Explosion
Fire
at Mount Pulaski business
[FEB.
23, 2000] "It
sounded just like a bomb, followed by a fireball which
shot out of the building through a doorway, knocking
down a wall," Chief Robert Thomas of the Lincoln
Rural Fire Department declared. Firefighters from Atlanta,
Beason, Chestnut, Lincoln, rural Lincoln and Mount Pulaski
fire departments responded to a report of heavy smoke and
some flames at a maintenance building for Mt. Pulaski
Products, Skelton Plant. Logan County paramedics also
responded and remained on the scene.
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Firefighters
were called out at 10:13 a.m. yesterday morning. The
Lincoln Rural Fire Department, the first on the scene,
worked with State Fire Marshal Jim Oliver, using what is
commonly known as a "defensive attack." No one
was sent into the building immediately, since no people
were believed to be inside.
As
firefighters surrounded the scene, an explosion followed
by a fireball erupted. It is believed that an acetylene
tank caused the explosion.
Three
firefighters, Chris Sprinkel, Chad Letterly and Ron Shawgo
were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. All
suffered burns and one had a knee injury.
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![](../images/ads/Ymca/ymca_ad.jpg)
Decisions
were made on the spot as to how to best contain the fire
and preserve evidence which will help determine the cause,
Thomas explained. The fire marshal will be sifting through
and assessing the site -- an "overhaul of the
fire" -- this afternoon.
The
building, tools and maintenance equipment, along with an
older water truck were declared a total loss. Total
official inventory and dollar amounts have not yet been
declared. By fire department estimates there was $85,000
worth of damage. This morning Mt. Pulaski Products had no
comment on the issue.
[Jan
Youngquist]
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Healthy
Families:
The Starting Point
[FEB.
21, 2000] Doesn’t
it make sense that if you have strong, sound families, you
will have a strong, sound community? That’s the feeling
of a group of volunteers known as the Healthy Families
Task Force. This group wants to impact our community with
the strength of healthy families. Their Mission Statement
says, "The Healthy Families Task Force recognizes
that the workings of a family’s dynamics affect the
health of the Logan County community as a whole.
Therefore, our goal is to provide support, education and
other activities to strengthen and enhance family
dynamics."
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Leading
this group of volunteers is Chairperson Becky Sank, local
office administrator at D.H.S. and Co-Chairperson Marcia
Dowling, R.N. and education coordinator at the Logan
County Health Department. Sank began chairing the task
force in December of 1999 after working with Reatha Owen
of the Lincoln Parent’s Center. The task force has been
operating since the early part of 1999 under the umbrella
of the Healthy Communities Partnership.
Topping
the list of objectives of the Healthy Families Task Force
for the year 2000, is an awareness campaign. At their Feb.
17 meeting, this was the first topic of discussion.
Feeling that many families and individuals are not aware
of the agencies and organizations in Logan County, the
task force wants to compile a simple resource listing of
all that is available for those seeking assistance. A task
force member referred to "something that people will
keep, maybe in or with their phone book for an easy
reference."
![](../images/healthy_families/healthy_families1.jpg)
[Members
of the task force meet to
plan the next step.]
Another
top priority of the task force is to address the issue of
teen pregnancies in Logan County, not only to prevent teen
pregnancies, but also to strive to meet the needs of teen
parents and those soon to be teen parents. With education
and counseling at Lincoln High School, through the Lincoln
Parent’s Center, the task force intends to begin to make
a difference. Barbara Follis, a parent educator for the
Lincoln Parent’s Center goes to the school once a week
to meet with young parents and young expectant parents.
"My favorite thing," says Barbara, "is the
look on the young, expectant parent’s face when I tell
them that their baby’s brain is developing at 250,000
brain cells per minute!"
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Another
approach is to reach the young men involved in teen
pregnancies, and to help them understand their roles and
responsibilities, spotlighting on prevention. One task
force member expressed strongly that this was a key
interest, "This is something we (the task force) need
to take a look at quickly. We need to be working on this
issue." Others agreed, feeling that too much of the
time the finger is pointed at the expectant mother while
the expectant father is allowed to "walk away."
The
Healthy Families Task Force is also involved with the
Lincoln’s Promise job fair, helping to educate and
prepare young people who are going directly from high
school into the work force. Task force members will be
presenting the teens who attend the job fair with the
challenges of job interviews, properly relating to
employers and co-workers, and even proper attire.
These
are some of the volunteer efforts of a group of people who
want to be effective in their community by affecting the
families in it. According to Chairperson Becky Sank, the
task force is now comprised of several local agency
representatives. Her desire is to see more people from the
community get involved. "We’ve had some new people
join, but we need more. I know there are a lot of people
out there who would have a lot to offer and add to this
task force."
[Curtis
Sutterfield]
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