Illinois to Be Part of 1st Nationwide Alert Test

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - On November 9th, Illinois radio and TV stations will participate in the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Jonathon Monken says the test will be at 1:00 p.m. for three minutes. Several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will participate in the test. Monken says the alert system is an important tool for providing information during emergencies. He says the nationwide test is ambitious, but critical to testing the system's viability. The test will be similar to those watchers and listeners are familiar with except all broadcast outlets will conduct it simultaneously. The system is available for the U.S. president to address Americans during crises. Authorities can use it to send alerts and warnings to local outlets.  5ONne

Regional Superintendents Lobbying Lawmakers To Reinstate Pay

Springfield, IL -- Veto session is just one week away and lawmakers are expected to find a way to reinstate pay for regional superintendents. Bob Daiber, with the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents, says the option to pay them from the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax fund has stirred up a bit of controversy. "It's House Bill 3828, and some opponents are not for us being paid from that source of revenue in fear that it will be lost revenue", said Daiber. The 44-elected superintendents have been working for free for nearly four months. Governor Pat Quinn cut their salaries from the budget in an effort to save about ten-million dollars. Quinn wants the regional superintendents to be paid from the corporate personal property replacement taxes instead of from the state's operating budget.  GFzVs

Ameren Encourages Customers To Inspect Heating Systems

Springfield, IL -- Winter weather is moving in and Ameren Illinois' Leigh Morris says now's the best time to protect yourself from potential heating dangers. "Every year, there's news stories about somebody getting sick or dying from carbon monoxide poisoning", said Morris. Morris says customers should have their heating systems inspected and serviced to avoid the danger. He says inspectors will make sure the system is operating at its peak efficiency. If it's not working properly, Morris says it could cost you more to heat your home. He encourages customers to replace the system if its going bad so they're not without heat during the coldest winter months.  IG7ae

Marion County Sheriff's Office Asking for Help in Farm Thefts

  The Marion County Sheriff's Office, along with Marion County Crime stoppers, is asking the public for help in solving several thefts of farm equipment over the past couple of weeks from throughout rural Marion County. The thefts include the following: -a red 21-foot Kewanee fold up disk, model # 1020, taken from Allen Road in rural Iuka on or around October 7th, 2011 -a 1983 John Deer 750 tractor w/ belly bush hog mower, a 20 horsepower Simplicity lawn mower, and an Allis Chalmers tractor with front end loader taken from a barn on Possum Trot Road in rural Alma on or around October 10th, 2011 -a black homemade from 4" steel pipe low boy trailer with fold over ramps, wood floor, tandem axle in rear and single axle in front, and one red wheel, taken from Keller Road in rural Iuka on or around October 13th, 2011 -a homemade 20 foot long green flatbed hay trailer with an orange frame taken from Seedhouse Road in rural Iuka on or around October 14th, 2011 -a 300 bushel capacity Kilbros grain wagon, hand painted pea green with a blue chassis, taken from Krutsinger Road in rural Kinmundy on or around October 15, 2011. Anyone with any information on these thefts is urges to call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 548-2141 or Marion County Crime stoppers at 800-499-UTEL (8835). Callers are reminded that all calls to Crime stoppers are anonymous and confidential. Those with information leading to an arrest in these thefts may be eligible for a cash reward.  Oag0a

Five New Casinos Coming To Illinois, Two In Chicago

Springfield, IL -- Five new casinos are coming to Illinois, including two near Chicago. "Having something that's honest all the time with proper oversight is very important to the city of Chicago and to all cities in Illinois. It's making sure you don't have excessive expansion. Chicago is not interested in that", said Quinn. Governor Pat Quinn announced today a new casino would be built in Chicago and one in southern Cook County. Quinn also rejected an expanded gambling bill, saying it was too "willy-nilly" and would over saturate the market. Other casinos will be built in Danville, Lake County and Rockford. There will not be any slot machines at city airports and the State Fair.  BWILo

Combines Start Three Fires In Kinmundy-Alma Area, One Burns 40 Acres Of Crops

Combines are blamed for starting three fires in the Kinmundy-Alma Fire Protection District over the weekend. A Sunday fire ended up burning 20 acres of standing soybeans and another 20 acres of standing corn before being brought under control. Kinmundy-Alma Fire Chief Kevin Day says the fire began when Randy Engle was harvesting in a field off the Gray Road southeast of Kinmundy. The combine apparently picked up a piece of metal, creating sparks that started six fires along a half mile path. The wind fueled fire quickly moved to land farmed by Gary Conant, which sustained most of the damage. Day reports the combine escaped damage. Firemen were on the scene for about two and a half hours beginning around 2:20 Sunday afternoon. Farina Fireman provided mutual aide, bringing a pumper truck to the scene. The other two fires were late Friday afternoon. Some bean dust on a combine being driven by Gary Conant in a field off the Kinmundy Road in rural Alma caught fire due to a small fuel leak. There was no damage to the combine and the fire did not spread to the field. A combine on the Robb Farms off the Press Road north of Kinmundy received minor damage after picking up a piece of metal and causing sparks. The fire on the combine went out on its own. Several spot fires started in the field caused no serious damage. - http://goo.gl/o1bAx

