CLOCKS JUMP ONE HOUR AHEAD EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
Time will be moving one hour ahead this weekend. In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that changed the dates for Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the United States beginning this year. From now on, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress, who then has the right to resume the 2005 DST schedule, once the Department of Energy study is complete.
This Sunday, March 11th, clocks will spring forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. This means that when you go to bed Saturday night, you need to adjust your clocks for the following day. Residents are also encouraged to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors during this time of year as well. More the 90% of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, but nearly one-third are estimated to have dead or missing batteries.
A LOOK BACK AT SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE LAST 5 YEARS
Illinois Severe Weather Awareness Week runs through March 10th. As April and May approach, we are reminded of the storms that have hit the area in the last five years. On May 1, 2002 around 1:30 in the afternoon, five tornadoes touched down in and around Greenville. Each twister was rated an F-0 or an F-1. Many residents and businesses throughout Greenville suffered severe damage and debris was scattered throughout the southern part of town.
One year later, several severe storms again ripped through Bond County on May 8th 2003. Many businesses gathered employees in central locations and all Bond County Unit 2 schools held students late as a precautionary measure. Residents reported blown out windows and damaged vehicles. Just a few days later, another storm and reported funnel clouds again hit Bond County and caused downed power lines and some structural damage to buildings.
In 2004, residents reported several funnel clouds throughout Bond County on a Sunday afternoon and one person was killed in the Metro East. During the second week of May 2005, strong winds and heavy rain were responsible for downed trees and power lines, while residents in Taylor Springs reported sightings of a funnel cloud. Last year, tornadoes swept through the area on several different occasions shutting down the Highland School and damaging several buildings, trees and local crops. They were also responsible for a number of deaths throughout the Metro East.
The National Weather Service reminds residents that they issue a Tornado Watch when weather conditions suggest that tornadoes are possible. A Tornado Warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, this is a time to take shelter. Tuesday morning was the Statewide Severe Weather drill.
TORNADO SIRENS ALL WORKING IN GREENVILLE
Tuesday morning was the Statewide Severe Weather Drill at 10am. Sirens sounded in cities and towns across the state. WGEL spoke with Greenville Police Chief Lou Lorton who said the sirens in Greenville worked just as they were supposed to. This annual test was the full three-minute siren, which is what you would hear in the event of an actual tornado warning.
Year round, the Greenville Police Department sounds the tornado siren, in a shorter burst, the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. Lorton commented however, that if severe weather is present during the testing time, the test would be skipped for that day, as not to confuse residents. He reminded that the key for recognizing the real tornado warning siren is that it will last the full three minutes.
In Greenville, a tornado siren will be sounded if:
A tornado warning is issued for Bond County
Or upon the immediate notification by a trained National Weather Service spotter, law enforcement officer or firefighter that a funnel cloud or tornado has been sighted and the path indicates immediate threat to the city.
ONE PERSON INJURED IN ACCIDENT
A driver from Jacksonville was injured Wednesday night in a single vehicle accident on Route 140 at Newport Road. According to Bond County deputies, 23-year-old Christopher L. Barnard was eastbound when he lost control of his car at the sharp curve. The vehicle rolled three times before coming to rest. Barnard was taken by ambulance to Greenville Regional Hospital.
MEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEDGED DOOR-TO-DOOR SCAM IN TROY
The Madison County Sheriff's Office was contacted Monday, March 5th by an elderly person on Lake Drive in Troy. She reported to police that she gave a $500 check to a person allegedly identifying himself as Lee Harris on Saturday. The suspect had told the victim that he had worked on her driveway and demanded at $500 payment. During this investigation, police learned the vehicle of the alleged suspect was a white 2006 Dodge pickup. After a couple more complaints of the men trying to get money for driveway work, Madison County Deputies were able to locate the vehicle and identify 25 year-old Lee Harris along with another man, 27 year-old Teddy T. Lovell. According to police, the men were allegedly giving a handwritten receipt in the name of Lee Roofing and John's Asphalt and had business cards under the name of Harris Tree Service and Harris Paving. Both men were arrested and charged with Theft Over $300. The Madison County Sheriff's Department reminds residents of door-to-door scams regarding "have done" or "will do" repairs on your home that demand payment up front. Contact your local police department if you notice any suspicious activity of this kind.
