[JUNE 21, 2001]  In the ongoing battle between corporate interests and the convenience of small-town America, small-town America has lost again.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

[Customer Laura Lee from Mount Pulaski makes a purchase from Barb Peddicord at the U.S. Office Products store, which is soon to close.  Manager Gail Rawlins is in the background.]

[Nina Westen of A.G. Edwards looks over items on sale before the store closes June 29.]

[JUNE 21, 2001]  Logan County State’s Attorney Tim Huyett took evidences about the death of a baby to a grand jury Wednesday.

The baby, 11-month-old Daneysia Williams, was taken to the hospital on May 27 by her mother, Kimberly Williams, 20, of 1202 Kankakee St. Attempts by hospital personnel to revive the baby failed.

Autopsy results revealed a lacerated liver caused by blunt trauma to her right side.

The grand jury found enough evidence to call for an indictment of the mother, and a warrant for the arrest of Kimberly Williams was issued. She was arrested in Kankakee and has been transferred to Logan County Jail.

[LDN]

[JUNE 20, 2001]  By a vote of 11-1, the Logan County Board decided to table a motion to increase their pay. The raise, which would have been effective December of 2002, called for an increase from $35 per committee meeting to $50 and from $50 to $75 for each general board meeting.

Discussion prior to the vote indicated board members wanted to wait until current discussions on redistricting are finalized and the number of board members is determined.

Dick Logan, board chairman, told members that if the increase is eventually approved, other measures could be looked at to keep these costs down.

"The size of some of the committees could be reduced," Logan said.

"For instance, the liquor committee has six members. This could be reduced to three members including the committee chairman, another board member and the board chairman. Our final cost for these meetings could be a wash," he added.

The board also voted 9-3 to accept the only bid, $32,500 from Bassi Construction, to renovate the John Logan building, which was acquired to provide more space for courthouse services.

Those voting against the measure were concerned that the figures were too high based upon the work that was to be done.

In other action, a motion to forgive the past debt of Don Otte of several thousands of dollars in back rent due from farming operations at the airport failed by a 9-3 vote. The motion, made by Roger Bock, chairman of the airport committee, was based upon the unavailability of any documentation that specified terms of the agreement the board had with Otte.

The last documentation was in the minutes of the 1990 airport committee and indicated, through a "gentlemen’s agreement," that Otte would pay $100 per acre per year for the 3.75 acres of farm ground adjacent to the airport.

[to top of second column in this article]

Tim Huyett, state’s attorney, will send Otte a letter asking for payment prior to any litigation the county may bring against him.

Bill Martin addressed the board about redistricting plans. Martin is a member of the redistricting committee established by Dick Logan following overwhelming support of the referendum to change from at-large elections to district representation. Martin presented three plans for the board to look at and to vote on at a special session Thursday night. Other plans can also be presented at that meeting.

[Editor’s note: The three plans Martin presented are listed in an article posted in LDN on June 19. "In one proposal, a county of 12 ‘one person’ districts is offered. In another, three districts represented by five members each is subject to approval. In the third offering, a system of five districts with three board members each can be authorized." — from "Logan County Board districts and salaries," by Mike Fak]

 If the board cannot agree upon a plan by July, the question then goes to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to appoint a committee to resolve the issue.

The referendum earlier this year was approved by the voters by a 3-1 margin.

[Fuzz Werth]

[JUNE 20, 2001]  Rich Ludolph, former Lincoln police chief, announced today that he will be joining the staff of the Supreme Court at the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts.

He has been offered and accepted a position as a court reporting services field manager, working out of the Springfield office. He begins his new duties on Monday, June 25. He will work with numerous judges and court reporters throughout the state under a new program for court reporting management and implementation of digital recording of court hearings.

"I wish to thank former Mayor Joan Ritter for the opportunity to serve as Lincoln’s chief of police for four years. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Lincoln and Logan County as a deputy sheriff, probation officer and chief of police over the last 26 years," Ludolph said.

[to top of second column in this article]

Ludolph characterized his new position as "an exciting opportunity that will put me in an environment with which I am familiar but one that will bring new challenges and a new direction to my career."

"I have always enjoyed working within the court system, and I look forward to the future challenges it brings to my professional career," he said.

