A series of festivals, parades, and other events will mark the 200th anniversary of Illinois adopting its state constitution.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a law that allows Firearm Owners Identification cards to stay active even if Illinois State Police renewal isn’t completed by their expiration date.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner signed today bipartisan legislation to protect taxpayers against inappropriate use of funds earmarked for nonprofit organization grants — as well as from attempts to use the grant process for political advantage in the run-up to an election.

“These are good-government, common-sense measures that protect taxpayers against the misuse of funds,” Rauner said. “I commend the Legislative Audit Commission for its work. This should go a long way toward restoring taxpayers’ faith in the grant process.

“Numerous nonprofits in Illinois are doing excellent, important work to improve our environment or improve people’s lives,” he continued. “This will help ensure that our limited grant resources are put to the best use.”

The legislation came as a result of the uncovered misuse of grant funds in the Pat Quinn Administration’s Neighborhood Recovery Initiative.

Approved unanimously by the Illinois House and Senate in the spring, Senate Bill 2540 makes several changes to the state grant process. Significantly, it places greater restrictions on fund transfers, and prohibits transferring grant funds from appropriated to non-appropriated funds. It also requires a black-out period extending from Sept. 1 of general election years through the election, barring members of the General Assembly or state constitutional officers from announcing grants within that time frame — preventing them from creating grant programs solely or primarily to boost exposure.

The bill also permits the state comptroller to stop payment on grants when serious concerns arise about a program or recipient.

“State grants help fund non-profit organizations and others that undertake important work in communities around our state,” said Sen. Barickman (R-Bloomington) who was chief sponsor of the legislation and co-chairs the Legislative Audit Commission. “The controversial NRI program diminished the credibility of those good programs by misusing millions in taxpayers’ dollars and diverting the funds to questionable activities. The Legislative Audit Commission worked together with Governor Rauner’s Office of Management and Budget and the Comptroller’s office to prevent this misuse from happening again in the future.”

SB 2540 is effective immediately.

Backers of term limits for Chicago’s mayor say they have more than enough signatures to get the question on the November ballot, but it still may not end up there.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday vetoed legislation to expand benefit rights for paramedics and emergency medical technicians by defining them as firefighters in municipal collective bargaining agreements.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

 

8-10-18 at 1:03 pm Deputies responded to a hit and run crash that occurred on Old Marion Road just south of Rains Road. A 2011 Ford F150 Pick-Up Truck driven by Lyle D. Fitch age 51 of West Frankfort was north bound on Old Marion Road, lost control, running off the roadway on the west side and through a fence. The driver then fled the scene of the crash. West Frankfort Police located the vehicle and driver in West Frankfort and detained the driver until Deputies arrived. There were no injuries and Fitch was arrested for leaving the scene of a property damage crash.

8-10-18 at 9:25 pm Deputies were notified of a threat made to a Circuit Court Judge posted on a social networking site. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Bobby Joe Owen age 40 of West Frankfort. Owen is charged with threatening a public official, a class 3 felony, and is being held in the Franklin County Jail in lieu of $30,000.00 bond.

8-11-18 at 4:17 am Deputies responded to a reported disturbance at a residence in rural Thompsonville. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Benjamin A. Arview age 33 of West Frankfort for an outstanding Franklin County warrant for failure to appear on traffic charges.

8-11-18 at 2:47 pm Deputies responded to a burglary at a residence in Orient. The investigation has led to the arrest of Paul E. Ray age 35 of Benton and Rachel D. Ray age 32 of Benton and the recovery of some of the missing property. The Rays are charged with residential burglary and felony theft. The investigation is continuing and more arrests are anticipated.

8-11-18 Deputies arrested Dalton M. Thompson age 24 of West Frankfort for violating the Illinois Sex Offender Act. Thompson is being held in the Franklin County Jail in lieu of $20,000.00 bond.

