Levee question goes to U.S. Supreme Court

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block federal officials from destroying a Mississippi River levee as they try to prevent flooding in a small Illinois city. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Koster’s bid Saturday to stop the Army Corps of Engineers from blowing a two-mile hole into the Birds Point levee in southeast Missouri. Koster says he appealed to the Supreme Court on Sunday because he wants to exhaust all potential legal remedies. The levee is downstream from the small southern Illinois city of Cairo. The Corps says destroying the levee would flood 130,000 acres of Missouri farmland but protect the city of 2,800 residents. Corps officials are monitoring water levels and haven’t decided whether to go through with the blast.

Hall energy grant

More grant money has arrived to fix lights at Richard Nesti Stadium in Spring Valley. The Hall High School Board received an 80 thousand dollar energy efficiency grant recently to help pay for new transformers hanging near the football field. The school already received a four thousand dollar grant for the work last fall. School officials hope the electrical upgrades are done by August.

Brust Benefit today in Ransom

Friends are giving some help to Rick Brust this Sunday during a benefit at Jerry’s Tap in Ransom. The 53-year old Brust is a father of four children – nearly all in their teens. Brust was treated for Squamous Cell Carcinoma on December 31st. Other medical complications developed and he returned from St. Francis Hospital on February 3 following treatment for kidney failure. He’s now at home and his health is improving daily. Friends say Brust has incurred sizeable bills from illness, medication and daily living and funds raised today at Jerry’s Tap will go toward those expenses.

Perry Memorial Hospital board chairman

Rick Clary, Branch President of Central Illinois Bank in Princeton officially takes on additional duties this month. As of May 1st, Clary became Chairman of the Perry Memorial Hospital board of directors. He has served on the board for almost ten years and replaces Dr. Gregg Davis, a member of the Perry medical staff. Davis served as Chairman for four years and has been on the board over ten years.

Bluebell Festival in Earlville

The only Bluebell Festival in Illinois is continuing today in Earlville. The 28th Annual Bluebell Festival is going on at Maple Leaf Park on Route 34. According to organizers, the festival features thousands of centuries old bluebells along with tulips and daffodils. There’s also live music and food. Admission is five dollars.

Practice for Emergency services

Malden was bustling Saturday morning with emergency workers. Bureau and Putnam County officials did their annual emergency preparedness exercise in the Bureau County village. The exercise was a scenario where a tornado hit Malden. Crews set up an incident command center, a triage for injured people, and feeding stations.

Flooding- local and downstate

The rising Ohio River has flooded a few homes and a church in southeast Illinois, but residents continue to pile sandbags to support levees. Lt. Tracy Felty of the Saline County Sheriff’s Department says a church in the community of Junction was flooded Friday night. The National Weather Service said the Ohio had reached 52.7 feet at Old Shawneetown along the river Saturday. At 3:45am Sunday at LaSalle, the Illinois River was 24.5 feet – 4.5 feet above flood stage. The river will be slowly subsiding over the next few days.

Chicago car accident

Authorities now say two people died and nine were injured in a head-collision on Chicago’s West Side. Initial reports said three people died and seven were injured in the accident about 3 a.m. Saturday. Police say a sport utility vehicle carrying 11 people swerved into oncoming traffic and hit a compact car carrying one person. Fire department spokesman Larry Langford says several people were ejected from the SUV because they weren’t wearing seat belts.