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.”
Comments
2:18 Missions, a nonprofit focused on home repair projects in the Gillespie area and humanitarian efforts at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, has launched a spring food drive to support families served by the Henderson Settlement Food Pantry. The pantry assists low-income families across five counties in the Appalachian region, where a steady supply of nourishing food is essential.
The organization emphasizes that no donation is too small or too large. Right now, all contributions received from now through the first week of April will directly fund food for families in need. It costs roughly $35 to provide food for a family of four for an entire month, a goal that this drive aims to meet for as many families as possible.
Donations can be made in several convenient ways. Checks or cash may be given to any 2:18 Missions team member. For those who prefer digital options, donations are accepted via Venmo or PayPal at 2:18 Missions Nfp. Community members are also encouraged to follow and engage with updates on the 2:18 Missions Facebook page.
2:18 Missions stresses that every contribution, regardless of size, makes a tangible difference in the lives of families working to make ends meet in the mountains of Kentucky and the residents of Gillespie who support their neighbors in need. The organization invites the public to join in this effort and to help spread the word through social media and word of mouth.
Comments
The Gillespie Public Library invites the community to its 13th annual Night of Trivia and Games, a popular evening of competition, camaraderie, and cash prizes. The event is set for Saturday, March 28, 2025, with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. and play beginning at 7 p.m. at the Gillespie Civic Center.
Attendees can expect a safe, social night out as organizers have arranged tables to accommodate social distancing, ensuring guests can enjoy the fun in a comfortable setting. The evening features prizes for first, second, and third place, along with a 50-50 drawing and other assorted cash games and prizes.
In keeping with the event’s lighthearted spirit, there will be no silent auction. Organizers emphasize that the goal is “Only laughs and fun,” with a chance to win money while enjoying a friendly competition format.
Entry is a $100 team fee, with a maximum of 10 players per team. Participants are encouraged to pre-register by March 25 to guarantee a table. Registration options include mailing a form to Gillespie Public Library, 201 W Chestnut, Gillespie, IL 62033; calling the library at 217-839-3614; or contacting Steve Joyce at 217-839-2839.
For those interested in joining or learning more, team captains should designate a contact person and provide a reachable phone number during registration.
Comments
The estate of the late Lindell and Jean Loveless, longtime Macoupin County pork producers, has made generous equal gifts to The Partnership for Educational Excellence in Gillespie CUSD #7 and to the Carlinville CUSD #1 Education Foundation. The gifts come from the remainder of a family trust established to ensure high-quality end-of-life care and were divided upon Jean Loveless’s passing, with equal shares allocated to the education foundations in each district.
Tim Loveless, local businessman and son of Lindell and Jean, emphasized the family’s enduring commitment to education and practical life skills. “It was my parents’ desire to use these remaining funds to support and enhance career and technical education programs in our schools,” Loveless said. He recalled his family’s deep roots in hard work and the value of life skills, noting that “the spirit of this gift is to prepare students for life in general, and to prepare them to earn a living by learning a trade.”
“The bottom half of the class,” Tim continued, “needs financial education and practical skills. A person can learn and earn their way to success.” He described his parents’, grandparents’, and great-grandparents’ diverse ventures—from farming and cattle to turkey production, nursing homes, meat processing, swine production, and subdivisions—and underscored that high formal education is not the sole path to success, but motivation and skill are crucial. He expressed hope that the gift will help school districts boost opportunities for students who may doubt their ability to succeed.
John Fassero, Jr., president of The Partnership for Educational Excellence in CUSD7, welcomed the gift as a strong alignment with the Partnership’s mission. “This Loveless family gift is a perfect fit for the established goals and policies of The Partnership,” Fassero said.
Since its founding in 1992, The Partnership has awarded nearly 600 scholarships based on goals and hard work rather than GPA or class rank. Fassero noted that the organization has several scholarships targeted to the trades, and that nearly 20 scholars have pursued trade school education in the past four years alone. “In addition, two-thirds of The Partnership’s giving is directed to curriculum enhancement across all three schools and in all specialties, including shop and FFA,” Fassero added.
