The Clinton City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget Tuesday night.

City Administrator Taylor Baxter believes there are a lot of positive things to tout with this year's budget. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, he told Regional Radio that among them is the fact revenues for the City are up.

While revenues are up, Baxter points out costs are also going up. Inflation has a lot to do with it. He explains they have to dip into reserves to cover some major projects that are on the books for this budget.

According to Baxter, you will not be happy to hear your water bills is increasing again. It was late last year, the DeWitt County Sanitation District announced they would be increasing their fees for a new plant and now the City of Clinton will increase its rates due to rising costs.

For many years now, the City's pensions for police and fire have been well funded and it has been something city officials have touted. Baxter applauds City Treasurer Clint Lichtenwalter for his diligence and foresight to make sure those funds are healthy.

Another driving for the rising costs for this upcoming budget is the latest increase in minimum wage which touches so many departments within the City.

Despite some of the tough things to hear, Baxter says the City of Clinton is in a very sound position financially and credits City departments for diligent budgeting and setting the City up for long-term success. 

Last month, the Clinton Board of Education approved the resignation of first-year Clinton Elementary School Principal Kelly Morrison.

Earlier this month, the Board of Education approved the hiring of Paul Ranstead. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, Superintendent Curt Nettles told Regional Radio Ranstead stood out among the other candidates for the position.

While the applicant pool for the position was not a large number, Nettles believes they had quality candidates with several who would have made great principals at Clinton Elementary School.

Nettles had high praise for Ranstead saying they searched high and low and found no one that could say anything bad about him. Nettles believes Ranstead will be a great leader.

Many may question the longevity of Ranstead in the district as this will be the building's third principal in three years. While he recognizes that is accurate, he says you know when you've got a good administrator. 

Ranstead comes to Clinton from Decatur where he is an elementary 

The Governor is still pushing for nearly a billion dollars to rebuild two prisons.

JB Pritzker wants Statesville and Logan to be torn down and replaced. Not everyone is on board with what they claim are many unknowns. Public input will be coming at hearings, but the Governor says both have long outlived their usefulness.

A press release from the Department of Corrections says Statesville in Joliet will be torn down and rebuilt. The release doesn’t specify if the Logan facility would be rebuilt on its existing footprint in Logan County, near Lincoln. It’s one of two prisons dedicated to female inmates.

Farmer City is exploring regulating its own zoning ordinances.

City Manager Sue McLaughlin indicates the County of DeWitt is the governing body for zoning in Farmer City but they are finding out what it would take to make that happen for themselves.

According to McLaughlin, the process of adopting ordinances already in place at the County level and making them Farmer City's ordinances is not difficult.

McLaughlin points to some of the growth happening in the community as its primary reason for wanting to take charge of its own zoning.

The City of Farmer City is looking for members for its zoning board of appeals. She notes that would be a board that meets about twice a year. If interested, reach out to Farmer City Hall for more information. 

The University of Illinois Extension was in Springfield this week advocating for funding for its services.

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Terri Miller-Casey, Extension Director for Logan, Menard, and Sangamon Counties, indicates she was among several Extension personnel getting in front of Illinois lawmakers advocating for its services and benefits to its communities.

One of the messages from Miller-Casey and her peers is the fact the University of Illinois system and other public university campuses are also very important to their operations.

Extension has many great local and state programs coming up that are always free and many are even archived on their website, extension.illinois.edu. 

You can Google search to find your local Extension office. We'll have more with Miller-Casey on some of those programs coming up soon on Regional Radio. 

Wapella fire was called to a rural shed fire on Monday afternoon off US Highway 51 between Clinton and Wapella just after 3:30 pm.

Flames were through the roof when crews arrived and crews responded with a master stream of water. Water supply became an issue for a short time before crews were able to recover a steady stream. 

Wapella Fire was assisted at the scene by the Clinton Fire Department and Randolph Fire Department. 

The roof of the structure had fallen and the Village of Wapella provided a backhoe to remove the roof from inside the structure. 

The fire was extinguished without any further damage to adjacent buildings.

Authorities estimate another barn structure was within approximately 30 feet and additional concerns of power connecting the two buildings. 

Crews were on scene for approximately three hours. 

No injuries were reported in the incident and the building and its contents are a total loss. 

The cause of the fire is accidental. 

Authorities thank Dewitt County EMS, the DeWitt Sheriff's Office, The Village of Wapella, and DeWitt County CenCom for their assistance in this event and all the others they encounter. 

The turkey hunting season opens this week in Illinois and that means an annual overlap of turkey hunters and mushroom hunters.

On the WHOW Morning Show Monday, Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Capt. John Williamson told Regional Radio the overlaps can cause quite a stir at Clinton Lake.

According to Capt. Williamson, if you're going to mushroom hunt on State property, you need to make sure it is open for mushroom hunting.

