New Courthouse HVAC May Be Done In Phases

A new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at the Wabash County Courthouse may be done in phases. At Monday’s county board meeting, chairman Tim Hocking said the price tag to replace the HVAC in the entire courthouse came in at $900,000, a price the county can’t afford in one chunk. So now, Hocking said they’re looking at replacing units that serve the first floor first and then do the rest of the courthouse when funding allows. The reasoning for starting with the first floor is that’s where the most courthouse employees are located, according to Hocking. 

Patoka man arrested on Battery charge

On November 9, 2023, at 12:39 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch advised Deputy Bryan Small and Sheriff Bruce Vanoven of a possible battery in progress on Town Hall Street in Patoka, Indiana.  Upon arriving on scene Deputy Small located all parties involved and conducted an investigation into the incident.  At the conclusion of his investigation 31 year old Jesse Bullington of Patoka was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail.  Upon arriving at the jail Mr. Bullington was charged with Battery with a Prior Unrelated Conviction.  He remains in custody on a $750 bond.
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Disturbance call leads to arrest of Princeton woman for DUI

On November 9, 2023, at 10:29 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a disturbance on East Old Petersburg Road near Princeton.  While officers were enroute to the scene Communications Officer Chase Haake spoke with persons on scene and determined that this was an active event.  Once Deputy Logan Lashbrook arrived on scene he was notified that the suspect 36 year old Ashlee McGrew had fled the scene.  After a brief search the vehicle was located at Sevren’s Bridge and when Ms. McGrew was located.  While speaking with Ms. McGrew Deputy Lashbrook detected obvious signs of impairment and began a DUI investigation.  At the conclusion of the investigation Ms. McGrew was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail where she was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated and Disorderly Conduct.  She remains in custody on a $650 bond.  No photo available.
 
Assisting Deputy Lashbrook in his investigation was Deputy Quinten Might and Princeton Officers Bryce Jutzi and Jeremy Robb. 
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Vincennes man arrested for reckless driving

On November 10, 2023, at 5:27 a.m.  Gibson County Central Dispatch released a Be On the Look Out (BOLO) for a motorcycle that was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed from Knox County into Gibson County.  Princeton Officer Zach Strickland observed the vehicle and attempted to stop the vehicle as it was traveling in excess of 105 mph.  Ultimately the motorcycle was stopped on County Road 350 South near US 41 by Deputy Wyatt Hunt.  Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Hunt identified the driver as 20 year old Ethan Abel of Vincennes.  Mr. Abel was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Reckless Driving.  He remains in custody on a $450 bond. 
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Bellmont Man Gets 5 Years On Sexual Abuse Charge

A Bellmont man arrested more than 2 ½ years ago has been sentenced to five years in prison on a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Roger Schmittler was arrested in February of 2021 by the Wabash County Sheriff’s office on an outstanding warrant for aggravated criminal sexual assault in Wabash County. The warrant was issued following an investigation due to an incident involving a juvenile on November 11th, 2020. Appearing in Wabash County Circuit Court yesterday, Schmittler was sentenced to the five-year prison term on a reduced Class 2 felony charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The prison term will be followed by one year of mandatory supervised release.

2021 File Photo

Commissioners May Have County Employees Pony Up More To Close Budget Shortfall

Wabash County Commissioners have placed the proposed FY 2024 budget on public display before it is adopted by the end of the month. At Monday’s county board meeting, chairman Tim Hocking said a variety of factors have combined to place the new proposed budget in the red…. 

To help close the $49,432 budget deficit, commissioners are considering shifting part of the health care costs onto county employees. Presently, it costs the county $972 a month for each employee with employees kicking in $500 a month. But, employees at the health department and highway department only pay $300 a month for health insurance. Hocking said they’re looking at moving that monthly contribution to $600 a month for all employees. That would mean health department and highway department employees would see their monthly health insurance contribution double. No action was taken by commissioners at Monday’s meeting. The county’s new fiscal year starts December 1st.  

ALL FOUR IECC COLLEGES RANK AMONG THE TOP COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN ILLINOIS AND THE NATION

Olney, Ill.  --  Illinois Eastern Community Colleges received high marks from Intelligent.com, as the education research website ranked Frontier Community, Lincoln Trail, Olney Central and Wabash Valley among the top community colleges in Illinois and the nation.

A trusted resource for program rankings and higher education, Intelligent.com evaluates each school on academic quality, graduation rate, tuition costs, and student resources. Top picks are recognized for their exceptional reputation, affordability, and capacity to furnish students with the essential tools and resources required to excel academically and to successfully graduate.

