A new lease agreement that's expected to bring more revenue to DeWitt County has been approved for Clinton Marina.

The DeWitt County Board voted 10 to 2 Thursday night to approve a new lease agreement for the Marina. 

Marina Committee Chair, Levi Sturgeon, explains the current lease with FAB Incorporated has ran its five years, and the committee felt it was time to make some changes in the lease.  He says the major adjustments call for a 5-percent increase in slip rental fees and extending the agreement to possibly run for thirty years with a satisfaction review every ten years.

The new agreement also includes a measure that could see boat launch fees increase from 5-dollars a launch to ten dollars.  Sturgeon notes it is an option that's included, but it's not set to go into effect immediately.  He says all of the increased fees will help the county continue to make capital improvements to the facility.

Board Member Mike Bray expressed concern over the potential launch fee increase, especially in regards to senior citizens who frequent the lake.  Finance Committee Chair, Ed Young, disagreed saying the county took over the marina as a way to increase revenues.

Bray and Board Member Sherrie Brown were the two votes against the proposal.  Bids on the lease will go out immediately, and are expected to be opened at the Marina Committee's September meeting.  If approved there, the agreement would then come before the full board in September as well.

In other business from Thursday's DeWitt County Board meeting...
> The Board unanimously approved permission for the DeWitt County Lincoln Heritage Committee to locate a "Looking For Lincoln" exhibit on county property at the corner of Center and Washington Streets.  It's hoped the wayside will be in place by September's Apple & Pork Festival.

> The Board unanimously approved the appointment of Commissioners to the county's 13 drainage districts for three year terms.

> The County Board also approved the purchase of 8-hundred tons of "air-cooled" boiler slag at a cost of 21-dollars per ton.  We'll learn more about that Monday on Regional Radio News.

Clinton Firefighters spent last Saturday raising money for a good cause, and local residents filled the boot and then some.

Fire Department personnel spent much of the day August 15th camped out at the intersection of Main and Grant in Clinton asking motorists to help them raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  Organizer, Mike Jameson, indicates the "Fill The Boot" effort raised over 11-hundred dollars for the MDA, and says that money will go a long way in providing services to the local community.

Fire Departments across the nation team up each year to raise funds for the MDA.  According to Jameson, Clinton fire fighters have taken part in numerous fundraisers in the past, however this year's event was the most successful yet.  He says the department is thankful for the support.

In addition to funding Muscular Dystrophy research, the money raised assists local residents in a variety of other ways.  Jameson says patient support and an annual summer camp for children are also greatly supported by the "Fill The Boot" campaign.

Again, the Clinton Fire Department would like to thank all those who contributed to the fundraiser.  If you didn't get the chance to contribute last weekend, contributions can be dropped off anytime at the Fire Station.  It's expected the department will also conduct more "Fill The Boot" campaigns in the future.

If you've traveled past Clinton High School this week, then you've probably noticed a new monument in front of the building.

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Holmes indicates the unique carving of a bald eagle was completed near the High School drive on Tuesday.  He told the School Board this week that an anonymous group of donors contributed the funding for a chainsaw artist to carve the bird and "Flying C" logo out of what used to be an oak tree stump.

Dr. Holmes feels the monument is a great use of what otherwise would've just been a stump in front of the school.  He also points out the eagle is facing off to the east in order for it to face the school's flagpole.

The eagle monument will soon have company at that entrance at Clinton High School.  Through action by the school board and city this week, a new electronic marquee will be installed on school property across from the eagle in coming weeks.

Classic car enthusiasts from across Central Illinois are invited to cruise through Weldon this weekend.

The 15th Annual Weldon Lions' Club Car Show takes place Saturday in the village park with over a dozen judged categories for all types of classic cars and trucks.  Plus, organizers hope to have several tractors, motorcycles, semis, and "race-only" cars on display.

Several awards will be handed out based on participant voting.  Winner and Runner-Up trophies per class plus one best of show award will be given. Dash plaques, while they last, will also be given to all entrants.  There will also be door prizes.

DJ services will be provided by Sound and Light Creations and the DeLand-Weldon Cheerleaders will have a concession stand in the ballpark during the car show.

A tornado was responsible for damaging at least a dozen homes in southeastern Logan County on Wednesday afternoon, slightly injuring at least one Logan County resident and keeping emergency and rescue crews busy all afternoon and evening.

Most of the damage was contained to the Elkhart and Mt. Pulaski areas and more damage was reported in Williamsville and Sherman in Sangamon County.

Logan County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Fulscher praised rescue crews for their work on Wednesday. Fulsher’s sister and brother-in-law were among those that lost their home during the storm.

Logan County Board Chairman Terry Carlton issued a local disaster declaration shortly after 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, which allows emergency and rescue crews priority to handle calls throughout the county and ask for assistance where needed. The Red Cross was assisting persons in need in both counties.

The Logan County Emergency Management Agency has begun damage assessment with an emphasis to the hardest hit areas of the county to the south and southeast. This is expected to be a long-term process that could take days or longer.

A tornado is believed to have touched down near Elkhart and skipped from the through the southern area of Logan County touching down in numerous spots as it moved northwest thru Beason.
Middletown, Elkhart and Hartsburg emergency crews were also on the scene at various residents throughout the area looking for potential gas leaks, downed power lines and other hazards.

Damage estimates were not available. The amount of rain from the storm varied from location to location with some areas reporting over two inches of rain falling in less than one hour.

Some parts of Logan County may be without power until Friday.

Other parts of the area were also hit by Wednesday's storms...

An unconfirmed tornado reportedly touched down one mile south of Hallsville, just west of Clinton, about 4:10 p.m.  There were no reports of injuries or major damage.

The weather service reports wind damage was reported by law enforcement 4 miles southeast of Clinton between 418 and 422... near Weldon Spring State Park and Lane with trees down across Road and homes and a new shed damaged.

