More Important News

Eastland FFA Attends State 212 Leadership Conference

Six members of the Eastland FFA attended the State 212 Leadership Conference held at the Schaumburg, Illinois Marriott January 20 and 21st. Those attending were Kori Freidag, Ashley O’Connor, Jennah Price, Dillon Schoeny, Trisha Sims, and Farrah Stubbe. Farrah also received a scholarship to attend the 212 conference at the conference from the State FFA Alumni association.

The conference focused on student leadership and individual personal growth. Members of the National FFA Staff lead the conference with State FFA Officers assisting.

The Milledgeville Men’s Club Donates to School Libraries

Eastland FFA members, (left to right) Anthony Murphy, Jennah Price, Ashley O’Connor, and Skyler Barncord competed at the first Section 1 Poultry Judging contest held at RiverRidge High School on December 9th. Anthony Murphy placed second overall at the contest and Ashley O’Connor placed 10th overall. Eastland placed 3rd as a team. Other team members included Jennah Price and Skyler Barncord. The poultry judging contest tested student’s knowledge in egg and live chicken quality along with identification of parts of chicken.
(Courtesy of Stan Toepfer)

District Spelling Bee Winners

Chadwick-Milledgeville held their District Spelling Bee on January 24. Taking first place was Madeline Molenda, sixth grade. Second place was Justin Litwiller, 7th grade, and 3rd or alternate is Morgan Smith, 8th grade. Madeline and Justin will compete in the Regional Spelling Bee to be held in Pearl City on February 28. The championship word was “telepathic.”

Top photo, from left to right are partiicipants: Allison Fossett, Matthew Biller, Adam Brall, Kyle Aude. Middle Row: Ben Covey, Moriah Jensen, Kaden Polillo, Chase Fontenot, Grant Schurman, Nathan Rahn, Jack Munz, Dakota Russell, Morgan Smith, Kate Jakobs. Back Row: Josie Ewers, Cara Prince, Shawn Geison, Justin Litwiller, Mady Molenda, Alicia Sheddan, Harrison Schmidt, Emilia Eller, Allyson Bush.

1st Place – Madeline Molenda; 2nd Place - Justin Litwiller; 3rd Place – Morgan Smith are in the photo to the right.

All fourth and fifth graders at the Chadwick Middle School collected items for the Milledgeville Food Pantry during the month of December. What a huge success thanks to the students and parents. They were able to donate over 1,000 items!

Armful of Romance

Twice-Sold Tales is offering you or a loved one the chance to embrace an armful of romance just in time for Valentine’s Day. Each rose-scented bag contains 20 romances and is only $2.

Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? How about wearing one on your chest? Our heart-themed T-shirt is only $10 or, for a limited time, the shirt is free with a minimum $10 purchase. This t-shirt was designed by local student Farrah Stubbe.

If you want to give your special person a choice of Action, Adventure, Chills or Thrills, gift certificates are available in $5 and $10 denominations.

After Valentine’s Day, our theme will be a History of People, Places and Cultures. Besides autobiographies, biographies and historical books, we have our Vintage Volumes. These treasures are a minimum of 60 years old including many books dating from the 1800’s.

Twice Sold Tales is located at 100 S. Broad Street, Suite B. The “used books and more” store is a nonprofit used bookstore run by the Friends of the Lanark Public Library. The store is open Monday from 3 to 6 pm, and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm.

Morrison Kiwanis Supports the Odell Library

On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Kris Bielema (right), Morrison Kiwanis President, presented Connie Boonstra of Morrison’s Odell Library with a donation of $180.00. The funds are earmarked for the library’s “Adopt a Book” program. The library will be purchasing children’s reading materials. The items purchased will have a plaque inside each thanking the Morrison Kiwanis for their community support. Remember, the Morrison Kiwanis meets the 2nd and last Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm at the Odell library. Come join us . . . together we can make a difference. (Photo courtesy of Jillian Mann)

West Carroll FFA Parliamentary Team Takes 1st at Section #1 Contest

The West Carroll FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team consisting of chairman, Kim Durward; secretary, Audrie Ashby; and floor members Dylan Williams, Chloe Carson, Collin Wilkinson and Demi Hess placed 1st at the Section #1 FFA Parliamentary Procedure Contest held January 25 at River Ridge High School.

