Collinsville considered as possible site for medical cannabis dispensary
A group interested in opening a cannabis dispensary in Collinsville approached the City last month to initiate discussions, officials have confirmed. The discussions are in the very early stages, City Manager Scott Williams said. “We have had preliminary discussions with a vendor who contacted us,” Williams said. “We responded to questions about zoning and licensing.” […]
Read More →Prenzler responds to allegations about his day care business
Marleen Suarez, candidate for Madison County Treasurer, released a statement Monday criticizing the history of failed inspections at a St. Louis day care owned by current treasurer, Kurt Prenzler. “While Mr. Prenzler is running around other counties warning of ‘patterns’ in his slander of innocent public servants, he failed to correct alarming problems in his […]
Read More →Local Christian school opens doors to high schoolers
The 2014-2015 school year will be Legacy Christian Academy’s 21st, and its first year as a high school. The school on 2nd Street in Caseyville will have only a freshman class this school year, with another grade level added each of the next three years, Principal Anita Gajewski said. The school that started with four […]
Read More →Madison County Treasurer’s employees at center of complaint get big raises
Madison County Treasurer Kurt Prenzler put his words to action when he recently gave large raises to two office employees accused of taking part in politically motivated work on taxpayer time. Prenzler told The Metro Independent on June 3 that work done by an employee in his office to assist with the investigation of St. […]
Read More →Free school supplies will be given away to Collinsville area needy
Free backpacks and school supplies will be provided on Aug. 1 to low-income Collinsville area families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Families that meet the income requirements noted below should bring parental identification, Social Security numbers, proof of Collinsville Township residency and proof of income. Supplies will be provided according to particular school […]
Read More →Weatherization assistance available for Madison County renters and homeowners
The Madison County Community Development Office is now accepting applications to assist eligible renters and homeowners with the installation of energy saving measures for homes. Assistance includes insulating attics and sidewalls, caulking, weather stripping, addressing window problems, stopping air infiltration and addressing general heating and cooling waste. The program also includes inspecting furnaces for health, […]
Read More →Interstate 55/70 lane closure at Illinois Route 157 coming Monday
The Illinois Department of Transportation recently announced lane closures on Interstate 55/70 over Illinois Route 157. Traffic will be reduced to one lane on northbound Interstate 55/70 over Illinois Route 157 July 28 and 29. The lane closures are to complete pavement repairs.
Read More →Winner yet to claim $750,000 lottery prize sold at Collinsville Circle K
In “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” strange things were afoot at the Circle K. In Collinsville, big lottery winnings are afoot at the Circle K. The $750,000 grand-prize winning ticket in Saturday’s Lucky Day Lotto drawing was sold at the gas station and convenience store at 2233 Vandalia. The winner, Illinois Lottery officials say, has […]
Read More →Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge closing delayed by almost a year
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that the work previously planned to start in August on the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge has been postponed. The bid submitted to rehabilitate the bridge deck was considerably higher than IDOT had budgeted. The planned work will be revised and the work put out for bid later this […]
Read More →New Collinsville Unit 10 policy allows advanced students to skip grade levels
Gifted students in the Collinsville Unit 10 School District can now skip grade levels if they meet certain criteria. The grade acceleration policy for elementary and middle school students was adopted by a unanimous vote of the School Board Monday and was put in place because some parents and staff have identified at least two […]
Read More →Madison County Board supports high-speed rail route bypassing East St. Louis
The Madison County Board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday in support of one of two routes being considered as the final leg of the Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail connection. The route would cross the Mississippi River at the Merchant’s Bridge in Madison and continue east of the river into St. Louis. The city […]
Read More →$50,000 donation gives Big Brothers Big Sisters much needed financial boost
A recent $50,000 donation from Ameren Illinois to Big Brothers Big Sister gave the agency a much needed infusion of money. In a climate of dwindling federal funding for non-profit organizations, and virtually non-existent funds from the State of Illinois, donations from corporations and individuals are very important, said Barbara Cempura, President and CEO of […]
Read More →New Collinsville High School principal hired
The Collinsville Unit 10 School Board voted unanimously Thursday to hire David G. Snider as the new Collinsville High School principal. Snider comes to CHS from Staunton, Ill,, where he spent two years as the high school principal. The Carlinville, Ill. native made previous stops in Paxton and Palos Hills after starting his teaching career […]
Read More →CARD names Zaber executive director
The Collinsville Area Recreation District Board of Commissioners named Susan Zaber as the new executive director at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday. Zaber had served as the interim executive director since March 10. She came to CARD in Jan. 2011 after serving 15 years as a human resources and operations professional for places such as […]
Read More →Energy assistance program available for low-income Madison County residents
Financial assistance with electric service is now available for low-income households in Madison County. Applications for the Madison County Summer Energy Assistance Program are now being accepted at seven locations, listed below, Madison County Chairman Alan Dunstan announced today. To be eligible, low-income households must meet one of several criteria. A member of the household […]
Read More →Maryville cemetery, hidden in plain sight, linked to town’s founding family
In a small group of tall trees, in one of the newest subdivisions in Maryville, sits a tiny graveyard that is older than the town itself. The Krome Cemetery sits between the tee box at the 4th hole of Stonebridge Golf Course and 2617 Sandstone Drive. The group of about 10 headstones is so well […]
Read More →Eric Flohr, 2008 Illinois Principal of the Year, leaves Collinsville High School
The man who helped coin the phrase, “high school of champions,” has left Collinsville High School to become the principal of a high school in Rockton, Ill. During the eight years Eric Flohr was the principal at Collinsville High School, he was named the Illinois High School Principal of the year (2008) by the National […]
Read More →New Chain of Rocks Canal Bridge to open to westbound traffic on July 11
The new Chain of Rocks Bridge will welcome its first cars on July 11, when the westbound lanes of the Interstate 270 structure are open to traffic. Under construction since 2011, the Illinois Department of Transportation plans to open the bridge fully by the end of September, when it will be opened to eastbound traffic. […]
Read More →Maryville moving towards creating TIF districts
By a unanimous vote of the Village Board on June 18, Maryville set in motion the process to create at least one Tax Increment Finance district in the village. The creation of TIF districts would signal a shift for the town of about 7,487, which nearly doubled in population from 2000 to 2010, but many […]
Read More →Where to find Metro East fireworks and festivals on July 4 and 5
Although American’s celebrate Independence Day on July 4 each year, some Metro East towns have chosen to work on a one-day delay in 2014. Troy and Granite City will be traditionalist, hosting fireworks displays on July 4. Caseyville, Belleville and Edwardsville have chosen July 5 for their festivals and fireworks. Troy – July 4 Troy […]
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