Community News
Board votes to re-open schools for in-classroom learning
Community Unit School District 7 students will have the option of attending in-person classes when the winter break ends on Monday, Jan. 11 as a result of action taken by the Board of Education during a special meeting Thursday night.
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Jenni Alepra, the board voted unanimously to re-open district schools for in-classroom learning on the same four-day schedule that was in place when the schools were closed Nov. 30 in response to increasing numbers of COVID-19. Reading from a prepared statement after the vote, Supt. Shane Owsley said the district may consider restoring a five-day schedule as of Jan. 25. The five-day schedule, if approved, will have an early dismissal for students at 1 p.m. Online learning will remain available for parents who are uncomfortable with sending their children into the classroom.
All seven of the board’s elected members were physically present in the Gillespie Middle School cafeteria, along with Owsley and other “essential school district personnel” to keep the number of persons present under 10 individuals. Members of the public and media were allowed to observe the meeting via the Zoom teleconferencing system. Owsley said the protocol was put in place to comply with COVID-19 mitigation orders put in place by Gov. JB Pritzker.
Owsley said the measures ensured that members of the public were treated equally. “The district does not want to be placed in a position where it must pick and choose which members of the public can attend in-person versus which members must attend remotely,” Owsley read.
Following the vote on returning to the hybrid learning plan, Owsley read from a statement that will be sent to district parents and guardians to announce the return to in-person/remote learning.
The hybrid learning plan complies with Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigations imposed by the state, Owsley said.
“Tier 3 mitigations are scheduled to expire on Jan. 9,” Owsley said. “At this point there is no word on whether these mitigations will be extended or relaxed.”
There also have been no updates from IHSA/IESA regarding athletics, Owsley noted, but an IHSA meeting is scheduled Jan. 13. “Once further information is provided,” Owsley said, “it will be provided to our coaching staffs and families.”
Owsley also reminded the community that the district could return to remote learning “at a moment’s notice” if circumstances change.
“A return to remote instruction may be caused by an outbreak within a classroom or building, a high percentage of students or staff having to be quarantined, or simply not having enough substitutes to cover our classes,” Owsley said. “A return to remote instruction may also be necessary if the positivity rate of our county would again return to an alarming rate. The safety of our students and staff will always be our primary focus.”
Owsley acknowledged that teachers will again be expected to provide meaningful instruction for both in-person and remote access students. “The administration team and Board of Education understand what a challenging task this is and have full faith that the staff at CUSD 7 is once again up for the challenge,” Owsley said. In November, building principals reported to the board that about 30 percent of the district’s enrollment opted to attend in-person classes at that time.
Additionally, Owsley announced the district is eyeing implementing a five-day schedule starting Jan. 25 with an early dismissal each day.
“I will continue to be in close contact with the Macoupin County Health Department to monitor the positivity rate within our county,” Owsley concluded. “It is my hope that we’ll begin seeing a decrease in the positivity rate within our county and that the educational world can once again return to something that resembles normal.”
Before the board voted on returning to in-classroom learning, Michelle Smith, president of the teacher’s union spoke on behalf of the union, urging the board to approve the proposal. She also asked the board to set forth a clear plan and timeline for responding to the pandemic over the next several months, and to communicate with teachers, students and community members about future plans. The union opposed, she said, changing plans with no more than one business day’s notice.
Smith outlined four priorities upon which the union agreed moving forward—education, safety, consistency and planning. Smith said the union’s position is that students perform better when they are able to attend in-person classes with certified teachers and support staff. Additionally, due to the continuing pandemic, limited quantities of vaccine and the appearance of a new, more transmissible strain of the COVID virus, Smith said it is important to continue “certain safety guidelines set forth by the CDC, IDPH and Macoupin County health department” to reduce the risk of exposure among students and staff.
Regarding consistency and planning, Smith said the union encourages consistent communication with staff and students so that everyone knows what is expected of them and why. “Even though this past year has been anything but consistent, we feel, as educational leaders, (consistency) is extremely important in maintaining student engagement,” Smith said.
Thoughtful planning is needed, she said, so students, teachers, staff, administrators and members of the community have time to “plan and consider a straight path back to full in-person learning and back to our number one priority (education) to take its rightful place again.”
There were no comments from the public.
The next regular meeting of the board is set for Monday, Jan. 25.
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Carlinville – The Macoupin County Agriculture Education (MCAE) Foundation is offering 6 – $1,000 scholarships for the upcoming 2025-26 school year to students wishing to pursue agriculture majors.
The MCAE Foundation offers scholarships to provide encouragement and financial assistance to Macoupin County residents and/or students of Macoupin County schools who display well-balanced attributes of good citizenship, commitment to activities and scholastic ability.
