Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 4

IferalcMReview JkJ rx Wednesday, November 12, 2003 fi DKsdiflinig School board votes for hearing, with Dec. 9 decision on levy increase By KRISTA LEWIN Staff Writer dent Tom Sherman estimated the projected tax rate, set by the county, would increase from the 2002 rate of $4.21 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation to an estimated $4.79 per $100 of EAV. This means a taxpayer owning a home with a market value of $60,000 would pay an estimated $115.60 more per year, according to Superintendent Richard Berg. People carrying signs reading "No New Taxes" walked outside the school board office before the meeting. Bill Standerfer, one of the protesters and a member of the Coles County Landlord Association, said the taxpayers picketing the board office are supportive of education and funding for education.

However, the district has a surplus of almost $25 million, he said. Standerfer and several members of the association distributed flyers and began calling people to inform them of the meeting. Now that a hearing has been scheduled, he and others plan to educate the public about the potential tax increase and lobby school board members to vote against any potential increase in the levy. Standerfer said many Mattoon residents can't afford that increase. For many years, he has paid for the excess in taxes so he wouldn't have to increase rent, but that will change if the proposed levy is approved.

Some of his renters can barely pay their rent now, and the rent is below what it should be, he said. Because of the approval by voters of Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, commonly referred to as tax caps, the levy the school board sets in December will determine the baseline year for the district's funding in future years, Berg said. The board needs to set the levy so the district can meet operating expenses or it will have to go to the public for a referendum for increases, he said. Members of the audience noted concern that a large tax increase would cause people to move and hurt businesses. Edwin Wetzel, Coles County Taxpayers Association, said if the school board approves the recommended levy increase, it will deter residents from spending money at local businesses.

Wetzel said to look at all the stores that have closed in the mall and added, "You can't expect Mattoon to grow by taxing it to death." Krista Lewin can be reached at klewin or 238-6858. MATTOON Public interest peaked Tuesday as people overflowed the school board room to hear about a recommendation to increase the annual tax levy. During Tuesday's meeting, the Mat-toon school board voted to put the recommendation on public display and hold a hearing and consider approval of the increase during its Dec. 9 meeting. Board member Charles Young cast the sole vote against the hearing.

If approved, Assistant Superinten over cat hair DECATUR Cable outage blamed on fiber optic line A damaged fiber optic line is being blamed for an Insight Communications cable outage that began about 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to a recorded company message The affected area extends from Millikin University west to Hliopolis and south of U.S. 36 to Bowshire Lane Service is expected to be restored today. DECATUR Police investigate business burglaries Decatur police are investigating three possibly related burglaries of local businesses that occurred between closing time Sunday evening and opening Monday morning, said detective Sgt. Steve Chabak.

The burglars thwarted the alarm systems at Old Country Buffet, 3194 N. Water Papa John's Pizza, 3082 N. Main and Dollar General Store, 3797 E. U.S. 36, and forced entry to the businesses, Chabak said.

Entry was forced to two safes, but the burglars were unsuccessful in their efforts to break into a third safe, he said. "These are more than just your smash-and-grab burglars," Chabak said. "There have been other burglaries throughout the mid part of the state that have been similar." Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to contact the Decatur Police Department Detective Division at 424-2734 or CrimeStoppers at 423-8477. DECATUR Cash taken in Casey's robbery A man wielding a large kitchen knife took an undisclosed amount of cash from the Casey's General Store, 1671 S. Taylorville Road, about 8:35 p.m.

Monday. The man entered, confronted the two female employees and demanded money, said Decatur police detective Sgt. Steve Chabak. The man took some cash and fled. The robber was described as a white male in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, weighing about 180 pounds and wearing a black ski mask and dark shirt, pants and shoes, Chabak said.

The man also had reddish-blond hair on his chin, he said. Millikin students set benefit concert Millikin University students will sponsor the Deca-tur-Aid concert from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Nov. 15, at Lincoln Square Theatre to benefit local food banks. Cost of admission is two canned goods.

Bands will include Public Display of Funk, Ferdinand Fox, Fustercluck and Captain Seadog and the Swashbucklers. The concert is the students' project for their senior seminar course at Millikin. Lit -fw--i i. i Herald ReviewCarlos T. Miranda American Legion Post 370 veterans post the colors Tuesday morning during the Veterans Day Commemoration at Central High School.

Voices of Freedom Central students celebrate Veterans Day with special guests By TONY REID Staff Writer testing uncertain Custody decision leaves procedure up in the air By STEPHANIE POTTER Staff Writer DECATUR Macon County prosecutors got permission from an appellate court last week to genetically test cat hair they wanted to use as evidence in the custody battle over the son of murder victim Karyn Hearn Slover. But the custody case is over, pending appeals, and State's Attorney Scott Rueter would not say Monday whether his office plans to conduct the testing. "We're looking at the issue," Rueter said. Karyn Slover's ex-husband, Michael Slover and his parents, Michael Slover Sr. and Jeannette Slover, were convicted last year of her 1996 murder.

Prosecutors then successfully sought to remove 10-year-old Kolten Slover from the custody of her former sister-in-law, Mary Slover, who had adopted the boy in 1999. A Macon County judge placed Kolten in the custody of his maternal grandparents, Larry and Donna Hearn, last month. Prosecutors wanted to compare cat hair found in the car Karyn Slover was driving the day she disappeared with cat hair found in Mary Slover's former Springfield residence. They believed if the hair found in the car belonged to Mary Slover's cat, it would link her to the crime. Mary Slover has never been charged and maintains her innocence.

