Gas Prices Push the Limit

[JAN. 28, 2000]  If you have been to the gas pump lately, you probably have noticed the recent jump in gasoline prices. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed recently to extend an agreement to cut crude oil production, resulting in a dramatic cost increase across the nation. Originally, the agreement was slated to end in March of 2000, but will now remain in effect until the end of the year.

In Lincoln, the average price of gasoline stands at approximately $1.40 per gallon. According to Curt Burwell, Secretary/ Treasurer of Burwell Oil Company, this price is a reflection of a multitude of factors, including state and federal tax, as well as the price of crude oil, which determine the final price. Burwell explains that the price of crude oil, which hit a nine-year high last week, can easily fluctuate on a daily basis. In addition to the crude oil price, he adds, "most people don’t know the amount of tax included" in the final cost.

Burwell also states that the federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents. This tax is in addition to a combined state tax of 20.1 cents and the 6.25 percent sales tax. This means customers pay more than 40 cents per gallon in taxes.

However, this price jump is not isolated to this area alone. Ileana Blake, spokesperson for the American Automobile Association, says this price increase "affects us all." She explains that this recent price increase illustrates the sensitivity of this particular market. "Any kind of major announcement or world event will affect prices at the pump," she says. "There are plentiful supplies, [however gasoline] is still a precious resource."

Ms. Blake adds, however, that the recent increase has not left customers in the cold when it comes to driving. "People don’t drastically change plans based on the price of gasoline since we depend on driving so much," she explains.

George Mullen from Illico, the company that operates the local Apollo Mart station, said that there was an initial sticker shock when gas prices shot up. People held back from buying gasoline at first, but later returned to the pumps in a normal fashion. “People need to go places, and so they need the gas.”

[JAN. 27, 2000]  No time to search through pages of type for the bits of local news that are of interest to you? Want your parents in Rockford to read about their grandkids in Lincoln? Looking for a complete season schedule for your local sports team? Just go to www.lincolndailynews.com and you will find news, sports, features and commentary from Logan County. And in this interactive medium, you will become a part of sharing the stories of your community.

“This is an exciting new way to keep people informed,” says Natalie Jeckel, the publication’s managing editor. A Hartsburg native, who now lives in Lincoln, Jeckel studied writing at Lincoln College and Millikin University before joining the Lincoln Daily News last month. “I love this county and the people who live here. The Lincoln Daily News is devoted to telling the stories of our county, and I am delighted to be on the ground floor of this venture. I have learned that the good people of this area are hungry for publications that give voice to their human strivings, their accomplishments, and their shared experiences. We will do our best to earn the loyalty of our readers.”

The website was designed by Ryan Seggelke with assistance from Tyler Havlin. The pair has been putting in long days for the past several weeks, preparing for today’s premier issue. “I think an honest and optimistic voice can be a real asset to a community,” says Seggelke. “I may be idealistic, but I believe the Lincoln Daily News can contribute positively to the way we all live in Logan County.” Havlin adds, “LDN has so much flexibility since it isn’t limited by page size. We can use full color on all of our pictures and ads. In addition, we have the ability to update our content at any time during the day. And, we don’t have to cut down trees to produce our publication. The news is available free to anyone in Logan County, or in the world for that matter, who wants to log on to www.lincolndailynews.com.”

Mary Krallmann, LDN’s copy editor and writer, has 23 years of experience in newspaper journalism, and thinks an Internet-based, daily publication is the wave of the future. Another member of the staff is Katherine Heller, a graduate of Youngstown State University in Ohio. She will write feature stories and cover breaking news for LDN. “Lincoln is a lot like my hometown in Ohio, except there are no hills here. I have worked with newspapers in Ohio, and I am excited about the advantages of the Internet as a medium. I look forward to learning more about this community while covering the activities in Logan County.”

Lincoln Daily News will draw upon the talents of the community, featuring a variety of writers, photographers, and people with opinions to share. In addition to each day’s news stories, LDN will cover Logan County sports, weather, feature stories and reviews, commentary, and full reporting of the activities of Logan County organizations and businesses.

[Natalie Jeckel-ed.]

Bill Workman Press Release

[JAN. 28, 2000]  Logan County State's Attorney Bill Workman announced he is seeking re-election in the March 2000 Republican primary. Workman said he is proud of the achievements of his office in his first term of service to the people of Logan County as their chief law enforcement officer. "I believe in taking an aggressive approach to my job. The people of Logan County have reposed their faith and trust in me to protect their community and provide as safe an environment as possible in which to live, work and bring up our children. I have always taken that responsibility very seriously, both as an Assistant State's Attorney and as elected State's Attorney, and I intend to continue to do so," Workman said.

Workman believes his proactive approach to his job enhances his office's effectiveness in prosecution. "Success as a prosecutor is dependent upon a multitude of factors. In order to be an effective State's Attorney, it is extremely important to understand the problems and concerns of the law enforcement officers and to work with them to cultivate mutual respect and trust. I have the good fortune of working in a county where I deeply respect my law enforcement colleagues and the jobs they perform for the people of this county," Workman said.

