(OLNEY)  The threat of scattered showers and thunderstorms will come to an end by late tonight as the storm system currently over the Midwest moves off to the east – a high pressure ridge will give us a little less humid air and dry conditions tomorrow thru the end of the work week and maybe right on thru the upcoming weekend as well – although more humid air will return by the weekend – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  With only one severe thunderstorm warning issued last evening, a cluster of thunderstorms dropped a lot of rain quickly and caused some damage in a matter of minutes on Monday afternoon – area rainfall amounts ranged from a couple of tenths to over 2 inches in isolated spots – wind damage included tree limbs and some buildings, plus a few power outages have been reported as well – no injuries have been reported – as the storm activity ends today, look for our first heat wave & summer to arrive later this week.

(OLNEY)  The Governor yesterday signed the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act into law – while the new law enacts the nation’s strongest environmental protections for oilfield “fracking”, it also has the potential to create thousands of jobs – taking effect immediately, the bill makes Illinois the first state in the nation in which hydraulic fracturing operators will be required to submit pre- and post-fracturing chemical disclosures, plus various requirements apply – it’s estimated that over $250 million has already been spent on land leases in a ten county area along and just north of  I-64, from I-57 east to the Indiana state line.

(NEWTON)  Another bill sitting on the Governor’s desk would give authorities the right to suspend someone’s driver’s license if they are busted for being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol while boating – a first-time offender who refuses to take a sobriety test could lost their license for a year and those who take the test and fail it could lose their license for six months – the Governor must act by July 30th.

 
(OLNEY)  Attorney General Lisa Madigan is asking the court for yet another month to decide whether to appeal a ruling on concealed carry – as it stands right now, she has to make the decision by June 24th, next Monday – however, Governor Quinn has until July 9th to take action on a bill that’s already been approved by the General Assembly – many believe Madigan wants to know Quinn’s decision before making hers.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County School Board met last night in Newton – the Board  :  accepted the bid for commercial insurance coverage for the District from Selective Insurance / Hartford Insurance / Gerber Life in the amount of $219,038  :  approved the Bring Your Own Technology policy, dealing with responsible use & conduct  :  approved an agreement with Richland Memorial Hospital for Athletic Training Services  :  approved the job description for a School Nurse Assistant  :  approved the contract with the Jasper County Health Department for Counseling Services  :  adopted the Prevailing Wage resolution  :  approved the District’s Technology Lease Purchase agreement  :  heard an update on the track resurfacing and other summer projects  :  and in personnel matters – recognized the retirement of P.E. Teacher Cindy Goeble – recognized the resignation of summer worker Zack Lucy – hired Jill Kistner and Josh Benefiel as P.E. Teachers – hired Jill Kistner as High School Head Volleyball Coach – hired Josh Benefiel as Junior High Head Baseball Coach and 8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach – hired Alex Frohning as a summer worker – extended the contract for the School Media Specialist to 200 days – extended the contract for the School Nurse to 190 days  :  the Jasper County School Board has its next regular monthly meeting on July 15th.

(OLNEY)  Another Southern Illinois State’s Attorney has joined the list of counterparts saying they will not enforce Illinois’ current ban on carrying a concealed firearm – White County’s Denton Aud made it clear that he will not prosecute anyone carrying a gun, however gun owners must comply with several conditions, including possession of a valid FOID card and carrying a gun for self-defense – Aud is the fourth State’s Attorney in Illinois to declare no prosecution for concealed carry, joining others in Madison, Randolph, and Tazewell Counties  :  meanwhile, the Illinois State Police say they must continue to enforce the state’s ban on using concealed carry firearms because they must enforce the current Unlawful Use of Weapons statute which continues to stand until the Governor signs into law the concealed carry bill currently on his desk.

(NEWTON)  With corn planting in Illinois nearing completion, many farmers were able to focus on soybean planting last week – as of Sunday, 99% of the state’s corn and now 90% of the state’s soybeans have been planted – the USDA Crop Report shows that last week’s average temperature was 72.8 degrees, that’s 1 degree above normal – the statewide precipitation last week averaged just under a full inch of rain, which is right in line with normal  :  locally, farmers in the ten county area report 99% of the corn and 85% of the beans have been planted – the regional wheat crop is mostly looking good with harvest underway in some spots and expected to hit full gear by this time next week, if not sooner – both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remain mostly adequate to surplus – farmers are reminded to be safe out there this week.

