(OLNEY)  As a high pressure ridge moves off to the east today, a southerly wind flow will bring in more humid air, with warmer conditions on tap for this weekend – a cold front will move thru by Monday with our next chance of rain, maybe storms, by Sunday night – then cooler next week – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  Legislation proposed by Secretary of State Jesse White to crack down on fraud & abuse of the state’s disability parking programs was approved yesterday in the State Senate – already approved in the House & on its way to the Governor, the bill will strengthen the penalty for using a placard and/or disability license plates, will increase the general misuse of placards, license plates, and disability parking spaces.

(OLNEY)  An appeals court dismisses a labor union challenge to the Governor’s elimination of pay raises in the current budget – the ruling likely saved cash-strapped Illinois money by upholding a lower court’s dismissal of a public labor union’s lawsuit – the Governor canceled 2% raises, worth $75 million, for state unionized workers in July – the union sued the state over the loss of the raises, but lost the case in court.

(NEWTON)  Illinois lawmakers are considering a plan to increase the minimum wage and then let it rise automatically in the future – while the State Senate’s Executive Committee approved the plan Wednesday, many say the plan needs more work before it becomes law – the current minimum wage in Illinois is $8.25 an hour – the proposal would raise that by about 50 cents a year until it would top out at $10.55 an hour.

(OLNEY)  The East Richland School Board met last night – the Board  :  took time to honor the long-time commitment & dedication of Harry Hillis, who has served as the Board’s Secretary for the past 52 years, since 1960  :  noted that the State of Illinois still owes the District at least $850,000 in back payments  :  reviewed a comparison of the projected tax rate & the actual tax rate for 2011 – with local EAV’s down, the tax rates will likely stay fairly even with the previous year  :  approved a CNA agreement with Richland Memorial Hospital  :  approved changes to the 2012-2013 Student Handbook, as recommended  :  and took personnel action after a 97-minute closed session – accepted the retirement of Louie Gassmann, but not until the 2016-2017 school year – accepted the resignation of Jody Aldrich at the end of this school year – and approved a list of volunteer coaches  :  the Board’s next regular monthly meeting will be June 21st.

(NEWTON)  Application forms for those who have jobs for the 2012 Jasper County Honey Do Work Week must be returned by June 1st, two weeks from today – those forms are available at all area banks, the Jasper County Health Department, Senior Citizens Center, ERBA Office, & most all local churches – the 2012 Work Week has been set for July 9th thru 13th – it’s a local effort to minister to individuals & families of Jasper County by providing workers & supplies to make repairs & improvements to the homes of residents who are senior citizens, disabled, or low income – volunteers are also needed to make it all work out – for more information or if any questions, call Quincy at 618-783-3335 or Debbie at 618-783-8534.

(OLNEY)  A House Joint Resolution was approved in committee yesterday morning that encourages state & federal officials to provide funding for the Route 50 Expansion Project from Vincennes to the Salem area – this follows several years of work by the local coalition created in 2006 to support the expansion effort – while a feasibility study by IDOT was completed & approved in 2008, the funding of a $5 million Phase I study was secured in 2009 – the State Department of Transportation signed on with a $3.6 million contract in July of last year, with the remaining $1.4 million designated for design engineering of the corridor.

(NEWTON)  Lake Land College is the safest college campus in Illinois and fourth safest campus in the U.S. – this according to information released by the website, www.StateUniversity.com – Lake Land officials say it’s no surprise since the Coles County campus, just south of Mattoon, has it’s own Police Department with a staff of 13 certified officers, employed either full-time or part-time, patrolling the campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week – to learn more about Lake Land College security, logon at www.lakeland.cc.il.us/bs/ps.

(OLNEY)  The City of Olney Water Department will be switching back to the normal disinfectant next week – the change was made nearly two weeks ago to coincide with the bi-annual hydrant flushing process – and now the Water Department will switch back to the combined chlorine disinfectant – the changeover will be made next Wednesday, May 23rd, and things should be back to normal by the end of next week.

