Community News
Benld Council seats new alderman, treasurer; eyes appropriations ordinance proposal
City Attorney Rick Verticchio administered oaths of office to three newly elected and re-elected aldermen—Ward 1 Ald. Teresa Tucker, Ward 2 Ald. Mickey Robinson and Ward 3 Ald. Lance Cooper.
Newly elected and re-elected aldermen and city officials were sworn-in during a meeting of the Benld City Council on Monday night and the newly seated council got a first look at a proposed appropriation ordinance scheduled to be voted upon next month. The council also discussed progress being made on collecting household income surveys to determine the city’s eligibility for a federal sewer improvement grant and discussed drafting an ordinance to permit city residents to use golf carts on city streets.
Mayor Kelly announced that he would make committee appointments next month.
City Attorney Rick Verticchio administered oaths of office to Mayor Jim Kelly, City Clerk Terri Koyne and newly elected City Treasurer Cindy Crites. Kelly was appointed as Mayor in September 2016 following the resignation of former Mayor Gloria Sidar. Koyne was appointed in September to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former City Clerk Nadine Ferrero. Crites steps into the position formerly held by Mary Ann Scopel who chose not to seek re-election. All three officers were elected in April without opposition.
Oaths of office also were administered to three newly elected and re-elected aldermen—Ward 1 Ald. Teresa Tucker, Ward 2 Ald. Mickey Robinson and Ward 3 Ald. Lance Cooper. In the consolidated election, Cooper defeated Ald. Colin Overmeyer, who was appointed in October to take Kelly’s place after Kelly was appointed interim Mayor. Incumbent Robinson defeated challenger Robert McLain and incumbent Tucker was elected without opposition.
With the new city government sworn-in and seated, Mayor Kelly announced that he would make committee appointments next month. In the meantime, Cooper will step into Overmeyer’s committee positions on the Finance and Police committees and as chair of the Proprietary Committee.
Council members voted unanimously to ratify Kelly’s reappointment of Verticchio as city attorney and his appointment of Ald. Tucker as the council’s liaison with the Benld Public Library Board. However, the vote to reappoint James Zirkelbach as Chief of Police was 5-1 with Ald. Tilashalski voting “no.”
APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE
Finance Committee Chair Peyton Bernot distributed copies of a tentative fiscal 2018 appropriation ordinance authorizing expenditures of more than $700,000 for the fiscal year beginning May 1 and ending April 30, 2018. Bernot said the document will be available at city hall for public inspection for the next 30 days with the council is set to take action on approving the final appropriation next month. He said there will be at least one more meeting of the Finance Committee to further review and refine the final ordinance before the June council meeting.
Bernot said the city was in deficit spending at the end of the past fiscal year, primarily because an increase in police salaries and a $27,000 reduction in revenue that was related to shortfalls in revenue from the state. With the continuing budget impasse in Springfield, Bernot said it is unlikely the city will ever recoup that lost revenue.
“I don’t believe we will ever get that lost revenue back,” he said. “I believe our $530,000 revenue years are gone. Right now, I’ve anticipated $505,000 of revenue for this year.”
The appropriation is not technically a budget, but it does set spending limits for specific funds and functions as a budgetary document for many small municipalities in lieu of a formal budget. Bernot said the appropriation document projects a $300,000 balance for cash reserves in the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year and it projects deficit spending for the fiscal year in the amount of about $199,000.
The deficit expenditures for fiscal 2018, he said, are related primarily to the possibility of transferring $200,000 from the Atrazine Settlement subtend within the General Fund to cover part of the city’s $250,000 share of sewer improvement work if the city is successful in securing a $450,000 Community Development and Assistance Program grant. Because the transfer is from a previous year, it cannot be counted as revenue for the current fiscal year.
The good news is that even though we did deficit spend, we had 103 percent of our expenditures as cash on hand at the end of the year.
“The good news is that even though we did deficit spend, we had 103 percent of our expenditures as cash on hand at the end of the year,” Bernot said.
