(OLNEY)  While our sky will now stay dry for a few days, a westerly wind behind that departing cold front, will continue to bring in cool air today & tomorrow – then much warmer air will move in Sunday, but with that is our next chance of rain and storms next Monday night thru Thursday – listen for weather updates.

(NEWTON)  The fight over making retired state workers pitch in for their own healthcare is not over – the state’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of a ruling that health insurance is not a pension benefit – a Sangamon County Judge made that ruling last month, shooting down the idea that free healthcare would be covered under the state’s constitution – the state’s high court will hear the appeal of four lawsuits aimed at stopping the state from making retirees start paying their own health insurance premiums by next year.

(OLNEY)  Governor Pat Quinn says he’s never visited the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia, but he’s shutting it down anyway – the Governor says he’s received plenty of information about the facility and he’s confident his decision is the right one to make – Quinn says people with special needs deserve the chance to live on their own and have the freedom to make their own choices – Murray supporters say the move is all about the state – the Marion County facility is expected to close by the end of this month.

(NEWTON)  It doesn’t look like lawmakers are any closer to striking a deal on gun control in Illinois – those against the idea of concealed carry do not seem to be giving in on their push to pass stricter gun laws – while some want to ban guns, others say guns do not kill people, so let’s add more punishment to those that do – lawmakers have until June 9th to pass a law allowing people to carry concealed guns in public.

 
(OLNEY)  The Richland County Board met last night – the Board  :  approved plans to make the changes needed to convert the County Board Room at the jail into the county’s Emergency Operations Center  :  approved a Mutual Aid Agreement with Jefferson County in regards to Emergency Management  :  approved the $90,000 budgeted purchase of a radio communication console unit for the Joint Dispatch Center at the County Jail  :  approved a Gaming Ordinance for Richland County  :  approved an amendment to the County’s Liquor Ordinance, which corrected a minor mistake in wording  :  will likely approve a Liquor License for D&R Family Restaurant just south of Parkersburg, pending final approval from the State’s Attorney  :  discussed various items that need attention at the Richland County Courthouse, including a new $80,000 roof, tuck-pointing work, heating & air conditioning, security, windows, & more – all of which may be funded thru the County’s Building Commission  :  approved the sale of two Sheriff’s Department vehicles – a 2000 Durango and a 2005 Tahoe  :  approved the closure of County Highway #9 thru the Village of Noble for various events  :  the Board’s next regular meeting will be May 9th.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Board met last night – the Board  :  approved the bids for bridge work from A.J. Walker – $121,342 for the North Muddy Township Bridge west of Muddy School and $109,015 for the Smallwood Township Bridge just south of the Township Shed  :  agreed to purchase an extended warranty for the Ambulance Service’s cardiac monitors at $750 per year  :  discussed repairs being made to the Jasper County Courthouse and the County Office Building  :  agreed to a Chamber of Commerce request to put blue ribbons in the courthouse lawn trees in recognition of April as National Autism Month  :  agreed to host a First Aid Class for all county employees  :  approved the county claims as presented  :  approved the e-Civis contract in conjunction with the City of Newton, the Jasper County School District, and others  :  and noted the Kemper CPA will address the audit next month  :  Board’s next meeting will be May 9th.

(NEWTON)  The East Central Illinois Development Corporation has announced recipients of the 2013 Recognition Awards which honor some of the region's most influential community and economic development leaders and most committed volunteers – receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award was Robert M. Berty of Robinson and receiving the Outstanding Leadership in Community & Economic Development Award was the Dieterich Community Development Corporation – congratulations to both awardees, who’ll be officially recognized at the upcoming 2013 ECIDC Annual Celebration Night to be held on May 16th at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham – to register to attend or for more information or details, check the website at www.ecidc.com – the registration deadline is May 9th.

(OLNEY)  Thanks to those of you who have helped out in our St. Jude RadioThon which continues for the second and final day today – yesterday’s total donations came in at over $8,000, our highest first day total since we started hosted the RadioThon three years ago – that’s over half way to our goal of $15,000 – so give us a call or check our website at www.freedom929.com – all to benefit the work of St. Jude Hospital.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County School District will conduct its Kindergarten pre-registration next week, Monday thru Thursday, April 15th thru18th, at the Ste. Marie Elementary School from 9:30 to 11:00 and from 12:30 to 2:00 each day – a special evening of pre-registration will be next Thursday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 with all parents and children invited to visit the classrooms, to tour a school bus, to view the playground, and to take part with hands-on technology – there will be no fees required at this time – children must be 45 years old on or before September 1st, 2013 in order to attend Kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year – for the pre-registration, parents need to bring immunization records, social security numbers, and a copy of the child’s birth certificate – call 618-455-3219 during school for details.

