Bicyclist Arrested Following Saturday Incident

On 6/03/23, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Joshua W. Delaney, age 39, of Mt. Carmel, for Obstructing Justice, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by Felon, and Resisting/Obstructing a Police Officer after the arresting officer attempted to stop him for operating a bicycle with no front headlamp after dark in the area of 6th & Ash Street.  As the officer attempted to approach Delaney, he hid behind a tree at a nearby residence.  When the officer located him, Delaney provided a false name in an attempt to keep his identity unknown, due to an outstanding Gibson County Warrant for Possession of Methamphetamine.  The arresting officer had suspicions that this individual was Delaney due to prior information.  Furthermore, this officer’s suspicions increased when he noticed Delaney wearing a shirt that had his first name on it.  When confronted with this information, Delaney took off running westbound only to be stopped by a low hanging tree limb which he collided into before attempting to run again.  Delaney then elected to stop as the MCPD K-9 arrived on scene.  Delaney was taken into custody near the 600 block of Vine St. when officers found him in possession of an unlawfully sized knife due to his convicted felon status.  Delaney was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was issued the above charges and warrant, which carried a $5000 cash bond.  Bond on the new charges will require a bond setting by a judge.  Mt. Carmel Police were assisted by the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office.

Landlord Arrested For Allegedly Battering Tenant

On 6/02/23, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Vikram J. Singh, age 42, of Mt. Carmel, for Battery following a landlord/tenant dispute in the 900 block of W 4th Street.  During the incident, it was alleged that Singh, who owns the home rented by the alleged victim, had committed bodily harm to him during their dispute over nonpayment of rent.  The victim wished to pursue charges and was allowed to do so since probable cause existed.  Singh was later located where he was charged and released on a Notice to Appear.

IDPH Reports First Mosquito Batches of 2023 to Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Park Ridge and Evanston

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first three batches of mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile virus in Illinois in 2023, both in Cook County. The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District collected a positive batch of mosquitoes in Evanston on May 30 and the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District collected two positive mosquito batches on May 31 in Park Ridge. The first positive mosquito pool in 2022 was reported on May 24th in Roselle in DuPage County. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported so far this year.

“The reports about the first batches of mosquitoes with West Nile virus is a good reminder that this is the time of year when Illinois residents should begin protecting themselves from vectorborne diseases,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “We urge everyone -- and especially older people and those with weakened immune systems -- to take precautions to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes and the viruses they carry by wearing insect repellent and eliminating standing water around their home where mosquitoes breed.”

Monitoring for West Nile virus in Illinois includes laboratory tests for mosquito batches, dead birds, as well as testing sick horses and humans with West Nile virus-like symptoms. People who see a sick or dead crow, blue jay, robin or other perching bird should contact their local county or city health department, which will determine if the bird will be picked up for testing. West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex species mosquito, commonly called a house mosquito, that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. Most people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms; however, in rare cases, severe illness including meningitis, encephalitis, or even death, can occur. People older than 60 and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile virus.

Last year, 44 counties in Illinois reported a West Nile virus positive mosquito batch, bird, horse, and /or human case. While 34 human cases of West Nile were recorded in 2022, with eight deaths, IDPH notes human cases are underreported and do not reflect the actual number of cases. IDPH encourages the public to Fight the Bite by practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel, and report:

• REDUCE - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.

• REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, longsleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR 3535, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

• REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

Additional information and data can be found at IDPH’s West Nile virus website and the West Nile virus Dashboard.

Turkey Run State Park ranked among top 10 parks in the U.S.

Turkey Run State Park was named the seventh best state park in the United States in a list of 15 according to TravelAwaits, a website dedicated to travelers 50 and older.

The site mentions the park’s sandstone gorges, suspension bridge, and Sugar Creek as reasons why Turkey Run stands out.

For more details on the list TravelAwaits compiled, see travelawaits.com/2885378/best-us-state-parks.

For a similar landscape to Turkey Run that can have fewer crowds, try Shades State Park. It’s located a 20-minute drive northeast at 7751 S. 890 W. in Waveland, 47989. See on.IN.gov/shades for more information.

Turkey Run State Park (on.IN.gov.turkeyrunsp) is at 8121 East Park Road in Marshall, 47859.

Texas Man Gets 57 Months in Prison for Drug Transportation Charge

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a man from Texas to 57 months in federal prison after he admitted to transporting a kilogram of cocaine to Illinois.

In addition to the prison sentence, Henry Garcia-Blanco, 28, of Irving, Texas, will serve three years of supervised release.

“Increased accessibility to illicit drugs creates significant health risks for communities in southern Illinois, and the individuals found responsible for transporting large quantities of dangerous narcotics across our state lines will face time in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the efforts by the DEA to investigate and arrest offenders and help improve public safety.”

In late 2021, DEA agents began an investigation after learning significant quantities of cocaine were being transported from Texas, through Illinois, and on to St. Louis, Missouri. On Dec. 10, 2021, a confidential source informed agents a drug courier was stuck in Effingham, Illinois. The courier was identified as Garcia-Blanco, and the agents arranged a ride to facilitate his travel.

Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the truck and identified the defendant as a passenger. Upon questioning from law enforcement, a positive alert from a trained narcotics K-9 and a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located a vacuum-sealed brick of what was later confirmed by laboratory testing to be just over a kilogram of cocaine. Garcia-Blanco admitted that he was transporting the cocaine from Texas.

DEA led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. Carraway prosecuted the case.

Judge Issues Warning Against Putting Metal Objects In Brush Piles

Displaying a jagged piece of rebar, Mt. Carmel Mayor Joe Judge issued a stern admonishment at Tuesday’s City Council about the dangers of putting anything other than wood in your brush pile for the city’s chipper…

Judge said it costs the city $225 every time a blade on the chipper is damaged by an object that shouldn’t be in a brush pile. In addition, the city loses the use of the chipper while it is being repaired and the down time could extend to a city worker who is injured by the metal projectile.

Pair Arrested Following Traffic Stop

On 5/31/23, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Bryan A. Hanson, age 58, of Flora for Driving While License Revoked, Uninsured Vehicle and No Valid Registration following a traffic stop in the 100 block of E 8th Street.  Officers also arrested his passenger, Jessica L. Loyd, age 21, of Olney, on a Clay County Warrant for Possession of Methamphetamine.  Both were transported to the Wabash County Jail where they were processed.  Loyd was held pending extradition back to Clay County.  Hanson was released on a Notice to Appear. 

Jessica L. Loyd, age 21, of Olney