Volume 141 No. 36
Friday, August 14, 2015
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Putting some teeth into dog issues Cooper: ‘Can we fine someone for their dog biting someone?’ By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — The subject of dog fines garnered discussion during the Lostant Village Board meet-
ing Monday, Aug. 10. Mike Cooper, buildings and grounds, posed the question, “Can we fine someone for their dog biting someone?” “It seems we have had a rash, a plethora, of dog
bites,” Jack Immel, health and safety, said. He continued, saying he finds the incidents are reported, but nothing ever happens. “I’m just wondering if we had a dog bite fine, if that would deter or at least make these people more apprehensive of taking their dog out,” Immel said. A brief look at the ani-
mal ordinances elicited comment from Dave Mertes, water and sewer. “In other words it doesn’t sound like it has any teeth,” Mertes said. “Not intended.” Immel brought forth a further dog-related issue. “One question,” Immel said, “if a person does not register their dog and we know it, and it’s sit-
ting there, what do we do about that?” The board could not pass anything because the topic was not on the agenda, so the matter has been shelved until the next meeting. On a related subject, Immel suggested hosting the village’s dog registration event on a Saturday. He began this proposal
by explaining there might not currently be a veterinarian lined up for the event. There was a brief discussion regarding who might be available for the position. “Right now, I feel like I’m going to go for a Saturday morning and see if I can find someone who
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The Right to Try becomes law
Illinois allows terminally ill to access investigational medications SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed House Bill 1335, the Illinois Right To Try Act, into law. The Right To Try Act allows doctors to prescribe treatments to the terminally ill which are being used in clinical trials but have not yet been fully approved by the FDA. Right To Try provides access to potentially life-saving treatments years before patients would normally be able to access them. The Right To Try Act passed both the House and Senate with near unanimous, overwhelming bipartisan support. The Right To Try Act was sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers led by Rep. Greg Harris, a Democrat representing Chicago, and Sen. Michael Connelly, a Republican representing Wheaton. “To say that Right To Try is sweeping the country may be an understatement. In just 15 months the law has been adopted by 23 states,” said Darcy Olsen, the president of
the Goldwater Institute, the organization leading the national, bipartisan Right To Try effort. “Americans are united in the belief that when your mortality hangs in the balance, you should have the right to try to save your life.” Right To Try laws are already in place in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. The law has been introduced in 13 additional states this year. “People fighting for their lives shouldn’t have to fight the government too. Any person who wants to access a promising investigational treatment when they have exhausted standard treatment protocols should have the right to do that,” said Olsen.
Tonica News photos/Dave Cook
Viva Wenona! Scott Wattles gets into character as Elvis heads towards the stage during Friday evening’s “Viva Wenona!” celebration. He donned the gold lamé jacket, tuned his guitar and then hit stage, performing all the favorites for an appreciative crowd. There were also rides, a carnival and a 5K on Friday, Aug. 7, and two full days of events on Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, during the annual Wenona Days celebration.
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Grown from a mother’s love Healthy Gardening project ripens into a bountiful harvest for all involved By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
STANDARD — As she tells the origin story of the Healthy Gardening project, powerful emotions are at work just beneath the Vol. 141 No. 36 One Section - 8 Pages
© The Tonica News
surface. They often break through, much like a seed breaking through the soil toward the sunlight. Barb Dahlbach of Toluca, who has been a master gardener for 20 years with Marshall and Putnam counties, has a deeply personal
connection to this project. “I have a young daughter who married a man with cerebral palsy, and they were having a hard time making it. She wanted, for her birthday, containers, plants, seeds and soil, so she could grow things at the apartment she was living in, so she could feed her daughter healthy food. I figured she
couldn’t be the only one who had the same kind of problems. Even though it is a lot cheaper to buy the plants and have a garden, when you don’t have any money, it’s impossible to do. It gave us the idea to start working on buying plants and seeds and giving them to people who use the food pantries or other people who need
help, and to teach them to how to do it,” said Dahlbach. Working with a team of other master gardeners and the University of Illinois Extension office, the Healthy Gardening project has been steadily growing like a vine for the past three years. They give away tomato and green pepper plants,
onion sets, seeds, containers and soil in order to get people the basics of a home garden. And, just as important, they provide help throughout the entire season to ensure the success of those new gardens. “We see, when we’re passing out the items, people who are almost
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