AREA UPDATE

Subdivision will not get work from city crews

VILLA GROVE – City workers will not be completing a list of repairs needed to move the Pheasant Point subdivision into the next phase of development.

Mike Campbell, project manager for the Pheasant Point development, had proposed that the developer would reimburse the city of Villa Grove for doing necessary infrastructure work in the subdivision.

But Alderman Terry Harbin said that after meeting with the public works department, it was determined that city workers would not be able to complete the list of 27 repairs in a timely manner. Harbin estimated that it would take six to 10 months or longer for city workers to get the work done with the small work force available.

Campbell has agreed to find other resources to do the work and that he could get the repairs accomplished sooner, which would allow the developer to move forward with phase three sooner. The city will have final approval of all repairs. Alderman Bob Stipp amended the agreement to require a final inspection and approval by the city engineering firm of Sodemann and Associates.

In other business, Brian Frick was hired as a temporary employee to help with the fire hydrant flushing project. The city must flush all 164 hydrants, which should take about six days. The hydrants will be flushed from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. to avoid problems with people using water during the day.

The project is mandated by the EPA, and the city is behind schedule on it.

"This will give us a chance to find trouble spots and get them repaired," Harbin said.

AMY ROSE, N-G Correspondent

Tuscola School Board

Schools coping with H1N1 flu

TUSCOLA – City schools have had students diagnosed with cases of the H1N1 virus, and an Oct. 20 letter from Superintendent Joe Burgess was sent out to alert parents.

"We're asking all of our parents and guardians to do their part to ensure the virus does not spread," Burgess wrote. "The best way to reduce the spread of H1N1 or any other virus is to practice good hygiene."

School employees are taking steps to slow the spread of flu in their buildings.

North Ward Elementary Principal Ann Lamkey said that correct hand-washing practices are being covered at school assemblies. Students are also instructed not to put their mouths on the water fountains. Floors at the school are mopped each day with a bleach solution, and tables in the lunchroom are cleaned with disinfectant after each rotation of students. Doors are left propped open around the school, so that students and faculty do not have to touch doorknobs and possibly pick up germs that way.

At East Prairie Middle School, students are provided with bottled water so they do not have to use the water fountains. Hand sanitizer is provided "everywhere," said Principal Kathy Chaplin. Though the school has had several students out with the flu recently, "we are starting to see a rebound," she said. For sanitary reasons, personnel in the kitchen have implemented bagged desserts also.

Parents are advised to keep their child home from school if he or she shows any flu symptoms, including fever, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue. Students recovering from the flu should also stay home at least 24 hours after they have a fever or signs of a fever, Burgess stated in the letter to parents.

TINA WIGGINGTON, N-G Correspondent

Monticello city council

Drainage project aims at maximum benefit

MONTICELLO – The city has decided to focus on one flooding problem area where officials feel they can make the biggest impact for the least money.

In a straw poll, aldermen directed city Superintendent Floyd Allsop to continue work on construction plans to expand a dry basin on Washington Street, east of the high school. Once the plans are done and a firmer price is developed, the council will vote on whether to move forward with the project.

There are six watersheds throughout the city that add to the flooding problem, but work on the designated area will have the largest direct impact residentially, Allsop said.

During massive flooding in 2008, water from the detention area traveled across Washington Street and flooded Tatman Village. Twenty-five residents had to be evacuated from the area, and Washington Street was closed for a time.

Tatman Village has taken it upon itself to make improvements to curtail flooding, including building a berm and rebuilding some tile.

The estimated cost for the project is $220,000, but Allsop said he was confident once bids were in that the cost would be lower.

Eight acres of permanent easements would be required for the project: 6 from the school district and 2 of farmland from landowner Jackie Reeder. The basin is on the school's property, but the middle school does not contribute to the flooding problems, Allsop said. The water is coming from the farm fields instead.

Allsop developed a tentative timeline for the project to ensure the project would take place during next year's budget, as well as during the summer when school was not in session.

MICHELLE HANSEN

See details in this week's Journal-Republican

paxton dcfs office

Local lawmakers doubt office can be saved

PAXTON – State legislators who serve Paxton and the surrounding area said they don't have much hope for fighting the proposed closure of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) office in Paxton.

State Rep. Shane Cultra, R-Onarga, who had fought successfully to keep the DCFS office open when it was slated for closure two years ago, said he doubts a similar effort will work this time.

"I don't see much hope on this one, because when we were fighting it before, the DCFS was just selecting certain offices (for closure) and leaving most of them open," he said. "But now they're closing most of them and they're claiming budget problems, so it's going to be hard to make a good argument on this one since they're closing so many of them."

DCFS officials announced Friday that the agency is closing 30 of its offices across the state, including the one in Paxton, as a cost-cutting measure that they stressed would have no impact on the services the department provides.

The consolidations will not result in any layoffs of the employees at the offices affected, agency spokesman Kendall Marlowe said. Also, even though the caseworkers will relocate to other offices, they will continue to serve their respective communities and be visible there, he said.

The Paxton office is slated to close in February, Marlowe said, and its three caseworkers will be moving to the office in Urbana.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford R-Pontiac, said he had spoken with DCFS officials about the proposed closure, but he does not feel he can argue against the plan.

"The bottom line is we are expecting our government to be as efficient as all possible with our tax dollars," Rutherford said. "As in the case of many companies, if the department can consolidate offices, while still having the same number of people working and having the ability to deliver the services they're expected to deliver, then we need to do things differently. Twenty years ago, we didn't have laptops and wireless connections like we do today. So I believe that if we expect our government of Illinois to be streamlined, then we need to look at the changes that are taking places."

WILL BRUMLEVE

See details in this week's Paxton Record, www.paxtonrecord.net

gibson city council

City backs restaurant with loan

GIBSON CITY – Gibson City Council members approved a Community Development Assistance Program loan for the owners of the Country Kettle Restaurant.

The $20,000 loan represents one-half a planned expense for outdoor furniture and equipment for the family restaurant's outdoor patio area. The interest rate on the 5-year loan is 3 percent.

Auditor Karl E. Drake presented his annual audit. He noted the council had a higher number of capital purchases than usual, but said his firm's audit uncovered no problems.

"Everything went smoothly," he said of the process and staff efforts.

Council members, the mayor and the police chief will receive new chairs to replace those over 20 years old. Mayor Dan Dickey said the original $35,000 budgeted for city hall upgrades did not have to be increased to allow for the $3,500 expense.

An annual cleaning contract was approved for Julie May, who offered to continue cleaning city hall and the police station for $20 per hour. That amount represents no increase over her rate for the past two years, Davis said.

Rich Nolte will receive a $1 per hour pay increase to become the safety training officer for the street and alley department. Nolte has been employed three months and this brings his hourly rate to $13.50, according to City Superintendent Randy Stauffer.

Stauffer said wet weather is the reason the sewer project on Church Street set to start this week will be delayed at least until next week. "We'd rather complete the job in one week," he told council members, "than to start and stop, leaving a big hole in the ground."

JEAN NOELLSCH, N-G Correspondent

Also on this date

• H1N1 vaccine plans change; T'boro vaccinations Thursday
• Flash flood watch issued for area
• Two charged in Rantoul drug case
• Man accused of swindling neighbor
• Man arraigned on home invasion charge
• UI gets some H1N1 vaccine, but...
• Police investigating robberies in Champaign
• Road work will tie up Goodwin Avenue in Urbana
• Ex-UI chancellor now in running for NMSU presidency
• Obituaries

» More