CENTRALIA MAN SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN AND METH, GUN POSSESSION

David Herron, 49, of Centralia, Illinois, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine and a concurrent 10-year prison term for unlawful gun possession. Herron entered a guilty plea last September to a three-count indictment charging him with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charged conspiracy took place from March 12, 2018, to April 24, 2019, in Centralia.

In handing down the sentence, Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel observed that a majority of the court’s criminal docket now comes from Centralia.

The case arose after an FBI task force investigated Herron’s narcotics trafficking activities for several months in early 2019. During that time, Herron was on bond for two separate drugrelated cases in Marion County. Herron sold methamphetamine and heroin from a Centralia residence on North Elm and from a mobile home on North Sycamore. On April 24, 2019, task force members arrested Herron as he left his home on Hardin Street and found him in possession of methamphetamine and heroin packaged for sale. A search of his home revealed over 200 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine and a loaded gun. Herron has a prior felony conviction that prohibits him from knowingly possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Herron has been in custody since his arrest. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release and pay a $600 fine. Several of Herron’s alleged coconspirators were charged in a separate case. Danny Lee DeShane, 45, was sentenced in June to 54 months imprisonment. Earlier this month, Curtis Phelps, 38, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy. A third man, Cloyd “Rick” Culver, 69, has pleaded not guilty but is scheduled for a change of plea hearing tomorrow.

The FBI’s task force continues its investigation into drug trafficking and related activities in the Marion-Clinton-Washington County areas. Law enforcement agencies participating in the task force include the Centralia Police Department, the Carlyle Police Department, and the Marion, Clinton, and Washington County Sheriffs’ Offices.

Alumni Foundation To Honor MCHS Students For Ultimate Sacrifice

After the close of the 2020 Hall of Fame application process, the Alumni Foundation made the decision to revised its guidelines going forward to add a fourth category “For Those Who Gave All.” This category will recognize all MCHS students who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and will be recognized in the Military Hall of Fame. A re-dedication ceremony is being planned with a tentative date of November 11th giving honor to those students from World War I to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The current records show the following MCHS students who gave their life while serving in the military:

WORLD WAR I:

Hill, Glayron E.

Painter, Sandford A.

Rigg, Ruell M.

Seibert, Harold

WORLD WAR II:

Bandy, Raymond E.

Dixon, Charles R.

Dixon, Harold D.

Dougherty, Joseph H.

Fearheiley, Otto G., Jr.

Gaston, Glenn

Germann, Francis E.

Hall, Donald

Jones, Charles L.

Keen, Owen J., Jr.

Kennard, Wayne E.

Latture, Lewis

Leeds, Philip V.

Marx, Richard E.

McClure, James

Reynolds, Charles E.

Rodgers, Raymond L.

Steib, Joseph E.

Stoltz, William H.

Stokes, Clifton M.

Stokes, Elwood G.

Talley, Richard W.

Trover, Charles U.

KOREAN WAR:

No Casualties Listed

VIETMAN WAR:

Alexander, Roy M.

Barlett, Ralph H., Jr.

Bobbitt, Jerry K.

Chastine, Kenneth F.

Johnson, Joe

Leavens, Everett

McClane, Michael J.

Parr, Keith M.

Rayborn, Danny K.

Swatsley, Mickey L.

Wiggins, Tommy A.

Wilkinson, Clyde D.

Wilkinson, Jan

IRAQ WAR:

Wright, Brian A.

The MCHS Alumni is asking the public if you know of any other student that attended MCHS and made the ultimate sacrifice during active duty, please contact the MCHS Alumni Foundation at 618.240.1657 with their name and the years they attended MCHS.

Although the Alumni Foundation has had to cancel this year’s Homecoming Weekend activities due to the COVID19 virus, we will be conducting a 50/50 drawing now through November 25th to support the Military Hall of Fame project. Tickets will be available beginning August 15th and may be purchased by contacting Ranell Locke at 618.262.6501 or Emily Teague at 618.240.1657. We will be announcing other locations in the community that will have tickets available for purchase as well. Drawing for the winner of the 50/50 winner will be held on Wednesday, November 25th at WSJD 100.5 and announced on the radio. The exact time of the drawing will be announced at a later date.