Individually for West Carroll, Kim Durward placed 1st as chairman while Audrie Ashby placed 2nd as secretary. West Carroll members, Dylan Williams, Collin Wilkinson and Chloe Carson placed 1st, 5th and 7th respectively as floor members.

A Parliamentary Procedure Contest consists of members completing a 25 question multiple choice test, doing a 10 minute demonstration using parliamentary motions, and answering questions about the motions used in the demonstration.

West Carroll and Stockton will now compete in the District I FFA Parliamentary Procedure Contest at Blackhawk East College in Galva, Illinois on March 8.

Team placement: 1 – West Carroll; 2 – Stockton; 3 – Eastland; 4 – River Ridge; 5 – Forreston; 6 - Dakota.

Also held at Stockton on January 25 was the Section #1 FFA Public Speaking Contest. West Carroll FFA Greenhands, Christy Ralston and Kristen Houzenga placed 1st and 3rd respectively in the FFA Creed competition. Collin Wilkinson placed 1st in senior extemporaneous and Chloe Carson, 4th in senior prepared public speaking. The top 2 finishers in FFA Creed, Senior Prepared and Senior Extemporaneous will advance to the District I FFA Public Speaking CDE held at Blackhawk East College in Galva, Illinois on March 8.

Five generations of the Frank and Mavis Tipton family met recently for a holiday gathering. Frank and Mavis reside in rural Savanna. Pictured in front are Frank and Mavis; in back their granddaughter Debbie (Pearce) Turner of St. Louis, MO, Debbie’s son and grandson, Ben and Dylan Townsend of Springfield, IL, and Myra (Tipton) Pearce, of Stockton, the Tipton’s daughter.

Ladies Society & K of C Assist MC Ministerial Assoc.

Reverend Elizabeth Mascal (left) receives a donation of $1000 to the Ministerial Association of Mount Carroll, presented by Claire Johns, representing the Sts. John & Catherine Ladies Society, and Jason Johns, representing the Knights of Columbus.

A soup luncheon was served Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, organized by the Ladies Society and the K of C, hosted by the S.S. John & Catherine Catholic Church in Mount Carroll. A free will offering to benefit the MC Ministerial Assoc. was taken.

The Association assists members of the community that are in urgent need by providing funds for immediate financial assistance, shelter, food, or help with bills. Rev. Mascal said that everyone had a great time and members from each of the community’s churches attended.

“Mount Carroll has the most unique ministerial association,” Mascal said. “The entire community and all of the churches come together to support it. You just don’t find that kind of support anywhere else.

“The goal of the Ministerial Association is to help people be successful and stay on their feet,” Mascal continued. “This is a community that really wants to help one another.”

Countywide Plan for Natural Disasters

Carroll County will begin preparing a countywide plan that will identify activities and projects to reduce the damages caused by natural hazards such as floods, snow storms, tornadoes, drought and ice storms. The plan is called a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and will be funded through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Carroll County is vulnerable to severe storms, flooding, and tornado damage. Since 1965, Carroll County has had eleven Federally declared disasters with flooding causing or contributing to seven of these disasters. These disasters occurred in 1965, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1993, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

“Developing this plan will help us be better prepared before storms hit. The focus of this plan is to reduce the harm to property and residents. We have an emergency response plan. The mitigation plan we want to prepare is aimed at prevention so it will complement our response plan. The county and each participating municipality who adopts the plan will become eligible for federal funds for projects that might not otherwise be constructed,” said Greg Miller, Carroll County ESDA Coordinator.

Carroll County municipalities expected to participate in this planning process include: Chadwick, Lanark, Milledgeville, Mt. Carroll, Savanna, Shannon, and Thomson.

A Carroll County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee has been created with representatives from each participating municipality along with technical partners and other stakeholders. Meetings of this committee will be conducted as working sessions so that any interested resident can attend and ask questions. The purpose of these working sessions is to gather and discuss information that will be used to prepare the plan.

