Mt. Carmel Moves to Ban Synthetic Kratom Product

The Mt. Carmel City Council has taken the first step toward banning the sale of a synthetic kratom product within the city.

During Monday afternoon's meeting, City Clerk Ryan Turner presented the first reading of Ordinance 2153, which would prohibit the sale of 7-OH, also known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, a synthetic kratom product.

Turner explained the ordinance applies only to the synthetic form of kratom. He said the natural leaf product is currently the subject of legal and legislative challenges because some groups argue it has legitimate medicinal uses.

Mayor Joe Judge said city officials contacted local retailers that had been selling the synthetic product, and all have now voluntarily removed it from their shelves. Turner added businesses have also removed advertisements promoting the product.

While the federal government is expected to enforce the nationwide ban on synthetic 7-OH products beginning this month, Turner said the city wants its own ordinance in place should future court decisions affect federal enforcement.

The ordinance received its first reading Monday and is expected to return to the council for final consideration at a future meeting.

Bridge Closed in Wabash County; Replacement Expected Within Two Years

The Wabash County Highway Department continues to make progress on road projects, but one county bridge has been closed after sustaining damage from recent heavy rains.

Highway Engineer Dustin Bunting told the Wabash County Commissioners Monday afternoon that the bridge on 1100 East, about three-quarters of a mile north of Poor Farm Road, has been barricaded and officially closed after inspections found the north abutment had become unsafe.

Bunting said much of the bridge's headwall has washed away, making the structure unsafe for travel. He said the bridge is expected to remain closed until it can be replaced, which he hopes will happen within the next two years.

Bunting also updated commissioners on the Illinois Department of Transportation's bridge bundling program. Wabash County has four bridges included in the program, but none will be part of the first group of projects expected to be bid in January 2027. He said that is the only timeline IDOT has released so far.

Elsewhere in his report, Bunting said highway crews have continued blotting roads during periods of extreme heat, patching roadways, and have begun the first round of fall mowing along striped county roads.

He also reported that a fog coat has been completed on Friendsville Avenue, with pavement striping expected once the contractor schedules the work. Bunting added he was unable to attend the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Committee's Comprehensive Safety Action Plan meeting held July 21.

ISP Opens Kiosk in Effingham to Help with FOID and Concealed Carry Applications

EFFINGHAM – The Illinois State Police (ISP) opened its newest Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) kiosk, providing real-time, in-person assistance to Illinoisans who need help with their Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) cards and Concealed Carry Licenses (CCL). The newest kiosk, located at the ISP Troop 9 headquarters in Effingham, was created to assist individuals experiencing difficulties with the online FOID and CCL website, or those without online access.

The location and hours of service for the Effingham kiosk are:

• Illinois State Police Troop 9, 401 Industrial Drive #A, Effingham, IL 62401

• Regular Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 12 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

​ISP currently offers other kiosks in Springfield and Du Quoin. Additional kiosks in Collinsville and Lockport are expected to reopen this fall. For additional information about those locations, please visit: https://isp.illinois.gov/Foid.

The following is a list of services these kiosks provide:

• Assistance with submitting name/address changes, renewals, and new applications online

• Taking a photo and uploading it to the application

• Assistance with correcting rejected applications

• Submitting Firearm Disposition Records (FDRs)

• Surrendering FOID/CCL cards when required

• A publicly accessible computer will be available to complete online applications and make updates to existing accounts.

Due to the extended time it takes for kiosk representatives to assist people with submitting applications online, customers may be asked to return at a different time.

New and current FOID and CCL card holders may continue to use the online ISP Firearms Services website (www.ISPFSB.com) to apply, update, and renew their cards and licenses

Other FOID and CCL Customer Assistance Options:

• Login Assistance requests, including registration approval, existing user ID recovery, and password reset assistance should be sent to ISP.askFOIDandCCL@illinois.gov. Please provide us with as much information about yourself as possible, including your name, date of birth, address, FOID/CCL number, etc. in your email.

• For additional information related to FOID and CCL processing, please visit https://isp.illinois.gov/Foid/Statistics.

