1 Front
Saturday, July 20, 2013
They’re back ... The attack of the Japanese beetle By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Japanese beetles haven’t been this bad in this area for a long time, according to Master Gardener Marshann Entwhistle of rural Princeton. If Bureau County residents look in their yards and see a plant leaf that looks lacy and all that is left of the leaf is the seams, then Japanese beetles have paid a visit, Entwhistle said. Japanese beetles feed on the foliage and fruits of several hundred species of fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and field and vegetable crops, but some of the hardest hit are roses and linden, birch, maple and apple trees, Entwhistle said. On roses, the beetle eats not only the flower but also destroy the buds, she said. Japanese beetles will attack plants ferociously, and people need to be aggressive and attack back as soon as they see the beetle. Physically removing beetles from plants can be an effective control measure in small areas. For those who choose, people can pick the beetle from the plants and place the beetle in soapy water to kill them, Entwhistle said. People can also use a chemical Sevin spray on the Japanese beetle, but it is highly toxic and needs to be sprayed at night, so children and pets are not around the spray. The important thing is to follow instructions very carefully and to not use more than recommended. Some places sell bags which can be used to catch Japanese beetles, but Entwhistle said she does not recommend them because they draw beetles to the plants. Of course another answer is to hire a professional lawn service to take care of the problem, Entwhistle said.
See Beetles Page 2 Year 167 No. 87 One Section - 24 Pages
98213 00012 1 7 © Bureau County Republican
Serving Bureau County Since 1847
NEWSSTAND PRICE 75¢
Does race matter? By Barb Kromphardt bkromphardt@bcrnews.com
Are minority drivers in Bureau County more at risk of being pulled over and ticketed by law enforcement officials than their Caucasian counterparts? Nine years ago, Illinois launched an effort to identify racial bias in police traffic stops. Under the act, police officers were required to record specific data about each and every stop, including total stops for Caucasian and minority drivers, reason for the stop, and the outcome.
The key number in the study is the ratio number, obtained by dividing the estimated minority driving population by the percentage of minority drivers stopped. The Illinois Traffic Stops Statistics Study for 2012, otherwise known as Illinois’ racial profiling study, was released July 1. The report showed minorities driving in Illinois have a 19 percent greater chance of being pulled over by local law enforcement agencies than do their whiteskinned counterparts. That statistic comes from the ratio number, which rose from 1.16 in 2011 to 1.19
for 2012. A ratio of 1 would indicate that the percentage of minority drivers stopped by police is equal to the estimated minority driving population, while a ratio of 2 indicates that a minority driver is twice as likely to be stopped. In 2012, 70 percent of the state’s law enforcement agencies had ratios below 1.25, while 13 percent had ratios of 2 or greater. Data supplied by Bureau County law enforcement agencies show local ratio numbers vary widely.
See Race Page 2
Building progress SVE moves forward on new addition By Brock Cooper news@bcrnews.com
BCR photo/Becky Kramer
The dog days of summer: Everyone screams for ice cream Izzie, an 8-year-old yellow Lab, beats the summer heat on Wednesday afternoon with an ice cream treat from the Princeton Dairy Queen. Izzie’s owner, Lynette Hanna, says Izzie would probably like to be a daily ice cream customer if she could but is usually allowed only a weekly treat. Though temperatures are expected to cool off a bit this weekend and through next week, into the mid-to-upper 80s, Izzie is pretty sure that’s still hot enough to merit another stop for ice cream.
SPRING VALLEY — Construction on the new addition to John F. Kennedy School in Spring Valley is progressing at the scheduled pace. “There’s been a considerable amount of work taking place,” architect Bill VanDusen of Allied Design Consultants told the board at Wednesday’s meeting. Stored materials have been brought to the site, and several trades from electricians to heating and cooling have been working simultaneously to keep the pace. The goal is to have the buildings enclosed by the time colder weather arrives. The underground storm sewer has been dug and is about 90 percent complete; the main sanitary sewer is nearly 90 percent complete, according to VanDusen. The geothermal well field is nearly finished, and the piping that connects the wells will be next on the list. There have been some issues with poor soil conditions leading to some areas needing to be excavated deeper than anticipated. So far, this has been only a few spots, but they are keeping an eye on it. Midwest Testing Service has been diligently testing the soil. The soil required an entire wall of the gym to be dug deeper. “They had to excavate down,” VanDusen said. VanDusen and Superintendent Jim Hermes recently visited the plant where the pre-cast walls for the building were being made in Iowa. Hermes showed the board a slide show depicting the process for the walls and hopes to have the walls delivered in the first week of August. There were three change orders needed for the project. They are eliminating the cable television installation at a savings of $3,900; expanding power to an area where an outbuilding may be built in the future; and the geothermal field needed to be shifted 40 feet due to issues with a drainage ditch.
See SVE Page 4
For breaking news, sports and current weather conditions, go to bcrnews.com
Let’s go to WORK! 7.2013
BUSINESS LOANS
Experience the power of local decisions! Our local lenders are here to customize solutions for the unique needs of your business. We’ll take the time to get to know your needs and provide a lending solution that works for you!
Princeton, 815-875-4444 or 815-876-1122