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EDITORIAL: Creativity abounds when it comes to celebrating: Page A4 SCHOOL: Adopt-A-Senior is a big hit in the community: Page A3
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JERSEY COUNTY
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INSIDE NEWS COVID-19 UPDATE The Jersey County Health Department confirmed a total of 17 positive cases have been reported in the county. Of that number, 10 have since recovered, according to the health department. There still remains only one reported death related to the virus.
JCH donates AEDs to Sheriff’s Office. See page A2
FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS
Maddox turns two. See page A5
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JOURNAL VOL. 18, NO. 20 - 75¢
MAY 13, 2020
Grafton mayor pens letter to governor in support of opening because of their location on the By JARAD JARMON flood plain, Eberlin noted. Jersey County Journal Eberlin stressed the difference in Adding to the growing number of severity between this area and the regional leaders encouraging Gov. Chicago-land area, which is seeing JB Pritzker to open the southwest- the bulk of the cases. ern area, more specifically the cit“Enough is enough,” Eberlin ies along the river-bend, Grafton said. “We got to get moving again.” Mayor Rick Eberlin has penned a Jersey County has continued to letter to the governor with inten- see more cases; however, this outtions of addressing the issue in a break has been relatively minimal, council meeting. especially when compared with The letter, which can be found on northern counties like Cook or his mayoral Facebook page, Rick neighboring counties like Madison, Eberlin- Mayor of Grafton, details with a couple new cases a week on the struggles the stay-at-home order average. has had on business in Grafton. Eberlin’s goal is to open up “Please consider giving Grafton Grafton by Memorial Day, May 25, the flexibility it needs in order to or even sooner. control its own fate and existence,” “My town and our region are vastEberlin said in the letly different and deserve ter. “We are a resilient to re-open immediately,” people and with your “I am sure the letter reads. helping hand and the he is going The intentions are relaxation of COVIDnot to open up the city 19 requirements we to receive for business as usual, could remain a viable more than our though. The mayor said community. We cannot businesses should pracwait until May 29, to letter.” tice health safety guidereopen!” lines that have been laid Eberlin said the letter out for those business Rick Eberlin that have continued to was sent to the governor’s office and other operate. Grafton Mayor legislators in the hopes He noted some busithat the governor receives the letter. ness owners have stated they plan Based on discussions he has had to continue to follow the governor’s with other municipal leaders in the orders, should Grafton open sooner area, Eberlin guessed it would likely or not. The decision to open should not be the last letter the governor be more individual though, Eberlin would get calling to open up the said. state. “Please allow us to work in con“I am sure he is going to receive junction with our health department more than our letter,” he said. and with the use of good judgment Eberlin said he has been mull- and common sense to implement a ing over the letter for about a week strategy that works for us,” the letter now — after many discussions with reads. “Most of our bar and restaulocals and business owners, some of rant venues have an abundance of which were disheartened by Pritz- outdoor seating and could easily ker’s plan. practice social distancing. The same Eberlin said some business own- could be done with our main attracers have indicated they cannot last tions too. much longer without funding com“The health and safety of our citiing in. Some are on the “verge of zens and the tourists that frequent bankruptcy.” our town would be of the utmost The business shutdown has espe- importance. Look at the statistical cially impacted Grafton, that is, in and scientific evidence of COVIDsome ways, still recovering from 19 in downstate Illinois and your the floods last year. It doesn’t help decision would be much easier.” that many businesses do not qualify From the perspective of those for the state grants offered currently (See, LETTER, A2)
Jarad Jarmon/Jersey County Journal
Emergency personnel from the Jersey Community Hospital and others wave to Skyler Frank, 11, and wish him a “Happy Birthday.” Social distancing guidelines have made celebrating birthdays more challenging and these efforts by emergency personnel have served as a way to brighten up local kids’ days.
First responders help make birthdays special in light of COVID-19 by MEAGAN MCGLASSON Jersey County Journal When asking 5-year old Ryker Linder about the best part of his birthday, he enthusiastically tells you it was the firetruck “because it had a loud horn” and his uncle, Chase Travers, was driving it. Second to the firetruck was the visit from the Jerseyville police officer, who, Ryker quickly assured reporters, did not arrest him but instead gave Ryker a “Junior Police Officer” sticker. Ryker, like many children in Jerseyville, wasn’t able to celebrate his birthday this year with a lot of friends or family present due to social distancing restrictions from the coronavirus. However, thanks to local first responders, he and many others have been able to have a different, and maybe even more memorable, kind of celebration. “Even prior to this we showed up to kids’ parties on request, as long as we were able,” Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby explained. “We’re definitely seeing more requests since this all started.” The uptick is evident on Facebook, where photos of local children enthusiastically waving to EMTs, firefighters and police officers as they drive past the (See, BIRTHDAYS, A2)
Submitted photo
Ryker Linder, held by mom, Jensen, while grandma Tami looks on, winks at his uncle Chase Travers as he drives a firetruck by the house for Ryker’s birthday. Ryker is one of many local children who have been able to celebrate their birthdays in style in spite of restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic thanks to local first responders.
