MCES 2nd Quarter Perfect Attendance

MCES-2nd Quarter Perfect attendance was celebrated on Wednesday, January 24th. This quarter was from October 10 - December 15 and these students didn't miss a day, come in late or leave early. The students received a snack and drink, ribbon and a coupon for a Happy Meal from the Mt. Carmel McDonalds.

Kindergarten: Front Row: Ava Alka, Cara Dill, Arianna Glick, and Hendrex Goodson. Back Row: Annie Hagerty, Stella Marsh and TaeLynn Wade

First Grade: Front Row: Carter Dill, Anistyn Kanipe, Ezekiel Kasinger, and Payton Morrison. Back Row: John Potts, Greyson Roberts, Kyndall Wagner and Mrs. Vargo.

Second Grade: Front Row: Aydan Boze, Kameron Compton, Paul-Ray Garrett, Miranda Kennard and Elias Knapp. Back Row: Mrs. Odom, Zane Wilcox, Zander Warnken, Drake Stevenson and Alivia Peach.

Lincolnland Ruritans Attend National Convention

Members of the Lincolnland Ruritan District attended the National Ruritan in Charleston, SC, this past week.  Pictured are (seated) James Barger, Allendale Ruritan Club; Grover Burkett (Dundas Ruritan Club); (standing) Marilyn Bledsoe, Mary Pepple, and Sue Case, all from the Hymera, IN, Ruritan Club.

MCJHS Aces of the Month

Mount Carmel Junior High School would like to congratulate the Aces of the Month. These students have been selected by MCJHS Staff as going above and beyond at the Junior High School. Congratulations go to 7th grade students, Elizabeth Davis & Mason Rayborn, and 8th grade student, Rachael Johnson. Great job students and keep it up!!! 
 

Is $3 Gas On The Way?

Is three-dollar gas in the offing for Illinois? Maybe Chicago, but for the rest of the state it will take a while says GROWMARK’s Harry Cooney.

According to TRIPLE-A, the average price for gas in Illinois is at $2.65 a gallon with the City of Chicago averaging $2.94.

Gas in central Illinois is currently averaging $2.63 a gallon in Bloomington-Normal. $2.51 a gallon in southern Illinois in Carbondale. And $2.58 a gallon in northern Illinois in Rockford. The national average is at $2.56 a gallon.

Diesel prices are currently averaging $2.90 a gallon in Illinois, according to AAA. 

Mt. Carmel Man Charged With Meth Possession

On 1/22/18 at 1108 hours Wabash County Sheriff's Deputy Keagan Bogard located a vehicle parked in the roadway on E 900 Rd. and Friendsville Ave. with the door open and the driver standing outside the vehicle.  Deputy Bogard activated his emergency lights to check on the motorist.

The driver, Joseph A. Stevens 36, of Mt. Carmel was found to have a suspended driver's license and expired registration.  Stevens was taken into custody on the driving suspended infraction without incident.  Upon a search of the vehicle, a plastic container was found floating inside a cup that was in the vehicle.  Stevens was subsequently charged with possession of methamphetamine under 5 grams. 

Stevens was transported to the Wabash County Jail.  Bond was set at $2000 cash which he posted on 01/24/18.

Mount Carmel CEO Program Accepting Applications for Young Entrepreneurs

The Mount Carmel CEO Program is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) program.  Information about this exciting opportunity is presented below.

WHAT IS CEO?

CEO is hard to explain.  It’s not regular school at all.  Participants get to own their own work and behavior, and everything they do is designed to connect with the real world.

·         CEO is funded by investors, not schools or students.

·         CEO always meets in a business, never in a school.

·         CEO students visit dozens of area businesses.

·         CEO students learn from dozens of guest speakers.

·         CEO students run a class business together.

·         CEO students start and run their own business.

The Mount Carmel CEO Program - partnering with the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship- is more than an entrepreneurship course. It’s a unique learning opportunity that allow students to participate in real life experiences.  The Program is open to high school juniors, seniors, and first-year Wabash Valley College students; and draws from Mount Carmel High School, Edwards County High School, and Grayville High School.  Homeschool students are also encouraged to apply.