The first meeting of this team will be held 1 p.m. at the Carroll County Farm Bureau on Thursday, February 2 in Mt. Carroll. The committee will meet periodically through the next several months to develop a draft plan. Carroll County residents are welcome to attend every meeting.

“Typically the public is asked to comment after a plan is drafted. With this Hazard Mitigation Plan, input from the public will be gathered before and during its development. We will also hold a public forum after the Plan is drafted, but our focus will be to gather input before the draft is completed,” added Greg Miller.

Local Winery Tour

The Carroll, JoDaviess, and Stephenson County Farm Bureaus® have arranged a one day tour of local wineries. On Saturday, April 21st, a ticket purchased from one of the participating County Farm Bureaus will get you into five wineries for tastings.

You will get to enjoy the fine wines locally produced at Silver Moon Winery in Lanark, Famous Fossil Winery in Freeport, Massbach Winery in Elizabeth, Rocky Waters Winery in Hanover, and Galena Cellars Winery in Galena. This is a self-guided tour, which can be explored in any order. So start your day close to home or end your tour close to home, whichever suits your pleasure.

Contact the Carroll County Farm Bureau at 815-244-3001, JoDaviess County Farm Bureau at 815-858-2235, or Stephenson County Farm Bureau at 815-232-3186 for more information.

Carroll County Tentative Multiplier Announced

Carroll County has been issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to Brian Hamer, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.

The property assessment equalization factor, often called the “multiplier”, is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state’s 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result.

State law requires property in Illinois to be assessed at one-third (1/3) of its market value. Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland and farm buildings assessed according to standards based on productivity.

The equalization factor is determined annually for each county by comparing the sales price of individual properties sold over the past three years to the assessed value placed on those properties by the county supervisor of assessments/county assessor.

If this three-year average level of assessment is one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be one (1). If the average level of assessment is greater than one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be less than one (1). And if the average level of assessment is less than one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be greater than one (1).

Assessments in Carroll County are at 33.53 percent of market value, based on sales of properties in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

The equalization factor currently being assigned is for 2011 taxes, payable in 2012.

Last year’s equalization factor for the county was 1.0000.

The tentative factor is subject to change (1) if the County Board of Review takes actions which significantly affect the county assessments or (2) if local officials or others can present data showing that the Department of Revenue’s estimates of the average level of assessments in the county should be adjusted. A public hearing on the tentative multiplier will be held between 20 and 30 days after the tentative factor is published in a newspaper of general circulation within the county.

A change in the equalization factor does not mean total property tax bills will increase or decrease. Tax bills are determined by local taxing bodies when they request money each year to provide services to local citizens. If the amount requested by local taxing districts is not greater than the amount received in the previous year, then total property taxes will not increase even if assessments may have increased.

The assessed value of an individual property determines what portion of the tax burden a specific taxpayer will assume. That individual’s portion of tax responsibility is not changed by the multiplier.

Mobil Meth Lab Bust in Thomson

On Thursday, January 26th, the Thomson Police Department conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the arrest of two subjects.

Thirty-two year old Jamie L. Willoughby of Hanover was charged with driving while license suspended, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, unlawful possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material, methamphetamine precursor, violation of the cannabis control act, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal transportation of alcohol and failure to appear. Willoughby was transported to the Carroll County Jail.

Thirty-eight year old Terrence Hudson of Hanover was charged with possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material, methamphetamine precursor and illegal transportation of alcohol. Hudson was also transported to the Carroll County Jail. During further investigation, a search warrant was obtained for a residence in Thomson.

During the search two additional subjects were arrested. 28 year old Jay A. Morlock of Thomson was charged with aggravated participation in methamphetamine manufacturing, unlawful possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of the cannabis control act and possession of methamphetamine. Morlock was transported to the Carroll County Jail. 30 year old Jennifer L. Moore of Thomson was charged with aggravated participation in methamphetamine manufacturing, unlawful possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of the cannabis control act and possession of methamphetamine. Moore was also transported to the Carroll County Jail.

Assisting the Thomson Police at the scene were the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, Chadwick Police Department, Savanna Police Department, Illinois State Police Meth Response Team, Blackhawk Area Task Force, Thomson Fire Department and Carroll County State’s Attorney Scott Brinkmeier.