(OLNEY)  The Illinois Department of Revenue is reminding taxpayers that there are only a few days left to file those tax returns before the traditional April 15th filing deadline – to date, the Department of Revenue has processed ober 3.5 million tax returns and has already issued more than $750 million in tax refunds – officials say so far, more than 95% of taxpayers have filed their taxes electronically, and of those, more than a quarter million used the free WebFile program at www.tax.illinois.gov – that deadline is next Monday.

 (NEWTON)  The Jasper County Shrine Club will host an orthopaedic screening clinic for all area children under the age of 18 tomorrow morning, from 9:00 until 12:00 noon at the Jasper County Health Center – no appointments are necessary, however those with any questions can call 618-783-2770 for more information – children will be evaluated to determine if they have a condition that’s treatable at Shriners Hospitals for Children – eligible patients will complete an application to be reviewed and acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs – that’s tomorrow morning from 9:00 to 12 noon in Newton – call 618-783-2770.

REMINDERS  :
    The City of Olney will begin removing all ground decorations from the Olney cemeteries next Monday, April 15th – this includes Haven Hill, Memorial Gardens, & Maple Dale – folks wanting to save their grave decorations should remove them by this Sunday, April 14th – the public’s cooperation is greatly appreciated

    The next area blood drive is this Sunday 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 in need to help replenish the low Midwestern supply

    The Southern Smiler’s 4-H Club will have a fundraising “pork burger sale” tomorrow at the Olney Rural King, with serving from 10:00 to 2:00 – it’s good food for a good cause tomorrow

    The Dundas Ruritan Club has its annual “bulk chowder” tomorrow with serving at 11:00 in the morning – priced at $14 a gallon, there’s also homemade pies & baked goods – no glass containers

    The Lawrenceville VFW will host a fundraising breakfast tomorrow morning from 6:00 to 11:00, all for a free will donation – proceeds to the Lawrence Allison Firemen – carry-outs available at 928-1943

    The 4th Biennial New Pow-Wow Variety Show at East Richland High School is tonight at 6:30 – Drama Club members will be performing with a video presentation of past Pow-Wows – all invited

    The Stringtown Community Club will have a fundraising “fish fry” tonight at the KC Hall in Olney, along Whittle Avenue, with serving from 5:00 to 7:30 – tickets at the door – carry-outs available

    The ERES Kindergarten classes will perform their music program “Groovy Zoovy” today in the ERES dining hall – three classes perform at 10:00 and the other three at 2:15 – all are invited to attend

(OLNEY)  The low pressure system that hung around the Midwest for last several days has now moved off to the east / southeast and our sky is expected to now stay dry for a few days with a little cooler air back in place today thru Saturday – then a warm-up Sunday before more rain next week – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  When most of the storms that caused havoc in Missouri and western portions of Illinois made to our area, their intensity was falling off, therefore we mostly had some lightning and rainfall amounts that were around 1 inch on average, some areas more, others less – some power is still out in the Metro East area – Ameren indicates nearly 2,800 customers are without electricity, mostly in the counties of Madison, St. Clair, and Jersey – closer to home, Norris Electric is reporting 47 of its customers are without power down in Wabash County, the only area county affected severely by last night’s storms – while there was some damage reported in our region, no injuries have been noted – some flooding problems also exist as well.

(OLNEY)  Clean-up efforts are underway from last night’s spring storms as authorities assess the damage across the St. Louis region – thousands in the Missouri area are still without power as the Governor plans to meet with local officials there to help provide any needed assistance – no injuries have been reported, but the damage is widespread with at least two tornadoes believed to have touched down during the storms.

(NEWTON)  The number of people in Illinois who consider themselves homeless continues to climb – but, Illinois’ homeless data runs contrary to national numbers, which shows the number of people who are homeless is in fact falling – the National Alliance to End Homelessness says the number of homeless folks in America fell 0.4% last year – during the same time, Illinois’ homelessness increased by 1% overall.

(OLNEY)  A bill under proposal would bring Illinois into the digital age when it comes to showing proof of vehicle insurance – state officials are considering the use cell phones and other electronic devices to show proof of insurance when someone is pulled over by police – currently, Illinois drivers can get a citation if unable to provide physical proof of vehicle coverage when pulled over or if involved in a traffic accident.

(NOBLE)  The Noble Village Board met earlier this week – the Board  :  noted that new projects for the new fiscal year budget should be turned in to the Village Treasurer  :  noted the Village’s “spring cleanup” is scheduled for Friday, April 19th, a week from tomorrow, during the regular Friday morning trash pickup  :  noted the Noble Farmer’s Market is scheduled to begin Thursday, April 18th, a week from today – it will run each Thursday afternoon & evening from 3:00 to 6:00 in the Noble Village Park – those interested in participating needs to pickup and complete a waiver for insurance at Village Hall  :  noted that residents are asked to remove their ground decorations from the Noble Cemetery by April 22nd  :  and approved all bills and minutes from the previous meeting  :  the Board’s next regular meeting will be Monday, April 22nd.

