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