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Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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State $$$ headed to fire departments Five area departments receive grants By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
Five Bureau County fire departments are among 193 fire department statewide to receive Small Equipment Grants through the state of Illinois.
Receiving the local grants were the Bureau Fire Protection District, at $25,515; Mineral-Gold Fire Protection District, $26,000; Neponset Fire Protection District $20,476; the Walnut Fire Protection District, $26,000; and the Wyanet
Fire Protection District, $26,000. On Monday, Wyanet Fire Chief Don Prince said the department will use its grant money for turnout gear, including new helmets, boots, coats and gloves. The fire department, which has about 20 members, all volunteer, qualified for
the grant by showing its need of new equipment and gear, he said. Bureau Fire Chief Tim Shipp said this is the first time his department has received this grant. The money will be used to buy nine sets of turnout gear. The Bureau Fire Protection District covers a 21-square-mile
radius and has about 20 firefighters in the department, all volunteers. Walnut Fire Chief Matt Michlig said his department will use the grant money to buy four new airpacks and bottles and also to buy two sets of turnout gear. The Walnut Fire Department has 28 active members, all
volunteers, and serve an area of 117 square miles. In making last week’s grant announcement jointly with Illinois State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis, Gov. Pat Quinn said the 193 fire department recipients are receiving a total of $4
See Grants Page 4
The costs of WNV By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Mosquitoes are not only annoying, they can also be costly ... especially if they carry the West Nile Virus. According to a recent study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the West Nile Virus (WNV) has cost the United States about $780 million in health care costs and lost productivity, There have been more than 37,000 WNV cases in the United States since its arrival in 1999 through 2012. Of those cases, more than 18,000 people required hospitalization, and more than 1,500 patients died. The numbers of infected people are probably underestimated because not everybody will actually go to the doctor and be seen for their symptoms, the study states. As far as local surveillance costs for WNV, the Bureau/Putnam County Health Department’s Director of Health Protection Kurt Kuchle said the county spends whatever amount of grant money it receives each year for surveillance work. Locally, that grant money has ranged from $1,000 for Putnam County and $4,000 for Bureau County in 2007 to $14,000 for Bureau County and $11,000 for Putnam County in 2013.
See West Nile Page 3
BCR photo/Becky Kramer
Win, place and show at the fairgrounds Jim and Kelly Whitney celebrate a fun time during the Bureau County Fairgrounds Night at the Races, held Saturday. The annual event is a fundraiser for the Bureau County Fair.
IDA to determine animals’ fate By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
ARLINGTON — A hearing will be held Wednesday in Springfield to determine what happens with 13 beagle dogs and seven horses in eastern Bureau County. On Monday, First Assistant Bureau County State’s Attorney Tony Sciuto said Wednesday’s hearing will be heard by members of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, who will determine whether or not the animals in question will be forfeited from
the care of their owner, Dan Labounty of rural Arlington. As reported earlier in the Bureau County Republican, Labounty was notified last week about alleged violations of Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act, for alleged lack of proper care of the animals on his properly, estimated at that time to be about 20 beagles and seven horses. Sciuto said the Bureau County Animal Control Officer Scott Robbins removed 13 beagles from the Labounty property, and those dogs are under the county’s care.
Arrangements have been made to care for the seven horses remaining on the rural Arlington property. Sciuto said he will meet today, Tuesday, with Robbins in preparation for Wednesday’s hearing. Robbins will attend the hearing and request the animals be forfeited from Labounty’s care, Sciuto said. The county will present its concern that Labounty is physically not capable of caring for the animals, Sciuto said.
See Animals Page 3
For breaking news, sports and current weather conditions, go to bcrnews.com Year 168 No. 27 One Section - 16 Pages
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