Two Arrested On Methamphetamine Charges Following Separate Traffic Stops

Two people are in custody following separate Sunday night arrests on methamphetamine related charges. 41-year-old Lindle Tarlton of Marvin Street in Central City is being held in the Marion County Jail for alleged possession of methamphetamine and meth manufacturing. Centralia Police say they initially stopped Tarlton's vehicle for an expired registration. After the Centralia canine alerted on the car, police discovered a plastic bottle under the passenger seat with a clear liquid melting down lithium batteries. Police determined the bottle contained an active 'shake and bake' meth lab. At that point, the State Police Meth Lab response team was called. Centralia Police say the bottle contained 359 grams of liquid being cooked into meth. A 37-year-old Centralia man, Daniel Rivera of East Broadway, is in the Marion County Jail for alleged possession of methamphetamine under five grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license. Marion County Sheriff's Deputies say Rivera was initially stopped after learning his license was revoked. They allegedly found a flashlight with cannabis residue in the battery compartment and a metal container in Rivera's pocket that had a white residue that later tested positive for meth. Rivera told deputies he had used the methamphetamine in the bathroom at the Gas Mart on East McCord in Centralia after he spotted police watching him. Rivera said at the same time he placed a package with three grams of cannabis in his shoe that was recovered during the booking procedure. - http://goo.gl/Wz50B

Walnut Hill Motorcyclist Hurt in Crash

A 61-year-old Walnut Hill man was injured when his motorcycle crashed into the rear of a car on the Walnut Hill Road two miles west of Walnut Hill early Saturday night. State Police say Gerald Murphy was eastbound on the Walnut Hill Road behind a car driven by 21-year-old Joshua Telford of Walnut Hill. When Telford stopped quickly to avoid a deer, Murphy wasn't able to stop and struck Telford's vehicle in the rear. Murphy was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia for treatment of injuries. He was also ticketed for following too closely. Telford was not injured in the wreck that occurred at 7:05 Saturday evening. - http://goo.gl/AGvga

Marion County Police Beat for Monday, October 17th, 2011

Two people remain in the Marion County Jail following Sunday arrests on outstanding warrants. 40-year-old Michael Wheeler of East Nolen Road in Mt. Vernon is being held in lieu of $5,000 bond for failure to appear in court or pay fines on an outstanding possession of drug paraphernalia conviction. 54-year-old Kenneth Pokojski of Devonia Drive in Centralia was arrested by Centralia Police on an outstanding traffic warrant. 21-year-old Christopher Keech of Hillcrest Road in Salem posted 150-dollars bond and was released after being arrested by Marion County Sheriff's Deputies for driving on a revoked or suspended license. The Marion County Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft of a trailer taken from the Marlin Hanks residence on Krutsinger Road in rural Kinmundy. The trailer is owned by Linda Heistand of Perry Road in Alma. The sheriff's department also is investigating the theft of a deer stand. Curtis Black of South Perrine Street in Salem reported the deer stand was taken from a field off Omega Road in rural Kinmundy. - http://goo.gl/edoaU

Saturday Search For Jared Hanna Near Jolliff Bridge Road Northwest of Centralia Fails To Produce Any New Leads

Clinton County Sheriff's Department officials say a search of an area where personal items belonging to a missing Jerseyville man were found last Monday failed to turn up any new information on his whereabouts. 28-year-oldJared Hanna disappeared on July third after his truck apparently ran out of gas on the Jolliff Bridge Road northwest of Centralia. The personal items found Monday were located about a mile and a half closer to Centralia than where the truck was found. Clinton County Chief Deputy Mark Etter declined to discuss the items that were recovered, but says they had been positively identified as belonging to Hanna by his family members. He says the location and condition of the items did not give them any new information on what may have happened to Hanna. About 40 volunteers and cadaver dogs were involved in the search Saturday morning. Hanna is believed to have last been seen knocking on a door near where his truck ran out of gas asking for directions to the nearest town. He then headed east towards Centralia. Hanna is the father of two young children, ages 3 and six. He was last seen wearing a dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans. Hanna may have been wearing a black and white hat. He is five foot seven inches tall, weighs 195 pounds and had a buzz haircut. Anyone with information on Hanna's whereabouts is asked to contact the Clinton County Sheriff's Department at 594-4555. - http://goo.gl/XZjQK