(OLNEY)  Here’s some chapter awards presented at last week’s 85th annual FFA State Convention  :
*  the Olney FFA Chapter was the Section 23 winners for Heritage – Oblong won in Section 20
*  Olney was the Section 23 winner for Cooperative Activities – Oblong won in Section 20
*  Noble, Cisne, Edwards County, & Grayville were Section 23 Century Challenge Award winners
*  Oblong, Teutopolis, & Beecher City were Section 20 Century Challenge Award winners
*  the Olney FFA Chapter was the Section 23 Sweepstakes Award winner
*  Cisne and Cumberland were Section 23 and 20 Student Development chapters
*  Red Hill and Mattoon were Section 23 and 20 Banker's Plaque chapters
*  Red Hill and Mattoon were Section 23 and 20 Chapter Development winners
*  Cisne and Mattoon were Section 23 and 20 Community Development winners
we’ll take a look at some downstate individual awards coming up later this week.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees meet tonight with its regular monthly meeting at Lincoln Trail College, northeast of Robinson – starting at 7:00, the meeting is open to the public and will include various reports and considerations, plus an executive session as well.

REMINDERS  :   
    All Jasper County teenagers are invited to Eagles Landing this and every Saturday night from 6:00 to 10:00 at the Grace United Methodist Church – it’s for teens, ages 13 to 18, with pizza, games, and more

    The Olney Public Library will host a Scholastic Book Fair this week, starting at 12 noon each day, today thru Friday – plus, this Thursday morning at 10:00, Troy Roark will present a Wet & Wild Water Show in the Library parking lot with all ages invited – check it all out this week at the Olney Public Library

    The East Orchard Christian Academy is registering Preschool thru 8th Grade students this week for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year – that’s today thru Friday – for more, call the School Office at 392-0300

 
    The Jasper County Health Department will host an immunization clinic today from 10:00 to 6:15 – for an appointment or for more information, call the department offices at 618-783-4154 – also, the department’s “children first class” will be tomorrow afternoon from 1:00 to 5:00 – call today for details and information

    The Big Four Road, southeast of Clay City, is now re-opened to normal traffic – county highway officials say the work was completed yesterday about two-and-a-half miles south of U.S. Route 50

 
    In Richland County, the section of Pleasant Ridge Lane, between Prairieton Road and Lawrence Road remains closed to all thru traffic – the bridge replacement project should be completed by the end of this month – motorists must observe all barricades and signs until this project is finished up

(OLNEY)  An upper level disturbance, followed by a weak cold front, will bring us rain chances today thru tomorrow – then a weak high pressure ridge should keep us dry for a couple of days thru the end of the work week – maybe more storms and rain this coming weekend – stay tuned for continued weather updates.

 (NEWTON)  Illinois’ top three political leaders met again last Friday to discuss the state’s $97 billion pension crisis – while Governor Quinn wanted the Legislative leaders to form a conference committee to forge a compromise plan, the three leaders left Chicago saying they’ll first try again to pass House Speaker Madigan’s bill in the State Senate, a measure that fell 20 votes short of passage earlier this year – Senate President Cullerton and Madigan are in a stalemate over the pension issue, each with his own pension bill.

 
(OLNEY)  Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride has announced the Illinois Supreme Court has approved a proposal designed to lessen the legal costs in civil cases for clients of limited means – the proposal deals with a concept known as “limited scope representation” and allows attorneys to provide paid legal services on a portion of the client’s legal matter, rather than seeing it thru from the beginning to end – the Supreme Court Rules Committee, which has also given its approval, found widespread support for the concept.

