Tuesday, January 14, 2014
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4ELEGRAPH s !
THOMSON
On paper, a step closer to prison opening Federal prison facility funding included in appropriations bill STAFF REPORT news@saukvalley.com EXT
STERLING – Funding to open a federal prison in Thomson is in writing and on file. Now, all that stands in the way is approval by the House and Senate. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, said in news releases Monday funding to activate the Thomson Correctional Facility is included in the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014, which was
filed in the House and Senate earlier in the day. Though the bill does not detail how funding would be spent, Durbin and Bustos expressed confidence that funding for the Thomson facility’s activation remains a top priority for the Obama administration. As recently as November, Charles Samuels, the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, repeated his intention to make the Thomson facility fully operational. Citing overcrowding at high-security
CONCEALED CARRY
AP
In this May 21, 2010, file photo, a van drives past the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson. Funding to activate the Thomson facility is included in an Omnibus Appropriations bill filed Monday. The bill now must be approved by both the U.S. House and Senate and then signed by President Obama. facilities, Samuels said “Residents of Northern t h e a g e n c y d e s p e r - Illinois have been waitately needs the beds at ing too long for the job Thomson. creation and economic
activity that was promised when Thomson prison was built over a decade ago,� Durbin said in a release. “Once this legislation is passed by Congress and signed into law, Congresswoman Bustos and I will hold the Bureau of Prisons to their commitment to opening Thomson prison as soon as possible.� Bustos said the prison opening would be “an economic boon for our region of Illinois.� “I’m encouraged that this bipartisan legislation will help fund the account that could spur the activation of Thomson prison,� Bustos said. “I’ll continue to work closely with Senator Durbin and the Fed-
eral Bureau of Prisons to ensure this job-creating facility remains on track to open.� The full activation of Thomson prison is expected to take 3 years at a cost of $25 million for upgrades and renovations, and approximately $170 million for equipment and staffing. The state built the 1,600-cell, maximumsecurity prison a decade ago, then decided it couldn’t afford to run it. It had been looking for a buyer for years. The federal government bought it last fall. The prison is expected to bring 1,100 jobs and $200 million in annual economic impact to the area.
DEKALB
Wave of applicants Officials unsure how to retain GE plant makes weeding out Facility began operation in 1946; unfit ones difficult 94 jobs at stake ISP: Full state review will keep permits out of wrong hands CHICAGO (AP) – More than 1,000 requests for concealed carry gun permits are pouring in each day in the nation’s last state to allow the practice. The glut of requests is sparking concerns among Illinois law enforcement officials that they might fall behind on weeding out applicants with a history of violence. The Cook County Sheriff’s office says it already has identified about 120 applications it plans to contest since the online application process was opened to most state residents Jan. 5. Chicago Police Department officials, locked in a battle to control highprofile gang violence, say they are worried about keeping up with applications, while downstate sheriff’s departments said they might not have the capacity to meet the new law’s vetting requirement in the time allowed.
Illinois State Police officials insist a full state review will assure that permits don’t land in the hands of those who shouldn’t have them. And with 90 days to do the job after the 30-day window closes for local law enforcement agencies to make their objections, the agency has far more time than its counterparts in some other states, including Pennsylvania, where law enforcement has 45 days to investigate, and Wisconsin, where the state has 21 days. But local law enforcement officials say they were not given the resources for a task that was supposed to provide an extra safeguard: a 30-day window to ferret out applicants who might meet the state standards but have something in their backgrounds that could render their applications too risky to approve. State Police received millions of dollars to do the background checks. In Wisconsin, the state Justice Department also received additional funding. In Illinois, local agencies were not given any more money.
BY KATIE DAHLSTROM Shaw News Service
DeKALB — DeKalb city and county officials are unsure how they could prevent General Electric from closing its DeKalb Motors Plant, but said they are open to options that would retain the manufacturer. GE officials announced last week that they plan to close the DeKalb facil-
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tacted the city, according to Assistant City Manager Rudy Espiritu. If someone does contact the city or the county, it’s unclear what incentives could be offered. Hanson and Espiritu couldn’t remember a time their respective governments have offered perks to prevent a company from closing. Incentives such as tax abatement require input from various taxing bodies and are typically used to bring new companies to the area, they said. Buy one, get 2nd 1/2 OFF
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gain jointly with the company and hoped DeKalb County would offer help to keep the plant from closing. “We haven’t been in talks with them, and that’s something the city would take the lead on,� DeKalb County Administrator Gary Hanson said. “We certainly would be supportive. They’re very valuable to us.� GE has operated at the facility since 1946. If the plant closes, 94 employees would lose their jobs. By Monday afternoon, no one from GE has con-
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ity in the first quarter of 2015 unless union members can submit a proposal to make the plant cost effective for the company. Union members were given 60 days to submit a proposal to keep the plant at 1900 Pleasant St. open. Workers at the plant are represented by two unions. Most are represented by IUE-CWA Local 1081 and IAM Local 2068 represents the rest. Kathy Brown, IUE-CWA Local 1081 president, said last week the unions would bar-
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Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry
itizen of the
year Awards
Official Nomination Form
Sponsored by:
The Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Awards are presented to individuals and organizations in the Dixon area who have made an extraordinary contribution to the welfare and progress of the community. s CATEGORIES s
NOMINEE:
4 Different Awards
Name: __________________________________ Address: ________________________________
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Phone: __________________________________
SUBMITTED BY: Name: __________________________________ Address: ________________________________ Phone: __________________________________
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Key Criteria: On a separate piece of paper tell us how has this person or organization positively affected our community and made the Dixon area a better place to live and work through their efforts. The more descriptive you can be, the better.
Please check which category you are entering. Nominees can be entered in more than 1 category. Citizen of the Year - This award will go to someone making a powerful difference in the community in ways that inspire others to volunteer. Selection will be based on nominee’s voluntary local community involvement and service. This can include heroic acts within the past year as well as work for charities, community groups or other organizations providing a valuable community service. Future Leaders Award - Nominees must be 305 years or younger and have demonstrated voluntary local community involvement or service. Submission should list nominee’s membership and involvement with area organizations or community groups, participation in community activities, and reasons why nominee is an example for other young leaders to follow. Business of the Year - A local company will be recognized for its own community involvement and/or by encouraging employee volunteer efforts in community activities. Selected business must be a Dixon Chamber member in good standing. Service Club/Non-Profit Organization of the Year - Selection will be based on community involvement. Submission should explain how club or organization has helped make Dixon a better place to live and work, with an emphasis on activities within the past year.
Once you have finalized your submission, please return by Monday, January 27, 2014 to:
Citizen of the Year Award
Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce 7 3ECOND 3T 3UITE $IXON ), s OR EMAIL TO VICKI CARLSON DIXONCC COM NO FORM NEEDED
simply include the award category, the person’s name and what they’ve done. Winner(s) will be announced at the Citizen of the Year Banquet on February 25, 2014.