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BenGil community welcomes Burns home from overseas tour
Command Sergeant Major Jack Burns received a warm welcome home by family, friends and coworkers in downtown Benld, Illinois Saturday evening.
Burns, Command Sergeant Major of the 108th Sustainment Brigade out of Chicago, returned home after serving in his third tour overseas. He was greeted with hugs and handshakes when the escort by the Benld Fire Department stopped at First National Bank after making a tour through the city.
Burns first greeted his parents and children upon exiting his vehicle, and then hugged immediate and extended family members. Citizens eventually made their way down to the bank after they noticed Burns was greeting everyone. After posing for a few family pictures, Burns greeted nearly everyone in attendance by thanking them for coming out and supporting him.
[pullquote]Burns has been in the Illinois National Guard for 30 years[/pullquote] “It’s an honor to have you home,” Mickey Robinson of Benld told CSM Burns Saturday evening. “Thank you for your service.” Countless other individuals thanked Burns for his service and heroism while updating him of events he has missed since being gone.
Burns has completed three tours. His first tour was in Germany, his second was in Irag where he served for 18 months and his most recent tour he just returned from was Kuwait where he served for approximately 10 months.
He has been in the Illinois National Guard for 30 years and has also taught history at Gillespie High School for 28 years. Burns has taught social studies, geography, college level world history and mechanical drafting. He is also a familiar face in Gillespie’s athletic programs having served as varsity football coach from 1997-2003; freshman football coach and girls track coach.
Along with all of his engagements, Burns is also the chairperson of the safe schools committee at CUSD #7 and has been instrumental in establishing a state-of-the-art school security plan.
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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
