Eight Cars of Norfolk-Southern Freight Train Derails in Mt. Vernon

Mt. Vernon Fire officials say eight cars of a Norfolk-Southern freight train derailed Sunday morning.

The derailment is in the area of Liberty Road and Rackaway near Mt. Vernon Township High School. Mt. Vernon Police say one of the derailed cars was releasing ethanol. They report there have been no evacuations or injuries reported. The derailment has closed off Liberty Road at the dog pound and Perkins at Shawnee. Mt. Vernon Police are asking everyone to stay out of the area to prevent interference with Fire Department operatons.

The Mt. Vernon Fire Department's hazardous materials team is on the scene handling clean-up. The detailment was first reported at 6:25 Sunday morning. Watch for further updates.

Mount Vernon to vote on Home Rule

MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon voters will decide whether Home Rule has run its course with a referendum on the November ballot.

A question on the ballot will ask if voters want to “return the power to raise local taxes only by a vote from the people approving said tax” and revoke the city’s Home Rule powers.

The question appears on the ballot after a group of citizens presented the city with a petition signed by more than 1,000 registered voters asking that the issue be placed on the ballot.

The city’s voters approved Home Rule authority in 1986, giving the city council certain powers, including the ability to impose specific taxes without consent of citizens.

That lack of consent is what stirred the group to bring the issue back to the voting public, who they say did not know they would lose the right to vote on tax increases when they approved Home Rule 26 years ago.

Home Rule “takes away the rights of voters to vote on taxes. We’re just being told our taxes will go up, not asked,” Steven Casper Sr., who helped organize the petition drive, said previously. “We want to return the right to raise local taxes back to the citizens.”

Backers of Home Rule, who have started a Keep Home Rule — Vote No initiative, argue the powers give the city more local control and money to pay for improvements.

More than 60 percent of the revenue collected through the city’s Home Rule taxes comes from people who live outside Mount Vernon, according to information provided by the Home Rule boosters.

Home Rule powers also give the city a powerful economic tool, Mount Vernon City Manager Ron Neibert said.

Getting rid of Home Rule “would have a very negative impact on the city’s ability to bring in new business and industry,” he said.

The Keep Home Rule initiative is hosting an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Rolland W. Lewis Community Building in Mount Vernon. The public is invited to attend.  http://goo.gl/hUHXN

Meet The Spy Who Inspired The Creation Of James Bond

One of Britain’s greatest spies of the Second World War, a secret agent who went by the code name White Rabbit, has been identified as the inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

He’s the dashing secret agent who surrounded himself with women, ruthlessly despatched his enemies and had a series of swashbuckling adventures.

It is not James Bond but a real Second World War hero who has now been identified as the inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s fictional creation.

A new biography of Wing Commander Forest “Tommy” Yeo-Thomas, one of Britain’s greatest secret agents of the war, claims the writer based the character of 007 on the spy and recreated many of his real life experiences in his novels.

Yeo-Thomas, who was known by the code name White Rabbit, was parachuted into occupied France three times – after one mission reporting back directly to Winston Churchill – before being captured and tortured by the Gestapo.

He was taken to Buchenwald concentration camp but managed to escape and reach the Allied lines.

His link to Bond is revealed in a document discovered at the National Archives, in west London, by historian Sophie Jackson during her research into a new account of Yeo-Thomas’ exploits, Churchill’s White Rabbit: The True Story of a Real-Life James Bond.

In a dossier of recently declassified documents, she found a memo from May 1945 in which Fleming, who also worked in intelligence during the war, briefs colleagues on the agent and his successful escape from the Nazis.

The two men worked in different units – Yeo-Thomas for the Special Operations Executive and Fleming in the Naval Intelligence Division – and this is the first time a connection has been established between them.

Miss Jackson, a former editor of History Magazine, said that the link – along with remarkable similarities in the characters of Yeo-Thomas and Bond, as well as echoes between the escapades of the real life and fictional spy – supports the idea that Fleming based his character on the agent.

“It shows that Fleming was interested in the case of Yeo-Thomas and had been following it,” she added. “Fleming picked up the story and was interested in it.

"On top of that, there are other significant parallels between Yeo-Thomas and Bond, in their personal life, their relationships with women and attitudes towards women and the way Yeo-Thomas acted as a secret agent. He acts in a way we think of fictional spies acting.

“Some of the sequences that Yeo-Thomas went through are things which are then portrayed in James Bond. And these were experiences that Fleming knew about.”

Yeo-Thomas becomes the latest in a long line of suggested inspirations for the character of Bond, including other intelligence officers of the period: Conrad O’Brien-ffrench, Patrick Dalzel-Job and Bill “Biffy” Dunderdale, Fleming’s brother, Peter, and even the author himself.

In support of her theory, Miss Jackson has detected several parallels between Yeo-Thomas’ war record and sequences in Fleming’s novels.

The most striking is the experience of the agent at the hands of the Gestapo, which was recreated in a scene from the first Bond novel, Casino Royale – as well as the more recent film of the same name – in which the fictional spy is tortured using the same techniques.

On an earlier mission, on a train containing lots of Germans, Yeo-Thomas had found himself having tea with Klaus Barbie, a notorious Nazi known as the “Butcher of Lyon”.

Taking the last seat in the dining car of the Lyon to Paris express, the agent realised he was sitting next to the notorious local chief of the Gestapo.

The Nazis were on the lookout for Yeo-Thomas at the time, but the agent, who was fluent in French, engaged Barbie in conversation and pretended that he was a supporter of the German occupation.

At the end of the meal he was uncertain whether the German had twigged who he was. But he managed to get away safely when the train reached Paris.

The encounter has echoes of a scene from the novel, From Russia, With Love, in which the Bond is on the Orient Express, and has dinner with an enemy agent, who is pretending to be an ally.

On another occasion, Yeo-Thomas adopted the identity of another man to evade detection, a tactic used by Bond in Diamonds Are Forever and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Indeed, several of the techniques used by Yeo-Thomas to repeatedly escape or evade his enemies – at various times, by hiding in a hearse, jumping from a train, strangling a guard or adopting disguises – echo tactics later used by Bond.

And like the licensed to kill 007, Yeo-Thomas always carried a weapon – even though it was contrary to SOE policy. He was also prepared to use it.

On one occasion, he was unable to shake off an enemy agent pursuing him through the streets of Paris. So he lured him to a bridge and hid in the shadows. When his pursuer arrived, Yeo-Thomas pounced on him and shot him at very close range, before tossing his body in the river.

He could also kill with his bare hands. In 1920, after volunteering to serve with the Polish army against the Soviets, he escaped from a Russian prison by strangling a guard.

Miss Jackson also believes the actual character of Bond was based on traits Fleming must have observed in Yeo-Thomas. The real spy was, like the his fictional counterpart, charming and attractive to women and was also surrounded by them – the main members of his personal cell were all female.

He was dashing, having worked at a French fashion house before the war, and had a tangled love life. He never officially married his partner, Barbara, who he met during the war – although she changed her name to his – because he was unable to obtain a divorce from his estranged wife, Lillian, who was living in occupied France.

After the war, Yeo-Thomas succumbed to recurring nightmares and illness, attributed to his wartime experiences. In this, he appears closer to the “darker” and more “psychologically troubled” Bond of the Fleming novels than the more light hearted depictions of the later films. He died in 1964, at the age of 62.

People wanted me very badly to run for president at this year's elections. I was the leader in the polls, but I'm friendly with Romney and I have businesses to take care of. The Apprentice enters its 13th season this year. I will continue to provide a great many jobs, which is one thing my country needs. The other is a leader who knows business, and that is Romney.

I have an ongoing spat with Obama – obviously. I don't think he's doing a good job with the economy. There's nothing personal. We have our little ins and outs and of course there was his recent speech about me [Obama was very funny about Trump at the Washington State Dinner]. That was nice. I mean, it was good. I laughed.

I like to think big and that results in large, loud, spectacular things: casinos, hotels, golf resorts. I've loved sky scrapers since I built them with blocks as a kid. But there is a common denominator: elegance. A highly respected critic for the New York Times said I was "the only beauty freak at large in NYC real estate development". He called the Trump World Tower "a handsome hunk", which it is.

There's a tremendous pressure in business and few people can handle it. I've seen a lot of people fail and I can only think that [the ability to cope] is something you have within, a natural ingredient you're born with.

My father had a four-step formula for success, which accounts for my reputation for getting things done: "Get in, get it done, get it done right, get out."

I think I like Prince Harry. He's young and rebellious and I don't think people should hold that against him. I think the security didn't do a good job, frankly.

I never went bankrupt. I fought my way through a bad situation [Trump was $900m in the red in the early 90s] and now my company is worth more than $8bn, bigger and stronger than it's ever been. There's good debt and bad debt; it can be a form of leverage if you know how to work it.

To me, religion is comprehensive. It makes you think about the wider picture. My faith [Trump is Presbyterian] keeps me humble, while striving for great things.

My parents had a good model for marriage. They were together 61 years. My mother was from Stornoway but they met on holiday in New York and it was very romantic.

I support the person in politics, not the party. You've got to go for the champion, not the team..

The problem with Alex Salmond is that he wants to destroy Scotland with his ridiculous windmills that's he's littering the countryside with. I've just opened a golf resort in Aberdeen so I let him know. But everybody knows he's a disaster.

