Whether you followed the liquor license debates or the changes at the Morton Chamber of Commerce, it is hard not to consider 2008 the year of growth and change in Morton.

But, it is the stories that happened in between that made this year as interesting as any other in Morton.

Month by month, we take a look at the stories that happened this year to set the stage for 2009.

January
• The new year began with a rather controversial trial. Morton mother Karen McCarron, who suffocated her 3-year-old autistic daughter to death, stood trial at the Tazewell County Courthouse.

McCarron, who was considered a successful physician by family members and colleagues, entered a not guilty plea as her attorneys staged an insanity defense.

The trial, which was covered by national media, gained heavy local attention, not just in Morton.

Perhaps one of the more striking and memorable moments of the trial, which had been very emotional and sometimes gruesome, happened when assistant state's attorney Kevin Johnson called McCarron to the courtroom floor to reenact the moments leading up to her daughter's death.

Johnson, holding his fist in the air, had McCarron demonstrate how she suffocated her daughter with a plastic bag. By placing the bag over Johnson's fist, McCarron acted out the entire ordeal.

She was later found guilty on two charges of first-degree murder, one charge of concealment of a homicidal death and one charge of obstruction of justice, resulting in a 36-year prison sentence.

• The Morton Park District pushed its first-ever referendum in January, encouraging Morton residents to vote in favor of a new pool.

With the help of Friends of the Morton Pool, an organization that banded together to publicize the need for a new outdoor pool, the $4 million bond referendum later passed in February to pave the way for a brand new pool.

February
• Along with learning of a new pool, residents also learned about Tazewell County Resource Center officials' plans to build a new facility.

TCRC launched a capital campaign in February to help foot the cost of the new facility that services seniors and people with disabilities.

The old facility, located in the Field Shopping Center, was old, deteriorated and out of shape, TCRC CEO Ron Hale said.

Currently, TCRC officials are making a transition to the new facility on Highland.

• The Morton District 709 school board voted in favor of a drug-testing policy in February.

The policy, which took effect at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, required that any student participating in extracurricular activities be subject to random drug testing.

School board members voted unanimously to pass the policy. At the same time, they stressed to parents that the policy was not a “cure all” to drug abuse, but a way to recognize such problems at an earlier age.

“Drug testing is not the only answer,” superintendent Roger Kilpatrick said.

• The development of the new Apostolic Christian Restmor was completed in February.

The new $17.4 million facility, located at 1500 Parkside, trumped the size of its old facility on Jefferson by 29,800 square feet.

Residents, employees and volunteers alike praised the new facility as they assisted residents moving in on April 15.

“People like the home-like atmosphere,” said Donna Tupper, director of admissions and marketing for AC Restmor.

March
• Ossami Lake, a privately-owned lake located just off North Morton Avenue, received funding from the village of Morton to begin improvements to help alleviate siltation and contamination problems in the lake.

Ossami Lake Homeowner’s Association president Todd Curtis, who actively encouraged village board trustees to consider funding some of the lake’s improvements was thrilled to hear the village budgeted $100,000 toward the improvements.

“It’s huge,” Curtis said. “This board has done something no other board has done since 1960.”

• Morton Wal-Mart was evacuated one evening in March after what many shoppers described as a possible bomb threat.

The Morton Police Department never confirmed whether there was bomb threat but did acknowledge the store was evacuated.

The store re-opened 20 minutes after customers were evacuated.

• The Morton Times-News launched its first-ever Web site with live content.

By visiting www.mortontimesnews.com, readers now have access to more pictures, breaking news, videos, blogs and much more.

April
• Morton District 709 moved its headquarters into the former Grace Church, 1050 S. Fourth.

Superintendent Roger Kilpatrick said both the junior high and district officials needed more space.

“When the space (Grace Church) became available, we could see multiple uses for it,” Kilpatrick said.

Before moving into the former church, four district bookkeepers worked back to back in one room.

Now, each bookkeeper has more room to work and move around.

The junior high gained about four more classrooms after the transition.

Other benefits for district officials is having another auditorium for school performances, more storage areas, an area set up for technical training and five classrooms located in the lower level.

• The A&W Root Beer Stand became the Carius Root Beer Stand.

Owners Jim and Curt Carius said the change allowed them to be more flexible with their menu after leaving the A&W franchise.

“We decided it was time to go on our own, “ Jim Carius said. “There are several advantages of not being under a franchise because now, we can do what we like.”

May
• The Wall That Heals, a half-size replica of the 25-year-old Vietnam memorial, traveled to Morton for four days.

The wall occupied Jefferson School grounds in early May and was open 24 hours a day.

Veterans of past and current wars from around the country visited the memorial as it stopped in Morton.

Nationally-recognized authors and poets gave speeches and presented historical facts that also educated many students in Morton as they took trips to the memorial during school hours.

• Smithfield RMH Foods announced the closing of its retail shop, Rocke’s Meating Haus, located on Adams Street.

Since 1937, the specialty meat business occupied that location, offering residents the luxury to shop for holiday meats and other specialty foods.

“The hardest part is that we won’t get to see our customers on a daily basis,” said Jon Rocke, who currently runs the family-owned busines in Morton.

The decision came after Smithfield RMH Foods officials opted to transition to the fully-cooked entreé business.

Now, the business offers a special line of fully-cooked entreés that are now sold in grocery stores throughout the nation.

• The Morton Jaycees disbanded in May after experiencing trouble attracting new members.

Members of the Morton service club joined the Peoria chapter. Plans are in place to begin a Tazewell County Jaycees chapter.


