Mt. Carmel Man Charged With Meth Possession

On 1/22/18 at 1108 hours Wabash County Sheriff's Deputy Keagan Bogard located a vehicle parked in the roadway on E 900 Rd. and Friendsville Ave. with the door open and the driver standing outside the vehicle.  Deputy Bogard activated his emergency lights to check on the motorist.

The driver, Joseph A. Stevens 36, of Mt. Carmel was found to have a suspended driver's license and expired registration.  Stevens was taken into custody on the driving suspended infraction without incident.  Upon a search of the vehicle, a plastic container was found floating inside a cup that was in the vehicle.  Stevens was subsequently charged with possession of methamphetamine under 5 grams. 

Stevens was transported to the Wabash County Jail.  Bond was set at $2000 cash which he posted on 01/24/18.

Mount Carmel CEO Program Accepting Applications for Young Entrepreneurs

The Mount Carmel CEO Program is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) program.  Information about this exciting opportunity is presented below.

WHAT IS CEO?

CEO is hard to explain.  It’s not regular school at all.  Participants get to own their own work and behavior, and everything they do is designed to connect with the real world.

·         CEO is funded by investors, not schools or students.

·         CEO always meets in a business, never in a school.

·         CEO students visit dozens of area businesses.

·         CEO students learn from dozens of guest speakers.

·         CEO students run a class business together.

·         CEO students start and run their own business.

The Mount Carmel CEO Program - partnering with the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship- is more than an entrepreneurship course. It’s a unique learning opportunity that allow students to participate in real life experiences.  The Program is open to high school juniors, seniors, and first-year Wabash Valley College students; and draws from Mount Carmel High School, Edwards County High School, and Grayville High School.  Homeschool students are also encouraged to apply.

CEO exposes students to business practices, connects them with leaders in their community, and allows them to practice communication, problem solving, and networking in a variety of settings. Ultimately, it guides each team member through starting and running their own functioning business, cultivates essential communication skills, and develops an expansive, long-lasting network of community members and business owners.

HOW DO I GET INTO CEO?

Students interested in CEO need to have a good work ethic and be trustworthy.  The application process involves writing a letter about yourself and your interest in CEO, and asking three people to fill out recommendation forms for you.  Your name will be will be taken off the application and a committee of people will look at the applications to select the students who will get into the program.  Did you notice that GPA is not part of the process?

For students who are interested in applying, the application deadline is Wednesday, February 7, 2018.  Application packets are available from the Guidance Departments of the three participating schools or from CEO Administrative Assistant, Cathy Goldman (email: aa@mcaea.com or call:  618-262-5433).

Sawed-Off Shotgun Killing Of Cat Leads To 3+ Years In Prison

Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that James C. Voss, 25, of Waterloo, IL, was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment on January 19, 2018 for unlawful possession of a sawed-off shotgun and felon in possession of a firearm.  Voss will also have to serve a term of two years of supervised release after he is released from prison.

At his change of plea hearing on September 22, 2017, Voss admitted that he had used a sawed-off shotgun to kill a neighbor’s cat, and that he had been previously convicted of burglary, a felony offense, in Monroe County in 2011.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The investigation which resulted in Voss’s arrest and conviction was conducted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert L. Garrison. 

District #348 Looks For Help To Increase Broadband

Wabash District #348 officials are hoping to upgrade bandwidth at the district’s three school buildings with help from the state. Legislation has been introduced in Springfield to help bring high speed internet to more students in rural areas like Mt. Carmel. Senator Andy Manar says nearly 90,000 students at about 100 rural schools don’t have access to high speed internet…

Manar says his bills calls for broadband infrastructure to be put in at these schools. The project would be a one-time expense and paid for with $16 million in state funds and by leveraging federal matching dollars.  

At Monday’s school board meeting, technology director Kevin Smith said increasing bandwidth to handle the addition of Chromebooks and other devices is a big goal. But, Superintendent Tim Buss said increasing bandwidth is a costly project, probably outside the district’s present financial situation.

Crash Results In Woman Being Airlifted To St. Louis Hospital

ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT  
 
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12
 
 
WHAT:  Injury Crash  
 
WHERE:   Bourgeois Dr at North Tunnel Rd in Effingham
 
WHEN:  January 24th 2018 at 10:55 AM  
 
VEHICLES:  Unit #1 – Red 2008 Toyota     
 
DRIVER:  Unit #1  Justice A. Self, 20 of Effingham, IL    

PASSENGERS: Unit #1            Kelsi A. Jones, 21 of Manassas, VA
 
CHARGES:  Unit #1- Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident / Texting While Driving / Improper Lane Usage / No Valid Driver’s License  
 
TRANSPORTS: The driver of Unit 1 was transported by ambulance to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital.  The front seat passenger of Unit 1 was flown from the scene to St. Louis University Hospital.                