Capt. Williamson reminds the DNR app and website have access to a lot of things outdoorsmen may need like getting fishing licenses and regulations for your local recreation area. 

Visit dnr.illinois.gov or find the DNR app by searching 'Illinois Outdoors' on the Apple Store or Google Play. 

An above-average temperature trend has dominated the midwest this spring and while it is carrying into the summer months, we're not looking at a record summer for heat.

Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln indicates we could see more storm activity than usual this summer but in terms of extreme heat, nothing he is seeing would suggest we're in for an unbearable summer.

The El Nino of the winter has moved on and the planet is starting to transition to a La Nina trend for the winter. Shimon indicates we'll see our share of very hot summer days, but it won't be prolonged summer heat.

April is trending above normal for temperatures the rest of the month and the rest of the spring remains in an above-normal temperature and precipitation trend - so will get our share of April showers.

An effort to update estate tax law in Illinois is gaining traction. Bi-partisan legislation has been filed this spring called the Family Farm Preservation Act. Whiteside County farmer Jeff Brooks of Prophetstown testified on behalf of the measure in front of the Illinois House Revenue Committee last Friday.

The legislation has 23 sponsors in the Illinois House and 20 in the State Senate.

Cases of autism in adults are underreported. That's the word from OSF Healthcare and Dr. Theresa Regan...

It can be harder to diagnose autism as an adult as it intersects with other conditions. Nevertheless, Dr. Regan is hoping that more open discussion of autism among adults will get people to see their doctor and discuss the topic.

The Clinton Chamber of Commerce annual business expo saw a lower turnout and lower participation this year.

While that's the admission of Executive Director Janice Peterson, she believes there are things they can do next year to rebound and return the expo to the great event it was for many years.

According to Peterson, the survey they send out that follows up the expo with the exhibitors is asking for the time to be scaled back more. This year the Chamber scaled back the length of the expo by 30 minutes. Peterson also heard positive things from exhibitors.

The public also suggested the Chamber offer some sort of food or concession at future expos. She thought that was a good suggestion.

She anticipates changes for next year and hopes to see more participation from both exhibitors and the community. 

The biggest fundraiser of the year for a central Illinois non-profit is later this month.

Breann Titus is the Director of Agency Impact with Community Action and says their 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' event comes up on April 27. It is a night of music, food, and fun.

Titus believes two things make 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' a must-attend for their supporters and it's the food and the casual nature of the night. She says they feed their supporters great food and offer a relaxed atmosphere.

Cheeseburger in Paradise is a fundraiser for Community Action that helps them bridge the gap between what grants they receive and where those grants end but the community still needs support.

Titus says there are still tickets available for this year's event. Find information at capcil.info or find Community Action on Facebook. 

Last week on Regional Radio, we highlighted options for anyone on Social Security who may have received an overpayment from the agency.

It doesn't happen often but Jack Myers at Social Security says there are options for those who do and there's a reason for some of the changes made that were highlighted last week. Among those include Social Security reframing guidance and procedures so that the burden of proof shifts away from the claimant in determining whether there is any evidence that the claimant was at fault in causing the overpayment. 

Reporting responsibilities vary depending on the type of benefit you receive. Myers points to circumstances like supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based benefit - therefore any change to your income, resources, or living arrangement could affect eligibility and should be reported to Social Security. Additionally, Social Security benefits that are based on disability have a monthly earned income limit. 

Myers adds receipt of a pension based on work that was not taxed by Social Security will most likely impact your Social Security benefit and should be reported.

There is a lot to consider on this topic but again, Myers points anyone wanting more specific questions answered to contact your local Social Security office and speak directly to a representative. Or visit the 'Overpayment Fact Sheet' available in the publications section of www.ssa.gov.

Coming off the inaugural Illinois Sustainable Aviation Fuel Conference, organizers are determining what’s next. Here’s I-L Corn’s Public Policy Manager Rachel Dame.

The initial Illinois S-A-F Conference was last month in Lisle.

Robocalls are back in big numbers after a decline during the pandemic and are presenting a possible threat to us all. 

If you answer your phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live voice on the other end, it’s a robocall. Scammers often use this method to try and get your personal information, money, or both. Better Business Bureau Investigator Don O’Brien says there are some exceptions to the no-call registry.

If you haven’t given a company permission to call you, then these marketing calls are likely illegal. The best way to avoid the pitfalls presented by these scammers, O’Brien says, is to just hang up the phone.

Severe weather can pop up at any time, including in the middle of a youth sports event.

That's why the National Weather Service is encouraging organizers of events this spring and summer to have plans in place for getting players, coaches, and spectators to safety when storms pop up around their events.

That's Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln who points those event planners to weather.gov for planning resources, weather forecasts, and much more.

A central Illinois non-profit will once again offer an online auction as part of its biggest fundraiser of the year.

The online auction opens next week for Community Action's 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' fundraiser. Director of Community Impact, Breann Titus indicates the online auction was a byproduct of having to cancel the event during COVID.

