Government
Mayor Smith makes return
To the surprise of many, Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith returned to his usual seat in the council chambers at City Hall to preside over Monday’s meeting of the Waterloo City…
Read MoreWaterloo OKs handful of measures
The Waterloo City Council on July 5 approved an intergovernmental agreement between the police department and park district and also amended city zoning code, in addition to giving the go-ahead…
Read MoreNovember races are set
The June 28 primary election cleared the way for some key contested races this November. For elected Monroe County offices, two Republican incumbents will face challenges from Democrats. Running against…
Read MoreCounty hears judicial, EMS updates
Monroe County Probation Officer Courtney Schweickhardt spoke at Tuesday’s meeting of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners in preparation for the change in judicial districts in December. As part of…
Read MoreTemporary tax relief in Illinois
Illinoisans received some modest tax relief when the state’s new fiscal year began July 1. That includes some income tax rebates, property tax rebates, a suspension of the state’s 1…
Read MoreProperty tax process advances
Monroe County has been issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.000, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. The equalization factor — or multiplier, as it is commonly…
Read MoreState aids mental health workforce
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed omnibus legislation meant to assist mental healthcare providers. Senate Bill 3617 seeks to address a variety of funding and staffing issues these providers face…
Read MoreState school facility occupation tax change
Recent legislation set to go into effect July 1 will see the Regional Office of Education getting a significant amount of money back from the state. House Bill 4326 concerns…
Read MorePrimary races decided
With virtually no contested races in the 2022 Illinois primary election for Democrats, Monroe County voters pulled Republican primary ballots at a more than four-to-one ratio. There were nearly 4,500…
Read MorePrimary election is Tuesday
The general primary election takes place this coming Tuesday, June 28, with polling places open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition, early voting takes place at the Monroe…
Read MoreColumbia comprehensive plan delay
A shortage of city staff has delayed the planned completion date for Columbia’s ongoing comprehensive plan process. With the retirement of Sue Spargo as Columbia Assistant to the City Administrator…
Read MoreMonroe County Board hears updates
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners dealt with a relatively light agenda Monday morning. With June 1 being the halfway mark of Monroe County’s fiscal year, commissioners heard a semi-annual…
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