2007: The Year in Review

Jan. 20 — Hall High School Board members debate whether to keep the district’s money with local banks, or to go where the best interest rates are. The consensus of the board is to stay local, in light of all the extra things local banks and businesses do for the district.

Jan. 23 — The Neponset Board of Education modifies its deactivation plan to eliminate Bureau Valley and Annawan high schools as choices for Neponset High School students. Next year, the choices will be limited to Kewanee and Wethersfield. However, Neponset students currently at Bureau Valley or Annawan will be allowed to continue at those schools. Neponset deactivated its own high school in 1999.

Jan. 25 — Ohio resident Kathy Conner presents a petition with 130 signatures to the Ohio High School Board opposing the proposed installation of a geothermal system for the joint high school/grade school site. The cost is estimated at $650,000, which the board hopes to pay through grant money, Life Safety funds and savings.

Jan. 27 — Sherry DeSalle, owner and nurse practitioner of the Mullin Memorial Rural Health Clinic in Manlius, turns herself in at the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department two days after a warrant is issued for her arrest. DeSalle is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, hydrocodone, a prescription medicine.

Jan. 30 — One month after the death of Hugo Lopez, 18, of DePue, the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau County State’s Attorney’s office continue their investigation in the Dec. 30 accident on Route 29. Toxicology reports have yet to be returned.

Feb. 1 — Ohio residents present petitions at the Ohio grade and high school offices requesting a referendum be put on the April 17 ballot concerning the installation of a $650,000 geothermal system at the joint school building. The petitions had 90 signatures from Bureau County residents and 45 signatures from Lee County voters.

Feb. 3 — Eric White, originally of Princeton, receives an Emmy at the Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards program for a general assignment story he did while working at the WGHP television station in High Point, N.C. White began his communication career while at Princeton High School by working for Steve Samet and WZOE Radio.

Feb. 6 — The Princeton City Council rebids the Prouty Building renovation project, scaling back the work to lower the costs. Bids presented last month were about $95,000 over the architect’s estimate for the city.

A Bureau County coroner’s jury rules the Dec. 30, 2006, death of Hugo Lopez, 18, of DePue, as accidental. At the time of the accident, Lopez was driving a vehicle on Route 29, west of the DePue-Princeton Road.

Feb. 8 — After more than 100 years as county-owned, the Bureau County farm is sold at auction. The 333 acre farm, sold in five tracts, brought an estimated $1.7 million.

Feb. 10 — The Princeton Park District looks for community input through a random survey as it makes plans to develop a five-year plan. The survey will review current programs and services and look at future possibilities.

Feb. 13 — Almost a year after being charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon at St. Bede Academy, Edward Engelman, 56, of Spring Valley is found not guilty by reason of insanity and is committed to the Department of Human Services.

Ed and Mary Jones of Princeton coordinate efforts to ship 48 soccer balls to military in Iraq.

Feb. 15 — The Princeton Fire Department receives $84,831 in grant money to pay for the installation of a vehicle exhaust removal system at the fire station. The money was received through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Feb. 17 — The Bureau County Board approves a resolution completing the sale of the county farm.

The Princeton and Spring Valley school districts receive per capita school library grants from Secretary of State Jesse White.

Feb. 20 — Robert and Sharon Wrolson, of Walnut, are among 35 Heartsaver Heroes recognized by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn for their work in providing portable heart defibrillators to area schools.

Feb. 22 — Seven months after a Sheffield bank robbery, the investigation into the crime spree by Luis Gonzalez and Megan Fleming spreads to the state of Virginia. Arrest warrants with a 10-count indictment from Westmoreland County, Va., are issued for Fleming, Gonzalez and Paul Powell, 32, of Kewanee.

Feb. 24 — St. Bede Academy students are evacuated after the school receives a letter containing a bomb threat. No explosives were found.

Feb. 27 — Hundreds of Bureau County residents spend a cold weekend, thanks to an ice and wind storm damaging hundreds of electric lines and light poles.

