ILLINOIS STATE POLICE IDENTIFY BODY FOUND NEAR TRENTON

Centralia, IL – As of late Thursday, September 3, 2020, officials with Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 8 have positively identified the body located on August 28, 2020 in the ditch of the Illinois Route 160 on-ramp to New United States Route 50 westbound near Trenton, IL as Charity M. Greene, a 46-year-old female of Harlan County, Kentucky. 

An autopsy was completed on Saturday, August 29, 2020 with final results still pending. 

ISP DCI Zone 8 continues to lead the death investigation and is requesting information from the public regarding Greene’s whereabouts leading up to the discovery of her body on August 28th.  This case remains under active investigation and no additional information is available for release currently.  Anyone with information is asked to contact ISP DCI Zone 8 at (217)-342-7879 or William.sandusky@illinois.gov.

Mt. Carmel City Council Agenda

AGENDA

CITY OF MOUNT CARMEL

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 5:00 pm

·         Call to Order

o   Pledge of Allegiance

o   Roll Call

·         Approve Minutes

o   Minutes of meeting held 8/24/2020

·         Visitors (topic discussed by visitor(s) is limited to 5 minutes)

o   Darrell G. Smith

·         Reports and Communications

o   Mayor Judge  

o   Commissioner Meeks

o   Commissioner Ikemire

o   Commissioner Dulgar

o   Commissioner Madden

·         Staff Reports

o   Rudy Witsman                         Dave Easter                 Art Kimmel

o   Kelli Storckman                       Ryan Turner               

o   Mike Gidcumb                         Francis Speth                           

·         New Business

o   Consent Agenda

o   Removal of items from the Consent Agenda

o   Consideration of Consent Agenda

§  Approve Ordinance 2039 – Approving Variance for Water Plant

§  Approve Resolution 674 – Authorizing TIF Agreement with Sam Case

§  Approve Starcade - TIF Agreement   

§  Pay all bills bearing proper signature

o   Consideration of items removed from the Consent Agenda

·         Executive Session (if needed)

Motion to Adjourn

Water Disconnections Resume Next Week In Mt. Carmel

The clock is ticking on Mt. Carmel water customers who have taken advantage of the city’s moratorium on disconnections and late fees. City crews will begin shutoffs next week on those with delinquent bills of two months or more.

At last check, City Inspector Mike Gidcumb said there were 787 past due water accounts with 217 of those subject to disconnection next week. The total amount of the past due water bills owed to the city was more than $87,600.  

If your water is disconnected, there is a $25 re-connection fee once the outstanding bill is paid.

Check To See If State Owes You Money

State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) continues to work with the State Treasurer to help remind people that they should check to see if the State of Illinois is holding any cash or property that belongs to them. It’s free and it’s easy to check at the I-Cash search option online at https://icash.illinoistreasurer.gov/. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact Rep. Bailey’s office for assistance.

“At a time when record numbers of people are unemployed and the economic pressures of the coronavirus shut-downs are being felt by seniors and families across our state, every dollar is critical to feed your family and pay the bills,” commented Rep. Bailey.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Rep. Bailey want you to know that most people are surprised to learn that the state might have their missing money or unclaimed property – and they don’t even know it. You can see if your name is among the thousands who have missing money by searching your name, a relative’s name, the name of a business or the name of a non-profit organization.

Sometimes, a letter or check is mailed to the wrong address. Examples of unclaimed property include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. The state treasurer is legally required to return the property to the rightful owner no matter how long it takes.

“My office worked with the Treasurer last year for example to connect a family in my legislative district with a number of unclaimed stocks with a substantial value,” added Rep. Bailey. “Though the original owner of the stock was deceased, the owners of the estate are able to claim what rightfully belongs to them.”

An estimated one-in-four people in Illinois have unclaimed property. Because unclaimed property is surrendered to the treasurer’s office twice each year, you are encouraged to check the database twice each year; for example, on your birthday and six months later.

Property Value Returned by County within the 109th District (Total to Date = $3,421,688):

            Clay                $442,090

            Edwards        $177,389

            Effingham     $836,089

            Jasper            $373,305

            Lawrence      $582,112

            Richland        $236,026

            Wabash         $269,428

            Wayne           $260,234

            White              $245,015

Secretary of State Offices Closed for Labor Day

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that all offices and Driver Service facilities will close in observance of Labor Day.

Offices and Driver Services Facilities operating on a:

• Monday through Friday schedule will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020.

• Monday through Saturday schedule, which are Chicago North, Chicago South and Chicago West, will be closed on Saturday, September 5 and Monday, September 7, 2020.

• Tuesday through Saturday schedule will be closed on Saturday, September 5, 2020.