The applicant must be a graduating high school senior or a current college student who plans to attend or is attending an Illinois junior college, college, university or Career Technical Education (CTE) program, and majoring in agriculture.
Applications are available through your high school guidance counselor, high school agriculture instructor or the Macoupin County Farm Bureau® (MCFB®). An electronic copy of the application can be requested by contacting the MCFB® office by telephone or by email at: mcfb@gomadison.com
All applications must be submitted to the MCFB® office by March 27, 2025. Any questions can be directed to the MCFB® office at 217/854-2571.
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FELONIES
Domincqua N. Contreras, 31 of Bunker Hill, is charged with aggravated battery in a public place in connection with a January 8 incident.
Dillion D. Grether, 25 of South Roxana, is charged with possession of methamphetamines’ (<5 grams) in connection with an October 15 incident.
MISDEMEANORS
Cory J. Dodson, 36 of Carlinville, is charged with theft/unauthorized control (<$500) in connection with a December 6 incident.
Megan J. Morgan, 33 of Carlinville, is charged with theft/unauthorized control (<$500) in connection with a December 6 incident.
Robert D. Sanson, 34 of Belleville, is charged with criminal trespass to a building in connection with a December 2 incident.
Christopher R. Lott, 47 of Carlinville, is charged with theft of labor/services/property and criminal trespass to land in connection with a January 7 incident.
Amiel K. Kimsey, 20 of Homewood, is charged with minor in possession of liquor in public and driving 15-20 mph above the limit in connection with a January 1 incident.
TRAFFIC
Dawn M. Malone, 57 of Collinsville, is charged with driving on a suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, disregarding a stop sign, no turn signal lights, unsafe loading, operating a motor vehicle vehicle with suspended registration, and unregistered/expired registration in connection with a January 4 incident.
Cheri L. Bagwell, 47 of Carlinville, is charged with driving on a suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and transporting/carrying alcohol in connection with a January 1 incident.
Siera A. Lewis, 28 of Alton, is charged with driving on a suspended license, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle in connection with a January 1 incident.
Stephen C. Springman, 37 of Shipman, is charged with driving on a revoked license in connection with a December 17 incident.
Shundrana M. Roy, 29 of Milwaukee, WI, is charged with driving on a suspended license and driving 21-25 mph above the limit in connection with a January 1 incident.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
- Trent Eichen and Summer Melton, both of Carlinville
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Gillespie voters will have an opportunity to vote on whether or not the City of Gillespie can impose a one percent retail sales tax for Public Safety purposes as a result of action taken by the city council Monday night. Council members voted unanimously to approve a resolution prepared by City Attorney Rick Verticchio to put the question on the April 1 consolidated election ballot. The question will be presented in conjunction with the election to choose the mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and three aldermen.
The council discussed the issue of seeking a Public Safety sales tax during the council’s regular meeting on Dec. 9 and during a continued meeting on Dec. 23, at which time there was speculation the city could implement the tax via resolution only without seeking voter approval. The resolution presented Monday night confirms that voters can weigh in at the ballot box on whether or not to impose the tax.
“This is just a resolution so we can have that question on the ballot,” Verticchio told the council.
During the December meetings, Treasurer Dan Fisher said the city agreed to seek the tax during collective bargaining negotiations with the police officers union. The expected $200,000 will help cover additional costs associated with local police joining the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund system for retirement benefits, as well as the cost of adding additional police officers to cover police protection services in satellite communities. Benld Ald. Jerry Saracco told the Benld Council last month that satellite communities also were being asked to consider seeking a Public Safety sales tax to help defray police protection costs, but there appeared to be no interest on the part of the Benld Council to follow Gillespie’s lead.
In addition to the tax question and city officials, the consolidated ballot also will include elections for three Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education members, as well as township officials.
POLICE STATION PROGRESS
On a motion by Ald. Dave Link, seconded by Ald. Dona Rauzi, the council unanimously voted to release $59,199.26 to contractor John Watson, Gillespie, to pay subcontractors for remodeling work at the new Gillespie Police Station at 124 N. Macoupin St., the former location of Gillespie Chiropractic directly across the street from City Hall.
Rauzi reported the city had paid Watson $9,000 to start the remodeling project. The additional money will be used to pay various vendors such as Glass Cutters, Carlinville, and Carpani Computers for installing computer networking and internet systems.
The council also approved a $1,998.85 change order request for the project to cover the cost of reopening exterior stairs that the previous owner had enclosed. The additional money will cover the cost of siding, framing, lighting and replacing stairs that were removed when the entry was enclosed.
