Edwards County Treasurer Debbie Smith says 2020 payable 2021 Real Estate Taxes have been mailed. The due date for the first installment has been set for November 30th, and the second installment is due by December 30th. The total extension this year is $6,276,962. Last year's was $6,443,317.14. Payment may be made in person, by mail, or in the drop box in front of the cell tower on the northeast side of the courthouse. People can also pay online with a credit or debit card at govtechtaxpro.com, though a 2.5 percent fee will be added for the credit card company. Anyone seeking additional information should contact Smith's office at 445-3581. 39-year-old Salem resident Jamie Charlton has been arrested in connection with the death of 80-year-old Edgewood resident Roger Courson late last month. He is charged with two counts of murder and single counts of home invasion and residential burglary, and his bond was set at $750,000. The charges were unsealed in Clay County Court yesterday. Charlton is the third man arrested in the incident, joining 27-year-old Centralia resident Christopher Gallatin and 30-year-old Edgewood resident Walter West. 31-year-old Fairfield resident Joey L. Deckard was sentenced in Wayne County Circuit Court yesterday. He pleaded guilty to a count of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to one year probation. Deckard was also ordered to pay $1,268 in fines and court costs. Illinois State Police District 19 Commander Captain Nathan Douglas has announced the activity and enforcement figures for the month of September. Enforcement activity consisted of 673 citations and 1,255 written warnings, including four DUIs, 295 speeding citations, 106 occupant restraint citations, 16 criminal arrests, and 350 written warnings for speeding. The Wayne County Health Department will host a drive-through flu-shot clinic for children and adults this coming Monday (October 11) from 9 to 5 at its location at 405 North Basin Road in Fairfield. The flu vaccine is available for people ages six months and up, and people can call the department at 842-5166 if they prefer to go inside for a clinic room to be vaccinated. Most area insurances will be accepted. Adult self-pay will cost $30, and the high-dose shot will be available for people 65 and older. U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin have announced over $2.3 million in federal funding for the Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport. The investment will help rehabilitate a runway and is partially funded through President Biden's American Rescue Plan. Duckworth and Durbin say the airport is an important economic driver for southeastern Illinois, and ensuring federal support is critical. National 4-H Week ends tomorrow, but the final planned event in Wayne County is tonight. County 4-H Coordinator Yvette Anderson says anyone interested in 4-H is invited to visit Shreve's Pumpkin Patch from 5 to 7. The county has 182 4-H members, and anyone wanting to join can contact the County Extension Office or call Anderson at 919-0706. 4-H programs aren't limited to farm activities, as Anderson says the most popular ones are photography, woodworking and welding, gardening, cooking, and visual arts. Frontier Community College has embarked on a scholarship program to honor former Foundation Member Frances Carter. The Foundation has partnered with Carnaby Square to hold a Fashion Show Event to raise funds to benefit the newly formed scholarship for FCC students. The show will be held November 7th at 2 at the Willow Creek Venue; tickets are on sale at Carnaby Square at a cost of $15 for individuals or $100 for reserved tables of eight. The City of Fairfield will flush its water lines later this month, beginning the 18th and ending the 22nd. The Water Department says, while the lines are being flushed, residents may notice their water is discolored and may also experience a dip in water pressure. The department says discolored water during this process does not mean it is unsafe to drink, only that there is a temporary increase in iron concentration. However, during the flushing, the department does urge residents to check for water discoloration before doing laundry or similar activities. The schedule can be found below. Monday the 18th – 1st Ward, every hydrant east of First Street Tuesday – 2nd Ward, every hydrant north of Elm between First and Seventh Wednesday – 3rd Ward, every hydrant south of Elm between First and Seventh Thursday – 4th Ward, every hydrant west of Seventh Street, stopping at Kincaids Friday the 22nd – Outlying areas, such as Walmart, Petroleum Blvd., Brach Oaks, Highway 45 South, and Highway 15 East to the City's Old Filter Plant The Village of Wayne City will flush fire hydrants next week, October 11th through the 15th. This will include the Village of Keenes, and residents may experience periods of discolored water and pressure fluctuations. The Rural Wabash County Water District will flush hydrants beginning October 25th. The Hamilton County Health Department announced one new case of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing its total to 1,294; four people were in isolation. White County reported two to reach 3,000, and Jefferson County announced 30. The county had 129 cases in the past week, and 42 were in teens or younger. The state Department of Public Health announced 3,371 new cases of COVID-19 and 36 additional deaths. Statewide totals sat at 1,647,364 cases and 25,189 deaths. The Southern Region had a seven-day positivity rate of 4.2 percent on the 4th, down from 4.7 percent on the 3rd. The Fifth District Appellate Court at Mt. Vernon has vacated a temporary restraining order blocking the Bond County Community School District from requiring five students from two families to wear masks, as mandated by the governor. The ruling notes they are vacating the TRO for failure to add necessary parties, but they make no opinion on the merits of the case itself. Despite opposition from law enforcement, municipalities, and community groups statewide, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law earlier this year enacting the police reform bill. State Senator Rachelle Crowe says House Bill 3653 is now being modified by lawmakers, with an emphasis put on aspects going into effect soon. She says some of the immediate fixes were to parts taking effect in July, but they will continue to work on things going into effect in January in the upcoming Fall Veto Session. River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 6.21 feet, below the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.32 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 5.22 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 4.88 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 4.60 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 4.96 feet. Today's crude oil price is $71.25, up $0.75 from yesterday. The November crude oil price is $79.53, up $3.61 from yesterday morning.