Carmi Businessman Killed – A Carmi, Ill. businessman died Tuesday afternoon when the pickup truck he was driving collided with a semi in rural Edwards County, Ill. Henry E. Matz, 62 was the owner and operator of Tie-On Roofing in Carmi. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 1 p.m. Illinois State Police report Matz was traveling northbound on Ill. Rt. 130 between Albion and Grayville when his 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck crossed the center line and struck a southbound semi driven by Rodney Ezra Sedrick, 35 of Mill Springs, Missouri. Police said Sedrick tried to steer his Volvo truck tractor onto the west shoulder to avoid the collision. Matz pickup hit the semi just below the driver’s side door. An Illinois State Police Crash Reconstruction Officer has been assigned to investigate the accident further. Rodney E. Sedrick was not injured.
Geff Grade School’s first day for students will be Monday, August 22nd. Because the Village of Geff is still under a boil order, students need to bring bottled water or a reusable cup with a lid that it can be refilled at the school. The school will provide clean water throughout the day, but if families can send a drinking cup with a lid, that would be most helpful.
Area rivers are still on the rise. The Little Wabash east of Fairfield was at 22.31 ft. at 4 a.m. today and continues to rise. The Skillet Fork at Wayne City is expected to crest at 16.5 ft. later today. On and off chances of showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for later this week.
Heavy rains around the state have forced the cancellation of many celebrations. The 97th annual Bone Gap Chowder has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 27. At the Illinois State Fair, the annual truck and tractor pull event was cancelled Monday night.
Edwards County Schools begin classes today. On Friday, Northside and Center Street Schools in Fairfield, Wayne City and Cisne Schools will begin classes. Fairfield Community High School classes will begin on Monday, August 22.
Despite having a $10 billion backlog of bills, the State of Illinois is expected to shell out $1.5 million in payments for this year’s Illinois State Fair workers. Last year, more than 850 vendors who do tasks for the fair weren’t paid on time.
The Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a ribbon cutting ceremony next Monday at the new Hamilton Memorial Hospital Downtown Family Clinic. Located at 208 S. Washington Street in McLeansboro, the clinic will be staffed by Mike Davenport, Family Nurse Practitioner.