Two Buildings Get Rehab, One Torn Down in Downtown Marion

Again, it's not exactly tourism, but two projects on North Market Street in Marion are changing the views in the historic downtown shopping district.

Hurst-Roche Engineers, Inc. bought both the Duty and Heyde buildings in the 200 block of North Market Street last year and shortly thereafter began renovations.

They've now moved their Marion operations into the Duty Building on the corner. The Marion location is one of six in Illinois and Missouri.

The south wall includes Marion's third exterior mural downtown. This time showing three figures that could be workers for the firm.

The figures are similar to the scenes in Greenville, Illinois.

The building has recently housed furniture stores in the last couple of decades, but before that it was home to a series of pharmacies since the beginning of the 20th Century.

Delos L. Duty, former owner who gave his name to the building when he added the second floor nearly a century ago, started out as a pharmacist there in the early 1900s. He became an attorney in the early 1910s and Williamson County's state's attorney in the turbulent 20s.

He began a high profile murder trial on the first day of his term in 1920, which resulted in a death penalty against Settimi DeSantis, which will be the subject of a new book out later this year by this author tentatively titled, "DeSantis the Doomed and the Curse of the Black Hand."

Duty went on to prosecute union miners following the Herrin Massacre and become a thorn in the side of the Ku Klux Klan during the Klan War of the mid 1920s.

Down the street on the other side in the 300 block, Meridith Ashe, owner of M Clothing & Accessories in the renovated Williams Hotel building next to Bennie's Italian Foods has torn down the old Book Exchange building at 301 N. Market on the corner, but is planning to keep the building in between at 303 and 305 N. Market St.

At one point she had considered plans for a bed and breakfast on the second floor of the Williams Hotel above her clothing store, but ended up with apartments instead.

As to her future plans for the remaining building and the corner lot, nothing is set in stone.

"Right now, I'm not sure, since I just finished renovations [on the Williams Hotel]," Ashe said this afternoon.

As to the corner lot, "for right now, we're just clearing it off and planning."

She's wanting to keep the middle building and eventually renovate it.

UPDATE — Oct 6, 2011

For more on Ashe's business, check out this feature on her from earlier this summer in the Southern Illinoisan.

Sunday Liquor Sales Move Forward in Metropolis

The move to allow Sunday Liquor Sales at Metropolis restaurants could pay off for the city's establishments in a matter of days rather than weeks according to a report Sunday on News 3.

Marion made the change a couple of years ago and restaurants predicted a big increase in Sunday revenue.

Marion and Carbondale Get $2.5 Million for Projects

They're not exactly tourism developments, but both Carbondale and Marion will be building new aquatic facilities thanks to a new state grant announced today by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Quinn announced 22 projects awarded funds in the Park and Recreational Facility Construction (PARC) Grant Program.

The funds are for "targeted investments to eligible local governments for acquisition, development, construction, rehabilitation or other capital improvements to park and recreation facilities in Illinois."

The Department of Natural Resources oversees the grant program and will reimburse "grant recipients up to 75 percent of approved project costs with up to 90 percent reimbursement available to local governments defined as disadvantaged."

The two Southern Illinois proposals were both development projects. Carbondale Park District will get $2.5 million to construct an outdoor aquatic center which will feature one leisure zero-depth entrance pool and one competition pool with a diving well.


View Projects Underway in Marion in a larger map

Marion will get the same amount to go toward constructing a new community recreation center at the site of the old Marion Memorial Memorial Hospital. The building will have an indoor swimming pool, basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts, restrooms, locker rooms and a wellness center office space.

Marion Mayor Bob Butler described the proposal to the Marion Daily Republican last December.

"I think it should be the type of facility that will appeal to people of all ages and will provide a broad and diverse type of activity," Butler said.

The former hospital site is five acres on West Main Street, just west of Court Street. The city owns the land.

"It is a good utilization of that property," Butler said. "It will bring a facility to the city that is really needed. We don't have anything in one location that would provide the activities and the endeavors it will provide."

The city at the time stated the plans called for $3.5 million, 20,000 square-foot facility. Much of the remaining funds would come from the new Hub TIF district. Baysinger Design drew up the original plans.

Williamson County hasn't had any racquetball courts since May 29, 1982 when the Airport Racquetball Club became one of the first casualties of the Marion tornadoes of that day.

The project will be the fourth indoor aquatics center though for the county, and the third in the modern era. John A. Logan College operates one currently and another is planned for Herrin on Bandyville Road.

