4-18-2008

 

EARTHQUAKE HITS OUR AREA

 

Just after 4:30 this morning most of us were shaken from our beds by what the U.S. Geological Society first reported as a 5.4 magnitude earthquake centered near West Salem Illinois approximately 38 miles North of Evansville and 131 miles East of St. Louis. They now have changed that to a 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Here at WGEL we got calls from all around our area with reports of buildings shaking.  According to several reports there was an initial shaking that subsided, then a much larger, more intense, vibration that lasted 5-10 seconds.  The quake was felt as far North as Chicago.

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EARTHQUAKE IMPACT

 

This morning's earthquake was a surprise to many in our area.  The shaking caused some concern, but, so far, no reports of damage.  We spoke with the Greenville Police and the Bond County Sheriff's department and neither department has handled any emergency or damage calls from the earthquake. We also spoke with the Clinton, Montgomery and Fayette County sheriff’s departments, and the Highland City Police and no calls concerning emergencies or damages were made due to the earthquake.   

 

We also spoke with Army Corps of Engineers Assistant Project Manager, Dick Connor, about the dam and structures on Carlyle Lake.  Connor said that a thorough inspection of all structures are taking place throughout the day, but a preliminary inspection made immediately following the quake found no damage.  Jeff Leidner, with the Greenville Water Plant, said no damage occurred to the Governor Bond Lake dam or any other facility on the lake.

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MORE DETAILS FROM TUESDAY'S COUNTY BOARD MEETING

 

At the most recent Bond County Board meeting, board members concurred with two recommendations from the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Special Use Permits were granted to Willard Leiser and Christopher King to place mobile homes on property in the county.

 

The Board then agreed to allow the Bond County Ministerial Alliance to use the south courthouse lawn on May 1st, beginning at noon, for a 45 minute service in recognition of the annual National Day of Prayer.  And as a result of a request by Kaskaskia College, the County Board voted to declare April as Kaskaskia College month.

 

The County Recycling Committee will hold their first meeting, Tuesday April 29^th, at 7:30 PM, at the courthouse. And the Bond County Board appointed Dan Blankenship to the Mulberry Grove Fire Protection District Board, due to the vacancy left by Dan Johnson.  The next meeting of the Bond County Board will be May 6^th at 10am.

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KINGSBURY PARK DISTRICT MEETING

 

The Kingsbury Park District held their monthly meeting earlier this week.  Director Sauerwine said the $100,000, pledged to the district to build a skateboard park, had still not arrived from the state.  It’s hoped the funds will arrive soon, and a public planning and information gathering meeting, for the skateboard park, can be held in early May.  The master plan for park improvements and new construction will be completed soon and available to the public.  And summer baseball registration continues at the Park District.   

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"BRIGHT START" RATED IN TOP 5 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLANS

 

Illinois' Bright Start College Savings Program has been named as one of the top five in the nation by Morningstar, Inc.  Last year, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias overhauled the Bright Start program bringing it from one of the poorest returning investments to one of the best.  It now offers low costs and a high rate of return.  "With recent news of the costs of college skyrocketing, Bright Start gives families, saving for their children's higher education, a smart low-cost option." Giannulias said.  You can view the entire report at www.morningstar.com.

 

 

GREEN SPRING CLEANING

 

It's that time of year again, the weather is warming up and people are beginning to think about spring-cleaning. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency encourages people to "think green" when spring cleaning by using eco-friendly cleaning products and disposing of hazerdous waste appropriately. Using green cleaning alternatives is not only good for the environment, but using homemade cleaning products can be very economical because people use items they already have in their homes. Some eco-friendly products include:          

drain cleaner by pouring separately ¼ cup backing soda, ¼ cup salt and ½ cup vinegar down the drain and then following with hot water;

         

glass cleaner by combing equal parts vinegar and water or cornstarch and water;

         

furniture polish by using lemon oil or olive oil;

         

and ant control by placing molasses or honey in a lid on an outside section of the ant trail.

 

You can also think green by finding new uses for old items instead of tossing them in the trash.

 

To help people dispose of hazardous waste properly, the Illinois EPA will be offering 10 household hazardous waste collection events across the state. For more information on these collection events, visit www.epa.state.il.us. 

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