REMINDERS  :
    It’s the annual Richland County Walk & Roll event in the Olney City Park coming up tomorrow, from 12 noon to 12 midnight with all the proceeds to benefit the fight against cancer – there will be plenty of special activities, a survivor’s walk, a luminary ceremony, & much more – all are invited to attend

    Richland County HomeFront will host a “ribeye sandwich” fundraising sale tomorrow from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Rural King Supply Store – all proceeds to send care packages to our Richland County troops

    The White Squirrel Saddle Club has a fundraising cookout tomorrow from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Olney IGA, serving up pork burgers, brats, & more – proceeds go towards club projects and more

 
    Richland Memorial Hospital has it’s annual Cholesterol / PSA Screening Clinic today & tomorrow, each morning from 6:30 to 10:30 – slight fees are involved with registration at the Main RMH Entrance

    It’s a fundraising “Purse Auction” coming up tonight at Parklanes in Newton, starting at 6:30 – sponsored by the Newton Junior Women’s Club, proceeds will go to benefit PUSH – all are invited

    The Newton Firefighters will host a fundraising pork burger sale today with serving from 11:00 to 1:00 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton – all proceeds to help with equipment and training

(OLNEY)  As a high pressure ridge over the upper Midwest keeps us dry now thru Sunday, a southerly wind flow will bring in some warmer air & humidity for the next few days – a cold front out west will bring us our next chance of rain by Monday, maybe as early as Sunday night – stay tuned for weather updates.

(NEWTON)  Childcare providers in Illinois may get paid after all – while Governor Quinn previously said the state could no longer afford to pay for the program, at least not for the rest of this fiscal year, lawmakers yesterday voted to shift about $73 million within the state’s budget to cover the costs – if further approved, that means 33,000 child care providers can keep their doors open – the bill now moves to the State Senate.

(OLNEY)  An alarming number of HIV and AIDS cases are being reported in Southern Illinois – doctors with the Center for Medical Arts in Carbondale say over the past nine months they’ve seen more than 24 cases, compared to under five such cases in previous years – health experts are concerned that those 24 cases could have infected another 80-plus people – the State Health Department is becoming involved.

(NEWTON)  Missouri’s plan for the busy Poplar Street Bridge are raising hackles on our side of the river – those plans include revamping the eastbound lanes of the bridge, meaning no more Interstate 70 access into Illinois from Missouri – Metro East officials say the move would lengthen commutes and hurt business on the Illinois side – however, both sides have now agreed to hire an independent engineer to find a solution.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees met earlier this week – the Board  :  reviewed the latest Student Satisfaction Survey, showing that 98% of those taking part indicated they were satisfied with the overall quality of instruction, plus 93% of those surveyed believe they were treated with respect as an individual  :  approved an updated District Site & Master Construction Plan  :  approved changes to the Nursing Student Handbook made by the nursing faculty  :  accepted retirements, effective July 1st – Pamela Schwartz as Associate Dean, Institutional Development at the District Office – Charlotte Bruce, Director of the Learning Resource Center at OCC – and Diane Russell, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid in Workforce Education  :  the next regular meeting for the IECC Board will be June 19th.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Health Department is accepting dead birds to be tested for West Nile virus activity as a Vector Surveillance grant for 2012 has been received from the State Department of Public Health – all perching birds such as the crow, bluejay, grackle, starling, sparrows, finches, robins, cardinals, flycatchers, swallows, catbirds, mockingbirds, warblers, & wrens are accepted for testing now thru October 15th – if an “eligible bird” is found with no obvious cause of death, call the Department’s environmental division at 618-783-5206 – birds should be believed dead less than 48 hours with no signs of decomposing.

(OLNEY)  The Olney Fire Department was called out twice this past Tuesday afternoon  :  at 12:15 to a two vehicle accident scene along Route 130 north of Olney – the firemen stood by to help cleanup the scene on the highway – only minor injuries involved – the firemen were on the scene for a little over an hour  :  then at 3:59 to a field fire just north of the Bucktail Lane / Appleton Road intersection south of Olney where an acre of corn stalks burnt – there was no damage – the firemen were on the scene less than a half hour.

(NEWTON)  A Greenup man is dead after being hit by a CSX freight train this past Tuesday morning – Cumberland County authorities say 56 year old Edson Graves was walking on the CSX railroad tracks near Greenup at around 8:00 that morning, when he was struck by the eastbound train – Graves was pronounced dead at the scene – meanwhile, a toxicology report is pending thru Cumberland County authorities.

