Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

la IEd Decatur, Illinois, Tuesday, September 24, 1 991 3 no nil EI S. mm zs xzs zj zj Texas man also placed on probation by Fayette County 30 months' judge. Pana Bureau Chief was given as $48,640, an agent of the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation testified to the higher value Monday. If Espinoza fails to pay off the fine in two years, the Fayette County State's Attorney's Office can file a petition to revoke his probation. The prison term for unlawful possession of 19 pounds of marijuana is three to seven years.

Espinoza pleaded guilty to unlawful possession Aug. 2 after State's Attorney Don Sheafor dropped a more serious charge of marijuana trafficking. Carlos Pena-Esparza, 25, a co-defendant, failed to appear but was tried and convicted of both charges. He is still at large after failing to appear Aug. 2.

Kelly allowed Fayette County State's Attorney Don Shea- for to try the case against Pena-Esparza but refused to sen tence the defendant until he is present. Kelly issued a warrant for Pena-Esparza's arrest and set his bond at $250,000. During the Aug. 2 trial, Illinois State Police troopers tes- tified how they stopped the pair's car Oct. 8 on Interstate after receiving a radio report there was marijuana hidden in the car.

Troopers found 19 one-pound bricks of marijuana hidden in the floorboards. Police said the two defendants told them they were to have delivered the drugs from Reynosa, Mexico, to a supermarket parking lot in Grand Rapids, Mich. On Monday, Kelly ruled that Espinoza's $10,000 bond be applied to his fine. AND ALIA A migrant farm worker from Brownsville, Texas, was ordered Monday to pay a $69,800 fine for helping transport 19 pounds of marijuana through Fayette County last October. Jorge Espinoza, 41, was placed on 30 months' probation by Fayette County Circuit Judge William Kelly.

Kelly gave Espinoza until Sept. 20, 1993, to pay off the fine, which is equivalent to the street value of the marijuana. Although the street value at the time of Espinoza's arrest 1 1 nno nrifi tw mi iff Mir- frcr hvm FT Lf 'i- iff -y'f jwaac '111 1 Yl--itimiiiiiiiTMi''iilMrii)ainii wmtowmnm-rm------'" Murder defendant drops bond plea AND ALIA Stuart Heaton, charged with the July 23 murder of 16-year-old Krystal Lynn Naab of Ramsey, decided Friday not to ask for a reduction in his $250,000 bond. Fayette County State's Attorney Don Sheafor did not know why Heaton, 25, withdrew his motion for bond reduction, but said the courtroom was crowded with the public and relatives of Naab's. Heaton's attorney, Fayette County Public Defender William Farr, could not be reached for comment.

Heaton's case is set for a status hearing Oct. 21, at which time a trial date is expected to be set by Fayette County Circuit Judge William Kelly. High school bands to compete at EIU CHARLESTON Eastern Illinois University will host its 16th annual Marching Band Contest Saturday at O'Brien Stadium. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for students and free for preschool children. Nearly 30 marching bands will compete.

Trophies will be awarded. The first band will begin, competing at 8:30 a.m. The program will conclude when the Eastern Panthers perform in exhibition at 5:30 p.m. Participating area bands include Oblong, Bethany, Sullivan, Shelbyville, Salem, Arthur, Effingham, Decatur MacArthur and Newton. Security officer foils cycle theft A Twin Oaks security person foiled a motorcycle theft early Monday when he spotted a suspicious green van in the parking lot of the apartment complex.

Realizing they had been detected, the occupants of the van jumped into the vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind a motorcycle that earlier had been padlocked with a chain to a shed post. The chain was found, but not the padlock. Resurfacing closes city parking lot The city parking lot at the corner of Main and Main streets will be closed for two weeks beginning today, the city has announced. Parking will be prohibited because contractors will be resurfacing the lot. Traffic isle repairs close turn lane The turn lane for southbound traffic on Oakland Avenue to westbound Main Street will be closed beginning today while contractors repair a traffic island, the city has announced.

