Greenville Illinois News WGEL Daily

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

5-26-2008

LIQUOR VOTE

Thursday night the Greenville City Council decided to put the decision as to whether Greenville will remain a dry town into the hands of the voters. The opinion of all the Councilmen was that the people should decide the issue. At the May city council meeting developer Joe Kopias expressed interest in turning the former Value City location into a shopping center with a grocery store and several restaurants, but one of his main concerns was the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages within the city limits. The Council also authorized City Manager Dave Willey to spend up to 8 thousand dollars to contract with a consultant company to help gather some 900 signatures of City residents necessary to put the issue on the November ballot. The petitions will have to be delivered to the city and certified by the City Clerk by August 1st to be put on the ballot for the General Election in November.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES IN THE AREA

Memorial Day is today and many veterans' groups are marking the occasion. The Amvets will be holding a flag raising ceremony on the Bond County Courthouse lawn starting at 9am, following the ceremony the Marine Corps league and Lincoln Land Leathernecks will form a short parade up to Montrose Cemetery. At the cemetery the Amvets, Greenville VFW and auxiliary and American Legion will host a joint ceremony, including a 21 gun salute.

The Keyesport American Legion will hold a memorial service today at the McKendree Chapel Cemetery in Keyesport at 10am.

WHITE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER DEDICATED AT GREENVILLE COLLEGE

The Glenn and Ruth White Environmental Education Center at the Ayers Science Field Station in Greenville was dedicated recently with a ceremony and ribbon cutting, led by Greenville College President Dr. Jim Mannoia. The center uses a number of energy efficient construction options including an energy efficient wood burning fireplace, foam formed concrete walls, a composting toilet system and a geothermal heating and cooling system. The center, designed and constructed by Greenville College science faculty and volunteers, will be a focal point in development of the Ayers Science Field Station in Greenville.

LOCAL AREA UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

Employment increased by 600 jobs in the Illinois Section of the St. Louis metropolitan statistical area from April 2007 to April 2008. Metro East employers added to payrolls in the areas of retail trade, educational-health services, professional-business services, financial activities, government, and information. Unemployment rates for Bond County increased for the period from 4.9% to 5.1%. Rates in Clinton County went from 3.9% to 4.8% and in Madison County the unemployment rate increased just one tenth of a point, from 4.9% to 5.0%.

ILLINOIS WATER SAFE TO DRINK

Drinking water from several Illinois cities was recently tested and found to be safe for drinking. Water samples were tested for 57 chemicals, resulting from unregulated pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Low levels of only 17 chemicals were found. To reduce the discharge of pharmaceuticals into the environment, the Illinois EPA is working with communities to collect and safely dispose of unused pharmaceuticals. The EPA currently sponsors Household Hazardous Waste collection events in the spring and fall. Check the Illinois EPA website for an event schedule.

MEDICAID AUDIT SHOWS ADMINISTRATIONS'S HYPOCRISY

Comptroller Dan Hynes applauded the auditor general for his recent hard-hitting review of a state agency's handling of payments for the Medicaid program. Hynes said, "This audit provides more evidence that the administration has been mismanaging the Medicaid system and has been manipulating the payment process."

The audit findings indicate that, among other things, while it took only six days to process healthcare bills, it took an average of 57 days for the agency to submit those same claims for payment to the Comptroller's Office.

"This is appalling and inexcusable." Hynes said. "Healthcare providers have been forced out of business as a result of the ongoing mismanagement of this program."

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SPORTS

In a game heard Saturday on WGEL the Mulberry Grove Lady Aces softball team’s season came to an end in the Championship game of the 1A Sectional at Raymond. The Aces fell to the number one ranked team in the State the Lebanon Greyhounds 7 to nothing ending another winning season for the Mulberry Grove Softball team. Mulberry's season ends with 26-10 record.

In boys baseball action the Carlyle Indians defeated Piasa Southwestern 4 to 1 to win the Championship game of the Class 2A Greenville Sectional. The Highland Bulldogs got 4 runs and another shutout pitching performance from Jake Odorizzi to win the Class 3A Triad Regional 4 to 0 over Civic Memorial. So far this year Odorizzi has not allowed an earned run. Highland moves on to Sectional play at Centralia on Wednesday. At the Triad girls softball Regional Triad won the championship with a win over the Highland lady Bulldogs by a 4 to 0 score.

OBITUARIES

FREDERICK McKEAN

Frederick D. "Fred" McKean, age 64 of Troy, formerly of the Greenville area, passed away Thursday, May 22^nd at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. Funeral Services for 64 year-old Fred McKean will be held at 11am Tuesday, May 27^th, at the Laughlin Funeral Home Chapel in Troy Illinois. Burial will be at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery in Troy. Friends may call from 5 to 8PM Monday at the funeral home.

THE WGEL SECRET WORD IS GIVEN MONDAY THRU FRIDAY IN THE 11AM, NOON, 1 & 2PM HOURS. WRITE IT DOWN AND WHEN WE CALL, YOU COULD WIN $50.

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