March 1 — A 17-year-old St. Bede Academy girl is arrested for sending a bomb threat letter to the Academy. Jaclyn Wachowiak of LaSalle was charged with disorderly conduct.

March 3 — The Friends of Strays facility is flooded with up to two inches of water after recent rains. The hundreds of cats in the building are safe, but to repair the damage could cost thousands of dollars, FOS Director Bonnie Doty said.

March 6 — The Princeton City Council votes against the approval of a total burn ban ordinance for the city.

The Spring Valley City Council approves the final plat of Spring Creek Subdivision, Fourth Addition, a three-lot subdivision to be built on the city’s north side. The council annexes the property into the city limits.

March 8 — Eighteen months after beginning with a vision and a hope, the new BueComm Emergency Communications Center in Princeton is fully operational. Coordinator Doug Miller said the facility officially came “on-line” Feb. 28.

March 10 — Jaclyn Wachowiak pleads not guilty to disorderly conduct after allegedly sending a bomb threat letter to St. Bede Academy.

March 13 — The Princeton City Council awards the Prouty Building renovation project to Key Builders of Princeton and the Phase 2 tech park infrastructure work to Advanced Asphalt. Both projects will begin in the next few weeks.

March 15 — The Walnut Chamber of Commerce hosts its 35th annual banquet. Geneva Jensen receives the Chamber Hall of Fame award on behalf of her husband, former Walnut Police Chief Bill Jensen, who is battling illness. Jean Tillinghast accepts the Hall of Fame award in memory of her parents, Howard and Elizabeth Smith, also community leaders.

March 17 — A white male armed with a gun robs Nelson Drug Store on North Main Street, Princeton. He escapes with an unknown quantity of narcotics.

March 20 — No arrests are yet made in Friday night’s armed robbery of the Nelson Drug Store in Princeton.

Bije and Martha Sherwood announce plans to buy the Bird’s Nest Motel in Princeton and build a 63-unit AmericInn hotel in its place.

March 22 — Spring Valley city officials order the closing of the Riviera Motel because of the poor condition of the building. The hotel was annexed into the city limits in August 2005. The owner must fix up the property or sell it, Mayor Jim Narczewski said.

March 24 — The Princeton High School Board agrees to begin talks with the Princeton Elementary School board about consolidation. Kirk Haring, PHS superintendent, said the board will take its time as it examines whether a consolidation would improve the educational product by becoming a unit district.

March 27 — The Bureau County Board hires Bill Keith of LaSalle-Peru as interim county engineer after the resignation of Jeff Peacock.

March 29 — Petersen Healthcare’s application with the state is accepted as complete. Following a public hearing period, the state is expected to act on the transfer of license request in June.

March 31 — The Illinois State Police investigate the disappearance of money from the Bureau County Circuit Clerk’s office. The investigation centers around a missing deposit for Feb. 22.

April 3 — The Illinois State Police conducts a sting operation in Spring Valley, with two businesses cited for selling alcohol to minors.

The Princeton City Council approves an Adopt-A-Street program to help keep the city clean.

April 5 —Princeton Deputy Chief Allan Beaber announces a 47-year-old Downers Grove man, Edward John Busch, was arrested for the May 2006 vandalism at the Flags of Freedom site in Princeton. The investigation continues, Beaber said.

April 7 — The Princeton Post Office closes for six hours while emergency crews investigate a white powdery substance found in a mail delivery truck. The substance is determined to be not hazardous.

April 10 — The Bureau County Health and Wellness Clinic receives a $3,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Central Illinois to go toward a mobile clinic.

The investigation continues into a missing deposit for the Bureau County Circuit Clerk’s office.

April 12 — Princeton Township trustees answer criticism during their budget hearing, concerning the posting of the annual budget at the township clerk’s garage. The township lawyer agrees the budget should be posted in the township office for another 30 days.

