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2025 Year in Review
With some big issues behind them, city and county start up on new
topics in the fourth quarter
[January 15, 2026]
In the fourth quarter of 2025
the combined topics of the Logan County tourism Bureau and City of
Lincoln Department of Tourism had pretty well died out. Everything
had been settled and the two entities were well on their way to
creating their own identities and establishing their respective
places within the community.
One meeting on the county level in December did reveal that the city
of Atlanta and Scott McCoy had severed their relationship.
On the county level, courthouse restoration continued to be a topic
as did the ongoing county-wide broadband project.
In addition, on the county side, the topic of a huge Data Center
near Latham came into conversations. That was a topic that would
roll into the new year and continue on.
On the city level, there were discussions about the new Pavilion at
8th Street Park in Lincoln as well as the city’s share of the Logan
County Property Tax.
On a high note, City Treasurer Chuck Conzo reported that for the
first time ever, the money gleaned from the creation of a Historic
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) was going to be sufficient to pay the
bond (loan amount) used to originally finance the project.
Other city topics included the
licensing of massage therapy businesses and creating a “No Knock”
policy to help protect city residents from unwanted door to door
solicitors.
In other good news, the city and county learned that Workcamp for
Lincoln would return in 2026. There will be hundreds of youth
volunteers who will come to Logan County to do small to moderate
home repair and improvement projects for those unable to do such
things on their own.
In the city, aldermen discussed setting limits on the number of
household, indoor pets allowed in a dwelling. This proposal to limit
the number of animals a person can own was met with opposition in
the council and fell to the wayside in favor of increasing the
monitoring of pet license and vaccinations.
As the year wound down, it appeared that both the city and county
wound down with it, with no new large controversial issues coming
before either entity in December.
10/09/2025
City council moves meeting time to accommodate tiny homes dedication
The police department’s internal structure saw an update with
approval of an additional Deputy Chief position. Alderman Steve
Parrott clarified the intent of the motion, saying, “There was no
additional police added to the staff. This is just a position that
has not been filled—it’s going to change some of the different
positions there currently.”
A significant portion of the meeting centered on a lease agreement
between the City of Lincoln and Lincoln Economic Advancement and
Development, Inc. (LEAD) for office space at 500 Broadway Street.
City Attorney John Hoblit explained revisions to the lease’s renewal
language and proposed adding a 60-day termination clause to allow
flexibility for both parties.
10/09/2025
Logan County Tourism Bureau welcomes new executive director, secures
$32,000 state grant, and announces open house
The Logan County Tourism Bureau (LCTB) is proud to announce the
appointment of Wanda Lee Rohlfs as its new Executive Director. A
lifelong resident of Logan County and a familiar face in community
development, historic preservation, and tourism initiatives, Rohlfs
brings a wealth of experience and passion to the role.
10/16/2025
Lincoln City Council
Lincoln Council weighs 2026 Work Camp support, food-truck process,
LED upgrade, Tasers, and Depot lease
Organizer Todd Henry told aldermen the volunteer home-repair
effort is returning June 21–27 and growing.
“In ’21 and ’24 we had 200-plus teenagers and youth workers invade
Logan County, and now we already have over 300 signed up,” he said.
He stated that teens “repair homes and repair lives all over the
county.”
10/17/2025
Logan County Board
October Workshop Meeting
Next was an update on the Broadband project from Glenn. He stated
that, several months ago, WANRack, the company that was partnering
with the county on the project, stepped away from the negotiating
table. This was due to a disagreement on how the project was to be
funded on the county’s end. From there, he and Leesman had been
getting several phone calls from the state wanting to know why the
Broadband project was not getting started, as the state had provided
the county with a grant for the project. The state then went and
talked to WANRack, getting them back to the table.
Now, the project appears to be back on track and may be ‘alive’
again after Friday.
10/21/2025
Coffee with the Mayor draws community to Guest House
Tourism dominated much of the discussion. Welch highlighted
ongoing work at the former bank building, where part of the space is
being built out as a small-business incubator in partnership with
LEAD, and the city’s push for Route 66 grants that would restore the
Mill’s iconic blades and add lighting and amenities.