There was one reported tornado touchdown just west of Dawson Lake in McLean County and two other sightings near Ellsworth and Arrowsmith.  Tornado sightings were reported in Piatt County as well.

As of early Thursday morning, Ameren reported most of DeWitt County had power with only 32 outages reported.  Champaign and Logan counties both reported nearly 19-hundred customers without power, and Macon County still had over 6-hundred Ameren customers without power early Thursday.

It's been a busy summer around the Clinton School District for maintenance personnel, and Mother Nature made it even busier than originally planned.

At Tuesday night's meeting of the Clinton Board of Education, Business Manager Rick Imig updated the Board on the numerous projects the district tackled over the summer.  He says the district spent between 150- and 175-thousand dollars on maintenance this year, but feels it's money well spent to ensure the condition of district property.

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According to Imig, those expenditures were spread out to all of the district's buildings.  However, he admits much of the work was focused on improving Clinton High School.  He says some of the larger projects include a new football scoreboard, new gym vents and sound system, and reworking some of the parking lot.

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In addition, the school buildings seemed to be a magnet for storm damage this summer.  Imig estimated lightning, wind, and power surges have caused nearly 75-thousand dollars in damages at several of the district's buildings.  He says Webster School was hit this week, while earlier in the summer wind tore off much of the roof at Washington School, and "brownouts" fried computers at several buildings.

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District officials say their costs associated with the storm damage will be 4-thousand dollars in deductibles, but insurance will cover the rest of the bill.  Most of the planned school maintenance has been completed before students return to class on Friday, however there will be a few projects wrapped up while class is in session.

It looks to be a fairly routine monthly meeting for the DeWitt County Board tonight (THU).

Among the items to be addressed by the Board are:
> the release of minutes from several Executive Sessions held by the full board and several comittees.

> the vacating of a street in Midland City.

> a move to allow a Looking for Lincoln sign be erected on County property on the corner of Washington and Center streets.

> several road and bridge committee purchases.

> and consideration of a 5-percent increase in slip rental fees at Clinton Marina.

Their monthly meeting of the DeWitt County Board gets underway at 7 o'clock this (THU) evening in the County Board Room.

Clinton and DeWitt County are being marketed across the region thanks to a new effort by the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau.

The "Clinton, Illinois Miles from the Everyday" rack card is being distributed across the state by the Chamber, and Marian Brisard, Executive Director, hopes it provides a bump in the number of visitors to the area.  She says the card features a collage of numerous DeWitt County sites.

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According to Brisard, the new card also features a listing of relevant DeWitt County websites related to tourism information.  She says the new trend in tourism is to locate info on the web, and feels the new pamphlet will direct prospective visitors to the proper sites.

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The Clinton rack card will be distributed across Illinois.  Brisard notes it'll be featured at numerous rest areas along I-70, I-55, I-57 and I-74, as well as at Union Station in Springfield.  She says Chamber officials will also be showing it off this week at the Illinois State fair.

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The new "Clinton, Illinois Miles from the Everyday" rack card is also available at several locations in the community.  For a full listing of local pickup points, visit www.dewittdailynews.com.

The new Clinton, Illinois rack card is available at the following locations in Clinton:
Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau
City of Clinton
Clinton Antique Mall
Country Junction
DeWitt County Building
DeWitt County Homestead Museum
DeWitt County Visitor Center
Flower Corner / Country Church Craft Mall
Illinois Harvest
Sunset Inn & Suites
Ted's Garage
Town & Country Motel
Vespasian Warner Public Library
Wye Motel

A former Illinois State Police officer turned author is scheduled to make an appearance in Clinton tonight (THU).

The Vespasian Warner Public Library is hosting a book signing and discussion with author Michael Callahan. 

Bobbi Perryman, Adult Services Librarian, explains Callahan's recent book, "Too Politically Sensitive," details his involvement with the investigation of a double murder that took place in Paris, Illinois in the 1980's.  She says the book chronicles the investigation, and subsequent silencing of Callahan due to the political nature of the case.

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The case is still making headlines as Callahan has taken his fight for public worker's freedom of speech to U.S. Supreme Court, and one of the two men wrongly accused of the crime was just released from prison last summer.

The Warner Library's program with author Michael Callahan takes place at 7 o'clock this (THU) evening in the Revere Room.  To learn more about the event, contact the library at (217) 935-5174.

>>Tornadoes Strong Storms Rake Central Illinois
(Williamsville, IL)  --  It will take days for folks across a wide swath of central Illinois to clean up from a strong band of storms that cut across the state Wednesday afternoon and evening.  Several areas near Springfield were damaged by severe storms that moved through the area.  Authorities believe a tornado touched down in Williamsville, about ten miles north of Springfield.  Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson says 25 homes damaged, some so badly they'll have to be torn down. He says a Casey's General Store right off of I-55 and the Williamsville Christian Church were also destroyed.  Williamson says there are three confirmed injuries.  One person working at the church during the time of the storm was hurt.  Two men riding motorcycles on the interstate were blown off the road.  It's not clear how severe the injuries are.  Williamson says there were also about two dozen homes damaged west of Springfield in Loami.  Twelve of the homes were destroyed and a few minor injuries reported.  The Sheriff says most of the damage in the southwestern part of the county was in rural areas.  Authorities say several homes were damaged in Logan County.  And numerous reports of other minor storm damage across much of central Illinois. 

>>Twister Hits Williamsville Church
(Williamsville, IL)  --  It will likely be a Sunday of prayers and cleaning up at one central Illinois church nearly leveled by a tornado Wednesday evening.  A twister destroyed the Christian Church in Williamsville.  Pastor David Beals says they were just weeks away from finishing their remodeling of the sanctuary.  A worker who was at the church during the storm was injured, but its not clear how badly he was hurt.  Police say a part of a wall fell on him.  Pastor Beals says about 100 people attend the church each week.  He says he has already received calls from other churches offering to allow them to use their building for services.

Illinoisans soon will find out if the state's job outlook is finally getting better.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security on Thursday will release the state's unemployment rate for July.

