The Mt. Carmel City Council has approved the request of the Lions Club to have their annual Candy Drive at city intersections on October 8th and 9th. Rain dates are the following weekend, October 15th and 16th.
Lions Club member Don Mains distributes candy to the City Council at least week’s meeting.
With another indoor mask mandate in place, businesses must again insist customers wear masks or turn them away.
National Federation of Independent Business State Director Mark Grant says it’s been a difficult year for small businesses and the mandate is another challenge.
“They’re in a tough spot,” he said. “They’re trying to adhere to the mandate and they’re trying to keep people healthy and they’re trying to stay in business so it’s a very difficult balance.”
Illinois’ small businesses are starting to get a little exasperated, Grant said.
“They think that perhaps the mandate is perhaps the governor’s way of not shutting down the economy but appearing to do something that is safety oriented,” he said.
Whether businesses enforce the mask mandate or not, a subset of customers will walk away, says Grant, so businesses lose out either way.
“They’re kind of forced into this position of being the local enforcement arm of the governor’s mandate, and they resent it considerably,” he said.
Added to that, many businesses are facing supply chain issues, which are driving up costs, Grant said.
“It’s complicated, but I know our businesses out there are having a hard time keeping and retaining employees,” he said. “We’ve got good employees; they’re paying them as much as they possibly can to keep them, providing benefits as much as they possibly can, and that of course drives up costs.”
In spite of the delta variant and supply chain issues, Grant says business optimism is still there.
“If we can weather this most recent storm with the delta variant, I think many of them think we’re going to continue to do business,” he said.
ISP TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 19
WHAT: Two Unit Personal Injury Traffic Crash
WHERE: S. Division Street at E. Main Street, Norris City, White County
WHEN: Sept. 12, 2021, at approximately 10:41 a.m.
VEHICLE: Unit 1 – 2014 Silver Jeep Cherokee
Unit 2 – 1994 Black Chevrolet Silverado
DRIVER: Unit 1 – Stephanie A. Nugent, 39-year-old female from Enfield, IL
Unit 2 – Mark E. Barger, 66-year-old male from Norris City, IL – Transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
PRELIMINARY: A preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling north on S. Division Street in Norris City. Unit 1 approached the intersection of S. Division Street and E. Main Street. During that time, Unit 2 was stopped on S. Division Street at E. Main Street. Unit 1 struck Unit 2.
CHARGES: Unit 1 driver was issued a citation for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.
The public is reminded all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A Market Street business owner appeared at last week’s Mt. Carmel City Council meeting to address two issues. The first issue Constance Folsom presented to commissioners was the deteriorating condition of the sidewalks in the 500 block of Market Street where one of her businesses is located. She outlined how the crumbling concrete had caused her and her customers to fall.
Mayor Joe Judge explained that replacing the concrete is part of a grant application the city is currently waiting word on. He said any work done on the sidewalk now would invalidate the grant application and cause the city to lose any chance of landing up to $1 million.
Folsom’s second issue was a letter the city sent giving her 30 days to bring the former Ben Franklin building in the 300 block of Market Street up to safe building codes…
Folsom told the council work had in fact been going on in the building, but city inspector Mike Gidcumb countered that by saying….
City administrator Ryan Turner also told Folsom trash around the building needed to cleaned up as well.
Front of former Ben Franklin building in the 300 block of Market Street in Mt. Carmel.
The reward for information in the Marcus Adams case is now up to $4,000. Wabash County Sheriff Derek Morgan reports that Crimestoppers along with some private donations have raised the reward to $4,000 for information regarding the death of the 29-year-old Adams whose skeletal remains were found in a farm field north of Mt. Carmel in October of 2018. Morgan said the reward offer is generating some renewed interest in the case as his office has been busy fielding calls and chasing down leads thanks to the reward. The reward will be paid out for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the death of Adams. Authorities stress that all information is strictly confidential, and you may remain anonymous.
