The Wabash County Commissioners have voted to increase the pay for four county office holders while keeping their own pay the same. At their meeting Tuesday, commissioners set the salaries for county clerk, treasurer, circuit clerk, and assessor at $52,500 for the 2026-27, and 2027-28 fiscal years. The salaries will increase to $55,000 a year for the 2028-29 and 2029-2030 fiscal years. The salaries for county commissioners will remain at $650 a month. The salaries for state’s attorney and sheriff are set by the state and are not under control of the county board.
Owensville woman arrested for DUI
On September 4, 2025, at 10:55 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Wyatt Hunt conducted a traffic stop on a White 2016 Nissan Rogue for a moving violation that he observed while traveling on State Road 168 near County Road 175 East. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Hunt detected the odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle. At that point he began a roadside DUI investigation. Once the inquiry was concluded Deputy Hunt placed the driver 33-year-old Christina Tanner of Owensville into custody and transported her to the Gibson County Detention Center. Upon arriving at the detention center Ms. Tanner was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated and Neglect of a Dependent.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Oakland City woman arrested on multiple charges
On September 3, 2025, at approximately 6:44 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a report of a person being struck by a White Cadillac at a residence in the 6600 block of South State Road 57. The reporting party advised that the vehicle then drove away at a high rate of speed. Multiple law enforcement Officers were dispatched to the area, and upon arriving Deputy Wes Baumgart spoke with the person who had been struck by the vehicle, and they were able to give the name of the person driving and information about where to find the person. After gathering statements from witnesses on scene Deputy Baumgart located the vehicle, a White 2002 Cadillac passenger car in the Lighthouse Christian Church parking lot. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Baumgart identified the driver as the suspect, 55-year-old Stephanie Scott of rural Oakland City. At that point Deputy Baumgart continued his investigation into the incident. At the finish of his inquiry, he placed Ms. Scott into custody and transported her to the Gibson County Detention Center. Upon arriving at the detention center Ms. Scott was charged with Battery With a Deadly Weapon, Possession of Marijuana, Criminal Recklessness With a Deadly Weapon, and Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated.
Sgt. Loren Barchett and Eric Powell of the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office assisted Deputy Baumgart in his investigation. Oakland City Officer Mike McGregor also assisted in this investigation.
The person who was struck was not seriously injured.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WGH Construction Projects Winding Down
For the last several years, there’s been an almost constant stream of construction projects at Wabash General Hospital. But that work is beginning to slow according to Doug McPherson, who is chairman of the hospital board’s construction and building committee..
Wabash General President/CEO Karissa Turner told the board that the new Olney clinic is off to a strong start with roughly 50% of the available appointments already booked there.
Donations Coming In For New City Pool
Mt. Carmel Mayor Joe Judge says donations are rolling in to help offset the cost of the new aquatic center….
Judge said, so far, groups donating to the pool project have chosen to remain anonymous.
Jobless Rate Ticks Up Locally In July; But Still Lowest In So. Illinois
Wabash County’s unemployment rate edged up in July but is still tied for the lowest in southern Illinois. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports that the July jobless rate in Wabash County stood at an even 4%, up 7-tenths of a percentage point from the 3.3% mark recorded in June. But despite the increase, the unemployment rate in Wabash County last month was still lower than the 4.6% figure in July of 2024.
The IDES reports that in the Mt. Carmel-Olney area, total nonfarm payrolls decreased by 175 jobs last month, compared to July 2024.
Employment gains were posted in Private Education-Health Services and Government. Year-over-year, payroll totals were unchanged among employers in Information, Natural Resources-Mining, Other Services and Professional-Business Services. Payroll job losses occurred among employers in the Leisure-Hospitality, Trade-Transportation-Utilities, Construction, Financial Activities and Manufacturing sectors. Wabash County’s jobless rate last month was tied with Richland County for the lowest in southern Illinois. The highest rate in the southern part of the state was in Alexander County at 7.3%.