In his projections for the current fiscal year, he said he reduced the amount appropriated for police salaries from $208,000 to $162,000 on the premise the city will be paying less overtime. Last year, he said, one police officer had substantial vacation time accumulated that he had to use per the city’s contract with the police union. He also projected a seven percent increase in insurance costs although those numbers won’t be finalized until July.
City Attorney Rick Verticchio administered the oath of office to newly elected City Treasurer Cindy Crites.
The proposed appropriation ordinance sets spending ceilings of $59,679 for Administration, $3,790 for the city audit, $1,260 for the municipal band, $1,350 for the cemetery, $10,000 for legal fees, $65,826 for the City Property fund, $94,931 for Maintenance, $4,474 for the Public Library, $258,292 for the Police Department, $1,900 for Unemployment Taxes, and $1,201 for parks. With the Atrazine Account transfer, the appropriations ordinance would set spending limits at $702,703 for the fiscal year.
POLICE EQUIPMENT & ROCK HAULING BIDS
In other new business undertaken by the newly seated council, city aldermen accepted a bid for hauling rock chips for the city’s Motor Fuel Tax street maintenance program and agreed to pay the Village of Wilsonville $300 for a prisoner cage, light bar and window guards for a used police car the city acquired last month.
By a unanimous vote, the council awarded a contract to Mike Maedge Trucking, Highland, to haul 340 tons of CA 15 rock chips from the quarry to Benld at a cost of $4,595 ($13.50 per ton). Maedge was the lower of two bidders. Polo Trucking submitted a bid of $13.75 per ton for a total of $4,675.
The cost of the rock will be determined during Motor Fuel Tax bid opening set for 2 p.m., May 30, at Benld City Hall. Bids for both rock and road oil will be opened at that time.
Mayor Kelly said the city was unable to get the slag material it usually uses on city streets.
Mayor Kelly said the city was unable to get the slag material it usually uses on city streets, but said the CA 15 rock chips are larger than the CA 16 chips used by the City of Gillespie last year and should not result in problems with dust that Gillespie experienced last year.
The council also agreed to pay $300 for the surplus equipment from the Village of Wilsonville to be installed in the city’s newly acquired police car. Wilsonville had asked for a voluntary donation from the city for the equipment to be used for the village’s annual fireworks display, but Ald. Bernot asked to term the transfer as a “payment” because municipalities are technically prohibited from “donating” public funds to other entities.
No action followed a 20-minute executive session to discuss personnel and potential litigation regarding alleged nuisance properties.
MOWER PURCHASE
Before seating the new council and city officers, the retiring council dispensed with old business pending from previous meetings.
On a motion by retiring Ald. Colin Overmeyer, the council voted 4-2 to purchase a used 52-inch zero-turn mower from Larry Wright of Benld at a cost of $5,000. The cost of the unit will come from the Proprietary Fund and General Fund, with $3,000 coming from the General Fund.
Overmeyer reported that he negotiated the deal with Wright, who currently is employed by the city to mow city properties. He said the unit is a 2017 model with 46.7 hours of use on it. The purchase also includes a warranty on the motor and drive train through Bertels Equipment. Overmeyer said Wright is selling the mower in order to buy a stand-up mower for himself.
The council previously discussed buying a new zero-turn mower at a cost of about $7,200. Overmeyer said the mower purchased Monday night is a heavier duty model than what the council considered earlier.
“This is saving money and saving wear and tear on our older mower,” he said. The city will keep an older 60-inch zero-turn mower to mow “rough” areas and use the newly acquired mower for city parks and the Central Avenue boulevards. “It’s a considerably smaller deck than our other mower so it will be easier to mow around posts and so forth.”
Brought to a vote, the council approved the purchase with Ald. Peyton Bernot and Ald. Jim Tilashalski voting “no.”
INCOME SURVEY
City Attorney Rick Verticchio administered the oath of office to City Clerk Terri Koyne.