[News release]

Fire Department promotions, new committee assignments

[JUNE 20, 2001]  Restoration of the well Abraham Lincoln drank from, which is in front of the present VFW Post at 915 Fifth St., may be financed by an Illinois FIRST grant, according to Alderman Patrick Madigan.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

[JUNE 19, 2001]  Plans for the proposed 16-home East Park subdivision, which have been under discussion by developer Rodney White and the Lincoln City Council for several months, came to a halt Monday evening over who will foot the bill for upgrading a city street.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

[JUNE 19, 2001]  The Logan County Treasurer’s Office announces the office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 23. The first installment of real estate taxes will be due without a penalty on Friday, June 29. Beginning July 2, a 1½ percent penalty will be charged on the first installment. The second installment is due without a penalty on Sept. 5. A penalty of 1½ percent will be charged on the second installment beginning Sept. 6. The annual tax sale of all property with unpaid taxes will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, in the first floor courtroom of the Logan County Courthouse. Taxpayers are reminded of the new drop box for the Logan County treasurer. The box for payments is in the city parking lot on North Kickapoo Street.

[JUNE 18, 2001]  Hundreds of visitors made the courthouse square in Mount Pulaski a busy place on Friday evening and Saturday, when the community sponsored its Heritage Days and Bluegrass Festival.

[Click here to see photos from Heritage Days]

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

[JUNE 18, 2001]  The replacement for John Turner as state representative, expected to be chosen this weekend, has still not been named, according to Mason County GOP Chairman Mary Jane Jones.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

We look back and wonder now if anyone would have bothered showing up for work at all on Monday morning if we had known in advance what we would face that week . You may remember that on Sunday afternoon, an accident caused a power outage in Lincoln. That power outage crashed the LDN server, seriously damaging all our data files. In simple English, we lost everything that was related to Lincoln Daily News, and LDN on the Net was gone, really gone! Talk about stress!

We worked through the morning not knowing if we would be able to publish that day or any day soon or if we might actually be done for good. There we were at the fair, and there wasn't any Lincoln Daily News for the day to show anyone.

The tech guys tried to sort out what remained of the LDN website. A couple minutes before noon we received word that we could post on another server from a different site for that day. Readers had no idea how close it was that we even had a publication, nor was it readily obvious that we were not on our usual site. It was only on closer inspection it could be noticed that there were a number of oddities. There were articles on the inside pages that were ages old. More recent articles were gone. It was a little like being in a nightmare — lots of big and little things just weren't quite right.

[to top of second column in this article]

All the damages were not apparent immediately. LDN was hosted on the temporary site for weeks before new equipment replaced some of the damaged old equipment. The biggest loss was our recently completed archives. We had worked all summer to catalog the articles for complete and simple reference. Archives were now inaccessible, and the damages have kept them unavailable until today.

We have worked hard in recent months, and what is left of the archives is now accessible again to the public. You can find them at http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/.

You will notice that some entire issues are missing, others have pictures missing, links broken, and other anomalies. But for the most part, our publishing history and the stories about our community are now once again preserved and ready for your perusal.

The newly restored archives will allow you to go back through LDN and read past articles and view pictures. In about a week, our search engine will be in place and you will be able to search for specific articles, words, names, etc.

We thank you for your patience, and we bid you welcome to the newly reopened archives.

[LDN]

Board to vote on salary and fill vacancy
[JUNE 15, 2001]  Logan County Board members will vote Tuesday evening to accept or reject the recommendation of the Insurance and Legislative Committee to increase their salaries effective December 2002.

The recommendation calls for an increase from $35 per committee meeting to $50 and from $50 to $75 for each board meeting.

At their work session June 14, board member Rod White objected to the proposal being made at this time, since current talks to divide the county into districts and to consider the size of the board haven’t been completed.

"Our current budget allows for $45,000 for board salaries and mileage reimbursement," White said. "This proposal calls for a 63 percent increase and would result in an increase in this amount to over $62,000.

"I’m not saying we shouldn’t address an increase at some point," White said, "but 63 percent is too much at one time in light of the fact that, by law, we are almost a year premature in looking at it."

Board Chairman Dick Logan, who supports the proposal, felt that it would be an incentive for anyone who might be interested in running for public office.

"There might be someone younger who is interested in running for office, and this salary increase might be a way, as a second job, for the person to help raise his or her family," Logan said.

A straw vote Thursday night indicated six members for the change and four against the measure.

