Former GCMS teacher ordered held until trial

A former Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley teacher charged with sexually abusing a student will remain in custody.  Robert Dinkins was denied pre-trial released while appearing in Ford County court yesterday.  He was arrested earlier this month in Macon, Georgia on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.  An investigation was launched in March after the parents of a GCMS student said their child had received concerning texts from Dinkins.  The investigation found that Dinkins had participated in sexual activities with a high-school age student.

Route 49 closed for repair

The State Department of Transportation says Route 49 is closed for repair and will be for the rest of the week. The DOT says the highway is closed at the TP&W crossing in Crescent City, but should reopen sometime on Sunday. Traffic is being detoured on US 24 and US 45.