Prepayments Start For Wabash County Taxpayers

From Wabash County Treasurer Angie Broster: The Treasurer’s Office will be accepting Real Estate Tax Prepayments for the 2024 Payable 2025 until July 31, 2025.

Our Office only allows prepayments to be made within the amount of the previous year’s taxed amount. So, you will still receive a Tax Bill when they are mailed out for the remainder that is due. We anticipate the 2024 Payable 2025 Real Estate Taxes will be out later this fall.

Please call the office at 618-262-5262, if you are interested in the Prepayment Plan or have any questions. We have a form that needs to be filled out and signed by the taxpayer.

Evansville Trails Coalition Launches First Regional Trails Master Plan

Public celebration June 6 at The Pagoda marks major milestone

 Evansville, Ind. – Thursday, June 5, 2025 – The Evansville Trails Coalition has announced the completion of the first-ever Evansville Region Trails Master Plan—a community-driven vision to improve mobility and quality of life across the Evansville Region.

 The plan was guided by public input and shaped through collaboration with regional leaders, trail advocates, and community stakeholders. It outlines a regional network of existing and proposed walking, biking, and wheeling routes designed to safely connect neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses, and nearby communities. Building on that vision, the plan provides a clear path forward—highlighting high-priority corridors, funding strategies, and long-term goals to guide the development of a more accessible and connected trail system.

 “This plan is more than a list of projects—it’s a community-driven regional blueprint designed to support healthier lifestyles, stronger neighborhood connections, and a better quality of life for everyone,” said Lorie Van Hook, Executive Director of the Evansville Trails Coalition. “More than 100 community members helped shape this vision—and their voices are reflected throughout its pages. Whether you walk, bike, wheel, or run, this is your plan for a more connected, accessible place to live.”

How this plan will benefit the Evansville Region

The Trails Master Plan outlines a starting point for achieving the following community benefits:

• Safer routes that keep people walking, biking, or wheeling separate from vehicle traffic

• Stronger connections between neighborhoods, schools, parks, and businesses

• Boosts to local tourism and small business visibility along trail corridors

• Expanded access to green space and recreation for underserved areas

• A healthier, more active community with more options for how we get around

 What’s in the plan: Proposed trail projects with regional impact

The plan features several proposed projects that stand out for their potential to improve regional trail access and connectivity. Highlights include:

• Angel Mounds to Newburgh Trail: A scenic eastward extension that would link cultural, recreational, and historic destinations.

• Lincoln Avenue Corridor Improvements: Enhancing trail access to parks and schools in a key urban corridor.

• Boonville Greenway via Norfolk Southern Line: A potential rail-trail conversion linking Evansville and Boonville while aligning with the American Discovery Trail.

• Downtown John Street Crossing: A constructible urban trail connector improving access and safety at the Lloyd Expressway.

• Future USI Trail Connection: A proposed westward extension that would link the University of Southern Indiana to the broader regional trail network.

 June 6 celebration event open to the public

The public and members of the media are invited to help celebrate this milestone at a special event on Friday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. at The Pagoda (401 SE Riverside Dr., Evansville). The event will include remarks from local leaders and community trail advocates, a preview of what’s next in the plan’s implementation, and a special presentation by Mayor Stephanie Terry, who will deliver a proclamation officially recognizing June 6 as Evansville Trails Day.

 Plan builds on momentum and strong public partnerships

The plan builds on the momentum of existing and in-progress efforts—such as the Roberts/Wesselman Loop Trail, supported through the Indiana Next Level Trails program, and the Walnut Street Improvement Project, a 3.1-mile corridor redesign that includes a new multi-use path connecting Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Vann Avenue.

 The Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation co-led development of the Trails Master Plan, serving as a liaison to other City of Evansville departments and elected officials while supporting community outreach and contributing technical data and mapping resources. 

 While rooted in the City of Evansville, the plan was developed with a regional lens and identifies future trail opportunities that expand access across Vanderburgh County and into surrounding parts of the Evansville region. With continued collaboration among cities, counties, nonprofits, and community stakeholders, the plan sets the stage for a more connected regional network that supports active transportation, recreation, and economic development.

 “The release of this plan couldn’t come at a better time,” said Steve Schaefer, Board President of the Evansville Trails Coalition. “Interest in trails and outdoor spaces has never been higher, and now we have a clear roadmap to guide what comes next. With strong community support, we can start pursuing funding, building momentum, and moving forward on the trail connections that matter most to our region. We hope community members will join us on June 6 to celebrate this important step and learn more about where we’re headed.”

