COLUMBUS - The CD Farm Supply Country Store, which is located next to Columbus Chemical Industries at N4330 Temkin Road, is also operating at full speed and grateful to have come through the fire at the chemical plant mostly unscathed.

"One of the biggest questions we have had was product safety," said Phil Kaschub, who is a co-owner of the store along with his brother Chuck and mother Delores.

The store was closed on May 12 and 13 following the fire.

"The Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture have done enough site-testing and product-sampling to know that we are safe - that everything is safe," Kaschub said. "Everything has come back negative right from the start."

"We were very concerned at the start," he said, noting that the business's personnel did not know the status of the building until noon on May 12. It was then that they saw an aerial photo of the building supplied by Joe Meagher, director of the Dodge County Office of Emergency Management.

"All of the government agencies involved and the people from Columbus Chemical have treated us exceptionally well - as far as keeping us informed," Kaschub said.

He said that the business does not anticipate changing any of its plans as a result of going through this emergency.

"Our customers have been very patient and understanding," added Delores Kaschub.

Immediately following the fire, CD Farm Supply had to temporarily divert feed deliveries to other local businesses which had called them and volunteered to help. Those businesses included Vita Plus of Columbus, I D O Feed & Supply Corp. of Fall River, Landmark Services Cooperative of Cambria and Schumacher Feeds of Randolph.

The Kaschubs also thanked the Columbus Fire Department and Dodge County Sheriff's Department.

"In our eyes, it could have been a lot worse," Chuck Kaschub said. "(We were) fortunate that it went the way it went."

pscharf@capitalnewspapers.co