Dr. Glenn Poshard addressing the student body and faculty of Morthland (WSIL-TV photo
Bost Votes for Bipartisan Funding Bill
May 3, 2017 By Leave a Comment
by George O’ Connor, Communications Director for Congressman Mike Bost
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today voted for a funding package that keeps the federal government operating through the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends in September. The bipartisan legislation – which passed the House by an overwhelming 309-118 margin – includes a permanent fix for retired miners’ health care benefits, limits EPA overreach, drastically increases border security, and strengthens our military.
“This legislation is not perfect and does not include everything we wanted, but it makes significant reforms that are wins for Southern Illinois,” said Rep. Bost. “Now that we’ve come together to provide long-term certainty for our retired miners, military members, small businesses, and hardworking families in Southern Illinois, we can now redouble our efforts on the important initiatives that were not included in this bill and make progress there as we move forward.”
Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Southern Illinois:
Keeping Our Promise to Retired Miners:
- Contains a permanent fix that guarantees healthcare benefits to retired miners and their families who are facing uncertainty as a result of the financial crisis and corporate bankruptcies.
Spurring Economic Growth:
- Provides flexibility for the Trump Administration to unwind harmful, potentially job-killing executive overreach put into place by the Obama Administration.
- Reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens across government, including within the EPA.
Strengthening National Security:
- Includes the largest increase for border security technologies and infrastructure improvement in more than a decade.
- Prohibits the transfer or release of detainees at Guantanamo Bay into the U.S.
- Ensures Scott Air Force Base and other military installations receive the funding they need to keep America safe.
- Provides our troops the largest military pay raise in six years and reverses the Obama Administration’s personnel cuts.
Streamlining the Federal Government:
- Rescinds, consolidates, or terminates more than 150 federal programs or initiatives.
- Increases oversight and limits funding for agencies that have performed poorly, misused taxpayer dollars, or are not acting in our best interest.
- Provides no new funding for Obamacare programs.
- Reduces funding for payments to the United Nations and other international organizations.
Woman hit by stray bullet during Cardinals game
May 3, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Disaster Resource Center opening in West Frankfort
May 2, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Press Release from Franklin County Emergency Management Agency
Franklin County Emergency Management Agency in conjunction with the City of West Frankfort will open a Disaster Resource Center on Wednesday morning starting at 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM in the lobby of the West Frankfort Public Safety Building (201 E. Nolen Street in West Frankfort). The location will be open to ALL Franklin County residents who have been affected by the disaster
Local agencies and non-governmental organizations will be on hand to provide information, distribute recovery resources and collect damage assessment reports. Flood clean up kits and other resources from the American Red Cross will be available after 12:00 PM.
Flood Warnings continue – Flash Flood Watch issued starting tomorrow morning
May 2, 2017 By Leave a Comment
by Steve Dunford –
The Flood Warning for Franklin County continues until 11:45 p.m. tomorrow for the entire county. I was anticipating this to be reduced to just the Big Muddy but the NWS is keeping it out one more day. All of the statements by the national weather service will be posted at the end of the story.
There is a Flash Flood Watch that will start on Wednesday morning into Thursday as heavy rains are forecasts.
Road Closures will be posted with the weather reports starting tomorrow unless the heavy rains start to hit us again.
Above is the pool for Rend Lake today. Despite the high waters, a representative from the Army Corps of Engineers stated that South Sandusky and the bike trail below the dam in places is the only two facilities that are closed. There is a wind advisory for area lakes until 6:00 p.m.
He also said a loop of Wayne Fitzgerell campground was closed, he was unsure which one was. I could not make contact with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. From past precedence, I would speculate it is Hickman Point and possibly the boat ramp.
The Big Muddy River at Plumfield has crested. Today’s river stage forecast shows the river being in moderate flood stage longer than expected. There Mississippi is supposed to crest in Chester on Thursday on the , and as of now the bridge is still open. Near record crest are still in the forecast for Cape Girardeau and Thebes.
