also are illegal. Cross said a misconception for hunters is that because mineral licks are sold in Illinois stores, they are legal to use. Cross said the items cannot be outlawed from being sold, and many hunters buy and use the licks in states where they are legal, such as Iowa and Missouri.  

Cross said another mistake hunters often make is hunting on property that is not theirs.

“One thing we always recommend is that where you’re going to hunt at, if it’s not your property, to double-check with the owners, or if it’s public land, to check with the boundaries,” Cross said.

Staying in compliance with state rules can be as easy as keeping up to date with the newest state Hunting and Trapping Digest when it comes out each year, Cross said. Cross also said a hunter’s local conservation official is an important wealth of knowledge.

“They know the books from front to back and if you ever have a question about something you are not sure of, they are a great way to make sure you get the proper information,” Cross said.

Other citations issued In November included the transport of firearms, untagged deer and hunting permits, the department said.

It’s not too late to get a flu shot

 Influenza (flu) activity is starting to increase across the country just as friends and family are coming together for the holidays.  Getting a flu shot is the best line of defense when it comes to protecting yourself, and those around you, from getting the flu.
 
The flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands or tens of thousands of deaths each year in the United States.  The majority of hospitalizations and deaths occur in people 65 years and older, but even healthy young children and younger adults can have severe disease or even die from influenza.
 
“One of the biggest myths about getting a flu shot is that is that it gives you the flu.  I’m here to say it has been scientifically proven that the flu vaccine does not give you the flu,” said Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D.  “December 3-9, 2017 is National Influenza Vaccination Week and I encourage everyone who has not gotten their flu shot this season to get it sometime during the week to help protect you and those you care about during the holidays and beyond.”
 
The flu is a respiratory illness that can cause a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, and headaches.  Vomiting or diarrhea are not typical, but can occur, especially in children.  Flu can also lead to more serious complications such as pneumonia.  Antibiotics will not treat flu, but you can ask your health care provider about antiviral medications.
 
Flu vaccination can reduce illnesses, doctor visits, and missed work and school, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations.  While no vaccine is 100 percent, a flu shot may make your illness milder if you do get sick.
 
In addition to getting a flu shot, IDPH recommends following the 3 C’s: clean, cover, and contain.

• Clean – frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water.
• Cover – cover your cough and sneeze.
• Contain – contain your germs by staying home if you are sick.

Check with your local health department or your health care provider about getting a flu shot.  You can also find a place near you to get a flu vaccine with the HealthMap Vaccine Finder.

Pursuit along Interstate 64 Ends Peacefully with Arrest

Spencer County:  An overnight pursuit along Interstate 64 stretched out nearly 40 miles before coming to a peaceful stop.

At 12:27 AM this morning, Trooper Steve Nolan was patrolling I-64 near the 59 mile marker (two miles east of the Dale exit) when he saw a silver 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo traveling west at what looked like a high rate of speed.  Nolan activated his radar, which indicated the Chevy was driving 99 miles per hour.

Nolan attempted to pull over the driver of the Chevrolet.  The driver instead fled at speeds reaching 115 miles per hour, and continued west towards US 41.  The driver exited I-64 onto northbound US 41, but quickly turned around and attempted to continue west on I-64.  Near the 21 mile marker of I-64, the engine of the Chevrolet blew, causing the vehicle to coast to a stop near the 19 mile marker.

Upon coming to a stop, Troopers took the driver, 39-year-old Samome Steen of Louisville, Kentucky, into custody without incident.

Steen was transported to the Spencer County Jail.  Troopers from the Jasper Post were assisted by Evansville District Troopers and the Gibson County Sheriff’s Department.

Arrested and Charges:
Samone Dejuan Steen, 39
Louisville, KY
- Resisting Law Enforcement (Vehicle), Level 6 Felony
- Reckless Driving, Class A Misdemeanor

Under the Law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

House Decorating Contest Winners

The Singing Seven from Mt. Carmel High School kicked off the official lighting of the City of Mt. Carmel Christmas tree tonight.

Winner's in the Sights and Sounds of Christmas residential lighting competition were announced:

Best Use of Sound: Georgenna Wade
Best Use of Theme: Alan Clem
Best Use of Light:Trey and Kelsey Beckerman
Best Traditional Decorations: Lucy and Josh Evans
Grand Champion: Randy Banks

Kentucky Murder Suspect Arrested in Albion

From Henderson, KY Police:

Earlier today, members of the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Illinois State Police served an arrest warrant on Deangelo Pollard for the charges of Murder and Robbery 1st Degree. The warrants were obtained by Detective Jake Isonhood in reference to the murder of Devin Fields that occurred on November 10th, 2017 in Henderson, KY. Law Enforcement had received information that Pollard had fled the area and was staying at a residence in Albion Illinois. Pollard will be held in Illinois until being extradited back to Henderson.

Scenes From Christmas Uptown

Click the photos for a slideshow.

Mt. Carmel City Council Agenda

AGENDA

CITY OF MOUNT CARMEL

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Monday December 4, 2017 at 5:00pm

· Call to Order

· Pledge of Allegiance

· Invocation

· Roll Call

· Visitors to address the Council (topic discussed by visitor(s) is limited to 5 minutes)

· Mayor’s Report

COMMISSIONER’S REPORT:

· Eric Ikemire Streets, Cemeteries and Parks

· Joseph Judge Finance and Senior Citizens

· Justin Dulgar Water and Sewer

· Rod Rodriguez Fire, Health & Safety, City Hall, Garbage and Civil Defense

STAFF REPORTS:

· Rudy Witsman

· Kelli Storckman

· Mike Gidcumb

BUSINESS:

· First reading of Ordinance 1080 an ordinance authorizing the City Council to seek bids for city owned property commonly known as 615 East 4th Street

· First reading of Ordinance 1081 an ordinance providing for the issuance of $150,000 General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds, Series 2017, of the City of Mount Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois, for the purpose of financing public safety equipment and other capital expenditures for said City, providing for the levy and collection of a direct annual tax sufficient to pay the principal and interest on said bonds, and authorizing the sale of said bonds to the purchaser thereof

· First reading of Ordinance 1082 an ordinance setting the tax levy for the City of Mt. Carmel Fiscal Year May 1, 2017 thru April 30, 2018

· Presentation of Consent Agenda

o Approve the minutes of the regular Council meeting held 11/20/2017

o Approve payment of all bills bearing the proper signature

· Removal of items from the Consent Agenda

· Consideration of Consent Agenda

· Consideration of items removed from the Consent Agenda

· Executive Session (if needed)

· Motion to Adjourn

Shopko Pharmacy Closing

Mt. Carmel will soon be down to one pharmacy after Shopko announced they are closing their pharmacy and transferring their patient records to CVS.