(OLNEY)  As a strong storm system slowly moves over the Midwest, strong to severe thunderstorms will continue to be a threat to our region – plus, we’ll stay warm until the eventual cold front pushes thru by the end of the work week – we’ll look for maybe another dry weekend coming up – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  During this 2013 storm season, authorities are reminding all residents to be prepared for the possibility of severe weather conditions – while those in area communities should be alert to outdoor warning sirens, those in the rural areas must pay special attention to their NOAA weather alert radios – plus, folks can monitor two websites to be better prepared – go online at www.readyillinois.gov or check the National Weather Service site at www.weather.gov.Lincoln – severe weather is possible thru Wednesday.

(OLNEY)  Illinois lottery winners expect to cash in on their winnings without trouble, but that’s not always the case – in fact, at least eight winners got a big surprise earlier this month when their lottery checks bounced – Lottery officials say a worker forgot to approve the winnings, so the banks didn’t release the cash – the winners were eventually paid in full and the Lottery covered any bank fees due to the bounced checks.

(NEWTON)  Children in Illinois may soon have to start school sooner than normal – as of now, children are not required at Kindergarten until they 7 years old, however a bill in Springfield would require parents to enroll their children in school if they turn 6 by September 1st – opponents say parents should decide when to start their children to school – the bill has already cleared the State Senate, now heading to the House.

(OLNEY)  A big “thank you” goes out to everyone who helped make this past weekend’s “Relay For Life” in Richland County another huge success – from all the sponsors to team members, from all the survivors to all who gave a donation, whether large or small, a tip of the hat to one and all that helped out – the grand total amount collected as of Saturday’s overnight closing ceremonies was $62,122.72 – the event included 16 teams, 90 registered survivors, and over 400 luminaries – the top fundraiser for the event was Richland Memorial Hospital with $10,923 gathered in, followed by Friends of Mary with $8,694 and Suntone Beach with $5,363 – the First National Bank in Olney raised $4,242 with the Citizens National Bank close behind at $3,848 – then A.M. Transport at $3,635 and the Free Methodist Church at $3,530 – the individual Grand Club Award went to Carol Potter, who raised $1,686 – congratulations to one and all who helped out.

(NEWTON)  The Newton Aquatic Center has announced it will be opening for the season this coming Friday, May 24th, and will be offering half price admission to students that bring their report cards that day – plus, the Aquatic Center’s first “Midnight Swim” is set for a week from this Friday, on May 31st, from 9:30 to midnight, which is open for any high school student – the Aquatic Center’s hours are from 1:00 to 9:00 daily, or for more information, check the Center’s website online, at www.cityofnewtonil.com – again, the Newton Aquatic Center opens up this Friday, the 24th – for further details, call the pool at 783-8080.

(OLNEY)  The Richland County Treasurer’s Office mailed out the last of real estate and mobile home tax bills last Wednesday – if property owners in Richland County go not receive their bills by the end of May, they can call the Treasurer’s Office at 392-8341 or stop by for a duplicate tax bill – the first installment of Richland County’s real estate taxes is due on July 5th with the second installment due on September 5th – the mobile home privilege tax is due in one payment on July 31st – penalities apply if payments are late – if questions, call or stop by the Treasurer’s Office at the Richland County Courthouse in downtown Olney.

(OLNEY/NEWTON)  Congratulations to the area Classes of 2013 with local graduations held this past weekend – at East Richland High School yesterday afternoon and at Newton Community High School this past Saturday night – there’s one ceremony remaining, and that’s the promotion of the East Richland Middle School 8th Graders, tonight at 7:00, in the ERHS Sliva Auditorium – congratulations to one and all.

(NEWTON)  Mark your calendar for StrawberryFest on the Square in Newton, coming up in less than two weeks, May 31st thru June 2nd – all kinds of entertainment, concessions, activities, and much more – plus, Miss D’s 5K Run & Walk will be June 1st – register by today, this May 20th, for a race T-shirt – for more check out the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce or City of Newton websites available online.

