GIBSON COUNTY, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation announces lane and shoulder closures for U.S. 41 in Gibson County.
Beginning on or around Monday, March 17, crews will begin alternating lane and shoulder closures on U.S. 41 near Princeton. These lane closures will occur between County Road 100 West and County Road 300 South.
Alternating lane closures will allow for tree trimming operations to occur. Work is expected to take three days to complete, depending on the weather.
Two Injured In Armed Robbery At Mt. Carmel Convenience Store
On 3/10/2025, at approximately midnight, Mt. Carmel Police responded to the Mt. Carmel Express Mart located at 231 N Walnut Street about a robbery that had just occurred. Police arrived at the scene and found that two employees had just been robbed at gunpoint by an unknown subject, masked and dressed completely in black. The suspect was armed with a silver revolver-style handgun, with the butt of the handgun used to strike both individuals during the robbery, with an unknown amount of money taken from the cash registers. Both employees sustained injuries and required medical attention at area hospitals. Police are utilizing video footage of the store and ask that anyone with potential information call Wabash County Crimestoppers at 618-262-4258. Currently, Crimestoppers is offering a $1000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. Callers can remain anonymous. Calls can also be made to the Mt. Carmel Police Department at 618-262-4114.
Traffic stop leads to arrest of Evansville man on DUI and Reckless Driving charges
On March 9, 2025, at 1:56 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Levi Sims conducted a traffic stop on a Red 2019 Dodge Charger for traveling in excess of 100 mph on US 41 near Steelman Chapel Road. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Sims identified the driver as 34 year old Dominik Major of Evansville. While speaking with Mr. Major Deputy Sims detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver and began a roadside DUI investigation. At the conclusion of his investigation he placed Mr. Major into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated/ Refusal (Prior) and Reckless Driving.
Assisting Deputy Sims in his investigation was Princeton Officer Logan Lashbrook.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Traffic stop leads to arrest of Princeton man
On March 8, 2025, at 7:05 p.m. Gibson County Sgt. Loren Barchett conducted a traffic stop on a White 2013 Nissan Murano for traveling on Main Street in Princeton with no headlights on. Upon stopping the vehicle at Main and Broadway Sgt. Barchett identified the driver as 32 year old Christian Morales of Princeton. During a roadside investigation it was determined that Mr. Morales was operating his vehicle without ever receiving a valid U.S. license. At that point Mr. Morales was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operator Never Licensed.
Assisting Sgt. Barchett in his investigation were Princeton Officers David Jones and Matthew Perry.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
911 report of a disturbance leads to arrest of two
On March 8, 2025, at 8:06 a.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a disturbance at a residence in the 100 block of Keneipp Road near Owensville, Indiana. Communications Officer Tiahanna Berry sent multiple units to the area after receiving reports that multiple people were involved in the incident. Deputies Bryan Small and Michael Owens arrived on scene and began investigation into the incident. During the incident deputies spoke to all parties involved in the incident and collected evidence. At the conclusion of their investigation 35 year old Audry Mitchell and 42 year old Levi McDaniel both of Princeton were taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail.
Upon arriving at the Jail Ms. Mitchell was charged with Battery in the Presence of a Child, Battery with Injury, Battery Non Injury, and Battery. Mr. McDaniel was charged with Battery with Injury.
Assisting Deputies Small and Owens in their investigation was Indiana State Trooper Jordan Lee.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
County Approves Funding For Extension Office
Wabash County Commissioners have approved their $62,000 in support to the U of I Extension Service. At last Monday’s county board meeting, Tara Buerster said Wabash County currently has 121 4-H members, 13 leaders, and 5 clubs. Buerster said 4-H leader Logan Kennard recently submitted his resignation and will be moving to Ohio. She also said the extension office will be hiring a SNAP educator to oversee 5 area counties. The $62,000 in county support is the same as the last couple of years.