 The Trails Master Plan was developed in partnership with the engineering firm Butler, Fairman & Seufert, whose expertise helped translate public input into a clear, actionable framework. With a focus on equity and sustainability, the plan offers a framework to guide future trail development and move projects from concept to construction.

County Applying For Grant To Help Lessen Impact Of Mine Closure

Wabash County Commissioners have approved moving forward with applying for an Energy Transition Community Grant administered through the State of Illinois. Jeff Vaughn of the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commissioner was at Monday’s county board meeting to explain the grant to assist communities who face losing a coal mine or power plant…

Vaughn said other entities can attach themselves to the Wabash County application to perhaps receive funding. Vaughn seemed confident Wabash County would at least receive the minimum grant of $50,000, which can be used for most anything the county chooses. But, he said the grant could end up being much more…

Vaughn will be working with county treasurer Angela Broster to put the necessary reports together to submit the grant application before the June 30th deadline. If approved, Wabash County would have the chance to receive the grant for up to 6 years in a row.

More on the grant can be found here:

https://omb.illinois.gov/public/gata/csfa/Program.aspx?csfa=3071

Baby food safety, press freedom, public defender measures will head to governor

Measures passed in legislative session’s final hours

By BEN SZALINSKI
& JADE AUBREY
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com

Gov. JB Pritzker will have hundreds of bills to review after lawmakers concluded their spring session, including measures protecting press freedoms and baby food, as well as creating a state public defender’s office.

Lawmakers voted along party lines Saturday to pass House Bill 3363, which would create the “Office of State Public Defender” that would primarily be responsible for providing public defender offices around the state with more resources. 

It also reforms how public defenders would be appointed by requiring a local nominating committee to appoint or remove public defenders, which is designed to give the public defenders more independence from the judiciary.

“Every Illinoisan deserves a strong defense, no matter their income,” bill sponsor Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, said in a statement. “Instating this new system would ensure real help reaches people who have been left behind in conversations about criminal justice reform for far too long.”

Read more: Lawmakers moving forward on public defender reform

Public defender offices throughout the state have been starved for resources, with some defense attorneys at public defender offices handling hundreds of cases at a time. Supporters of the legislation say the main goal of the office, at least initially, will be to provide more comprehensive state resources to public defender offices, which now are typically subject to the limitations of county budgets. 

Limited data shows all Illinois counties need more public defenders. According to an analysis of county public defender budgets compiled by Northwestern University, no Illinois counties have “sufficient” staffing in public defender offices.

State lawmakers appropriated $10 million for county public defense services in the FY26 budget and have appropriated as much each year since 2023. If signed by the governor, Peters’ legislation won’t fully take effect until 2027.

Safer baby food

Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously passed Senate Bill 73, which bans the sale and distribution of baby food in Illinois that contains levels of toxic elements – including arsenic, cadmium, lead or mercury – that surpasses the limits set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The bill now only needs a signature from the governor to become law.

Under SB73, any manufacturer selling baby food in Illinois would be required to test a sample of their product monthly to ensure the levels of toxic elements contained in the product fall in line with the limits set by the FDA. The bill also gives the Illinois Department of Public Health the right to request and review manufacturers’ testing results and requires manufacturers to publish the levels of each toxic element in each of their products on the manufacturer’s website.

Manufacturers who sell products in Illinois would also have to print a QR code on the label of any baby food that contains toxic elements that are limited by the FDA. The QR would be required to direct consumers to the product’s testing information and FDA guidelines on “the health effects of the toxic element on children.”

The bill comes after a study published in 2019 by Healthy Babies Bright Futures, which found that 95% of 168 baby foods tested for toxic elements contained one or more contaminants. One in four of the baby foods tested in the study contained all four elements, with arsenic being found in 73% of the baby foods tested and lead in 94% of the products.

The study gained public traction after its publication, resulting in the creation and implementation of “Closer to Zero” – an FDA initiative that aims to reduce the percentage of toxic metals found in baby food to zero.

If signed by the governor, the bill will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Press protections

Pritzker will also consider a measure to bolster news media protections against lawsuits. 

