The Wayne County Covid-19 Update 11-15-2021 through 11-18-2021 shows 23-new cases reported with 3190-overall total Wayne County Covid-19 cases to date. There are 57- total of Wayne County residents currently isolating, 1-Covid-19 related death was reported with 64-overall total reported Wayne County Covid-19 related deaths. Currently the state of Illinois reports total cases at 1,763.866 with a positivity 7-day rolling average of case positivity at 3.2% and test positivity at 3.8%. There have been 26,227 confirmed deaths in the state with 2,930 probable deaths. Illinois is currently reporting 28,848 variant cases with 37,895,788 total tests performed. To date there have been 16,691,850 doses of the vaccine administered in the state. Wayne County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for the person or persons who are illegally removing catalytic converters n Wayne County. The latest being two removed from vehicles belonging to Dismind G Auto Ranch in Wayne City. If you have any information, you are asked to call or text crime stoppers at 842-9777. Dr. David M. Link, D.M.D. has announced his retirement. As of December 31, 2021 Dr. Link will be turning his practice over to Dr. Bryce Miller. Dr. Miller is a native of Mt. Carmel and graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. Rita Otey is also retiring at the end of the year. Kimia Simpson, Kacy Mugrage, and Amy Talbert will remain in their current positions, and all records will remain with Dr. Miller. If you have an appointment scheduled, it will remain unchanged. If you don't have an appointment, you can still schedule one by calling 842-7140. Bond was set at $75,000 for a 40-year-old Salem man who was formally charged in Marion County Court on Tuesday with ten counts of child pornography. According to the court documents, Anthony Phillips had ten digital photos of children under 13 in pornographic poses. The photos were recovered when members of the Illinois Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Marion County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant on his home on Monday. A preliminary hearing in the case is set for December 7th. A second person was charged in Marion County Court in connection with a Sunday burglary and theft of items from a Country Mark oilfield office. Marion County Sheriff's Deputies say Tristan Rankin of Salem was charged with felony theft after he was allegedly found in possession of some of the stolen items taken from the building. Rankin had just posted $30,000 bond on a Jefferson County burglary case for allegedly taking a tractor. Salem Police say after an alleged 15-year-old female victim in a sex crime case agreed to talk, they have arrested a 35-year-old St. Louis man on ten new charges. Courtney Buffkins now faces a Class X charge of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and five counts of travel to meet a child for a sex offense. Detectives say the five counts of felony traveling to meet a child requires contact by electronic means. Detectives say they are not clear what led up to the first contact between the two. Bond for Buffkins had been set at $10,000 during his first Marion County Court appearance on the original charge. Buffkins is scheduled for sentencing in Cumberland County in January on a criminal sexual abuse charge to which he entered a guilty plea earlier. The White County Sheriff's Office investigated a one-vehicle traffic crash that occurred Thursday at 7:50 AM on South Cross Street in Phillips Township. 29-year-old Nathaniel Terrell of Carmi was driving his 2021 Chevrolet Colorado LT Northbound on Illinois Route One and ran off the right side of the roadway and then back onto the road. He then ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a ditch/embankment, going through the tree line and landing in a cornfield. Terrell suffered an unknown injury and his vehicle sustained major damage. River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 7.09 feet, below the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.24 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 6.26 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 2.05 feet, and the Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi reads 4.55 feet. The Wabash River at Mt. Carmel sits at 6.89 feet.