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Robinson appointed acting Mayor of Benld
Will serve until April 2013
Mickey Robinson the new acting Mayor of Benld until April of 2013.
After the abrupt resignation of Mayor Jeff Hendricks on Wednesday, August 1, the council scheduled a special council meeting on August 4. The council had just recently filled their vacancies in the council with three new members: Jim Kelly, Lynn Fraelle, and Gloria Sidar.
After the council returned to the original state, 6 members, Hendricks gave his farewell. Due to his relocation, he was unable to serve out his term for the remaining 7 months. If that was not the case, he would have happily served it out he said.
George Nepute gets sworn in as he fills the vacancy left by Robinson. Nepute is now alderman of Ward #2.
To open the meeting up on Saturday morning, August 4, Gloria Sidar made the motion to appoint Mickey Robinson mayor pro-temp to conduct the meeting. After the petite agenda was approved, nominations began sounding out for the new mayor. Jim Tilashalski nominated Peyton Bernot while Bernot, in turn, nominated Tilashalski. Lynn Fraelle then nominated Mickey Robinson based on his “most experience on the council.”
The council then took a roll call vote for members to vote for one of the three options. Tilashalksi voted for Bernot while Bernot voted for Tilashalksi while the remaining four alderpeople voted for Mickey Robinson. Robinson was then elected mayor 4-2 after receiving votes from: Robinson (still alderman at the time of voting), Sidar, Fraelle, and Kelly. “It was not something I was expecting,” Robinson commented after the meeting. “It was hard to say if I was going to get it or not.”
Robinson said he would like for the city to move forward now with a “full mayor and six aldermen on board.” Mickey has been an alderman since 1991, committee chairman for the Benld Rotary club since 1992, executive director of the Coal Country Chamber of Commerce since 2000, and a member of the Benld Lions Club 1997. “I have been involved with the community with every aspect from the go,” Mickey explained. “I was part of the committee when Benld had their 100th birthday in 2004.”
He went on to say that he is serving as a citizen on the Build Benld Committee and is interested in anything that will change Benld around “one baby step at a time.” As for the upcoming plans, Robinson does not have any. “Nothing has been decided by me,” he added. He was concerned about getting elected first because, as he said himself, “there is no guarantee in politics.”
Before becoming involved with the city, Robinson was a peddler employed by himself for over 40 years. “I saw big towns, small towns, and everything else so I went to the council meetings to learn what they were doing,” Mickey explained. “I saw things really get moving if citizens came to the meetings.” Mickey represented different manufactory representatives from the gift industry, souvenir industry, and tourist industry.
Now, since he is mayor, his life goal is to get the City of Benld in the right direction. “I want to turn it around from the negative part to going positive starting today,” Robinson added. “I have ideas, but nothing definite yet. The city council has to work with me.” He noted that he does not have any grudges against any member of the council.
Mickey Robinson getting sworn in by city attorney, Rick Verticchio.
The important part Robinson hammered was the council has to work as a team. “I want to work with the team with the city council,” he went on to say. At this point in time, Robinson is unsure if he will run for reelection for mayor in April of 2013. That is something he has not decided yet. “I have to see how these 6 to 8 months will go first.”
After sitting in the mayor’s chair, Robinson had to write out his resignation as alderman. As he handed it to the city clerk, he was called upon to fill his alderman vacancy from Ward #2. “The only question I have to the City Attorney,” Robinson opened as those were his first words as Mayor. “Is there any options other than nominating just somebody?” Verticchio did not have a response for Robinson as he answered, “I am not sure what you are asking. You have to nominate someone, you are the mayor.” George Nepute was nominated by Robinson and was elected after objections from Tilashalski and Bernot to fulfill Ward #2 until April 2013.
The motion to adjourn was passed 5-1 after Bernot voted ‘no.’ “I do not want to leave the City of Benld in the state it is now,” Bernot responded after questioned why he objected. “I just can’t do this to the City. I don’t want to leave here like things are now, it makes me sick.”
In closing, Robinson asked for the residents of the City of Benld to pay attention, keep up with the council, and attend the meetings. “Stay with us because we are hoping to move forward and we would like them to be included,” Mickey closed. “We want volunteers. We want people to help us. We cannot do it by ourselves. We need input from the city. It would be fine if they get involved with the town.”
The next regular meeting for the Benld council is scheduled for Monday, August 13.
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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
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