Fiscal Court: Henderson Water customers to see rate increase

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Webster County Fiscal Court was notified during it’s Monday meeting that residents who purchase their water from the Henderson County Water District will soon be seeing a rate increase.

Pete Conrad, the superintendent of the Henderson County Water District (HCWD) came before the court for the second consecutive meeting with an update on rates. Under new state law, a water district is required to notify the governing body in it’s largest region of service in the event of a rate increase. For HCWD that region would only include Henderson County, but according to Conrad, he felt it was his responsibility to notify all of his customers.

Firefighters respond to fire on US 41A

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Firefighters responded to a blaze at Smith Metals in Providence Friday morning. According to company owner Tim Smith, workers ignited the blaze while disassembling a retired railroad caboose.

According to Smith, the historic caboose came to him from Wheatcroft where it had been out of service for many years. He said that before deciding to scrap the caboose, he had attempted several times to sell it, but its condition was to deteriorated to interest buyers. 

Firefighters quickly had the situation under control. Steve Burns and Mark Turner responded to the call for Providence, and Scott Bright of the Dixon Fire Department was on the scene as well.