The jobless rate was 10.3% in June, the highest it's been since 1983. But the pace of job loss across the state has been slowing in recent months.  IDES Director Maureen O'Donnell has said it's too early to predict when Illinois might start seeing job growth.

The national jobless rate dropped to 9.4% in July, from 9.5% the previous month. Employers also laid off far fewer workers nationally and workers' hours and pay edged upward.

Unemployment rates for Illinois' metropolitan areas will be released next week.

WARMER WEATHER AND A LITTLE MUCH NEEDED RAIN GAVE ILLINOIS FARM FIELDS A SMALL BOOST LAST WEEK.  CHIEF STATE CROP STATISTICIAN BRAD SCHWAB HAS MORE IN THIS WEEK'S CROP REPORT...

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HEAR THE FULL WEEKLY USDA CROP REPORT EVERY THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH HARVEST HERE ON REGIONAL RADIO NEWS.

(Springfield, IL)  --  A man who spent 12 years behind bars for sexually assaulting a little girl is getting a rare second chance.  A judge in Springfield says he has no reason to hold Tony Harden any longer.  Harden has spent the past dozen years in the Big Muddy Correctional Center after being declared sexually dangerous.  That declaration could end up being a life sentence, but Harden was able to convince doctors and the judge that he is no longer a threat.  Sangamon County prosecutors pushed to have Harden locked up after he assaulted a seven-year-old girl.  The judge in his case warned that any violation of his release would land Harden back in prison.  Harden is barred from drinking and doing drugs, and owning a gun or hunting bow.  He is also not allowed to own a video camera or even a cell phone that can record or take pictures.  Harden is one of only a few sexually dangerous people to be released from prisons.  Hundreds of sexually dangerous inmates are behind bars in Illinois, just about 30 have been released since 2000.

>>Hynes Skips Democrats' Rally, Quinn Points It Out
(Springfield, IL)  --  The first big step in the 2010 Democratic race for Governor turned out to be a bit of a stumble.  Democratic Comptroller, and candidate for Governor, Dan Hynes skipped the annual Democratic rally at the Illinois State Fair.  Hynes says he wanted Governor Pat Quinn to have "his day."  But some of the Dems who did show up at the Fair says Hynes' absence said more than any speech he could have given.  The Governor says he "shows up everyday" and thinks anyone who is serious about running for Governor needs to do the same.  But Hynes did have some strong words for Quinn earlier in the day.  He blasted the Governor for how he has handled Illinois' budget crisis, and hinted the Quinn inherited his job or is an accidental Governor.  Quinn says he won two statewide elections, and has had to handle the state during one of its toughest times in recent memory.  Quinn's speech to the State Fair crowd was what many expected.  The Governor says he's tried his best with what he was given, and hopes to do better this year.  Quinn was the last of the big name Democrats to hit the stage at the more up-beat rally this year.  Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and several other candidates or leaders also spoke to their party's faithful. 

>>Democrats' Day At State Fair Coming Out Party For Politicians
(Springfield, IL)  --  It's like a debutante ball for politicians.  Democratic candidates vying for statewide office introduced themselves to the public Wednesday at the Illinois State Fair.  It was part of Democrats' Day, and for no name candidates it was their chance to make a first impression on public.  Robin Kelly is running for the job her boss State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias now holds.  As his chief of staff, Kelly says she knows what goes into the job and wants to continue the office's mission.  Her opponent is Kip Kirkpatrick, a Chicago businessman who founded his own investment company.  He says he wants to put his business knowledge to work investing the people's money.  Raja Krishnamoorthi [[ krish-na-MORE-thee ]] is going after the job of state comptroller.  The Indian American is an attorney whose worked on President Obama campaigns for congress, Senate and President.  His opponent is current Cook County state representative David Miller, who is a practicing dentist.  He says he wants to use the position of comptroller to help make sure providers get payments from the state on time.  There are also a number of democrats who want to be Lieutenant Governor.  And Lisa Madigan is running again for attorney general and Jesse White is also looking for another term as secretary of state.  Neither have an opponent.

Attorneys for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich say they'll need three more weeks to listen to secret recordings that'll feature prominently at his corruption trial.

Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers attended a 10-minute status hearing Wednesday where Judge James Zagel asked how preparations for a trial were going. Blagojevich didn't attend.

FBI wiretap tapes of then-governor Blagojevich on the phone before his Dec. 9 arrest are a cornerstone of the federal case.

Blagojevich is charged with scheming to sell or trade President Obama's U.S. Senate seat and plotting to use political muscle to squeeze possible donors for campaign cash. He's denied any wrongdoing.

The next status hearing is set for Sept. 22. A trial isn't expected to start until next year.

The process of diagnosing the City of Clinton's long-standing sewer issues has begun.

At Monday night's City Council meeting, an engineering agreement with Georgia-based MACTEC was approved by commissioners at a cost of just over 111-thousand dollars. Streets & Public Improvements Commissioner, Bryan Hickman explains the evaluation is comprised of two key areas. He says the company will manually inspect targeted areas of the city's sewer system this fall, and then install eleven flowmeters to further evaluate the system next spring.

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Clinton Public Works Director, Steve Lobb, likens the study to an exam conducted by a doctor on an ailing patient. He says the evaluation will hopefully identify the cause of residential sewer backups during heavy rain events, but cautions the remedies brought forward from the study will likely be a long term and expensive endeavor.

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The issues are primarily traced back to an EPA mandated sewer separation project in the 1990's, which eliminated Clinton's combined system into separate storm and sanitation sewers. City officials have theorized not all of those connections were eliminated, which leads to increased storm water in the sanitation sewers during massive rain events. Commissioner Hickman feels the evaluation should find those problem areas, and says the results could suggest several potential remedies.

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City officials are hoping the manual inspection of the sewer system can begin as soon as possible, while the installation of the flowmeters is set for next spring. It's expected a report on the findings will be released toward the end of 2010.