All office and Driver Services facilities will be open for business Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

As a reminder, White has extended all expiration dates to Nov. 1, 2020 for driver’s licenses/ID cards and license plate stickers so customers do not need to rush into Driver Services facilities, especially during hot weather. In addition, White is reminding drivers age 75 and older with valid driver’s licenses that their driver’s license expiration date has been extended by one year; the new expiration date is their birthday in 2021.

White continues to urge the public to consider using online services when possible instead of visiting a facility. Customers may go to www.cyberdriveillinois.com to take advantage of online services – such as renewing license plate stickers – from the comfort of their own home. People who conduct online transactions will avoid waiting in line at a facility.

WABASH VALLEY COLLEGE ANNOUNCES SPRING SEMESTER HONORS LIST

 THE DELAY IN RELEASING THE SPRING SEMESTER HONORS LIST WAS NECESSITATED  BY SEVERAL FACTORS:  CLASSES HAD TO BE COMPLETED BY BECOMING ONLINE CLASSES;   ALSO, STUDENTS ENROLLED IN INTERNSHIP CLASSES WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THOSE CLASSES UNTIL THE END OF THE SUMMER. 

Wabash Valley College is pleased to announce its Honors List for Spring Semester 2020.  To be eligible for the Chancellor’s Honors List, a student must have a GPA of 3.90-4.0 based on a 4.0 scale and must have been enrolled for at least twelve (12) semester hours for the Spring Semester.  Students on the Chancellor’s Honors List include:  ALBION:  Ashten Brock, Tanner Creed, Alaina Greatline, Olivia Hallam, Denara Hortin, Jessica Melloy, Kyle Mewes; ALLENDALE: Ella Banks, Amy Headrick; BROWNS:  Josef Gill; CARMI:  Andrew Cusick; CLAY CITY:  Ian Klingler; FLORA:  Mekenzie Wheeler; GRAYVILLE:  Hunter Collard, Marshall Schroeder; LAWRENCEVILLE:  Cade Benson, Harley Flanders; MOUNT CARMEL: Andrea Andujar Mangual, Lindsey Bangert, Breanna Beck, Kaitlyn Bennett, Tyler Briggs, Lucas Bunting, Tan Chau, Carly Cochran, Bret Doan, Karli Ellis, Jacey Evans, Anna Fowler, Cameron French, Lexi Garloch, Luke Gould, Adam  Grob, Megan Haase, Shivani Hajari, Sophie Heck, Gracey Himelick, Rebecca Kieffer, Kirk Liebert, Freylin Minyety, Breanna More, Morgan Moxey,  Nhu Nguyen, Michael Payne, Austin Peterson, Jacob Plastiak, Boston Polston, Alondra Sanchez, Maci Simmons, Katherine Smith, Kelsey Stanton, Zechariah Sutton, Vicki Valencia, Mersadies Wagner, Brooke Wilhite; NOBLE:  Addie Hemrich, Madison Michels; NORRIS CITY:  Amber Robinson; OLNEY:  Jakob Boulb, Elaine Rudolphi, Andrew Whittington; ROBINSON:  Gina Aten; SAINT FRANCISVILLE:  Jaylyn Wease; SUMNER:  Dalton Beard, Preston Hobbs; WEST SALEM:  Jason Childers, Tyger Clodfelter, Jozie Rice; Cheyenne Summerfield; FORT BRANCH, IN:  Jesarey Caalim; PRINCETON, IN:  Haley Hart; WADESVILLE, IN:  Austin Reynolds.

To be eligible for the President’s Honors List, the student must earn a GPA of 3.75-3.89 on a 4.0 scale and must be enrolled for at least twelve (12) semester hours for the Spring Semester.  Students on the President’s Honors List include:  ALBION:  Logan Balding, Mackenzie Dascotte, Hunter Hortin; BRIDGEPORT:  Auston Phipps, Seanna Rodrick; ELLERY:  Autumn Schnicker; GRAYVILLE: Jaymi Hosman, Lucas Knight, Jerod Quitugua; MOUNT CARMEL:  Mary Berberich, Kendall Beyerle, Rachael Buchanan, Sydni Cosby, Mollie Dardeen, Madison Duncan, Beiker Fuentes, Ellison Goodson, Darian Neu, Valerie Ramos Allende, Troy Stoltz, Rachel Thomas, Tristan Thomas, Kendall Thompson, Katelyn Wagner, Jejuan Weatherspoon, Daniel Zimmerman; OLNEY:  Evan Walker; SAINT FRANCISVILLE:  Alecia Winkles; SUMNER:  Savhanna Smith; EVANSVILLE, IN:  Austin Spears; OAKLAND CITY, IN:  Christopher Montgomery; PRINCETON, IN:  Jaysa Snyder.

