Gov. Ryan’s Commission on Capital Punishment completes comprehensive review of Illinois system

Final recommendations delivered to governor

[APRIL 20, 2002]  CHICAGO — Gov. George Ryan recently received the report from his Commission on Capital Punishment, which makes more than 80 recommendations for change in the capital punishment system in Illinois. The recommendations include the creation of a statewide panel to review prosecutors’ request for the death penalty, banning death sentences on the mentally retarded, significantly reducing the number of death eligibility factors, videotaping interrogations of homicide suspects, and controlling the use of testimony by jailhouse informants.

The commission’s report is the product of two years of extensive research and analysis of Illinois’ capital punishment system, from initial police investigation through trial, appeal and post-conviction review. After considering all of their proposed reforms, a majority of the commission would favor that the death penalty be abolished in Illinois. The commission concluded, however, that if capital punishment is to be retained as a lawful penalty, reform of the present capital punishment system is important to better ensure that it is fair, just and accurate. The commission also concluded that Gov. Ryan and the next governor should consider the reforms that need to be made to the capital punishment system when considering clemency applications in capital cases.

"It is entirely appropriate to consider how those changes might have made a difference to defendants when reaching determinations about whether or not a death sentence should be upheld on the merits or whether mercy should be extended in light of all the circumstances."

Gov. Ryan said he will carefully study the report and deliberate on its recommendations. "I owe it to everyone who believes in justice and to everyone touched by our legal system to reflect upon this commission’s findings," Gov. Ryan said. "There are some who will be impatient, who will demand quick solutions, now that I have this report. But, our experience in Illinois with the capital punishment system has gained worldwide attention. What we do from this point forward may be an example to the rest of the country and the world.

"I want to thank each of the commission members for donating their time and extraordinary efforts to the public good. Their hard work and comprehensive study of this difficult issue is appreciated by all of us as citizens of this great state."

Gov. Ryan appointed the commission in March 2000 after declaring the moratorium on Jan. 31, 2000. At the time he said, "Until I can be sure that no innocent man or woman is facing lethal injection, no one will meet that fate." The vast majority of the commission’s recommendations and proposed reforms were reached by unanimous decision of the commission members. Other recommendations were reached by majority vote, and in some of those cases alternative proposals were suggested by the minority. The recommendations taken as a whole, if implemented, represent essential reforms to Illinois’ capital punishment system.

Some of the recommendations include:

•  Creating a statewide review panel to conduct a pre-trial review of prosecutorial decisions to seek capital punishment. The panel would be comprised of four prosecutors and a retired judge.

•  Significantly reducing the current list of death eligibility factors from 20 to five including murder of a peace officer or firefighter, murder in a correctional facility, the murder of two or more people, the intentional murder of a person involving torture, and any murder committed by a suspected felon in order to obstruct the justice system.

•  Banning the imposition of the death penalty for defendants found to be mentally retarded.

•  No person may be sentenced to death based solely on uncorroborated single eyewitness or accomplice testimony or the uncorroborated testimony of jailhouse informants.

•  Recommending other reforms concerning the use of jailhouse informants who purport to have information about the case or statements allegedly made by the defendant, including requiring a preliminary hearing to be conducted by the court as to the reliability of such witnesses and their proposed testimony, full disclosure of benefits conferred for such testimony, early disclosure to the defense about the background of such witnesses, and special cautionary instructions to the jury.

•  Videotaping the entire interrogation of homicide suspects at a police station and not merely the confession.

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•  Allowing trial judges to concur or reverse a jury’s death sentence verdict. This will allow the trial judge to take into account potential improper influences, such as passion and prejudice, that may have influenced a jury’s verdict; to consider potential residual doubt about the defendant’s absolute guilt; and to consider trial strategies of counsel, credibility of witnesses and the actual presentation of evidence, which may differ from what was anticipated in making pre-trial rulings in either admitting or excluding evidence.

•  The Illinois Supreme Court should review all death sentences to determine if the sentence is excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, if death was the appropriate sentence given aggravating and mitigating factors, and whether the sentence was imposed due to some arbitrary factor.

The report contains six recommendations relating to eyewitness identification for procedures that should be required when police conduct a "lineup" or "photospread." These recommendations include:

•  Having someone who is unaware of the suspect’s identity conduct the lineup. Having police tell the eyewitness that the suspected perpetrator may not be in the lineup or photospread.

•  Taking a clear written statement of any statements made by eyewitnesses as to the level of confidence they have in identifying a suspect.

•  When possible, videotaping both the lineup procedures and the witnesses’ confidence statements.

•  Adequate funding to eliminate backlogs and expand DNA testing and evaluation, including continued support for a more comprehensive DNA database.

•  Support the Supreme Court’s recommendation for a capital case trial bar and requiring judges to be pre-certified before presiding over capital cases. As part of regular training for judges and counsel, as suggested by the Supreme Court and the commission, improvements must be made in disseminating information and creating manuals and checklists to be used by counsel and the courts. There must also be better reporting of information concerning capital cases so that the fairness and accuracy of the capital punishment system can be adequately assessed.

•  Revise Illinois’ complicated and confusing statute so that juries can understand simply that they must determine, in light of all the evidence and the mitigating and aggravating circumstances, whether the death penalty is the appropriate sentence.

•  To eliminate confusion and improper speculation, juries should be instructed as to all the possible sentencing alternatives before they consider the appropriateness of imposing a death sentence.

•  Like defendants in any other criminal case, capital defendants should be afforded the opportunity to make a statement to those who will be deciding whether to impose the ultimate punishment allowed by the state, a sentence of death.

