Archive for the ‘Reports from the field’ Category

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McCain won straw poll during Monroe County Fair balloting

Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

Republican presidential candidate John McCain received 115 votes Saturday in The Monroe Evening News’ presidential straw poll at the Monroe County Fair.

That gave him 983 votes and the win for the week of polling at the fair.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama received 103 votes Saturday giving him a total of 731 votes for the week.

Ralph Nader received another 7 on Saturday for a total of 45, Bob Barr, 3 for a total of 28, and Charles Baldwin, 1 for a total of 6. For the week, about 150 people checked undecided or scrawled write-in names.

Also, Pam Smith of Petersburg won Saturday’s $50 prize for correctly getting all of the presidential quiz questions correct in The Evening News’ fair booth.

– Harry Orscheln

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Combine demolition derby winners

Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

The winners in the Combine Demolition Derby Saturday night at the Monroe County Fair were Brad Gyde of Maybee with first place; Joe Straub of Maybee with second place; and Steve Lewis of Monroe with third place.

The Neuhart family combine, driven by Kevin Robson, won best appearance with its “Redneck Santa Combine” design. Here’s a picture of what that combine looked like when decked out for the parade (the Christmas decor was taken off before the smash-up contest began).

– Paula Wethington

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Bidding goes wild at auction

Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

There were some expensive lamb, pork and beef prices paid for the grand champions at the 4-H Junior Livestock Auction Friday night.

In the first sale of the long evening, Hachman Farm Supply of Temperance bought the grand champion lamb owned by Justin Rozanski of Temperance for a whopping $30 a pound. That earned Justin a hefty premium of $4,020. The price was under last year’s price of $35 a pound paid for the grand champion by Danny’s Fine Foods and Monroe Bank & Trust, which banded together for that particular sale.

The reserve champion lamb raised by Hannah Biniecki of Maybee went for $17.50 a pound to Danny’s Fine Foods.

In the swine portion of the sale, the two Kroger store managers got together and bought the grand champion hog raised by Ashley LaRoy of Ottawa Lake for $15 a pound, or $4,050. Brooke Ryan of Ida then sold her reserve champion hog for $5 a pound to Kim’s Kountry Smoke House and Joe Bryant & Sons Paving of LaSalle. Brooke earned $1,325.

The steers sold last in the auction. Gerdan MacSteel of Monroe snatched up the grand champion champion steer owned by Liz Ruehs of Petersburg for a whopping $8 a pound, or $10,120. That easily topped last year’s price of $5 a pound paid for the grand champion. Katie Geiman of Carleton was next and sold her reserve champion steer for $4 a pound to Monroe Bank & Trust. That earned her $5,340.

The auction ran an hour longer than last year, ending around midnight.

Read more about the auction in Saturday’s Evening News…

– Dean Cousino

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Who will demand the recount?

Friday, August 1st, 2008

The two major candidates for president tied in Friday’s straw poll at The Monroe Evening News booth at The Monroe County Fair. John McCain and Barack Obama each received 111 votes from visitors who participated in the newspaper’s straw poll.

I counted each stack THREE TIMES!!!

Ralph Nader got 10 votes and Bob Barr got 4 votes. There were also 20 votes cast by people who were undecided or wrote someone else’s name.

You’ve got one more day to get involved. Stop by The Evening News booth at the Monroe Bank & Trust Expo Center. The voting desk looks just like one you’ll see when you enter the polling location on Election Day. (However, we’re not asking for your voter registration card.)

– Paula Wethington

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Fair attendance ahead of last year

Friday, August 1st, 2008

Attendance at the 61st fair is almost 100,000 visitors, which is more than 8,000 people ahead of last year’s pace. The five-day total through Thursday was 99,477. That eclipses last year’s five-day total of 91,412 and is way ahead of 2006, when 74,749 came through on the first five days.

The fair has escaped any rain so far this week, but that string could come to an end today with forecasters predicting a 50 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms this afternoon. It’s been hot at the fair — readings reached 90 Thursday for the second day in a row — but it’s rain that can ruin attendance. The monster truck show tonight and the annual 4-H large animal auction are expected to draw thousands to the fair, rain or shine.

– Dean Cousino

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4-H showmanship winners compete

Friday, August 1st, 2008

Karen Wells of Monroe and Eileen Stefansky of Dundee won the large and small animal showmanship sweepstakes Thursday night at the fair.

Karen was the grand champion showman of lambs and had to defeat five other top showmen from the animal barns. Eileen was the poultry champion and competed against other top showmen in the small animal barn. Both won big trophies for their accomplishments.

Read more about the sweepstakes in Friday’s Evening News…

– Dean Cousino

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4-H royalty crowned

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

You won’t find Brandon Rozanski or Ricki Spotts stuck at home watching TV.
They don’t get bored, not with their busy schedules.
Both youths are active in 4-H and their communities and that’s one of the reasons they are the new Monroe County 4-H king and queen, respectively, for 2008-2009.
The two teens were crowned with their new titles Thursday night at the fair, which is wrapping up another successful week of shows, 4-H judging and serving meals in the activity center. Passing on their titles were last year’s royalty, Kurt Ryder and Sara Seitz.
Also crowned were the new Prince and Princess — Logan Grey, 10, of Dundee and Tori Schafer, 12, of Sylvania, Ohio. Crowning them were last year’s title holders, Jeff Ryder and Brianna Gaynier.
Read more about the royalty in Friday’s Evening News….

– Dean Cousino

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Monroe County Fair Homemaker award

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Kathy Hartwig is the 2007 Monroe County Fair Homemaker of the Year.

The story will be in Friday’s edition of The Monroe Evening News. All fair stories also are posted on the fair page at monroenews.com.

– Paula Wethington

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And for the really frugal fair-goer …

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

If you want to do the fair on a really low budget, bring your lunch!

I am currently at The Monroe Evening News office, between assignments at The Monroe County Fair. As I was leaving the fairgrounds a half hour ago, I saw one of my friends entering the fair with her family.

She got the Ladies Day Discount by getting her fair ticket before noon today (saving $3 on at least her ticket and possibly $3 for another family member). She also parked in the free lot near the main entrance at the midway (saving $3 to $5 from what you’d pay for the paid parking spaces).

And they were carrying lunch boxes.

Yes, they brought their own lunch.

“I took your advice,” she said, about frugal ways to do the fair.

And I told her what my family is doing tonight:

  • Park in the free lot.
  • Bring our own water so we can spend treat money on food, not water.
  • My admission is free because my husband and a visitor will meet me right after I get done working The Monroe Evening News booth (I’ll have already entered the fair on a vendor pass).

My friend and I had slightly different tactics today, but it’s all good!

– Paula Wethington

Posted in Discounts and freebies at the fair, Reports from the field | 1 Comment »

4-H steer show

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Liz Ruehs of Petersburg had the grand champion 4-H steer at the Monroe County Fair.
Liz, the 18-year-old daughter of Henry and Connie Ruehs, had the best steer among 78 beef cattle judged at the fair Wednesday. Her all-black, “Big Boy” steer, as she called it, weighed 1,265 pounds. It will be the first steer sold at the Junior Livestock Auction Friday night. Liz graduated from Ida High School last spring.
Katie Geiman, 12, of Carleton, had the reserve champion steer. Her mostly black, 1,360-pound steer had a white face and streak across its body. Katie is the daughter of Larry and Patricia Geiman and a seventh grader at St. Patrick Catholic Grade School in Carleton. She will sell her steer right after Liz in Friday’s sale.

It was another long hot day in the show arena, with the market steer show lasting about three hours. A breeze from the west helped cool participants and the animals.

– Dean Cousino

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