Because of the construction, which is scheduled to be completed Oct. 8.,, traffic may be delayed at the west-side intersection. Arthritis support groups meet today Meetings for the two support groups of the Arthritis Foundation of Central Illinois, Macon County Branch will be held today. The first group, SHARE, or Support Helps Arthritis through Recreation and Education, will meet at 1 p.m. at DMH Prime Time in Brettwood Village Shopping Center.

The Young Adult Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. at Spare Time Lanes 11th Frame Lounge, 2870 N. Jasper St. Both groups are open to the public. For more information, call the Arthritis Foundation office at 422-1740.

Family dinners set at McKinley Court McKinley Court in Decatur will begin holding monthly family dinners. The first will be 6:30 p.m. Friday. The cost is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children under 12. Proceeds will go to the Resident Rainbow Fund.

Reservations are needed by Thursday at 875-0020. best for the people," Lane said. The city share of the costs of the closings could reach $80,000 to $90,000. Meanwhile, the city's drivers li cense service will end as of Oct. 10.

Lane said he got a letter from the secretary of state's office on Friday telling him that LJirs not what the city wants to do. it's what the ICC Leon Lane Mayor no longer have the weekly license service in the city building, even though the city let the state use the building rent-free. Ci tv TrAPRiirpr Ann Rhnrt saiH TIlt" Ml. Illlll I I 14 I IIIH 4 IflillH tu.t i offices have become too expensive to run, even though city's provide the space for free. Lane said Sullivan area residents will now have to drive to Mattoon, Shelbyville or Decatur for drivers license service.

He said senior citizens will be hurt the worst by the move. "If anybody's got any influence in Springfield and thinks it'll help, feel free to give it a try," Lane said. Forston said $27,855 is in the re- volving loan fund. Two Wiseman's Auto Care and Oakleaf Wood Supplies, have started and; created a total of six jobs using loaned money. iSl Ed Milanski, an engineer with Bainbridge, Gee, Milanski Asso-4 ciates of Decatur, said the village is still awaiting word from DCCA-on the village's application for a $400,000 grant to improve the water system.

Milanski said that if the grant comes through, bids could be awarded to contractors after Jan. 1 and construction of an in-ground storage tank and a 10-inch main could begin next spring. In response to a question about water rates, Trustee Betty Minott said, "To keep taking care of the water and sewer as needs to be done, the rates are going to have to go up anyway." Trustees said they had not decided on the size of the increases. Gene Seybold, president of the Moweaqua Community Development Committee, said the village board has signed a letter of intent to buy 72.5 acres from Arlie Traughber. Once the village board passes an ordinance to borrow $650,000 through revenue bonds, the Traur ghber land is to be swapped for 80 acres owned by P.J.

and Betty Cearlock upon which the golf course is to be built. Village trustees also voted to create a seven-member governing board to manage the course: Trustees hired two Bloomington men who have designed four courses, Harlan Kilbourne and Tom Baer, to create the Mow-eaqua course. By JEFFREY RAYMCXD Mattoon Bureau SULLIVAN Life is going to get a little less convenient for Sullivan residents. At Monday night's city council meeting, Mayor Leon Lane announced that two railroad crossings in the city will soon close. He also said the city will lose its state drivers license facility, which had been provided each Thursday in the city building.

The loss of the railroad crossings arose at a meeting that Lane and Streets Commissioner Robert Patient had with officials from the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Illinois Central Railroad. Sullivan has nine intersections between railroads and streets. Lane said the ICC told him that's too many for a city of Sullivan's size, even though the crossings have not led to accidents. "It's not what the city wants to do. It's what the ICC says," Lane said.

The intersections at Fuller Street and Grant Street are currently set to close. Lane and Patient said they're trying to get the ICC to accept the closing of Graham Street, which carries less traffic, instead of Grant. "We're going to catch it no matter what we do, but we're going to have to figure out which one is Village helps 2 new businesses start, weighs assistance for third. By JIM GETZ Pana Bureau Chief MOWEAQUA Village President George Forston told the public Monday he hopes plans for planned water system improvements and a new golf course are as successful as the 1988 grant that helped create the Moweaqua Nursing Retirement Center. At an annual hearing required by the Illinois Department Commerce and Community Affairs for the 1988 grant, Forston said the revolving loan fund created by repayments from the $250,000 grant has enabled the start-up of two businesses, with a third now applying for $10,000 from the fund.

