Community News
County purchases new building for voting center across from courthouse
Macoupin County voters will have a new place to early vote in person starting in 2024, County Clerk Pete Duncan announced recently. The County has purchased an office building just across the street from the Courthouse in Carlinville that will serve as the Macoupin Voting Center.
Utilizing the grant the Election Office received as being named one of the ten Centers for Election Excellence nationwide, Duncan worked with the County Board to purchase the building without using any taxpayer dollars. The grant covered the costs of the purchase and will cover the necessary upgrades and renovations to the building. For example, a ramp will need to installed for access to the main floor for better access to the public.
“I appreciate that the County Board agreed with me that using the Election Excellence grant, we should create a voting center as part of the Courthouse complex,” Duncan said. Voters who wish to vote early in person will now be able to utilize the parking right outside the building entrance, walk right in, and cast their ballot instead of trying to find parking around the Courthouse and going through the security entrance to get to the next floor up from the public entrance to vote.
But easier access to voting early isn’t the only benefit the new voting center will provide. The voting tabulators used at each precinct have never had a good, secure home at the Courthouse, Duncan said. The new voting center has a lower level which will have a secure and inaccessible to the public storage room for voting tabulators. There will also be a separate and secure work area for the tabulators that observers who may wish to watch the process will have room to see testing. “Currently, our voting machines are being stored in a publicly accessible space of the Courthouse and when it is time to test or work on the machines, it’s done in the middle of the Courthouse halls. I think everyone agrees that is not the security we need for them. Our new voting center will cure that problem and provide the much-needed security enhancement of our elections in Macoupin.”
And while some may think these issues weren’t concerning, these problems have been raised in facilities use studies the County has conducted dating back to 2005. Independent consultant reports have cited issues such as “during early voting, the County Clerk is forced to set up voting and registration booths in the hallway. This does not provide privacy for voters and causes confusion as many times the hallway is also packed with people awaiting court,” and “…voting equipment are easily visible to the public throughout the building.” Recommendations in these reports include “fund the project with a combination of grants, private donations and county resources.” Duncan again stressed how pleased he was that the County Board and he had a grant to fund the solution to these long vexing problems for the Election office.
Duncan also stressed the Voting Center will have space for meetings, such as election judge trainings or meeting with local clerks for Consolidated Elections. The Regional Office of Education will also move its administrative offices to the building as part of a intergovernmental agreement that will welcome them into the Courthouse complex and help with the ongoing expenses of the building.
“Overall, this is a major plus for the County,” Duncan said. “Grant funding allowed us to secure a building in the county’s name that will help cure issues the Election office has been dealing with for years. My office can’t be more excited to welcome voters to the new Voting Center during the 2024 election.”
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FELONIES
Ronald R. Arnold, 35 of Gillespie, is charged with aggravated battery in a public place in connection with a December 28 incident.
Kenneth E. Ray, 39 of Bethalto, is charged with aggravated fleeing while involving the disobedience of two or more official traffic control devices, fleeing/attempting to elude officers, speeding 25-34 mph over the limit, and driver’s license expired more than a year in connection with a December 19 incident.
Jacklyn M. Wichman, 30 of Decatur, is charged with possession of methamphetamines (< 5 grams) in connection with a December 30 incident.
MISDEMEANORS
Levi R. Ladendorf, 31 of Staunton, is charged with battery/causing bodily harm in connection with a July 17, 2023 incident.
Demian E. Ellis, 46 of Benld, is charged with battery/making physical contact in connection with a December 30 incident.
Steven D. Lewis, 33 of Virden, is charged with two counts of violation of a protection order in connection with a December 30 incident.
TRAFFIC
Jason A. Keffer , 28 of Standard City, is charged with canceled/revoked/suspended registration in connection with a December 23 incident.
Daniel R. Gooding, 36 of Carlinville, is charged with driving on a suspended license and operating an uninsured motor vehicle in connection with a December 28 incident.
Douglas D. Davis, 27 of Benld, is charged with driving on a revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and expired registration in connection with a December 26 incident.
Brandon E. Swarringin, 26 of Carlinville, is charged with driving on a suspended license in connection with a December 21 incident.
DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE FILED
- Terry L. Lumma versus Robert L. Lumma
MARRIAGE LICENSES
- Pietro Lentini of Carlinville and Anna Jean Triplett of Greenfield
- Morgan Barber and Emilee Bridgwater, both of Benld
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Summer Repertory at Carlinville is pleased to announce the return of a comedy play to the stage. Performances of Ripcord will be held January 17 and 18th at 7:30 PM and January 19 at 2 PM at Blackburn College Bothwell Auditorium.
Ripcord, by David Lindsay-Abaire, is based in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility. The rivalry of odd couple roommates Abby and Marilyn, results in high stakes comedy of conflict for control of territory.
Cindy Rice and Joe Hardy bring their combined experience directing the small cast of seasoned actors.
Rice, who has directed place and musicals In Illinois and Texas, spent 15 years co-directing musicals at North Green high school.
Hardy, who began acting at age 7 with notable roles in Summer Repertory Theatre’s Shrek The Musical, The Little Mermaid , and Suessical, has also performed at several Springfield, Illinois, theaters. He has a BA in Theatre Performance from SIUE.
Tickets for Ripcord may be purchased at the door only. Ripcord is rated PG-13. For more information, see Summer Repertory Theatre at Blackburn College Facebook page.
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The Partnership for Educational Excellence is gearing up for an exciting trivia night on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
The lively evening is the education foundation’s one-and-only fund raiser. Proceeds will allow The Partnership to continue programs benefitting all CUSD7 students. Since 1992 the it has awarded more than $1 million to the improved and continuing educations of local students.
Since 1992 every student in every classroom in CUSD7 has benefitted from classroom mini-grants, school-wide academic grants, and – over the past three years – district-wide grants of $90,000 for improved and enhanced student computers.
In addition, The Partnership offers individual $2,000 academic tuition scholarships to GHS graduates enrolled in accredited state and private, academic and trade colleges and universities. In 2024, a record 40% of GHS graduating seniors received these awards.
The “For the Love of Education” Trivia Night will be held at the Gillespie Civic Center, 115 North Macoupin (behind City Hall). Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the competition begins at 7:00 p.m.
Mulligans will be for sale; games and lightning rounds will keep the evening lively; and a variety of door prizes will be awarded. Contestants are invited to bring their own beverages and snacks. Alcoholic beverages are permitted with a photo I.D.
In addition, The Partnership’s annual Grand Raffle will kickoff. Two “early bird” winners will receive $100 each on February 15. Their tickets will remain eligible for the grand prize of $5,000 on Saturday 12 April 2025. The fee is only $100 per table, up to 10 people per team.
There are four ways to register:
- phone Director Mary Griffel at 217-556-5456;
- visit www.thepartnership7.org to register online or to print out a mail-in form;
- write to The Partnership, P.O. Box 125, Gillespie IL 62033.
