Illinois State Police (ISP) District 12 Commander, Captain Cory Ristvedt, announces emphasis on deterring and stopping impaired driving during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. ISP Troopers will strictly enforce the Fatal Four violations of DUI, Speeding, Distracted Driving, and Failure to Wear Seat Belt. These are the traffic violations which are most attributed to fatal crashes.
“If you drive impaired, expect to be pulled over”, said Captain Ristvedt. “Plan ahead and designate a sober driver: Together, let’s keep the roads safe”, he added.
Alcohol is a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes, especially during celebratory weekends. The ISP is reminding motorists to help keep the roadways safe by planning ahead and designating a driver, calling a cab, or using a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft. Everyone wins if the weekend fatal crash score is zero.
Gibson County Fair Concert Headliners Announced
Gibson County fair is proud to announce 2 new rising Country stars headlining the 2018 Fair Friday July 13th. Singer/songwriter Ashley McBryde who's first single release is now climbing the charts "A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega" from her new album "Girl Going Nowhere". McBryde has opened shows for Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert, has played the Grand Ole Opry several times and shared the stage with Luke Combs at the Ryman Auditorium. Co-Headlining and taking the stage first will be the Duo Walker McGuire who's Top 40 debut single “Til Tomorrow” has been streamed 34 million times and they are out playing shows all over the country featuring their new single "Lost”. It will be a special night at the Gibson County Fair Friday July 13th. Two new up and coming Country acts Ashley McBryde and Walker McGuire. Show time is 7:30. Concert being presented by TOYOTA Motor Manufacturing Indiana Inc. and your Local Indiana TOYOTA Dealers. Gibson County Fair July 8 to 14 Princeton Indiana. Admission is $7, Children 9 and under free, get up close in front of stage for an additional $10.
2 Injured in Olney Crash
ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12
WHAT: Personal injury accident.
WHERE: Rt. 130 at W. Butler St. in Olney (Richland County)
WHEN: 04:15 PM 03/16/18
VEHICLES: Unit #1 – Green, 1996, Ford pickup.
Unit #2 – Silver, 2015, Chevrolet passenger car.
DRIVER: Unit #1 – William R. Derler, 53, of Olney, IL.
Unit #2- Carl J. Kessler, 78, of Olney, IL.
PASSENGERS: Unit #1- Colden Derler, 22, of Dundas, IL.
CHARGES: Driver of Unit #1 was charged with failure to yield at an intersection and operating an uninsured vehicle.
TRANSPORTS: The passenger of Unit #1 and driver of Unit #2 were transported to Carle Richland Memorial Hospital
PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigative details indicate Unit #1 was traveling East bound on West Butler St. stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Rt. 130 in Olney. Unit.#2 was traveling North bound on Rt. 130 at Butler St. Unit #1 began to travel E/B across Rt. 130 on W. Butler pulling in front of unit #2. Unit #2 struck the passenger side of Unit #1. Unit #1 rolled onto its driver’s side. Both units came to a rest in the middle of the intersection.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
“OVER THERE” REMEMBRANCE DISPLAY AT WVC
As part of the Wabash Valley College spring musical production OVER THERE, a “Remembrance” board will be on display in the Brubeck Arts Center lobby. The “Remembrance” display will include photos and short family anecdotes from World War I. The musical, OVER THERE, is a centennial celebration of our troops in WWI. Anyone wishing to submit a short narrative or a photo of a family member who served or lived during WWI for the display can leave those items at the WVC Bauer Media Center. Archival family photos will be digitally scanned and then returned. Digital prints will be made of the photos for the “Remembrance” display. Please submit photos and narratives by Wednesday, March 14. OVER THERE opens on Thursday night, March 15 at 7:30 and runs Friday and Saturday nights. A final matinee performance will be at 1:30 on Sunday, March 18.
MCES 3rd Quarter Perfect Attendance-Kindergarten
MCES celebrated 3rd quarter perfect attendance today. Perfect attendance is given when a student has not missed any days, not been tardy and has not had to leave early. So happy these students were able to reach that goal from January 3 - March 9.
