Thursday July 11, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 20 PORCH-SITTING SEASON IS HERE AGAIN!
The Weekly Post “We Cover The News of West-Central Illinois With A Passion”
Serving Brimfield, Dahinda, Edwards, Elmwood, Kickapoo, Laura, Oak Hill, Williamsfield and Yates City
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Talks continue on fire merger By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – Discussion of merging the operations of the Elmwood Fire Department and the Elmwood Rural Fire Protection District has been going on for months, and if fewer than two dozen voters petition the move, it could appear on a future ballot. The Elmwood Fire Department was scheduled to meet for another discussion at press time, and the Elmwood City BYE Finances Council has a special meeting Assets have inscheduled to discuss the matter creased for BYE Friday at 4 p.m. Ambulance ServIf the merger is approved by ice. Page 2. voters and accepted by the Elmwood Rural Fire Protection District (ERFPD), it would permit the district to raise taxes covering ambulance services, and permit a more equitable sharing of the costs of BYE Ambulance Service, Inc. Funding for BYE comes from reimbursements from insurers and Medicare, donations and funds from four taxing bodies: the Brimfield Fire Protection District, Elba-Salem Township Protection District (the Yates City area), the City of Elmwood, and the ERFPD. Elmwood already levies the maximum tax it can to underwrite BYE: .25 per $100 of assessed valuation. “We can’t give any more,” said Elmwood Mayor J.D. Hulslander. “We’re maxed out.” Yates City’s Elba-Salem Fire Protection District levies .2810 and could go up to .30, but the Brimfield Fire Protection District has declined to raise its levy, which remains at .13714 despite the authority to levy .30. For The Weekly Post
Williamsfield Fire Protection District first responders practice at Oak Run earlier this spring during a simulated on-water rescue while using their new custom rescue/fire vessel made by AAD Boats of Bartonville. Photos by Michael Johnson.
Oak Run adds emergency boat
to look at something.” They took bids from several local boat makers DAHINDA – Oak Run is a busy place for before settling on AAD. The boat is equipped like boaters this time of year, but also a safer place any other emergency response vehicle with lights, thanks to the efforts of the Williamsfield Fire Pro- siren, radios, medical equipment and fire-fighting tection District (WFPD). equipment. The latter includes a fire pump that Last year the WFPD commissioned the concan be used to battle fires that may occur near the struction of a $40,000 custom-made rescue/fire shoreline. boat by AAD Boats in Bartonville. David Hamm The boat also has a special dive door that aland his crew at lows first responders AAD finished to slide a patient on a the 22-foot flatbackboard (as shown bottom plate boat in the picture above) last fall and the through the door into vessel has been the boat for treatment in the water nuand transport to the merous times aldock. ready since A donation from May – thankfully the Ralph Norman only for training Foundation allowed sessions. WFPD to purchase a Williamsfield Fire Protection District volunteers have been “We hope dock and boat lift. training each month for on-water rescues since May. that’s all we ever And the Oak Run use it for,” said Bruce Bush, president of the Oak Property Owners Association allowed the dock to Run First Responders. be placed near the main beach for faster response But Bush said WFPD members started talking to emergencies. about the need for a rescue boat after the drownTraining is ongoing each month, as is practice ing of an angler at Little John Campground a few for on-water emergencies. WFPD members have years ago. studied with Chief Michael Johnson of the Fon “We started talking about what our response Du Lac Park Police, Illinois Department of Natuwould be if we had a problem on the lake,” Bush ral Resources Conservation Police and the U.S. said. “That’s when we decided we really needed Coast Guard. By JEFF LAMPE
Weekly Post Staff Writer
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Williamsfield board working on budget By BILL KNIGHT
WILLIAMSFIELD – The Board of Education for Williamsfield School District 210 at its Monday meeting considered financial and philosophical issues. After discussing the local budget, the board approved proceeding with drafting a budget based on last year’s revenue levels. “This should result in some much-needed tax relief for many of the district property owners,” said new superintendent Tim Farquer. An approved budget will be on display after the board’s next meeting Aug. 12, when its first reading is scheduled, meeting the state-mandated 30 days prior to the Sept. 16 meeting. The board also adopted a district vision, a set of comFor The Weekly Post
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