RANTOUL – When the zombies arise at Halloween – and they will – you can blast them, courtesy of the Franklin County Commission. Commissioners approved Wednesday a request to expand a special use permit for Pleasant Ridge Farm, Rantoul. The farm already had a special permit for the tourism-related activities involving its Christmas tree farm and pumpkin patch but the anti-zombie patrols meant enough additional activity that the county planners decided to revisit the special use permit, county planner director Larry Walrod said. After reviewing the permit, the planning commission recommended that the special use permit be expanded. As part of a Halloween event, paintball guns would be added to wagons used for “haunted Halloween” rides, farm owner Harry Peckham told the county. During the ride, the “zombies” will attack the wagons, inviting the wrath of the wagon riders. There will also be additional targets, including automatic pop-up targets in later years, he said.
Thursday, July 19, 1 p.m.