GREENE PRAIRIE PRESS JANUARY 1, 2014 – Vol. 145, No. 1 – Carrollton, Illinois 62016
INSIDE LOCALS
Greene County budget looking positive By CArmeN eNSiNger Greene Prairie Press
Hunter turns 1. See page A3
NEWS
Three years ago, Greene County was facing a possible deficit of more than $200,000 for the following year when it approved its annual budget for the following year. Things are a lot different this year. The budget hung at a special meeting of the county board on Dec. 31 is, for all intents and purposes, was balanced. The proposed 2014 budget shows the total expenditures for the county to be at $2,364,371 with total receipts amounting to $2,337,394 for a deficit of $26,977. However, according to Greene County Circuit Clerk Debbie Banghart, the difference can be attributed to the sheriff’s department deferring purchase of a new squad car until this year. “They had budgeted for the new squad car in last year’s budget, but the sheriff said he would rather wait and get one this year,” Banghart
said. “So, essentially, the money was allocated for last year - he’s just waiting to spend it this year.” Many departments within the county actually came in under budget including: the county board whose expenses were $3,500 less than what had been budgeted for; board of review which came in $8,000 under budget; supervisor of assessments at $8,000 under budget; county clerk at almost $5,000 under budget; jail, $6,000; sheriff’s department $30,000 under budget after declining to purchase a vehicle this year which was written into the budget; state’s attorney $2,000 under budget; probation office $3,500 under. The miscellaneous fund, which encompasses a wide variety of other expenses not associated with the other departments, came in more than $60,000 under budget. The county treasurer came in less than $200 under budget while the circuit clerk came in right on budget. The only department whose expenses exceeded its projected budget for the
MEALS
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year was the courthouse fund, which came in $15,500 over budget. This is due to the county’s purchase of a phone system linking all departments on a single phone system. The county had budgeted $1,000 for telephone/Internet services but spent $32,720, the majority of which was on the new phone system. This $31,000 was partly offset by the county coming in $15,500 under what was allocated for utility expenses. As a whole, these departments within the county came in $148,000 under their projected spending for the year. Two major departments - the highway department and the health department - were split with the highway department revenue exceeding expenses by more than $31,000 while the Health Department showed a deficit of more than $64,000. The total levy expected for 2014 is $2,106,888. Greene County Treasurer Kirby Ballard
NEWS
SPORTS
Tigers win Waverly Tournament. See page B8
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Obituaries in this issue: beery, CraftOn, Winters
© 2014 Greene Prairie Press
Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press
Sharon Albrecht, left, and Denise mcevers, right, pack styrofoam containers full of food for the senior citizens of greene County who participate in the meals on Wheels program, which delivers hot, nutritious meals to area seniors five days a week . Albrecht delivers the meals to roodhouse and White Hall where volunteers distribute them to the senior citizens .
Bobcat spotted outside of Carrollton By CArmeN eNSiNger Greene Prairie Press Hunters and farmers in this area have been saying that bobcats have been spotted in Greene County, but now a rural Carrollton man has concrete proof – a photo. Dick Daum presented a photo depicting a bobcat sprinting across a snow-covered field on his property in mid-December which was taken by his daughter-in-law, Judy Daum. “It was the morning after that big snow we had – Dec. 14 - and she took a little walk that morning,” Daum said. “She always takes her camera with her in case she sees a photo opportunity and this thing jumped out of an old hog shed on the property and she was able to snap this picture of it.” According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, for more than a century bobcats were a rare sight in Illinois and by the mid 1900s they were almost eliminated, but that is all changing with reliable bobcat sightings in 99 of 102 Illinois counties. This is due, in part, to conservation tactics by the IDNR along with the help of trappers and hunters, which has allowed bobcats to make a comeback. “Bobcats once were common in Illinois,” Bob Bluett, a wildlife diversity biologist at IDNR, said. “Habitat changes and unregulated harvests, before the birth of our state fish and wildlife agency, caused numbers to decline by the late 1800s, but now we’re happy to say they are doing great.” Information from the University of Illinois Extension wildlife director states bobcats were protected as a threatened species in Illinois from 1977-1999. While they can now be found throughout Illinois, they are more common in the southern third of the state. Bobcats are still protected from hunting and trapping in Illinois. A study by Southern Illinois University estimates about 2,200 bobcats existed south of Interstate 64 during 2000. This number grew to about 3,200 during 2009 and the numbers continue to grow, especially along major rivers and forest areas. While they prefer forest lands with immature trees, thick underbrush, clearings, cliffs and timbered swamps, mak-
Submitted photo
Judy Daum shot this photo of a bobcat on the property of her father-in-law, Dick Daum, located five miles northeast of Carrollton on Dec . 14 while on a morning walk . Bobcats, once a protected species, in illinois can now be found in 99 of the state's 102 counties .
ing their homes in fallen trees, hollow logs or trees, thickets, caves and rock piles, some bobcats make their dens in abandoned or little-used barns or buildings, or in Daum’s case, a hog shed.
the area, said. “The bobcat’s story is the same as for most wildlife – if they can flee, they will.” Daum said this was the case with the sighting on his property.
“Habitat changes and unregulated harvests, before the birth of our state fish and wildlife agency, caused numbers to decline by the late 1800's, but now we're happy to say they are doing great .”
