Members of the Benld City Council voted unanimously last Monday night to approve repairs to the South Main Street lift station at a cost of $59,500, including the installation of a new pump. Vandeventer Engineering, Fenton, Mo., will replace one of the station’s pumps and repair valves on the back-up pump within the next couple of weeks. Mayor Jim Kelly told the council that one pump at the lift station is non-functional at this time, leaving the lift station without a back-up in the event of an emergency.
In other action, the council approved a bid of $4,410 from Macoupin County Asphalt, Carlinville, to resurface the city’s half of the Benld-Gillespie Bicycle Trail, and approved a bid of $2,300 from Joe’s Electric to make improvements at the city park. The contractor will replace an electrical panel add outlets and install a dusk-to-dawn light at the park.
On a motion by Ald. Dustin Fletcher, seconded by Ald. Jerry Saracco, the council accepted a bid of $2,050 from Emmons Tree Service, Carlinville, to remove trees and grind stumps on South Illinois Street, Trolley Street, and South Hardroad Street.
CENTRAL AVENUE PROPERTY SOLD
City aldermen unanimously approved a resolution to sell city-owned lots at 202 and 204 East Central Avenue to Michael Bruhn and Cory Perkins for a sum of $7,500. The buyers intend erecting a building on the adjacent lots to house a business, though the nature of the planned business was not disclosed.
The council heard from two people who reportedly are interested in purchasing a two-story business at 215 East Central Avenue. The building is privately owned and being offered for sale through Tarrant & Harmon Real Estate, but it is the subject of a public nuisance complaint filed by the city. Both Shannon Vancauwelaert and Dustin Calcari told the council they were looking at the building as a possible investment. Both parties appeared to be primarily interested in developing rental apartments.
“My intent would be to have apartments upstairs and in back,” Calcari told the council.
Mayor Kelly told both parties that the city requires an active business to be open in the storefront before renting out residential apartments.
“You have to have a business open before anyone moves in,” Kelly said. “The building has to be rehabbed and pass inspection. We don’t want to be mean, but we don’t want any more buildings falling down on Main Street.”
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Likewise, Vancauwelaert said she plans to develop residential apartments but understood the requirement for opening a business in the storefront.
“We don’t want to see it become a storage building,” Ald. Saracco explained. “That’s what’s been happening. Then the roof goes bad, and we end up having to tear it down. We’ll support you as long as you put a business in there.”
Calcari said he has a vending machine business and an asbestos abatement business, either of which could use the storefront as an office.
“That’s fine,” City Attorney Rick Verticchio said. The ordinance doesn’t say it has to be a retail business, nor does it define the square footage assigned to the business.
“We have a nuisance action pending,” Verticchio said. “If someone buys it, we’ll give them more time to fix it. As long as you’re working on it, we’re happy. We don’t want to spend any more money on it.”
“If you buy it, come to us and work out a timeline,” Kelly advised. “We will work with you.”
Tarrant & Harmon Real Estate currently has the building listed for sale with an asking price of $15,000.
POLICE COMPLAINT
A complaint voiced by resident Jim Carpani was referred to Ald. Mickey Robinson, Police Committee Chair, after Carpani complained about an incident on Saturday, July 6. Carpani said he called the Gillespie Police Department regarding an active incident in his neighborhood and was told the officer assigned to Benld was at Gillespie Lake directing traffic for a fireworks show.
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“We’re paying $240,000 a year for police patrol,” Carpani said. “You don’t need a cop to park cars at the lake. They’re supposed to be police, not a valet service.”
“You’re right,” Kelly told Carpani. “They should have one officer in Benld and one in Gillespie. I agree with you 100 percent.”
He referred the complaint to Robinson, directing him to contact Police Chief Jared DePoppe about the incident.
OTHER ACTION
No specific action followed a 20-minute executive session with City Attorney Verticchio to discuss pending litigation.
In other action, the council agreed to sell surplus properties to persons who submitted bids. One bid was received and accepted for each of the three items previously declared as surplus property.
The council agreed to sell a surplus pump to John Norville for $281.73, two surplus cars to Jim Feely for a total cost of $1,000, and a surplus wood chipper to Victor Whaley for $513.78.
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.
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.
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!