Central City Man Charged with Fleeing Home After Drugs and Ammunition Found

Bond has been set at $50,000 for a Central City man formally charged in Marion County Court Thursday after allegedly fleeing his home after a probation officer found drugs and ammunition in the residence.

Zachary Hanks of West Hardin was charged with possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and escape. Hanks allegedly ran out the back door of his home after Central City Police were called to take him into custody.

He was arrested following a four block foot chase. Police report ammunition was recovered in addition to hydrocodone and methamphetamine. Hanks had the public defender appointed to represent him. He was placed on two years probation in July after pleading guilty to a battery charge. - http://goo.gl/zEOv7

Two People Escape Injury Following Car Accident Southeast of Centralia

Both occupants of a car that overturned on its side and had power lines drop on top of it escaped safely and refused medical treatment. The Marion County Sheriff's Department reports the accident occurred Friday morning on the Airport Road just south of the Copple Road intersection southeast of Centralia. Accident reports indicate an SUV driven by 31-year-old Kristina Feig of Walnut Hill Road in Centralia was northbound when she drove onto the shoulder of the Airport Road.

The shoulder gave way, sending Feig's car into the roadside ditch. The car then ran up a guidewire to an Ameren Illinois electric pole before it rolled off the guidewire onto its side. The powerline then dropped onto the car. Deputies say fortunately it was not energized. Feig and her ten-year-old son, Cameron Feig, who was a passenger were able to get out of the vehicle before emergency help arrived.

The two turned down hospital treatment. Ameren crews were called to repair the damage to their system and restore power to those who lost electricity due to the wreck that occurred around 6:30 Friday morning. - http://goo.gl/YXi9a

State Will Prioritize Tornado-Related Bills

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka says her office will prioritize paying state bills accrued after a tornado tore through the city of Harrisburg, leaving six people dead. Topinka said Thursday that her office will work with businesses impacted by Wednesday's severe weather.

She says the state will prioritize payments to businesses committed to clean-up and recovery efforts in Saline County. The announcement comes as the state of Illinois has a roughly $8 billion backlog of unpaid bills. The National Weather Service listed the Harrisburg tornado as an EF4, the second-highest rating given to twisters based on damage. Scientists said it was 200 yards wide with winds up to 170 mph. It left about 100 people injured.  full story

Illinois Unemployment Rate Drops to 9.4-Percent

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois added 3,800 jobs in January, and the state unemployment rate fell for the fifth straight month to 9.4-percent. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the 0.3-percentage point drop in the unemployment rate was the largest decline since September 1992.

The agency says the number of unemployed people dropped by 18,100 in January to 620,300. Illinois has added 122,900 private sector jobs since January 2010, the first month that numbers increased after 23-consecutive months of declines. The state unemployment rate peaked that month at 11.4-percent.

The leading growth industries since then have included professional and business services, educational and health services and manufacturing. Government has lost the most jobs since January 2010 with 24,700. The national unemployment rate for January was 8.3 percent. - http://goo.gl/dIhtQ

Marion County Police Beat for Thursday, March 1st, 2012

A 21-year-old Central City man faces multiple charges following a probation check on his home Wednesday. Central City Police were called to the Zachary Hanks home on West Hardin Street after a probation officer allegedly found ammunition and drugs in his residence. Other charges were added after he allegedly bolted out the back door of his home and was able to run four blocks before being taken into custody by police. Hanks is being held in the Marion County Jail for alleged possession of ammunition, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, escape and resisting arrest.

Police report a foil pouch with methamphetamine, a prescription bottle with ammunition, a canvas ammunition belt, shot gun ammunition, a weight scale, and a beer can with burnt residue were all recovered from the home. Salem Police are investigating the theft of a wheel chair from the Richard Rich home on Woodland Drive. - http://goo.gl/85dvP

Federal Government Approves Plans By Illinois To Check Addresses Of Medicaid Recipients

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The federal government has approved plans by Illinois to check the addresses of Medicaid recipients against driver's license records to ensure they live in the state. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday informed the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services the state's plans are permissible under the laws establishing the program.

