(OLNEY)  As the strong storm system slowly drags precipitation across the Midwest, the rainy conditions will end by tonight – then a high pressure ridge will build in with a dry sky tomorrow to end the work week – some light snow Friday night will quickly clear out for a dry & cool weekend – stay tuned for updates.

(NEWTON)  The National Weather Service is again alerting downstate residents about flooding – with another round of heavy rainfall amounts, an average of 1 to 2 inches in the surrounding counties, several flood advisories & warnings have been posted for our regional rivers – no cresting expected til next week.

 
(OLNEY)  The abortion rate is down and officials with Planned Parenthood Illinois say that’s good news – a recent report shows that more women are choosing to use contraception these days – the data released by the State Department of Public Health shows there were about 42,000 abortions in Illinois last year, which is the lowest number of abortions recorded in the state since they became legal back in 1973.

 
(NEWTON)  A Chicago man is getting $25 million after serving 16 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit – 56 year old Thaddeus Jimenez served nearly half of his sentence before being exonerated nearly 3 years ago in 2009 – he sued a Chicago police officer claiming the officer tampered with evidence that would have proved the man’s innocence – it could be the biggest wrongful conviction award in state history.

(OLNEY)  The PALS Task Force Coalition of Richland County is pleased again to offer its annual monetary Prevention Scholarship to graduating high school seniors residing in Richland County – the award is available to any public, parochial, or private school student and to qualify, the seniors must be living a drug-free lifestyle, plus other requirements apply – the scholarships are made possible by recent donations made thru the Red Ribbon “Mile of Quarters” campaign – applications are available in school guidance offices in Olney & Noble, or by calling 618-843-9444 – the application deadline is March 23rd, 2012.

(NEWTON)  There’s another scam making it’s way across the country, one dealing with identity theft through intimidation – calls are being made with the caller claiming to be a jury duty coordinator who tells the victim that it’s against the law to skip out on their civic duty of jury duty – if a protest is made by the victim, claiming that no summons for jury duty was received, the scammer then asks for the victim’s social security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and in turn cancel an arrest warrant – that information is good enough for identity theft – this fraud has now been reported in at least 23 states, including Illinois, Missouri, & others in the Midwest – nationwide alerts have been issued by the FBI and the Federal Court System – for more, go online at www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/juryscams060206.htm.

(OLNEY)  The Richland County Ministerial Association invites everyone to a Community Prayer Breakfast a week from this Saturday, on January 28th, at 8:00 that morning, at The Country Griddle, formerly Ty’s Family Buffet, at the west edge of Olney – all are invited to enjoy a hot breakfast with music, sharing and prayers offered by local ministers & others – the $7 breakfast tickets must be purchased in advance and are available at local banks and churches – for more information or details, call anytime at 618-395-8411.

(NEWTON)  The University of Illinois Extension is hosting a series of webinars entitled “Don’t Worry – Be Savvy : Farm Savvy Risk Management” – this series will provide a comprehensive look at methods of evaluating & reducing risk on small farms with help in identifying, assessing, and addressing the risks that threaten such farms – with the first session held this past Monday night, the second of four sessions will be held next Monday night from 6:30 to 8:00 at both the Jasper County & Effingham County Extension Offices – farmers can also use their home computers – while there is no fee for this series, registration is required – those interested can logon to the Extension websites or call the offices in Newton or Effingham.

(OLNEY)  Richland County residents are invited to attend tonight’s “kickoff” event for the 2012 American Cancer Society Walk & Roll of Richland County – the special “kickoff” starts this evening at 6:00 at The Holiday in Olney and it’s again the official sponsor of birthdays for the year 2012 – since the work began with the AMS, Richland County has raised over $1.3 million to benefit cancer research & service programs – tonight’s “kickoff” is for those interested in helping out or taking part in the 2012 Walk & Roll event.

REMINDERS
    Support the Animal Control Shelter in Olney by going online at www.TheAnimalRescueSite.com, follow the directions & enter  :  Richland County Animal Control, Olney, Illinois 62450  :  it’s chance for our local shelter to receive funds thru the “Animal Rescue Site $300,000 Shelter-Plus Challenge of 2012”

    A fundraising “soup supper” is next Monday evening from 4:00 til 6:00 at the high school in Noble, prior to the girls basketball game that night – tickets are on sale at school office or by calling 838-3536 – all proceeds will benefit the Noble Athletic Boosters and the Spanish Club’s Costa Rica trip in July

    It’s the 2nd annual Stringtown Trivia Challenge coming up this Sunday, starting at 1:30 – teams of four players can signup with a $50 entry fee – cash prizes awarded, plus free refreshments – call 618-754-3426 to signup – the registration deadline is this Friday – all proceeds to benefit the new Parish Center

 
    The next area blood drive will be this Sunday morning at the Holy Cross Parish Hall in Wendelin, from 8:00 until 12 noon – as always, all types of blood are in need – all eligible donors are urged to turn out

    The St Thomas Catholic Church in Newton will host its fourth annual “wine tasting” this Saturday night at 6:30, in the KC Hall – also includes hors d’oeuvres with a $10 donation accepted – all are invited

     
    A “prom & bridal show” is set for this Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00 at the Edwards County High School Gym in Albion – tickets available at the Edwards County Farm Bureau office, plus at the door on Saturday

 
    A fundraiser for the Brian Sanders family is tomorrow night at the Olney VFW – the chili supper and auction will get started at 5:00 – private donations can be made to the TrustBank Sanders Benefit Account