Commission offers annual report

MT. VERNON -The Mt. Vernon Minority Affairs and Human Relations Commission worked to counteract violence and drug use in the community and celebrated black history in 2011, according to its annual report.

The annual National Night Out was a success with more attendees than ever before, said Mt. Vernon Minority Affairs and Human Relations Commission Chairman Rolland Mays.

In addition, the commission worked in conjunction with City Schools District 80 to reward the winners of an essay contest during a Black History Month program held Feb. 23 at the Casey Middle School gymnasium.

"The city was nice enough to give us $200, which we donated to District 80," Mays said. "It was given in $25 awards to the young folks who wrote essays."

Mays said he is in discussion with the art department at Mt. Vernon Township High School to see if the commission can include visual arts in the Black History Month program next year.

The commission participated in a workshop with United States Attorney Steve Whittington, Mays said, in which hate crimes were discussed.

Mt. Vernon Mayor Mary Jane Chesley thanked the commission for its hard work.

"We don't give enough recognition to our boards or committees," Chesley said. "I want to express deep appreciation for your 13-member committee. I really do appreciate all that you do for the city of Mt. Vernon, the sincerity with which you do it and the hard work with which it's done."

Mays thanked Brandon Bullard and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce for putting together the report books at no cost to the city of Mt. Vernon.

The report included the commission's bylaws and mission statement, which is, "We are a diverse group of caring people who foster understanding and promote equality to share a better future for our city."

The members of the commission are Brandon Bullard, representing the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce; Mike Green, representing City Schools District 80; Dr. Michael Smith, representing Mt. Vernon Township High School; James Malone, representing the Jefferson County Chapter of the NAACP; Robert Whiteside, representing a religious organization; Nicole Villani, as a representative for the Jefferson County State's Attorney; Ron Neibert, representing the City of Mt. Vernon; Mt. Vernon Police Department Chief Chris Mendenall; and Mt. Vernon Fire Department Chief Jim Brown.  

At large members include Rolland Mays, Angie Moore, Oscar Brown and Brenda Cain. - http://goo.gl/vv1XD

Farmers get early start on spring planting

MT. VERNON - Balmy temperatures are tempting Jefferson County farmers to plant early this spring.

At least one farmer took the plunge as early as March 8, said John Kabat, a farmer, Mt. Vernon Township High School FFA sponsor and Rend Lake College Board of Education member.

"I don't think anybody has ever planted that early before in this region," he said.

Kabat, his father and his brother, all farmers, are spreading herbicide this week before planting corn, several weeks earlier than usual and months earlier than last year due to heavy rain in 2011.

"Usually, the last frost is April 15," he said. "I don't even pay attention to that counter now, and the 10-day forecast is showing that through April 15, there won't be a frost."

He said he usually plants his corn the last week in April. The guideline for safe planting is that the ground temperature should be at least 55 degrees about four inches deep, Kabat said, but it's consistently been 65 to 70 degrees.

While the temperature has been safely warm for farmers to plant, some are holding back until April 15 because of the conditions of their crop insurance, he said.

"If you plant before April 15, the crop insurance won't pay for your seed if you need to replant," Kabat said, adding that seed corn is about $200 a bag. "The farmers who don't want to lose money are waiting for April 15."

He said he knows some of the more than 800 farmers in Jefferson County have taken that chance in order to have their crops harvested in June or July before the summer heat kicks in.

"Heat is always worse than water," he said. "With the heat of July and August getting up to 100 degree temperatures, getting out in the fields will beat the heat longer."

In addition to allowing farmers to have their corn completed growing before August, Kabat said the early planting and harvesting could help those who wish to plant a second crop like soybeans.

"Farming is the biggest gamble you take in life," he said. "You take out a $80,000 to $100,000 loan, and then you put seed in the ground, and you've got to pay that back." - http://goo.gl/waA3Q

Mt. Vernon - Jefferson County Daily Arrest Record for April 3 2012

MT. VERNON - Mt. Vernon Police Department Arrests

Thomas Collins Jr., 33, of Rinard, was arrested Friday at 3:09 a.m. on charges of contempt of court and possession of cannabis. Bond was set at $3,000 and Collins was released.

Jeffery A. Panzier, 47, of Ashley, was arrested at 3:41 a.m. Friday on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Bond was set at $3,000 and Panzier was released.

Robin L. Smith, 38, of the 1000 block of South 20th Street, was arrested Friday at 9:32 a.m. on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $5,000 and Smith was released.

Joevon C. Taylor, 27, of the 300 block of Castleton Street, was arrested Friday at 3:53 p.m. on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $3,000 and Taylor was released.

Lucas L. Shelby, 30, of the 1900 block of Casey Avenue, was arrested Friday at 4:03 p.m. on a charge of violation of bail bond. Bond was set at $1,500 and Shelby was released.