City Clerk Koyne reported the city has received 148 mailed surveys from residents living within areas expected to benefit from the proposed sewer improvement project. To qualify for the $450,000 CDAP grant, the city must demonstrate that more than half of the households in the area affected by the project have incomes that are mid-level or lower. Koyne said the city needs 56 more completed surveys to meet the minimum percentage required by the grant administrators.
“We are going to have to go door-to-door,” she said, to get the remaining surveys. Since the city has stressed that the information on the survey forms will be kept in confidence, she suggested that those going door-to-door be supplied with envelopes into which the respondents can seal their surveys. “We’ll be going out in the next couple of weeks,” she said.
Koyne said that a majority of the surveys submitted so far have come from higher income households.
“Hopefully, the ones we get going door-to-door,” she said, will be from lower income households in order for the city to qualify for the grant.
GOLF CARTS
Ald. Tilashalski said he is researching the city’s ordinance books to see if city ordinances will allow the use of golf carts on city streets. He said he had located one ordinance that might be applicable but noted the city also would have to draft a special golf cart permit for residents who want to use them for transportation within the city limits. The Illinois State Police Department advised the city to look at a permit developed by the City of Girard as a pattern.
“The State Police told me to look at Girard’s because theirs is the best in the state,” Mayor Kelly said.
If the city approves a program to allow golf cart usage, golf cart drivers will have to have a valid driver’s license and maintain liability insurance. State law bans the use of golf carts on state highways, but users can legally cross Route 138, which runs through the center of the city, if golf cart usage is permitted in the city.
Also related to ordinances, Tilashalski set a meeting of the Ordinance Committee for 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 7, to begin the process of reviewing and correcting the entire city ordinance book. Once revisions have been made, the council will be asked to approve the entire revised ordinance book with one action.
“It may take us more than one meeting,” Tilashalski admitted.
The ordinance book apparently has several technical errors such as identifying the night on which the council meets for regular sessions and other details.
SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTION
City Attorney Rick Verticchio administered the oath of office to Mayor Jim Kelly.
Mayor Kelly agreed to contact the owner of Country Corners about blocking the sidewalk in front of the store on Central Avenue with merchandise. Resident Mike Mendenhall said he recently observed a disabled person in a wheelchair having to navigate around items in front of the store in order to reach First National Bank. Kelly said the city gave the shop owner permission to put a small, decorative fence in front of the shop so long as it didn’t obstruct the sidewalk. He said he measured the remaining space after the fence was erected and found it to be a minimum of four feet which should be adequate for pedestrians and persons using wheelchairs.
“If they have a sidewalk sale and they put stuff out there, it’s going to eat up that space pretty quick,” Kelly said, agreeing to talk with the store owner.
Kelly also publicly thanked Dan Hawkins for bringing in equipment and helping city crews clean up a ditch on Kentucky Street. “He saved us a lot of chain saw work,” he said.
In other action, the council accepted a high bid of $900 from Michael Rekart, Bend, to purchase a surplus 2001 Ford Ranger pick-up. Rekart was the highest of five bidders. Previously the city received no bids when it set a minimum bid of $1,000. Rekart submitted his bid when the vehicle was offered for sale a second time.
Comments
Representatives of a food management company pitched their vision for reshaping school lunch and breakfast offerings at Community Unit School District 7 schools during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education. Later, however, the head cook at BenGil Elementary School expressed doubts about what the company promised to deliver. “They make it sound like it’s all a gravy train,” said Jackie McKinney. “It’s not.”
No action followed a 20-minute presentation by Bill Fritcher, Business Development Associate, and Angie Eden, a food service worker, from Opaa! Food Management, Inc., Chesterfield, Mo. There was no clear indication whether the board or district administration is leaning toward contracting with the company.
Founded in 1978, Opaa! Provides food management services to more than 800 schools in 250 school districts spread out over seven states. The company serves 21 schools in Illinois, including the nearby Staunton, Litchfield, Jersey and Nokomis school districts. The company claims a 97 percent retention rate among its client schools.