Donald Trump is speaking at the National Achievers Congress, 5-7 October, London ExCel

Germany's Wind Power Chaos Should Be A Warning To Everyone

Germany has gone further down the 'renewables' path than any country in the world, and now it's paying the price,

On Friday, September 14, just before 10am, Britain’s 3,500 wind turbines broke all records by briefly supplying just over four gigawatts (GW) of electricity to the national grid. Three hours later, in Germany, that country’s 23,000 wind turbines and millions of solar panels similarly achieved an unprecedented output of 31GW. But the responses to these events in the two countries could not have been in starker contrast.

In Britain, the wind industry proclaimed a triumph. Maria McCaffery, the CEO of RenewableUK, crowed that “this record high shows that wind energy is providing a reliable, secure supply of electricity to an ever-growing number of British homes and businesses” and that “this bountiful free resource will help drive down energy bills”. But in Germany, the news was greeted with dismay, for reasons which merit serious attention here in Britain.

Germany is way ahead of us on the very path our politicians want us to follow – and the problems it has encountered as a result are big news there. In fact, Germany is being horribly caught out by precisely the same delusion about renewable energy that our own politicians have fallen for. Like all enthusiasts for “free, clean, renewable electricity”, they overlook the fatal implications of the fact that wind speeds and sunlight constantly vary. They are taken in by the wind industry’s trick of vastly exaggerating the usefulness of wind farms by talking in terms of their “capacity”, hiding the fact that their actual output will waver between 100 per cent of capacity and zero. In Britain it averages around 25 per cent; in Germany it is lower, just 17 per cent.

The more a country depends on such sources of energy, the more there will arise – as Germany is discovering – two massive technical problems. One is that it becomes incredibly difficult to maintain a consistent supply of power to the grid, when that wildly fluctuating renewable output has to be balanced by input from conventional power stations. The other is that, to keep that back-up constantly available can require fossil-fuel power plants to run much of the time very inefficiently and expensively (incidentally chucking out so much more “carbon” than normal that it negates any supposed CO2 savings from the wind).

Both these problems have come home to roost in Germany in a big way, because it has gone more aggressively down the renewables route than any other country in the world. Having poured hundreds of billions of euros in subsidies into wind and solar power, making its electricity bills almost the highest in Europe, the picture that Germany presents is, on paper, almost everything the most rabid greenie could want. Last year, its wind turbines already had 29GW of capacity, equivalent to a quarter of Germany’s average electricity demand. But because these turbines are even less efficient than our own, their actual output averaged only 5GW, and most of the rest had to come from grown-up power stations, ready to supply up to 29GW at any time and then switch off as the wind picked up again.

Now the problem for the German grid has become even worse. Thanks to a flood of subsidies unleashed by Angela Merkel’s government, renewable capacity has risen still further (solar, for instance, by 43 per cent). This makes it so difficult to keep the grid balanced that it is permanently at risk of power failures. (When the power to one Hamburg aluminium factory failed recently, for only a fraction of a second, it shut down the plant, causing serious damage.) Energy-intensive industries are having to install their own generators, or are looking to leave Germany altogether.

In fact, a mighty battle is now developing in Germany between green fantasists and practical realists. Because renewable energy must by law have priority in supplying the grid, the owners of conventional power stations, finding they have to run plants unprofitably, are so angry that they are threatening to close many of them down. The government response, astonishingly, has been to propose a new law forcing them to continue running their plants at a loss.

Meanwhile, firms such as RWE and E.on are going flat out to build 16 new coal-fired and 15 new gas-fired power stations by 2020, with a combined output equivalent to some 38 per cent of Germany’s electricity needs. None of these will be required to have “carbon capture and storage” (CCS), which is just an empty pipedream. This makes nonsense of any pretence that Germany will meet its EU target for reducing CO2 emissions (and Mrs Merkel’s equally fanciful goal of producing 35 per cent of electricity from renewables).

In brief, Germany’s renewables drive is turning out to be a disaster. This should particularly concern us because our Government, with its plan to build 30,000 turbines, to meet our EU target of sourcing 32 per cent of our electricity from renewables by 2020, is hell-bent on the same path. But our own “big six” electricity companies, including RWE and E.on, are told that they cannot build any replacements for our coal-fired stations (many soon to be closed under EU rules) which last week were supplying more than 40 per cent of our power – unless they are fitted with that make-believe CCS. A similar threat hangs over plans to build new gas-fired plants of the type that will be essential to provide up to 100 per cent back-up for those useless windmills.

Everything about the battle now raging in Germany applies equally to us here in Britain – except that we have only fantasists such as Ed Davey in charge of our energy policy. Unless the realists stage a counter-coup very fast, we are in deep trouble.

Only warmists could pass this A-level

While Michael Gove tries valiantly to remedy our dysfunctional exam system he might take a look at some recent papers, such as that set last June for A-level General Studies students by our leading exam body, AQA. Candidates were asked to discuss 11 pages of “source material” on the subject of climate change. Sources ranged from a report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to The Guardian, all shamelessly promoting global warming alarmism. One document from the Met Office solemnly predicted that “even if global temperatures only rise by 2 degrees C, 30-40 per cent of species could face extinction”. A graph from the US Environmental Protection Agency showed temperatures having soared in the past 100 years by 1.4 degrees – exactly twice the generally accepted figure.

The only hint that anyone might question such beliefs was an article by Louise Gray from The Daily Telegraph, which quoted that tireless campaigner for the warmist cause, Bob Ward of the Grantham Institute, dismissing all sceptics as “a remnant group of dinosaurs” who “misunderstood the point of science”.

If it were still a purpose of education to teach people to examine evidence and think rationally, any bright A-level candidate might have had a field day, showing how all this “source material” was no more than vacuous, one-sided propaganda. But today one fears they would have been marked down so severely for not coming up with the desired answers that they would have been among the tiny handful of candidates given an unequivocal “fail”.

Indie Games Uprising III!

Welcome to the Indie Games Uprising III! Our goal is to promote Xbox Live Indie Games in the best light possible by showcasing the diversity, talent, and potential of the platform as a whole. As a community, we've picked what is believed to be some of the titles which best represent our platform. In the coming weeks they will be released to the public for you to enjoy just as we have. Be sure to try some of the other outstanding games available within the Indie catalog, and remember: this is a community driven experience and it relies heavily on you and your support. If you like what you see, rate the title accordingly and spread the good word!  Indie Games Uprising III!

XBLIG Indie Games Uprising III begins in September

Xbox Live Indie Games third annual summer promotion, Indie Games Uprising III, will begin this year on September 10 and run through September 20. During this period, Indie Games Uprising will launch one of nine hand-picked indie game every day of the work week, each meant to reflect the best of the best being created by the Xbox Live Indie Games development community. The full list of Uprising games and developers is as follows:

-- DieHard Dungeon, Tricktale
-- City Tuesday, Chris Zukowski
-- Gateways, Smudged Cat
-- Pixel, Ratchet Game Studios
-- Sententia, Michael Hicks
-- Smooth Operators: Call Center Chaos, Andreas Heydeck
-- XenoMiner, Gristmill Studios
-- Entropy, Autotivity
-- Qrth-Phyl, Hermitgames

DieHard Dungeon is a roguelike, City Tuesday is about gathering bombs before a city blows up,Gateways is a 2D take on Portal, Pixel is a first-person puzzle game, Sententia is a game about the impact of aging on imagination and creativity, Smooth Operators: Call Center Chaos is a strategy sim, XenoMiner is a sandbox game, Entropy is a 3D puzzle game, and Qrth-Phyl is a take on classic arcade maze games. You can see footage from each of the nine games in the official Indie Games Uprising III trailer, embedded above. For more on the Xbox's diverse indie game selection, check out our regular Indieverse column.

SOURCE: Indie Games Uprising III

Disney XD's Pair of Kings Set For June 18 Return With New Cast Member Adam Hicks

There's a shake-up coming on the island of Kinkow when the third season of the Disney XD comedy series Pair of Kings begins next month. There's still a pair goofy, goodhearted teenagers haplessly ruling the mysterious island, but with a....

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Jefferson County Daily Record - August 1, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department Thefts

A Kmart shopper told police someone stole her wallet while she was in the bathroom at 7:07 p.m. Monday.

Police responded to a report of an internal theft at the TA Truck Stop at 11:28 a.m. Monday.

A Goodwill employee told police someone stole donations meant for the store at 2:49 p.m. Monday.
Incidents

Police responded to a report that a car was struck with eggs while it was parked at the intersection of 12th Street and Veterans Memorial Drive at 12:41 a.m. Tuesday.

A representative of Rapp Construction told police someone broke into a company trailer at the intersection of Shawnee Street and East Last Street at 8:37 a.m. Monday.
Monday at 11:51 a.m., a resident in the 1000 block of South 21st Street told police someone broke the windows out of a car parked on the property.

Police responded to a report that a woman was attempting to steal the water heater of a residence in the 900 block of Wescott Street at 2:29 p.m. Monday.

A resident in the 1500 block of Sunset Street told police at 4:14 p.m. Monday that his truck was damaged overnight.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Arrests

James W. Carter, 46, of the 16500 block of Salem Church Road, was arrested Monday at 7:39 p.m. on a charge of domestic battery/bodily harm.

