Thursday November 10, 2016 Vol. 4, No. 36
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New and old win in election that Trumps all others By BILL KNIGHT
The never-ending election was still underway late Tuesday, with no certain winner yet for U.S. President between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump – who appeared to be leading at press time. But at least some results in Illinois appeared clear Tuesday evening after voters turned out for a general election that saw strong voter turnout throughout the state. Illinois voters seemed poised to overwhelmingly approve a state constitutional amendment that would limit transportation revenues such as Motor Fuel Taxes and Secretary of State fees For The Weekly Post
Bustos
Duckworth
to transportation expenditures, as of press time. But in Peoria County, a proposal to address County roads through a 1/4percent increase in some sales taxes failed, 10,912 against and 9,745 for. However, another referendum authorizing raising sales taxes by ½ percent
Harwood
LaHood
for qualified purchases to be used only for school facilities narrowly passed, 10,360 to 10,201. Voters defeated a similar school sales tax referendum in March of 2013. Statewide, Democratic challengers upended incumbents in costly races for U.S. Senator and State Comptroller.
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Brimfield board OKs rezoning
LITTLE BLESSINGS OPENS
New life for old church
By KEITH BUTTERFIELD
Learning center opens in Edwards
BRIMFIELD – The Village Board of Trustees Monday night approved rezoning but deferred a special use permit for a 12-acre parcel along U.S. Route 150 that could be developed into a multibusiness complex. After hearing opposition from one neighbor and a request by another nearby landowner to get more details, the board granted the C-2 commercial rezoning from R-1 residential, but delayed a vote on the also-needed special use permit until more details are provided by the property owner, TRECK, LLC. Trustee Michael Meinders cast the lone village board no vote on the rezoning. For The Weekly Post
By BILL KNIGHT
EDWARDS – Learning should be fun, according to Lisa Fuller, who’s starting to register pre-schoolers to the Little Blessings Learning Center at the site of the former Bethel Bible Church at the intersection of Illinois Route 8 and Kickapoo-Edwards Road. “I don’t think of it as a job,” she says. “It’s fun. I think Albert Einstein said it: ‘Play is the highest form of research’.” Now winding down the state-inspection process for licensing, Fuller is looking to start with eight children, she says. “I want to keep it smaller,” she says. “That allows a lot more one-on-one attention.”
Tammy Duckworth was projected to defeat incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk by about a 55/39 split. Kirk was seeking a second term in the Senate. And Democratic challenger Susana Mendoza was predicted to defeat incumbent Republican Leslie Geissler Munger for the position of State Comptroller. With about 86 percent of precincts reporting, Mendoza was leading, 49.8 percent to 44.1 percent. However, other incumbents seemed to fare well in The Weekly Post area, as U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood and Cheri Bustos both retained their seats on Capitol Hill. In his first general election, LaHood,
For The Weekly Post
Lisa Fuller stands inside the new Little Blessings Learning Center in Edwards, which now occupies the former Bethel Bible Church. Photo by Bill Knight.
The idea has been percolating in Fuller’s mind for years, she says. “I’ve always wanted to do a pre-school center,” says Fuller, 49. “My heart’s always been with kids. I’ve been yearning to do this. My Mom passed away in 2009 from breast cancer, and I thought. ‘Life’s too short.’ When I saw [the building for
sale] last year, I thought the time’s right.” The church, founded in 1936 and built here in 1949, closed in December 2014, and a year later was offered in an auction. An initial offer to its owner, Peoria Rescue Mission, fell through, giving Fuller her chance, and she closed the sale Continued on Page 11
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