Attention Old Settlers!

The Lanark Sesquicentennial Book Committee is earnestly seeking to fill gaps in the Old Settlers’ Days record. Reports for several years cannot be found.

The committee would like to offer as complete and accurate an account of the 138-year-old celebration as possible in the book. News reports, programs, posters, personal accounts, etc., are needed for the following years’ reunions: 1907, 1962 through 1980; 1985-1992; 1996-2001.

Were the Big Dog Poker Run and Midnight Fire Drill held in 2000? Does anyone know which years the Poker Run was held in association with OSD? Does anyone know when the Motorcycle Parade through Dave’s Place began?

Also, any information about the end of the Old Settlers’ Association of Carroll County somewhere between 1945 and 1947 would be greatly appreciated. Contact Denise Krysiak at gdkrysiak@gmail.com or 815-493-2175, or the Lanark Public Library at lanarklibrary@yahoo.com or 815-493-2166 if you can help.

CC Pheasants Forever Reaches $500,000 Level of Conservation Support

Sometime between an acre of switch grass being planted this spring or an acre of winter cover being maintenance burned, a Longspur trap shooter scoring his first twenty-five perfect round or a local youth buying books with her earned scholarship , Carroll County Pheasants Forever achieved a major milestone … The chapter invested the 500,000th dollar in conservation projects in Carroll County.

The award was presented at the Pheasants Forever State Convention last week. Howard Vincent, CEO of the national organization of over 700 counties nationwide, said “This award signifies the outstanding work of the PF volunteers of Carroll County in preserving habitat for all wildlife forms and building an awareness of conservation among the youth of the area.”

“The chapter is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year,” according to Chuck Quarnstrom, Chapter President, “and very few chapters ever earn this award, let alone in such a short time.”

There are 60 chapters in Illinois including some with cities like Rockford, Champaign, and Springfield with big populations to raise large dollars. “Considering Carroll County’s size, this milestone is even more significant… and something all our donors over the years can be proud of” said Quarnstrom.

In addition to the conservation award, Carroll County PF was recognized for being among the Top 10 Chapters in 7 of the 8 categories in the state in Habitat Projects including Nesting Cover, Food Plots, Equipment, Misc. Habitat, Habitat Dollars Earned, Education and total Dollars.

The chapter planted 295 acres of food plots and 325 acres of nesting cover in 2011 bringing the total habitat projects completed to 10,600 since 1998.

The chapter was also recognized for being the largest supporter of youth projects among all chapters in the nation. “We are proud of the achievement because if we do not develop conservationists to follow our efforts, all the habitat work we’ve accomplished will go fallow”, said Quarnstrom . . .’ This is the third year in a row that we’ve earned this title.”

If you are interested in becoming a chapter member or attending our annual fund raising banquet on March 11, call Chuck Quarnstrom at 598-3157.

Jo-Carroll Energy Offers Energy Audits for Farms, Small Businesses

Are you a farmer or rural small business owner looking to replace a grain dryer, make other energy-saving improvements or produce renewable energy? If so, USDA Rural Development and Jo-Carroll Energy may be able to help.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced recently that it has $25.4 million in funding available to help agricultural producers and small rural businesses complete a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

The agency is seeking applications for its Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), designed to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption.

Jo-Carroll Energy can assist by completing the required energy efficiency audit on the proposed project. Audits cover a variety of aspects and can be project specific depending on your type of business.

USDA is accepting the following applications:

renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement grant applications and combination grant and guaranteed loan applications until March 30, 2012;

renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement guaranteed loan only applications on a continuous basis up to June 29, 2012;

renewable energy system feasibility study applications through March 30, 2012; and energy audits and renewable energy development assistance applications through February 21, 2012.

More information on how to apply for funding is available in the January 20, 2012 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-20/pdf/2012-755.pdf” \t “extWindow” \o Federal Register, pages 2948 through 2954. Popular uses of the program in the Midwest have been to assist in the purchase of new, more efficient grain-drying systems or to install geo-thermal. Costs incurred before submitting an application are not eligible. In addition, funds are not available for residential use.

