ISP Seat Belt Blitz Results In 17 Citations

Carmi – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 19 Commander, Captain Nathan Douglas, announces the results of an Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrol (OREP) held in Wabash and Edwards Counties during March. This OREP provided extra patrol coverage for the ISP so officers could focus on saving lives by making sure all vehicle occupants were buckled up.

Violations Enforcement Activity

Safety Belt Citations 15

Child Restraint Citations 0

Total Citations 17

Total Written Warnings 4

Most motorists know safety belts save lives, but some ignore their safety and that of their families by neglecting to use safety belts and child restraint devices. These patrols reinforce the occupant protection message by focusing on those who ignore the law. Lives can be saved if people simply “buckle up!”

This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“Click It or Ticket”

Woman Airlifted To Evansville Hospital Following Incident On West 9th Street

On 3/26/21 at 1:29pm, Mt. Carmel Police responded to a residence in the 800 block of West 9th Street in reference to an injured female. Upon arrival, it was determined the female sustained a life threatening injury and needed immediate medical attention.  Aid was rendered by Mt. Carmel Police, the Wabash County Sheriff's Office, and the Wabash General Hospital.  The female was taken to Wabash General Hospital and later air lifted to an Evansville area hospital.  Mt. Carmel Police requested assistance from the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services Unit to process the potential crime scene.  At present time, there is no indication foul play was involved.  No further information will be released at this time.

Wabash General Hospital & Foundation Work Towards Making Mammography Services More Convenient

Wabash General Hospital Foundation is delighted to announce their support to bring mammography in-house for Wabash General Hospital, and plans to purchase brand new state of the art mammography equipment with the latest technology and a remodel of the radiology department space. If you are interested in supporting projects like this, please contact WGH Foundation at (618)263-6302 or visit our website at https://wabashgeneral.com/foundation.  We would like to extend a special thank you to all of our donors for making a difference in our community.

Wabash General Hospital is committed to providing easy, convenient access to high quality services.  While we are grateful to have had the opportunity to be able to provide mammography services for several years through a mobile unit, we are very excited to be able to have the opportunity to bring mammography services in-house later in 2021 and have it available five days a week that includes later hours and weekend hours. 

Centralia Man Seriously Injured In One Car Crash

ISP INVESTIGATES TRAFFIC CRASH WITH INJURY

The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12

WHAT:                      Single Vehicle Traffic Crash with Injury

WHERE:                   Illinois Route 161 west of Buchanan Road, Haines Township, Marion County.

WHEN:                      March 25, 2021 at 11:43 a.m.

VEHICLES:              Unit 1 – Maroon 2001 Buick Century                       

DRIVERS:                 Unit 1 – Rosalyn M. Dewey, a 19-year-old female from Centralia, IL – Airlifted to a regional hospital with serious injuries.

PRELIMINARY:      Preliminary investigative details indicate the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling westbound on Illinois Route 161 west of Buchanan Road in Marion County.  Unit 1 traveled off the roadway to the right and struck a utility pole with the front and rear driver’s side door. The driver of Unit 1 was airlifted to a regional hospital with serious injuries. No further information will be disseminated at this time.

CHARGES:               The driver of Unit 1 was issued a citation for Operate Uninsured Vehicle, Driving too Fast for Conditions, and Improper Display of Registration.

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

One Injured In US 40 Crash

ISP INVESTIGATES TRAFFIC CRASH WITH INJURY

The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 12

WHAT:                      Two Unit Traffic Crash with Injury

WHERE:                   US Route 40 at Fayette County Road 1470 ST, Fayette County.

WHEN:                      March 25, 2021 at 3:45 p.m.

VEHICLES:              Unit 1 – Tan 2001 Chevrolet Silverado

                                    Unit 2 – Silver 2004 Chevrolet Silverado

DRIVERS:                 Unit 1 – Abagail Durbin, a 22-year-old female from Brownstown, IL – Transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

                                    Unit 2 – Brock Oberlink, a 22-year-old male from Brownstown, IL – Refused medical attention.

PRELIMINARY:      Preliminary investigative details indicate the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling westbound on US Route 40 at Fayette County Road 1470 ST, Fayette County. Unit 2 was traveling westbound on US 40, attempting to turn into a private drive. Unit 1 struck the rear end of Unit 2. Unit 2 then overturned in the right ditch. Unit 1 driver was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No further information will be disseminated at this time.

CHARGES:               The driver of Unit 1 was issued a citation for Following Too Closely.

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

ISP CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE DISAPPEARANCE AND MURDER OF 7-YEAR-OLD DALTON MESARCHIK

Streator, IL –   The anniversary date of the disappearance and murder of 7-year-old Dalton Mesarchik of Streator, Illinois, is Friday, March 26, 2021.  Dalton was reported missing to the Streator Police Department on March 26, 2003.  The following day, Dalton’s body was located in the Vermilion River south of Streator.

The investigation remains an Illinois State Police (ISP) priority and is assigned to the ISP Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The ISP DCI continues to work closely with the Streator Police Department, Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Livingston County Coroner's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the LaSalle and Livingston County State's Attorney’s Offices in an effort to solve this case. With assistance from the above agencies, the ISP DCI continues to follow up on all existing and new leads. To date, approximately 2,000 leads have been opened and investigated.  Of these, many have led to additional follow up assignments within and outside the state of Illinois. In addition, approximately 500 evidentiary exhibits have been seized in this investigation. 

