ISP INVESTIGATION LEADS TO FELONY CHARGES IN THE DEATH OF AN EDGAR COUNTY MAN

PARIS – An Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) death investigation resulted in the arrest of Preston Wallace, a 20-year-old male of Paris, IL, for First Degree Murder. Also arrested was Gabriel Wallace, a 38-year-old male of Paris, IL, for Aggravated Battery (Class 3 Felony), and Mob Action (Class 4 Felony).  Gabriel Wallace was also arrested on two unrelated Class X felony warrants for Home Invasion. 

On August 6, 2022, at approximately 8:58 p.m., Paris Police Department (PPD) responded to a call of a fight in the street in front of a residence in the 700 block of N. Central Street.  The victim, 69-year-old Gary L. White of Paris, IL, was transported to a local hospital and later to regional hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on August 8, 2022. 

On August 12, 2022, an arrest warrant for Preston Wallace was issued by Edgar County State’s Attorney’s Office.  PPD took Preston Wallace into custody on August 12, 2022 and he is being held in the Edgar County Jail on a $500,000, 10% to apply bond.  Gabriel Wallace was taken into custody by PPD on August 12, 2022 for his outstanding warrants and charged with the additional charges stemming from this incident.  Gabriel Wallace is being held in the Edgar County Jail awaiting a bond hearing on Monday, August 15, 2022.  No additional information will be available for release.

 Preston Wallace (05/20/02)   

 

Gabriel Wallace (05/10/84)

 

GCSO Warns Of Grandchild in Jail Scam

From Gibson County Sheriff’s Department:

Scams are constantly going around. They're always changing, but some certain types tend to remain popular.


One report from earlier today was regarding a grandchild needing bail money.


The caller stated his name was Michael Roberts from the Public Defender’s Office of Massachusetts. The phone number displayed was 971-308-0298. Note: That area code is originally from Oregon, and while numbers can be ported anywhere, a Public Defender's Office is unlikely to have an out-of-area phone number.

The caller stated that their grandchild was in jail and needed bail money.

Spoiler alert: the grandchild was not in jail.

If you get a call from somebody stating your grandchild is in jail, or a call from somebody claiming to be your grandchild, and they need bail money, or money for emergency vehicle repairs, hospital bills, etc., be highly skeptical. Hang up and call them back at a number you know to be theirs or reach out to somebody who will know if they are in jail (perhaps their parents).


Do not give out any personal information over the phone or provide any kind of payment to these scammers. They'll often ask for bank account numbers, credit/debit card numbers, or maybe have you buy various gift cards at the store and read the card numbers over the phone to handle things.


Once you do that, that money is gone fast.

For more information on being aware of and avoiding scams, go to https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam

WGH Wins 2022 Excellence in Patient Experience Award

Wabash General Hospital was honored by NRC Health as a recipient of its 2022 Excellence in Patient Experience Awards, which recognize top-performing hospitals and health systems for excellence in delivering outstanding patient experiences across the continuum of care.

The NRC Health Excellence in Patient Experience Awards, previously known as the Excellence Awards, are given each year to an elite group of winners that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to improving the care experience, earning top satisfaction ratings from patients and their families. Their desire to better understand patient needs and aspiration to design experiences that inspire loyalty embody the NRC Health mission to bring Human Understanding to healthcare. Winners were selected from a group of eligible small, medium and large hospitals and health systems as well as pediatric facilities and medical groups that received exceptional Real-time NPS scores.

Wabash General Hospital was selected for its first-place ranking in the Excellence in Patient Experience for Small Hospitals. “It is incredibly gratifying to be able to honor another esteemed group of organizations this year who deliver exceptional patient care day in and day out,” said Helen Hrdy, Chief Growth Officer at NRC Health. “Human Understanding is at the core of what we do and to see it come to life is rewarding beyond words. Congratulations to WGH  for this recognition, your work is inspiring!”

The Excellence in Patient Experience for Small Hospitals was given to only one facility with fewer than 150 beds measuring across the continuum of care was selected based on its Real-time NPS score for the “Would you Recommend Facility” question during the time period of April 1, 2021 – March 21, 2022, out of 85 eligible facilities.  This selection criteria excluded health systems and children’s hospitals.  WGH is honored to be recognized again for this achievement!

For more than four decades, NRC Health has helped healthcare organizations illuminate and improve the moments that matter most to patients, residents, physicians, nurses, and staff. A complete list of winners can be found at https://nrchealth.com/awards/excellence-in-patient-experience-award/ later today.

Wabash County COVID Numbers Down; Out Of High Transmission Level

COVID numbers in Wabash County have leveled off to the point the county has been moved from the high transmission level to medium transmission. Health department administrator Judy Wissel told the county board yesterday that so far in August, there have been 106 COVID cases in Wabash County—not counting positive at home tests. Wissel said because of the low number, weekend testing at the health department will be suspended in September. She said weekday testing will continue from 11 to 3 each day. Wissel said the low weekend testing numbers don’t justify paying staff to be at the health department Saturday and Sunday.