Fritcher, a former administrator in the Neoga school district, said the company emphasizes home-cooked foods made from scratch. Opaa! provides both hot and cold entrees, and schools can tailor offerings to meet their needs and budgets. Hot entrees include items such as roast turkey, meatloaf, cheeseburgers, pizzas and spaghetti. The company also serves a variety of cold sub sandwiches. Again, depending upon the details of its contract with a school district, the company can provide a salad bar, along with fresh fruit.
Breakfast offerings can include hot or cold cereal, waffles, biscuits and gravy, and breakfast burritos. Some client schools offer a “breakfast on the go” option where students can grab a breakfast item during the mid-morning hours of the school day. As part of its service, Opaa! would provide an all-day “Gulp Station” with dispensers of lemonade, iced tea and water.
“There’s a lot of local control over menu items,” Fritcher said. “If a school doesn’t want us serving coffee to students, we don’t serve coffee.”
Fritcher said the school district would continue to set pricing for school lunches and breakfasts, collect payments and control the revenue stream. The district also would continue to own food service equipment and facilities. At a minimum, Opaa! would place it’s own employee as a food service manager, but other food service workers can be either Opaa! employees or employees of the school district. In either case, the school district would have final say over who is allowed to work in the school district.
“You’d have control of who is working in the school and is around your kids,” Fritcher said.
According to Fritcher, the company emphasizes presentation.
“We want the food to look good so kids will eat it,” he said. “We strive to make it enjoyable for the kids.”
Client schools submit photos of daily offerings to the home office for approval, Eden said. As an example, she cited an instance when she submitted a photo from Neoga that included broccoli as a side item. The home office said the broccoli looked too brown and demanded it be replaced with fresher produce.
Fritcher said the company employees an executive chef to create recipes and standards for food served to students. The chef has created a number of streaming videos used to train on site staff.
Key to the operation is a computer program for food management. Eden said the program monitors what food the district has in the freezer and pantry, and adjust menus to best utilize resources on hand. The program also provides a portal parents and students can access to see weekly menus.
A food management contract would be subject to state bidding requirements, according to Fritcher. To start the process, the district would create a Request for Proposals to solicit bids. If Opaa! Is the successful bidder, the company would offer a five-year fixed price agreement, renewable on an annual basis. Either party would be able to end the contract upon a 90-day notice.
During a public comment period, McKinney alleged Opaa!’s promises have not matched reality in nearby school districts. The head cook at Litchfield, she pointed out, quit soon after Opaa! took over. Pizzas and some other food items, she said, do not match the company’s claims.
“We were told this is not about the money, it’s about the choices,” she said. “If you want more options, someone needs to tell us.”
McKinney said she has been employed by the district in food services since 2002. The proposal to hire an outside food management company, she said, comes as “a slap in the face.”
McKinney predicted problems if the district contracts with Opaa!, particularly in the elementary school.
“I don’t see how our kindergarteners are going to be able to carry their own tray and serve themselves,” she said. “They’re going to drop their trays. We get our kids through the serving line in five minutes so they have time to sit down and eat. When they have to make their own tray, how long do you think that’s going to take?”
McKinney also predicted issues with food sanitation when young children with runny noses and/or dirty hands are expected to serve themselves from the food line.
McKinney said an outside company cannot be expected to know local students like local food service workers know them.
“I watch for a little boy who comes through my line every day because I know he doesn’t get food at home like he does here,” she said. “We’re here for the kids and I don’t think these people are.”
In a somewhat related matter which could facilitate transitioning to an outside food service, the board accepted with “regret” the retirements of head high school/middle school cook Penny Feeley and GHS/GMS cook Janice Hammann, both effective on June 30.
PERSONNEL
The board took action on a number of personnel issues following an executive session of about one hour.
In separate actions, the board voted unanimously to rehire the following fourth-year teachers and grant them tenure for the 2024-25 school year: Nikki Jenner, Katie Lievers, Alex Newton, Pete Visintin and Jacob West.
