Most of the remaining outages are in Knox Peoria and Warren counties

Most of the remaining outages are in Knox, Peoria and Warren counties.Though it is anticipated nearly all customers will have service restored bytonight, some isolated outages are expected to continue into tomorrow. Central Illinois to Be Reenergized Tonight, While Ameren Illinois UtilitiesStand Ready for More Severe WeatherLights Back On for 36,000 in 27 Hours PEORIA, Ill., June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While Ameren IllinoisUtilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) field crews are working toreenergize Central Illinois by tonight, the utilities remain on high alert asthe threat of additional severe weather continues throughout the day and intothe evening.Since the damaging storms swept through Central Illinois yesterday morning,the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AIU) have restored service to more than 36,000customers At 10:00 a.m today, about 7,300 customers are still withoutlights. Income taxes, the city's largest revenue source, were down24% for the first two months of fiscal 2009. The city attributes the decline toa decrease in bonus payouts by area businesses and anticipates the revenue topick up for the remainder of the year.

Fitch believes that the decline in incometax revenues is mitigated by the city's conservative budgeting and history ofexpenditure control. The city's ample reserves provide a significant source of internal financing forplanned capital projects and minimize external borrowing needs. Beachwood'sdirect debt equals a low $1,674 per capita and 2.3% market value, whileoverlapping debt is a moderate $3,106 per capita and 4.4% of market value. Fitchexpects the direct debt burden will remain low, as management anticipates nosubstantial external funding in the city's various capital improvements. Infiscal 2009, the city has a budget for $6 million in capital projects, most ofwhich will go into road maintenance and building reconstruction. With a population of roughly 11,197, Beachwood lies in eastern Cuyahoga County,approximately 13.5 miles from downtown Cleveland.

The city's proximity toCleveland and major transportation routes fostered its development as a regionalretail and office center for the eastern Cleveland suburbs. The city's broadeconomic base includes more than 3,000 companies, led by a major facility ofBank of America and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Even in the economicdownturn, Beachwood has managed to attract further business investment asUniversity Hospital Ahuja Medical Center and Eaton Corporation are expected moveinto Chagrin Highlands in the coming years. Fitch expects the development ofChagrin Highlands, an upscale office park designed for corporate campusfacilities, should produce further gains in the city's assessed value, incometax revenues and employment as it develops over the next 20 years.

Like most of Ohio, effects of the current economic downturn have been felt inBeachwood. The city's housing market has suffered from increased foreclosures.Data from LoanPreformance suggests total foreclosure to be 18.1% in firstquarter 2009, up from 13.7% in first quarter 2007. While the increased rate offoreclosures is troublesome, Fitch does not expect this to impact the generalfinances significantly since the residential tax base of the city is such asmall component of the city's overall taxable value. Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available onthe agency's public site, Published ratings, criteria andmethodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code ofconduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, complianceand other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code ofConduct' section of this site. Fitch Ratings, New YorkLindsay Trzaska, 212-908-0239Jessalynn Moro, 212-908-1608Cindy Stoller, 212-908-0526 (Media Relations)Copyright Business Wire 2009.