(OLNEY)  High pressure will continue building southward into the Midwest today – this will result in fair and cool weather for a couple of days – then another storm system moves in with slightly warmer air but the on-and-off chance of scattered showers & storms Saturday night thru Monday – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  People could be allowed to carry guns in public in as little as two weeks – lawmakers are racing against a federal deadline, trying to get a concealed carry law on the books so they can beat a court ordered mandate – the newest bill is a compromise between downstate and Chicago lawmakers – a vote in the State House is expected today and at this point in time, is expected to pass with bi-partisan support.

(OLNEY)  Talking on cell phones has become a normal part of life, but lawmakers are trying to restrict cell phone usage in vehicles – they’re moving a bill that would ban people from holding their phones while they are driving – that means drivers would have to use a hands-free device or put their phone on speaker when they want to talk – it’s already passed in the State Senate and now goes to the State House for a vote there.

(NEWTON)  Parents may be off the hook when it comes to telling a school if their child has HIV or AIDS – a plan moving thru the General Assembly would reverse a law that requires parents to disclose the details – lawmakers say the disclosure often puts children in an unfair position to be discriminated against and/or bullied – the bill has been approved in both the Senate and House, and now goes to the Governor’s desk.

(OLNEY)  Authorities are reminding folks in Richland, Jasper, & surrounding counties who want to donate to charitable efforts to help the victims of Monday’s devastating tornado in Oklahoma to watch out for possible fundraising scams by con artists seeking to exploit the disaster for their personal profit – in fact, in many cases, a legitimate charity will not directly solicit donations, but rather provide details for the public to do so either by calling or going online, such as the American Red Cross – while there are several other legitimate organizations, area folks should be wary of those that apply high-pressure tactics or other special gimmicks – plus, never send cash – charities can be checked out thru the Better Business Bureau or with the website, GuideStar – it there’s any suspicious solicitations, call the State Attorney General at 312-814-2595.

(NEWTON)  At this week’s monthly meeting, the Jasper County School Board accepted several donations with “thanks”  :  a combined $800 from the Newton Elementary PTO, the Newton Rotary Club, the Peoples State Bank, and the First National Bank of Dieterich for the “Our Community Reads” program  :  $630 from the Newton Elementary PTO for 6th Grade novels  :  $582 from the Hershey Corporation for new books thru the “Reading Rocks” program  :  $500 from Jennifer Eaton to the Elementary School for laminating film  :  $300 from the Newton Junior Football League to NCHS for maintenance on the football field  :  $200 from Ron & Becky Swick, plus eight gallons of fruit punch from Prairie Farms, for the “Reading Rocks” program  :  $100 from Jason Mosbey for the NCHS FFA  :  $100 from John & Elizabeth Schultz for the NCHS FBLA  :  and $100 from Tom Hannaman for the NCHS Bass Team  :  thanks to one and all!

(OLNEY)  At last week’s monthly meeting, the East Richland School Board recognized it’s Elementary School for being named one of only 40 schools in the world as a Light House School – with a special celebration held a week ago today, there were various presentations made to the ERES Light House Team, which included various administrators, teachers, and volunteers – the event also included a special speech presented by students, plus a song written & performed by an ERES student – congratulations to one & all.

(NEWTON)  With Memorial Day 2013 coming up on Monday, folks are reminded to take time out of a busy weekend to remember what “Decoration Day” is all about – it’s a day to honor and pay tribute to all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending our United States of America – various services, parades, and celebrations will be held in Olney, Newton, and most all surrounding communities – while many of the local activities will be held Monday morning, some events will be held on Sunday afternoon as well – we encourage everyone to take a break in a busy weekend to thank God for those who died serving America.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois State Police and over 500 local law enforcement agencies across the state are taking part in another “Click It or Ticket” campaign with the goal to save more lives on Illinois highways during this holiday weekend – last year, there were six fatalities and almost 600 injuries on statewide roadways, with three of those deaths alcohol-related – the “Click It or Ticket” extra patrols will run now thru the end of next week, looking for those not buckled up or for those driving impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.