PRELIMINARY:   Preliminary investigative details indicate Unit #1 was southbound on Bourgeois Dr at North Tunnel Rd (frontage road ½ mile south of “The Cross”).  Unit 1 drove into the gravel on the left side of the roadway, lost control, skidded off the roadway to the right into a cable guard rail, and overturned.  Unit 1 came to rest on its top on the right side of the roadway.     
 
  All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

Search For New District #348 Superintendent Continues

It's looking less likely the Wabash District #348 school board will hire a new superintendent by their original timeline of February 26th. Board President Tim Schuler issued a statement this morning saying the school board continued first round interviews during a special meeting last night. According to Schuler, the board is in the process of scheduling additional interviews and as the process continues, the original timeline will be amended. Originally, 25 candidates applied for the job of replacing the retiring superintendent Tim Buss who leaves the post June 30th. That number was reduced to 6 candidates who were to be interviewed. 

KNOX COUNTY NATIVE KILLED/ARMY CHOPPER CRASH

A Knox County native was among two soldiers killed in a helicopter crash at Fort Irwin, California.

The Army says 1st Lieutenant Clayton Cullen died Saturday after his helicopter went down during a training exercise.

Cullen, 25, grew up in the town of Bicknell, about 15 miles from Vincennes. He graduated from North Knox High School in 2011 and joined the Army in 2015.

Funeral arrangements for Cullen are pending.

INDOT Tackles Potholes After Dealing with Extreme Temperatures

The extreme fluctuation of temperatures dipping above and below freezing the past few weeks has created prime conditions for potholes on Indiana interstates, U.S. routes and state highways.

To deal with potholes in the most aggressive and efficient manner, the Indiana Department of Transportation will be allowing crews through the state to close travel lanes where necessary during daytime hours, including during peak travel times for priority repairs. 

Where possible, crews will limit their daytime work hours and try to avoid working in travel lanes during peak times.  However, motorists might encounter maintenance crews making priority repairs any time, day or night.

How a pothole forms

Cracks develop in pavement from aging, traffic wear and winter freeze-thaw cycles. Potholes begin when water seeps into these cracks and freezes, expanding the layers of pavement, stone and soil. As the ice melts and contracts, heavy highway traffic further loosens the pavement, forming potholes. To learn more, view this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkGF4JCT3Fg

Preventing potholes

When the Indiana Department of Transportation is not clearing snow, ice or storm debris, its crews are focused on maintaining and protecting the state’s roads and bridges. Sealing and repaving projects prevent water from seeping into the pavement and forming potholes.

In 2017, INDOT crews crack sealed more than 1,400 lane miles and chip sealed more than 500 lane miles of pavement to prevent the forming of potholes.

Pothole patches

With temperatures too low for paving, most of Indiana’s hot-mix asphalt plants are now closed. During the winter INDOT uses cold mix, a mixture of small stone and liquid asphalt, as a temporary patch.

Even after being filled with cold patch, the same pothole requires ongoing maintenance and can reopen several times throughout the winter. When the asphalt plants reopen in the spring, INDOT maintenance crews clean out and then repair potholes with hot mix, providing a smoother, more permanent fix.

INDOT urges motorists to slow down and stay alert when encountering pothole-patching crews.

Report potholes

To report a pothole on a numbered state route, interstate or U.S. highway, contact your regional INDOT district or follow the “Report a Concern” link at potholes.indot.in.gov or on the INDOT mobile app.

For potholes on city streets or county roads, please contact the proper city or county maintenance department. 

Traffic Advisory If You're Travelling To St. Louis

Metro East travelers: Lane restrictions are planned for westbound Interstate 64, including the closure of the entrance ramp from St. Clair Avenue to eastbound I-55/64, in East St. Louis beginning Wednesday, Jan. 24.

These restrictions are required to remove three light towers in the area. Work is expected to be completed by Monday, Jan. 29, weather permitting.

Traffic control devices including electronic message boards will be utilized to assist motorists during these restrictions. IDOT asks that motorists be patient, reduce speed, obey all warning signs and use additional caution when traveling near this work zone.

Mt. Carmel Boil Order Lifted

The boil order that was in effect for parts of Mt. Carmel has been lifted according to City Clerk Rudy Witsman.