The Clinton School District is doing a good job of implementing its strategic plan, but there's room for improvement in key areas.

At the school board's regular monthly meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Dr. Jeff Holmes updated the board on the district's yearly progress in implementing its strategic plan. For the last several years, the board with the help of the community has laid out specific goals for the district. Dr. Holmes says that community involvement is a key to the plan's success, and feels it acts as a set of goals to which the school board can be graded against.

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Among the items Dr. Holmes feels the district excelled at under last year's plan is the implementation of RTI, or the Response To Intervention program. He notes the district teachers have successfully implemented the program well ahead of the 2010-11 mandate, and also says the district has successfully instituted focused teacher in-service programs directed at addressing areas of concern, such as writing scores.

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According to Holmes, there are also areas where the district should look to improve during the coming school year. He notes initial steps have been taken to increase communication between the schools and the community, but feels more can be done. He also would like to see the schools utilize community resources better.

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The school board plans to schedule a meeting with the public in the next two months to update the 5-year "roadmap." At that meeting, board members and faculty will be teamed with members of the public to lay out areas of importance for the continued development of Clinton Schools.

In other business at last night's Clinton School Board meeting...
> The Board unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Clinton to purchase and install a new electronic marquee in front of the high school. The city would also be able to install and maintain a new electronic billboard on school property near the US 51 bypass. The cost of the high school marquee would be 20-thousand dollars to the city, and 10-thousand dollars to the Booster Club. The costs of the billboard were not discussed, but would be completely handled through the City of Clinton.

> The Board was also informed the new High School Greenhouse has finally been completed. A dedication ceremony has been planned for September 18th.

> The School Board was also updated on the progress of several maintenance projects that have been ongoing throughout the summer. We'll learn more about those tomorrow (THU) on Regional Radio News.

The only full-time employee for the Village of Wapella will lose his full-time position, but may continue to work on a part-time basis following action at a Wapella Village Board meeting Tuesday night.

The board voted 3-1 in favor of eliminating the position of Paul Schmid who recently celebrated his 10th year with the village. Schmid does maintenance and general labor for the city and Village trustee Sharon Williams said the move was an effort to save the village money and believed his salary of $39,000 plus benefits was too much.

Prior to the vote, the board filled one of its four vacant seats. In the past three weeks, Village President David Taylor and three trustees have stepped down. One of those seats was filled by Callan Cain, the son of trustee Donnie Cain. Callan voted against the decision to eliminate Schmid’s full-time position and called the move “ridiculous” and a vendetta against an employee.

In the absence of a Village President, Trustee Vernon Meadows ran the meeting, but did not address questions pertaining to the recent resignations or future plans of the board. Meadows read a statement at the start of the meeting, announcing that the board was convening to conduct city business that that there would be no questions or public comments from the audience allowed. Meadows did not indicate when the other two trustee positions and Village President position would be filled.

Williams reported that the water bills for July will be mailed out soon, but she did not give a definite date. Long-time Village Clerk Jane Buraglio was fired by then-president David Taylor last month and her replacement, Kathy La Dew, resigned last week which slowed the process, Williams said. She said that residents would not receive two bills at one time, but could not be specific about when she expects to have the bills ready to be mailed.

General Motors says there's not much it can do about a Clinton florist now inundated with calls from people inquiring about cash for clunkers.

The calls to Clinton's Flower Corner began after GM advertised a toll-free cash-for-clunkers number that's nearly identical to the store's toll-free number.

Owner Judy Van Fossan tells the Associated Press the around 150 calls a day threaten to damage business because regular customers can't get through.

Only the prefixes of the numbers differ; GM's is 877 and the shop's is 800. People are more familiar with the 800 prefix, so many meaning to call GM mistakenly dial 800.

GM spokesman John McDonald says a lack of available 800 numbers forces companies to use 877 equivalents. In the long run, McDonald hopes the confusion will help the flower business by raising the profile of the shop.

Work is slated to officially begin on a Clinton tradition this evening.

Tonight is the first night of construction of the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce's annual "Terror On Washington Street" haunted house. Marian Brisard, Executive Director of the Chamber, notes this is the fifteenth edition of the scarefest, and says the house is a huge undertaking that wouldn't be possible without the support of the community.

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The haunted house is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Chamber. Brisard notes past editions of "The Terror" have drawn visitors from across the state, and have also been ranked among the top haunted houses in Illinois. She says anyone is welcome to help with the house, just show up at the Washington Street location each Wednesday at 6pm and be prepared to work.

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According to Brisard, local high schoolers have been major contributors to the effort in the past, as they receive community service hours for their work. She hopes to see another large contingent of youth out to help this year, but also invites adults to pitch in.

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The Chamber of Commerce will hold work nights at the haunted house every Wednesday night at 6pm between now and the opening of "The Terror" on October 9th. To learn more about the haunted house, contact the Chamber at 935-3364, or visit www.clintonhauntedhouse.com.

A Champaign County family has been chosen to receive a new home courtesy of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Nathan and Jenny Montgomery, of Philo, were surprised to find Ty Pennington, host of the award-winning show, on their doorstep Tuesday morning. Their house will be razed and a new one built through the coordinated efforts of Brady Homes of Bloomington, numerous other companies and as many as 25-hundred volunteers.

Nathan Montgomery gave up a lucrative engineering career to start the Salt and Light food pantry, which feeds 250 families a week. The family lives in a dilapidated 100-year-old house in Champaing County.

The Montgomery's and their four children will be sent to Walt Disney World during the week-long makeover. The reveal will be August 25th.

Philo, a community of about 1,300 people, is located about nine miles south of Urbana on Illinois Route 130.

