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Benld City Council Accepts Two $1,500 Checks

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The Benld City Council accepted two $1,500 checks from Monte Jones from Maryan Mining LLC. The checks, totaling $3,000 together, was strictly a donation to the city. “I think the money should go into the city property fund since we have property we are going to have to address with bulldozers in the future,” Mayor Hendricks said, “This will benefit us most with that extra money handy, along with the money we already have there.” With no discussion or disagreement, the council voted 5-0 for the donation to rest in the city property fund. The City of Benld greatly thanks Maryan Mining.

Lynn Fraelle updates the council on the route signs for walking and jogging.

In other new business, the council hired part time police officers Levi Rosentreter and Joshua Carter. Both applicants have been working with the city for the time being since Mayor Hendricks temporarily appointed them until the next board meeting. The two officers were hired on a part time basis after a 4-1 vote with the only oblige from Tilashalski. “I only say no because the funds could be used in other areas of the police department,” Tilashakski went on to say.

The council voted 4-1 to accept First National Bank’s offering of the old Tarro Grocery Store on 208 East Central. Mayor Hendricks explained the City has a party that has expressed much interest over the property and has gone all the way to even have the property inspected. After inspection, the party said the mold issue was not nearly as bad as expected and could be cleaned up rather quickly. Mayor Hendricks said the city will call FNB and accept the offer and then go from there as far as demolition, leasing, or selling is concerned. Tilashalski expressed concerns about what the party’s intention of the building was and are they even going to buy it so the city will not be “stuck” with it. Tilashalski later voted no, but the motion was still carried out.

The council then heard from alderman Peyton Bernot about the Illinois Codification Services. The council has been under discussion to remove old ordinances and adding new ones after receiving notification from the company who has revised the ordinances in the past, which is Illinois Codification Services. “Basically, I asked what the procedure was,” Bernot explained, “They would come in, look at the book, and would cost the city around $6,000.” The $6,000 figure is negotiable, and the process would take nearly six months. Bernot went on to explain that there are ordinances that are mandated from the State and Federal governments for municipalities and the government agencies send out auditors to audit the city’s ordinance book. The mandated ordinances are not in Benld’s book. The city decided to address city attorney Rick Vertichio about the mandated ordinances and table the decision to revise the ordinance books.

Before listening to the public, the council set the Halloween trick-or-treat days and hours. The hours will be from 6:00-8:00pm on October 30 and 31. The council also approved 5-0 to adopt-a-class from Benld Elementary for $100.00. Mayor Hendricks suggested this was best for the council after reading a letter from Angela Turcol, Benld Elementary Principal.

The council heard from numerous residents of the city:

Gina and Mike Mendenhall addressed the council of burning in the city during hours that are not allowed. Burning is permitted in the City of Benld from 6:00am-6:00pm and is limited to just garden waste, but Gina went on to say that the burning in her neighborhood has been more than garden waste. “There is a lot more being burned in my area than garden waste,” Gina said, “It has been plastic and even aerosol cans popping. Other people bring their trash over to burn it.” To burn plastic and aerosol cans are against EPA regulations and also against the city ordinances. Mayor Hendricks advised her to call the police when she notices it and the police will handle it.

Lynn Fraelle from Build Benld showed the council the calendars that are for sale. The calendars can be purchased from Lynn or anyone else involved in Build Benld. The route for walking and jogging with be posted with signs in the spring rather than in the fall. The Macoupin County Department of Public Health, who donated the signs, has requested to wait until after the winter weather has passed. Lynn also stated that Build Benld would like a ‘bike path watch’ due to the number of complaints of small trafficking and even criminal activity.

Cathy Petrak advised the city some of the problems with the nutrition center. There has been much debate over the nutrition center and Fritz, the owner. Fritz owns the building right next to the nutrition center on the east side. Petrak went on to explain that there will be a Christmas Party this year and the event has already been booked at the Civic Center. Petrak would like to see the aldermen donate $25 each and also deliver food to the citizens who are unable to make it to the party.

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Tom Hubert said there should be a note on the water bill concerning the burning issue. In the years past, there was space for two lines of text for announcements and other news, but that has been done away with. Bernot, the water commissioner, said there is a chance it can be reinstated. If not, he will consider running an ad in the newspaper to get the information out.

Cathy Petrak passes on a bid she received for the work to be done on the nutrition center.

In committee reports, all bills were paid under police, maintenance, and sewer. The finance committee paid all bills and went on to address that the audit from last year should be compete by the end of October. Water hydrants in the city will be flushed in the upcoming weeks, after Gillespie flushes theirs. All water bills were then paid.

City property chairman Mickey Robinson gave the report on the city property. Robinson said the four trailers sitting on the railroad track at central avenue will be taken out as agreed by Illinois EPA, United Pacific Railroad, and Norfolk & Southern Railroad. The trailers will be taken out per IEPA regulations. Robinson also presented that the city is in process of replacing the motion sensor on the light on the flagpole at Veteran’s Memorial Park as well as finding someone to look at the commode in the women’s restroom in the city park. The commode does not shut off.

The council then briefly discussed raising the rates of the rental of the Benld City Park of the Civic Center. Rates will be increased to $150 upon a vote, but the decision was tabled for a future meeting.

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Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.

The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.

From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.

Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.

Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.

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Macoupin County residential fire claims multiple victims on Saturday

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Tragedy struck in the early hours of Saturday morning in Macoupin County as a residential structure fire broke out in the 200 block of West Dean Street, Virden, resulting in the death of a male victim, the Macoupin County Coroner Anthony Kravanya announced.

The individual was pronounced deceased at 10:06 AM but the identity of the deceased has not yet been released, as authorities await the results of an autopsy scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2025. The coroner’s office indicated that a press release will be issued following the autopsy and the positive identification of the victim.

WAND reported a second victim died after being transported to Springfield Memorial Hospital according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon who confirmed a 13-year-old boy and a 34-year-old male were the victims.

The fire reportedly started around 9:30 a.m. and the home was fully engulfed when first responders arrived. Two people were reportedly rescued and life flight was requested but were not available due to the foggy weather conditions. 

An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway, involving multiple agencies including the Macoupin County Coroner’s Office, the Virden Police Department, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

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Missions group to host trivia fundraiser on March 30

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Come and join us for an exciting afternoon of trivia as we support our local 2:18 Missions! Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 30 from 2 to 5 PM for an event that promises fun, camaraderie, and a chance to make a difference in our community. The event will be held at DeStefane Community Center in Benld, 201 East Central Avenue.

Teams of up to 10 people can participate for just $100 per table. Whether you want to reserve your table in advance or simply show up on the day of the event to pay at the door, we welcome all trivia enthusiasts to join in the competition!

Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy during the game—just please remember, no alcohol is allowed. For your convenience, we will have bottles of water available for purchase.

The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce! The first-place team will take home a prize of $150. Plus, bring some dollar bills to participate in “Heads and Tails” games during breaks and to buy mulligans for your team.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support a great cause while enjoying a lively trivia challenge. To reserve your table or for more information, contact Kristin at 217-691-7469.

Let’s make this a memorable event for our community and the 2:18 Missions!

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