The following non-tenured staff were hired for the 2024-25 school year: school nurse Rachel Bouillon, fifth grade teacher Radeana Gentzyel, speech pathologist Kaylee Collins, special education teacher Jaiden Braundmeier, kindergarten teacher Jessica Yeager, fist grade teacher Sydney Owsley, band teacher Brad Taulbee, chorus teacher Ben McCullough, Tim Biggs, special education teacher Cory Bonstead, and Dalton Barnes.
On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Mark Hayes, the board rehired the following tenured teachers for 2024-25: Lorraine Strutner, Jody Dunn, Melissa Bussmann, Tracy Hostettler, Darrick Urban, Kara Saracco, Kelly Lyons, Holly Nejmanowski, Jennifer Parker, Anastasia Hobaugh, Cate Plovich, Amy Price, Nickie Barrett, Jessi Luketich, Mindy Savant, Karissa Smith, Beth Sees, Valerie Jubelt, Carrie Scott, Dana Tieman, Marcia Johns, Colleen Favre, Celia Jubelt, Jamie Schmidt, Nancy Schmidt, Lori Emmons, Vanessa Barrett, Amy Geddes, Lisa Ballinger, Amber Allan, Kim Henderson, Christina Blevins, Chase Peterson, Jessica Kelly, Tammy Garde, Nate Heinrich’s, Casey Edgerton, Kyle Lamar, Stephanie Wilson, Elizabeth Thackery, Shanna Conner, Matthew Browner, Jeremy Smith, Rachelle Prough, Jarrod Herron, Jill Stole, Korben Clark, Kayla Wills, Nikki Browner, Kevin McNichols, Katie Orange, Robert Macias, Casey Sholtis, Jennifer Brown, Jeff Nelhs, Mark Goldasich, Troy Barker, Michelle Smith, Holley McFarland, Michael Bertagnolli, Mary Schuette, Nichole Stoecker, Amy Goldasich, David Edgerton, Ashlee Gibbs, Stuart Ringer, Kelly Bully, Whitney Page and Stephanie Bray.
The board accepted “with regret” the retirement of BenGil Elementary teacher Dana Tieman, effective at the end of the 2027-28 school year. The board also accepted “with regret” the resignation for purposes of retirement of GMS paraprofessional Ella May Roemer, effective at the end of the 2024 fiscal year, and posted the position as vacant.
Board members accepted the resignation of high school paraprofessional Darian Gill, and posted the position as vacant. The board also accepted Gill’s resignation at the GHS/GMS cheerleading coach and posted that position as vacant.
Board members unanimously agreed to post vacancies for the following summer school positions: high school math, English and drivers’ education; middle school math, English and science; and six elementary positions. Additionally, the board posted two summer school food service positions.
The board accepted “with regret” the resignation of long-time GHS head women’s basketball coach Kevin Gray, and posted the position as vacant. The board also accepted the resignation of Korbin Clark as GMS seventh-grade basketball coach and posted the position as vacant.
The board voted unanimously to appoint Elizabeth Eaker as a volunteer assistant dance coach, pending verification of certification and a background check. In separate actions, the board agreed to appoint Foley Seferi and James Bryant a volunteer assistant high school football coaches, pending verification of certification and a background check.
By a unanimous vote, the board accepted the resignation of district custodian Owen Parker, and posted the position as vacant. The board also voted to post vacancies for two full-route bus drivers for the 2024-25 school year, and hired Billie Bowles as a substitute bus driver, pending verification of certification and a background check.
REPAVING
The board awarded a $62,524 contract to DeLaurent Construction Co., Inc., Wilsonville, to repave five district parking lots. DeLaurent was the low bidder for the project. The contract will be paid from proceeds of a $1.6 million alternate revenue bond sale for capital projects.
Supt. Shane Owsley reported that he is starting to gather estimates for other upcoming projects to be underwritten with bond revenue, including a project to refinish the high school gym floor, a project to reline the all-weather track and a major HVAC project.
SURPLUS WEIGHT ROOM EQUIPMENT
On Owsley’s recommendation, the board accepted a list of surplus weight room equipment and agreed to offer the equipment for sale via sealed bids. The equipment, which includes stationary bikes, running machines, free weights, benches, dumbbells and racks, was replaced with new equipment as part of a recently completed project to renovate and re-equip the weight room.
