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Saturday, June 20, 2015
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Princeton loses city manager
Jeff Clawson to retire but will continue working as a city manager in Tennessee By Zita Henneberry zhenneberry@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The city of Princeton will say
goodbye to Princeton City Manager Jeff Clawson as of Friday, July 17. Clawson has submitted his retirement and will attend his final city council meeting
Monday, July 6. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” said Clawson. “I guess my abilities are probably not the best match for the direction they’re (city) going, so I’m going to go a different direction.” Starting his career in Princeton in April 2012, Clawson will now be moving closer to family in Ten-
nessee. There, he said, he will begin work as the city manager for a small suburb of Nashville called Oak Hill. “He’s done a lot of good things for the city; I wish him well,” said Princeton Mayor Joel Quiram. “He came in at a time when we were going through some issues with our budget. He came in and really helped
the city out a lot.” However, at this time, Quiram remains uncertain if the city will be replacing Clawson with another city manager. Another option to consider, said Quiram, is hiring on a city administrator instead. “Princeton is somewhat unusual because we are both a city manager form of government as well as
a commissioner form of government. And it seems to me that we need to be one or the other.” Quiram explained he will be meeting in special session with the Princeton commissioners to discuss the options going forward. While Quiram was unaware of this coming
Clawson Page 4A
Area departments respond to fatal crash Galva man dies in accident By Zita Henneberry zhenneberry@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Thursday, June 18, the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, Ohio First Responders, Ohio Fire Department, Bureau County Emergency Management and the Princeton EMS and Fire Department responded to a two-vehicle accident on Route 26, approximately one-fourth mile south of 2400 North Avenue in rural Princeton. The Illinois Department of Transportation assisted with traffic control and road closure. An investigation is being conducted by the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Division and the Illinois State Police Truck Inspection Division. Bureau County Sheriff’s deputies on the scene advised a tan colored 2004 Saturn driven by Porter was traveling southbound on Route 26 at 11:47 a.m. when the car crossed over the center line and struck a semi truck traveling northbound. Both vehicles sustained significant damage. The semi truck caught fire and was extinguished on
BCR photo / Zita Henneberry
Thursday, June 18, the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police, Ohio First Responders, Ohio Fire Department, Bureau County Emergency Management and the Princeton EMS and Fire Department responded to a two-vehicle accident on Route 26, approximately one-fourth mile south of 2400 North Avenue in rural Princeton. The driver of the tan 2004 Saturn was later pronounced deceased at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. the scene by the Princeton and Ohio fire departments. Drivers of both vehicles involved in the accident were treated by the Princeton EMS at the scene of the collision.
The driver of the tan colored 2004 Saturn was transported from the scene by a LifeFlight helicopter to OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Peoria County Coroner Johnna
Ingersoll confirmed Friday morning Austin L. Porter, 18, of Galva was the driver of the Saturn. He was pronounced dead at OSF St. Francis Medical Center emergency room at 1:24
p.m. An autopsy was performed on Friday, June 19, however, results were not available at press time. No information was available on the condition of the truck driver at press
time. This accident is still under investigation by the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office. Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.
‘Like a broken record ...’ Transportation funding still an issue for Spring Valley By Dave Cook dcook@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — “I sound like a broken record,” said Spring ValYear 169 No. 74 Two Sections - 28 Pages
ley Superintendent Jim Hermes during the school board meeting on June 17, as he began the presentation of his transportation report. The transportation fund
will end up “in the red” as the district has received only 6.8 percent of its regular prorated transportation funding and 64 percent of the Special Education transportation funding. “We could take away that route (special education). Yes, we could take that money and put it
toward salaries or suppliers or something else for pre-K, but then you don’t have those students being able to be picked up at their homes. The whole idea of that program is to get those kids here at an early age and get them off to a good start. Those are usually the students that need that type of help,”
said Hermes. At the end of the presentation, Hermes said “Again, transportation is really an area that the state is not funding right now.” Director of Curriculum Michelle Nauman has applied for two science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) grants. Grant money, if approved,
will help fund next year’s student projects which will include bridges and boats for the sixth-graders, motorized launchers for the seventh-graders and solar powered cars for the eighth grade. “If we don’t receive the grants we can do most of
Spring Valley Page 4A
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