Marion County Police Beat for Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

A 42-year-old Centralia man has been arrested on a petition to revoke his probation. Robert Mifflin of North Gary Street was arrested Friday at the probation office. Two others posted $150 bond after being arrested for driving on a suspended drivers license. 41-year-old Cherl Lynn Wilson of North Vine in Sandoval was arrested by Sandoval Police and 33-year-old Heather Cushman of Farside Lane in Salem by Marion County Sheriff's Deputies.

The Clinton County Sheriff's Department is investigating five vehicle burglaries east of Bartelso. Sheriff's officials say in all cases there were no signs of forced entry. Electronic items and cash were reportedly stolen. The Clinton County Sheriff's Department is encouraging everyone to lock all doors on their vehicles to try and avoid becoming a victim of a burglary.  Full Story

No One Injured When Pickup Overturns In Ditch Near Patoka

Marion County Sheriff's Deputies say no one was injured Friday night when a two vehicle crash pushed a pickup truck into a roadside ditch where it overturned. The wreck occurred on U.S. 51 just north of Burks Road in Patoka Township. Reports indicate 28-year-old Heidi Thompson of East Lair in Vernon looked down when her cell phone rang to see who was calling.

When she looked up, it was too late to stop for a pickup truck that had slowed in front of her to make a left hand turn. Thompson struck the rear of the pickup driven by 28-year-old Derek Byers of West Broadway in Centralia, causing it to run off the road into the ditch. Both drivers and a passenger in Byers' truck, 29-year-old Ryan Collier of Tonti Road in Salem, all declined medical treatment. Thompson was ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.  Full Story

This Winter Third Warmest On Record In Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - This winter has been the third warmest on record for Illinois, with the average temperature being 5 degrees above normal. Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel says the average temperature from December through February was 34.2 degrees.

The warmest winter on record was during 1931-1932, at 37.1 degrees. Tying for second warmest were the winters of 1997-1998 and 2001-2002 at 34.5 degrees. This winter in Illinois also had few days with below zero temperatures. The coldest readings were -6 at Elizabeth and Galena in the northwest. Precipitation was close to normal, but much of it fell as rain.Snowfall totals were as much as 75 percent less than normal in northern Illinois and 25 to 50 percent less than normal in central and southern Illinois.  Full Story

Jefferson County Health Department will be hosting a community information meeting

MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County Health Department will be hosting a community information meeting to discuss services and disaster preparedness. “The first half of the meeting, we will do several presentations on the services we provide,” said Jefferson County Health Department Director Mark Stevens. “People will be able to ask questions and we will help them with our services. The second half of the meeting will be on disaster preparedness.” Being prepared in the event of a disaster has hit home for many in the wake of the tornado in Harrisburg, and Stevens was in Harrisburg Friday to help with recovery efforts. “Seeing this in Harrisburg, it just emphasizes how important it is to be prepared,” Stevens said.

“During our meeting, we will talk about how important it is to have individual disaster plans and will have kits for people. I will also show people what happens when they are not prepared, through pictures I’ve taken here and information from what’s happened.” Stevens said other agencies will also be available to answer questions and present information on being prepared. “The important thing we already know is our community will come together when a disaster strikes,” Stevens said. “We need to know who volunteers will be and what type of services and skills they provide. If they volunteer early, we can have them organized in advance of a disaster, and we can even provide training for them.” The community meeting will be held 6 to 8 p.m. March 12 at the Rolland W. Lewis Community Building at Veterans Park.

Display tables with presentations and information on health department services will be highlighted and other agencies will also be giving out emergency care handouts. Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information, contact the Jefferson County Health Department at 244-7134 or visit www.jeffcohealth.blogspot.com.  Full Story

Jefferson County Board approves purchase of new vehicle

MT. VERNON - The Jefferson County Board approved the lease purchase of a new vehicle for a command staff employee at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The county board approved a resolution giving Sheriff Roger Mulch the authority to sign a contract to obtain one vehicle through a lease/purchase program. The vehicle is meant for Capt. Randy Pollard, whose current squad car is in dire need of replacement, Mulch said.

The vehicle to be obtained will be a high-efficiency Dodge Avenger, Mulch said. Board member Don Rector made a motion to approve the resolution with Tommy Hayes seconding the motion. The resolution passed with 12 yes votes and one no vote by board member Jim Laird. Board members Ted Buck and Fred Edwards were not present at the board meeting to make a vote. In addition, the board discussed the possibility of acquiring additional liability insurance to guard against costly lawsuits. Board Chairman Robert White said several board members had expressed concern about the $5 million in liability insurance the county has and whether that is enough in case of a lawsuit.

White said he couldn’t answer how much liability coverage the county could possibly need, though he said the largest lawsuit the county has paid out is $1.5 million to his knowledge. Board Vice Chairman Wayne Hails recommended to table the issue and kick it back to committee, where options could be discussed more extensively. Board member James Malone seconded the motion, and Jeremy Hall, board member, requested additional information, including exclusions to the policy.  Full Story

Violent storms kill 31, death toll could rise

HENRYVILLE, Ind. - A string of violent storms scratched away small towns in Indiana and cut off rural communities in Kentucky as an early-season tornado outbreak killed more than 30 people, and the death toll rose as daylight broke on Saturday's search for survivors.

Massive thunderstorms, predicted by forecasters for days, threw off dozens of tornadoes as they raced Friday from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. Twisters that crushed entire blocks of homes knocked out cellphones and landlines alike, ripped power lines from broken poles and tossed cars, school buses and tractor-trailers onto roadways made impassable by debris.

Weather that put millions of people at risk Friday killed 31, but both the scale of the devastation and the breadth of the storms made an immediate assessment of the havoc's full extent all but impossible. - http://goo.gl/JmVv2