EARLY GRADUATION REQUESTS
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board unanimously approved early graduation requests for Maria Alger, Eliana Barrios-Madison, Owen Baugh, Gage Bonds, Abby Carter, John Q. Halterman, Eva Hidden, Felicia Lambert, Emma Luckshis, Ashley Markulakis, McKenna Montoro, Kaden Reiffer, Abigail Sharp, Jayden Stangle, Cooper Wentler, Ashton Whitlow and Avery Young. The students will be allowed to graduate at the end of their eleventh year of high school at the end of the current school year, provided all graduation requirements have been met.
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, the board recognized high school women’s basketball coach Kevin Gray, who is retiring after a career of 16 seasons. High School Principal Jill Rosentreter noted that Gray led this year’s team to the Sectional Tournament in Beardstown after winning their first regional championship since 2012. The team also won its first County Tournament since 2002, and celebrated 26 wins—the most ever.
During the Carlinville Rotary’s All-Star Game, Gray was named Rotary’s Coach of the Year.
“On behalf of CUSD 7 and all you former players, we express much gratitude for your many years of service, dedication, leadership, wisdom and professional demeanor on and off the court,” Rosentreter told Gray.
Also during the District Focus, a group of fifth graders told the board about their recent field trip to Busch Stadium, where they learned about practical math applications and other subjects.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Gave final approval to the 2024-25 school calendar, calling for the first day of school attendance on Aug. 14 with the last day of school set for May 29, or earlier if no emergency days are used.
- Approved a schedule of board meeting dates for the coming year. The board will meet in executive session at 6 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month with the open session beginning at 7 p.m. The December meeting is set one week earlier on Dec. 16 to avoid conflict with the winter break.
- Awarded the annual bid to supply fuel to low bidder M & M Service Co., Carlinville.
- Voted to renew the district’s annual membership in the Illinois High School Association.
- Rescheduled the April board meeting from Monday, April 22, to Tuesday, April 23, to avoid a conflict.
Comments
SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024
An officer was dispatched to the 100 block of East Elm Street in reference to criminal damage to property.
An officer was dispatched to the 500 block of Biddle Street in reference to child abuse.
An officer was dispatched to the 800 block of East Walnut Street in reference to criminal trespass to property.
An officer was dispatched to Madison Street and Wilson Street in reference to suspicious activity.
An officer was dispatched to the 800 block of East Chestnut Street in Benld in reference to a well-being check.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of South Macoupin Street in reference to a civil issue.
An officer was out in the 400 block of North 7th Street in Benld in reference to a security check.
MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2024
An officer was dispatched to the 700 block of Abba Street in reference to a domestic dispute.
An officer was dispatched to the 400 block of LJ Avenue in reference to a domestic battery. Regan M. Treadway, 22, of Hillsboro was arrested for domestic battery.
Gillespie Police Department assisted the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department with a criminal investigation.
An officer was dispatched to the 900 block of South Madison Street in reference to criminal damage to property.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of East Burton Street in reference to an ordinance issue of illegal burning. Charles H. Daubman, 62, of Gillespie was issued a citation for illegal burning.
An officer was dispatched to the 800 block of Harding Avenue in East Gillespie in reference to a noise complaint.
An officer during normal patrol in the 100 block of South 7th Street in Benld noticed a trunk open on a vehicle. The officer made contact with the owners and they secured the trunk after checking it.
An officer was dispatched to the 300 block of North 4th Street in Benld in reference to a suspicious person.
An officer was dispatched to Gillespie Police Department to speak with a male in reference to illegal dumping.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of West Hickory in reference to a civil standby.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of South 2nd Street in Benld in reference to a well-being check.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of West Easton Street in reference to a civil standby.
The School Resource Officer called in requesting assistance in reference to a female student that had left the school.
TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2024
An officer was dispatched to the 800 block of Madison Street in reference to criminal damage to property.
An officer was dispatched to Route 4 by the nursing home to check on a person on a bike with no lights.