Brian D. Cushman Jr., 31, of Mt. Sterling, was arrested Monday at 9:16 p.m. on an in-state warrant. Cushman was released.
Incidents

Police responded to a report at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday that people broke into Waltonville High School at 10:15 p.m. Sunday and damaged the refinished gym floor.

Illinois State Police Arrests

Bruce C. Maxwell, 57, of the 100 block of Hemlock Court, was arrested Monday at 1:22 p.m. on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Maxwell was released.  http://goo.gl/W4sIl

Two Jefferson County Sheriff’s Vehicles Damaged

MT. VERNON — Two Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office vehicles were damaged in separate accidents Monday.

The first involved the squad vehicle of JCSO Maj. W. Martin Schwartz. At about 12:44 a.m. Monday, Schwartz used his police radio to report his squad had caught on fire. Schwartz used his vehicle fire extinguisher to fight the engine fire, but it was too large a fire for the extinguisher.

“I got on the radio and I said, ‘I can’t get this thing out,’” he said. “The siding on the house started melting, and I said, ‘The house is gonna go up.’”

Schwartz said he had gone to his home, in the 100 block of Sarasota Trail, for lunch and to let his dogs out.

“I smelled smoke, and when I checked out the front door, I could see my squad was in flames,” he said.

He parked the squad vehicle outside of the garage, but close enough to the house that when the engine caught fire, the fire damaged the siding and paint on the side of the house.

There had never been any problems with the vehicle before, Schwartz said.

Jefferson Fire Protection District Chief Mike Huntman said the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

The second incident occurred at about 4 p.m. Monday near Subway on 10th Street.

JCSO Deputy Jeremy Wilton’s squad car was struck by a driver of a two-door passenger vehicle in front of Subway. Wilton was transporting a detainee, who was checked and later released back into custody, said Sheriff Roger Mulch.

Wilton was transported by Litton Ambulance to a local hospital with shoulder and neck pain.

Mulch said there is $3,000 to $5,000 of damage to Wilton’s squad car, including a broken left front wheel and denting on the same side.

“It’s been a bad, bad Monday,” Mulch said. “Both (incidents) were, as far as we know — they couldn’t be prevented... It’s an unfortunate day for us, but it’s part of the risk for the job.”  http://goo.gl/ux7T2

Chicago shootings kill 2, wound 7 overnight

CHICAGO — Shootings overnight in Chicago killed two men and wounded seven others, including two teenage boys.

The city's police department is grappling with gang violence that routinely spikes over the weekends.

In one of the shootings early Saturday, police found two men shot multiple times in a vehicle on the far southwest side. One of the men was killed and the other critically wounded.

Also on the South Side, a 19-year-old man was shot in the chest at his home. He was found dead at the scene.

Police on Saturday announced the arrests of 39 people and the seizure of weapons, drugs and vehicles over the last week in areas with heavy gang activity. The operation targeted drug markets, including one taking in more than $2.3 million a year.  http://bit.ly/LIETw7

Mt. Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Arrest Record — June 27, 2012

    Keith M. Kopack, 36, of Merillville, Ind., was arrested Monday at 11:16 a.m. on charges of violation of bail bond and possession of a stolen vehicle. Bond was set at $11,500.
    Daniel O. Smith, 43, of Belle Rive, was arrested Monday at 11:53 a.m. on two in-state warrants. Bond was set at $1,500 and Smith was released.
Lashawn D. Golliday, 40, of the 300 block of South 15th Street, was arrested Monday at 2:19 p.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $3,000.
    Donna D. Fisher, 55, of the 700 block of South 18th Street, was arrested Monday at 2:51 p.m. on a charge of retail theft.
    Anthony M. White Jr., 34, of the 800 block of North 12th Street, was arrested Monday at 3:41 p.m. on a charge of burglary. Bond was set at $75,000.
    Nellie M. Ratliff, 40, of the 2800 block of College Street, was arrested Monday at 7:25 p.m. Monday on a charge of retail theft. Bond was set at $1,500 and Ratliff was released.
    Travis L. Deloch, 20, of the 800 block of South 23rd Street, was arrested Monday at 9:26 p.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $5,000.
    Shaun M. Thompson, 42, of Opdyke, was arrested Monday at 10:04 p.m. on charges of possession of cannabis, criminal trespass to state land and resisting a peace officer. Bond was set at $1,000 and Thompson was released.
    Vincent P. Rush, 26, of the 500 block of South 17th Street, was arrested Tuesday at 4:39 a.m. on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $1,000 and Rush was released.
Matthew B. Smith, 25, of the 200 block of South Second Street, was arrested Tuesday at 1:13 a.m. on a charge of burglary. Bond was set at $50,000.  full story

Mount Vernon hospital construction nearing completion

 

MOUNT VERNON — The new Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mount Vernon is nearing completion.

Construction on the $237 million medical campus is more than 75 percent finished, with construction costs of $139.2 million spent so far on the state-of-the-art facilities.

“Building a new medical campus like Good Samaritan Regional Health Center is a huge undertaking,” the center’s president, Mike Warren, said. “With new facilities, amenities, technology, and services, it’s hard to imagine all the changes. However, with construction now more than 75 percent complete, the reality of the new facility is coming into focus.”

The hospital will feature all-private patient rooms with private bathrooms, flat-screen televisions and overnight accommodations for family members or loved ones.

An average of 150 tradesmen and women are on site each working day, about 400 a day during peak construction of the 359,000 square-foot hospital. A medical office building of more than 141,000 square feet is also under construction.

Brandon Bullard, executive director of Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, said the community is excited about the project.

“Good Samaritan is one of our anchor partners in the community. It is hugely important, not just because of the size of it, but because it will make Mount Vernon and Jefferson County a regional hub for health care, along with Crossroads Community Hospital,” he said.

The medical campus is expected to be completed in time for a January dedication. full story

5,500 guns turned in during Chicago event

  CHICAGO — More than 5,500 weapons were turned in during Chicago's annual buy-back event at city churches.

Those turning in a gun received a $100 gift card and no questions asked. Those who brought in replica or BB guns received $10 gift cards.

The event on Saturday was held at about two dozen churches. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that ( http://bit.ly/MGVqjV) reports that so many firearms were turned in that police ran out of gift cards and told people to come back the following weekend to get their cards.

Authorities have touted previous events as a good way to get deadly weapons off the streets.

In 2007, police collected more than 6,700 weapons.  full story

'Dancing Planets' Share Closest Orbits in Solar System

   watch video

It’s the latest discovery from NASA’s Kepler mission to find planets of habitable life. Sorry, we’re not moving anytime soon, but researchers at the University of Washington and Harvard University found what they are calling a planetary “tug of war.” Here’s Red Orbit.

This adapted image uses Neptune to reflect the image of how the new gaseous planet, 36c, would orbit the rocky-surfaced 36b planet, which is shown from the point of view of the Seattle skyline. They are the closest orbiting planets in our solar system.

Both planets orbit a star nearly 1,200 light years away in the Cygnus constellation. The Space Daily reports, it’s there that researchers believe an anomaly is occurring.

“The discovery of the Kepler-36 planetary system...is an example of planets breaking with the planetary pattern of our solar system: rocky planets orbiting close to the sun and gas giants orbiting farther away.”

Here’s a thought, they’re the closest planets in the solar system, their orbits are only 10 percent different and both planets formed with comparable masses at their birth. So, why aren’t their compositions the same and are they at risk of running into each other? The Register reports...

“Despite the tug-of-war, the planets are in no danger of colliding because of the timing of their orbits...Although the planets' densities differ by a factor of eight...which makes it difficult to explain the differences in composition using current models of planet formation; usually the type of stuff on a planet depends on how close it is to its star.”

But let’s talk about the big blue marble in the room--could either planet sustain life? The Christian Science Monitor reports...

“Life is highly unlikely on these orbs. They are so close to their host star (Kepler 36) – that temperatures hover between 1,200 and 1,300 degrees F...Like the sun's end-of-life sequence, Kepler-36's fiery atmosphere will expand much farther into space than it does now, engulfing the odd couple.”

Since the launch of the first Kepler observatory to seek out planetary life in 2009, the Kepler mission has confirmed 74 planets out of more than 2300 planet “candidates.” 

New York Times Seeking Tech-Savvy CEO?

The Gray Lady is looking to put a techie in its top spot, according to Bloomberg.

Here’s more on The New York Times’ search for a new chief executive.

“It has a big want ad. Apparently it’s looking for a tech-savvy CEO. … the company is hoping to reverse its six-year sales slump.”
On the short list — former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Akamai chief Paul Sagan.
A writer for Business Insider questions whether the Times knows what business it’s in.
“ … apparently because the NYT regards its future as "digital" and these two executives are from the ‘digital’ industry. Now, Eric and Paul are also two smart, excellent, butt-kicking chief executives, and if the NYT is just looking for a ‘capable CEO who understands the Internet,’ the NYT could certainly do worse.”
Other outlets report someone else is in talks for the Times’ number-one job — outgoing BBC chief, Mark Thompson. New York Magazine writes Thompson …
“ … has some experience as a new boss replacing a predecessor who was abruptly shown the door. He became BBC director general after Greg Dyke … was ousted because of a politically loaded scandal over the BBC's reporting on the lead-up to the Iraq War. That could come in handy.”
The Chicago Tribune points out a potential drawback for the talented chief exec …
“Cerebral and well read, with a background in BBC journalism, Thompson is not a born communicator and has sometimes struggled to get his message across, both to staff and to U.K. opinion formers.”
Thompson isn’t touted as one of the top tech-savvy candidates for the job. But a writer for Forbes says Hearst Magazines CEO David Carey could be.
“Hearst, though not a public company, is one of the more aggressive innovators among the big publishers when it comes to digital and mobile media. [Carey is] also a former longtime publisher of The New Yorker … his seven-year tenure marked the magazine’s return to profitability after many years of losses.”

