The Macoupin County Agriculture Education (MCAE) Foundation is offering six $1,000 scholarships for the upcoming 2026-27 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 or by visiting the county Farm Bureau website at www.macoupinfb.com.

All applications must be submitted to the MCFB® office by March 27, 2026.  Any questions can be directed to the MCFB® office at 217-854-2571.

Gillespie-Benld Area Ambulance Service, Inc. is putting the finishing touches on what has been a tremendously successful year. 2025 brought significant positive changes to the organization, marking a period of internal growth and operational enhancements.

According to Gillespie-Benld Area Ambulance Service, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer, Josh Ross, the year represented a pivotal time for the organization. “We have seen an enormous amount of growth since our founding in 1988. As our response area, fleet, and call volume increased exponentially, it became essential for our internal operations and infrastructure to keep pace. Our Board of Directors emphasized ensuring that our company matched the volume and scope of work that we do.”

Ross highlighted key developments made in 2025 that are already paying dividends. “What we have been able to achieve this year is almost unbelievable. We invested over $1.5 million to improve the entire organization from top to bottom. This included the purchase of four new ambulances to replace aging units in our fleet and the remounting of a fifth ambulance, which will be in service immediately after the new year. We have also made critical tech upgrades that enhance both the efficiency and security of our operations.”

A major focus for Ross and the Board this year has been on personnel investment. “What I’m most proud of is our commitment to our greatest asset—our personnel. We made a concerted effort not only in our ability to recruit great people but also retain them. This year, we offered across-the-board impactful wage increases, expanded our benefits to include vision and dental coverage in addition to our already robust health insurance plan, and launched a company-sponsored retirement plan with a match feature.”

Founded in 1988 as a 501C3 not-for-profit, all-volunteer basic life support ambulance provider, Gillespie-Benld Area Ambulance Service, Inc. has come a long way from running 651 calls for service in its first year. Today, the organization provides 24/7/365 primary 911 advanced life support ambulance service to 325 square miles of Macoupin County, encompassing approximately 17,000 residents. In 2025, the service is on track to respond to over 5,600 calls for assistance.

For more information about Gillespie-Benld Area Ambulance Service, Inc. and its commitment to excellence in emergency medical services, please contact Josh Ross at (217) 839-3032 or josh@gbasil.net.

Members of the Benld City Council on Monday night approved a $127,159.14 levy for 2025 property taxes to be collected in 2026, and approved Mayor Jim Kelly’s appointment of a new City Treasurer to step into a position vacated by the resignation of Cindy Crites last month.

The new levy, approved unanimously on a motion by Finance Chair Jerry Saracco, seconded by Ald. John. Balzraine, is up about $3,583 from last year’s total levy of $123,576.03. A total of $112,146 is being levied for municipal funds, plus $15,013.14 for the Benld Public Library. 

Broken down by line item, the levy ordinance requests $31,400 for Corporate Administrative Purposes, compared with $30,500 levied last year; $1,200 for the Municipal Band, which is unchanged from last year; $5,500 for Parks, compared with $5,350 for the previous year; $47,000 for Police Protection, compared with $44,636 last year; $5,200 for Social Security, compared with $5,000 a year ago; $200 for Unemployment Insurance, which compares with $1,200 last year; $2,450 for Workers Compensation Insurance, which is unchanged from a year ago; and $6,500 for Liability Insurance, which is also unchanged form last year.

The Public Library’s levy, at $15,013.14, up slightly from the previous year’s levy request of $14,590.03. 

Like other taxing bodies in Macoupin County, Benld is subject to the  Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), approved by Macoupin voters in 1995, which limits annual levy increases to no more than five percent of the previous year’s tax extension or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. The current CPI, essentially the rate of inflation, currently is 2.9 percent. 

Because of PTELL, taxing bodies typically levy for slightly more than they expect to receive. The new levy will be submitted to the Macoupin County Clerk, who is responsible for calculating the appropriate tax rates to generate the maximum extension to which the taxing body is entitled.

NEW CITY TREASURER

Wendi Bolin of Benld was sworn-in by City Attorney Rick Verticchio as City Treasurer after the council unanimously ratified Mayor Kelly’s appointment of Bolin to finish the term vacated as a result of former Treasurer Cindy Crite’s resignation last month.

Bolin has an extensive background in finance and is currently employed as a Trust Operations Officer by CNB Bank and Trust.

Crites resigned due to a change in residence out of the Benld city limits. She was elected to a third term in 2023. Bolin will serve until the end of Crite’s unexpired term in 2027. 

MFT RESOLUTION

On the recommendation of Doug Raterman of HMG Engineers, the council agreed to submit a Motor Fuel Tax resolution in the amount of $110,000 to Illinois Department of Transportation for next year’s street maintenance program. Raterman said the appropriation, which is subject to final approval by IDOT, should be enough to cover the city’s oiling/chipping program with some margin for contingencies.

Responding to a question, Raterman told the council the city has some streets that would benefit from milling and resurfacing similar to work the City of Mount Olive has done to its streets. He said he would develop a cost estimate and provide it to the council.

MULTIJURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

By a unanimous vote, the council adopted the 2025 Macoupin County All Hazards Mitigation plan, a document that identifies mitigation goals and actions to reduce long-term risk to citizens and property in Benld. The plan specifically addresses natural and man-made hazards, including severe thunderstorms, severe winter storms, floods and tornadoes. Ultimately, adopting the plan could make the city eligible for federal funds from the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, National Flood Insurance Act and National Dam Safety Program Act.

Units of local government throughout the county have or are expected to adopt the plan to form a county-wide disaster relief alliance. Among the conditions of the resolution approved Monday night is a commitment to participate in annual evaluation and updating the plan.

BACKHOE REPAIR

Council members voted unanimously to accept a bid of $3,230.18 to make repairs to the city’s backhoe.

BUSINESS LICENSE

On a motion by Ald. Dustin Fletcher, the council voter unanimously to approve the business license application for James Perini, who plans to open a lawn mowing business.

CIVIC CENTER INTERNET

The council agreed to install internet service at the old city hall/civic center complex. Some persons renting the civic center for events or family gatherings have asked for wifi service and the internet is needed for some aspects of the security cameras. Madison Communications offered basic services at $74.90 per month, or $79.90 a month if the city signed a one-year contract with a higher speed. City Clerk Terri Koyne recommended going with the lower price, noting the city can always upgrade later if needed.

The council also accepted a bid from Carpani Computers, Benld, to provide a wifi router at a cost of $50, plus labor.

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the council:

• Voted to allow Third Day, a non-profit group that provides food and supplies for underprivileged students, to use office space in the now vacated Police Station to pack boxes for distribution to students.

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• Voted to make the meeting room in the now vacant former city hall available to non-profit/civic organizations meetings and other uses.

• Approved the schedule of council meetings and committee meetings for the coming calendar year. Council meetings will continue to be held at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month, while committee meetings will take place on the first Monday of each month except when the first Monday conflicts with federal holidays.

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