50¢ NOVEMBER 27, 2019
PITTSFIELD, IL
Have a Happy Thanksgiving Thank you,
Tom Robinson of Pittsfield, for subscribing to Pike Press!
NEWS Illini Community Hospital earns statewide recognition. See page A2
Griggsville-Perry final Pike district to approve shared resource officer. See page A3
SPORTS
Seventh grade champs. See page B1
WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, NOV. 29
45 41 High
Low
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
57 37 High
Low
SUNDAY, DEC. 1
41 25 High
Low
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INSIDE Classified . . . . . . . .B8 Community . . . . . A7 County News . . . . A2-3, . . . . . . . . . . . A8-9, B2, B9 Court . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Marketplace . . . . . .B6 Obituaries . . . . . . A6 Opinion . . . . . . . . A4 Op Ed . . . . . . . . . A5 Our Town . . . . . . .B3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Obituaries in this issue: Gill, Jones, Stiebel.
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VOL. 177, NO. 48
Picture Pittsfield kicking off holidays Sunday on the square By DAVID CAMPHOUSE Pike Press In preparation for Picture Pittsfield’s first Deer Santa Festival, community members gathered Saturday, Nov. 23 to paint and decorate holiday themed four-foot-tall yard deer for Picture Pittsfield’s Deer Santa Festival Deer Display Challenge. Deer were purchased by participants earlier this month for $30, with $20 going toward supplies, $5 being donated to Picture Pittsfield, and $5 donated to the Pittsfield High School industrial arts class. “With Picture Pittsfield sponsoring more events, it made sense to do a Christmas festival, “ Picture Pittsfield director Jessica Guthrie said. “Backroads Lace owner Kacie Lipcaman came up with the Deer Santa name as a pun and an homage to Pike County’s white tail deer population.” Fifty deer were “adopted” this year to be decorated and then put on display for the
Sunday, Dec. 1 Deer Santa Festival kickoff at Pittsfield’s courthouse square. A judging committee will select the top three winners based off of creativity, and the winners will be announced Sunday, just before the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. One 15-foot deer was also painted and will be displayed as Picture Pittsfield’s symbol of the new Deer Santa Festival. It will be displayed on the courthouse lawn this week. “The Deer Santa Festival is a great way for families to gather up after Thanksgiving and head down to the square,” Guthrie said. A number of family-oriented activities and displays will be part of the Festival — including ornament decorating, live reindeer, carriage rides, shopping, Pittsfield’s Santa parade, and the Deer Display Challenge. The Festival is also the day after Small Business Saturday, which encourages consumers to do their holiday shopping at
Submitted photo
On Sunday, Nov. 24, Dallas Thueringer, left, Xan and Will Guthrie, painted the Deer Santa Festival mascot, a 15-foot-tall wooden deer that will be displayed on the Pittsfield Square for the Dec. 1 Deer Santa Festival. The Pittsfield High School Industrial arts class constructed the deer as a class project.
local businesses. “We encouraged the businesses around the square to
be open this Sunday,” Guthrie said. “Most of the money you spend a locally owned busi-
ness stays in your local com(See, HOLIDAYS, A2)
Anderson named Pike County County Board Sheriff’s Office school resource officer approves 2020 budget
By DAVID CAMPHOUSE Pike Press Deputy Chass Anderson will begin serving as the Pike County Sheriff’s Department school resource officer starting Dec. 1 — splitting time between Griggsville-Perry, Pleasant Hill, and Western school districts. The school resource officer position was created through a cost-sharing agreement between the three districts and the Pike County Sheriff’s Department. The officer will fill several roles at the schools. “The school resource officer is about more than just law enforcement,” Anderson said. “It’s being a mentor and role model, as well as an educator about a lot of topics.” Anderson started with the Pike County Sheriff’s Department in 1996, splitting her time as a dispatcher and a correctional officer at the county jail. “I thought I’d be a dispatcher forever,” Anderson said. However, Anderson went on to become the Department’s DARE officer and a certified law enforcement officer. She has served as the county’s DARE officer since 2017. “I wanted to wait until my kids were older and able to take care of themselves a little bit before I became a deputy,” Anderson. Anderson, a Detroit native, has three children with her husband. The family lives in rural El Dara. Through her work with the DARE program, Anderson is familiar with students and staff in the three school districts in which she will be working. “We work with 5th graders in the DARE program, but we have contact with other grades through ‘stranger danger’ and driver’s
David Camphouse/Pike Press
Pike County Sheriff’s Deputy Chass Anderson will fill the newly created role of school resource officer (SRO) within the Department starting Dec. 1 — serving as SRO in Griggsville-Perry, Pleasant Hill, and Western.