(OLNEY)  Make plans to view the Rolling Thunder “Flame of Freedom”, coming to Olney tomorrow, May 21st – while the Flame is a symbol, it lights the way home for our brothers and sisters in arms – “here to tell everyone the soldier stands with Pride and Honor to keep us free – we keep this light burning to show the way home – the Flame does not cast a shadow, for its sole purpose is to send the message of hope and to let everyone know we will never forget” – folks will meet at the Olney VFW at 9:30 tomorrow morning with plans to leave at 10:00 to escort the Freedom Riders from Salem with an arrival time back in Olney between 1:00 and 2:00 tomorrow afternoon – a “meet & greet” will be held at 5:00 at the Olney VFW with a “Flame of Freedom” and “Missing Man Table” ceremony at 6:00 and supper at 6:30 – then observe the 150th Anniversary of the Unknown Soldier Memorial at dusk – all are invited out to the Olney VFW tomorrow.

(NEWTON)  There’s a couple of school board meetings on tap tonight  :  the Jasper County School Board will have its next regular monthly meeting tonight in the Administrative Board Room in Newton, starting at 7:00  :  the West Richland School Board will have its regular monthly meeting tonight at the High School in Noble, starting at 7:00  :  as always, both of tonight’s meeting are open to the public at both locations.

REMINDERS  :
    The Friends of Downtown is hosting a “community yard sale” this Saturday from 9:00 until 2:00 at the downtown intersection of Whittle Avenue and Main Street – to reserve a $25 space, call the Olney and Greater Richland County Chamber of Commerce office at 392-2241 – make plans to attend Saturday

    A Richland County Fair Queen Pageant informational meeting will be held this coming Thursday night, starting at 6:30, at The Holiday – it’s open to any Richland County girl, 16 to 21 years of age

    The City of Olney will begin its regular mosquito control program tonight – all areas of Olney will be sprayed twice per week on Mondays & Wednesdays beginning at 8:30 each night – residents can help out by reducing the amount of standing water in and around their property to help reduce mosquito breeding

    The next Noble Community Chowder meeting is tonight at the Lions Club Building in Noble, starting at 6:30 – all those volunteers willing to help out are encouraged to attend tonight’s meeting

    The next area blood drive is today, from 12 noon until 4:00 this afternoon at Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney – as always, all blood types are needed to help replenish the low Midwestern supplies

    The RMH Auxiliary has an Arbonne Fundraiser going on today from 8:00 until 4:00 – that’s in the private dining room at Richland Memorial Hospital – all proceeds to Auxiliary projects at RMH

    A reminder that our area Shriners have those delicious Vidalia Onions now on sale at $10 for a 10 pound bag, located at Rural King Supply in Olney – also, the Shrine Circus is coming to Olney on June 5th

(OLNEY)  That persistent frontal boundary will keep a slight threat of very spotty showers and storms in our forecast thru today, although most areas of downstate Illinois will stay dry now thru tomorrow night – that boundary is also keeping the warm air around with more humidity building in thru tomorrow – our next significant chance of rain & storms will now be next Monday thru Tuesday – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  In state news today – Governor Pat Quinn is seeking federal aid for flood victims – yesterday, he asked the federal government to add 16 counties to a recent disaster declaration that covered 11 original counties hit hardest by historic flooding over the past month – the declarations will help businesses and people apply for grants and loans to be used to assist with storm and flood related losses and damage.

 
(OLNEY)  The Illinois State Police is again joining the State Department of Transportation and over 500 local law enforcement agencies across the state in kicking off another “Click It or Ticket” campaign with the goal to save more lives on Illinois highways – this portion of the program will focus on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend – during last year’s holiday weekend, there were six fatalities and almost 600 injuries on statewide roadways – three of those deaths were alcohol-related – the “Click It or Ticket” extra patrols will run now thru the first week of June – for more details, logon at www.buckleupillinois.org.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois Department of Transportation is alerting area motorists that the yearly maintenance striping operations will begin on state highways next week – those traveling throughout IDOT’s Region 4 / District 7 are reminded that the pavement striping equipment moves at a speed of around 15 miles-per-hour when applying the paint – with over 2,000 miles of pavement in the district, the centerline, edge line, and no passing zones should be painted by the end of October – IDOT’s Region 4 / District 7 includes the counties of Richland, Jasper, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham, Clay, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, and Lawrence.

