Illinois cemetery a financial drain

Government officials in Knoxville, Ill., are looking for ways to close a nearly $42,000 hole in their cemetery budget. Over the last five years or so, according to the treasurer, expenses totaled $221,671, while income was $180,047.

Spring renews concerns about Illinois cemetery

Supporters of a cemetery in Illinois wonder who will take care of the grounds?

New Illinois regulations

A new law regulating the operation of cemeteries is now in place in Illinois, in the wake of the Burr Oak scandal.

Judge OKs cemetery seizure for O'Hare expansion

Just found some reports on the Web about this case. A judge OK'd the seizure of about 6 acres for the expansion of O'Hare airport in Chicago.
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun-Times

Cemetery reform in Illinois

Despite the tragedy at Burr Oak in Illinois, lawmakers in that state brought no reform laws to the floor for a vote, though a House panel did pass measures.

While pols fuss, volunteers work

Officials in Belleville, Illinois, are working on ways to solve a problem of potential embezzlement of prepaid funeral funds, volunteers are making sure that the Mount Hope Cemetery still looks good.

Burr Oak, Illinois

Much of this involves criminality that doesn't really apply to the scope of this blog, but the scandal is so eye-opening, I'm posting a couple of links here. I'll add more, as the story unfolds, especially since I'm reading about flooding/drainage/etc - which *are* land-use concerns, but for now, here are some links to the basics:
Chicago Sun-Times
New York Times
Chicago Tribune

Update on Peoria library site

An Illinois state archeologist is scheduled to visit a site Wednesday (June 17) in Peoria where workers uncovered 93 gravesites at the site of a proposed library expansion.

Library site has graves

Archeologists examining a site for a planned library have found remnants of an old gravesite.

Illinois residents working to restore 19th-century cemetery

The Friends of Mount Bloom Cemetery in Illinois are working to restore some of the grandeur of the graveyard, which dates to 1847.

Voters in Illinois town to decide cemetery fate

Voters in Pontiac, Ill., will go to the polls on Tuesday to determine whether the town should take control of the cemetery.

Photo: September flooding in Illinois

Found this on someone's Flickr site. Photo taken Sept. 15, 2008. The caption says:

"Between Friday and Sunday we were hit with a massive rainfall. We broke the highest rainfall record record for a 24 hour period which went back to 1871. The Des Plaines River is in serious flood stage, the water is all over the Western edge of Concordia."

Illinois cemetery has funding woes

The Galva City Council has increased its local tax rate, and says the town cemetery's expenses are outpacing income.
Besides the funding woes - $36,033 lost the last four years - the city also has concerns about how it can buy more ground to expand the 25-year-old cemetery when necessary, and even whether the city can cut upkeep expenses by spraying chemicals on the lawns.
This latter idea is one bad idea,because such spraying could have a harmful impact on wildlife and plant life in the area - not to mention the possible harm to the citizenry. There must be a better way to care for Galva Cemetery. Officials will discuss the cemetery further on Dec. 15.
Ideas out there? Can anyone help?