If it happens in Monroe County, it's news to us!

E-Newsletter- August 24, 2007

RV Trailer Destroyed In Fire

The Waterloo Fire Department was called Wednesday morning to put out a burning RV trailer in New Hanover. The trailer, owned by Betty and Merrill Huch, was parked next to the home of their son, Pat Huch, on Oak Ridge Drive. No one was in the trailer at the time of the fire, but all its contents were destroyed. Pat Huch said he believes the fire may have started in a plugged-in refrigerator located inside the trailer.

Shots Fired During Argument In Burksville
Irish “Pat” Senf and her husband, David, were arrested August 17, following a heated argument with two neighbors. The incident occurred at their home in the 4800 block of the Timberlake subdivision in Burksville. Pat, 66, was charged with the reckless discharge of a firearm and David, 49, was arrested for obstruction of justice.

Timberlake residents Darryl Buss and Tom “Jeff” Clark confronted the Senfs about their dog getting out of its yard, and the discussion escalated into a heated argument among the four individuals, according to the police report. Pat Senf then pulled out a Taurus .357 magnum pistol out of David Senf’s back pocket and fired the weapon three or four times into the ground near Buss and Clark. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department responded to break up the confrontation and arrested Pat Senf for discharging the firearm. Sheriff’s deputies searched for the pistol, but were unable to locate it. When David refused to divulge its whereabouts, he was also arrested. Deputies confiscated several other weapons located at the residence for safekeeping.

The Senfs each posted bond on August 20 and were released from the Monroe County Jail. They are scheduled to appear before Judge Dennis Doyle at the Monroe County Courthouse on September 20, at 9 a.m.

No Injuries Reported In Truck Rollover
Gregory Brown of Palmyra avoided injury Thursday morning when his semi-truck truck rolled over on Route 3. The accident occurred at the “S” curve near the intersection of KK Road.

Brown, 31, was driving a 2000 Freightliner hauling Prairie Farms Dairy products northbound on Route 3 when the passenger-side tires went off the road, according to the police report. Brown lost control of the rig and it spun around 180 degrees, tipped over and landed on its side. He was able to climb out of the passenger door and declined medical treatment.

Traffic was backed up for several hours until the vehicle was removed from the roadway. Brown was ticketed for improper lane usage and fined for damaging a highway sign.

Valmeyer And Waterloo Consider Building Water Treatment Facility
The Waterloo City Council voted Monday in favor of working with the village of Valmeyer in a study to determine the feasibility of building a water pumping and treatment plant. If built, the facility would pump water from wells located along the Valmeyer bottoms and provide drinking water for the two communities.

Valmeyer currently receives water from the Fountain Water District, while Illinois American Water Co. provides water to Waterloo.

“We are hopeful the study will show that creating a groundwater treatment plant will yield lower water rates for residents and grant greater control over the quality and management of our water supply,” said Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith.

Waterloo’s contract with Illinois-American expires in less than 15 years. The city’s daily peak is 1.3 million gallons during the summer.

“We need to be prepared for needing additional water as the city continues to grow,” Smith said.

Valmeyer Mayor Howard Heavner said the village pays about $5 per 1,000 gallons of water provided by the Fountain Water District, while Waterloo and Columbia pays $2 to $3 per 1,000 gallons to Illinois American.

“We believe we can pump our own for a better price,” Heavner said. “And by working with Waterloo we can supply more than enough water for both communities at a more economical price.”

Along the bottoms next to the Mississippi River, there is a large underground fresh water supply similar to the source used by Illinois American, Heavner said. If the go-ahead is given to build the system, it would take a few years to be completed, he said.

“This will help provide an economical supply of water to our growing communities,” said Heavner.

Waterloo Homecoming will take place this Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25, in downtown Waterloo, at the Courthouse Square. The event features food and beverage stands, rides, games for adults and children, and crafts. There will be musical entertainment both evenings. Friday’s acts are the Waterloo Municipal Band from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Cumberland Gap bluegrass band from 8 p.m. to midnight. Saturday will feature the Bud Light Brigade from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by Aftershock until midnight.