Board members currently receive retirement and insurance benefits.

[to top of second column in this article]

In other action at the Thursday work session, Cliff Sullivan, chairman of the animal control committee, said that they had gone online to let others know, through the Internet, what animals had been found, including pictures of the animals and also of those that are available for adoption.

"There might be someone in the county or outside of the county that is looking for a lost pet or one to adopt," Sullivan said. "With this service we will be able to reach more people that ordinarily wouldn’t have the opportunity to come to the animal control office," he said.

Board members also heard from Roger Bock, chairman of the airport committee, that the county is still operating the airport.

"We had two bids for the position of fixed-base operator," Bock said. "Both bids were rejected by the committee."

Logan reported to the board that he had received 13 applications to fill the unexpired term of Beth Davis, who resigned following her election as mayor of Lincoln.

"I have decided to interview Gloria Luster, Delmar Stewart and Tom Cash on June 19," Logan said.

He also told members that he would submit a name for approval at their June 19 meeting or at the special session scheduled for June 21.

[Fuzz Werth]

[JUNE 15, 2001]  This week the governor begins sorting through the 540 bills the General Assembly approved this spring. Among the legislation gaining support in both legislative chambers was historic coal legislation and a comprehensive pro-consumer telecommunications measure that will dramatically improve telephone service in Illinois.

The session also yielded a resolution creating an election task force, a bill with reforms of the firearm owners identification card application process and an agreement on insurance coverage of mental illnesses, according to state Sen. Bob Madigan, R-Lincoln.

The General Assembly approved a $53 billion budget directing nearly $9 billion toward education spending. The budget also allocates about $460 million of all new general revenue growth to education, which is 51 percent of the total new general revenue growth.

The budget provides almost $80 million for thousands of developmental disabilities direct-care workers to receive a $1 per hour increase in pay that is retroactive to March 1, 2001. The budget also provides $3 million to fund an additional 150 community-integrated living arrangements for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Other budget highlights include money to fully fund the Medicaid program at a 30-day payment cycle without imposing any additional rate reductions to Medicaid providers and $80 million for updated cost reports for nursing homes for the purpose of increasing Medicaid rates for certain long-term care providers.

There also is $176.7 million included in the budget to fully fund the governor’s Venture Tech I proposal that will improve the state’s medical research and treatment capabilities and foster economic development.

Both chambers also sent the governor a comprehensive telecommunications plan that benefits consumers by creating basic, flat phone rates, providing more consumer choice, and putting into place tougher service-quality standards and better access to technology statewide.

The legislation (HB 2900) provides three basic rate packages for consumers. The legislation also requires the installation of new basic services within five days of a customer order and requires companies to credit consumer bills for any period of time beyond 24 hours when basic phone service is not restored. Also, at the request of the AARP, the bill requires consumers to be notified of the new quality standards.

Other legislative action includes legislation sent to the governor that will rejuvenate the coal industry in Illinois and help meet the state’s future energy needs. The legislation (HB 1599) creates a financial assistance program that allows new energy producers and coal mines to tap into billions of dollars of bond money, provides state tax incentives for the production of coal and the building of new power plants, and sets parameters for local governments to provide property tax breaks for coal mines and new power plants.

The Senate also took action to improve the election process in the state by approving Senate Resolution 153 that creates the I-Vote Senate Task Force on integrity in voting. The I-Vote Task Force will be composed of 11 members (seven senators and four public members) who will examine various issues relating to voting procedures and elections technology and then issue a final report by April 1, 2002.

In the wake of the Feb. 5 shooting at Navistar in Melrose Park that left five people dead, the General Assembly approved legislation (SB 1065) that improves the process of applying for a FOID, as a means to prevent felons from owning firearms in Illinois. The following are some of the key components of Senate Bill 1065:

•  Allows for the use of the secretary of state’s digital photo system for FOID card applicants, requires the FOID card applicant’s signature to be displayed on the card and prohibits use of the digital images if those images are associated with fraud or erroneous data.

•  Allows for online FOID card applications when the Illinois State Police have the capability.

•  Makes giving false information on a FOID card application a Class 2 felony.

•  Modifies the current system in which felons can appeal to the director of the state police and grants that power to the Circuit Court in certain cases involving serious felons, in order to give the hearings more public scrutiny.

