INDOT preparing for winter storm, difficult commutes expected Wednesday

The Indiana Department of Transportation is preparing for a winter storm expected to impact the state starting overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories for all of Indiana. NWS is calling for rain transitioning to snow south of I-70, with higher snow totals along and north of I-70. Snowfall rates of up to one inch per hour are possible at times.

INDOT will be at a full call in most areas, with nearly 1,000 trucks treating and plowing state highways, interstates and U.S. routes by early Wednesday. Trucks will remain active for the duration of the storm and afterward to continue cleanup efforts.

Rain and wintry mix are expected to begin late Tuesday into early Wednesday across southern Indiana, transitioning to snow across the state by mid-day. Due to rain in some parts of the state, pre-treatment will be challenging, but will occur as conditions allow. 

Road conditions will vary depending upon location. Impacts to morning and evening commutes on Wednesday are expected. INDOT's goal is to keep highwayspassable during the storm. 

Motorists should closely monitor forecasts and avoid unnecessary travel during higher-impact timeframes during the storm, which are anticipated during the day on Wednesday. Those who must travel should expect to encounter slush and snow-covered roads, as well as low visibility. For drivers traveling on north-south routes like I-65 and I-69, expect conditions to worsen when approaching central Indiana, where higher snow totals are predicted.

Snow showers will linger through Thursday, with a high likelihood of lake effect snow in northeast Indiana. Drivers should remember to slow down, increase following distance, give plow trucks room to work and allow plenty of extra time to reach their destinations.

Monitor real-time travel conditions and view traffic and snow plow cameras online at 511in.org or via INDOT's TrafficWise app. Regular updates will also be shared on INDOT's social media channels. Check for travel advisories in your area at in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory.

Suspicious Call Leads To Soft Lock Down At WGH

From Mt. Carmel Police Chief Mike McWilliams:

Today at 10:42am, Mt. Carmel Police were dispatched to the Wabash General Hospital regarding a suspicious phone call they received.  While the call was non-threatening to the staff and patients, the call was concerning which resulted in a soft lock down of the facility.  Out of an abundance of caution, the District 348 School District, among others, were notified of the soft lock down while the call was further scrutinized.  MCPD and WGH staff determined other area hospitals had received similar unsubstantiated calls recently, thus diminishing concerns leading to the removal of the soft lock downs.

Wabash General Hospital and the Mt. Carmel Police Department takes any potential threats seriously and strives to keep everyone safe until they can be investigated thoroughly.  MCPD was also assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office.   

City Hall Duties Being Streamlined

Last month’s retirement of long-time Mt. Carmel comptroller Mick Mollenhauer has sparked a shuffling of duties among other city hall staff. Mayor Joe Judge reports that payroll has been outsourced to a local accounting firm while city treasurer Georgia Vaught and city clerk Ryan Turner are picking up additional duties such as billing, accounts payable, and managing the IMRF account. Judge also said other city hall employees are taking on more responsibility in an effort to cut down on expenses. Another change is the city’s transition to being paperless with direct deposit being implemented for city employees and reports being emailed instead of printed.

County To Reconsider ILLINOISouth Tourism Membership

Illinois South Tourism touts itself as the marketing arm for 21 counties across Illinois. Illinois South is based in Swansea in St. Clair County and includes Wabash County as one of its’ 21 members. But, what exactly does Wabash County get for its’ membership and is it worth spending taxpayer dollars on? That’s what county commissioner Rob Dean recently brought up as the county board approved reappointing Jim Pfeister and Brenda Bobbitt as the local representatives to the Illinois South Tourism board…

Board chairman Tim Hocking agreed saying Wabash County’s membership in Illinois South would be reconsidered when the current membership ends June 30th.

Missing Evansville Man Found Deceased after Crashing his Vehicle

Gibson County – Family members reported Brian Colbert, 47, missing on December 10, 2022. Colbert was employed at Toyota Boshoku in Princeton and was last seen at a coworker’s residence in Princeton on December 9. He was also last seen driving his maroon 2017 Toyota Avalon. Family members reported the incident to the Evansville Police Department, but the investigation into his disappearance was turned over to Indiana State Police since Colbert was last seen in Princeton.

On Friday, January 20, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Indiana State Police Detective Toni Walden was searching along Old US 41 south of CR 150 South when she located Colbert’s 2017 Toyota Avalon under a bridge. A male matching the description of Colbert was located inside the vehicle.

On Saturday, January 21, Gibson County Coroner Barrett Doyle identified the person in the 2017 Toyota Avalon as Brian Colbert, 47, of Evansville. An autopsy was also conducted, but the results are pending.

Indiana State Police believe that sometime during the evening on December 9th, Colbert was traveling south on Old US 41 south of CR 150 South when he drove left of center, left the roadway on the east side, dropped down into a deep ravine, overturned, and entered Pigeon Creek near the bridge. Anyone traveling on Old US 41 would not have been able to see the vehicle. Detectives also believe that when the creek level increased due to recent rainfall, the vehicle moved under the bridge making it even more difficult to spot.

