Corps of Engineers-Rend Lake to partner with Marion prison

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake have a number of projects that employees have not found the time to tackle until now.
Wednesday morning changed that as Warden Wendy Roal of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ United States Penitentiary in Marion sat next to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District Commander Col. Christopher Hall with a purpose in mind.
The two signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two entities that will help both Rend Lake and the federal prison. Hall said inmates from the minimum security prison camp would help the Corps by performing a backlog of maintenance issues and public works projects that would not be completed without the help of the inmates.  full story

Three-People Sent to Hospital Following Clay County Accident Thursday Afternoon

A Thursday afternoon accident in Clay County sends three-people to the hospital. The accident occurred at U.S. Highway 50 and Shamrock Road, just north of the Flora Municipal Airport in Flora. 29-year-old Brian Scott Gibson of Olney was traveling westbound on U.S. 50 when he turned left onto Shamrock Road. He did not see 40-year-old Matthew E. Armer of Trilla traveling eastbound on U.S. 50. Armer hit Gibson's silver 2004 Nissan in the passenger side door.

Armer's white 2005 Ford truck came to rest on its top. Armer and a passenger, 41-year-old Saddie L. Hannebohn of Mattoon were taken to Clay County Hospital in Flora for treatment of serious injuries. Gibson was transported to Clay County Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. He was later transferred to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. He was cited for failure to yield while turning left. All were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The crash occurred at 2:45 Thursday afternoon.  full story

Glasses, Wheelchairs on Illinois Medicaid Cut List

CHICAGO (AP) - An adviser to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says lawmakers would have to choose everything on a list of possible Medicaid cuts to get to the $2.7 billion proposed by the governor. Among the options on a list prepared by Quinn's administration is a nine-percent reduction in payments to hospitals, doctors and pharmacies. The list includes changing eligibility rules for nursing homes and at-home help so that some incontinent elderly people who can't prepare their own meals would be denied state-financed care.

Excluding illegal immigrant children from the All Kids program is on the list. The menu also includes limiting or eliminating coverage of eyeglasses and wheelchairs. Quinn senior adviser Michael Gelder says even with the listed cuts, there would remain a nearly $2 billion backlog in overdue Medicaid payments.  full story

Illinois Attorney General's Synthetic Drugs Proposal Clears House Committee

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Thursday the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee unanimously sent to the full House an amendment to the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act that will help address the synthetic drug problem in Illinois. House Bill 5233 defines a "synthetic drug product" as one that contains a controlled substance not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The bill makes it illegal under the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to sell these drugs, or to falsely advertise a synthetic drug product. The bill would also prosecute those who distribute, possess, or falsely advertise a synthetic drug product. Charges would range from a Class 1 felony to a Class 3 felony. Madigan says combating the drug problem is challenging since the chemical make up can be altered by manufacturers to avoid violating the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Also the drugs are sold in packages that claim the products are legal, in which they are not.

Synthetic drug use is on the rise across the country, with 6,890 calls to Poison Control Centers related to synthetic marijuana use, and 6,072 calls made related to bath salts. Attorney General Madigan has been mobilizing Illinois law enforcement in addressing the dangers of synthetic drugs. Her office also has been leading a series of synthetic drug busts in coordination with local and county law enforcement officers at retail stores throughout the state. Most recent drug bust and raids include five businesses in Centralia in early February, resulting in 2,480 packages seized, estimated at $51,103.  full story

MVTHS holds cash balance

MT. VERNON - Mt. Vernon Township High School holds a total cash balance of more than $7.5 million as of Jan. 31, according to Treasurer Angela Brentlinger.

She said during the Treasurer's Report at Tuesday's MVTHS Board meeting that for the month, the district's beginning checking balance was $5,879,288.

Brentlinger said the district saw a revenue of $1.9 million and expenditures of about $1.1 million, with no transfers, for an ending checking balance of more than $6.7 million.

"Ending savings and investments were $872,504.55, and total cash balance as of Jan. 31, 2012, was $7,596,659.76," she said.

She said the bills included PCard procurements of $12,883 and a payroll of $828,328.

"This included an amount of $32,568.89 for compensation above contracted amounts for February," she said.

The district's total outstanding liabilities are just under $1 million, Brentlinger said, bringing the district's total unencumbered fund balance to about $6.6 million.

Brentlinger said the district's Activity Fund beginning balance was $187,423, with revenues of $20,256 and expenditures of $31,121, bringing an ending balance of $176,557.

MVTHS Board Chairman Carl Miller said the school board and finance committee heard a presentation from Tim King, of King Financial Service, regarding him helping the district with the financing of its building project.

