I attended the continued court hearing today on whether or the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources can stop the Big Creek Drainage District from removing the "Diehl Dam" from the Cache River. Although I tipped off the regional media, the only response I got was from WKMS FM, the NPR station from Murray State, who seems kind of interested in the story. But as far as I can tell, no other media attended the hearing today.

The IDNR completed their case for the injunction. Testimony today included the Director of the Illinois Natural History Survey, Dr. Brian Anderson, and a couple of IDNR bureacrats. All in all, I thought the IDNR's performance was less than stellar. I wondered why Max Hutchinson, Henry Barkhausen, Dave Maginel, and many of the other "stars" of the day who ended up splitting with the elder, but local Cache guru, A.E. Corzine, who once was their darling, didn't show up to testify?

No decision was rendered today, and the defense (the Drainage District) presents their case on the afternoon of Oct. 27 and all day the 28th. I still believe that the Drainage District stands to gain in their authority. Their attorney, Ron Osmon, of Marion, Illinois, has out-lawyered the IDNR's attorney in my opinion. Now he gets to present his case, and he has several weeks to prepare it after hearing the IDNR's case. WOW! This is one historic proceeding. I wouldn't miss it for the world!