Investigating Detectives: Sgt. Chandler, Detective Hatfield, Detective Deig, and Detective Walden.

Ava Bates Wins Allendale Spelling Bee

From Bob Bowser:

On Friday, January 20th, Allendale Elementary School held its annual Spelling Bee.  All of the students had participated in their grade-level Spelling Bee earlier in the month and the top 2 from each grade advanced to the finals.  The winner, in 17 rounds on the word "joggled", was eighth grader Ava Bates.  We ended with a tie for runner-up, with eighth grader Kate Andrews and seventh grader Conner McGinnis.  Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the Spelling Bee.  They did a great job!

Mrs. Elizabeth Perry with Ava Bates, Spelling Bee Champion

Mrs. Elizabeth Perry with Kate Andrews, Runner-up

Mrs. Elizabeth Perry with Conner McGinnis, Runner-up

Wabash District #348 Board Of Education Agenda

WABASH COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

MT. CARMEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GYMNASIUM

Monday, January 23, 2023

Regular Board Meeting- 7:00 P.M.

Agenda

1. Call to order / Roll call

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Consent Agenda

a. Board Minutes i. December 19, 2022 Regular Meeting

b. Monthly Bills

c. Financial Reports

d. Correspondence

e. Administrative Reports

4. Superintendent’s Comments

5. Public Comments

6. Executive Session pursuant to Section 2(c)(1) of the Open Meetings Act: “The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees, and student discipline”.

7. New Business

a. Abatement Resolution

b. Resolution providing for the issue of $2,143,500 Taxable General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2023, for the purpose of increasing the Working Cash Fund of the district, providing for the levy of a direct annual tax sufficient to pay the principal and interest on said bonds and authorizing the sale of said bonds to The First National Bank of Allendale.

c. Employment of Personnel

8. Adjournment

Crawford County Couple Sentenced to Prison for Committing Identity Theft, Bank Fraud

BENTON, Ill. – An Oblong man and a Robinson woman were sentenced to prison in a U.S. District Court this week after admitting to breaking into vehicles, stealing checks and IDs and committing identity theft in order to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars from banks.

Zachary Patrick, 31, and Briana Blair, 31, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Patrick received a 60-month sentence with an additional five years of supervised release, and Blair received a 25-month sentence with an additional three years of supervised release.

“Committing identity theft threatens the financial security of victims,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “This couple disregarded the lives they were hurting, and I commend our law enforcement partners and investigators for bringing justice to the affected families.”

“FBI Springfield extends our appreciation to the Oblong Police Department and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for their excellent work which laid the foundation for significant charges in this case,” said Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot. “These sentences provide some justice for victims whose lives were turned upside down by criminals who stole personal information and used it for their own gain with no regard for the consequences of their actions.”

According to court documents, the couple stole checks and personal identifying information from multiple victims often by breaking into vehicles. The pair then used the victims’ information to write and deposit fraudulent checks, forge signatures and withdraw thousands of dollars as they traveled around eastern Illinois and western Indiana. In addition, they opened a bank account using one victim’s stolen information.

The pair was apprehended in a hotel parking lot in Brazil, Indiana, while breaking into a vehicle. Initially, the pair identified themselves to law enforcement using two of the identities they had previously stolen, but eventually admitted to their true identities. Law enforcement officers recovered several stolen IDs, credit cards and documents with financial information from victims.

The sentencing judge noted the severity of committing identity theft and highlighted the devastating impact and ongoing consequences for victims.

The FBI-Springfield led the investigation with assistance from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Oblong Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed prosecuted the case

Mt. Carmel City Council Agenda

AGENDA

CITY OF MOUNT CARMEL

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Monday, January 23, 2023 at 4:00 pm

· Call to Order

o Pledge of Allegiance

o Roll Call

· Approve Minutes

o Minutes of meeting held 1/09/2023

o Minutes of executive meeting held 01/09/2023

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

o Smokin' For Garrett representatives

o Rockets Foundation/5k Run

o Class of 2026 MCHS fundraiser approval

· Reports and Communications

o Mayor Judge

o Commissioner Meeks Streets, Cemeteries and Parks

o Commissioner Ikemire Finance and Senior Citizens

o Commissioner Dulgar Water and Sewer

o Commissioner Zimmerman Fire, Health & Safety, City Hall and Garbage

· Staff Reports

o Ryan Turner Derek McCullough Paris Pennington

o Michael McWilliams Francis Speth Mike Gidcumb

New Business

o Consent Agenda

§ Pay all bills providing proper signature

§ Approve special event application-Smokin’ for Garrett

§ Approve Rockets Foundation/5k Run

§ Approve Class of 2026 Fund Raiser

o 2nd reading 2084-Amending Liquor Alcohol Beverage Ordinance

o 1st reading of 2085-No parking-waive 2nd reading

o Removal of items from the Consent Agenda

· Executive Session

· Motion to Adjourn

· Liquor Control Meeting-