 
(NEWTON)  The Jasper County ERBA Head Start will have its Pre-School Sign-Up Day this afternoon and evening at the ERBA Head Start Center on the Fairgrounds in the 4-H Building in Newton – while no appointments are needed, the sign-up will run from 2:00 this afternoon until 7:00 tonight – Head Start staff members will be present to answer questions and complete an application for all children – if children will be 3 years old by September 1st, 2013, and will not be attending Kindergarten this year, they may qualify – those interested must have their child’s shot record, birth certificate copy, date of birth for all household members, proof of income, the children’s social security numbers, and a Medicare Card, if applicable – a free children’s bike helmet will go to all who apply – for more, call the Head Start Center at 618-783-3467.

(OLNEY)  A note from the Olney Chamber of Commerce and the Olney Police Department, that several break-in’s at local businesses are being investigated from over the past month, although no arrests have been made at this time – area businesses are being encouraged to add alarms to their doors and windows, plus to add lighting to areas that may be darker than other spots – also, keep low amounts of cash, if any at all, in cash drawers or safes – even though the Police Department and County Deputies are patrolling, all should be cautious and aware before locking up each night – contact the Chamber Office for more details.

 (NEWTON)  The Jasper County Shrine Club will host an orthopaedic screening clinic for all area children under the age of 18 this coming Saturday morning, from 9:00 until 12:00 noon at the Jasper County Health Center – no appointments are necessary, however those with any questions can call 618-783-2770 for more information – children will not be diagnosed, but merely evaluated to determine if they have a condition that’s treatable at Shriners Hospitals for Children – eligible patients will complete an application to be reviewed and acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs – that’s this Saturday in Newton.

(NEWTON)  There are a few area blood drives this week with all eligible and/or first-time blood donors encouraged to get out and give the gift of life at their next earliest opportunity – here’s the list of those upcoming drives  :  Sunday morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12:00 noon  :  this afternoon at the K of C Hall in Newton from 1:00 to 6:00  :  all blood types are very much in need.

REMINDERS  :
    Geranium orders are still being accepted by the RMH Auxiliary thru April 17th – priced at $5 each, there are three colors available : red, pink, or white – call Richland Memorial Hospital today with your order

    The City of Olney will begin removing all ground decorations from the Olney cemeteries next Monday, April 15th – this includes Haven Hill, Memorial Gardens, & Maple Dale – folks wanting to save their grave decorations should remove them by this Sunday, April 14th – the public’s cooperation is greatly appreciated

    The Southern Smiler’s 4-H Club will have a fundraising “pork burger sale” this Saturday at the Olney Rural King, with serving from 10:00 to 2:00 – it’s good food for a good cause this Saturday

    The Dundas Ruritan Club has its annual “bulk chowder” this Saturday with serving at 11:00 in the morning – priced at $14 a gallon, there’s also homemade pies & baked goods – no glass containers

    The Lawrenceville VFW will host a fundraising breakfast this Saturday morning from 6:00 to 11:00, all for a free will donation – proceeds to the Lawrence Allison Firemen – carry-outs available at 618-928-1943

    The 4th Biennial New Pow-Wow Variety Show at East Richland High School is this Friday night at 6:30 – Drama Club members will be performing with a video presentation of past Pow-Wows – all invited

    The Stringtown Community Club will have a fundraising “fish fry” this Friday night at the KC Hall in Olney, along Whittle Avenue, with serving from 5:00 to 7:30 – tickets at the door – carry-outs available

    The ERES Kindergarten classes will perform their music program “Groovy Zoovy” this Friday in the ERES dining hall – three classes perform at 10:00 and the other three at 2:15 – all are invited to attend

 
    Our annual St. Jude RadioThon is today and tomorrow here at Freedom 92.9 – join Mike and Mike from 8:00 to 5:00 each day with interviews, special music, and more – your chance to donate and help St. Jude’s

    The next Cellular One “smartphone class” is tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Cell One Store, located in the Olney Centre, just east of Wal-Mart, along North Route 130, in Olney – all are invited

 
    The St. Thomas School in Newton will host a Longaberger Bingo “basket game night” tonight at 7:00 at the Parish Center – plenty of fun, plus concessions and more – all ages are invited

 
    There are two county board meetings tonight  :  the Richland County Board meets in Olney at 7:00, with its Finance Committee meeting at 6:00  :  the Jasper County Board meets tonight in Newton at 7:30

(OLNEY)  A strong cold front, associated with a Midwestern low pressure system, will affect our weather today thru tomorrow – with periods of scattered showers & storms, some severe conditions are possible, especially tonight, plus heavy rainfall is likely – then we’ll have cooler air with the rain ending tomorrow, followed by dry conditions for Friday and the entire upcoming weekend – stay tuned for weather updates.

