Only One Bid On Former City Hall Building

A new religious non-profit organization in Mt. Carmel was the lone bidder to purchase the former City Hall building located at 219 Market Street. At Monday’s City Council meeting, City Clerk Rudy Witsman announced the bid was from Offense Ministries of Mt. Carmel. Representative Mike Neikirk was on hand and told the council Offense Ministries is headed by he and his wife Amy along with Brandon and Jill Kight and that he was not prepared to elaborate on any plans they have for the former City Hall…. 

The group’s bid was for $23,900 contingent on an agreement being reached on the use of parking around the building. The council authorized Mayor Joe Judge and City Clerk Rudy Witsman to work on finalizing the agreement. The building has been vacant since a major water leak hit in July of 2019 forcing city government to relocate. 

WSJD File Photo

WSJD File Photo

Arrest Made In Murder Of Megan Nichols

From Evansville Police Department:

Detectives with the Indiana State Police, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and the Evansville Police Department were made aware of a murder warrant being issued for the arrest of an Evansville resident. On 09-25-2020 an Illinois grand jury issued an indictment for Brodey Murbarger (11-27-95) in reference to the 2014 disappearance/murder of Megan Nichols. Megan was initially considered a missing person until her remains were located in a rural area in Wayne County Illinois in 2018.

Brodey Murbarger was arrested for Murder on today’s date outside his place of employment without incident. A search warrant was then executed at Murbarger’s home address at 5037 Lakeside Ct which is located in the Lakewood West apartment complex. Murbarger was then transported to the Vanderburgh County Jail where he will await extradition back to Illinois.

Below are several media links related to the disappearance and murder of Megan Nichols as well as a photograph of Nichols.

If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megan’s death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675

Mt. Carmel Man Seriously Injured In Tree Stand Fall

On October 5th at 10:24 A.M. the Wabash County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call for a man that had fallen from a tree-stand. The Sheriff's Office along with the Allendale Fire Department, and Wabash General Ambulance Service responded to the area of N 2250 Blvd. and E 1670 Ln. Allendale. (commonly referred to as Pulleyville) 

Once on scene units found David Bump, 49 of Mt. Carmel, had fallen form the tree he had been deer hunting out of. The AFD and WGAS stabilized Bump whom had crawled to the cornfield and phoned his wife. Bump was transferred by ambulance to the Allendale School baseball field where he was then loaded onto an AirEvac unit. Bump was transferred to and Evansville area hospital where he was treated for head and neck injuries.  

The Sheriff's Office would like to remind hunters to put safety first and not to take chances. 

  • Leave enough time, do not install a stand the day you plan to hunt

  • Select a sturdy, straight tree with a trunk 8 to 16 inches in diameter;

  • ALWAYS wear a safety harness;

  • Use a haul line to pull up gear instead of climbing with your weapon.

  • Have a hunt plan and let someone know when and where you are hunting in case of an emergency 

MCHS Committee Making Homecoming Plans

Mt. Carmel High School has put together a Homecoming Planning Committee that consists of four faculty members, a senior parent, a senior student representative, as well as an Alumni Foundation member. The committee's goal is to come up with a plan that provides our students, alumni, and community the opportunity to experience all the excitement and pageantry homecoming has to offer within the current health guidelines. The committee has begun meeting and the intentions are to hold homecoming in late winter or early spring. We will release related information as it is available.

CONCEALED CARRY COURSE TO BE OFFERED AT WVC OCTOBER 22, 23, 24

If you are interested in obtaining your Illinois Concealed Carry License, why not enroll in the next Concealed Carry course being offered by Illinois Eastern Community Colleges which will be offered at Wabash Valley College at the Advanced Technology Center on Thursday and Friday nights, October 22 and 23, from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., and on Saturday, October 24, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. D Ray Etzkorn is the instructor for this class.