An officer was dispatched to Maple Street and Route 138 in Benld in reference to a suspicious vehicle.
An officer was dispatched to the 400 block of East Spruce Street in reference to a suspicious vehicle.
An officer was dispatched to the 600 block of Gillespie Street in reference to juvenile issues.
An officer was dispatched to the 500 block of East Walnut Street in reference to a dog at large.
An officer was dispatched to a business in the 300 block of North Macoupin Street in reference to an animal complaint.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2024
An officer initiated a traffic stop at Central Avenue and 2nd Street in Benld. Logan G. Lawson, 22, of Roodhouse was issued a citation for speeding.
An officer initiated a traffic stop in the 200 block of North Hard Road in Mt. Clare. David E. Schmidt, 46, of Staunton was issued citations for speeding, expired registration, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
An officer was dispatched to the 100 block of East Spruce Street in reference to illegal parking.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of South Jersey Street in reference to an open line 911 call.
An officer initiated a traffic stop at Broadway Street and LJ Avenue. Candace N. Carlen, 36, of New Douglas was issued a citation for speeding.
An officer spoke with a male at Gillespie Police Department in reference to a theft in the 200 block of West Oak Street.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of North 7th Street in Benld in reference to a suspicious noise.
An officer was dispatched to West Dorsey Street and South Kentucky Street in Benld in reference to a suspicious person.
An officer was dispatched to the 700 block of East Walnut Street in reference to suspicious activity.
An officer was dispatched to the 500 block of East Elm Street in reference to reckless driving.
An officer was dispatched to the 500 block of Biddle Street in reference to a medical assist.
An officer initiated a traffic stop at Central Avenue and Main Street in Benld. Esha V. Bhatt, 30, of Edwardsville was issued a citation for speeding.
An officer initiated a traffic stop at Central Avenue and Main Street in Benld. Nicole L Richey, 34, of Wilsonville was issued a citation for speeding and expired registration.
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024
An officer was dispatched to the 300 block of South 4th Street in Benld in reference to a suspicious person.
An officer was dispatched to the 100 block of 9th Street in Benld in reference to a suicidal subject
An officer was out with a suspicious person at Main Street and Spruce Street in Benld.
An officer initiated a traffic stop at Macoupin Street and Elm Street. Walter L. Vester, 29, of Gillespie was arrested on a Glenn Carbon warrant for larceny.
An officer initiated a traffic stop at Broadway Street and LJ Avenue. Jordan L. Jett, 23, of Hillsboro was issued a citation for speeding.
An officer was dispatched to the 600 block of Litchfield Road in East Gillespie in reference to aggravated assault. Levi T. Kroll, 34, of Carlinville was arrested for aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, and operation of a vehicle with suspended registration.
An officer was dispatched to the 600 block of North 5th Street in Benld in reference to a theft.
An officer was dispatched to LJ Avenue where multiple vehicles were parked in a no-parking zone. After multiple announcements asking them to move, two vehicles remained and received citations. Jeromy J Moore, 47, of Greenfield and Matthew E. Raffety, 52, of Bunker Hill were issued citations for parking in a no-parking zone.
An officer was dispatched to the 700 block of East Walnut Street in reference to a domestic battery. Mitchela P. Zbornak, 34, of Gillespie was arrested for domestic battery.
An officer was dispatched to the 300 block of West Wilson Street in reference to a suspicious vehicle.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of South Macoupin Street in reference to a juvenile issue.
An officer was dispatched to the 800 block of Madison Street in reference to an animal complaint.
An officer was dispatched to the 100 block of West Oak Street in reference to an ordinance issue for illegal burning.
An officer was dispatched to the 300 block of West Oak Street in reference to a possible burglary.
The School Resource Officer called in reckless driving in the high school parking lot.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2024
An officer was dispatched to a business in the 900 block of Springfield Road in East Gillespie in reference to retail theft and criminal trespass.
An officer was dispatched to Illinois Street and Kentucky Street in Benld in reference to a loud vehicle.