The county's first indoor pool was once located at Cagle Park, a 10-acre amusement center on Route 13 (now Main St.) west of Halfway Road, back in the 1920s. That park also had a dance hall and game rooms. The Klan and Prohibition officers raided it a couple of times. The owner, Hosea Cagle, died during that era after driving through a closed section of the highway and getting clothes-lined on a cable the contractor had used to block off traffic.

UPDATE — Oct. 5, 2011
The cost of the overall project seems to have been lowered to $3 million in the stories this week rather than the $3.5 million from last December. Not sure about the difference, except the new figures might not include the cost of the land, which the city would have been allowed to count as an in-kind match in the grant application.

Click on the links for the stories in the Marion Daily Republican and the Southern Illinoisan.

Map of Marion Projects Underway

View Projects Underway in Marion in a larger map
Click on the outlines of the colored shapes for more information about the developments.

Marion Truck Plaza Closes for Rehab Work

For the first time since the 1982 tornado the Marion Truck Plaza is closed for business. This time though the devastation is intentional as the truck stop goes through a complete overall.

I'd been hearing about this for last month but didn't think much about it. What I had been hearing was complaints from fans of the Great American/Refuge Restaurant which was slated to close and be replaced by yet another Subway (the city's fourth by last count).

There's a fan base for smorgasbord-style restaurants that cook American-style. Since the closing of the old Little Egypt Smorgasbord (where Farmers State Bank is today), the Refuge has been the only place to go in town. When you got there at the time right the food was hot and good.

The Marion Truck Plaza was originally known as Skelly's Truck Stop and dates back to the 1960s and the earliest days of Interstate 57. Back then, the restaurant was known was George's and the truck stop offered its own mechanic services.

The tornado of May 29, 1982, caused major damage to it and the Regal 8 (now Motel 6) motel across the street. Both reopened a few months later.

So far workers are digging out the tanks and the scales on the east edge of the property. There were workers on the roof taking apart the bracing for the old wrap-around which suggests they're not planning to take down the entire building and rebuild from scratch.

This is the second major change on that side of the Halfway Road/Route 13 intersection. The Amoco service station on the southwest side was demolished earlier this year. Plans to replace it with a liquor store/smoke shop combination seems to have stalled after the liquor store, Speakeasy Liquors, opened just down the road at the base of The Hill this summer.

I'll add more updates as they become available.

UPDATE: That was quick. The Marion Daily Republican ran a short brief earlier this month. According to Tom Kane's story, the owners of the truck place sold it to Pilot Travel Centers on Sept. 21

Interstate 57 marks 50 Years of Traveling

MARION, Ill. (Sept. 26, 2011) -- Today marks the 50th anniversary of first dedication of Interstate 57.

On Sept. 26, 1961, Gov. Otto Kerner dedicated the first 30-mile stretch of the Chicago to Cairo superhighway. At the time motorists could drive only from Marion down to Dongola.

The Southern Illinoisan quoted Kerner at the time claiming the route through the Shawnee Hills as “one of the most scenic to be found in the entire 41,000 mile national interstate system.”

Illinois had 1,589 miles of planned interstates, but only about one-third ready and open to the public.

Kerner bragged that when completed, the interstate system “would make it possible for motorists to leave the point where we are assembled today and drive from coast to coast and from border to border without encountering a single traffic light.”
Work on the interstate began in the 1950s. At the time engineers priced the 50-mile stretch “though the hill county of southern Illinois” at $21 million, according to an Oct. 17, 1959, article in the Mt. Vernon Register-News.

Interstate 64 was part of the original plans for the state’s interstate system, but not Interstate 24. Originally, planners called for I-64 to cross the region from Vincennes, Ind., to St. Louis, intersecting I-57 at Salem. Only due to strong pressure in Indiana to move the interstate closer to Evansville helped pulled the route down to Mount Vernon.

Although not part of the original system, U.S. Rep. Ken Gray hinted at the future I-24 as early as Mar. 8, 1960, according to the Register-News.

By using a southerly alignment of Route 64 it may be possible to utilize Interstate 57 from a point south of Mount Vernon, Ill., to Pulley’s Mill south of Marion, Ill., and a newly constructed road from Pulley’s Mill across the Ohio River to Nashville, Tenn., and points south,” Gray said, accurately predicting the eventual route.

When I-57 opened in 1961, only the 20-year-old Motel Marion stood close to the interstate, luckily for them as a new Route 13 had opened along DeYoung St., on the north side of Marion a couple of years earlier. The four-lane portion of Route 13 only ran from Fair Street on the east side of Marion west to Illinois Route 148. From there it was just two lanes to Carbondale.

