January 20, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Ogden Live Blog, May 6, 2021

I am four minutes late and I feel like I missed a lot. There are some neighbor complaints going on. Someone is burning what sounds like garbage but they never said it was garbage. It may be something else. #idk

Sonja Vickers was given a little going away party before the meeting. It looks like she got flowers, a plant and they had cookies and delicious lemonade.

Sonja is still telling the board what to do. #weallsawthiscoming.

There is a Memorial Day Service on May 31 at 11 a.m. at the Ogden American Legion Memorial Park.

Discussing the person has four dogs. Can you not have four dogs? Apparently, the village has an ordinance that says they can only have three dogs but Animal Control won’t enforce it.

Its interesting hearing how people deal with animal control. It seems like they will come out if someone is bitten but not for anything else really.

The mayor is sitting in the corner of their long desk and it is throwing me off. He needs to charge his computer though.

Brandon Lewis is newly elected to the board. Jim Haan and Kelly Cooper were also reelected.

ALLEGEDLY THE NEIGHBOR BARKED AT THE OTHER NEIGHBOR LIKE A DOG.

That’s odd.

Anyway, the neighbor will get letters telling him not to burn garbage and that he needs a permit for a fence he is building.

A resident has a clock from the old hs and is returning it to the village. #socool #localhistory

Motor Fuel Money. They basically gotta approve it so… they did.

Discussing donating to Stand Up to Coal. #herewego
Todd and Jim Acklin are discussing why are they donating? Todd saying he doesnt’ support Stand up to Coal. Sue saying she supports keeping our water safe. Todd bringing up windmills. It is getting pretty heated between Sue and Todd. Todd said the lady who runs stand up to coal is a liberal and has an agenda.

Go read what Stand up to Coal is attempting to do here.

FESTIVAL TIME.

St. Joe is still unsure if they are doing a festival FYI. Gifford is doing one.

Kelly is banking on Illinois being in Phase 5 by last weekend in August. Doing a car show, band, laser tag, helicopter, bungee jumping, rock wall, no bounce houses, no flea market, ect. Kelly saying it is a lot to do a festival.

Kelly saying anyone who wants to organize softball can. Will reach out for a 5k to people in Ogden.

Discussing issues with the bank. #Idk I think it had something to do with closing the bank parking lot last time but it really wasn’t clear.

Haan bringing up how maybe doing a 5K during a pandemic isn’t the greatest idea because it will be on village property.

Is this going to be like the Easter Egg Hunt where they want to hold it but want it secret so no one from other towns comes? #justasking

Haan saying they need to know exactly what they want to have so they can vote for it or support it because certain things will still be under village insurance, ect.

Sue making a motion to allow Kelly to spend up to $11,000 from the festival account. The money is a weird situation. It’s kept in the village accounts but it isn’t the village money and technically the village doesn’t run the festival even though its organized by a village trustee.

ANYWAY, SHE CAN SPEND HER $

Sue has a long list of beautification issues.

#paintfirehydrants

#rocks

#takesignsdown

#lightpoleneedspainted (I think)

Apparently, someone tore out a village sidewalk. A letter will be sent.


Sue is asking why the water rate is less than the sewer rate. Haan basically saying the water rate was raised less.

Sidewalks will be done before the festival. #wewonttrip

Discussing old bank building and the beautifucaton of old buildings in town.

The sadler feed mill has been purchased. The front will be two business spaces the back will be a sports facility. Doug Dahl owns it now.


Sonja claims that Ogden has businesses St. Joe wanted and she’s tired of people saying they need to beautify downtown to lure in businesses.

Festival wil lalso have a gun raffle.

Egg hunt update: 60 adults showed. Todd wanting to know how many people died of COVID.

The kid one had more than 260 people.

Discussing how citizens are willing to do a survey to see what the community really wants, ect. Some people want to do some beautification things.

It sounded like something just chirped. #dosomebatteriesneedtoberepleased

Jennifer Bowman gently reminding the board they need to slow down on the money spending so maybe they should ask people for a proposal.

Discussing food trucks at the festival and food vendors. I am curious if they will get permited because the County as of last week is not permiting the fish fry at the St. Joseph festival.

Sue asking Gabe to redo committees. Sonja is telling Sue to remember to take care of trees.

This is so disorganized. Basically in other towns, they redo committees after every elections and usually the new people get put on health and safety or parks. I can’t even really tell you who is on the committees in Ogden beyond Sue being on events.

Meeting adjurned.









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