No additional information will be released at this time. If any significant information develops, it will be disseminated as it becomes available. Lastly, we would like to remind the public a reward of $50,000 remains in effect for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this crime. Anyone with information regarding this investigation or other crimes is encouraged to contact the ISP DCI by email at ISP.DCI.Zone05@Illinois.gov.

"Coolest Thing Made In Illinois" Winner Announced

After eight weeks of narrowing down entries, a contest to find the coolest thing made in Illinois has a winner.

“Makers Madness”, presented by Comcast Business, is designed to shine a light on Illinois’ diverse manufacturing sector.

The Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater manufactured by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village took the top spot. The heater uses conductive particles to heat traffic signals in the winter so they remain visible and free of ice and snow so they can be easily seen.

Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, said the contest is a great way to showcase products made in the Land of Lincoln.

“Whether they are iconic products such as the Caterpillar bulldozer or the John Deere combine, or technological innovations such as the self-regulating traffic heater that was crowned champion this year,” Denzler said. “This unique, energy-efficient product impacts our lives every day by making sure the people and goods travel on our roadways get where they’re going safely and efficiently.”

The other products that made the final four included Blistex Lip Balm from Oak Brook, custom tooling used by NASA and made in Decatur by Deco Manufacturing, and an outdoor chiller made by Thermal Care in Niles.

This year’s contest featured a field of 311 individual products initially nominated from across the state, with over 300,000 votes cast over the course of the competition.

“Seeing Makers Madness unfold first-hand has been really exciting,” said Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development Sean McCarthy. “The contest created a showcase for Illinois manufacturers and the innovative products they’re bring to the world stage.”

The IMA noted statewide, manufacturing generates more than $304 billion in economic output, contributing 12% to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, the largest share of any industry in Illinois.

Pritzker Gets Vaccine; Says Vaccination Passport Could Be Useful

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday that vaccination passports could be useful in the coming weeks as more Illinoisans get vaccinated for COVID-19.

As an eligible government worker, the governor was in Springfield on Wednesday to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a mass vaccination site at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. He said he understands there are people out there who are still unsure about the vaccines.

“I’m not asking you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself,” Pritzker said before getting his vaccination.

A total of 5,036,364 vaccines had been administered in the state as of Tuesday, but the Illinois Department of Public Health said it is working with the federal government on possible discrepancies in the actual numbers. IDPH said it is possible the number of doses is underreported.

As for a vaccination passport to prove a person has been inoculated against the coronavirus, Pritzker says a vaccination app would be useful, but should not be required to enter an event or facility.

“As long as it is your choice,” Pritzker said. “If people ask you to show that for a particular venue or private venue, they have the ability and right to do that. You don’t have to show that to them. You don’t have to be to go to that venue or be engaged in that activity.”

In Chicago, fully vaccinated customers with proof won’t count against COVID-19 capacity limits. However, some restaurant owners are unsure about asking for a person’s medical records.

The U.S. is not distributing vaccination passports and there are concerns over falsified records and also potentially violating federal health care privacy laws.

U.S. Airlines and others in the travel industry are voicing support for vaccine passports to boost pandemic-depressed travel, and officials in Europe have been talking about the idea in time for the peak summer vacation season.

Pritzker also said a vaccine hotline is now available for Illinoisans who have trouble booking appointments on the internet. The number is 833-621-1284 and is available from 6 a.m. until midnight seven days a week.

Illinois Fishing Licenses Could Be Going Up

In addition to the state’s existing stamp, Illinois lawmakers are working on adding another fee for those who want permission to fish in the state’s rivers and various water holes that would go toward fighting off the spread of invasive Asian carp.

Lawmakers in the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee forwarded House Bill 2744 to the floor for consideration Monday after approving it along party lines. If enacted, it would implement the aquatic conservation stamp, a $5 stamp that fishermen must purchase before they’re able to legally fish in the state. It would be the same cost for in-state residents and those from elsewhere. It would become active in 2022.

Republicans in the committee rejected the plan because of the extra cost on fishermen.

“It is still a fee increase that everybody would pay,” said state Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport.

The funds would be sent to the Aquatic Conservation Stamp Fund, whose purpose would be to aid in the fight against Asian carp, an invasive species of fish that’s been steadily infesting Illinois’ waterways on its way to Lake Michigan. 

“They just don’t belong in the lake,” said Jonathan Altenberg, director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. “They could destroy the habitat. It’s a real danger for us.”

Altenberg said states and the federal government are spending significant sums of money to protect recreational and commercial fishing industries worth “tens of billions of dollars.” 

In January, the Army Corps of Engineers started to implement mitigation measures meant to keep the invasive species out of one of the continent’s largest bodies of freshwater. 

Illinois residents already pay $15 for an annual fishing license. That cost rises to $31.50 for out-of-state fishermen. Senior citizens would be waived from the fee.

Saturday Hours Added To Recycling Center

Mt. Carmel City Commissioner Chandler Madden announced today that starting this weekend, the new recycling center location at 130 Railroad Street will be open from 9 to 3 on Saturday's. This is in addition to it being open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. Madden said these additional hours will make it more convenient for residents to use the recycling center.

According to Madden, the city has gone from the recycling center being open just three days a week to now 6 days a week.

Madden reminded residents that only cardboard, plastic, and newspapers are accepted at the recycling center.