(Normal, IL) -- One central Illinois police department is heading to millions of homes across the country. Hot Wheels has picked Normal's police cruiser as one of the models of its Cop Rods cars. The miniature car is a variation of the city's black and white police car. Normal Police Chief Kent Krusher says he had a little input into the design, and is happy to be picked. One of Hot Wheels' designers is a former Normal resident, and the chief says that may have put their car at the top of the list. The Normal car is just the latest in what will be a 26 car line. Other cities represented in the line include Ann Arbor, Michigan.; Durham, North Carolina; Eugene, Oregon; Lafayette, Indiana; Racine, Wisconsin; Trinity County, California; Newark, New Jersey; Annapolis, Maryland; Speed, Kansas; and Rochester, New York.

Federal money to fight the war on drugs is headed to several Central Illinois communities.

14 cities across the state will split grants totaling 1.5-million dollars through the federal Drug-Free Communities Program. Among those receiving funding are the Decatur Drug-Free Community Coalition and Bloomington's Heartland Coalition for Youth and Family. A program in Springfield is also receiving a grant.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin announced the awards earlier this week, noting the money goes to community organizations that involve civic participation in local drug abuse prevention efforts.

>>Two More U of I Trustees Resign, But Ask To Be Reappointed
(Chicago, IL) -- Two more trustees at the University of Illinois are giving Governor Quinn what he wants, the resignations, but are hoping for a little consideration in return. Trustees Devon Bruce and David Dorris turned-in their resignations Tuesday, but are also asking the Governor to reappoint them to the board at the U of I. Quinn has asked for all nine school trustees to step down in the wake of the U of I clout scandal. He has already said he'll likely reappoint one trustees who he named to the board earlier this year. Bruce and Dorris were both tapped by former Governor Rod Blagojevich to serve on the board. Dorris says he should have said something about the clout scandal, but Bruce says he didn't do anything wrong. The Governor has said if the remaining U of I trustees don't resign soon, he will act on his own. The clout scandal saw underqualified students admitted to the U of I because of who they knew, not the work they had done. The Governor's clout commission laid most of the blame for the scandal at the feet of the trustees, but also said a top university administrators share some of the responsibility.

>>U Of I Faculty Want Their Say In New Trustees
(Urbana, IL) -- Faculty at the University of Illinois say when the Governor picks new university trustees, they want to have some input. The school's faculty Senate Executive Committee has sent Governor Pat Quinn a resolution asking that he consider their opinions when picking a new slate of trustees. Quinn has asked for the resignations of all current trustees because of the U of I clout scandal. Five have already resigned, three have yet to. The Governor says he will act on those six this week. Faculty and other members of the U of I community have pushed for more control over the trustee nomination process, right the Governor makes the decision on his own. Quinn says he has a list of 140 people who want to be a new trustee, but he hasn't said when he'll fire the remaining trustees or name new ones.

Illinois' average composite score on the ACT college entrance exam has increased for the third year in a row. That's according to figures released today by the Illinois State Board of Education. The state's composite score for the class of 2009 was 20.8, on the test's scale of 1 to 36. The national average was 21.1.

Illinois students made slight gains or maintained the average scores in all subject areas from 2008 to 2009.

In English, students moved from an average score of 20.4 in 2008 to 20.5 in 2009. In science, average scores went from 20.5 to 20.7, and in reading, they went from 20.6 to 20.8. Scores in math held steady at 20.7.

Illinois began requiring all 11th-graders in public and private schools to take the ACT in 2002.

Efforts to clean up Illinois government are continuing with Gov. Pat Quinn signing a new law that strengthens ethics rules.

The legislation expands the ethics act for state officials and employees to include employment benefits as something that can't be promised in exchange for political donations.

The bill Quinn signed Tuesday is part of what he says will be a string of upcoming legislation on ethics reforms. He's already signed a measure strengthening the state's public records laws.

The legislation he signed Tuesday also beefs up the so-called "revolving door" policy to make it harder for some former state employees to trade on their government contacts in the private sector.
It also requires people who buy goods and services for the state to fill out statements of economic interests.

>>Governor Signs Law To Push Local Food
(Springfield, IL) -- Illinois grows a lot of corn and beans and raise a lot of hogs, but most of what people in the state eat comes from outside our borders. But a new law could change that. Governor Pat Quinn has signed a plan to encourage locally grown, and locally sold food. Quinn hopes the Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force will not only find new markets for Illinois gown products, but get those products into the pantries and refrigerators of people across the state. Chicago Senator Jacqueline Collins says the Food and Farm Task Force is a "win win." She says agricultural producers will be able to expand or find new customers, and communities that are in need of good, fresh produce and meats will finally have their supply. Collins hopes to use the Task Force to help fill the needs in some of Chicago's food desert communities. The new law will push to have the state buy as much as 20-percent of its food from local growers in ten years, and allow from local producers to get a premium price for what they grow. The Governor says he's already trying to do his part. Quinn says a good portion of the food served at the Governor's mansion is from Illinois, most from farmers in the Springfield area. Quinn used Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair to sign the new law.

>Thousands From Wal-Mart To Boost Ag In The Classroom
(Springfield, IL) -- A pizza and a big check from Wal-Mart are going to teach a lot of kids about farming and food. The simple idea behind Agriculture in the Classroom is to draw a line for school kids across Illinois from food on the farm to food on their table. Agriculture in the Classroom's Kevin Daugherty says most of the time the agriculture is rolled into other lessons. Wal-Mart is chipping-in 50-thousand dollars to make the lessons a reality. John Bisio with Wal-Mart says the country's largest grocery store is spending a lot of time talking about locally grown and locally bought produce. So why is pizza a part of the lesson? Daugherty says pizza brings everything from grains to dairy products to meat and vegetables from the farm to the plate. And he says most school kids love to eat it. Agriculture in the Classroom is due to be in just over 60-percent of schools this fall, including schools from Chicago to far downstate Illinois.

An Oreana man faces several charges after a weekend accident near Clinton.

The DeWitt County Sheriff's Department reports 51-year old Lance Colbert was northbound on US 51 around the Clinton bypass when he lost control of his vehicle. Deputies indicate Colbert was traveling at a high rate of speed when his vehicle entered the median between Routes 10 and 54, and then overturned.

