The Edwards County School Board met in regular session on Monday and heard from Lisa
Glover of the sports booster club. Glover would like to implement different levels of support
for the sports programs in the schools. The board appointed Lora Holder as DCFS Liaison, and
heard that the cafeteria program is in the red by 36-thousand dollars. Superintendent Cowger
told the board during his comments that the Vocational Steering Committee would like to
include an Industrial Arts instructor and possibly a Business teacher.
Fairfield Upward Sports will be holding Registration and Evaluations for the Upward
Basketball and Cheer Season for boys and girls enrolled in kindergarten through 6th grade.
Evaluations will be held at Fairfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, January
4th and Thursday, January 5th, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Registration forms can be completed
prior to the mandatory evaluations at https://registration.upward.org/UPW83684 or in
person at evaluations. The Upward season will kick off with practices the week of January
29th. The first game day is February 11th and the season will conclude March 11th.
Registration fee for the Upward Season is $40. Basketball players have the option to add
shorts for an additional $12.00.
The Gateway Arch National Park will be requiring masks starting Dec. 27 in accordance with
new guidance from the National Park Service. All staff and visitors will be required to wear a
well-fitting, high-quality mask such as a surgical mask regardless of vaccination status. Cloth
masks are not considered to high-quality and are not allowed. Surgical masks will be available
to visitors at the Information Desk free of charge. Both St. Louis City and St. Louis County are
at the high level due to increased community transmission of COVID-19, according to the
CDC.
By now, almost everyone in Illinois has heard that Jan. 1 will mark the beginning of a
significant change in the state’s criminal justice system – the elimination of cash bail.It’s an
issue that dominated the 2022 campaigns and has been both praised and criticized on
editorial pages in newspapers across the state. It essentially means that starting Jan. 1, the
decision as to whether a criminal suspect should be held in jail while awaiting trial will be
based on public safety and the likelihood the suspect will flee rather than their financial
ability to post bond. And while that criminal justice reform has received widespread
attention, it is by no means the only new law that will take effect when the calendar turns
over to 2023. For most people who work a minimum wage job, the new year will bring a pay
raise to $13 per hour, a $1 increase over the current wage. That’s the result of a law Gov. JB
Pritzker signed in 2019, his first major legislative victory after being sworn into office a month
earlier. The law will eventually raise the wage to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2025.
A couple from Cisne is taking the lead on raising funds to replace the roof at the historic
Nostalgia Theater in Flora (formerly the Town Theater). They have issued a challenge to
others like themselves, who are so excited for the future of the Theater. This anonymous
couple recently attended the North Pole’s Got Talent Christmas Play at Nostalgia over the
weekend and fell in love with the building and what it meant to the children on the stage.The
roof will cost $65,000 and although the theater has applied for many grants, the state has
denied them all. The couple from Cisne has pledged the first $1000 to the roof fund and is
challenging 64 other people to also pledge $1000. If you would like to participate in this
challenge by donating $1000, you can pay online by clicking “Shop Now” on the Nostalgia
Facebook page.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital is acting as a warming center for area residents. The hospital
cafeteria will be open for people needing warmth from the freezing temperatures and hot
coffee, tea, and water will be available to all visitors. For those visitors who are seeking
shelter please check in with the FMH Security upon arrival and at departure.
Fairfield Upward Sports will be holding Registration and Evaluations for the
Upward Basketball and Cheer Season for boys and girls enrolled in kindergarten
through 6th grade. Evaluations will be held at Fairfield Cumberland Presbyterian
Church on Wednesday, January 4th and Thursday, January 5th, from 5:00 – 7:00
pm.
The Illinois unemployment rate for November was 4.7%, slightly higher than 4.6% in October.
Even though the jobless rate rose, nonfarm payrolls in the state increased by 17,500 as the
number of workers rose. The industry sectors with the largest gains in employment included
Leisure and Hospitality, Professional and Business Services, and Educational and Health
Services. The industry sectors with the largest payroll declines included Trade, Transportation
and Utilities; Government; and Manufacturing.
The state jobless rate compared to the national unemployment rate of 3.7% for November,
which was unchanged from October.
A series of drive-by shootings happened in several southern Illinois towns early Saturday
morning. The Williamson County Sheriff’s office says that the shootings happened in Marion,
Herrin, and Carbondale Illinois. They may have been committed by the same person. “These
appear to be targeted acts and while the public should remain vigilant, there is not a cause
for alarm,” states Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich. Fortunately, no injuries have been
reported. The shootings are currently under investigation. If you have any information, call
the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office at 618-997-6541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-414-8477.
Holiday travelers are still being delayed at Chicago airports. More than 250 flights were
canceled at Chicago O’Hare and Midway airports on Christmas Day. Even more flights were
affected Christmas Eve when 251 flights were canceled into or out of O’Hare and more than
160 flights at Midway. The massive winter storm that stretched from the Great Lakes to the
Mexican border affected roughly 60-percent of the American population over the weekend.
Springfield Fire is still investigating the massive fire at the former Goodwill building on the
city’s north side Saturday. Portions of the building at 815 North 11th Street were completely
burned down. Several engines from neighboring departments were called in. The severe
cold and wind did not help crews battling the fire.
Police across southern Illinois are investigating a series of drive-by shootings. The incidents
happened across several towns in Williamson County early Saturday morning. Investigators
suspect the same person or group of people are responsible. No injuries were reported, but
several properties were damaged in the shootings.
Like a famous scene out of “A Christmas Story,” a young child in southern Illinois learned the
hard way not to place their tongue on a frozen pole. The Cairo Fire Department responded to
a call around noon for assistance involving a child who attempted to lick a frozen pole before
their tongue ended up stuck on it. The situation was resolved without any significant injuries,
and the Cairo Fire Department calls it “a lesson learned.” Investigators did not disclose any
details about the age, gender or location of the child
