December 8, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at Ogden Village Board, May 2, 2024

Dollar General is here to talk about what their new store layout will look like on the Pink Pig land. It will be a DG Market with “enhanced food offerings.”


It’s all zoning talk. How high fences need to be, offsets, and how trucks will pull in and out of the property. And drainage. So much drainage.

They approved the zoning board variances so now DG can close and get it moving.

GFL is here to discuss a city-wide garbage company for Ogden. They came to St. Joseph earlier. They pick up 38,000 in Peoria per week and have contracts as small as 33 homes in smaller towns.

Discussing the number of homes, the cost and how they do the billing. The company would like the village to do billing through their water bills.

Discussing what happens to the Republic carts if they go with GFL and if residents would have to pay the cancelation fee. GFL rep saying that usually companies waive that fee if a town goes with a city wide carrier.

They are discussing how GFL offers recycling, board saying that would eliminate some issues at the recycling Dumpster.

The board is going to do some research and talk to constituents to see what the public thinks.

The board is looking at their appropriation ordinance. That is an ordinance that allows them to spend money but they don’t have to spend that money. For example, if they put $20,000 in the appropriation for an audit. They can spend up to that amount but don’t have to.

Approving software to do water billing.

They approved the donation so all Ogden residents can participate in the Electronic Recycling event on May 18.

They tabled the Christmas Decor System Contract for $1810 because they want to price more lights.

Discussing hosting a Dumpster Day and how it would be monitored. Kelly asking if they have the money to do this. John Wright saying it’s less about the money and more about the logistics. They are researching what it will take to logistically. It’s tabled.

Discussing whether they will contribute to the sign at PVO south. Ben Smith saying he thinks that since its on the main road and a key source in the village he would like the village to donate. Acklin asking if he has thoughts on an amount. Sue thinks they should donate something. Brandon Lewis saying he wishes the village had their own electronic signs at the park. PVO South averages 22,000-24000 in county sales tax. They may be levying that for bond payments or other maintenance items, said Acklin. Jim saying he thought it was an odd request for a superintendent to ask a village. “I have mixed feelings about it but I told Mr. Isenhour I would ask the board.” Tabled that.

Discussing appointing Mr. Chestnut to the zoning board.

Library agreement- they are tabling it until next month.

They were supposed to have a bid opening on April 23 but they haven’t gotten any bids. Acklin saying he had very little communication from Berns Clancy leading up to the bid opening.

Don Wauither is here from Berns Clancy. #he’smyfavoriteengineer. Some contractors told him they wanted him to delay the bid opening due to a state bid for a large project being due the same day. Wauither said he decided to cancel that bid opening and reschedule and forgot to notify the mayor and Clerk Bowman. “It’s nobody’s fault but mine,” he said. “I will endeavor to do better. I dropped the ball.”

“I don’t want the village to be backed into a corner where we get some outrageous number for the sewer plant project and we can’t do anything else,” Acklin said.

Wauither saying they could reset the bid process for two and three weeks.

They will do a bid opening in two or three weeks.

Committee reports: Had to have an electrician come down to the water plant because the boosters weren’t working.

Working on some nuisance properties.

Discussing Rick’s Tractor Service closing. There will be a mobile coffee shop in town later this year. #SOCOOL

Discussing some flooding caused by a collapsed tile on Lynn Street under a concrete driveway. It will cost $4,500. Acklin enacted his emergency powers to get it fixed so they didn’t have to wait two months.

There will be an Ogden open air market starting soon in downtown. There will be food trucks. Thursday after Memorial Day is when it starts. It will end Thursday before Labor Day.

Acklin got an email from Gieselle Hamm about rebuilding downtown main streets and economic recovery. Basically, it’s grant programs. Deadline is July 22 for grant applications.

Meeting adjourned.



Banner
Related Posts

Live at St. Joseph Village Board March 23, 2021

March 23, 2021

March 23, 2021

We are here. This could be a pretty amazing meeting. LIQUOR LICENSE TIME. We are moving the agenda around so...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Aug. 22, 2023

August 22, 2023

August 22, 2023

Ken Cooley resigned from planning and zoning and the mayor is appointing Steve Peters for that term. That term runs...

Public works working to clear snow

February 3, 2022

February 3, 2022

In a normal snow event it can take seven to eight hours to plow the Village of St. Joseph. This...

Ogden Live Blog, May 6, 2021

May 6, 2021

May 6, 2021

I am four minutes late and I feel like I missed a lot. There are some neighbor complaints going on....

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, July 9, 2024

July 9, 2024

July 9, 2024

Here at village hall. They are discussing how village board wants the bills broken down more. They want to know...

Process for filling vacant trustee position up to the mayor

September 11, 2023

September 11, 2023

How a vacant trustee position is filled is up to the mayor’s discretion, said Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges. Fruhling-Voges had seven...

Election Results April 2, 2019

April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

Village Trustee VILLAGE OF BROADLANDS Vote for three Logan Jeffers 31 Mary Garrett 29 Pamela Propst 26 Village Trustee VILLAGE...

Live at Ogden Village Board, Oct. 7, 2021

October 7, 2021

October 7, 2021

There are five people in the audience at Ogden tonight. This never happens. Unless they are discussing chickens. Two are...

Improvements coming to rail trail

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

Improvements to the Kickapoo Rail Trail will be starting in September. With the assistance of the Illinois Department of Transportation...

Cunningham wants to help Homer grow

April 6, 2021

April 6, 2021

Ray Cunningham feels he has unfinished business.  Cunningham is running for reelection as Homer’s mayor on April 6.  “I am...

Village to hold public hearing on marijuana dispensaries

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

The Village of St. Joseph will hold a public hearing to discuss allowing marijuana dispensaries in town. The hearing will...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board June 22

June 22, 2021

June 22, 2021

Tonight at St. Joseph Village Board they may hire an administrator. I have spoken to the candidate via email and...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board

May 26, 2020

May 26, 2020

They are discussing a variance for a property. I am in two zoom meetings currently. SJO School Board and St....

Live at St. Joseph Village, Jan. 10, 2023

January 10, 2023

January 10, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be. Discussing bills. Art has some questions about the bills. Discussing Sterling...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board

April 28, 2020

April 28, 2020

We are here and zooming in. #safetyfirst Jeff Van Buskirk will be replacing Roy McCarty on the village board. They...

Comments
Leave a Reply