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Tuesday, February 4, 2014
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Gearing up for the March primary By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON— Spring may be just around the corner, but so is the March 18 primary election. On Monday, Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus said her office is already receiving absentee ballot applications for the upcoming primary. As soon as the applications
are processed and the ballots received in her office, then the ballots will be mailed to those requesting them. Her office will probably handle 150 absentee ballots for this year’s primary election, she said. In previous elections, her office would have processed probably 300 absentee ballots, but that number has decreased
since more and more people are taking advantage of early voting by coming into her office. The last election she would have handled probably 600 early voters, on top of the absentee ballots. Early voting begins March 3 this year. Another important date to remember is Feb. 18, which is the last day to register to vote or to make
changes on a current voter registration card, like a change of address. Looking ahead to the March 18 primary, Hieronymus said the only two contested county-wide races are both on the Republican Party side, for the offices of Bureau County Sheriff and Bureau County Treasurer. Candidates for the Republican nomination
for the sheriff’s office are Allan Beaber of Princeton, William Rosenow of Sheffield, Alexander Arauza of Princeton and James Shipp of rural Princeton. The winner of the Republican nomination in March will face James Reed of Arlington, who is running unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination for sheriff in the November general election.
Candidates for the Republican nomination for the Bureau County Treasurer’s office are Courtney Yates-Mabry of Princeton and Derek Whited of Princeton. The winner of the primary will face Democratic Party challenger Rick Wilkin of Ohio in the November election.
See Primary Page 4
Wanted: Your blood
‘Play hard, breathe easy’
Compton: ‘It could be you’
Health dept. continues its smoke-free park campaign
By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — This year’s winter snows and frigid temperatures have caused a national shortage of blood for the American Red Cross. According to the Quad Cities American Red Cross, of which Bureau County is a member, winter storms and freezing temperatures have resulted in thousands of uncollected blood and platelet donations. Since the beginning of January, winter storms and freezing temperatures have resulted in more than 600 American Red Cross blood drive cancellations and nearly 20,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations. Overall, 26 states and Washington, D.C., have had blood drives canceled because of weather. On Monday, Bureau County Red Cross Director Lori Compton said she is not aware of any local blood drives which were cancelled this winter, but donor turnout has not been as good as when the weather cooperates. As an example, the last big blood drive in Princeton was scheduled on Jan. 9 at the First United Methodist Church in Princeton, but it had to be relocated to St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church
See Red Cross Page 3
By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
BCR photo/Amelia Bystry
Never too cold for fun in the snow Christian Harmon doesn’t let a little cold weather slow him down last weekend as he enjoys the new fallen snow and builds a snow fort. Weekend snow totals varied in the 3- to 8-inch range throughout the Quad Cities area, with more snow expected to develop later today, Tuesday, according to WQAD News Channel 8 meteorologist James Zahara.
PRINCETON — Public health educators at the Bureau/Putnam County Health Department are working hard to promote the “Play hard, breathe easy” campaign, which kicked off in August and encourages tobacco-free parks and playgrounds. At a recent Princeton Optimist Club meeting, Becky Piano gave a presentation on the campaign and updated members on how she and others are visiting many of the towns around the two country region and asking for village boards to pass a policy in favor of the campaign. “I’m not asking people to quit smoking. I’m not trying to invade in anyone’s rights whatsoever. I’m just asking when you’re down at the parks around children, not to smoke when you’re around them,” she said. The tobacco-free parks campaign is one of several initiatives funded through the “We Choose Health” community transformation grant received through the Illinois Department of Public Health.
See Smoke-free Page 4
For breaking news, sports and current weather conditions, go to bcrnews.com Year 158 No. 15 One Section - 16 Pages
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