Tyren C. Trimble, 19, of the 700 block of South 22nd Street, was arrested Friday at 6:25 p.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Trimble was released.

Christopher L. Fisher, 28, of the 4100 block of Willow Springs, was arrested Friday at 7:47 p.m. on charges of domestic battery and unlawful restraint. Bond was set at $5,000 and Fisher was released.

Clinton W. Eilerts, 33, of the 3400 block of East Bishop, was arrested Saturday at 3:02 p.m. on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. Bond was set at $3,000 and Eilerts was released.

David R. Rodriguez, 20, of the 1500 block of Shawnee, was arrested Saturday at 3:47 p.m. on a charge of theft.

Robert J. Souden, 24, of McLeansboro, was arrested Sunday at 9:43 a.m. on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. Bond was set at $1,500 and Souden was released.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Arrests

Velvia Foree, 17, of the 17000 block of North Illinois Highway 37, was arrested Friday at 6:57 p.m. on charges of battery and obstructing, resisting or disarming an officer. Foree was released.

Todd A. Jackson, 45, of the 800 block of South 10th Street, was arrested Saturday at 4:40 p.m. on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Bond was set at $1,500 and Jackson was released.

Amber M. Phillip, 28, of Centralia, was arrested Saturday at 9:23 p.m. on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Phillips was released.

Kathy L. Milner, 43, of Bluford, was arrested at 12:06 a.m. Sunday on two in-state warrants. Bond was set at $8,500 and Milner was released.

Linda C. Bockhol, 58, of Alma, was arrested at 3:06 a.m. Sunday on an in-state warrant. Bond was set at $3,000. - http://bit.ly/HbqAiy

Illinois economy weak but warming

SPRINGFIELD – A key measure of the state's economy showed positive signs of growth in March.

The University of Illinois Flash Index inched above the 100 point level, indicating growth conomy for the first time since September 2008.

Economist J. Fred Giertz, who compiles the index for the university's Institue of Government and Public Affairs, said the breaking of the 100 barrier is "good news" for the economy.

Despite the positive mark, Giertz warned the state's recovery from the recession remains "anemic, primarily because the Illinois unemployment rate remains higher than the national average.

"It will likely be at least a year or two before unemployment rates in the 6 percent range are achieved," Giertz said.

The index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income. All three components of the index were up in real terms in March compared to the same month last year with the largest percentage increase registered by corporate receipts. - http://bit.ly/HVgLAw

Week dedicated to public safety dispatchers

MT. VERNON - The second week of April is dedicated to public safety
telecommunicators with National Telecommunicators Week, April 8 though 14 this year.

"They are the voices you speak with first in the event of a crisis,"
Wease said in a press release. "They are the calming voices who do their jobs behind the scenes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Telecommunicators serve the citizens by answering their request for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services by dispatching the appropriate assistance as quickly as possible."

Patti Wease, the telecommunications supervisor for the Jefferson County 911 Dispatch Center, has worked as a dispatcher for about a decade. She is among both full-time and part-time employees at the center, including
Wease, Connie Mays, Patty Scheppel, Dawn Westerman, Jason McIlrath, Travis Settle, Ryan Meador, Mallory Adams and Kristina Draege.

The Mt. Vernon Police Department employs eight full-time dispatchers and one part-time employee in that capacity, said MVPD Chief Chris Mendenall.

Both city and county dispatchers have a number of computer programs at their disposal, including Emergitech, computer aided dispatch, an automatic phone number and location identifier, the Law Enforcement
Agency Data System and IWIN, which allows officers to talk with dispatch through their in-vehicle computers.

"They are that vital link between the citizens or victim and the public
safety provider who may apprehend a criminal, save their possessions from fire, save their life or the life of a loved one," Wease said in a press release. "Please commed the Jefferson County Sheriff's Telecommunicators, your life line when an emergency arises." - http://goo.gl/Hm5AP

Another winning Mega Millions ticket emerges in Illinois

EAST PEORIA (AP) — Illinois had at least one other big winner in the
weekend's record Mega Millions lottery jackpot.

The (Peoria) Journal Star reported Sunday that a ticket worth $250,000 was sold at a gas station in the central Illinois city.

That ticket matched five numbers, but not the Mega Ball.

The three biggest winners of the $640 million jackpot have so far stayed out of sight. They are to get $213 million before taxes. The winning Illinois ticket was bought at a convenience store in the small town of Red Bud near St. Louis. The others were sold in Maryland and Kansas. - http://goo.gl/nqKec

Motor home crash kills 5 in northeast Kansas

LYNDON, Kan. -- A motor home headed to Minnesota has crashed in northeast Kansas, killing five people.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said the northbound Freightliner motor home was carrying 18 people and pulling a trailer when the driver lost control at 9 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 35.