An officer was dispatched to a business in the 500 block of East Elm Street in reference to a suspicious person.
SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2024
An officer was dispatched to the 300 block of East Oak Street in reference to a well-being check.
An officer was dispatched to the 500 block of East Chestnut Street in reference to a 911 hang-up call.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of East Oak for a 911 untraceable call the officers checked the area and were unable to find an emergency.
An officer was dispatched to the 200 block of South Illinois Street in Benld in reference to a medical assist.
An officer was dispatched to down wires at Dorsey Road and 1st Street in Mt. Clare. Ameren was contacted to remove the wiring.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Comments
Community News
Denby wins judicial nomination in three-way race; Trump, Biden top choices for Macoupin voters
Carlinville attorney Thomas Denby easily sailed to victory in a three-way race to be nominated as the Republican candidate for Resident Seventh Judicial Circuit Court Judge in Macoupin County in Tuesday’s Primary Election balloting.
Denby captured 63.26 percent of the Republican vote, easily besting Jonathan Verticchio’s 23.46 percent and Aaron Bellm’s 13.28 percent. In terms of raw vote numbers, Denby landed 2,534 votes to Verticchio’s 940 votes and Bellm’s 532 votes.
There were no judicial candidates for the race on the Democrat side of the ballot.
As a result of Tuesday’s election, Denby is likely to step into the office being vacated Resident Circuit Judge Kenneth Deihl, who was first elected as a Democrat in 2006, when he narrowly defeated Republican nominee Kevin Polo. It’s unclear whether or not the Democrat Central Committee can legally name a candidate to run against Denby in the General Election this fall, meaning Denby is the likely successor to Deihl.
There were no surprises locally in the Presidential races. Macoupin Democrats favored incumbent Joe Biden with 89.62 percent of the vote, while Republicans cast 83.39 percent of their votes for former President Donald Trump.
Although no longer a candidate, Nikki Haley gained 12.18 percent of the Republican vote. Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie and Ryan Brinkley each took less than three percent of the Republican vote. On the Democrat side, Biden’s support was eroded by 10.28 percent of the vote shared by Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson and Frank Lozada.
A total of 5,741 voters cast votes in the Macoupin Primary, representing 18.67 percent of the county’s 30,757 registered voters. That could indicate a softening of interest in the Biden/Trump rematch. In 2016, when Trump and Hilary Clinton were nominated, a stunning 45.82 percent of Macoupin’s voters cast ballots in the primary election. Four years later, 23.54 percent of the county’s voters participated in the primary, despite restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the Republican nomination for U.S. Congressional Representative for the 13th District, Joshua Loyd took 57.28 percent of the Macoupin vote, compared with 42.72 percent for Thomas Clatterback. The Congressional vote mirrored voting district-wide in which Loyd took the nomination with 55.9 percent of the total vote. Loyd will take on freshman Representative Nikki Budzinski on the Democrat side, who ran unopposed for the nomination.
A number of county races were unopposed. On the Democrat side, incumbent Jordan Garrison took 1,387 votes for State’s Attorney, while incumbent Coroner Anthony Kravanya took 1,471 Democrat votes. On the Republican side Amy J. Ashby took 3,448 votes to be nominated for Circuit Clerk. Ashby becomes the likely successor to Democrat Lee Ross who is stepping down.
Though not likely, both parties could name candidates to run for county offices in November. Otherwise Garrison, Kravanya and Ashby will run unopposed for the General Election. A win by Ashby would make her the second Republican constitutional officer in the Courthouse. Two years ago, County Treasurer Amber McGartland became the first Republican elected to a Courthouse office since A.C. “Julie” Bartulis served as Treasurer in the 1960s.
Comments
-
Community News3 weeks agoSchool district apparently eyeing food management service
-
Police News4 weeks ago
Gillespie Police Report: March 17-23, 2024
-
High School Sports4 weeks ago
Gillespie Varsity Softball Racks up 3 Wins this Week
-
High School Sports3 weeks ago
Gillespie Varsity Miners Steamroll Nokomis and fall to New Berlin