When Patsy Nave moved to Benton in 1991 from the Chicago area, she was pleased to find the level of library service available to the community. She even worked at the Benton Public Library for six years before retiring in 2003.
While working at the library, Nave became involved in the homebound delivery program and she started doing homebound delivery in 2002.
She refers to the homebound delivery program as a worthwhile project.
Beth Ponce, project manager for the Rend Lake Conservancy District, provided an update earlier this week to board members on the proposed Rend Lake bypass.
Ponce said plans, specifications and a cost estimate on the project would be presented in March.
She said work continues to obtain easements to install a water line around the lake that will benefit not only Mt. Vernon residents but also White Oak Resources LLC in Hamilton County.
Ponce said the current water line that flows toward Mt. Vernon is 10 inches in diameter. She said that line would be replaced with 24-inch and 18-inch lines that will bypass Rend Lake to connect to Mt. Vernon to the north and Hamilton County to the east.
The Benton Consolidated High School speech team had five participants named to the EFL Top 25.
“It is a great honor because they accumulate points all season and then honor the top 25 out of over 300 students,” Coach Pam Kimball said.
Making the Top 25 for Benton were Emeri Farnum, Alison Blair, Jonathon Tyler Koski, Courtney Knight and Emma Webster.
The request was made and Vicki Seagle could not be more pleased with the outpouring of support that the Benton-West City Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry received.
Last week, the program coordinator made a request for coats saying folks were leaving empty handed because there were none for the taking. That has changed since the article appeared in The Benton Evening News, Seagle said.
“We had people bringing in coats that were new, gently used and some more used,” she said. “We had people bringing in bags full of coats that are now filling our clothing racks. Everyone who comes in for a coat is now leaving with one. We have once again been blessed.”
One person reported minor injuries following a five-car pileup that occurred at 12:06 p.m. Wednesday on the Benton Public Square.
The Benton Police Department reported that the driver of a pickup truck hit the accelerator instead of the brake and struck another vehicle. The second vehicle spun on the wet pavement and struck three parked vehicles.
The driver of the pickup truck was ticketed.
Police officers closed North Main Street and rerouted traffic while the scene was cleared.
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