Kindergarten: 1st Row: Ezekiel Baumgart, Caden Christie, Cara Dill, Matalei Greer and Mrs. Nancy Vargo. 2nd Row: Andrew Hagerty, Annie Hagerty, Jager Hammond, Jackson McCleave, and Landen McCoy. 3rd Row: Brittany Moore, Kalin Perry, Henry Reed, Colton Smith, Edith Mae Sutton and Morrison Taylor
Work Expected To Start Soon On Villas Of Holly Brook
Work should begin soon on the new Villas of Holly Brook facility on Mt. Carmel’s west side. Just before Christmas, Mayor Bill Hudson said Unique Homes, based in Charleston would build a multi-million-dollar facility west of the Super 8 on outer West 9th Street. At Monday’s City Council meeting, Hudson said ground should be broken soon on the facility…
City Clerk Rudy Witsman said the plat could be finalized by the council in a couple of weeks with construction starting soon after. The Villas of Holly Brook is expected to employ 45 full time and 25-part time employees.
Future of Mt. Carmel's Water Supply Coming Soon
As the Mt. Carmel City Council gets closer to making a decision on the future of its’ drinking water supply, water commissioner Justin Dulgar is urging the public to get more involved in the process.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, Dulgar said the city faces four options regarding the future of its’ drinking water…join the Wabash Valley Water Commission and buy the water; build a new water plant for $8 million, upgrade the existing facility for $5.5 million, or do nothing until forced to do so by the EPA. The Mt. Carmel water plant was built in the 1930’s and most recently upgraded in 1990 when the city switched from river water to well water.
Dulgar said a public hearing on the matter will be held next month and he hopes local residents become engaged in the decision making process.
No matter what direction the city decides to go, Dulgar said it would be 2023 before the new facility would be ready. And even when this problem is solved, Dulgar said the city still faces the problem of aging and crumbling water lines around town.
Oak Street Sidewalks May Result From Revolving Loan Funds
Installing new sidewalks along Oak Street from 3rd to 9th Streets could be one of the projects funded by the city’s former revolving loan fund. The state has done away with the revolving loan fund program and communities like Mt. Carmel now are able to use those funds for various projects.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, city clerk Rudy Witsman said there is currently $356,000 available in the fund. The city also has the option of buying out the remaining loans to bring the total to almost $400,000. No decisions have been made on how the money will be spent, but Witsman said one possibility is the sidewalk project that would make Oak Street safer for walkers and bicyclists.
Commissioners took Witsman’s proposal to purchase the outstanding loan balances under advisement.
Big Changes Coming To Ribberfest
Next month’s Wabash Ribberfest will have a decidedly different look from those in recent years. Gone is Ribberfest’s affiliation with the Kansas City Barbeque Society and in its’ place is an expanded backyard competition. Organizer Terry Beckerman told the city council last night that it’s hoped 28 backyard teams will fill the 300 and 400 blocks of Market Streets. Beckerman said while the big KCBS cooking teams will no longer be a part of Ribberfest, food vendors will still be plentiful for the April 27th and 28th event. Another offshoot of the scaled down festival is that Market Street won’t be closed until 11:00 Friday morning the 27th for setup. Despite the changes, the Kiwanis Cannonball Downhill Derby will still be a part of Ribberfest. The Wabash County Senior Citizens could be the biggest winner of Ribberfest weekend as Beckerman said $50 from each of the backyard competitor’s entry fees will be donated to the center. Coupled with other donations, Beckerman said Ribberfest has the potential to generate thousands of dollars for the senior center.
Wabash Ribberfest organizer Terry Beckerman updates the City Council on next month's event.
Guns and Hoses Brings In Over $1,600 For Senior Citizens Center
At Monday's City Council meeting, Fire Commissioner Rod Rodriguez presented Senior Citizens Commissioner Joe Judge with a check for $1,623 for the Wabash County Senior Citizens Center. The money comes from Sunday's Guns and Hoses basketball games.
Mayor Bill Hudson announced last night that the Rotary Club will have a pancake supper on Thursday, March 22nd from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the senior center to benefit the Senior Citizens Center.