Jo-Carroll Energy offers the energy audit service to members for $150. The regular cost for this service is $600, however because Jo-Carroll Energy received a grant through the USDA, the cooperative is able to offer this service to members at only 25 percent of the cost until March 11, 2012. Non-members (within a three-hour radius of the cooperative headquarters) are subject to additional mileage and hourly travel fees.

All energy audits are performed to USDA standards. A report of recommendations is provided that discusses ways a business or farm could be improved through energy efficiency upgrades.

For more information on energy audits, call 800-858-5522 and ask for the cooperative’s energy advisor John Scott at ext. 1339 or Heidi Weber, member relations and marketing manager at extension 1208.

Jo-Carroll Energy also offers its energy auditing services to not-for-profit, institutional, governmental and civic businesses and organizations. These audits are offered for $300 to members only.

Jo-Carroll Energy Members Save More Than $100,000 on Prescriptions

Jo-Carroll Energy’s Co-op Connections Card program has reached a milestone with its members saving more than $100,000 on prescription medications since the program was launched in 2008.

“The Co-op Connections Card program is proof that being a member of a cooperative has its advantages,” said Michael Hastings, Jo-Carroll Energy president and CEO.

The cooperative is able to offer the program to its members through Touchstone Energy. Across the state, members of Illinois electric cooperatives have saved more than $1 million since the program was launched four years ago. Across the nation, members of 395 Touchstone Energy member cooperatives have saved more than $38.3 million on prescriptions—and the savings grow each month. The cards are accepted at most national chain pharmacies and many independent pharmacies.

“The Co-op Connections card reinforces Jo-Carroll Energy’s longstanding commitment to community,” said Elecia Walter, Jo-Carroll Energy marketing and communications specialist, who works with the program. “The pharmacy discount is one of the most valuable features of the card.”

The average savings for members during 2011 was 29.8 percent, and members remembered to use their Co-op Connections Card on 3,353 prescriptions at area pharmacies. Since its introduction in 2008, Jo-Carroll Energy members have saved more than $100,423 on prescriptions.

The Co-op Connections Card is free to all Jo-Carroll Energy members. While not insurance and cannot be used in conjunction with insurance, the pharmacy discount can mean savings of 10 to 60 percent on prescription drugs. The logo and information on the back of the card is recognized at more than 60,000 national, regional and local pharmacies.

The card is good for other savings, too. “A wide variety of businesses throughout our communities accept the card and offer special discounts for our members,” Walter said. “Look for the window stickers identifying them as a Co-op Connections Card business.”

“We hope local businesses participating in the Co-op connections program benefit from increased traffic from Jo-Carroll Energy members,” she added.

And that’s not all. The card program also includes more than 22,500 local business offerings and more than 700 national offers. Any cooperative member with a card can receive the discounts anywhere the card is accepted regardless of where the business is located. Members can view the most up-to-date list of all local and national offers at www.connections.coop.

IMRF Announces 2012 Board of Trustees

A new president, vice president and secretary at the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) began their terms on Jan. 1.

Executive trustee Gwen Henry was named the board’s 2012 president. She has served as an executive trustee since December 2008, including last year as board vice president. Executive trustee William Stafford was named board vice president. He has served as an executive trustee since January 2009, including last year as board secretary. Employee trustee Natalie Copper was named board secretary. She has served as an employee trustee since January 2010.

As the second largest public pension fund in Illinois, IMRF administers a plan of retirement, disability and death benefits for 3,000 municipal employers — including park districts, villages and school districts (for non-teaching personnel) — and covers approximately 176,000 active members and 97,000 retirees. At the end of 2011, IMRF managed almost $25 billion in assets. The plan does not receive any state funding.

Locally, the municipalities of Chadwick, Mount Carroll, Thomson, Lanark, Savanna, Hanover, Pearl City, Morrison, Freeport, Sterling, and Rock Falls contribute to IMRF in varying degrees. Some, such as Freeport or Sterling, have several government facilities (such as the park district, the township government and the village government) enrolled in the pension.

Members of IMRF’s independent eight-member board of trustees serve without compensation in five-year staggered terms. The board includes four executive trustees elected by participating units of government, three employee trustees elected by participating IMRF members and one annuitant trustee elected by IMRF retirees.

