No injuries from wildfire near Macomb
Several fire departments helped extinguish a fire on Monday in a wooded area near Wigwam Hollow Road, north of the Lamoine River.
Macomb Fire Chief Dan Meyer said the fire was contained to the woods, with approximately 60 to 70 acres of burnt underbrush and trees.
No injuries are reported.
Firefighters were on the scene for around four hours. Responding fire departments included Macomb, Emmet-Chalmers, Colchester, Good Hope, and Blandinsville.
Meyer said fire departments in the county have been busy recently with natural vegetation fires. He said the vegetation is quite dry and fires can spread quickly. He asked people to be mindful of that before doing any outdoor burning.
Chair of Knox College board of trustees dies
The chair of the Board of Trustees at Knox College died on March 10.
Tony Etz, 64, was a fourth-generation Knox alumnus.
He was appointed to the board of trustees in 2016 and elected chair in 2021.
Etz was a longtime agent with Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles.
Last year, he and his wife launched the Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership and Dialogue at Knox.
The institute was created to enable students and faculty to question their own beliefs, collaborate with political adversaries, and develop solutions for local, national, and global issues.
Farm Bureau grants for western Illinois projects
The Illinois Farm Bureau partnered with county farm bureaus to award 23 Rural Development Grants totaling $105,000 across the state.
Five of the grant recipients are in western Illinois:
- The West Prairie Water Cooperative in McDonough County received funding for engineering fees for construction of a second water tower
- The Williamsfield Fire Protection District in Knox County received a grant for multi-band radio upgrades to streamline communication between the department and 911 dispatch as well as other fire departments in Peoria County
- Warsaw Mercantile in Hancock County received funding to purchase equipment for their indoor farmers market
- The Nauvoo Police Department in Hancock County received funding for new portable radios
- Sycamore Acres in Fulton County received funding to create a one-acre u-pick flower, vegetable, and pumpkin patch, as well as two mobile farm stand booths to serve as small business incubators.
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