Hundreds rally at the Capitol to oppose homeschool bill
Opponents say bill is a slippery slope to more regulation
By BETH HUNDSDORFER AND MOLLY PARKER
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
Hundreds rallied Thursday at the Capitol in Springfield to voice their opposition to a bill that would require oversight of families who homeschool their children, a response to concerns that the state offers no restrictions on homeschooling families.
The bill, called the Homeschool Act, would require families to notify their local school districts if they decide to homeschool their children. Parents could also be required to provide authorities with teaching materials and completed work to document instruction is taking place if there is a concern that homeschooled children are not receiving an education.
Homeschoolers have thwarted previous legislative attempts to regulate them, using grassroots events such as the annual Illinois Christian Home Educators’ Cherry Pie Day. This year, in addition to delivering cherry pies to legislators' offices, homeschool proponents voiced their opposition to the bill, rallying on the Capitol lawn.
Tia Noriega, of Chicago, attended the rally to oppose the bill. She’s homeschooling her children instead of sending them to Chicago Public Schools.
“I'm from the city. We're inner city. We're right in the middle of, like, some crazy neighborhoods in Chicago,” Noriega said. “It’s hard enough to raise your family in a big city, but as homeschoolers, there is a community. We have support because my children are still really young. I hope to keep that community strong, to be able to raise them with like-minded people. So, I hope this bill doesn't get passed.”
The bill would not prevent homeschooling. Rep. Terra Costa Howard, a Democrat from Glen Ellyn who sponsored the bill, said it would extend minimal requirements to ensure children are educated and safe. Parents would only be compelled to show evidence of schooling if educational authorities received concerns of truancy.
Several Republicans in the Illinois House, however, said it would put unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on homeschooling families.
“Illinois has plenty of challenges. We all know that. It's not a secret. We watch the news, but homeschooling is, frankly, not one of those challenges. It's not a problem, it's a solution. It's an answer to so many public-school challenges that Illinois families face,” Rep. Travis Weaver said during a news conference Thursday. “Over-regulating homeschool families is bad, but the future of this bill is even worse because the more we over-regulate homeschooling, the more homeschooling will slip and look more and more like our struggling public schools.”
Currently, homeschool parents are not required to register with their local school districts or any state agency. They are not required to use any prescribed curriculum, test for progress and proficiency or track attendance. Homeschooling parents need not have a high school diploma to instruct their kids at home. Illinois’ rules for homeschoolers are among the least restrictive in the nation, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association.
In a news investigation last year, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica found that parents can claim homeschooling to avoid any consequences for truancy. Truancy officers told reporters the lack of regulation made it more difficult to get truant kids back into school and hold parents accountable.
While the number of homeschooled children is growing, determining the number of children who are educated at home is difficult, as registration is not required. The bill would also require data collection from each Regional Office of Education across Illinois for the first time on the number, grade and age of homeschooled children in their regions.
The number of school-aged children enrolled in public schools has dropped by 127,000 since 2020, outpacing declines in population, according to a study by Advance Illinois, an educational policy and advocacy organization.
Lily Cary at Medill Illinois News Bureau contributed to this report.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Homeschool advocates rally at the Illinois Statehouse to oppose legislation that would impose more oversight of parents who school their children at home. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jade Aubrey.)
City Council Approves Circus Dates In May
The circus is returning to Mt. Carmel this Spring for four big performances. Wayne Walden of the Mt. Carmel Kiwanis Club received permission from the city council Monday to bring the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus to the Southgate Industrial Park on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th with performances at 2 and 4:30 each afternoon. Walden said proceeds from the circus will help the Kiwanis Club build a new shelter house on Park Road at the City Park.
Pritzker wants Illinois to be latest state to ban cellphones in classroom
Limits already are in place in some Illinois school districts
By BEN SZALINSKI
bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com
Capitol News Illinois
Are cellphones a useful tool or a distraction in the classroom? According to Gov. JB Pritzker, they’re a distraction, and he has proposed banning them during classroom instruction.
Pritzker proposed legislation during his State of the State speech in February that would call for banning cellphones during classroom learning time. However, his proposal would not ban cellphones in school entirely, meaning students may still be allowed to use their devices between classes. Private schools would not be included in the ban.