 
(NEWTON)  Governor Pat Quinn announced a new campaign over the weekend encouraging statewide residents to buy vegetables and fruits that are produced in Illinois – the new “Where Fresh Is” campaign is aimed at promoting the purchase of Illinois-grown food, providing grocery stores and farmers markets with stickers to place on locally grown products so consumers can easily identify them – specific items will be featured each month – state officials note that more than 90% of the food consumed in Illinois is imported.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois Fallen Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall is coming to Olney this weekend – the one day event is scheduled for this coming Sunday, June 23rd, to be located in the downtown area, between the Olney VFW and the Richland County Courthouse – the Wall will be escorted to Olney by Illinois’ Patriot Guard during mid-morning with a special ceremony to be held at 1:00 – the Olney Memorial Post #4226 will host a fundraising lunch from 11:00 to 2:00 Sunday with all proceeds going to the Traveling Memorial Wall display, which will be available viewing until late Sunday afternoon – all are invited out to view the Memorial and to support it with a donation – for more details, go online at www.ilpgmemorialwall.com.

(NEWTON)  The annual Jasper County Fair is fast approaching – with the entry day for exhibits held this past Saturday, the Fair officially begins this Saturday, on June 22nd, with the various exhibits to be judged that day – the first of four days of Harness Racing will be this Sunday afternoon at 1:00, with more Harness Racing the following three days, next Monday thru Wednesday – the yearly activities will again include Gospel Music this Sunday night, the Golden Afternoon on Monday, a week from today, the Queen Pageant Monday night, Family Night and the Talent Show on Tuesday night, a Rodeo Performance Wednesday night, the 4-H Livestock Auction on Thursday evening, with two nights of tractor and truck pulling on Thursday & Friday, and the Demo Derby to wrap things up on Saturday night, June 29th – the Carnival will run next Tuesday thru Saturday, and there will be two $50 drawings each evening, plus plenty of concessions and more – the Jasper County Fair starts this coming Saturday on the Fairgrounds in Newton.

(OLNEY)  In last week’s USDA June Crop Production Report, the Illinois wheat yield for the 2013 crop is estimated to average 64 bushels per acre, based on the June 1st surveys – that’s up one bushel per acre from the May 1st forecast and up one bushel from last year – total production would be 51.2 million bushels, an increase of 26% from the 2012 production of 40.6 million bushels – farmers expect to harvest 800,000 acres for grain this year, that’s 155,000 acres more than a year ago – with nearly all the wheat now turning yellow, about 90% of the wheat has filled out around the state – harvest is expected to begin this week.

(OLNEY)  The East Richland School District will conduct a pre-school screening on Tuesday, July 9th, from 9:00 to 2:30, at the Elementary School in Olney – the free screenings are for children ages three thru five years of age and serve as a check-up of a child’s skills – appointments are required and it’s only for children who reside in the East Richland School District – for an appointment, call ERES at 392-3143.

(NEWTON)  Area sportsmen and sportswomen are reminded that resident deer hunters can apply now for the second lottery drawing for 2013 Illinois Firearm Deer and Muzzleloader-only Deer permits – this year’s deadline to apply is June 30th, by the end of next week  :  also resident hunters can apply online for permits for the Illinois Fall Shotgun Turkey season – the first lottery application deadline for this season is July 1st, two weeks from today  :  for more on these and other topics, go online at www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County School Board will have its regular monthly meeting for June tonight in the Administrative Office board meeting room, starting at 7:00 – with several items on the consent agenda, the Administrative reports and Superintendent’s report will be followed by a closed session to discuss personnel and negotiations – a few coaching positions could be filled – tonight’s meeting is open to the public.

REMINDERS  :   
    All Jasper County teenagers are invited to Eagles Landing this and every Saturday night from 6:00 to 10:00 at the Grace United Methodist Church – it’s for teens, ages 13 to 18, with pizza, games, and more

    The Olney Public Library will host a Scholastic Book Fair this week, starting at 12 noon each day, tomorrow thru Friday – plus, this Thursday morning at 10:00, Troy Roark will present a Wet & Wild Water Show in the Library parking lot with all ages invited – check it all out this week at the Olney Public Library

    The East Orchard Christian Academy is registering Preschool thru 8th Grade students this week for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year – that’s today thru Friday – for more, call the School Office at 392-0300

