On June 3, 2025, at 1:16 a.m., Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a disturbance in the 200 block of East Gibson Street in Haubstadt. Multiple law enforcement officers were dispatched to the residence and upon arriving officers began an investigation into the incident. During the investigation evidence of a battery was clearly visible and drug paraphernalia was observed in plain view. Once the investigation was completed 36-year-old Kolby Williamson of Owensville was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Battery and Possession of Methamphetamines.
Arresting Officer Wes Baumgart was assisted in his investigation by Sgt. John Fischer of the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office as well as Owensville Officer Steven Parker.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Clancy Announces New Project
John Clancy, recent Mount Carmel resident and founder of the Little Egypt Arts Center, is returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a new production "I See You Watching".
Clancy has previously received six Fringe First awards at the festival.
"I See You Watching" is a darkly comic tale of sexual power, a playful, provocative exploration of power, control and rebellion.
It plays at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh from July 30th through August 24th.
Details below at the website.
New taxes on sports bets, nicotine products as Democrats pass $55.2B budget
Spending plan raises over $1B in revenue; income, sales taxes not affected
By BEN SZALINSKI
& JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Giving almost no time for public review, Illinois Democrats pushed through a $55.2 billion budget for next fiscal year late Saturday, bolstering coffers with new taxes on sports bets, nicotine products and businesses.
The $55.2 billion spending plan is supported by $55.3 billion of revenue, including just over $1 billion in new taxes and revenue changes.
The four bills making up the budget and capital spending plan, were part of a flurry of thousands of pages of legislation that went from introduction to passage in the final 48 hours of the legislative session.
The budget marked a roughly 3.9% spending increase from the current year, while Republicans criticized it for containing few cuts. It raises about $500 million more in new revenue than what Gov. JB Pritzker proposed in February to make up for declining base revenues.
The minority party also aired frustration with supermajority Democrats for providing next to no time for public review of the massive spending plan and other major bills.
“We’re rushing this process like we always do. ‘Let’s hide this stuff. Let’s hide it so that the public doesn’t see it until it’s too late,’” Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, said.
Democrats said it was the best budget they could manage in a difficult year. To address potential uncertainties stemming from federal policy changes, they gave the governor authority over a new $100 million “emergency” fund. And they frequently lobbed criticisms at President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.
“I am very pleased to be able to present a balanced budget crafted to be fiscally and socially responsible, because we see the decisions made in Washington right now are neither,” House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston said. “Erratic leadership in Washington has affected our economic outlook, our revenue projections, and even threatened federal funding for our most crucial services.”
The GOP also took issue with the tax increases, although the measure did not raise or create new sales, income or service taxes.
Instead, the measures expand state taxes on foreign and out-of-state income for businesses, raise tax rates on tobacco, vapes and sports gambling, and sweep fund balances from several lesser-known and utilized state funds.
The spending measure, Senate Bill 2510, passed the House 75-41 just before 10 p.m. The Senate followed around 11:30 p.m. with a 34-23 vote. The revenue and tax changes, House Bill 2755, and the budget implementation bill, House Bill 1075, both passed with relative ease before the constitution’s midnight deadline and only Democratic votes as well. Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statement saying he would sign it.
Another spate of tax increases included in a transit governance overhaul bill surfaced late but sputtered. The failed measure would have added a $1.50 fee on food and package deliveries and taxed electric vehicle charging statewide among other changes. Talks on that bill could resume later this year.
New taxes on vaping, gaming, deliveries
The revenue bill creates a tax of 25 cents per wager for a sports betting licensee’s first 20,000 wagers accepted, and 50 cents per wager after that.
Consumers will also see new taxes on tobacco products. The tax rate will rise to 45% from 36%. Vape products and nicotine pouches would also now be included under the tax.
The revenue plan amends state law to tax sales from all businesses that transact in the state, rather than only businesses with a physical presence in Illinois. The plan also eliminates a “safe harbor” exemption for businesses that move money outside the state.
Businesses that move profits to other countries would also be subject to the state’s corporate income tax. The federal government currently taxes half of income moved offshore and Illinois would tax the other half under the revenue plan.
Businesses outside Illinois that sell $100,000 or more to people in the state must also collect Illinois sales taxes even if the business doesn’t have a physical location in Illinois. This would apply to businesses like Amazon.
