Volume 42 Number 28 Thursday, July 15, 2021 20 Pages | 75¢ Marissa teen survives being sucked through storm drain One neighbor tried to a half mile, through the reach into the culvert to storm sewer. Reached up in the darkness find Sebastian, herself Amazingly, Sebastian was falling in, only to be pulled not seriously injured. He and found an air pocket back out by her husband. suffered bruises and cuts “It was like an out-of-body on his wrists, fi ngers and By Travis Lott through a storm drain by experience,” Calderon said knees and a swollen ankle. It’s a story that Marissa rushing waters. of her own terror. A spot where he hit his residents have become all Tasha Calderon said her Firefighters and police head was cut. too familiar with, but over son Sebastian Calderon arrived on the scene and After first responders the weekend, it turned life- and his friends went out- began setting up search looked him over at the threatening. side to ride their bikes areas, but a few minutes fi re station, Sebastian was Ask just about anyone in after the rain Saturday later, the call came in that taken by ambulance to Marissa, and they’ll tell you evening. Before he left, she Sebastian had been found. St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Sebastian Calderon that their town fl oods with reminded him to be care- Firefi ghter Larry Jones, O’Fallon, where he spent unsettling regularity. ful around the water. He “When (the kids) went who knows the storm sew- a few hours before being When the rain falls, es- assured her that he would. over there, he didn’t think er system well, knew that released. Sebastian is re- pecially hard like it did A couple of minutes later, he was anywhere near the Sebastian would be coming covering at home. Saturday, the situation can one of the friends knocked culvert,” Calderon said. out near his home, which Calderon said she thanks become dire. on her door with terrifying Although the water was is blocks away from where God that her son is OK but Fire Chief Jim Perrine news. rushing fast, Sebastian’s he went in. hopes the fl ooding in town said that, over the course of About a half block away quick thinking led him to “He was waiting for a can be addressed. the day Saturday, it rained from home, Sebastian saw reach up, where he felt an body to pop out to resuci- She said, when it rains, 5.3 inches, according to a basketball in the water airpocket above him. He tate,” Calderon said. the water comes right up to fire department weather in a yard that he thought pulled himself up to take Instead, Sebastian popped the front door of her home. instruments. he knew. a couple of quick breaths his head up and responded “A couple of inches, and Between 4 and 5 p.m., He leaned out to grab the before going under again. to Jones. we’re flooded out. If we about two and a half inches ball, and that’s when the “All he could do was stay Jones told Sebastian he get a lot of rain, the whole fell in a half-hour span. water sucked him down calm,” Calderon said. was one lucky boy, and Se- town’s fl ooded out,” Calde- It was just after this time into the darkness of the Back at the location where bastian said, “I know.” ron said. “I don’t want to period, around 5:30, that a culvert and through the he was sucked in, panic Sebastian traveled several have to worry about this 13-year-old boy was sucked storm drain. ensued. blocks, estimated at about again.” Behavorial care center discussed Could become part of Randolph County Care Center By Dan Zobel Randolph County is of- fi cially working toward a behavorial care facility. This type of facility of- fers treatment of mentally, socially and physically ill people, as well as those suf- fering from addiction. The county board dis- cussed this prospect for A car makes its way through the fl oodwaters on South more than an hour during Main Street in Marissa July 10. Photo by Alicia Farrar its July 9 meeting with rep- resentatives from ComWell, Southern Illinois Substance Abuse Alliance, Sparta Com- Marissa residents munity Hospital, the city of Sparta and the Sparta Police Department, as well as others, including State’s tired of fl ooding Attorney Jeremy Walker, By Travis Lott jor fl ash fl oods occurred state Senator Terri Bryant, The Randolph County Care Center in Sparta The heavy fl ash fl ooding September 8, 2018, when state Representative David that has become almost 11 inches of rain fell in two Friess and Judge Richard tions, counties are receiv- possibilities for additional commonplace in Marissa hours. Brown. ing money from the United funding. in the past few years has The police department The target location for the States Treasury through the It was also suggested dur- befuddled city leaders and building was inundated facility is in a portion of American Rescue Plan Act. ing the discussion that the caused a nightmare for during that rainfall, with the Randolph County Care Kiehna said in that appro- county could entertain a some residents. a conservative estimate of Center. priation, there is a strong partnership from surround- Following the news of two feet of water stand- Board Chairman Marc desire for communities to ing counties to help fund the 13-year-old Sebastian ing inside. The police de- Kiehna said the commis- think about behavioral care. project. Calderon being sucked partment abandoned that sioners have no intentions Commissioner Dave Holder The implementation of the of closing the care center, through the storm drain structure, moving to vil- explained that the project is behavorial care unit would and even if they wanted to, after a misstep a half block lage hall. in the feasibility study stage lead to changes in the care it would have to be put to a from his home Saturday, This was considered a to determine need. center structure. The care public vote at an election. the outcry for something freak event, as locals did Holder anticipates that it center itself would be re- However, the board has to be done has reached a not remember a major will remain in this phase for duced from 100 beds to 50. been researching ways to at least the rest of the calen- fever pitch among locals. fl ood happening since the County engineer Mike better utilize the building. dar year. It would probably While city leaders know 1980s. Schneider of Quadrant De- The care center has 40 then take at least until 2024 where the fl ooding is oc- However, eyebrows raised sign of Waterloo explained residents. When it was built, before such a facility would curring, the exact cause is when another flood oc- some of the upgrades that it was licensed for 150 beds, be up and running. would occur at RCCC. He still a mystery. curred during the August but it is currently approved Early estimations, accord- said the south wing would If rain falls quickly 2020 derecho storm. for 100. Despite being at ing to Holder, is that the become the behavorial unit, enough, there are two Then, last weekend, two just 40 percent capacity, the project will cost around $5 and a new entrance, lobby ditches that run through separate fl oods overtook a county still has to pay bed million. and parking lot would be town that fi ll rapidly with portion of the town. During tax as if all 100 are in use. He said the county is look- water. the course of the day Sat- In this year’s appropria- ing into grants and TIF Continued on Page 5_____ Village residents who urday, there was one hour have spent much, if not all, in which two and a half of their lives in Marissa inches fell. Although it was have said this is a relatively nothing near the severity Modoc man electrocuted at crash scene new problem. of the 11-inch rain in 2018, A Good Samaritan was on its driver’s side. the scene was pitch dark, Many of those residents it had serious effects. killed attempting to assist a Roger Muertz, 57, of Mo- making it impossible for gathered at the village While fl ooding is not out wreck victim Sunday night, doc came upon the accident Muertz to see the hot line. board meeting Monday of the ordinary locally, it July 11 near Modoc. and stopped to see if anyone Barbour said he believes night to air their griev- tends to occur in the usual According to Illinois State needed help. Muertz was killed instant- ances. areas—places such as Prai- Police, a vehicle traveling As he was making his way ly. “We’ve lived on that prop- rie du Rocher or Chester north on Bluff Road lost toward the vehicle, Muertz A state police trooper erty for 28 years without that abut river channels. control near Roscow Hol- walked into a downed pow- said the name of the per- bad fl oods,” said resident Marissa, on the other low Road just after 11 p.m. er line and was electro- son who was driving the Chris Sinn. “There’s some hand, is landlocked. The vehicle rolled several cuted. vehicle that wrecked was variable that changed.” times before striking a util- Randolph County Coro- unavailable in time for The fi rst of several ma- Continued on Page 5_____ ity pole and coming to rest ner Carlos Barbour said publication.