(OLNEY)  Here’s a couple of notes and reminders concerning next Monday, Memorial Day 2013  :
*  Republic Services will observe Monday as a holiday, therefore no trash will be collected  – that means the trash pickup in the Olney, Noble, & Newton areas will be done a day later than normal next week – Monday’s pickup will be hauled Tuesday, Tuesday’s on Wednesday, and so on for the rest of next week
*  due to the City of Olney’s holiday schedule, the curbside recycling for next Monday will be collected the following day, on Tuesday, during its regular collection – also, the City’s brush dump is closed Monday

(NEWTON)  The Newton Aquatic Center has announced it will be opening for the season today and will be offering half price admission to students that bring their report cards – plus, the Aquatic Center’s first “Midnight Swim” will be a week from tonight, on 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 today on this cool Friday – for further details or information, call the pool at 783-8080.

REMINDERS  :   
    The Jasper County Health Department will host a community-wide “health fair” next Thursday, May 30th, from 10:00 to 2:00, at the Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building in Newton – all are invited

 
    The next area blood drives will be this Sunday morning  :  at the St. Joseph Parish Center in Stringtown, from 7:30 to 11:30  :  at the Holy Cross Parish Hall in Wendelin, from 8:00 to 12 noon  : as always, all blood types are very much in need and all eligible and/or first-time donors are urged to get out & give blood

    Olney Skateland will host a “free skate” tomorrow afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 – it’s for all 6th thru 8th graders in Richland County, from both Olney & Noble – that’s at the west edge of Olney

 
    The Country Clovers 4-H Club will have a fundraising cookout tomorrow at the Olney IGA, from 10:00 to 2:00 – they’ll be serving pork burgers, bratwursts, and floats – your support is appreciated

    The Olney Arts Council presents a “watercolor workshop” with Mary Pat Nash tomorrow from 9:00 to 4:00 at the First United Methodist Church in Olney – all are invited – call the OAC for more details

    The Friends of Downtown is hosting a “community yard sale” tomorrow from 9:00 until 2:00 at the downtown intersection of Whittle Avenue and Main Street – all are invited to the “junk in the trunk” event

    The East Richland High School JROTC is hosting a “pork burger” fundraiser today at the Olney IGA – that’s serving from 10:00 this morning until 1:00 this afternoon – proceeds go for JROTC projects & events

    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)  Although that slow-moving storm system has finally moved off to the southeast, an upper level disturbance over the Upper Midwest will give us some cloud cover and a slight chance of some lingering showers today thru this evening – then a high pressure ridge will build in with a clearing sky and sunshine on tap tomorrow & Saturday – but yet more rain chances Sunday and Monday – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  A new deal on concealed carry will get a hearing today in Springfield – State Representatives will hear the details of the newest additions in the bill, which includes bans on guns in parks, athletic fields, and on public transit systems – it would also cost $150 to get licensed to carry a gun in public – some say these measures could be enough to push the bill thru the State House – maybe even a vote by later today.

(OLNEY)  It’s official, Ameren and Commonworth Edison will be raising rates in the near future as the State House followed the State Senate’s footsteps and overruled the Governor veto giving the utility giants the go ahead to raise rates – the company’s say the money will be used to upgrade their electric grid, which will help them restore service quicker when there’s an outage – rates will go up over the next ten years.

