FIRES IN THE AREA SATURDAY
Windy conditions can partially be blamed for at least two fires that kept area fire departments busy Saturday. Keyesport firemen were called at 11:06 AM to a field fire on Keyesport Road west of Route 127 and the Smithboro fire department received a call at 4:42 PM of a fire behind two residences on Ohio Avenue in Royal Lake. The Mulberry Grove fire department was called for mutual aid with a pumper truck to the Royal Lake fire. Both fires were determined to be caused by burning trash being spread by the wind.
At 1:51 PM Saturday Smithboro firemen responded to a call of an abandoned trailer fire on Pleasant Mount Avenue. Mulberry Grove firemen were also called to provide mutual aid. Greenville firemen were called to a bean field fire at 4:23 PM Saturday on the Charles Compton property on Sorento Avenue. Shoal Creek firemen provided mutual aid with a tanker truck. The cause of the fire is undetermined. Greenville firemen were back in service by 5:38 PM. And at 5:11 PM Saturday Mulberry Grove firemen were called to West Taylor Street in Mulberry Grove to extinguish a tree on fire behind a residence.
ILLINOIS OFFERS DIFFERENT WAYS TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 7TH
With the November elections less than a month away, the State of Illinois is offering people other ways to place their vote. Randy Reitz, Bond County Clerk, explained the differences between absentee voting and early voters. He said that absentee voters are asked for the reason why they need to vote absentee, whether it's because they will be out of the country, incapacitated, or something of that nature. A request form can be picked up at the County Clerk's Office or mailed to the voter's residence. Once it's filled out and mailed back, the actual ballot is sent to the voter who will mail it back once it's completed. Early voters aren't required to have a reason to vote early. They can simply come into the clerk's office, vote right then and have their vote taken care of before November 7th.
Applications for absentee voting can now be requested through the Bond County Clerk's Office with ballots being accepted from October 16 to November 6. Early voters may vote in person at the clerk's office between October 16 and November 2. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8AM to 4PM and Saturday, November 4 from 8AM to 12 Noon.
UPGRADES CONTINUE AT PATRIOT’S PARK
The Kingsbury Park District has purchased fifteen heavy duty plastic picnic tables for the Patriot’s Park pavilions. At Monday night’s KPD board meeting, Director Jerry Sauerwein said there is always a need for picnic tables at Patriot’s and he hopes to purchase more in the next year or two. The Clean Lakes Grant-funded work at Patriot’s is about to move into other phases. Sauerwein said the dam is now wider and easier to mow. The district is finalizing the paperwork for additional EPA grant money to cover more dredging at the lake. And plans for constructing wetlands on property north of Route 127 owned by Jay Young are being reviewed. Sauerwein reported that he is still awaiting the plans for the new boat ramp on Patriot’s Park Lake.
Kingsbury has been selected for nearly $18,000 in grant money for reseeding the pavilion area of the Nature Preserve with native prairie grasses. Sauerwein also announced to the board that he has been elected to a one-year term as President of the Southern Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.
After a forty minute closed session, the park board approved Sauerwein’s salary for the coming year and gave him a $1,000 performance bonus citing the number of grants he has secured for the district. The board then ratified a three-year contract calling for a 5% annual increase and 2% bonus based on the grants received.
You can see the video of the Kingsbury Park Board meeting tonight at 6 on Greene County Cable Channel 3 in Greenville.
