Meth remains an issue in area

This Just In......

The number of area methamphetamine lab seizures might be leveling off, but meth continues to be a major area law enforcement issue.


...and I thought it was traffic safety.......

QIPS ?????

This is so damned funny, I can't resist posting it. You can read the whole article on the link above, but I'm going to take pieces out cause there so damned funny.

The Quincy City Council is considering a plan to build three hydroelectric power plants on the Mississippi River.
The council's Finance Committee agreed Monday to recommend the council seek federal permits to build hydroelectric plants at Lock and Dam 20 at Canton, Mo., Lock and Dam 21 at Quincy and Lock and Dam 22 at Saverton, Mo.

In recent years, an Ohio power company has held the permits for most of the locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River. However, the company did not take any action to move forward with any hydroelectric plants, and the permits lapsed.

Hint #1: If somebody already looked at it and didn't take any action......WHY ???

Quincy officials feel it would be in the city's best interests to seek permits for the three dams closest to Quincy. The application fee would total $15,000 for all three locations. If the permits are granted, the city would then spend an additional $45,000 to update a feasibility study conducted in 1983 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

$60,000 spent and we're just LOOKING at it ???? Who gets this money ??? Next paragraph>

The original feasibility study showed that many of the locks and dams on the upper Mississippi — including all three in this area — have favorable capabilities for producing hydropower, according to Mike Klingner, who heads the Quincy-based Klingner & Associates engineering firm.

Ching Ching !!!

Several factors could make this an attractive opportunity for the city. For one thing, federal legislation signed last year will require power companies by the year 2012 to buy at least 8 percent of their power from so-called "green energy" sources, which are comprised of any renewable, non-polluting energy source, such as wind energy, solar energy or hydroelectric energy.
That means power companies will be looking for new sources of energy, including any hydroelectric plants that begin operating in coming years. "The demand is definitely going to be there," Klingner said.
If Quincy were to build and operate the three hydroelectric plants — or even if it ultimately decides to take on just one such project — the city would be able to use some of the generated power to meet the electrical needs of, say, the city's wastewater treatment facility. Then it could sell the surplus electricity to a local power company, such as AmerenCIPS or Adams Electric Cooperative.

Hint #2: Who runs the city wastewater plant ??? Not the city, they couldn't efficently run it. How do we expect them to run a power plant ???


That means, for example, that if one 15-megawatt plant were to be built, it would cost between $22.5 million to $30 million. If three plants that size were built, the total cost would be $67.5 million to $90 million.

...and what's the payback on $90 million investment ????

In addition, the city would face about $300,000 in engineering costs plus $150,000 for an environmental impact assessment for each location — just to prepare a draft license application. More engineering fees would come for final plans and permits.

....and I would guess that Klingners would be the one for the studies ???? Ching Ching !!!!


Pete Pohlman, a GREDF spokesman, said conditions appear to be right for a city such as Quincy to take on such a project. "We think it's a natural for the city," he said.

Just like "natural" disaster.......

Mayor John Spring also likes the idea. "It has great potential," he said.

...so did the Titanic.....

QPD Christmas in July......

40 new pistols - $4,600
40 new night sights - $3,000
40 new Holsters - $3,854
40 new Surefire lights - $9,306
5 new patrol cars - $85,206
More needed auto equipment - $ 6,799


Wonder how they'll pay for this.....hmmm.

Best Award That Their Money Can Buy For The Motori$ts of Quincy I$........

By Rodney Hart
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
The Quincy Police Department has been chosen as the third-best department in the nation for traffic safety in 2005 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police also honored QPD with the 2005 Rookie of the Year award.
The international award will be presented to QPD representatives Oct. 27 in Boston, while the Illinois award will be given Aug. 3 in Chicago.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Challenge is designed to recognize law enforcement agencies addressing traffic safety issues. Each year since 1975, an average of 40,000 Americans lose their lives as the result of traffic crashes.
Agencies provide certain policies, discuss and document officer training, elaborate on public information and education efforts, report on enforcement activities and articulate how effective they believe their efforts were in these areas.
Competing with other agencies in the state with regard to size and type of agency, each application is separated based on the number of sworn officers. Judges then review each application, carefully assigning points based on set criteria.
Quincy Police Department Traffic Safety Officer Neal Meyer said there were 634 accidents in Quincy during the first six months of this year, down from 732 during the same period last year.
There were 1,527 reported vehicle accidents in 2005, down from 1,667 the year before.
"We were shocked and pleased to receive the awards," Deputy Chief Curt Kelty said. "We thought we might get something, but we didn't know it would be this."
Kelty said the department has placed an increased emphasis on traffic safety.
"When we compared traffic safety to more traditional crimes, we saw we were experiencing more problems in the traffic enforcement," he said.
Kelty said the awards are a result of the department's "continuing endeavors to educate and inform our officers and our community about the importance of traffic safety in the areas of impaired driving, speeding and occupant restraint."
The department has put increased emphasis on traffic safety. Programs like the school safety speed zones, where signs were put up and 20 miles per hour speed limits are strictly enforced, have helped educate the public.
Kelty said lowering speeds and increasing seat belt use lower accident numbers.
Meyer said one-third of all accidents are rear-end collisions, with almost all rear-end accidents caused by excessive speeds.
"We have done things like the school safety zones and seat belt enforcement that have made drivers more aware and safer," Meyer said.

