County Board Honors Mahon for Years as Sheriff

Dave Mahon was in attendance at Monday's Effingham County Board meeting, looking relaxed.

The recently-retired Mahon was honored for his 6-1/2 years as county sheriff. Mahon quipped that he wrote the citizens of the county eight years ago that after retiring from the Illinois State Police, he wasn't ready to ride off into the sunset. Now, he said, he was ready.

He thanked the Board which, he said, had been nothing but supportive during his time in office, and urged that same support for newly-installed sheriff Paul Kuhns. 

(RETIRED SHERIFF DAVE MAHON WITH COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN JIM NIEMANN)

Also Monday, the Board appointed Mahon as a member of the County 911 Board, along with former city police officer Johm Maguire; Airport Commission member Stanley Bahrns; Board of Health members Twila Orr, Dr. Robert G. Einhorn, Marge Lancaster and Vickie Bushur; Housing Authority members Larry Taylor, Karen Mahaffey and Billy Genaust; 377 Board members Gerald Jansen and Faith Griffin; and Edgewood Bi-County Fire Protection District Trustee Michael Bowman.

The Board authorized the Courthouse Museum to hire a commercial painter to paint the exterior woodwork on the Museum and to illuminate the clock tower on the Museum; authorized the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce to use the parking lot north of the County Building, the Courthouse Museum parking lot, and electric and water service for the EffingHAM-JAM on July 23-24; approved donations of $1,500 to Lake Sara Fireworks and $1,000 to Effingham Noon Rotary for the Effingham 4th of July Fireworks; approved distribution of personal property replacement tax revenue; granted a six-month extension for completion of the annual audit; and authorized the purchase of property from Norbert and Linda Soltwedel and from Delbert and Beverly Soltwedel. County Engineer Greg Koester said the land will be used to add a little shoulder and slope the roadway at the four-way stop at Lake Sara Road and Moccasin Road.

The Board allocated $4,000 in hotel/motel tax revenue for security at this year's Effingham County Fair; awarded a bid for $393,988 to Depew and Owen Builders of Centralia for replacement of a bridge in Bishop Township; heard from Board Vice-Chairman Dave Campbell that there is about $20,000 available for new or expanding businesses to borrow; heard an invitation from Effingham County Regional Alliance head Cortney Yockey and Effingham County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lucinda Hart to join in the County MAPPING project this fall; heard from County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel that Deputy Clerk Marsha Poppe is retiring Thursday after more than 20 years with the office, and that moving the state primary to June should give the Board an opportunity to get redistricting completed once census numbers are in.