Wabash County Commissioner Agenda

December 2, 2024: 4:30pm

AGENDA

1) Call to order:

2) Re-Organize the County Board and Elect the Chairman.

3) Approve minutes of previous meeting:

4) Commissioner’s reports:

5) Officer’s reports:

6) Old Business:

a. ARPA Ordinance.

c. HVAC update in the Courthouse.

7) New Business:

a. Re-organize the County Board and Elect the Chairman.

b. Resolutions 2024-14 and 15, resolution appropriating funds for the County Engineer’s Salary and for Maintenance under the Highway Code.

c. Sara Plucinski with First Mile Development and Brady Evans with Swift Current have asked to speak to the Board about the Wind Ordinance.

d. County Board appointments.

e. Semi-annual review of Executive Session minutes.

f. Declare Computer equipment and other items surplus from the Assessor, Treasurer and County Clerk’s Offices.

8) Executive Session:

9) Correspondence:

10) Approval for payment of claims presented:

11) Adjournment.

Evansville man arrested for operating vehicle while intoxicated

On November 28, 2024, at 11:06 a.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of a disturbance in the 500 block of South Mulberry Street.  Upon arriving in the area officers were unable to locate to source of the disturbance.  At that point officers began to check the area.  During that check Oakland City Police Chief Tim Gaines located an unresponsive male in a running vehicle in the middle of the Las Islas Mexican Restaurant parking lot.  At that point officers conducted a welfare check on the male who was identified as 21 year old Ervin Velazquez of Evansville.  While speaking with Mr. Velazquez Deputy Wes Baumgart detected the odor of alcohol coming from Mr. Velazquez and began a roadside DUI investigation.  Once that investigation was complete Mr. Velazquez was transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated and Operating a Vehicle Without Ever Obtaining a Valid Operator’s License. 
 
Assisting Deputy Baumgart in his investigation was Deputies U.B. Smith and Michael Owens.  Also assisting in the investigation was Oakland City Police Chief Tim Gaines.
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Owensville woman arrested for leaving the scene of an accident

On November 27, 2024, at 10:58 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a vehicle that had struck a utility pole on County Road 125 West near County Road 400 South.  Communications Officer Michael Austin dispatched county units to the scene and upon arriving they found a Black 2019 Toyota Corolla had left the roadway, struck the pole, and was resting in a ditch.  Upon speaking to a male on scene they determined that the driver 33 year old Lillian Schneider of Owensville had left the scene of the accident.  After a brief investigation Ms. Schneider returned to the scene and was taken into custody where she was charged with Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident. 
 
Assisting Deputy Sims in his investigation was Sgt. John Fischer.  
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

Haubstadt man arrested for DUI

On November 27, 2024, at 10:40 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Wyatt Hunt conducted a traffic stop on Gray 2020 Jeep Wrangler for disregarding the traffic signal at Main and Broadway in Princeton.  Upon stopping the vehicle on Clark Street near Main Deputy Hunt approached the vehicle and detected the odor of alcohol coming from the driver 52 year old Ora Martin of Haubstadt.  At that point Deputy Hunt began a roadside DUI investigation.  Once his investigation was completed he placed Mr. Martin into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated. 
 
Assisting Deputy Hunt in his investigation was Deputies Bart Wagner and Levi Sims.  Also assisting were Sgt. Ben Kiesel and Bryce Jutzi of the Princeton Police Department.
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Today Is Last Day To Pre-Pay Wabash County Property Taxes

Wabash Co. Treasurer, Angela Broster, would like to remind the community that the Prepayment deadline is on November 27, 2024. That’s in less than 2 weeks! It is very important for you to prepay your Real Estate taxes if you would like to be able to deduct them on your income taxes. This is due to the County converting to a new software system that the 2023 Payable 2024 Real Estate Taxes will not be out until after the first of the year in 2025.

If you have any questions regarding prepaying your Real Estate Taxes, please call the Treasurer’s office at 618-262-5262. No Prepayments will be accepted after November 27, 2024! After November 27th, you will have to wait until the Real Estate bills come out after the first of the year.

