New Illinois ticket quota law does not eliminate ticket quotas
By John Layton and Roger Starkey When Governor Pat Quinn signed into law Senate Bill 3411 on Sunday, June 15, he touted it as part of his agenda to maintain integrity in local government. State Representative Jay Hoffman, of Swansea, said the new law eliminates arbitrary quotas. “Arbitrary quotas on the number of tickets that […]
Read More →Caseyville police taser suspect following car chase
Early Friday morning, a woman approached a Caseyville police officer who had stopped a vehicle in the 2400 block of Old Country Inn Drive, Caseyville. The woman told the officer she had been beaten and her vehicle stolen. Another officer saw the stolen vehicle on nearby Tucker Drive and attempted to stop it. The vehicle […]
Read More →Escaped prisoner captured in Colorado
***Updated at 4 p.m. Friday, June 20*** Turhan Robinson’s escape lasted less than 12 hours and ended only a few blocks from where it started. The prisoner, charged with murder and armed robbery in the killing of Kenneth Deal on May 19 in Madison, Ill., was on his way back to Madison County from Las […]
Read More →Caseyville police chief search on hold, so are new TIF requests
Nearly one month after Chief Jose Alvarez was terminated by a 4-3 vote of the Caseyville Board of Trustees and Mayor Leonard Black, the search for a new chief has not yet begun. Following the monthly Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, Black said “nothing is happening” with the search to replace Alvarez. Then, motioning to […]
Read More →Police report second false home invasion in Collinsville in three months
Five police organizations rushed to the scene of a reported home invasion at 2 a.m. Friday in the 1100 block of Hampstead Court, in Collinsville. Someone called 911 and reported that a woman was being dragged from her house by men dressed in black, wearing masks. When officers from Collinsville, Maryville, Caseyville, the Madison County […]
Read More →Burglar brought a pad to protect knees, may have gotten too comfortable, is caught
When Darryl K. Schofield, of East St. Louis, traveled to Caseyville on June 11 to rob houses on Covina Court, he brought a backpack full of tools and a mat, to protect his knees, Caseyville Police allege. Police were called to the scene at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday, where Schofield, 34, was arrested without incident. The […]
Read More →Local Girl Scouts show that a little group can make a big difference
A group of four Girl Scouts from Caseyville, Collinsville and Maryville recently collected supplies for Granite City APA, a no-kill animal shelter, before visiting the shelter to learn how to care for pets. The collection and visit was part of the Red Robin project for local Girl Scout Troop #726. The project first teaches the […]
Read More →Caseyville Village Attorney resigns
Story corrected to note updated pay information of attorneys who preceded John Gilbert (see related) John Gilbert has resigned after about one year as a Caseyville village attorney. Mayor Leonard Black announced the resignation at a Board of Trustees committee meeting Wednesday evening. Black said Thursday the decision to leave was Gilbert’s. “It was his choice,” Black […]
Read More →Prenzler used taxpayer money to investigate fellow treasurer, says part of duties
When Madison County Treasurer Kurt Prenzler stood in front of the St. Clair County Administration Building at 1 p.m. Friday, he strongly insinuated, but stop short of accusing, St. Clair County Treasurer Charles Suarez of wrongdoing while in office. That Prenzler and some staff members compiled the information distributed to the media using Madison County […]
Read More →One year on, Caseyville has a TIF attorney again
When Leonard Black replaced George Chance as mayor of Caseyville last spring, he made a host of changes. Gone were the village attorneys, the zoning administrator, all three police commissioners, the zoning board of appeals, the treasurer, the computer repairman and the hotel/motel inspector, among others. Some were replaced quickly. Some, positions like the treasurer […]
Read More →Ameren Illinois donates bucket truck to Caseyville
Ameren Illinois President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Mark recently presented the keys to a 1997 Ford F-800 truck to Caseyville Mayor Leonard Black. The truck was a donation from Ameren to the village. The energy company donates vans, trailers and pickup trucks to municipalities on a regular basis, Mark said. He estimated Ameren receives […]
Read More →Collinsville School Board votes down fence intended to secure CHS campus
With security more of an issue today than it was when Collinsville High School first opened its doors in 1972, school board members have been grappling with two projects that would offer more security at the campus. At its general meeting in May, the board voted down both plans. One would have added fencing around […]
Read More →Gaming expansion bill on hold, future of Fairmount Park in limbo
Senate Bill 1739, the gaming expansion bill that had many in the Collinsville area concerned about the future of Fairmount Park, will not be voted on in the spring session. The proposal would have allowed for video gaming at horse racing tracks in Illinois, but there has been no clear consensus on how to include […]
Read More →Brothers who overdosed in Dairy Queen parking lot charged with drug possession
Two men who overdosed on heroin in the Caseyville Dairy Queen parking lot on May 24 have been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. Thomas C. Wangelin, 31, of the 1800 block of North 16th Street in Swansea and his younger brother, Adam Wangelin, 24, of the first block of Tanewood Court in […]
Read More →CESF rewards high school seniors with plans to give back
Four Collinsville students were recently awarded $1,000 each in scholarship money to further their post-high school education. Students Graydon Baima, Ryan Brunton, Sabrina Flohr and Corey Kitsch are the most recent group of graduating seniors to receive scholarships from the Collinsville Educational Scholarship Foundation, a group dedicated to supporting the educational experiences of Collinsville youth. […]
Read More →Former Collinsville Christian Academy student alleges sex abuse by former teacher
***Updated to clarify when Jonathan told his family of the sex abuse allegations*** The names of alleged underage victims of sex abuse are not revealed publicly during the legal process, even if a person comes forward long after he or she has turned 18. Jonathan Bocek wants his name used in this story with the […]
Read More →Interstate 44/55 ramp from Poplar Street Bridge to close Tuesday, open in 2015
The perpetual long lines to get into the one lane that carried traffic from the Poplar Street Bridge to both southbound Interstate 55 and westbound Interstate 44 may be coming to an end, but not until mid-2015. Construction will begin on the bridge will begin overnight Tuesday, with the ramps closed by the morning of Wednesday, […]
Read More →In final month on the job, Kathy Pitzer is Unit 10 Teacher of the Month
Kathy Pitzer will soon walk out the doors of Summit Elementary School and into retirement. She will be taking an Edward Jones Unit 10 Teacher of the Month Award with her. Pitzer is dedicated to her students and comes to work every day with a smile on her face, Summit Principal Julie Haake said. “She […]
Read More →Caseyville man indicted for allegedly stealing from railroad retirement board
Dennis Harold French, 51, from Caseyville, was recently indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he stole unemployment and disability benefits from the United States Railroad Retirement Board. French allegedly defrauded the board by concealing his unemployment status in order to receive occupational disability benefits from May 2009 until June 2012. The charge carries a […]
Read More →Collinsville woman accused of bilking elderly couple of $60,000
***Updated to note that Rosen was captured in Troy*** The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office, on Wednesday, charged Kathy J. Rosen, of Collinsville, with financial exploitation of an elderly person. Caseyville Police were first called to the 8800 block of Bermuda Drive in Caseyville on Aug. 8, 2012, to address an elderly fraud complaint. […]
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