January 2011

County Board: Meeting day, contract talks, grant writer on agenda

Meeting days, contract talks and the hiring of a part-time grant writer were on the agenda at a lengthy regular meeting of the Union County Board of Commissioners held this week.

The meeting was Monday evening at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro.

The commissioners decided this week to move their regular meetings to Friday mornings.

Beginning in March, the commissioners plan to meet at 8:30 a.m. on the first and third Friday of each month.

First Baptist Church, Jonesboro, welcomes Todd Plunkett as pastor

First Baptist Church in Jonesboro has welcomed a new pastor, Todd Plunkett, and his wife, RaShel, and their 4-year-old twins, Kendall and Kaleb.

Pastor Todd Plunkett is from Aberdeen, Miss. After graduating with a bachelor of science degree in education from Mississippi State University, he earned a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

The pastor and his family are coming from Good Hope Baptist Church in Batesville, Miss., where he served as senior pastor for the past four years.

Grass fire near Lick Creek burns more than 20 acres

A mild wind and recent dry conditions in the area caused a small trash fire to get out of control last Friday afternoon in northeast Union County.

The fire near the Johnson County line burned more than 20 acres.

The Anna Fire Department was called to 170 Hummingbird Ln., south of Lick Creek, at 2:15 p.m. Friday.

Upon arrival, Anna fire chief Mike Stoner said he realized that the blaze was bigger than his department's own resources could control.

Illinois deer harvest numbers down significantly

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 181,936 deer during all 2010-11 seasons.

The numbers were down significantly from the 2009-10 seasons. 

Deer hunting in the state closed on Jan. 16 as hunters wrapped up the archery season and the last segments of the late-winter and special Chronic Wasting Disease, CWD, deer hunting seasons.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, reports that the total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons of 181,936 compares with a total harvest for all seasons of 189,277 in 2009-10. 

Bald Knob Cross fish fry planned

The community is invited to attend a dinner planned in Union County which will help to raise funds for the lighting of the newly restored Cross of Peace near Alto Pass.

A fish fry dinner is planned Friday, Feb. 25, in Cobden.

The dinner will be served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church parish hall. The church is located at 101 N. Centennial St.

A silent auction also is planned during the evening.

One of the coldest winters…

Until this week, the winter of 2010-2011 had remained unusually cold and snowy in the region.

Forecasts were calling for high temperatures in the 60s in the area this week, which would be the warmest conditions area residents have experienced in a while.

Another round of snow and bitter cold blanketed the Union County area last week.

Temperatures during the period actually ranged from a low of 0 on Feb. 10 to a high of 59 on Feb. 14.

Union County received .75 of an inch of snow on Feb. 9.

Rain could ease conditions which led to local burn ban

The possibility of heavy rain could ease concerns which led to the issuing of a burn ban in Union County.

Union County Sheriff David Livesay announced the burn ban Friday, Feb. 18.

The sheriff announced "that a ban on all open burning will be in place in the county until further notice."

The ban was imposed because of recent weather conditions in the area which include strong winds and low humidity.

Anyone who violated the ban faced a fine, the sheriff noted.

Kendra Seip employee of month at Shawnee Correctional Center

Educational diagnos-tician Kendra Seip has been chosen as January's employee of the month for the Shawnee Correctional Center/Hardin County Work Camp.

Seip began her career with the Illinois Department of Corrections as a special education aide in May 2003.

She was promoted to educational diagnostician in July 2009.

Seip is responsible for the screening and TABE testing of all offenders to determine their educational placement at Shawnee.

Museum set to open March 5

The Union County Museum in downtown Cobden is scheduled to reopen Saturday, March 5, after being closed for the winter.

The museum will feature a special exhibit on the Civil War to commemorate this year's 150th anniversary of the war's beginning. The exhibit will continue through early summer.

Several local collectors have loaned a variety of artifacts for the exhibit.

The museum will have a special opening at 10 a.m. on March 5 to promote the display.

Normal hours for the museum are Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Ernest Leon Hartline

<p style="line-height: 150%;" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><strong style=""><span style="">           </span> Mr. Ernest Leon Hartline, age 82, of Mill Creek, died at 02:25 a.m. Friday, February 11, 2011 at the V.A. Medical Center in Marion. He was born April 24, 1928 in Mill Creek, the son of Ernest Delbert and Minnie Helton Hartline. He married Dorthea Claire Platt on August 11, 1951 in Perth-Amboy New Jersey. She preceded him in death on December 16, 1991.</strong></p>

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The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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