Thursday October 5, 2017 Vol. 5, No. 31 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790
The Weekly Post
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PRSRT. STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Elmwood, Illinois Permit No. 13
“We Cover The News of West-Central Illinois With A Passion” Serving the fine communities of Brimfield, Dahinda, Douglas, Duncan, Edwards, Elmore, Elmwood, Farmington, Kickapoo, Laura, Monica, Oak Hill, Princeville, Williamsfield and Yates City
Schools planning for facilities tax receipts By BILL KNIGHT
Local Peoria County school districts are finally enjoying a rare enjoyable discussion on funding. Peoria County’s School Facilities Sales Tax was approved by voters last November and went into effect on July 1, and this month revenue generated from the first few months is expected to be distributed to the county’s 18 school districts by the Regional Office of Education. But school boards and superintendents at Brimfield, Elmwood, Farmington and Princeville are being cautious as far as For The Weekly Post
making concrete plans on how to spend the extra funds. After this month’s payment, the ½-cent sales-tax revenues will be distributed monthly, superintendents say, and payments will vary based on actual revenues. Divided among county school districts based on their student populations, the money can only be used to improve schools’ facilities, not for salaries or other expenditures. Uncertainty on expectations is driving a conservative approach. For one thing, online sales don’t produce local sales, so that cuts in to sales-
tax proceeds. Also, the county’s sales-tax receipts since 2012 have dropped about 1.5 percent annually. Still, despite passage of both a state budget over Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto and a compromise school-funding reform providing for an Evidence-Based Model derived from district financial needs, ideas are percolating on how to spend the added funds. Brimfield plans to be “placing [the additional funds] in the bank to get an idea of the amount we will receive,” said Brimfield Superintendent Robert Continued on Page 2
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Projected tax proceeds
Area schools have adjusted expectations from earlier estimates of proceeds from the Peoria County School Facilities sales tax increase of one-half cent. Consumers are paying an additional $2.25 for a $450 50-inch HDTV television, for example, and 4.3 cents on a $8.75 movie ticket. Following are administrators’ projections of what local schools could receive over 12 months: • Brimfield C.U.S.D. 309 $217,000 • Elmwood C.U.S.D. 322 $220,000 • Farmington C.U.S.D. 265 $100,000 • Princeville C.U.S.D. 326 $200,000
Farmington OKs new police truck
SCENIC DRIVES
Drive Time
Split 4-3 vote on purchase
Knox County, Spoon River drives ahead
By BILL KNIGHT
FARMINGTON – In a split vote, the City Council on Monday approved buying a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck out of the police department budget. The new patrol vehicle, a 6-speed V-8, will be purchased from Thomas Dodge Chrysler-Jeep in Highland, Ind., which priced it at $27,512. Inside Additional equipment • Brimfield extends its and its installation will garbage services concost extra, bringing the tract. Page 10. total price to • True blue flowers $46,534.20, reported are precious to gardenPolice Chief Chris Dar- ers. Page 12. sham. • The Illinois youth The vote was 4-3, deer season a good with Aldermen Terry deal. Page 13. Dicks, Ryan Lambert and June Whitmer opposing the purchase. “I think this is very expensive and unnecessary,” Lambert said. Alderman Joey Boggs, who made the motion (seconded by Leslye Smith), argued that a pickup truck will have greater re-sale or trade-in value than the Ford Explorers that make up most of the fleet. For The Weekly Post
By BILL KNIGHT
Over the next two weekends, three area communities are participating in two scenic drives, adding local color to the emerging colors of fall foliage. On the 50th year of the original Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive, Farmington’s Reed Park will host various vendors offering crafts and food such as hot cider and baked potatoes, plus entertainment and glimpses of history as well as geography, and “Farmington West,” set up on Illinois Route 116 at Lane Transfer also will offer vendors. Vendors will also set up at the Farmington Moose Lodge and outside town at Cobblestone Corner. Actually, vendors will be set up all along the Spoon River Drive, which meanders more than 100 miles throughout Fulton County. Hundreds of visitors from through-
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For The Weekly Post
The red barn at Walnut Grove Farm north of Knoxville is one of many familiar stops along the annual Knox County Scenic Drive.
out the Midwest can travel to London Mills, Middle Grove, Avon, Ellisville, Mount Pisgah Park, Fairview, Canton, Cuba, Smithfield, Bernadotte, Lewistown, Ipava, Duncan Mills, the Waterford area and Astoria – plus roadside booths along the way – and see demonstrations and antiques as well as the natural beauty of downstate Illinois.
Points of interest include the Farmington Historical Society on East Fort Street (open 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturdays), the site of the World War II base Camp Ellis (near Table Grove), the Oak Hill Cemetery made famous in Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” (Lewistown), the log cabin at Easley Pioneer Museum Continued on Page 2
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