Workman is known for participating directly with the police on a regular basis, going on "ride-alongs" with officers, usually on the night shift. Through these hours spent with them, he has developed a close working relationship, which he refers to as a partnership. "I view our roles as a team effort in controlling crime in Logan County," Workman said. "We are fortunate in this county to have some of the finest law enforcement officers I know of, and I am honored to work with them," he said.

While Workman is viewed as a "no-nonsense" prosecutor, he does express definite recognition that prevention and restorative justice in measured amounts are just as important to society's balance as strong, swift enforcement and punishment. "When I was elected as State's Attorney, I made some commitments to the citizens of this county, and that has meant treating every case with the same fairness and thorough consideration. However, I believe a State's Attorney's job does not end in the courtroom or in the courthouse."

Workman is referring to the several proposals he spoke much about during the 1996 campaign for State's Attorney. These proposals incorporate some prevention and programmatic elements to his formula for a stronger and safer Logan County. He explained that one such proposal he developed early in his first campaign was the implementation of a victim/witness coordinator working in his office directly with victims of not only violent crimes, but all crimes.

"In my 1996 campaign I told the people of Logan County that it was my intention to establish a victim/witness advocate as a full-time staff member in the State's Attorney's office to assist those in need. We were successful in doing just that through a grant funded by the Illinois Attorney General's Office," Workman said. "Quite often," he continued, "victims of crimes and witnesses to criminal acts are traumatized by their experience and are in need of services. We are now able to provide an important contact and assist those victims, and we have expanded the assistance available to domestic violence victims. Any domestic violence victim can now receive assistance in my office. This was one of our priorities early on, and it is now available to anyone who is in need of services," Workman concluded.

Workman also credited his staff for the successes in his office. "The entire staff in the State's Attorney's Office are dedicated, hard-working individuals who serve the county well, and they deserve recognition for helping keep the operations in the office running smoothly."

Formation of Workman's re-election campaign committee includes co-chairs Diane Schriber, a Logan County realtor, and Dr. Sam Redding, Executive Director of the Academic Development Institute.

Workman concluded that he looks forward to continuing to serve the people of this county as their State's Attorney. "I want to continue preserving and protecting citizen's rights, improving the services we provide to the law-abiding people of Logan County, and making Logan County a safe place to live."

Tim Huyett Press Release

[JAN. 27, 2000]  Tim Huyett, a former Logan County State’s Attorney, is seeking the Republican nomination for Logan County State’s Attorney in the upcoming March primary election. “I certainly desire to run a positive campaign, but as a challenger to the incumbent, I must demonstrate to Logan County citizens why their county needs a change in the office of State’s Attorney. Above all the many duties of state’s attorneys, it is his most significant responsibility to appropriately charge, try and win cases that go to a jury. Logan County needs a professional prosecuting lawyer who can provide this service, and I believe I am the best candidate for that position,” he said.

Huyett’s background includes more than courtroom battles. He served in the Army National Guard from 1983 to 1989. He counseled troubled juveniles at the Dixon Group Home from 1980 through 1983. Huyett has spent time in a teaching capacity at Lincoln College and Lincoln Correctional Center. He began his prosecutorial career shortly after graduating with honors from Southern Illinois University Law School in 1986. His first position was in Tazewell County. He quickly moved from traffic and misdemeanor court to the handling of felonies within one year.

In 1988, Huyett came to the Logan County State’s Attorney’s office, joining then State’s Attorney John Turner. Huyett served as Turner’s assistant until 1995 when the Logan County Board appointed him to fill the remainder of Turner’s expired term. “I am extremely proud to have Representative John Turner’s endorsement and support. He and his family are dear friends of mine. I am pleased to have Diana Froschauer as my campaign manager and George Davis as my treasurer,” he stated

Huyett ran for the Logan County seat in 1996 narrowly losing in a hotly contested five-way race. “I believe then and I believe now that Logan county deserves a professional prosecutor in its top position, and I strongly believe that I am the person for the job.”

Since leaving office, Huyett has worked as a Special Prosecutor for the State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s Office located in Springfield, Illinois. In that position he has been entrusted with and successfully prosecuted many high profile cases including homicides and matters of public corruption. He is called into these cases by locally elected State’s Attorneys who need his expertise.

“First and foremost, the chief law enforcement officer must have the legal expertise to enforce the law on behalf of the people,” he stated. “The last election was certainly disappointing, but I respect the voters’ decision in 1996. Nevertheless, the setback yielded positive results with the unexpected benefit of providing me with the opportunity to prosecute important and controversial cases all over the state. This experience can only help me in my goal to return as Logan County’s State’s Attorney. I am asking voters for their reconsideration of my candidacy in 2000.”

Huyett stated that he intends to bring changes to the office, which will improve the practice of law at the State’s Attorney’s Office. “I will introduce a method of tracking cases from the time of filing to the time of trial so cases won’t be dismissed due to failure to bring them to trial within the time set by statute,” he said. In a similar vein he stated he will give a high priority to filing cases within a reasonable time after the completion of the investigative phase.

“Although I have maintained my ties to an affection for Logan County, I was financially required to move to Springfield after the election. This was obviously not my first choice, and I am honored to have the opportunity to demonstrate my commitment to this county having reestablished my residency here. In addition, I am taking a leave of absence from my job and am devoting all of my energy to my campaign to return to Logan County as its State’s Attorney.”