[LeArc] LEARC makes the news

[Jesse Risley]

I wanted to pass along that Tom Cicora, KA9QPN, the ARRL Section Manager for Illinois, mentioned LEARCs contributions to the recent Ice Storm in his monthly section news summary that was distributed to interested parties and ARRL members yesterday.  A copy of our mention is quoted below:

"**Jesse Risley KB9TMA of the Lamoine Emergency ARC reports "At the
request of the McDonough County ESDA, the "verbal" assistance of the
local amateur community was requested due to power outages from the
recent ice storm. An emergency shelter was opened at Western Illinois
University for individuals in McDonough County that were without power
and needed a warm place to sleep. The amateur radio community was
requested to assist by frequently broadcasting this message over the
local VHF repeater to help ensure that the word got out, as a number of
citizens listen to the Macomb VHF repeater for weather reports and
other emergency statements. Local amateurs were also asked by emergency
management to remain on "standby" and be prepared to provide any
necessary assistance to ESDA, the Salvation Army and/or the American
Red Cross. In the end, no activation of amateurs for any sort of
physical assistance was required." This is quite interesting: that
local scannists consider their local Amateur Radio repeater a source of
information in a crisis. All the more reason that we conduct ourselves
as ladies and gentlemen at all times when on-air. Riley may be gone
(sadly with no replacement on the horizon), but you never know who's
listening."



Jesse, K9JLR