(OLNEY)  The investigation continues into a traffic accident this past Tuesday afternoon at 12:18, which occurred along Illinois Route 1, south of Mt. Carmel, in Wabash County – State Police report a northbound dump truck, driven by 63 year old Howard Ritchie of Bone Gap, had two tires separate from a rear axle – one of which struck head-on a southbound semi-truck, driven by 36 year old Jeremy Hoskins of Carmi – that truck then hit a northbound SUV driven by 52 year old Thomas Miller of Mt. Carmel – there were no serious injuries – Ritchie was ticketed for driving with broken wheel fasteners – the Keensburg Firefighters responded to the scene to help cleanup crude oil which spilled from the semi-truck after it overturned. 

(OLNEY)  The City of Olney Water Department will be switching back to the normal disinfectant next week – the change was made nearly two weeks ago to coincide with the bi-annual hydrant flushing process – and now the Water Department will switch back to the combined chlorine disinfectant – the changeover will be made next Wednesday, May 23rd, and things should be back to normal by the end of next week.

(OLNEY)  The City of Olney is starting its mosquito spraying program tonight, continuing every Thursday night at 9:00 in the Olney City Park – the residential area fogging will begin next week and continue every Monday & Wednesday night at 9:00 – while the city applies larvaecide to standing water to treat mosquito eggs, the spraying fog will fight adult mosquitoes – homeowners are also asked to help by getting rid of anything that holds standing water and to keep ditches clear for easy draining – all help is appreciated.

(OLNEY)  With very low blood supplies in the Midwest, all eligible and/or first-time donors are strongly urged to get out & give the “gift of life” at any of the area drives coming up – today from 12:00 noon to 4:00 at the Lake Land Rehabilitation Center in Effingham – then next Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00, at The Holiday in Olney – remember, all types of blood are very much needed to replenish supplies.

REMINDERS  :
    It’s the annual Richland County Walk & Roll event in the Olney City Park coming up this Saturday, from 12 noon to 12 midnight with all the proceeds to benefit the fight against cancer – there will be plenty of special activities, a survivor’s walk, a luminary ceremony, & much more – all are invited to attend

    Richland Memorial Hospital has it’s annual Cholesterol / PSA Screening Clinic tomorrow & Saturday, each morning from 6:30 to 10:30 – slight fees are involved with registration at the Main RMH Entrance

    Richland County HomeFront will host a “ribeye sandwich” fundraising sale this Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Rural King Supply Store – all proceeds to send care packages to our Richland County troops

    It’s a fundraising “Purse Auction” coming up tomorrow night at Parklanes in Newton, starting at 6:30 – sponsored by the Newton Junior Women’s Club, proceeds will go to benefit PUSH – all are invited

    The Newton Firefighters will host a fundraising pork burger sale tomorrow with serving from 11:00 to 1:00 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton – all proceeds to help with equipment and training

 
    The East Richland School Board will have its regular monthly meeting tonight in the Administration Office Board Room in Olney, starting at 7:30 – as always, the meeting is open to the public

(OLNEY)  A weak cold front will push south across Illinois today – with some showers developing to our south, we’ll likely to stay dry & a little cooler thru tonight – the humidity levels will build tomorrow thru the weekend ahead, giving us some dry & warm conditions – maybe rain by Tuesday – listen for updates.

(NEWTON)  Illinois gamblers will have quite a few Internet options if Senate President John Cullerton has his way – Cullerton wants to create a “Division of Online Gambling” within the state’s lottery system – the idea is to establish Illinois as a premiere online gambling hotspot and draw people from around the world – Cullerton & other lawmakers say it could boost the state’s treasury by hundreds of millions of dollars.

(OLNEY)  Lawmakers are looking for ways to notify people who may have had contact with prison inmates infected with an STD or HIV – a bill has been passed requiring the Illinois Department of Public Health and Corrections to work up a plan to notify past inmate partners, but only to inform them of the possibility of infection – the idea is to help stop the spread of the STD’s and give those uninformed a chance to be tested.

(NEWTON)  Not a single Illinois city is among the top “Most Well-Read” cities in the nation – Alexandria, Virginia tops the list, released every year by Amazon.com – meanwhile, St Louis is in the top 20, coming in at number 18 – the ranking is determined by compiling sales data of all book, magazine, & newspaper sales in both print and Kindle form since June 1st, 2011, based on cities with more than 100,000 residents.

