Today's News - March 19, 2012

Teen Climbs To Apartment Roof

Columbia emergency personnel were called out at 10:10 p.m. to the Columbia Lakes Apartments for the report of a teenage boy who has climbed onto the roof and is threatening to jump. Columbia police, fire and ambulance crews rushed to the scene and the boy was safely taken down and returned the apartment he resides with his parents. 

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To clarify the story of the teachers voted to be let go this evening by the Waterloo School Board…..

Now former WHS Athletic Director Mike Greenfield was terminated immediately following tonight's school board meeting. After they made their decision, a person in the crowd requested further explanation for the board's decision. Superintendent Jim Helton reiterated the board's legal obligation not to discuss personnel matters. 

The six other teachers were voted to be let go after this school year because of budgetary cutbacks – not related to the Greenfield situation - although Mike Greenfield's wife, Melissa Greenfield, a PE/Social Studies teacher at WJHS, was among the teachers whose contract will not be renewed after this school year. 

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Waterloo School Board To Vote
On Athletic Director Situation

Mike Greenfield

The Waterloo Community Unit School District No. 5 has a board meeting scheduled for this afternoon, Monday, March 19. It will begin at 6 p.m. with a closed session to discuss district personnel matters, including that of WHS Athletic Director Mike Greenfield. Greenfield was placed on paid leave approximately one month ago, for reasons that have not been made public. Several individuals have requested and been granted permission to speak, one at a time during the closed-door session, regarding their feelings as to how the board members should vote concerning Greenfield’s future at the school. Following the closed-door session, the regularly scheduled public open session will proceed at approximately 7 p.m. Among the items the board will vote on is whether to terminate Greenfield’s contract, extend his contract (which currently runs through June 30, 2012) or continue to have him remain on a paid leave of absence until his contract expires.  

(Ed-itor’s Note: Following the meeting, will Greenfield be singing Welcome Back, Kotter or Take This Job And Shove It?

The first sightings of morel mushrooms in Monroe County have been reported over the weekend. Experienced hunters have stated they believe the next couple weeks will be the peak time for picking the woodland delicacies, but they refrained from divulging where are the best locations for finding the cherished morels. 

Monroe County voters will head to the polls tomorrow, Tuesday, March 20, in a primary election. There are a few contested party races as well as two referenda (one pertaining to Columbia’s electric supplier and one another regarding Valmeyer School funding) on the ballot.

The city of Columbia will ask residents to approve a ballot proposition to give the city the authority to enter into an agreement with GoodEnergy for arranging the bulk purchase of electricity for residential and small commercial customers. The proposal is expected to result in lower electric costs, and electric customers who do not wish to change their service may opt out. The proposition is essentially advisory.

Those running on the Democratic ticket without opposition include Delbert Wittenauer, incumbent county board; Sandy Sauget, incumbent county clerk; and Kris Reitz, incumbent state’s attorney. Running without primary competition on the Republican side are Vicki Koerber, incumbent county coroner; and Jeffrey Hejna, county clerk. Hejna is set to face Sauget in November’s general election.

There is one county race that should conjure some interest – the Republican candidate for county commissioner. Former County Board Chairman Frank Kohler of Hecker is running against Glenn Farley of rural Waterloo (Sportsman Road). Kohler served on the board from 1994 through 2006, losing his seat to Delbert Wittenauer. Frank is a retired Illinois State Police trooper. If elected, Kohler said he would like to change the way county commissioners can run for office. Currently, those wishing to run can do so in an at-large basis. Kohler, 77, said he would prefer to divide the county into three wards – allowing only one commissioner to represent each ward. Farley, 64, is a retired aeronautics engineer from American Airlines. He ran unsuccessfully in 2006 and 2010 against then-116th State District Rep. Dan Reitz. Farley said, if elected, he would use his experience from his career to handle the county’s finances, lower taxes and keep the county’s budget balanced. The winner of this race will face incumbent Democrat Delbert Wittenauer, who currently serves as the chairman of the three-person board.

There is no primary competition for the 116th U.S. Representative, the seat formerly held for a longtime by Dan Reitz. Mid-way through his term he stepped down and Jerry Costello II of Swansea was appointed to fill the remainder of the term. Costello II is running unopposed on the Democratic primary ticket. Political newcomer Julie Eggers of Columbia has thrown her hat into the race to run on the Republican ticket for state rep. Julie said she comes from a fifth generation farming family and hopes to continue promoting agriculture and small business in our region. Her main goal is elected would be to finding a solution to the state’s budget deficit.

