October 9, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Nov. 9, 2021

I am here at village board. Terri Cummings, Jeff Van Buskirk are not here. Wagner is on zoom.

The Hitts and the Parsons are here. You may remember them from last time with the sewer issue.

Kirsten Schaefer is also here to discuss her food project.

They are doing investments and bills right now.

Schaefer is speaking now. She has worked on a community service project “Feed your Neighbor.” The project helps with food insecurity. She created the project because her friend has to pay for their own dinner from their birthday or Christmas money.

10 percent of the hs is food insecure. Restaurants around St. Joseph allow people to pay for a meal at Roch’s, Scratch, El Toro, and the Ribcage. Food insecure residents can go to restaurants and redeem a free meal.

I am going to get more info. This is an amazing project she has put together.

Fruhling-Voges said she thought it was a good project.

Hitt and Parsons time. Painter wants to wait until the next meeting because there are so many people gone.

Art kinda hinted that the insurance company refused the claim again but didn’t say it outright.


To recap, the lift station failed, the alerting system failed, the Parsons ended up with sewage in their basement. It cost more than $7,000 to clean up not even counting the build back and the family wants some form of payment from either the insurance or the village since it was the village’s lift station that failed.

Todd Hitt is asking for clarifications and saying he has rebuttals to what the insurance company has said. Joe the village administrator said he wants the rebuttals in writing.

Hitt says the village is negligent. He is disappointed people aren’t here to take the vote, ect.

Basically- they aren’t giving them an answer tonight.

Clark Dietz gave the village a pro/con list of locations for the splash pad. I am going to get a copy of it. They are being vague but whatever. Next meeting is when Water Odyssey is going to be here. Art wants to know how much water it is going to use. Question- would the public be willing to pay a 25 cent surcharge on their sewer bill so $3 a year to fund the water?

We raised more than $800 from the trunk or treat. THank you Wagners and IGA. The fire wives are donating 10 percent of their Christmas Pancake Breakfast to the splash pad and we are placing doorhangers out.

Max suggested a QR Code.


Go to Stjosephsplashpad.com I made this website to keep people updated and you can also donate to our go fundme from there.

Discussing pedestrian walk ways now.

Luke is talking about the changes they are making to keep the lift station failure from happening again.

Oh wait, Dan Davis isn’t here either. SO its Wagner, painter and Art. It’s only a quorum since Tami is here and can vote.

Mike saying previously the lift station had alarms and no one called. HOW is that possible. If someone hears a boom it’s on the St. Joseph page. How would no one call for a blaring alarm? I mean I believe it but lord.

They are discussing selling vehicles, buying new ones.

They are discussing light bars for vehicles.

Discussing staff coaching and governing body coaching services. It sounds like this is “hey, you can do this this and this as a trustee” but you shouldn’t do “this this or this.” Its probably to tell them that they are to decide policy not like nitty gritty stuff like where the signs for a business are going to be located.

Costume parade was very very well attended. About 30 kids attended. (My three were there!) It was a good event and beautiful day, the mayor said. (It was. So cute.)

On Veterans Day Shawn Hallett, the SJO resource officer, will be speaking at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Monument near the HS. and then the legion will host ham and beans and chilli after the presentation.

Discussing some tree situation. Painter hates that they didn’t buy local. They bought trees in Bloomington and Painter wanted them to buy local. #makessense

Mike saying he did get a quote and they were higher.

Meeting is over.

Banner
Related Posts

5 Questions with Republican caucus candidate Matt Wolfersberger

December 2, 2024

December 2, 2024

1. What made you want to run? My original plan was to step aside at the end of my term,...

‘It’s probably the biggest event, the biggest natural disaster we have had’

June 30, 2023

June 30, 2023

Assistant Public Works Director Luke Fisher has never seen anything like it. “It’s probably the biggest event, the biggest natural...

Village expected to accept bid for Boy Scout Building

September 13, 2022

September 13, 2022

The village is expected to accept a bid for the former Boy Scout Building tonight. Roche and Heather Cain submitted...

Kelso add commercial space for rent

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Josh Kelso wants to help expand commercial space in St. Joseph. The owner of Kelso Heating and Cooling knows how...

St. Joseph VIllage Board, Feb. 8

February 8, 2022

February 8, 2022

I am way late to Village Board but I am here. They are discussing snow plowing and how people got...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Aug. 10

August 10, 2021

August 10, 2021

I was 15 minutes late. Village board is packed. Not totally sure why but its public comment time! MY favorite...

Homeward Bound: Piper’s incredible adventure comes to an end

September 23, 2020

September 23, 2020

Piper, the most famous Labrador in St. Joseph, is finally back home. The dog spent seven days exploring St. Joseph...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board , Nov. 22, 2022

November 22, 2022

November 22, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, Eve. Apparently, they buried a time capsule today but no one told me so…. There was no...

Recycling returns to Ogden

July 11, 2019

July 11, 2019

Recycling is coming back to Ogden. At the July 11 meeting, the village board voted to return the recycling Dumpster...

Village Gardeners to kick off season Monday

April 12, 2019

April 12, 2019

On Monday, the St. Joseph Village Gardners are kicking off their 2019 season. Member Samuel Furrer said the group’s first...

Live Blog April 13, 2021

April 13, 2021

April 13, 2021

They are supposed to discuss food trucks. #MAKEITHAPPEN And give an update on the village administrator. Doing investments. Doing bills....

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be. Here are the big items on the agenda. They are going...

Hackler to be honored with street sign

January 25, 2022

January 25, 2022

Former Mayor B.J. Hackler used to spend a lot of time on Lincoln and Main Streets in St. Joseph. If...

Chittick Eye Care to open in early March

February 24, 2020

February 24, 2020

Chittick Eye Care will open its ninth clinic in downtown St. Joseph in early March. The clinic will be staffed...

Remembering B.J. Hackler: ‘He made people smile’

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

B.J. Hackler liked to stay busy. He belonged to the St. Joseph Tea-Totalers, a group of residents who meet in...

Comments
Leave a Reply