(OLNEY)  The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for our listening area, for Richland, Jasper, and all surrounding counties – for today, thunderstorms are possible, however it’s tonight that severe weather conditions could develop with heavy rainfall totals possible – stay tuned to the NOAA weather radios and to WVLN-WSEI-WIKK in Olney and Newton for continued weather updates. 

(NEWTON)  A bill being proposed in Illinois would bolster current requirements for teenage drivers – the measure is calling for those between 18 and 20 years old to take an online course teaching them adult driving education if they’ve never done so – officials say the current system has a loophole as many drivers wait until they’re 18 years old to get their driver’s license to avoid taking these type of education classes.

(OLNEY)  A new poll suggests that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is a pretty unpopular figure – the poll shows that Quinn is the second-least popular Governor in America that’s up for re-election – the poll says Quinn has an approval rating of 31%, ahead of only Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, who has a mere 28% approval rating – however, looking back, Quinn’s rating is above that of former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

(OLNEY)  Nearly 29% of the registered voters in Richland County went to the polls yesterday – here’s the local results where there were challenges – some of those elected unopposed are not listed below  :
*  Richland County road transportation tax was defeated – 1,634 “no’s” and 1,524 “yes’s”
*  City of Olney Mayor  :  Ray Vaughn (927) captured 54% of the vote over Mark Lambird  (788)
*  Olney City Council  :  elected was incumbent Bob Ferguson (913) and newcomer John McLaughlin (843)
    *  not elected was incumbent Gary Foster (706) and challenger Jeremiah Brown (570)
*  East Richland School Board  :  all incumbents were re-elected
    *  four year terms for Benny Anderson (1,937), Steve Marrs (1,855), and Leon Redman (1,823)
    *  two year terms for Pete Seals (1,655) and Alex Cline (1,253) – not elected was Micah Grimes (918)
*  West Richland School Board  :  all candidates were elected
    *  four year terms for Darin Blank (352), Lisa Hemrich (348), and Dennis Anderson (338)
    *  elected as a fourth Board member was Jeff Runyon with 41 write-in votes
*  Village of Noble Mayor  :  incumbent Dick Clark (79) is re-elected over challenger John Mason (68)
*  Village of Noble Trustees  :  all incumbents were re-elected
    *  four year terms for Robert Pflaum (99), Paul Summers (96), and Randy Hancock (89)
    *  the single two year term seat for Kelly O'Dell (127)
*  Village of Parkersburg  :
    *  Mayor  :  Tom Hanna (53) was elected, beating out Darlene Clark (37)
    *  Clerk  :  Sandra Reich (63) was elected over Kelly Hanna (26)
    *  Trustees  :  Jerad Doggett (52), Gary Waxler (49), Loren Arteberry (41), Sue Vincent by write-in (6)
*  Olney Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Jeff Fleming (1,230), Carmen Kowa (1,163), Heather Cecil (1,075), Don Barnett (863)
    *  Assessor  :  Kim Houchin (1,322) over Mary Kay Stoltz (593)
*  Noble Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Greg Amerman (228), Steve Hemrich (222), Mike Shan (196), Brian VanBlaricum (186)
    *  Highway Commissioner  :  Pat Morgan (203) over Kenny Wilson (183)
*  Madison Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Dave Bricker (129), Austin Ridgely (128), Shane Rose (122), Franklin Dorney (102)
*  Preston Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Dennis Graves (207), Wade Wilson (196), John Snider (176), Kyle Henton (147)
    *  Assessor  :  Michelle Kuenstler (147) over Cathy Bromm (140)
    *  Clerk  :  Kim Kuhl (180) over D. Whitaker-Mitchell (105)
    *  Highway Commissioner  :  Phil Kuenstler (186) over Chad Stanley (106)
*  German Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Barbara Ochs (66), David Kocher (61), Henry Ginder (60), Chad Boughan (55)
    *  Supervisor  :  James Schneider (76) over James Jones (10)
*  Denver Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Anthony Kuenstler (54), Phil Volk (53), Greg Rudolphi (50), Charlie Coan (46)
*  Decker Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Tim Bursott (70), Tony Prosser (68), Jeremy Berger (68), Dennis Hancock (64)
*  Claremont Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Ron Steber, Jr. (85), Scott Dowty (82), Patrick Corcoran (57), Stan Crites (56)
*  BonPas Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Clay Seals (114), Darrell Slunaker (110), Carrie Ochs (103), Richard Smith (95)
    *  Highway Commissioner  :  Donald Gayer (71) over James McDowell (68)