“I will not support this betrayal of hard-working Illinoisans,” Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, said. “And if you care about the people who sent you here, if you truly represent them, you’ll vote no too. Enough is enough. It’s time for this body to stand with taxpayers, not stand up against them.”
Another source of new revenue is a delinquent tax payment incentive program designed to help the state recuperate overdue tax payments. It will generate $228 million, Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said.
The state would also pause the final transfer of motor fuel sales tax revenue to the road fund in order to free up $171 million, according to the governor’s office’s estimate.
A separate bill designed to lower prescription drug prices calls for levying a fee on pharmacy benefit managers based on the number of patients they insure. Money from that fee would go into a fund for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to award up to $25 million a year in grants to independent pharmacies and pharmacies located in rural counties. The remaining money would go to the state's general revenue fund.
The measure also extends the state’s Hotel Operators’ Occupation Tax to short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo.
Immigrant health cuts
A controversial program that provides health insurance to more than 30,000 noncitizens between ages 42 and 64 will be cut in FY26. The program’s elimination saves the state $330 million, but a $110 million program for seniors will remain in place.
Together, the two programs have cost the state at least $1.6 billion, according to an audit released in February, far exceeding budgeted costs for the program.
"We had to make some tough decisions here. That program grew at greater rates, financially, than we thought it would, and we had to make some hard decisions,” Gabel said.
Federally Qualified Health Centers are set to receive $40 million in the budget. The centers provide health services to low-income and uninsured people. Democrats touted that increase to provide care for immigrants who would have qualified for the health care program.
Illinois still risks losing some Medicaid funding under a proposal in Congress that threatens to slash reimbursements for states that provide health insurance to people illegally in the United States. But Gabel noted it’s possible those reductions won’t take place until 2027.
The budget also increases funding for safety-net hospitals with federal Medicaid funding cuts possible.
Education spending
The state’s evidence-based funding model for K-12 schools calls for $350 million in additional funding each year, with a portion of that going to a property tax relief fund and the rest directly to schools. The proposed budget fully funds the K-12 education portion at $307 million but does not add $43 million in property tax relief funds, according to Democratic leaders.
Funding for the Illinois Community College Board would also decrease by $24 million, mostly because lawmakers reduced spending on a workforce development grant that Democrat leaders said was not being fully utilized.
Funding for state universities would only increase by 1%. Pritzker proposed a 3% increase for higher education even as most other areas of his budget would’ve increased by 1%. Senate Democrats’ budget leader Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, said the budget allows for an additional 2% increase in FY26 if the federal government eliminates substantial funding.
Pensions
Despite more than a year of discussions, Illinois lawmakers did not tackle pension reform this spring. Illinois' Tier 2 pension system is likely out of compliance with Social Security’s “safe harbor” law that requires pension benefits to be at least equal to Social Security.
Part of the budget package created a new Tier 2 reserve fund that can be accessed if there are violations of the “safe harbor” law. Lawmakers appropriated $75 million for the fund this year, in line with Pritzker’s proposal.
‘Emergency’ fund, raises, more
Notably not in this year’s budget is an increase to the “rainy day” fund. Pritzker has taken pride in the fund’s increases in recent years, as it’s grown to a balance of $2.3 billion, up from less than $60,000 when Pritzker took office. The FY26 budget would suspend the monthly transfer for one year, freeing up $45 million for general fund use.
The budget package also establishes a new $100 million fund that the governor can tap into “in the event of unanticipated delays in or failures of revenues.” The measure, an apparent nod to the uncertainty of federal funding amid ongoing congressional budget negotiations, will come from money swept from other funds.
“That will allow us to respond to actions by the federal government and challenges that present themselves and costs that have been diverted from the federal government to the state government,” Sims said in a committee hearing.
The attorney general’s office would get $116 million from the general fund. Attorney General Kwame Raoul asked lawmakers to boost funding for his office as he engages in a growing number of lawsuits against the Trump administration. Raoul was hoping to receive $120 million in funding.
Direct service providers are in line for an 80-cent per hour wage increase, but Republicans said calling it a funding increase is “sleight of hand,” because the measure would also reduce work hours for DSPs by the hundreds of thousands. That makes the increase negligible, Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said in committee.
“It’s not a great budget, but it is a good budget and it is the budget we need for this very difficult moment,” Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, said.
Lawmakers will see their salaries rise as part of the budget, going to a $98,304 base salary from roughly $92,000. That’s an annualized rate of increase that is set by law.
