CALHOUN NEWS-HERALD
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INSIDE SOCIAL
Charlie Friedel turns 2. See page A3
NEWS
Nolte winner of trail-naming contest. See page A2
SCHOOL
SNS presents Living Saints Museum. See page A6
SPORTS
HARDIN, ILLINOIS 62047
jANuARY 22, 2014
‘Billy Bob's Gags to Riches’ airs on Discovery Channel Jan. 28 By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald A national audience will tune into a show set in Calhoun County Jan. 28 at 9 p.m. on Discovery featuring a local business owner and his family. Jonah White, owner of Billy Bob Products in Hardin, said he pitched the show idea to seven networks around two years ago after filming the sizzler himself, adding he is excited the show, “Billy Bob’s Gags to Riches,” will finally make it to air. “People are going bonkers over it. Everyone that has seen it has said that it’s awesome and different than anything else that’s been on television,” White said. “I’m excited because I’d like them to turn me loose and just start following me with cameras. You don’t need to act. My life is crazy and I keep it that way.” The main objective of the show was to provide an authentic look at his life and Calhoun County. Rather than stringing together scripted elements of people portrayed as strange or odd, White said he set out to make people think differently, because he does. After graduating from Missouri State in 1994 with a degree in biology, he lived in a cave in rural Calhoun County for nearly a year, pondering what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. White didn’t want to wear a suit and work a regular job every day, but it wasn’t until he met Rich Bailey, who introduced him to a pair of fake teeth, that he realized what the future could hold. During a Missouari State football game, he saw Bailey – with horrendous teeth – flirting with women in the stands of the game. Later, Bailey was introduced to White, who was taken aback by Bailey’s rather immaculate teeth. Confused, White asked him how his teeth changed so
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rapidly, and Bailey presented him with the first pair of Billy Bob Teeth he made in dental school. White said he knew it was a million-dollar idea at that time, and ran with it. He now owns a business where he sells gag toys and other products around the world. White said part of the show will focus on his lifestyle while the other will aim to show what it is like to be an entrepreneur. “It’s different than anything that’s been on television. There’s a level of country and redneck just because of where I live, and that is very welltaken right now,” White said. “What I was interested in was a show that was authentic and real, and that will portray my life and how my family and I live. But it would show how tough it is being an entrepreneur, and show that you can make it and it’s a lot of work, and the things that can go wrong.” With all of the other shows on television involving hillbillies or rednecks, White said he wanted to show a real person and his business, showcasing the creation of ideas and inventions. Living on a property with an aviary, a pet swan, a pet black bear and a bobcat, White’s life is anything but normal, and he hopes his show will prove to people they don’t have to act like somebody else to be successful. “You don’t have to sell out who you are,” White said. “If you try hard enough and you’re successful, you can make it and be you. I don’t possess a huge number of aspects about me that are super human that other people couldn’t do. The things I’ve done, I think other people could do, too, if that’s what they go for.” “Billy Bob’s Gags to Riches” will air on Discovery Channel at 9 p.m. Jan. 28 after “Moonshiners.” The show is rated TV-14.
CLEAN BEFORE THE STORM
Bob Crossen/Calhoun News-Herald
Tony Kallal vaccuums clean the backseat of a car at the car wash in Hardin Monday afternoon when the weather was partly cloudy and relatively warm. A snow storm swept the area late Monday night and into Tuesday morning causing school closures throughout the region.
Two Rivers holds lunch and learn program Friday By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald The Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge will host the second of its Lunch and Learn events Jan. 24 at 12 p.m. after which participants will go on a guided nature walk. The Lunch and Learn program is not new to the national refuge, but does provide educational opportunities for those interested in learning more about the public land and the animals which inhabit it. Courtney Solum, Two Rivers park ranger, said those who attend the event will sit down to lunch with Two Rivers personnel for lunch during which they will talk about some of the wildlife on the refuge. “Anyone is welcome to join us. Just bring a lunch, and we’ll sit down – some staff from the refuge and whoever comes to participate – we’ll sit down and have lunch,” Solum said, noting the four Lunch and Learns are typically scheduled in January and February. The park ranger said each week aims to cover a different topic or look more closely at a specific animal. She said what is taught depends on the participant's interests, but
STATE NEWS
Lady Raiders win consolation title. See page B8
NEWS
What's happening between the rivers. See page A5
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New Illinois law grounds drone harassment By ANNEttE MARSHALL Calhoun News-Herald Among the new laws which took effect at the beginning of 2014 is a law designed to protect hunters and fishers from interference from aerial drones. HB1652, sponsored by State Representative Adam Brown (R-Champaign), and Senator Daniel Bliss (D-Evanston), was filed on Feb. 14, 2013, and signed by Governor Quinn Aug. 16, 2013. The bill amended the wildlife Criminal Code of 2012, making it a Class A misdemeanor to “use a drone in a way that interferes with another person’s lawful taking of wildlife or aquatic life.” While the law does not specifically name the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization (PETA), it was the
rollout of the PETA “Air Angel” drones that had many hunters concerned about their privacy. Avid hunter and Jersey County resident Chuck Hoffmann said he was aware of the drone issue and of the new law. “This new law prohibiting drone use to harass hunters, as any other law, is only as good as the ethics of the people honoring the law,” he said. The drones, which retail for $324.99 at petacatalog.com, are touted as a tool to help protect animals from illegal hunting activities. “Using your hobby drone, you can collect instant to-your-phone video footage of hunters engaging in illegal activity, such as drinking while in possession of a firearm, injuring animals and failing to pursue them,
HEATING
and illegally using spotlights, feed lures, and other nasty but common hunting tricks. Your amateur footage can be used to alert game wardens and other authorities to who is doing what to animals,” states the description on the website. Footage collected by the drones can be streamed live via the Internet, or uploaded to the Air Angels page on PETA.org. Hoffmann was less than thrilled about the idea of someone capturing surveillance footage of his hunting activities “What will these radicals think of next?” he said. Hoffman, a former Illinois gun safety instructor, added he has “no respect” for those sportsmen who choose to break the law, but guessed that violators were only (See, Drones, A2)
UP!
