Wayne County and surrounding areas were placed under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch and were under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for a time Saturday evening as thunderstorms moved through the area. Wayne County’s warning was issued shortly before 6:15 Saturday evening for the southwest part of the county. Jefferson, Hamilton, Richland and Lawrence counties were also under warnings Saturday night as storms moved through, according to the National Weather Service. No major damage has been noted from Saturday night’s storms.
Wayne County’s June unemployment was at 7.1 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, down from 8.6 percent a year ago. Edwards County’s June rate was 7.3 percent, down from 8.9 percent in June of last year. June unemployment rates ranged from 5.7 percent in Effingham County to 10.8 percent in Hardin County. The IDES said there were only three counties in southern Illinois with a June unemployment rate of over ten percent.
38-year-old Christopher C. Huber of St. Marie, IL was hurt Saturday morning in an accident on a county road about 1 1/2 miles southwest of St. Marie, IL. State police said the vehicle Huber was driving went off the roadway into a ditch, causing him to overcorrect and come back on the roadway before overturning. Police said Huber was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the wreckage, and taken to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IN.
An accident in Clay County Thursday morning injured a Louisville, IL motorist. 49-year-old Lisa J. Whipps of Valparaiso, IN was stopped on U.S. Route 50 at Olive Road in Flora, and attempted to turn onto Route 50, and turned into the path of a motorcycle operated by 37-year-old Chad A. Barbee of Louisville, IL. The impact caused Barbee to lay his bike down, causing him to be thrown from the wreckage. He was taken to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IN with major injuries.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn was joined Friday by Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau to commission 37 new state troopers during a graduation ceremony in Springfield. The new troopers will begin their duties at various state police districts around the state on Monday. Six of the troopers have been assigned to the District 11 post in Collinsville. No troopers were assigned to the District 19 post at Carmi, the District 13 post at DuQuoin or the District 12 post at Effingham.