The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/Hduru7) reported that the motor home crashed into a ravine. Trooper Don Hughes said the victims included adults and children. He said he didn't know how many people were
injured.

The crash is under investigation and the names of the victims weren't immediately released. - http://goo.gl/YadCN

Symposium to explore Illinois' civil unions law

CARBONDALE - A symposium next week at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will examine the benefits and limitations of Illinois' civil union law.

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, a former assistant clinical professor at the SIU School of Law, will be among the speakers at the event. "Civil Unions: What You Get and What You Don't," is set for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 3, in the Hiram H. Lesar Law Building Auditorium.

Simon at one time taught family law at the law school and also practiced family law in Southern Illinois. Other speakers will include Ray Prather, an attorney and certified public accountant with the Chicago-based Prather Ebner LLP, and Bernard Cherkasov, executive director of Equality Illinois. The moderator is Kateah McMasters, a third-year law student and president of the Women's Law Forum, a registered student organization at the law school.

Admission is free and open to the public. Attorneys may still register to earn continuing legal education credit. For more information, contact Alicia Ruiz, the law school's director of communication and outreach, at 618/453-8700.

Symposium sponsors include the SIU School of Law, and two registered student organizations in the law school -- Women's Law Forum and The Lesbian and Gay Law Students and Supporters (LEGALSS); the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at SIU Carbondale; Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, GLBT Resource Center, the Graduate and Professional Student Council, and the Illinois State Bar Association.

A pre-reception is set for 5 p.m. in the law school's formal lounge. A post-reception will follow the symposium.

Top Obama campaign donor accused of fraud

WASHINGTON -- A major donor to President Barack Obama has been accused of defrauding a businessman and impersonating a bank official, creating new headaches for Obama's re-election campaign as it deals with the questionable history of another top supporter.The New York donor, Abake Assongba, has contributed more than $50,000 to Obama's re-election effort this year, federal records show. But Assongba is also fending off a civil court case in Florida, where she's accused of thieving more than $650,000 to help build a multimillion-dollar home in the state - a charge her husband denies.Obama is the only presidential contender this year who released his list of "bundlers," the financiers who raise campaign money by soliciting high-dollar contributions from friends and associates. But that disclosure has not come without snags; his campaign returned $200,000 last month to Carlos and Alberto Cardona, the brothers of a Mexican fugitive wanted on federal drug charges.

Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt declined comment to The Associated Press. He instead referred the AP to previous statements he made to The Washington Post, which first reported the allegations against Assongba in its Sunday editions. LaBolt told the paper 1.3 million Americans have donated to the campaign, and that it addresses issues with contributions promptly.Assongba was listed on Obama's campaign website as one of its volunteer fundraisers - a much smaller group of about 440 people.Assongba and her husband, Anthony J.W. DeRosa, run a charity called Abake's Foundation that distributes school supplies and food in Benin, Africa.In one Florida case, which is still ongoing, Swiss businessman Klaus-Werner Pusch accused Assongba in 2009 of engaging him in an email scam - then using the money to buy a multimillion-dollar home, the Post reported. The suit alleges Assongba impersonated a bank official to do it. Pusch referred the AP's questions to his attorney, who did not immediately return requests seeking comment Sunday.Meanwhile, Assongba has left a trail of debts, with a former landlord demanding in court more than $10,000 in back rent and damages for a previous apartment. She was also evicted in 2004 after owing $5,000 in rent, records show.In an interview with the AP on Sunday, DeRosa said the allegations against his wife were untrue, although he couldn't discuss specifics because of pending litigation. He said he and Assongba were "very perturbed" by the charges, and said the couple's charity does important work in Africa.Assongba has given more than $70,000 to Democratic candidates in recent years, an AP review of Federal Election Commission data shows. Her larger contributions include $35,000 to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee between Obama and the Democratic Party, and at least $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee. She also contributed to Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.Abake's Foundation is listed by the IRS as a registered nonprofit organization; its financial reports were unavailable. A representative who picked up the phone at the foundation's Benin office declined to answer questions, and instead referred the AP to Assongba.Obama's campaign declined to comment on whether its vetting procedures were thorough enough, or whether Assongba's contribution would be refunded. All told, Obama has raised more than $120 million this election, not counting millions more from the Democratic Party - giving him a financial advantage thus far over any of his Republican challengers.

Fans burn couches, flip cars after Kentucky's win

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Riot police used pepper spray in small amounts for crowd control as thousands of rowdy fans swarmed into the streets near the University of Kentucky campus, overturning cars and lighting couches ablaze after a victory over cross-state rival Louisville in a Final Four matchup.

Police had been bracing for the possibility of post-game violence and resorted to pepper spray though large amounts weren't needed before they ultimately began dispersing the throngs, Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said.

She said 150 officers deployed on the streets at one point to quell what she called "a very dangerous situation with the fires and the violence" that dragged on for hours. - http://goo.gl/kJSii