50¢ JULY 10, 2019
PITTSFIELD, IL Thank you,
Melvin Gill of Rockport, for subscribing to Pike Press!
NEWS Celebrating in the rain. See page A2
Pike County Fair kicks off next week. See page A3
Sky lights. See page A7
SPORTS
Pike Press
By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press A heavy rain storm hit Kinderhook Friday afternoon and although it didn’t last long, it left its mark. Rainfall reports vary from four to seven inches in Kinderhook, while areas directly outside the village received around 2/10 of an inch. “It was crazy,” Wanda Throne, office manager at Prairie Land FS, said. “It just started about 3 p.m. and didn’t quit until about an hour later.” Throne said at the plant where she works, rain measured 5-1/2 inches. “But I’ve had a farmer in here since then who owns three farms within a mile or so of here and he had 2/10 at one, 3/10 at one and 9/10 at the third.” The post office which sets nearby, had water rush into the building and did considerable damage. According to Jim Thornton, postmaster at Barry, Kinderhook’s mail will be going through the Barry office while the Kinderhook facility is closed for repairs at least for the next few weeks. “It had four or five inches of water in it,” Thornton said. Rodger Hannel, a resident who lives just east of Kinderhook, said he had heard of people having up to five feet of water in their basements. “We were coming home from St. Louis,” Hannel said. “From Atlas to Kinderhook, it just kept raining harder and harder. When we got to the railroad tracks in Kinderhook, there was just a river on the other side and although trucks were going through OK, we were leery.” The Hannels’ caution paid off as a car similar to theirs tried to navigate the rushing water and flooded out. “A truck was behind them that had chains and he pulled
CREATIONS
By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press Farmers who are waiting for federal assistance from damages from the flood are still awaiting more information. “They haven’t settled on a time that the flood ended,” Mike Reed of the Sny Drainage District, said. “They have a start date of somewhere between March 13-17. Any expenses incurred through that date and the date decided to be the end of the flood fight will be counted.” Reed said from mid-March to the end of June, the Sny spent more than $700,000 in additional costs of diesel fuel alone. “And we are continuing to pump more than usual,” Reed
WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY, JULY 12
86 68 Low
SATURDAY, JULY 13
90 70 Low
SUNDAY, JULY 14 High
Low
ONLINE
IN THE PARK
Still no word on flood monies
See page B1
91 72
Bailey Scoggins/Pike Press
Kaelyn Taylor, left, and Rayna Shaw built projects out of clay at Art in King Park at Pittsfield on July 9. Keeping tabs on their progress, in back, is Alayna Beard.
Hoos catches big one.
High
VOL. 177, NO. 28
Cloudburst hits Kinderhook
(See, CLOUDBURST, A2)
High
pikepress.com
Submitted photo
Reports vary from four inches to nearly seven inches, but in either case, a great deal of rain fell in Kinderhook Friday afternoon, turning the streets into rivers and causing damages.
said. Meanwhile producers who had planted crops that were drowned out or didn’t get planted at all are still waiting for answers.
“They need to calculate the acres they didn’t get planted and turn it in.”
Cindy Shaw Pike County Assessor “The date to file a prevent plant claim for corn has passed,” Becky Mann, of Country Companies, a main supplier of crop insurance,
said. “Prevent plant claims for soybeans can be filed until July 18.” Mann said almost all of the claims her company as seen this year are flood related. “We have people who still can’t plant because seep water is on their property or maybe there is water over the road and they can’t get to their fields,” Mann said. Mann said any federal disaster plan will most likely only reimburse producers for acres that were planted and reduced yields or a drop in price. The USDA has an annual July 15 date for producers to report their acreage. Those numbers will be used to determine eligibility for crop insur(See, FLOOD MONIES, A2)
pikepress.com
INSIDE Classified . . . . . . . .B5 Community . . . . . .B2 County News . . . A2 - 3, . . . . . . . . . A7, B2-3, B6-7 Court . . . . . . . . . . B5 Marketplace . . . . . .B4 Obituaries . . . . . . A6 Opinion . . . . . . . . A4 Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . A5 Our Town . . . . . . .B6 Obituaries in this issue: Brown, Cawthon, Chaplin, Deheve, Kinscherff, Ogle, Phillips, Sparks.
