The Fairfield Park District will hold a meeting tonight at 6pm. In old business, discussion will center around the Splash Pad Project. Items in new business will include Pickleball, a bond ordinance notice, a security alarm proposal, and the Lakeside Water Tower property. The Tax Increment Financing Committee of the City of Fairfield will conduct a Committee Meeting on Monday, September 12 at 5pm at City Hall. Items on the agenda include Building Renovations for the New Wayne County Fair building located at 1317 West Main and Building Rehabilitation for Farmer's Daughter at 203 E. Main. Saturday, September 10th the North Wayne Ambulance Board will have a Pork Burger Sale at Atwood's Country Financial in Cisne from 10 a.m. until Sold Out. Drinks and Chips will also be available. Sean Adam Curtiss, 42 of Altamont is now facing attempted murder charges after he allegedly shot a former Carmi woman last month in rural Edwards County. Curtiss is being held in the White County jail at Carmi for Edwards County. He has been formally charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, both Class-X felonies, aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class-1 felony and being a felon in possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, a Class 2 felony. Curtiss is being held under a $1 million bond pending further court action. The shooting occurred on Sunday, August 21 in rural Edwards County. The victim has been identified as Malinda Williams. Ms. Williams was taken to the hospital in Mount Carmel and was later airlifted to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville for treatment of multiple gunshot wounds. Ms. Williams stated she received gunshot wounds to the leg, side and chest. If convicted Curtiss faces up to 30 years in prison. The case currently remains under investigation by Edwards County authorities and the Illinois State Police. On 09/02/22, at 8:16 AM, Fairfield Police arrested Dillon S Hewkin, 29 of Flora, IL, while handling a traffic crash at 806 N 1st Street, Fairfield. Hewkin was a passenger in one of the vehicles when a computer check showed he had Warrants. He was transported to the Wayne County Jail and lodged pending posting of bond or transfer to Clay County for a Warrant charging him with 2 counts of Aggravated Battery to a Peace Officer, one count of Criminal Damage to State Supported Property, one count of Resisting and one count of Domestic Battery. Cash bond for this warrant was $375. A second warrant out of Louisville, IL was for Contempt and carried a $250 cash bond. On 09/02/22, at 3:18 PM, Fairfield Police cited Kelli D Klaffer, 38 of Fairfield, for Unlawful Parenting Time Interference for violating a court ordered visitation agreement. She was given a court date of 09/15/22. On 09/02/22, at 8:47 PM, Dustin R Pike, 42 of Fairfield, was arrested by Fairfield Police at 908 Mt Vernon Road, Fairfield. He was taken to the Wayne County Jail and lodged pending setting of bond on charges of Aggravated Domestic Battery and Interfering With the Reporting of Domestic Battery for strangling Amy S Seidel and taking her phone away when she tried to contact Police. Seidel did not require medical treatment at the scene. On 09/03/22, at 4:30 PM, Fairfield Police arrested Franklin R Price, 47 of Fairfield, while at the Fairfield Police Department. Price was transported to the Wayne County Jail and lodged pending a bond hearing on a charge of Failure To Register as a Sex Offender. On Monday, at approximately 7:49 pm, Illinois State Police officials investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash involving a District 19 Trooper on Interstate 64 westbound at milepost 101 in Wayne County. The Trooper was stationary on the right shoulder with emergency lights activated and was standing outside of the vehicle assisting another Trooper with enforcement duties when the Trooper's squad car was sideswiped by a gray Dodge half-ton pickup truck, traveling west on Interstate 64. The Dodge had failed to yield to the stationary emergency vehicle and struck the left rear quarter panel area of the squad car. The Trooper was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Dodge, 72-year-old Elvie J. Cagle of Chesterfield, was cited for a violation of Scott's Law, Improper Passing of an Emergency Vehicle and Improper Lane Usage. There have been 18 Illinois State Police squad cars struck in relation to the Move Over Law this year, and seven Troopers have sustained injuries from Move Over Law-related crashes. ISP is reminding the public of the requirements of the Move Over Law, otherwise known as "Scott's Law." When approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated, drivers are required to slow down and move over. Violation of Scott's Law is a business offense and carries a fine of no less than $250 and no more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator's driver's license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years. The 39th Annual Wayne County Corn/Soybean Yield Tour was held on Tuesday, September 6th. As in the past, eight teams travelled different routes, each checking at least 10 soybean and 10 corn fields for yield. Corn and soybean yields were expected to be good this year with above average rainfall during the growing season. Gregg Barnard, Corn Grower President has announced that this year teams calculated 180.27 bushel corn, and 57.75 bushel soybeans. Barnard reports, "all four corners are pretty good except where the water got it in the bottoms." In the history of the local tour, the lowest yields were in 1983 with 17.4 bushel soybeans and 34 bushel corn. The highest yield in corn was in 2014 with 184.8 bushel and 2018 in soybeans with 54.1. Last year was near record yields, but not enough National Ag Static Surveys were returned to get a county average. The first Wayne County Corn/Soybean Yield Tour was held in 1983 to assess yields during a drought. It has continued since to help farmers and the business community in adjusting plans based on expected yields. The September 6th tour was sponsored by Wayne County Corn Growers. FNB Community Bank provided lunch for team members. Both temperatures and rainfall were a little above normal this past week. Average Statewide Topsoil Moisture now stands at 9% very short, 21% short, 66% adequate, and 4% surplus. 89% of soybeans are setting pods, and 4% are dropping leaves. The condition of the soybean crop improved to 76% in good to excellent shape. 64% of corn is in the dent stage and 11% of the crop is mature. The condition of the corn crop improved to 71% in good to excellent shape. Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener says 88% of the Illinois corn crop is in the dough stage or beyond. The third cutting of alfalfa hay is now 75% complete. The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and Illinois Finance Authority are accepting loan applications for fire trucks and ambulances. The loans are available through the Fire Truck Revolving Loan Program and Ambulance Revolving Loan Program. The application deadline is October 31st. Under the fire truck program, fire departments, fire protection districts and township fire departments may apply for up to $350,000 in low interest or no interest loans to buy a fire truck or brush trucks. Loans must be repaid within 20 years. Approximately $10.5 million is available for this application period. Under the ambulance program, units of local government and nonprofit ambulance service providers can apply for no interest or low interest loans of up to $200,000 to buy ambulances. The loans must be paid back within 10 years. Approximately $2.7 million is available this application period. River stages as of this morning: the Little Wabash east of Fairfield stands at 7.29 feet, below the 17 ft. flood stage. Meanwhile, the Skillet Fork at Wayne City has a reading of 5.35 feet (flood stage is 15 ft.). The Little Wabash below Clay City is at 4.93 feet (flood stage is 18 ft.). Bonpas Creek at Browns reads 4.19 feet. The Little Wabash at Main Street in Carmi re