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Tuesday, June 30, 2015
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Supreme Court OKs same-sex marriage By Terri Simon tsimon@bcrnews.com
On Friday, June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court declared same-sex couples have the right to marry anywhere in the United States. The decision came after decades of issues and litigation over gay mar-
riage and gay rights. At the time of the historic decision, gay and lesbian couples were already allowed to marry in 36 states, plus the District of Columbia. The Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday causes the remaining 14 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mis-
was handed sissippi, most down from of Missouri, For local the Supreme Nebraska, reaction to Court, PresiNorth Dakodent Barack ta, Ohio, the Supreme O b a m a South Dakota, Tennessee Court’s ruling, immediately tweeted the and Texas see Page 4. following: — to stop “Today is their bans on a big step in our march same-sex marriages. After the announcement toward equality. Gay and
lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins.” Later at the White House, Obama applauded the decision and called it “justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.” He said the decision confirmed the principle that “all Americans are created equal.” The Supreme Court’s
decision was a 5-4 vote. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas cast the four no votes. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the 28-page decision. Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth
Equality Page 4
PES looks at $$$, staffing By Eric Engel news@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The Princeton Elementary School (PES) Board met Thursday, June 25, to discuss their current financial situation and staff changes for the next school year. PES Superintendent Tim Smith told the board that as of the end of May, the district had a balance of $1,783,182.96 on hand with an average yield of .52 percent, with the money market at .55 percent and the general checking account at .15 percent. Smith also talked numbers about the revenue and expense budgets for the district. “On the revenue side of the budget, we were 91.67 percent of the way through the fiscal year at the end of May, and we have received 76.66 percent of our revenue,” Smith said, indicating the revenue budget will be more accurate next month after the district receives funds they are anticipating. “On the expense side of the budget, we’re running pretty close on all our funds, which is a good thing,” he added, stating of the $226,707 spent this fiscal year,
about $130,000 was grant money. “We have two $50,000 maintenance grants, as well as a $32,000 School Safety Grant that we expended this year, and we’re still anticipating about $18,000 in proceeds to come with regards to a School Safety Grant that we received a year ago and expended this year too.” Smith said health care is hard to control because of unforeseen medical problems that will affect employees, and the district is “looking at another increase going forward” and will have to contend with that, but he is otherwise mostly encouraged by the financial prospects for Princeton Elementary Schools. Smith added the school district is currently owed $126,344 to the education fund and $94,504 to the transportation fund, but that it had until June 29 to receive the money, with a full report coming in the July board meeting with regard to how the month of June ended. An auditor is scheduled to come the first week of August and will report out to the board in September in regards to Fiscal Year 2015.
PES Page 3
BCR photo/Joann Bowman
Who let the dogs out? Mekhi Johnson races a dog, Dorito, and wins at the second annual Outdoors Expo in Spring Valley Saturday, June 27. The event featured entertainment, activities, raffles, music and a dog show. For more photos from the weekend, see Page 2
‘Hey, watch this ...’ Staying safe on the Fourth of July By Dave Cook dcook@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Summer is here, and the Fourth of July is the crowning
jewel of the season, summer’s peak. It’s a holiday that seemingly everyone participates in; it’s the nation’s birthday party. Instead of a birthday cake, however, it’s fireworks which are most closely associated with this celebration. But ... a handful of fireworks is considerably more risky than a handful of birthday cake.
Fireworks have a long history throughout the world. China is credited with the invention of the basic idea, and much of the core chemical structure and also their subsequent development related to warfare. It was in Italy, though, and later, the rest of Europe, where they were refined into what we would now recog-
nize as modern fireworks. Although, one thing which has never changed is they are explosives, and therefore, highly dangerous. There are some, such as Illinois State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet), who would like to make the purchase of Class C fireworks within the state legal. “Virtually every state
around us is selling fireworks, and our people are buying fireworks; we’re losing out on that income, on the sales tax income and the jobs created,” Rose said during an interview last summer. The Illinois Fire Safety Alliance has taken the opposing view, stating, “States which have legalized Class C fireworks
have seen a 400 percent increase in injuries,” Fireworks remain illegal, and violation of the Fireworks Use Act carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. There are several towns in the area, as well as across the nation, that all spend considerable money to
Fireworks Page 3
Year 169 No. 78 One Section - 20 Pages
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