Bob Bluett
Wildlife Diversity Biologist Their main diet consists of mice, voles, rabbits and squirrels.” Though considered a wilderness creature, the bobcat’s shy nature allows them to live close to people. “People have nothing to fear from bobcats or living near them,” Dr. Clayton Nielsen, a wildlife biologist at SIUC who helped conduct the study of bobcats in
praised the county workers in helping to keep the county afloat amidst the trying financial times. “We’ve put together two back-to-back years and have kept the county’s finances stable, and that took everyone working together to make that happen,” he said. “That is department heads and employees all working together to make that happen.” The state of Illinois catching up on some of its past due bills has helped shore up the county coffers, but that alone would not have brought the county to its fiscal condition now. “The state finally got caught up, but we just adjusted our spending pattern accordingly and, in essence, we have pretty well kept the budget flat,” Ballard said. “We are not trying to grow; we are not expanding our expenses other than what inflation dictates. There is no magic to what we did - it was just a matter of us taking ownership and providing the services with what we have got.”
To infinity and beyond....
WHEELS
Scheffel & Company merges with J.W. Boyle See page A4
News from the pews. See page A7
75¢
“Judy had her dog, Dutch, with her and while she was walking, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something light brown moving,” Daum said. “She looked over and Dutch was beside her so she knew it wasn’t him. I guess he smelled him at that time because he took off and when the dog took off the bobcat came out of the little shed and took off.” C
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give us those readings.” By CArmeN eNSiNger In addition to the camera, Greene Prairie Press Jacob Lovel informed the Well, maybe not THAT far, board what other equipment but the students in Carrollton would be needed for the space High School’s engineering project. department are planning a “To get to 90,000 feet or space mission set for sometime higher we are going to have this spring. to have at least a 1,000 gram Carrollton balloon filled Aerospace with helium Agency is along with planning to “This is completly a 42-inch release a student-driven, which parachute weather balto catch the loon that is is what i think makes package on expected to this even more its way down reach an estiso it doesn’t mated 90,000 powerful .” impact too feet above hard and the earth, all bust,” Lovel the while colPat Dugas said. “We are lecting data going to have Carrollton Engineering teacher which will be an iPhone as analyzed by a tracking students upon its descent and device so we can find our landing. package, the sensors from the Pat Dugas, engineering Lego Mindstorms, so hopefulteacher, said what makes this ly we can get some good data.” even more special is that the Unlike NASA, which plan was developed by the stu- spends millions building rockdents themselves. et ships, Carrollton is going a “This is completely stu- cheaper route. The “package” dent-driven, which is what I which will carry the equipment think makes this even more into space will be none other powerful,” Dugas said to the than a simple styrofoam cooler Carrollton School Board as the packed with hand warmers, students gave a presentation at which can be purchased at any the Dec. 16 meeting, hoping to gas station, to keep the techget the board’s approval to go nology from freezing up. The along with the mission. “I had cooler will be encased in celnothing to do with this - the lophane in case the package students came up with the idea lands in water. The iPhone and I just kind of mentored being used is that of Dugas, them as they went along.” who is hoping the experiment Three of the students behind is a success for more than just the project - Cole Miller, one reason. Riley Lewis and Jacob Lovel Total cost of the project is - addressed the board on how around $500 with the single the project would work. biggest expenses being the Miller said it was their plan helium to lift the balloon into to design, build, test and watch space and the GoPro camera, a weather balloon to an alti- which cost around $200 each. tude of around 90,000 feet. The balloon will cost $85, the “We want to have a camera parachute $15. The cooler and on there as our sensor, which hand warmers have already will shoot at least an image per been donated and the students minute,” Miller said. “We want are hoping to receive a scholto purchase a GoPro camera arship from the camera comwhich are known to be very pany to help with the purchase good at extreme temperatures. of the camera. Hopefully, we will have con“We sent them a presentasistent video throughout the tion of what we plan to do as entire flight. We also plan to they sometimes offer scholaruse the temperature and pres- ships and stuff,” Miller said. sure sensors from the Lego “Hopefully we will get a disMindstorms, which will also (See, space, A2)
Crash seriously injures two By CArmeN eNSiNger Greene Prairie Press Greene County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a three-vehicle crash which occurred on West Lincoln Street just west of the White Hall City at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 26. According to Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen, Bradley Moulton, age 34 of White Hall, is believed to have been driving a 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck eastbound on West Lincoln Street. The truck was towing a 1998 Chevy minivan on a dolly. “Mr. Moulton stopped the truck, just past the hill crest for some reason, possibly to check on the towed vehicle. and exited the truck,” McMillen said. “He was reportedly standing in between the truck and the towed minivan when a 1993 Toyota Camry, driven by 18-year-old Kurt Costello, who also was traveling eastbound on West Lincoln, topped the hill and was unable to stop before colliding with the minivan in tow.” This collision caused the minivan to lunge forward, pinning Moulton in between the minivan and the truck. Both Moulton and Costello were airlifted from the scene to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield where they were being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. The White Hall Police Department assisted at the scene as well as the White Hall Fire and Rescue and Greene County Ambulance Service. The accident is still currently under investigation and citations may be issued upon the completion of the investigation.