•  Leaders in both the executive and legislative branches should significantly improve the resources available to the criminal justice system in order to permit the meaningful implementation of reforms.

With these and many other suggested reforms, the commission believes that Illinois’ capital punishment system would be more just and better enabled to ensure fair and accurate results. However, the report recognizes that "no system, given human nature and frailties, could ever be devised or constructed that would work perfectly and guarantee absolutely that no innocent person is ever again sentenced to death." This report represents the commission’s best efforts to ensure that we strive for perfection and a more just, fair and accurate criminal justice system.

The governor’s Commission on Capital Punishment’s full report is available online at http://www.idoc.state.il.us/ccp/ccp/reports/
commission_reports.html.

[Press release]

First 19 employees moved from LDC

[APRIL 19, 2002]  In the first of a series of staff cutbacks aimed at downsizing the facility, 19 Lincoln Developmental Center employees left as of Tuesday, April 16, to take positions in other state-operated centers for the developmentally disabled.

These were the first of 60 employees who chose to accept transfers to other locations rather than be laid off by the Department of Human Services, according to Dan Senters, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the union that represents most LDC staff members. The employees went to the Fox Developmental Center in Dwight, the Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee and the Jacksonville facility.

In February of this year layoff notices were given to 372 employees, part of Gov. George Ryan’s plan to downsize the facility to 100 residents and 210 employees by the end of the state’s fiscal year June 30. Employees were given the option of applying for positions in other facilities for the developmentally disabled at that time.

The plan by the Governor’s Task Force calls for layoffs of 128 people on April 30 and another 180 by June 30. According to the original plan, LDC residents would be moving out of the facility at the same time. The transfers and layoffs of employees were timed to coincide with the transfer of LDC residents to other state-operated facilities or in some cases to group homes.

However, an injunction handed down on March 27 by Associate Judge Don Behle of the Circuit Court in Logan County prevents the Department of Human Services, which oversees the state’s 11 facilities for the developmentally disabled, from moving any more of LDC’s current 248 residents.

Senters said AFSCME’s concern at this time is that DHS will continue the layoffs of employees even though the planned move of residents has not taken place.

"Management at LDC has told us their plans included continuing with the layoffs of employees as scheduled and complying with the court order by not moving any more residents," he said. "They tell us they contact their superiors regularly for directions on layoffs and to date have had no response about changing the layoff plan."

Senters said the transfers are already jeopardizing patient care and are costing the state money. He said LDC is short of technicians — those who give direct, hands-on personal care to the residents — and the transfer of the 19 employees makes that shortage even worse. As of now, he said, the 248 residents have only 239 hands-on caregivers, not even a 1-1 ratio.

"We need 315 technicians to maintain a minimum safety level and meet the required staff levels management wants, and we have only 239," Senters said.

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However, Reginald Marsh, spokesman for DHS, said the Lincoln center has the highest ratio of staff to residents of any of the state operated facilities. Lincoln’s staff ratio is 2.5 staff to residents, higher than the 2-1 ratio most other facilities have. He also said LDC still has 255 technicians, a ratio of 1.03 staff members to residents.

Senters said the 255 technicians include employees who are on administrative leave or on light duty because of injuries. They are still on the payroll, he said, but are not presently working with residents. He said the 239 figure comes from the day-to-day work schedule.

The 555 employees now at LDC include support staff, such as dietary and housekeeping staff, nurses, psychologists, educators, engineers, carpenters, electricians and other maintenance personnel, and several new management positions created by the Governor’s Task Force, Senters said.

He also said moving the 19 employees is creating an unnecessary expense, because they are being paid a salary to work at other facilities, while those replacing them at LDC are being paid time-and-a-half for overtime.

"Over the next two-week period, we will have to have 428 extra shifts, or 3,424 hours of overtime for technicians, which will cost the state about $47,000," Senters said.

Marsh said money has never been the issue at LDC, as the state’s main concern has always been the safety of the residents.

"Unfortunately the consequences of the injunction means management does have to spend a lot of its time figuring out staffing problems and does have to pay overtime," he said. "This diverts attention from making quality improvements."

"Right now if the injunction remains in place until the end of the month, we will have to do an assessment of the staff-to-resident ratio to see about layoffs. At this time we have not planned to stop the layoffs. However, we will not reduce the number of staff to the level where residents are not being cared for properly or are not in a safe environment," he said.

In September of 2001, LDC had 373 residents and 689 employees, Senters said. Later that year, after inspections by the Illinois Department of Public Health brought charges of abuse and neglect at the 125-year-old facility, the Governor’s Task Force began transferring residents from the facility.

[Joan Crabb]

Looking for Lincoln video shoot delayed

[APRIL 19, 2002]  Looking for Lincoln officers announced at the group’s April 17 meeting that the grant to fund the Abraham Lincoln video has been delayed but not canceled, so shooting must be postponed from early June to late summer or early fall.

Paul Beaver, Logan County chair of Looking for Lincoln, said Illinois Sen. Bob Madigan and Rep. John Turner assured him in the fall of 2001 that $20,000 in state funds had been earmarked for the video project. He said the money would come from a members initiative grant. Despite the assurance he was given, there is a series of steps that must be followed, beginning with approval by a grant manager and ending with signing of the grant agreement.

"There’s no problem with the application or use of the money," said Jan Schumacher, president of the Main Street Lincoln board. She said signing might occur in midsummer, but the grant manager cannot commit to a date. "At least we’re in the bureaucratic mix," Beaver commented.

