Tomorrow Is Election Day; Polls Open 6am-7pm

It's Election Eve as polls in Illinois will be open tomorrow from 6am to 7pm. If you can't vote tomorrow, you have one last chance to cast a ballot today between 8 and 4 in the county clerk's office at the courthouse. There is one local race on the Wabash County ballot tomorrow as county commissioner Tim Hocking is defending his seat from a challenge by democrat Robbie Moore.

But the biggest hot button item on the ballot is a $3.5 million bond issue the city of Mt. Carmel is seeking to help build a new aquatics center. Mayor Joe Judge has worked to push the referendum which has been met with a flood of social media criticism. Mt. Carmel is currently without a pool after the Illinois Department of Public Health earlier this year said the pool couldn't operate in 2025 without undergoing millions of dollars improvements. Judge has said it would be cheaper to build a new pool rather than bring the 1938 structure up to code.

Our election night coverage starts at 6pm tomorrow night.

Clerk's Office Open Tomorrow For Early Voting

With Election Day now just a few days away, the Wabash County Clerk’s office at the courthouse will be open tomorrow morning for early voting. The clerk’s office is open today until 4pm and will be open tomorrow from 9 to noon and again on Monday from 8am to 4pm for early voting. County Clerk Janet Will said State law requires the election authority to verify the signature of the Early Voter. Voters do not need a reason for “Early Voting” but Early Voters are prohibited from voting at the polls on Election Day. Polls in Illinois on Tuesday will be open from 6am to 7pm.

Interstate 70 Semi Rollover Accident Sends Two to the Hospital 

Vigo County - October 30, 2024, at approximately 3:20 p.m., the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post investigated a semi tractor-trailer rollover near the fourteen-mile marker eastbound, that sent two individuals to the hospital.

Preliminary investigation by Trooper Caleb Hughes indicated that a 2024 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer driven by Kumar Mukesh, age 39, of Jurupa Valley, California, was traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 near the fourteen-mile marker when, for an unknown reason, Mukesh’s vehicle ran off the interstate and into the median.  The semi continued to travel quickly into the median, rolling over on the driver’s side.  Mukesh and a passenger in the semi were transported to local hospitals due to injuries that they received from the accident.  The injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.

Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a contributing factor of the accident.

Assisting Agencies:  Vigo County Sheriff’s Department, Riley Fire Department, Honey Creek Fire Department, Trans Care, Air EVAC and Peffley and Hinshaw Wrecker Service.

Start Of Leaf Vac Routes Still A Ways Away

As the calendar turns to November, leaves are falling and city workers are getting ready for leaf pickup season. But if you were hoping for your leaves to be picked up soon, public works director Mike Gidcumb says you’re going to have to wait….

Garbage commissioner Susan Zimmerman also said only leaves should be placed out for the leaf vac with no sticks, limbs, or another other objects that may damage the equipment and or injure workers.

WSJD File Photo

Saline Shortage Not Affecting WGH...Yet

Medical staff and administrators at Wabash General Hospital are doing their best to make sure a nationwide shortage of IV fluids doesn’t affect surgeries and procedures here.  At Monday’s WGH Board of Directors meeting, Chief of Staff Dr. Donald Bisby said the medical staff had met to discuss the saline shortage caused by a factory in North Carolina that was damaged last month by Hurricane Helene. Some hospitals are postponing surgeries and other procedures as a result of the shortage. But, WGH Executive VP of clinical services Kim Pearson said the local hospital is in good shape…for now at least as they’ve been able to stockpile saline. Bisby said the medical staff agreed that they still have a couple of weeks until any alternative plans would be put into place. The Biden administration has invoked the wartime powers of the Defense Production Act to speed rebuilding of the major American factory of intravenous fluids that was wrecked last month. Some 60% of the nation's IV supplies had relied on production from the plant, run by medical supplier Baxter, before it was damaged by the storm.

There's A Reason All Treat Buckets Aren't Orange

Tonight is the first of two nights of trick or treating in Mt. Carmel and Mayor Joe Judge says you might notice some kids carrying a different colored treat bucket. He explained at Monday’s City Council meeting that there might be a reason the treat bucket isn’t the traditional orange…

And given tomorrow's forecast, Judge knows a lot of people will be out tonight....

Trick or treat hours in Mt. Carmel are 5 to 7pm tonight and tomorrow night. And as always, if you don’t want trick or treaters to visit, simply leave your porch light off.