April 14 — The Bureau County Board agrees to freeze the county’s current total tax levy of $4.3 million for the 2008 and 2009 years, if voters approve Tuesday’s 0.5 percent public safety sales tax referendum.

Sherry DeSalle, owner/operator of the Mullin Memorial Rural Health Clinic in Manlius, pleads not guilty to two charges of possessing a controlled substance, dihydrocodeinone.

April 17 — Preliminary results show 77 percent of those surveyed by the Princeton Park District Board are not in favor of building a new indoor sports complex.

The Spring Valley City Council accepts a bid of $82,270 from Cruz Concrete of Spring Valley to help develop the city hall plaza.

April 19 — Bureau County voters approve a 0.5 percent public safety sales tax by a 3,464 to 2,319 vote. Incumbent Ray Swanson and newcomer Jack Pettee are elected to the Princeton City Council; Mayor Keith Cain is elected to a third term. Ohio residents vote against an advisory referendum for a proposed $650,000 geothermal system for the Ohio schools.

April 21 — After a student tells school staff about hearing threats against the school, Princeton High School administrators and Princeton Police lock down the school and have students enter the building through metal detectors. No incidents occur during the day.

April 24 — Bureau County Administrator Austin Edmondson announces his resignation, effective June 30. He will become village administrator for Forsyth, near Decatur.

Students from JFK Grade School in Spring Valley celebrate Earth Day by picking up trash at the softball diamonds and Kirby Park area.

April 26 — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency gives preliminary approval for the proposed Alonquian ethanol plant to be built northeast of Princeton.

April 28 — Construction continues on the Buda bridge project on High Street. The 1916 wooden bridge will be replaced with a concrete bridge capable of handling today’s heavier trucks and emergency vehicles.

Edward Busch of Downers Grove pleads not guilty to criminal damage to state-supported property for the May 2006 vandalism of the Flags of Freedom site.

May 1 — Fifty area law enforcers and volunteers attend the “A Child Is Missing” training at the Bureau County Metro Center in Princeton.

The Princeton High School Board agrees to enter into discussion with Ohio High School about forming a co-op for football and basketball for the 2007-08 school year.

May 3 — The FBI, Illinois State Police and other police agencies search for a 16-year-old DePue girl. The girl is found in Missouri with a 46-year-old man she met on the Internet. No charges are filed at this time against the man.

May 5 — Janet Spanos, officer in charge of the Princeton Post Office, announces Forever Stamps will be available, at 41 cents each, to mail first-class letters, even in the future.

May 8 — The city of Princeton sells the Bird’s Nest Motel for $40,000 to Sherwood Lodging LLC. Bije and Martha Sherwood will demolish the motel and build an AmericInn Hotel franchise.

May 10 — Jeff Patterson, formerly of Princeton, is appointed Illinois State Police District 17 Commander.

The Bureau County Board votes 13 to 11 to hire a consultant to help in the search for a county administrator.

May 12 — Several emergency agencies respond to a hazardous material spill in northern Bureau County. An employee of the Van Orin Co-Op was operating a TerraGater sprayer when a hose on the machine broke, causing the herbicide spill. An estimated 840 gallons of the substance was spilled. No injuries resulted.

May 15 — The Spring Valley Police Department, Hall High School and Spring Valley Elementary will get a school resource officer through an University of Illinois Extension grant.

May 17 — Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson confirms a business check was stolen from Walnut Custom Homes and used in a nationwide scam.

Fifteen months after the Ohio School Board began discussing geothermal energy, the project comes to an end after bids come in much higher than expected.

May 19 — Peoria Federal Judge Joe B. McDade dismisses a lawsuit filed by the village of DePue against the owners of the former New Jersey Zinc Superfund site in DePue. The village was interfering with the on-going cleanup efforts mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the judge said.

Bureau County Associate Circuit Judge Scott Madson announces his retirement, effective June 30.

May 22 — The Ohio School Board directs Principal Sharon Flesher to notify Princeton High School of the district’s desire to form a football co-op.