The parade is Saturday beginning at 5 p.m., with the theme of the 1950s and 1960s. It will begin on Moore Street next to the old nursing home and travel south. Marchers will then turn onto Fourth Street, take a left on Library, a right on Mill and then left on Main, where it will disperse near St. Paul United Church of Christ. This year’s homecoming is sponsored by Metzger-Crook VFW Post 6504, the Waterloo Optimist Club and the Waterloo Lions.

Summer Heat Continues
Area temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s again today before offering a temporary reprieve this weekend, according to National Weather Service forecasts. Saturday’s high is predicted to peak at 86, and Sunday’s will be 89. Mid- to upper-90s are forecasted to return next week. There is a chance of thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow, and Sunday should be mostly sunny.

As the month ends, figures from the National Weather Service indicate it will likely set the record for the hottest August the St. Louis area has seen. With no immediate long-term relief from the heat in sight, Monroe County Emergency Management Agency Director Gene Henckler reminds people of how they can combat the high temperatures.

The county will continue to offer heat relief centers at Columbia Convalescent Center in Columbia, the YMCA-HTC Center, and Oak Hill (the new Monroe County nursing home) in Waterloo. Columbia Convalescent Center is located at 253 Bradington Drive, behind the MarketPlace, 281-6800. Oak Hill is located at 623 Hamacher Street, next to Southwestern Illinois Center For Health, 939-3488. The YMCA-HTC Center is located at the intersection of Route 3 and EE Road, 281-9622.

So far, there have been seven confirmed heat-related deaths in the St. Louis area this month, including the death yesterday of an infant who was left in a car in St. Louis. The Monroe County Ambulance Service reports they have not responded to any calls for health problems caused by the heat, but the longer this heat wave lasts, the harder it becomes for people and animals to cope with it, Henckler said. Coupled with the increased utility rates that may prevent some people from using air conditioning, the extended period of higher-than-average temperatures will continue to take its toll on area residents.

People are encouraged to check on the well being of the elderly, the incapacitated and those with breathing difficulties who do not have air conditioning in their homes or who may not have it turned on. Drivers should refrain from leaving people or pets in cars, even for short periods of time. The temperature in a car can quickly climb to as many as 50 degrees higher than the outside temperature, leading to fatal heat stroke.

Those who work outside or spend time in the heat can decrease the effects.
1. Drink plenty of liquids, but avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
2. Never ignore the signs of overheating, including nausea and dizziness.
3. Take cool baths or showers.
4. Use cold compresses on the neck and wrists.
5. Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothing.
6. In homes without air conditioning, keep the shades drawn, blinds closed and leave the windows slightly open.
7. Spend more time in the basement, where it may be cooler.
8. Make sure pets and farm animals have plenty of fresh water and shade, and bring them indoors if possible.

Classes Back In Session At Area Schools

Students returned to schools in Waterloo, Valmeyer and Columbia. Those arriving to Gibault High School on the first day of the new semester were greeted by the sounds of the school’s concert band.  – photo by Sevgi Kovarik

Friday Night Lights
Area high school varsity football games begin at 7 p.m.
Sparta at Columbia
Red Bud at Pinckneyville
Waterloo at Southwestern High School
Litchfield at Dupo

Waterloo Chamber Sells Park To Church Cemetery 
The members of the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce voted by a five-to-one margin to approve the sale of its five-acre park on Hamacher Street to St. Paul United Church of Christ of Waterloo. The church plans to use the property for expansion of its neighboring Kolmer Cemetery. Both groups will meet next week to prepare a contract and work out title and survey details.

The Monroe County Republican Party has released a remodeled website: www.monroecountyrepublicans.org.