Henry, a certified CPA, has held several elected positions, including the mayor of Wheaton, Ill. and a board member of the DuPage County Board and Forest Preserve, since 1987. She currently serves as the treasurer for DuPage County.

IMRF employers elected Mark F. Nannini to his first term as an IMRF executive trustee. Nannini has worked the last six years as the director of finance and treasurer for Crystal Lake, Ill. He previously worked nine years as the director of finance for Rolling Meadows, Ill. and 10 years as assistant director and comptroller for Niles, Ill.

Highland Community College Announces Service Award Recipients

Highland Community College employees were recognized for their years of service as part of the Opening Days activities on January 12, 2012. The 2011 Service Award Recipients included the following:

FIVE YEARS: Kathy Bangasser, Director of Financial Aid; Juliet D’Souza, Instructor; Bonnie Hale, Administrative Assistant (Grant); Mark Jansen, Director of Adult Education; Janet Kaiser, Director of Upward Bound

TEN YEARS: Carol Gage, Administrative Assistant; Diane Gallagher, Trustee; Beth Groshans, Coordinator of Women’s Athletics; Jill Janssen, VP of Administrative Services; Jim Palmer, Instructor

FIFTEEN YEARS: Corey Engel, Maintenance Mechanic; Liz Gerber, Associate VP of Student Services; Paul Giaimo, Instructor; Tony Grahame, Instructor; Chuck Graves, Maintenance Mechanic; Rhonda Perry, Executive Assistant; Mike Sleezer, Instructor; Dawn Switzer, Secretary (Grant); Tracey Williams, Student Retention Specialist

TWENTY YEARS: Sherry Maves, Administrative Assistant (Grant); Allen Redford, Instructor

THIRTY YEARS: Dr. Joe Kanosky, President

WCSWCD 67th Annual Dinner Meeting

The Whiteside County Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding their 67th Annual Dinner meeting on Saturday February 11, 2012 at 5:00 PM at the Morrison High School, 643 Genesee Avenue, Morrison, IL 61270. Tickets are $12.00 which will include a catered meal from Cindy Jean’s Restaurant of Prophetstown, Illinois. You can get your tickets at the Whiteside County SWCD office for from any of the SWCD Directors.

This year’s speaker will be Mr. Terry Swails. Mr. Swails program will be on severe weather with the topic centering on the historic flooding in Eastern Iowa in 2008 and E-F5 tornados. His presentation will include some incredible pictures and his personal experiences storm chasing both tornadoes and hurricanes. Terry will also have some of his book available for purchase.

This annual dinner meeting will include an election of directors, awards that will be handed out for Farm Family of the Year, Friends of Conservation and Volunteer of the Year, and, as in the past, we will be holding a live auction. Items on the auction block will be a CS530-18 18 inch chainsaw from Echo, a print from Mr. Allen Holloway and a hunt from Hilltop Meadows Hunt Club. There will also be items for a raffle, and once again we will have a pie auction after dinner. All of this is to benefit the Whiteside County Soil and Water Conservation District Education Foundation.

For more information or to RSVP, please call Wendy Roman, Whiteside County Soil and Water, at 815-772-2124 ext 3.

Miscanthus x Giganteus has Potential as Alternative Energy Source

Concerns about the worldwide energy supply and national, environmental and economic security have resulted in a search for alternative energy sources. A new University of Illinois study shows Miscanthus x giganteus (M. x giganteus) is a strong contender in the race to find the next source of ethanol if appropriate growing conditions are identified.

M. x giganteus is a bioenergy crop that can be grown to produce ethanol. The study investigated the establishment success, plant growth and dry biomass yield of the grass. Tom Voigt, lead scientist and associate professor in the U of I Department of Crop Sciences, said the overall goal is to promote biomass yield per acre for ethanol production using the fewest inputs with no environmental damage.

Researchers compared establishment and growth rates, and biomass yield at four locations over the past three years to identify regions best suited for the grass. Data was collected at sites in Urbana, Ill.; Lexington, Ky.; Mead, Neb.; and Adelphia, N.J. The study is part of the Department of Energy-funded North Central Sun Grant Feedstock Partnership Project.