June
• Morton Relay For Life surpassed the $1 million mark in 2008 after eight years of fundraising.

Morton’s Relay For Life campaign has now raised more than $1.2 million for the American Cancer Society since its inception in 2001, making it one of the most successful Relay campaigns in Central Illinois.

• Morton Economic Development Council named Jennifer Daly as the executive director.

Chamber officials entered into a staff-sharing agreement between the Morton Chamber of Commerce and the Morton Economic Development Council that will place Daly at the helms of both organizations as executive director Jan. 1.

July
• Along with announcing his plans to run for re-election, Morton mayor Norm Durflinger announced he was going to recommend to village board trustees that wine and beer be sold in grocery stores.

Durflinger mentioned the idea the year before, receiving minimal feedback compared to that of this year when residents realized the possibility was very real.

After months of debate among trustees, residents, local liquor store owners and grocery store representatives, the village later passed a final ordinance in December that allows grocery stores to sell beer and wine.

Since the passing of the ordinance, Kroger and Wal-Mart have applied for liquor licenses.

• The Arts in the Park program launched its first series of bands performing in Idlewood Park.

Bringing in musical talents which played jazz, bluegrass and blues, residents bought in to the idea, filling Idlewood park with chairs and coolers.

The series lasted through August and was touted as a big hit by planners.

August
• Morton Police Department deputy chief Tom Daab retired after 35 years with the force.

Craig Hilliard has since taken over the post as deputy chief.

• Ray Mason, considered Morton’s first attorney, retired at the age of 90.

When he was Morton’s village attorney, Mason helped establish the planning and zoning commission and several plans and ordinances to regulate the development of the community.

During his tenures, he helped sell the electric plant to CILCO, issued bonds for the construction of the current high school and served as legal adviser to the capital campaign committee for the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center.

Mason was later voted into the 2008 Illinois Senior Hall of Fame.

• The Morton Economic Development Council attracted its first business to Morton.

The MEDC announced Cornerstone Architectural Concepts will locate its new headquarters in Morton.

Cornerstone Architectural Concepts is a custom woodworking operation owned and operated by Jeff Kuykendall, a Morton native. The company was most recently located in the Pekin area, but a fire destroyed the facility. 

Cornerstone Architectural Concepts was the first employer to work directly with the new MEDC to consider a Morton location.

September
• The Pumpkin Festival experienced its rainiest season yet as three out of the four days the festival was open, rain saturated festival grounds, hampering attendance dramatically.

Surprisingly, every event took place, despite the rainy conditions.

Clifford Hasselbacher, the voice of Morton Community Bank, was the 2008 Pumpkin Festival parade marshal.

• The Morton High School Marching Band continued its success in 2008, taking home multiple grand champion trophies. The band later took first place in the Class 2A Illinois State University Marching Band Invitational in October.

October
• The village board voted in favor of increasing the villages hotel/motel tax by one percent.

After Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed legislation to allow Morton and East Peoria, both non-home-rule communities, to raise their hotel/motel tax, local legislators and officials worked to override the veto, which was successful.

Since then, the village has opted to direct the additional money from the hotel/motel tax increase toward the Peoria Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to help tourism-related efforts.

• Punkin Chuckin’ 2008 took place at the Uhlman Family Farm in rural Morton. The event, once again, received national recognition. Numerous videos from this year’s event can be found on YouTube.

• The Morton Police Department welcomed the first of two new officers in October. Officers Adam Burroughs and Josh Kober were selected among a large field of applicants that tested in July to join the local police department.

November
• A shooting occurred at the local Burger King on North Morton Avenue. After employees closed the doors to the business for the evening, a former boyfriend of one of the employees began shooting multiple rounds into the fast-food restaurant. Nobody was hurt in the incident and Morton police later located a suspect, Albert Thornton, 24, of Peoria, in the shooting.

Thornton was later charged at a Tazewell County hearing with aggravated discharge of a firearm.

• Mortonite David Zimmerman was voted in as Tazewell County board chairman. Zimmerman, won the election over Democrat Larry Noreuil of Hopedale, taking 58 percent of the votes.

The 47-year-old Zimmerman has served on the county board for the last 11 years, recently chairing the county finance committee.

Zimmerman said he wants to improve communication between board members and other elected officials and upgrade the county Web site, as well as hire a human resources professional for the county.

• The Chicago Sun-Times released its yearly high school report card, announcing its Top 50 list, which includes Morton High School.

Morton High School ranks as the 31st best high school in Illinois. In 2007, MHS was able to reach the 22nd position, but fell nine spots in 2008.

Other area schools included on the list are Dunlap High School, which ranked 17, a six-spot improvement over last year.

The results are based off of independent analysis of ISAT and PSAE exam scores.

• The Morton Community Foundation hosted its first-ever Christmas tree lighting event. Labeling it the “Tree of Dreams,” the 21-foot Christmas tree was donated to the foundation and later illuminated by village officials during a ceremony that drew unexpected numbers of onlookers.

December
• The MEDC launched its Web site, www.mortonedc.org. offering businesses and residents an one-stop shop for commerce in Morton.

• The Morton High School Marching Band applied and was later accepted to perform in the inauguration parade for Barack Obama. The invitation has been popular news throughout Central Illinois, prompting non-Mortonites to send donations to help the band offset costs associated with the trip to Washington, D.C.

“It’s just amazing all the things that will be happening that day,” band director Jeff Neavor said. “I’ll be telling my grandkids about it.”

The band performs Jan. 20.