Dawn Edwards, author of other period dramatizations, has completed the script for the video, which will depict Abraham Lincoln in significant events that took place in Logan County. Locales include Atlanta, Middletown, Mount Pulaski, Lincoln and the Cornland-Elkhart area. Cinematographer Dean Williams is contracted to shoot and edit the footage. If shooting takes place in early fall, he expects to complete the video by January 2003.

Beaver said September is an appropriate date for shooting because the Lincoln town christening and many other scenes to be included occurred near that time. However, shooting cannot be put off beyond Oct. 15 and still take place in 2002, he said.

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Plans are to give copies of the Abraham Lincoln video to schools, museums and libraries and to sell it to individuals and organizations at cost of duplication. Darrell Knauer of Mount Pulaski, a new representative to Looking for Lincoln, suggested making excerpts of the video available for use on bus tours of Logan County. Thressia Usherwood of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County and Gillette Ransom of Elkhart recently promoted the county to 200 Chicago tour bus drivers.

In an effort to add to known Lincoln sites in the city, Beaver said he is searching old Lincoln Herald files to locate where on the square the law office of Samuel Parks was located. Abraham Lincoln always visited the office when in town and often collaborated with Parks on legal cases, Beaver said.

Shirley Bartelmay of Lincoln reported that Postville Courthouse is now on summer hours of noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Twenty-four volunteer guides put in 120 hours in March, but additional volunteers are still being sought, especially those willing to fill in for others at varying times. The Postville Cluster hopes to decorate the courthouse for Christmas and include it in a tour of homes.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

District 27 halts construction,
cuts costs on Central School

[APRIL 18, 2002]  Construction work on Lincoln Elementary School District 27’s new Central School will resume on April 29, after a series of changes to bring costs into line. On that date work will begin on piping and electrical work — everything that goes under the slab — Bill Ahal of the S.M. Wilson firm, construction manager for the building project, told the school board Wednesday evening.

Work on the Seventh Street site stopped on April 3 while the school board, architect Dave Leonatti and the Wilson firm looked for alternative systems that would bring the costs down. The halt in construction was necessary because in February, when bids were opened, the board found costs were almost $800,000 more than estimated.

"Work stopped because we had gone as far as we could go," Leonatti said. Otherwise, costs would have gone beyond the approximately $6 million budgeted to build the 47,000-square-foot elementary school.

In November of 2000, district voters approved a referendum to issue $4.1 million in bonds to build a new Central School and a new junior high school building. The district received an $8,318,181 state construction grant to complete the more than $12 million building project.

To date, according to school board president Bruce Carmitchel, almost $500,000 has been pared from construction costs by a process called "value engineering," making changes that will cost less but produce the same results. Most of the changes have been in the type of materials to be used.

For example, he said, the board cut $131,762 by agreeing to use pre-engineered structural steel instead of stick-built steel. This will make it necessary to use a metal roof for the building instead of asphalt shingles, but Carmitchel said the metal roof will be attractive and also much more durable than the shingles. Pre-engineered steel would be a disadvantage only if the district wanted to add on to the building at a later date, but that will be unlikely, he said.

Another cost saving will come from using a synthetic material on part of the building’s exterior. Originally designed with an all-brick exterior, the building will have brick on a little over 60 percent and a synthetic cement-type material coated with stucco on the rest of the exterior. The synthetic material can be finished in any desired color and will be low maintenance, Carmitchel said.

On Wednesday evening, the board cut another $15,000 to $20,000 by agreeing to install only three high-efficiency boilers rather than four.

"The system will not change, but it has eliminated the redundancy," Ahal said. "If everything is running, you will not know the difference."

The downside of this move is that if one boiler malfunctions and is not running, the building might not be heated adequately if the outdoor temperature drops to 20 degrees below zero, Carmitchel said.

Changing the color of the gymnasium floor also saved money. "We went to No. 3 maple, which is darker in color but has the same warranty as our original choice. The original bid was for No. 1 maple, the standard light color. Some people think No. 3 is not as pretty, but it saved the district $3,500," Carmitchel said.

Superintendent Robert Kidd said a number of minor changes have been made that can add up to substantial savings, such as purchasing unassembled library shelving and asking for volunteers to put the shelves together. Another cost savings was using vinyl tile instead of ceramic on the bathrooms floors.

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Both Carmitchel and Ahal emphasized that the quality of the building will not be compromised by the changes. "I can say without hesitation there is no question of compromising the quality," Carmitchel said.

Ahal also said the costs would stay within the budget. "Our charge from the school district always has been and remains staying within the budget," he said.

"We will get the prices down to where we can pay for the building comfortably and not get into money set aside to build the junior high," Carmitchel said. The board plans to cut at least another $200,000.

Kidd and Carmitchel said that while they must make some changes, they are saying no to others.

"We have been very careful to hold onto what will make it a nice building," Kidd said. "We didn’t eliminate the front dormer, because it fits well into the neighborhood and creates an atrium effect inside. It looks nice outside and inside."

Carmitchel said it would have been cheaper to go with all synthetic material on the building’s exterior. "But we didn’t want to do that. We don’t think it’s appropriate for the neighborhood," he said. The synthetic material will be put at higher levels of the building, where it will not be so likely to be damaged, he added.

He said the board also kept the four-pipe heating and cooling system instead of going to a cheaper two-pipe system. The four-pipe system will keep the building much more comfortable, give it more flexibility and provide better air quality, he said.

Kidd said bids for foundation work came in close to what was estimated, but the bids for work above the foundation were well beyond the prices estimated by the architect and the construction engineers.

"They worked hard at it. They did their job. They, too, were very surprised when the bids were opened," Kidd said. He said the problem was not a lack of bidders but higher than expected costs for materials.