Clinton Ambulance responded to the scene, however no injuries were reported. Colbert was issued citations for reckless driving, driving on shoulder, operating vehicle with expired registration sticker, and speeding (70 mph in a 45 mph zone). Colbert was also arrested and charged with unlawful restraint and resisting a police officer. Being unable to post the necessary bond, Colbert remained lodged in the DeWitt County jail pending a court appearance.

Concerns raised by local residents have led to the filing of new legislation by State Representative Bill Mitchell.

During office hours earlier this month in Clinton, local resident Virgil Brady confronted Mitchell with concerns over the upkeep of Weldon Springs State Recreation Area near Clinton. According to Brady, the campground at the park has fallen into disrepair, and is generally unkept. He's especially concerned over the lack of mowing being done around the campground.

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During a Monday morning news conference at Weldon Springs, Rep. Mitchell announced that he has filed legislation in the General Assembly that would allow the Department of Natural Resources the legal ability to use volunteer labor to help with upkeep at state facilities during times of budgetary emergencies. He says current law doesn't allow volunteers to mow at the parks, primarily due to union labor agreements.

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Rep. Mitchell cited groups such as the Weldon Springs Foundation and the DeWitt County Farm Bureau as wanting to volunteer to help maintain the park. Terry Ferguson, a member of the Farm Bureau Board of Directors, says the park deserves to be kept in as good of shape as possible, and feels volunteers are a sensible way to make that happen.

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It wasn't too long ago that the DeWitt County community rallied to have Weldon Springs reopened after being closed by the Blagojevich administration. Rep. Mitchell feels this is another example of local residents stepping up to protect a vital resource to the community.

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It was also noted the lack of mowing at the park should be considered a safety hazard as it decreases visibility at intersections, and the tall weeds also serve as a refuge for disease carrying mosquitoes and ticks.

Rep. Mitchell's legislation would be applicable to all Illinois state parks, but only during years where the General Assembly grants the Governor emergency budgetary powers. He plans to push for passage of the proposal during the General Assembly's fall veto session.

Two more local businesspeople were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the City of Clinton at last (MON) night's City Council meeting.

Mayor Ed Wollet presented the Mayor's Community Partners Award to Bruce Paulsen and Steve Tribuzzi from Exelon's Clinton Power Station. Mayor Wollet explains the two have contributed countless hours to city ventures, and says Clinton is grateful for its relationship with the two, who are both leaving Exelon.

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Tribuzzi, who is moving into a position with ComEd, was grateful for the recognition. However, he says the station is losing a creative mind in Paulsen, and notes their work with the community is a reflection of the leadership found at the Power Station.

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Paulsen, who's retiring from Exelon, plans to remain around the local area, as he and his wife live in Decatur. He says the decision to retire wasn't easy, but is looking forward to more time with his family after 31-years at the Clinton plant.

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The Mayor's Community Partner's awards were organized to recognize those individuals or groups that have gone above and beyond in making Clinton a better place to live.

In other action from Monday night's meeting...
>The City Council unanimously approved a 111-thousand dollar engineering agreement with Georgia-based MACTEC to conduct an extensive evaluation of the city's sewer system. It's hoped the study will come up with a plan to address the long-standing issue of sewer backups. We'll learn more about that tomorrow (WED) on Regional Radio News.

> The Council also unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Clinton School District to install a new marquee at the high school at a cost to the city of 20-thousand dollars. The agreement also calls for the district to allow the city to install a new electronic billboard near US 51, however specifics of that portion of the deal weren't addressed. The school board will consider the agreement at their meeting tonight (TUE).

> The Council also placed on file bids for landscaping work at City Hall, with the low bid of just under 14-thousand dollars going to Clinton-based Jason's Landscaping. An agreement for new landscaping lighting not to exceed 4-thousand dollars was also placed on file. The Council recessed the meeting to 5pm on August 25th, in order to vote on those contracts and hopefully have the work completed by next month's Apple & Pork Festival.

Some promising financial news looks to highlight tonight's (TUE) monthly meeting of the Clinton Board of Education.

Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Holmes, indicates the board will receive an update of the school district's financial situation as it pertains to receiving state funding. According to Holmes, the schools learned this week the state has announced it will fund Pre-K education at 90-percent of last year's level. The school board previously voted to pick up any Pre-K funding shortfall this year with local money, so Dr. Holmes says that means 10-percent of the program will be funded locally...if the state follows through on its promise.

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Also, as we've previously reported, the school board will consider an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Clinton that would put two new electronic signs on High School property. Dr. Holmes says one would be a new marquee in front of the high school, while the other would be a new electronic billboard near the US 51 bypass.

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Several major maintenance projects are also being undertaken by the school district this summer. Dr. Holmes notes the board will receive an update on the progress of items such as the work to improve the high school parking lot, the new football scoreboard, and the long awaited completion of the high school greenhouse.

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The Clinton School Board will also review the district's Strategic Plan, and look to set a public meeting to conduct the yearly update of that plan.

(Springfield, IL) -- Governor Pat Quinn is being asked, once again, not to fire thousands of state workers. Instead, Illinois largest public employee union AFSCME wants the Governor to sit down for another round of talks. AFSCME executive director Henry Bayer met with Quinn Monday and says the Governor will have to make a pitch to union members this fall about anything that would require changes to AFSCME's contract. Bayer continues to say Quinn's planned 26-hundred layoffs will "harm vital services" and could put some state workers in danger. He says the union supports Quinn's push for "significant new revenue" to pay for more state services. The Governor had to abandon his plans for an income tax increase last spring that he says would have closed Illinois' budget gap.

(Champaign, IL) -- Police in Champaign want to know if there is a connection between returning students and a handful of weekend fires. Officers say five fires were reported over the weekend in the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Illinois campus. No one was hurt, but crews did have to respond to each call. One fire was on a rooftop, two were in trash bins, and two others were in piles of junk. Both the Champaign Police Department and the U of I's police department are investigating. Classes do not begin at the Champaign-Urbana campus til next week, but many students haver already returned to campustown neighborhoods.

