ROYALTON, IL –  Royalton, Zeigler, and Christopher firefighters, along with the West City Rehab Unit has been toned to a structure fire at 202 S. Mannering in Royalton.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.

sd

by Steve Dunford

I don’t have an update on the escaped convicts.  I will be contacting West City police chief Scott Choisser in the morning.

I did some research on Randall Napier.  He has a long rap sheet.  Mainly he has been prosecuted for drug charges and fleeing law enforcement officers. He is originally from Red Fox, KY,

He committed some crimes in the Madisonville KY area, which is 40 miles away from Crittenden County,  I am not saying he escaped in the exchange of prisoners at the jail, but I thought it was an interesting fact.

He was scheduled to be paroled on the 17th of this month.

WSIL- TV shared this information about Young Friday Night.

According to South Dakota Department of Corrections records, Alonzo Young was serving consecutive 22.5 year and 30 year sentences for first degree robbery and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. 

According to a report by the Argus Leader,he was serving time on the robbery conviction earlier this year when he attacked a correctional officer with a homemade knife.

Until there is an official word, they are not in Franklin County, Jim Rasor has a good saying during severe weather events.  Be aware, but don’t be afraid.

If you have any info on this case, or have any questions. feel free to call or text me at 513-1274, call me at 937-0253, or send me a message on Facebook.

UPDATE 7:30 p.m.  Not much has changed.  I told West City PD, who is head of this case to call me, 24-7  if  there are any future developments.  I will be checking other media sources throughout the night if there are any developments as well.

I will be calling West City Chief Choisser in the morning.  A representative from Prison Transport Services in Nashville TN, told me to call sometime after 9:00 A.M. tomorrow.

I have made my phone numbers available.  Feel free to call me, text me, or send me a message on Facebook if you have any questions about this case, or anything.  If it is possible, I will get with you immediately.

Hopefully, I will have a lot more information to share in the morning.  I would still treat this as a continuing case and be diligent and aware.

by Steve Dunford

The Whereabouts of Napier and Young are still in question. Kelly was caught after 11:00 p.m. last night in Marion, KY

WEST CITY. IL –  I just spoke with a representative of the West City Police Department.  This is still an active case.  There is the possibility that Randall Napier and Alonzo Young could still be in Franklin County, escaping from a prison transport

Charles Kelly was captured in Marion KY last night, as he escaped the van at the county Jail.   He escaped when there was a transfer of five female prisoners at the Crittenden County Jail.

Here is some information on Young from a story that WSIL ran last night, with the link below.

According to South Dakota Department of Corrections records, Alonzo Young was serving consecutive 22.5 year and 30 year sentences for first degree robbery and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. 

According to a report by the Argus Leader, Young was serving time on the robbery conviction earlier this year when he attacked a correctional officer with a homemade knife.

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/36542753/search-continues-for-escaped-inmates

I still haven’t received a call from Prison Transport Services in Nashville TN.  This is the company that were transporting the inmates.

Both men are considered dangerous, and they could be possibly armed as well.  Keep your doors locked and all valuables in your vehicle secured.  Do not pick up any hitch hikers.

Report any suspicious activity to your local law enforcement agencies.

Feel free to send me a message on Facebook, call me at (618) 937-0253, call or text me at (618) 513-1274 if a media source has any additional information on this case.  I know a lot of information seems like it runs in circles.  I would be happy to answer any questions that you would have if I know the answer.

I understand the frustration that has been shared.  I will keep you informed with the latest information possible.

by Steve Dunford

The Whereabouts of Napier and Young are still in question. Kelly was caught after 11:00 p.m. last night in Marion, KY

I just recently been in contact with the Crittenden County Jail.  I asked the jailer if they had an active case down there at this time.  All he said was “they are not our prisoners.” 

He referred me to Prison Transportation Services based out of Nashville TN, to give me information on the other two prisoners at large whereabouts.   A representative from that company declined to comment, but gave me the telephone number to his supervisor.  I placed a call into him.  I will share the information when I receive it.

