The Edwards County Courthouse was cleared and evacuated yesterday morning for about three hours after a report of a suspicious package left near a courthouse door. The Secretary of State Bomb Squad was called to x-ray the unmarked, hand-sealed package, and their inspection found no suspicious items. Courthouse offices were cleared to open near noon, but court cases scheduled for yesterday were continued. 26-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger appeared in Wayne County Circuit Court yesterday morning. His attorney, Christian J. Baril, asked to continue the motion hearing on a change of location for the trial, which had been the purpose for the meeting. Hearing no objection from Assistant Attorney General Myra Yelle-Clark or State's Attorney Kevin Kakac, Judge Michael Molt continued the hearing to July 12th at 10 a.m. Baril said the defense was in the process of gathering evidence in support of its motion for a change of venue, but it was having technical difficulties converting it to the p
Illinois lawmakers have passed a new state budget. The budget includes over $1.8 billion in tax relief. Some of the provisions are temporary, such as lifting the one percent grocery tax for a year and delaying a scheduled increase in the gas tax until January. The budget also doubles the property tax rebate up to 300 dollars and sends a one-time payment of at least 50 dollars to most individuals and 100 dollars per child. The Earned Income Tax Credit which helps low income working families will be expanded and there will also be a sales tax holiday for back to school purchases in August. The Cisne FFA enjoyed a successful day of competitions Friday at the District V Livestock Judging and Horticulture Career Development Events at SIU-Carbondale. The Varsity Livestock Judging Team of Emma Hedrick, Lexi Weber, Abigail Biggs, Kori Kessell and Myles Levi finished in 13th place. Hedrick finished 2nd overall individual among the 243 students representing 50 schools. The Junior Varisty Livesto
Wayne County Clerk Liz Ann Woodrow says the winner of the race for Fairfield Second Ward Alderperson will be determined by chance. Per the State Board of Elections, Woodrow will call Larry Vest, Angel Maguire, and Clifford Reever to her office, likely next week, and a courthouse official not in the County Clerk’s Office will pick the winning name from a hat.
The Wayne County Board will meet tonight at 7 in the upstairs courtroom of the Wayne County Courthouse. It is scheduled to enter executive session to discuss the purchase, lease, or acquisition of real property, though no action is expected on a decision on moving or not from the courthouse. It is expected to renovate areas of the courthouse, including work on drainage and tuck-pointing.