 
    The Jasper County Health Department will host an immunization clinic tomorrow from 10:00 to 6:15 – for an appointment or for more information, call the department offices today at 618-783-4154 – also, the department’s “children first class” will be Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 to 5:00 – call today for details

    A couple of area blood drives are today  :  at the Olney Fire Department this afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00  :  also today at the Effingham Elks Club from 2:30 to 6:30  :  all eligible donors are urged to get out and give blood with all blood types very much needed – thanks to those who donated yesterday in Ste. Marie

    The Big Four Road, southeast of Clay City, is still closed to all thru traffic due to construction work about two-and-a-half miles south of U.S. Route 50 – alternate routes are needed thru this week

    In Richland County, the section of Pleasant Ridge Lane, between Prairieton Road and Lawrence Road remains closed to all thru traffic – the bridge replacement project should be completed by the end of this month – motorists must observe all barricades and signs until this project is finished up

(OLNEY)  A series of upper level disturbances are expected for the Midwest this weekend with a better chance of rain as each one passes thru our region – first this morning, then later this evening, thru the day tomorrow, and then on Monday – it appears to be the rest of the work week, next week – listen for updates.

(NEWTON)  In state news today – the Illinois Department on Aging is encouraging the public to report any suspected cases of elder abuse – with today being noted as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, nationwide statistics show a large number of cases go unreported, therefore today’s observance attempts to shine a light on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders – in Illinois last year, there were nearly 12,000 reported cases – to find out more on what to look for, check the Department on Aging’s website at www.state.il.us/aging – to report an elder abuse case, call the IDA’s 24-hour hotline, at 1-866-800-1409.

(OLNEY)  Officials with the Illinois State Police have issued an advisory that they will continue to enforce the state’s current ban on concealed firearms until a bill is signed into law allowing concealed carry – the advisory comes following several moves now by a couple of downstate counties advising their residents they could start carrying weapons immediately – however, the State Police say they will continue to arrest anyone who violates Illinois’ Unlawful Use of Weapons Statute – a bill approved by the General Assembly to allow concealed carry in Illinois is currently sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting his decision to either sign it or veto it – a recent court decision extended his time to consider the bill until a July 9th deadline.

(OLNEY)  It was officially announced this week that Hibbett Sporting Goods, Inc., will be opening a new store in Olney, the 24th such Hibbett’s Store in Illinois – with another new store opening this summer in Effingham, other downstate stores are located in Mattoon, Charleston, Harrisburg, Mt. Vernon, & Centralia – based in Birmingham, Alabama, Hibbetts will open the Olney store just north of the Rural King Supply in the Richland County Mall – Hibbett Sports store will offer a large selection of quality branded athletic equipment, footwear, and apparel, with a long history of focusing on the needs of local teams & leagues, with a variety of services available – Brandi Stennet, Richland County Development Corporation Executive Director, says the RCDC is excited to welcome Hibbett Sporting Goods to Olney and Richland County, and appreciates the efforts of the Kroenke Group for working to make this business opportunity possible.

(NEWTON)  The annual Jasper County Fair is fast approaching – the entry day is today from 11:00 this morning until 7:00 tonight – then the Fair officially begins a week from today, on June 22nd, with the various exhibits to be judged that day – the first of four days of Harness Racing will be Sunday afternoon, June 23rd, at 1:00, with more Harness Racing the following three days, Monday thru Wednesday – the yearly activities will again include Gospel Music that Sunday night, the Golden Afternoon on Monday, the Queen Pageant Monday night, Family Night and the Talent Show on Tuesday night, a Rodeo Performance Wednesday night, the 4-H Livestock Auction on Thursday evening, with two nights of tractor and truck pulling on Thursday & Friday, and the Demo Derby to wrap things up on Saturday night, June 29th – the Carnival will run Tuesday thru Saturday, and there will be two $50 drawings each evening, plus plenty of concessions and more – the Jasper County Fair starts a week from today on the Fairgrounds in Newton.

(OLNEY)  The East Richland School District will conduct a pre-school screening on Tuesday, July 9th, from 9:00 to 2:30, at the Elementary School in Olney – the free screenings are for children ages three thru five years of age and serve as a check-up of a child’s skills – appointments are required and it’s only for children who reside in the East Richland School District – for an appointment, call ERES at 392-3143.