•  Makes it a Class 1 felony if someone transfers three or more firearms to people who do not properly display a valid FOID card and requires the surrender of firearms after a felony conviction to be done at a time and place designated by the court.

Another measure (SB 1341) provides coverage under group policies (based upon medical necessity) of up to 45 days of inpatient treatment and 35 visits for outpatient treatment per year but does not limit lifetime coverage. Mental illnesses would also be covered at same amount limits, deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance factors as physical illnesses. The legislation does not apply to businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

Under this measure, hospital and medical expenses for schizophrenia, paranoid and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, major depressive compulsive disorders, depression in childhood and adolescence, and panic disorder would be covered.

The following bills were sent to the governor for final approval:

MTBE (HB 171) — Prohibits the sale and production of MTBE as a fuel additive in Illinois, a move which will allow for increased use of ethanol.

Value-added agriculture (SB 994) — Creates a grant program to encourage businesses to market and package Illinois agricultural products locally, adding value to the commodities and creating jobs.

Industrial hemp (HB 3377) — Authorizes a study on the feasibility and desirability of industrial hemp production in Illinois.

Brownfields (SB 75) — Expands the brownfields grant program.

Mercury (SB 683) — Requires utilities to inform landowners when they work on equipment containing mercury.

Boeing (SB 1285) — Authorizes economic incentives to the Boeing Corporation as they prepare to move their headquarters to Chicago, a move that is projected to bring 500 jobs and $4.3 billion in revenues to Illinois over the next 20 years.

McCormick Place (HB 263) — Allows expansion of the state’s premier convention and exposition center and creates a fund for statewide economic development purposes.

Abandoned babies (SB 216/HB632) — Allows parents of newborn infants to leave their baby at a safe haven (church, hospital, fire station, etc.) for purposes of adoption without repercussions.

Baby AIDS legislation (SB 1254) — Requires managed-care insurance plans to cover routine HIV testing for expectant mothers.

Child support (SB 950) — Publishes a list naming 200 child-support deadbeats who owe $5,000 or more in back support. (SB 993) — Notifies parents who are 30 days late (or more) on child-support payments that simple interest will accrue at the rate of 9 percent. (SB 661) — Allows the courts to use child-support collection incentives, such as driver’s license suspension or criminal prosecution, even after the child reaches the age of 18 years old.

Tobacco (HB 2254) — Creates a unique driver’s license format for those younger than age 19 to prevent underage purchase of tobacco.

Car seats (SB 403) — Increases the maximum fine for failing to use a child safety seat or seat belt from $25 to $50 for a first offense and from $50 to $100 for subsequent offenses. (SB 98) — Requires every person transporting passengers ages 4 to 15 to ensure passengers are in car seats or seat belts.

[to top of second column in this article]

Home loans (HB 2439) — Creates the Treasurer’s Home Loan Collateral Fund to help Illinois residents buy new homes or avoid foreclosure through low-interest loans.

Sweepstakes fraud (SB 797) — Protects consumers from sweepstakes fraud by requiring mailings to state clearly that no purchase is necessary, disclose all information and award the prize within 30 days.

Insurance discrimination (SB 869) — Prohibits unfair discrimination based upon race, color, religion or national origin by life, accident and health insurance policies.

Restricted call registry (HB 176) — Creates the statewide Restricted Call Registry for consumers who do not want to be called by telemarketing sales companies.

Halal food (SB 750) — Makes it a Class B misdemeanor to misrepresent food as being halal, food that is prepared under the strict compliance with laws and customs of the Islamic religion.

Tree trimming (HB 1776) — Sets standards utilities must follow when they trim trees on private property.

FOID cards (SB 1065) — Provides more oversight for the FOID card application process, tightens the FOID card felony exemption, creates a new offense for anyone falsifying a FOID card application, uses driver’s license photos to confirm identities and cracks down on repeat FOID card offenders. (HB 1942) — Sets Class 2 felony penalties for any person who forges or materially alters or counterfeits a FOID card or possesses a card that has been forged, altered or counterfeited.

Too-drunk defense (SB 265) — Eliminates the defense that persons were too intoxicated to know better when committing a crime.

Meth labs (HB 978) — Allows stiffer prison sentences on those convicted of operating an illegal drug lab if emergency response personnel are injured or killed in connection with illegal drug lab fires or explosions.