Not only will attendees learn the minimum information required by the Concealed Carry Act, but through the use of lecture and range drills, attendees will learn how to safely handle a handgun and hone their skills, as a marksman, and survive a real-world encounter. Whether you are new to handguns or more experienced, this course is designed to make everyone a more knowledgeable and accomplished shooter. Through the teaching of current trends and techniques, students will learn and understand how to maintain the proper mindset, skills, and abilities that come with “bearing arms” for the purpose of self-defense.

Pre-registration is required. The cost of the 16-hour course is $192 for in-District students, which includes tuition and fees, and must be paid in advance to reserve a seat in the course. The cost for enrollees over 60 years old is $92. For more information or to get registered, contact your local Student Services Office: Wabash Valley College-Mt. Carmel, 866-982-4322. If you have questions concerning the program, contact the Concealed Carry Coordinator, D Ray Etzkorn, 618-262-6346, and leave a message.

WVC Making Progress Towards PTA Program

Wabash Valley College continues to make progress towards the full implementation of its fledgling physical therapist assistant education program.

In the spring of 2018, Wabash Valley College proposed the implementation of a physical therapist assistant education program. The PTA program is a full-time, five-semester program that consists of general education courses, technical PTA-specific courses and clinical education experiences.

In 2018, WVC completed a PTA Needs Assessment and formed a hiring committee charged with finding the right professional to lead the program. Dr. Lisa Hoipkemier was hired to serve as Program Director of PTA by the IECC Board of Trustees for the 2020 – 2021 academic year.

Dr. Hoipkemier brought with her a wealth of experience in a wide variety of settings. She holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Indiana University and is a clinical specialist in neurological physical therapy.

Dr. Hoipkemier is teaching Structural Kinesiology, Prevention/Treatment of Athletic Injury and in the Health Careers program this semester.

“I am enjoying the challenge of classroom teaching and definitely seeing so many areas I can grow and develop in,” said Dr. Hoipkemier. “All of the faculty have been so helpful in this process for me.”

The Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Board of Higher Education approved the development of a Physical Therapy Assistant Associate of Applied Science degree at WVC in

early 2019. The Higher Learning Commission then approved PTA at WVC in September of 2019.

In December of 2019, WVC submitted a Notification of Intent to Seek Accreditation for a physical therapist assistant education program to The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. WVC requested, and was granted, placement into the March 2022 pilot cycle.

Presently, Dean of Instruction Robert Conn and Dr. Hoipkemier are working together and making progress towards the implementation of WVC’s PTA program.

“Dr. Hoipkemier and I are currently enrolled in the American Physical Therapy Association’s Developing Program Workshops,” said Conn. “Subject matter experts from around the country present CAPTE’s accreditation processes with guidelines for submitting the Application for Candidacy.”

According to Dean Conn, the next steps for WVC’s PTA program are developing the program curricular map and student-related policies, procedures and practices in line with CAPTE’s Standards and Required Elements.

A second full-time faculty member is expected to be hired and serve as the Clinical Education Coordinator in the Spring of 2021. WVC is scheduled to submit the Application for Candidacy in March of 2022 followed by a candidacy site visit in April of 2022. The technical education phase of the first PTA cohort will start in August of 2022.

Student inquiries about the PTA program have been robust and an even greater response is anticipated when the program begins actively recruiting students.

In the meantime, WVC is asking prospective PTA students about their goals and educational needs and steering those students towards several existing programs that currently offer training for entry-level employment in health and business careers.

Once fully implemented, the PTA program will employ a competitive enrollment process and will admit recent high-school graduates as well as adult learners. High-school students should study advanced math, biology, chemistry and health careers to prepare for the PTA program. Adult learners may want to refresh their skills with prerequisite and general education coursework at WVC.

Bridgeport Woman Injured In Jasper County Crash

ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT  

 

The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police

District 12 

  

WHAT:                      Two Vehicle Personal Injury Traffic Crash

  

WHERE:                   Illinois Route 33 at 640 East, Jasper County

 

WHEN:                      Oct. 6, 2020 at 4:28 p.m.         