May 24 — The Princeton Elementary School Board postpones a decision on whether to go ahead with a feasibility study on district reorganization with Princeton High School.

About 30 Manlius residents attend an informational meeting on recent community planning sessions, guided by the Western Illinois University’s Institute for Rural Affairs.

May 26 — The Spring Valley City Council discusses the merits of participating in a Habitat for Humanity project at the former Frank’s trailer court site on East Cleveland Street.

May 29 — Construction begins on the AgriWind wind farm, southwest of Tiskilwa. The four-turbine wind farm is developed by brothers Matt Kauffman and Todd Sears, along with John Deere Wind Energy.

May 31 — The Spring Valley Police Department and Bureau County Sheriff’s Department warn senior citizens to be wary after several burglaries target elderly around the county and state.

June 2 — After eight months of training, the Bureau County MABAS Division 57 Firefighter Academy certifies its first class of 16 firefighters.

June 5 — Six area fire departments respond to a fire at the former Kasbeer post office. Firefighters do not enter the building as it had been determined structurally unsafe.

June 7 — Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson announces the Kasbeer fire appears to be arson. An arrest is expected soon, he said.

June 9 — A 12-year-old Bureau County boy is arrested and charged with the Class 2 felony of arson for intentionally setting the Kasbeer fire.

The village of DePue turns to the U.S. Court of Appeals after the village’s lawsuit was dismissed against Exxon Mobile Corp., Viacom International Inc. and CBS Broadcasting Inc.

June 12 — A 17-year-old inmate is found dead in a Bureau County Jail cell, due to an apparent suicide.

June 14 — The state approves the Prairie View Healthcare license transfer request from Bureau County to Mark Petersen, owner of Petersen Healthcare.

June 16 — The Bureau County Board accepts a reduced $1.4 million price for the sale of Prairie View Healthcare, due to lower census at the nursing home.

June 19 — A Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway engineer is injured west of Zearing following a blast from hazardous material on a railcar. Area firefighters and Haz Mat Division 57 and Division 25 teams respond.

June 21 — The Sheffield Village Board makes a formal request to the Bureau Valley School Board to demolish the town’s elementary building and deed the school property to the village.

June 23 — After 17 years, Princeton residents will see an increase in their electric bills. Without the increase, the city would have to dip too far into the electric department’s cash reserves, officials say.

June 26 — The Matson Public Library Board announces the 15 Park Avenue West library and Matson-on-Main satellite site will close July 23 to begin the move into the new library at 698 E. Peru St.

June 28 — The Sheffield Village Board and Bureau Valley School Board continue discussions on the proper format for the transfer of the unused Sheffield elementary building to the village.

The Ohio High School and Princeton High School boards agree to form the Princeton-Ohio football cooperative. The team will retain the name and uniform of the Princeton Tigers.

June 30 — Attorneys for Bureau County and Mark Petersen sign the final papers for the ownership transfer of Prairie View Healthcare from the county to Petersen.

July  3 — The Princeton Independent Business Alliance announces plan to give the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Princeton a good cleaning and restoration. PIBA will coordinate and raise funds for the project.

July 5 — The Princeton City Council debates whether to hire a new city manager after Andrew Brannen leaves. The council votes 4 to 1 to hire a professional firm to help with its search. Casting the nay vote was commissioner Jack Pettee.

July 7 — A group of 30 bikers ride through Bureau County on a cross-country trip to raise money for low-income housing projects.

July 10 — After weeks of discussion, the Spring Valley City Council votes to leave park fees alone. The council had discussed residents being “doubled charged” by having to pay fees to use city parks.

July 12 — Bureau County Board Chairman Marc Wilt announces four candidates will be interviewed for the position of county administrator by the Fees and Salaries and Job Description committees.

July 14 — John Gross of rural Wyanet is named Bureau County’s highway engineer, replacing Jeff Peacock who resigned in March.

A court hearing into the Kasbeer arson fire is postponed, while the state looks at filing additional charges against the 12-year-old Bureau County boy charged with the crime.