Victim No. 6: Violation and vindication

His heart pounded under his striped, maroon polo shirt as the one they call Alleged Victim No. 6 waited in a packed courtroom Friday night to hear the verdicts in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation case.

He is 25 now, lean and broad shouldered with short brown hair and big dark eyes. For years, he struggled with the fact that Sandusky, a local football hero, crossed the line with him in a locker room shower in 1998.

No. 6 was the only one of the accusers, the so-called "Sandusky 8," to come to court for the verdicts. He chewed gum with intensity, his jaws clenching and releasing as Sandusky, looking wan and bent in a brown sports jacket, lumbered into the courtroom shortly before 10 p.m.

The jurors took their seats, looking tired and sad. One woman appeared to be crying.

Mt.Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Record — June 22, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department Arrests

• Jeremy A. Terry, 26, of the 700 block of South 17th Street, was arrested Wednesday at 9:12 a.m. on a charge of domestic battery.
• Whittney L. Neal, 22, of the 700 block of Lamar Avenue, was arrested Wednesday at 4:20 p.m. on charges of identity theft and unlawful possession of a credit or debit card.
• Benjamin T. Dixon, 27, of the 1200 block of South 12th Street, was arrested Thursday at 12:06 a.m. on a charge of domestic battery.
• Owen D. Curtis II, 45, of Bluford, was arrested Thursday at 2:59 a.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Curtis was released.
• Christopher W. Cobb, 20, of the 400 block of Perkins Avenue, was arrested Thursday on a charge of criminal trespass to state land. Bond was set at $1,000.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Arrests

• Michael E. Joslin, 54, of the 16600 block of North Morrison Lane, was arrested Wednesday at 11:39 a.m. on a charge of probation violation. Bond was set at $5,000 and Joslin was released.

Thefts

• A resident in the 18700 block of North Windsong Lane told police someone stole their tools and toolbox at 9:44 a.m. Thursday.

Incidents

• A resident in the 6200 block of North Log Cabin Lane told police someone broke into the house at 7:39 p.m. Wednesday.
• Police responded to a report that a man broke down the door of a residence in the 1000 block of Tolle Road at 2:57 a.m. Thursday.

Illinois State Police

Arrests

• Gregory Yeker, 45, of Maryland Heights, Mo., was arrested Wednesday at 10:58 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Bond was set at $1,500 and Yeker was released.  full story

Mt.Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Record - June 21, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department
Thefts

• A resident in the 800 block of Oakland Avenue told police someone used his debit card to make purchases at 11:36 a.m. Tuesday.
• An employee at Steak & Shake told police two people left without paying at 1:51 p.m. Tuesday.
• Police responded to an unspecified report of forgery or fraud in the 800 block of Sassafras Lane at 2:04 p.m. Tuesday.
• A resident in the 800 block of South 23rd Street reported a forgery or fraud at 7:59 p.m. Tuesday.
• Wednesday at 12:52 a.m., police responded to a report of a stolen mobile phone in the 700 block of South 17th Street.

Incidents

• Police responded to a report of property damage in the 1300 block of Harlan Road at 5:21 a.m. Tuesday.
• An employee near the intersection of Fifth Street and Park Avenue told police someone broke into their company’s storage shed at 9:33 a.m. Tuesday.
• Tuesday at 10:25 a.m., a resident in the 1000 block of South Ninth Street reported unspecified property damage to the police.
• Police responded to a report of a burglary in the 1300 block of Harlan Road at 11:27 a.m. Tuesday.
• A resident in the 1000 block of South 20th Street reported a burglary of their residence at 12:39 p.m. Tuesday.
• Tuesday at 11:06 p.m., police responded to a report of an attempted burglary in the 400 block of South 15th Street.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
Thefts

• A resident in the 1200 block of North 11th Street told police someone stole tools at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Incidents

• Police responded to an unspecified report of forgery or fraud in the 1200 block of North 11th Street at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.    full story

Mt. Vernon Daily Record — June 15, 2012

MT. VERNON — Mt. Vernon Police Department

Thefts

• A participant in the Veterans Park day camp reported a bicycle stolen at 4:16 p.m. Wednesday.
• n Police responded to a report of an unspecified theft from a residence in the 600 block of South 15th Street at 1:35 p.m. Wednesday.
• Wednesday at 3:57 p.m., police responded to a report that someone drove off from a Circle K on Broadway without paying for $20 in fuel.

Incidents

• A resident in the 700 block of South 22nd Street told police someone broke a window in a nearby residence at 9:09 p.m. Wednesday.
• Thursday at 12:25 a.m., police responded to a report of the sound of gunshots in the 2000 block of Herbert Street.  full story

Mt.Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Record — June 9, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department
Arrests

• Amber R. Flippen, 21, of the 1000 block of South 21st Street, was arrested Wednesday at 3:16 p.m. on a charge of contempt of court. Flippen was released.
• Gail M. Atkinson, 61, of Rochester, Minn., was arrested Thursday 4:25 p.m. on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $1,000 and Atkinson was released.
• Robert G. Melvin Jr., 46, of Logan, was arrested Thursday at 8:05 p.m. on charges of domestic battery/bodily harm, aggravated battery in a public place, unlawful restraint and unlawful vehicular invasion.
• Demetrius D. Goss, 40, of the 400 block of South 15th Street, was arrested Friday at 4:07 a.m. on a charge of battery. Bond was set at $1,500.
• Justin L. Peak, 24, of Belle Rive, was arrested at 4:55 a.m. Friday on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Bond was set at $3,000.
• Shelby L. Hammond, 19, of Woodlawn, was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Bond was set at $1,500 and Hammond was released. 

Thefts

• A resident in the 500 block of North Seventh Street told police someone her car was stolen overnight at 6:58 a.m. Thursday.
• Employees at Quality Inn told police someone left without paying at 11:07 a.m. Thursday.
• Police responded to a report that someone used the bank account of a resident in the 1000 block of South 20th Street at 12 p.m. Thursday.
• A resident in the 500 block of North 27th Street told police someone stole a leaf blower at 1:31 p.m. Thursday.
• Thursday at 2:59 p.m., a resident in the 1700 block of Main Street told police someone stole her TV.

Incidents

• Police responded to a report of a battery in the 400 block of South 15th Street at 9:23 p.m. Thursday.
• Thursday at 9:02 p.m., police responded to a report of a fight between two coaches at Lincoln Park.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
Arrests

• Christopher T. Gehrig, 32, of the 1200 block of North 10th Street, was arrested Thursday at 5:47 p.m. on charges of driving with a suspended/revoked license and driving with a suspended/revoked suspension. Bond was set at $1,500 and Gehrig was released.
• Bryan L. Vonburg, 21, of the 700 block of South 18th Street, was arrested Thursday at 10:07 p.m. on a charge of direct criminal contempt.

Incidents

• Police responded to a report of criminal damage to property on Rural Route 1 in Bluford at 6:03 p.m. Thursday.
• Friday at 12:05 a.m., police responded to a report of unspecified damage in the 16900 block of East Liberty Road.
• A resident on Pisque Lane in Ashley told police someone damaged windows, pews and a piano at a church at 1:42 p.m. Friday. full story

Mt.Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Record - June 8, 2012

MT. VERNON — — Mt. Vernon Police Department Thefts

• Wednesday at 9:58 a.m., a resident of the 4100 block of Willow Springs told police someone broke into her car while it was parked in the area and took CDs and medications out of the car.

Incidents

• Police responded to a report at 7:46 p.m. Wednesday that people were riding bicycles on the tennis courts at Veterans Park.
• A resident in the 100 block of Aspen Drive told police someone slashed their tires at 9:25 p.m. Wednesday.
• Police responded to a report that a resident in the 1300 block of Salem Road was receiving phone calls making fraudulent claims at 12:17 p.m. Wednesday.
• An out-of-town caller told police at 3:13 p.m. Wednesday that someone put the power in her name at a residence in the 1400 block of White Avenue .
• Wednesday at 3:51 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of South 17th Street told police someone slammed her head into a counter.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Arrests

• Susan D. Mays, 27, of the 600 block of Kensington Avenue, was arrested Wednesday at 3:21 p.m. on a charge of probation violation. Bond was set at $2,500.

Thefts

• A resident in the 16600 block of East Base Line Road in Texico reported a burglary at 2:59 p.m. Thursday.

