1 Front Volume 142 No. 7
Friday, January 22, 2016
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Giving each other a hand Regional development committee could benefit the entire area By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — The Lostant Village Board received a visit at its last meeting from Hennepin Mayor Kevin Coleman. Coleman talked to the board about a regional development committee for Bureau, Putnam and LaSalle counties. He says the purpose of the board is to “promote economic development in our coun-
ties.” The well-being and development of each county affects the others. People from one town travel to work in another. Coleman used the example of Hennepin’s old steel mill. “When it shut down, that hurt the whole area,” Coleman said. “All three counties are on board with this,” Coleman said. He noted that every major town is also on board, except for Streator.
Coleman considers the location a benefit for a number of reasons. He pointed to the relatively close distance to a number of universities, which could draw residents. The industrial aspect of the area also plays into the location’s benefit. “Hennepin has one of the best industrial sites in the state,” Coleman said. “I’m kind of bragging here.” Despite the strategic benefit of the location, Cole-
man noted, this is “about the only area in the central part of Illinois that does not have a regional development council.” “We have no one to go out for us,” Coleman said. “Another way to look at it: Do we depend on the state to help us?” He recalled the incident of I-180 last year, which the government considered reducing to two lanes. The plans were averted when all the surrounding areas to be
affected were considered. “I think it’s a good deal for our small towns more than our bigger towns,” Coleman said, since larger areas might already have some of the benefits in place. Board member Jack Immel wanted to know if the committee would help set up infrastructure in cases such as when a business might be willing to come to the area. Nothing about that possibility could be said at the time.
“If we could get some guidance or help setting up that infrastructure, I think that would be a goldmine,” Immel said. The group has been offered a location at Illinois Valley Community College, next to the technology center, according to Coleman. Coleman said work should begin soon to get the committee running. “We’re going to pull the trigger pretty quick and get hiring.”
Still free to move about the country
Soaring into the season
Illinois IDs remain acceptable means for air travel By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
Tonica News photo/Mike Vaughn
The sight of eagles soaring overhead clearly lets Midwesterners know winter has arrived. Whether it’s over the Illinois River or tucked into a tree at Starved Rock or alongside the Hennepin or I&M Canal, you can’t mistake this national bird with his “bald” head, urging passersby to look upward and admire the grace in which it flies.
A new police car in Lostant By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — After putting it on the agenda a number of times, only to push the discussion back so they could receive Vol. 142 No. 7 One Section - 8 Pages
more concrete numbers, the Lostant Village Board finally voted to purchase a new police vehicle. The big question was posed by board member Dave Mertes: “Can we really pay for this?”
It was this question that had seen the discussion pushed back, even after numbers were presented last month. Even then, prospects had looked unfavorable as to whether the village would be able to justify
the purchase. “We’re going to have to get out a loan for anything,” Village Treasurer Jim Kreiser said. “We have nothing.”
Police Page 3
Wenona VetCare
John M. Ehrhardt, DVM Primary Pet Care • Primary Pet Dentistry 138 Chestnut St., Wenona, IL • See Us On Facebook © The Tonica News
815-853-4567
Love. Protect. Heal.
Don’t worry, Illinois residents. You don’t have to cancel that trip to the warm beaches and sparkling waters of Florida or California next month if you are lacking a U.S. passport. You can still board the airplane by showing your Illinois driver’s license, if only for a few more years. The REAL ID Act of 2005 stipulated a citizen must have proof of legal residence and date of birth to get a driver’s license. Since Illinois does not require a birth certificate when someone is obtaining their driver’s license, it was granted compliance extensions by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The state’s most recent extension request was denied by DHS, and yet Henry Haupt said Illinois residents will still be invited to a window or aisle seat through January 2018. “The Department of Homeland Security announced there will be no security changes at airports for two years, so current Illinois driver’s licenses and ID
IDs Page 3