“In conversations with educators from around the state, there is one thing most commonly cited as an impediment to classroom learning: cellphones,” Pritzker said at a news conference Thursday in Champaign.
Some of Illinois’ largest school districts already have adopted their own limits on cellphones in their classrooms, including Springfield, Peoria and Champaign.
“We want our students’ phones turned off so their minds can be fully engaged in learning,” Champaign Unit 4 School District Superintendent Sheila Boozer said.
The Champaign district implemented cellphone limits beginning last fall and said the response from parents and teachers has been positive.
“Since every student is provided with a Chromebook for schoolwork, a cellphone is not really necessary for their learning,” Boozer said.
Schools would be required to come up with their own guidelines for securely storing the phones during instructional time. Pritzker’s plan would also prohibit students from being fined or punished by a law enforcement officer for violating a no-cellphone policy.
“Study after study has demonstrated the benefits of a ban in classroom use of cellphones, not just on student performance but on overall health and well-being,” Pritzker said. “Bullying goes down while grade point averages and Advanced Placement test scores goes up.”
Pritzker’s proposal would include several exemptions to such a ban, including in the event of an emergency, when a teacher allows students to use wireless devices for educational purposes or when a doctor requires a student to have or use their phone for medical reasons.
At some recent school shootings, such as in Uvalde, Texas, students made critical 911 calls. Rep. Patrick Sheehan, R-Lockport, who is a Plainfield police officer, told Capitol News Illinois its important students can access a cellphone in emergencies.
“The kids having these devices to be able to call 911 dispatch so that they can get to the police officers, it cuts down on the response time and completely saves lives,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan said it’s important students have a distraction-free environment, but he cautioned against schools enacting a policy that could lock phones away from students.
“Taking away the cellphones and putting them in some sort of lock or away from the student, as a parent I don’t like it,” Sheehan said. “And as a police officer, I definitely don’t like it.”
Eight states enacted some type of limit on cellphones in schools last year, Stateline reported last month. This year, Illinois is one of 13 states where legislation has been proposed to limit cellphones in schools.
A 2023 Pew Research poll of public school teachers found 72% of high school educators believe cellphone distractions are a “major problem” in their classroom. But 60% of high schools teachers said it is also difficult to enforce cellphone policies.
Bans on cellphones during class time are generally popular among U.S. adults. While 53% do not support banning phones in schools for the entire day, 68% support banning them during class, according to a 2024 Pew poll.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Current flag wins state flag redesign vote
Senator behind flag contest has no ‘preconceived notions’ about next Illinois flag
By BRIDGETTE FOX
Capitol News Illinois
bfox@capitolsnewsillinois.com
The Illinois state flag may be around a lot longer, it turns out.
About 43% of the 385,000 votes in an advisory state flag revision contest decided they’d prefer to resist change and keep the current design.
There were 12 other flag choices. Ten were designed by Illinois residents, students and even the great-grandchildren of Civil War veteran and past Illinois Attorney General James McCartney. The remaining two were designed for past state anniversary celebrations.
A flag design depicting the sun on the horizon, designated “Design #2246,” finished in second place with “Design #3679” finishing in third place. That design depicts Abraham Lincoln’s silhouette and the state of Illinois on a dark blue background.
A flag designed for the state’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1968 finished in last place, with about 5,100 votes.
The vote will be used by the Illinois Flag commission to advise the General Assembly on how they should vote regarding a flag change. So, legislators will have the final say on any future flag changes.
Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, introduced the bill that created the Illinois State Flag Commission, the group that conducted the flag vote. She’s also a member of the commission.
Turner said she doesn’t have any preconceived notions about what’s going to happen.
“I don’t want to talk too much about the results because I think that the commission has to – still has work to do,” Turner said. “And we have to look at, you know, look at those results and do a deep-dive into them and complete our report and submit it to the General Assembly as we said we would do in the legislation.”
The flag commission is expected to issue its report to the legislature later this spring.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The U.S. and Illinois flags over the state capitol in Springfield in May 2024. (Capitol News Illinois file photo)