(OLNEY/NEWTON)  It’s graduation and promotion time for area students – here’s the list of area events  :
*  for the East Richland Middle School 8th Graders Monday night at 7:00 in the ERHS Sliva Auditorium
*  for the East Richland High School Class of 2013 Sunday afternoon at 3:00 in the ERHS Sliva Auditorium
*  for the Newton Community High School Class of 2013 tonight at 7:00 in the NCHS Gymnasium

(NEWTON)  Mark your calendar for StrawberryFest on the Square in Newton, coming up in two weeks, May 31st thru June 2nd – all kinds of entertainment, concessions, activities, and much more – plus, Miss D’s 5K Run & Walk will be June 1st – register by next Monday, May 20th, for a race T-shirt – for more check out the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce or City of Newton websites available online.

REMINDERS  :
    The City of Olney will begin its regular mosquito control program next Monday – all areas of Olney will be sprayed twice per week on Mondays & Wednesdays beginning at 8:30 each night – residents can help out by reducing the amount of standing water in and around their property to help reduce mosquito breeding

    The next Noble Community Chowder meeting will be held next Monday night at the Lions Club Building in Noble, starting at 6:30 – all those volunteers willing to help out are encouraged to attend Monday night

    The next area blood drive will be next Monday afternoon at Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, from 12 noon until 4:00 – as always, all blood types are needed to help replenish the low Midwestern supplies

    Tomorrow is Fall Kids Mall “Sudsy Sunday” collection day as area churches will be accepting soap, shampoo, & toothpaste to help the children of Richland County – for more, contact your local church

    The Richland County “Relay For Life” is today from 12 noon to midnight in the Olney City Park – entertainment, refreshments, and special events included – go online at www.relayforlife.org/richlandil.com

    All are invited to the 1st annual All Day Paintball event today at Maybar Paintball, located east of Wendelin – running from 10:00 to 4:00, it’s open for players age 10 and older – also, plenty of concessions

 
    All are invited out to the annual PSA/Cholesterol Screening, available this morning from 6:30 to 10:30 at Richland Memorial Hospital, at the Main Entrance – there is a charge for both screenings provided

 
    And a reminder that our area Shriners have those delicious Vidalia Onions now on sale at $10 for a 10 pound bag, located at Rural King Supply in Olney – also, the Shrine Circus is coming to Olney June 5th

(OLNEY)  The stationary front over the Midwest will slowly lift northward today as a warm front – so while our scattered shower & thunderstorm chances continue on-and-off thru today and the weekend, it also means the warm conditions will hang around as well – with a dry period Saturday night thru Sunday, there’s more rain and storm chances again in the forecast next Monday thru Wednesday – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  A new gun bill has cleared a Senate committee, but opponents argue it’s one of the most restrictive options on the table – the proposal gives local police the power to reject a person’s application – plus, it allows home-rule communities to add to the list of places where guns would be “off limits” – many believe the bill won’t stand in court because it doesn’t give everyone the right to carry in public.

 
(OLNEY)  State officials are urging people not to give their personal information out over the phone – the warning comes after more than 100 people in downstate Illinois were scammed last weekend – the victims received automated phone calls supposedly from their banks, asking them to enter their 16-digit debit card number – the banks say they already have the information on file and would not ask for it over the phone.

(NEWTON)  Income-tax collections in Illinois see an increase of more than 30% in April – the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting said the state’s haul last month from income taxes topped $3.1 billion – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said the money will be used to pay down the state’s largest debt.

(OLNEY)  The East Richland School Board met last night – the Board  :  heard a comparison report of the projected tax rate & the actual tax rate for 2012  :  noted the State still owes the District $362,666  :  heard an update on the East Richland & West Richland District’s discussions  :  heard from students & sponsors of the ERHS Construction Club about their recent trip to New Orleans, working with Habitat for Humanity  :  approved the $14,774 bid from U.S. Environmental Solutions for asbestos removal at ERHS  :  agreed to apply for $50,000 of grant money to be matched for school maintenance work  :  approved changes in the school’s student handbooks for next school year  :  and in personnel – approved the resignation of Matt Music as ERHS Girls Freshmen Basketball Coach – from 1st Grade Teacher Melissa Runyon – from 6th Grade Language Arts Teacher Ashley Stafford – and from ERHS Social Sciences Teacher & Coach Greg Zmudzinski  :  recalled Samantha Phillipe from reduction in force as an Early Childhood Teacher at ERES  :  approved two leaves of absence  :  and hired all current coaches back for another year in their respective positions – one addition included the hiring of Jill Ginder as ERHS Girls Freshmen Basketball Coach  :  the East Richland School Board will have its next regular monthly meeting on Thursday, June 20th, at 7:30.

