January 22, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, March 8

I am here so you don’t have to be.

VIllage Clerk Tiffany McElroy Smetzer is wearing a shamrock sweater which I can get down with because I am 75% plus Irish.

They are doing the minutes, bills, treasurer’s report. The stuff they gotta do but is boring. #itsbasicallyhousework

Crowd control: It’s just me. Said the St. Joseph DQ is going to be awesome and is going to hold a fundraiser for the splash pad. Date TBD.

Board is discussing the different type of residential zoning. R1, R2, R3, R4 are all different but barely. They are discussing when the zoning meetings are to discuss the updated zoning map. This does not have anything to do with Philo Exchange Bank. This is the zoning update they have discussed previously which was first discussed 5 years ago. (I know it was five years ago because I was on maternity leave with Sully.) #historicalknowledge #Nooneelsewouldknowthis #trivia

Picnic table time. There are 1800 pounds of bottle caps that have been collected. #somany The kids at Prince of Peace Early Learning Center count them, sort them, ect. then the village stores them and when there is enough they can have picnic tables and park benches made out of them.

Max Painter is discussing how they could do a park bench in honor of Ross Booker. It would cost $300 plus the plaque. Tami saying there is no set policy on this for the village. Tami is recommending the village order it and then people who want to donate to the cause donate towards the bench. So they are ordering four benches, one will be to honor Ross and if you want to donate towards it contact the village.

They are discussing a fee for people who want to do solar panels on their home or in their yard. Are there enough people in town that want solar panels that they need a fee? I guess so.

The fee for solar panels and wind turbines will be $50. #gogreeniguess

Discussing the minimum wage increase through 2025. Joe has information from other communities.

They have been discussing this for a while but it’s all theoretical so I am not going into it. Basically, they will eventually, sometime in the future discuss it again.

The next meeting will feature the village’s bond council. #pleasesendhelp #bondsareboring

The community survey results are in. I will get the results. #didyousayyouwantedasplashpad #youbetterhave.

They are announcing the winners of the gift cards. The winners are Amber Barnett and Julie Woller. Come to village hall to claim your IGA gift card.

The village hall has lost WIFI. No one panic. #Wehavebeenlosingitatourhouseallday

Tami saying please keep the Booker family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. They are discussing the Gift of Life flag-raising ceremony that was held earlier for Ross at Carle due to his organ donation.

MIke Sennert is here and trying to get the internet back up. #idontknowifitwillwork #heistryingthough

Art is saying he has spoken to two people who moved from Champaign to other area towns because of the school situation in Champaign. He feels like the village needs to do something to expand residential development in order to encourage more people to live here. Tami said Joe is having meetings to spur development along.


Meeting adjourned.





Banner
Related Posts

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Nov. 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

I am here so you don’t have to be. Doing the consent agenda. Basically, they approve the minutes, ect. all...

Live at Ogden Village Board July 8

July 8, 2021

July 8, 2021

The Matanky Group is here saying they want to bring in a lot of business here to Ogden. He said...

Village hopes to accommodate restaurants for outdoor seating

May 26, 2020

May 26, 2020

The Village of St. Joseph is hoping to help its restaurants in any way it can. Governor JB Pritzker announced...

Village reminds residents to pick up after their animals

October 6, 2020

October 6, 2020

Poop is a problem in St. Joseph—dog poop that is. Village of St. Joseph Office Manager Julie Hendrickson said that...

Richards hopes to make difference as Homer mayor

April 6, 2021

April 6, 2021

Jeremy Richards has plans for Homer.  That is why he is running for mayor in the April 6 election.  “I...

Brush pick-up suspended indefinitely in St. Joseph

June 17, 2019

June 17, 2019

St. Joseph Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges has suspended brush pick-up indefinitely. Fruhling-Voges said she understands why residents are upset with the...

5 questions with Republican caucus candidate Steven Peters

December 2, 2024

December 2, 2024

1. What made you want to run? I have been a member of this exceptional community for the past 20...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Aug. 23, 2022

August 23, 2022

August 23, 2022

I am here with five people in the audience. #hugecrowd Plus, the usual Mr. Sennert doing IT and Mr. Miller...

Wakefield wants to serve community

April 5, 2021

April 5, 2021

Allison Wakefield knows Ogden.  Wakefield has lived in the community for more than 18 years and is now raising her...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board July 12, 2022

July 12, 2022

July 12, 2022

Jim Page, Synthia Snydor, Tracy Sharp, Craig Harper and Mike Voges are here with the usual crew. MX electric sponsors...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Feb. 27, 2024

February 27, 2024

February 27, 2024

Thanks to MX Electric for sponsoring our live blogs. I am 11 minutes behind but they are going over the...

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...

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...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board Oct. 26

October 26, 2021

October 26, 2021

I am live at village board so you don’t have to be. Visit Champaign County is here. I feel like...

St. Joseph addresses brush pickup

May 30, 2019

May 30, 2019

The Village of St. Joseph is suspending brush pick up for a second month in a row. The wet Spring...

Comments
Leave a Reply