Government
County hears tax, road updates
After two days of budget hearings last week in preparation for creation of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, the Monroe County Commissioners had a relatively light agenda Monday morning. Monroe…
Read MoreMore ARPA funds for local towns
Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced last week that more than 1,200 small cities, towns, and villages across Illinois will receive $371 million…
Read MoreNo cash bail causes concern
The Pretrial Fairness Act passed early last year as part of the larger SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform bill will eliminate the cash bail system for anyone cited for alleged…
Read MoreAnother roundabout for Columbia
With finishing touches still being completed on one Quarry Road roundabout, members of the Columbia City Council were somewhat surprised at the announcement the city had been awarded nearly $1.2…
Read MoreWaterloo man guilty of embezzling funds from St. Louis County company
A Waterloo man on Thursday admitted embezzling $339,844 from his former employer. Ronald Scott Miller, 54, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark at the federal…
Read MoreZoning board denies cell tower request
Parallel Towers III and AT&T were denied an appeal for a building permit for a new cellular communications tower at Monday’s Monroe County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. The appeal…
Read MoreWaterloo Heritage Wall coming soon
During last Tuesday’s meeting of the Waterloo City Council, aldermen approved the creation of a Waterloo Heritage Wall on the north side of Frederico’s Restaurant, 114 N. Main Street. Summit…
Read MoreTax rebate payments begin
Income and property tax rebates were being sent to an estimated six million qualified Illinois taxpayers beginning Sept. 12. The rebates are the result of the Illinois Family Relief Plan,…
Read MoreCourthouse confusion for county
The implementation of Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act in 2023 and the beginning of the 24th Judicial Circuit this December has created an air of uncertainty for many involved in the…
Read MoreTo forgive or forget college debt relief?
The recent announcement from the Biden Administration concerning a proposed Student Debt Relief Plan has sparked significant controversy. While some emphasize personal responsibility when it comes to taking care of…
Read MoreUnion and employee organization on ballot
An item concerning union organization and labor bargaining in Illinois will be on ballots for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election. The full text of the item can be found…
Read MoreProperty taxes down; bills almost ready
Monroe County Treasurer/Collector Kevin Koenigstein has released 2021 property tax rates along with payment deadlines for taxes payable in 2022. Koenigstein noted overall taxes collected for Monroe County are lower…
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