CENTRAL ILLINOIS SOLDIER LAID TO REST THIS WEEKEND

The Central Illinois Solider who died while serving in Iraq will be laid to rest this weekend.  21-year-old Corporal Ryan Buckley of Nokomis died last Friday when a roadside bomb went off near his vehicle in Baghdad.  Buckley served with the 101st Airborne based out of Fort Campbell, His visitation will be held this afternoon at the Hillsboro High School gym.  A funeral service is scheduled for Saturday morning.

THE GREAT RACE COMES TO VANDALIA

Those traveling on I-70 Wednesday afternoon may have felt like they were in a time warp as the Great Race came to Fayette and Bond Counties.  The race, which features pre-1959 vehicles, made a scheduled pit stop in Vandalia around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon.  Over 100 cars made the trip from Indianapolis to the historic Statehouse where the pit stop was held.  Each driver was given fifteen personal minutes and fifteen minutes to work on their car.

Drivers were treated to refreshments as local businesses sponsored the pits and provided complimentary goodie bags.  Among the cars spotted were a 1934 Packard, a 1934 Chrysler Airflow, and a 1941 Ford Army staff car used in WWII and driven by Jack Roush who owns five NASCAR teams.  In conjunction with the Great Race, a local car show on the Vandalia square attracted twenty cars mostly from Fayette and Bond counties.  When their pit stop was complete, the racers left Vandalia via the backroads through Pleasant Mound to Greenville and then on I-70 for their next destination…St. Louis.

 

SMITH SENTENCED ON SUBSTANCE CHARGES

22-year-old Tasha N. Smith of Granite City has pled guilty in Bond County court for Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer.  The charges date back to a traffic stop in December 2003 in Sorento by a Bond County deputy.  Smith was in possession of under 200 grams of a substance containing Hydrocodone.  She was placed on 24 months probation to run concurrently on both counts, must pay $750 in fines and costs, and was given 42 days in jail with credit for time served. 

VANDALIA MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON ON LICENSE CHARGE

Emmett Eugene Fenton, age 32 of Vandalia, has been sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for Driving While License Revoked.  Fenton was stopped on February 12 on Elm Street in Greenville and was driving while his license had been revoked after being convicted on a prior charge.  Fenton pled guilty and was given the prison term which he will serve concurrently with a Fayette County conviction. 

NEW FIREWORKS SAFETY REGUALTIONS

New fireworks regulations that recently went into effect in Illinois should ensure that this year's July 4th celebrations are safer for everyone.  Those regulations require anyone who plans to set off consumer or professional grade fireworks to meet safety standards that will protect the fireworks shooters and spectators, as well as homes and property.  The Office of the State Fire Marshal is promoting fireworks safety this summer as part of Governor Blagojevich's Keep Cool Illinois campaign, a statewide effort to help Illinoisans stay cool, healthy, and safe during the summer.

Keep Cool Illinois seeks to inform Illinois residents on how to prevent heat-related problems, reduce their utility bills and participate in summer activities safely.  Under the regulations, fireworks displays in Illinois are divided into two categories of consumer fireworks and novelty fireworks.  In order to shoot consumer fireworks in communities where allowed, an adult must attend training at their local fire department and pass a safety and knowledge test, apply for a site inspection by the fire department and apply for a permit issued by their local government. 

Once a permit has been issued, the consumer may purchase only approved consumer fireworks from a registered consumer fireworks distributor or retailer. Any person, business, or unit of local government that puts on an outdoor pyrotechnic display using display fireworks must either hire a licensed pyrotechnic distributor or apply for a pyrotechnic distributor's license. Before a professional display can take place, the local fire department must inspect the display site and ensure it can be performed safely and in compliance with established standards. For more information about the new fireworks regulations, visit www.state.il.us/osfm. For additional information about the Keep Cool Illinois Campaign visit www.keepcool.illinois.gov.