Prosecutors got permission to test the hair after appeals by the Slovers' appellate attorney were denied. Springfield attorney Daniel Davlantis, who represents Mary Slover, said he doesn't know whether the hair will be tested but doesn't think it proves anything. He has said Kolten played with the cats, and the hair could have been transferred from Kolten to his mother. "The problem with the cat hair in this case is there are multiple explanations for that if it is a match," he said. Davlantis is preparing an appeal for Slover in the custody case.

A permanency review to see how Kolten is progressing is set for today in Macon County Circuit Court. Stephanie Potter can be reached at or 421-7984. Central hammered the message home with a program of activities that featured an honor guard from American Legion Post 370 that fired a salute and played "Taps." A school choir sang the "Star-Spangled Banner," "Let Freedom Ring" and "The Fruits of a Selfless Heart." Former Central Superintendent Mark Gregory started the practice of marking Veterans Day in school about 10 years ago and says it still feels like the right decision. "This way we have the celebration here and invite the community in," said Gregory, 66. "The elementary schools also have their own programs, and the students participate and get a real feeling for what Veterans Day means and an appreciation for veterans themselves." Guest speaker was Maj.

Richard Hopkins, a Central graduate and Desert Storm veteran who now practices law in Missouri. He talked to students about the sacrifice of veterans across time, from the armed Colonists who faced down the British Army to the soldiers fighting and dying now in Iraq. He stood before the young faces wearing a green Army dress uniform that belonged to a late veteran of World War II. He told how this man's son had served in the Air Force in Vietnam, was shot down and almost killed, and then fought his way back to health. "But he would eventually die in the Pentagon where he worked killed when the plane hit on 911," he added.

Hopkins, a member of the Army Reserve, looked out at his audience and reminded them their freedom had cost plenty and might cost plenty again. "There are always those who want to take it away from us," he said. "And one day, without you, they may just do that." Tony Reid can be reached at treid or 421-7977. MOWEAQUA While students throughout Central Illinois spent the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month relaxing at home, Brent Morey was in school and glad to be there. Brent, 17, is a senior at Central High School, and his alma mater, along with the school district's entire 985-strong student population, celebrated Veterans Day in class.

"It's important to be here, to see these guys," said Brent, watching as white-haired veterans, special guests for the day, stood chatting in the school gym. "I respect these people a lot, and I think we need to see them to understand what's going on and what this day means," added Brent, who will join the Navy at the end of the school year. "I think for many kids, if they weren't here, they wouldn't know much about Veterans Day." NOTICE The Herald Review strives for accuracy. Readers who think an error has been published are encouraged to call the Herald Review newsroom at 421-6979. When an error is found, a correction will be published.

erald Review earns company's top operating unit honor Newspaper lauded for achieving Lee Enterprises Inc. top priorities, general excellence award Staff Report DAVENPORT, Iowa The Decatur Herald Review has been selected from 44 daily newspapers and nearly 200 other publications as the 2003 operating unit of the year in Lee Enterprises Inc. The award was announced Tuesday night by Mary Junck, president, chairman and chief executive officer of the company during the annual Presi times. This is true across the entire organization, from sales to reporting, to printing, to delivery; one person or one department cannot do it alona" Jim Hopson, Lee vice president for publishing, added: "There is today in Decatur a palpable sense of excitement and fun. People are winners again.

For the tremendous example of energizing leadership, dramatic improvements in the fortunes and spirit of the newspaper, and the sheer breadth and quantity of great work, the Herald Review has very much earned our recognition and high praise." In addition to integrating operations with the Mattoon Journal Gazette and the Charleston Times-Courier, the three newspapers have formed the Central Illinois Newspaper Group (CING.) "Assimilating the Journal Gazette and Time-Courier teams into CING neering impressive performances for the newspaper itself in meeting Lee's top priorities of growing revenue, improving readership and circulation, emphasizing strong local news, strengthening our online services and carefully controlling costs. Also, the newsroom won the biggest award in the state The Illinois Press Association General Excellence Award. In addition, Linda and her team integrated the production, circulation, finance and call center operations of the Decatur operation with those of our neighboring newspapers in Mattoon and Charleston to form a more efficient strategic business unit for Lee." "We are very pleased to receive this award," Lindus said. "The Lee award is a refection of the entire Herald Review team. Our work force and work ethic is world class and has allowed us to succeed during difficult economic has been both exciting and challenging for all of our newspapers.

The success is a result of all of the individual staffs working together to produce better newspapers and to provide better customer service for both our readers and advertisers." Other finalists were the Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, the Globe Gazette in Mason City, Iowa, and the North County Times in Oceanside Escondido, Calif. Lee Enterprises is based in Davenport, Iowa, and is the publisher of daily newspapers in midsize markets. Lee owns 38 daily newspapers and a joint interest in six others, along with associated online services. Lee also publishes more than 175 weekly newspapers, shoppers and classified and specialty publications. Lee stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE.

S' dent's Awards ceremony Lindus honoring outstanding performances in news, innovation and community spirit. "Publisher Linda Lindus and her team in Decatur did it all," Junck said. "They provided inspirational leadership that has helped raise the spirit of the community, while engi- i.