Terry Bruce Appointed Interim IECC CFO & Treasurer

The oath of office was administered to Haylee Neuman, who was seated for a one year term as student member of the Board of Trustees.  A student at Frontier Community College, she succeeds student trustee Madison Ferreira.  Student trustees serve a one year term.

            With the retirement of Chief Finance Officer Roger Browning, effective May 1st, the Board appointed Chief Executive Officer Terry Bruce as Interim Chief Finance Officer and Interim Treasurer.

            An articulation transfer agreement between IECC and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale was approved to facilitate transfer between IECC’s Advanced Manufacturing Degree and SIU-C’s Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management and Applied Engineering Degree.   

            Activity Fee allocations for 2018-2019 were approved for FCC, LTC, OCC and WVC. The Board adopts the allocation of student activity fees at the colleges each year.  The allocation notes what percentage of each dollar will be turned over to an appropriate self-balancing account in the auxiliary fund. 

            In an on-going review of policies, the following revised policies were approved: Course Repeat Policy, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Policy, and Student Withdrawal Policy. 

            Affiliation agreements were approved with Genoa Pharmacy, Sav-Mor Pharmacy, and Walgreens-Mattoon for LTC’s Pharmacy Technician Program and an agreement with Family Practice Associates for LTC’s Certified Medical Assistant Program. An affiliation agreement was approved with Union Hospital, located in Terre Haute, Indiana for the LTC Medical Assistant Program, OCC’s Associate Degree Nursing Program, the OCC Radiography Program, the OCC Medical Office Assistant, the OCC Medical Coding Program, and the OCC Medical Transcription Program. 

            The board accepted the annual Identity Theft Prevention Program report.  The Identity Theft Prevention Team will continue to annually review the program and provide identity theft and red flag training to their assigned departments and areas. 

            The bid of $188,800 from Kieffer Brothers Construction, Mt. Carmel, was approved for repairs to the pedestrian bridge located at Olney Central College. 

Sharis Wilson was employed as Office Assistant at Frontier Community College, effective April 18.      The following faculty members were employed,  Joseph Lampley, Workforce Education Instructor, effective April 19, 2018, Jessica McDonald, Speech & Communication Instructor, Olney Central College, effective August 9, 2018, and Heather Sandy, Art Instructor, Olney Central College, effective August 9, 2018.  Contracts were renewed for two years for CEO Terry Bruce, FCC President Jay Edgren, LTC President Ryan Gower, OCC President Rodney Ranes, and WVC President Matt Fowler.

            Resignation ratifications were approved for Peter Wood, WVC Manager of Food Services, effective April 28, 2018 and for Megan Winter, Nursing Instructor located at WVC, effective May 12, 2018. 

            Next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, May 15, at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Trail College, Robinson.

Clay City Man Killed In Crash

ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12

WHAT: Fatal Crash

WHERE: U.S. 45 ½ mile north of Hickory Hill Road (3 miles south of Louisville)

WHEN: 04/17/2018, 7:04 PM VEHICLES: Unit one – 1995 Nissan Pathfinder

DRIVER: William J. Viehmeyer, Age 67 from Clay City, IL

PASSENGER: Randall R. Helms Jr, Age 43 from Louisville, IL

CHARGES: Helms, Failure to Wear Seatbelt

TRANSPORTS: Helms was transported by Air Evac to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana.

PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigative details indicate unit one was traveling north on U.S. 45 approximately 3 miles south of Louisville in Clay County. Unit one driver was attempting to pass another vehicle and lost control. Unit one traveled off the roadway to the left and overturned multiple times. Both occupants were ejected from the vehicle. Unit one came to rest in the west ditch. Viehmeyer was pronounced deceased at the scene. Helms was airlifted from the scene to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. U.S. 45 was closed with traffic rerouted for approximately 4 ½ hours.

All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

Single vehicle accident leads to arrest of Evansville woman on DUI charge

On April 14, 2018, at 4:08 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Loren Barchett was dispatched to a vehicle that was in a ditch in the area of State Road 64 and County Road 750 West. Upon arriving in the area Deputy Barchett spoke with the driver 25 year old Alexandria Dillon of Evansville. While speaking with Ms. Dillon Deputy Barchett believed Ms. Dillon to be under the influence of alcohol. At that point he began a roadside DUI investigation that resulted in Ms. Dillon being taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail. Upon arriving at the jail Ms. Dillon was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (DUI) and Resisting Law Enforcement. She has since posted a $650 bond. 