Ahal conceded that the building schedule has "slipped a little" because of the delay, but he said the structure will be up and the roof on by mid to late fall. Kidd said he thought the building would still be ready for occupancy by January of 2003.

Local firms have been invited to bid on the school construction project, Kidd noted. Eaton Corporation Cutler Hammer is providing a lot of the electrical equipment, and Myers Industries is bidding on cabinetry.

Bids have not yet been awarded for kitchen equipment, glass, drywall and educational casework and cabinetry, Carmitchel said.

[Joan Crabb]

Sesquicentennial committee urges city council to preserve polling place building

[APRIL 18, 2002]  An 1860s-style baseball game, a video of events from 1953 and national-grade entertainment — all these are planned for the party the city of Lincoln throws to celebrate its 150th birthday.

The sesquicentennial celebration, set for Aug. 21-31, 2003, is taking shape thanks to a committee chaired by Mayor Beth Davis and including 24 subcommittees. The annual Lincoln Art Fair and Balloon Festival will be incorporated into the city’s birthday party.

Meeting on April 17, the sesquicentennial committee voted to urge the Lincoln City Council to accept the polling place building at Adams and Fifth streets for use at Postville Park for historical purposes, including the sesquicentennial. Mayor Beth Davis said the council will vote soon on the fate of the polling place building. "If you have input, call them," she said. The committee is not asking the city for money, and the city will still own the lot after the building is removed, committee members emphasized.

Postville Cluster chair Shirley Bartelmay said she envisions a small group of chautauqua houses at Postville Park, surrounded by period flowers and other plantings. The buildings could be open for special occasions.

Several sources are being pursued in an effort to date the polling place building. It is known to predate 1925 but may be substantially older.

In a request to the public, the sesquicentennial committee is seeking 8 mm or 16 mm millimeter movies ("super 8 movies") of the Lincoln centennial parade and celebration in 1953, plus good, clear snapshots from that time period to be reproduced in a videotape. People are asked to bring photos and movies to the mayor’s office at City Hall. A receipt will be issued, and the items will be returned following duplication.

Committee treasurer Paul Short announced that, thanks to a donation from State Bank of Lincoln, the sesquicentennial committee now has $2,500. Davis said the city of Lincoln would give $1,000 on May 1 and appropriate $50,000 for the next fiscal year.

Technical systems co-chair Greg Pelc has gathered price quotes for several stages. The largest stage will be set up downtown, approximately midway between activities in Scully and Latham parks, and will require a 30-by-50-foot space. This stage will be the venue for a national band or other national-grade acts. Other stages have been requested for the Depot, where a re-enactment of the town christening will be staged, Postville Park and possibly Memorial Park for the Sunday nondenominational church service.

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As music co-chair, Pelc is also researching bands from the ’50s to ’70s that are currently active and still have some of the original members. He is studying 1830s-1850s entertainment for inclusion as well.

Among historical activities during the celebration, history co-chair Paul Beaver will speak on Abraham Lincoln’s activities in the city of Lincoln and Logan County. Following the speech a panel of historians will field questions on the life of Lincoln. Besides himself and co-chair Paul Gleason, Beaver will invite Cullom Davis, former professor of history at University of Illinois-Springfield and head of the Lincoln Legal Project at Illinois State Historical Library, and Mark Plummer, history department chair at Illinois State University.

Other activities in the planning stages include an 1860s baseball game, a period farm exhibit, dedication of the restored Abraham Lincoln well, a queen contest and a parade covering a route well over two miles, passing Postville Park and Courthouse and circling the present courthouse. Projected displays and publications include an Art Fair section of historical paintings of the city of Lincoln, Underground Railroad displays in the courthouse rotunda and at Layman Gallery at Lincoln College, a reprint of the 1853 centennial book plus a supplement covering the last 50 years, and food stands and displays representing the different ethnic groups involved in the growth of Lincoln.

Many souvenirs will bear the sesquicentennial logo designed by Ken Bottrell of Lincoln. Souvenir chair Sharon Awe said she hopes to begin taking orders for T-shirts and perhaps Christmas ornaments by this fall. Other mementos will include license plates and a copy of the original charter of the city of Lincoln. Awe is seeking information on souvenirs from the Lincoln centennial and other past celebrations.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

County general fund
dropped $239,000 in 2001

[APRIL 17, 2002]  The Logan County Board learned from its accountant Tuesday night that its general fund decreased by $239,103 during 2001 because of overly optimistic income projections. In the first third of 2002 revenue is also below budget.

On a 10-2 vote with one abstention the board voted to "renew by continuance" the county health insurance policy with Health Alliance of Champaign for one year. And it unanimously voted to establish immediately a committee composed of township, city and county officials to discuss the north-side commerce park proposal, with the possibility of including other development options as well.

Andy Lascody, of Sikisch Gardner & Co., presented tentative results of his audit of county books for fiscal year 2001, ending Nov. 30. To become final the audit must pass internal review within the accounting firm. The report shows that revenues from fines, personal property replacement tax, 1 percent sales tax, state income tax and interest income were all low, totaling $328,327 short of budget expectations. Lascody attributed some of the shortfall to the weakened national economy, resulting in lower sales tax income and interest rates. He said fines, such as traffic fines, are variable and difficult to estimate.

The shortfall was apparently not caused by out-of-line expenditures. "All departments stayed pretty well within what they were allotted," said finance chair Rod White. Lascody explained that most apparent exceptions were offset by grants or other considerations. For example, the sheriff’s department appears to have overspent by $107,000. However, the department received a grant for $102,000 for a defibrillator, which does not appear on the audit.

