Glancing Back for Nov. 19: Car crashes into train
Nov. 19, 1924
MATTOON — Having doubt to its legality, Mayor Ozee presented to this city council on Tuesday evening his veto of an ordinance establishing what are known as the fire limits of the city. The mayor gave as his principal reason for sending the ordinance back without his approval that there was considerable doubt about the legality of the manner in which it was passed by the council. There was considerable discussion on the matter, but the aldermen as a whole seemed to be in the dark as to what course to pursue, although City Attorney Hannah endeavored to enlighten them on the subject ... GREENUP — As Illinois Central passenger train No. 224, in charge of Conductor Fitch and Engineer Crane, was pulling out of Greenup this morning about 10:25 a.m., a heavy roadster automobile with Ohio license, crashed into it. As a result of the crash, which occurred near the fairgrounds crossing the steps on the women's car and the smoker of the train were badly wrecked, while the automobile was so badly battered up that it had to be sent to the garage for extensive repairs. The two men in the automobile were unhurt. Engineer Crane saw the automobile coming along the National Highway a considerable distance away. He sounded his whistle twice, he said, but so fast was the automobile coming that, despite the fact that the driver skidded the wheels for a block or more, he was unable to bring it to a stop and the crash resulted.
CHARLESTON — There appears to be no official record of votes cast in Charleston Precinct 4 and Ashmore. A discovery recount held Monday revealed that the tapes of two voting machines used in the Nov. 5 election were either blank or did not function when they were run through a recording machine. The discovery recount was conducted in 12 county precincts at the request of Democrat Bill Paris, a Charleston attorney, who was defeated for a seat in the Fifth Circuit Court District by Republican Thomas M. Burke. Burke won the election by a margin of 181 votes. "I was deprived of my statutory right to a recount in those two precincts," Paris told the JG. In Ashmore, there apparently is no permanent record. The votes were not recorded on the magnetic tape as they should have been, although according to manufacturers representatives vote totals which were taken directly from the counter readouts on the night of the election were accurate...MATTOON — Coles County Clark Harry Grafton apparently failed to comply with a state election law dealing with the selection of deputy registrars the JG has learned. The law states that "There shall not be less than two deputy registrars for each 10,000 population, or fraction thereof in each township, road district or ward. The law goes on to state that deputy registrars "shall be appointed from lists furnished and certified to by the chairmen of the respective county central committees of the two major political parties except where the lists are insufficient as provided in this section." Coles County Democratic Chairman Joseph Connelly claimed today when contacted by the Journal, that Grafton had not sought a list of potential registrars from him ... MATTOON — Mattoon may yet lose the Penn Central Railroad line running east to Indianapolis, Ind., and west to St. Louis, Mo. The United States Railway Association has put the line back on the list of rail lines in Illinois to be abandoned. City and state officials had been under the impression that the line had been taken off the endangered list as a result of strong protest by local and state officials and citizens against the original abandonment plan. That plan called for the elimination of 2,600 miles of Illinois trackage. Mattoon City Coordinator George Pendell said abandonment of the Penn Central line would be a "very serious blow to the economic well being of the city. We were under the impression that we were safe."
MATTOON — More celebrities and a second round of golf are set for the second Larry Smith Celebrity Golf Classic that raises money for scholarships for Mattoon and Charleston high school seniors. Former Harlem Globetrotter Curly Neal, former NBA star "Sweet" Lou Hudson and UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin are among those scheduled to participate in the event on June 8 and 9. Others include Ray Allen of the Milwaukee Bucks, former Chicago Bear Marv Cook and CNN anchor Leon Harris. Smith, a CNN/SI anchor and Mattoon native, said the first year exceeded expectations, including a full field of golfers and issuing six scholarships that totaled $,3,500. This year Smith anticipates 120 golfers for the morning golf session at Meadowview Golf Course ... MATTOON — Area public school nurses are receiving new tools to help ensure the health and safety of thousands of students. Cellular One of East Central Illinois and Nokia are donating 50 cellular phones with service for school nurses, through a new program called "ClassLink RN." This is the first program of its kind in the country. The program is designed to provide accessibility to the nurses, who often travel between schools. These nurses are available in case of emergencies, to talk with parents, to confer with teachers on medications, or when any medical-related questions or concerns arise. Phones were distributed in Coles County Thursday. In Mattoon, one nurse serves 10 schools and more than 3,500 students. In Charleston, the two school nurses serve six schools and more than 3,300 students. The Oakland school nurse serves two school and 450 students.
Photos: Remembering Harlem Globetrotters' Curly Neal, 1942-2020