(OLNEY)  also elected in yesterday’s was two members to the IECC Board of Trustees  :
*  both William Hudson and John Brooks were elected with no challengers

(NEWTON)  24% of the Jasper County registered voters went to the polls yesterday – here’s a look at the results that involved races that were contested with more than one candidate to be chosen  :
*  Jasper County School Board  :  elected Gordon Millsap (921), Holly Farley (863), Mandy Rieman (792)
    *  those not elected were Andrew Pullen (779) and Jerry “Jed” Earnest (613)
*  City of Newton Mayor  :  Mark Bolander (293) was re-elected with no opposition
*  City of Newton Clerk  :  Rosetta York (315) was elected with no opposition
*  Newton City Council  :  all were elected with no opposition
    *  Richard Lindeman (61) in Ward One
    *  Jeff Ford (94) in Ward Two
    *  Robert Reisner (83) in Ward Three
    *  Scott Bloomberg (73) in Ward Four
*  Newton Zoning Board  :  Ken Albrecht (313) and Leon Volk (245) were elected with no opposition
*  Village of Hidalgo Mayor  :  Jason Kirby (9) was elected with no opposition
*  Village of Ste. Marie President  :  Jack Thompson (42) was elected with no opposition
*  Village of Wheeler Mayor  :  Robert Flowers (6) was elected with no opposition
*  Village of Wheeler  :
    *  Trustees  :  elected were Charles Emmerich (7), Edward Schmidt (7), and Gerald Short (5)
*  Village of Yale President  :  Sanford Andrews (10) was elected with no opposition
*  Village of Yale Trustees  :
    *  elected were Jerry Middleton (10), Jamie Smith (9), Jerald Andrews (9)
    *  it was a tie for the fourth position – Phillip Wagner (6) and Nicholas Huddleston (6)
*  Fox Township Road Commissioner  :  David Pilman (76) over Robert Smithenry (65)
*  Smallwood Township  : 
    *  Road Commissioner  :  Frederick Correll (62) overAlan Bollman (58) and Michael Smithenry (48)
    *  Trustees  :  Paul Will (114), Daniel Stark (109), Nicholas Milliman (90), David Kistner (89)
*  Hunt City Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Jerry Tharp (34), Tarry Birch (34), Lafe Graham (31), James Miller (28)
*  Grove Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Sam Will (131), L. D. Pitcher (125), Larry Cohorst (114), Kaitlin Diel (76)
*  Crooked Creek Township  :
    *  Trustees  :  Christopher Parr (89), Robert Young (74) Jeff Carr (68), James Houser (66)

 (NEWTON)  The Jasper County Shrine Club will host an orthopaedic screening clinic for all area children under the age of 18 this coming Saturday morning, from 9:00 until 12:00 noon at the Jasper County Health Center – no appointments are necessary, however those with any questions can call 618-783-2770 for more information – children will not be diagnosed, but merely evaluated to determine if they have a condition that’s treatable at Shriners Hospitals for Children – eligible patients will complete an application to be reviewed and acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs – that’s this Saturday in Newton.

(NEWTON)  There are a few area blood drives this week with all eligible and/or first-time blood donors encouraged to get out and give the gift of life at their next earliest opportunity – here’s the list of those upcoming drives  :  Sunday morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12:00 noon  :  tomorrow afternoon at the KofC Hall in Newton from 1:00 to 6:00  :  today at the Cumberland High School northwest of Greenup from 2:00 to 6:30  :  remember, all blood types are very much in need.

REMINDERS  :
    The RE Water Corporation will hold an informational and signup meeting next Monday night at 7:00 at the Claremont Community Center – it’s for all area residents interested in purchasing water from REWC

    The first organizational meeting for the Noble Community Chowder will held next Monday night at 7:00 at the Lions Club Building in Noble – all help is needed and appreciated – all are invited to attend

    The Southern Smiler’s 4-H Club will have a fundraising “pork burger sale” this Saturday at the Olney Rural King, with serving from 10:00 to 2:00 – it’s good food for a good cause this Saturday

    The Dundas Ruritan Club has its annual “bulk chowder” this Saturday with serving at 11:00 in the morning – priced at $14 a gallon, there’s also homemade pies & baked goods – no glass containers

    The Stringtown Community Club will have a fundraising “fish fry” this Friday night at the KC Hall in Olney, along Whittle Avenue, with serving from 5:00 to 7:30 – tickets at the door – carry-outs available

    The ERES Kindergarten classes will perform their music program “Groovy Zoovy” this Friday in the ERES dining hall – three classes perform at 10:00 and the other three at 2:15 – all are invited to attend

