Scott Schirmer, the state plant regulatory official for the Illinois Department of Agriculture, says Illinois is one state where mysterious, unsolicited, apparently Chinese seed packets are being delivered. (Photo courtesy: USDA/Twitter)
By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois is one of the states where people have received mysterious packets of seeds. They’re unsolicited, with markings in Chinese on the packets.
“We’re in the process of trying to take reports and gather contact information, and we are working closely with the USDA,” said Scott Schirmer, the state’s plant regulatory official with the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Schirmer says, don’t plant it. If you have, “Pull it out and bag it. That will kill it. If it hasn’t germinated, it’s a non-vianble seed.”
Schirmer says one theory is that the seeds are being mailed out to gin up phony customer reviews online. He says it could be an herb or vegetable seed; nevertheless, don’t plant it.
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…