Similarly, the Health Department’s $327,353 over budget includes extra payment on principal when refinancing a mortgage note and $170,000 for vouchers for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, paid for by a grant of the same amount. White pointed out that the Health Department has a separate governing board to oversee expenditures. "We don’t have direct control" over them, he said. County board member Dave Hepler sits on the Health Department board.

Lascody said four funds had deficit balances on Nov. 30: the drug investigation fund, the sheriff’s drug forfeiture fund, the senior citizens tax fund and the Grid Information System fund. White said the finance committee will review GIS, a Global Positioning System-like mapping system, and has taken action to bring the other three out of deficit.

Roger Bock, a member of the finance committee, reported that a third of the way through the 2002 fiscal year revenue sources fall short of the expected 33 percent of budget: Personal property replacement tax is at 23 percent, 1 percent sales tax at 27 percent, one-fourth percent sales tax at 29 percent, interest income at 28 percent, and fines are at 31 percent.

On the plus side Dale Voyles, also on the finance committee, said that in the first third of the year officeholder and departmental expenses are 3.3 percent under budget. The two exceptions he mentioned were county development fund at 5.5 percent and the coroner’s office at 4.2 percent over for March. In the county development fund nothing has been budgeted for waste management salary, so White said the problem might be a bookkeeping error.

In an issue that has occasioned vigorous discussion, Voyles, chair of the insurance committee, made a motion to continue the county health insurance policy with Health Alliance of Champaign, saying that the renewal is for one year only and that the committee expects to begin checking other options in January or February 2003. At that time, he said, issues such as deductibles and cost sharing will be discussed in an effort to control costs.

The Health Alliance renewal raises premiums 23 percent, for an additional cost of $71,000. At the board-of-the-whole meeting on April 11 Sara Heidbreder of R.W. Garrett Insurance Agency in Lincoln, the agent for Health Alliance, told the board that claims during the first year of coverage have been unusually high, exceeding premiums by $158,000.

Jim Griffin and Cliff Sullivan opposed renewing the policy; Dave Hepler abstained. Besides questioning the availability of deductibles, Griffin said he believes a contract worth over $10,000 should be bid out.

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Voyles also made the motion to form a development committee consisting of Beth Davis, Lincoln mayor; Dick Logan, county board chair; Steve Fuhrer, Lincoln City Council finance chair; Rod White, county board finance chair; Rodney Alberts, East Lincoln township supervisor; Gary Long, West Lincoln township supervisor; Tom Hickman, county highway engineer; and Mark Smith, director of economic development.

Originally, the motion included improvement of Fifth Street Road west from the Lincoln city limit as well as the commerce park proposed for a 63-acre tract near Kruger elevator. However, after Griffin and Doug Dutz questioned how the projects are connected and whether they would be voted on separately, White moved to delete Fifth Street Road from the motion. Still, he made it clear that the committee’s topics could include any development issue, including Fifth Street Road. Both the amendment and the motion passed unanimously, though Dutz and Griffin said they opposed the commerce park.

Voyles said the purpose of the committee would be "to see if it is feasible for the city and county to work together to try to do something very positive for the county" in financing the commerce park.

In another matter Dutz, chair of the law enforcement committee, said a tentative agreement has been reached in contract negotiations with the sheriff’s deputies’ union, and it appears that arbitration will not be needed.

Community Action committee member Gloria Luster reported attending a National Community Action Foundation convention in Washington, D.C. Focus of the meeting was on the weatherization program for needy families.

In other business the county board voted to:

•  Rezone two acres on Lazy Row Road near Atlanta from agricultural to country homes use at the request of Merlin Willmert, who plans to give it to his granddaughter to build a home. The Logan County Regional Planning Commission had approved the request 15-0, and the county appeals board had approved it 4-1. White voted against the measure.

•  Award the bid for re-roofing the Broadwell Highway Department garage to Tremont Roofing. The $10,450 bid specifies a rubber roof and a 10-year warranty.

•  Award the bid for painting the state’s attorney’s office to Mike Simonson Painting for $3,790.

•  Honor the Hartsburg-Emden and Mount Pulaski junior-high girls volleyball teams for their "dedication, hard work, sacrifice and spirit" shown in winning the seventh- and eighth-grade Class A state championships, respectively. The Hartem team attended the board meeting. The Mount Pulaski resolution will be presented at a school assembly.

•  Appoint the following members of fire protection districts: Richard L. McKown, Atlanta; Gary Jackson, Latham; Brent E. Hellman, Emden; James Graff, Middletown; Stanley L. Anderson Sr., Elkhart; Nicholous Tibbs, New Holland; Scott Behrends, Hartsburg; Marvin VanHorn, Beason; William W. Zimmer, San Jose; Kurt Walker, Armington; and Lynn Haseley, Lincoln Rural.

•  Appoint Bunnie L. Murphy and Dwain Marten to the Beason-Chestnut water district.

•  Appoint Kathy Sommers, Gail Apel-Sasse and Charles Ott to the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County.

•  Encourage citizens to participate in the Logan County Heritage & Treasures festival on June 15-16. At the April 11 board meeting Don Ritchhart of Lincoln spoke in favor of the event, which will feature vendors, tourism information and entertainment throughout the county. The board resolution, written by board historian Paul Gleason, said the towns of Logan County are "rich in heritage and treasures."

•  Allow a farmers’ market at Latham Park on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon from May 4 through the end of October.

