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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
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Illinois and Avian Influenza
Hoping the flu flies on by Illinois By Zita Henneberry zhenneberry@bcrnews.com
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Agriculture is hoping the bird flu will fly by in Illinois. The department is warning Illinois residents to watch for signs of Avian Influenza. “A virus of this kind is always of great concern,” said Dr. Bob A. Smith, a large animal veterinarian out of Walnut. “It’s of great economic importance because anytime you have a disease that’s capable of spreading very, very rapidly and causing a high morbidity and mortality, it becomes an economic situation because it increases the cost of production on a main meat source.” While Illinois has not yet been affected by this poultry infection, the virus has been identified in neighboring states.
It has spread throughout Iowa and in parts of Minnesota, said Smith. He explained a very large number of Iowa birds have been euthanized or quarantined as a result of this disease. “As I understand it, it’s supposed to be mainly bird-to-bird transmissions, but a lot of those influenzas can have some mutations that occur. And just to err on the side of caution, I would try to not have people going from one farm to another until we know more about the mutations of this virus,” Smith said. The Avian Influenza, otherwise known as the bird flu, is currently a risk for chickens, turkeys, pheasants, fowl, quail, ducks and geese. The Illinois Department of Agriculture explained the virus circulates among birds worldwide. Smith said he does not consider himself to be an expert on the subject, but as a veterinarian, he approaches this outbreak just as any other viral
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For the babies Hall Food Pantry adds special section for babies/toddlers By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — The Hall Township Food Pantry has added a special corner to its facility, where pantry guests with children can select items for their babies and toddlers. The new corner has been called Lily’s Corner in honor of Lily Rosploch, 5, who passed away in February following a courageous battle with cancer. According to her grandmother, Mary Jane Tonozzi, Lily — as sick as she was — always worried about the babies. “When she was able, Lily would venture down
the hall in the hospital for a peak into the nursery,” she said. “How she loved babies.” Jan Martin, director of Project Success, said when it was realized families served at the pantry were struggling to buy diapers and other baby items, she, along with the pantry volunteers, knew they must be helped. “Many people have been donating such items for years, but we have more need than supplies,” she said. “The need is there, and we are once again reaching out to our community. We have never been disappointed, for we live in a very giving community.”
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BCR photo/Amelia Bystry
Plants, plants and more plants The annual Bureau Valley Plant Sale began Saturday, and flower/plant enthusiasts, like this shopper, were elbowdeep in a variety of blooms. All plants/flowers are grown by the Bureau Valley High School horticulture and botany class, and all proceeds go to the Bureau Valley FFA and Advanced Science Club. The sale continues from 8 a.m. to noon on May 9 and May 16 in the greenhouse located behind the high school in Manlius.
BV Foundation gives back to district By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
MANLIUS — The BV Foundation has awarded a total of $20,547.42 in grants to more than 20 teachers and staff members this year. At the April Bureau Valley School Board meeting, BV Foundation President Jason VanLanduit and grant committee chairman Tyler Hansen announced winners of the grants. VanLanduit reported the foundation originated
in 1996 — the same year as the school district. At that time, the foundation was made up of a group of parents who put together money to try to help fund teacher and staff member needs that were above and beyond what the board or school district could provide. The first year, the foundation granted a total of $4,200 in grants. Since then, the totals have incrementally increased throughout the years. Since 1996, the foundation has given back a total
of $179,099 to the district. VanLanduit said this year’s annual drawdown was the most successful event yet. “I think we raised just under $20,000 that night,” he said. Each year, teachers and staff members are encouraged to apply for the grant monies to purchase needed items for their classrooms. This year, according to Hansen, the foundation saw the most requests with 36 applications. The foundation granted a variety of classroom
items including carpets, laptops, smartboards and much more. “If it benefits the kids, we like to give it,” he said. “Hopefully next year we have more approvals and more requests.” VanLanduit said the foundation is also starting to set aside funds to help aid additional credit courses students in which students are now being accepted to take. “The foundation is willing to pay for half of the
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Year 169 No. 54 One Section - 20 Pages
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