2024 Year in Review
A season of ups and downs marks the end of 2024

 

[January 13, 2025] 

The fourth quarter of 2024 found the Logan County Board making headline news on several occasions. The big news from the board would have been the resignation of long-time board member and 2024 chairman Emily Davenport. She announced that she and her family were relocating to a different district in Logan County. Because she was no longer a resident of the district she was elected to represent, she was forced to relinquish her position on the board.

A new board chair was elected by the full board in November and that person was Michael DeRoss. However, with the county’s fiscal year beginning on December 1st annually, the board membership chose a new chairman, J.R Glenn.

There was also an empty seat on the board that was filled by appointment by J. Lance Conahan. However, while nominated in the fourth quarter, Conahan did not take the oath of office until after he was approved in January of 2025.

There was a lot of debate on how to handle employee compensation and health insurance for non-union employees in the fourth quarter as well.

10/11/2024 - Logan County Board Finance Committee Meeting - To Audit or Not to Audit

10/14/2024 - Logan County Board Workshop Meeting - Board hears public comments on C02 Sequestration, talks raises for non-union employees and hears concerns over distribution of tax levy increases

10/18/2024 - Logan County Board Zoning and Economic Development Committee hears recommended changes to Floodplain regulations

10/21/2024 - Logan County Board Regular Meeting -
Board approves four percent wage increase and paying $200 per month for health insurance for non-union employees

11/12/2024 - Logan County Board Building & Grounds Committee - Members hear updates on the Logan County courthouse and Latham Park Bandstand Pavilion - DeRoss shares that Emily Davenport has resigned from the county board due to relocation out of district six

11/18/2024 - Logan County Zoning and Economic Development - Committee hears proposal for a new windfarm, updates on broadband, and fines for Top Hat Construction

11/18/2024 - Logan County Board Finance Committee
Committee works through concerns with the Community Benefit Fund

11/19/2024 - J. Lance Conahan nominated for board position - Tuesday voting session moved to Thursday, November 21st

11/26/2024 - Logan County Board Regular Meeting
Members hear update on Latham Bandstand, discuss violations by Top Hat Wind Farm

12/05/2024 - Logan County Board - Membership approves JR Glenn as Chair and Julie Bobell as Vice-chair

Logan County Clerk Theresa Moore was recognized by her peers in the fourth quarter of 2024.

11/25/2024 - Logan County Clerk and Recorder Theresa Moore receives the Illinois Association of County Officials ‘County Official of the Year’ award

The Lincoln City Council made the news in the fourth quarter of 2024 as it faced the challenge of figuring out what to do about the burned out buildings on Sangamon Street from earlier in the year, and struggled with the decision to increase the property tax levy for the 2024 assessment year for taxes to be paid in 2025.

10/17/2024 - Lincoln City Council - Aldermen set to select a contractor for the demolition of 129 South Sangamon Street

12/17/2024 - Lincoln City Council - Aldermen vote to increase city share of local property tax levy by $55,000

Other news

In other news topics throughout the fourth quarter there were a number of announcements made to the public via Lincoln Daily News. Some of that was good news in the community, some not all that great.

It was announced in early October that Vista Care had acquired the Lincoln Center for Developmental Rehabilitation (commonly called the Logan Mason Rehab). To date, there have been no outward changes to the program and no further announcements about internal changes.

10/02/2024 - Vista Care Acquires Lincoln Center for Developmental Rehabilitation, Advancing Its Mission to Serve More People Better

The Lincoln Kiwanis Club made a startling and sad announcement in the early part of October when the club shared that it was going to dissolve.

10/03/2024 - Kiwanis Club of Lincoln Announces Decision to Dissolve, Distributes Funds to Local Organizations

In the good news department, Marsha Fernandes was recognized by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation for the wonderful work she had done throughout the years will veterans as well as other community support projects,

10/05/2024 - Marsha Fernandes named Philanthropist of the year by Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
Online Registration Open for Nov. 12 Philanthropy Lunch

In regard to veterans, there was a new set of Veteran Tiny Homes dedicated in October in Atlanta. The two new homes were the first to be constructed outside of Lincoln.

10/31/2024 - Atlanta welcomes two new residents at the dedication of CIVC veteran tiny homes

Throughout the quarter there were several special events from Trick or Treat with Mayor Tracy Welch to several Christmas Parades, the annual Rotary Citrus Sale and the cookie walks hosted by the Lincoln Christian Church and the Humane Society of Logan County.

Santa at the Depot, Breakfast with Santa in various locations and breakfast with the Grinch in Elkhart also set the mood for the holiday season.

In addition to these, there was a new and special event hosted in Lincoln at the Lincoln Public Library as the anniversary of the library was celebrated with the “1902 Club” Sesquicentennial observance.

11/09/2024 - Lincoln Public Library Celebrates Its Sesquicentennial in Style

1902 Club Part One - slideshow

1902 Club Part Two - slideshow

Another new event in the fourth quarter that is expected to become an annual event for years to come was a new veteran celebration at Friendship Manor in Lincoln. Administrators at the Manor recognized that some of the residents wanted to be involved in veteran observances but at the same time were unable to attend said observances due to physical restrictions. The answer was then if Veterans couldn’t come to the celebration, then the celebration would come to them.

11/14/2024 - Friendship Manor hosts first annual Veterans Day celebration for resident vets

Friendship Manor recognizes its resident veterans - slideshow

On a few occasions throughout the fourth quarter, Lincoln Police Chief Joe Meister and the city of Lincoln shared information about concerns for the rise in crime in Lincoln. The newly established laws that took effect in early 2024 was making it much more difficult for suspects to be held in jail after an arrest. It was felt that the changes in laws had opened the door for criminal activity because the consequences were minimal when caught.

However, not every battle was a loss. In November the LPD and the Logan County Sheriff issued a joint announcement about an arrest of two dozen people on multiple charges including in most cases drug distribution.

11/27/2024 - Joint press release from Lincoln Police & Logan County Sheriff's Office; 24 arrests made

As the middle of December came into view, many activities in Logan County had been completed and the community was getting settled into a quiet holiday season with friends and family at home. While this is a blessed time that every person should have the right to enjoy, it made for weak news for LDN.

Indeed, Logan County was heading into its “hibernation” mode that LDN editors and managers knew would last well into January of the new year.

As one last big story came in, LDN did delight in sharing a bittersweet memory that was on display in the Logan County Courthouse. The courthouse, which has been under rehabilitation for the last few years had experienced times when the ground floor lobby was for restricted use, some of the floors in the courthouse were closed, and many of the normal activities in the courthouse were moved to alternate locations.

However, this year, at the last meeting of the Logan County Board, held in the first floor courtroom, LDN reporter Matt Boutcher noted the large Christmas Tree in the center of the rotunda, and saw that it was dedicated to former Courthouse Security Officer Rob Rawlins.

The story of the tree was the last notable story of the year in 2024.

12/26/2024 - Courthouse tree dedicated to the memory of Robert Rawlins

With the Christmas and New Year holidays falling in the middle of the week in 2024, LDN closed the books on the year with not a lot of significant news, but a lot of significant memories.

In all, it was a good year for Logan County with many good things happened, seasoned lightly with a few struggles along the way.

We still enjoyed the events that our community has become known for, and relished in hearing good news from people throughout the county. We closed the year optimistic that the new year will be good for all of us. Sure there will be challenges, and yes, LDN will do its best to record those challenges without bias for our readers.

We have much to look forward to, but at the same time, we enjoy looking back and remembering the year that was 2024.

[Nila Smith]