July 17 — The Spring Valley City Council postpones action on the city’s proposed new zoning code to further discuss the code on temporary signage.

July 19 — The Bureau Valley School Board votes unanimously to drop textbook rental fees for the 2007-08 school year, resulting in an estimated loss of $61,000 in revenue.

July 21 — Manlius native and world-renown tenor Jerry Hadley dies in a New York hospital, after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound July 10 at his home. Hadley was remembered locally by former teachers and friends. Hadley had presented two benefit concerts for the Bureau Valley School Foundation.

The Princeton High School Board agrees to meet with the Princeton Elementary Board to discuss reorganization. The boards will hear a presentation on the new reorganization law by a University of Illinois professor.

July 24 — An estimated 9,000 Muggles and wizards visited Princeton’s version of Diagon Alley for Festival 9 3/4, in honor of the release of the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” book.

July 26 — Bureau County First Assistant State’s Attorney Cornelius J. Hollerich is named associate judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit. Hollerich was chosen from a field of 12 candidates.

July 28 — After two years and “a difference in philosophy,” Illinois Valley Community College is no longer administrative agent for the before/after school program run by the Princeton Elementary District and the University of Illinois Extension Office.

July 31 — The Bunker Hill Church of God youth group and congregation complete its home makeover project for Sandy Lootens and her son, Kenny Milby, in Buda. More than 80 volunteers worked on the project.

Aug. 2 — Bill and Doris Hamilton of Tiskilwa receive the People of the Year award in Tiskilwa.

The doors of the new Princeton Public Library open to more than 600 people on the first day.

Aug. 4 — KJWW Engineering Consultants of Rock Island present a 33-page report on the conditions of the Bureau County Jail. The report will be reviewed by the Bureau County Board.

Aug. 7 — The Bureau County Board defeats a motion to hire another county administrator. The money is just not there to pay for the administrator, board member Steve Sondgeroth said. The motion failed on a 16 to 6 vote.

Attorney C.J. Hollerich is sworn into office as associate circuit judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit.

Aug. 9 — The 25th expansion of the Bureau/Putnam County Enterprise Zone receives state approval.

The Regional Office of Education for Bureau, Stark and Henry Counties receives $79,000 in grant money for migrant education outreach and professional development to teach English as a second language.

Aug. 11 — The Bureau Valley School Curriculum Committee discusses offering advanced placement courses in English, math and science, weighted grades for advanced placement courses and expanding the district’s foreign language department.

Aug. 14 — An estimated 24,000 people in Bureau County and surrounding communities are without telephone service after a power outage at the Verizon building in Princeton. The sprinkler system in the building activated, causing the widespread outage.

Aug. 16 — Sixty Bureau County bridges are named on IDOT’s “structurally deficient list,” which means they can no longer hold the weight for which they were designed. However, the designation does not mean the bridges are unsafe. Bridges are designed to hold twice the load capacity as a precautionary measure, according to IDOT.

Aug. 18 — The Amtrak train depot in Princeton now offers wireless Internet service. Princeton Superintendent of Electric Jason Bird announces the nearby Darius Miller Park will also be wireless within the next couple weeks.

Aug. 21 — Eighty-three Bureau County residents, or their heirs, have personal property owed them, according to Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and Bureau County Treasurer Nina Urbanowski.

The Princeton City Council will seek bids on three options for possible work on a two-block stretch of brick pavement on South Church Street.

Aug. 23 — Abigail Buysse, 17, of Wyanet is named the 2007 Miss Bureau County Fair Queen. Laura Brummel, 14, of Sheffield is named Junior Miss Bureau County Fair Queen. Katelyn Splitt, 7, of Walnut is named Little Miss Bureau County Fair Queen.

Perry Memorial Hospital’s CFO Lynn Luloff announces the hospital exceeded the hospital’s budgeted financial goals for fiscal year 2007.