Illinois’ COVID-19 positives from last week dropped by more than 4,000 from the week before. The weekly reporting from the Illinois Department of Public Health Friday showed around 26,000 cases last week. The week before, IDPH reported 30,300. The state’s seven-day positive rate is down to 4.5 percent, half a percentage point from the week before. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 appear to be leveling from the weeks before.
Dubois County-Friday night at approximately 10:00 PM, emergency personnel responded to a three-vehicle crash on US 231 at County Road 1100 S in Dubois County that claimed the life of a Dubois County man. Dubois County Dispatch sent deputies and first responders to the crash while troopers in the area heard the call and responded.
A BMW driven by Samuel Weiler (19) was northbound on US 231 south of 1100 S.
Preliminary investigation indicated Weiler was traveling at a higher rate of speed than the posted speed limit. As he attempted to negotiate a curve, he lost control. The BMW slid sideways across the southbound lane and into the path of a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Robert Hall (73). Hall’s vehicle collided with Weiler’s, causing the BMW to flip into a yard and the Santa Fe to become disabled in the roadway. A Volkswagen Jetta, driven by Ernest Volz (21), was northbound US 231 and had been behind Weiler. Volz was unable to avoid the collision and struck the front of the Santa Fe. Volz and his passenger were not injured, and Hall was treated for minor injuries. Nicholas McKown (18), of Holland, IN, was in the front passenger seat of the BMW. McKown was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Dubois County Coroner’s Office.
US 231 was shut down for approximately four and a half hours while crews investigated and cleaned up the crash scene. The crash is still under investigation by the Indiana State Police Trooper Bowling and Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionist Trooper Josh T. Greer , speed is believed to be a factor in the crash. Drug and alcohol tests are pending.
Assisting at the scene were Trooper Jonathon Villanueva, Trooper Randy Huddleston, Dubois County Sheriffs Department, Spencer County Sheriffs Department, Dubois County Coroner’s Office, Huntingburg Police Department, Jasper Police Department, St. Henry Fire and IU Health Air Evac.
On September 11, 2021, at 2:33 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Garrett Tuley conducted a traffic stop on a Red 2015 Kia SUV for speeding on US 41 near County Road 350 South. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Tuley detected the odor of raw Marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and began a roadside investigation. During the investigation Deputy Tuley located the Marijuana and continued his investigation. At the conclusion of his investigation Deputy Tuley placed the driver, 33-year-old Twylia Scanlon of Indianapolis into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail. Upon arriving at the Jail Ms. Scanlon was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Refusal and Possession of Marijuana. She has since posted a $650 bond. Assisting Officer Sergeant John Fischer placed 30-year-old Marcus Sherman also of Indianapolis into custody after it was discovered that the passenger had an outstanding warrant out of another county. He remains in custody on a Department Of Corrections warrant out of Marion County.
All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On September 10, 2021, at 11:46 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Brian Naas conducted a traffic stop on a Gray 2017 Dodge Journey for making an unsafe lane movement in Fort Branch, Indiana. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Naas detected the strong smell of raw Marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. At that point Deputy Naas began a roadside investigation that resulted in the driver 39-year-old Crystal Canchola of Vincennes was taken into custody. Upon arriving at the jail Ms. Canchola was charged with Possession of Methamphetamines, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia. She has since posted a $750.
Assisting in the investigation was Owensville Officer Jason Wright and Gibson County Sergeant John Fischer.
All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On September 10, 2021, at 10:27 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Brian Naas conducted a traffic stop on a Blue 2007 Honda Van on US 41 near Haubstadt. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Naas ran the driver 28-year-old Patricia Brinson of Evansville through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicle and discovered that Ms. Brinson’s license was suspended on a prior driving while suspended conviction. At that point Deputy Naas placed Ms. Brinson into custody and transported her to the Gibson County Jail. Upon arriving at the Jail Ms. Brinson was charged with Driving While Suspended/Prior. She has since posted a $650 bond.
All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