 
REMINDERS  :   
    The East Orchard Christian Academy will be registering Preschool thru 8th Grade students next week for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year – that’s next Monday thru Friday, June 17th thru the 21st – for more information or to schedule an appointment, call the School Office at 392-0300 – again, that’s next week

    A couple of area blood drives are coming up  :  Monday afternoon at the Olney Fire Department from 2:00 to 6:00  :  tomorrow morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12 noon  :  as always, all blood types are very much needed – all eligible donors are urged to get out and give blood

    All Jasper County teenagers are invited to Eagles Landing this and every Saturday night from 6:00 to 10:00 at the Grace United Methodist Church – it’s for teens, ages 13 to 18, with pizza, games, and more

    In loving memory of Maggie, a free “Safe 2 Sleep” training will be held today from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Scott Avenue Christian Church in Newton – it’s for parents, child care providers, & all community members – the informative class helps keep infants safe from sleep-related deaths – all are invited

 
    A fundraising cookout & bake sale is today from 11:00 to 3:00 in the Red Rooster parking lot with pork burgers, cheddar brats, polish sausage, hot dogs, cole slaw, & all kinds of homemade baked items – all proceeds to benefit the Rooster’s Manager Kim Carpenter, to help with expenses of going to Mayo Clinic

    The Claremont Community Center will host a fundraising cookout today at the Olney IGA with serving to start at 10:00 this morning – they’ll also have a bake sale – all proceeds to community services

 
    The ERFAE Duck Race is this morning at the Musgrove Aquatic Center, starting at 10:00 – get those tickets at any area bank – a chance to win the top prize of $2,500 in cash, plus monetary awards in all of the heat races as well – all proceeds to help the students & faculty in the East Richland Schools

    The Big Four Road, southeast of Clay City, is currently closed to all thru traffic due to construction work about two-and-a-half miles south of U.S. Route 50 – alternate routes are needed for at least another week

    In Richland County, the section of Pleasant Ridge Lane, between Prairieton Road and Lawrence Road remains closed to all thru traffic – the bridge replacement project should be completed by the end of this month – motorists must observe all barricades and signs until this project is finished up

(OLNEY)  A high pressure ridge will slowly move off to our northeast today, but still giving us dry  quiet weather conditions – a southerly wind flow will warm us up a bit this weekend, plus an approaching storm system will give us rain chances by tomorrow afternoon, although the better chance of rain, maybe storms, is Sunday thru Monday – then dry conditions next Tuesday thru Friday – stay tuned for weather updates.

(NEWTON)  Fifteen more counties have been approved for federal aid after being overtaken by historic flooding this spring – the approval means businesses and homeowners can get reimbursed for up to 75% of their flood related expenses – even people with flood insurance are encouraged to apply for the aid because it may pick up the costs not covered – the regional counties on the new list includes Shelby and Lawrence.

(OLNEY)  Some state officials are calling on cell phone manufacturers to add a “kill switch” to their smart phones – this would shut the phone down if it’s reported stolen, making it completely impossible for anyone to reactivate the phone other than the owner – smart phones are becoming the biggest target of thieves.

(NEWTON)  Professional women in Illinois still make less than men – on average, about $11,500 less – but a plan in Springfield could help close the gap – it’s called the Paycheck Fairness Act and sponsors of the bill believe it will add to the 50 year old Equal Pay Act which has made significant strides over the years, but needs help in making things more balanced – the bill will be considered this fall in the State Capitol.

