Boone County Watchdog

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Belvidere Teachers Starting Without New Contract

By: Shannon Smith - Email Posted: Thu 4:46 PM, Aug 14, 2014 By: Shannon Smith - Email

BELVIDERE (WIFR) – Teachers are back to work in the Belvidere School District, however they’re without a new contract.

The President of the Belvidere Education Association says he doesn’t want to go on strike or protest. He says he just wants better services for kids, especially special needs students in a new contract.

Mark Luthin is the president and a biology teacher at Belvidere North High School. He says teachers are fighting for smaller class sizes, claiming it hurts the quality of learning for students. Luthin says another sticking point is for the district to attract and keep teachers in the area. He says he doesn’t want it to come to a strike, but if they did, that wouldn’t happen for another six weeks according to state law.

Superintendent Michael Houselog says the district is working with the state to make sure they’re compliant with the requirements for special needs classes. He says the board has offered teachers a raise. Houselog says he is optimistic about coming to an agreement with the BEA.

The School Board meets Monday, however they won’t be voting on a contract. Luthin says he’s agreed to mediation with the district, scheduled for September 3rd.

The above is taken from: http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/Belvidere-Teachers-Starting-Without-New-Contract-271303481.html

Decision could boost use of popular weed killer By

MARY CLARE JALONICK 22 hours ago 0 shares

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to rule this fall on Dow AgroSciences' application to market Enlist, a new version of the 2,4-D herbicide that's been around since the 1940s. It's partly a game of catch-up for the agriculture industry, as many farmers are dealing with weeds that have become resistant to glyphosate, an herbicide commonly used on corn and soybeans now.

If approved, the 2,4-D would be used in combination with glyphosate.

An Agriculture Department decision on the company's genetically modified seeds also is expected this fall. In the department's final environmental review released last week, the USDA recommended approval. The agency said that if both the seeds and herbicide are approved, the use of 2,4-D could increase by an estimated 200 to 600 percent by the year 2020

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

City of Belvidere wages & benefits

The following list is available for all city employees on the city’s website at: http://www.ci.belvidere.il.us/images/filecabinet/comp%20report%20fy2015.pdf

Page 2 and 9 are printed below as an illustration. Total compensation for Mayor Chamberlain is $90,506. Fire Chief Worrell appears to have the highest total compensation—$129,750.

Belvidere Amtrak station plans near completion

In answer to some questions at the Boone County Fair this article is being posted. The highlighted areas are for specific questions asked.

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star
Posted Jul. 3, 2014 @ 4:00 pm

BELVIDERE — Construction of a Belvidere Amtrak station could begin before the end of 2014.

“I’m hoping to get started this year, but there are still a lot of steps to go through,” Belvidere Mayor Mike Chamberlain said.

The city will meet with engineers in the next two or three weeks to review technical aspects of the station’s design.

Stephen Ernst, executive director of the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning, said that Boone County and Belvidere are “well along the way” toward finalizing construction plans.

The station and transit center would be built along existing train tracks north of City Hall between Main and State streets, according to a multi-phase downtown development proposal from 2005 posted on the City of Belvidere’s website.

Chamberlain said that the station could be completed toward the end of 2015.

According to the 2005 plan, once the station is complete, an initial phase of government, residential, commercial, retail and mixed-use development would be implemented over the next five years and would expand City Hall and the Boone County Historical Museum to create a “civic campus” around the station.

Chamberlain said the Amtrak station is the first step in connecting Belvidere to Chicago and Rockford through a commuter rail that he hopes will drive downtown development.

Ernst said that the line will begin transporting passengers in 2015 on a single train with plans to add a second train in 2016.

In four or five years, Chamberlain hopes enough trains will be added to allow residents to live in Belvidere and commute to work in Chicago or Rockford, or vice versa.

Chamberlain also said a plan is being discussed to develop a shuttle system with busses that would take Rockford commuters who don’t want to use a proposed west Rockford train station to the Belvidere one.

“I think they’ll come here instead of going to the west side of Rockford,” Chamberlain said.

Statistics for Boone County and Rockford MSA

Belvidere-Boone County is a fast-growing community on the I-90 corridor immediately next to the Chicago metro area. Since 2000, Boone County has been the 5th fastest-growing county in Illinois, and the fastest-growing outside of the Chicago metro area. Companies locating here will find a strong workforce and easy access to the major markets of the Midwest.

Demographics by Age

347,722
54,11

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010-2012 American Community Survey estimates

Above is taken from: http://growthdimensions.org/resources/demographics-statistics

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Illinois governor, opponent clash over investments

By SARA BURNETT August 11, 2014 8:17 AM 0 shares

Quinn, who releases his full returns each year, said wealthy people and corporations that use offshore investments are "not patriotic." …

"Bruce Rauner is not running for governor of the Cayman Islands," he said.

THE RESPONSE

Rauner's campaign said Quinn "should be ashamed of himself" for questioning his opponent's patriotism. Spokesman Mike Schrimpf also said Rauner — who reported making $53 million in 2012 — and his wife paid more than $25 million in taxes over the past three years.

But Rauner's campaign again declined to release further tax documentation, calling it a political stunt meant to distract from Quinn's own record. The campaign says Rauner filed for a six-month extension of his 2013 tax returns, and the return will be made public before the Nov. 4 election.

THE STATE PENSIONS

The Rauner campaign also accused Quinn of a double standard because his pension fund, as well as retirement funds for teachers and other state workers, are heavily invested overseas.

"Pat Quinn either needs to apologize to Bruce Rauner for lying about the facts or apologize to Illinois teachers and state workers for calling them unpatriotic," the campaign said. If Quinn won't apologize, it said, he should immediately move to divest all state investments from overseas companies and funds.

Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said state pension boards decide how to invest money and are independent entities. Quinn's future pension is fixed, she added.

"Governor Quinn's bank accounts are all located in Illinois, United States of America," Anderson said.

Labor Day parade will stay in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rockford Register Star
Posted Aug. 11, 2014 @ 5:15 pm
Updated at 11:18 PM

ROCKFORD — Aldermen voted Monday to authorize the Labor Day parade to march through downtown Rockford again this year after organizers warned they may hold festivities elsewhere.

City Council members voted 9-2 to approve a permit needed for the Labor Day parade that’s three weeks away. Aldermen Venita Hervey and Ann Thompson-Kelly voted against. The vote came after nearly a half hour of debate.

Aldermen balked at approving the permit last week after some objected to the $100 fee politicians are charged to march and the requirement that participants have a union sponsor in order to join the parade. Council members decided to send the issue back for committee review in hopes parade organizers may drop the fee and sponsorship requirement. But those requirements stayed and organizers warned a lack of support from the City Council could force them to hold the parade elsewhere.