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South Jax Fire Protection District Referendum

South Jacksonville fire officials are pushing for voter approval later this month of a fire protection district that would encompass the village.

The proposed boundaries are Midway Road, where Murrayville Woodson district ends, route 36 to the Scott County line, the village, and up to fire protection districts to the east.

South Jacksonville fire chief Rich Evans says the department needs to update its equipment, and have people available during emergencies.

He says the $100 subscriptions to the fire department now are not providing enough money for the department to operate efficiently.

Evans says many people in the area don’t subscribe.

Evans says the proposed fire protection district tax would cost a person with a $90-thousand home about $126 a year.

He says the department needs new equipment now.

Evans says the ladder truck needs replaced, and the department would buy one unit to replace a couple of rescue units if the referendum passes.

He says the village fire department does provide EMS and basic EMT services.

February Weather

Temperatures were up last month, and precipitation was down in Jacksonville.

The average temperature last month was a little over 35 degrees. That’s about 3 degrees higher than normal.

It was not an extravagant range last month. There were were just two of single degree readings, and one night of a below zero reading. At the other end of the spectrum, we hit 70 or better only twice.

We ranged from 75 on the 28th, to 1 below on the 1st. A typical day last month saw a high of 48, and a low of 22 and a half.

Precipitation basically occurred on just one night…the 14th. Our total last month was 51-hundredths. That’s a little less than an inch below normal.

There was just a trace of snow.

The winter months began with a bang. We started December with over 10 and three quarters of an inch from November, to over 8 and a half inches in December to over 6 and a half inches of white stuff in January. That’s about 25 and a half inches of snow over the three month period starting in November, and ending last month. Normal snowfall for that period is 15 and two thirds inches.

And, we were below normal precipitation each month.

The new month includes a lot of rain in the first week. We shall see.

WLDS-WEAI is an official observer for the National Weather Service.

Homelessness Takes Center Stage for the Council

The Jacksonville city council last night wrestled with the elephant that is in the big room of the city..homlessness.

A packed commission room greeted 9 of the 10 aldermen as the council heard from several people.

The list included Jada Lutzke, who is trying to organize a low barrier shelter in the city to be called the Station. Duke Demott and Luke Shores, who is from the Philadelphia-Virginia area, has been ministering to the homeless here in Jacksonville. He asked that the city provide, rent free, the community park center for meals and gatherings on Sundays. No answer was given at the meeting.

Others included Alan Bradish, the now retired chaplain for the city police department, and Sue Brosmith and David Bergman from New Directions, as well as a representative from In His Service.

All agreed that first and foremost the city needs a place where the homeless can get shelter in frigid weather. Bradish says a center needs to be found soon.

Brosmith says New Directions, which now focusses on temporary housing, can handle up to 20, and there is supposed to be a 60 day limit. But, all who come must be sober and have a police background check.

Bradish says the need becomes more prominent with the start of colder weather. And, the center needs to be centrally located, preferably downtown.

Alderwomen Eren Williams chairs the special studies committee for the city council. This committee is tasked with finding at least a temporary solution.

The hurdles that a solution would need to overcome is insurance, funding, and a location, preferably close to the center of town.

Estimates of the homeless in Jacksonville range anywhere from 15 to 35. Because of the services here, several claimed last night that Jacksonville is taking in homeless from nearby counties, such as Greene, Cass, Macoupin and Montgomery counties. And, several also claimed there are some coming to Jacksonville from Springfield because it’s safer here.

The committee will meet again later this month, an hour before the council workshop session.