Morton Fire Department is featured in a recent magazine article about their cost-cutting measures.
Trustee Tony Huette revealed at the Oct. 17 village board meeting that the recent refurbishing of the rescue vehicle saved the department $180,000, as opposed to purchasing a new vehicle.
Mayor Norm Durflinger recently returned from a trip to China, where he met, networked and learned about Morton’s sister city, Tiantai.
Most of the trip was filled with press conferences and presentations with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, where he discussed the Chicago Convention Center.
“This was a process for these investors to spend on this development,” Durflinger said.
Morton Village Board will vote next month on a proposed on-street bike lane to run along Jefferson Street.
A second public hearing on the bike lane was held during Monday’s village board meeting.
Rep. Keith Sommer announced his plans to run for reelection for the 88th District in Illinois.
Sommer, a Morton resident, represents Morton, Washington, parts of Pekin, East Peoria, Groveland, Deer Creek and Mackinaw in Tazewell County, along with Danvers, Stanford, McLean and a section of Bloomington in McLean County.
The candidate forum Thursday night to introduce candidates before the April 5 election focused around one hot topic: District 709’s $12.5 million referendum, which will also be voted on April 5.
When an Illinois appeals court last week ruled the state’s funding plan for its 2009 capital construction program is unconstitutional, Illinois State Sen. Shane Cultra went on the offensive.
The Business District Commission has selected a firm that will undertake the planning for business district improvements.
Members of the commission approached the Morton Village Board Monday night to recommend the firm for approval.
The Village Board agreed to pay $70,000 of funds allocated from business district sales tax revenue to Houseal Lavigne, a Chicago-based firm that develops community plans, including economic development and urban design.
Tazewell County Justice Center corrections officers voted last week to issue a vote of no confidence in Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston.
The vote totals were 28 votes of no confidence and five votes of confidence. Fifteen corrections officers did not participate in the vote.
Huston, after receiving notification of the vote Friday morning, conducted an afternoon press conference, surrounded by area mayors, Tazewell County Board Chairman David Zimmerman and other county board members, police chiefs, county sheriffs, businessmen and other supporters.
Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston addressed some campaign issues alongside his opponent Ron Davis of Pekin at the East Peoria Eggs and Issues breakfast at the Par-A-Dice Hotel Friday morning.
Economic efficiency of the Tazewell County Jail operations was the No. 1 issue addressed, including the possibility of privatizing the jail and dealing with budget and workforce reductions and costly lawsuits.
Morton school board members and administrators are attending District 709 PTO meetings in an attempt to provide information and field questions regarding the district’s facilities plan.
“We have made significant progress on 32 of 46 action items,” Morton Economic Development Council executive director and CEO Jennifer Daly touted Sept. 7 during a village board meeting at Freedom Hall.
To backup her statements in support of the MEDC, Daly invited several business owners who have or are still working with the MEDC to better their business.
In the Tazewell County Department of Assessments and Board of Review office, Gary Twist fills the role of Freedom of Information Act officer. It is a role created by the state’s new Freedom of Information Act, which went into effect Jan. 1. Twist, however, is not in compliance with the law.
When asked, Twist admitted he had not completed the state required training on the new Freedom of Information Act and did not have the materials required to be available in plain sight under the act.
But, Twist was not alone.
While maintenance workers in Morton District 709 were busy over the summer, they were not as busy as in previous summers.
The state’s schedule for major repairs on one of the village’s busiest streets — and a new version of traffic signals for left turns on state highways — will test local motorists’ patience and skills possibly into next spring.
The public may never know why the Tazewell County Sheriff’s merit commission found no wrongdoing in the actions of three Tazewell County Justice Center corrections officers’ involved in striking a female prisoner.
Despite the fact that there is a widely circulated video showing two corrections officers confronting the female prisoner with what some maintain was excessive force, the merit commission ruled in favor of the officers and their supervisor. The officers have since been reinstated to their jobs.
Businesses in Old Morton are in for some welcome changes.
The Morton Village Board approved an ordinance Monday during a meeting at Freedom Hall that would wave existing parking requirements within the district.
The Tazewell County Board approved more than $100,000 in midyear budget reductions Wednesday in an attempt to make the process of setting next year's budget easier.
The board unanimously approved eliminating three full-time positions and one half-time position and transferring $107,000 budgeted to pay these salaries to the contingency line item. All of the positions were vacant, so nobody lost a job as a result of the cuts.
In his fifth state-of-the-village speech, perhaps Morton Mayor Norm Durflinger took a less aggressive approach than in years past.
Instead of hinting at the village’s agenda, Durflinger led the focus of the speech to what has been done in Morton. There were no immediate plans for controversial changes such as the ones residents have heard in the past — beer and wine in grocery stores, business districts or school restructuring.
Speaking in front of republican supporters at the Knights of Columbus Friday morning, State Sen. Dan Rutherford told onlookers that, if he is elected into the Illinois Treasurer’s spot, his first order of business would be to shut down six satellite treasurer’s offices in the state.
U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock visited Morton Thursday to tour Fort Transfer and then attend the annual state-of-the-village address presented by Morton Mayor Norm Durflinger. Watch the seven-minute video of Schock's comments here.
