April 3, 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.









Banner
Related Posts

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Dec. 12, 2023

December 12, 2023

December 12, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be but there’s also a ton of people here. I am not...

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...

Business owners thankful for community support after break-ins

January 25, 2022

January 25, 2022

Around 6 a.m. this morning the owner of Country Chics, Stacy Cast, got a notification. The notification told her that...

New type of liquor license up for vote at St. Joseph Village Board

January 13, 2020

January 13, 2020

On Tuesday night, the St. Joseph Village Board will discuss and vote on whether to create a new liquor license....

Ogden mayor resigns effective Nov. 1

October 26, 2023

October 26, 2023

Gabe Clements has resigned as the mayor of Ogden effective Nov. 1. ,In his resignation letter to the Village Board,...

Study looks at economic impact of hotel in village

April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024

A hotel feasibility study has found that a hotel is sustainable in the Village of St. Joseph.  The study, conducted...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board August 9, 2022

August 9, 2022

August 9, 2022

I am the only one in the audience so far. Thanks to MX electric for sponsoring our live blogs. They...

Ogden reminds residents to use Recycling Dumpster responsibly

April 11, 2019

April 11, 2019

The Ogden Village Board is reminding people that the Ogden Recycling Center is not a garbage dump. Yesterday the village...

5 questions with Republican Caucus candidate Max Painter

December 2, 2024

December 2, 2024

1. What made you want to run? I had initially planned to retire after this term, but I’ve reconsidered due...

St. Joseph Public Works quarantining

December 9, 2020

December 9, 2020

The St. Joseph Public Works Department is quarantining until the first of next week. Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges made the decision...

Lewis wants to give back to hometown

April 5, 2021

April 5, 2021

Brandon Lewis has one goal as trustee—give back.  Lewis is running for Ogden Village Board on April 6.  “I want...

Talk of the Town with Royal Mayor Bob Vilven

February 18, 2019

February 18, 2019

Every week we are going to ask a village official or school administrator to answer three questions. This week it...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Sept. 14, 2021

September 14, 2021

September 14, 2021

I am here.. It’s just me in the audience. Meeting is being run by Terri Cummings. We are moving right...

Village to take vote on dispensary Sept. 10

August 27, 2019

August 27, 2019

Residents have until Sept. 10 to make their opinions on a dispensary within the village known. During the August 27...

Philo Exchange Bank to build permanent location in St. Joseph

June 27, 2022

June 27, 2022

Philo Exchange Bank is pleased to announce 802 E. Warren Street as the building site of their permanent St. Joseph,...

Comments
Leave a Reply