State Rep. Bill Black says -- if he becomes a University of Illinois trustee -- he won't automatically push for the removal of school President B. Joseph White or Chancellor Richard Herman.

Black says he's told Gov. Pat Quinn that he'd like to become a university trustee.

A state panel examining the university's admissions scandal has said trustees should review the performance of White and Herman. Three trustees have resigned over the scandal and Quinn has asked the other six to step down, too.

A Quinn spokeswoman says it's too early for the governor to weigh in on Black's application.
Black doesn't believe the university has suffered lasting damage from the scandal.

Black has been a House member since 1986. He has a master's degree from Illinois and was an administrator at Danville Area Community College.

A Central Illinois lawmaker's bill regarding deer and turkey hunting permits has been approved by the Governor.

According to State Representative Chapin Rose, situations have arisen in Illinois where landowners have been denied free landowner wild turkey and/or landowner deer hunting permits because they did not meet the 40-acre requirement for the permit, even though they were within a ½ acre. Rose says the new law allows landowners to round acreage up to the next whole acre if their remaining fractional portion of an acre is greater than or equal to ½ an acre.

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The legislation concerning landowner wild turkey and deer hunting permits was signed into law last week by Governor Pat Quinn.

Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a new law increasing the speed limit for large trucks on major highways in Illinois outside the six-county Chicago area to 65 mph.

Under the bill signed into last week, the increase applies to trucks carrying a gross weight of 8,001 pounds or more on interstates and other highways with at least four lanes and dividing medians. Within Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, however, the speed limit for such trucks will be 55 mph.

The speed limit for trucks carrying a gross weight of 8,000 pounds or less will also be 65 mph, which also applies on the Illinois State Tollway system outside urban areas.

(Chicago, IL) -- It will soon be tougher for cities and counties, and even state government, to tell people they cannot see public records. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed the first major re-write of Illinois' open access laws, including changes to the Freedom of Information Act. Quinn says Illinois has shown the need for more “sunshine” on government operations, and he thinks new the law could lead to more public scrutiny. Under the new version, the Illinois Attorney General will have the final say whether a public record is public or can be kept in private. A Public Access Counselor will do nothing but handle FOIA cases for the A-G. Prosecutors and local government officials had wanted Quinn to shelve the law. Both groups worried about bits and pieces of the plan, saying the state would either have too much power or the new requirements would spike legal costs. But even the new, tougher law has holes. Governments can still keep many documents under wraps, including “preliminary drafts and notes.” There are also exemptions to allow records to be held if the requests are "unduly burdensome" or an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." Those are the exact areas where advocates say the law needed changed the most.

A decision on the future of a Clinton Police Officer will be made at a later date, possibly even next month, said an official on behalf of the Clinton Police and Fire Commission.

The commission heard a day and a half of testimony concerning Clinton Patrolman Billy Hurst who is accused of watching pornography on city-issued computers. Clinton Police Chief Mike Reidy filed a formal complaint and asked for Hurst to be dismissed from the squad if found guilty on breaking nine department rules including conduct unbecoming of a police officer. Hurst has been on the force for 15 years.

City attorney Steve Myers said the commission would begin deliberations on the matter at a future meeting, which may not be scheduled until next month.
Hurst remains on the squad, pending the decision.

A new program being introduced this fall at Clinton Schools is aimed at decreasing the number of behavioral problems district staff have with students.

The Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports, or P-B-I-S program, is being introduced across the district in order to create a safer and more effective school environment. The program will first be implemented at Clinton Junior High. Principal John Pine explains the basis of PBIS is to teach students the types of behavior that are expected from them, and then reward those students that meet or surpass expectations.

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The PBIS system is a state initiative that has been implemented with success in other areas. Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Holmes, feels the beauty of the program is its emphasis on positive behavior, which he hopes will rub off on those students with a history of negative behaviors.

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According to Pine, the Junior High staff will reward positive behavior in several ways through PBIS. He explains individual students can earn "Flying C Tokens" for use in the school store, while groups of students or even the whole school can earn "rewards" for following the behavior guidelines.

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Plans call for each building's PBIS team to keep tabs on the program to judge if it's cutting down on the number of behavioral incidents, and to identify room for improvement in potential problem areas of a building. Again, the Junior High will implement PBIS at the start of the year, with the other Clinton School buildings coming onboard throughout the school year.

The district is also asking the community to support the program through monetary or item donations of things such as school supplies or individually wrapped candy, which can be used as prizes to reward the students. Those donations can be dropped off at the school. To learn more about the PBIS program, contact John Pine at 935-2103.

The first steps to learning more about the City of Clinton's long-running sewer issues could be taken at tonight's (MON) City Council meeting.

At its last meeting, the Council placed on file an engineering agreement with Georgia-based MACTEC to conduct an extensive study of the city's sewer system. Mayor Ed Wollet explains city residents have experienced sewer backups during major rain events for several years. He says the 111-thousand dollar evaluation is an attempt to learn where the excess water is coming from through intensive monitoring of the system.

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The city previously underwent an EPA mandated sewer separation project, which was aimed at separating the storm and sanitation systems. However, Wollet believes not all of the connections were removed, which he feels is the primary cause of all the problems.

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According to the mayor, several other area communities experience similar sewer issues during heavy rain events. Wollet says that since the backup problems typically take place during the heaviest of rains, much of the monitoring would take place in the fall and next spring.

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The Council is expected to further discussion the plan at tonight's (MON) meeting.

In addition, they'll also address an intergovernmental agreement that could see the city and Clinton Schools team up for two new electronic signs on the High School property.

A current DeWitt County Board member has announced he will not seek re-election next year.

In a press release late last week, Levi Sturgeon announced that after fulfilling his term on November 30, 2010, he'll be moving to McLean County with his partner.