• For information related to Revoked FOID Cards and CCLs and Denied FOID cards and CCL applications, customers should contact the Firearms Record Challenge Unit at ISP.FRCU@illinois.gov for further information about the appeal process.

• Other than accepting surrendered FOID/CCL and combination cards and FDRs, representatives from the FOID Card Review Board will NOT be available at the Kiosks to assist customers with their revoked cards and denied applications.

To hear from Illinois residents about their experiences using the FOID kiosks, check out the ISP YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/QAJUH5-AFxw.

Florida man arrested for leaving scene of accident

On August 3, 2026, at 4:45 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a hit and run accident on US 41 near Interstate 64.  According to the reporting party a semi-truck was stopped at a traffic light when a Black Mitsubishi went onto the shoulder of the lane and attempted to go around them.  Once the light changed the semi began moving forward and the Mitsubishi sideswiped him and kept driving without stopping.  Deputy Eric Powell located the Mitsubishi on US 41 approximately 9 miles north of the scene and conducted a traffic stop.   During the traffic stop the driver of the Black 2023 Mitsubishi admitted to striking the vehicle and not stopping.  After a brief roadside investigation 75-year-old Charles McCollum of Naples was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Detention Center where he was charged with Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident. 
 
Arresting Officer Wes Baumgart was assisted in his investigation by Deputies Eric Powell, Bart Wagner, Shawn Holmes, Aubrey McNeely, and Riley Farmer.
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Appeals Court Orders Resentencing for Mt. Carmel Man

A Mt. Carmel man convicted of multiple child pornography charges will be resentenced after the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court partially overturned his convictions.

Thirty-nine-year-old Zachary Reed was sentenced in January 2024 to 60 years in prison after a Wabash County jury found him guilty on eight Class X felony counts of possessing child pornography involving a 12-year-old girl.

Reed was arrested in September 2022 after investigators discovered pornographic images of the juvenile victim on his cell phone and laptop. During the investigation, prosecutors also presented evidence that Reed had placed a motion-activated camera inside a bathroom to secretly record the child.

Following a week-long trial in September 2023, jurors deliberated for just over an hour before returning guilty verdicts on all eight counts. During closing arguments, State's Attorney Kelli Storckman urged jurors to rely on the evidence and common sense, arguing the defense's explanations were not supported by the facts.

At Reed's January 2024 sentencing, Judge William C. Hudson imposed a 60-year prison sentence. In addition, Hudson ordered Reed to serve a term of mandatory supervised release ranging from three years to life if he is ever released from prison.

On appeal, Reed's attorney argued several of the convictions violated Illinois' one-act, one-crime rule and that the trial court relied on an incorrect sentencing range when imposing the prison term.

The Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court agreed in part, vacating two of Reed's eight convictions while affirming the remaining convictions. The appellate court also vacated Reed's 60-year sentence and remanded the case to Wabash County Circuit Court for a new sentencing hearing under the proper sentencing guidelines.

A resentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Reed remains incarcerated at Big Muddy River Correctional Center in Ina. Under his original sentence, he was not eligible for parole until September 2052.

WSJD File Photo From 9/8/23: 36 year old Zachary Reed of Mt. Carmel is led back to the Wabash County Jail after being found guilty on 8 counts of child porn.

City Sells Wolfe Addition Property to Wabash Valley College Foundation

The Mt. Carmel City Council voted Monday afternoon to sell two tracts of surplus property in the Wolfe Addition to the Wabash Valley College Foundation for $60,000.

The property, located just off Oak Street adjacent to the college, had been offered for public bid. City Clerk Ryan Turner told the council the city received bids for each lot individually as well as bids for both parcels together.

The highest individual bids totaled more than $72,000, with Greg Neikirk offering $30,000 for one tract and Lynn Burgess submitting a conditional bid of $42,331 for the second. However, the highest bid for both properties together came from the Wabash Valley College Foundation at $60,000.

Turner reminded commissioners the city reserved the right to reject any or all bids and accept the proposal deemed to be in the community's best interest.