WPSD-TV is reporting that Charles Kelly was noted as missing when there was an exchange of five female prisoners at the Crittenden County jail.  They did not mention in their story any information about the other two men.

I have been asked several times today if I had anymore information regarding whether the other two men are in Franklin County.  It is a question I wish I had the answer too.

When I get any additional information, I will pass it along as soon as possible.  Please contact me if you see where another media source has new information.

I would stay diligent, stay safe, and report any suspicious activity to your nearest law enforcement agency.

HARRISBURG, IL- Southern Illinois will benefit from $1.4 million in new investments by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) that state Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) says will boost regional infrastructure, the local workforce and the economy. The investments by the DRA will go to support public and private partnerships, bringing to Illinois an estimated $22.7 million in new investments.

“This is a tremendous partnership between the state of Illinois and the Delta Regional Authority that will benefit not only Southern Illinois through increased business growth, greater employment opportunities and improvements to local infrastructure, but the impact of this investment will extend throughout the entire state,” said Sen. Fowler who has had a close working relationship with the DRA as Mayor of Harrisburg and since joining the Illinois State Senate. Fowler graduated from the DRA Delta Leadership Institute in 2009 is currently a member of the DRA Delta Leadership Network.

According to the DRA, the investments will be directed to seven projects intended to spur job growth, contribute to community revitalization efforts and provide better health care services for Southern Illinois.

“This investment from the Delta Regional Authority is vital to southern Illinois and particularly those residents living in rural communities throughout the region,” Fowler noted. “However, the impact of this partnership and support from the DRA is far-reaching—there is no doubt this investment will improve the lives of residents throughout Illinois.”

DRA Illinois economic investment projects include:

1.      CAIRO: Bunge Road Facility Improvements. DRA Investment: $161,560. Total Investment: $178,860. DRA’s investment will support road improvements at 34th Street and Commercial Avenue. The road is extremely deteriorated and must be repaired to allow employees and customers access to an oilseed production facility. The deteriorated roadways create difficult conditions for truck traffic and create safety and liability issues for the oilseed facility, trucking companies and the City of Cairo.

2.      CAIRO: Improved Access for Patients. DRA Investment: $118,489. Total Investment: $130,989. Community Health & Emergency Services, Inc. (CHESI) will strengthen and improve its information technology infrastructure to support an Electronic Health Record system to give patients access to medical records and telemedicine. CHESI will add a patient portal that will allow patients to access their own medical records, retrieve lab results, prescriptions and health education, appointment schedules and referrals. The system will be available to residents in seven rural counties in Southern Illinois.

3.      VILLAGE OF GOREVILLE: East Gore Street Improvements. DRA Investment: $105,000. Total Investment: $1,000,000. DRA’s investment helps deliver significant improvements to East Gore Street to support establishment of a new construction supply business and lumber yard within the Village of Goreville. The project will widen the street and increase load limits to support increased truck traffic for the new business.

4.      CITY OF ELDORADO: Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvements. DRA Investment: $206,000. Total Investment: $524,917. The city will use DRA funds to relocate water and sewer mains in preparation of Ferrell Hospital’s expansion and modernization. The relocation project – in the areas of Maple, Glenwood and Grant Streets – is a critical component to support the hospital’s proposed expansion.

5.      CITY OF BENTON: Franklin Hospital District Digital Mammography Upgrade. DRA Investment: $140,404. Total Investment: $156,305. This upgrade will meet the healthcare needs of patients in distressed areas. The hospital will modernize its imaging department by replacing the current analog breast imaging system with digital capabilities, an upgrade that is necessary to meet federal, state and American College of Radiology certifications for continued operation and service.

6.      CARBONDALE: Southern Illinois University (SIU) Medicine Building. DRA Investment: $113,218. Total Investment: $15,231,457. This project will provide educational/job training equipment for a 44,842-square-foot Family Residency and Physician’s Assistant Training Center (SIU Family Practice) that will be built. SIU is partnering with Southern Illinois Healthcare on the new training center, which will combat the shortage of primary care providers in the area.