Senate Bill 1181 explicitly adds news media as an entity protected under the state’s Citizen Participation Act, which prohibits “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” or SLAPPs. It passed the House 75-38 and the Senate 47-10.

It was spurred by a recent state Supreme Court ruling that allowed a defamation suit filed by a former government employee against the Chicago Sun-Times to progress. 

Read more: Supreme Court dismisses Jussie Smollett convictions, allows Trump Tower defamation suit to continue | Sun-Times seeks dismissal of defamation suit centered on Trump Tower reporting

The Supreme Court’s ruling in that case differentiated “investigative” reporting from the paper’s coverage of a state inspector general’s investigation into the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board’s executive director. 

Lawyers from the Chicago Sun-Times sought to use the Citizen Protection Act to dismiss the executive director’s 2021 lawsuit against the paper, which contended it mischaracterized the inspector general’s investigation. 

But the Supreme Court declined, ruling the paper’s coverage lacked any intent to elicit action or a solution from the government – which was needed to apply SLAPP protections – because the coverage was not investigative in nature. 

“We are simply holding that the (Citizen Participation) Act specifically protects government participation and does not encompass all media reports on matters of public concern,” Justice David K. Overstreet wrote in the opinion.

SB 1181 directly addresses that sentiment. The bill states, “The press opining, reporting, or investigating matters of public concern is participating and communicating with the government,” meaning organizations doing so would be protected under the law if the bill is signed. It would apply to actions taken after Jan. 1, 2026.

The measure also provides that all legal proceedings in a case would be paused while a party’s Citizen Participation Act lawsuit motion progresses in court.

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 Illinois House is pictured in the waning hours of the spring legislative session on Saturday, May 31. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

Death Investigation Being Conducted After Clay County, Indiana Pursuit

Clay, IN : Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Trooper Caleb Cannon was requested to investigate a suspicious subject and vehicle near a residence in Cory, IN., but the subject had left the area before Trooper Cannon arrived.  A short time later, he observed a vehicle matching the description from the original call traveling eastbound on County Road 300 South. Trooper Cannon observed the vehicle travel left of center and stopped in the middle of the roadway.  He attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver disregarded the emergency lights and continued traveling away from Trooper Cannon, instigating a low-speed pursuit that headed southbound on County Road 300 towards State Road 59. 

Upon reaching State Road 59, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department had successfully deployed stop sticks, which flattened multiple tires on the pursued vehicle, but the subject continued traveling onto State Road 59.  Trooper Cannon then performed a precision immobilization technique maneuver (PIT), causing the subject’s vehicle to travel into a cornfield, striking Trooper Cannon’s patrol vehicle, coming to a stop.  

Multiple troopers gave loud verbal commands to exit the vehicle, but the subject refused to exit and began to disrobe. After an hour-long standoff, troopers used extrication tactics to remove the subject from the vehicle, taking the subject into custody without incident.
  
The subject was then identified as Aaron Krout, age 35, of Brazil, Indiana.  Krout was transported to a local hospital in Terre Haute due to indicators that he was under the influence of a controlled substance.  While at the hospital, Krout had a medical episode and was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.  

Family has been notified.  

An autopsy has been scheduled for tomorrow at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. The cause of death will be determined by Vigo County Coroner, Travis Norris.   

Assisting Agencies: Troopers of the Putnamville State Police Post, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Hoosiers Towing, and the Vigo County Coroner's Office.

County Board Approves Various Appointments

Wabash County Commissioners on Monday made appointments to various boards and while the votes were mostly unanimous, there was one appointment that was not. Dr. Bryce Miller and Theresa Marcotte were nominated to be reappointed to three-year terms on the board of health. Miller’s nomination was approved by all three commissioners, but Marcotte was not as board chairman Rob Dean voted no against her reappointment. Dean has been at odds with the health board over a variety of issues in the last few years.

Other appointments Monday included Colleen Whyte to a three-year term on the 377 Board for care and treatment of the developmentally disabled; Ernest Majors to a three-year terms on the Hallock Cemetery Board; and Roxanna Seybold was reappointed to a five-year term on the museum board.

Coroner Releases Information Regarding Death Of Juvenile

Wabash County Coroner Shaun Keepes responded to a residence in Mount Carmel on Thursday, May 29, 2025, regarding the tragic accidental death of a juvenile.

An autopsy was conducted in Springfield, Illinois, on Friday, May 30, 2025. Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of death is consistent with suffocation due to a Mylar-helium filled balloon. Additional testing and toxicology, are pending to determine the final cause of death.

