Kaskaskia News

Substance abuse programs throughout Illinois could soon find themselves struggling to serve their poorest clients.

A stretch of Route 3 will be closed for sandbagging for two hours on Friday afternoon, according to Larry Willis with the Randolph County Emergency Management Association.

Fireworks displays are being trimmed down by stricter Illinois state licensing requirements.

The mighty Mississippi has wiped out Illinois towns before, including one that had been the state capital.

The City Council on Monday set a public hearing to allow the public to weigh in on a sewer insurance program that would help keep sewer customers from having to spend thousands of dollars on some repairs.

Friday Update: Please check here for the latest developments throughout the weekend.

Authorities say the man who died when his car was swept away by swift, high water in eastern Illinois was a 72-year-old from Mattoon.

Emergency responders have been dispatched to rescue an occupied vehicle that is in the water in the Kaskaskia River north of Mattoon, said Coles County Sheriff Darrell Cox.

This story was featured in the April, 2008 issue of Marion Living Magazine Story By Violet Grisham PHOTO- The photo shown in the art at left is from the 1960's, taken at the Black Crystal Coal Company. via Marion Living News

“If we get tunnel vision and only focus on the environmental side, then we will shut ourselves out of the economic benefits and bite the hand that feeds us.”

Environmentalists are satisfied that a sixth of the $60,000 won in an appeal concerning water quality near the Prairie State Energy Campus will be used to monitor water downstream from the plant. via WaterWorld

“I've been getting really serious about it the last five or six years. I really like Rend Lake and Carlyle Lake, and during the winter we do real well out at Baldwin. It seems like the colder it is the better we do.”

Catfish anglers in southwestern Illinois should be in for a bountiful year when it comes to landing their favorite species.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently released the 2008 Catfish Fishery Status Report, a summary of the catfish outlook for Illinois waterways. The information, which was produced by biologists from fisheries around the state, is a valuable tool to determine the health of the catfish population in public lakes and rivers.

Not surprisingly, the report concludes many of the lakes in southwestern Illinois are hotbeds for channel, flathead and blue catfish. Read more

The Kaskaskia River was well over its banks today in Fayetteville but most homes in town were not threatened by the waters.

Most homes and other buildings along First Street, which runs parallel to the Kaskaskia, sit safely on a small bluff that rises above the flooded areas.

Two houses, one along First and one on the other side of the river near Illinois 4, plus at least two outbuildings, were threatened by rising waters.

Fayetteville is in southern St. Clair County off Illinois 4. Read more

“Other troubles began to surround him”

Beside poverty, hunger, unfriendly natives, foul weather and disease all contributed to early Roman Catholic missionaries' frustration.

The 'History of St. Clair County Illinois - 1881' says that the natives were involved with barbarism, polygamy and slavery.

'The fickle savage was easily led astray, the least cause would often induce him to throw away in one moment what the labor of months and years of the priest had been able to build up,' the book says.

But the missionaries carried on, organizing churches, riding circuits to Catholics who couldn't come to church and helping build a faith that endures. Read more

“The president is below in his carriage, awaiting you!”

Q. During the recent remodeling of the Denny's restaurant in Belleville, the decor was changed to include copies of old Belleville photos. All are marked as being courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Museum. One features a ballroom with an amazing inlaid floor. I believe it is identified as the Morrison house with 'the famous floor.' Where was this house and how can I contact the Lincoln Museum to purchase copies of these photos?

-- Debbie Gain, of Belleville

A. Anyone who has lived in or near Belleville for any length of time surely has heard of Glen Addie. Today probably know only part of the story behind the name. Read more

The villages of Dozaville and Kaskaskia , Illinois remain as vestiges of settlement on Kaskasia Island. via Ecology of Absence

“We wanted to get the message out to as many college-aged people as possible”

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Kaskaskia College has decided to drop out of a program to distribute more than 6,000 condoms at area colleges as part of Condom Awareness Week.

'They have informed us that they have decided not to participate,' said Katie Barnhart, community prevention and education coordinator for local AIDS awareness group Bethany Place. 'We still plan to go ahead with the event at the other three schools.'

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, McKendree University and Lewis and Clark College are still on board to participate in the event, which falls on the week of Valentine's Day. Read more

In just four years, 71 traffic crashes occurred at the intersection of Illinois Routes 162 and 157. via Alton Telegraph

“We're hoping the study and review and approval is this year (2008)”

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Plans are under way to seek money for a new interchange on Interstate 64 at Rieder Road just east of O'Fallon.

If approved by the Federal Highway Administration, the new interchange would be between Illinois 158 and Illinois 4, and would provide a direct road to the rear gate at Scott Air Force Base and access to MidAmerica Airport.

St. Clair County has approved a $400,000 contract with Kaskaskia Engineering to perform the work required for submitting the application.

O'Fallon Mayor Gary Graham and Shiloh Mayor James Vernier said the exit would benefit the area, boost MidAmerica and open a large area near the airport for commercial development. Read more

Compiled by Mike Riopell - Chronicle Springfield Bureau The Illinois FIRST program gave then-Gov. George Ryan the ability to dole out billions of dollars for projects and programs in every corner of the state. via Daily Chronicle