Mt. Carmel Man Sentenced To Prison On Child Porn Charges

29 year old Sean Willis of Mt. Carmel has been sentenced to prison on child pornography charges in Wabash County Circuit Court. Willis was indicted in May of last year by a statewide grand jury in Lee County on the two Class X felonies in addition to a third count of failure to register as a sex offender. The Illinois Attorney General’s office brought the case to the grand jury which was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Shannon O’Brien of the high-tech crime bureau in Chicago.

Bond at the time was set at $750,000 but was later reduced to $20,000 which Willis posted. Appearing in court Monday, Willis entered a guilty plea to the two-child porn charge in exchange for the sex offender registry charge being dropped. Judge Tara Wallace of Hardin County sentenced Willis to 14 years in prison on each count with the terms to run consecutively. The sentences will be served at 50%. Upon his release from prison, Willis will be on three years to life of mandatory supervised release. All electronic devices seized during the investigation were also ordered forfeited. Wallace also referred Willis to alcohol treatment while in prison. In addition to the prison sentence, Willis was fined $4,000 and ordered to pay court costs.

Take advantage of local pesticide applicator/operator testing

ALBION, Ill. – If you hold an Illinois license to apply pesticides, now is the time to check your expiration date. The Illinois Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) collaborates with Extension offices and the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) to offer annual pesticide applicator/operator testing. Local in-person testing will be available in Edwards, Richland, and Wayne counties. To register online, visit the IDOA website at agr.illinois.gov/pesticides/in-person-testing.html or contact your local Extension office.

 Testing locations and dates:

 Albion, IL

Edwards County Farm Bureau community room

15 S. Fifth St., Albion, IL 62806

Dec. 6, 2024, Jan. 13, 2025, Feb. 7, 2025

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To contact the Edwards County Extension office, call: 618-445-2934

 Olney, IL

Richland County Extension office meeting room

306 S. Fair St., Olney, IL 62450

Dec. 20, 2024, Jan. 20, 2025, Feb. 21, 2025

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To contact the Richland County Extension office, call: 618-395-2191

 Fairfield, IL

Wayne County Extension office meeting room

2B Frontier Drive, Fairfield, IL 62837

Dec. 13, 2024, Jan. 24, 2025, March 7, 2025

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To contact Wayne County Extension office, call: 618-842-3702

 For more information regarding licensing requirements, study materials, resources, and additional testing and training opportunities, visit the Illinois Extension PSEP website at extension.illinois.edu/psep. You may also contact your local Extension office to see what study materials may be available to purchase. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Dana Hart at dbhart@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.

Wayne County Resident Circuit Judge Michael J. Molt Announces Retirement

Wayne County Resident Circuit Judge Michael J. Molt has announced his retirement. Judge Molt was elected to the bench in 2014 and retained in 2020. His last day of service will be November 30.

Judge Molt is a 1966 graduate of Fairfield Community High School. He attended and graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in accounting in 1971, and earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1974. Judge Molt has worked as an attorney and law partner in various capacities in Fairfield over the years, including as an attorney with Marshall, Feiger, Robinson, and Quindry, as a Trust Officer for the Wayne County Bank and Trust Company, and as a sole practitioner.

Judge Molt served the judiciary presiding over complex legal cases in Wayne County and across the Second Circuit throughout his tenure until December 2023, when he took a medical leave of absence. Commenting on his retirement, Judge Molt stated, “It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the Resident Circuit Judge of Wayne County, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the bench serving in that capacity. It was my hope and desire to complete my term in office which concludes in 2026; however, my current health situation is such that I am unable to do so. I want to express my sincere appreciation to Chief Judge Melissa Morgan and to the many judges that have covered my docket while I have been on medical leave. I further want to extend my gratitude to the voters of Wayne County who elected me to the position of Resident Circuit Judge of Wayne County, as it has truly been an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Second Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Melissa Morgan shared her thoughts on Judge Molt’s announcement adding, “Judge Molt’s unwavering commitment to upholding the law has earned him the respect and admiration of all who have had the privilege of appearing before him. He has always approached his service on the bench with a sense of responsibility and care, and his dedication to justice and fairness has left an indelible mark on those of us who have had the honor of working alongside him. On behalf of the Judges of the Second Judicial Circuit, we wish him continued healing as he embarks on this new chapter of his life and happiness in his well-deserved retirement.”