LANGHAM OUTDOORS LTD PRESENTED TO BOND COUNTY ZONING BOARD AND BOND COUNTY BOARD
Tuesday night at the Bond County Zoning Board meeting, Hal Langham with Langham Outdoors LTD requested a special use permit for commercial and recreational activities at the Langham Outfitters and Vacation Lodge. The land was the former Propellex Plant, and is located off Rt 127, about 9 miles north of Greenville. It consists of 500 acres of contiguous timber and approximately 250 acres of open field for hunting. The facility will focus on deer hunts Oct. 1 through Jan. 15, Spring and Fall turkey hunts, and Muzzle load deer hunts. Groups of no more than 5 hunters per day will be able to participate in a 5-day semi-guided hunt. Upon arrival, each hunter will be given a tour, assigned a zone, and will agree to comply with all conservation laws. Deer stands and ground blinds will not be allowed within 100 yards of each property line and guides will make efforts to notify property owners of injured deer or turkey pursuits.
Also planned is a 4,028-sq. ft, four bedroom Lodge which will be available for overnight stay, meetings, and events. Langham said he plans to host gun safety classes, youth hunts, and other hunting related community activities at the facility. Gary and Rhonda Laurent will build a home on the site and will be act as managers and organizers of the hunting events.
Conservation Officer Paul Davidson said that the hunting facility would need to apply for a license from the State of Illinois. In order to obtain the license, the facility would need a management plan, would be subject to all state laws, and must be inspected. In response to concerns of the safety of the neighbors of the facility, Officer Davidson said he thought this would improve, because there had been trespassing and illegal hunting at the site previously, now it would be controlled and monitored.
To the question of liability if hunters go on neighboring property and are injured, Officer Davidson said the state has a Good Samaritan Act. If people hunt on your property you are not liable if they are injured. But he did offer the example of someone possibly being injured in an open well on your property that you knew about. That, he felt, would not fall under the Good Samaritan Act.
The Zoning Board unanimously approved the special use permit which means it needed to go before the Bond County Board for approval. Since the county board met later that same evening the special permit for Langham Outdoors LTD moved directly to the board for consideration and was approved unanimously.
STATUE ON COURTHOUSE GROUNDS DAMAGED
Vandals caused over $500 in damage to the Civil War monument on the southeast corner of the courthouse grounds. The Greenville Women's Club reported to city police that someone had put a greasy gel on the statue. The vandalism occurred between Monday evening and Wednesday morning.