•  Permit Lincoln Christian Church to use the courthouse rotunda May 2 from noon to1 p.m. for a National Day of Prayer observance.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

World War II and Korean War veterans sought for graduation honors

[APRIL 17, 2002]  The General Assembly amended the school code to say that school districts shall award diplomas to veterans of World War II and the Korean War who have an honorable discharge and left high school to serve their country before receiving their diploma.

Local qualified veterans will be honored on Sunday, April 21, at 3 p.m. in the LCHS auditorium. Family and friends are cordially invited to attend this ceremony.

Wayne Schrader from the American Legion will be the guest speaker.

Several local veterans are already on the roster for Sunday’s ceremony. If there are other veterans of World War II and the Korean War who would like to receive a diploma, please call the high school at 732-4131, Ext. 226.

[LDN]

City ready to adopt deficit budget

[APRIL 16, 2002]  In spite of deep cuts, the city of Lincoln is looking at a working budget with spending estimated at about $270,000 more than revenue for the next fiscal year. Estimated revenues in the general fund are $3,995,004 for fiscal year 2002-2003, while estimated expenditures add up to $4,292,053. Most of the payroll and other day-to-day expenses are paid from the general fund

[The city council at work.]

The difference will be made up by transferring money from set-aside funds that may not be needed in the near future and from an unused working cash fund.

Even though the transfers come close to balancing income and expenditures, they do not increase the city’s revenue, Juanita Josserand, city clerk, pointed out, but simply shrink the city’s overall bank balance. "It’s like spending your paycheck and digging into your saving account to meet daily operating expenses," she said.

The coming fiscal year, which begins May 1, will see the city starting out with a $781,294 bank balance, but the projected year-end balance will be only $487,245. The city must start out with a substantial bank balance because tax money does not start coming in until July, well after the fiscal year begins.

The council approved several fund transfers at its meeting Monday evening, moving $103,147.16 from the fund for funeral expenses for police and fire personnel and $118,184.44 from the fund for a proposed fire station on the west side.

The city still has $85,000 in the funeral expense fund, which would provide benefits for 10 people, and $50,000 in the fire station fund, which could be used to purchase a site for the proposed station. Alderman Benny Huskins, who has previously opposed taking money from the fire station fund, and Alderman Joe Stone voted against the transfer.

Alderman Steve Fuhrer, finance committee chairman, said the fund for the proposed station was one of the last places the budget committee looked for extra funds. "I don’t like to take money out of a fund that has been building up for years, but we only have one option, spend what we have," he said.

The council also voted to abolish the working cash fund, which has not been levied for many years, and transfer the $45,000 balance to the general fund.

[Cindy McLaughlin, new Main Street Lincoln program coordinator .  McLaughlin started work a week ago.  She said she had an "exciting first week and is ready to hit the second week with a smile."]  

Budget cuts have included a moratorium on purchases of new vehicles for the police and for the zoning, building and safety office; a wage freeze for all department heads; a hiring freeze in all departments; and cutbacks in funds for alderman to attend conferences and seminars.

The council agreed last night that the hiring freeze would have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, as some key employees may have to be replaced. One exception may be in the city police department, where Faye Huneke is retiring May 31 as secretary, and no other employee is available to take over those duties.

Finance chairman Steve Fuhrer outlined some of the cuts made over the last month to try to balance the budget. The building and zoning department started out with a budget of $105,000 but was cut to $71,000; funds for schools and conferences were cut from $20,000 to $5,000; the mayor’s office budget was cut by $7,500; the public grounds and buildings department started at $180,000 and is now $114,000, cutting out funds for demolition of buildings; the Elm Street and West Kickapoo road rehabilitation project was cut from $218,000 to zero. The city attorney, Bill Bates, also took a wage freeze; his salary remains $64,200, not the $65,800 he requested.

In another budget-cutting move, the city recently voted to stop paying fees for hydrant maintenance and pass those fees along to water customers, saving about $212,000 annually and adding about $5 to the average bimonthly water bill.

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Fuhrer has said he would like to avoid layoffs of city employees if at all possible.

To add to the budget woes, some expenses have gone up and others may do so later in the year. Alderman Glenn Shelton reported that the city has a 15 percent increase in the cost for health insurance because of the increase in claims filed by city employees, several of which were very high.

In addition, negotiations with all four unions that represent city workers are or soon will be under way this year, and union members are expected to ask for raises in pay.

City treasurer Les Plotner has been warning the council that its income is declining because of a drop in tax revenues and drastic cuts in interest rates on the city’s investments. At Monday night’s council meeting, Plotner continued reporting bad news on the revenue front, with sales taxes for the current year $104,978 short of what was projected, and other taxes, including income taxes, also $110,183 short of projections.

Plotner did say he had changed his opinion on offering early retirement incentives to longtime city employees. He said there were sufficient funds in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund to offer early retirement this fiscal year. Early retirement saves money over time because highly paid employees leave and, if they are replaced, are replaced by those lower on the salary scale.

In other business, Steven Aughenbaugh, president of the State Bank of Lincoln, announced that the bank was contributing $2,500 for the sesquicentennial celebration, set for Aug. 25-31 next year. Mayor Beth Davis is working with a committee to plan the celebration for the city’s 150th anniversary.

[Mayor Beth Davis]

Jan Schumacher, president of the Main Street Lincoln board, introduced the new program manager, Cindy McLaughlin. McLaughlin is replacing Wendy Bell, who is now working for the Illinois Main Street program.

Rachael Liesman, a member of the Lincoln Community High School National Honor Society, accepted the Arbor Day award for the society and its sponsors, teachers Judy Dopp and Debbie Schweitzer. The city’s street department and the Honor Society students will be planting trees tomorrow and again on April 29 in the Lincoln area.

