PEKIN

Water rate increase to cover infrastructure work

Illinois American Water has filed an application with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to hike rates for water and sewer service in all of the company’s operating districts, including Pekin. If approved, the new rates would go into effective in January 2017.

The company’s investments in water and sewer system improvements are the primary driver behind this rate request, according to a company prepared statement. From Oct. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2017, Illinois American Water will have invested approximately $342 million in water and sewer infrastructure statewide, according to the statement. These improvements to local water and sewer plants, pumps and pipes help to enhance service quality, reliability, environmental performance, public health and fire protection for customers. Rates will not change until January 2017, after the ICC completes a comprehensive review of the request. The 11-month process includes opportunities for public comment.

Illinois American Water’s last rate increase was in 2012.

“The communities we serve rely on us to provide reliable, quality water and wastewater service to support the local economy and to provide a high quality of life for residents,” said Illinois American Water President Bruce Hauk. “These investments will help ensure we are able to keep that commitment to the health and prosperity of our customers and communities in Illinois.” Hauk added that the company had reduced its operating expenses by about 3 percent since its last rate order.

More information can be found at www.amwater.com.

MORTON

Drinking water may taste like chlorine during test

If you taste a more than usual amount of chlorine in Morton’s water, village officials say not to worry. 

To improve water quality throughout the water distribution system, the village of Morton is optimizing its water treatment and disinfection. Therefore, residents may experience levels of chlorine in the distribution system higher than previously experienced. 

Officials say the village is within the limits for drinking water as established by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. 

If you have any questions regarding the water quality improvements, call Village Hall at (309) 266-5361.

TAZEWELL COUNTY

Tim Carney

Sheriff’s employee promoted to county jail administration

Tim Carney, of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s office, has been promoted to jail operations supervisor at Tazewell County Jail in Pekin. His promotion was effective Jan. 17.
“Thanks to the AJA’s (American Jail Association) support of correctional officers and continued support of training made Tim an outstanding officer to be promoted … ,” said Kurt T. Ulrich, jail superintendent, Tazewell County, in a prepared statement. ”Tim will continue to oversee our training department and attend AJA events.”

Carney also was named the Correctional Training Officer of the Year at AJA’s 34th Annual Conference & Jail Expo in 2015.

STATE

Zika virus a health risk for travelers

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is alerting the public of the potential of contracting the Zika virus while traveling abroad.

The Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites, similar to West Nile virus or dengue fever, according to the department’s news release. While illness is usually mild and severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, there is a possible link between Zika virus infection in pregnant women and subsequent birth defects, the release states.

According to the department, two pregnant Illinois residents who recently traveled to countries where Zika virus is found have tested positive for the virus. Physicians are monitoring their health and pregnancies.

“There is virtually no risk to Illinois residents, since you cannot contract Zika virus from another person, but only through the bite of an infected mosquito,” IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah stated in the release. “But since this is a time of year when people travel to warmer climates and countries where Zika virus is found, we are urging residents, especially pregnant women, to take preventive measures when traveling in affected countries and check health travel advisories.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel alert for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, including Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Until more is known, CDC recommends that pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women, women trying to become pregnant, or women who are thinking about becoming pregnant and must travel to one of these areas should talk with their doctor or other health care provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes).  Symptoms can last from several days to weeks.  There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika virus infection.

When traveling to countries where Zika virus has been reported, all travelers should take steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and staying in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens. CDC has developed interim guidelines for health care providers in the United States caring for pregnant women during a Zika virus outbreak. These guidelines http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6502e1.htm  include recommendations for pregnant women considering travel to an area with Zika virus transmission and recommendations for screening, testing, and management of pregnant returning travelers. Updates on areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission are available online (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/). 

REGION

Morton, Washington rank high for Illinois families

Morton and Washington rank No. 1 and No. 3 respectively as the Best City for Illinois Families.

The rankings are the result of a recent study from WalletHub.com, an online financial website. To identify the most family friendly Illinois cities, WalletHub’s analysts compared 162 cities in Illinois across 21 key metrics. Their data set ranges from the percentage of families with young children to median family income to housing affordability.

“I’m very pleased our great community has been chosen as the Third Best City for Illinois Families,” Mayor Gary Manier said in a statement. “We have so much to be proud of and we know most of that is because of our churches, parks and recreation trails, schools, beautiful and safe subdivisions and, most of all, our residents.”

The community ranked as No. 2, Deerfield, is a suburb north of Chicago.

The link to the full study is: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-families-in-illinois/18426/ .

–Tazewell County Area News Briefs–