Chester debates animal shelter Page 5 Inside This Issue Write-in candidates ........ Pg. 3 CC Haberman property ........ Pg. 3 COUNTY J OURNAL Looking back ................ Pg. 10 JJ Serving Randolph, Perry And Jackson Counties Since 1980 Percy mayor’s race ........ Pg. 12 Randolph board............ Pg. 13 E’ville school roof ........ Pg. 19 © Copyright 2013, County Journal www.countyjournalnews.com Volume 34 Number 8 24 Pages Your Local News Leader Thursday, February 21, 2013 60¢ Young Knight Hawk coal miner is killed A coal miner working at Knight Hawk’s Prairie Eagle under- ground mine just north of the Percy tee was killed the night of February 13. Dead is Timothy Chamness, 28, of Royalton. He was pronounced dead at 9:08 p.m. at the mine. The accident occurred at about 8:30. Amy Louviere of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administra- tion said Chamness was pinned between a coal rib and a continu- ous mining machine. “We believe he was operating the machine,” she said. “He had its remote control, and they gen- erally use remote control to op- erate the machine.” Louviere said she was not sure Walsh fire if anyone witnessed the accident. A house in Walsh was destroyed by fire during the late afternoon and night Monday. The Evansville More information might be avail- alarm was sounded at 5:05, and the call was at the home of the Chad and Cathy Goble family, which able later. Tim Chamness includes three children, at 7828 Baldwin Road. The house is owned by Brian Stellhorn and Cathy The incident resulted in Knight Zanders as rental property. Fire Chief Darren Kempfer said the Gobles were at home at the time, got Hawk’s first fatal accident since Knight Hawk operates five coal out safely and went to a neighbor’s house. He also said he is 95 percent certain the fire started from an the company began operation. mines in the local area and a barge electrical problem on the second story of the house. The fire rekendled, and firemen were called back The company issued a state- loading dock south of Chester. The at 9:30. The blaze is being investigated by the fire marshal’s office, but Kempfer said he does not consider ment Thursday. company has about 350 employ- foul play to be involved. The fire resulted in a total loss to the family, and they are being helped by the “We grieve the loss of one of our ees. Red Cross. Evansville was assisted by fire departments from Baldwin and Sparta. own,” the statement read. “Our The Prairie Eagle underground deepest sympathies go to his fam- mine opened in July of 2006. ily. The safety of our employees The accident victim’s mother is paramount, and this accident Jean Chamness is a teacher in the Defiant Percy board hires Rednour affects all of us profoundly.” Trico schools. David Rednour can only hope O’Dell and Lila Ashby. that the rest of his career as Loyde Hyde cast the lone no Trico puts off major cuts Percy’s police chief won’t be as vote. His contention, as was that By Greg Myers we should be getting for transpor- tumultuous as it began. of many in the room who op- With a number of programs and tation, and you can see why cost- Amid a chamber full of resi- posed the hiring, was that the extra curricular activities on the cutting moves have to be made.” dents opposed to hiring Red- financially strapped town can- table to be cut, only junior high The decision to eliminate junior nour and a smattering of those not afford to pay a police chief graduation received the ax at the high graduation saved the district supporting the return of a full- $40,000 plus insurance and Trico school board meeting Feb- only around $1,000 annually. time police chief, the Percy other benefits, upkeep on cars ruary 18. Where Trico cut the majority of its Town Board, by a 4-1 vote, hired and equipment and continued Junior high graduation will go expenses for next year was in per- Rednour last Thursday as its use of part-time officers. on as scheduled for this school sonnel. chief for one year. “Show me how you’re gonna year, but it will be the last one “After a tremendous amount of The motion to hire Rednour, pay for this,” Hyde said to his for the district. discussion, the board has decided made by board member Brian fellow board members. Also on the table to be cut but to take three teaching positions Aldridge, did not include the Just last month, the board being saved for now is football, and absorb them,” said Smith, re- salary. agreed to borrow $10,000 from high school girls golf, junior var- ferring to the district’s decision to The lack of the salary in the the fire department fund to pay sity baseball and softball, junior not replace two retiring teachers motion is worth noting because its bills. Apparently, only about high volleyball, fifth and sixth- and a teacher who is resigning. last month, some board mem- $5,000 was needed. grade basketball and freshmen/ By not replacing those three bers said the hiring of Rednour After the meeting, Hyde also sophomore basketball. teachers, the district will save at $40,000 a year was just a ru- said he was upset over the fact David Rednour “The sports programs were not around $180,000 in next year’s mor. After the vote was taken, that the board members who to come to those meetings and cut because of the amount of feed- budget. Mayor Dale Yates confirmed voted to hire Rednour ignored voice their concerns,” Hyde said. back we received from the par- The board voted to honorably dis- the $40,000 figure. the wishes of residents who took “They got involved, but their ents,” said board President Brian miss four employees, including Along with Aldridge, board the time to attend the last two elected representatives refused Chapman. “Based on the feed- district band director Ayrielle members voting to hire Red- board meetings. back, parents are willing to con- Chamberlain. On the vote to dis- nour were Jacque Young, Joe “A lot of people took the time Continued on Page 5_________ sider paying an increase in ath- miss Chamberlain, board member letic fees. That, along with other Gerald Speith was the lone no cost-saving measures and fund- vote, and Bryan Coleman was ab- raising opportunities, were the sent. Was Percy board’s action legal? reasons why those programs When a parent asked why Cham- were not cut. That doesn’t mean berlain was dismissed, Smith they won’t be cut in the future.” stated since it is a personnel is- The Percy Town board hired February 14 meeting makes no opinion that the board’s vote to Superintendent Jack Smith said sue, he could not comment. He did David Rednour as the town’s mention of hiring a full-time po- hire Rednour violated the Open with the district’s financial situ- say that the band program would full-time police chief by a 4-1 lice chief or of hiring Rednour. Meetings Act. ation, he would make it work for continue, and more information vote Thursday, February 14, The board did go into executive He also cited a similar, though this year. However, more cuts about the program will eventually but whether or not the action session at the meeting but stated not exact, court case in which will have to be made next year, come out. was taken legally is open to de- it was for the purpose of review- an Illinois appellate court up- and those cuts will have to be Also being honorably dismissed bate. ing the minutes of past closed held a lower court’s ruling that steeper. were bus driver Dennis Bollmeier, According to the Illinois Open sessions. Upon returning to open action taken by the Adams “We are getting payments from bus aide Deana Rodman and el- Meetings Act and the Illinois At- session, the only action the board County Board of Trustees was the state but only at 89 percent ementary aide Tonya Bilderback. torney General’s website, a took from the executive session invalid because the subject of of what they promised,” said As part of the district’s reduction “public body cannot take action was to vote to not release the the action did not appear on the Smith. “There is also talk that in force moves, bus driver Debra or make any decision with re- closed session minutes to the agenda. next year, school districts will Johnson’s hours were cut from six gard to items or topics not on public. The court also said a vague only receive 80 percent of its to four hours a day, and elemen- the agenda of a regular meet- Don Craven, a Springfield attor- listing on an agenda, such as funding from the state. You com- tary aide Rhonda Meyerhoff’s ing.” ney representing the Illinois bine that with the fact we are re- The agenda distributed at the Press Association, said it is his Continued on Page 5_________ ceiving only 49 percent of what Continued on Page 5_________ Page and Crossland in race to take over Chester mayor’s seat By Greg Myers hotels in Chester. Donal McKinney, who served as The municipal elections are a “The official record will reflect chief during Eggemeyer’s first little more than six weeks away, McKinney to retire July 1 that I voted to not release TIF term in office.