 
    Our annual St. Jude RadioThon is coming up tomorrow and Friday here at Freedom 92.9 – join Mike and Mike both Thursday and Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 with interviews, special music, and more

    The next Cellular One “smartphone class” is tomorrow night from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Cell One Store, located in the Olney Centre, just east of Wal-Mart, along North Route 130, in Olney – all are invited

 
    The St. Thomas School in Newton will host a Longaberger Bingo “basket game night” tomorrow night at 7:00 at the Parish Center – plenty of fun, plus concessions and more – all ages are invited

(OLNEY)  The frontal boundary over the Midwest will remain nearly stationary thru tonight – areas to the north of it will get shower & storm activity while areas to the south will stay mostly dry & warm – then as the entire low pressure system moves our chances increase for scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which could be severe tonight thru tomorrow & tomorrow night – then cooler & dry – listen for updates.

(OLNEY)  The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for our listening area, mostly for the counties of Richland, Jasper, Crawford, Effingham, Cumberland, & others to the north and west – for today, isolated thunderstorms are possible, although no severe conditions are expected – then for tomorrow thru tomorrow night and Thursday, severe weather conditions could develop with heavy rainfall totals possible with the thunderstorm activity – stay tuned to the NOAA weather radios for updates. 

(NEWTON)  It’s election day for many towns, cities, and villages across the state – anyone who didn’t cast an early ballot has until 7:00 tonight to turn out and vote – for those with questions about election day or the overall process, or for those who need to know where their polling place is, call a special downstate hotline, at 217-782-4141 – or contact the office of your County Clerk for last minute information and/or details.

(OLNEY)  Lawmakers are moving forward with plans to make retired state workers pay a percentage of their healthcare premiums – lawmakers are moving a bill to get things solidified and it includes an incentive for some retirees – those who worked more than 20 years could get up to $500 a month if they opt out of state healthcare coverage and get private insurance – this could save the state up to $37 million a year.

(NEWTON)  The Illinois National Guard will face furloughs later this year as more than 1,300 guard employees will be forced to take unpaid leaves as part of the federal sequester cutbacks – workers will be on furloughs 14 days before the end of the fiscal year – this involves all National Guard bases in Illinois.

(OLNEY)  With the April 9th Consolidated Election underway, all registered voters are reminded they can get out and cast their votes until 7:00 tonight at their respective polling place – there are municipal, school board, and college board races throughout the state, plus various questions and referendums as well – all registered voters are urged to get out and vote today – if any questions, call your County Clerk’s office.

(NEWTON)  A reminder from the Jasper County Clerk’s office for today’s April 9th Consolidated Election – the voters of Grove Township will cast their vote at the new Grove Township Community Building, which is the former Grove School – if there are any questions, contact the County Clerk’s office in Newton.

 
(OLNEY)  The Olney City Council met last night – the Council  :  added a couple of extra days for the public to use the City’s brush dump – starting next week, the dump will be open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, from 10:00 to 4:00, each day  :  approved the proposed hours of operations for the Musgrove Aquatic Center with only a few changes from last year  :  approved an endorsement of an Emergency Grants Program for SWAN in Olney  :  agreed to amend the budget to reimburse the White Squirrel Saddle Club $1,248 for previous expenses  :  approved the low bids for Water Plant & Swimming Pool chemicals  :  approved the low bid from Schrey Systems for seven types of concrete to be used by the City for miscellaneous work  :  approved various bids from various contractors for sand, crushed stone, and rip rap for the City  :  approved the low bid from Schrey Systems for concrete for the North East Street sidewalk project  :  took no action on a Tourism Grant application  :  & took no action after a closed session to discuss negotiations and personnel  :  the Olney City Council’s next regular meeting is April 22nd.

(NEWTON)  In yesterday’s USDA Farm Report – cooler and drier than normal weather continued around the state last week with the average temperature being 3 degrees below normal, at 44.4 degrees – the state’s total precipitation last week was over a half inch below normal (0.62), totaling less than a tenth of an inch as many locations received no rain at all – there are scattered reports of corn planting while most farmers are spreading fertilizer, applying anhydrous ammonia, & just beginning field work – remember safety out there.

(NOBLE)  The West Richland FFA placed third in the Section 23 Ag Business contest last week – in the individual work, Matthew Runyon placed second overall and Deanna Michels was nineth – other teams members included Sydney O’Dell, Austen Barnett, and Cody Reynolds  :  the West Richland FFA placed fifth in the Section 23 Ag Mechanics contest last week – Greg Klingler placed third overall individually in the Electricity Division while Kyle Clements placed fourth in the Welding Division – other teams members were Jordan Weidner, Alex Tolliver, and Tyler Hemrich  :  meanwhile, Holly Stallard placed second in the District 5 Prepared Public Speaking contest at SIU Carbondale  :  congrats to one and all from Noble.