CEO exposes students to business practices, connects them with leaders in their community, and allows them to practice communication, problem solving, and networking in a variety of settings. Ultimately, it guides each team member through starting and running their own functioning business, cultivates essential communication skills, and develops an expansive, long-lasting network of community members and business owners.

HOW DO I GET INTO CEO?

Students interested in CEO need to have a good work ethic and be trustworthy.  The application process involves writing a letter about yourself and your interest in CEO, and asking three people to fill out recommendation forms for you.  Your name will be will be taken off the application and a committee of people will look at the applications to select the students who will get into the program.  Did you notice that GPA is not part of the process?

For students who are interested in applying, the application deadline is Wednesday, February 7, 2018.  Application packets are available from the Guidance Departments of the three participating schools or from CEO Administrative Assistant, Cathy Goldman (email: aa@mcaea.com or call:  618-262-5433).

Sawed-Off Shotgun Killing Of Cat Leads To 3+ Years In Prison

Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that James C. Voss, 25, of Waterloo, IL, was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment on January 19, 2018 for unlawful possession of a sawed-off shotgun and felon in possession of a firearm.  Voss will also have to serve a term of two years of supervised release after he is released from prison.

At his change of plea hearing on September 22, 2017, Voss admitted that he had used a sawed-off shotgun to kill a neighbor’s cat, and that he had been previously convicted of burglary, a felony offense, in Monroe County in 2011.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The investigation which resulted in Voss’s arrest and conviction was conducted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert L. Garrison. 

District #348 Looks For Help To Increase Broadband

Wabash District #348 officials are hoping to upgrade bandwidth at the district’s three school buildings with help from the state. Legislation has been introduced in Springfield to help bring high speed internet to more students in rural areas like Mt. Carmel. Senator Andy Manar says nearly 90,000 students at about 100 rural schools don’t have access to high speed internet…

Manar says his bills calls for broadband infrastructure to be put in at these schools. The project would be a one-time expense and paid for with $16 million in state funds and by leveraging federal matching dollars.  

At Monday’s school board meeting, technology director Kevin Smith said increasing bandwidth to handle the addition of Chromebooks and other devices is a big goal. But, Superintendent Tim Buss said increasing bandwidth is a costly project, probably outside the district’s present financial situation.

Crash Results In Woman Being Airlifted To St. Louis Hospital

ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT  
 
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12
 
 
WHAT:  Injury Crash  
 
WHERE:   Bourgeois Dr at North Tunnel Rd in Effingham
 
WHEN:  January 24th 2018 at 10:55 AM  
 
VEHICLES:  Unit #1 – Red 2008 Toyota     
 
DRIVER:  Unit #1  Justice A. Self, 20 of Effingham, IL    

PASSENGERS: Unit #1            Kelsi A. Jones, 21 of Manassas, VA
 
CHARGES:  Unit #1- Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident / Texting While Driving / Improper Lane Usage / No Valid Driver’s License  
 
TRANSPORTS: The driver of Unit 1 was transported by ambulance to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital.  The front seat passenger of Unit 1 was flown from the scene to St. Louis University Hospital.                

PRELIMINARY:   Preliminary investigative details indicate Unit #1 was southbound on Bourgeois Dr at North Tunnel Rd (frontage road ½ mile south of “The Cross”).  Unit 1 drove into the gravel on the left side of the roadway, lost control, skidded off the roadway to the right into a cable guard rail, and overturned.  Unit 1 came to rest on its top on the right side of the roadway.     
 
  All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

Search For New District #348 Superintendent Continues

It's looking less likely the Wabash District #348 school board will hire a new superintendent by their original timeline of February 26th. Board President Tim Schuler issued a statement this morning saying the school board continued first round interviews during a special meeting last night. According to Schuler, the board is in the process of scheduling additional interviews and as the process continues, the original timeline will be amended. Originally, 25 candidates applied for the job of replacing the retiring superintendent Tim Buss who leaves the post June 30th. That number was reduced to 6 candidates who were to be interviewed.