The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be in Tremont next year.
Rick Otey, a member of a group of veterans that has given fist-bumps to Tremont Grade School students on their way into school on Thursday mornings for 10 years, made the announcement during last week's Tazewell County Board meeting.
The wall, a 3/5 replica of the actual wall in Washington, D.C., will be set up in Tremont City Park along Tiber Creek from Sept. 2-7, 2027.
The Tremont Winning Communities organization is joining forces with the veterans to bring the wall to Tazewell County for the first time in three years. The wall was in East Peoria in 2024 and 2020.
"This is a big undertaking for us [23 veterans are in the fist-bumping group], but one we're excited about because we can educate Central Illinois communities to never forget the sacrifices of the more than 58,000 people whose names are etched in granite on the wall in D.C.," Otey said.
"Our group is mostly Vietnam-era vets. We feel a real responsibility to the heroes on that wall to do our part because we were blessed to come home."
Otey said Capt. Robert D. Beutel, a Tremont native, is on the wall on Panel 2W, Line 73.
Donations are needed to help bring the wall to Tremont.
Checks payable to Tremont Winning Communities can be sent to P.O. Box 76, Tremont, IL 61568, with "The Wall" written on the memo line.
'Stop this cop out'
Anti-data center activist Suzi Vanderham of East Peoria once again last week asked the board to declare a one-year moratorium on data centers in the county while county officials put together a data center ordinance.
"Stop this cop out of saying the state told us we don't need a moratorium because without a data center ordinance, nobody can apply for one," she said. "It's a weak argument. I'm tired of seeing city after city do something you're too frightened to accomplish."
Nearby Woodford County, and the communities of Bloomington and Normal have enacted data center moratoriums over the past several months.
Dog days
Also at last week's meeting:
- The board approved an agreement for the county to provide animal and rabies control services for Minier for five months as of Aug. 1. Cost is nearly $270.
- The board approved changing the polling location for the Cincinnati 1 Precinct from South Pekin Grade School to the Cincinnati Township Building. The school is longer available as a polling place.
- Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman announced that Dan Sullivan, his chief deputy, was named the state liaison to the Property Records Industry Association. Normally an elected official is named to that position, Ackerman said.
- Wallace Varney of Green Valley, Verne Herrmann of Groveland and Scott Kammeyer of Manito were re-appointed to the Cincinnati Drainage and Levee District, Mackinaw River Levee & Drainage District and Spring Lake Drainage District boards, respectively.