Incidents

• Police responded to a report that people were shooting into a pond near the 8400 block of Base Line Road at 8:31 p.m. Wednesday.
• A resident in the 800 block of West Fifth Street in Bluford told police there was a prowler in her yard at 12:18 p.m. Thursday.
• Police investigated a report of someone dumping oil in creek beds near Homestead Road in Dix at 10:15 a.m. Thursday.  full story

Times Square Mall sale announced

MT. VERNON — — The Times Square Mall has been sold to Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC, The Sansone Group and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group.
Mid-America Real Estate Corporation’s Investment Sales Group announced the recent sale of the Mt. Vernon shopping center. Ben Wineman of Mid-America Real Estate exclusively represented the seller, while both buyers represented themselves in the transaction. 
Kasia Yuska with Dodier and Company, representing Mid-America Real Estate of Oakbrook Terrace, said the price of the purchase was not disclosed.
Bruce Boruszak, executive vice president at Pine Tree Commercial Realty LLC, said he is excited about the opportunities for the mall, but that no changes would happen immediately.
“We are excited about Mt. Vernon, and we are excited about the property,” Boruszak said. “We will work to improve the property as the years go by.”
He said though the mall is owned by a different group of companies now, rents for its businesses will stay the same for the time being.
“All the businesses are operated pursuant to their individual leases,” he said. “They will stay the same, they are subject to their leases. With new ownership comes new ideas, so to speaks, but it’s not like we come in and change all the rents. That does not happen.”
Boruszak said Pine Tree Commercial Realty, based out of Northbrook, owns a number of commercial real estate properties, including another mall outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
He said the property in Cleveland was “de-malled,” and turned into three different shopping centers, but the company has no plans to do the same to Times Square Mall.
“We are excited,” he said about the sale. “We hope the future is bright for everyone.”
Times Square Mall is a 269,328-square-foot enclosed regional shopping center located at the southeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street in Mt. Vernon, a regional retail hub about 80 miles east of St. Louis.
Sears, JC Penney, Dunham Sports and Peebles anchor the center, which is further complemented by national retailers GNC, Maurices, Claire’s, Bath & Body Works, Glik’s, Shoe Sensation, Subway and Wendy’s. full story

Mt.Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Record - June 7, 2012

MT. VERNON - Mt. Vernon Police Department

Thefts

• Monday at 11:06 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of South 16th Street told police someone stole his air conditioning unit.
• Monday at 1 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of North 10th Street told police someone used their bank account information online.
• A resident in the 600 block of South 23rd Street told police there was fraudulent action on his bank account at 8:57 p.m. Monday.

Incidents

• Monday at 7:37 a.m., a resident in the 700 block of Lamar Avenue told police someone slashed her tires.
• Police responded to a report that a man was struck by another individual while he was at the Post Office at 12:57 p.m. Monday.
• A resident in the 300 block of Marteeny told police at 5:39 p.m. Monday someone shot their dog.
• Police responded to a report of an illegal burn in the 1100 block of South 25th Street at 7:01 p.m. Monday.
• Monday at 8:16 p.m., a resident in the 1100 block of South 23rd Street told police someone broke into their house.
• Police responded to a report of the sound of a gunshot near Veterans Park at 11:42 p.m. Monday.  full story

Mt.Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Arrest Record - June 2, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department Arrests

Roberta J. Stone, 39, of the 100 block of East Opdyke Avenue, was arrested Thursday at 7:08 a.m. on a charge of domestic battery/bodily harm. Bond was set at $3,000.

Christopher P. Kackowski, 23, of the 100 block of Grant Street, was arrested Thursday at 11:42 a.m. on charges of driving with a suspended license and aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $3,000.

Hank W. Warren, 26, of the 700 block of Salem Road, was arrested Thursday at 3:43 p.m. on a charge of retail theft. Bond was set at $1,500 and Warren was released.

Michael D. Simrell, 52, of the 300 block of South 44th Street, was arrested Friday at 12:43 a.m. on a charge of disorderly conduct. Bond was set at $1,000.

Albert W. Mahoney, 48, of Homosassa, Fla, was arrested Friday at 12:42 a.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $2,500.

Jesse R. England, 42, of the 300 block of Opdyke Avenue, was arrested Friday at 11:56 a.m. on a charge of domestic battery.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Arrests

Benjamin M. Smith, 30, of the 900 block of North Sixth Street, was arrested Thursday at 1:01 p.m. on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $5,000 and Smith was released. Full Story

Daily Arrest Record - June 1, 2012 Mt. Vernon/Jefferson County

Mt. Vernon Police Department Arrests

• James E. Johnston, 48, of the 2200 block of Casey Avenue, was arrested at 5:58 a.m. Wednesday on charges of bringing a controlled substance into a penal institution, possession of drug paraphernalia, manufacturing methamphetamine, methamphetamine precursor, possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials and possession of methamphetamine. Bond was set at $50,000.
• Michelle L. Fields, 37, of the 1300 block of South 24th Street, was arrested at 1:34 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $7,000 and Fields was released.
• Theodore R. Jefferson, 23, of the 1300 block of 10th Street, was arrested at 3:26 p.m. Wednesday on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $5,000 and Jefferson was released.
• Tracey L. Corhn, 27, of the 500 block of Short Street, was arrested at 4:38 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of disorderly conduct. • Travis L. Deloch, 19, of the 800 block of South 23rd Street, was arrested at 7:37 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Deloch was released.
• Timothy L. Boyd, 24, of the 600 block of South 18th Street, was arrested at 8:48 p.m. Wednesday on charges of domestic battery/bodily harm and possession of cannabis.
• Randal C. Hester, 41, of the 600 block of Main Street, was arrested at 12:50 a.m. Thursday on charges of domestic battery/bodily harm and assault.
• Edgar I. Merced, 25, of the 1200 block of South 25th Street, was arrested at 1:41 a.m. Thursday on a charge of residential burglary.
• O.J. Simmons II, 27, of the 700 block of Conger Street, was arrested at 4:01 a.m. Thursday on a charge of driving with a suspended license. Bond was set at $1,500.
• Angel M. Jackson, 18, of the 300 block of South 44th Street, was arrested at 4:37 a.m. Thursday on a charge of criminal trespass to state land. Bond was set at $1,000.
• Roberta J. Stone, 39, of the 100 block of East Opdyke Avenue, was arrested Thursday at 4:37 a.m. on a charge of domestic battery/bodily harm.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Arrests

• Philip G. Wilkerson, 29, of Benton, was arrested at 9:28 p.m. Wednesday on charges of driving with a suspended/revoked license and criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $2,500 and Wilkerson was released. - http://bit.ly/JRfB07

Daily Record - May 17, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department Arrests

Daniel B. Williams, 26, of the 600 block of South 19th Street, was arrested Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. on a charge of resisting a peace officer. Bond was set at $1,000.

Thefts

Tuesday at 11:31 a.m., an employee of a business in the 3200 block of Broadway told police an item had been rented and never returned.
Incidents

Police responded to a report of a battery in the 900 block of Wescott Street at 6:14 p.m. Tuesday.
A resident in the 900 block of South Sixth Street told police there were five people fighting at 8:07 p.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday at 11:52 p.m., police responded to a report of an attempted robbery in the 1000 block of South 20th Street.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Arrests

Aaron X. Collins, 21, of the 800 block of South 22nd Street, was arrested Tuesday at 3:37 p.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $75,000.

James B. Lockwood, 24, of the 14300 block of East Loyola Road, was arrested Tuesday at 7:27 p.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $40,000.

Charles L. Whipple, 41, of Woodlawn, was arrested Wednesday at 4:28 a.m. on charges of criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to a residence, aggravated battery of a peace officer, criminal damage to property and resisting/obstructing an officer.

Incidents

A resident in the 200 block of West James Street told police someone damaged items in her house at 8:55 p.m. Tuesday. Full Story

Mt. Vernon/Jefferson County Arrest Record - May 16, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department Arrests

    Tyson A. Carlos, 24, of the 1000 block of Southgate Drive, was arrested Friday at 3:57 p.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Carlos was released.
    Shannon L. Taylor, 33, of the 600 block of South 22nd Street, was arrested Saturday at 3:10 a.m. on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $5,000 and Taylor was released.
    Bryant M. Harris, 39, of the 1400 block of South 12th Street, was arrested Saturday at 4:38 a.m. on charges of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Bond was set at $10,000 and Harris was released.
    Jonathan M. Gresham, 21, of the 1400 block of South 34th Street, was arrested Saturday at 5:49 a.m. on charges of domestic battery and criminal damage to property. Bond was set at $3,000 and Gresham was released.
    Edward K. Taylor, 27, of the 2000 block of Herbert Street, was arrested Monday at 8:38 p.m. on charges of violation of bail bond.
    Shawn M. Montaleone, 29, of Ina, was arrested Tuesday at 1:26 a.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Montaleone was released.
    Brandan L. Hankins, 31, of the 500 block of Broadway, was arrested Tuesday at 2:10 a.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Hankins was released.
    Owen L. Buchanan, 37, of the 800 block of South 21st Street, was arrested Tuesday at 3:13 a.m. on a charge of domestic battery with physical contact.
    Etoria D. Bradley, 28, of Cahokia, was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended/revoked license and violation of bail bond.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Arrests

    Benjamine Stuckey, 22, of the 700 block of South 15th Street, was arrested Friday at 11:25 a.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $1,500 and Stuckey was released.
    Cody L. Hicks, 19, of Bluford, was arrested Friday at 2:07 p.m. on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $1,500 and Hicks was released.
    Brian W. Gregory Jr., 19, was arrested at 3:57 p.m. Friday on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $1,500 and Gregory was released.
    Laura M. Vailes, 33, of Broughton, was arrested Saturday at 1:29 p.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500.

