[FEB. 14, 2003]  Transition was in the air Thursday night as Logan County Board members learned their chairman's pick to fill the vacant seat in District 1 and heard the new county economic development director describe his approach to his job.

County board chair Dale Voyles said he interviewed seven candidates for the seat of District 1 representative Lloyd Hellman, who died in January. Voyles' choice, subject to board confirmation on Tuesday night, is William Sahs, who farms west of Lawndale at the edge of the district. Sahs has agreed to accept the position.

Bill Sahs has a long list of community service: He is a founding member, former chairman and current board member of the local Habitat for Humanity. He is also a member of the board of directors for Growmark, a regional cooperative in Bloomington. Sahs served on the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital board from 1991 to 1996 and the Memorial Health System board from 1995 to 1996. During that time he chaired the ALMH board for two years and was its treasurer another two. For 18 years he was on the board of East Lincoln Farmers Grain and chaired it for 10. He also served on the board of Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce from 1996 to 2001. He has belonged to the Rotary Club of Lincoln for about 15 years.

Jeff Mayfield, new economic development director for Logan County, sought the board's help in fulfilling his duties. He said his philosophy is to be out meeting people and "shaking those bushes." In encouraging new and expanded business, he declared, "I plan to leave no stone unturned."

Mayfield said he started two weeks before his official employment date of Feb. 1 and has contacted a number of landowners, owners of vacant facilities and potential investors. He has also talked with economic development personnel in other communities the size of Lincoln and Logan County and has examined websites and incentive plans. "I am in a steep learning curve," he summarized, noting that a great deal of information has been poured into his head that he will need to process.

In response to a request from County Engineer Tom Hickman, Mayfield has also drafted a letter to U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood to solicit federal funding for Fifth Street Road improvements. Bobbi Abbott, executive director of Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce, co-signed the letter.

Expanding businesses already operating in the county is one of Mayfield's expressed goals. Board member Mitch Brown asked what the economic development director will bring to the table to encourage owners to grow their businesses. Mayfield replied that he is collecting information on funding sources and their requirements to share with local firms.

He asked for written statements of board members' expectations of the Economic Development Council, what they are willing to contribute and what has been done to implement the economic development plan approved 2½ years ago. He questioned whether the plan can be rolled over into a comprehensive plan for the county. He also asked what steps are being taken to create new revenue streams. To the point, the county has placed creation of an economic development tax on the April 1 ballot.

Voyles described Mayfield as a high-energy person and asked board members to support him. Responding to criticism that EDC meetings are not open to the public even though the council spends public monies, Voyles said this is a side issue that will not be allowed to interfere with economic development activities. "We [the EDC, county, city and chamber of commerce] will all come together to do what's important," he asserted.

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In a report to the board, tourism chair Paul Gleason said he and Lincoln College President Ron Schilling have been appointed to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Advisory Committee, a group of 70 people charged with planning the national celebration of Lincoln's 200th birthday in 2009. Gleason is just back from Washington, D.C., where he made a presentation to the committee regarding creating a Lincoln handbook for students. The refined proposal will be presented to Congress in 2004. Other plans for the celebration include a new postage stamp and a modified Lincoln penny.

Locally, the tourism committee is preparing a coloring book depicting Lincoln's activities in Logan County. Gleason and Lincoln College Museum director Ron Keller are writing the captions. Plans are to complete the 8½-by-11-inch coloring book this spring for distribution to children visiting county historic sites.

Gleason also announced that the LC Museum has just acquired part of a steel girder from the World Trade Center in New York City. The piece is approximately 30 inches long and weighs almost 300 pounds. It is already on display in the museum.

In other business, animal control chair Pat O'Neill announced three new employees at the center: Vickie Loafman, warden; Maurice Tierney, assistant warden; and Tammy Langley, part-time help.

The county board took straw votes on four issues changing procedures for the animal control facility. Board members supported all four proposals:

--To ask veterinarians to issue animal tags and to raise the price from $6 to $10 for one year, $15 for three years, with $2 going to the veterinarian.

--To punish a first-time leash offense with a $20 fine, not just a warning.

--To fine anyone who abuses an animal $200, raised from the current $50 to reflect the seriousness of the offense.

--To extend the time before euthanizing an animal from seven working days to up to 15 working days. O'Neill explained that the purpose is to allow as many animals as possible to be adopted and thus lower the number of deaths. He has also arranged with Taps, a no-kill shelter in Peoria, to take dogs and cats as long as they are not sick or vicious. If homes are not found in Logan County, Taps will seek them in Peoria. Through these measures O'Neill expects to save a significant amount of money as well as the lives of many dogs and cats.

A binding vote on the four issues will be taken at Tuesday's voting session. If passed, the new rules will go into effect March 1 or by March 15 at the latest.

O'Neill reported there has been over $2,000 in uncollected animal control fines. Brown asked how he expects to collect larger fines if smaller ones have not been paid. O'Neill replied that in the future Animal Control will turn over unpaid fines to the state's attorney for prosecution.

In another committee report Logan County Regional Planning Commission chair Dave Hepler said the commission has voted to support both the Lincoln half-cent sales tax increase and the creation of a county economic development tax. The two referendums are on the April 1 ballot.

[Lynn Spellman]

Significant winter storm to affect
parts of central Illinois tonight

(Weather update issued 10:15 a.m. Friday)

[FEB. 14, 2003]  A winter storm system over western Kansas will track east toward the region tonight and into Saturday. Most of central Illinois will be above freezing today with just rain. But temperatures will drop back below freezing tonight as increasing northeast winds bring colder air south across the state tonight. Rain will change to freezing rain and snow during this evening along and north of Interstate 74 and after midnight south of I-74. The changeover will not take place until late tonight south of I-70. Ice along with several inches of snow is possible along and north of I-74 tonight, with snow likely Saturday.

For Cass, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Logan, Macon, Menard, Morgan, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon, Scott and Shelby counties, including the cities of Beardstown, Charleston, Clinton, Decatur, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Marshall, Mattoon, Monticello, Paris, Shelbyville, Springfield, Sullivan, Taylorville, Toledo, Tuscola, Virginia and Winchester:

With temperatures above freezing the rest of today, the precipitation should fall as rain. However, the rain will change to freezing rain and snow after midnight south of I-74 as winds become northeast between 15 and 25 mph. Snow and freezing rain is still likely during the day Saturday.

For Champaign, Fulton, Knox, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Peoria, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, Vermilion and Woodford counties, including the cities of Bloomington, Canton, Champaign, Danville, Eureka, Galesburg, Havana, Lacon, Lewistown, Mason City, Pekin, Peoria, Rantoul and Rushville:

Rain will occur today and possibly be mixed with light freezing rain north of I-74. The rain will change to freezing rain and snow this evening, with several inches of snow possible by daybreak Saturday. In addition, winds will become northeast and increase to between 15 and 25 mph tonight. Snow is still likely during the day Saturday.

Remember, a winter storm warning means severe winter weather conditions are imminent or highly likely.

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For Clay, Crawford, Effingham, Jasper, Lawrence and Richland counties, including the cities of Effingham, Flora, Lawrenceville, Newton, Olney and Robinson:

With temperature above freezing the rest of today, the precipitation should fall as rain. The rain will change to freezing rain and snow late tonight into Saturday as winds become northeast between 15 and 25 mph. Freezing rain is likely during the day Saturday.

[10:15 a.m. Friday news release]

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