Assisting Deputy Barchett in his investigation was Deputy Ben Kiesel and Princeton Officer Chelsea Jones. 

All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Traffic stop leads to the arrest of Elberfeld woman on DUI charge

On April 15, 2018, at 3 a.m. Gibson County Sheriff's Sgt. John Fischer was traveling east on State Road 168 near County Road 550 East when he observed a 2011 Ford Fusion parked in the roadway. At that point Sgt. Fischer conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as 43 year old Stacey Davis of Elberfeld. While speaking with Ms. Davis, Sgt. Fischer detected the odor of alcohol and began a roadside DUI investigation. At the conclusion of his investigation he transported Ms. Davis to the Gibson County Jail where she was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (DUI). She has since posted a $650 bond. 

Assisting Sgt. Fischer in his investigation was Deputy Loren Barchett and Fort Branch Officer Jeff Beck. 

All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Gary man arrested after Trespassing at local hotel

On April 15, 2018, at 8:28 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of a disturbance at the Baymont Inn located at 12798 Access 1250 South in Haubstadt, Indiana. Upon arriving Deputy Austin Farrington began an investigation into the incident. At the conclusion of his investigation and upon the Baymont Inn’s request he instructed 38 year old Carlton Upshaw of Gary, Indiana he was to leave the property, and that he would be arrested if he returned to the property. A short time later while officers were still in the area Mr. Upshaw returned to the Baymont Inn and was taken into custody. Upon being transported to the Gibson County Jail Mr. Upshaw was charged with Trespassing. He remains in custody on a $650 bond. 

Assisting Deputy Farrington in his investigation was Fort Branch Officer Jeff Beck, Haubstadt Officer Kevin Cox, and deputies from the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office. 

All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innoce nt until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law

Winslow woman arrested for Driving on a Suspended License

On April 15, 2018, at 8:28 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of a disturbance at the Baymont Inn located at 12798 Access 1250 South in Haubstadt, Indiana. Upon arriving Deputy Austin Farrington began an investigation into the incident. At the conclusion of his investigation and upon the Baymont Inn’s request he instructed 38 year old Carlton Upshaw of Gary, Indiana he was to leave the property, and that he would be arrested if he returned to the property. A short time later while officers were still in the area Mr. Upshaw returned to the Baymont Inn and was taken into custody. Upon being transported to the Gibson County Jail Mr. Upshaw was charged with Trespassing. He remains in custody on a $650 bond. 

Assisting Deputy Farrington in his investigation was Fort Branch Officer Jeff Beck, Haubstadt Officer Kevin Cox, and deputies from the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office. 

All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innoce nt until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

AEA Hosts Employer Business Seminar

The Mt. Carmel Area Economic Alliance hosted a Employer Business Seminar today at the Wabash Valley College Manufacturing Building at 3rd and Walnut Streets.

A variety of speakers outlined several business topics which can be helpful to local business owners.  Among the topics covered today:

• Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act
• Illinois Job Link
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit
• Fidelity Bonding
• Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Service
• Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs
• How to Survive an Unemployment Audit
• Unemployment and Appeal Hearing Process
• Accelerated Advanced Manufacturing Program

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear about several tax credits, training reimbursement programs and other benefits that are available through these agencies and departments.

Wabash District #348 Personnel Matters

The Wabash District #348 school board took action on these personnel matters at their monthly meeting Monday night.

District #348 School Board Tables Decision On Pay To Play

The Wabash District #348 school board has again tabled a decision on whether or not to continue the pay to play program for district sports and band.

Pay to play was enacted a few years ago because of the district’s dire budget situation. While perhaps not at the same crisis level now, that financial crunch was the reason several board members brought up at Monday night’s school board meeting indicating that pay to play won’t be done away with this year.

Board President Tim Schuler and board members Teresa Hocking, Janice Alka, and Ryan Peter all said the first priority of the district is in the classroom. Peter said the district currently has just two days of operating cash on hand and taking on the additional expense of sports to the district’s budget might not be the wisest course of action.

Parents Todd and Dawn Drone and Tracie Guard addressed the board about the hardships the pay to play program has on parents including the burden of providing transportation of their players to the games.

If any changes come, the board acted like it could be in placing a cap on how much parents have to pay for all of one family’s kids in the district instead of individual schools as is the case now. The board requested more figures from district administration before making a final decision at next month’s meeting.

County Approves Financial Support For GWRPC

The Wabash County Board has approved the budget request from the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission. The total of $4,062 is the same as last year, according to commissioners who unanimously approved the  request.