City Council Clears Way For Local Company To Relocate
SOUTHGATE INDUSTRIAL PARK WAS SUB-DIVIDED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF MT. CARMEL CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY. THE COUNCIL THEN APPROVED PURCHASE OF THE EAR-MARKED 1.5 ACRES OF PROPERTY TO TONY DELGADO , OWNER OF T.L.D. ELECTRIC. DELGADO BOUGHT THE PROPERTY FOR 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND PLANS TO MOVE HIS BUSINESS THERE BY MARCH OF 2026. CITY COUNCIL, IN VOTING FOR THE MEASURES, ALSO NOTED BENEFITS OF IMPROVED SEMI PARKING AT SOUTHGATE. SOME 14 SEMIS ARE PARKED THERE NOW, SCATTERED THOUGHOUT THE INDUSTRIAL PARK.
Prep Work Starts On College Drive
DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING ON COLLEGE DRIVE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, MAYOR JOE JUDGE AND CITY ENGINEER DAVE DALLAS NOTED THAT PREP WORK IS ONGOING FOR THE COLLEGE DRIVE REPAVING PROJECT, WHICH HOWELL PAVING IS SET TO BEGIN SEPTEMBER 15TH. KIEFFER BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION IS CUTTING NEXT TO CURBS IN PREPARATION.
City Council Approves Community Event Requests
A COUPLE OF SPECIAL EVENT REQUESTS WERE APPROVED BY MT. CARMEL CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY. MELLISA SMITH REPRESENTED COMMUNITY FAIR WALK, SCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY, ENCOMPASSING A 13 MILE TREK THROUGH AND AROUND THE CITY. A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE AT THE REQUEST OF POLICE CHIEF MIKE MCWILLIAMS, AND THE WALK WAS APPROVED.
MT. CARMEL LIONS CANDY DAY ALSO GOT THE NOD OF APPROVAL. DON MAINS ASKED FOR OCTOBER 10TH AND 11TH FOR CANDY SALES AT INTERSECTIONS. THE EXTRA DATE IS IN CASE OF RAIN.
IECC Board Files Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Faculty Association
Press Release From IECC District Office:
The Board of Trustees of the Illinois Eastern Community College District No. 529 met Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at IECC District Office, Olney, IL for a special meeting.
The Board went into executive session to discuss employment, litigation and collective negotiating matters. No formal action was taken during either the closed or open portions of the meeting.
After returning from closed session, Chairman Carter issued a statement regarding recent labor negotiations with the Faculty Association. Chairman Carter explained that earlier this year, IECC and the Faculty Association had reached a collective bargaining agreement extending through August 2026. However, two accompanying memoranda of agreement establishing committees on faculty performance evaluations and distance learning still have not been submitted for ratification by the Association despite a tentative agreement signed by the Association’s President on February 28, 2025. Instead, the Association presented its membership with two memoranda of agreement unilaterally rewritten by its leadership, rather than the MOAs negotiated and agreed upon with IECC as part of the tentative agreement.
On behalf of the Board, Chairman Carter expressed concern about the Association’s actions and its insistence on proposing different language not previously negotiated. Chairman Carter expressed his opinion that this conduct constitutes bad-faith bargaining and mirrors past delays in contract negotiations.
To protect the District’s legal rights, Chairman Carter announced that IECC’s Chancellor has decided to file a bad faith bargaining unfair labor practice charge with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. Chairman Carter also indicated that the full Board supported the Chancellor’s decision. The Chairman also emphasized that the charge is not punitive but defensive, noting the charge could always be withdrawn if or when the Association decides to comply with its legal obligations by submitting the memoranda for a membership vote and using its best efforts to persuade the membership to ratify the memoranda.
The Board reaffirmed its commitment to collaboration, urging the Association to honor its obligations and work with IECC toward a constructive and cooperative relationship.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 6:15 p.m. at Frontier Community College, Fairfield, IL.