Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Today, there was a construction project started on southbound Interstate 57 between Benton and West Frankfort. Traffic is backed up for miles going southbound.
There has been an accident reported at State Route 37 and Yellowbanks also between Benton and West Frankfort.
Seek alternate routes.
sd
by Steve Dunford
For tomorrow, mainly for the early evening hours and up until midnight there is a slight risk of Severe Weather for the western half of Southern Illinois.
From a briefing from the National Weather Service of Paducah KY, between 9:00 to 10:00 pm is when Franklin County will be under the gun.
The national weather service has not issued a hazardous weather outlook for today. I will post the briefing on the FranklinCounty-news.com Facebook page.
The weekend is going to be very wet. Forecast models are showing five inches of rain here fore the weekend. The Storm Prediction Center has a chance for severe weather slated just to our south for Saturday and Sunday.
For HS sports activities, I would keep my eye to the sky on Wednesday and Friday afternoon for the possibility of pop up thunderstorms.
I will post another update in the morning. I will post watches and warnings when they are issued for the region.
Press release from Franklin County Sheriff Donald R. Jones 
by Steve Dunford
WSIL photo
BENTON, IL- Local firefighters have been busy over the last few hours.
Benton FD was called to the 500 block of North McLeansboro Street. A MABAS box alarm was toned, and West City, West Frankfort, Ewing-Northern, Sesser, and Christopher responded for mutual aid.
A passerby notice smoke and the resident was pulled out of the residence. The initial call said there was entrapment. The resident is being treated for serious burns.
A representative from the Benton Fire Department said there is an undetermined amount of loss.
by Steve Dunford
WSIL photo
WEST FRANKFORT, IL – West Frankfort fireman were dispatched to Gossett road to a house fire yesterday afternoon around 1:30. A large explosion was reported
A MABAS box alarm was pulled for mutual aid. Fire departments from Benton, Zeigler, Ewing Northern, Carterville and Johnston City responded.
A representative from the West Frankfort Fire Department, stated that it was a 40 x 40 structure with an attached garage. It was a total loss. The amount of the loss can not be assessed because they were unsure of the value of the contents.
I need to put an editorial content here. There were posts on social media that was spreading a local business was on fire yesterday. Please do not post anything like that unless you now it is a fact.
I will wait until something is confirmed by authorities unless it is a life threatening situation before reporting.
by Steve Dunford
This is for Sunday, April 30. Confidence from the SPC must be high, issuing this seven days out. (NOAA image)
First of all, enjoy today and tomorrow. It is going to be picture perfect with highs in the 70’s.
There is going to be a stormy pattern setting up starting on Wednesday. The weather service has Southern Illinois under a marginal risk of severe weather (Level 1 of 5) for Southern Illinois. We are going to keep an eye on it because Southeast Missouri is under a slight risk (level 2 of 5).
Dr. Greg Forbes of the Weather Channel has the TORCON level for Southern Illinois listed as 2 to 3 with scattered severe weather. That means there is a 20 to 30 percent chance of a tornado warning being issued within 50 miles of the areas he outlines.
One thing that grabbed my attention for Wednesday afternoon is the National Weatjer Service in Paducah was alerting Storm Spotters for the possibility of Severe Weather for Wednesday. I keep my spotter certification up and participate in online seminars still with the National Weather Service. They sent out the email last night. Alerting that far in advance is unusual. Wednesday is worth keeping your eye out for.
Thursday is going to be cooler with a slight chance of showers.
Our next weather maker will come in on Friday as there is a good chance of thunderstorms coming into Friday afternoon into the evening hours. The confidence level to forecast anything severe is still low because it is still too early to tell.
The weather is causing local high school athletic directors scrambling to reschedule high school baseball and softball games and track meets. I know there will be rivalry games between Benton and West Frankfort in baseball and softball that has been rescheduled already that is on the slate Friday.
Saturday is supposed to be stormy as well. The confidence for severe weather is to far out to tell.
Sunday the Storm Prediction Center has outlined an area that the southern seven counties are in for a chance to see some severe weather. (graphic above) Even though the confidence at this time is 15 percent, it is what a slight risk would be if it is three days out.
This grabbed my attention in a hurry this morning. If the SPC issues the chance for severe weather this far out, their confidence level must be high.
I will provide daily updates on the developing situation.
Nashville head coach Brad Weathers has a word with player Kyle Jasper before he enters the game last season. Weathers announced his resignation after eight years. Ron Johnson Peoria Journal Star
Rev. Robert E. Dial, 95, of Benton IL, passed away Thursday morning, April 20, 2017 at the Helia HealthCare Center in Benton.
He was born in Franklin County, IL, on December 15, 1921, the son of Samuel Edward and Beulah (Hunt) Dial.
He married Jeanne (Woods) on May 15, 1959, and she preceded him in death on November 20, 2014.
Rev. Dial served during World War II in the U.S. Navy. He joined the Navy in December of 1941, serving in the Pacific Theatre, serving on the USS Stormes DD780.
He was ordained with Full Gospel Ministers Association in 1977. He was a Grade A Dairy Farmer. He retired as a Foreman in Mine Construction for Roberts & Schafer. He was a member of the West City Church of God and taught Sunday School for several years.
He was preceded in death by his Parents-Edward & Beulah (Hunt) Dial, Wife-Jeanne (Woods) Dial, Daughter-Iva Jane, Sisters-Wanda Zoellner, Hazel Brown, Helen Dittlinger, Pauline Gaither, Imiagean Welch, Vergia Willmore and Brother-Ray Dial.
Rev. Dial is survived by several Nieces & Nephews.
He was preceded in death by his Parents-Edward & Beulah (Hunt) Dial, Wife-Jeanne (Woods) Dial, Daughter-Iva Jane, Sisters-Wanda Zoellner, Hazel Brown, Helen Dittlinger, Pauline Gaither, Imiagean Welch, Vergia Willmore and Brother-Ray Dial.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Monday, April 24th at the West City Church of God with Pastor Harol Whitlock officiating. Burial will be in the Brady Cemetery in Akin. Visitation will be after 1:00 P.M. Monday at the Church.
For more information or to sign the online guest register please visitwww.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com
FRANKLIN COUNTY, IL (Liz Quirin, Belleville Messenger – Please click on the link to leave the full story. Here is an excerpt) Deacon Michael Rowland wears many hats as he ministers at St. Andrew Parish in Christopher and the partner parishes of St. Mary in Sesser and St. Joseph in Benton. Not a cradle Catholic, he said people suggested Catholics were, to say the least, unusual in their beliefs. When he went to high school, he began to meet some of these “unusual” people, and he found them to be “completely normal.” Intrigued, he said he bought a copy of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” and began investigating the faith.