April 18—An Effingham County resident received high praise this week for putting himself in harm’s way to save a motorist in urgent need of help.
During Monday’s Effingham County Board meeting, Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns presented Travis Macklin of rural Mason with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Distinguished Act Award for assisting a driver whose vehicle crashed into the Little Wabash River at approximately 8 a.m. April 2 in Mason was swept: 4 p.m., according to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred when the motorist drove into a flooded section of 300th Avenue.
“It’s been several years since we’ve done this, but this really stands out,” Kuhns said. “We need to know these stories because these people are part of our community, and it’s just one of the many things that are good about our community.”
Kuhns said Macklin, who lives near the crash site, saw a light shining from the phone of the driver who had managed to climb on top of their car by going through the sunroof. Macklin witnessed this while looking out the kitchen window of his home.
The driver’s vehicle became stuck in some nearby trees, but Macklin was able to swim to them and pull them to safety.
“The 29-year-old female driver could not swim and was in danger of being swept away by the fast-moving water,” Douthit said as Kuhns presented Macklin with the award.
Douthit said he was working as a sergeant with the Effingham Police Department that night and breathed a “sigh of relief” when he heard someone in the area had rescued the woman before first responders arrived. He also said Macklin’s actions “speak volumes about his character.”
When he received the award, Macklin said he was just being a “neighbor” when he rescued the woman from floodwaters near his home, explaining that it was not the first time he had swam in these waters.
“Really, my life has never been threatened by that,” Macklin said.
“I think you’re a bit modest,” Kuhns replied.
In other business, the board approved a recommendation from the Effingham County Capital Improvement Advisory Committee to add $300,000 to the county’s capital improvement fund, which would give the county just over $532,000 to spend on various projects. Douthit told his fellow board members about the committee’s recommended projects during the April 11 Effingham County Tax and Finance Committee meeting.
“We obviously thought we needed to make sure that our facilities are safe for our employees and that security is adequate, so you can see a security upgrade project there at a cost of $125,000,” Douthit said at the April 11 meeting. .
The Effingham County Capital Improvement Committee also recommended improvements to the front door of the Effingham County Office Building in an effort to make it more ADA compliant, and Douthit said a number of the county’s stamp machines will need to be replaced because they will soon become “obsolete.” will be. .”
“And then we allocated some updates and repairs to offices at a cost of $100,000 because we’ve had requests for maybe some cosmetic upgrades as well,” Douthit said during the April 11 meeting.
Other recommended projects include construction of a mortuary for the county coroner and an animal control building. Douthit noted that the county currently leases its animal control building from the city of Effingham.
Also during Monday’s meeting, the board approved a resolution honoring Darin Deters for his retirement after 22 years of service with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.
“He has been an integral part of the administrative team for a number of years,” Kuhns said. “We’ll miss him.”
“It was an honor and a pleasure,” Deters said.
After honoring Deters, board members approved a resolution honoring Barb Funneman for her retirement after 37 years of service with the Effingham County Public Defender’s Office. Funneman was not present at the meeting.
The resolutions, read by Douthit during Monday’s meeting, commended both Deters and Funneman for having fulfilled their respective offices in a “professional and tireless manner” and serving the residents of Effingham County “faithfully and with dedication.”
Meanwhile, Community Support Systems Executive Director Andy Kistler told board members about what the organization has been doing with the funds it recently received through the Effingham County 377 Board.
“Three months into the grant opportunity, we have provided just over 10,000 hours of support to 18 individuals, and those 18 individuals are working in various locations throughout the community,” Kistler said.
Effingham County Board Member Norbert Soltwedel was absent.
In other matters the board has:
– Approved for a meeting with HOPE Trust and county staff on July 10, 2024.
– An ordinance has been approved that will increase Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes’ salary, which is currently $51,000, by $2,500 each year.
—Approved the conversion of the assistant airport manager role for the Effingham County Regional Airport to a full-time position.”
– A resolution and proclamation declaring Law Day 2024 has been adopted.
– Approved report of Lucas Township and Road District Decennial Committee.
– Approved report of Bishop Luke’s Multi-Township Decennial Committee.
—Approved the appointment of Kyle Willenburg to the Altamont Fire Protection District for a term from May 1, 2024 to May 2027.
—Approved the appointment of Tom Freeman to the Effingham County Ethics Commission for a term from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2026.
—Approved the extension of the Effingham Farmer’s Market through October 26, 2024.
—Approved a proposal to replace 96 windows on the second, third and fourth floors of the Effingham County Office Building.
— Approved the disbursement of $7,500 to the Mill Road Thresherman’s Association.
—The replacement of chairs in the boardroom approved without a recommendation from the committee.
– Approved the disbursement of up to $5,500 for electrical work in Effingham County courtrooms, without a recommendation from the commission.
– An annual grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services in the amount of $30,467 has been approved that will help the county fund transportation services for seniors.
Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.