The Dean’s Honors list includes those students with a GPA of 3.50 to 3.74 based on a 4.0 scale who have been enrolled in at least twelve (12) semester hours for the Spring Semester.  Students named to the Dean’s List include:  ALBION:  Remington Greatline, Adam Grimes; BRIDGEPORT:  Jodie Brian, Emalee Rogers; CARMI:  Cole Carter, Abby Vaughan; CLAY CITY:  Aaron Hosselton; FAIRFIELD:  Skylar Gray, Chloe Newman, Marylee Snyder; FLAT ROCK:  Meghan Rinsch; GRAYVILLE:  Cade Rivers, Tyler Walsh, Kaelynn Worley; LAWRENCEVILLE: Katelyn Hawkins, Baylee Shipley; MOUNT CARMEL:  Lyndsi Adamson, Abigail Anderson, Connor Anderson, Darian Barnard, Cuyler Barnum, Thomas Benson, Justin Boyd, Karisa Broster, Bailey Coish, Ronda Cullison, Yoliann De Jesus Tejedor, Rafael Diaz-Badillo, Jacob Durham, Logan Durham, Kellene Engelhart, Connor Fenlong, Lily Garbett, Jonathon Gillim, Trevon Hamilton, Robert Harvey, Allyson Kendall, Makenna Langenhorst, Chloe Lobmaster, Garrett Maloney, Jack Marlin, Sara Mauk, Austin McCoy, Ashley More, Harmonie Nehren, Jonathan Nieves, Savier Pinales, Grant Pytel, Casey Schweitzer, Rikki Slayton, Colton Sloan, Alexis Snow, Brayden Stipp, Abby Vaughan, Morgan York; OLNEY: Braxton Burgener,  Bryce Klingler; SAINT FRANCISVILLE:  Morgan Thompson; SUMNER: Trevor Jackman; BOONVILLE, IN:  Laura McKinley.

State Police Detectives Warn Public about Online Dog Scams

Indiana State Police Detectives at Evansville are currently investigating a couple of fraud incidents involving individuals attempting to purchase dogs online. One recent Warrick County resident purchased a dog through a website and paid $900. The dog was going to be shipped to the buyer and required insurance and vaccinations, which was an additional $2,800. After the resident paid the additional funds, the company informed the buyer that the insurance was expired and they needed additional payment. The resident became suspicious, refused to send any additional payment and contacted Indiana State Police. The victim paid a total of $3,700 and never received a dog.

According to the Better Business Bureau data, nearly 10,000 scam reports and complaints have been received during the last three years about businesses selling puppies and dogs. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that only about 10% of victims report these crimes, so this number could be much higher.

Tips if you are interested in purchasing a dog online:

• Avoid classified sites.

• Communicate with the seller.

• Research prices.

• Meet the seller and puppy/dog.

• Get a contract and check references.

• Be wary of shipping services.

• Never wire money or use gift cards for payment.

• If the price is too good to be true, it’s likely a scam!

Timetable Unclear On Madigan Probe

Republicans on the recently created investigative committee into House Speaker Michael Madigan’s ties to the ComEd patronage scandal hope to move things along.

The petition has been filed outlining a series of different charges that arise from ComEd’s deferred prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors.

State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, is on the committee to investigate. She hopes it moves quickly.

“This is an investigative committee, and certainly we want to make sure that we’re creating an appropriate record so that the disciplinary committee can go forth and make findings based on that,” Mazzochi said.

The disciplinary committee has not been named. But after the investigative committee does its work, a disciplinary committee could vote to move a resolution to the full house to censure Madigan, expel him, or do nothing at all.

The clock is on. If the committees don't finish their work before the end of the 101st General Assembly’s term mid-January, they’ll have to start again.

State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, is also on the investigative committee. He said there’s sufficient time now to work through the process before next year.

Despite recusing himself from picking members for the committee, Madigan said it was an election-year political stunt by Republicans to distract from “a federal administration that has used the White House to prop up Donald Trump’s wealthy” donors.

Mazzochi doesn’t see the connection of what’s going on in Washington DC versus what’s going on in the Illinois statehouse.

“None of the things that are being discussed in the deferred prosecution agreement involving ComEd have anything to do with what’s going on in Washington D.C.,” Mazzochi said. “Unfortunately they’re based squarely here in the state of Illinois.”

Mazzochi noted even Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there are questions Madigan needs to answer the issues raised in the patronage scandal.

“I’m happy to work quickly so that we can move things along, but unfortunately the timing of the schedule as it usually is is in the hands of the majority party here,” Mazzochi said.

Madigan isn’t just Speaker of the House, he’s also the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Alongside two other political committees he controls, Madigan is also the chairman of the Democratic Majority, a political campaign to support Democratic members of the Illinois House.

The Democratic chairman of the special investigative committee, state Rep. Chris Welch, D-Hillside, has the ability to set the pace of the committee. He said they're still ironing out the details heading into a long holiday weekend.

