Heat causes fair events to be canceled today

Greater Jefferson County Fair officials made the decision to cancel the 4-H and FFA Livestock Judging Contest scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today at the same time the National Weather Service issued a report revealing heat indexes in Jefferson County had reached 116 degrees already this morning.

The Ag Olympics, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in the horse arena, also have been canceled.

Jefferson County 4-H Youth Coordinator Kaye Gilbert said fair officials called off these afternoon activities in an effort to protect both people and animals. Swine had already shown this morning, and it was decided that any additional activity would be hard on the animals, Gilbert said.

Animals have been returned to their pens where they have shelter from the sun and fans are running in all of the livestock barns. Livestock owners also have been continuously watering animals down and providing them with lots of fresh water to drink. Gilbert said watering the swine down is especially important as hogs do not have the ability to cool themselves.

?The kids are using squirt bottles and are all doing a really good job of keeping their animals cool. The fair board is helping, parents are helping, the youth committee is helping ? everybody pitches in,? she said.

Fair officials did know how much water has been used since the fair opened Tuesday, but Gilbert said it had to be ?a lot.?

?I have no doubt that there has been an unbelievable amount of water used,? she said.

Gilbert said the same strategies people use to stay cool are used to keep the animals comfortable. Animal pens are not placed too closely together as the closer animals are to one another, the more heat they put off. At 8 p.m., cows are tied outside of the barns so that they have more room to move around and can be in the cooler night air. They must be returned to the barns before 8 each morning to escape the hottest part of the day.

?We don?t leave them out there in the beating sun,? said Gilbert.

At press time today, the livestock judging contest and Ag Olympics were the only two events canceled; however, Gilbert said fair officials are monitoring the heat closely and will make additional schedule changes later if it?s deemed in the best interest of the animals.

?Obviously, it?s really hot,? Gilbert said. ?With animals and with people, it?s just common sense ? we?re trying to keep them shaded and cool. We will do what we need to do.?

While the National Weather Service indicates there is a slight chance for thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight for portions of north central Illinois, northwest Illinois, west central Illinois, east central Iowa, northeast Iowa, southeast Iowa and northeast Iowa, there is not expected to be a break in the heat anytime soon.

A heat advisory is in effect through early Saturday morning for locations south of Interstate 80. Heat index values had climbed above 100 in Jefferson County earlier this morning, and additional heat advisories may be issued for the weekend as forecasters expect heat index readings above 100 to continue.

Hot and humid conditions are expected to continue into next week with heat indexes lingering at or above 100 degrees; there is a chance for additional storms Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The canceled activities will not be rescheduled.