(OLNEY)  The City of Olney is starting its mosquito spraying program while asking for the assistance of homeowners in this year’s fight against the annoying insect – with city crews to begin spraying in the Olney City Park tomorrow night at 9:00, continuing each Thursday night, the mosquito spraying will start in other areas of the city next week, that’s twice a week, each Monday night & Wednesday night, at 9:00 – while the city applies larvaecide to standing water to treat mosquito eggs, the spraying fog will fight adult mosquitoes – homeowners are asked to get rid of anything that holds standing water and to keep ditches clear for easy draining – mosquitoes not only are annoying, but can transmit the West Nile Virus to humans and animals – the City of Olney appreciates the cooperation and assistance in this local fight against mosquitoes.

(NEWTON)  The Newton City Council met last night – the Council  :  agreed to increase City Department Head wages by 40 cents per hour, retroactive to May 1st  :  agreed to increase the Electric Consultant’s wages by 35 cents per hour, also dating back to May 1st  :  accepted the retirement resignation of Electric Department employee Alan Hollis, presenting him with a plaque & monetary gift in appreciation for his 33 years of service to the City of Newton  :  agreed to advertise for applications for a full-time opening in the city’s Electric Department  :  agreed to hire Josh Ochs for the full-time position in the Street Department  :  on a 6 to 2 vote, adopted a resolution regarding the Phase III ITEP application for the Eagle Trails  :  on a 7 to 1 vote, agreed to reimburse the owner up to $2,500 for dumpster rental at 300 Wilson Street  :  accepted the $143,758 electric bid from J. F. Electric for the Woods Addition work  :  accepted the $29,664 bid from Henkels & McCoy for the installation of capacitors & fuses within the city  :  and after a 45-minute closed session, agreed to start advertising the Powers Building for sale  :  Council’s next meeting will be June 5th.

(NOBLE)  The Noble Village Board met this past Monday night – the Board  :  accepted the $15,700 bid from Schrey System’s for 2,100 square feet of concrete for sidewalk repair & replacement  :  accepted the Wayne Wakefield bid of $2,940 to cut, trim, cleanup, & grind tree stumps at various sites within the Village  :  accepted the bid of $3,000 from Kevin Pipher to purchase village property on Ida Street  :  discussed an estimate from Charleston Engineering for sidewalk & storm sewer work, but agreed to seek bids for the project  :  noted the Village’s Farmer’s Market is held every Thursday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 in the Village Park  :  noted that approximately 52 tons of rock for the Cemetery has been delivered with an additional 15 to 16 tons expected  :  and noted that Village Hall will be closed May 28th  :  Board’s next meeting is May 29th.

(OLNEY)  With very low blood supplies in the Midwest, all eligible and/or first-time donors are strongly urged to get out & give the “gift of life” at any of the area drives coming up – today from 2:00 to 6:00 at the Toledo Christian Church – tomorrow from 12:00 noon to 4:00 at the Lake Land Rehabilitation Center in Effingham – next Wednesday, a week from today, from 3:00 to 6:00, at The Holiday in Olney – remember, all types of blood are very much needed – in fact, one pint of donated blood could save one to three people.

(NEWTON)  Plans continue to be made for the 2012 Jasper County Relay For Life – scheduled for a Saturday night, August 10th, the annual fundraiser will run from 6:00 that evening thru 6:00 the following morning, all on The Square, in downtown Newton – those interested in taking part are encouraged to make plans now, whether a cancer survivor, a family member, or simply a volunteer, all help will be appreciated – for more information or details, logon at www.relayforlife.org/jasperil – teams can signup online at anytime.

REMINDERS  :
    Registration for the 2012 summer reading program at the Olney Public Library begins next Monday, May 21st – the theme this year is “Reading Is So Delicious” – the program is free to one and all

 
    The Heritage House on Kitchell Avenue and the Carnegie Museum on Main Street are both open Sunday afternoon from 1:30 to 4:00 – tours are available for one and all, with all ages welcome to check them out

    It’s the annual Richland County Walk & Roll event in the Olney City Park coming up this Saturday, from 12 noon to 12 midnight with all the proceeds to benefit the fight against cancer – there will be plenty of special activities, a survivor’s walk, a luminary ceremony, & much more – all are invited to attend

    Richland Memorial Hospital has it’s annual Cholesterol / PSA Screening Clinic this Friday & Saturday, each morning from 6:30 to 10:30 – slight fees are involved with registration at the Main RMH Entrance

    Richland County HomeFront will host a “ribeye sandwich” fundraising sale this Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Rural King Supply Store – all proceeds to send care packages to our Richland County troops

