Scott County Times
75¢
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020
WINCHESTER, IL 62694
Serving our readers for more than 151 years
75¢
VOLUME NO. 153 NUMBER 7
your
Times Special service tax public NEWS
Legion comes through. See page A2 Third-graders in Winchester learn about poultry. See page A3
SPORTS
Cougars take the fizzle out of the Rockets. See page A7
WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, FEB. 14
21 14 High
Low
SATURDAY, FEB. 15
40 29 High
Low
SUNDAY, FEB. 16
47 36 High
Low
Scott County Times
&KXUFK $ /RFDOV $ 0DUNHWSODFH $ 1HZV $ 5HDO (VWDWH QRQH 6SRUWV $ © 2020
Scott County Times Obituaries listed in this issue: none All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
hearing may or may not be rescheduled
By BETH ZUMWALT Scott County Times A public hearing for the special service tax to fund the Winchester EMS was held Jan.15 with several attending. The evening grew long and the Scott County Commissioners opted to continue the meeting, setting, Feb. 5 as the date. “Then we had all that snow and bad weather, so we cancelled the Feb. 5 meeting, ” Robert Shaffer, president of the board of commissioners, said. “We have since rescinded the motion to proceed with the tax, so we are not sure if it is necessary to call another meeting or not.” Since the meeting was continued and not adjourned, Schaffer will have to adjourn the meeting at some point. The most vocal at the Jan. 15 meeting were those opposed to the measure. “But I think there are people out there that want an ambulance service,” Shaffer said. “The question now becomes how do we pay for it, without raising or implementing a new tax.” Shaffer says he does not have the answer, but is hopeful the community will. “I’d like to appoint a committee of eight to 11 people that represent a good cross section of the community – business men, community minded individuals, a representative from organizations to look at the matter and make a recommendation,” Shaffer said. “To tell us what the desire of the county is in the matter.” The EMS group approached the commissioners early last year, saying finances were tight, volunteerism was
“I’d like to appoint a committee of eight to 11 people that represent a good cross section of the community – business men, community minded individuals, a representative from organizations to look at the matter and make a recommendation. To tell us what the desire of the county is in the matter.”
Robert Shaffer Scott County Commissioner. low and they needed help. They asked for a special service tax that would raise $260,000 per year and would pay for EMTS to work shifts on the ambulance instead of relying on three or four volunteers who say they are tired and need help. All the affected municipalities in Scott County sent letters of endorsement and the commissioners agreed to approve the ordinance establishing the (See, TAX, A2)
Census Bureau to be at Winchester Library By CARMEN ENSINGER Scott County Times A representative from the United States Census Bureau will be at the Winchester Public Library on Feb. 20 from 1 to 4 p.m. to help individuals apply to become a census taker. “This is a wonderful opportunity to be involved in our county and potentially shape it’s future,” Librarian Darlene Smith said. “There is so much more to it than just counting how many people are in the area. The information is used for so many different purposes.” Once every 10 years, the US Census Bureau does a complete population count, surveying every resident in the U.S. This is mandated by the Constitution and requires reaching millions of households throughout the nation. Everyone who has established a residence in the U.S. is counted, including individuals with work visas, international students and unauthorized immigrants. The Census Bureau sends out a letter in the mail to residences between March 12-20. Those who do not respond online or by mail to the initial requests are visited in person by a team of Census surveyors. The 2020 Census will be the first time one can take the survey online. The bureau’s goal is to have 55 percent of responses submitted digitally. The more people who take the
survey online, the more money the Bureau saves having to track down non-respondents. The proposed budget for the survey is $15.6 billion, which works out to roughly $111 per household surveyed. Population date gathered from the census is used for a variety of purposes including determining legislative districts and representations and sets eligibility for government programs like housing assistance. The data is also used to allocate nearly $700 billion or 13 percent of all government spending to government grants and programs. When fewer people respond than actually live in a given area, the data may under-allocate elected representatives or reduce the amount of funding given to that community. In order to get everyone who has not responded either via mail or email, census takers will be hired in the local area. These census takers will interview household residents and update address lists. Applicants who are hired will attend paid training before going out in the field. Census takers will talk with the residents and using electronic devices, such as smart phones and tablets, issued by the Census Bureau, collect the census data. Paid training will be conducted between March and mid-May. From May through July, census takers will help collect responses from that have yet to respond to the census.
