Government
Locals travel to D.C. for Presidential Inauguration
Monroe County, Columbia in particular, was well-represented Monday in Washington, D.C., as Barack Obama took the oath for his second term of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. A crowd…
Read MoreCounty board talks EMS services
The Monroe County Board met Tuesday morning at the courthouse in Waterloo. Monroe County Ambulance Director Carla Heise briefed the board on plans to replace aging ambulances that serve the…
Read MoreClean-up under way following fuel spill in Hecker
An environmental contracting firm is working under the observation of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to finalize clean-up of between 2,500 and 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel following a spill that occurred…
Read MoreRiver traffic still flowing, for now
Area rain and snow over the past weekend have brought a temporary reprieve for barge shippers on the middle Mississippi River. Combined with recently completed rock removal work by the…
Read MoreCounty board talks roads, bonds
The Monroe County Board opened the new year with its first meeting Monday morning. County engineer Aaron Metzger reported on several highway issues, including word that a federal grant is…
Read MoreNew Illinois laws take effect in 2013
Jan. 1 not only marked the beginning of a new year, but also began the enforcement of more than 150 new laws in Illinois. Here is a description of several…
Read MoreLegal video gambling comes to Monroe County
Although hundreds of machines have gone live in Illinois bars, truck stops and fraternal halls since the state began its roll-out of video gambling in September, it wasn’t until last…
Read MoreColumbia approves tax levy increase
The Columbia City Council on Monday night approved its tax levy for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2013, in the amount of $1.94 million. This represents an increase of…
Read MoreCounty holds final meeting of year
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners conducted its final meeting of the year Monday morning at the courthouse in Waterloo. County highway engineer Aaron Metzger reported progress on the Kaskaskia…
Read MoreDupo teachers, school board at impasse on contract
An impasse has been declared as part of negotiations between Dupo teachers and the district Board of Education on a new teachers contract. The teachers have been working without a…
Read MoreMunicipal election filing period begins Monday
Since September, those seeking re-election or mulling a possible candidacy for elected city, park district and school board seats have been picking up petitions and collecting signatures to run for…
Read MoreCounty board OKs budget
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners held a special meeting Friday to pass the fiscal year 2013 budget. The approved budget calls for approximately $6.6 million in receipts and $6.2…
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