GREENE PRAIRIE PRESS
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2&72%(5 – Vol. 150, No. 43 – &DUUROOWRQ ,OOLQRLV
INSIDE NEWS Illinois submits appeal for individual flood aid. See page A3
SCHOOL
Carrollton students named Illinois Scholars. See page A6
SPORTS
GreenfieldNorthwestern falls to Beardstown 43-14. See page B6
Joint Review Board opts to not recommend TIF By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press
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n a meeting held Thursday morning at Carrollton City Hall, members of the Joint Review Board (JRB) were selected, and it was decided that the advisory group could not recommend accepting the TIF plan in its current form.
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ber of the public at large. Halwachs was chosen President of the JRB and Nonneman as reporter. In a meeting that lasted more than two hours, three written requests were presented. Nonneman requested the boundary of the proposed TIF plan be changed to remove her private residence from the plan. Lewis and Clark Community College President Dale Chapman requested that the community college be considered for obtaining possible funds for supporting job train-
ing and/ore retraining purposes. And, Attorney James Sinclair, on behalf of the Fire District, asserted opposition to the proposed plan based on the adverse impact on the units of local government. Moran Economic Development Group President Keith Moran made a presentation regarding JRB procedures and duties and noted that the board’s recommendation would be advisory (See, TIF, A2)
Fernwood Cemetery gets a makeover By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press It has to be one of the strangest ways a cemetery ever got a makeover, but nevertheless, Fernwood Cemetery has been revitalized thanks to Dick and Bonnie Roodhouse and some of their friends.
“We have a lot of Civil War and World War I veterans buried out there so it was the right thing to do to honor and respect them.�
Dick Roodhouse
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This board is made up of the taxing bodies that will be affected by the diversion of tax dollars from these taxing bodies for the next 23 years. Members selected include Jim Banghart, representing the Carrollton Fire Protection District, Mark Halwachs, representing the Carrollton School District, Andrea Schnelten, representing the Greene County Board, Mayor Joe Montanez, representing the City of Carrollton and local resident Donna Nonneman, selected as a mem-
Cemetery project founder Dick Roodhouse explained how they even came to know about the cemetery. “All of my ancestors that came over on the boat settled south of White Hall, and they are all buried in the White Hall Cemetery,� he said. “My brother was asking me if I knew where the grave was of his daughter’s relative because they were buried in Fernwood. I didn’t but told him I would go try to find it.� Roodhouse said he found it. It was
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a very large tombstone but was almost ready to fall over. “I told my wife that we needed to fix that so we did,� he said. “The one next to it was the same way, and so we fixed it as well and we just kept on going down the line.� Roodhouse said when he first started the project back on Aug. 1, he put a flag on each one that he thought needed repaired and came up with 57 tombstones that were in a state of disrepair. “Bonnie and I started working on them and saw that we couldn’t do it all by ourselves, so I asked Dennis Cumby if he would come out and take pictures of them before we worked on them and then once we got them done,� Roodhouse said. “He put those pictures on Facebook to see if we couldn’t get some more help. He ended up staying and helping, and he was good friends with Victor Stice and told him about it and then he came and started helping.� The Roodhouses worked seven days a week repairing the stones and using their own money to do so until the project was put on social media. “We got a wonderful response from a lot of people who wanted to help,� Roodhouse said. “An account was set up and the donations came pouring in. People would stop me or come by the cemetery and give me money and honestly we could have not done all we did without those donations.� (See, FERNWOOD, A2)
Submitted photo
Bonnie Roodhouse works at power washing one of 300 tombstones located in Fernwood Cemetery in Roodhouse. Bonnie and her husband, Dick, started repairing the tombstones back in August and of the 300 located out there, 227 of them were repaired thanks to the many donations of money and time from their friends. Fernwood Cemetery will celebrate their 150th birthday in 2020 having been founded in 1870.
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Robison resigns as Roodhouse Police Chief OďŹƒcer Malin also leaves department By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press It was an offer he simply couldn’t pass up. Effective this Thursday, Oct. 24, Roodhouse Police Chief Kyle Robison will resign his position with the city and will be pursuing a career with the Illinois State Police. “Over the years, the city of Roodhouse has provided me and my family with many great opportunities,â€? Chief Robison said. “I have spent my entire life in this community
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and was fortunate enough to serve the first 10 years of my law enforcement career working for the Roodhouse Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Office and Scott County Sheriff’s Office.� The one thing that Robison had on his mind, first and foremost was being a positive role model for the children. “The best part of my career was working with the youth,� he said. “From the fishing derby, trunk or treat to the Christmas events. Those events would not have been possible without the support and donations from our community.
Robison said his family would continue to help out as much as they can for years to come. He will also continue serving on the Park Board and perhaps be able to assist Roodhouse in other capacities in the future. The one thing that Robison is proud of is bringing the first K-9 unit to the county. “One of my favorite things in my career was having the opportunity to become a K-9 handler,� he said. “Rocky made things fun and working a K-9 unit afforded me the opportunity to meet many new people. I also enjoyed getting drugs off the street and working a police K-9 with the
Illinois State Police is a personal goal of mine.� Robison said he will look back on his 10 years with the Roodhouse Police Department very fondly, especially the officers he has had the opportunity to work with. “I have had the opportunity to work with great people,� he said. “Our officers really did an outstanding job, and we were always assisted by some of the best police officers in the county. We had a lot of fun together followed by times of tragedy, but we always stuck together and pushed through tough times. (See, ROBINSON, A2)
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Judge Day honored at alma mater By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press Greene County Circuit Court Judge James Day got the surprise of his life last week at the University of Illinois Homecoming football game in Champaign. Day’s entire family has attended the University of Illinois and they regularly go to support the team, and his two children flew
into Champaign on the occasion of Judge Day’s 80th birthday, which he celebrated recently. “My daughter, Jennifer Day Hooper and her family flew in from Florida and my son, Jim A. Day and his family arrived from Kansas City, Mo.,� Judge Day said. “All attended the Homecoming football game, where, much to their delight, (See, JUDGE DAY, A2)
Virginia Wetmore/Greene Prairie Press
New royalty Kennedy Ruyle and Cade McAdams were chosen as Carrollton’s Homecoming King and Queen Friday night during halftime at the game against Triopia.
Submitted photo
Sign at the University of Illinois football game recognizes Judge James Day.