Liueutenant Governor tours Franklin Hospital, discusses Telehealth Program

Franklin Hospital board with the Lieutenant Governor

Franklin Hospital board with the Lieutenant Governor

BENTON – Illinois Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti toured Franklin Hospital on Friday and witnessed a demonstration of a TeleHealth clinic visit provided through Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine in Springfield. “Time and again I have heard about the lack of specialty and primary care availability in rural communities,” said Lt. Governor Sanguinetti, who serves as chairman of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council. “Residents can face 60 to 90 minute drive times to major medical facilities, and this is only if they have access to reliable transportation. Improving our TeleHealth infrastructure will address these rural health disparities and offer innovative ways to provide the quality healthcare access that all Illinoisans deserve.” Nina M. Antoniotti, Executive Director of TeleHealth and Clinical Outreach for the SIU School of Medicine, outlined the program for the Lt. Governor, saying “Illinois is way behind many other states when it comes to public policy that removes the barriers to the use of TeleHealth to improve access, improve clinical outcomes, and reduce cost to the state for health care programs serving our state’s most vulnerable populations.” Please click on the link to read the rest of the story from WMCL Radio in McLeansboro

Chris Kennedy moving closer to bid for governor

chris-kennedyCHICAGO — Businessman Chris Kennedy is interviewing potential pollsters and consultants as he moves toward a possible 2018 gubernatorial run, sources close to Kennedy told POLITICO Illinois. Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, has increased his public profile since the spring and has publicly discussed the possibility of running for governor — without making commitments. Top Illinois Democrats who have met with Kennedy say they would welcome his candidacy but were not sure if he’ll actually make the run, given his flirtations with higher office in the past. But a top aide to Kennedy told POLITICO Illinois on Tuesday that he is preparing to file papers with the state board of elections “in short order … some time in the next month.” Please click on the link to read the rest of the story from Politico.com

Illinois poised to require lead testing in public schools, day care centers

drinking-fountiansIllinois public schools and licensed daycare facilities will be required to test drinking water for lead contamination under a major compromise reached by key stakeholders, parties involved in the deal told POLITICO Illinois. Long-running negotiations among environmental groups, lawmakers, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the governor’s office culminated in a compromise late last week, according to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office and the Illinois Environmental Council. Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council, told POLITICO that a compromise amendment is set to be added today to an existing bill — SB550 — after the bill’s expected release from the House Rules Committee. The agreed terms include a framework of the existing bill, pushed for months by Lisa Madigan’s office and others: schools built before the year 2000 that serve students fifth grade and younger, would be required to test for lead in all its drinking water sources, as well as sources of water used for cooking at the schools. Also, licensed day care centers would also be required to test water sources. A compromise effort ramped up by Rauner’s office since the veto session helped bring opponents on board, Walling said….please click to read the rest of the story from politico.com

Wind….rain….possibly a thunderstorm or two…and ice over the next few day

windy

First of all, I apologize for being so late with this.  I try to have this posted by 6:00 a.m. every morning.

I don’t think it is any surprise to anyone, but we are under a wind advisory until 6:00 p.m. tonight.  There has been spotty power outages across the county this morning as well as limbs blocking lanes of traffic on a few roadways.

Highs today will be in the 60’s as well as the rest of the week, as freezing rain will come in the forecast for Thursday night into Friday.

Below is the latest model posted by KFVS-12 meteorologist Brian Alworth about the ice potential:

ice-forecast

Here are the products issued by the NWS in Paducah that are in effect for Franklin County.

...VERY GUSTY WINDS WILL PERSIST TODAY...

…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING… * TIMING…GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. * WINDS…SOUTH WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WILL GUST TO 40 TO 50 MPH AT TIMES. *

IMPACTS…POWER OUTAGES DUE TO LIMBS AND TREES FALLING ON POWER LINES CAN BE EXPECTED. THE WINDS WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES, ESPECIALLY TO HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES TRAVELING ON EAST-WEST ORIENTED ROADWAYS. ALSO, LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS WILL GET BLOWN AROUND.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 30 MPH OR GREATER FOR LONGER THAN ONE HOUR, OR WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 40 MPH FOR ANY DURATION.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, SOUTHWEST INDIANA, WESTERN KENTUCKY, AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

. .DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT WIND GUSTS COULD REACH 40 TO 45 MPH FROM THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. .

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. STRONG STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT THURSDAY.

FREEZING RAIN AND A GLAZE OF ICE ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI…SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY EVENING.

HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST…THOUGH THE EVENT WILL BE SPREAD OUT OVER SEVERAL DAYS. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN STANDING WATER IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS…ALONG WITH RISES IN SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS.

For updates about the unsettled weather conditions we are facing check franklincounty-news.com for continuous updates and possible cancellations throughout the week.

