The Weekly Post
Thursday March 28, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 6 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790
“We Cover The News of West-Central Illinois With A Passion”
Serving Brimfield, Edwards, Elmwood, Kickapoo, Laura, Oak Hill, Williamsfield and Yates City
****************ECRWSS*****
PRSRT. STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Elmwood, Illinois Permit No. 13
Carrier Route Presort RURAL BOXHOLDER LOCAL P.O. BOXHOLDER
FREE!
Driveoffs rise with gas prices By BILL KNIGHT
KICKAPOO – It’s been called “gas and dash,” “pump and run” and “fill and fly,” but drive-off gasoline theft is no laughing matter. “That comes out of my pocket,” said Tim Fannon, who manages the Freedom Oil station at the Interstate-74 interchange with Kickapoo-Edwards Road. “It might happen at other stations, too, but we’re pretty busy here, we’re open 24 hours a day, and we don’t hesitate to call police.” For The Weekly Post
An honest man
As columnist Jon Gallagher writes, not all gas stations have to battle driveoffs. Some are blessed with honest patrons. Page 5.
Drive-off thefts typically cost service stations $40 or $50, but when it happens with a semitractor trailer rigs, the diesel fuel can run into the hundreds of dollars, Fannon said. “A semi might be $600,” he said. “Not long ago I lost $464 from a trucker who paid for part then lied about the rest.”
When gas prices increase, thefts go up, said Fannan, and the $3.70/gallon price recently matches the price at the pump from last July through October, after dropping to about $3.15/gallon in late December. “When gas goes up, it’s a lot more likely,” Fannon said. “So we watch.” Besides video surveillance and cashiers equipped with binoculars to double-check license plate numbers, employees occasionally resort to the personal touch, he said. Continued on Page 2
Tim Fannon manages the Freedom Oil station in Kickapoo and has seen drive-off thefts increase as gas prices have increased. Photo by Bill Knight.
Brimfield bids adieu to 3 board members
SPRING SNOWSTORM
board members. After 16 years of service apiece, Roderick BRIMFIELD – The room was Gilles and Sheila Zinser were celebrating their final full board pretty well packed. As the digital clock clicked to meeting. (Jerry Weaver, who has been a board member for 28 exactly 7 p.m., Brimfield Unit School District 309 board presi- years, was not present.) The years have forged frienddent Dave Harmon began namships, according to BUSD 309 ing the people in attendance, Superintendent Dennis McNaone by one. mara, who himself retires in “We have a large and unusual June. He said not crowd tonight,” every vote has been Stories? Ads? Harmon said. unanimous, but Visit with a staffer “That’s about a from The Weekly Post every vote has been factor of 10 more Mondays from noon in the best interests than we usually to 1 p.m. in the Brimof children. have.” field Public Library’s “We’ve put out A new sales tax conference room. school – our comwas on the agenda, munity – on the not to mention the map,” he said. “We’re second to final review of the $16.8 million none.” school building project. You In actual business, along with might expect some tension. Achearing the new school building tually, the meeting was a piece is “98 percent complete,” board of cake – from Trefzger’s Bakmembers did vote unanimously ery, even. to support placing a referendum “It’s got to be Trefzger’s cake,” cracked one of the people for a 1 percent sales tax on the March 2014 ballot. in the audience. “Rod wouldn’t Brimfield High School Princihave anything but Trefzger’s pal/incoming superintendent Joe cake.” Blessman offered an overview The crowd and the cake of the Illinois County School weren’t there for controversy, Continued on Page 2 but for three departing school By TERRY BIBO For The Weekly Post
All signs pointed to snow on Sunday and Monday this week, with a spring storm that sent cars into the ditch across the area. But weather is set to turn decidedly more spring-like just in time for Easter weekend and the many easter egg hunts scheduled for local towns. Photos by Amy Davis.
events Elmwood board bars man from from multiple misunderBy BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – Two incidents involving police took up most of Monday’s Elmwood Board of Education meeting, although neither episode resulted in any violence at school. The most time was spent For The Weekly Post
on a matter of the district protecting an employee vs. a father standing up for his kids. The dispute ended with the board unanimously voting to exclude Nick Damron of Brimfield from Elmwood school events through June of 2013. The incident stemmed
standings, according to both Damron and Elmwood Elementary School principal Tony Frost. After Damron’s unattended sons walked onto the court of the Multi-Purpose Room during a February basketball game, Frost Continued on Page 2