9-14-2011

BOND COUNTY HEALTH BOARD TWEAKS BUDGET AND APPROVES VACCINE AND SHOT COST INCREASES

The Bond County Board of Health met Monday night and reviewed the fiscal year 2012 budget.  The challenge in the 2012 budget is to project rising costs due to inflation and the pay increases in light of lower amounts expected from state and federal grants and programs. The board approved a new job description for a Dental Clinic Biller position and accepted new language for their personnel policy. Flu shot costs were reviewed.  A new high-dose flu-shot costs $259.00 per ten-dose vial which is nearly $25.00 per dose.  Adding administrative costs brings the charge to patients to $35.00 in-county and $40.00 out-of-county.  Charges for the regular dose are $30.00 for Bond County residents and $35.00 outside Bond County. Pneumonia shot costs have risen significantly.  Merck is the only pharmaceutical company making the doses and their cost is $255.00 per five-shot vial.  This calculates to $51.00 per dose.  After adding administrative costs, the charge for pneumonia shots will be $60.00 for in-county residents and $65.00 for out-of-county residents.

GOVERNOR VETOES SMART GRID BILL

Senate Bill 1652, also referred to as the Smart Grid Bill, would have allowed Illinois utility companies to impose billions of dollars in automatic rate hikes every year for the next decade and would have weakened the oversight capability of the Illinois Commerce Commission which serves to reign in excessive rate hikes. The Smart Grid Bill would also have given unprecedented advantages to Illinois utilities that have less-than-stellar records for providing reliable service. The stated purpose of the bill is to allow the implementation of smart grid technology but passed the costs of that implementation to the consumer.  In addition to locking-in extremely high profits in exchange for lower risk to the utilities, the measure also includes provisions that have nothing to do with improving service and could stick ratepayers with the cost of executive bonuses and lobbying fees. Lobbyists for ComEd and Ameren are not giving up on their plan to raise rates on their customers.  They’re asking lawmakers to overrule Governor Quinn’s decision to kill the bill.

 

CARLYLE LAKE CLOSES DAM EAST RECREATION AREA AND MAIN DAM ROAD

The Dam East Recreation Area at Carlyle Lake will be closed Tuesday, September 13 through 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 14. The closest available boat ramps are the Dam West Boat Ramp, located on the southwest section of the lake or the Allen Branch Boat Ramp and Apache Boat Ramp, located in the Eldon Hazlet State Park. Equipment repairs at the dam will begin Monday, September 26 and continue through Friday, September 30.  The Main Dam Road will be closed daily during this week from 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at 618-594-2484.

---

KC’S SEASON OF ENTERTAINMENT KICKS OFF

Kaskaskia College’s Guest Artist and Speaker Series will kick off Saturday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. with OD TAPO IMI.  OD TAPO IMI plays traditional island music along with today’s current and world hits. OD TAPO IMI’s music includes steel drums, guitars, assorted percussion, horns, and vocals, and is a high energy Broadway/Tropical musical revue. Tickets for OD TAPO IMI’s performance are available at the KC Season of Entertainment Ticket Office in the Lifelong Learning Center at Kaskaskia College.  Tickets for adults are $23.00 and children age 18 and under are $12.00.  For additional information or to purchase tickets, call 545-3223.

	Subscribe to the WGEL Daily
	» JOIN NOW

For Email Marketing you can trust