Government
Mixed opinions on minimum wage hike
The Illinois Senate passed a bill Thursday that would increase the minimum wage in the state to $15 an hour by 2025. It passed along party lines, with 39 Democrats…
Read MoreFirst teen court session held
The teen court for Monroe and Randolph counties held its first session Jan. 26, with two teens being prescribed remedies for crimes they committed. “We are about to embark on…
Read MoreCounty board meetings on the move
The semi-monthly public meetings of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners were on the move Monday. The Feb. 4 meeting began at its new time of 8:15 a.m., 15 minutes…
Read MoreColumbia awarded park grant
Columbia has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the state to develop a park at the north end of town. Nearly 90 projects were awarded a total of $28.9 million…
Read MoreGun shops fired up over new laws
Recent firearm control legislation signed by Gov. JB Pritzker could aversely impact gun dealers in Monroe County. Signed Jan. 17, the new laws contain a number of provisions. The most…
Read MoreWaterloo taking control of its water
Waterloo made big waves toward producing its own water Monday night, approving engineering contracts associated with the future construction of a $17 million water treatment facility west of town. “This…
Read MoreHouse explosion lawsuit filed
A local plumber who suffered severe burns during a September 2017 house explosion near Burksville is suing a Red Bud drilling contractor for its role in the incident. Dan Krebel…
Read MoreSchimpf lists legislative priorities
State Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) has announced his goals and priorities for the spring legislative session that starts Jan. 29. Schimpf has divided his priorities into two categories, with one…
Read More$56.5M bet in county
People played $56.5 million at video gaming terminals in Monroe County last year, according to annual data provided by the Illinois Gaming Board. Of that money, $222,345.61 went to local…
Read MoreAmerican dreams realized
They came from 30 countries, including South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Nepal, Honduras, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Burma, China, Peru, Belarus, New Zealand, Cambodia, Zambia, Ghana, Bulgaria, Burma, Thailand, Iran, Iraq and…
Read MoreSchultheis settling in
Monroe County’s newest county commissioner, Ron Schultheis, is settling into his role on the three-member board. Although it isn’t his first role in county government — he has served terms…
Read MoreNew governor takes office
Shortly after noon on Monday, Democrat J.B. Pritzker became the 43rd governor of Illinois. Pritzker’s inauguration ceremony took place at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, with other statewide officials,…
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