(NEWTON)  The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has announced that it will conduct a four week CRP general sign-up beginning next Monday, May 20th, and ending on June 14th – also, it was announced the restart of sign-up for continuous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative (SAFE), the Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HEL), the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative, and other related initiatives – the sign-up for continuous CRP began this past Monday, May 13th, and continues thru September 30th – for details on this sign-up period and other information, farmers should contact their respective County FSA Office.

(OLNEY)  The Olney City Council has a special meeting this afternoon at 5:00 with only one agenda item to be considered – that’s the possibility of purchasing a used snorkel truck for the Olney Fire Department – again, start time is at 5:00 today in Council Chambers at the Olney City Hall – it’s open to the public.

(NEWTON)  It’s graduation and promotion time for the Classes of 2013 – here’s the list of area events  :
*  for the East Richland Middle School 8th Graders Monday night at 7:00 in the ERHS Sliva Auditorium
*  for the East Richland High School Class of 2013 Sunday afternoon at 3:00 in the ERHS Sliva Auditorium
*  for the Newton Community High School Class of 2013 tomorrow (Saturday) night at 7:00 at NCHS
*  for the St. Thomas Catholic School 8th Graders tonight at 7:00 in Newton
*  for the West Richland Junior High School 8th Graders tonight at 7:00 in the WRHS Gymnasium

(OLNEY)  During this National Police Week 2013, we take this time to say “thank you” to all the area police officers that go above and beyond, doing their job without gratification – various events were held this past week in conjunction with the national observance – the 25th Annual Candlelight Vigil was Monday at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial – plus, the National Police Survivors’ Conference was held in Virginia – the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service was held this past Wednesday – we hope you’ll join us in recognizing all area police officers for all they do during this National Police Week 2013.

(NEWTON)  Mark your calendar for StrawberryFest on the Square in Newton, coming up two weeks from today, May 31st thru June 2nd – all kinds of entertainment, concessions, activities, and much more – plus, Miss D’s 5K Run & Walk will be June 1st – register by next Monday, May 20th, for a race T-shirt – for more check out the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce or City of Newton websites available online.

(OLNEY)  A peaceful protest march is planned for today from East Richland High School to the County Courthouse as ERHS seniors are protesting the CIPA application to ERHS students – the campaign is the launch of the Right to Know movement, known as R2K movement, which promotes internet responsibility among young people while simultaneously demanding less restriction on internet information for high school students – the students believe in all-access as no topics should be blocked by the ERHS filters.

(NEWTON)  Applications are still available today for the Future Miss Pageant, associated with this year’s Jasper County Fair in Newton – it’s for any Jasper County girl, ages 3 to 5 years old, with the first 15 applications accepted – those application forms are available at the Newton Press Mentor office during regular office hours – the young ladies will take part and be recognized during the 2013 Miss Jasper County Fair Queen Pageant at this year’s Jasper County Fair in Newton – stop by the office for more details.

REMINDERS  :
    The City of Olney will begin its regular mosquito control program next Monday – all areas of Olney will be sprayed twice per week on Mondays & Wednesdays beginning at 8:30 each night – residents can help out by reducing the amount of standing water in and around their property to help reduce mosquito breeding

    The next Noble Community Chowder meeting will be held next Monday night at the Lions Club Building in Noble, starting at 6:30 – all those volunteers willing to help out are encouraged to attend Monday night

    The next area blood drive will be next Monday afternoon at Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, from 12 noon until 4:00 – as always, all blood types are needed to help replenish the low Midwestern supplies

    This coming Sunday is Fall Kids Mall “Sudsy Sunday” collection day as area churches will be accepting soap, shampoo, & toothpaste to help the children of Richland County – for more, contact your local church

    The Richland County “Relay For Life” is tomorrow from 12 noon to midnight in the Olney City Park – entertainment, refreshments, and special events included – go online at www.relayforlife.org/richlandil.com

    All are invited to the 1st annual All Day Paintball event tomorrow at Maybar Paintball, located east of Wendelin – running from 10:00 to 4:00, it’s open for players age 10 and older – also, plenty of concessions

 
    All are invited out to the annual PSA/Cholesterol Screening, available this morning & tomorrow morning from 6:30 to 10:30 at Richland Memorial Hospital – that’s both days at the RMH Main Entrance