Labor Groups Back Proposed Tax Amendment

More than 100 labor organizations in Illinois endorsed a proposed amendment on the November ballot to change the state's constitution to allow for the state to ditch its flat-rate income tax structure for a system that has higher rates for those who make more than $250,000 a year, but business groups remain opposed to the measure.

Proponents have said that the proposal would make the state tax code fairer and provide tax relief to more Illinoisans. Opponents have said it will open the door to future tax hikes that hurt taxpayers and small businesses and would drive more people to leave the state.

Illinois has had a flat rate, which is currently 4.95% for individuals, since the income tax was instituted in 1969. The Illinois Constitution mandates that any income tax be imposed at a single rate for all individual taxpayers, regardless of their income level. Illinois is one of eight states that has a flat rate tax.

Representatives from the UAW, AFL-CIO, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Brotherhood of Electricians held a virtual news conference Thursday to call for the passage of the fair tax amendment in November.

UAW spokesman Bill Hamilton said the income tax amendment would create jobs in the state.

“Dealing with this COVID-19, the fair tax reform would help create new jobs as we move out of this crisis and get Illinois back to work,” Hamilton said. “We can get past this and build a stronger Illinois.”

Todd Maisch, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said the Illinois legislature can change the tax rates and income levels in the future.

“We saw this in Connecticut,” Maisch said. “What started out as a millionaire tax turned out to be a tax increase on people making $50,000 a year.”

Maisch said the revenue that the Pritzker administration has been touting won't come in because people will pick up and leave the state to avoid higher taxes.

Previous tax increases have been used to pay off state bills, reduce bond debt and make pension payments. Many state workers are union members. Statewide, about 870,000 employees were union members or had jobs that were governed by a union contract, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Almost half of those union members worked in the public sector.

The 2011 tax increase brought in about $31.6 billion by 2014. That money was used to pay about $3.6 billion in state bills, pay down $8 billion in pension bonds and pay about $21 billion into the state's five pension systems, which have among the lowest funded ratios in the nation.

Pritzker, who ran on the idea, estimates a progressive tax would increase revenue by $3 billion a year if it is approved by voters. The budget he enacted and the Democratic supermajority voted for in May relies on more than $1 billion from the tax. Voters decide the fate of the progressive income tax amendment at the ballot box in November.

If voters approve the constitutional amendment, individuals or couples filing jointly would see their rates increasing to 7.75 percent on income over $250,000. The rates would increase to 7.85 percent on individual income of more than $350,000 and joint filing income of more than $500,000. The rates would increase to 7.99 percent on individual income of more than $750,000 and joint filing income of more than $1 million.

If the referendum is approved in November, the new tax rates would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

Move To Phase 5 Soon For Illinois?

Illinois could be on the verge of entering Phase 5 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 reopening plan, if the statewide plan remains in place and a vaccine is approved by the federal government.

On May 5, Pritzker revealed his five-phase reopening plan called “Restore Illinois.” That was after nearly two months of stay-at-home orders. His plan four months ago laid out what would relax all restrictions.

“The only way that we can cross into Phase 5, Illinois Restored, with all the sectors of the economy running with completely normal operations is with a vaccine,” Pritzker said.

He also said Phase 5 of the plan could come about with a widely available COVID-19 treatment or the elimination of new cases over time.

The White House said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent notices to states to start preparing for a vaccine.

The Illinois Department of Public Health didn’t return messages seeking comment about the notices the CDC sent to states.

State Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, said she had concerns about the notices.

“Just personally, watching the news, I’m concerned with what’s coming out from the CDC right now,” Murphy said. “It seems like a lot of conflicting information.”

Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said news that doses of the vaccine could be ready by November before Election Day “only increased public skepticism about the safety and efficacy” and “undermined credibility in the vaccine approval process.”

Durbin is asking companies involved in Operation Warp Speed, the president’s initiative to find vaccine candidates, to respond to a series of questions by Sept. 17.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said reports that the Trump administration is pressuring officials to move the COVID-19 vaccine along were just theories spun by some media outlets.

“This president wants to break through regulatory barriers to get a vaccine to the American people as quickly as possible because lives are at stake,” McEnany said. “But he will not in any way sacrifice safety in making sure that this is 100 percent airtight.”

Pritzker last month said when a vaccine is ready, he doesn’t expect it to be required to attend school.

“No, I can’t imagine that,” Pritzker said. “What I do think is that once a vaccine is available I think many, many people will want to get vaccinated. We obviously want to get to herd immunity.”

A WebMD poll released Wednesday (https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200902/webmd-poll-more-acceptance-of-covid-vaccine) suggests even with the growing acceptance of the idea of a COVID-19 vaccine, less than a third of people would actually take it right away.