House Speaker Michael Madigan was re-elected Monday to his position as head of Illinois’ Democratic Party, as expected.
Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.
McHenry County township consolidation bill likely to reach governor’s desk
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From Illinois Review:
SPRINGFIELD – A bill sponsored by Republican State Rep. David McSweeney and Democrat Senator Terry Link that would provide new ways to eliminate townships in McHenry County passed another legislative hurdle last week.
“Illinois has more units of local government than any other state and multiple layers of government drive up the state’s property taxes,” McSweeney said. “Our voters should have the opportunity to do something to scale back government and bring down costs.”
House Bill 4637 voter consolidation provisions apply only to townships in McHenry County and provides a referendum process for voters to dissolve the townships. It allows voters to force a ballot question to abolish a township as long as voters submit a petition with at least 5 percent of the number of voters who voted in a previous comparable election.Additionally, the trustees of any township in McHenry County may submit a proposition to dissolve the township to the voters. In both cases, if a simple majority of voters agree to abolish a township, the township would be dissolved within 90 days after the election. The duties and assets of the township government would then be absorbed by McHenry County or municipal governments. Residents of the dissolved township would see a property tax cut as any taxes levied by the County for that area could not exceed more than 90% of the taxes levied by the former township government.
HB 4637 further works to eliminate excessive government by requiring townships in Lake and McHenry Counties to dissolve any road districts that maintain less than 15 miles.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t be burdened with paying for redundant or unnecessary layers of government and deserve an avenue to address their concerns with township government,” McSweeney continued. “Ultimately if we want to lower property taxes in Illinois we have to give voters the ability to eliminate some of the layers of local government.”
HB 4637 passed the full House on a vote of 80-22. It now heads to the Senate where it will be sponsored by Senator Terry Link (D-Gurnee).
That McSweeney- Link connection is important, said McHenry County blogger Cal Skinner.
“I would point out that a member of the Senate Democratic Party Leadership, Terry Link, is Senate sponsor of McSweeney’s bill,” McSweeney said. “That means it will pass, leaving only Governor Bruce Rauner’s signature before it becomes law.”
Skinner – a former state representative himself – asked why is Senator Link involved.
Sknner listed “two reasons why the bill may be moving ahead:
- Townships are often the farm team for Republican candidates
- Democrat Jack Franks would play a dominant role in the duties of abolished township governments into McHenry County government
“Rauner has made a big deal about consolidation, of the lack of necessity for the tremendous number of local governments. so a bill signing is expected,” Skinner wrote on his popular blog.
Illinois proposal could lead to lower property taxes
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
SPRINGFIELD — A proposal could give more Illinois voters a chance to lower their property taxes.
The State Journal-Register reports that the proposal would give voters in almost 40 counties with property tax limits the ability to add a referendum on the ballot to lower their taxes. Counties not covered by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, already have such an option.
FCN Daily Bible Verse
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
| “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” |
| John 14:15 (Read all of John 14:15) New International Version |
Norman D. Smith – Benton, IL
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Norman D. Smith, 86, of Benton, Illinois, passed away at 5:03 p.m. Sunday April 22, 2018 in Parkway Manor, in Marion, Illinois.
Norman was born November 11, 1931 in West Frankfort, Illinois to James and Roxie (Hall) Smith. He was in the US Army during Korea and a member of Third Baptist Church in West Frankfort, Illinois where he was a Sunday school teacher. Norman was an avid runner and hiker. He enjoyed physical fitness. He taught at SIU – STC Trade School in the machine tool program. He also enjoyed making knives.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers J.D., Jack, and Kenneth Smith; sisters Wanda Smith and Molly Coffman.
Norman is survived by his wife, Sally Smith; sons William Dewain (Connie) Smith, John (Theresa) Smith, and James A. Smith; grandson, Joshua Smith.
Funeral services will be held at 11a.m. on Wednesday April 25, 2018 at Union Funeral Home in West Frankfort, Illinois with Brother Joe Zbinden officiating. Burial will be in Denning Cemetery on the Orient Road.
Visitation will be Tuesday, April 24, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Military rites will be accorded by the American Legion Post 1961 of Orient, VFW Post 5764 of West Frankfort, and Zeigler Post 177.
Condolences of sympathy may be made at www.unionfh.com.