 
    The Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building in Newton will host a Jasper County “youth dance” tonight from 7:00 to 10:00 – it’s open to those ages 11 to 18 – free drinks and snacks provided – chaperones will be attending as well – it’s all sponsored by Southeastern Illinois Counseling Centers

    The Olney Taekwondo Center will host a “kick cancer” event tonight, starting at 7:00, with all donations going to the “Relay For Life” – that’s at 233 East Main Street in downtown Olney – the public’s invited

    The firefighters in Newton will have a fundraising “pork burger sale” today at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton, with serving from 10:00 to 1:00 – all are invited to stop by and help out

    And a reminder that our area Shriners have those delicious Vidalia Onions now on sale at $10 for a 10 pound bag, located at Rural King Supply in Olney – also, the Shrine Circus is coming to Olney June 5th

(OLNEY)  The frontal boundary hanging over the Midwest will remain nearly stationary today, resulting in scattered showers and thunderstorms for our area – but the front will begin to life northward as a warm front, keeping us warm for the next several days, but mostly dry – although there is a slight chance of those day or night, scattered showers & thunderstorms thru the weekend ahead – stay tuned for continued updates.

(NEWTON)  The State Senate has approved the Employment First Act, now moving it to the Governor’s desk – if signed, the new legislation will help disabled Illinois residents find better jobs – the bill requires state agencies helping the disabled find work to consider as a first option those positions that offer competitive pay – the Governor wants to double the rate of employment for the disabled by the year 2015.

 
(OLNEY)  Those in favor of high-volume oil & gas drilling say a bill to regulate the practice of “fracking” is ready for a vote after last-minute negotiations over hiring and environmental concerns – the House bill was introduced in February with strong support, but became stalled over an amendment requiring energy companies to hire Illinois-licensed water well drillers – instead, companies will get a break on severance or “extraction” taxes if more than half their workers are from Illinois and receive prevailing wages – over $250 million has already been spent for property leases in some ten downstate counties, mostly along I-64.

(OLNEY)  Illinois residents as young as 17 could vote, if a new measure is passed up in Springfield – the State Senate sent a bill to Governor Quinn that would allow 17 year olds to vote in state primaries, but only if they turn 18 by the November general election – the 17 year olds could vote in person or as an absentee.

(NEWTON)  It’s graduation time for the Class of 2013 at Newton Community High School as the annual ceremony will be Saturday night, starting at 7:00 – the various awards were presented to the outgoing seniors during a special awards event earlier this month – congratulations to all of the 2013 graduates from NCHS – meanwhile, the 8th grade promotion for the Jasper County Junior High students is tonight at 7:00 – the 8th grade promotion for students at the St. Thomas School is tomorrow night at 7:00 – congratulations.

(OLNEY)  It’s graduation time for the Class of 2013 at East Richland High School in Olney – the annual ceremony will begin at 3:00 this coming Sunday afternoon in the Sliva Auditorium – the Baccalaureate was held last night at ERHS – the Class of 2013 received their senior awards last week thru the donations of community organizations, various donors, local foundations, and the many different universities & colleges – by the way, the East Richland Middle School 8th grade promotion will be next Monday night at 7:00 – also congratulations to all the 8th graders that were promoted to ERHS from St. Joseph School last night.

(NOBLE)  We also take this time to say congratulations to all the graduates and the Class of 2013 at the West Richland High School in Noble who took part in their graduation ceremony last Friday night in the WRHS Gymnasium with family and friends – the Junior High 8th grade promotion is tomorrow night.

(NEWTON)  Applications are still available today for the Future Miss Pageant, associated with this year’s Jasper County Fair in Newton – it’s for any Jasper County girl, ages 3 to 5 years old, with the first 15 applications accepted – those application forms are available at the Newton Press Mentor office during regular office hours – the young ladies will take part and be recognized during the 2013 Miss Jasper County Fair Queen Pageant at this year’s Jasper County Fair in Newton – stop by the office for more details.

(OLNEY)  The public is encouraged to support this weekend’s Richland County Relay For Life, to be held this Saturday in the Olney City Park – starting at 12 noon, the event will run throughout the day and night, shutting down at 12 midnight – it will include all types of entertainment, refreshments, food, and much, much more – the Survivor’s Lap will be at 6:00 that evening, with the special Luminary Remembrance Service to start at 9:00 – and best of all, the proceeds go to that fight against cancer in hopes of finding a cure – to more last minute information or details, go online, at www.relayforlife.org/richlandil.com.

