ULTRA LIGHT PLANE CRASHES IN CLINTON COUNTY SUNDAY
Sunday afternoon, the Clinton County Sheriff's Department responded to a plane crash, southwest of Trenton around 4PM. WGEL spoke with Sheriff, Mike Kreke, who said that 57-year Phillip Creath, of the Troy, IL area, had taken off from a strip in Trenton, and was heading back to Greenville. A few hundred yards from the airstrip, witnesses reported hearing an engine sputter and saw the Ultra Light go down. Creath was found in the compartment of the plane, hanging from the limb of a tree, about 30 feet off the ground.
Sheriff Kreke said that a local resident brought out a human lift and a local business brought out a bucket truck. Between the two apparatuses, Creath was able to be stabilized and lifted out of the tree. He was then ARCHed to a St. Louis area hospital where his condition is unknown at this time. The Ultra Light was then cut out of the tree and transferred to a flatbed truck.
Sheriff Kreke thanks the over 20 different agencies and local people that were on scene to assist in the rescue Sunday afternoon.
FIRE MARSHALL INVESTIGATES HOUSE FIRE ON ST. JOHN STREET SUNDAY
Greenville Firemen responded to a 911 call Sunday afternoon, shortly after 2PM, in regards to the smell of smoke coming out of a vacant house at 723 St. John Street in Greenville. According to Greenville Police Chief, Lou Lorton, firemen arrived on scene to find that the upstairs of the house had been charred. Greenville Fire Chief, Bill Johnston, contacted the State Fire Marshall's Office in Springfield.
An investigator responded Monday with a specially trained arson dog. Lorton said that according to the investigation, there were several places in the residence where an accelerant had been used. The home is owned by Lester Harnetiaux and Winford Holzinger of Bond County Realtors and has been vacant since last July.
Lorton asks anyone who might have seen somebody in or near the residence at 723 St. John Street, to call the Greenville Police Department at 664-2131. The case is still under investigation.
RIBBON CUTTING FOR OPENING OF LITTLE RED BARN AT AFHM
This past Saturday, June 9th the American Farm Heritage hosted a day of activities. It started with a ribbon cutting at 9am to celebrate the new hours of Little Red Barn.
The 2nd Annual Tractor Drive was held at 10am with tractors parading throughout the southern part of Bond County. Throughout the day, railroad ties were laid along AFHM track, while the Hills Fort Society placed logs at the location of the Hills Fort.
The Little Red Barn will be open every Saturday, from 8:30am-3:30PM.
PLANS STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH ETHANOL PLANT
Last October, it was announced that Alternative Energy Solutions was looking to build an ethanol plant in Greenville. The original timeline called for construction in 2007 and to have the plant up and running in 2008. In February, AENS spokesperson, J.B. Voss, said that they were still moving forward with all plans for Greenville and have engaged a company to get the air permit applications in order. During this time, the company is also trying to build plants in two other locations.
This past week, AENS received the operational air permit and final go-ahead for it's planned 110 million gallon plant near Ogden, Iowa. Progress will continue this year on that particular plant as well as seeking the permits and financing sources for the proposed Greenville and Kankakee Illinois plants.The 108 million-gallon per year Greenville ethanol plant would be similar in design to the other two. There will also be a loop track design to load 100 car trains. The AENS plant would be located east of Carlisle Syntec along U.S Route 40.
