Major Diana Amick with the Salvation Army of Lee County is this week’s guest on Emphasis. She and Public Radio’s Jason Parrott discuss the organization’s 125th anniversary in Keokuk and the challenges it faces today.
Amick says the organization reached the United States in 1880. She says by 1887, the Salvation Army was established in 600 cities, including Keokuk.
“I heard Keokuk referred to as the Gateway to the West,” says Amick of her research in preparation for the 125th Anniversary. “I am sure that is why the Salvation Army came this direction.”
Jason Parrott’s guests are Keokuk Tourism Director Kirk Brandenberger and Wes Pohorsky, who is a longtime member of the Keokuk Tourism Board.
A Keokuk tradition is celebrating a major milestone this month as the 25th annual Civil War Reenactment will run from Friday, April 27th through Sunday, April 29th.
“It will probably hit after it’s over with,” says Brandenberger about the thought of the 25th anniversary. “Right now, we are just working real hard towards putting on a great event for the area.”
“I don’t think anybody in the very beginning ever thought that this could last 25 years,” says Pohorsky. “The average lifespan of this type of event is not as long as we have been able to keep this going.”
Jason Parrott’s guest is Russ Derr, who is the principal at Wells Carey and George Washington Elementary Schools. They talk about the Weekend Backpack Nutrition program in Keokuk.
Students within the Keokuk School District are in the midst of a 3 ½ day weekend due to parent-teacher conferences.
Derr says students in homes where there is not a lot of food have learned to make it through a regular weekend before they can return for breakfast on Monday morning.
He says the extra time off makes it more difficult for students to get by.
Derr says that is where the Weekend Backpack Nutrition program comes in.
Rich Egger's guest is State Representative Norine Hammond (R-Macomb). They preview the Illinois legislature's 2012 session.
Lawmakers do not return to Springfield until January 30, which is later than normal. Hammond believes the legal battle over redistricting is part of the reason for the delay.
Hammond said the legislature must work to stabilize its finances. She pointed out Moody's lowered the state's credit rating late last week and Standard & Poor's has the state on a watch list.
Hammond remains opposed to borrowing money to pay off the state's backlog of bills. She believes the financial rating agencies also do not want the state to borrow its way out of debt.