“You raised our pay, you gave yourselves hundreds of millions of dollars of our taxpayers funds to spend on your pet projects,” Rep. Amy Elik, R-Godfrey, said. “So I simply don’t believe you anymore that you ever intended to be fiscally careful.”
No Bears stadium funding
Lawmakers did not appropriate funding for the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium. But NASCAR would be the recipient of a $5 million grant ahead of the sport’s third downtown Chicago race in July, and the PGA Tour would receive a $1 million grant as part of hosting the 2026 President’s Cup in DuPage County. Those were two economic development measures criticized by Republicans during the Senate committee hearing.
The budget also contains $200 million to prepare unused state properties to be repurposed for development, Sims said. Lawmakers removed another $300 million that Pritzker had sought in spending aimed at offloading surplus property.
Gabel said the state’s employee management department has negotiated more than $100 million in health care cost savings as well.
Any remaining federal pandemic relief funding would also be sent to recipients that have not received payments in previous years before the funding expires in 2026.
Jade Aubrey contributed.
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.
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and members of his Democratic caucus applaud members of their staff early Sunday morning after the chamber approved the $55.2 billion budget bill. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
Investigation underway after death of Princeton man
Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating the death of a Princeton man after the boat he was in capsized Thursday morning on a private lake in Pike County.
Brandon L. King, 49, of Princeton, was fishing about a mile and a half north of the town of Winslow when the jon boat he was in tipped over. A witness to the accident called for help.
Pike County deputies were able to get King to shore, but life saving measures by Pike County Emergency Medical Services were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead on scene. King was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.
The preliminary cause of death has been ruled drowning.
Responding agencies included the Pike County Sheriff’s Department, Pike County Emergency Medical Services, Petersburg Fire Department and Patoka Fire Department.
Haubstadt man arrested for triple homicide.
On May 29, 2025, at 8:31 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of shots being fired in the 12000 block of South Scottsdale Drive near Haubstadt, Indiana. Multiple Law Enforcement agencies were dispatched to the scene, and upon arrival Sgt. Loren Barchett with the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office was met at the front door by a witness to the shooting who pointed to the last known location of the suspect. Sgt. Barchett located the suspect and placed him into custody without incident. As law enforcement officers arrived on scene a sweep of the residence was conducted where three deceased individuals were located as well as a fourth individual who was critically injured. Also located inside the residence were four other individuals who had no visible injuries.
At that point Medics with the Gibson County Ambulance Service, Haubstadt Fire Department, and law enforcement officers on scene began life saving treatment on the critically injured individual. Ultimately this patient was flown via a medical helicopter to an area hospital for further treatment.
The suspect, 77-year-old Parick John Waite of Haubstadt was transported to the Gibson County Jail where he is being held without bond on a murder charge.
The Gibson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the following agencies:
The Indiana State Police
Princeton Police Department
Haubstadt Police Department
Fort Branch Police Department
Owensville Police Department
Haubstadt Fire
Gibson County Ambulance Service
Gibson County Coroner’s Office
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Approach closure planned for U.S. 41 in Vanderburgh County
VANDERBURGH COUNTY Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation announces an approach closure on U.S. 41 in Vanderburgh County.
Beginning on or around Thursday, May 29, crews will close the west approach to U.S. 41 from Virginia Street in Evansville.
Approach closure is for the reconstruction of the west approach to U.S. 41. Reconstruction includes the removal and replacement of pavement and new sidewalks. This closure is expected to take a month to complete, depending on the weather.
The west approach closure is part of a larger project to reconstruct U.S. 41 in Evansville. Motorists should slow down, watch for stopped traffic and drive distraction-free through all work zones.
IECC District #529 Board Summary
The Board of Trustees of the Illinois Eastern Community College District No. 529 met Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at Frontier Community College, Fairfield, Illinois and following a public hearing, the Board held a Bond Issue Notification hearing to allow public comment on their intent to issue bonds for community college purposes.
The Board approved the minutes of the Board of Trustees regular meeting held on April 22, 2025.
The Board waived a second reading and approved revisions to the following policies:
• Student Mental Health Needs Policy 500.12 to reflect changes in staffing and to continue our adherence to Public Act 101-0251, the Mental Health Early Actionon Campus Act.