    It’s a fundraising “Purse Auction” coming up this Friday night at Parklanes in Newton, starting at 6:30 – sponsored by the Newton Junior Women’s Club, proceeds will go to benefit PUSH – all are invited

    The Newton Firefighters will host a fundraising pork burger sale this Friday with serving from 11:00 to 1:00 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton – all proceeds to help with equipment and training

 
    The East Richland School Board will have its regular monthly meeting tomorrow night in the Administration Office Board Room in Olney, starting at 7:30 – as always, the meeting is open to the public

(OLNEY)  Our dry & mild conditions continue today with a high pressure ridge overhead, however a weak cold front could bring us some widely scattered showers, maybe a storm, late tonight thru tomorrow – then it’s more dry conditions & more humidity building in for a dry weekend coming up – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  Governor Pat Quinn says civil unions are working very well in Illinois and now he’s putting his support behind gay marriage – three of Illinois’ openly gay lawmakers sponsored a bill proposing gay marriage earlier this year, but would not move forward on it because of what they call more pressing issues – Governor Quinn’s public support on the issue comes after President Obama announced his support on the matter last week in Washington – Illinois is currently the only state in the Midwest that allows civil unions.

(OLNEY)  The government is launching an ambitious plan to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease – the focus is on a prevention study of high-risk patients, and tests on an insulin nasal spray that has produced encouraging results in earlier studies – the new trials are part of a sweeping national plan to find an effective way to prevent or treat the disease by 2025, plus provide better care for those already inflicted.

(NEWTON)  The State DNR & others, are sponsoring a special weekend for downstate youth & women – a “wingshooting clinic” on Saturday & Sunday will provide a chance to learn the safe & proper way to shoot a shotgun, plus the fundamentals of hitting a moving target – it’s all at the World Shooting & Recreational Complex, near Sparta, with reservations required by tomorrow – for details, logon at www.dnr.state.il.us.

(OLNEY)  The Olney City Council met last night – the Council  :  approved a 2% retirement increase for non-bargaining unit IMRF employees  :  also in personnel, designated Mike Mitchell as the City’s Acting City Manager  :  on a 4 to 1 vote, adopted the Richland County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan  :  approved the annexation of property at 424 North Van Street  :  approved the Main Street water line project, running from Elliott to Ohio, with close to half that project being paid for with a $300,000 grant  :  approved a Class S (special use) Liquor License for The Gypsy to hold a one day/night event on June 9th  :  agreed to submit plans to use OSLAD grant funds for new playground equipment in the Olney City Park  :  agreed to install six new disabled parking spaces at the Musgrove Park Ball Diamond Complex  :  agreed to apply for grand funds to install a new sidewalk along Route 130, from Parker Street to the Wal-Mart SuperCenter with an estimated cost at around $600,000  :   agreed to extend the hours of operations by two extra hours on certain evenings at the Musgrove Aquatic Center  :  accepted the bid from Schrey Systems for miscellaneous concrete  :  took no action on prohibiting pets or smoking at the Musgrove Park Ball Diamond Complex  :  noted that street light switch-over is nearly complete along a portion of Main Street & Whittle Avenue  :  and noted the city’s communications building along Ludlow Street is up and running  :  the Council's next regular meeting will be May 29th.

(NEWTON)  The USDA reports that last week’s weather patterns returned to more normal conditions than in previous weeks – statewide precipitation averaged 0.67 inches, that’s a third of an inch below average & statewide temperatures were near average, at 62 degrees – as of Sunday, 95% of the state’s corn crop has been planted, with a big jump in soybean planting, up to 44% – plus a portion of the state’s winter wheat crop is turning yellow and maturing  :  here in our ten county area, farmers also report 95% of the local corn and 52% of the local soybeans are planted – with both topsoil & subsoil moisture levels mostly adequate, area farmers are still looking at a winter wheat crop that’s mostly in good to excellent condition.

(NEWTON)  The investigation into the weekend death of an Effingham man continues – authorities report 39 year old Steve Arnold was found unresponsive by a family member late Saturday night – he was then pronounced dead nearly an hour later – it appears alcohol intoxication is believed to be a contributing factor in the death with an autopsy and other lab results pending thru the Effingham County Coroner’s Office.

(OLNEY)  With very low blood supplies in the Midwest, all eligible and/or first-time donors are strongly urged to get out & give the “gift of life” at any of the area drives coming up – tomorrow from 2:00 to 6:00 at the Toledo Christian Church – today from 1:00 to 6:00 at the KC Hall in Teutopolis – also todayfrom 3:00 to 7:00 at the Altamont Christian Church – remember, all types of blood are very much needed.

