Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military

WASHINGTON, DC – (Julie Hirshfield Davis, and Helene Cooper, New York Times.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

President Trump arriving with the first lady, Melania Trump, in Vienna, Ohio, for his rally on Tuesday.
Credit
Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will no longer “accept or allow” transgender people in the United States military, saying American forces “must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory” and could not afford to accommodate them.

Mr. Trump made the surprise declaration in a series of posts on Twitter, saying he had come to the decision after talking to generals and military experts, whom he did not name.

Here are the tweets below:

After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming………victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you

 

Miners Announce Return Of Winter Wonderland

From the Southern Illinois Miners

MARION, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners are proud to announce that Winter Wonderland will return this coming December to Rent One Park.

Winter Wonderland will run from Thursday, December 7th through Monday, December 11th, 2017 and will include a spectacular fireworks show on Friday, December 8th. In addition, new this season will be opportunities for school groups to attend during the day. There will also be the chance for private companies to book events during Winter Wonderland on Thursday, December 7th and Monday, December 11th

More details on the schedule of activities during Winter Wonderland will come later via the team’s Facebook page and website. For more information, contact the Miners’ box office at (618) 998-8499.

Sentencing for Saline Co., IL doctor convicted of plotting to kidnap State’s Attorney postponed

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/35415690/sentencing-for-saline-co-il-doctor-convicted-of-plotting-to-kidnap-states-attorney-postponed

HARRISBURG, IL – (Brittany Jacob and Alicia Dobrinick, KFVS-TV.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The sentencing for a Saline County doctor convicted of trying to have the state’s attorney kidnapped has been rescheduled.

from the Saline County Sheriff’s office

Brian Burns was scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, but he has requested new counsel. His new sentencing date is Aug. 29.

It took a Saline County jury less than two hours to convict Burns on felony charges of solicitation of aggravated kidnapping, conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping and attempted aggravated kidnapping. That trial took place in May 2017.

West City Approves Random Drug Screening for Village Employees

http://www.bentongazette.com/news/west-city-approves-random-drug-screening-for-village-employees/article_6f3c1878-6cd7-11e7-9e6e-8f732b18a7ae.html

WEST CITY, IL  – (William McPherson, Benton Gazette.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The Village of West City has approved amendments to an ordinance to allow for random drug testing of village staff.

West City Attorney Ronald Giacone says the program will cover three separate types of drug testing. Those types include standard pre-employment drug tests, reasonable cause tests, and randomized drug tests.

According to Giacone, reasonable cause testing would be enacted in cases where the safety of a city employee was concerned, or where there would have been prior incidents which led to reasonable suspicion of drug use from supervisors or village officials.

Railroad crossing on Route 148 in Zeigler closed tomorrow and Thursday

Press release from the Illinois Department of Transportation, District 9 office

CARBONDALE, IL – Jeffrey L. Keirn, Region Five Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, announces that there will be a road closure at the railroad crossing on IL 148 at the north edge of Zeigler

This will begin Wednesday, July 26 at 8:00 am and concluding on Thursday, July 27 at 5:00 pm, crews from the Union Pacific Railway Company (UPRR) will be performing repairs on the railroad crossing on IL 148.

There will be no traffic permitted through the crossing during the repairs. Motorists should follow the marked detour or seek alternate routes to avoid delays.

Please slow down and use extreme caution while driving through all work zones.

Oklahoma teacher panhandles for money to buy classroom supplies

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/22/oklahoma-teacher-panhandles-for-money-to-buy-classroom-supplies.html

Tulsa, Okla., third-grade teacher Teresa Danks took to panhandling in order to raise money to buy classroom supplies.  (Fox 23 Tulsa)

TULSA, OK – (Fox News.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

A public school teacher has turned to panhandling at an Oklahoma interstate off-ramp to raise money to buy classroom supplies for her third-grade students.

Teresa Danks, a teacher in the Tulsa Public Schools system, stood at the busy Interstate-44 intersection Tuesday begging for spare change with a scrawled sign that said, “Teacher Needs School Supplies! Anything Helps.”

“All I want to do is give those kids the best,” Danks told Fox 23 Tulsa.

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Mt. Vernon High School superintendent talks new position, demolishing old high school

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/35959370/new-mt-vernon-high-school-superintendent-talks-new-position-demolishing-old-high-school

MT. VERNON, IL –  (Brandon Merano,  WSIL-TV.  Please click on the ling above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

A new interim superintendent has taken the reigns of the Mt. Vernon high school district.

 

New MVTHS Superintendent Marylin Holt (WSIL photo)

Monday was Marilyn Holt’s second day on the job.

The veteran educator has more than 30 years of experience, and she’ll make $65,000 during the 100-day term of her contract

.
She said she plans to help Mt. Vernon High School get out from under a financial cloud that built up over several years.

Consumer recall on Bush’s Baked Beans

by Steve Dunford

Several Media sources are reporting there is a recall on Bush’s baked beans because of a canning malfunction in the seams.

The cans that are recalled are 28oz Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans, Country Style Baked Beans, and original Baked Beans.

If you have any of these cans in your pantry, please throw away, return to your local supermarket, or call the consumer hotline at 1-800-590-3797.

Council Makes Final Payment for Factory Outlet Loop Extension Project

http://www.wfgazette.com/news/council-makes-final-payment-for-factory-outlet-loop-extension-project/article_da26bc48-6eed-11e7-b998-bba777d11e48.html

WEST FRANKFORT, IL – (William McPherson, West Frankfort Gazette.  Please Click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The City Council has made the final payment for the new access roadway on frontage property at the West Frankfort Outlet Mall. The new roadway currently connects the Industrial Park Road into the mall property.

West Frankfort Mayor Tom Jordan announced the final payment estimate for Sierra Bravo Contractors, LLC in the amount of $10,749.19 for the Factory Outlet Loop Extension Project, located next to the new Taco Bell just off of West Main by the West Frankfort Outlet Mall.

U.S. company first to microchip its employees

http://www.kmov.com/story/35959798/us-company-first-to-microchip-its-employees

RIVER FALLS, WI (KMOV – TV.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Source – Three square market

Starting August 1st, Three Square Market (32M) will be the first company in the United States to offer implanted microchips to its employees. The decision is completely voluntary. The company is expecting over 50 staff members to be voluntarily chipped. 32M is partnering with BioHax International and Jowan Osterland, CEO, based out of Sweden.

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News