(NEWTON)  Things are not looking good for the return of Chief Illiniwek at the University of Illinois – a student and faculty committee voted yesterday, reaffirming that the Native American mascot is not an appropriate symbol for the school – the decision comes after several pleas to reinstate the mascot which was sidelined back in 2007 to avoid possible NCAA sanctions – the school has been without a mascot since.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees met earlier this week – the Board  :  updated its 2013 Distance Delivery Education Plan with the purpose to provide an institutional strategy and structure to support and promote district-wide opportunities – while the IECC currently offers around 150 online courses, more than 250 online courses have been submitted for approval  :  approved a new IECC mission statement, a new academic freedom policy, and an IECC employment policy revision  :  approved several changes to the OCC Nursing Program Handbook as recommended  : made several personnel moves – hired Mike Carpenter as Men’s Head Basketball Coach at Wabash Valley – named Tiffany Cowger as TRiO Upward Bound Director, District Office/OCC – named Gina Hutton as TRiO Talent Search Director, District Office – named Brandon Weger as TRiO Upward Bound Director, District Office/LTC – named Thomas Wain Davis as Director, TRiO Student Support Services – named Leslie Scott as Assistant Director EPM, Workforce Education in Fairfield – named Jerry Booker as Full-Time Groundskeeper at OCC – then accepted resignations from Elaine Creadore, Lisa Ewing, Steve Berkemeier, & Sherrie Hemrich – accepted the retirement of Dean of Instruction at Lincoln Trail College, Kathy Harris, effective September 1st  :  the IECC Board of Trustees will have their next regular monthly meeting on June 18th at LTC in Robinson.

(NEWTON)  StrawberryFest 2013 is nearly a week away, coming to the downtown Newton Square next weekend – it will all start a week from tomorrow night with live entertainment and plenty of homemade ice cream throughout the afternoon & evening – then a full day of activities on Saturday, June 1st, including breakfast, a 5K run & walk, a petting zoo, a puppet show, the child ID program, various concessions, and many live performances – then it all wraps up on Sunday afternoon with special family music – that’s all next weekend, May 31st thru June 2nd, on the Square in downtown Newton – StrawberryFest 2013.

(OLNEY)  Here’s a couple of notes and reminders from the City of Olney concerning next Monday  :
*  as far as trash hauling is concerned – Republic Services will observe Monday as a holiday, therefore no trash will be collected on Monday – that means the trash pickup in the Olney, Noble, & Newton areas will be done a day later than normal next week – Monday’s normal pickup will be hauled Tuesday, Tuesday’s collection will be Wednesday, and so on then for the rest of next week – they appreciate your patience
*  due to the City of Olney’s holiday schedule, the curbside recycling for next Monday will be collected the following day, on Tuesday, during its regular collection
*  and the City of Olney’s brush dump will be closed next Monday, but open all other regular days

(NEWTON)  The investigation continues into an accidental explosion that burned three family members last Saturday night in Robinson – authorities report that 42 year old Jenny Shrum, 34 year old Jarrod Shrum, and 10 year old Mackenzie Shrum were all burnt and injured when a citronella candle exploded when the girl attempted to blow it out – the Father and daughter were lifelighted to hospitals in Springfield – an account has been established at the First Robinson Savings Bank to assist the family with expenses - another fund has been established at the Flora Bank & Trust as well - all donations are appreciated.

(OLNEY)  Anyone who’d like to make a cash donation to help tornado victims in Oklahoma can text Red Cross to 90999 – that will send a $10 donation to the organization – Red Cross officials say the cash will be used to help victims buy new clothes, needed food, and other items to help them recover – donations can also be made online at www.RedCross.org – it’s also been noted that a local response team “Helping His Hands” left Vincennes earlier this week to help out the various churches in the Moore, Oklahoma area – the Campus Christian Fellowship at Vincennes University group is accepting all donations to help out with the effort – to learn more about the group & Director Scott Shipman, go online at www.HelpingHisHands.com.

(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.

REMINDERS  :   
    The Jasper County Health Department will host a community-wide “health fair” a week from today on May 30th from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building – all ages are invited

 
    The next area blood drives will be this Sunday morning  :  at the St. Joseph Parish Center in Stringtown, from 7:30 to 11:30  :  at the Holy Cross Parish Hall in Wendelin, from 8:00 to 12 noon  : as always, all blood types are very much in need and all eligible and/or first-time donors are urged to get out & give blood

    Olney Skateland will host a “free skate” this coming Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 – it’s for all 6th thru 8th graders in Richland County, from both Olney & Noble – that’s at the west edge of Olney