(OLNEY)  The Richland County Board met last night – the Board  :  agreed to revive the Public Building Commission in non-binding action – the Commission will now deal with various improvements needed at the Richland County Courthouse  :  approved the annual audit as presented by CPA Dennis Kapper  :  accepted the resignation of Deputy Scott McPeak, who’s leaving Richland County for a federal law enforcement job – the Board thanked Deputy McPeak & his family for the past five years of service to Richland County  :  approved the Prevailing Wage resolution on a 4 to 2 vote  :  approved the New Wave Communication Franchise agreement as presented  :  approved culvert petitions for both Olney and Bonpas Townships  :  heard an update on the county’s bridge replacement work currently taking place  :  noted the Animal Control is now using one of the former squad SUV’s from the Sheriff’s Department  :  approved the monthly bills for May in the amount of $95,000  :  noted the good work by the RCDC and others in successfully bringing Hibbett Sports to Olney  :  and took no other action after an executive session to discuss negotiations and personnel  :  the Board’s next regular monthly meeting will be July 11th.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Board met last night – the Board  :  on an 8 to 2 vote, agreed to invest in a CEO Class, which would help to create business opportunities in Jasper County – a three year investment at $1,000 per year  :  approved the preliminary engineering agreement and the use of MFT funds for the bridge work in Crooked Creek Township  :  noted work is progressing on the Hunt City East bridge project  :  also noted the county’s oil sealing on specific roads will begin in a week or so  :  and heard various other reports from different County Board Committees  :  the Board’s next regular monthly meeting will be July 11th.

 
(NOBLE)  The 85th annual Illinois FFA State Convention ended yesterday with members from all over the state attending, including those from Noble, Newton, Olney, and others from our area  :  congratulations to all the area FFA members that received their 2013 State FFA Degrees – from Olney, Audrey Burgener, Cierra Hargraves, Kelsie Ochs, Alexis Rothrock, and Rachel Shan – from Noble, Alex Tolliver and Beau VanBlaricum – from Newton, Jorie Bollman and Aaron Jensen (Aaron also noted for Star Agricultural Placement) – from Cumberland, Jaylynn Maxey – there were a total of 30 State FFA Degrees issued to members from Section 23  :  there is six American Degree candidates with one from Olney, Jalyn Ridgely  :  there were several other awards presented for chapters and individuals, we’ll look at those next week.

(OLNEY)  Officials with the Illinois State Police have issued an advisory that they will continue to enforce the state’s current ban on concealed firearms until a bill is signed into law allowing concealed carry – the advisory comes following several moves now by a couple of downstate counties advising their residents they could start carrying weapons immediately – however, the State Police say they will continue to arrest anyone who violates Illinois’ Unlawful Use of Weapons Statute – a bill approved by the General Assembly to allow concealed carry in Illinois is currently sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting his decision to either sign it or veto it – a recent court decision extended his time to consider the bill until a July 9th deadline.

(NEWTON)  This is National Flag Day 2013 – a day set aside to specifically celebrate The Stars & Stripes of the United States – the idea of such a day is believed to have first originated 128 years ago in the year 1885 – a Wisconsin school teacher arranged for his students to celebrate the then 108th anniversary of the official adoption of the Star Spangled Banner – inspired then by three decades of state & local celebrations, Flag Day was officially established by President Wilson in 1916, but it wasn’t until 1949, 33 years later, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

(OLNEY)  The State is still alerting homeowners to protect themselves from “contract scams” this summer, especially as some recover from severe weather damage – a 2011 law protects homeowners from contractors that prey on individuals following natural disasters, especially as unlicensed contractors target elderly homeowners – in fact, all roofing contractors must be licensed with the state and are listed on the state’s website, at www.IDFPR.com – it’s recommended that folks use local contractors with references.

REMINDERS  :   
    The East Orchard Christian Academy will be registering Preschool thru 8th Grade students next week for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year – that’s next Monday thru Friday, June 17th thru the 21st – for more information or to schedule an appointment, call the School Office at 392-0300 – again, that’s next week

    A couple of area blood drives are coming up  :  this Sunday morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12 noon  :  this afternoon at the Flora Church of the Nazarene from 12 noon to 4:00  :  as always, all blood types are very much needed – all eligible donors are urged to get out and give

    All Jasper County teenagers are invited to Eagles Landing this and every Saturday night from 6:00 to 10:00 at the Grace United Methodist Church – it’s for teens, ages 13 to 18, with pizza, games, and more

    In loving memory of Maggie, a free “Safe 2 Sleep” training will be held tomorrow from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Scott Avenue Christian Church in Newton – it’s for parents, child care providers, & all community members – the informative class helps keep infants safe from sleep-related deaths – all are invited

