diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8caa56f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Agrofood_co2_emission.csv
+__pycache__/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2d02f3f..d79259e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1 +1,17 @@
-# python-refresher
\ No newline at end of file
+# python-refresher
+
+This repository contains Python code for reading agricultural CO2 emissions data.
+
+### Changes ###
+- Implemented "get_column()" in "my_utils.py" to read a file line-by-line and return values from a selected column
+- Updated "get_column()" so that "result_column" defauls to column 1
+- Updated "print_fires.py" to print forest fire emissions for the United States
+- Added "run.sh" to run "print_fires.py"
+
+### Running the Script ###
+
+Run the script with: 
+
+bash run.sh
+
+The data file "Agrofood_co2_emission.csv" must be present in the repo directory but do not commit it to Git.
diff --git a/my_utils.py b/my_utils.py
index 923f010..ad6d803 100644
--- a/my_utils.py
+++ b/my_utils.py
@@ -1,2 +1,9 @@
-def get_column(file_name, query_column, query_value, result_column):
-    return None
+def get_column(file_name, query_column, query_value, result_column=1):
+    result = []
+    
+    with open(file_name, "r") as file:
+        for line in file:
+            values = line.strip().split(",")
+            if values[query_column] == query_value:
+                result.append(values[result_column])
+    return result
diff --git a/print_fires.py b/print_fires.py
index 4992fb6..4d96c6a 100644
--- a/print_fires.py
+++ b/print_fires.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+from my_utils import get_column
+
 country='United States of America'
-county_column = 1
-fires_column = 4
+country_column = 0
+fires_column = 3
 file_name = 'Agrofood_co2_emission.csv'
-fires = get_column()
+
+fires = get_column(file_name, country_column, country, result_column= fires_column)
 print(fires)
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..769760c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+python print_fires.py