Illinois State Police Arrests

    Cheryl L. Shultz, 37, of Dickeyville, was arrested Friday at 9:18 a.m. on an out-of-state warrant. Shultz was released. - Full Story

Mt. Vernon/Jefferson County Daily Record - May 15, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department

Arrests

• Lorie L. Sherman, 39, of the 1600 block of South 13th Street, was arrested Saturday at 4:49 p.m. on a charge of retail theft. Bond was set at $7,500.
• Tashira L. Deloch, 21, of the 800 block of South 21st Street, was arrested Sunday at 5:51 a.m. on charges of battery making physical contact, criminal trespass to a resident with a person present, and knowingly damaging property.
• John R. Moore, 41, of the 1100 block of South 22nd Street, was arrested Sunday at 10:07 p.m. on a charge of theft of labor, services or property.

Thefts

• Police responded to a report that a customer of United Taxi got out without paying near the 3300 block of Broadway at 5:35 p.m. Sunday.

Incidents

• A resident in the 200 block of Opdyke Avenue told police someone tried to break into her home at 4:03 p.m. Sunday.
• Sunday at 7:32 p.m., a resident in the 1300 block of Casey told police three young men were throwing rocks at him.
• Police responded to a report of four young people climbing the back of J.L. Buford Intermediate Center at 11:06 p.m. Sunday.
• An employee at the Hucks at 1801 S. 10th St. told police two people were fighting in a vehicle at 11:29 p.m. Sunday.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Arrests

• David Lambus, 19, of Ina, was arrested Saturday at 5:07 p.m. on charges of aggravated battery of a police officer, resisting or obstructing an officer and obstructing a peace officer.
• Renard M. Waters, 62, of Dix, was arrested Sunday at 9:06 p.m. on a charge of false report of an offense.
• Warren Reich, 55, of the 14500 block of North Old Centralia Lane, was arrested Sunday at 10:07 p.m. on a charge of aggravated driving under the influence with no valid driver’s license.

Incidents

• A resident in the 6200 block of East Dayton Drive in Woodlawn told police at 7:10 p.m. Friday that his neighbors were shooting off guns, and when he went and asked them to knock it off, they refused and one man shoved him.
• Saturday at 3:19 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of West Third Street in Ina told police someone broke the windows out of his shop.
• Police responded to a report that two rooms were ransacked in a residence in the 600 block of West South Avenue in Bluford at 9:50 a.m. Sunday.  - Full Story

Mt. Vernon Arrest Record - May 8, 2012

Mt. Vernon Police Department

• Jerold C. Ellis, 21, of the 2900 block of Brownsville Road, was arrested Friday at 3:36 a.m. on charges of violation of an order of protection and domestic battery. Bond was set at $6,500 and Ellis was released.
• Jesse R. Greenwood, 27, of the 200 block of Cottonwood Drive, was arrested Friday at 5:22 p.m. on a charge of violation of an order of protection. Bond was set at $3,000 and Greenwood was released.
• Johnny L. Webb Jr., 41, of the 1300 block of Harlan Road, was arrested Saturday at 6:29 p.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Webb was released.
• Marie E. Anderson-Hernandez, 19, of Salem, was arrested Saturday at 12:19 a.m. on a charge of retail theft.
• Amanda R. Ortiz, 22, of Olney, was arrested Saturday at 1:45 a.m. on an in-state warrant and a charge of probation violation. Bond was set at $1,500 and Ortiz was released.
• Joey R. Fairchild, 24, of the 1900 block of South Ninth Street, was arrested at 3:44 a.m. Saturday on a charge of disorderly conduct. Bond was set at $1,500 and Fairchild was released.
• Robert E. Coulson, 30, of the 2400 block of Casey Avenue, was arrested at 8:10 a.m. Saturday on a charge of disorderly conduct. Bond was set at $1,000 and Coulson was released.
• Tirita L. Pryor, 23, of the 1600 block of South 12th Street, was arrested Saturday at 7:37 p.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Pryor was released.
• Khirece D. Tucker, 20, of the 400 block of Forest Avenue, was arrested Sunday at 1:09 a.m. on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $3,000 and Tucker was released.
• Somer M. Lowry, 30, of Benton, was arrested Sunday at 3:40 a.m. on charges of resisting a peace officer, retail theft and aggravated battery of a police officer. Bond was set at $30,000.
• Matthew J. Anderson, 33, of Sparta, Mo., was arrested Sunday at 5:57 a.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond.
• Leslie A. Courtney, 25, of the 1000 block of George Street, was arrested Sunday at 3:13 p.m. on charges of aggravated battery of a peace officer and resisting/obstructing an officer. Bond was set at $50,000.
• Willie B. Wallace, 63, no address listed, was arrested Sunday at 5:49 p.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended license. Bond was set at $1,500.
• Montrell D. Williams, 18, of the 1000 block of South 25th Street, was arrested Sunday at 6:08 p.m. on a charge of theft. Bond was set at $1,000.
• Jerry A. England, 35, of the 300 block of South Second Street, was arrested Sunday at 9:01 p.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $1,000.
• John C. Benjamin, 24, of Dix, was arrested Monday on a charge of interfering with a report of domestic violence.
• Wanda M. Feggins, 49, of the 700 block of Conger Avenue, was arrested Monday at 1:40 a.m. on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $1,000.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

• Khayman G. Collins, 19, of the 100 block of Cottonwood, was arrested at 5:37 a.m. on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $1,000 and Collins was released.
• Codey R. Tate, 19, of the 19200 block of East Sandpiper Road, was arrested Saturday at 8:18 a.m. on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and consumption/possession of an intoxicating compound. Bond was set at $3,000 and Tate was released.
• Jennifer Y. Hernandez, 28, of the 700 block of South 22nd Street, was arrested Saturday at 6:23 p.m. on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $5,000 and Hernandez was released.

Illinois State Police

• Leigh Messamore, 20, of West Frankfort, was arrested Saturday at 4:45 a.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Messamore was released.
• Ladarrin E. Grayer, 22, no address listed, was arrested Sunday at 3:22 p.m. on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Bond was set at $1,500 and Grayer was released. Full Story

Indianapolis police: Boy 4, fatally stabbed

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis police say a 4-year-old boy who apparently suffered multiple stab wounds has died and his 14-year-old cousin was being questioned by detectives.

Police spokesman Kendale Adams said officers were called about 11 p.m. Saturday to an apartment, where they found the bleeding boy and he was rushed to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Adams said in a statement early Sunday that officers subsequently found the boy's 14-year-old female cousin, covered in blood, on a city street afterward. The statement said officers took the cousin to police headquarters for questioning. Police said they had made no immediate arrest, but the investigation was continuing.

Authorities say the victim and his 11-year-old sister were apparently at their grandparent's apartment at the time, but further details weren't released. - http://bit.ly/IQOKh7

Proposed I-64 interchange near O'Fallon is 'top priority' for region, planners say

A proposed interchange on Interstate 64 at Rieder Road is the top priority for the region and construction may begin as soon as 2014, according to project managers.

The $15.3 million interchange is part of an overall $59.1 million proposed project, which includes improvements to Interstate 64, Rieder Road from Scott Air Force Base to Highway 50 and Cardinal Creek gate at the base.

The interchange would mean significant changes for the area, including likely industrial development north of the interchange and east of the current city limits of O'Fallon.

Geri Boyer, co-owner of Kaskaskia Engineering Group in Belleville which is managing the project for St. Clair County, said progress on the project has gone surprisingly quickly --partly because similar studies had already been done on the area during the construction of nearby MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah.

Proponents of the project believe it will provide SAFB with direct access to the interstate, accommodate heavy traffic on nearby roads created by development west of the interchange, and be cheaper than redesigning the Illinois 158 interchange at an estimated cost of $50 million.

The Federal Highway Administration has already given its conditional approval for the construction of the interchange.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has earmarked $28.2 million of the cost through its Aeronautics Transportation Improvement Program and SAFB has budgeted $2.3 million for the gate's improvements. Approximately $28.6 million of the project remains unfunded.

In anticipation of potential development, the City of O'Fallon has placed 6,000 feet of water lines along Shiloh Valley Township Line Road just north of I-64 and east of the city. Another project placed 8,000 feet of water lines from the intersection of Shiloh Valley Township Line Road and Rieder Road to Highway 50.

O'Fallon leaders believe a host of industries could develop near the site, such as the transportation, logistics and technology industries -- utilizing those industries' experts already housed nearby at SAFB.

St. Clair County already owns much of the land south of the interchange, but land north of the proposal is within the O'Fallon facilities planning area and likely will be annexed into O'Fallon. - http://bit.ly/JetzGF

Madison County sees outbreak of whooping cough

An outbreak of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been reported in Madison County: 14 cases, with eight reported Friday and Monday alone.

Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection spread through coughing and sneezing. It is usually preventable through vaccination. However, Edwardsville District 7 officials informed parents Tuesday that one of the cases is a student at Lincoln Middle School, and that case is hardly a single incident.