Fishing ??? Try the Mississippi Please....

Copley said his department has focused on traffic safety, resulting in a 43 percent increase in traffic stops from 2004 to 2005. Citations increased by almost 35 percent, while vehicle searches and driver searches increased by 44.2 percent and 45.1 percent, respectively.

The increase in vehicle searches is, in part, attributed to a problem Copley calls "fishing." He says young and aggressive officers are looking to make big arrests with vehicle and driver searches without much reasonable suspicion to base the searches on, "hoping to get lucky on the search."

"There are at least six individual officers who appear to be conducting a lot of searches without success," Copley said. "Now that the problem and the officers have been identified, we are working with the officers to alleviate this problem."

Copley said officers will get more "coachable sensitivity training" and information on the legalities of conducting searches.

QPD also will do a better job in the search reporting process and require officers to explain why the search was conducted.

"We want to get away from searching the vehicle just because we can," Copley said. "We want officers to have a good reason before they ask a person."

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT

TRY TO PLAN YOUR ACTIVITIES FOR THEEARLY MORNING OR LATE EVENING HOURS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE A BITCOOLER. DRINK LOTS OF WATER OR OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES...

I'm Gettin' That Feelin' Again.......

Oil Prices Continue Their Rise, Topping $78

Oil prices briefly topped $78 per barrel Friday and stayed near record highs as intensifying violence in the Middle East raised concerns of a possible supply disruptions. OPEC tried to reassure the market.

I think that the sun coming up also raises oil prices.....

This just in from the "Who gives A Shit" Weekly...

Italy 5 France 3


Does ANYONE give a shit about this ???

Despite Crack, Shuttle Still Scheduled for Liftoff

I too noticed a crack on my cooler this weekend, but like NASA, I plan to launch it Tuesday also.



Have a safe and Happy Fouth of July !!

Grillin' Out 101

Water not alcohol

By Lisa ConnPosted: Friday, June 30, 2006 at 5:15 PM

Tri-state grill masters are gearing up to light the coals this fourth of July.
Be sure to drink plenty of water when grilling out.
In this KHQA Safe Family Health report, water is the best way to stay hydrated while celebrating outdoors...it helps you avoid muscle cramps, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion.
Fitness Instructor Lee Ann Sims says drinking too much alcohol and sugary drinks can cause dehydration even though you're taking in fluids.
Dehydration symptoms include increased thirst, dry mouth, irritability, clammy skin, and an inability to stand or walk.

I'm amazed I could grill out all these years without this important Health tip !!!

$2.8 Million Dollar Caller ID......

By Edward Husar
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Adams County's new 911 communications center at 52nd and Maine is nearing completion, but local officials are still months away from putting an enhanced 911 system into operation.
John Johnson, chairman of the Quincy/Adams County 911 Governing Board, said "just a few minor issues" need to be resolved before the building can be turned over to the 911 agency.
"It's probably 95 to 98 percent complete," he said.
Ground was broken in September for the 5,328-square-foot facility just east of the Adams County Youth Home. Leander Construction Inc. of Canton, Ill., was awarded the $1.26 million contract.
The building not only will house the 911 dispatch center, currently in the basement of the Adams County Courthouse, but it also will provide space for an emergency operations center. In addition, it will have an office for the coordinator of the county's emergency management agency.
Completion of the center is one step needed to get an enhanced 911 system up and running — a project that's expected to cost between $2.6 million and $2.8 million once all the bills are tallied.
Adams County currently has a "basic" 911 system, which simply allows callers to dial three digits to summon help. Callers then must describe their location. An "enhanced" system will automatically display the caller's location and which police, fire and ambulance agencies have jurisdiction.
"It will be a big step forward for Adams County," Johnson said. "It will basically bring us up to the rest of the world."
The new system will initially provide enhanced services just for landline phones but it will eventually work fully with wireless phones.
Johnson said it's difficult to say when the enhanced system will go online because many variables can come into play. "I would say late winter or early spring," he said. "Probably January or somewhere in that ballpark would be our guess."
The governing board continues to oversee the development of the enhanced 911 system, which is taking place during the construction of the new center.
The board awarded a $649,590 contract to Motorola for enhanced 911 telephone equipment, radio control communications equipment, digital recording equipment and structured cabling.
Once work on the communications center was far enough along, 911 officials were able to start installing some of the equipment, though a few larger pieces won't arrive until August. The equipment must go through a rigorous testing process to make sure it works properly.
One big effort under way now is the creation of a database of all Adams County addresses and telephone numbers. Johnson said the county is working with several telephone companies to gather the most accurate information available.
"We're making sure that the telephone numbers actually match to an existing address," he said.
Meanwhile, the 911 board has filed a draft of its enhanced 911 application with the Illinois Commerce Commission, which makes sure all such systems meet state standards.
Once the new system is online, the existing 911 dispatch facility in the courthouse will be retrofitted for enhanced 911 and become a backup facility.
Sharon Tedrow, assistant 911 director, said the dispatching staff is eager to move into the new facility.
"We're all excited about it," she said. "We're not totally cramped, but we're looking forward to having more space to move around in."