Pike Press © 2019 All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Council receives notice of clerk’s retirement The Red Dome rises BY BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press The Pittsfield City Council announced at the Tuesday, July 2 meeting it has received word of the intent of Pittsfield City Clerk Cindy Prentice to retire Sept. 11. “She has given us 60-days notice but we don’t have to wait 60 days to appoint someone,” John Hayden, mayor, said. “I’d rather get somebody in here and let them work with her awhile before she leaves.” Prentice’s position is an elected one and the replacement will serve until the spring municipal elections in 2021. Hayden said he hoped to have a candidate ready to be announced at the July 16 meeting and if not, the Aug. 1 meeting. Diana Hemlick, economic development director, asked if Hayden planned to advertise the position and he said he didn’t
think it was necessary. “I think it’s generally known,” he said. “I don’t think it is necessary, but we could post it on our website.” Patrick Lamb also presented information to the council about building kayak ramps at the Pittsfield Lake. “When we were working on the disc golf course the last time … there were several kayaks at the lake,” Lamb, an avid kayaker, said. “The problem is if you slide your kayak in and out, it destroys the high-density, polyurethane underside.” Lamb presented the council with a example of what he would like to see built at the lake. The plan shows metal, wood and PVC pipe assembled. The cost is estimated to be $125 per ramp. Lamb says he would like to see two at the lake and also presented
&LW\ SUHSDULQJ IRU PDULMXDQD By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press The 2019 Pittsfield City Council is looking at a series of issues their forefathers never thought about. At the July 2 meeting, the ordinance committee was instructed to meet and start discussion on ordinances regarding marijuana, solar panels and a social media policy for the city. The use of recreational marijuana was passed this spring by the Illinois legislature but the motion gives municipalities some leeway in setting their own rules. “The city can vote to not allow it (See, MARIJUANA, A2)
(See, COUNCIL, A2)
By BETH ZUMWALT Pike Press The Red Dome Restaurant on the Pittsfield square, which has set empty for more than year, has a new life. Doug Daniel of Pittsfield purchased the building last week and although he has no definite plans, he would really like to see a restaurant in the building. “Not as big as the Red Dome was,” he said. “Maybe turn part of it into rental property and leave a portion of it restaurant.” He said he didn’t know if he was interested in making it into a restaurant or maybe leasing the facility to someone to have a restaurant but said he believed the town could use an eating option. He said apartments may be in the mix for the upstairs and there is even a third floor on part of the building that he described as big with a lot of possibilities. Daniel said he owns the building directly to the north, where Community Care is located, and was concerned the Red Dome was falling into disarray. “I know it needs a new roof,” he said. “I want to get the building secure before I make any definite plans.”
Courthouse got its start 125 years ago By MICHAEL BOREN Pike Press The cornerstone for the present Pike County courthouse was laid 125 years ago this Saturday. According to the Pike County Democrat newspaper, the laying of the cornerstone July 12, 1894 was quite an impressive day and ceremony. “The sun came up with a heated brilliance…..people came pouring into town from all points of the compass, and by 10 o’clock in the forenoon, the city park and surrounding streets and walks were as crowded as if the great Barnum show was here.” Thousands of people came to see the ceremony. Bands from Winchester and Louisiana attended, entertaining people on the streets as
“…streets and walks were as crowded as if the great Barnum show was here.”
Pike County Democrat July 1894 they waited. About 1:30 p.m. the parade lined up. “T.N. Hall, Marshall of the day (Pittsfield Township supervisor and member of the Building Committee) put in appearance, mounted on that fine stallion of Perry Allen’s,” according to the newspaper account. The Democrat listed the organizations and numbers of people marching in the parade for the celebration: Louisiana band; Grand Army of the Republic members, 56 strong;
Citizens, Mayor, Aldermen, Judges, Members of the Bar; Supervisors and County Officers; Modern Woodmen of America, 25; Knights of Pythias, 86; International Order of Odd Fellows; Daughters of Rebekah, 22; Women’s Christian Temperance Union, 52; Order of the Eastern Star, 26; Knights Templar, 35; A.F. and A. M., 235; Grand Lodge A.F. and A.M. The Grand Master of the State of Illinois Masonic (See, COURTHOUSE, A2)
Bailey Scoggins/Pike Press
The iconic red dome of the Pike County courthouse has stood the test of time, still attracting admirers as it celebrates its 125th anniversary.