Allendale Returning To In-Person Learning Monday

From Allendale Superintendent Bob Bowser:

After looking at the numbers over the past week for positive cases in Wabash County, Allendale CCSD 17 will return to In-Person Learning on Monday, August 31st. Our school community has done a fantastic job with full remote learning, but based on the data locally, we are more than ready to get the students back in the building and teach. If a parent feels their child needs to continue with remote learning at this time, please contact the school office and we will send a form to be signed. We will continue with full remote learning through this Friday, but the buses will run Monday morning and we will follow the same procedures as we did the first four days of schools. Please be in contact with your bus driver by Sunday if your child will/won’t be needing transportation. Also, please make sure to have the self-certification filled out for any student riding on the bus. Please keep in mind, if your child has any of the symptoms, do not put them on the bus or send to school. Allendale CCSD 17 wants to keep the building safe for students, faculty, staff, and school community members. Also, parents, please contact the school if your child is displaying symptoms or has been quarantined during full remote learning. We need to be informed in order to keep everyone safe and we do have remote learning to continue your childs’ education.

Let’s have a great rest of the week in full remote learning and look forward to Monday when we get back to in-person learning.

Parents Fear Social Isolation Impacts Of Remote Learning

As many Illinois school districts begin the fall semester with remote learning because of the pandemic, some parents have concerns about the impact social isolation could have on their children.

College of DuPage professors of psychology Azure Thill and Ada Wainwright said parents should encourage children to take breaks from the routine to engage in unstructured play.

“They are developing their own intellectual skills, they are learning how to figure things out on their own, they’re manipulating things with their hands to figure out how it works without an adult looking over their shoulder telling them how it works,” Thill said.

The professors point to the latest issue of the American Journal of Play where researchers found that children’s unscheduled playtime has been declining steadily over the past century.  In Thill’s Educational Psychology class, the curriculum focuses on the importance of play and encourages future teachers to build play in their curriculum.

Thill said some children no longer know how to handle boredom.

“I think some parents have forgotten that it is OK to give kids downtime,” Thill said. “It’s OK to let kids be bored because out of boredom comes creativity.”

For teenagers, the pandemic led to the cancellation of events and limited many social activities. Wainwright said it is important for adolescents to stay in touch with their friends.

“A natural part of their social development is the pulling away from parents and the increasing importance of peers,” Wainwright said. “We need to allow them to still connect with their friends in safe and responsible ways.”

Thill said many teenagers have schedules that are too demanding and this period in time may help them slow down.

“Hopefully this pandemic is going to decrease the amount of responsibilities that we are requiring from teenagers so they can actually have a little bit more self-reflection time,” Thill said.

Lawmakers Question Validity Of Pritzker's Restrictions

Republican Senators in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Region 7 said the governor had made deals that weren't based on science with leaders in another region of the state regarding business closures to stop the spread of COVID-19

The governor said Tuesday that it was a “mistake” to implement less strict mitigations in Region 4.

The governor also said he would require customers going to restaurants that remain open to use a face mask when interacting with restaurant employees. 

Standing with Democratic lawmakers in Will County, Pritzker announced mitigation measures for Will and Kankakee counties. He said the region has exceeded 8 percent positivity rate for more than three days.

“All indoor bar service and indoor dining service will be closed [for Will and Kankakee counties],” Pritzker announced. “Outdoor bars and dining may stay open for table service if they follow the required mitigations.”

Area state Sens. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, and John Curran, R-Woodridge, released a statement just before the governor’s announcement. Rezin and Curran said the governor was not being fair because the mitigations were different than those implemented in the Metro East area, where restaurants could have limited dine-in service at restaurants.

“The governor has decided to place partisan politics above science,” the Republicans said. “As a result, Will and Kankakee Counties will be forced to ban indoor dining while the Metro-East (Region 4) will be given an extra week to improve their numbers. Why the double standard?”

“Because Democrat elected officials from that region pressured the Governor to change this stance,” they said. “Backroom political deals should not be how public health decisions are made. The same rules should apply to all regions, and they should be based on science, not politics.”​

State Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, agreed.

“I always despise a double standard,” Batinick said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me to have a double standard. You either have rules, and you follow them or you don’t.”

Pritzker said Region 4 mitigations have not been working and will likely be closed next week. He said it was a mistake.

“Unintended,” he said. “It was a mistake in my view ultimately to make the adjustment that we made in Region 4.”

Pritzker said he was listening to public health officials in the area, which borders St. Louis.
Batinick said the governor should provide more data for his decisions.

Meanwhile, statewide, the governor also announced restaurant patrons must wear masks more often “when interacting with wait staff and other employees.”

