•March 2, 2022•

The Moultrie County Democratic Central Committee will be having a spaghetti dinner on Friday, March 25 at the Sullivan American Legion. Doors open at 5 pm and speakers start at 6:30 pm. Speakers will be state and local including Andy Manar. Cost is $10 per person and vets and kids eat free.

•February 23, 2022•

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), along with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) are encouraging Illinois farmers to set aside time to recognize Grain Bin Safety Week from February 20-26 and review safety practices while working in and around grain bins.
Based on Purdue University’s 2020 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities (ACSRIF) report, the U.S. documented 35 grain entrapment cases. The 35 cases represent an almost 8 percent decline in grain entrapments from 2019, when 38 entrapments were recorded. The total number of fatal and non-fatal entrapments is the second highest in the past six years. In 2020, Illinois Fire Departments responded to a nation leading 12 rescue incidents at Illinois grain bins/elevators, according to National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data.
“Often times we become complacent when doing tasks we have done a thousand times and for farmers that often means working in and around grain bins,” said IDOA Director, Jerry Costello II. “Unfortunately, problems involving flowing grain can snowball quickly. That’s why it’s important to set aside time to go over safety measures, to prepare farmers for a potential grain bin emergency.”
“Fire departments and districts continue to train so they are ready to aid and assist in the event of a grain entrapment,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. “In some rural areas, response times are increased due to the rural nature of these facilities, which makes it vitally important that farmers don’t take any unnecessary risks and use safe practices.”
University of Illinois Extension suggests whenever possible, don’t enter a grain bin. If you must enter the bin, as a farm owner/operator you should:
Break up crusted grain from the outside of the bin with a long pole. When using a pole, check to see that it doesn’t come into contact with electric lines.
Wear a harness attached to a properly secured rope.
Stay near the outer wall of the bin and keep walking if the grain should start to flow. Get to the bin ladder or safety rope as quickly as possible.
Have another person, preferably two people, outside the bin who can help if you become entrapped. These people should be trained in rescue procedures and should know and follow safety procedures for entering the confined space.
Grain fines and dust may cause difficulty in breathing. Anyone working in a grain bin, especially for the purpose of cleaning the bin, should wear an appropriate dust filter or filter respirator.
Stay out of grain bins, wagons and grain trucks when unloading equipment is running.
If it is necessary to enter the bin, remember to shut off the power to augers and fans. It is a good idea to lock out any unloading equipment before you enter a bin to prevent someone from unintentionally starting the equipment while you are in the bin.
Children should not be allowed to play in or around grain bins, wagons or truck beds.
Where possible, ladders should be installed inside grain bins to for an emergency exit. Ladders are easier to locate inside a dusty bin if there are brightly painted stripes just above or behind the ladder.
Farm workers are required to attend training as a reminder to utilize the best practices while working in and around grain bins. In addition to required training there are several online training resources available:
The Grain and Feed Association of Illinois at: www.gfai.org
The Grain Handling and Safety Council at: www.grainsafety.org
University of Illinois Extension at: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/agsafety/equipment/grainbinsafety.cfm

•February 23, 2022•

Isaiah Christian Plank of Sullivan has been named to the Deans’ List at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the fall semester of the 2021-22 academic year. Plank, a senior majoring in computer engineering, was named to the Dean’s List for the College of Engineering. More than 6,700 students at Nebraska were named to the Deans’ List for the fall semester.

•February 16, 2022•

Moultrie-Sullivan Fair Board held their Annual Fair Board meeting on January 10 at the Moultrie-Sullivan Fairgrounds. 2022 officers were elected. Nick Voegel was elected president, Libby Spannagel as Vice-President, Dale Crawford as Secretary/Treasurer and Ginger Voegel as Public Relations. The Moultrie-Sullivan Fair will be held June 24-25, 2022. The tentative schedule for the fair will be published soon on the website and Facebook page. Improvements and use of the fairgrounds in 2021 were reviewed. Some activities held at the fairgrounds during 2021 were: reunions, auctions, meetings, weddings, and parties. Rental prices for the facility beginning January 11 were passed. Other updates that will come in 2022 for inside the building and some outside improvements were also discussed. An annual fundraising letter campaign was planned, which will begin later this spring. The website will be updated soon and the 2022 Fairbook will be uploaded in the next few weeks. Prior to this meeting the Moultrie County 4-H Center, Incorporated also met for their 2022 annual meeting. If interested in learning more about the Moultrie-Sullivan Fair or the fairgrounds rental check out “Moultrie-Sullivan Fair” on Facebook or contact Nick Voegel at 217-549-0831/voegelnick@yahoo.com.

•February 16, 2022•

The Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School Student Council is hosting a blood drive on Thursday, March 3 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the high school, 301 East Columbia St. in Arthur. To register go to www.redcrossblood.org and search by date to schedule an appointment.