Commissioners discussed the roughly $12,000 difference in revenue but also noted that selling the parcels separately would require additional legal work, including vacating a platted roadway and completing separate real estate closings.

Commissioner Susan Zimmerman said she supported selling the land to the college foundation, citing the institution's limited opportunities for future expansion.

The council ultimately agreed, voting to accept the Wabash Valley College Foundation's $60,000 bid. City officials noted the foundation already owns adjoining property, and the additional land will provide room for potential future growth should the college need to expand.

Wabash General Hospital Auxiliary Reaches Record Membership, Donations

The Wabash General Hospital Auxiliary continues to grow, both in membership and its support of the hospital.

During last Monday evening's Board of Directors meeting, Exec Vice President of Business Development and Foundation/Chief Marketing Officer Danielle Stevens reported the Auxiliary has grown to 63 members, who collectively volunteered 5,766 hours over the past year.

Stevens said the organization also donated nearly $25,000 to the hospital during the past year, almost doubling its previous record contribution of about $14,000. The funds were used to purchase equipment and other items requested by hospital departments.

Board members praised the Auxiliary's continued growth and commitment, noting volunteers now serve throughout the hospital, including the front desk, Medical Office Building, pain clinic, gift shop, laboratory, oncology department and other areas.

Stevens said most volunteer shifts are four hours long, with many members volunteering weekly while others help as their schedules allow. She described the group as dedicated and always looking for additional volunteers.

Hospital leaders said the Auxiliary has become such a large organization that its meetings now nearly fill the hospital's boardroom and classroom, calling the group's growth and service a tremendous asset to Wabash General Hospital.

Lunch Wagon Wraps Up Another Successful Summer, Serving More Than 17,600 Meals

The Lunch Wagon has wrapped up another successful summer of serving children across Wabash County.

The program concluded its 2026 season on Friday, providing 338 meals on the final day. During the last week of operation, volunteers served 1,926 meals, including 358 on Monday, 420 on Tuesday, 377 on Wednesday, 433 on Thursday, and 338 on Friday.

By the end of the summer, the Lunch Wagon had distributed a total of 17,613 meals to local children, helping ensure they had access to nutritious lunches while school was out of session.

Since the program began nine years ago, the Lunch Wagon has now served an impressive 135,659 meals throughout Wabash County.

Program organizers thanked the community for its continued support, saying the success of the Lunch Wagon is made possible by the generosity of local residents, volunteers, donors, and partners who work together each summer to make sure children have meals when school is not in session.

Organizers also expressed their appreciation to everyone who helped make another successful season possible, calling Wabash County a generous community that continues to put the needs of its children first.

California man arrested for trespassing

On July 31, 2026, at 5:01 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of a person trespassing on a train in the 1200 block of East 300 South near Princeton.  Deputies arrived on scene and spoke with the reporting party and began an investigation into the incident.  After a brief search of the area Deputies located 52-year-old Daniel Jelladian of Los Angeles and took him into custody.  Mr. Jelladian was transported to the Gibson County Detention Center where he was charged with trespassing. 
 
Arresting Officer Shawn Holmes was assisted in his investigation by Deputies Wyatt Hunt, Wyatt Lashbrook, and Bart Wagner. 
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

911 report of an accident leads to arrest of Evansville man on multiple charges

On July 31, 2026, at 6:44 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a Personal Injury Accident on US 41 near State Road 68 involving a Semi and a passenger car.  Multiple emergency service personnel were dispatched to the scene and upon arriving law enforcement began an investigation into the incident by collecting statements, video, and other evidence from the scene.  While speaking with the driver of the 2010 Ford Fusion Deputy Wyatt Hunt detected clues that the driver may be under the influence.  At that point Deputy Hunt began a roadside DUI investigation.  Once the inquiry was completed the driver, 19-year-old Mericko Bennett of Evansville was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Detention Center where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Refusal, Possession of Marijuana, Criminal Recklessness and Reckless Driving.
 
Deputy Wyatt Hunt was assisted in his investigation by Deputies Wyatt Lashbrook, Bart Wagner, and Haubstadt Officer Jason Marceaux.
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.