Earlier this month, officials told the Obama administration they were moving forward with plans to comb records for fraud despite the lack of federal approval Quinn has pledged to cut $2 billion from the program that provides health care to 2.7 million poor and disabled Illinois residents. Officials say that of medical information cards returned as undeliverable in November, as many as 6,000 came back indicating the intended recipient has an out-of-state address. - http://goo.gl/YGarI

City sees rise in tax receipts

MT. VERNON - Receipts in the city diesel fuel tax and the food/beverage tax continue to increase. "Diesel sales in Mt. Vernon are going strong," City Manager Ron Neibert reported. "Those numbers are not a reflection of price, but a reflection of the gallons of fuel being sold." The 2 cent per gallon diesel fuel tax and the 1 percent food/beverage tax receipts are being used for capital projects and equipment.

The diesel fuel tax receipts are coming in 22.2 percent higher than last year, with a steady increase being shown from when it went into effect in September 2008. The yearly totals in 2008-09 fiscal year, with a partial year collected, were at $339,088; during the 2000-10 year, $514,845 was collected; in 2010-11, 515,882 was collected. With the city fiscal year beginning May 1 and running through April 30, diesel fuel tax receipts for May were up 4.7 percent from the previous year, coming in at $44,469.

June receipts were up 12.3 percent from the previous year at $49,235. July receipts were up 19.2 percent at $52,047. August receipts were up 19.6 percent, at $57,647. September receipts are up 33.3 percent from the previous year at $57,119. October receipts saw the largest increase at 44.4 percent, at $63,650. November receipts were up 29.6 percent, at $51,024; and December receipts were up 14 percent, coming in at $44,535.

The 1 percent food and beverage tax only had one month which showed a 0.6 percent decrease, all other months in the fiscal year have shown an increase over the previous fiscal year. - http://goo.gl/QvBve

State Representative John Cavaletto Speaks About Truancy Bill

State Representative John Cavaletto says a house bill being introduced that should alleviate problems with truancy. Cavaletto sponsored a bill last year that was signed into law that redefines a chronic truant as a student who has just nine days of unexcused absences a year rather than 18. However the law failed to make the change in the Juvenile Court Act.

House Bill 306 is hoping to take care of the problem. Cavaletto's hope is to bring chronically truant students to the attention of districts, and regional offices, when they might still have an opportunity to keep them on track. "We wanted to develop it, to coincide with the Juvenile code. So we want to amend the Juvenile code to make sure that both are the same, the state of Illinois and the Juvenile code both to nine-days of truancy. So then the courts can handle the situation also. This is only about catching kids early in their truancy, and trying to save them. I've talked to the people in the juvenile system who agreed with the bill, and they want to coincide with the state of Illinois law, and that's what we're going to do", said Cavaletto.

The Regional Offices of Education suggested this change for consistency purposes. During debate on the bill, representatives from the City of Chicago questioned the legislation as "a reason to send kids to jail." Cavaletto said the purpose of the legislation is to catch kids early in their truancy and trying to save them from future problems. The bill now moves on to the Senate for their consideration.  full story

Bills to Tax Ammo, Register Guns Pass Illinois Committee

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois House committee has approved legislation requiring registration of handguns and creating a new tax on ammunition. Both bills passed 7-4 Wednesday and now go to the House floor. Lobbyist Todd Vandermyde of the National Rifle Association opposes both measures. He says requiring handgun registration would cost money for law-abiding citizens without affecting people who have guns illegally. But Democratic Rep. Will Davis of Homewood says registration would help police track guns that were purchased legally but later sold and used in a crime.

Vandermyde also argued it would be unconstitutional to tax ammunition. The sponsor disagreed, however. Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago says a 2 percent tax would raise money for trauma centers in high-crime areas. full story

National Weather Service Determines Harrisburg Tornado EF-4, Curfew In Effect Beginning at 6:00pm Tonight

HARRISBURG, Ill. (AP) - The National Weather Service has given the deadly tornado that leveled parts of the southern Illinois community of Harrisburg an EF-4 rating. EF-4 is the second-highest rating given to twisters. The rating is assigned to storms based on damage they cause.

Meteorologist Rick Shanklin said Wednesday that the storm was 200 yards wide with top winds up to 170 miles per hour. Harrisburg Police Chief Bob Smith has issued a curfew for the city, beginning at 6:00pm Wednesday evening, and lasting through 6:00am Thursday morning. He says an evacuation of the city has been completed. Smith warned against would-be looters, saying they will be prosecuted. Harrisburg Fire Chief Bill Summers says parts of the city are "like a war zone." Summers says rescue teams from many neighboring towns responded after the storm. The twister struck the city at 4:56am Wednesday.   full story