| Friday eNews from the Pike and Scott County Farm Bureaus | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IDOT Meeting about Florence Bridge-Sep 15
Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Funk Building
Scott County Fairgrounds
Winchester
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will host a public informational meeting for the Phase I planning study of the Illinois River Bridge at Florence, located in Pike and Scott counties. The meeting will be held in an open house format.
A feasibility study to replace the existing Florence Bridge was completed in May 2013. A Phase I planning study is the next step of the process. The study will evaluate different alternatives to improve the existing river crossing at Florence. It will focus on ways to reduce operational costs, reduce maintenance costs and improve overall safety for road and river traffic.
The purpose of the public meeting is to introduce the study to the public and solicit membership for the Citizen's Advisory Group, which will assist in this study. IDOT staff and members of the consultant team will be available to answer questions. Exhibits will be available for review.
Illinois River crossings are critical transportation elements for highway and river traffic and IDOT has designated this project as a Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) study. CSS is defined as, "An interdisciplinary approach that seeks effective, multimodal transportation solutions by working with stakeholders to develop, build, and maintain cost-effective transportation facilities which fit into and reflect the project's surroundings - its context".
|
|
Groups continue pressure to dump WOTUS rule
 Organizations seeking to vacate the Environmental Protection Agency's and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' expansive "Waters of the U.S." rule are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether the 6th Circuit Court is the appropriate court to hear challenges to the rule. The 6th Circuit earlier dismissed arguments that legal challenges to the rule should be brought first in federal district court and not courts of appeal.
"This petition to the Supreme Court is not related to the merits of our case and we are confident that eventually the 6th Circuit and the Supreme Court will agree that the rule is unlawful," said Ellen Steen, General Counsel of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "The petition was filed because the jurisdiction question is one that repeatedly arises in challenges to Clean Water Act actions. The time is ripe for the Supreme Court to resolve confusion among lower courts as to where jurisdiction lies, so that the American Farm Bureau Federation and others can stop wasting time and resources arguing with the federal government over where to file these important legal challenges."
Federal courts of appeals are divided on how to interpret a provision of the Clean Water Act mandating that certain types of legal challenges be filed directly to courts of appeals. When pressed to decide this question, the three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit issued three separate opinions with only a single judge concluding that jurisdiction was lawfully in that court, making this question ripe for clarification by the Supreme Court. |
|
Building Bridges to Promising Markets
What better way to create good jobs at home, help small businesses, expand consumer choices, and improve American competitiveness than selling more of our goods and services to countries around the world? In fact, 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside our borders. Yet, while our markets are largely open to trade, many other countries are not.
That's why Farm Bureau is working every day to build bridges to promising markets abroad, to tear down the barriers that shut U.S. exports out of foreign markets, and to secure a brighter future where international commerce generates economic growth and job creation at home. Analysis by AFBF indicates congressional passage of the agreement would boost net farm income by $4.4 billion over levels expected if Congress fails to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Visit the TPP website to learn more.
|
|
National "I Love Food Day"
 According to Foodimentary.com, September is the month for national celebrations of chicken, honey, mushrooms, papaya, potatoes and rice. Also of note: National "I Love Food Day" (Sept. 9), National Peanut Day (Sept. 13), National Cheeseburger Day (Sept. 18) and National Chocolate Milk Day (Sept. 27). |
|
|
Save with Grainger
Through Sept. 30, Grainger is offering "Heavy-Metal Savings." You can save up to 40 percent on select tools and accessories to help you cut, drill, grind and more.
Visit the offer page for more info.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
