CALHOUN NEWS-HERALD
75¢ PER COPY
HARDIN, ILLINOIS 62047
AUGUST 7, 2019
VOLUME 146 - ISSUE 32
INSIDE NEWS
Rehabbed eagle released at wildlife refuge. 6HH SDJH A3
Calhoun native hired as Brussels principal. 6HH SDJH A6
Calhoun Council for senior news. 6HH SDJH A3
Photo courtesy of Julie Kronable
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Rt. 16 to Joe Page Bridge could open soon By JARAD JARMON Calhoun News-Herald
ONLINE calhounnewsherald.com
WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, AUG. 9
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SATURDAY, AUG. 10
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lthough not set in stone, local officials involved in flood recovery say the highway leading up to the Joe Page Bridge could be open to traffic soon. Brett Gettings, Nutwood Levee District Commissioner, said the highway, Route 16, in East Hardin could be opened in a week. This, however, is the best case scenario. He stressed this is a “maybe,� noting it still depends
on where water levels have settled by that time. Joseph Monroe, operations engineer with District 8 of the Illinois Department of Transportation, said it is highly dependent on if waters recede quickly enough and if there is any road damage. He said they are hopeful there will be only slope and shoulder damage, but that cannot be confirmed until water flows back into the river. Gettings said there is still 6,000 acres underwater. Among the list of structures still under flood waters is the pumphouse located southwest of Nutwood, which is needed to start pumping out water that sits in the sur-
rounding area. The flooded area has served as a basin or bowl trapping the water, so in many parts of the region, flooding is still a reality. Gettings said the pumphouse is 30-inches deep in water with it going down an estimated rate of 3-4 inches a day. “(The water) has to be off of the floor before we can get our stuff going,� he said. He explained the pumps they have are submersible, but the wiring is not. Crews will be able to access the pumphouse in, at best, 10 days, Gettings said. In the meantime, crews have dug a ditch 20-feet wide and 6-feet deep at
levee to relieve some of build up and let the water runout. “We are just glad the river is at its banks,� he said. Once they start pumping the water out, it will still take time to drain the area of flood waters. Gettings said it would take roughly 30 days, depending on weather, to pump out the water. Even if they were to get the portable pumps they had during the Great Flood of ’93, it would have taken an estimated years to pump out all of this water. “It is such a big volume,� he said. “The flood is not over for us. It is a long way from over.�
83 68 High
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SUNDAY, AUG. 11
87 67 High
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CALHOUN NEWSHERALD ‡ ,QGH[ ‡ &RUUHVSRQGHQFH. . . . . A4 1HZV . . . . . A3, A5-6, B3 2XU 7RZQ. . . . . . . . . . A5 5HDO (VWDWH . . . . . . B1-2 6RFLDO . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Obituaries in this issue: None
Flood disaster declaration still uncertain State given until Sept. 3 on request
By JARAD JARMON Calhoun News-Herald The state received an extension to submit a request to the federal government for a major disaster declaration related to severe storms and flooding that devastated the area earlier this year. For Calhoun County, that means an expectedly longer delay on seeing federal disaster relief funding, a reality that puts local government into a little bit more of a bind financially, said Gene Breden, Emergency Services Disaster Agency coordinator. Local government has been using local funds to handle recovery from the damages in the area with an expectation
that external funds will, in relatively short time, come in to pay for these flood-related costs.
This extension is a sign they will likely be waiting for a while longer. Breden said it needed to be done, though. “It is a necessary evil we have to live with,� he said. “They need to make sure it is
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Alicia Tate-Nadeau Acting Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency “Local governments pay until they can’t pay anymore,� Breden said of the interim period before relief funds flow in.
all straight before they send (the request).� Currently, representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)
and the the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are conducting damage audits across the state in the 36 counties designated as state disaster areas, a time consuming but necessary one to get federal relief. The audit will insure the damage costs reported by counties are accurate. On that list is Calhoun, which Breden said would be audited in the coming weeks. The county inspector is still in the process of assessing homes for flood damage in the county. Breden explained any further flood damages assessed will be added in addition to the total relief compensation the county entities could claim. The original deadline for declaration submission was
Aug. 2. The state now has until Sept. 3 to request federal assistance, according to a state news release. “In some parts of the state, floodwaters remain an impediment not only to residents but also emergency managers and first responders,� said Alicia Tate-Nadeau, acting director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). “We are just beginning our joint damage assessments with the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the U.S. Small Business Administration and need more time to thoroughly review the information in order to better define the true impact of the event.� Most of Calhoun County, (See, DECLARATION, A3)
Resident in talks to donate 96-acres to Calhoun county
Š2019
CALHOUN NEWS-HERALD All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Kinder
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By .</( &811,1*+$0 Calhoun News-Herald Approximately 96-acres of land in Calhoun County near the Golden Eagle Ferry could be opened up for public usage. At the Calhoun County Commissioners board meeting, it was announced that the board has been approached by a county resident, Eric Lemmons, about a possible land donation for public usage. As of right now the transaction is in the preliminary phase with a representative from the board expected to speak to Lemmons in the near future. Also, three transactions of funds were made during the Aug. 1 Calhoun County Commissioners meeting and appropriated into the budget per request by county engineer Kyle Godar for several projects. The amount of $20,000 for miscellaneous costs was transferred to the highway department in the Unit Road District general fund. The amount of $25,000 for utilities was transferred to the highway department in the Unit Road general fund. The amount of $25,000 for parts and repairs was transferred to the highway department for materials in the Unit Road general fund to the (See, DONATE, A3)