MARION, IL – State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) today announced that he has been appointed by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin to the Illinois Forestry Development Council and the Flue Gas Desulfurization Task Force.

The Illinois Forestry Council was created from the Illinois Forestry Development Act in 1983. The council’s goal is to identify and evaluate the social, economic, scientific and educational value of Illinois’s forest lands, and product industries.

“I am very excited to have been selected for the Illinois Forestry Council,” Severin said. “It is a great fit for me because forests and protected lands are deeply rooted in the identity of Southern Illinois. I look forward to helping our state better understand its forests and find ways to better protect them.”

Representative Severin was also appointed to the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Task Force. The task force was created to increase the amount Illinois coal mined and burned in the state, while continuing to comply with federal regulations.

“The FGD Task Force is another group I am looking forward to being a part of,” Severin said. “Illinois has an abundance of coal and the task force will make sure that we are maximizing that resource. On top of that, the task force will work with new stacks to comply with federal standards and regulations.

SOURCE:  Office of State Representative Dave Severin 

Brenden Shaputis – Source, Franklin County Jail

LOGAN, IL –  Brenden Allen Shaputis, 20, of Ewing and Trenton H. Bennett, 18, of West Frankfort, were taken into custody on October 3 by Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies. Both are facing charges of animal torture and theft over $500. Both charges are Class 3 felonies. Two juveniles, that were 15 and 17, were also arrested and then later released to their parents.

According to the police report the piglets were stolen from the Logan Sow Center, located in rural Franklin County. After stealing the 30 piglets, reportedly only one-week-old, the animals were killed by being hit with a rake, kicked and beaten. One of piglets was also throw from a bridge overpass, the report stated.

Trenton Bennett – Source Franklin County Jail

Shaputis and Bennett remain in custody in Franklin County Jail, in lieu of $45,000 bond each. Shaputis and Bennett are expected to make their initial court appearance later this week.

The alleged that were charged are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

Staff Report –

Washington, D.C. — In the wake of legislation signed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner that would allow for the use of taxpayer money to cover an unlimited number of abortions anytime for any reason, members of the Illinois Republican Congressional Delegation voted to advance bipartisan legislation H.R. 36 – the Unborn Pain-Capable Child Protection Act – to restrict abortions 20 weeks or more after conception, the point at which unborn fetuses can feel pain.

Representatives Peter Roskam (IL-06), John Shimkus (IL-15), Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Darin LaHood (IL-18) and Mike Bost (IL-12) released the following statement:

“Henry Hyde championed the rights of the unborn through the Hyde Amendment, which expressly prohibits federal funding for abortions. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2005 to 2014, the infant mortality rate in the United States dropped 15 percent. Much of this progress can be attributed to technological advancements in medicine that gives children born prematurely and with various medical issues a fighting chance. H.R. 36 protects children like Micah Pickering who was born at 22 weeks and is a thriving toddler today.

“In a reversal of long-standing Illinois policy, Governor Rauner has let down Illinois taxpayers and the unborn by signing H.B. 40. Today, the Illinois delegation stands together in our support of H.R. 36 to protect human life.”

Background:

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Act (H.R.36) restricts abortions 20 weeks or more after conception. Specifically, H.R.36 establishes criminal penalties for any person who performs or attempts an abortion on a fetus after the 20-week mark. In addition, this bill provides exceptions to save the life of the mother and in the case of rape or incest.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that H.R 36 would save roughly 10,000 lives each year. The U.S. is one of only seven countries in the world that allows elective abortion past 20 weeks (5 months), at which point scientific evidence suggests that the baby is capable of feeling excruciating pain during an abortion procedure. A poll released in January 2017 found that 74 percent of Americans want abortion restricted to, at most, the first trimester. At the state level, over a dozen states across the country have enacted 20-week bills.

From George O’ Connor Communications Director – Congressman Mike Bost

by Reece Rutland – Rend Lake College Public Information

INA, Ill. Oct. 2, 2017) – Ring in the holidays with a double dose of festive cheer and United States history by joining Rend Lake College on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg and Washington, D.C. during the height of the Christmas season.

Colonial Williamsburg and Washington, D.C. Christmas trip will take place from Dec. 9–15, 2017. Pre-registration is required by Oct. 15, and the cost of the trip is $1,975 per person, double occupancy.

Vacationers will head to the preserved colonial city of Williamsburg to learn about Christmas traditions of the past, plus tour the homes of Presidents Jefferson and Washington. Other highlights of the trip include a stop to explore the Smithsonian Museums in Washington D.C. Travelers will also enjoy the modern day tradition of Christmas lights in both the nation’s capital city as well as Newport News.

To register, contact Community and Corporate Education at 618-437-5321 x1714. Cancelled registrations after the Oct. 15 deadline may not be eligible to receive a full refund

There have been two accidents around the intersection of 37 and 154.  One is right at the intersection.  One is 1/4 mile North.  Please avoid that area at the present time.

Benton and Sesser Firefighters , as well as the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department is responding. -sd

TIME: 4:10 p.m.