Several local athletes will take the field this fall with Millikin University athletic teams in Decatur. Columbia High School grad Cristin Callis is a junior midfielder for the Big Blue women’s soccer team. She has already earned two letters since joining the program as a freshman. Derrek Schwartz, a freshman also from Columbia, is on the Big Blue’s men’s soccer team roster. Jon Heller of Red Bud is a junior on the Millikin football team and plays defensive lineman.

During the Illinois State Fair, Don Schrader of Burksville bought grand champion honey and Waterloo’s George Obernagel came home with the grand champion ham.

“Monroe County was represented at the fair,” said Obernagel.

The Monroe County Home and Community Extension is planning a tour of Cahokia Mounds on September 22. A lunch will follow at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. For more information contact Virginia Sweet at 939-3530.

The Waterloo VFW will be closed Friday, August 24, because of the Waterloo Homecoming, and August 31 in honor of Labor Day.

The Waterloo High School Class of 1962’s 45-year reunion is September 29 at the Acorns. Classmates wishing to attend who have not yet been contacted are asked to call Jim Rehmer at 939-7807.

Dale Haudrich continues to recover from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident last Sunday. X-rays taken at St. Elizabeth’s Urgent Care Center showed he suffered two broken hands.

Randy “Mush Head” and Pam “Puddin’ ” Rippelmeyer of downtown Fults are recovering from injuries sustained Saturday in a motorcycle accident in Michigan. The accident occurred while the two were on their way to a vacation on Mackinaw Island. Mush Head has injuries to one of his legs, from the knee to the foot, and Puddin’ has several ribs broken and a collapsed lung. She has been taken off a respirator and moved out of intensive care. The Rippelmeyers are hoping to transfer to a hospital closer to their home.

“I talked to Mush by phone and he seems to be in really great spirits,” said Ronnie Rodenberg, the Rippelmeyer’s neighbor.

The Waterloo German Band will play every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in October at Harrah’s Casino’s VooDoo Lounge as part of the Oktoberfest celebration.

Lester Stueve celebrated his 82^nd birthday on Aug. 12 with a party at his home.

The Monroe-Randolph Bi-County Health Department is promoting emergency preparedness kits. People may visit the Waterloo office, as well as Chester and Sparta, to enter a raffle for a free kit.

U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello announced the U.S. Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command officially relocated August 14 from a base in Virginia to Scott Air Force Base. The Army relocated the SDDC Command a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendations. This is the first relocation as a result of BRAC and the first Army command to operate at Scott in 40 years. The move will bring 1,100 additional jobs to Scott, with 75 percent filled locally. Scott Air Force Base is the largest employer in Illinois south of Springfield and the fourth largest employer in the St. Louis metro area, bringing $2 billion annually to the local economy.

David and Anita Muertz of Maeystown recently spent the day with descendents of Maeystown’s own Anton Zeitinger, who ran the flour mill in 1868. In 1993, Bob and Jackie Zeitinger toured Zeitinger Mill when their planned destination, Fort de Chartres, was flooded.

Recent Obituaries
Rita Mary Lake nee McLain, 91, of Waterloo, formerly of Dupo, died August 21 at Oak hill. She was retired from the International Shoe Co. after 22 years as a bookkeeper. She was preceded in death by her husband, Laverne Lake; and brothers Francis McLain, Lloyd McClain and Roscoe McLain. Survivors include sister-in-law Rita McLain. Visitation is Friday, August 24, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Dashner Funeral Home. A funeral service will be at 7 p.m. She will be buried in New Mexico.

Maudie Childers, 95, of Dupo, died August 23 at Columbia Convalescent Center. She was a homemaker and member of the First Baptist Church of Dupo. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Childers and her son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Patsy Childers. Survivors include children Margie (Norman) Honey and Jerold Childers. Visitation is Monday, August 27, 10 a.m., to 12 noon, at First Baptist Church in Dupo. A funeral service will follow. .

If it happens in Monroe County, it's news to us!

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