WGFA NEWS for Thursday, November 5, 2009 >
WX > Another sunny sky expected today in Illiana, high near 53 after yesterday’s high of 59 at the WGFA studio. Westerly winds at 10 mph.
> An update from the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department reveals nine confirmed cases of H1N1 — eight in Iroquois and one case in Ford County. Meanwhile, health officials report steady traffic at flu clincis in surrounding counties. Clinics were held Wednesday in Paxton and Watseka. Kankakee, Vermilion and Newton County, IN have posted clinic schedules and dates/locations too.
In Watseka, FIDPH Public Info Officer Julie Clark told WGFA News it was a nice pace of visitors yesterday… :16 The Health Departments offer a free vaccine, but not the case at other sites … 1:07
Vermilion County scheduled a clinic Wednesday and nine others, which will be held in Danville, Hoopeston and Georgetown over the next few weeks, after receiving about half of their order of the H1N1 flu vaccine – 18,000 injectable doses and 7,000 nasal spray doses. The clinics are for those most at risk from complications of the virus. Administrator Steve Laker hopes the vaccine supplies gets his office thru early December. He adds it depends on demand. Laker said four H1N1 cases in the county have been confirmed so far. The first case, reported last week, was a 6-year-old in the Danville public school system, and two others are school-aged children. The oldest is a 24-year-old.
> Watseka Fire Chief Dave Mayotte is juggling his budget and making plans to compensate for one less night-time ambulance in the IMH fleet. Officials at IMH maintained that full advanced life-support service is still provided in both Gilman and watseka. Mayotte told the City Council Tuesday IMH Ambulance had staffed ambulance vehicles at Watseka and Gilman 24/7. The fleet’s been reduced to a single unit at night with Mayotte looking to have the fire department provide first-response paramedic service to assist IMH…. :24
The Watseka Council expressed support to Mayotte’s idea, asking for more detailed plans, which Mayotte estimated will cost about $5,000 a year to provide an on-call staff and equipment. The chief said his department is under no obligation but wants to make sure emergency first-response service is in place and his department has certified paramedics on staff…… :22
> Public safety is on the minds of others too. The Iroquois County Board appears poised to place a referendum question on the February 2, 2010 ballot. And 9-1-1 Coordinator Nita Dubble is emphasizing the county board needs to unite for the referendas success. Dubble’s soliciting county board committees for their support in order to ask for voters approval. The County Board is likely to endorse the ballot question at next Tuesday’s board meeting.
A 23% proposed budget cut to the sheriff’s department for FY ‘10 will surely result in layoffs of six sheriff deputies — without a successful referendum vote. Dubble explains her 9-1-1 dispatch personnel have the do-or-die communication responsibility during emergency calls. She tells elected county board officials “they’ll have to answer to people” if there’s no money for public safety.
> The referenda question brings public safety revenue from a retail tax; a tax that visitors to Iroquois County also contribute to. The retail product tax applies to all people who purchase goods and eat in the county, but it excludes all licensed vehicles, automobiles, farm implements, prescription and non-prescription medicines, and groceries. The one-half percent sales tax is estimated to generate $1.2 million. It’s also pointed out, that if you’re an Iroquois County citizen shopping and dining out in neighboring Champaign, Vermilion and other counties — you’re supporting their public safety tax.
94.1 FM, WGFA