Several candidates have filed to run to fill the U.S. Congressional seat long held by Democrat Jerry Costello Sr. Running on the Democratic ticket are Brad Harriman, Chris Miller and Kenneth Wiezer. On the Republican side, there is Rodger Crook, Jason Plummer, Theresa Kormos and Teri Newman.

Republican State Senator Dave Luechtefeld is running unopposed. There is no Democratic contender.

There is no competition for the candidates hoping to fill the judge opening in the 5th Appellate Court. Attorney Judge Cates, a Democrat, and Republican Judge Stephen McGlynn will face each other in the November general election. There are also two candidates for a spot as judge for the 20th district circuit court – Republican Ronald Duebbert and Democrat Vincent Lopinot.

There are two Democratic candidates and one Republican hoping to fill the seat soon to be vacated by 20th Circuit Court Judge Milton Wharton. The Democrats are Cruze of Belleville and Anne Keeley of Smithton. The winner will face Republican Laninya Cason of Belleville.

Those voting will also be able to vote for the party’s delegates to the presidential conventions. President Obama is listed on the Democratic ballot, while on the Republican side are Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.

Valmeyer Voters To Decide Future Of School

By Joe Leicht

The question Valmeyer voters face on March 20 appears simple: Pay substantially higher real estate taxes or possibly lose a school district a few years down the road and consolidate with the Waterloo School District. Those unhappy alternatives were discussed at a late January meeting at St. John  United Church of Christ, a neutral site that could comply with state rules that prevent school districts from using taxpayer funds to promote a tax increase. A checkbook with a balance of $1.2 million is an enviable asset - unless it belongs to a public school district.

Valmeyer District Superintendent Eric Franklin, remaining neutral to his stance on the issue, said to the 50 or so who attended the information session that checkbook is "bleeding $300,000 annually to cover expenses. (We) have already trimmed the budget as tightly as possible, so we are looking to find new sources of income until the state starts paying up properly."

The Valmeyer District, like every other school district, municipality and county in Southern Illinois, has been trying to cope with the state's budget crisis, which has caused its income tax reimbursements to local governments to lag several months behind. Districts in more densely populated areas draw on tax bases that are substantially larger than Valmeyer's, which is one of the smallest in the state. State revenue to the Valmeyer District in 2009 was $1.875 million; It has decreased to $1.389 million this year, despite increased costs. The district cannot extend the rate without a vote of the public because of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.

Voters will be asked to approve two separate but related measures: One, to authorize $1.5 million in bonds to shore up the Valmeyer District's working cash fund, the other to extend the debt-service base to $350,000 from $83,694 for this year and subsequent years. According to Monroe County Circuit Clerk and Valmeyer Village Administrator Dennis Knobloch, it likely will take more than 250 votes to approve each referendum, even given the expected light turnout for the March primary.

Franklin said if the referenda fail, the Valmeyer District would not dissolve this year or next year, but without relief, the district could consolidate someday down the road with the Waterloo School District. Franklin said voters should understand that the bond issue would make the district's taxpayer burden roughly equal to Waterloo's but residents would retain their district. Consolidation with the Waterloo District would mean comparable tax rates and the loss of local representation.

If the bond issue succeeds, residents who own a $100,000 home would pay about $167 more in property taxes each year. A $150,000 home would cost about $250 more and a $200,000 home would cost an extra $417. Some have suggested - and Franklin has pointed out - that programs including sports and FFA could be cut to make the budget more manageable. But the FFA in particular has been the district's claim to fame for decades and would be a very unpopular cut.

"We would still run out of funds and close the school whether or not we have FFA," said Ag teacher and Mayor Howard Heavner, noting that the FFA program is self-sufficient to a degree. It generates about $92,000 a year through its aquaculture and horticultural sales. Athletics, too, is a partially self-supporting program. It has an $81,263 budget item but student athletes offset some of the costs through participation fees and sporting event tickets and concessions.

Big events Monday night include a benefit Donkey Basketball Game at Valmeyer High School at 7:30 p.m., sign up at the fairgrounds for the County Fair’s demo derby and figure eight races at 7 p.m., and the Waterloo School Board meeting at 7 p.m., as well as the Waterloo (7:30 p.m.) and Columbia (7 p.m.) city council meetings.