(NEWTON)  Young girls in Jasper County are encouraged to “Dance with the Queens” at a special Dance Camp coming up tomorrow from 3:45 to 5:00, at the Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building in Newton – girls in grades K thru 5 will learn dance routines with Jasper County Fair Queen Shelby Huschle and the 2012 Jasper County Fair Queen contestants – the cost is $20 per girl – call Lisa at 618-843-6379.

(OLNEY)  Today is Peace Officer’s Memorial Day, a noted day to pay honor to nationwide police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty – while all U.S. Postal facilities are required to fly all flags at half-staff, everything returns to normal tomorrow – other government buildings are taking part as well.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Farm Bureau is sponsoring a trip to Starved Rock on June 19th & 20th – the trip includes a tour of the Weber House & Garden, an evening cruise on the Belle of the Rock paddle boat, a trolley ride to LaSalle & back, a canal boat ride pulled by a mule, & more – transportation by Bales with a cost of $240 per person for double occupancy – however, today, this May 15th, is the reservation due date, with payment due by June 1st – call the Jasper County Farm Bureau office in Newton at 783-2733.

REMINDERS  :
    It’s the annual Richland County Walk & Roll event in the Olney City Park coming up this Saturday, from 12 noon to 12 midnight with all the proceeds to benefit the fight against cancer – there will be plenty of special activities, a survivor’s walk, a luminary ceremony, & much more – all are invited to attend

    Richland Memorial Hospital will host it’s annual Cholesterol and Prostate Specific Screening Clinic on Friday & Saturday, from 6:30 to 10:30 each morning – call RMH now for details or to register

    It’s a fundraising “Purse Auction” coming up this Friday night at Parklanes in Newton, starting at 6:30 – sponsored by the Newton Junior Women’s Club, proceeds will go to benefit PUSH – all are invited

 
    Richland County HomeFront will host a “ribeye sandwich” fundraising sale this Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Rural King Supply Store – all proceeds to send care packages to our Richland County troops

    There’s two meetings tonight  :  the Newton City Council meets at 6:00 at the Newton City Hall  :  the IECC Board of Trustees meet at 7:00 at Wabash Valley College in Mt Carmel  :  both are open to the public

(OLNEY)  Our quiet Midwestern weather will continue today with a high pressure ridge overhead - a mostly clear & sky will prevail with a warmup in store this week – an upper level disturbance could give an isolated storm on Wednesday, but otherwise dry and seasonable – stay tuned for continued weather updates.

(NEWTON)  Governor Pat Quinn yesterday unveiled the new Carolyn Adams “Ticket For the Cure” lottery scratch-off ticket in Chicago – the ticket has raised more than $8.5 million since it was first launched back in 2006 with all proceeds to help fund vital community outreach, education, & research in the fight against breast cancer – the $3 tickets have a top prize of $40,000 – for more, logon at www.illinoislottery.com.

(OLNEY)  Tuition is going up at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville – beginning this fall, new students will pay about $375 more than a year ago – fees for student housing, medical insurance, athletics, facilities maintenance, and other activities & recreation will also go up next academic year – it’s estimated this increase will give the SIU campus in Edwardsville an additional $3 million a year in revenue.

(NEWTON)  While everyone has filed their tax returns for last year, tax officials are urging everyone to hold onto that paperwork – the IRS says anyone could be selected for a random audit and that’s when all those receipts, bills, cancelled checks, & other records will be needed – in fact, the IRS says folks should keep their tax records for at least three years – for details, call toll-free at 800-TAX-FORM (829-3676).

(OLNEY)  In his Week In Review Report, State Senator John O. Jones says the State Senate considered several contentious bills last week, including a measure to reduce the healthcare subsidy for retired state employees – also, the State’s Auditor General issued another critical audit of the State’s College Illinois! pre-paid tuition program, plus a recent survey of the nation’s top executives highlights the need to address Illinois’ fiscal woes – it’s back to more business this week as lawmakers return to the State Capitol.

(NEWTON)  In his Week in Review Report from Springfield, State Representative David Reis says it was continued debate on a wide array of issues – while State child care funding may be restored to the budget framework, House Republicans continue the effort to extend lives of Illinois’ enterprise zones – plus many State institution jobs remain under threat with the various cuts that Governor Quinn wants to implement at several downstate facilities – the House unanimously voted to reappoint Bill Holland for a third 10-year term as Illinois Auditor General – look for more debate and possible action coming up this week as well.

