The Farm Post eNews

Friday eNews from the Pike and Scott County Farm Bureaus
 

NOVEMBER 13, 2015
GBX wins another round in ICC
On  Thursday, November 12, 2015, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted 3-2 to approve granting start-up company Grain Belt Express Clean Line (GBE) a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) authorizing it to construct a proposed transmission line and transact business as a transmission public utility under the expedited review Section 8-406.1 of the Illinois Public Utilities Act.

The final order has not been issued, but according to the Administrative Law Judge's (ALJ) Proposed Order dated October 15, 2015, GBE cannot construct the project until numerous conditions are met. GBE cannot install transmission lines on easement property until it has obtained financing for the total cost of the proposed project. Under the Public Utilities Act (PUA), issuance of a CPCN under Section 8-406.1 gives GBE the right to survey and engage in other pre-siting activities and authority to construct the project. GBE did not seek eminent domain authority from the ICC.
  
Read more in this coming Monday's FarmWeek.
Grain Bin Rescue Training Wednesday
At 5:30 p.m. this coming Wednesday, November 18, the Winchester Fire Department will hold a grain bin rescue class at the fire house in Winchester. Area farmers are invited to attend the training. Through an effort spearheaded by Winchester High School student Noah Sellars, the WFD obtained a grain bin rescue tube from Consolidated Grain and Barge in Naples. The Scott County Farm Bureau has assisted efforts to raise additional funds to conduct the November 18 training. Check TFP eNews next Friday for more information.
Section 179 push
tax
With the year quickly coming to end, farmers and ranchers continue to ask Congress to reinstate and make permanent a number of expired tax provisions that help improve the economic viability and stability of food, fiber and fuel production. Among those provisions are section 179 small business expensing and bonus depreciation, which farmers need to help them make business purchases while dealing with uncontrollable weather and unpredictable markets that farm profitability. Earlier this fall, Farm Bureau and more than 2,000 other companies and organizations sent a letter to lawmakers explaining why continuing these provisions, most of which expired at the end of 2014, is so important.

EPA puts out hit on Chlorpyrifos
The Environmental Protection Agency recently published in the Federal Register a proposal to revoke all tolerances for chlorpyrifos. EPA's action is in response to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which ordered the agency to respond to an administrative petition to revoke all tolerances for the insecticide; that petition was originally filed with the agency by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups. Chlorpyrifos has been widely used for nearly 50 years. Its crop uses include soybean, corn, cotton, wheat, sugar beets, apples, grapes, pears, alfalfa, legume vegetables, Christmas trees, and fire ant control.  The EPA comment period will be open for 60 days (until Jan. 5). AFBF will be submitting comments; state Farm Bureaus may do so as well.
TODAY IN HISTORY
NOVEMBER 13, 1942
THE SULLIVANS

"The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you that your sons Albert, Francis, George, Joseph and Madison Sullivan are missing in action in the South Pacific."

The five Sullivan brothers (Albert, Francis, George, Joseph, and Madison) served together as shipmates aboard the cruiser USS Juneau after requesting special permission from the Secretary of the Navy. The Juneau was sunk on November 13, 1942, off the island of Guadalcanal by Japanese submarine I-26.

Born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa; the five Sullivan brothers had always stuck together.  After Pearl Harbor, the five brothers who had always done everything together, walked into the local Navy recruiting station together. The Navy was desperate for men in the early days after the destruction at Pearl Harbor, and quickly welcomed the Sullivan brothers.  Until the determined young men threw a new "wrinkle" into their enlistment plans. George had echoed the sentiment the night of December 7th when the five young men had made their decision.  "Well, I guess our minds are made up...when we go in, we want to go in together.  If the worst comes to worst, why we'll all have gone down together."
  
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