The Weekly Post
Thursday March 14, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 4 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790
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Elmwood zoning board approves elevator plan By BILL KNIGHT For The Weekly Post
ELMWOOD – Elmwood’s Zoning Commission on Tuesday unanimously recommended the City Council approve Ag-Land FS’ revised development of its Elmwood Elevator at the foot of Magnolia Street. It was the month-old board’s first hearing, chair Tom Mottaz reminded the room. The $2.5 million project needed the board’s support for a special use under zoning regulations plus variances on the height of a new bin, setbacks from adjacent streets, the number of buildings on the lot, plus
landscaping and parking requirements. “This [project] is consistent with the goals of the city and its land-use plan,” said Elmwood Economic Development Officer Dick Taylor. “It will benefit public health by reducing dust and help public safety by re-
ducing traffic congestion.” Ag-Land Grain Manager Chuck Doubet said besides improving collection of corn-chaff dust from the air and reducing traffic congestion in the neighborhood during the busy season, the expansion also will benefit grain producers by streamlining the process. The new complex will change Elmwood’s skyline by adding a 122foot-tall bin that’s 105 feet in diameter, with a capacity of 750,000 bushels. That compares to the nearby 125-foot water tower and the elevator’s 90,000-bushel Continued on Page 2
Ticket to work offers help By DAVID L. GACA For The Weekly Post
The summer of 2007 felt like a bad dream for Terry Anderson. Reeling from a recent cancer diagnosis, she was downsized from the company where she’d worked for 11 years. “There was no severance. I had no insurance,” she said. “I was terrified.” Terry began receiving Social Security disability benefits and took an extended period of time away from work. Later, Terry learned about “one-stop career centers” that provide free employment-related support services through Social Security’s Ticket to Work program to people receiving Social Security benefits. She decided to
Weekly Post area recipients of old age, survivors and disability insurance premiums
see what the Iowa Workforce Development Center, her local one-stop, had to offer. There are more than 1,000 one-stop career centers across the nation. The one-stop staff explained that Social Security’s Ticket to Work program is designed for people who receive Social Security disability benefits and are committed to achieving self-suf-
ficiency through eventual full-time employment. Through the program, Iowa Workforce helped Terry coordinate her career preparation and job hunt. She updated her computer skills and built confidence in her prospects for long-term success. “They offered workshops on interview Continued on Page 2
Here is an artist’s rendition of the planned $2.5 million elevator expansion at the Ag-Land facility in Elmwood.
Area crime down in 2012 By BILL KNIGHT For The Weekly Post
Rosefield Township last year had seven acts of vandalism, according to 2012 Crime Statistics Reports from the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. That might be a typical weekend for Peoria or Galesburg, but to everyday crime victims, even one incident of breaking the law is serious. More serious crimes occurred last year in Kickapoo Township, which had higher numbers in assaults, burglaries, domestic battery, theft, criminal damage to property, accidents with injuries and accidents withStories? Ads? out injuries Visit with a staffer from The Weekly Post than other Weekly Mondays from noon Post-area to 1 p.m. in the Brimfield Public Library’s townships, conference room. according to the Peoria Sheriff’s Office. Kickapoo had 2 assaults, 12 burglaries, 12 cases of domestic battery, 64 thefts, 22 incidents of criminal damage to property, 13 accidents with injuries and 120 accidents without injuries, records show. Elsewhere in The Weekly Post circulation area, Brimfield Township and city together and Rosefield Township – between Edwards and Oak Hill, with Ill. Route 8 running through it – last
Capt. David Briggs of the Peoria County Sheriff's Office, looks over crime data from the Weekly Post area. Photo by Bill Knight.
year had a lot of accidents with injuries – 39 and 55, respectively. With a population of more than 7,000, according to the 2010 census, the number of Kickapoo Township residents is a factor, said Capt. David Briggs, Undersheriff of the office. “More residential subdivisions are going up, so: more people, more crime,” he said. “Generally, though, everything’s down some.” For example, there were 308 accidents county-wide in 2012 (not including the City of Peoria), compared to 310 the previous year. A drop in vandalism was more pronounced, from 41 in 2011 to 22 last year. Kickapoo Township extends from Continued on Page 2