Volume 143 No. 42
Friday, September 22, 2017
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TONICA VILLAGE BOARD
Return to infrastructure plan?
Public works director urges village to revive Continuous Improvement Program BY ZACHARY J. PRATT news@tonicanews.com TONICA – For years, the village of Tonica worked to constantly improve various aspects of its infrastructure, but some of that had to be set aside as the wastewater plant took up resources. Public works official
Marc Lemrise told the Tonica Village Board at its meeting Monday, Sept. 18, that he would like the initiative brought back. “First few years I worked here, we had a continuous improvement program going on,” Lemrise said, explaining the program was swapped
out for work on the sewer plant, which had begun consuming resources. One of Lemrise’s concerns lies under Route 251: a water main, which has consistently caused trouble for the village. “It seems to break every winter,” Lemrise said of the main, which he sug-
gested eliminating. He said the village has been lucky so far, in that the breakage has been relatively easy to maintain and fix, but that this luck, like the water main, might not hold. While Tonica might not be able to eliminate this problem in time for the com-
ing winter, Lemrise suggested it should be a priority. He also noted two valves which need to be replaced: “The longest water main in town – there’s a valve on both ends, and they’re both bad,” he said. Lemrise cautioned about the outcome if these valves break half open.
LOSTANT
To replace one could mean shutting water off for half the town, but Lemrise suggested the possibility of live replacements, which, though a bit pricier, would allow the valves to be replaced without half the town losing water.
See INFRASTRUCTURE, Page 2
AGRICULTURE
RUST NEVER SLEEPS
USDA details progress of crops Wet spring slowed growth, but outlook is good locally
VILLAGE’S NEED FOR A NEW WATER TOWER ARGUABLY ‘A CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH’
BY DAVE COOK news@tonicanews.com TONICA — Although a cool, damp spring got things off to a slow start, local farmers, area experts and the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Crop Progress and Condition report show that Illinois Valley crops will likely provide an ample harvest. According to the Sept. 11 USDA report, while the statewide averages for temperatures and precipitation levels were below normal, nearly the entire previous week was suitable for fieldwork. Dent corn, which accounts for most of the corn grown nationally and is the variety processed for a multitude of products, was reported to be at 82 percent. At this time last year, dent corn was at 90 percent and the 2012-2016 five year average is 88 percent. Last year, Illinois’ mature corn was at 39 percent at this point, compared to 26 percent this year.
BY DAVE COOK news@tonicanews.com LOSTANT — The need for a new water tower has been often discussed by the Lostant Village Board and anyone looking at the dilapidated relic would agree with that assessment. Village President Jack Immel has said the village is in the preliminary stages of pursuing a grant to replace the tower. The board has also authorized funds to progress with the initial engineering work, but Immel said if no grant is awarded that the existing tower will remain and that repairs will have to be made. Immel added that while a combination of sources are being explored as ways to fund the construction of a new tower, he stressed the village isn’t looking to increase either taxes or water rates. The existing tower holds 55,000 gallons of water and was estimated by Mitch McCaw, of the village’s water department, to be more than 100 years old. McCaw said the new tower, if the grant is approved, would hold 100,000 gallons and would be constructed across the street near the village hall. He added that it would take approximately a year to complete. Both Immel and McCaw said the existing tower would eventually become a safety issue and both would rather see a new tower be built rather than a large amount of money be spent on a timeworn tower which is in obviously poor condition.
See WATER TOWER, Page 2
See CROPS, Page 3 Vol. 143 No. 42 One Section - 8 Pages
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