"It's all over the county," said Debbie Knoll, personal health services manager for the Madison County Health Department. "There's no two (cases) in the same school or the same city."

Still, the outbreak does not necessarily mean the beginning of a massive number of cases. "Hopefully most kids are immunized against pertussis," Knoll said.

However, there were only 16 cases all of last year in Madison County, she said; 14 cases in one month is a matter of concern.

While most people are vaccinated for pertussis as young children, the vaccination requires booster shots that adults rarely receive and thus can spread the disease. Pertussis can lead to serious complications or even death, particularly in infants.

Knoll said the disease usually appears in the winter months, but there were only three cases in January and one in February for Madison County. No cases have reported in St. Clair County, according to health department spokeswoman Marilyn Vise.

Symptoms appear like a common cold -- runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a mild cough. But the cough worsens over a week or two, and then turns into what health officials describe as a "spasmodic burst of numerous, rapid coughs." There is a characteristic high-pitched "whoop" in patients' breathing after a coughing episode, which can be so violent that patients turn blue or vomit.

Melanie Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said pertussis "tends to be cyclical," meaning reported cases rise for a few years and then disappear again. The statewide numbers for April were not yet available.

Vaccinations should be given to infants at 2 months, 4, 6 and 15 months; and another dose at age 4-6. The vaccine usually is combined with the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines.

A new booster vaccination for adolescents and adults, called TDap, was developed in 2005 and is recommended for anyone with routine contact with infants. That includes senior citizens whose vaccinations may be decades out of date, and the CDC's advisory boards recommend any senior citizen who has contact with infants get the booster, Arnold said.

However, it is considered an "off-label" administration of the booster under FDA regulations, and thus senior citizens may have a hard time acquiring it from private physicians or getting private health insurance to pay for it.

St. Clair County Health Department does not do any adult vaccinations, Vise said. Madison County does provide adult vaccinations, including to those over age 65 -- especially during a pertussis outbreak two years ago, Knoll said.

"There was a big push in Illinois to vaccinate everyone," Knoll said. "We went through hundreds of doses, including older folks."

Edwardsville schools have sent more information home with Lincoln students and are encouraging parents who notice symptoms to report them to health care providers. - http://bit.ly/IDmIsv

School consolidation is a possibility

JEFFERSON COUNTY - The possibility of consolidation of schools is on the minds of educators both in the county and across the state.

While Dr. Nick Osborne is in the midst of conducting a consolidation study for Ina, Dodds, McClellan, Bethel and Opdyke-Belle Rive grade schools, the Classrooms First Commission recently released a set of draft recommendations intended to make it easier for school districts to consolidate.

Opdyke-Belle Rive Grade School Principal Debbie Blakey said she can see both advantages and disadvantages to consolidation of the lower-attendance schools in Jefferson County.

She said three to five years ago, the school saw a decrease in its enrollment, but it has been steady through the last few years.

The ability to offer music and art programs to grade school students is one of the possible advantages of consolidation, Blakey said.

"We don't have an instructor for those," she said. "If we had a larger population, we would have the funds for those types of services."

However, Blakey said transportation is likely to be a sticking point, especially if a suggested 50 percent slashing of the transportation fund by Gov. Pat Quinn is approved.

"There may be more costs involved that people don't see," she said. "If all five consolidate, teacher pay scales would go up to the highest of those five schools."  School consolidation is a possibility - http://bit.ly/Iyh87B

Motorcyclist injured in Thursday morning collision at Mt. Vernon

MT. VERNON — One person was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital after a car-vs.-motorcycle collision early Thursday.

Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident at 7:12 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of 44th and Broadway streets.

Eric Jiardina, 32, of Mt. Vernon, was traveling west bound in a car on Broadway, and turned in front of Timothy McCullough, 43, of Marion, who was riding a motorcycle.

McCullough was airlifted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis with extensive injuries. No other injuries were reported.  full story

Jiardina was cited for failure to yield to an oncoming vehicle.

Budget expenses below budgeted projection

MT. VERNON - Jefferson County's budget expenses are 3.7 percent below the budgeted projection, according to Jefferson County Board Chairman Robert White.

Income is .29 percent below projections as well, he said.

The county has received more than $350,000 since March 31, he said, but is still waiting to receive more than $1.2 million due from the state.

White said a large portion of the money received came after Sen. John O. Jones called on the behalf of the county after reading about its issues with Second Judicial Circuit probation reimbursements in local newspapers.

"It was not requested and was not known until he called to let me know that the payment is on the way," White said. "Jefferson County will be missing Senator Jones after the upcoming elections."

White said the county has stood its ground with the probation payroll agreement with Franklin County, which he said keeps Jefferson County from ever getting past three months in arrears.

"Whether the (Second) Judicial Circuit will supplement the extension of any amount over three months is up to them," White said. "We are firm in our resolve to maintain this arrangement and will mitigate these outstanding balances moving forward."

He said though standing firm on the payroll doesn't address the other line items in arrears from the state, but said he believes they will help moving forward.

Jefferson County Treasurer Dan Knox is holding the other 11 counties in the Second Judicial Circuit to a promise that they will not get "too far behind" in reimbursing Jefferson County for probation salaries.

"As a whole, we do not generally get over two months behind, however, there are a couple of counties that are not holding up to the agreement and we'll be monitoring them monthly as we move forward," White explained. - http://bit.ly/HZb5XM

Explosion, fireball reported in Nevada, California

RENO, Nev. -- Astronomers say a loud explosion heard across a large swath of Nevada and California on Sunday morning was likely caused by a meteor.

The sound of the explosion around 8 a.m. prompted a flood of calls to law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Sierra Nevada in the two states.

The explosion rattled windows and shook houses from Reno to Winnemucca in Nevada, and from the Sacramento to Bakersfield areas in California.

Some people in the two states reported seeing a fireball streak across the sky at the same time.

Dan Ruby of the Fleischmann Planetarium at the University of Nevada, Reno, says the reports indicate the meteor broke up above Earth somewhere over the Sierra southwest of Reno.

There were no reports of earthquakes at the time. - http://bit.ly/JEX5So

Illinois mulling introduction of state park fees

CLINTON - Melissa Blasen doesn't think twice about crossing into property owned and managed by the State of Illinois when she heads out for her usual two-mile loop walk. She's been coming to Weldon Springs State Park for years, to exercise or enjoy the outdoors with her two young grandchildren.

But Blasen and other Illinoisans may soon face a choice — watch the state's parks fall further into disrepair, or chip in a few dollars for their upkeep.

With the state deeply in debt, lawmakers in Springfield are mulling a proposal to charge admission fees for the first time to the state's hundreds of recreational properties. The money, proponents say, would be used to close a $750 million backlog in park maintenance and repairs due to years of shrinking budgets.

On a brisk morning last week, Blasen was torn about the idea, remembering how the park was closed at one point but worried that state officials could scare off visitors who regularly fill Weldon Springs' parking lot. "If (the fee) was annual, that might not be so bad," she said.

Three counties to the north, Bob Gagnon had a stronger reaction as he waited for a fish to bite at Gebhard Woods State Park near Morris. On his mind was Illinois' reputation for crooked politics and failed budget management, and how people already are straining with the sluggish economy.

"Our taxes pay for state parks. How much more do they want from us?" said the retired Teamster from Coal City.

If the legislature approves it, a bill sponsored by Rep. JoAnn Osmond, R-Antioch, would allow state officials to charge visitors an annual or daily fee to enter state parks. An annual admission fee would be no more than $25 and a daily pass around $5 to $8.

The House approved Osmond's measure by 81-29 in March, and it is now moving through the Senate. The original bill would charge fees to anyone who entered the parks, but Osmond said the Senate may amend the bill to affect only car visitors.

Illinois is among only seven states that do not charge state-park admissions. The others are Hawaii, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Marc Miller, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, said the idea isn't merely keeping the park's buildings looking nice. It's about the health and safety of the parks and visitors. He said the biggest costs looming over the parks are roads, roofs of buildings like bathrooms or picnic pavilions, and sewage treatment to keep lakes and rivers clean. - http://bit.ly/Igygi5

Illinois to oust East St. Louis school board

EAST ST. LOUIS — The state superintendent of Illinois public schools says he will oust the elected school board for East St. Louis, arguing it has not acted in the best interest of students.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday that the superintendent intends to take that action in the next 60 days, completing the state's takeover of the district.

According to state officials, the step is the first of its kind but is necessary because they say the seven-member board improperly interfered in contract and personnel issues.

Illinois Schools Superintendent Christopher Koch told a state board meeting earlier in the week that working with the board in East St. Louis has been a struggle.

President of the East St. Louis School Board Lonzo Greenwood could not be reached for comment. - http://bit.ly/Igy8PD

New learning lab helps Mt. Vernon students

MT. VERNON — — Thanks to the Mt. Vernon Township High School Foundation, students are getting additional help with the 21st Century Learning Lab.

“The lab isn’t 100 percent complete yet, but students are in there learning,” said Rob Pipher, the assistant principal and director of curriculum and instruction at the school. “We’re already seeing a difference for the students who are using it.”

The 21st Century Learning Lab was the 2012 major project taken on by the MVTHS Foundation, according to Foundation President Matt Flanigan.

