Federated to hold annual meeting

JACKSON — Federated Rural Electric’s 84th annual meeting will be Aug. 1 in the gymnasium at Martin County West High School in Sherburn.

Parking is available at the school, in the grassy area south of the football field and at the elementary school. Federated will have golf carts to help transfer people from the parking areas to the school.

Federated members are reminded to bring their July Connections newsletter, which includes their registration card.

Meeting registration begins at 5 p.m. Federated members can enjoy a pork chop supper, baked beans, cheesy hash browns and a bar or cookie.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Members will elect one member of the board of directors and two members to serve on the nominating committee. Terms for all positions start Dec. 1.

Federated members’ children ages 10 and under can register for prizes.

Federated is a Touchstone Energy electric cooperative serving 6,800 members in Jackson and Martin counties.

States, provinces discuss carp

CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. states and Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes region are looking for ways to cooperate on preventing Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.

Representatives of the states and provinces met this week in Chicago to discuss a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal for installing new technologies at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois.

The facility is considered a choke point where electric barriers, air bubbles and underwater noisemakers could be used to scare away the invasive fish. The region’s governors and premiers have endorsed the $778 million plan and Illinois is the non-federal sponsor.

DNR: Loon deaths increase

ST. PAUL (AP) — Minnesota conservation officials say there’s a small, but noticeable increase in loon deaths and the likely cause is West Nile virus.

The Department of Natural Resources says the virus was confirmed as the cause of death in two of three loons from northeastern Minnesota earlier this month.

The agency is asking lake property owners and others using the lakes to contact a wildlife office if they see two or more dead loons with no obvious injury or cause of death.

West Nile was first confirmed in Minnesota in 2002. The virus is spread through mosquito bites. Most people and animals fight off the virus and develop antibodies against future infection. Lons and crows, however, are especially susceptible to the infection.