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TOP STORIES ONLINE May 6 - 13
1. Jerseyville Council OK'd 1st Downstate grant submission 2. Mask guidlines released: What you should know 3. Courthouse making move to digital 4. Businesses make tough decisions in face of pandemic
INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . .A4 News . . . . . . . . . . . A2, A5 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8 Public Notice. . . . . . . . .A8 OBITUARIES: KALLAL, LOVELESS, NOLES, USSERY JERSEY COUNTY
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Local roaster keeps front lines, Decision on Jersey Fair front porches fueled to wait until June By MEAGAN MCGLASSON Jersey County Journal In the best of times, we’re a nation of coffee drinkers. During times like these, however, many of us turn into coffee guzzlers. And while brands like Folger’s make feeding our habit easy, local coffee roaster “Bunkhouse Joe” has stepped up to ensure that coffee drinkers don’t have to sacrifice the quality of their cuppa during the coronavirus crisis. It’s important to Johnson, who is eager to share how important his faith is to his business model, that his customers stay both stocked and safe during the pandemic. “I consider the CEO of my company the man above,” he said. “The whole thing started with a prayer.” Prior to the pandemic, Bunkhouse Joe, also known as Steve Johnson, had an effective business model. Green coffee beans were imported from smaller-scale growers in select regions from around the world, then woodroasted over a fire at the Bunkhouse overlooking Calhoun County. Roasted beans and the products made with them were then delivered to retailers all across the region, including retailers in Jersey, Greene and Calhoun counties. As new rules and regulations popped up in the wake of the coronavirus however, that model was disrupted as businesses were forced to shutter. Suddenly, the product had nowhere to go. That’s when Johnson started posting “zip code blitzes,” groups of roughly five to ten zip codes that would be eligible to receive deliveries in a given week, to the Bunkhouse Joe Facebook page. It was immediately a major hit. “Since COVID kicked in and closed most of our stores, we’ve been doing home deliveries to most of our customers, which has expanded to new customers,” Johnson explained. “It’s been very busy, to say the least.” So busy, in fact, that Bunkhouse Joe is averaging 50 deliveries a day (with a personal best of 75) to five counties including Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, Madison and Macoupin counties
Submitted photo
Steve Johnson stands behind Meg Denise, an employee at OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center, following a delivery of free coffee to the hospital staff. The hospital coffee deliveries, which have also gone to Jersey Community Hospital, are paid for by the tips left for Johnson on the porch drop off route he’s adopted since coronavirus shuttered the majority of the retailers stocking and selling Bunkhouse Joe coffee.
since the service started in late March. Even with that wide range, Johnson says, there’s a consistent demand for more deliveries to more areas. “We’ve seen an increase because of the popularity of social media due to the pandemic,” Johnson explained. “People are sharing the good stuff, and they find that Bunkhouse delivery direct to their porch is a good thing.” That sizable swell in customer base for Johnson has also led to an increase in tips. Instead of lining his pockets however, Johnson had big plans for what to do with the excess (See, FUELED, A2)
By CONNOR ASHLOCK Jersey County Journal The Jersey County Fair Board met at the fairgrounds on the evening of May 5 to discuss the probability of hosting their annual exposition, deciding that they’ll wait until their June 2 meeting to determine if the fair can be held. “Most county fair boards are wanting to put on a fair because we all know what it means to our communities. It’s not just for those who come out to the fair, but those who participate in it as well, especially the kids,” Phil Ringhausen, Jersey Fair President, said. The situation goes even deeper than the carnival and grandstand events. “There’s kids who have been working with their livestock all year long, and there’s kids who have been working on their general projects for 4H and the open show in our exhibit hall. I feel for these kids,” Ringhausen said. “I’m trying to hold out as long as I possibly can for them.” Young people have been spending the whole year learning new skills and preparing to showcase their projects in areas such as canning, woodworking, citizenship and a host of others. And it’s not just the young folks either that will be hurting. “We’ve had new families make the fair a part of their way of life in recent years that won’t get to participate,” Ringhausen said. “Then we have families that have done it for generations that will have to sit out this year, too.” Ringhausen stressed that although the desire to host the fair is strong, the desire to keep the community safe is stronger. “Our concern is greatly about the safety and welfare of the people in the community. We don’t want to put anyone at risk. It’s the safety of the communities throughout the state that is the chief reason for fairs closing this year,” Ringhausen said. The Jersey County Fair is slated for July 13-19 and, as with other county fairs in the state that are hosted in July, fair boards are waiting to see what the virus will do in May before they make a more well-informed decision. As of now, several county fairs that are typically hosted prior to the Jersey County Fair have canceled or are determining how to proceed in the coming months. Macon and Williamson county fairs were the first to cancel in the downstate. On May 5, the Macoupin County Fair Board, which hosts the oldest fair in Illinois, announced they were canceling their 2020 fair. Pike and Montgomery county fairs also announced (See, FAIR, A2)