On the WHOW Morning Show Friday, Titus told Regional Radio the online auction has a good mix of simple packages and more elaborate offerings.

'Cheeseburger in Paradise' comes up on Saturday, April 27. The online auction opens on Tuesday morning. Visit capcil.info for more on the online auction or tickets to 'Cheeseburger in Paradise'. 

The DeWitt County Sheriff's Office is in the midst of a radio upgrade.

Sheriff Mike Walker explains the current radio system they have is starting to become too outdated to be effective and they are going to an improved system that is similar to something they had 30 years ago.

According to Sheriff Walker, the new radio system will be funded with ARPA funds. He notes this will not only benefit the Sheriff's office but most first responder agencies in the County.

Many have questioned why the Sheriff's Department wants to go to digital radios but Sheriff Walker says it is becoming an issue of officer safety. It's a trend that many law enforcement agencies are going to nationwide.

The digital communication system for the Sheriff's office leads to many questions about those who listen to police scanners. The Sheriff has more thoughts on that and we'll hear more from the Sheriff next week on Regional Radio. 

Social Security announced some changes to how Social Security collects overpayment and options that people have if they get overpaid.

If you are overpaid, you will receive an overpayment notice and you will have a few options. On the WHOW Morning Show Thursday, Jack Myers at Social Security told Regional Radio you can repay the overpayment. If you agree with the overpayment and are currently receiving benefits you can make payment through monthly benefit withholding, or a repayment plan.  If you are not currently receiving benefits you can make full or partial payments using www.pay.gov, your bank’s online bill pay option, or writing a check. 

If you do not respond to an overpayment notice, the default withholding will be 10% of their benefit instead of 100% as it has been in the past. Myers notes this will be similar to the way SSI overpayments are collected.

Even with an SSA-634 and proof of your income and expenses, the lowest repayment plan we can approve is $10 per month. According to Myers, Social Security does not charge interest on overpayment debt. If you disagree with the facts of the overpayment or believe the amount is incorrect you can request a review of the decision.

If you believe you did not cause the overpayment, the overpayment is unfair, or you can’t afford to repay the overpayment, you can request to relieve some or all of the amount due.

You can visit or call your local Social Security office or 1-800-772-1213.

There's much more to consider on this topic and we'll have more on that next week on Regional Radio. 

Farmers across the state should have a good window for planting Friday through early next week with dry conditions and warm temperatures in the forecast. A few reminders from Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Transportation and Infrastructure Rodney Knittel (hard K).

Only two percent of the state’s corn and soybean crops are in the ground.

The coolest thing made in Illinois is a million-pound truck. 

The Illinois Manufacturers Association puts on a yearly contest to find the item and this year it’s a mining truck from Komatsu. Dan Funcannon, a VP with the company says it’s a great honor to win.

The truck can haul 400 tons and was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest.

A new leader is coming for the Illinois Department of Insurance.

This week Governor JB Pritzker announced that State Senator Ann Gillespie from Arlington Heights would take over as the acting director of the agency. Currently the Governor is pushing for broad changes to the regulation of the health insurance industry. Pritzker says there isn’t a connection to her entry to the position and his proposed changes.

The Health Care Protection act if passed would allow the department to approve or reject health insurance rate increases for some plans and insurers.

The DeWitt County Development Council has long been a partner with a local group that gives high school students an immersive experience in the world of owning and operating a business. 

DCDC Executive Director Curt Homann explains they have invested in the Central Illinois CEO program since day 1 and believe it is an investment worth making in the next generation of business owners.

According to Homann, the CEO program offers not only business lessons to young people in our school systems but also gives them new perspectives on their outlooks on the communities they live in.

Homann says one of the benefits of the CEO program is the fact students are introduced to so many opportunities and businesses in their communities. He also believes that students having a safe place to fail creates a great learning environment for them. 

A challenge for Piatt County authorities in recent years has been communication coverage from top to bottom of the County.

That problem continues its correction as Sheriff Mark Vogelzang calls it a big project that continues on with an eye towards having everything done by this summer. 

The Sheriff reminds they have had communication troubles in various parts of Piatt County because of its size. He says this upgrade will allow them better coverage from top to bottom.

The Department of Justice provided a grant that has helped them cover the roughly $650,000 and it has taken over two years to get to where they are at. 

You are invited to the Decatur Area Arts Council this summer for a special exhibit that will highlight the railroad system in Decatur and central Illinois.

Jerry Johnson is the Executive Director of the Arts Council and says if you have artifacts that tie into the railroad system of central Illinois, they hope you might be willing to temporarily loan those to the Arts Council for this exhibit. 

Johnson indicates they already have some great things in the collection for the exbibit but your item or artifact could be just what they need.

Again, the exhibit coordinator is Hannah Lyons. Visit DecaturArts.org for more information on contacting the Museum. Also find them on social media on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.