[Rachael Liesman, member of the Lincoln Community High School Honor Society, accepts  the Arbor Day award for helping with the tree-planting around Lincoln.  Presenting the award was Alderman Dave Armbrust.]

Bates reported that the fee quoted by attorney Tom Kelty of Springfield for reviewing, analyzing and, if necessary, rewriting the city code would be $3,500. A Charleston firm which builds community group homes for the developmentally disabled has purchased a lot in an R-1 zoned community and plans to build there. The present city zoning code prohibits such homes in R-1 zoning, but the attorney for the Charleston firm says the city’s code is illegal.

The council turned down a petition for installing curbs and gutters at 1316 Delavan St. at city expense, citing the tight budget and the probability that other residents without curbs and gutters would also ask the city to provide them. The council did agree to install handrails at the curb at 410 Broadway in front of Dean Leith Plumbing and Heating Service.

[Joan Crabb]

Man barricades himself in house

[APRIL 16, 2002]  Lincoln Police Department officers were doing a routine follow-up call at 4:58 p.m. Monday when they encountered a man attempting suicide. Officers went to a residence in the 400 block of South Kickapoo Street to check on the man, who had a violation of an order of protection placed against him. The distraught 20-year-old male would not allow police inside the house. He had filled the house with natural gas and was threatening to blow himself up.

Police negotiators and the Emergency Response Team were called out. The neighborhood was blocked off from traffic, and three nearby homes were evacuated until the threat of explosion was eliminated.

CILCO was contacted, and gas and power to the house were shut off.

The man threatened to kill himself with a knife.

At 11:40 p.m., after five hours of attempted negotiations, the Lincoln ERT used less than lethal force to subdue the man so that he did not follow through with his intentions. They shot him with a special gun that fires a beanbag. He was taken to ALMH for treatment.

LPD was assisted in the situation with support from the Sheriff’s Department, Lincoln Fire Department, Sheriff’s Auxiliary, Lincoln/Logan Paramedics, Red Cross and the city street department.

[Jan Youngquist]

[APRIL 15, 2002]  Sunday spoiled us with another incredibly beautiful spring day at near-record temperatures. It was a perfect day in Kickapoo Creek Park for those walking to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The comment "What a nice day!" raised chuckles as volunteers looked from one to another and then recalled the other night’s last preparatory meeting. For the second year straight, rain seemed an absolute according to weather forecasters. As usual someone ventured to say so. Without hesitation and in a strong voice full of conviction, third-year chairman Brenda Centers pronounced, "It is NOT going to rain!" And like last year, it did not. The volunteers joke that Centers either has connections higher up or the heavens simply will not defy her strong will.

Approximately a hundred walkers turned out for the 1:30 walk. There were 86 pre-signed and a good number of additional walk-ons. Twenty-five to 30 volunteers assisted with setup, refreshments, record keeping and numerous other chores. Door prizes were added to this year’s event. The walk is approximately 3 miles, or two times around the park.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. It’s generally diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Symptoms can range from numbness in the limbs to paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatments are giving hope to those affected by the disease.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society provides programs and services that make life better for the third of a million Americans with multiple sclerosis and their families and friends. The programs are designed to inform and empower people to maximize their health and independence. In the Greater Illinois region, there are more than 10,000 people with MS.

The annual MS WALK® to benefit the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society had 22 sites in northern and central Illinois, including Chicago’s lakefront, scheduled to walk Sunday. Goals of 10,000 walkers and revenue of $2.4 million were expected. This year over 350,000 walkers will participate in MS Walk — in over 700 sites across the county.

Last year the Illinois chapter’s MS Walk generated $2.1 million in pledges and sponsorships — more than any other MS Walk in the country. More than half of the participants walked as part of a corporate, family or friends team — 600 teams in all. "There’s nothing better than sharing that great feeling of helping others with a group of co-workers, family members, friends, even people you meet along the walk," said Maria Maslanka, the chapter’s MS Walk event manager. The average pledge amount per walker was $235.

Since its inception, the MS Walk has generated more than $240 million nationally.

Besides raising money to fund research projects and client programs for people with MS, the MS Walk seeks to educate the public about the FDA-approved medications that may delay or reduce future disability in many people with multiple sclerosis. The Greater Illinois Chapter designs programs in response to the many requests it receives for knowledge about MS, health and wellness, and independence.

Spread the word

Thanks to significant advances in research, the FDA has approved several treatments that may alter the underlying disease course of multiple sclerosis, and early treatment is critically important. People with MS should consult their doctors about using one of these FDA-approved medications and other effective treatments for the symptoms of MS. If you or someone you know has MS, contact the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at 1-800-FIGHT MS or www.msillinois.org. 

"The National Multiple Sclerosis Society ... One Thing People with MS Can Count On"

Lincoln MS Walk 2002

Gene and Toni McDonald

Jeanne Handlin

Jim and Nancy Ireland

Deb Conlin

Greg Campbell

Burwell Oil

Bob Neal/Edward Jones

Key Printing/Tom Seggelke

Guzzardo’s Italian Villa

Interstate Cheverolet

Century Dental

Woody Jones - State Farm Ins.

Kiwanis Club

Phil Dehner - A.G. Edwards

Lincoln Firefighters Local #3092

American Express - Jim Leisinger

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Weyerhaeuser

State Bank of Lincoln

Bonanza

Jim Sparrow - Edward Jones

Images - James Coop

Culligan Water

J M Abbott & Assoc.

Graue Inc.

