BOND COUNTY ONE OF 49 NAMED STATE DISASTER AREAS
Bond was one of 49 counties declared state disaster areas by the Governor on Tuesday. In doing so, the state is making its resources available to these counties including National Guard troops who are now assisting in Decatur. Bond County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Director Bill Leidel told WGEL that the state disaster designation has allowed him to request manpower from Vandalia prison. Leidel said these inmates can assist with the cleanup of downed trees and limbs and should arrive Friday morning. According to Leidel, one crew will serve in Greenville and two in the county.
There is no grant money involved in a state disaster declaration. However, this is the first step in the state seeking federal disaster status. Leidel told WGEL that Sorento and the northwestern part of the county was the hardest hit locally. Other counties tabbed as state disaster areas include Montgomery, Madison, and Macoupin.
NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE TO LESSEN
As of 8am today, Ameren is reporting 18,697 customers in Illinois and Missouri were still without power. Four of these were in Bond County…two in Sorento and Pocahontas each. Southwestern Electric restored power to about 600 members in Madison County Wednesday. About 500 members remained without power Wednesday night. The cooperative expects to restore electricity to most of those members today. However, repairs to some isolated outages and maintenance to more heavily damaged parts of the system may not be completed until Friday.
NEW KEYESPORT FIRE CHIEF
Due to health problems, Tom Hoffman retired as the Keyesport Fire Chief Tuesday night. Tom passed command of the Keyesport Firefighters to the new Chief Duane Wiegmann. Tom has led the department for the last 20 years. Although he retired as chief, he will continue to volunteer with the department.
TOM HOFFMAN RETIRED AS FIRE CHIEF IN KEYESPORT
MULBERRY CITIZEN COMPLAINS ABOUT NEXT DOOR NUISANCES
A Mulberry Grove resident appeared before the village board Tuesday night with several nuisance complaints concerning a neighbor. The woman told the board that trash at the residence on 2nd Street had allegedly overfilled a dumpster and created rodent and insect problems in recent months. She said although the dumpster was emptied each month it was soon full. The citizen also claimed the neighbor had three dogs running loose one of which had recently bit someone. Mayor Jana Willis said it was her understanding that the person bitten had been walking on private property at the time. Mulberry Grove Police Chief Robert Sutton reported that a friend of the person bitten had later stabbed and wounded the dog. The village board instructed Sutton to follow-up on the trash problems at the residence.
During the course of the discussion on the dog problem, the resident asked who she should call if the village’s dog catcher is not available. She said the dog catcher wasn’t able to come to her home on Thanksgiving Day. Mayor Willis told the woman to call her if she can’t reach the dog catcher. This prompted village board members Karan Belcher and Cherie Henson to state they felt the dog catcher should be available at all times.
This led to talk on the surveys the board voted last month to send to village residents. Some of the questions dealt with the dog catcher and mandatory trash pickup. Mayor Willis stated that many people had asked why the questionnaires weren’t sent out before decisions were made on these issues. Board member Henson explained that she had compiled the survey because of the complaints she had received from residents. The board voted 3-2 to withdraw the survey and not mail it.
SALVATION ARMY TOTALS SO FAR THIS SEASON
Volunteers for the Bond County Salvation Army have been ringing bells next to the red kettles for nearly two weeks and have raised over $4,000. Local committee member Reverend Wayne Pierce told WGEL that this Friday, December 8 bell ringers will be in front of the Capri IGA store on Harris Ave in Greenville and that IGA will match all donations that day up to $1,000