Aug. 25 — Portions of Bureau County receive four to six inches of rain in 48 hours, causing the closing of the Bureau County Fair on Thursday evening. Weather can’t be controlled, fair board spokesman Tracy Brenneman said. The Friday evening Blake Shelton country show goes on as scheduled.

Aug. 28 — Residents attend the Spring Valley City Council meeting to complain about rainfall backups in basements. City attorney Jim Andreoni says the water problem is caused by a combined sewer system, common in the older parts of town. To replace the combined sewer system would cost millions of dollars, according to city engineer Larry Good.

Aug. 31 — The Princeton Elementary School District is showing an increase of 13 students this fall as the district’s federal funding continues to decrease. The enrollment increase is not significant enough to pinpoint to one cause, Superintendent Tim Smith says.

Sept. 1 — The Bureau County Courthouse opens again after several offices were closed following an overnight theft. An undisclosed amount of money and documents are among the missing items. The offices of the sheriff, county clerk, circuit clerk, assessor and a photo copy office were hit.

Sept. 4 — Illinois State Police continues its investigation into the theft at the Bureau County Courthouse. Bureau County Board Vice Chairman Marshann Entwhistle says she assumes the county will look again at the issue of courthouse security.

Sept. 6 — The Bureau County Health Department confirms a local teenage boy tested positive for the West Nile virus in August. The boy was hospitalized but is now recovered.

Sept. 8 — On behalf of DePue, attorneys Melissa Sims and Richard Steagal file suit in the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals against Exxon/Mobil Corp. and Viacom/CBS. The suit has to do with the on-going clean-up, or lack thereof, of the New Jersey Zinc Superfund site in DePue.

Sept. 11 — Princeton attorney Greg Bowman, 53, dies in a single motorcycle accident near Stockton. The investigation into the accident continues.

Mary Lee Twidell of Princeton takes first place in the “Make it With Lard” pie contest during the Homestead Festival in Princeton.

Sept. 13 — The Bureau County Board hears the county’s financial picture still isn’t pretty, even with the sale of the county nursing home and farm and with the new public safety sales tax. Auditor Carrie Echols says the county’s expenses are still out-weighing its income.

Sept. 15 — Bureau County State’s Attorney Patrick Herrmann announces there was a suspect in the Feb. 22 case of a missing deposit from the circuit clerk’s office. However, there was not enough evidence to press charges, Herrmann said. The missing deposit totaled $5,613, including $2,822 in cash.

Sept. 18 — The father of Hugo Lopez of DePue files a lawsuit against the woman who provided his son with a car after the 18-year-old Hugo consumed alcohol. Hugo was pronounced dead at the scene following an early morning accident Dec. 30, 2006.

Sept. 20 — Bureau Valley takes a hit on its budget this week after learning the district would not receive $100,000 in Special Education Extraordinary funding. The district now expects to receive $164,000, near to what was received last year.

Sept. 22 — Princeton Public Library Director Carol Bird reports library staff registered 263 new patrons in August, after the opening of the new library building. September could also be a record month, she said.

Sept. 25 — Several hundred people attend a memorial concert at Bureau Valley High School in honor of internationally known tenor and Manlius native Jerry Hadley.

Sept. 27 — Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson reports domestic battery arrests increased from 31 in 2005 to 40 in 2006. Criminal and DUI arrests decreased slightly, he said. Final numbers for 2007 are not yet available.

Sept. 30 — Construction is set to begin on a Memorial Sculpture Garden at the Covenant Children’s Home and Family Services campus in Princeton. Five bronze sculptures of children at play will be included, as well as bridges, perennials and benches.

Oct. 2 — The Princeton City Council postpones action on a $7,200 matching fund request from the Illinois River Road’s National Scenic Byway program. Princeton is one of the gateway communities on the byway.

Oct. 4 — The village of Manlius learns it will receive a $325,000 grant to build a new wastewater treatment plant.

Trustees of the Tiskilwa Public Library vote to buy two properties adjacent to the library as part of their expansion project and to make the library handicapped accessible.

