Electric Slide Eastern Works with Other Illinois Schools to Negotiate with New Energy Company, Lessen Effects of Rate Freeze Expiration
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep January 2007 1-26-2007 Daily Eastern News: January 26, 2007 Eastern Illinois University Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2007_jan Recommended Citation Eastern Illinois University, "Daily Eastern News: January 26, 2007" (2007). January. 13. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2007_jan/13 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2007 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in January by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "TELL THE TRUTH AND DON'T BE AFRAID." W\NVV.DENNEWS.COM Electric slide Eastern works with other Illinois schools to negotiate with new energy company, lessen effects of rate freeze expiration By Graham Milldrum cost of $3.5 million a year. University Reporter Residential customers have been expecting about a 35 percent increase, but Eastern is As a result of the expiration of a 10-year-old considered a small commercial organization and rate freeze on Jan. 1, Eastern was expecting their subject to the higher rates. electric bills to more than double. One of the companies that lost the contract But thanks to collaboration with four other was Ameren, the schools' previous provider. state schools, the bill will only increase by 35.2 "This is a little strange," Cooley said. "All percent. the universities (in the cooperative) were ex "Am I happy with a 35 percent increase? Ameren customers. We'd thought they'd win No," said Jeff Cooley, vice president for business the bid." affairs. "But am I happier with 35 than 100 But there was no guarantee that Ameren percent? Yes." would automatically win the bid. Eastern worked with Southern Illinois "MidAmerican came in lowest, so they won University at Carbondale, Southern Illinois the bidding," said Gary Reed, director offacilities University at Edwardsville, Western Illinois planning and management. University and Illinois State University to Eastern has saved money by improving its negotiate a deal with .MJdAmcdcua Energy. energy efficiency. The Iowa-based energy company won the This includes cost-saving measures since 1995 contract with the schools in October and reached when the first attempts were made to reduce a final agreement late last year. The agreement utility costs on campus. provides for 24 months of purchasing electricity One major change was the replacement or from MidAmerican. alteration of 10,525 lighting fixtures to be more This will bring the total cost of electricity energy efficient. on campus from $1.8 million annually to $2.4 "We've been very proactive in reducing our million, as opposed to the originally projected costs," Cooley said. n SEE ELECTRIC , PAGE 5 METHAMPHETAMINES I OFFICIALS CITY COUNCIL I BOARD OF ZONING AND APPEALS Drug courts, task force help No decision reached on leases in battle against meth labs Set to expire in 2009, board doesn't come up Editor's note: 1his is the final meth labs seizures reached its peak with enough votes to make part in a three-part series about the in 2004 with 1,303, but last year danger of methamphetamines and the numbers began to fall to 1, 189. recommendation on future its effect on families. Dave Chambers, deputy chief of operations of Charleston Police By Rob Siebert By Meagan Morgan department and a police officer Senior City Reporter Feature Reporter since 1990, is a former drug task force agent. The city's Board of Zoning Drugs do not discriminate. During his six years as an agent, and Appeals made no official Methamphetamines avoided Chambers participated in several recommendation to the City the big cities and crept into quiet hundred raids. Initially finding Council regarding the leases on country towns, farming areas, rural cannabis and cocaine, his last three Lake Charleston properties at their communities. years on the job were dedicated to meeting Thursday night. It refused to leave. meth-related seizures. The board was unable to JOHN BAILEY I THE DAILY EASTERN HEWS Meth labs can be disguised as Chambers investigated and gather enough votes to make a City attorney Brian Bower speaks to members of the zoning board old barns, homes or even truck dismantled meth labs, took samples recommendation to take any about Lake Charleston residents and their property taxes Thursday. beds and produce a highly addictive and prepared the waste for disposal. action. stimulant that can be snorted, He encountered conditions that The board's options were to let a vote on the matter and let their to lease the property after 2009. smoked, injected or ingested. The required the Environmental the leases expire in 2009, grant opinion be known. Wood said that the city hasn't finished product affects many facets Protection Agency, fire hazards, residents new leases, let them "I think all we're doing is come up with a sufficient plan for of society. labs on fire and people exposed to purchase the property or to use the throwing this on the City Council's doing anything berter with the Law enforcement, social workers anhydrous ammonia, a dangerous land for recreational purposes. shoulders," Jacobs said. land. and judges are doing their parts to component in meth production. Board members Brian Neal was disappointed with the He added that the lake front intervene and contain the problem. Chambers found children living Myerscough, Tim Jacobs and outcome of the vote, wishing the property isn't fit for recreational Although slowly declining, under these circumstances many chairman Mike Neal voted against board could have given both the purposes with or without the methamphetamine lab seizures have times. continuing to lease the property council and the leaseholders a more homes, and that sufficient increased in recent years bearing a "We made a significant number after 2009. Members Jim Wood concrete decision. evidence had not been provided to heavy load on all involved. of child endangerment arrests," and Gary Guildner voted in favor The final decision on the marter link the leaseholders to the lake's Chambers said. of it. Ann Brownson was absent rests with the City Council, Jacobs pollution. The Raid Coles County, once No. 1 in from the meeting. reminded the chairman. Neal said that granting the The total reported lab seizures Illinois for meth lab seizures, is Although an official "I think you're looking for a residents another lease would in Illinois was 743 in 2002 and currently ranked sixth, which recommendation could not be solution that wasn't going to come ultimately revive this same dilemma jumped to 1,244 the next year, Chambers is happy about. made, Jacobs said the City Council here tonight anyway," he said. whenever they expired. according to the Illinois Attorney ultimately would get what they Board member Wood was General's Web site. The number of n SEE METH, PAGE 5 wanted, as each board member cast adamantly in favor of continuing n SEE ZONING, PAGE 5 newsstaff Production staff About The Daily Eastern News The Daily Eastern News is produced 17t the students Globalization makes studying Night dlief .............................................. 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