“Customers must follow this rule when food and beverages are brought to the table, when orders are placed, and when picking up carryout orders,” the governor said.

Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said his office will only enforce the law if there is a physical altercation.

“But, if somebody calls and says ‘so and so is not enforcing the mask issue,’ that’s going to be a Kankakee County Health Department issue,” Downey told WMAY radio.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said residents have to do better at wearing face coverings properly to slow the transmission of the virus. She also announced that as of Monday evening 1,549 people were in Illinois hospitals for treatment for COVID-19. About 5,000 patients were being treated for COVID-19 in late April.

Details Released On Return To District #348 In-Person Instruction

Here are the details on the return to blended instruction in Wabash District #348 that was announced this morning by Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer:

Evansville man arrested on DUI charge

On August 23, 2020, at 5:12 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Michael Rose conducted a welfare check on a Black Buick Century that was parked along the roadside of I 69. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Rose identified the only occupant in the vehicle as 39-year-old Kirk Rheinhardt of Evansville. While speaking with Ms. Rheinhardt Deputy Rose detected the odor of alcohol and began a roadside DUI investigation. At the conclusion of the investigation Mr. Rheinhardt was transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated. He has since posted a $450 bond. Assisting Deputy Rose in his investigation was Oakland City Officer Michael McGregor.

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

Traffic stop nets arrest of Missouri man on multiple charges

On August 23, 2020, at 7:35 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Bryce Jutzi conducted a traffic stop on White 2006 Box Truck on State Road 64 for traveling Westbound in the eastbound lane. Upon approaching the vehicle it appeared that the driver 55-year-old Barry Ramsey of St. Peters Missouri may be under the influence of an unknown intoxicant. At that point Deputy Jutzi began a roadside DUI investigation with the assistance of officers from the Mount Carmel Police Department. During the investigation Methamphetamines, Marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were found in the vehicle. At the conclusion of the investigation Mr. Ramsey was transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamines, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated. He remains in custody on a $1500 bond.

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

Springfield Man Injured In Fayette County Wreck

ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT  

The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police

District 12 

WHAT:                      Single Vehicle Personal Injury Traffic Crash

WHERE:                   US 51 at 900 North, Fayette County

WHEN:                      Aug. 24, 2020 at 3:29 p.m.         

VEHICLE:                Unit 1- 2010 Red Nissan Altima

DRIVER:                   Unit 1- Patton Siewart, 18 year old male from Springfield, IL – Flown to a Regional Hospital with non-life threatening injuries

PRELIMINARY:      A preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 1 was travelling north on US 51 near 900 north in Fayette County. The driver of Unit 1 looked away from the road to check his GPS and ran off the right side of the road, striking a culvert and overturning. Unit1 driver was flown to a regional hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

CHARGES:               Unit 1 driver was cited for Improper Lane Usage

Study: Vaping Increases Risk Of COVID-19

A new study links vaping to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.

Earlier this month, an Illinois lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, wrote to the Food and Drug Administration demanding a ban on the sale of reduced-risk tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes. Krishnamoorthi referenced a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health that found being diagnosed with COVID-19 was five times more likely among young people who used e-cigarettes.

Adam Johnson, a senior analyst with the website QuoteWizard, said those who use vaping products have a higher risk.

“The pulmonary effects of smoking and e-cigarette use could increase the serious risk of illness and the progression of COVID-19,” Johnson said.

Some studies point to e-cigarettes as an effective way to quit regular cigarettes. Dr. Lion Shahab, the deputy director of the University College London Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said e-cigarettes don’t contain the tar of tobacco cigarettes.

“My research shows that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than cigarettes,” Shahab said. “The big reason is the tar, which is not produced by e-cigarettes but by regular cigarettes.”

Illinois was found to have a 4.4 percent prevalence of teenagers who vape, which is tied for the 29th highest rate in the country, according to QuoteWizard. Last year, 5 million middle school and high school students nationwide reported e-cigarette use.

If health insurance companies begin to classify e-cigarettes like tobacco, the Tobacco Use Surcharge could kick in. That allows insurers to increase premiums for enrollees who use tobacco.

The tax rate for electronic cigarettes in the Tobacco Products Tax Act is 15% of the wholesale price of products sold or otherwise disposed of during the month. Retail sales of e-cigarettes are also subject to Illinois Retailers Occupation Tax.