(NEWTON)  The Jasper County Shrine Club will host an orthopaedic screening clinic for all area children under the age of 18 this coming Saturday morning, from 9:00 until 12:00 noon at the Jasper County Health Center – no appointments are necessary, however those with any questions can call 618-783-2770 for more information – children will not be diagnosed, but merely evaluated to determine if they have a condition that’s treatable at Shriners Hospitals for Children – eligible patients will complete an application to be reviewed and acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs – that’s this Saturday in Newton.

(NEWTON)  There are a few area blood drives this week with all eligible and/or first-time blood donors encouraged to get out and give the gift of life at their next earliest opportunity – here’s the list of those upcoming drives  :  Sunday morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12:00 noon  :  Thursday afternoon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton from 1:00 to 6:00, sponsored by Bodystyles Salon  :  Wednesday afternoon at the Cumberland High School northwest of Greenup from 2:00 to 6:30  :  today at Lake Land College south of Mattoon from 11:00 to 4:00  :  all blood types are very much in need.

REMINDERS  :
    The City of Olney will begin removing all ground decorations from the Olney cemeteries next Monday, April 15th – this includes Haven Hill, Memorial Gardens, & Maple Dale – folks wanting to save their grave decorations should remove them by this Sunday, April 14th – the public’s cooperation is greatly appreciated

    The Olney Arts Council is taking a bus to the Spurlock Art Museum and the Krannert Art Museum in Champaign this Saturday – for trip information or details, call today at 618-392-7977

    The Dundas Ruritan Club has its annual “bulk chowder” this Saturday with serving at 11:00 in the morning – priced at $14 a gallon, there’s also homemade pies & baked goods – no glass containers

    The Lawrenceville VFW will host a fundraising breakfast this Saturday morning from 6:00 to 11:00, all for a free will donation – proceeds to the Lawrence Allison Firemen – carry-outs available at 618-928-1943

    The 4th Biennial New Pow-Wow Variety Show at East Richland High School is this Friday night at 6:30 – Drama Club members will be performing with a video presentation of past Pow-Wows – all invited

    The ERES Kindergarten classes will perform their music program “Groovy Zoovy” this Friday in the ERES dining hall – three classes perform at 10:00 and the other three at 2:15 – all are invited to attend

 
    The next Cellular One “smartphone class” is this Thursday night from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Cell One Store, located in the Olney Centre, just east of Wal-Mart, along North Route 130, in Olney – all are invited

 
    The St. Thomas School in Newton will host a Longaberger Bingo “basket game night” this Thursday night at 7:00 at the Parish Center – plenty of fun, plus concessions and more – all ages are invited

 
    The West Richland School District’s 2013-2014 Kindergarten Orientation is tonight from 6:00 to 7:00 at the Elementary School cafeteria in Noble – all incoming students & parents are urged to attend

    It’s another Parent’s Workshop at East Richland Elementary School tonight at 6:00, with a meal at 5:30, or tomorrow morning at 11:00 – the topic is “sibling rivalry” – childcare provided – call ERES for details

(OLNEY)  A frontal boundary hanging over the Midwest has lifted north of our area & stalled out, giving us more rain chances today thru tomorrow morning – then as the front eventually moves thru Wednesday thru Thursday morning, more storms, possibly severe, will likely move thru our region – after some lingering showers Thursday, it’s cooler, but dry for Friday and thru next weekend – stay tuned for updates.

(OLNEY)  The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for portions of our listening area, mostly for the counties of Richland, Jasper, Crawford, Effingham, Cumberland, & others to the north & west – for today & tonight, folks should be alert to the possibility of strong thunderstorms – then for tomorrow thru Thursday, folks should be alert to possible severe weather conditions that could develop with heavy rainfall totals as well – everyone should stay tuned to their NOAA weather radios. 

(NEWTON)  Lawmakers are back in Springfield today after a two week recess – they return to session with a full load of issues on their plates, from pension reform to same-sex marriage, from education funding cuts to concealed carry – plus on top of these lingering topics, the lawmakers have to finalize the state’s fiscal year 2014 budget – the goal is get it all taken care of by May 31st, when the spring session is set to end.

(OLNEY)  One small town in Illinois is paying people to move there – officials with St. Libory are giving new homeowners a 25% refund on their property taxes for up to eight years – only homeowners in certain subdivisions would qualify and they’d have to apply for the refund – while some officials say it would be less money for local schools, others say it means more students moving in to help offset other losses.

(NEWTON)  Another musical act has been added to this year’s Illinois State Fair – just added to the already star-studded lineup is an August 17th performance by pop star “KeSha” – added last month was the original classic rock band “Journey” – other big names include country music stars Toby Keith, Thompson Square, The Band Perry, & Billy Currington – also classic rock bands REO Speedwagon & Styx – the Illinois State Fair in Springfield will run August 8th to 18th – for ticket details, logon at www.illinoisstatefair.info.