In the statement, Sturgeon noted that “It’s with sadness that I make this announcement because I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the board and serving DeWitt County."

According to the release, when Sturgeon was originally elected in November of 2006, he was the first openly gay elected official and the youngest elected official in DeWitt County’s history. In addition, in December 2008, he was elected by his peers on the board as youngest Vice Chairman and first openly gay Vice Chairman in DeWitt County’s history.

Sturgeon feels instituting Domestic Partner Benefits for the county’s Medical Plan has been one of his major accomplishments while on the Board. He also thanks those that have supported him during his tenure, and has aspirations to be involved in local government in McLean County.

A major wind farm developer may be looking at locating in southern Logan County, said Lincoln and Logan County Economic Development director Joel Smiley on last week at a Logan County Board committee meeting.

Smiley said he wasn’t at liberty to discuss details but he said the company was actively looking at some sites, but wasn’t sure when a decision would come.

Smiley said there were other positive economic developments for Logan County in recent weeks. A new R.P. Lumber store in Lincoln is set to open in about a month, and a new Peeble’s store is set to re-open in the former Goody’s location on Woodlawn Road in Lincoln in the coming weeks.

Smiley also said the county’s incubator program could start by mid-October which would give county residents with small business ideas a place to grow their business.

But not all of the news was good. Smiley said if the state continues with its plan for layoffs at the Logan Correctional Center and Lincoln Correctional Center, the county could be impacted dramatically. He urged County Board members to attend a town hall meeting next Wednesday at the Knights of Columbus to get a sense of how the cuts will affect Logan County. Smiley said the public is invited and he will be one of 14 speakers at the event.

In other business last week, the Logan County board learned that Representative Aaron Schock will be in Lincoln on August 21 to deliver news about a grant for the county’s emergency services department. Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Fulscher said the grant will help bring Logan County up to date with its communications system.

(Bloomington, IL) -- A central Illinois man is finally behind bars after prosecutors charged him over the weekend for an anger-fueled crashing spree earlier this month. Mervin Huddleston was in a McLean County courtroom to answer charges of violating orders of protection, criminal damage to property, and aggravated fleeing of police. It all stems from a chase back on August 6th. Police say Huddleston had just been served with an order of protection from his ex-wife when he ran out of court, jumped into his SUV and sped home to Chenoa. Officers chased, and say they watched Huddleston ram his truck into the home he shared with his ex. They say he then sped off toward the home of her friend in Pontiac, where he crashed into that home. But police say Huddleston wasn't finished, the say he then sped back to the first home and crashed into it a second time. Officer say Huddleston's only statement was "I did everything I wanted to accomplish today." No one was hurt in any of the three crashes. Huddleston is now in jail in Bloomington after the weekend charges, he's being held on 20-thousand dollars bond.

A prosecutor says a Champaign firefighter told police she set fire to her vehicle to collect an insurance payment because of financial problems.

Champaign County Assistant State's Attorney Steve Ziegler said in court Friday that Monica Hall also told police she set fire to another vehicle to make it look as if someone else started the fires.

Hall was arrested Thursday after the fires at the main fire station in Champaign.

She said Thursday that she will hire her own attorney and was ordered back to court Aug. 28.
She is being held on $10,000 bond.

Ziegler says Hall has been preliminarily charged with two counts of arson and one count of obstruction of justice.

Gov. Pat Quinn says he plans to meet with a union leader about the governor's efforts to have state workers take unpaid days off.

Quinn has already started the furlough process to cut costs, directing state agencies to develop plans that ensure operations continue while workers are away.

But in the case of union employees, Quinn must bargain over the issue. He says he will meet Monday with the American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.

Spokesman Anders Lindall says the union will listen to what Quinn has to say, but doesn't think workers should "bear the brunt of a budget crisis."

The administration has released documents saying workers are to take 12 unpaid days off between now and June 30, with five days to be taken before Jan. 1.

(Springfield, IL) -- Where else but at the Illinois State Fair could screaming like a pig make you a celebrity. The annual tradition that is the State Fair's Husband/Hog Calling Competition didn't disappoint this year. More than a dozen callers gave it their best yell this year. A pair of former champs ended-up walking away with the glory, and the 200-dollar cash prize. Nathan Broaddus from the tiny town of Raymond Illinois won his second Hog Calling title. He's studying to work in a funeral home, but says his years working with pigs helped him squeal to victory. Kelley Tierney from Cornland Illinois won her fifth Husband Calling crown. She credits her skits, and the fact that her husband always runs to the stage when she calls for her victory. Both Tierney and Broaddus say there's little strategy to the competition, but say you need to not be shy and have a loud voice. No one is really sure when Illinois started the annual contest, but State Fair officials say the Husband/Hog Call competition is one of the most popular attractions during the ten day fair.

The health center at the University of Illinois's Urbana-Champaign campus will be screening and isolating students with flu-like symptoms this fall.

Dr. Robert Palinkas is director of McKinley Health Center. He says students at the center who appear to have the flu will be seen in a separate part of the building to keep the virus from spreading.

The plan is expected to go into effect a few weeks after fall semester starts on Aug. 24.

The University of Illinois is telling students that they should be prepared to either head home for a week or isolate themselves if they contract the H1N1 flu strain.

The Urbana-Champaign campus sent letters last week to about 60,000 students and faculty preparing for fall classes.

(Springfield, IL) -- Illinois isn't going to count probable and confirmed swine flu cases any more. Instead the state's Department of Public Health says it is adopting the national model of tracking diseases. Illinois will only report hospitalizations and deaths. Public Health officials say "counting individual cases has become time consuming and takes valuable resources" from fighting the flu. The state also says counting confirmed and probable cases likely under count the true impact of the disease. In the latest report, using the new counting system, 388 people in the state have been hospitalized with the swine flu and 17 have died. Public Health managers across the state say your best bet to not get sick is to follow the Three C's: clean, cover, and contain.