• New policy – Minors and Visitors in the Classroom Policy 800.12 clarifying IECC’s position regarding individuals in the classroom who are not enrolled in the course preventing confusion about expectations concerning unauthorized visitors in the classroom.
The Board approved changes to fees for Paramedic and EMT Programs.
Affiliation agreements were approved with 3C Therapy & Wellness, Harrisburg Medical Center, Inc., Southern Illinois Hospital Services, and Southern Illinois Medical Services, NFP.
A Calendar Year 2024 Report for the IECC 403(b) Plan was accepted by the Board. The current plan has a total of 149 participants with total assets of $7,062,052.
The Board approved a Redevelopment Agreement with the City of Olney that allows for reimbursement for eligible costs for the site preparation of the new Allied Health Technology addition to Wattleworth Hall at Olney Central College.
The Board approved a budget resolution and tentative budget for FY2026. A Balanced operating budget has been presented.
The following were approved as part of the personnel report: Approval of employment for Ben Morgan as Temporary, Full-time Automotive Instructor, OCC effective August 13, 2025 – May 14, 2026 and Chad Killinger as Head Women’s Basketball Coach, WVC effective June 2, 2025.
Changes in employment status were approved for Paul Tait from Manager of Technology Infrastructure to Chief Information Officer effective May 12, 2025; Chelsea Dulany as Business Office Assistant, FCC to Business Office Specialist, FCC effective June 2, 2025; Jennifer Dunn from Student Services Specialist, FCC to Student Services Software Specialist, FCC effective June 20, 2025; Danyelle Ayres from Coordinator of ICAPS & Instruction to Director of ICAPS & Instruction & Transition effective June 2, 2025; and Sharis Wilson from Coordinator of Adult Literacy to Director of Literacy and AE Operations effective June 2, 2025.
As a result of recent updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act and to ensure the District aligns with current regulations, the employment status for the following individuals was approved to change from non-exempt to exempt: Julie Auteberry, Brittany Biddle, Kara Blanton, Derek Dunn, Patrick Harris, Jennifer Jennings, Angel Kerner, Brady Martin, Christy Morley, Amanda Nelson, Eric Resor, Jodi Schneider, & Candice Young.
An educational level change was approved for Angelia Williams.
Retirement ratification was approved for Calvin Melvin as MIT Instructor effective May 31, 2025.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. at Lincoln Trail College, Robinson, IL.
Terre Haute woman arrested for OWI
On May 27, 2025, at 10 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Michael Bates conducted a traffic stop on a Black 2019 Chevy Impala for speeding on US 41 near County Road 400 South. Upon conducting the stop near County Road 100 West Deputy Bates identified the driver as 35-year-old Ashley McClain of Terre Haute. While speaking with Ms. McClain Deputy Bates detected clues that the driver was under the influence of an unknown intoxicant. At that point Deputy Bates began a roadside OWI investigation. At the conclusion of his inquiry Deputy Bates placed Ms. McClain into custody and transported her to the Gibson County Jail where she was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated.
Deputy U.B. Smith assisted Deputy Bates in his investigation.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas man arrested for OWI
On May 24, 2025, at 4:37 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of intoxicated individuals at the Dollar General Store located at 7979 South US Highway 41 in Fort Branch who were about to get into a vehicle and drive away. Multiple law enforcement officers were sent to the business to locate the vehicle which was described as a Black Chevrolet Silverado. Haubstadt Officer Bryan Munnier located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Deputy Eric Powell arrived on scene shortly thereafter and observed an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. At that point Deputy Powell began a roadside DUI investigation, and at the end of his inquiry he placed the driver Jesus Alberto Arco Diaz into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail. Upon arriving at the jail Mr. Diaz was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, Possession of Marijuana, Operator Never Licensed, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Branch man arrested for OWI
On May 24, 2025, at 10:39 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Wes Baumgart conducted a traffic stop on a Red Chevy truck for speeding on US 41 near County Road 800 South. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Baumgart identified the driver as 23-year-old Corbin Williams of Fort Branch. Upon speaking with Mr. Williams Deputy Baumgart detected clues that the driver was under the influence. At that point Deputy Baumgart began a roadside DUI investigation. At the end of his investigation, he placed Mr. Williams into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated.
Deputy Baumgart was assisted by Deputy Michael Bates, Haubstadt Officer Bryan Munnier, and Princeton Sgt. Ben Kiesel.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