(OLNEY)  With the April 9th Consolidated Election tomorrow, all registered voters are reminded they can still cast in-person absentee votes from 8:00 until 4:00 today at the Richland County Clerk’s office or in all other statewide County Clerk’s offices – with municipal, school board, and college board elections taking place, there are various questions on area ballots – the polls are open from 6:00am to 7:00pm tomorrow.

(NEWTON)  A reminder from the Jasper County County Clerk’s office for tomorrow’s April 9th Consolidated Election – the voters of Grove Township will cast their vote at the new Grove Township Community Building, which is the former Grove School – while new voter registration cards have been mailed to the voters of Grove Township stating the new polling place, if there are any questions, contact the County Clerk’s office in Newton – remember, the polls open at 6:00 tomorrow morning & remain open till 7:00 tomorrow night – the Clerk’s office will still accept in-person absentee voting from 8:00 to 4:00 today.

 
(OLNEY)  The East Richland High School’s JROTC took part in a Service Learning Project last Thursday at Burgin Manor Nursing Home in Olney – during the community project, the JROTC Cadets interacted with the elderly and spoke the Veterans that call Burgin Manor home – the thirteen Cadets joined in during games, assisted the residents with daily activities, and listened to some of the Veterans talk about their experiences – the JROTC’s Color Guard also presented the colors and informed the Burgin Manor residents about what the JROTC does to help the community and how the class is helping them to become better citizens – Burgin Manor provided the JROTC Cadets from East Richland High School with a pizza party.

(NEWTON)  The official hunt for a Casey man has ended as the body of 28 year old Daniel James “DJ” Roscom was found at around 5:00 Saturday afternoon in a ravine near Interstate 70 at the Casey exit – a planned search by family and friends on Saturday was the second such event, although authorities did not indicate if the search led to the finding – Roscom had been missing since the late night of March 18th – the Clark  County and City of Casey authorities are investigating the case with further details at a later date.

(OLNEY)  An Albion man is in custody, accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend’s 13 year old daughter and taking her to West Virginia during the past Easter holiday weekend – 46 year old David Tapia is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, out in Belington, West Virginia, pending his extradition back to Edwards County for a court appearance – with bond has been set at $250,000, he also faces charges of intimidation – the unidentified teenager was found unharmed by West Virginia authorities with some friends of Tapia.

(NEWTON)  There are a few area blood drives coming up this week with all eligible and/or first-time blood donors encouraged to get out and give the gift of life at their next earliest opportunity – here’s the list of those upcoming drives  :  Sunday morning at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Ste. Marie from 8:00 to 12:00 noon  :  Thursday afternoon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newton from 1:00 to 6:00, sponsored by Bodystyles Salon  :  Wednesday afternoon at the Cumberland High School northwest of Greenup from 2:00 to 6:30  :  tomorrow at Lake Land College south of Mattoon from 11:00 to 4:00  :  today at the Effingham Elks Club from 2:30 to 6:30  :  all blood types are needed to help replenish the low regional blood supply.

REMINDERS  :
    The Dundas Ruritan Club has its annual “bulk chowder” this Saturday with serving at 11:00 in the morning – priced at $14 a gallon, there’s also homemade pies & baked goods – no glass containers

    The 4th Biennial New Pow-Wow Variety Show at East Richland High School is this Friday night at 6:30 – Drama Club members will be performing with a video presentation of past Pow-Wows – all invited

    The St. Thomas School in Newton will host a Longaberger Bingo “basketball game night” this Thursday night at 7:00 at the Parish Center – plenty of fun, plus concessions and more – all ages are invited

 
    The West Richland School District’s 2013-2014 Kindergarten Orientation is tomorrow night from 6:00 to 7:00 at the Elementary School cafeteria in Noble – all incoming students & parents are urged to attend

    It’s another Parent’s Workshop at East Richland Elementary School tomorrow night at 6:00, with a meal at 5:30, or Wednesday morning at 11:00 – the topic is “sibling rivalry” – childcare provided – call ERES

    There are two municipal meetings tonight in Richland County  :  the Olney City Council meets at 7:30 at the Olney City Hall  :  the Noble Village Board meets tonight at 7:00 at the Noble Village Hall

    The City of Olney’s brush dump is open today from 10:00 this morning until 4:00 this afternoon – the brush dump on West Mack Avenue in Olney is currently open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays

    The RMH Auxiliary is hosting a fundraising “book fair” today in the RMH Administration Lobby from 9:00 until 3:30 – it’s quality books at discount prices & more – call RMH in Olney for more details