In other business, the board:

Approved the recommendation for employment of Jared Kessler and Shelby Campbell as girls assistant track coaches, Krystal Nowak as head art department teacher and Michael Field as a temporary custodian, and;Accepted the resignations of Mary Fields as cook and Hannah Rogers as head teacher in the art department. - http://goo.gl/BWzda

Fall Fest to replace Harvest Festival

MT. VERNON - The Southern Illinois Harvest Festival is out, and the Mt. Vernon Fall Fest is in after a group of residents are starting the new non-profit group to replace the former festival incarnation. “We are working to make it a bigger and better event with lots of advance planning,” fest committee vice-chairman Hank Villani said. “The Harvest Festival was just too much for one person to do. We’re putting together a volunteer board, and yes, we will need workers, but we also need people with ideas.”

Villani has started working on the legal paperwork to file for non-profit status. The president of the newly-formed fest committee is Todd Piper. “We want to do this well, and make it something special for Mt. Vernon and the area,” Piper said. Villani said plans underway now are calling for live entertainment and a children’s area in addition to a parade and other events which have been successful for festivals in the King City during the past years.  full story

Expansion construction on track

MT. VERNON — — The Crossroads Community Hospital expansion is entering its final months, on track for construction to be completed by the end of June. “With construction completed at the end of June, if the state inspection works out early, we could be in by the end of August,” said Ed Cunningham, Crossroads chief executive officer. According to Project Superintendent Steve Shults with Hoar Construction, work is being completed now on the exterior, which will be finished within the next two weeks. “There will still be some finishing touches outside, but the majority of the work will be done,” Shults said. But work inside is moving quickly, with crews working on all three floors and the roof. “They are finishing the third floor fireproofing now, there was some delay because of weather,” Cunningham said. “It has to be applied at a certain temperature, but now they have caught up.

On the second floor, the sheet rock will be completed in the next few weeks, about the first half of March.” Cunningham said all new equipment has been purchased for the expansion, and installation is expected the second week of June. “Since we bought new equipment, there will be no down time,” Cunningham explained. “We have new beds, new IV pumps, a new monitoring system in the hospital and radiology, we can open the new section, turn everything on, then turn off the old with a seamless transition.” Some of the features in the $20 million expansion project are cutting edge, including a pneumatic tube system to take lab specimens from patient floors to the lab area.  full story

Walton withdraws as state’s attorney candidate

MT. VERNON — — Meleah Walton, a Democrat candidate in the March 20 Primary has announced her intention to withdraw as a candidate. “An effective candidate must dedicate most of one’s time to the campaign,” Walton stated. “At this time it is just not possible for me to do so and still maintain the foremost needs of my family and my private practice.”
According to Jefferson County Clerk Connie Simmons, Walton has not filled out the forms to officially withdraw from the race. “Her name is on the ballot and the count program is done,” Simmons explained. “There is no way to change it.” Walton will appear on the ballot facing off against local attorney Nobel Dowell for the Democrat nomination for Jefferson County State’s Attorney. Walton stated she is urging those who worked for her race to support Dowell.
“I entered the race for State’s Attorney because I care deeply for this community and for the safety of our citizens, especially our children,” Walton said. “I knew, with my years of legal experience and my time as a criminal prosecutor, I could help make a difference. When I entered the race, no other experienced lawyer was a State’s Attorney candidate for either political party. Nobel Dowell has since announced his candidacy.” Simmons said since the ballots for the Primary can’t be changed, there is a chance Walton could win. “If she wins, she could decline the nomination,” Simmons added.  full story

Tractor Trailer Fire on I-57 South of Salem Wednesday Morning

Salem Firemen says the cab of a tractor trailer traveling on Interstate 57 near the Route 161 interchange caught fire early Wednesday morning. The cab of the truck driven by Richard Walker of Pickins, Mississippi was a total loss. However, firemen were able to keep the fire from spreading to the trailer. It sustained just minor damage to the front. The cause of the fire has not been determined. - http://goo.gl/nvJ1b

State Representative Cavaletto Urges Public Outcry To Governor's Office About Murray Center And Centralia Animal Disease Lab Closures

State Representative John Cavaletto says he has one message to the Governor about his proposed closure of the Murray Developmental Center: 'Cuts can be made without harming the helpless'.

Cavaletto is calling on area residents to mount a letter writing campaign to the Governor's office stressing the importance of both Murray Center and the Centralia Animal Disease Laboratory adjacent to Kaskaskia College that is also slated for closure. "I would recommend that they flood the Governor's office with information about Murray Center and its residents," said Cavaletto. "I would suggest they start doing that right now and continueto doit."

Cavaletto says the region needs to send a strong message to the Governor that he can't attempt to balance the state's budget solely on the backs of the developmentally disabled and the people who care for them. He says there is a little time to mobilize. Cavaletto notes the Governor's recommendations for facility closures have to be presented to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and public hearings will be held.

Cavaletto says the process could take between 50 and 90 days. He stressed the importance of making sure the COGFA board knows exactly how important these facilities are to Centralia and the surrounding area. Murray Center currently has almost 550 employees and 275 residents.

The Department of Agriculture facility near Kaskaskia College that specializes in studying animal diseases has 15 employees. - http://goo.gl/WYZI3