 
    A fundraising cookout & bake sale is tomorrow from 11:00 to 3:00 in the Red Rooster parking lot with pork burgers, cheddar brats, polish sausage, hot dogs, cole slaw, & all kinds of homemade baked items – all proceeds to benefit the Rooster’s Manager Kim Carpenter, to help with expenses of going to Mayo Clinic

    The Claremont Community Center will host a fundraising cookout tomorrow at the Olney IGA with serving to start at 10:00 that morning – they’ll also have a bake sale – all proceeds to community services

 
    The ERFAE Duck Race is tomorrow morning at the Musgrove Aquatic Center, starting at 10:00 – get those tickets at any area bank – a chance to win the top prize of $2,500 in cash, plus monetary awards in all of the heat races as well – all proceeds to help the students & faculty in the East Richland Schools

(OLNEY)  A high pressure ridge will build into the Midwest today with dry and a little less humid air moving in from the northwest – we’ll stay dry until our next storm system moves thru Sunday & Monday, maybe as early as Saturday night – so far, it appears most of next week will remain dry – listen for updates.

(NEWTON)  House Speaker Michael Madigan is making it clear he does not want to deal with the pension crisis – in fact, he completely gutted the Senate bill yesterday and rewrote it using the exact same language as his own bill, which already was approved in the State House, but failed to pass the Senate – it’s pretty much a slap in the face of Governor Pat Quinn & Senate President John Cullerton, who planned to combine bills and call it for a vote in next Wednesday’s “special session” of the General Assembly – Madigan says combining the bills is too complicated, adding that the State Senate should simply pass his bill next week.

(OLNEY)  Some are trying to make it more appealing for Illinois students to stay in the state for college – a group of GOP Representatives have introduced the College Affordability Plan, which would give families a $1,000 tax credit if their child or children attends a public university in Illinois – they also want to create a new 529 savings plan as well – it’s all in hopes of helping families deal with the rising cost of college.

(NEWTON)  Political candidates are turning to technology to get their messages across – two of the three candidates running for Governor have announced their campaigns thru online videos – it may seem a bit impersonal, but political scientists believe it gives the candidates a bit more control of the initial message & the image they want to get across, even though the candidates will eventually have to face the crowds.

(OLNEY)  It’s been announced officially that Hibbett Sporting Goods, Incorporated, will be opening a new store in Olney – based in Birmingham, Alabama, Hibbetts will open the store in the Richland County Mall this summer, to be located just north of the Rural King Supply location – the Olney Store will be the 23rd location for Hibbetts in Illinois, with other downstate sites in Mattoon, Charleston, Harrisburg, Mt. Vernon, and Centralia – the closest Indiana store is in Vincennes – plus, another new store is to be opened later this year in Effingham, as well – Hibbett Sports stores offer a large selection of quality branded athletic equipment, footwear, and apparel, with a long history of focusing on the needs of local teams & leagues, with a variety of services available – Brandi Stennet, Richland County Development Corporation Executive Director, says the RCDC is excited to welcome Hibbett Sporting Goods to the Olney community and appreciates the efforts of the Kroenke Group for working to make this opportunity possible.

(NOBLE)  The 85th annual Illinois FFA State Convention continues thru tomorrow in Springfield, with various members attending from Noble, Newton, Olney, and others from throughout the downstate area  :  congratulations to the West Richland Novice Parliamentary Procedure Team from Noble, as they won the State FFA competition yesterday – the team members include Matthew Runyon, Holly Stallard, Ben Baker, Sydney O’Dell, Brock VanBlaricum, and Cody Reynolds  :  also recognized were the top Illinois Chapter Presidents – among the seven receiving the Gold Award was Kelsie Ochs of Olney and among the nine receiving the Bronze Award was Hayden Kinkade of Noble  :  the state’s top Section Presidents were also noted – including Section 23 President Morgan Doggett of Fairfield and Section 21 President Bradley Braddock of Patoka  :  congrats to one and all for their hard work and honors received by the State FFA  : coming up tomorrow, we’ll look at area FFA members that received their State FFA Degrees this week.

