TSPR Local

Bushnell is moving forward on a project to replace sewer lines in the Wells-Hale part of the city.

Mayor Steve Russell says construction should begin in the spring.

He says, “(We'll) try to make them larger. Try to handle flow. You know, people were getting backed-up in their basements, stuff like that when we did have rain. So we're hoping that this will help cure some of that.”

Russell says the city will have to coordinate the construction with the golf course since some of the lines run under it.

Angelica Finch says even though her family has only owned "Bacon" for a few weeks, he has become part of the family.

"Bacon" is a two-month-old miniature pot-belly pig given to Finch's five-year-old daughter as a birthday present.

Finch says she did not know that pot-belly pigs were prohibited in Keokuk until the animal control officer told her he had received a complaint from a neighbor about "Bacon."

That prompted Finch to ask the Keokuk City Council to change city law to include pot-belly pigs as domestic animals, similar to cats and dogs.

Monmouth's city administrator says he has put down deep roots over the last decade. That made the decision to move on a very difficult one.

Eric Hanson's last day on the job will be October 12th. He will become the new city manager of Indianola, Iowa the following week.

Hanson attended Monmouth College and served five years in his current position. His wife was born and raised in Monmouth.

Illinois Republicans had a theme when they met in Tampa for the Republican National Convention: Fire Madigan.

It’s more than a slogan for the state GOP. It’s an all-out marketing campaign against the Illinois House speaker. It includes t-shirts, buttons and even a baby bib that read “Fire Madigan.” 

The GOP blames Michael Madigan for allowing the state to slide into a fiscal mess. But Madigan said it’s Republicans who are unwilling to do what he called the "heavy lifting."

Colchester will contract with a Chicago-based ADS Environmental Services to check its water mains for leaks. The service will cost $4,950.

The city has 22 miles of PVC water mains and another eight blocks of cast iron water mains.

Mayor Danny Bice says it is cheap insurance.

He says, “For what we're having to pay for water from the City of Macomb, I need to account for everything that we're using. You know, what we're purchasing versus what we're billing.”