Tuesday, September 23, 2014
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Coalition plans for disaster County-wide drill set for Saturday By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — September is recognized as National Preparedness Month.
During this time, national, regional and local public and private organizations are working to educate the public on how to better prepare for emergencies — whether it be for natural disasters, mass casualties, biological and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, terrorist attacks, etc. In Bureau and Putnam counties, there is a coalition made up of several
emergency agencies who work together all year round in strategically planning and preparing for possible disasters that could occur within the two-county radius. Some may have heard of it —it’s the Bureau/ Putnam Emergency Preparedness Community Partners (BPEPCP). When disaster strikes, emergency crews are trained to response to the
scene and assist victims in whatever the case may be. However, there’s more to it than just fire crews, police and ambulances arriving on scene. It takes coordination, communication and effective planning to efficiently meet the needs of those involved in the disaster. The goals of BPEPCP are to build strong working relationships between response parties; plan and
prepare for emergency events; reduce duplication of efforts minimizing the costs to the taxpayer; and meet federal, state and local mandates for preparedness activities. Chairman of the BPEPCP is Deb Wood, who is also the EMS coordinator and safety officer at Perry Memorial Hospital. She explained before BPEPCP was formed, each emergency provider was
operating on its own. “Everyone was drilling, but not at the same time. So people were involved in four, five or six drills, but we got the idea to host one cohesive drill, where we would all work together,” Wood explained. The Euclid Chemical fire that occurred in October 2012 is what really opened the eyes of many.
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Up in smoke Health department: Research is still out on e-cigarettes By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — With the recent news of the increased use of e-cigarettes among young people, officials at the Bureau/ Putnam County Health Department want area young people to realize e-cigarettes are still dangerous. One of the dangers of e-cigarettes right now is that the research is still out on the potential harm of e-cigarettes, said Bureau/ Putnam County Health Department health educator Dawn Conerton on Friday. “While we are busy debating the benefits of e-cigarettes for current smokers, we are missing the fact that more and more youth are turning to e-cigarettes as their gateway to smoking because of the belief that they are harmless. But in fact, e-cigarettes are potentially just as addictive as regular cigarettes, and the long-term effects of this new technology remain unknown,” Conerton said. Possibly the biggest concern people should have with e-cigarettes and other vapor devices is that they are capable of being used to deliver other substances, including a potent form of marijuana called “wax” and virtually anything else that can be reduced to an oil and delivered with heat, Conerton continued. Unfortunately, recent information shared with CPASA (Community Partners Against Substance Abuse, of which Conerton is coordinator) Year 168 No. 114 One Section - 16 Pages
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suggests that wax is being to be used in this manner by youth in the local area, she said. Health department administrator Diana Rawlings said the health department and its health educators are working continuously to address issues related to smoking and the abuse of other substances through its many programs, including the former Tar Wars program, the new Reality Program, and through cooperation with the many CPASA projects. According to the recent report issued by the Centers for Disease Control, more than a quarter of a million youth who had never smoked a conventional cigarette used electronic cigarettes in 2013. That number reflects a three-fold increase, from about 79,000 in 2011 to more than 263,000 in 2013. The CDC report, based on the 2011, 2012 and 2013 National Youth Tobacco surveys of middle school and high school students, shows that youth who had never smoked conventional cigarettes but who had used e-cigarettes were nearly twice as likely to intend to smoke conventional cigarettes as those who had never used e-cigarettes. Among nonsmoking youth who used e-cigarettes, 43.9 percent said they intend to smoke conventional cigarettes within the next year, compared to 21.5 percent of those who had never used e-cigarettes. Conerton said e-cigarettes is essentially an electronic nicotine delivery
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BCR photo/Amelia Bystry
Life doesn’t get much better than this! Two area residents take advantage of Saturday’s bright fall weather to do some fishing, thanks to the Spring Valley Walleye Club’s Take a Vet Fishing Day. Following a breakfast provided by the Spring Valley McDonald’s, the fishermen headed to Barto Landing on the edge of Spring Valley, where they boarded their boats and fished for the next four hours. Lunch was provided for the group at the Spring Valley Boat Club.
Stolen property recovered Bureau County property found in Chicago area By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Stolen Bureau County property has been recovered in the Chicago area. On Monday, Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson issued a press release stating his investigators recovered a large amount of construction
equipment on Sept. 17 which had been stolen during a burglary reported on Sept. 6 in Bureau County. The victim, Donald Hubbard of rural Princeton, reported the burglary to his business property, during which the perpetrator(s) forced an entryway and removed a large variety of handoperated construction
tools, Thompson said. Through the cooperative efforts of the sheriff’s investigators, the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff, the Bureau County authorities recovered the stolen tools from the greater Chicago metropolitan area. The recovered items have a reported/ estimated value of $50,000, Thompson said. Because the burglary remains under investigation by the sheriff’s investigators, the suspects’ identities will not yet be
released, Thompson said. “It is noted, however, the suspects have ties to both Chicago and communities within the Illinois Valley,” Thompson said. In addition to the work with the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff, Thompson thanked the local business of Senica’s Interstate Towing and Jeff Senica who provided support for the recovery of the stolen items. Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.