Here is a link to the seven day forecast for Franklin County.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=176&map.y=89&site=pah&zmx=1&zmy=1#.WHT3xdQrJxA

 

Illinois Senate budget plan unlikely to make it to governor

Illinois State Senate President John Cullerton

Illinois State Senate President John Cullerton

The Illinois Senate is poised to go it alone in outlining a solution to the nation’s longest-running state budget standoff but leaders acknowledge they won’t have time to push it through to the governor in the final two days of the current session. A bipartisan Senate deal began to emerge late last week with a goal of breaking the nearly two-year deadlock between Democrats who control the Legislature and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. It was positioned for a floor vote by late Monday, but since the session ends Tuesday, there’s no time to push the plan to the House. It would have to be reintroduced after a new General Assembly is seated Wednesday. The package includes an increase in the personal income tax from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, borrowing money to pay off $11 billion in overdue bills, expanding legalized riverboat casino gambling, raising the minimum wage and eliminating pensions for retired lawmakers. Please read the rest of the AP story from John O’ Conner that appeared in the Springfield Journal-Register

Planned Parenthood on the ropes as Republicans move in for knockout punch

Speaker of the house Paul Ryan says that in the repeal of Obama Care bill there will be a slash in Planned Parenthood funding (AP photo)

Speaker of the house Paul Ryan says that in the repeal of Obama Care bill there will be a slash in Planned Parenthood funding (AP photo)

A unified Republican government is poised to slash hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood’s annual budget — the culmination of a public relations nightmare 18 months in the making that has left the nation’s largest abortion provider more vulnerable than ever to pro-life advances. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, said Thursday that the budget reconciliation legislation to repeal Obamacare will include a provision to remove Planned Parenthood from the taxpayer dole. Mr. Ryan issued his statement one day after a House committee released a 418-page report detailing Planned Parenthood’s complicity in the illicit sale of body parts from abortions for profit. Please read the rest of the story from Bradford Richardson of the Washington Times

Ford bringing back Ranger – Bronco

2011 Ranger XLT (NADA photo)

2011 Ranger XLT (NADA photo)

This has been a blurb in several media sources and I could not find a full story.  Ford Motor Company is bringing back the mid size pickup the Ford Ranger in 2019, and the original SUV the Bronco in 2020.

The Ranger was produced from 1983-2011.  The resale value on them as well as the Chevy S 10 and GMC Somoma has been high because of consumer demand for the smaller truck.

1979 Bronco. My personal favorite body style of Ford Trucks in general

1979 Bronco. My personal favorite body style of Ford Trucks in general

 

The Bronco was produced from 1966-1996.  It had a smaller counterpart the Bronco II in the 1980’s-90’s.  The full size  Bronco was replaced by the Excursion in 1997.

It is noteworthy the Bronco was slated to be produced in Mexico. Now, it will be produced in Michigan.-sd

Harrisburg women avoid Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting

The two Harrisburg women who escaped the Fort Lauderdale shooting (WSIL TV Photo)

The two Harrisburg women who escaped the Fort Lauderdale shooting (WSIL TV Photo)

HARRISBURG – Two Harrisburg women traveling from Florida to St. Louis had just become airborne when a man began shooting in the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday afternoon, one of the women said. Celia Roark and her grandmother Patty Peterson had just departed the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when a man reportedly from an incoming Canadian flight allegedly claimed a checked bag containing a firearm, took the firearm into a bathroom to load it and emerged shooting. Five people are dead and 8 injured as a result, according to multiple news outlets. The shooting happened in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at the airport. Roark, the daughter of former Daily Register sports editor John Roark of Princeton, Ind. and Amy Peterson of Marion, said they were in Terminal 1 prior to departure. Please click and read the story from Travis DeNeal of the Harrisburg Daliy-Register.

South Main in Benton/East Main in WF closed for crossing repair this week

road-closedThe furthest south railroad crossing on South Main Street (Route 37) in Benton is closed for repairs.  The road will open back up around 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

The railroad crossing on East Main street (Route 149) will be closed on Wednesday morning around 7 a.m. on  and reopen around 7 pm on Thursday for repairs also.

This is weather pending.  If rescheduled, franklincounty-news.com will pass along an alternate date.

Rain all this week-small chance of wintry precipitation on Friday/Saturday

Image from WSIL TV Meteorologist Ashley Smith

Image from WSIL TV Meteorologist Ashley Smith

Good Morning!!!! It is going to be a windy Monday.  It will be Sunny with a high of 39 degrees today.  There is a 40% chance of rain tonight with rising temperatures throughout the night.

Highs will be in the 50’s to around 60 Tuesday through Thursday until a cold front goes through the region on Friday and a wintry mix is forecasted. Temperatures will yo-yo throughout the weekend.

Here is the Hazardous Weather Outlook from the National Weather Service in Paducah KY:

SOUTH WINDS WILL START PICKING UP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. SOME AREAS MAY SEE WINDS INCREASE TO AS HIGH AS 20 TO 25 MPH SUSTAINED…WITH GUSTS INTO THE 30 TO 35 MPH RANGE POSSIBLE. THIS WILL POSE A HAZARD TO AREA TRAVEL…ESPECIALLY TO HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. SECURE ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT MAY BE STREWN ABOUT BY THE WIND. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS ENTER THE FORECAST TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS MAINLY WESTERN KENTUCKY, AND AREA WIDE WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS RETURN AGAIN TO THE FORECAST FOR SOME LOCATIONS THURSDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY THUNDERSTORM RELATED HAZARD. A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN TIER OF COUNTIES. THE SAME EVENT IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT ALSO, BUT TO A LESSER DEGREE. HEAVY RAINFALL RATES ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND INUNDATION OF LOW LANDS AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS IS EXPECTED.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=176&map.y=89&site=pah&zmx=1&zmy=1#.WHN1oNQrJxA

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News