LTC and WVC secured the 8th and 22nd positions on Intelligent's 2024 List of Best Community Colleges in the U.S., while FCC and OCC distinguished themselves as the 2nd and 3rd Best Community Colleges in Illinois, with LTC also achieving an impressive 6th ranking. All four colleges consistently make appearances on these prestigious lists.

The selections are indicative of the colleges continuing efforts to provide academic excellence at an affordable cost.

“The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District is comprised of four individual community colleges that each offer various college and career programming and unique campus environments, yet function with a shared vision, which is to see students succeed,” said LTC President and IECC Vice-Chancellor of Institutional Outreach Tona Ambrose. “Our multi-site system provides built-in opportunities to collaborate, share best practices, and engage in cross-district strategies that allow for optimal educational experiences and outcomes for all students. This ‘family-style’ framework definitely makes IECC a great district to be a part of.”

As LTC’s President, Ambrose is delighted to see national recognition of the college.

“Being ranked nationally and in the top ten in Illinois is a positive recognition for Lincoln Trail College and affirmation that our goals, initiatives and commitment to the IECC mission are being achieved,” she said. “This ranking points to the fact that we are performing well in various aspects, such as academic excellence, student outcomes, and other relevant areas. This is also encouraging as it can reinforce for prospective students that Lincoln Trail College is a great place to consider when choosing a postsecondary college and career path.”

WVC President and IECC Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs Matt Fowler believes the honor underscores the institution's unwavering dedication to academic excellence and student support.

“On behalf of the faculty and staff of Wabash Valley College, it is certainly an honor to be recognized in the top 2 percent of community colleges nationwide,” he said. “All of us at Wabash Valley College take great pride in supporting students in their learning, discovery, leadership development and engagement both on and off-campus. It’s our desire to foster a great sense of belonging while supporting success both inside and outside of the classroom.”

In its selections, Intelligent commended FCC for its efforts to make earning an associate degree, a high school equivalency degree or training for a new career accessible to all students.

FCC President and IECC Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Jay Edgren said, “We are fortunate at Frontier to be a smaller college with a hometown, family feel. I believe this is appealing to students. With smaller faculty/student and advisor/student ratios, we are able to provide students the time needed to answer their questions, and, overall, help meet their needs. We strive to keep students engaged in and out of the classroom and help them have a positive experience on campus. These aspects of FCC certainly contribute to our excellent retention and completion metrics and have contributed significantly to our ability to consistently receive national recognition such as this.”

Intelligent's commendation of OCC highlighted the institution's diverse range of Career and Technical Education programs, which include health sciences, office administration, massage therapy and automotive technology.

“The No. 3 ranking for OCC validates the hard work and dedication of the faculty and staff at Olney Central College,” said Chris Simpson, OCC President and IECC Vice-Chancellor of Business Operations. “This type of recognition doesn’t just happen. It is the result of a commitment made to deliver exceptional educational services to our students.”

Intelligent.com provides hundreds of program rankings on its website as well as information about financial aid, internships and even study strategies. A complete list of rankings is available at the site.

About Illinois Eastern Community Colleges:

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges is a network of four community colleges located in the southeastern region of Illinois. Committed to providing accessible, high-quality education, IECC offers a wide range of academic and career-focused programs to serve the diverse needs of its students and communities. For more information, please visit www.iecc.edu.

Princeton Man Arrested In Connection To Vehicle Break-Ins

On 11/06/23, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Arsenio J. Smith, age 33, of Princeton Indiana for Burglary to Motor Vehicle.  The arrest was a result of an investigation into multiple vehicles being entered in the College Drive / College View Drive area.  Police were first called to North /South Drive area to a report of a car alarm going off around 4:00am this morning.  While police investigated, they located a suspicious vehicle parked in a residential driveway on South Drive.  An officer approached and found the above defendant pretending to be asleep in the back seat.  When speaking to Smith, they found several discrepancies in his story as to why he was parked at this residence.  An officer spoke to the homeowner and discovered the homeowner did not know the subject.  As police continued to speak to residents and examine video footage from various neighbors, they had a resident on College View Drive and another on College Drive report having video of a subject entering their unlocked vehicles.  Items located in the car matched that of what the suspect was wearing at the time of the burglary.  Based on the video footage Smith was placed under arrest.  Smith had an assortment of loose change and U.S. Currency that may have come from other unknown victims.  Smith was taken to the Wabash County Jail where he was charged and held pending a pre-trial detention determination by the court.  If anyone found their vehicle entered overnight, they are encouraged to call the Mt. Carmel Police Department to file a report.