ed,” Anderson said. The deputy has also worked with the schools coordinating ‘Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate’ (ALICE) training sessions to help school personnel and first responders prepare for intruder/shooter scenarios at each district. According to Anderson, the school resource officer position presents an opportunity for community-based policing in Pike County and for the Department to better engage community-members in a proactive manner. (See, ANDERSON, A2)
By MICHAEL BOREN Pike Press The Pike County Board Monday night approved a $4,867,280 budget for the 2020 fiscal year with all members present except Mark Mountain. Finance Committee Chairman Jim Sheppard said, “It is a balanced budget.” The budget will be funded by a tax levy of $3,395,582, with the rest of the budget funded from other sources. Sheppard stated that “Tax payers will not experience a tax increase from the board levy.” It was noted that since the EAV (equalized assessed valuation) has increased, the same tax rate will generate more funds. The board also approved an anticipation note for funding in 2020 in the amount of $618,220. Four banks offered interest rates to County Treasurer Scott Syrcle, and the rate of 2.47% from the Farmers State Bank was the lowest, so that institution will handle the note. The other banks that offered rates were United Community Bank, CNB Bank and Trust, and Great Rivers Bank. Sycle said, “It would be very tight on the repayment.” Chairman Derek Ross of the Public Safety Committee reported that Farmers State
Bank offered the same rate of 2.47% for replacement of a police vehicle, and it was the lowest of the four banks listed above. Amy Gates said, “The cost of this vehicle is to be paid by the city of Griggsville over the next four to five years.” The Public Safety Committee minutes also indicated that the full-time EMTs and Full-time paramedics of the Pike County Ambulance Department have joined a union, and therefore all future labor negotiations for those employees will be handled by the Labor committee. The Finance committee report indicated that the Health Department owes the General Fund $177,707 for the employer share of health insurance, which will be revisited at the June 10, 2020 Finance committee meeting. In other action, the board approved a solar farm ordinance that had been approved by the Agriculture Committee, the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals. The board allowed employees to have a holiday for this Christmas eve in place of Good Friday in 2019, during which county offices were open. As usual, the board agreed to follow the court holidays in 2020. (See, BUDGET, A2)
Pittsfield city council votes to increase winter lake access By DAVID CAMPHOUSE Pike Press In a split vote, the Pittsfield city council voted to add an additional gate 3,000 feet past the existing south Lake Pittsfield gate, just past the boat ramp and new disc golf course. Moving the gate would provide year-round access to these areas of the lake. Alderman Kevin Ketchum offered dissenting comments, citing concerns over vandalism. Mayor John Hayden and members of the lake advisory committee expressed that if there were increased vandalism, the existing gate could be locked. The council unanimously approved renewal of the city’s employee health insurance plan. The new plan will cost the city an additional $4,000 but provide an additional $2,000,000 in benefits. Council members approved the first reading of a TIF Redevelopment Agreement with Pikeland School District. Mayor Hayden indicated he was in discus-
sion with Pikeland superintendent Paula Hawley regarding the agreement and that city and district lawyers were reviewing the agreement. An amendment to Pittsfield’s existing gas ordinance was approved by the council. The newly written ordinance requires black gas pipe be installed to the first utility in the house. The gas ordinance allows the use of flexible yellow stainless steel gas pipe past the first utility. If properties are found to be in violation of the ordinance, the property owner has 45 days to remedy the violation. Pittsfield police chief Michael Starman introduced Jordan Gerard, formerly of the Pike County Sheriff’s Department, as the newest member of the Pittsfield police force. Gerard starts with the police department Dec. 23. Mayor Hayden welcomed Gerard to the Pittsfield police and spoke highly of the officer. “It’s hard for us to find good people,” Hayden said of Gerard. “Your record speaks for itself.”
OUT
Nikki Liehr/Pike Press
WITH THE OLD
Workers in Griggsville demolished the old movie theater building next to the North Pike Library last week. The theater first opened in the early 1930s and had three name changes – Star Theatre, Pike Theatre and then in the early ‘50s it was purchased by Red and Norma Stead and the named changed to the Ford Theatre.