The Weekly Post
Thursday March 8, 2018 Vol. 6, No. 2 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790
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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
Lincoln helped pick Springfield as capital
By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
The Old State Capitol building in Springfield may no longer be used to conduct the people’s business, but it is a popular place for events, re-enactments and political rallies. Barack Obama has used it during his campaign for president to make several announcements. Photo by T.J. Salsman/State Journal-Register.
Kaskaskia was the first state capital after Illinois was admitted to the union in 1818, with the 29 House members and 14 senators in the first General Assembly of Illinois working in a rented two-story brick building at a cost of $4 per day. Yet by December 1820, the second General Assembly was meeting in a new building in a new capital city, Vandalia, which was a more central
location within the state’s original 16 southern counties. Lawmakers agreed Vandalia would remain the capital city for at least the next 20 years. But it didn’t take long for many Illinois lawmakers – including a young state legislator who would go on to become the nation’s 16th president – to cite location as they began petitioning for the capital to be Continued on Page 10
Elmwood searching for new city treasurer By JEFF LAMPE
ELMWOOD – Finances again dominated conversation at the City Council meeting on Tuesday. Some news was good, as in the form of additional revenues in February that allowed the City to pay all bills and add to its general fund. Some news was less rosy. City Treasurer Dean Warner announced Tuesday that he is resigning his elected position effective April 30. “Due to work and other commitments, I’m finding that I don’t have enough time to dedicate to the job that needs to be done,” Warner said. Mayor Bryan Davis said a search is underway to find a replacement for Warner, who was elected in the April 4, 2017, general election, receiving 358
ELMWOOD – Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed change to the Illinois pension system could be part of the major budget shakeup the state needs. So says Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, who stopped in Elmwood last week in advance of what is shaping up to be a lively March 20 Republican primary vs. Republican challenger Jeanne Ives. Sanguinetti visited Elmwood on her way to Knoxville High School, where she was to meet with a class of students taking part in a pilot online Advanced Placement class. Students in Elmwood High School’s AP class are taught in the classroom and serve as a control group for the pilot program. Lieutenant Governor EveExpanding AP op- lyn Sanguinetti visited portunities is one of Elmwood last week on the campaign trail. several topics Sanguinetti touched on during an interview with The Weekly Post. Her main focus was Gov. Bruce Rauner’s 2018-19 budget proposal, which included a controversial plan to shift costs of teacher pensions onto local school districts instead of the state. “Our pension debt is escalating 10 times faster than our economy. How does that affect you? Well 25 cents out of every dollar goes to that. That’s significant because that’s money we could be putting toward education, towards causes like our social services net,” Sanguinetti said. “What I tell everyone is this is neither a Democratic or a Republican problem. It has taken us decades to get into this fiscal mess. And it’s only by reapportioning the way the Governor recommended that we’ll be able to grow out of this problem. “By doing this reapportionment, I think it’s more equitable because you’ll be more conservative because it’s going to be your money. It’s not something you simply sign on and put it on the back of the state as a whole.” Sanguinetti said shifting pension costs to local school districts was first mentioned by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton. Weekly Post Staff Writer
By KATE SCHOTT
Weekly Post Staff Writer
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Lt. Governor touts proposed pension change
CAPITAL GAINS
When state lawmakers head to the Capitol to do the people’s business, they travel to Springfield. But that wasn’t always the case. Springfield became the state’s third capital city in 1839. And the story of how Springfield became the capital is a tall tale ... well, it’s a tale with an outcome scripted by nine tall men. Illinois has been governed from three cities and six buildings (one that was rented and five that were owned by the state), as told in an article in the 1975-76 edition of the legislative Illinois Blue Book.
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Carrier Route Presort RURAL BOXHOLDER LOCAL P.O. BOXHOLDER
votes and running unopposed to replace longtime treasurer Harold Jehle. “We’ve had some discussions on finding a new appointee and we will keep working on Warner that,” said Davis, adding he expects to appoint a new treasurer at the May 1 meeting after formally accepting Warner’s resignation. If approved by the council, an appointee would serve one year before running for election for the final two years of the four-year term. The treas-
urer position pays $4,000 per year. Davis said an exit audit will be required. Recent details in that audit will show a general fund surplus of $35,000 in February due in part to a $13,780 franchise fee payment from Ameren and to cost-cutting measures. “It’s better than we were last month, but we still have to be frugal in our spending and stay the course,” Warner said. “Our reserves still have to be built up.” In another effort to save money, Pollice Chief Aaron Bean discussed a USDA program that could fund up to 80 percent of the cost of a new squad car. Bean noted that the Ford Explorer currently used as the city’s K-9 vehicle is in “rough shape.” Continued on Page 8
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