Okla. governor signs horse slaughter legislation

 

Oklahoma's 50-year-old ban on horse slaughtering was lifted Friday when the governor signed a new law that will allow facilities to process and export horse meat, despite bitter opposition by animal rights activists.

Supporters argue that a horse slaughtering facility in Oklahoma will provide a humane alternative for aging or starving horses, many of which are abandoned in rural parts of the state by owners who can no longer afford to care for them. Gov. Mary Fallin also noted that horses are already being shipped out of the country, including to facilities in Mexico, where they are processed in potentially inhumane conditions.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 166,000 horses were sent to Canada and Mexico last year alone.

…..Similar efforts are underway in other states, but not without controversy. In New Mexico, a processing plant has been fighting the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more than a year for approval to convert its former cattle slaughter operation into a horse slaughterhouse. In Nevada, state agriculture officials have discussed ways to muster support for the slaughter of free-roaming horses, stirring protests

Click on the following for more details:  Okla. governor signs horse slaughter legislation

Health department fee increases bounced back to committee | Belvidere Daily Republican

Speaking for myself—I have no further questions.  Bill Pysson

Written by Bob Balgemann

 

Committee Chairman Schultz, one of five county board members who serve on the panel, said a member of the health department board had asked for the matter to be returned to the committee. And so that was done, without a vote.

“There seem to be a lot of questions that need to be answered,” said Bill Hatfield, the department’s director of environmental health, in a follow-up interview March 21. “We’ll take the time to education and communicate with them.”

Click on the following to read the entire story:  Health department fee increases bounced back to committee | Belvidere Daily Republican

Bill endorses Diann Helnore as Belvidere Township Assessor

BCJ: ZBA Debates One Narrow Postition

 

 

The Unruly of Law: Rusty GateHouse Media Headed Toward Pre-Packaged Bankruptcy Filing?

Posted by Sheldon Toplitt at 3:36

GateHouse, which is owned by Fortress Investment Group LLC, includes in its stable of more than 300 small daily and weekly papers the….The chain has enlisted Houlihan Lokey investment bank and a law firm specializing in restructuring to achieve its goal of eliminating the crushing debt, the Journal article noted.
GateHouse was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in 2008 because of its shaky financial picture, which includes a $30 million drop in sales last year compared to 2011 figures. Fortress, a prominent creditor, bought GateHouse in 2005 for more than $500 million.

The Unruly of Law: Rusty GateHouse Media Headed Toward Pre-Packaged Bankruptcy Filing?

Daily’s parent company continues debt struggles | The Rock River Times

By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

The Wall Street Journal article added: “GateHouse has begun to informally ask creditors to forgive their debt for ownership stakes in a reworked company, or accept payments of 33 cents for every dollar they are owed, the people said. Should enough creditors go along with the plan, GateHouse could avoid bankruptcy court.

“If enough creditors balk, GateHouse is preparing to file a prepackaged bankruptcy, the people said. In a prepackaged Chapter 11 case, GateHouse would get approval from enough creditors ahead of time so that a judge could bless its debt restructuring plan and streamline the trip through bankruptcy court.

Click on the following for more details:  Daily’s parent company continues debt struggles | The Rock River Times

Who is paying for these mailings?

 

Here is the list of the heavy hitters who are paying the lion’s share of the mailing campaign. I wonder if any of these individuals are holding those 9%, non-callable bonds?

The following is taken from the Illinois Board of Election:  http://www.elections.state.il.us/campaigndisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?id=25051