50¢ OCTOBER 30, 2019
PITTSFIELD, IL
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NEWS Boren makes retirement official. See page A2
PCS students helping make hospital stays more comfortable. See page A3
SPORTS
Salute to the seniors. See page B1
Pike Press
By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press The Illinois Department of Transportation’s five-year plan from 2020-25 includes $28,118,000 worth of projects in Pike County. That does not include more than $85 million for a new Florence Bridge which is listed on the five-year plan as a Scott County project. This initiative will most likely be toward the end of the five-year plan. In Pike County, $3,650,000 is budgeted for one of the projects slated earlier in the process. Overlay, ADA improvements, parking improvements and miscellaneous traffic control in Pittsfield should be let for bidding in January, 2020, according to Pittsfield Mayor John Hayden. “They will start with the overlay right at the north edge of town, where they stopped last year,” Hayden said. “The project will come on down to Washington turn west and continue to around the 500 or 600 block of Washington.” Hayden said the project includes making all corners handicapped accessible and replacing all five of the city’s stop lights as well as the resurfacing of the approximately two-mile project. “I know everyone is hoping
the new stop lights will be programmed differently,” Hayden said. “We’ve talked to the state about that and they say they have them programmed the way they are supposed to be set.” Although the project is slated to begin spring, 2020, Hayden
“They will start with the overlay right at the north edge of town, where they stopped last year.”
Mayor John Hayden Pittsfield said to expect construction inconveniences for several months. “It will be a long project,” Hayden said. The cost of the project will be borne by the state with the city not expected to pay any portion of the project. “There is no cost sharing,” Hayden said. “We are just hoping they can get the bids let in January and then get the bids back within the budgeted esti(See, IDOT, A2)
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INSIDE Classified . . . . . . . .B5 Community . . . . . .B3 County News . . . . A2-3, . . . . . . . . . . . . . A7, B5, B7 Court . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Marketplace . . . . . .B4 Obituaries . . . . . . A6 Opinion . . . . . . . . A4 Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . A5 Our Town . . . . . . .B2 Sports . . . . . . . A6, B1 Obituaries in this issue: Bowen, Caughlin, Gade, McDonald, Peters, C., Peters, J., Thomas, Westfall.
Pike Press
VOL. 177, NO. 44
IDOT’s five-year plan includes several projects in Pike
WEEKEND WEATHER High
pikepress.com
GOT
ONE!
Submitted photo
Owen Shaw of Pittsfield, son of Tom and Ashley Shaw, got a buck during the recent youth deer hunting season. He was hunting near Pittsfield. For more photos of successful young hunters, see page B5.
FUN
David Camphouse/Pike Press
WITH PUMPKINS
Students, parents, and volunteers decorate pumpkins during Griggsville-Perry’s Halloween Fair Friday, Oct. 25. For more photos of Halloween activities in Pike, see page A7 and B7.
Landfill produces more county revenue By MICHAEL BOREN Pike Press Chris Coulter of Area Sanitation and vice-president and C.O.O. of Hickory Ridge Landfill in Pike County gave his annual report to the Pike County Board at its regular meeting Monday night. Coulter reported that in 2018 the landfill paid host fees to the county of $435,007 for 109,343 tons received. He said this is the largest annual amount the landfill has ever paid the county, and that 2019 may not be quite that large an amount. He also reported on the number of vehicles and tonnage delivered to the landfill on the spring and fall cleanup days in 2018 and 2019. Coulter also stated that the permit for expanding the landfill has now been approved, which means that instead of reaching capacity in 2023, it will now be expected to be able to receive wastes until around 2063. The meeting, which began at 7 p.m. with board members Amy Gates and Mark Mountain absent, covered many different topics, after the board first received cookies from 4-H members, in honor of 100 years of 4-H in Pike County. The minutes of the Oct. 8 board budget hearing indicated the latest equalized assessed valuation of the county at $269,377,964, which is an 8% increase over the previous year. The board passed its usual resolution to appoint the office of the State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor as Pike County’s agent for the coming fiscal year. The cost, which has been $7,000 for many years, has now gone up to $8,000, but is considered by the board to be very beneficial and cost efficient to the county. The board also voted to remain in a class action lawsuit regarding national opioid litigation. State’s Attorney Zack Boren stated that there is no cost to the county for this, and that there may be some payment to the county. He stated that meth is a
$SSOH )HVWLYDO FRPPLWWHH WKDQNV +HDOWK 'HSDUWPHQW By MICHAEL BOREN Pike Press Allen Flynn, chairman of the Barry Apple Festival Committee, spoke before the Pike County Board at its regular meeting Monday night. He was joined by committee members Debbie Harshman and Sandy Kirgan, and he praised the efforts of the Pike County Health Department. He said that this year was the first time that all facilities at the Barry Apple Festival were inspected by the Health Department, and that there was some concern as to how that would go. Flynn was generous in his praise for the cooperation of the department, and said that it went much more smoothly than he had anticipated. He singled out for special praise Payton McKinnon, Lynette Johns, and Sharon Bargmann, and said, “They were worth their weight in gold to us.” greater problem locally than opioids. The Finance Committee report presented by Chairman Jim Sheppard indicated that there is a disagreement about what the County Health Department owes the county for health insurance reimbursement. Anita Andress, Pike County Health Department administrator, is going to provide further information to the finance committee about the question. The Highway Committee report, presented by Chairman Rodger Hannel, indicated that due to rising construction costs, the county has had to fund an additional $80,000 to IDOT for the Kiser Creek bridge project. Derek Ross, chairman of the Economic and Community Development Committee, (See, REVENUE, A2)
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Niemann Foods to open Pittsfield laundromat, pursuing gaming license By DAVID CAMPHOUSE Pike Press Niemann Foods, parent company of County Market and Haymakers, has plans to renovate the building which formerly housed Maya Mexican restaurant and Pizza Hut, in order to open a Wash ’N’ Win laundromat. The building is located adjacent to the County Market store on West Washington Street in Pittsfield. According to Dave Riney, Niemann’s regional convenience store division director of operations, the company is pursuing a gaming license for the site. The company currently operates one Wash ’N’ Win in Macomb, which opened in February. “We’re very excited about the Wash ’N’ Win concept and the property in Pittsfield,” Riney said. “We love Pittsfield.” Although Niemann’s is planning for the facility to house gaming machines, company representatives indicated they are approaching the operation as a laundry facility first.
“The laundry business has been great for us,” Riney said. Renovation will begin within the next two weeks, and the facility is expected to be open for operation just after the first of the year. The laundromat will feature high capacity, stainless steel machines. “We spared no expense with the equipment,” Riney said. Initially, Wash ’N’ Win will be open 7a.m.-10p.m., with the possibility of expanding these hours. The facility will be staffed during all hours of operation and expects to hire eight employees. “We like to man the facility for customers’ piece of mind,” Riney said. “It offers a better experience.” Employees will also be available to perform “fluff and fold” services for customers who do not wish to do their own laundry. Customers are charged for “fluff and fold” services by pound of laundry. In addition to video gaming machines, the facility will also offer customers free Wi-Fi services and television viewing.
Doug Pool/Pike Press
SHOWING
THE YOUNGSTERS HOW IT’S DONE
Adults vs high schoolers at the Pittsfield Lake soccer field Sunday afternoon produced a lot of good times and winded competitors. Ethan Sidwell, Isaac Dorsey and Chad Ruzich all participated in the good-natured game.