The Weekly Post
Thursday August 8, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 24 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790!
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Domestic violence rates falling, but problems remain
OLD SETTLERS DAYS
By BILL KNIGHT
In a small town in Knox County, local police are called to a residence after a family argument escalates and a woman strangles her son’s girlfriend until family members pull her off. No arrests are made. In rural Brimfield, the state Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is contacted by police after officers note that a youngster has witnessed his parents come to blows, sending one to the hospital. Such incidents of domestic violence are relatively rare in The Weekly Post circulation area, but they’re also not uncommon. In 2012 there were 19 arrests; this year the same period has had 10. Nationally, rates for such “intimate partner violence” (IPV) have been falling for the last 20 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, which recorded a decline of 5.8 incidents per 1,000 people in 1993 to 2.3 per 1,000 in Herm recent years. That’s good news. The bad news is that many legitimate cases of domestic battery or other acts of violence go unreported. “Reporting the crime has always been a problem, says Martha Herm, director of the Center for the Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, serving clients in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties for domestic-abuse situations, and also Fulton, Marshall and Stark counties for elder abuse. “Abusers typically are so good, clever, cunning in convincing victims that they’re the ones at fault,” Herm continues. “Victims can’t believe it, or stay or go back [to an abusive environment] because they’re embarrassed or the abuser minimizes the incident – ‘oh, it wasn’t that bad’ – or the alternative seems worse: ‘Will I be homeless?’ ‘If I leave I’ll be poor.’ ‘What about my kids?’ “It can be a daunting situation for victims.” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan reminds people that “domestic violence is a crime. Any person who hits, chokes, kicks, threatens, harasses or interferes with the personal liberty of another family or household member has broken Illinois Domestic Violence law.” By law, such behavior cannot be justified, and when such violence is used to get control or get what someone wants or to get some point across, it creates a toxic environment that’s harmful to themselves and For The Weekly Post
Crowds watch a country music performer and a youngster pedals furiously during previous Old Settlers Days festivities in Brimfield. The food tent for the124th annual celebration opens today at 5:30 p.m. and opening ceremonies are at 7. Events are scheduled today, Friday and Saturday throughout Brimfield.
Brimfield’s Old Settlers Days tradition dates back to 1889 By JEFF LAMPE
BRIMFIELD – The first Old Settlers Days was a small affair in a town park – a reunion of former Brimfield residents who reminisced about old times as they ate a picnic dinner. While the scope of this year’s 124th annual event has changed dramatically since then, the basic themes of Old Settlers Days remain the same: Weekly Post Staff Writer
Food. Friends. Memories. And fun times. “We call it three full days of fun family entertainment and that’s what we hope to provide,” said Tim Tucker, who coordinates entertainment for the show. Old Settlers Days starts today with a 5:30 p.m. opener at the food tent and concludes Saturday night after country Continued on Page 2
Council hears downtown development idea By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – The city-owned lot at the corner of Main and Magnolia Streets in downtown Elmwood is one step closer to development, as the City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to approve Horan Construction to proceed with a proposal for a two-story building on the site. Katie Arnolt Kim, a vice president at Horan, based in Peoria, said they’re working with a national restaurant franchise, and they also plan residential space in For The Weekly Post
the upper floor. Property taxes projected over 30 years could top $714,000, according to the proposal, and that could mean more than $400,000 to Elmwood School District and $140,000 to the city and township. Horan would develop, own and maintain the building, she said. Also addressing the council was BYE Ambulance manager and board member Dave Maher, who questioned the council regarding the city’s proposed language for its contract with BYE for 20132014. BYE recently rejected the
city’s proposed agreement because of one paragraph pertaining to BYE maintaining present staffing and siting in Elmwood and Brimfield. “We want something to give us a sense of security that the level of service will continue,” explained Alderman Bryan Davis, “but we want you to have flexibility. So just give us something you can live with and we’ll review it.” Maher said BYE approached Ag-Land FS about buying BYE’s building, but the board “has no inContinued on Page 3
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