 
    The Olney Arts Council presents a “watercolor workshop” with Mary Pat Nash this Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00 at the First United Methodist Church in Olney – all are invited – call the OAC for more details

    An informational meeting for the 2013 Richland County Fair Queen Pageant will be tonight, starting at 6:30, at The Holiday, in Olney – it’s open to any Richland County girl, 16 to 21 years of age, and remember, it's an informational meeting only

    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

 
    Sign-up for the Olney Public Library summer reading program “Have Book – Will Travel” is underway – it’s for local children ages Pre-K thru 7th Grade – no library card is required for local children to take part

(OLNEY)  That slow-moving storm system will move across Illinois today, resulting in more chances of scattered showers and thunderstorms – then a little cooler air will filter in tomorrow with a dry sky expected Friday & Saturday – however, more rain chances for Sunday & Monday – stay tuned for weather updates.

(NEWTON)  The holiday weekend is fast approaching and that means police will be out in full force, looking not only for those not buckled up with their seat belts, but also for those who are driving impaired, by either alcohol and/or drugs – the main focus will be on afternoon and late-night drivers, who tend to ride without their seat belts more frequently – special enforcement zones and patrols run now thru next week.

(OLNEY)  Anyone who’d like to make a cash donation to help tornado victims in Oklahoma can text Red Cross to 90999 – that will send a $10 donation to the organization – Red Cross officials say the cash will be used to help victims buy new clothes, needed food, and other items to help them recover – donations can also be made online at www.RedCross.org or by calling the Red Cross toll-free hotline at 1-800-733-2767.

(NEWTON)  The oilfield “fracking” bill passed thru a State House committee yesterday, despite efforts by opponents to put a two year moratorium on the oil production process – a vote by the House is unlikely until lawmakers return to Springfield after the holiday break – while opponents say “fracking” poses serious health risks to those that live in oilfields, others note the oilfield process has been taking place for years in one form or another – since two years ago, some $250 million has been spent on downstate land leases.

(OLNEY)  Chief Kevin Paddock has released the monthly activity report for the Olney Police Department, which received 721 complaints during April, that’s an average of 24 calls from the public per day or night – Officers made 328 public assists over the 30-day period, made 50 security checks, made 40 traffic arrests, and investigated 19 traffic accidents, 10 burglar alarms, and 8 private property accidents – the OPD made 59 criminal arrests in April, including 14 for drugs, 9 for DUI, 8 for alcohol, and 4 for tobacco use – other investigations included 41 for criminal damage to property, 17 for theft, 11 for juvenile contacts,  10 for burglary, 9 for juvenile petitions, 6 for motor vehicular burglary or theft, and 2 for residential burglary.

(NEWTON)  The Newton City Council met last night – the Council  :  approved the appointment of Deputy City Clerk Alice Addis  :  approved a 5-year salary agreement with Police Chief Mike Swick  :  approved a 40-cent per hour pay increase for all City Department Heads, retroactive to May 1st, three weeks ago  :  on a 6 to 1 vote, approved a TIF application from Integrated Therapy for retaining wall repairs worth $2,500  :  approved a 25-cent per hour pay increase for part-time employees Evelyn Dhom & Jarad Schackmann, and approved the hourly wage of $14.42 per hour, retroactive to May 1st  :  agreed to seek bids for janitorial service for City Hall with a deadline of 5:00, June 11th  :  approved a 3-year extension of the existing lawn care agreement with Jasper Services Inc., which includes mowing in the Five Aprils Crossing Subdivision  :  agreed to allow use of the city’s parking lot east of the electric substation for StrawberryFest activities  :  also, urged folks to support the weekend May 31st thru June 2nd  :  took no other action after a short, five minute closed session, to discuss litigation & real estate  :  the Council’s next meeting will be June 4th.