Route 1 Motorists Cope With Another Detour In Mt. Carmel

Motorists are seeing another Route 1 detour in Mt. Carmel this week. This time on West 3rd Street according to Mayor Joe Judge…

Repairing the sewer break is another unexpected expense for the city’s water and sewer department. This sewer break is in addition to the July 29th major water main break that cost the city 580,000 gallons of water before it was discovered. Poplar Street, where the leak was repaired, has reopened to traffic.

Cherry Street Bridge Project Running Behind Schedule

According to the original timeline, work to replace the Cherry Street Bridge in Mt. Carmel was to have been completed this past Saturday. The project is now running three weeks behind schedule and Mayor Joe Judge says that has caused a change in the way the contractor, Sierra Bravo of Sesser, Illinois, will proceed from here…

On Friday’s “Ask The Mayor” segment, Judge said some of the delays can be contributed to Sierra Bravo locating enough dirt to fill the chasm where the former bridge was located. He said much of the dirt has come from local residents who are digging new ponds on their property. Another delay occurred last week when vibrations from the work caused a water main to break.

Safety Big Concern As School Starts

Today is the first day of classes for Wabash District #348 students and it is the first day back at school since the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 21 people dead. And while parents may be apprehensive given school shootings across the country, Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer said student safety is always a priority…  

Another priority is getting your students to and from school safely. Police Chief Mike McWilliams says officers will be patrolling school zones before and after school making sure motorists obey the 20 mile an hour speed, are buckled up, and aren’t on their phone. Any cell phone use, hands-free or not, is prohibited in school zones. McWilliams says motorists also need to be mindful of stopped school buses… 

And just because you aren’t pulled over right away if you pass a stopped school bus, McWilliams says you still get a ticket because bus drivers record driver’s license plate numbers and report them to police. 

3rd Annual Wine and Woodstock This Weekend

By MAGGEE BLEYER

 

Woodstock 1969—a wild yet legendary festival that commemorated three days of peace, love, and music—captivated half a million people with its inventive and exciting aura. Driven by the independence and humanitarianism that the astrological zodiac sign Aquarius inspired within people, Woodstock was coined as an Aquarian explosion. Notable artists that performed at Woodstock include Santana, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mountain, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and many other musicians. Woodstock ‘69, as told, was an event during the heights of the hippie era that drove home the message of accepting and loving one another no matter each other's differences.

Homestead Vineyards, a winery in West Salem, IL, plans to replicate that fun hippie vibe and celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Woodstock with its Wine and Woodstock festival on Saturday, August 13th, from 1 to 8 pm. This will be the third annual Wine and Woodstock festival.

“In essence, Wine and Woodstock is all about promoting the spirit and vibe of the most iconic festival that boasted three days of peace, love, and music,” event developer and promoter Darlene Weir stated. 

Homestead Vineyards, owned by Dawn, Jason, Larry, and Shirley Hortin, was looking for ways to host another festival in their vineyard when Weir approached them with the idea for Wine and Woodstock. Inspired by her generation that grew up with Woodstock, Weir wanted to bring that peace and love to the vineyard.

“I wanted to keep that generation of time alive,” Weir added. “I love the exhilaration of the feelings that I personally associate with those times: free spirit, promoter of peace and love, open-minded, lover of the planet and our country.”

The event will have food, wine-tasting opportunities, vendors, live music, activities, and more entertainment. Food includes Kolb’s Culinary Creations, a Mexican-American food truck, and Beer Bones, an American BBQ food truck. Kid-friendly brownies and cookies prepared by Kate’s Cookies will also be available. The live music will consist of Union Road Band, a folk/pop band, playing from 1 to 3 pm, and The Smoke Rings, a band that plans to cover songs that were played at Woodstock, playing from 4 to 8 pm. Hammered Designs by Teresa (jewelry), George Zellar’s Tie Dyed and Art Works, Wellness with Michelle (essential oil making), and Hippie Hair by Melanie Linson will offer an array of products. Other fun activities throughout the day offer a drum circle, a live hula-hooping performance, a bubble-blowing station, and photo opportunities. Of course, wine, beer, hard cider, and wine slushies will be available to anyone 21 or older.

Visitors are encouraged to dress in hippie attire and have the opportunity to participate in a hippie dress-up contest. Inspired by Woodstock’s three-day-length, Homestead Vineyards is providing a camping experience from Friday, August 12th to Sunday, August 14th. The camping destination is about a quarter-mile from the vineyard. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 1-618-456-3560.

Weir conveyed her excitement about Wine and Woodstock. “I want to pass down the spirit and vibe of that generation to younger generations while watching us older hippie spirits thoroughly relive and enjoy the nostalgic day. The music, the costumes, the whole feel of the day of associating together harmoniously, enjoying interactions of all generations peacefully, and just feeling the love makes me happy!”

For anyone 21 or older, the entrance fee is $10.00, which includes a commemorative wine glass and tastings. Under 21 are allowed free admission.

“Homestead Vineyard’s Wine and Woodstock,” Weir expressed, “is the opportunity to step back into time to enjoy an afternoon of that peace, love, and music scene while sipping your favorite wine, cider, or beer in the beautiful garden setting of Homestead Vineyards.”