Agriculture & Environment

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Lawmakers, energy nominee discuss FutureGen

WASHINGTON – Illinois lawmakers say they're feeling hopeful about the prospect of building FutureGen in Mattoon after a meeting Wednesday morning with President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for energy secretary.

Official says wind energy firm committed to project

PAXTON – A wind-energy company official said the firm is committed to the Ford County project, regardless of the Paxton City Council's proposed restrictions on turbines around the city.

"Unequivocally, we're committed to develop in Ford County," said Joe Borkowski, development manager for E.On Climate & Renewables. "If a larger buffer around Paxton is voted in (by the city council), some turbines – but definitely not all turbines – would be reallocated to Iroquois County, but we're talking right across the border."

Sparse crowd shows up at meeting over proposed salvage yard

DANVILLE – Bryant Industries on Wednesday addressed the concerns of six local residents regarding the company's plans for a new auto-parts salvage area.

The salvage area would be on Bryant's property west of Danville.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Workshop offered on rules for selling food at farm stands

CHAMPAIGN – Farmers interested in selling food products on their farms, at farmers' markets or elsewhere can learn how to meet county, state and federal regulations affecting their products at an upcoming workshop in Champaign.

The University of Illinois Extension and The Land Connection will host a food-rules workshop from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the UI Extension office, 801 N. Country Fair Drive, C.

Recycling program returning to Tolono

TOLONO – Residents here soon will be able to dispose of their newspaper, glass and plastic without having them end up in a landfill.

The village board on Tuesday approved a three-year contract with Champaign-based ABC Sanitary Hauling and Recycling for a recycling drop-off site that will be located west of the village hall at 507 W. Strong St. For $950 per month, ABC will provide two 30-yard containers and will pick up waste twice per week.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Residents' complaints about trash addressed

URBANA – It was about two weeks ago when the garbage showed up.

Nasty stuff – carpets and carpet pads, ripped mattresses, tipped-over couches – piled up in the middle of a Scottswood Manor Apartments parking lot in the 1200 and 1300 block of Lierman Avenue, Urbana.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Local session of regional conference will be Jan. 7

URBANA – Crop production, farm economics and pest management will be the major themes of the 2009 University of Illinois Corn and Soybean Classic.

Six regional conferences are planned throughout the state during January, including one to be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at the I Hotel and Conference Center, 1900 S. First St., C.

Tennessee firm gets 7-year deal for base cleanup

RANTOUL – A Tennessee engineering company has been awarded a seven-year contract to manage the clean-up of the former Chanute Air Force Base.

Air Force Real Property Agency Environmental Coordinator Paul Carroll said on Friday that the Air Force has awarded a $38.7 million contract to Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure in Knoxville, Tenn.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Provena program announces Litter Lottery for cleaning project

DANVILLE – The Health Community Initiative of the Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation has announced the Litter Lottery for the September, October, November "Before the Snow Flies" cleaning project.

Adopt-A-Spot groups, totalling 149 people, worked 299 hours to pick up 116 bags of trash. That brought 2008 totals totals to 553 people working 1,312 hours to pick up 517 bags of trash.