Mt. Vernon Register-News Local 2012-05-28T06:48:08-05:00 urn:uuid:5e2fff88-db5c-4138-9a1b-779b74fa0024 County Board approves appointments By RORYE O’CONNOR urn:uuid:3398b1ed-56db-4132-89ed-d8008dc3c9b4 2012-05-26T10:30:00-05:00 MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County Board approved five appointments to various county entities. World Class Workforce adding web presence By RORYE O’CONNOR urn:uuid:9e5efd35-fcdd-45a5-8fa4-15171a726ed1 2012-05-26T09:00:00-05:00 MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County Development Corporation is working to improve the World Class Workforce program and bring it to the web. State passes Medicaid cut plan By RORYE O’CONNOR urn:uuid:63c7f142-7e9a-41d9-83aa-50d8da7949dd 2012-05-26T07:00:00-05:00 MT. VERNON — The Illinois Legislature passed a plan on Thursday to trim Medicaid by 12 percent, or $1.6 billion. The legislation cuts Medicaid reimbursement rates to hospitals and nursing homes by $240 million per year. Officials urge area residents to use caution as temperatures rise into 90s By ROSIE GITHINJI urn:uuid:16281e13-d68c-4882-abf5-303ac6b95a08 2012-05-26T06:00:00-05:00 MT. VERNON — Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high 90s for the area this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Ina resident wins Spotlight Literacy Award By ROSIE GITHINJI urn:uuid:34825503-b341-4baa-a738-f04a1d9c26d4 2012-05-26T05:00:00-05:00 INA — Yaro Hospodarsky of Ina won a 2012 Spotlight Literacy Award, given by the Illinois Press Association and the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White. Children’s home seeks foster parents By ROSIE GITHINJI urn:uuid:9328e91e-88e5-4e24-9c64-698cadb1a346 2012-05-25T14:00:00-05:00 <p> MT. VERNON &#8212; The United Methodist Children&#8217;s Home is looking for people who are willing to become foster parents to children age 12 through 18.</p> Road work suspensions for weekend Staff Report urn:uuid:cf9b3461-54cf-4927-9e86-86a84f1f3bf6 2012-05-25T12:00:00-05:00 <p> MT. VERNON &#8212; Starting at 3 p.m. today, the Illinois Department of Transportation will be suspending all non-emergency road work for the holiday weekend and open up all lanes, where possible, until 12 a.m., May 28.</p> City plans additional leg of bike trail By RORYE O’CONNOR urn:uuid:f526e913-7ad2-4b1d-9829-554d64397efe 2012-05-25T09:00:00-05:00 <p> MT. VERNON &#8212; The city of Mt. Vernon has plans to include an additional leg in its bike trail.</p> County unemployment rate drops By RORYE O’CONNOR urn:uuid:50bf9fb2-8620-433f-a72f-924df50ba52f 2012-05-25T05:45:00-05:00 <p> MT. VERNON &#8212; The county unemployment rate dropped seven tenths of a percentage point from March to April, coming in at 7.8 percent.</p> Pool safety reminders for the start of summer By RORYE O’CONNOR urn:uuid:5b8353a3-70f2-471c-9414-b362538c4df1 2012-05-25T05:30:00-05:00 <p> MT. VERNON &#8212; The best way to keep every swimmer safe is swim lessons, said Mt. Vernon City Pool manager Joyce Damron.</p>