1 Front Volume 141 No. 8
Friday, April 18, 2014
The Tonica News
Single Copy Cost 50¢
There’s a problem in the air Hog operation could impact Lostant By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — Several rural Lostant residents appeared before the Lostant Village Board during its meeting on April 14 to register complaints on an upcoming project, although the concerns they brought may be something the board can’t do anything about. At issue is a proposed hog farm which would be located 3.5 miles northwest of Wenona and falls
under that village’s supervision. The location puts the farm directly upwind of Lostant and the Lostant TIF District at Illinois Route 18 and Interstate 39. “We think this will have a significant impact on the town especially if it’s not operated properly,” resident Mike Phillips said. “If this facility cannot control its odors — and they’re going to be producing along the order of 10 million gallons of waste a year —
those winds be coming by prevailing winds, directly toward Lostant. “While Lostant is about four miles away, the TIF district is 2.5. If you want to develop the district with hotels, restaurants, gas stations — as soon as the potential property owner comes and smells what the property is going to smell like, they’re not going to want to put a restaurant there; they’re not going to want to put a hotel there,” Phillips said. “I think this is going to have a potentially serious impact on the town.”
The hog farm will also be using the same aquifer as the village for water, and the possible impact on water supply was also questioned. Phillips also disputed the possibility of local jobs, alleging the parent company, Veterinary Medical Center Management Corporation of Williamsburg, Iowa, has a policy of hiring immigrants the company provides temporary visas for. While the initial announcement stated the hog farm would have 5,600 breeding sows, that
figure was misleading. Nic Anderson of the Illinois Livestock Development Group said there would be more animals than that at the proposed Sandy Creek Lane farm. Documents filed with the Department of Agriculture indicate there will be 7,560 animals on the farm at a weight of 55 pounds or more, with an additional 12,000 smaller animals. The farm will be located just south of the county line in Marshall County, but it will also have an impact on LaSalle County
roads due to its proximity to I-39 and Route 18. In other action, the board: • Elected to require a local recycling company move its trailers from village property. The village has recycling services with its regular garbage pick-up, and though the third party offers services to out-of-town residents, the trailers hinder activities for the village workers and the fire department. • Set the Lostant town clean-up days as May 2 through 4.
Program helps first-time homebuyers By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn has announced a new loan program for first-time homebuyers. The program, Welcome Home Illinois, is anticipating job creation, stimulation of real estate industries and create more than $40 million in economic activity in the state. Welcome Home Illinois offers first-time home purchasers a $7,500 down payment with interest rates as low as 3.99 percent for a secure, 30-year fixed rate mortgage. Quinn said this program levels the playing field for young, first-time homebuyers. “This will provide more opportunities for everyday people across Illinois to have their chance at home ownership,” Quinn said. “Home ownership and home buying are essential to our economy. That’s why we are rolling out the welcome mat for families and hardworking men and women by giving them the resources they need to pack up and move into a new home.” “We look forward to this program helping first-time homebuyers who otherwise would not have the chance to own their own home,” Janko Realty bro-
See Program Page 2 Vol. 141 No. 8 One Section - 12 Pages
© The Tonica News
Tonica News photos/Ken Schroeder
And they’re off! Preschoolers run to get their share of the eggs during the Easter egg hunt April 11 at Tonica Grade School. At right, preschooler Kendra Thomas relaxes with her treats during the Easter egg hunt April 11 at Tonica Grade School.
Up, up and away ... Lostant students make catapults By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — Students in Alisha Bennett’s physical science class at Lostant Grade School have stepped back into the Middle Ages to learn about physics and the laws of gravity and motion. They have made miniature catapults which they tested
before spring break. The catapult was a weapon used in the Middle Ages and was powered by one of four different sources. These were tension, torsion, traction and gravity. Lostant Grade School students learned the properties of these and other science matters before constructing their catapults. They then have been
shown by Bennett how this knowledge is applied in everyday life. The students broke down into groups to build their catapults out of small wood blocks, duct tape, plastic protractors and plastic spoons. Their projectile weapon was colored marshmallows. “They (the students) will be going to the gym and projecting their marshmallows based on
degrees,” Bennett said. “They will all try 90 degrees, then try 100 and 110 degrees and continue and document how far it will go with each try.” Seventh-grade students Hunter Witzman and Dallas Powell teamed up to build one of the catapults. “I am hoping it goes pretty far, and we get the farthest,”
See Catapults Page 2
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