Warren Peters, Attorney

R. Todd Nobbe, O.D.

Dairy Queen

Wm. Todd Walker, DMD

Kenshalo Rousey

Dr. Dan Freesmeier

Apple Dental Center

Row Motors

Thanks to the following for providing in-kind services:

Ron Hall Painting

Kickapoo St. Dollar Store

Jim Newsome - DJ

Qik-N-EZ

Tim Centers

Quick Way Foods

Don Hellman - Kickapoo Creek Park

Eagle Country Market

Wal-Mart

Papa John’s Pizza

Insight Communications

Darrell Viermere - Nabisco Products

Graue, Inc.

WMNW Radio 96.3 - Jim Ash

LogOn Productions, Inc. - Mike Fak

Lincolndailynews.com

The Illini football was donated and signed by coach Ron Turner and his staff.

Unique Images

Cracker Barrel

Cookie’s Bakery

Weyerhaeuser

Eucalyptus Body Works

MKS Jewelers

Pete’s Hardware

Neal Tire & Auto Service

Logan County Hardware

Party Lite - Amy Lord

The Tannery

Illico Apollo Mart

Johnson’s Food Center

Central Illinois Bank

Kroger

OK Tavern

Eagle Country Market

Interstate Chevrolet

5th Street Mini Mart

National sponsors:

American Family Insurance

Coca Cola

Mercedes Benz

Dasani

American Airlines

Sprint

Lifetime

Jewel-Osco

Mac’s Attack, Gene McDonald

Sun Glow Challenge, Brenda Centers

Sharp Team, Eleanor Sharp

Aunt Gina Walkers, Lisa Fuller

Wild Stallions, Katie Bottrell

4 Jon’s Mom, Jonathan Franklin

Jennz Frenz, Jennifer

Cathy’s Crusaders, Cathy Harper

Kickin’ MS for Jennifer

Walking 4 Jenn

[Jan Youngquist
and media releases]

Military addresses sought

It is a time like no other. Since Sept. 11 we are a changed nation. Individually, our daily sensitivity toward whom and what we have in our lives has been heightened. We are more conscious and appreciative, first about those we love and see everyday. Next, we have a newfound appreciation for those who risk their lives every day as rescue workers and protectors of life and property in our communities. We also now think more about our military men and women who are committed to serve and protect our country. Many are away engaged in battle, some are in waiting to go, all are ready to lay their lives on the line in defense of our freedom.

Lincoln Daily News is seeking the names and addresses, including e-mail addresses, of friends and relatives who are serving in the armed forces. They need not be from here in Logan County. If you know someone serving, please send the information to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com. A complete list will be made available and kept updated through the site so we might all hold them in our thoughts, prayers and well wishes.

[Click here for names available now.]

Name of person in military:

Branch of service:

Current location of service:

Postal address:

E-mail address:

Relationship to LDN reader sending information (optional):

[LDN]

It’s on the radio, TV, in all the media. You hear it in the office, on the street and maybe at home — threats of terrorism. America is on high alert. Here in central Illinois, away from any supposed practical target areas, perhaps we feel a little less threatened, but we are still concerned. So how concerned should we be, and how prepared are we for the types of situations that could occur?

Whether the threat is domestic or foreign, violent, biological or chemical, our public health and rescue agencies have been preparing to respond to the situations. Lincoln Daily News has been at meetings where all the agencies gather together as the Logan County Emergency Planning Committee to strategize for just such a time. Our reports have not even provided every detail that every agency has reported; i.e., a number of representatives from differing agencies such as the health and fire departments, CILCO and ESDA went to a bioterrorism and hazmat (hazardous materials) seminar this past August.

Here are some of the articles that LDN has posted pre- and post-Tuesday, Sept. 11. Hopefully you will see in them that WE ARE WELL PREPARED. At least as much as any area can be. Every agency has been planning, training, submitting for grants to buy equipment long before Sept. 11. We can be thankful for all of the dedicated, insightful leaders we have in this community.

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• LEPC hears plans for annual exercise

• U.S. under terrorist attack
  How is Logan County affected?

• The day after ‘Attack on America’
  Area leaders respond to national tragedy

• ESDA and LEPC conduct successful hazardous materials exercise at water treatment plant 

• Logan County ready for action if terrorist event occurs - Part 1

• Logan County ready for action if terrorist event occurs – Part 2

• Clinton nuclear power plant safety measures in place

• Logan County agencies meet to discuss protocol for suspicious mail

As promised, the United States led an attack on Afghanistan. The attack began Sunday, Oct. 7. American and British military forces made 30 hits on air defenses, military airfields and terrorist training camps, destroying aircraft and radar systems. The strike was made targeting only terrorists.

More than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East have pledged their cooperation and support the U.S. initiative.

Online news links

Other countries

Afghanistan

http://www.afghandaily.com/ 

http://www.myafghan.com/  

http://www.afghan-web.com/aop/ 

China

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/

Germany

http://www.faz.com/

India

http://www.dailypioneer.com/ 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 

http://www.timesofindia.com/ 

Israel

http://www.jpost.com/ 

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/ 

England

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/

Pakistan

http://www.dawn.com/

http://frontierpost.com.pk/ 

Russia

http://english.pravda.ru/

http://www.sptimesrussia.com/ 

Saudi Arabia

http://www.arabnews.com/ 

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United States

Illinois

http://www.suntimes.com/index/ 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/ 

http://www.pantagraph.com/ 

http://www.qconline.com/ 

http://www.pjstar.com/

http://www.sj-r.com/ 

http://www.herald-review.com/

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/ 

New York

http://www.nypost.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/

Stars and Stripes
(serving the U.S. military community)

http://www.estripes.com/ 

Washington, D.C.

Announcements

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