3-27-2008

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SHOOTING RANGE LOOKING TO BE CONTSTRUCTED IN POCAHONTAS

 

The Pocahontas Village Board met Monday night for their regular monthly meeting.  Mark Owensby and Tom Stiles were at the meeting to answer questions about the shooting range they are looking to construct and operate in Pocahontas.  Rampart Range will be at least a 7,200 sq. foot building with a 10-point indoor firing range and attached retail facility.  Stiles said that the building will house a training facility and they will be looking to offer safety programs and open the building up to shooting leagues.

 

The two have also contracted with an Australian distributor of duty gear to ship and receive from the facility. They are in the process of seeking to have six acres annexed into the village limits as progress continues.  That matter will be brought before the zoning board of appeals in the next few weeks. And tonight the board approved the amendment of two ordinances: one allowing the discharge of firearms in a shooting range and the other to allow for a license for the range itself.

 

In other business, animal control officer Charlie Davis advised the board that he will be making rounds in April to make sure all pets, cats and dogs in the village, are up to date on their rabies shots.  The next meeting of the Pocahontas Village Board will be Monday, April 28^th at 7PM.

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FREE LEAF COMPOST FROM CITY OF GREENVILLE

 

The City of Greenville will offer free leaf compost to city residents.  The Public Works Department will load trucks on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 am until noon, beginning April 2^nd.  Residents are asked to bring a truck, no larger than a tandem, to south Second Street, south of FS and north of the railroad tracks, to be loaded.  No semis please.  Compost will be available on a first come first served basis.  Compost left after April 30^th, will be offered to County residents.  If you have questions, call Bill Grider at City Hall, 664-1644.

 

POCAHONTAS AND SORENTO KINDERGARTEN SCREENING AND PRE-REGISTRATION

 

The Pocahontas and Sorento centers will be holding Kindergarten Screening and Pre-Registration for the 2008-2009 school year.  Those who are eligible to attend kindergarten are children who will be 5 years old, on or before September 1, 2008.

 

The screening and pre-registration will be held Wednesday, April 9th, from 9am-2PM, at each center.  Students will be screened for hearing. Parents need to bring a birth certificate and immunization record and need to schedule a screening time by calling 669-2296 for Pocahontas students and 217-272-4111 for Sorento students.

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CANADIAN RESIDENT CONVICTED ON TELEMARKETING FRAUD

 

Leslie Anderson, 56 of Toronto, Canada, was recently convicted in U.S. District Court on 24 counts of telemarketing fraud. According to court records, the defendant was engaged in a fraudulent telemarketing operation based in Canada, that operated under the name First Capitol, and solicited in various areas including the Southern District of Illinois.

 

The fraud consisted of Anderson, with others, offering brand name credit cards, to people with less than perfect credit, for an advance payment fee around $200.  Charges were then submitted through bank collection channels, exceeding $19 million, to be deducted from consumers' bank accounts.  Credit cards were never sent to consumers and First Capitol did not have permission to use the credit card brand names. Sentencing is set for July 11^th, with Anderson facing life in prison.

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ELECTRICAL HAZARDS DURING PLANTING SEASON

 

Spring planting season will soon be here and Safe Electricity urges farmers and farm workers to take some precautions when working near power lines.

 

1. Always lower portable augers or elevators to their lowest possible level before moving or transporting and use care when raising them.
2. Always use a spotter when moving large equipment or high loads near power lines.
3. Never attempt to raise or move a power line to clear a path.
4. Assume every power line is energized, even if it is a downed line.
5. Always use the transfer switch whenever using a standby generator for emergency power.
6. Make sure there is a minimum 10 feet clearance for farm equipment around all power lines.
7. Be extremely cautious when moving irrigation equipment.

 

As a part of the new "Teach Learn Care" TLC Program, parents and others are urged to make sure young farm workers are aware of all safety precautions.

 

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