February 9, 2026 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

Mayor to encourage board to allow trick-or-treating

October 1, 2020

October 1, 2020

St. Joseph Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges is going to encourage the village board to allow Trick-or-Treating. Fruhling-Voges said she had examined...

Philo Exchange Bank holds meeting to address concerns

March 1, 2022

March 1, 2022

Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges wants residents near a proposed location for Philo Exchange Bank to know she is not in favor...

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

March 14, 2023

March 14, 2023

This should be a short meeting. #Yesijustjinxedit On the agenda tonight: the never ending discussion about the public works storage...

Live at Ogden Village Board

May 5, 2022

May 5, 2022

I am here so you don’t have to be. The village just voted to purchase lime for the baseball diamonds....

Village purchases 25 acres of land near sewer plant

September 12, 2023

September 12, 2023

$750,000. 25 acres. In July the Village of St. Joseph entered into a purchase agreement with the Pritchard family of...

Talk of the Town….. with Gabe Clements

September 5, 2019

September 5, 2019

Every week we ask a village trustee, mayor, school board member or administrator three questions. This week we talked to...

‘Julie has been the backbone of this village for a long time’

December 28, 2021

December 28, 2021

Julie Hendrickson loves St. Joseph. And a piece of the small town’s footprint will soon step away from a long-time...

Brush pick-up discussion still ongoing in St. Joseph

July 1, 2019

July 1, 2019

The Village of St. Joseph is discussing having residents purchase bags from the village for brush pick-up. Village board members...

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...

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...

Board to decide on new liquor license classification tonight

January 28, 2020

January 28, 2020

Tonight, the St. Joseph Village Board will discuss and vote on whether to create a new liquor classification that would...

Village Board to continue discussing sewer rate increase

March 26, 2019

March 26, 2019

The St. Joseph Village Board is expected to continue discussing the timeline for the upcoming sewer rate increase roll out...

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...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Jan. 12, 2021

January 12, 2021

January 12, 2021

I will live blog tonight. Pavlov media will give a presentation. Susan Monte from Regional Planning will be there. We...

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...

Comments
Leave a Reply