Oct. 6 — Former LaMoille woman Sheila Steele-Taylor, 33, now of Austin, Texas, and her boss, Beth Sepko, win an Emmy for their outstanding casting for a drama series for their work on “Friday Night Lights.”

Oct. 9 — Leepertown teacher Joanne Imsland is honored as one of 1,000 teachers nationwide to be selected for OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better” program. She receives nearly $1,200 in gifts and school supplies.

Oct. 11 — Mark Pierson, chairman of Bureau County’s Insurance Committee, announces the Aug. 29-30 theft at the courthouse resulted in the loss of $13,195 in cash and about $2,405 in property damage.

Two Hall High School students vandalize the school with paint. The incident is handled internally by administrators.

Oct. 13 — The Bureau County Board discusses possible action against owners of properties which violate the county’s residential zoning ordinance by the amount of debris and junk on the property.

Oct. 16 — About 400 Civil War re-enactors come to Bureau County for the 11th annual Shadows of the Blue and Gray at the City-County Park, just north of Princeton.

Princeton High School senior Daniel Hartsough works to raise awareness of the Darfur, Africa, genocide. The teen has signed petitions, written letters to President George Bush, U.S. senators and to the secretary general of the United Nations.

Oct. 18 — The Illinois legislature approves a law to assess wind farms on the basis of dollar value of megawatt hours of production. Stefan Noe, with Big Sky and Walnut Ridge wind farms in Bureau County, says the new law is good, but not that good. Illinois is still higher than other states in its property tax assessments on wind farms, he says.

Oct. 20 —The Bureau County Board asks courthouse department heads to cut staff by a total of six employees in the 2007-08 fiscal year budget. The cuts will save about $157,000 in salaries.

Oct. 23 — Spring Valley aldermen adopt a new zoning map for the community. Spring Valley zoning regulations had been unchanged since the 1960s. Spring Valley used Princeton’s new ordinance code as a blueprint to create its new zoning code.

Oct. 25 — The Seventh U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago declines to review the Thetis Sims federal case against former Bureau County Sheriff Greg Johnson. A spokesperson for the Sims family says they will seek a rehearing.

More than 900 people attend the Princeton flu clinic, the first clinic of the season conducted by the Bureau/Putnam County Health Department. The staff gives 518 shots in the first hour of the three-hour clinic.

Oct. 27 — Hall Township offices announce plans for an open house at the new township building. Located in the Wolfer Industrial Park, the new building is the result of events dating back to 2002.

Oct. 30  — After 18 months of construction, the Captain Swift covered bridge opens to traffic. About 80 percent of the $3.2 million project is funded through federal government, with the majority of the remaining money given by state funds.

Nov. 1 — Jim Donnelly, a crops specialist with AgView FS in Walnut, confirms Asian soybean rust in Bureau county. The rust didn’t appear in the United States until the fall of 2004. If left untreated, the rust can result in yield losses of 50 to 80 percent.

Nov. 3 — The Illinois Press Association files a lawsuit against the Illinois High School Association in an effort to overturn a rule that limits access to school sporting events and the use of photos taken during those events. BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus says this is just another example in which news media has clashed with the IHSA.

Nov. 6 — Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus files a complaint against the Bureau County Board saying the board’s budget cuts make it impossible for her to carry out her statutory and contractual duties. The board approved the 2007-08 fiscal budget that called for an $18,000 cut in Hieronymus’ clerk hire line item. The cut means the loss of one employee and the reduction of salary for another employee, Hieronymus said.

Nov. 8 — Circuit Judge Marc Bernabei denies a motion to dismiss indictments against nurse practitioner Sherry DeSalle. DeSalle is charged with two counts of possessing a controlled substance.

Nov. 10 — Bureau County observes Veterans Day with celebrations around the county, in area schools and communities.

Nov. 13 — Area high schools receive their report cards, and the results show a downward trend for the state and most of Bureau County. The trend is based on the Prairie State Achievement Exam taken in April by area juniors.

