WGFA NEWS NOTES for Friday, April 24, 2009 >
Freeman’s plead guilty in Federal court…. Onarga Funding Help for Sewage System…. Gilman Council OK’s Drainage, Street Work…. Arson lands ex-Fireman in prison…. Red Cross honors volunteer heroes…..
WEATHER > Sunny, high near 82 today. Breezy SW wind at 15-20, gusts nearing 30 mph. Sunny Saturday, high near 82. Showers and maybe a T-storm Sunday, high near 81.
* The failure of the A-Way Grain Company in Iroquois County has led to a guilty plea in federal court. Mikel and Dianne Freeman, of rural Milford, each face up to 50 years in prison and potential fines of up to $1.5 million each after pleading guilty Monday to two of 24 federal offenses in connection with the 2007 financial collapse of A-Way Inc. of Crescent City and Onarga. A clerk in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Peoria said restitution could also come into play. Sentencing is scheduled for August 14th.
Mikel Freeman plead guilty to mail fraud and money laundering. Dianne Freeman plead to embezzlement and money laundering. A contested-sentencing in August means the Judge’s decision will rule. There was no sentencing agreement. Meanwhile, the State of Illinois’ case against the couple remains active in Iroquois County. A pre-trial hearing in Circuit Court is scheduled for May 28th. Mikel Freeman is charged with theft in excess of $100,000 and several Grain Code violations. The Illinois Department of Agriculture investigation finds Freeman having ruined the A-Way Grain Company business and destroying the livlihood of several business ventures.
* A former firefighter who admitted setting one of 12 suspicious fires in the Loda area in fall 2007 was sentenced to three years in state prison. In Iroquois Circuit Court Wednesday, Judge Susan Tungate handed down the sentence to 24-yr-old Steven M. Stout of Loda. The Judge told the court that allowing probation or court supervision would not show Stout the seriousness of his crime. Tungate ordered Stout to surrender to the Iroquois County Sheriff’s Department April 29, when his sentence begins. Tungate additionally recommended Stout get mental-health treatment while in prison. Stout pleaded guilty in January to one count of arson, a Class 2 felony, for setting fire to a garage at his home in Loda in November 2007, when he was a volunteer firefighter for the Loda and Buckley fire departments.
* The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is providing some big time help for the Village of Onarga. Village officials are upgrading the sewage system and the EPA is kicking in $4-million thru loans and grants. The loans and grants are part of a $560 million initiative by the IEPA, funded in part by federal stimulus funds, to fix the drinking water and sewage systems throughout the state. An IEPA spokesman said the stimulus money provides a start.
Onarga officials have been discussing an upgrade from septic systems to a municipal sewer system for several years. Earlier this month, the IEPA released a list of water projects ranked by project readiness and public health needs. These “shovel-ready” projects would be funded in part with federal grants and in part with zero-interest, 20-year loans from the federal stimulus bill and the IEPA. Onarga has hopes a new sewage system and treatment plant will be operational by July 2010.
“ Motor fuel tax street improvements and a $49,000 drainage project has gained the approval of the Gilman City Council. The Gilman Star reports the street work is routine maintenance; money is for street upgrades and some sidewalk repairs. The drainage work involves storm drainage tile which should help with some flooding on the city’s west side.
* Gilman begins flushing fire hydrants Monday night at 9 pm. The effort should be completed by 2 am Tuesday.
* Onarga’s garbage fees are being hiked. The village board Monday approved a 75-cent increase for garbage collection. The rate is going from $8.75 to $9.50 per month.
94.1 FM, WGFA
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