(OLNEY)  Sign-ups for the 2013 City of Olney summer recreation program are underway each Monday thru Friday, from 8:00 to 4:00, at the Olney City Hall – registrations are being accepted for either one or both sessions, and registration forms are available on the city’s website, at www.ci.olney.il.us.com – the summer recreation program offers several different levels of swimming classes and parent/tot swimming at the Musgrove Aquatic Center – the first session runs June 3rd thru June 28th, while the second session runs July 1st thru July 26th – the Musgrove Aquatic Center can be rented for private parties on Saturdays and Sundays, plus punch cards are available as well – call or stop by City Hall or check the website online.

(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 Illinois Department of Transportation is alerting area motorists that the yearly maintenance striping operations is underway on area state highways – 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.

REMINDERS  :   
    The Jasper County Health Department will host a community-wide “health fair” a week from tomorrow on May 30th from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Sunrise Youth Center & Community Building – all ages are invited

 
    The Multiple Sclerosis support group will meet next Monday night at 7:00 in the lower level conference room at Richland Memorial Hospital – it’s for anyone with a connection to MS, including caregivers

    The next area blood drives will be this Sunday morning  :  at the St. Joseph Parish Center in Stringtown, from 7:30 to 11:30  :  at the Holy Cross Parish Hall in Wendelin, from 8:00 to 12 noon  : as always, all blood types are very much in need and all eligible and/or first-time donors are urged to get out & give blood

    Olney Skateland will host a “free skate” this coming Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 – it’s for all 6th thru 8th graders in Richland County, from both Olney & Noble – that’s at the west edge of Olney

 
    The Olney Arts Council presents a “watercolor workshop” with Mary Pat Nash this Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00 at the First United Methodist Church in Olney – all are invited – call the OAC for more details

    The Richland County Girls Travel Softball Team, “The O’Town Strykerz” have a fundraising “pork burger / rootbeer float / bake sale” this Friday evening from 3:00 to 7:00 at the Olney IGA – all are invited

 
    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

    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

 
    Sign-up for the Olney Public Library summer reading program “Have Book – Will Travel” is underway – it’s for local children ages Pre-K thru 7th Grade – no library card is required for local children to take part

(OLNEY)  A slow-moving storm system will continue to provide us with unsettled weather across the Midwest again today thru tonight, plus the potential of more severe conditions will redevelop – we’ll then dry out by the end of work week with a partial wet holiday weekend coming up – listen for updates.

(OLNEY)  Our overnight weather involved mostly rain, along with thunder & lightning, although no real severe weather, which had occurred earlier last evening in Western Illinois and in the St. Louis area – some spots there had 3 to 4 inches of rain and heavy wind damage, but most of that weather dissipated before arriving in Richland, Jasper, & surrounding counties – average rainfall early this morning comes in at under one inch with a few reports of over an inch and a half – more rain is forecasted for the next 24 to 48 hours.

(NEWTON)  It looks like a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines is coming to Illinois – the State Senate is moving a bill that will ban the sale of magazines with more than a 10-bullet capacity – the bill sailed out of committee yesterday with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle voting in favor – some believe the measure could be called for a vote on the Senate floor by as early as later this afternoon in Springfield.

(OLNEY)  More Illinois senior citizens live below the poverty line than originally thought – a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation says Illinois’ share of people who live in poverty and are over 65 years of age was at 15% in 2011 – however, data supplied by the state claims it’s more like 8%, about half the study’s number – experts in the field say the Family Foundation’s information is considered to be more accurate.

(NEWTON)  The Illinois Attorney General’s office is launching an investigation into a recent privacy breach at two phone companies – it’s reported that TerraCom Inc. and YourTel America Inc., both of Oklahoma City, are accused of releasing the phone records of 170,000 customers – the Attorney General’s office says all of the customers in question signed up for a federal program to help low-income families.