(NEWTON)  The Illinois State Police is again joining the State Department of Transportation and over 500 local law enforcement agencies across the state in kicking off another “Click It or Ticket” campaign with the goal to save more lives on Illinois highways – this portion of the program will focus on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend – during last year’s holiday weekend, there were six fatalities and almost 600 injuries on statewide roadways – three of those deaths were alcohol-related – the “Click It or Ticket” extra patrols will run now thru the first week of June – for more details, logon at www.buckleupillinois.org.

REMINDERS  :
    This coming Sunday is Fall Kids Mall “Sudsy Sunday” collection day as area churches will be accepting soap, shampoo, & toothpaste to help the children of Richland County – for more, contact your local church

    All are invited to the 1st annual All Day Paintball event this Saturday at Maybar Paintball, located east of Wendelin – running from 10:00 to 4:00, it’s open for players age 10 and older – also, plenty of concessions

 
    All are invited out to the annual PSA/Cholesterol Screening, available tomorrow and Saturday mornings from 6:30 to 10:30 at Richland Memorial Hospital – that’s both days at the RMH Main Entrance

 
    The Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building in Newton will host a Jasper County “youth dance” tomorrow night from 7:00 to 10:00 – it’s open to those ages 11 to 18 – free drinks and snacks provided – chaperones will be attending as well – sponsored by Southeastern Illinois Counseling Centers

    The Olney Taekwondo Center will host a “kick cancer” event tomorrow night, starting at 7:00, with all donations going to the “Relay For Life” and the local fight against cancer – the center will also be offering a new sign-up special Friday night – that’s at 233 East Main Street in downtown Olney – the public’s invited

    The firefighters in Newton will have a fundraising “pork burger sale” tomorrow at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton, with serving from 10:00 to 1:00 – all are invited to stop by and help out

    The Farmer’s Market will be set up this afternoon & evening in the Noble Village Park – that’s from 3:00 to 6:00 on this Thursday – stop by and check out the available produce and more

    The new Richland County “Family History” books have arrived at the Olney Public Library and may be picked up during regular Library hours – additional copies are also available for those that did not pre-order

(OLNEY)  The cold front slowly moving southward into the Midwest will start to bring us some clouds with a chance of scattered showers & thunderstorms this afternoon thru tomorrow – although the warm air will hang around thru the weekend, the chance of rain lingers thru Sunday – stay tuned for weather updates.

(NEWTON)  It could soon be easier for people to get a drunk driving charge on their record – the National Traffic Safety Board wants to lower the threshold for drinking & driving from .08 to .05, however Illinois officials say it’s too soon to say if they support the idea – the Secretary of State’s office says that drunk driving has dropped 22% since the state implemented the BAIID program back in 2009, which requires drunk drivers to install an ignition interlock device on their car and blow into it before the car will start.

(OLNEY)  A new study finds teenagers who text while driving may also be more likely to engage in other risky behaviors behind the wheel – researchers at the Centers for Disease Control surveyed more than 8,500 teens – almost half reported texting while driving within the past 30 days – these students were also more likely to drink & drive, ride with a driver who had been drinking, and fail to wear a seatbelt while driving.

(NEWTON)  Lawmakers in Springfield have acted quickly after a Chicago limo driver is facing charges after getting busted for DUI while taking a group of kids to Prom this past Saturday night – a new bill has been introduced that will strengthen DUI laws for hired drivers who operate vehicles like a school bus, limo, or taxi-cab – they could face up to three years in prison – a House vote could be taken yet this week.

(NOBLE)  The Noble Village Board met this week – the Board  :  approved the $8,020 bid from Hance Drywall & Paint to remodel the front office of the Noble Village Hall  :  noted a $1,036 donation to the Noble Cemetery Fund from the former members of the Noble United Methodist Church  :  agreed to retain Auditor Kapper & Company, Charleston Engineering, and Attorney Barry Bright for their respective services  :  noted that the local Boy Scouts donated an Eastern Redbud tree to the Village, planting it in the Noble Village Park  :  noted that the Village-wide “garage sale” will be held this Saturday, May 18th  :  agreed to review the village’s cemetery code book ordinance to what constitutes ground decorations  :  took no action but will review an ordinance amending the Village’s nuisance abatement procedures dealing with dangerous and unsafe buildings  :  reviewed the water tower inspection performed by Pittsburg Tank & Tower  :  and noted that due to Memorial Day, the Village Board’s next regular meeting will be May 28th.