8-13-18 Deputies responded to a burglary of the Rt. 149 bar in Royalton at 10:42 am. The burglary had occurred during the early morning hours and was apparently linked to a vehicle theft that had also occurred during the early morning hours a short distance from the bar. The investigation led to the arrest of Jason L. Stacy age 29 of Herrin and the recovery of most of the stolen property including the stolen car. Stacy has been charged with burglary and felony theft.

8-13-18 at 12:39 pm Deputies responded to a two vehicle traffic crash on Il. State Highway Rt. 37 at Commerce Lane. A 1995 GMC 1500 Pick-Up Truck driven by James L. Southwood age 49 of West Frankfort, was turning onto Rt. 37 from Commerce Lane and pulled into the path of a 2004 GMC Yukon, driven by Annette M. Mccoy age 59 of Benton. There were no injuries and Southwood was ticketed for failure to yield right of way and for operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

8-13-18 at 10:42 pm Deputies were called to Franklin Hospital to investigate a vehicle pedestrian crash. The investigation indicated that Cassandra A. Alexander age 31 of Salt Rock, West Virginia, was walking north bound along the fog line on Rt. 37, approximately one mile north of West Frankfort. A 2003 Mitsubishi Montero driven by Britney L. Barreiro age 29 of Benton, was north bound and failed to see the pedestrian. The driver stated she heard something hit the passenger side of her vehicle and heard the glass break of her passenger side mirror. Barreiro turned around and found the pedestrian lying on the side of the roadway. Barreiro transported the pedestrian to the hospital emergency room. Alexander said she suffered non-life threatening injuries and agreed with the driver’s version of the event. Barreiro was not injured and was ticketed for no valid driver’s license.

WARRANT ARRESTS

8-10-18 Logan C. Busby age 19 of Ewing. Battery, exploitation and aggravated criminal sexual abuse

8-10-18 Lucas D. Parrott age 36 of Mounds. Failure to appear on traffic charges

8-11-18 Jenna N. Moore age 31 of Cottage Hills. Failure to appear for theft

8-15-18 Guy W. Rasor Jr. age 48 of West Frankfort. Failure to appear for domestic battery

8-16-18 Cody W. Newton age 26 of Woodlawn. Failure to appear on traffic charges

The public is reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sheriff Don Jones

 

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois college students will have more information on hand to make financial decisions under legislation signed into law today by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Senate Bill 2559 will require the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to develop a three-year pilot program to better educate students on loan amounts, repayment and interest.

Each public university and community college will be required to send an annual letter detailing the current loan and annual repayment amounts to all students with college loans.

“We’ve seen student debt skyrocket in recent years,” Rauner said. “This is an opportunity for those students to stay on top of the cost of education and the debt they are incurring.”

The legislation was sponsored in the Senate by Senator Steve Stadelman of Rockford.

“Thousands of Illinois students graduate from college each year and face the reality that they owe tens-of-thousands of dollars in student loans. For many of these students, it’s the first time they fully realize the expense of their education,” said Stadelman, D-Rockford. “This new law will ensure students know up-front about the cost of their education and can make better financial decisions to save them money later on.”

REND LAKE FISHING REPORT
August 19, 2018
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Phone (618) 724-2493
Fax (618) 724-4089
e-mail : rendinfo@usace.army.mil
Web site http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rend
“Like” us on Facebook at Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center

MAIN LAKE AND TRIBUTARIES

SPECIES RATING BAIT OF CHOICE SUGGESTED LOCATIONS REGULATIONS

LARGEMOUTH BASS
Good Minnows, spinner baits, worms, and black and blue jigs, soft plastics. Reports of fish being caught around Jackie Branch, Sandusky Cove, and South Marcum Cove. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. 14” minimum length limit, 6 daily creel limit.
1 fish daily creel limit in PONDS 14” minimum length.