Here are statements that are issued by the National Weather Service in Paducah, KY.
FLOOD WARNING ENTIRE COUNTY
The National Weather Service in Paducah has extended the * Flood Warning for… Perry County in south central Illinois… Wayne County in south central Illinois… Williamson County in southern Illinois… Saline County in southern Illinois… Jackson County in southern Illinois… Franklin County in south central Illinois… Hamilton County in south central Illinois… * Until 1145 AM CDT Wednesday
* At 1123 AM CDT, numerous state and county roads in several of the warned counties remain flooded or impassable across much of Southern Illinois. Water has receded from several area roads, but several county and emergency management officials still request that the flood warning remain in place for public safety. Another round of rain is expected Wednesday and Wednesday Night and may lead to additional flooding.
FLOOD WARNING FOR THE BIG MUDDY
The National Weather Service in Paducah KY has issued a flood warning for the Big Muddy River near Plumfield and Murphysboro The Big Muddy River will continue to rise at Murphysboro Illinois with a crest of 39.8 feet on Thursday morning. Plumfield Illinois will crest this evening at 28.7 feet and then begin a slow fall.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… SAFETY MESSAGE… Never drive cars…trucks or sport utility vehicles through flooded areas. The water may be too deep to allow safe passage. Never allow children to play in or near flood waters. Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your local media for further statements and possible updated forecasts.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY
The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a Lake Wind Advisory, which is in effect from noon today to 6 PM CDT this evening.
* WINDS…Will be sustained from 15 to 20 mph. Gusts will range from 20 to 30 mph. The strongest winds are expected over the Evansville Tri State.
* IMPACTS…The strong gusty winds will pose a hazard to small boat operators on area lakes and rivers. Flood recovery efforts will also be negatively impacted, especially where boats are needed for checking flooded property
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A Lake Wind Advisory indicates that winds will cause rough chop on area lakes. Small boats will be especially prone to capsizing.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .
DAY ONE…Today and Tonight Following the weekend heavy rainfall, flooding continues in parts of our region. Major to record flooding exists on smaller rivers, as well as the Mississippi River, in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. Please check the latest flood statements and warnings for details. .
DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Wednesday through Monday River flooding will continue through next weekend. Some of the larger mainstem rivers such as the Mississippi River will rise throughout the week. Some of the smaller rivers will begin to recede Tuesday. Please check the most recent river flood statements for the latest forecast information.
A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecast for all or a portion of the area Wednesday and Thursday. Lightning and locally heavy rainfall will be the primary concerns. Rainfall well over an inch from Wednesday through Thursday may aggravate existing flooding or lead to new flooding, especially over portions of southern Illinois, southeast Missouri, and southwest Indiana.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH
The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a * Flash Flood Watch for a portion of southern Illinois, including the following areas, Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Perry IL, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne IL, White, and Williamson. * From Wednesday morning through Thursday evening *
Another weather system will bring an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain to parts of Southern Illinois. The Flash Flood Watch will include all of the counties in Southern Illinois, along and northwest of a line from Cairo, Dongola, Vienna, Shawneetown, and Mount Carmel Illinois. Numerous counties in Southern Illinois continue to experience flooding on some roadways and low lying areas. A brief period of heavier rain will be possible Wednesday morning, but the main threat for heavy rain will be Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon. Given the already saturated ground, rainfall will runoff into creeks and low lying areas faster. *
This additional rainfall will likely worsen already flooded areas in the watch area, as well as cause flood waters to rise in those areas that have seen water drain away on Monday and Tuesday. Repeat flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas will be possible and dangerous flash flooding on smaller creeks and streams will be likely.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. &&
RLC Concealed Carry courses set for May 20-21 and August 4-5
May 2, 2017 By Leave a Comment
by ReAnne Palmer – Rend Lake College Public Information
INA, Ill. (May 1, 2017) – Only two Illinois Concealed Carry courses remain this summer at Rend Lake College. A Saturday-Sunday course is set for May 20-21 and a Friday-Saturday session is scheduled for August 4-5.
