Community News
Gillespie Council approves Yard Sale permit
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:
- Resolution #11-15, the council voted 7-0 to modify the employees’ wage rate.
- Ordinance #11-10, the council granted conditional use permit to Dale Demkey to zone his residential area to commercial for the use of recycling.
- 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.
- Ordinance #11-12, direct the sale of real estate. The council owns property by the KC Hall and behind a school lot.
- Ordinance #11-13, the council approved the placement of a stop sign on Walnut Street at its eastbound intersection with Fulton Street.
- 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.
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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Meet Professors and Current Students, Learn about Opportunities, Tour Campus, and Get Instant Admissions Decisions at the Events
CARLINVILLE, ILL. — Interested students and families will have two opportunities to learn more about Blackburn College this fall. The Admissions and Financial Aid teams will host Open House events on Monday, October 14, and Monday, November 11, beginning at 8:30 am. These events allow future first-time and transfer students to gather important information about the college application process.
Throughout their time on campus, prospective students and their families will explore and tour the beautiful 80-acre campus, make personal connections with current students and professors, and get to know what life is like as a Blackburn student. They will also see first-hand Blackburn’s unique approach to education—where students earn their degrees while building impactful skills and gaining real-world work experience–giving graduates a four-year head start to launch their future careers.
For Justin Norwood, Vice President for Inclusive Enrollment and a Blackburn graduate, these opportunities are valuable for prospective students and families because nothing is more important than finding a school that will be the best fit. “Finding the right college is more than just academics; it’s discovering a place where students feel supported and inspired to thrive,” Norwood said. “At Blackburn, our open house events provide an opportunity to experience what makes our community unique – the close mentoring relationships with peers and professors, the ability to build critical skills and gain real-world work experience, and a personalized financial aid approach that goes beyond affordability and is designed to meet the specific needs of every student.”
Blackburn’s Admissions and Financial Aid team will be available throughout the event to answer all your questions, including about opportunities like the Macoupin Promise – where qualified graduates of Macoupin County high schools can attend Blackburn tuition-free. For more information and to register for an event, go to blackburn.edu/visit or email admissions@blackburn.edu.
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Seven libraries in Macoupin County will welcome new visitors throughout October with a program sponsored by the region’s library system.
The 6th Annual Library Crawl invites patrons to explore new libraries throughout the Illinois Heartland Library System, which composes the southern half of the state. The Crawl also demonstrates the benefits of a library card, which allows users to check out materials from the libraries they visit.
Some 173 libraries across central and southern Illinois are taking part in the Crawl, including Gillespie, Staunton, Mount Olive, Carlinville, Brighton, Virden, and Benld. The event runs from October 1 through October 31.
The first Library Crawl was introduced in 2019 by the Bethalto Public Library, which continues to coordinate the event. The idea was designed to encourage library users to explore the resources of other libraries that are available to request and check out with a valid library card.
Twenty-eight libraries participated in that first year, a number that has now increased over six-fold.
Patrons may pick up a passport for the Crawl at any participating library, and try to visit at least five libraries during the event. A few enthusiastic individuals have actually visited every library on the Crawl in past years.
At each new library, visitors may stop at the main circulation desk to have their passports stamped. To complete the Crawl, patrons may simply return their passports to their home library.
Some libraries also offer special treats for visitors on the Crawl. After any visit to a participating library, patrons are invited to take pictures to post on social media, under the hashtag #IHLSLibraryCrawl2024.
Many libraries are closed in observance of Columbus Day on October 14, so anyone planning a visit should call ahead, to check on hours of operation.
For more information on the Crawl, visit www.illinoisheartland.org or call any of the participating libraries.
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Proceeds benefit St. Francis Cancer Center
LITCHFIELD, Ill. — The HSHS St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary will sponsor their sixth and final drive-thru dinner for 2024 on Monday, Oct. 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to support the hospital’s Cancer Center expansion project.
Dinners must be ordered by noon on Monday, Oct. 7. Online ordering will not be available for this final meal, but dinner may still be ordered in the hospital gift shop or by contacting Paula Endress at 217-324-8200.
The Oct. 14 drive-thru dinner pick up will take place in front of the main hospital entrance.
The meal will feature a grilled pork chop, loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, roll and a dessert. Cost per meal is $14.
For more information about HSHS St. Francis Hospital, visit stfrancis-litchfield.org.
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Bunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
Gillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
Gillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Community News3 weeks agoBunker Hill hosting Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 14
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council votes to buy building for police department
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Community News3 weeks agoGillespie Council establishes penalty of late lake lot lease payments, green lights programs to display banners honoring local veterans
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Obituaries3 weeks agoDeath of Beverly J. Katich