DEPUTIES STILL LOOKING FOR MAN IN ATTEMPTED BANK ROBBERY
The Bond County Sheriff's Department is still looking for a suspect in an attempted armed bank robbery Monday afternoon at the First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust in Pocahontas. According to deputies a clean cut, white male, with blonde or reddish color hair, walked into the bank around 2:30PM wearing a full ski mask, brown Carhart jacket and blue jeans, and displayed a black colored hand gun.
Bank tellers were able to see him enter the building on their monitors, therefore, they did not walk up to the counter. Instead, a couple of volunteers signing up people for the health fair were allegedly directed by the suspect to give him money. According to deputies, they responded by saying they didn't have any, to which the suspect turned around and left the bank. Deputies advise that the suspect was probably only in the bank a matter of 30 seconds.
The suspect was driving a newer style, between 2002 and 2005, red Jeep Cherokee with a gray bottom. The Bond County Sheriff's Department is continuing the investigation with assistance from the FBI. They ask that if anyone has any information on the suspect or vehicle, to please contact the Bond County Sheriff's Department at 664-2151.
CLARK GAS STATION IN HILLSBORO BURNS DOWN
The Hillsboro Fire Department responded to a report of the Clark Gas Station on fire Monday night around 11:30PM. A motorist traveling on Route 127/Vandalia Road in Hillsboro, noticed a fire inside the building. Firefighters responded to the gas station/convenience store and were on scene for nearly three hours. Firefighters were able to keep the fire away from the gas pumps and no injuries were reported. The building was vacant when the fire started. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and the Illinois State Fire Marshall was called in to investigate. The building was a total loss.
AMEREN SAYS THAT RATE FREEZE WILL DOWNGRADE CREDIT
Illinois' second largest utility says it now knows what will happen if lawmakers in Springfield re-freeze electric rates. According to Metro News Source, Ameren officials say that Standard and Poor's (S&P) credit service has told them that they will downgrade Ameren's credit to junk status as soon as the Illinois legislature approves a freeze. Ameren says a "junk" rating will cost them millions, and force layoffs and even higher power prices. Ameren is still hoping to convince lawmakers not to freeze rates.
Utlilty officials have said in the past, and are saying again, that a freeze will cost hundreds of jobs and end a number of programs that help people pay their bills. The Illinois House has passed a freeze, and state senators have been talking about a freeze plan of their own, but there is still a lot of disagreement at the Capitol over the freeze.