• Index • Obituaries . . . . . A7 Our Town . . . . . . A8 News . . . . . . A2, A8 Public Notice . . . B6 Real Estate . . .B4-5 Correspondence A5 Social . . . . . . . . . A3 Sports . . . . . . . . B8 Obituaries in this issue: Weishaupt
© 2014 Calhoun News-Herald All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Bob Crossen/Calhoun News-Herald
Rusty Bick squats a series of weights at the Calhoun Crunch Monday night while Mitch Bowers spots him. The Calhoun Crunch is putting together a fitness event to occur in the next few months with plans of including a 5k run. C
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Solum said the focus Jan. 24 will be great horned owls, an owl known for the distinct tuffs on its head which make it appear to have ears. “They’re nesting this time of the year. [We’ll talk about] what they’re eating right now,” Solum said, “and how the refuge contributes to that. Depending on the animal and the habitat they prefer, the refuge probably has many benefits for them, and that’s why they would choose to live at the refuge.” After an educational lunch, Solum said visitors will be guided on a tour of the refuge where they may see the animal they discussed along with other wildlife. Participants will be guided down one of the refuge’s many paths, she added. One of the paths was just named Jan. 10 during the refuge’s open house which Solum said was well attended. “It was better than I expect with the ferry closed,” Solum said. “We had a very good turn out.” The naming of the trail involved numerous participants who submitted their ideas for the path’s name. A select few were chosen by Two Rivers personnel, and they were (See, two rivers, A2)
JCH looking to get out of baby delivery business By ROBERt LYONS Calhoun News-Herald By summer, there may be no more babies being born in Jersey County, at least not at a hospital. Jersey Community Hospital is looking to discontinue maternity services, but first must get the approval of the Health Facilities Planning Board. The decision to get out of the baby delivery business is a disappointment to Marci Osborn, a Carlinville resident who gave birth at JCH on Jan. 12. “It’s heartbreaking, really,” Osborn said. “With Carlinville not having an OB department, pretty well all the small towns around will have no OB departments in their hospitals if Jerseyville closes down.” JCH administrators, past and present, cite waning usage of the department, as well as budget shortfalls for the decision to close the maternity wing. Hospital CEO John Wade said, in a press release, the hospital went from delivering more than 200 babies in 2008 to just 130 in 2013. “The average daily census in the six-bed unit was less than one.” Wade said in the statement. “We’ve been fortunate to preserve the quality and intimacy for our patients as long as we have. This is not a move we wanted to make, but with falling volumes the amount of subsidy required to run the service is not sustainable.” Between the OGBYN clinic and the maternity services offered at the hospital, JCH lost around $1.4 million last year, according to Community Relations Director Jen Bell. “I believe there are a lot of hospitals looking at their maternity services. I think where the healthcare industry is going is kind of unknown right now,” Bell said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with reimbursement, and we don’t know what cuts the state and federal levels are going to make.” The CEO said competition with larger regional hospitals put JCH’s maternity offerings at a disadvantage. Former JCH administrator Larry Bear said in a statement from the hospital that provisions of the Affordable Care Act, as well as failure to receive Medicare payments, have put hospital offerings in a bind. He called it “the perfect storm,” and stated government interference is “oppressive and getting worse.” Still, Bear said he’s never been satisfied with the number of residents using JCH’s maternity services. “The percentage of those choosing JCH for birthing services never reached over 40 percent from the service area,” Bear said in the hospital’s press release. “It’s now less than 30 percent. Like everything in a small town economy, we either support it or lose it.” Osborn said JCH came highly recommended, and that she was very satisfied with her experience. ““The father of the baby, his sister went to Jerseyville, and they all told me that it was a really good hospital,” (See, JCH, A2)