Relay for Life of Hamilton and Wayne County will hold a Relay for Life event at the Hamilton County Courthouse Square from 5 to 10 p.m. on June 4th. Fundraising tents and food booths will open at 5; live music will begin at 5:30; and the opening ceremony, survivor lap and caregiver lap will be at 6. Live music is again scheduled for 6:30, trivia with 4-H will begin at 7:30, and the final live music set will begin at 8. A Lumunaria Ceremony will close the scheduled events with a 9:00 start time. More information can be found at relayforlife.org/hamiltonIL
Fairfield Police arrested 36-year-old Iuka resident Renea M. Henson this morning. She was charged with driving suspended or revoked and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. Henson was taken to the Wayne County Jail and held, pending the setting and posting of bond.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department says a scam involving the sale of fake gold jewelry is circulating the area. A rural Centralia resident reported a man, who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, with a female passenger selling him gold jewelry for $600. The victim went to a jewelry store afterwards and found the item was a fake. He was told by employees several others have fallen for the same scam.
The Grayville City Council met this week. The council voted to increase pay for the city patrol officer according to fiscal year adjustments. Members heard no new report on the water filtration plant project, but they did authorize the purchase of four chairs and loungers for use at the pool. The council also voted to close a portion of Highway 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday for a Memorial Day parade.
The IDPH is warning the public about a Salmonella outbreak linked to JIF Peanut Butter. The CDC has confirmed 14 cases of Salmonella spanning 12 states, per IDPH spokesperson Mike Claffey. Several varieties of JIF Peanut Butter have been pulled. People can check the list of recall products at fda.gov for a list of codes falling under the recall. Any matching products should be thrown out.
The Fairfield City Council met last night. Aldermen approved a $1.8 million bid from Caldwell Tank, Inc., out of Louisville, Kentucky for a new water tower next to the million gallon storage tank on Northwest Seventh Street. Funding will come from a combination of TIF and city funding and a grant from then-Representative Darren Bailey. The City will likely need to finance about $700,000 of the project, per Alderman Tyler Lampley, and it may utilize a line of credit to do so. Payment would take one year and would have no impact on the general fund. The council heard several nominations for city positions. The nomination of former mayor Brent Maguire for Police Chief failed for lack of a motion. Most other appointments were unanimous, though three did have abstentions.
In his report at last night’s meeting, Mayor Mike Dreith gave a more detailed account of the 2020 Census. Per the Census, the median age of Fairfield residents is 42.7, and the average resident has a 20-minutes commute to work; 56 percent have at least two vehicles, and the average income is about $34,000 per person, with 8.4 percent below the poverty line. The largest employer was educational services at 26.9 percent, and the next highest was retail sales at 16.7 percent. 30 percent of respondents rent their residences. About 13 percent of adults did not have a high school diploma, and 11 percent had a bachelor’s degree.
The Illinois Fuel & Retail Association has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Revenue in Sangamon County Circuit Court. Retailers say a requirement to post signs alerting consumers about a six-month freeze in the state motor-fuel tax is unconstitutional, as it compels them to promote Governor J.B. Pritzker’s re-election campaign. Retailers who don’t post or maintain the signage announcing the freeze on every pump for the next six months could be fined $500 per day.
Volunteers are needed to help place flags in Maple Hill Cemetery for Memorial Day. Volunteers will meet today at 4 at the cemetery’s Veterans Section. Large flags will be placed around the Veterans Section, and individual flags will be placed by the graves of veterans. Anyone wanting to help with the flags is welcome. Memorial Day services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday.
The IDPH reported one new case of COVID-19 in Wayne, Wabash, and Hamilton counties yesterday. Marion County added four cases, Lawrence County added three, and Clay and Jefferson counties added two. Richland, Edwards, and White counties held steady on the state website. As a state, Illinois announced 3,988 new cases and nine additional deaths.
Farmers had some solid time to catch up on planting, according to the latest statewide weekly crop report, with bit over four-and-a-half days were suitable for fieldwork. 78 percent of corn had been planted, with 48 percent emerged, and 62 percent of soybeans had been planted. 71 percent of winter wheat had headed, and seven percent of the first cutting of alfalfa was complete. Average statewide topsoil moisture was rated at seven percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 23 percent surplus.
A number of issues continue to impact the trucking industry, per Don Schaefer with the Springfield-based Mid-West Truckers Association. He says worries about a recession, fuel prices, and equipment and driver shortages are causing an unsettling situation. Right now, he says, there are a lot of unknowns, and getting drivers is simply one more worry for employers. The association represents more than 4,000 members in 19 states.
River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 19.13 feet, above the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.93 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 19.11 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 2.67 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 13.98 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 12.93 feet.
Today’s crude oil price is $102.75, down $0.50 from yesterday. The July crude oil price is $110.86, up $1.15 from yesterday morning.