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Illinois town sees Guantanamo inmate transfer as 'wonderful'
Residents of a tiny Illinois town on Tuesday welcomed a controversial plan to transfer dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees to their near empty prison as a "wonderful, wonderful thing."
"This is the best thing that could have happened to us," said Julie Hansen, president of the Thomson chamber of commerce.
"I am ecstatic and I hope nothing happens that will keep this from happening in our community."
The Thomson Correctional Center, located across the Mississippi River from Iowa, has remained virtually empty since it was opened eight years ago due to state budgetary constraints.
The rural county is desperate for the jobs the prison could bring. Hansen said people are excited about the possibility of new families moving into the town of 550 and new businesses opening up to serve the prison's needs.