Parrott, who represents the city on tourism, said the city and
county are aligned on strategy. “We put in for a $459,000 grant,” he
noted, adding that the application could unlock improvements that
keep travelers in Lincoln longer. “I think we’re going to see some
great things happen.”
10/22/2025
Logan County Board
October Regular Board Meeting
The first item proposed the board to stop accepting all
applications for data centers and battery storage until the board
can put an ordinance in place. Zoning and Economic Development
Officer Al Green then gave some details on this motion. He shared
that, as it stands now, companies can only build data centers and
battery storage facilities on land that is zoned
industrial/commercial. This being the case, the county only gets
permit fees based on a percentage of the construction cost for
whatever facility is being built. These companies can also try to
get the county to change land that is zoned agricultural to
industrial/commercial.
11/04/2025
Logan County Board
New data center near Latham
Green largely led the discussion on the matter of the new data
center, as he has been in contact with the company seeking to have
it approved. Green shared that he met with the company, which is
from Kansas City, last week. The data center they are proposing is
“huge.” According to Green, the current plan has the facility at
about 200 acres, with another 50 acres possibly being added to it.
He also stated that the company itself is very large, having just
built a $13.5 billion data center in Louisiana.
11/07/2025
Logan County Board
November Safety Committee Meeting
The first item was the Energy Transition Grant that Sheriff
Landers spoke on. He stated that he sent out public notices to
shareholders about the grant. He also stated that his department got
about $77,000 from the grant and was wanting to use that money for
infrastructure at the Safety Complex and the Logan County
Courthouse. The funds, Landers said, should be given to his
department sometime in the spring.
11/12/25
Logan County Board
November Building and Grounds Committee Meeting
Next, Walter gave his update on the courthouse restoration. He
stated that the replacement windows for the dome are being crafted,
with them being planned to be installed soon. He also stated that
they are exact replicas of the windows that were there previously.
The “crib” for the bell is also being put together, and once all
that work is done, the roof will be sealed.
[to top of second column] |
11/20/2025
Lincoln City Council
Public pushback leads council to pause proposed massage
regulations
“Over-regulating legitimate, licensed massage therapists will
not solve the problem of illicit businesses,” she said.
She reiterated that the earlier illegal operation “would not
have made one minute’s difference” whether Lincoln had its own
license requirement or not, stressing that “human trafficking is
a law enforcement issue.”
Multiple council members expressed agreement that additional
discussion was necessary.
12/01/2025
Lincoln City Council
Lincoln considers four pet limit as Council reviews draft
ordinance
Alderman Kevin Bateman introduced early draft language for
changes to the city’s multi-pet license ordinance, citing
growing concerns with animal hoarding. “We have an animal
hoarding problem here in town… people with more than two digits
of animals,” he said.
The draft would set a limit of four cats or dogs total unless a
resident holds a state breeder permit. Bateman stated that no
existing pets would be forcibly removed but emphasized that
enforcement mechanisms need to be strengthened.
12/05/2025
Lincoln City Council
City Council approves grants, discusses pet ordinance, and
reschedules Christmas Parade
The proposal would cap households at four pets unless the
owner obtained a state breeder’s permit or multi-pet license.
Alderman Sam Downs voiced immediate disagreement. “One hundred
percent of the constituents that I spoke with felt the same way
I do,” he said, arguing that four was too restrictive and not
reflective of typical households. He cited a number suggested by
a local veterinarian: “She thought that six was a manageable
number.”
12/10/2025
Logan County Board
December Building and Grounds Meeting
At the end of the update, Conahan stated that this month is
Walter’s last payment for overseeing the restoration project,
and that his contract is going to have to be extended. What
followed was a lengthy discussion about this contract and the
wording within. Nelson wanted to ensure that the project did not
go on for an undetermined amount of time. He argued the need for
more clear wording as to an end date to Walter’s contract, or
possibly a list of projects that needed to be completed before
the contract would be considered complete. Walter stated that he
had no issue with this and even encouraged the board to talk to
State’s Attorney Brad Hauge about getting clearer language in
the contract before it was renewed.