Nov. 15 — The Bureau County Board votes to wait on payment of a $716,329 bill from the state’s IMRF The bill stems from an enhanced retirement program offered to eligible employees in the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department. The IMRF will do another report in January on the county’s IMRF plan and fund.

Nov. 17 — The Hall High School Board of Education votes unanimously to begin a mandatory random drug testing program. Details of the program and who will be tested, are not yet finalized.

Nov. 20 — Princeton Mayor Keith Cain announces the city council has reached a signed agreement for Jeff Fiegenschuh of Sac City, Iowa, to become Princeton’s new city manager.

The Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denies a petition to rehear the Thetis Sims case, which has been in the court system for nearly nine years.

Nov. 22 — The Bureau County Board votes 14 to 8 to go with Counties of Illinois Risk Management Agency of Itasca for its property casualty insurance. The county ends its 24-year commitment to Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust, which had Scott Brothers of Princeton as its local carrier.

Princeton Park District Director Diane McCray resigns. She is moving from the area to take care of her mother.

Nov. 24 — Members of the Spring Valley Elementary School Board approve issuing $615,000 in general obligation bonds. The district has operated with a deficit budget for a number of years.

Nov. 27 — Vandals strike Hall High School in Spring Valley, painting graffiti on exterior doors and windows. The incident is the third time in less than two months where Hall was vandalized.

Princeton Police Chief Tom Root asks for community help in solving more than a dozen reported incidents of spray painted buildings and vehicles. The incidents all occurred in the last 10 days.

Nov. 29 — Firefighters from 10 departments respond to a debris fire one mile north of Bureau on Route 26. The fire, estimated to be 100 feet long by 50 feet wide, was caused by an originally controlled burn of 25 railroad ties and brush.

Dec. 1 — The Bureau County Sheriff’s Department investigates continued vandalism of the Searls Ridge cemetery and community buildings. The property is marked with no trespassing signs.

Dec. 4 — The Spring Valley City Council unanimously approves a “pooper scooper” ordinance requiring owners to pick up after their dogs or cats if they defecate on someone else’s property. The ordinance also limits the total number of dogs and cats in any one household to six. Violators will be fined.

Dec. 6 — The Princeton Police Department arrests four Bureau County juveniles  for the November vandalism to vehicles, garages and sheds. More charges and arrests are pending.

Dec. 8 — A Bartonville man, Bart Zalmer, 45, dies when his FedEx cargo van is hit by an Amtrak passenger train northeast of Buda. The man apparently slowed or stopped before going into the crossing, according to eye witnesses.

North Central Bank in Ladd is robbed of an undisclosed amount of money by an armed robber shortly before closing time.

Dec. 11 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation comes to Bureau County to help local law enforcement agencies with its investigation of the Ladd Bank robbery. The robber displayed a weapon in the bank lobby before escaping with an undisclosed amount of money.

Dec. 13 — The Princeton Police Department continues its investigation into several residential and 10 vehicle burglaries since mid-November.

Two 15-year-old males and two 16-year-old males, all of Princeton, are headed to Teen Court for sentencing for recent “tagging” vandalism in Princeton and at Hall High School.

Dec. 15 — In an update on the needed county jail repairs, Bureau County Board member Kristi Warren reports the cell doors at the jail won’t have to be replaced, and the locks can be retrofitted with new interior mechanisms.

Dec. 18 — The Princeton Police Department arrests two male teens for the recent residential and vehicle burglaries. The two teens worked together as well as independently on the burglaries, thought to be at least 18 in number.

Dec. 20 — Catherine Foes, of rural Sheffield, is treated and released at Kewanee Hospital for injuries received when her car is struck by an Iowa Interstate freight train west of Sheffield.

Princeton Elementary Superintendent Tim Smith forms a committee of principals and staff to discuss building usage and overcrowding in the pre-kindergarten through third-grade classes.