Peggy Ann (Kearney) Huffine – Thompsonville, IL
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Peggy Ann (Kearney) Huffine, 58, of Thompsonville, IL passed away April 21, 2018 at SIH Memorial Hospital in Carbondale.
She was born in Benton, IL on September 5, 1959, the daughter of Joseph Wesley & Margaret Ellen (Kirk) Kearney. She married Roy Huffine on February 25, 1995.
She was very active in her Church, the Thompsonville Church of God, and was a mother to all the neighborhood kids. She was more than an aunt to her nieces and nephews. She was a registered nurse and loved caring for people. She worked at Franklin Hospital for years. She loved to travel, they had visited 49 states, traveling in the Caribbean and Central America.
Peggy is survived by her husband, Roy Huffine, Thompsonville; brother Jim Kearney, Benton; sister-in-law Leni Kearney; brother-in-law Michael Huffine, and wife Nancy, Marion, IL. She was also survived by several nieces and nephews. Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, sister Jo Ellen Overturf and brother Joseph Kearney.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a. m. on Wednesday April 25th at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with Pastor Brian Mixon and Pastor Harol Whitlock officiating. Burial will be in the Knob Prairie Cemetery in Akin. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home. For those who wish, memorials may be made to the Thompsonville Church of God.
For more information or to sign the online guest register please visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com
Phi Theta Kappa Rho XI Chapter adds 50 with 2018 class
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
INA, Ill. – Fifty Rend Lake College students were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor (PTK) Society Rho Xi chapter this week. In addition to being a big day for the students, RLC Professor Cindy Caldwell was named the 2018 Teacher of the Year by RLC’s PTK students.
Pictured are the 2018 Phi Theta Kappa Inductees. They are, in alphabetical order, Lily Ballard (Herrin), Dalton Banach (Scheller), Chad Barnard (McLeansboro), Emily Blades (McLeansboro), Walker Brockhouse (Opdyke), Chloe Bruno (Harrisburg), Lindsay Carns (Tamaroa), Angela Champ (Mt. Vernon), Natalie Chang (Horsley, Australia), Brenna Collins (Bluford), Jacob Compton (Tamaroa), Dixon Craft (Hopkinsville, Ky.), Mariah Eader (Sesser), Keegan Easley (West Frankfort), Ethan Erwin (Wayne City), Alan Fox (Tamaroa), Lauren Frisch (Scheller), Kevin Gibbs (Benton), Garrett Girvan (Bluford), Sabryn Griffin (Woodlawn), Tylar Hanson (Bluford), Talia Hoffman (Mt. Vernon), Hannah Hubbard (Pinckneyville), Shawn Jenkins (Bonnie), Hallie Jones (Texico), Shayne Kempfer (Sparta), Rachael Kruse (Mt. Vernon), Andrew Kyles (Mt. Vernon), Steven Leezy (Mt. Vernon), Suzanna Lefebvre (Mt. Vernon), Sarah Mead (McLeansboro), Maddie Miller (Thompsonville), David Motsinger Macedonia), Michelle Nguyen (Mt. Vernon), Madison Pribble (Johnston City), Kamber Pyszka (Scheller), Savannah Queen (Sesser), Chase Regenhardt (Mt. Vernon), Kevin Shook (Sandoval), Rick Smith (Percy), Daniel Southerd (Mt. Vernon), Gwendolyn Southerd (Mt. Vernon), James Stroup (Salem), Joshua Underwood (Christopher), Erik Van Driel (Belleville), Alyssa Vanzant (Paducah, Ky.), Ian Walters (Waltonville), Brittany Ward (Waltonville), Rachel Ward (Herrin) and Brandon Webb (Wayne City).
PTK Sponsor and RLC Director of Academic Advisement Jena Jensik began the ceremony by congratulating the students on their hard work and welcoming them to the honor society.
“I know all of you have worked very very hard for this,” Jensik told the seated students. “I commend you for your efforts and perseverance. That hard work is going to pay off. The commitment that you have shown significantly increases your likelihood of success. You’ve already set the expectation you can and will succeed.”
RLC Vice President of Student Services Dr. Lisa Price also took time to congratulate the students on a job well done and remind them of those that support them.
“This induction honors your hard work and sacrifice to pursue education. But, everyone here needs to take a little time to thank those who support them; parents, spouses, significant others, children and anyone else who has sacrificed their time and energy to support you in your education,” Price expressed.
