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| LEVEE REPAIRS | |
| Durbin, Costello push for info on levees
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) this week called on Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy to produce information that led to the determination that metro-east area river levees could not be certified.
During the face-to-face meeting in D.C., Fugate and Darcy both pledged to investigate the recent lack of information, work with local officials to assemble an adequate amount of information and report back with their findings.
"It is essential that residents, families and businesses understand their risk, but a lack of complete and publicly available information has plagued the region's remapping process up to this point," Durbin said. "That stops today."
Costello also issued a statement on the meeting.
"We need to have a transparent process, and that has not been the case to this point," Costello said. "My first priority has always been to make sure the levees get fixed without an undue economic burden on the region. Local governments should have sufficient time to fix the levees, and I will continue to work for my bill or any other legislative solution that accomplishes this goal."
Costello has proposed bill HR 3415, which seeks to suspend flood insurance rate map updates in areas where levees are being repaired. FEMA has said it intends to release the new flood maps next year, which would force more residents and businesses to get flood insurance and increase the premiums for those already carrying it.
In related news, Costello also announced this week that he and Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.) have launched the Congressional Levee Caucus, which will serve as an informal, bipartisan group dedicated to preserving the nation’s levee systems and defending those individuals whom levees guard.
Levee certification is the first issue the caucus will address to ensure that homeowners do not face major increases in their insurance costs.
 rtedit on March 12 2010 17:24:29
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| PERFECT GAME | |
| Bowling tourney has second straight 300 game
So much for being a late addition to a bowling team.
On Friday, Waterloo’s Mark Wetzler bowled his fifth perfect game at the 28th annual Waterloo Optimist Club Bowling Tournament.
The three-day tourney was held March 5-7 at West Park Bowl in Columbia.
And to think, Wetzler almost didn’t bowl in the tournament.
Wetzler (pictured second from right) was part of Waterloo's International Odd Fellows Lodge team that bowled in the first session of the tournament Friday.
The team was one player short. So, they called Wetzler, 49, at the last minute.
“It went pretty good that night,” said Wetzler who has bowled in almost every Optimist tournament.
Last year, Waterloo High School freshman Chris Lang rolled a perfect game -- the first for the Optimist tournament in 20 years.
See the March 17 issue of the Republic-Times for the complete story.
| rtedit on March 10 2010 13:54:26
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| CALL OF THE WILD | |
| Bobcat sighting last week in Columbia
Charlotte Hoock of Columbia snapped a photo of this bobcat seen roaming along Palmer Road near Route 3 in Columbia around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 6.
Hoock said she was driving with her brother, Kenny Schmidt of Maeystown, on Palmer Road when they spotted the animal.
There have been many documented reports of bobcats seen roaming that stretch of Columbia near the bluffs, but this is one of the clearer captured images of the animal.
“Luckily I had my camera,” she said. “It was really big.”
| rtedit on March 09 2010 20:08:10
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| Republic-Times online | |
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Where to get a copy of the Republic-Times:
Waterloo:
Schnucks, First National Bank (Main Street), McDonald's, U Gas, Gas 'N Grab, Wayne's One Stop, Bradford Station-Phillips 66, Morrison-Talbott Library, BoBecks, Schneider's Meat Market, Fast Stop, Huck's, Denny's, Oak Hill
Columbia:
McDonald's, Market Place, Red Roof Shell, Columbia Market, The Lantern
Dupo:
Daugherty Library, KNJ Gasmart, Dairy Land
Red Bud:
IGA, Handee Mart, Red Bud Regional Hospital
Valmeyer:
Mike's Place
Hecker:
Hecker Country Store | | | | |
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