Later this month, participants will prepare to apply for their permit from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. On day one, the firearms safety and marksmanship classroom portion of the course will focus on safety, principles of marksmanship, loading and unloading, cleaning, and state and federal laws relating to firearms and force. Firearms and ammunition are not to be brought to this class.
The second day will include interacting with law enforcement, recognizing risk factors and situational awareness, identifying threats, and learning about range rules and procedures. The live fire practice and qualification will also occur on the RLC Shooting Range. Students should bring their firearm with 100 rounds of unopened ammunition to be inspected by course instructors.
To qualify, students must complete 30 rounds at 5, 7, and 10 yards with at least 70 percent accuracy. A qualifying shot consists of a shot placed inside the 7 ring of a B-27 target.
In August, participants will meet from 4 – 10 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Saturday. All classes will meet instructors Ron Meek and Jeff Bullard in the Coal Mine Training Center, Room 107A, on the Ina campus.
Participants who complete RLC’s Concealed Carry training course are eligible to apply for Illinois and Florida Concealed Weapons licenses. A valid FOID card and a driver’s license must be brought to class. Students must attend the entire 16 hours of training, no exemptions will be given. Participants must be at least 21 years old. The cost of the training is $150 for in-state residents and $250 for out-of-state residents.
To learn more about these courses, call 618-437-5321, Ext. 1714. Pre-registration may be done in person, via phone call, or by emailing commcorped@rlc.edu.
Flooding disaster declared in Franklin County
May 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Media Release by Franklin County Emergency Management Agency Director, Ryan Buckingham
Bost Statement on Permanent Fix for Miner Health Benefit
May 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Press release from Congressman Mike Bost’s office
Rep. Bost speaks on behalf retired miners outside US Capitol (Photo provided)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) issued the following statement following the announcement that a permanent fix for miner’s health care benefits was included in the upcoming Fiscal 2017 spending bill:
“My colleagues and I made it abundantly clear to congressional leadership in recent weeks that another short-term extension of these vitally important health benefits for coal miners would be simply unacceptable. These men and women worked hard in extremely dangerous situations to power America and were made a promise. I am pleased that we have reached a long-term fix on the health care piece. This gives us operating room to continue working on a solution for pensions.”
Governor Rauner Activates State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield
May 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Press release from Governor Bruce Rauner’s office
SPRINGFIELD – Governor Rauner this morning activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Springfield to ensure state personnel and equipment are ready to be quickly deployed if needed to help local emergency responders with flooding-related public safety issues in several areas of the state.
“Several inches of rain has caused our rivers to swell, which has caused flooding in some communities. In order to expedite any state assistance to protect residents and critical infrastructure, I activated the State Emergency Operations Center with personnel from several key agencies to quickly react to any requests,” said Governor Rauner.
Representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), Illinois State Police (ISP), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois Department of Public Health, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the American Red Cross (ARC) have reported to the SEOC to coordinate deployment of state resources and personnel to assist communities preparing for or already battling floodwaters.
State resources already deployed include inmate crews from IDOC to assist with sandbagging in Murphysboro and Desoto; delivery of sandbags and plastic to Dawson, Grand Tower and the Menard Correctional Center in Murphysboro by IDOT; traffic support from ISP. In addition, the ARC has a shelter in Marion with others on standby if needed.
The SEOC will remain activated as long as necessary.
“While the heavy rainfall and flash flood risks have subsided, we’re now focusing on river flooding that will increase in several areas throughout the week,” said IEMA Director James Joseph. “We have been in close contact with our county emergency management partners for the past several days in order to best support their needs.”
For updates visit the Ready Illinois website at www.ready.illinois.gov.
