Village of Hennepin, Illinois

Image courtesy of the News Tribune The Village of Hennepin will host its 41st annual Fourth of July celebration, “Thunder on the Illinois”. The event will be Tuesday, July 4 in Hennepin and will include activities throughout the day, starting with a Movin’ for Music 5K Run/Walk and pancake and sausage breakfast sponsored by the PC Music Boosters. The annual Cruise-In, held in Bassi Park, will be noon-4 p.m. Near the Courthouse In Walter Durley Boyle Park and the Courthouse Lawn, there will be a bags tournament with 11 registration, plus bingo, water fights for children and kids inflatables, along with a beer tent beginning at noon. Putnam County FFA will serve pork chops. several other food vendors will sell food. The Templetons will perform at 4 p.m. on the courthouse stage, followed by the PC Chorus, Panteras and Little Panteras. Presentation of the citizen of the year will also take place on the courthouse stage during this time. Abbynormal will play pop, classic rock, alternati

And the walls came tumbling down. There was a 3 minute warning for the drones, a 1-minute countdown, and just like that, the tallest building at the former Hennepin Steel Mill imploded. John Bourdin, a spokesperson for the Marino Development Group, who oversees the site said Dykon Blasting of Tulsa, Okla. was responsible for coordinating the demolition of the building and monitoring logistics and safety of the take-down, which happened at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. Other onsite subcontractors including Tiger Demolition of Saint Amant, La., and R&M of Cedar Rapids, Iowa will remain at the former plant site to reclaim copper, steel, aluminum and other materials and to complete property cleanup, Bourdin said. “This is one of two national “megasites” that national brokers and employers from around the world will be looking at,” Bourdin said. “The developer will be looking at companies that may want to come in and take over the property for the barge and/or rail access.” The Hennepi

Preparations are underway for the 14th Annual Cruise In to be held during Hennepin's 4th of July Celebration. Please view the PDF below for more information, and share with your family and friends. 2017 Cruise In Flyer This year we will be featuring Pontiacs and will have on hand Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick , the world’s most well-known Pontiac drag racer with his car! See you on the 4th!

Image courtesy of the News Tribune Even though crops are bringing in less money, our area isn’t feeling the effects It wasn’t too long ago farmers celebrated record-high grain prices. In August 2012, corn topped $7.60 per bushel and soybeans passed $16. But since then, grain prices have decreased steadily, with corn currently below $4 and beans hovering just above $9. So with less money coming into farms, how does that impact surrounding communities and non-farmers? As with many big questions, the answer is “It depends.” “Some farmers have off-the-farm jobs,” said McNabb-area farmer Austin Pletsch. “Some people live off the farm income.” That can make it difficult to track how crop prices impact the farmers and how they spend money. Willard Mott, agriculture program coordinator at Illinois Valley Community College, pointed out that many of the effects of spending habit changes would be felt in the agricultural sector. “Historically, when we have low commodity prices and farmers a

Every Friday, beginning June 23, and continuing through July 28, the Hennepin Park District will show a movie on its big screen TV. Movie starts at 11:30 a.m., and those interested can call the pool to find out the movie being shown that week. The cost is free for Hennepin and Hennepin Township residents and $5 for all other areas. Popcorn and a beverage will be served during the movie. Movie participants may swim after the activity for open swim at no additional charge. Parents who remain with their children during the movie may also swim after the activity at no additional charge. Children under the age of 12 may swim up to 3 hours without an adult present. Children less than 45 inches tall must have an adult accompany them in the pool. For more information or to find out the movie for the week, call the Hennepin Pool at 815-925-7319. Source: Putnam County Record

Image courtesy of the Putnam County Record Grandma Rosie’s recently opened its doors in Spring Valley at 502 S. Spalding St. (Route 89) just north of the Illinois Valley Veterans Memorial Bridge which takes the road over the Illinois River. “Spring Valley needed a restaurant and ice cream shop that offered fresh food quick and ice cream at a family-friendly price,” said Jason Judd, one of the four owners of the business along with his wife, Vanessa; and cousin Jason Judd and his wife, Jenny. “We also serve gyros, Italian beef and Chicago-style food plus an assortment of grilled cheese sandwiches and pork tenderloins,” he said. The restaurant’s hours are now 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, with the closing time extended during spring and summer months until 10 p.m. “Our family owns the laundromat next door, and we like it that it is on a main road (Route 89),” added Judd on why the location was chosen to open Grandma Rosie’s. “The mission of Grandma Rosie’s is to get involved i

Images courtesy of the News Tribune About two dozen volunteers planted native plants to give nature a helping hand Saturday on some of the earthier former farm ground at The Wetlands Initiative’s nature preserve south of Hennepin. Recently, TWI acquired 400 acres southeast of the former Hennepin and Hopper Lakes and is restoring the area it calls Hickory Hollow back to Mesick prairie, sand prairie, oak savanna and hill prairie. After acquiring the area and attaching Hickory Hollow (still closed to the public) to the 2,600-acre Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, the nonprofit organization planted prairie seed, with more of the wildflowers taking hold on the sandy ground than on the better farm ground. It was just another restoration step for a group that’s made rapid headway since 2001 toward restoring now-3,000 acres to resemble Illinois of 300 years ago. Rich Seibert, superintendent for the privately owned site for 16 years, talked recently to the Better Fishing Association about some succes

Putnam County is in the zone. The Bureau-Putnam Enterprise Zone anyway. The PC board on Thursday voted to pass a resolution joining the zone, abating taxes imposed on certain business properties in the district. The board also allowed properties whose current 10-year abatement had ended prematurely be-cause of the state’s cancellation of the previous zone to have their abatement extended into the new district. The caveat, and why the board has taken so long to join the zone, is its decision to remove the abatement for the ambulance service from both the new and old zones. While the first year these abatements cease for current projects will only bring in approximately $900 for the ambulance service, the second year will see a $45,000 payment to the service. Source: News Tribune

Image courtesy of the News Tribune An accidental catch is gaining Joe Gensini more fame than anything he’s done over a decade of fishing in tournaments. The Hennepin resident, with help from teammate Paul Malone, of Iowa, reeled in a 60 ¾-inch muskellunge while practicing for the Cabela’s North American Bass Circuit tournament recently in Green Bay. He was fishing for smallmouth bass in 7 to 10 feet of water and using a homemade, one-eighth ounce, 1 ½-inch-long black hair jig when he thought the hook snagged on something at a drop-off. He told Musky Hunter magazine he just felt a little “tink,” without much reaction until eventually the heavy object started to fight. Since catching the fish, he received attention not only from fellow tournament anglers and Musky Hunter but also was shown on video and his fish appears on the home page for the Fishnstixtv Facebook site of hall of fame angler Bob Mehsikomer. “This fish has caused quite a stir and I never set out for one of them. I’m a