(OLNEY)  A Richland County man is dead after a Sunday afternoon traffic accident involving two motorcycles occurred at around 5:00 yesterday afternoon – the Illinois State Police report 54 year old Kevin Sager of Parkersburg was pronounced dead at Richland Memorial Hospital – the other biker, 47 year old Russell Tomblinson of Olney was not injured – State Police say the two men were riding their motorcycles south on Route 130, about 4 miles south of Newton, with Sager riding directly in front of Tomblinson, when both pulled out to pass a slower vehicle – when pulling back into the southbound lane, the bikes collided, causing Sager to lose control with his motorcycle sliding across the northbound lane – authorities report that neither rider was wearing a helmet – the investigation continues by the Illinois State Police.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Health Department is now accepting dead birds to be tested for West Nile virus activity as a Vector Surveillance grant for 2012 has been received from the State Department of Public Health – all perching birds such as the crow, bluejay, grackle, starling, sparrows, finches, robins, cardinals, flycatchers, swallows, catbirds, mockingbirds, warblers, & wrens are accepted for testing now thru October 15th – if an “eligible bird” is found with no obvious cause of death, call the Department’s environmental division at 618-783-5206 – birds should be believed dead less than 48 hours with no signs of decomposing.

(OLNEY)  Congratulations to all those receiving degrees and certificates from the IECC schools with the respective commencement ceremonies held Friday night at Olney Central, Wabash Valley, Lincoln Trail, and Frontier Community  :  also, a tip of the hat to the 2012 Classes at East Richland & West Richland High Schools in both Olney and Noble as they walked across the stage yesterday afternoon and last Friday night.

(NEWTON)  Tickets are now on sale for the Illinois State Fair’s grandstand lineup, which includes three of the nine nights featuring country music – Eric Church & Aaron Lewis open up on August 10th, followed by Brantley Gilbert & the Charlie Daniels Band on August 14th, then Miranda Lambert & the Pistol Annies on August 18th – other popular performers include Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, Creed, & others – grandstand tickets sales began Saturday – for more, check the State Fair’s website online, at www.illinoisstatefair.info.

(OLNEY)  With very low blood supplies in the Midwest, all eligible and/or first-time donors are strongly urged to get out & give the “gift of life” at any of the area drives coming up – this Wednesday from 2:00 to 6:00 at the Toledo Christian Church – tomorrow from 1:00 to 6:00 at the KC Hall in Teutopolis – also tomorrow from 3:00 to 7:00 at the Altamont Christian Church – or this afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 at the Noble First Christian Church – all types of blood needed – the gift could save someone you love.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Farm Bureau is sponsoring a trip to Starved Rock on June 19th & 20th – the trip includes a tour of the Weber House & Garden, an evening cruise on the Belle of the Rock paddle boat, a trolley ride to LaSalle & back, a canal boat ride pulled by a mule, & more – transportation by Bales with a cost of $240 per person for double occupancy – however, tomorrow, May 15th, is the reservation due date, with payment due by June 1st – call the Jasper County Farm Bureau office in Newton at 783-2733.

REMINDERS  :
    It’s the annual Richland County Walk & Roll event in the Olney City Park coming up this Saturday, from 12 noon to 12 midnight with all the proceeds to benefit the fight against cancer – there will be plenty of special activities, a survivor’s walk, a luminaria ceremony, & much more – all are invited to attend

    Richland County HomeFront will host a “ribeye sandwich” fundraising sale this Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Rural King Supply Store – all proceeds to send care packages to our Richland County troops

    There’s still time to signup for this Thursday’s “social media seminar” at The Holiday in Olney, from 10:00 to 1:00 – the $15 ticket per person includes lunch – call or email the Olney Chamber of Commerce

    There’s a couple of municipal meetings on tap tonight  :  the Noble Village Board meets at 7:00 at Village Hall in Noble  :  the Olney City Council meets at 7:30 at City Hall in Olney  :  both open to public

    And it’s the new sounds of Freedom 92.9 today with a better sound of hot country music throughout the day & night – plus less clutter, starting today it’s the latest in news, sports, & weather at 7:00, 10:00, and 12 noon, along with news briefs at 3:00 and 5:00 – there’s no more 8am news, sports, & weather starting today