A brief meeting of the DeWitt County Board was highlighted by brief discussions on a variety of topics.

If you've noticed curtailment issues with the Alta Farms II wind farm during severe events - you're not alone. DeWitt County Board member Joe Witte called on the Board to bring Enel representatives to have a discussion about its protocols during severe weather.

DeWitt County State's Attorney Dan Markwell gave an update to the Board on the latest with the sale of the Marina. The Board approved the sale of the marina last month and Board Chair Dan Matthews says they will still need to have a special meeting soon to get the agreement approved.

Finally, the County is seeking to move off its agreement with its current IT provider and go with someone else. County Clerk Kari Harris told the Board they are not getting the service they once did.

In regards to the IT contract, County Administrator DeeDee Rentmeister told the Board they met with individuals from the City of Clinton and a few other local entities about the issue and they too agreed it was time to move off the IT company collectively.

Additionally, Harris and Rentmeister say they have been contacted by other Counties in Illinois about their experiences with this company and other places are reporting similar issues. 

A busy spring season for the Clinton Chamber of Commerce wraps up in about another month with one of the biggest fundraisers of the year.

The annual May Days Festival is May 16-19 and Chamber Director Janice Peterson is busy getting final preparations together for one of Clinton's most popular events.

Last year, wristbands that were sold for the carnival sold out well in advance of the festival and some in the community could not purchase them at a discounted rate. Peterson says this year, they've doubled the number of wristbands they will sell.

The Chamber is seeking a non-profit to help with ticket sales inside the ticket booths at the carnival during the festival. In years past, Second Chance for Pets has volunteered but Peterson indicates they are unable to this year so they are looking for a non-profit to take their place.

Follow the Chamber of Commerce on Facebook for more on May Days as it approaches. Peterson is hoping to have some new offerings this year along with traditional entertainment and of course the carnival. 

The wristbands go on sale on Wednesday, May 1. 

A dock on Clinton Lake was removed by the State of Illinois.

Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Captain John Williamson says the dock on the west side access ramp has been taken out. 

The State plans to rebuild the dock in that spot but it will not be complete until next year. Capt. Williamson says once it is done it will be nice but in the meantime, reminds boaters, to find another ramp if you need the dock.

The summer boating season has already begun. Capt. Williamson indicates they had a very busy weekend on Clinton Lake last weekend and anticipates the nicer days having more and more boats out as we ramp up towards the big Memorial Day weekend - one of the busiest if not the busiest on the lake. 

The Clinton City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget Tuesday night.

City Administrator Taylor Baxter believes there are a lot of positive things to tout with this year's budget. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, he told Regional Radio that among them is the fact revenues for the City are up.

While revenues are up, Baxter points out costs are also going up. Inflation has a lot to do with it. He explains they have to dip into reserves to cover some major projects that are on the books for this budget.

According to Baxter, you will not be happy to hear your water bills is increasing again. It was late last year, the DeWitt County Sanitation District announced they would be increasing their fees for a new plant and now the City of Clinton will increase its rates due to rising costs.

For many years now, the City's pensions for police and fire have been well funded and it has been something city officials have touted. Baxter applauds City Treasurer Clint Lichtenwalter for his diligence and foresight to make sure those funds are healthy.

Another driving for the rising costs for this upcoming budget is the latest increase in minimum wage which touches so many departments within the City.

Despite some of the tough things to hear, Baxter says the City of Clinton is in a very sound position financially and credits City departments for diligent budgeting and setting the City up for long-term success. 

Last month, the Clinton Board of Education approved the resignation of first-year Clinton Elementary School Principal Kelly Morrison.

Earlier this month, the Board of Education approved the hiring of Paul Ranstead. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, Superintendent Curt Nettles told Regional Radio Ranstead stood out among the other candidates for the position.

While the applicant pool for the position was not a large number, Nettles believes they had quality candidates with several who would have made great principals at Clinton Elementary School.

Nettles had high praise for Ranstead saying they searched high and low and found no one that could say anything bad about him. Nettles believes Ranstead will be a great leader.

Many may question the longevity of Ranstead in the district as this will be the building's third principal in three years. While he recognizes that is accurate, he says you know when you've got a good administrator. 

Ranstead comes to Clinton from Decatur where he is an elementary principal. 

The Governor is still pushing for nearly a billion dollars to rebuild two prisons.

JB Pritzker wants Statesville and Logan to be torn down and replaced. Not everyone is on board with what they claim are many unknowns. Public input will be coming at hearings, but the Governor says both have long outlived their usefulness.

A press release from the Department of Corrections says Statesville in Joliet will be torn down and rebuilt. The release doesn’t specify if the Logan facility would be rebuilt on its existing footprint in Logan County, near Lincoln. It’s one of two prisons dedicated to female inmates.

Farmer City is exploring regulating its own zoning ordinances.

City Manager Sue McLaughlin indicates the County of DeWitt is the governing body for zoning in Farmer City but they are finding out what it would take to make that happen for themselves.

According to McLaughlin, the process of adopting ordinances already in place at the County level and making them Farmer City's ordinances is not difficult.

McLaughlin points to some of the growth happening in the community as its primary reason for wanting to take charge of its own zoning.

The City of Farmer City is looking for members for its zoning board of appeals. She notes that would be a board that meets about twice a year. If interested, reach out to Farmer City Hall for more information.