(NEWTON)  The annual Jasper County Fair is fast approaching – although the official entry day is this coming Saturday, June 15th, with the various departments involved from 11:00 until 7:00 that day, the Fair won’t begin until a week from Saturday, on June 22nd, with the various exhibits to be judged that day – the first of four days of Harness Racing will be Sunday afternoon, June 23rd, at 1:00, with more the following three days, Monday thru Wednesday – the yearly activities will again include Gospel Music that Sunday night, the Golden Afternoon on Monday, the Queen Pageant Monday night, Family Night and the Talent Show on Tuesday night, a Rodeo Performance Wednesday night, the 4-H Livestock Auction on Thursday evening with two nights of tractor & truck pulling on Thursday & Friday, and the Demo Derby to wrap things up on Saturday night, June 29th – the Carnival will run Tuesday thru Saturday, and there will be two $50 drawings each night, plus plenty of concessions & more – the Jasper County Fair, nearly a week away.

(NEWTON)  The investigation continues into the death of a Mattoon woman earlier this week – the Illinois State Police report 47 year old Kelly Leonetti was a passenger in a pickup truck when it struck a farm implement at just before 10:00 Tuesday night while traveling on Illinois Route 121, just north of the Neoga Road intersection – the tractor, driven by 40 year old Matthew Peters of Neoga, was awaiting on-coming traffic to turn, when the pickup truck, driven by 48 year old Byron Scales of Mattoon, rear-ended the farm implement – Leonetti was pronounced dead at the scene while Scales was life-lighted to Carle Hospital in Urbana – the State Police ticketed Scales for DUI and for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

(OLNEY)  The East Richland School District will conduct a pre-school screening on Tuesday, July 9th, from 9:00 to 2:30, at the Elementary School in Olney – the free screenings are for children ages three thru five years of age and serve as a check-up of a child’s skills – appointments are required and it’s only for children who reside in the East Richland School District – for an appointment, call ERES at 392-3143.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Board will have its regular monthly meeting tonight in Newton, starting at 7:30, in the County Office Building – tonight’s agenda includes the normal committee reports, plus several items under “new business” to be considered and discussed as well – the meeting is open to the public.

(OLNEY)  The Richland County Board will have its regular monthly meeting tonight in Olney, starting at 7:00, in the County Jail meeting room – tonight’s agenda includes the normal office holder reports, plus the Board’s Finance Committee will meet at 6:00, prior to the regular meeting – it’s all open to the public.

REMINDERS  :   
    A couple of area blood drives are coming up  :  this Sunday morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12 noon  :  tomorrow afternoon at the Flora Church of the Nazarene from 12 noon to 4:00  :  as always, all blood types are very much needed – all eligible donors are urged to get out and give

    All Jasper County teenagers are invited to Eagles Landing this and every Saturday night from 6:00 to 10:00 at the Grace United Methodist Church – it’s for teens, ages 13 to 18, with pizza, games, and more

    In loving memory of Maggie, a free “Safe 2 Sleep” training will be held this Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Scott Avenue Christian Church in Newton – it’s for parents, child care providers, & all community members – the informative class helps keep infants safe from sleep-related deaths – all are invited

 
    A fundraising cookout & bake sale is Saturday from 11:00 to 3:00 in the Red Rooster parking lot with pork burgers, cheddar brats, polish sausage, hot dogs, cole slaw, & all kinds of homemade baked items – all proceeds to benefit the Rooster’s Manager Kim Carpenter, to help with expenses of going to Mayo Clinic

    The Claremont Community Center will host a fundraising cookout this Saturday at the Olney IGA with serving to start at 10:00 that morning – they’ll also have a bake sale – all proceeds to community services

 
    The ERFAE Duck Race is this Saturday morning at the Musgrove Aquatic Center, starting at 10:00 – get those tickets at any area bank – all proceeds to help the students & faculty in the East Richland Schools

    The Richland County Fair Queen contestants will be “waitressing for tips” this evening at Hovey’s Restaurant in downtown Olney – that’s from 5:30 until 8:00 – all to help with pageant expenses