(NOBLE)  The West Richland School Board met last night for its regular monthly meeting – the Board  :  on a 5 to 2 vote, adopted a resolution to dissolve the West Richland School District and to file the Petition with the Regional Board of School Trustees as of today – this comes after a 90 minute hearing with over 150 people in attendance asking questions & making comments – the dissolution process will now go to the ROE #12 Trustees for the next step  :  in other business, the Board amended the FY 2013 budget which will lay over for a June approval  :  authorized Superintendent Gary Miller to hire a janitor for the fiscal year 2014 school year, to set negotiation meetings with the West Richland Education Association, and to set a hearing for a Driver’s Education cost increase of anywhere from zero to $200  :  approved the purchase of Odysseyware for credit recovery and AP, mostly for online classes within the District  :  accepted the low bid to buy a 2013 passenger van for special education transportation  :  tabled a vote to possibly limit sports transportation with a mileage limit  :  approved the elementary, junior high, and high school handbooks, as presented  :  and in personnel – recalled Teacher Ellen Byers on a half-time basis to help teach 7th & 8th Grade Language Arts – accepted the resignation of Teacher Barb Faul – and approved Connie Smith & Julie Wilson as summer help  :  the next West Richland School Board meeting will be June 17th in Noble.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County School Board met last night for its regular monthly meeting in Newton – the Board  :  on a 6 to 1 vote, approved the $91,307 bid from Midwest Track Builders to resurface the NCHS track  :  agreed to apply to the state for a matching $50,000 Maintenance Grant  :  approved the renewal of the Jasper County Junior High softball cooperative agreement with the St. Thomas School  :  approved four appointments – Emily Schumacher as NCHS Cheerleading Coach, Sara Mitchell as Business Teacher, Beth Sturgeon as Math Teacher, and Erica Ruholl as Speech Language Pathologist  :  discussed details of a potential Nurse Assistance Position & agreed to post it as a classified position  :  was notified that Biomax / Bonutti Clinic will not be able to renew the contract for Athletic Trainer Services to the District  :  in personnel matters, accepted two retirements – from Betty Rogers as a Cook & Chaperone at the end of this school year and from JoAnn Phillips as an Elementary Teacher at the end of the 2015-2016 school year  :  also accepted four resignations – from Ryan Klier as P.E. Teacher & Coach, from Amy Short as an Elementary Teacher, from Travis Tarr as 8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach, and from Sarah Deters as Junior High Track Coach  :  the next Jasper County School Board meeting will be June 17th in Newton.

(OLNEY)  Corn planting was in full swing last week as most of the state say an extended period of warm & dry weather for the first time this spring – yesterday’s USDA Crop Report shows that as of Sunday, 74% of the state’s corn planting is complete, that’s up from 17% from the week before – statewide temperatures averaged 67.3 degrees, that’s 3.9 degrees above normal – last week’s statewide precipitation averaged only two tenths of an inch, nearly an inch below normal – both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels have improved and the state’s winter wheat crop is holding steady, mostly rated good to excellent – farmers in our ten county area report three quarters (75%) of the intended corn acreage has been planted with about 10% of the local soybean planting now complete – farmers are still reminded to “think safety first” this spring.

(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)  Make plans to view the Rolling Thunder “Flame of Freedom”, coming to Olney later today, weather permitting – folks will meet at the Olney VFW at 9:30 this 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 later this afternoon – a “meet & greet” will be held at 5:00 this afternoon at the Olney VFW with a “Flame of Freedom” / “Missing Man Table” ceremony at 6:00, followed by supper at 6:30 – the 150th Anniversary of the Unknown Soldier Memorial observance is at dusk – all are invited out to the Olney VFW later today.

REMINDERS  :
    The next area blood drive will be this Sunday morning at the St. Joseph Parish Center in Stringtown, from 7:30 to 11:30 – all blood types are very much in need – thanks to those that gave yesterday at RMH

    The Richland County Girls Travel Softball Team, “The O’Town Strykerz” have a fundraising “pork burger / rootbeer float / bake sale” this Saturday from 3:00 to 7:00 at the Olney IGA – all are invited

 
    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 next regular meeting for the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District Board of Trustees is tonight at Frontier Community College in Fairfield, starting at 7:00 – it is open to the public

    The Jasper County Health Department will host an immunization clinic today from 10:00 to 6:15 in the Department Offices in Newton – for details or to sign-up in advance, call the Department at 618-783-4436

    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)  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