12/10/2025
Logan County Board
December Finance Meeting
Conahan then stated that Atlanta gets hotel/motel tax money for
tourism. He wanted to know if the city contributed anything to the
project. Wertheim gave an overview of the situation regarding
tourism in Atlanta. She stated that the current mayor, Tom Young,
“got into it” with Tourism Director Scott McCoy, and “fired” him.
According to Wertheim, since then, Young has not wanted to give
money to tourism, rather electing to spend the money on “fireworks.”
12/11/2025
Lincoln City Council
Tax levy and massage licenses discussed in Council Committee of the
Whole meeting
“The project ended up being quite a bit larger than what we had
originally scoped,” he said, adding that the pavilion manufacturer
declined to design the footings once raised concrete and a rear
block wall were added. “We still have money left on the project,
but… there would be a shortfall.”
Alderman Kevin Bateman noted that design changes made last year were
driven by the Parks Committee after realizing the original structure
“was going to be so much smaller… it just wouldn’t look right where
it was at.” Retaining walls, grading for accessibility, and
aesthetic improvements were added, which increased CMT’s hours.
Police Chief Joe Meister presented a proposal to add a “no knock
list” to city code, allowing residents to prohibit solicitors from
visiting their homes. He explained that while current stickers help,
they leave room for disputes.
Chief Meister stressed that state-licensed therapists are not the
issue. “If a business is operating... and provides massage therapy,
they have to be licensed to do so,” he said. “If we have another
instance like we did in January, I can just about guarantee you that
not a single employee... had a state license.”
The council agreed the ordinance needed further simplification
before moving forward.
Conzo reported that, for the first time, TIF increment fully covered
the $2.285 million bond payment for 2025.
12/12/2025
December 2025 Logan County Courthouse restoration update
Logan County Board Building and Grounds Chairman Lance Conahan
said one of the big things that will enhance the first floor
courtroom is there will be enough seating behind the bench for
thirteen people. This includes the twelve board members and the
county clerk.
In addition, there will be a microphone at each spot, and the board
will be able to live stream the meetings. The county has invested in
computers for board members and a board laptop for live streaming
meetings.
12/26/2025
Logan County Board
December Regular Board Meeting
Next was Nelson with the Executive and Personnel Committee. The
first item brought forward was a change to the Logan County Handbook
regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and ordinance changes. Nelson
clarified that the AI changes were to make sure that AI would never
be used by county employees when handling sensitive information.
This item was unanimously approved.
Zoning and Economic Development Officer Al Green then spoke on a
very recent update that he had received regarding the data center.
According to Green, it is going to be one building, but that
building will be very large. He stated that the estimated cost of
the project would be about $5 billion, bringing in $40 million in
construction permit fees for the county. He stated that the county
would get about $65 million in property taxes over the course of
fifteen years. He shared that the company had officially agreed to
partner with Heartland Community College in Lincoln to help train
employees. Green stated that this would help keep many of the jobs
that would be created by the data center in Logan County rather than
going out to Decatur.
12/26/2025
Logan County Board
Broadband project nears approval from County Board
Nelson asked what happens after the ten-year payment period.
Leesman stated that WANRack will continue to own and operate the
network, but that the county would continue to share the revenue
from the project indefinitely. He also shared that the county is
going to get twelve shares of fiber to be used however they see fit.
Nelson pushed back, stating that the wording of the agreement
concerned him. He continued, stating that nothing in the agreement
certifies that the revenue share will continue after the initial ten
years. He stated that he did not want WANRack to pull out of the
revenue share agreement after the ten year period if there was
nothing in the agreement requiring them to continue it.
In other related news
10/20/2025
Kate Wright announces candidacy for Logan County Clear and Recorder
The County Clerk and Recorder’s office plays a vital role in our
county government. We have been fortunate to have those in that
position who have taken on the responsibilities of the office with
respect, dedication, and tenacity in service of the residents of
Logan County. The current Logan County Clerk and Recorder, Theresa
Moore, will be retiring at the end of her term in 2026. It is my
honor to announce my candidacy for Logan County Clerk and Recorder
as a Republican candidate.
[Nila Smith]
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