Thirty-five persons attended the hearing, but of those 20 were public officials or made presentations. Cindy Irvin, director of social services and activities at the nursing and retirement center, said her firm's payments are up to date, with a balance of $218,745 left to be repaid. The loan was used for furniture and fixtures. Irvin said the center, which opened in February 1990, employs 65 persons. There has been 99.2 percent occupancy in the 60-bed nursing facility and 100 percent occupancy in the retirement units since the facilities opened.

Irvin said the center hopes to complete nine new apartments next month. A two-acre park, including a fishing pond and fitness trail, is being developed near the home, she said. RSHTIS An Oreana firefighter emerges from the back door of Point Mall where a fan was hung to pull smoke after a fire in a kitchen Photo by Oarrell Goemaat Bishops Cafeteria in Hickory dishwasher Monday afternoon. The fire department was called about 2:50 p.m. Bishops' employees tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire, Schoen said.

"When we came here, smoke was coming out the back door. There was still some flame (in the washer)," he said. 'The (overhead fire) sprinkler system had things pretty much under control," he said. Firefighters finished putting out the flames, The only items damaged by the fire were the dishwasher and the dishes inside, Schoen said. Hickory Point firefighters arrived at about 3 p.m.

and the smoke and fire were under control at about 3:30 p.m., Schoem said. Called to assist the Hickory Point Fire Protection District were units from Warrensburg, Maroa and Argenta -Oreana. Schoem said he didn't know how much damage the fire, smoke and water caused to the restaurant Randy Pfeiler, general manager of Bishops, said he hopes to have the restaurant back in operation by this afternoon, but must get replacement parts for the dishwasher before the restaurant can Burger King, Bishops Cafeteria hit by Monday afternoon blazes. By DAVE MOORE and MORGAN LUdAXA DARKER Staff Writer A pair of restaurant fires Monday afternoon forced the closing of the Burger King at 1101 Illinois 48 North and Bishops Cafeteria in Hickory Point Mall. A fire at 1:05 p.m.

in a duct at Burger King caused an estimated $25,000 worth of damage to the structure and $7,000 damage to the contents. According to a Decatur fire department report, the fire was caused by the buildup of cooking grease. No one was injured. Burger King officials weren't available for comment Monday night. In Forsyth, a kitchen dishwasher at Bishops Cafeteria caught on fire, causing the restaurant's evacuation Monday afternoon.

The dishwasher caught on fire when electric heat coils inside it overheated, said Hickory Point Fire Protection District Lt. Dave Schoen. Hickory Point Fire Chief Dennis Downey said he doesn't know why the dishwasher overheated. Barton allowed to remain on Paradise Township board. By JEFFREY RAYKOK) Mattoon Bureau Chief in the resolution's wording was not significant enough to keep Barton off the board.

He also wrote, "There is nothing in the factual record to support that assertion (of bad motives). The decision of the Court can-; not be based on unsupported speculation." i Parsons said Monday night he would not press the issue any farther. In fact, he admitted to feeling some relief at no longer being on the board. "It's just an uproar," he said. Circuit Judge Ashton Waller ruled Monday that Barton may remain on the board.

Barton was appointed to fill the remaining term of former Trustee Robert Parsons. Parsons, who had feuded with Township Commissioner Jerry Welch, walked out of a meeting on April 3 saying he quit. But he later said he hadn't resigned and that the board acted improperly when it removed him and seated Barton. Parsons and Barton are both Republicans, but Barton often sides with Welch, a Democrat, in township matters. Parsons asked Owen to look into the case.

Owen argued that the resolution accepting Parsons' resignation and installing Barton was flawed, and that the resolution was prompted by bad motives. Waller heard arguments in the case Friday, rejecting both of Owen's arguments. He essentially ruled that the "flaw" MATTOON Ruth Barton gets to remain a trustee of Paradise Township. She was appointed to the board April 18, but her right to serve was questioned in a suit brought by Coles County State's Attorney Nancy Owen..