In a related matter, the council formally declared as surplus property a desk that the previous owner left behind and to transfer the desk to Watson. Rauzi said the desk had little value and that no other city office had a use for it. She said the options for disposing of it were to either give it to Watson or store it at the Civic Center.
With the same action, the council declared as surplus unused roof trusses which will be offered for sale via sealed bids.
GRANT MANAGER BILL
On Fisher’s recommendation, the council agreed to pay Fuel Growth Group’s bill of $137,550 for billing and consulting services associated with grant management services related to $3 million in federal grants and $1 million in state grants awarded to the city for its downtown streetscape project. Fisher said the agency’s bill is based on an hourly rate totaling 7.5 percent of the $4 million in grant awards.
Verticchio said he plans to contact the vendor regarding its new contract due to concerns he has about some of the contract’s wording. He said the contract calls for an hourly rate up to $257,000 after the first installment of 50 percent is paid.
“I don’t have any great problem with the contract,” Verticchio said, adding that he wants to revise the contract so the city does not owe the balance if the billable hours do not reach $257,000. “In all probability, we will get to that amount, but I want to make sure that if we don’t reach $257,000, we won’t owe them the full amount.”
EXECUTIVE SESSION
No action followed a brief executive session requested by Ald. Frank Barrett, Lake Chairman, to discuss personnel. While the nature of the discussion was not specified, it is likely the closed-door session focussed on replacing Gary Thornhill, long-time Lake Manager who recently resigned to take another job.
In a related matter, Barrett told the council he is getting pricing from Carpani Computers for a new point-of-sale computer and printer for the Lake Store.
“When Gary left, we were using his computer and printer at the store,” Barrett said, explaining the need for new equipment.
COMMUNICATIONS TOWER
Council members briefly discussed the status of a new communications tower, construction of which is likely to start this year. The council previously entered into a franchise agreement to lease property for the tower, which will provide services for AT&T cell phone transmissions and other providers. Ald. Wendy Ottersburg said the company revised its plan to add 20 feet to the tower’s height to expand its range.
Water Plant Operator Dave Pickett said he is eager for the tower to be completed as it will allow the Water Department to implement a computer program enabling the Department to control water flow from the pumping station to the Water Plant without having to physically travel to the pumping station.
“It will be a huge savings for us,” Pickett said.
AUDIT ACCEPTANCE
Upon Fisher’s recommendation, the council voted unanimously to accept the city’s official audit. In a departure from past practice, no representative of the auditing firm appeared before the council to present the audit findings. Fisher said the audit showed the city to “be in the black” but did not mention whether or not the auditor made any other findings.
COUNCIL RADIOS
Mayor John Hicks reported that two-way radios previously issued to city council members are unaccounted for and asked aldermen who might still have a radio to return them to City Hall. He said the radios were issued to aid with communications in the event of an emergency.
“Somewhere along the line, some of them disappeared,” he said.
SNOW REMOVAL
Ald. Bob Fritz, answering criticisms voiced on social media, clarified that the city does not have responsibility for removing snow on sidewalks. He said people were upset because city workers did not remove snow on sidewalks in the area of CUSD 7 schools.
“Those are not our responsibility,” Ald. Rauzi noted.
Ald. Landon Pettit said that when he worked for the city, city workers were advised by the city’s insurance provider to leave sidewalks alone.
“The insurance company told us not to do that,” he said. “Once we clean them off, any liability for them is on us.”
CEJA MEETING
Fisher told the council he plans to meet with CEJA grant partners at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall to discuss CEJA expenditures and closing out the grant. The federal Climate and Equitable Jobs Act grant of $1.1 million was awarded last summer. The City of Gillespie retained $70,248.57 with the remainder allotted to various local units of government, including: Village of East Gillespie, $51,654.72; City of Benld, $58,721.50; Village of Eagarville, $50,684.28; City of Staunton, $80,929.61; Gillespie Public Library, $70,248.57; Benld Public Library, $58,721.50; Gillespie Township, $73,458.48; Cahokia Township, $69,004.42; Community Unit School District 7, $98,167.33; North Mac CUSD 34, $98,584.12; Gillespie-Benld Ambulance Service, $133,202.60; Village of Royal Lakes, $51,038.87; City of Bunker Hill, $60,102.51; Village of Mount Clare, $51,878.67; and Brushy Mound Township, $53,919.08.
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act is a federal program to mitigate against economic conditions that result as the nation moves away from fossil fuels to embrace renewable, “green” energy sources. The local grant award is related to job losses resulting from the idling of Shay Mine No. 1, formerly Monterey Mine No., 1. Each entity was awarded $50,000 plus additional funds based on “job loss” and “revenue loss” factors.
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