WIUM Local

Bushnell-Prairie City School Superintendent David Messersmith will retire a year earlier than he wanted.

Other educators around the region are facing similar decisions.

He reconsidered his plans once Governor Pat Quinn proposed a number of changes to state pensions plans including reducing benefits for retirees.  Messersmith hopes to “lock-in” his benefits under the current pension rules. He thinks the state will suffer a  “brain drain” as other educators come to the same conclusion.

He said, “There's a lot of people that are taking similar action. And as it looks right now, it appears that even the retirees are going to take some major cuts.”

Messersmith will retire at the end of next month.

Laverdiere Construction was the low bidder for renovations to Macomb's Skate Park on North Dudley Street.

The base bid was just over $190,000. The park district budgeted $200,000; it will use some of the savings to pay for three enhancements.

Executive Director Ray Peterson said one feature will improve safety.

He said, “On the corners there are a couple of apparatus and these particular pieces you come up onto a flat surface. In order to make them safer we wanted to extend a dirt berm behind that.”

The other “extras” include color for the concrete surfaces and a sidewalk to connect the skate park with the parking area.

Peterson said one estimate for the work was about $250,000.

Southeastern Community College will soon have to fill another vacancy in a key position.

Dr. Phil Thomas has informed the college that he is resigning effective August 15.  He has served as Vice President for Teaching and Learning for the last two years.

Thomas has not identified his new employer as its Board has not yet voted on his appointment.  He expects a public announcement to be made after May 25.

Thomas sent an email to faculty and staff on Wednesday that said he would stay with SCC through a visit by the Higher Learning Commission August 13-14.

A rally in Macomb's Chandler Park united public school teachers, professors and other union members. They oppose Governor Pat Quinn's proposal to change their pension plans.

Chanting “Protect Our Pensions” about 400 participants signed petitions and listened to several speakers.

John Miller, president of the University Professionals of Illinois chapter at Western Illinois University, helped organize the local rally.

He says, “We are very concerned about how quickly pension reform seems to be occurring and that we want to ensure that it is not fast-tracked and that we are involved in sitting at the table.”

The Keokuk School Board will get some help in its search for a new superintendent.

Doctor Lora Wolff is stepping down June 30 to take a teaching position at Western Illinois University.  The school board officially accepted her resignation Tuesday night.

Shortly after that vote, the board agreed to hire Ray & Associates to assist in the search process.  The Cedar Rapids-based firm already handles Keokuk’s contract negotiations.

President Tyler McGhghy says the importance of the position warrants the use of a search firm.  He says the school board, which consists of volunteers, does not have the time required to locate and interview candidates.

More than 1,000 child care providers, home health care workers and others opposed to human service funding cuts rallied in Springfield on May 15.

 One of the protesters is Faith Arnold, who is a childcare provider. She said 95% of the families she serves rely on state subsidies. She said uncertainty over state money is having an impact on those who run child care operations.

"I'm in the process of filing bankruptcy, and that echoes a lot of family childcare provider(s). So when you look at the budget from last year, we're trying to bounce back from that, and then face it again with, 'Guess what you guys may not get paid?' We're just hoping that we can keep our homes," Arnold said.

Illinois' regional school superintendents are backing legislation (SB 2706) that would eliminate nearly a quarter of their 44 offices.

The proposal is not likely to satisfy critics who say the positions are not necessary and that the offices should have their functions taken over by local school districts.

Regional Offices of Education oversee teacher certification, GED programs, and truancy cases.

But Jeff Vose, the regional superintendent for Sangamon County, said he has reason to hope he and his colleagues no longer face an existential threat.

Bushnell has been gung-ho about recycling. The sheer volume will be reflected in a schedule change later this month.

Currently, Waste Management picks up all the city's recycling at curbside every other week.

Mayor Steve Russell said the company has asked to expand its schedule.

He said, “They said that they would have to make the change because the recycling was going so much better in Bushnell than it had been.”

Russell said it's not just a matter of a greater volume of recyclables. He said a drive down any street shows more people are putting out their recycling containers.