The area surrounding the Thomson Correctional Center stands to gain much with a proposal to house Guantanamo Bay detainees at the near-empty prison. But there is also a risk. While some are nervous about the possibility of accused international terrorists so close to their town, the debate centered on whether officials would fulfill their promise to create jobs. Here is a look at some of the reaction stretching from 10 to 50 miles outside Thomson, Ill.

10 miles, Savanna, Ill.

Ramsey Mason nursed a beer Monday at Poopy's Bar in Savanna, where he usually works as head bartender. A lot of the chatter around the Thomson proposal focuses on the town's economic climate, which is, well, poopy.

"Most are all for bringing any business to Savanna. It would help everybody here. It's a really depressed area," Mason said.

One former Chicago policeman told Mason he is worried about

security at the prison, especially for the detainees from Guantanamo.

"But to me it's a no-brainer. Since the (Savanna Army) depot closed and the railroads pulled out, we've lost a huge part of our population. This could bring people back," he said.

14 miles, Sabula, Iowa

At the Island City Cafe in Sabula, a handful of men sipped cups of coffee near the front counter and caught up on town gossip.

"I've got mixed emotions," Jerry Giddings said. "The jobs would be great, but you've got to take what comes with them, and they won't be fine, upstanding citizens."

Waitress Kim Bundy said she won't hold her breath for the prison to open.

"I'll believe it when I see it. They've been talking about that for years and it's all just B.S.," she said.

14 and 22 miles, Sabula and Miles, Iowa

The East Central Community School District encompasses Miles and Sabula, nestled northwest and across the Mississippi River from Thomson. Superintendent Jim House said he's looking forward to the economic boon and has faith in the federal prison system to keep the community safe.

"I'm guessing there are persons in Marion, Ill., that are more fear-inspiring than these people," he said, referring to the former Supermax federal prison.

30 miles, Elizabeth, Ill.

Jen Slattery, an Elizabeth businesswoman, said she worries the promise of jobs could turn out to be smoke and mirrors. When the existing facility opened earlier this decade, officials promised jobs that never came.

"It's like a pork chop on the end of the string. Throw jobs into a depressed area and you have rainbows and unicorns. The prison sat there for years and years. Taxpayer money does nothing," Slattery said. "It doesn't matter what it is used for, but the fact there are promised jobs. We may be looking at 50 jobs for the local people."

35 miles, Bellevue, Iowa

John Hoff, president of the Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce, said he thinks it's a good thing when a new employer recruits from just 35 miles away.

"I don't see a downside to the proposal," Hoff said. "(The Guantanamo detainees) have to go somewhere and as long as they are well-contained, security will not be an issue."

42 miles, Galena, Ill.

Dale Greimann said it's a long and windy drive to Thomson. The superintendent of the Galena School District said the proposal could bring jobs for the community, but he wasn't sure how much it would affect Galena.

"I really think we're probably far enough away that I don't think there will be an impact," he said.

42 miles, Maquoketa, Iowa

Former State Rep. Bob Osterhaus, D-Maquoketa, who founded the pharmacy of the same name, said he supports the plan.

"I have the highest confidence in people who run prisons in the United States. I'm mystified by the people who think we are creating a threat for our neighbors, and that we don't know how to handle them," Osterhaus said. "I see it as a positive for our economy and a positive image for the United States."

50 miles, Egan, Ill.

U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., lives in Egan and represents Thomson and the surrounding area in the state's 16th Congressional District.

Manzullo strongly opposes the idea of sending detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson, and he said he doesn't think Congress will vote to approve the plan.

However, he supports the idea of selling the prison to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. While Illinois state officials argued that they might need to use the extra space at Thomson, it continues to go nearly unused. A sale to the federal government would be ideal, Manzullo said.

"That will bring in the badly needed economic development, without having to worry about terrorists," he said.

TH staff writers Stacey Becker, Courtney Blanchard, Eileen Mozinski Schmidt, Mary Nevans-Pederson, Craig Reber and Michael Schmidt contributed