Community News
Budzinski presents $200,000 in federal funds to City of Gillespie
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat representing the 13th Congressional District, presented the City of Gillespie with $200,000 in federal funding on Tuesday afternoon at Gillespie City Hall.
Budzinski secured the funding through the Community Project Funding Process for Fiscal Year 2026. City officials say the funds will be used to purchase high-tech street cameras to monitor the downtown business district 24/7.
The city applied for the grant two years ago, but the lack of federal budget delayed the award until now.
“The problem was that we had to wait for a federal budget,” Budzinski said. For two years, Congress kept the government in operation by approving continuing resolution, which kept funding flat. The budget approved and signed into law in January, includes funds for the Community Project Funding Process
The Gillespie award is part of $34 million in Community Project Fund grants Budzinski secured for the 13th District. Gillespie was the only Macoupin County recipient in this round of grants. In 2023, the first and last time Community Project Fund grants were awarded, the City of Staunton received $800,000 for capital improvements for the city’s water system, and the Macoupin County Center for the Developmentally Disabled in Carlinville collected $500,000 for a new facility.
“Safety and security is always a first step in community progress,” Budzinski said of the grant awarded on Tuesday. “The Community Project Funding Process is one of the most important ways I can partner with communities in my district. Public safety is the foundation on which community progress is built.”
Mayor Landon Pettit, who accepted the check along with Police Chief Jared DePoppe and Ald. Dona Rauzi, said the money is an important step toward improving community policing.
“When I took over as mayor, one of the things I said I wanted was to modernize the city as a whole,” Pettit said. “Fortunately, I had a police chief who shared that vision. We have a long way to go in community policing. This money is a step forward in getting there.”
Pettit said the cameras will be an important asset for improving police protection, noting the Police Department does not have enough officers to intensive patrol downtown businesses. Chief DePoppe said city officials will revisit the plan to determine the number of cameras that will be installed since pricing is likely to have been adjusted over the past two years.
Budzinski briefly responded to questions from reporters following the presentation, expressing concerns about the Republican-sponsored SAVE Act which passed out of Congress Tuesday.
Voter identification provisions in the proposed law is likely to suppress voter participation, she said, especially in rural areas where voters may have to travel and/or take off work to vote.
“It’s critically important for people to get and vote,” she said. “We don’t need any more obstacles to voting.”
Recently married women may be inordinately impacted by the law. If a woman takes her husband’s last name but has not yet updated her registration, she may be required to produce a birth certificate in order to vote, according to Budzinksi.
She’s also concerned about the potentional presence ICE agents, National Guardsmen or Border Patrol agents at polling places, a measure she says is designed to intimidate voters.
“We need to have lawyers available to assist voters who encounter problems at the polls in March,” she said. “The State of Illinois is in charge of the election process.” Current leadership in Illinois will challenge federal measures to suppress voting, she said, “but we have to worry about other states.”
Budzinski also addressed the massive Farm Bill currently stalled in Congress. She said the for the first time Republicans on the Agriculture Committee have made the bill a partisan issue. Past Farm Bills have been drafted and approved on a bi-partisan bases.
The committee meets Feb. 23, and Budzinski said she expects the bill to be passed out of committee in about three days, “but it will be on a partisan basis.”
Federal law requires approval of a Farm Bill every five years, although the last Farm Bill was approved in 2018 and expired in 2023. Congress has approved temporary measures to provisions of the old bill in operation while the new bill is stalled.
She said the proposed bill limits funding for agricultural research, as well as conservation funding. She described the partisan influenced legislation represents a missed “opportunity to address what I believe is a farming crisis,” which she blamed on an administration “that limits farmers’ access to foreign markets.”
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A former Carlinville High School football standout has signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots.
Kyle Dixon, a record-setting receiver at Culver-Stockton, an NAIA program in Canton, Missouri, inked the deal with New England after being passed over in the NFL Draft April 23-25.