STANDING
Carmen Ensinger/Scott County Times
FIRM
Carrollton’s Grant Pohlman stands his ground as West Central’s Gabe Cox goes up to score two of his 31 points on the night as the Hawks played host to the Cougars last Friday night. West Central came from behind to win the game 66-55. The Cougars have been atop the state polls most of the season and will enter regional action. Feb. 24.
Winchester eyeing grant to help renovate city hall
door and put up new blinds and hopeBy CARMEN ENSINGER fully we will be able to have the March Scott County Times council meeting in the new city hall.” Winchester City Council members The council discussed the formation received some good news at the Feb. 5 of a proposed Municipal Administrative meeting. It looks like the city stands a Court System which would streamline good chance of receiving a grant from the process of making residents clean the federal government to help with the up their property after receiving an renovation of their new city hall, for- ordinance violation. merly the bank building on the square. “The proposed municipal court City Attorney John Paul Coonrod would allow the city to enforce its ordihas been working on a USDA nances at a fraction of the current cost Community Facilities of filing proceedings Grant to help renovate in the Circuit Court,” the new city hall which “We are going Coonrod said. “Formal will include new win- to put some new court proceedings are dows upstairs, repair to lengthy and costly on the awning and putting signage on the the city. Each proin new, cost-efficient door and put up ceeding costs around LED lighting through$2,000 by the time all new blinds and out the building. is said and done.” “The city’s pre- hopefully we will The municipal court application for grant would use the services funding under that be able to have of an Administrative USDA grant program Hearing Officer instead was approved and we the March council of a judge, though most were invited to sub- meeting in the hearing officers are mit a final application retired judges. for grant funding,” new city hall.” Last year the city Coonrod said. “So the had numerous violainvitation makes it a tions from junk and Mayor Rex strong likelihood that debris in yards to McIntire the city will soon be unmowed grass. awarded the $38,200 in “There is clearly a federal grant money for the improve- problem and there has been for a numments.” ber of years,” Coonrod said. “The city The grant is a 55/45 grant with has taken a live and let live approach the federal government providing 55 but some people have such an unsightpercent of the funding and the city the ly mess in their yard that something remaining 45 percent, which comes out has to be done. Their neighbors have to about $27,000. been complaining and it can diminish Winchester Mayor Rex McIntire property values. However, enforcement expects the city to start moving into has always been somewhat constrained the new city hall next week. due to the cost. This will streamline the “All of the electrical work down- process.” stairs has been completed, the flooring Other municipalities in Scott County is all done and the painting is pretty and perhaps even Greene County will much all done,” McIntire said. “We are going to put some new signage on the (See, GRANT, A2)
Winchester to let bids for Phase One of pool improvement
THE
Submitted photos
PRIDE OF
SCOTT COUNTY
Scott County Nursing Center celebrated Annual Pride in Foodservice Week last week and honored the facility’s dietary staff for their devotion and wonderful work in our facility. Members of the dietary staff are, left to right, Amber McCartney, dietary manager; Karen Newingham, Rebecca White, Lesley Davenport and Kathy Davis. Back row, Shawn Camerer. Also on staff are, Cindy Stark and Rebecca Bugg.
By CARMEN ENSINGER Scott County Times Winchester City Council formerly rejected all bids submitted for the pool renovation project at their February 5 meeting and approved letting bids for Phase 1 of the newly designed renovation which includes replacing the filter house. “We have already sent out letters to all of the bidders saying we are not accepting the bids we received earlier because they were just too high,” Winchester Mayor Rex McIntire said. “So, we came up with another plan to bid this project out in phases and changing a little bit of the scope of the work.” Last year the city was successful in obtaining an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant for the projected $670,000 project
which included a new filter house, new bath house and new pool liner. It was a 50/50 matching grant meaning the grant would provide $335,000 in funding and the city would provide the remaining $335,000. However, when the bids were received, all four of them were over $1 million for the entire project. The city would have to pick up any shortfall in funding for the project. The city’s engineers, Benton and Associates, who came up with the original cost estimate of the project, tried to find ways to reduce the cost of the project, but could not come up enough cuts to make the project affordable at this time. “As it stands now, the pump house is not operational so repairs do need to be made to it,” City Attorney John Paul (See, BIDS, A2)