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Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 148 No. 47
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Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Potholes filled by stopgap Transportation funding provided for whole year By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
HENNEPIN — At the Monday, July 11, meeting of the
Putnam County Board, Putnam County Highway Department engineer Pat Sloan was able to report the good news that transportation funding for the full year will be provided through the recent stopgap budget measure. “We’re set for the whole year and all the MFT (motor fuel tax) work is going,” Sloan said.
Some minor work on Timberline Drive has been done in an attempt to improve road conditions, but it was acknowledged by board members it has been neglected for too long. It was determined the road is the responsibility of the township, since it’s collecting the motor fuel taxes for the it, and the village is unwilling to annex the
area. Sloan recommended to residents at the meeting they attend township meetings in the future to stay informed of future roadwork plans. County EMA coordinator Robert Cofoid reported the simulated anthrax exercise on June 15 was a success, and also the emergency system worked well during the recent severe
weather. The board approved the county insurance renewal proposal; the Fish ‘n Fun request to sell liquor at the annual pancake breakfast on Aug. 7; the appointment of Bart Whitney as the trustee for the McNabb Fire Protection District; and the certified lists of candidates to serve as election judges.
Stopgap schooling
RODEO THRILLS, CHILLS AND SPILLS
Carlson: ‘It appears to be a plus for everyone, so long as the state stands behind their end of things’ By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
Event-goers watched this near miss by a steer wrestler during the Big Hat Rodeo at the 95th annual Marshall-Putnam Fair on Sunday July 17. Fans cheered for the muddy events that included bronc riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing, trick riding, bull riding and rodeo clowns. See more photos from the fair on Page 2. PCR photo/Dave Cook
Slamming down the scam Illinois sheriffs warn residents of phone scam By Eric Engel
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
Per the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association (ISA), area residents are encouraged to steer clear of phone scammers falsely claiming to be part of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association. According to a press release, there is currently a fraudulent phone campaign underway in area counties that uses the ISA Vol. 148 No. 47 One Section - 16 Pages
in their solicitation, claiming of opportunities “too good to be true” and asking individuals to “act immediately.” The press release emphasized the ISA never solicits by phone but does conduct a direct email campaign throughout the state endorsed by individual sheriffs’ offices. The release states: “Telemarketing fraud costs billions of dollars each year, and if you have any doubts or feel highly pressured by the caller, just hang up.” All residents have the right to ask the following information from a caller soliciting
funds: • The name, address and phone number of the organization for which they are soliciting. • The name, address and phone number of the telemarketing firm. • The percentage of every dollar paid to the telemarketing firm. • Insist on something in writing prior to making a pledge or commitment. “If you cannot get the answers to these questions do not hesitate to hang up the phone. After all, it’s your money.”
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Although there are some legitimate organizations that use telemarketers for their fundraising efforts, the sheriffs of Illinois — through the ISA — are adamantly opposed to police groups and associations using telemarketing to promote monetary donations. Should you receive a call from someone saying they represent your local sheriff or the ISA and are asking for donations, gather as much information as you can from the caller and report it to the ISA at ISA@ilsheriff.org; or by contacting your local sheriff’s office.
GRANVILLE — Those in education breathed a sigh of relief when Springfield politicians managed to cooperate to pass the stopgap budget legislation (SB2047) which will ensure schools across the state will be able to open their doors when summer vacation comes to an end. Carl Carlson, the new superintendent for the Putnam County School District and Jerry Corcoran, president of IVCC, recently discussed their thoughts on the stopgap budget. “The uncertainty of state finances has been one of the biggest fears for anyone in district leadership positions. My thoughts on the stopgap budget remain mixed, as I will proceed with cautious optimism. The benefit right now is local districts can now move forward to open their doors this year. The issue that remains is the state needs to evaluate and develop a research based change to a broken funding formula moving forward. Obviously, past practice has not been successful,” Carlson said. Corcoran said, “The good news is the Monetary Award Program (MAP) ended up being fully funded for all of last fiscal year. As you may recall, IVCC agreed early on to credit accounts for eligible students for both the fall and spring semesters — a $500,000 commitment to do everything we could to stand for those who most need our help. It looked like we would be on the hook for at least our spring semester commitment until the last day of the fiscal year when the stopgap budget was approved, and IVCC was made whole for the full year. Unfortunately, we have no assurances that the state will end up covering these obligations in the new fiscal year.”
Stopgap Page 4
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