“The lab was $17,500, and our big project,” Flanigan explained. “A lot of our funds raised this year went into this. The Schweinfurth Foundation also provided funds. We always try to do a large program each year that will benefit a lot of students. We completed the engineering lab last year.”

Pipher said there are two components being used in the learning lab at this time, one for reading and one for online learning credit recovery.

“Read 180 is a program we are using to help students who are behind in their reading level catch up,” Pipher said. “At this time, it’s serving 60 students for the semester. ... The reading component is a program that is proven nationwide. Reading is the foundation for everything. With this program, during the first quarter alone, we’ve had students increasing their reading two grade levels.”

For the online credit recovery portion of the lab, students who have failed to receive credit for classes can get caught up.  full story

Jefferson County Board approved salary raises

MT. VERNON — — The Jefferson County Board approved salary raises for the county coroner and circuit clerk during its April fiscal meeting.

The circuit clerk asked for a raise that was in tandem with the county clerk and treasurer.

The raise will be $52,000, up from $50,000 that is the current salary.

The coroner will also be receiving a raise of $34,000 up from $26,000, which is somewhere in the median range of coroner salaries in surrounding counties.

Both of these raises will reflect the loss of a health insurance stipend in the amount of $2,400 that is being removed for a different insurance program.

Dan Knox, Jefferson County Treasurer, reported the general corporate working cash fund is just over $1 million as of today. He added that all outstanding checks are voided or have been accounted for. The checks have to be kept for seven years before they can be claimed as abandoned in case a business comes to the county for any monies, he explained.

He said the county received money owed to them by the state today from November 2011, which helped boost the amount in the general corporate working cash fund.

White said some monies for the participation in processing the payroll for probation officers of the Second Judicial Circuit have been received, which means the board will not have to turn responsibility back over to Franklin County.

“We do have somewhat of an obligation to this process, but not a total obligation,” White said. “This county will not, will not, go into arrears because of this.”

The board also voted to approve a $30 hike for higher internet speeds through Charter Communications. White said until Clearwave Communications can set up internet for the county, they will have to use Charter internet at higher speeds because of the large amount of employees who use it for work.

The board also voted to raise the death certificate fee by $2 because of a state increase.  full story

Medicaid committee can't agree

CHICAGO — A bipartisan group tasked with finding ways to cut $2.7 billion from Illinois' Medicaid budget hasn't accomplished its mission.

Gov. Pat Quinn's deadline required the two Democrats and two Republicans to come up with a plan this week, but they've only agreed on about $1.4 billion in cuts.

The committee worked for months on ways to reform the health insurance program for nearly 3 million poor and disabled Illinoisans. But they disagreed on potential ideas including rate cuts to providers and a potential $1-a-pack cigarette tax increase.

Quinn delivers his own plan Thursday. He's vowed that legislators must be prepared to pass Medicaid reforms this year.

Democratic Sen. Heather Steans says the group will continue working. They've agreed on cutting Illinois Cares Rx, which helps senior citizens pay for prescriptions. full story

I-64 westbound ramp to be closed

MT. VERNON - The Illinois Department of Transportation will be closing the Interstate 64 westbound ramp on Fridays through Monday mornings each week during construction of additional lanes on Interstate 57.

"The ramp closure is for traffic control only," Keith Roberts of IDOT explained. "We're doing this to try to alleviate horrible backups we had in the past for that area."

Roberts said with Illinois Route 37 as a secondary detour for the construction on I-57, people have been using the state highway, then re-entering at the I-64.

"They think they have gotten around any backup, but they are just jumping back into it at the worst place," Roberts said. "This is an effort to help direct motorists away from that area up to the Dix exit during the peak traffic count hours."

Roberts said IDOT has looked at the traffic counts for the area, and said, with a few exceptions, traffic backups on I-57 have been "tolerable"

"The maximum delays of peak hours of traffic are 20 to 25 minutes, maximum," Roberts said. "With the anticipation of people using the backup detour, we need to keep people on the detour past Dix to help with the construction congestion, otherwise, the detour doesn't help."

Roberts said peak traffic hours are northbound on I-57 on weekends, which is prompting the intermittent ramp closure.

"Due to the reconstruction of I-57, and heavier traffic volumes during weekend hours, the ramp from Illinois Route 37 to access I-64 westbound will be closed on Fridays and remain closed until Monday (morning) each week," information from IDOT states. "This closure will continue on weekends only until further notice. Motorists wanting to access I-57 should use Illinois Route 37 north to Dix and access I-57 via the ramps at Dix." - http://bit.ly/HQDmlZ

MVTHS Board approves resolution

MT. VERNON - A resolution for a line of credit was approved by the Mt. Vernon Township High School Board during its April meeting.The line of credit is for $1.5 million and would last until Dec. 31. The money would be held in reserve in case the money is needed, Superintendant Dr. Michael Smith said depending on state revenue monies, among other situations."We have not had to use that in the past," Smith said, "and we hope that we won't need it."The board also approved the permanent abatement of monies from its working cash fund to site and construction of the new high school.President of the board, Carl Miller, said the working cash fund was temporary, and the money will now be in an account to be used for bills as needed toward construction costs.In other business, the board:

Approved a bid for the second phase of G Building window replacements to Litteken Construction from Breese. The amount cannot exceed $111,000 for the construction;

Heard that attendance is up, but enrollment at the school is down compared to last year. Smith said better attendance will make up for the gap in state aid made by lower enrollement numbers;

Were updated that contracts for the new high school are being reviewed prior to presentation to the board.  Smith added he would be speaking with city officials to answer any final questions they may have on the project later this week; and

Heard state testing is coming up next week. - http://bit.ly/I3EAcB

Mt. Vernon Mobile home ordinance approved

MT. VERNON — An ordinance which will prohibit further mobile homes placed in RM2 zoned areas of the city was approved Monday, with no public comment.

“This is an amended version of the ordinance as originally presented,” City Manager Ron Neibert said. “The changes have taken place due to public comment up to this time.”

Under terms of the new ordinance, there is a provision which will allow current property owners to receive a conditional use for mobile homes up to Dec. 13 in RM2 zoned areas, as long as the person placing the mobile home owned the property before Jan. 1; the application for conditional use be submitted before Oct. 31; the mobile home must be placed by Dec. 31; and is adjacent to a lot in which a mobile home is currently situated, not next to a stick built home unless written permission is presented by the owner of the stick built home.

Other changes from the original ordinance presented state the mobile home must have been manufactured not more than 15 years prior to the date of application for a building permit and is subject to inspection for compliance with Mobile Home Standards if it is older than five years.

Neibert said the changes to the zoning ordinance for RM2 allowed uses also amends a portion that has nothing to do with mobile homes — it now allows duplexes to be built in the zoning district.  full story

Still filing your taxes? Time's almost up

This year, you have a little more time to file your income taxes. But now is not the time for any more procrastination because Tuesday evening is the deadline:

Q: Why is the income tax-filing deadline on April 17 this year and not April 15?

A: This year, April 15 falls on a Sunday and Monday, April 16 fell on the District of Columbia's Emancipation Day. By law, District of Columbia holidays are treated like federal holidays when it comes to tax deadlines.

Q: What if you are not going to make this year's deadline for filing your federal tax return?

A: You can get a six-month extension to file your tax forms, as long as you make the request by midnight Tuesday.

Q: How can I file an extension?

A: By mail, via tax-preparation software or online via the IRS website, www.irs.gov. To request the extension, you must fill out IRS Form 4868, which is available on the IRS website, through most tax preparation software, as well as in public libraries and post offices.

If you opt to mail in the form it has to be postmarked by Tuesday to be considered on time. Forms filed online on the IRS website or by using tax software can be sent in as late as 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday. If accepted, you will have until Oct. 16 to file a complete tax return. The IRS requires taxpayers to pay up by Tuesday's deadline or face a host of penalties.

Q: What are the penalties?

A: The IRS will charge interest on unpaid taxes at a rate that currently is about 3.25 percent and is compounded daily. The IRS also will charge a late payment penalty of one-half of 1 percent of any tax not paid by April 17. It is charged each month or part of a month the tax goes unpaid, up to 25 percent. That interest rate can jump to 1 percent, however, if the tax bill hasn't been paid within 10 days after the IRS issues a notice of intent to levy. But a payment plan can be worked out with the IRS that can reduce the rate to one-quarter of 1 percent.

Q: Will post offices be open later than usual?

A: No. Many metro-east post office will operate Tuesday under regular business hours. Belleville Post Master John Sertich said the advent of filing online has left little if any demand for later than usual hours on tax day: "We don't do anything special for tax day anymore. The scheduled collection time will not be extended. Whatever time is on the mailbox is the time they have to meet. There will be no special collections. If they do bring in a tax return and they want it post marked by tomorrow, they bring it to my counter. We are open till 6 p.m."  full story

Still filing your taxes? Time's almost up

This year, you have a little more time to file your income taxes. But now is not the time for any more procrastination because Tuesday evening is the deadline:

Q: Why is the income tax-filing deadline on April 17 this year and not April 15?

A: This year, April 15 falls on a Sunday and Monday, April 16 fell on the District of Columbia's Emancipation Day. By law, District of Columbia holidays are treated like federal holidays when it comes to tax deadlines.

http://bit.ly/ISnnDK