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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Thursday, September 8, 2016
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Princeton looks at electric rate hike By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Beginning in October, Princeton residents likely will be charged a few more dollars for their energy supply. The Princeton City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to establish a 6 percent electric rate increase, beginning next month. Commissioner Ray Mabry cast the lone no vote. That hike means a typical residential customer will see an increase of about $3.10 a month during the winter billing cycles and around $4.43 a month during the summer. The council must approve a second reading of the ordinance at its Sept. 19 meeting before it becomes final. The increase will help the city replenish and maintain
its cash reserves in the electric fund and stay in line with rates charged by Illinois Municipal Electrical Agency (IMEA), from which the city receives its electricity, Princeton City Manager Rachel Skaggs said. The city has not maintained those reserves or increased its rates to stay in line with IMEA, which has resulted in the city absorbing those IMEA increases throughout the years, she said. In 2008 and in 2011, the city paid Utility Financial Solution (UFS) about $47,000 to conduct rate studies. UFS recommended 37.8 percent in rates over a span from Fiscal Year 2010 to FY ‘16, however, the city did not act on the recommendations and only increased rates by about 14.6 percent. “The last increase to electric rates was in 2012. There hasn’t been an increase in the last four years,” Skaggs said.
In the studies, UFS mentioned the cash generated from operations was not sufficient to support the city’s longtime operation and maintenance cost of the electric department, and without rate adjustments, an operating loss of $1.7 million was projected in FY ‘12. It was expected operating losses would grow to $2.4 million by FY ‘16. “This is the predicted situation we’re finding ourselves in now,” Skaggs said. If the council approves the final reading of the ordinance, it will also allow for electric increases in the future to help keep up with IMEA’s increasing rates. Skaggs said IMEA already plans to increase its delivery charges in January, which will cost the city about $15,000 per month and is looking at a Capital Reserve Adder
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Deborah Dewey
Reward offered for missing Ladd woman The search for Deborah Dewey has gone national By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
BCR photo/Dave Cook
After helping LaMoille fifth-graders prepare and plant their own cool weather garden, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Chris Isaacson demonstrates how to properly water the seeds which should sprout in approximately seven days. At the end of the sixweek program students will harvest their vegetables and enjoy a salad they grew themselves.
From Seeds to Harvest LaMoille fifth-graders ‘growing’ with garden project By Dave Cook dcook@bcrnews.com
LAMOILLE — While many gardens are being harvested, Master Gardeners from the University of Illinois Extension are in their second year of helping to teach LaMoille fifth-graders there is still plenty of opportunity to grow. Sue Brooker, Extension program coordinator, has used money awarded through an Illinois 4-H Foundation grant to bring cool weather gardening to Allen Junior High as part of the popular From Seeds to Harvest program. Chris Isaacson, Master Gardener with the Extension, used her expertise to help students prepare a small Year 170 No. 108 Two Sections - 28 Pages
© Bureau County Republican
garden on the school grounds. Throughout the next six weeks, Isaacson and other gardeners will make weekly visits to Mary Boehm’s classroom to discuss topics including diseases, weed identification, soil structure and more. At the end of the program, the students will harvest their garden and eat salads from vegetables they grew themselves. “I was surprised last year at how many kids said they didn’t like vegetables but then ate all of their salad. It gave them a sense of pride to be able to grow their own food. This also helps promote good BCR photo/Dave Cook nutrition,” Boehm said. While too late in the season to grow from
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seeds, a tomato plant was brought in to be cared for by the students.
LADD — The son of a Ladd woman reported missing Aug. 23 said his family is offering a cash reward for anyone who locates his mother. Chris Dewey, son of Deborah Dewey, said a $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who finds his mother. An active search has been ongoing for Deborah Dewey since her seemingly mysterious disappearance Aug. 23; her vehicle was located Aug. 29 in the parking lot of R Place Family Restaurant in Morris. According to Lt. Jeff Padilla, lead investigator with Illinois State Police (ISP) District 17, Dewey’s vehicle was “neatly parked” in the lot of the restaurant that sits along Route 47 with no signs of damage and no indication of Dewey being in the area. Police are unsure how long the car had been parked in the lot, and they don’t know if Dewey was the driver of the vehicle when it was parked. Chris said his family, friends and other concerned citizens have handed out more than 10,000 flyers in a 100-
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