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Terry Werth, road and bridge chairman, announced that a $2 million
grant came through from the state last week. Highway engineer Bret
Aukamp worked with representatives of Viper Mine in Elkhart to
secure economic development funds offered through IDOT for
reconstruction of the portions of County Highway 10 that go to the
mine. These funds go a long way to help us pay for the road, Werth
said.
County Highway 10, better known as the Elkhart-to-Mount Pulaski
blacktop, passes the mine, and coal is transported over the road to
Interstate 55 on the west end and to Illinois Route 121 on the east
end.
Because of when the funds would become available, the work will
extend into the fall, which will cause some inconvenience to
travelers. Aukamp hopes that people will understand and be
appreciative of getting the funds that made the project possible.
After many years of development, today is the first day for the
Logan County GIS to become available for public use. The project has
gone through many phases to provide the base map and geographic
detail it offers today. Many more layers can and will be developed
as overlays in the future. Aukamp explained that Logan County
partnered with Tri-County for mapping GIS in the most recent phase.
The county is weighing creating an IT department that would
oversee technologies and the next phase of the GIS development.
Eventually the GIS information and updates would become too large
for one person, and the county is planning for a separate GIS person
who would be needed in the future.
See article in today's Top
Stories for details, and you can visit the GIS site at
www.co.logan.il.us/gis/.
Dan Fulscher, emergency management director, said there was 100
percent attendance when the emergency operations center was opened
to assess the swine flu crisis and the county's preparedness.
Agencies and officials gathered on April 27 to begin a plan of
action that would protect Logan County citizens from the spreading
flu.
The health department came in and did an excellent job of putting
everyone at ease over the swine flu, Fulscher said.
Matt Ringenberg, director of environmental health for the Logan
County Department of Public Health, said that the local department
kept in contact with the Illinois Department of Public Health. The
last daily conference call was on Thursday. Additional conferences
will be scheduled as needed.
The health department answered many phone calls on the H1N1 virus
from concerned people. A total of 190 additional staff hours were
logged in 25.5 days.
There have been no confirmed cases of the H1N1 in Logan County.
The closest was one case in Sangamon County.
Today's stats are 618 confirmed cases in Illinois, 3,352 cases in
45 states and three deaths.
Concerns have relaxed some in the U.S. as the virus has appeared
to be less virulent than that circulating in Mexico. But the CDC is
remaining alert. Flu viruses typically build over the winter months
and peak in March. In the past when swine flu virus has erupted in
the spring, it has been known to mutate and become more virulent in
the fall.
The health department is still strongly advocating good hygienic
practices to prevent catching or spreading the flu; wash your hands
often, sneeze or cough into your sleeve, eat well, and get good
rest.
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The vice chairman for the board normally conducts the board-of-whole
meeting. Since Patrick O'Neill was absent for the evening, board
chairman Terry Carlton led the meeting.
At the close of the meeting the chairman gave his report. Carlton
said that he would be attending a meeting with the United Counties
Council of Illinois on Monday and that he would take several issues
that Logan County is exploring, including questions of salary and
benefits offered for county board members, to get the UCCI's
response. The agency serves as an information resource and a
legislative voice for county governments in Illinois.
Carlton announced that Michael Simonson withdrew his name from
consideration for the vacant District 6 board seat on Thursday.
By law it is the chairman who makes the appointment for a vacated
seat and the board approves that person.
During public comment, board member John Stewart said that he
would like to suggest Paul Gleason, who previously served on the
board. Stewart asked if there could be a straw vote taken to see if
the other board members might support Gleason.
Carlton said that he was unfamiliar with meeting rules to do this
and did not want to do something that would later be undone by
violating rules.
Jan Schumacher said she felt put on the spot and would not want
to vote for someone she did not know anything about.
Gloria Luster and Dave Hepler both had served with Gleason and
offered that they would favor Gleason.
Stewart clarified that he was not trying to push the issue but
trying to work together to fill the seat.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST]
Past related articles
GIS:
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The following GIS sites
provide examples of what can be done in Logan County:
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