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Gillespie Council approves Yard Sale permit

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Citizens of Gillespie will now have to obtain a yard sale permit before having a yard sale after Monday’s city council meeting on October 10. The Gillespie City Council amended Ordinance #11-15 in relationship to yard sales. The permit is going to be $10 for every yard sale in the city. The city passed the amendment after a 7-0 vote in hopes of preventing citizens from having a yard sale every weekend.

Lumpy questions the city about the demolition progress.

The council will have to post a yard sale permit similar to the building permit at the time of the yard sale. The council then discussed placing a town bulletin board up to display the yard sales, but further action will be taken at a later date.

Gus Ottersburg advised the city of the economic development proper executive equal opportunity grant awarded to the city. The grant was for the amount of $58,000 and will be used for public facilities.

Under new business, the council revised numerous ordinances:

  1. Resolution #11-15, the council voted 7-0 to modify the employees’ wage rate.
  2. Ordinance #11-10, the council granted conditional use permit to Dale Demkey to zone his residential area to commercial for the use of recycling.
  3. Ordinance #11-11, the council amended chapter 17, article 1, section 17-18 which states discharging of firearms within city limits is illegal. The council revised the section to include air pistols and paintball guns.
  4. Ordinance #11-12, direct the sale of real estate. The council owns property by the KC Hall and behind a school lot.
  5. Ordinance #11-13, the council approved the placement of a stop sign on Walnut Street at its eastbound intersection with Fulton Street.
  6. Ordinance #11-14, the council approved the placement of a stop sign on Walnut Street at its westbound intersection with Springfield Road.

The council recognized a few guests on hand during Monday’s nights regular scheduled meeting:

Rachel and John Hoppes spoke to the council regarding their property on 308 East Elm Street. The couple attended the meeting because of the letter he received in the mail concerning the cat litter. The couple used contaminated cat litter as a levee to prevent their yard from flooding from the culvert. In 2008, the couple removed all the cat litter and feces in the yard and replaced it with dirt. The couple built the levee up with dirt now to keep the water out and sodded the site. Dan Fisher addressed the couple, “The feces in the water is an issue because when the water dries, the feces dries, and then mosquitos feed on the feces and then the EPA gets involved.” The couple received a 30 day nuisance abatement and will be checked out to see if the problem is clear in the upcoming days.

Dave Link, Lumpy, just came to see if the demolition work on Macoupin Street was complete yet. “They are not done yet,” Dan Fisher said. Lumpy said he was wanting to start working on his front of the building, which is the window bay that was saved from the demolition. The south end will not be done yet for a couple weeks, Fisher went on to say. Some of the work that needs to be complete includes covering a well and working on a set of stairs that went down underground. “You make a list for us, and then we will take it to the contractors,” Fisher addressed Link.

John Hoppes shows the council the letter he received in the mail concerning the cat litter feces.

In new business, the council approved Halloween hours for 6:00-8:00pm on October 30 and October 31 after a 7-0 vote. The council then approved a bid from Chuck Fellin to replace the fencing around the Illinois Power lot for the amount of $1,475.00. The bid includes labor and the materials. The fencing will be seven feet tall.

Under a special request, Dave Tucker asked city attorney Kevin Polo about the liquor licenses. Polo said the city can change the number of licenses awarded per population, but the city cannot change the law that a resident outside the city can obtain a liquor license within the city unless they form a corporation.

The council has one person waiting for a license now. The council asked Polo to change the ordinance so they can incorporate two additional liquor licenses.

The council also voted to raise the liquor license fee from $275 to $300.

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The council then discussed paying Curry for the completion of the water tower pending the EPA inspection. The bill was approved 7-0.

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Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

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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.

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Macoupin County residential fire claims multiple victims on Saturday

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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.

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Missions group to host trivia fundraiser on March 30

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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!

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