  

VEHICLE:                Unit 1- 2015 Black Chevrolet Malibu

                                    Unit 2- 2011 Yellow International Truck Tractor Grain Trailer Combination

 

DRIVER:                   Unit 1- Allison Nash, 21 year old female from Vincennes, IN - Uninjured

                                    Unit 2- Michael Finley, 31 year old male from Newton, IL – Uninjured

 

PASSENGER:           Unit 1- Tracie Nash, 48 year old female from Bridgeport, IL – Transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries

                                                   

PRELIMINARY:      A preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 2 was traveling east on Illinois 33 approaching 640 east in Jasper County. Unit 1 was also traveling east on Illinois 33, two vehicles behind Unit 2. The driver of Unit 2 slowed to make a left turn onto 640 east. The driver of Unit 1 attempted to pass Unit 2 and the vehicle between them. As Unit 2 began to turn left onto 640 east, Unit 1 struck the driver side of Unit 2. The driver of Unit 1 and Unit 2 were uninjured. The passenger of Unit 1 was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

 

CHARGES:               Unit 1 driver was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, Improper Lane Usage and Failure to Wear Seatbelt by Driver.

 

 

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

Final Push: Register Now to Participate in the World’s Largest Earthquake Drill

SPRINGFIELD – The World’s Largest Earthquake Drill will take place at 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2020 and the Illinois Emergency Management Agencies is encouraging all families, schools, businesses and other organizations to register to participate in this quick and easy preparedness drill.

ShakeOut is an international event involving millions of participants from more than 40 states and territories and several countries. The goal of this “Drop, Cover and Hold On” drill is to improve preparedness and draw attention to the earthquake hazards that exist in Illinois, across the country and around the world.

Millions of people around the world have already registered online. In Illinois, more than 50,000 Illinoisans have registered within the last two weeks. To date, more than 152,000 people have pledged to participate in this annual exercise. Local emergency managers throughout the state are hoping to increase that number as we approach the day of the drill.

“Fire drills and tornado drills are common practices in schools and at businesses, but not everyone knows what they should do in the event of an earthquake,” said IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “We cannot predict when or where the next devastating earthquake will occur, but we can help people learn how to protect themselves and reduce damage to their homes.”

Due to COVID-19, our work and school environments are changing. With people working from home and students learning remotely, the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) has developed toolkits for homeschools, individuals and families to utilize. As with any year, you can schedule your ShakeOut drill when and where you want it, whether that’s at work, home, school, or through a video conference.

Why is this important?

Earthquakes can occur at anytime, anywhere and without warning. While we often associate earthquakes with the west coast, quakes can and do occur closer to home. Illinois is positioned between two active seismic zones, the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. Earthquakes were reported in Illinois in 2012 (McHenry County), 2010 (Kane County) and 2008 (Wabash County). In fact, an earthquake in any of our neighboring states could be felt by residents in Illinois. This underscores the importance of preparedness. An earthquake can strike when you are at work, at home, at school, or while on vacation. When you are asleep in your bed or at an afternoon ballgame. ShakeOut provides the opportunity to practice what you would do in the event of an earthquake.

Shakeout Participation is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1. REGISTER your home, school, business or organization on the ShakeOut website: www.ShakeOut.org/centralus. Once registered, your point of contact will receive important information about earthquakes and preparedness.

2. MAKE A PLAN. Build an emergency supply kit for your family. Talk to your family members about what you should do in the event of an earthquake. Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, televisions and objects that hang on the wall. Evaluate your home for structural issues.

3. PRACTICE “DROP, COVER and HOLD ON” on October 15, 2020, at 10:15 am. Drop to the ground onto your hands and knees. Cover your head and neck with one arm to protect yourself from falling objects. Hold On to a sturdy table or desk until the shaking is done. These are the recommended actions to protect yourself during an earthquake.

Additional earthquake preparedness and mitigation information is available on the following websites: http://www.ready.illinois.gov and http://www.cusec.org.