Before the students officially signed the PTK charter and were inducted, 2017 Teacher of the Year Kathy Craig, Agricultural Associate Professor, passed the honor to 2018 recipient, Cindy Caldwell, RLC Mathematics Professor. A usually animated Caldwell was deeply moved by the gesture from the students and personally thanked them for the honor and talked about her faith and its role in making her the person that she is today.
“Thank you so much for this honor. When I received the call from Jena about the students of Phi Theta Kappa voting for me as Teacher of the Year, I was amazingly speechless. What a thoughtful and kind gesture you have bestowed to me. I am incredibly honored. This is a highlight of my life. I can’t thank you enough,” Caldwell said.
The inductees then signed their name into the chapter’s record book as Cole Hutchens of Ewing, PTK Rho Xi chapter President, called them to the stage. After the formal induction, the students enjoyed refreshments and snacks at a reception in the Theatre Lobby.
Cold temperatures extend the closure of the Rend Lake Dam Road
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Rend Lake – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake is announcing an extension to the original closure schedule for the Rend Lake Main Dam roadway. Thursday morning temperatures plummeted into the 30 degree range, causing the asphalt plant to cease operation of material for the day.
Representatives of the Corps of Engineers, Lake Contracting and ET Simmons, determined that shutting down work on the repaving project until weather temperatures increased would be necessary to assure the quality of the product used on the job. Due to interruption of schedules for paving and striping Rend Lake Officials are predicting the roadway will re-open no later than the afternoon of April 27th, 2018.
Updated information on this project will be posted on the Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center Facebook page. For further information, contact the Rend Lake Project Office and Visitor Center at 618-724-2493.
Illinois’ Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) hosts Governor and Illinois business leaders at German facility
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
HAMBURG, Germany– Gov. Bruce Rauner and a delegation of Illinois business leaders today visited the Port of Hamburg facility of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). ADM is a global food processing company that is based in Chicago and employs more than 32,000 worldwide. The company has recently announced new projects and investment in multiple locations across Illinois including Quincy, Metro Chicago, Mendota, and Effingham.
“Over the last few years I’ve had the honor of seeing multiple ADM facilities in Illinois and each one was impressive. The company’s facility here at the Port of Hamburg is no different,” Rauner said. “ADM is a great example of the global strength Illinois companies have in the international marketplace. My administration will continue to work with companies across Illinois to aid their growth and keep them competitive world-wide.”
In the last two years, ADM has announced projects totaling more than $250 million in the state of Illinois, including the Mendota flour mill and new Animal Nutrition production facilities in Effingham and Quincy. The company also announced a partnership with DuPont Industrial Biosciences to produce furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) from fructose.
“ADM is a global company at its finest,” said Intersect Illinois CEO Mark Peterson. “We’re proud to say that this company is from Illinois. The company’s leadership continues to spur innovation, cultivate competition, and rapidly expand into international markets. ADM is one of the many companies that make Illinois an incredibly diverse economy and a destination for global investment.”
In Germany, ADM operates Europe’s largest oilseeds crushing and refinery complex, where rapeseed and soybeans are processed and refined for use in margarines and vegetable oils, bakery goods, frying applications, pharmaceutical glycerin and biodiesel fuel. In addition, ADM operates three manufacturing facilities for natural ingredients and compounds.
“Global success of an Illinois company often equates domestic success,” said Illinois Department of Commerce Director Sean McCarthy. “ADM has set an example for what it means to grow and succeed within the European market, and as we see the company expand its international presence, it’s Illinois footprint continues to grow.”
Effingham County stands for Second Amendment rights, will other counties follow
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Downstate Illinois counties stand for Second Amendment rights
EFFINGHAM COUNTY – While the state legislature threatens more gun control measures for Illinois, Effingham County’s council has decided to stand in resistance, based on the U.S. Constitution.
“If the Government of the State of Illinois shall infringe upon the inalienable rights granted by the Second Amendment, Effingham County shall become a ‘sanctuary county’ for all firearms,” a resolution passed 8 to 1 Monday night says.
Effingham County State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler and board member David Campbell said on Fox News’ morning show Fox & Friends that a barrage of gun-control bills working their way through the Illinois House and Senate was a clear signal to “take a stand.”
The two admitted the resolution was more “symbolism” than a legal document, but there is word that nearby counties will be considering a similar resolution in their upcoming meetings.
Iroquois County passed a similar pro-Second Amendment resolution in March, but did not declare itself a “sanctuary” for guns.