Project Exile (SB 5/HB 231) — Encourages the federal prosecution of all persons who illegally use firearms in crimes against others.

School funding (HB 3050) — Implements EFAB’s recommendations for minimum per-pupil state funding at $4,560, average daily attendance and hold harmless. Eliminates the threshold for poverty grants and maintains the continuing appropriation for school funding through the next fiscal year.

Education license plates (SB 1521) — Creates education license plates with funds benefiting scholarships for teachers. Illinois school children will design the special plates in a statewide contest.

Marine Corps scholarships (SB 267) — Creates U.S. Marine Corps license plates benefiting the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund for Illinois residents who are children of Marine Corps veterans and plan to attend an Illinois college or university.

MAP grants (SB 406) — Increases the maximum Monetary Award Program grants for undergraduate students to $4,968 for full-time students and to $2,484 for part-time students.

Veterans’ diplomas (HB 12) — Allows high schools to award diplomas to honorably discharged World War II and Korean War veterans who left school to serve during the war and never finished high school.

Quick take (SR 41) — Sets guidelines for local governments to follow when they exercise their quick-take authority.

Government land purchases (HB 3024) — Requires the state to disclose the beneficiaries of any trusts involved in the state purchase of land for airports or prisons.

Health-care grants (SB 149) — Expands health-care options to improve access in medically under-served areas through a community health center expansion program.

Nursing aides (SB 1504) — Prohibits a mental health or developmental disability facility from employing a nurse’s aide who has been found to have physically or sexually abused a patient.

STD testing for attackers (SB 1049) — Provides victims of sexual assault with information about their attackers’ HIV and STD status.

Breast cancer (HB 25) — Provides Medicaid coverage, under the Department of Public Health’s breast and cervical cancer screening program, for uninsured women under the age of 65 who have tested positive for breast or cervical cancer.

Mastectomy coverage (SB 866) — Requires all insurance companies to offer coverage for prosthetic devices and complete reconstructive surgery for patients who have had mastectomies.

Emergency contraception (SB 114) — Requires a hospital to inform a rape victim about emergency contraception or provide the medication if it is requested.

Baby AIDS legislation (SB 1254) — Requires managed-care insurance plans to cover routine HIV testing for expectant mothers.

Mental-health parity (SB 1341) — Provides the same insurance coverage for serious mental illnesses as for physical illnesses.

College-savings deduction (SB 902) — Creates a state income-tax deduction for contributions to Bright Start, the treasurer’s college savings plan on which earnings are already tax-deferred.

Tax deadbeats list (SB 60) — Publishes the names of delinquent taxpayers who owe between $1,000 and $10,000 in back taxes. Currently, only those who owe more than $10,000 are publicly named.

DUI (HB 2265) — Requires use of ignition interlock devices for restricted driving permits and increases penalties for drivers who test for double the legal BAC limit or drive under the influence with a child younger than 16 in the vehicle. (SB 660) — Increases penalties for repeat DUI offenders. (SB 64) — Increases the fine DUI offenders pay to trauma centers from $25 to $100 for a first offense and $200 for a subsequent offense. Creates an additional $5 fine to benefit spinal-cord-injury paralysis research. (SB 20) — Makes it a Class 4 felony to injure someone while driving drunk in school zones during times the 20 mph rule is in effect.

Scott’s Law (HB 180) — Requires motorists to take certain precautions when approaching a barricade or a stationary emergency vehicle displaying flashing warning lights. Violators face license suspension and a fine of up to $10,000.

Car keys (SB 115) — Car dealers may not issue replacement keys for a vehicle without making a copy of the person’s driver’s license and keeping it on file.

[News release]

North Kickapoo Street temporarily closed at tracks

[JUNE 14, 2001]  The railroad crossing on North Kickapoo Street, near the Dollar Store and Michelle’s Garden Shop, will be closed starting Monday, June 18, and reopen at 7 a.m. Monday, June 25. Automobile and single-axle truck traffic can detour to McLean or Hamilton streets, but tractor-trailers will be routed completely around Kickapoo Street onto Lincoln Parkway. The railroad will be installing a new concrete crossing to replace the old rubber crossing, according to Donnie Osborne, Lincoln street superintendent.

Back to top

News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Obituaries

Community | Perspectives | Law & Courts | Leisure Time | Spiritual Life | Health & Fitness | Letters to the Editor