7.      CITY OF BENTON: Construction in Rend Lake Conservancy District. DRA Investment: $515,000. Total Investment: $5,460,794. The district will build a second discharge pipe from its water treatment plant to add community capacity and allow it to support 170,000 customers in five rural counties. This project is funded through DRA’s Community Infrastructure Fund and will maintain proper water pressure for customers and ensure adequate distribution during peak-usage periods.

The DRA noted that the investments were made through the DRA States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP), which is the agency’s main federal funding program that invests in basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and workforce development projects.

According to a statement from the DRA, the agency coordinates directly with state planning and development districts to implement the programs. In addition, the agency also works closely with the Governor and his board designee to identify projects to receive SEDAP investments, which are aligned with state economic development goals. These federal investments require a minimal investment of state funds that can bring a large return in DRA and other agency funding and result in a greater economic impact for Southern Illinois.

The DRA also noted that Illinois was one of eight states to receive DRA investments. The agency’s total investments in the Mississippi River Delta Region and Black Belt of Alabama will reach $20 million in 2017. With contributions from public and private partners, total investments will be $231.6 million.

From the office of State Senator Dale Fowler – (R-Harrisburg)

Seven Day Forecast

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. South wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South southeast wind around 6 mph.
Wednesday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Calm wind.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Light south wind.
Friday
Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Light south southwest wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Friday Night
A chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 8 mph.
Saturday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. South southwest wind 8 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. West southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind 3 to 6 mph.
Columbus Day
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-petty-rock-iconoclast-who-led-the-heartbreakers-dead-at-66-w506651

MALIBU, CA –  (Kory Grow and Andy Greene, Rolling Stone Magazine.  Please click on the link for the full story and other correlating stories. There is an excerpt below.)

Rolling stone photo

Tom Petty, the dynamic and iconoclastic front man who led the band the Heartbreakers, went into full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home Sunday night, with conflicting reports on whether the Hall of Fame musician died on Monday. Petty was found unconscious, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest at his home, according to TMZ, and rushed to the hospital and placed on life support. EMTs were able to find a pulse when they found him, but TMZ reported that the hospital found no brain activity when he arrived. A decision was made to pull life support. CBS originally confirmed Petty’s death per the Los Angeles Police Department, but TMZ claims the musician is still on life support.

A rep for Petty did not immediately return a request for clarification. A rep for the LAPD declined to comment on Petty’s situation to Rolling Stone, though a spokesperson tweeted that “the LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertently provided to some media sources. However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.”

Martha Jane Cummings, 85, of West City IL, passed away Thursday morning, September 14, 2017 at her home.

She was born in Rend City, IL on February 1, 1932, the daughter of Lawrence and Martha (Zachariah) Burzynski.

Mrs. Cummings is survived by her daughter Debbie Pritchard and husband Mike of Benton, son Greg Cox of Knoxville,  TN son in law Jerry DeBusk of Ocean Isle, NC,  four grandchildren; Carli Whaley and husband Jay of Knoxville, TN, Laura Poupore and husband Kevin of Tarlboro, NC, Cristy Mandrell of Las Vegas, Nevada, and  Mallory Pritchard of Caruthersville, MO, five great-grandchildren; Zoe, Ella, Norah Beth, Gage and Matilda, two brothers;  Marion Burzynski and wife Ann of Marion, and Butch Burzynski and wife Janet of Benton, also an abundance of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents,  her husband Bob Cummings,  a Daughter: Cathi DeBusk, four sisters; Mary Freeman, Helen Thompson, Stella Stewart & Ruth Grammer, and six brothers; Raymond, Stanley, Walter, John, Lawrence and an infant Brother: Frank.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3:00 P.M. Saturday, September 30th at the First Christian Church 302 South Main Street in Benton. The family will greet friends after 1:00 P.M. on Saturday at the Church.

In Lieu of flowers, Memorials in Mrs. Cummings memory may be made to the Celtic Health Group.

For more information or to sign the online guest register please visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com.