CRAPPIE

Good Small or medium minnows on a cork over the brush.
Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs.
Crappie are suspended on the brush in the 8ft -12ft range. From shore, fish near structures, hot spots are Sailboat Harbor, and North & South Marcum. Some brush piles are holding lots of fish, keep moving and you will find the right spot. Try the main lake drop off areas. 25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer

BLUEGILL

Fair Small jigs, worms, meal worms, wax worms, crickets. From shore try Sailboat Harbor and Mine 21 Road. Fish shallow with crickets, worms or small jigs. Try in the back of necks and on flat shallow banks and on the rocks. Set bait at half of water depth. 10 fish daily creel limit in PONDS.

CHANNEL
CATFISH

Excellent Garlic shrimp, leeches, cut shad, dip bait, and night crawlers. Sonny’s stink bait. Try garlic shrimp in moving water. Drift fish near the creek channels on the main lake. Also, try Waltonville Dam, Turnip Patch, and Jackie Branch as well. Creeks are doing well. 6 fish daily creel limit in PONDS.
Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

WHITE BASS
Good Rooster Tails and spoons.
In-line spinners, jig and curly tail grubs. Reports of fish being caught anywhere the shad are moving. Try the main lake points first. Fish around the rocks and drop-offs, near brush cover / bushes. 20 fish creel limit.
No more than 3 fish 17” or longer daily

Information as of: 08/19/2018
LAKE LEVEL: 405.92 AVERAGE POOL FOR THIS DATE: 406.15 WATER TEMP: 83°F
Use of a minnow seine, cast net, or shad scoop for bait collecting within 1000 yards downstream of the Rend Lake dam and spillway is prohibited.
Maps of the Fish Attractor tree locations along with GPS locations are available at the Rend Lake Corps of Engineers Project Office or online at www.enjoyrend.com. Contact Mark Cazier for more information at (618) 724-2493.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference will have more than 50 events on ESPN’s networks during the 2018 season, Commissioner Patty Viverito has announced. The Conference will produce eight league games as part of its 2018 Game of the Week package, with each streaming live on “Valley Football on ESPN” — the league’s co-branded digital network.

MORE:  https://bit.ly/2Oqoos8

The league’s eight-game production schedule begins on Thursday, Sept. 27, with a UNI at Indiana State contest on ESPN3.  Approximately 50 additional games will stream live in conjunction with MVFC institutional packages, with all the games carried on “Valley Football on ESPN.”  Of the league’s 56 regular-season home contests, 13 will air on ESPN3, and the remaining 43 will appear on ESPN+ — the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International Group and ESPN.

Additionally, games that air on ESPN3 are eligible for consideration for ESPN’s College Extra.  Notably, for the third-straight year, the league will utilize DVSport instant replay during all of 40 of its conference games.

The league’s digital initiative is available through the redesigned ESPN App and features live-event programming on both ESPN3 and ESPN+.  The new ESPN App gives fans a premier, all-in-one digital access point for everything ESPN offers — 1) news, scores, highlights and audio, 2) “TV Everywhere” streaming video and 3) ESPN+.  The league’s digital endeavor is part of its 10-year agreement with ESPN which runs through the 2023-24 academic year.

“We are very satisfied with the coverage that we’ve gotten with our agreement with ESPN.  The exposure that’s given us and the national respect that it’s given us is really important,” said Viverito.

Most of the events will be produced and transmitted by production units on each of the league’s campuses or by regional sports networks, while the league’s 8-game package will be produced and distributed by Tupelo Raycom of Indianapolis, Ind. — the Conference’s digital production agency.

THE ESPN APP 

• ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into a personalized experience unique to each fan.  The app includes three core pillars of offering for fans:
• News, Scores, Highlights & Audio: The world’s leading sports scores, news, features and analysis, video highlights and clips, and the leading library of live and on-demand sports audio content.
• “TV Everywhere” video:  Authenticated live and on-demand streaming for pay TV subscribers to ESPN’s U.S. linear networks and digital networks, including ESPN3.
• ESPN+:  Direct-to-consumer subscription streaming access to thousands of additional live sporting events, original content and shows, and on-demand video library.  Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

   For questions about the new ESPN App or ESPN+, please contact the ESPN customer care team at support.espn.com or 1-888-549-ESPN.