The growing conditions were adequate at each location in different years. However, late planting and extreme winter temperatures during 2008 affected establishment rates at the Illinois site. Lower yields occurred at the New Jersey site in 2010, which could be attributed to the site’s sandy soils and warm, dry weather conditions in that year.

“For the most part, we found that Miscanthus responds to sites in which water is adequately available,” Voigt said. “The combination of warm temperatures and adequate precipitation spread throughout the growing season creates ideal growing conditions.”

Voigt said the study increased researcher’s understanding of how different environments impact M. x giganteus growth, development and biomass yield. In addition, they discovered positive environmental impacts.

Nitrogen fertilizer had no significant effects on the grass’s biomass yield in season two or three at any site. M. x giganteus also promotes erosion control as the perennial forms a large mass of roots underground.

“We are trying to develop a recipe for management practices that can be used by farmers interested in growing the grass,” Voigt said. “We want bioenergy crops to find their way into more marginal settings where ground is less easy to work with. Miscanthus can work where food crops can’t.”

Voigt said the results of the study are positive and prove that energy crops have great potential as alternative energy sources.

This study, “Miscanthus x giganteus Productivity: The Effects of Management in Different Environments” was published in GCB BIOENERGY Volume 3, Issue 6, December 2011. Researchers included Matt Maughan, Germain Bollero, D.K. Lee, Robert Darmody and Thomas Voight of the University of Illinois; Stacy Bonos, Laura Cortese and James Murphy of The State University of New Jersey; Roch Gaussoin and Matthew Sousek of the University of Nebraska — Lincoln; David Williams and Linda Williams of the University of Kentucky; and Fernando Miguez of Iowa State University. Funding was provided by the Department of Energy.

Voigt is also principal investigator for the Feedstock Production Agronomy Program at the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) located in the Institute for Genomic Biology. The EBI is a biofuels research consortium that includes the University of Illinois, the University of California at Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and funding agency BP.

Highland Adult Education offering free TABE testing sessions

The Highland Community College Adult Education Program will be holding additional Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) sessions. The TABE is designed to assess an individual’s readiness to participate in adult education programs such as GED® preparation, Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes and tutoring.

Previously, the TABE was given during Adult Education orientation classes. The new open exam schedule will allow for testing to take place before students enter orientation classes.

“By providing the TABE testing prior to orientation classes, our staff can respond quickly to a student’s desire to participate in adult education programming,” said Mark Jansen, HCC’s director of Adult Education. “In addition, by having a snapshot of the student prior to orientation classes, we can anticipate and plan to meet the individual needs of a diverse student population.”

The sessions are free and open to the public. Most testing sessions take place at Highland’s main campus on the third or fourth week of each month. Please call 815.599.3460 to register and for information on specific testing locations.

TABE testing dates:

January 31 - 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Student/Conference Center)

February 2 - 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Community Services Center)

February 21 - 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Community Services Center)

February 23 - 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Community Services Center)

February 28 - 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Student/Conference Center)

March 1 - 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Community Services Center)

HCC West to Hold Adult Ed Open House

The Highland Community College West campus will hold an informational session for prospective adult education students and adult volunteer literacy tutors from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, in room 126. Vice President of Academic Services Tim Hood will be in attendance to welcome participants and refreshments will be provided.

Experienced tutors will also be available to share their experiences with adult education. Learn how volunteering an hour or two per week can often make the difference between a student’s success or failure. The encouragement that tutors provide is a key influence in the lives of students using these services to secure a better job or begin earning a college degree. Volunteer tutors are always welcome, particularly in rural counties.

Students interested in classes or tutoring should also attend the open house to learn more about the enrollment and assessment process. Adult literacy services may include tutoring services, English-as-a-Second-Language classes, and/or GED preparation courses based on availability. Prospective tutors are encouraged to refer any adults in need of literacy services to this event.

The HCC Adult Education department offers FREE services to qualifying individuals living in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle and Stephenson Counties. For more information about the open house, please contact Esther Mayer at 815.599.3538 or email esther.mayer@highland.edu.

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