Coroner Keepes wishes to raise public awareness about the unrecognized potential dangers associated with large child size Mylar balloons. While often seen as harmless decorations, these balloons can pose serious risks—particularly to young children—including the rare but devastating possibility of suffocation and/or helium toxicity.

The Wabash County Coroner’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this heartbreaking accident. As a community, please hold this family in your prayers.

Agencies involved in the ongoing investigation include the Mount Carmel Police Department and the Illinois State Police Child Death Task Force.

No other information will be released at this time.

Summer Work Underway At Local Schools

Now that summer break is officially underway in local schools, crews will be busy with various projects before classes resume in August. In Wabash District #348, Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer says most of the work will focus on the elementary school…

At the grade school, Bleyer said changes are being made to the cafetorium with window film….

In addition, Bleyer said WIFI in the press box at Riverview Stadium will be improved this summer.

Window film has been placed on the MCGS cafetorium windows.

Window film has been placed on the MCGS cafetorium windows.

This area at MCES will be paved and a new parking area for teachers added this summer.

This area at MCES will be paved and a new parking area for teachers added this summer.

Illegal immigrant gets 12 years in prison for his part in India-based fraud targeting elderly victims across the Midwest

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – An illegal immigrant from India got 12 years in prison for his role in an imposter scam that defrauded elderly victims in three states out of more than $400,000.

In February, a federal jury convicted Nirav B. Patel, 44, an Indian citizen, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.

“This illegal alien admitted that he came to Illinois because the state would give him a driver’s license, and then he used that license to steal from the elderly all across the Midwest,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We will continue to do all we can to remove this criminal element from our country.”

In an imposter scam, fraudsters pose as government officials to manipulate and exploit elderly victims for money.  This scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to scammers posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping. 

In reality, the money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India.  The fraudsters kept the victims on the hook by calling them constantly, sometimes for up to 12 hours a day.  The scammers also threatened victims with criminal liability if they told their friends or family what was going on. 

Patel traveled to the elderly victims’ residences to pick up cash and assets to support the crime.  Trial testimony established that, in one instance, Patel picked up $177,000 in gold bars from an elderly resident at her assisted living facility, even though she was pushing a walker and on oxygen.

In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was convicted for entering the U.S. illegally. Evidence showed that Patel snuck into the U.S. near Vancouver before connecting with the fraudsters in Georgia.  Patel’s fraud operation was based in the Chicago, where he could get an Illinois driver’s license despite being in the U.S. unlawfully.  From there, he drove hundreds of miles through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana to take money and gold from elderly victims on behalf of the fraud scheme.

In imposing the 12-year sentence, the Court rejected Patel’s claim that he had no idea what was going on, noting the scammers entrusted Patel with hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time.  These scams need people on the ground in the U.S. in order to be successful, the court continued, and those willing to help them steal from elderly victims should receive stiff sentences to deter others from doing the same thing in the future.

“This case highlights the serious public safety risks posed by individuals who enter the United States illegally and exploit our systems to target some of the most vulnerable among us,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI remains committed to identifying and dismantling transnational criminal schemes, especially carried out by perpetrators who flout our immigration laws to defraud and target elderly Americans. HSI will continue working with our partners to ensure that those who abuse our country’s generosity are held accountable.”

The Federal Trade Commission reported in March 2025 that imposter scams are now the most common type of consumer fraud against Americans.  If you or a loved one has been a victim of this kind of fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline by dialing 1-833-372-8311.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft prosecuted the case.

Fort Branch man arrested for OWI

On May 31, 2025, at 4:20 a.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of an abandoned vehicle near the intersection of County Road 550 South and County Road 175 West.  Deputy Levi Sims was dispatched to the area and located a Black 1992 Jeep with a boat and trailer attached to it.  Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Sims located 34-year-old Joshua Alvey unconscious behind the wheel of the vehicle.  Upon speaking with Mr. Alvey Deputy Sims detected clues that he was under the influence of an unknown intoxicant.  At that point Deputy Sims began a roadside OWI investigation.  At the conclusion of the investigation Deputy Sims placed Mr. Alvey into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail.  Upon arriving at the Jail Mr. Alvey was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated and Possession of a Hypodermic Needle. 
 
Deputy Michael Bates assisted Deputy Sims 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.