Blandinsville, IL – Blandinsville's village president is being remembered as someone who always kept active. Fred Hofmeister, 66, was pronounced dead Monday night at St. John's Hospital in Springfield. He had been flown there after complaining of chest pains. McDonough County Sheriff Mike Johnson considered Hofmeister a close personal friend. Johnson says Hofmeister was an avid golfer who kept his yard in great shape. Johnson says Hofmeister's death is a tragic loss for the village. Hofmeister had served as Blandinsville's village president since 1997.

August 7, 2005 – A review of the news of the previous month from the Tri States Public Radio listening region.

Macomb, IL – Macomb is close to having a new liquor code. It could be approved by aldermen as soon as next week. It will contain numerous changes, including a couple that were approved by aldermen this week. One will put convenience stores under a separate license category than package liquor stores. The other calls for a 10% increase to the license fee charged to bars, hotels, and service clubs. Until now, no such hike was in the proposed new code. Both changes were approved on votes of 5 to 2.

Lee County, IA – The recent rain may provide a boost to soybean crops in Lee County. After several months of high temperatures and little rainfall, the sky has opened up for farmers over the past few weeks. Lee County extension director Bob Dodds says the rain should have a positive impact on the county's soybean crop. Dodd's says the recent rain should also provide farmers with more hay to cut for their livestock. He says the rain may not be enough to turn around the corn crop, though, especially with rainfall levels about 8 inches below normal.

Canton, IL – The Spoon River College Board has approved a budget for the current year that's 3.5 percent above last year's. The $14.5 million spending plan includes two new associate degree programs. College spokeswoman Anna Buehrer says one is in medical record-keeping. She says both physicians and insurance companies have asked for that training to be made available. The other is a business management program which is partially geared toward entrepreneurs. Buehrer says that will give them the skill to capitalize on their innovation.

Macomb, IL – The possibility of pesticide-free food is appealing to a growing number of comsumers. WIU Profefssor of Agriculture Jerry Vigue says soybeans grown using organic methods bring a much higher price per bushel than conventionally-grown soybeans. He says the University's Allison organic farm allows researchers to learn from mistakes, and pass on knowledge to individual farmers who want to try organic farming. Vigue says it's important for farmers to know their market and have a transition plan for the three years it takes to switch from conventional to organic farming.

Rushville, IL – Rushville's waste treatment plant has been named as one of the best-run facilities in Illinois. Just two plants in the state were honored by the U.S. EPA. The recognition praises the plant for removing an average of 95 percent of pollutants from the incoming wastewater. Wastewater Superintendent Drew Seal says efforts to cut the inflow of groundwater in to the old mains helped the plant do so well. In addition, the plant was expanded in preparation for the juvenile correction center northwest of town.

Keokuk, IA – The Keokuk City Council is looking into ways to clean up the "clutter" along its recently renovated Main Street. One proposal would prohibit parking large trailers on commercially-zoned properties if the containers will be used for storage or sale. Another measure being discussed would prohibit the outdoor display of merchandise on city streets or sidewalks. Mayor Dave Gudgel says the two proposals would focus on improving the image of properties along Keokuk's Main Street. He says there is still some work to do on each proposal.

Lee County, IA – The rising cost of fuel is having a major impact on school district's across Lee County. A significant challenge for school districts is estimating how much it will cost to keep school buses full of fuel. The most recent AAA fuel gauge report shows the average cost of diesel fuel, nationwide, is $2.65. That is up about $0.21 compared to last month and about $0.75 compared to a year ago. Business manager Greg Reynolds says the Keokuk School District has looked for ways to cut down on travel time by buses.

Monmouth, IL – A tour of wind farms has some western Illinois economic developers planning ahead. The Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership chartered a bus for a tour of two Bureau County wind turbine sites. Executive Director Jolene Willis says the landowners they visited were happy with the wind farm operators. However, she says they all recommended that counties develop their wind ordinances before a wind power operation tries to set up in their location.