Dixon was seen as an outside shot at being selected in the draft. He reportedly had visited at least one team, including Indianapolis, and was the subject of Internet speculation from various writers on his potential.
At Culver-Stockton, Dixon named to the American Football Coaches Association – NAIA All-American team. He was also a Heart of America Athletic Conference first team pick for the second straight year.
The 6-4, 216-pound Dixon was fourth in the NAIA with 83 receptions and third with 1,282 receiving yards in 2025.
New England advanced to last February’s Super Bowl, losing to Seattle.
It was the tenth Super Bowl appearance in the last 25 seasons for the Patriots, one of the NFL’s marquee teams over the last quarter-century.
New England won six Super Bowl titles in that span. The Patriots also played in the Super Bowl after the 1985 and 1996 seasons.
Though most undrafted free agents have an outside chance of sticking on NFL rosters, some future superstars began that way. Notable UDFAs include NFL Hall of Famers Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Antonio Gates, Adam Vinatieri, and John Randle.
In 2025, eight NFL teams had at least three starters who had been UDFAs coming out of college.
The Patriots are known for their development of UDFAs. The franchise has had sixty starting players who were undrafted free agents from 2011-25, more than any other team in the NFL.
At Carlinville High School from 2015-18, Dixon finished in the top 20 in Illinois High School Association history in single-season receiving yards and touchdowns, career touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards, and career interceptions on defense.
An all-state selection as a defensive back, Dixon was an all-South Central Conference pick as a receiver. He was also a two-time all-SCC pick in baseball.
Prior to Culver-Stockton, Dixon played baseball at SIU-Carbondale, SIU-Edwardsville, and Georgia Gwinnett College.
Dixon will try to become just the third Carlinville product to play in the NFL.
The others were Leland “Tiny” Lewis, who appeared in 14 games over the 1930-31 seasons with Portsmouth (now the Detroit Lions) and a now-defunct Cleveland franchise, and Mike Seyfrit, who played in 13 games for now-defunct franchises in Toledo and Hammond in 1923-24.
(Tom Emery may be reached at ilcivilwar@yahoo.com or 217-710-8392).
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Community News
Illinois treasurer to help Macoupin County residents reclaim $8.6 million in unclaimed funds on May 13 at Gillespie Library
Staff from Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ office will be at the Gillespie Public Library on Wednesday, May 13, to assist residents in reclaiming money through the I-Cash program. The state estimates that about 64,700 people and businesses in Macoupin County have unclaimed cash or property totaling $8.6 million, with statewide totals reaching $5 billion dollars.
A spokesperson noted that many people may not realize they’ve overlooked an investment account or a final paycheck, and that the thousands of names in the state’s database show it happens more often than people might think. The message emphasizes that this money belongs to Illinois residents and should be in their bank accounts rather than the state’s. The planned event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Gillespie Public Library, located at 201 W Chestnut Street, Gillespie, IL.
Attendees can expect on-site assistance with the I-Cash process, which helps residents search for unclaimed funds and pursue claims through official channels. The I-Cash program is described as a state-level initiative designed to reunite Illinois residents and businesses with unclaimed funds such as lost wages, refunds, or insurance benefits.
Individuals can search the state’s database for their name, name of business, or nonprofit online as well: https://icash.illinoistreasurer.gov/
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The Macoupin County Historical Society will host a drive-through chicken fried chicken dinner starting at 4 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, at the MCHS grounds located at 920 W. Breckenridge, Carlinville.
Serving will continue until 7 p.m. or until food is sold out.
Meals are $12 each and include a chicken fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a roll.
“We offered a chicken dinner last year and were sold out within a couple of hours,” said Dan Hauter, MCHS President. “My advice is to come as early as possible to make sure you can buy a meal.”
Serving will be drive-through only. No walk-up orders will be taken.
Persons who wish to dine on the grounds may park their vehicle after getting their order and dine in the pavilion adjacent to the Red Barn. Water and soda will be available for purchase or customers may bring their own non-alcoholic beverage.
Proceeds will benefit the Macoupin County Historical Society.
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