Scott County Times
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
WINCHESTER, IL 62694
Times NEWS
Parent's and Teachers Adult Night Out. See page A2 Farm Bureau to host dicamba training session. See page A2 Bluffs students learn about pork. See page A3
SPORTS
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WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, FEB. 21
40 25 High
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SATURDAY, FEB. 22
49 32 High
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SUNDAY, FEB. 23
45 35 High
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Scott County Times
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Scott County Times Obituaries listed in this issue: Clough, McPherson, Merriman All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Changes made to proposed drug testing policy
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Above the rim. See page A7
VOLUME NO. 153 NUMBER 8
Serving our readers for more than 151 years
Carmen Ensinger/Scott County Times
TO CHOOSE FROM
Shanna Smith looks over the many items included in the silent auction at the Winchester Parents and Teachers (PAT) Adult Night Out, held at the Winchester EMS building Saturday night. There were a total of 21 different baskets and silent auction items along with 24 live auction items that were up for grabs in the PAT’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
Winchester Zoning Board approves zoning change By CARMEN ENSINGER Scott County Times The Winchester Zoning Board approved changing an area of land along Main Street from agricultural to SR1 (single family residence) at the request of the city by a vote of 5 to 2 at a meeting on Feb. 12. The land in question was purchased by the city last year. The city bought roughly 28 acres at a cost of $6,700 at an auction. The land is in the north part of town, bordered on the east by Main Street, on the west by Old Rt. 36 and on the south by Cornerstone Drive.� Winchester Mayor Rex McIntire said the city wants to create three residential lots on the land on Main Street to help recoup the cost of the purchase and help build up the city. “But a big part of wanting to do it is for the development of our community – offering more property available to build on,� McIntire said. “We have people occasionally who come into town that are looking for a lot to build a new home on. We do have Valley Tree Estates subdivision that has some lots available but we just figured this property is right on Main Street and what better place would there be to build on than Main Street USA.� Back in November, the Zoning Board met to vote on the issue and while it technically passed by a 3-2 vote, there were not enough zoning board members in attendance to actually pass it. “We have a rule on the Zoning Board that they have to have four votes to pass because there are seven on the board,� Winchester Mayor Rex McIntire said. “Since only five members showed up that night, they didn’t
have enough to pass it, which is why we had this second meeting.� Zoning Board members include: Chairman Merrilyn Fedder, Recording Secretary Ed Gant, Jack Daniels, Jill Cox, RJ Pasley, Rose Evans and Chalmer Herring. The two dissenting votes were Herring and Evans. The city also requested that the portion of land bordering Old Rt. 36 by the grain bins be rezoned to commercial. “We asked them to consider that as business property along the whole stretch of highway there so that hopefully we can attract some businesses to build out there,� McIntire said. That request passed by a 6 to 1 vote with Herring being the only dissenting vote. McIntire said one of the things that was brought up was if the city was going to bring sewer into that area just north of where the old railroad tracks were. “There is four houses and the funeral home in that area that are currently on septic systems,� McIntire said. “Whenever a previous administration talked them into annexing to the city, they promised them they would bring in utilities. They brought in gas and water but they never did get the sewer in up there.� McIntire said the subject was news to him. “I didn’t realize the promise was made until we started this discussion three months ago at the first meeting,� he said. “If we do sell these lots, this will actually help us because it makes it more feasible for us to spend the money to bring the sewer up through there and get them off the septic tanks.�
The initial consequences for a first By CARMEN ENSINGER offense were cut in half to 25 percent Scott County Times of the season. Winchester School Board members “We really want to help kids and we heard about updates made by the Coop want them to get help and in reducing Committee during the Feb. 11 school that initial penalty we may assist them board meeting. There were three major in getting them the help they need withchanges made to the policy, which can out being overly harsh and punitive be found on the district website. in the punishment,� Blankenship said. The first major change was the pool “So we reduced it from 50 percent to 25 of candidates was narrowed. percent of a season but they have to do “It was a wide net including all the intake and participate in a counselathletics, all extracurriculars, home- ing program.� coming, prom, band, chorus and the The Building Committee have an graduation ceremony,� Superintendent update to the board as well. Kevin Blankenship said. “We removed “The discussion there was that we band and chorus because it violates need to start looking about what the another policy we have. We removed needs are in the district as far as our the dances and graduation ceremony buildings go,� Blankenship said. “Most so now it just includes athletics and of the discussion revolved around the extracurriculars that do not have an high school. With the state providacademic component to ing the school maintenance the activity.� grants, we want to start putFFA, National Honor “We really ting a plan in place for what Society, student coun- want to help we are going to do with the cil, Spanish Club, chess high school. What are the club, key club and all kids and we needs, what do we need to other extra curricular do, what are the costs assoactivites are still includ- want them to ciated, etcetera.� ed in the policy as well get help...� As with the drug policy, as all athletics. the district is seeking input The second major from the community. change is regarding the Superintendent “We are going to have methods of drug testing. another meeting and we Kevin The district had left that want to start bringing in field wide open between Blankenship some community and the different methods of stakeholder members and testing including urine, swab and hair see what their ideas are for the high samples. school,� Blankenship said. “What do “One of the things we got from the they want to see done to it, if anything, last town hall meeting was that people because what we are hearing is ‘hey, wanted to know which method of test- let’s not do anything to it.’ Should we ing we were going to use,� Blankenship be looking at possibly building a new said. “The committee has narrowed it one or do major renovations.� down to hair sample as the preferred The board approved the job descripmethod of testing we are looking to tion for a new curriculum director posiuse.� tion in the district. According to Blankenship, the hair “That position came about because testing has a much wider window than we got a grant from the Tracy Family the urine or swab testing. Foundation that will help offset half of “With a hair sample, if you used with the cost of the position up to $30,000 in the last 90 days it can be detected for for at least one year,� Blankenship said. up to three months,� he said. “Whereas “We are thinking salary and benefits with urine it would be somewhere in will be around $60,000 so they gave us the neighborhood of 72 hours – so three $30,000 for the grant.� days versus three months.� Blankenship said they only do the The third major change is in regards grant for one year a time. to the consequences, especially for the “We discussed doing it over the first time offense. course of two to three years,� he said. “One of the things we heard from “So it is something we would have to numerous people was the consequences reapply for in years two and three as if a student tests positive are too harsh well.� at the beginning,� Blankenship said. The March meeting, which is sched“Currently, if a student tests positive uled for March 10 has been changed to for nicotine, alcohol or any other drug, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the District they lose 50 percent of their season.� Office.
Submitted photo
NEVER
TOO YOUNG TO CHEER FOR YOUR TEAM Emmalyn Chapman, left, and Kendyll Whicker were showing their Cougar Pride at a recent West Central basketball game.
David Camphouse/Scott County Times
CUPID
TAKES AIM IN BARRY
Left to right, first runner-up Marvin Hoyt, King Howard Six, Queen Jennie Six, and first runner-up Virginia Kindle were crowned as the Valentine’s Day court at the Barry Community Care Center Friday, Feb. 14. Howard and Jennie, 90 ad 89 respectively, were also Winchester High School homecoming king and queen during their high school years.