(NEWTON)  A federal grand jury has charged seven area individuals with methamphetamine-related offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois – the list includes four from the Wheeler area : 47 year old Deborah Rogers, 37 year old Rachel Priest, 30 year old Daniel Pickens, and 28 year old Justin Pocrnich : others include 32 year old Kimberly Barker of Watson, 22 year old Joshua Rodgers of Hidalgo, and 20 year old Savannah Ellis of Newton – the 26 count indictment charges all of the defendants with conspiracy to manufacture meth and some other charges included – if convicted, the seven individuals face 10 years to life in prison, plus various fines – the investigation was a cooperative effort of the Illinois State Police, the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, Sheriff’s Offices in both Jasper & Effingham Counties, and the State’s Attorneys from Jasper & Effingham Counties – remember, all defendants in this case are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(OLNEY)  With the warmer weather conditions drying out area fields, all motorists are reminded to be alert to slow-moving farm equipment on regional highways and country roads – farmers in the ten county area have just been able to get into regional fields over the past couple of days and with them moving from one field to another, motorists should be on the lookout for those slow-moving emblems and flashing warning lights on tractors, sprayers, and other farm equipment – farmers are also reminded to make sure that all of those SMV emblems are clean and those flashing lights are working – let’s make it safe spring of 2013.

(NEWTON)  Applications are still available today for the Future Miss Pageant, associated with this year’s Jasper County Fair in Newton – it’s for any Jasper County girl, ages 3 to 5 years old, with the first 15 applications accepted – those application forms are available at the Newton Press Mentor office during regular office hours – the young ladies will take part and be recognized during the 2013 Miss Jasper County Fair Queen Pageant at this year’s Jasper County Fair in Newton – stop by the office for more details.

(OLNEY)  Congratulations to a pair of Olney FFA members for recently being elected to a Section 23 Officer’s position – Chaney Ridgely was selected as the Section 23 Secretary while Alexis Rothrock was elected as Section 23 Sentinel – the two young ladies from ERHS will serve the 13 area chapters in these roles for the next year – Section 23 includes FFA Chapters in Olney, Noble, Clay City, Flora, Louisville, Fairfield, Wayne City, Cisne, Albion, Mt. Carmel, Lawrenceville, Bridgeport, and Grayville.

(OLNEY)  EJ Water Cooperative will hold an informational meeting this evening at the residence of Preston Township Road Commissioner Phil Kuenstler, at 5417 North Lakeside Road, north of Olney – the 6:00 meeting is for homeowners & landowners who may be interested in receiving EJ water service in the areas around Borah Lake, Vernor Lake, and the north side of East Fork Lake – again that’s tonight.

REMINDERS  :
    This coming Sunday is Fall Kids Mall “Sudsy Sunday” collection day as area churches will be accepting soap, shampoo, & toothpaste to help the children of Richland County – for more, contact your local church

    All are invited out to the annual PSA/Cholesterol Screening, available this Friday and Saturday mornings from 6:30 to 10:30 at Richland Memorial Hospital – that’s both days at the RMH Main Entrance

 
    The Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building in Newton will host a Jasper County “youth dance” this Friday night from 7:00 to 10:00 – it’s open to those ages 11 to 18 – free drinks and snacks provided – chaperones will be attending as well – sponsored by Southeastern Illinois Counseling Centers

    The Olney Taekwondo Center will host a “kick cancer” event this Friday night, starting at 7:00, with all donations going to the “Relay For Life” and the local fight against cancer – the center will also be offering a new sign-up special Friday night – that’s at 233 East Main Street in downtown Olney – the public’s invited

    The firefighters in Newton will have a fundraising “pork burger sale” this coming Friday, May 17th, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton, with serving from 10:00 to 1:00 – all are invited to help out

    The Farmer’s Market will be set up tomorrow afternoon & evening in the Noble Village Park – that’s from 3:00 to 6:00 this Thursday – stop by and check out the available produce and more

    A Job Fair is coming to Olney today – it will be held at The Holiday from 10:00 to 4:00 with free admission – employers will be available with details on possible jobs in the area – all are invited out

    The new Richland County “Family History” books have arrived at the Olney Public Library and may be picked up starting today during regular Library hours – additional copies are also available for those that did not pre-order a copy – again, that’s starting today at the Olney Public Library – call 392-3711