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 →The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle for sale
***Updated: World’s Largest Catsup Bottle owner Larry Eckert contacted the Metro Independent to say he has had “a change of heart.” The warehouse and water tower are no longer offered for sale separately, they will be sold together*** Imaging going to Paris and finding the Eiffel Tower for sale, or strolling past the parliament […]
Read More →A year later, both shelters benefitting from donation that went to wrong Collinsville
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for the Ward-Wiseman Animal Haven in Collinsville, Okla. In a tale of two cities that share a name and a coal mining history, the animal shelter in the town of fewer than 6,000 near Tulsa, Okla., received a large donation in the spring […]
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 →Mayor’s attempt to appoint new Caseyville village attorney fails without vote
The Caseyville Village Board considered hiring a new village attorney and a new Tax Increment Finance attorney Wednesday. One motion passed and one left an uncomfortable silence in council chambers. Mayor Leonard Black’s nominee for the next village attorney garnered so little support from the Village Board that they did not even allow the motion […]
Read More →Caseyville Police involved in another chase, two suspects arrested in East St. Louis
Caseyville Police were involved in their third police chase in less than a month on Tuesday. All three chases ended with the suspects captured in East St. Louis. At about 11:54 a.m. Tuesday, an officer stopped a car near Illinois Route 157 and St. Clair Avenue. The officer saw the male driver switch seats with […]
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 →Collinsville Council passes resolution urging governor to veto water connection bill
The Collinsville City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday requesting Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to either veto Senate Bill 3507 or make an amendatory veto. The bill calls for restrictions on how much townships and municipalities can charge new users for water and sewage connection fees. If the bill becomes law, the fee cannot exceed […]
Read More →Collinsville 159 project currently six months ahead of schedule
The recent shift of traffic to the eastbound lanes of Illinois Route 159 through Collinsville signals that the 159 project in Collinsville is 40 percent complete and at least six months ahead of schedule. Crews will begin putting in a storm sewer, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and new pavement on the west side of 159 (Vandalia […]
Read More →Collinsville “one man crime spree” ends with six felony charges
A Collinsville man is accused of stealing three cars, a 16-foot trailer, a Bobcat Skid Loader and $10,000 in tools with no assistance. Christopher J. Calandro, of the first block of Tiemann, Collinsville, faces six felony charges for what a spokesperson for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office called “a one man crime spree.” All […]
Read More →A life cut short at Beltline and Bridle Ridge Road
Nearly one year ago, Collinsville lost a resident whose daily walks and love of the outdoors made her a visible figure around town. Slender, 5-feet 8-inches tall and always on the move, she traversed the streets almost entirely on foot or bicycle for most of her 52 years. Even residents who had never met her […]
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 →Independence Day tussle with police ends with Taser show for local man
What started with a woman screaming for help on July 4 ended with two police officers kicked and the suspect on the receiving end of multiple Taser deployments and four felony charges. Tyler W. Vaughn allegedly dragged a female in an apartment in the 500 block of Village Drive in Glen Carbon Friday and intentionally […]
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