The Motel Marion added a new pool and completely rebuilt their rooms to compete for interstate travelers, bragging about Georgia cypress paneling, glass shower doors and lavanettes in the bathrooms. The sleeping rooms included walnut furniture, brown and tweed carpeting, television sets and colored telephones.

Marion Castellano broke ground on the first modern multi-story hotel on DeYoung St. in the summer of 1960. It opened eventually as the Travelodge in Nov. 1962. It later became the Family Inn and then the Heritage Inn before closing in the 1980s.
Rep. Gray’s brother Ralph Gray opened up the Marion Gray Plaza motel in the summer of 1963.

Ralph Gray and three Harrisburg businessmen developed the 101-room Ramada Inn on the east side of the interstate in Marion which opened in July 1967. The coffee shop had half barrels in the ceiling and became the city's first Cracker Barrel when it opened. Today the inn is operated as a Days Inn.

Carbondale Holiday Inn owner Stan Hoy announced plans for a new Marion hotel in 1968. The new Holiday Inn with then just 100 rooms opened in June 1969. It later became a Travelodge and finally an Executive Inn before closing in the last decade. A new Holiday Inn Express is currently under construction in the city up on The Hill.

Gov. Kerner came back to the region on Nov. 1, 1962, to open the next stretch of I-57 from Marion to Johnston City. The West Frankfort interchange opened the following year and by 1965, the interstate opened for traffic as far north as Mount Vernon.

One interesting tidbit about the original construction. when the state bought the land for Exit 30, the I-57 interchange with Illinois Route 146 east of Anna, a small park had to be relocated. Known as King Neptune Park, it was the final resting place of a 700-pound hog whose patriotic duty during World War II helped generate $19 million in sales of war bonds.

Eventually, his remains and a marker was placed along Route 146 a few miles east of the interchange. In recent years though a new marker has been placed at the Trail of Tears Welcome Center along the interstate just north of the interchange.

Dedications and ribbon cuttings continue 50 years after the interstate opened. State and local officials will open Marion’s newest ramp onto the interstate off of Morgan Avenue this Thursday.

New Comfort Inn underway in Marion

It's not been announced, no story in the paper, not even a building permit on file yet with the city, but there's a second new hotel coming to Marion, and this time it's a Comfort Inn.

The proof is in the mail, or at least on the outside of the mailbox at 2403 Black Diamond Drive, between Sao's Asian Bistro and Black Diamond Harley-Davidson's warehouse as seen in the background of the photo.

A number of people have known about this for sometime as it's been in the works now for four years. It was one of three new lodging establishments under development when I was at Williamson County Tourism, but after Country Inn & Suites opened and the recession hit, everyone went quiet for a while.

Now that we have a Holiday Inn Express under construction and currently up to its second floor, it's apparently time for the new Comfort Inn to make the big leap from simply being proposed, to actually becoming a reality.

From the way it looked Friday before the rain site prep must have just started this past week. No building permit was on file as of Thursday or so at City Hall, which isn't that much out of the ordinary. The big apartment complex underway on Russell Street south of St. Joseph's Catholic Church didn't have a permit either even though they've cut down the trees and are getting ready to lay waterlines this week.

The 2.36 acre lot for the hotel sold four years ago on Dec. 14, 2007, for $346,250, or $3.37 a square foot (down from the $8.45/sq.ft. asking price). It includes 286 feet of road frontage and runs 359 feet deep. On the east side a lake divides this property from the Fairfield Inn on top of The Hill.

The Comfort Inn brand is part of Choice Hotels International which franchises more than 6,100 hotels around the world. At the end of June they had 450 hotels under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States. Other brands include Comfort Suites, Quality Inn and Econo Lodge which are already represented in Marion. The original Comfort Inn in Marion is now the Quality Inn.

Choice Hotels hold the second largest market share of all chains, behind only Wyndham.

Three Tickets Left for Fort Massac Autumn Feast

The Friends of Fort Massac have just three tickets left for their Autumn Feast fundraiser at the fort as of this morning.

Tickets, which are priced at $20 each, are expected to sell quickly. To purchase tickets or for more information, call Reba Reed at 618-645-1034, Sharon Burris at 618-524-9657 or Fort Massac State Park at 618-524-9321.

The fundraiser's looking good. The three tickets left are out of 185 originally offered.

The Autumn Feast will begin at 5 p.m. with period music by Heritage Band, a group from De Soto. The menu consists of fall foods that would have been available between the 18th and 19th centuries, and the costumes worn by members of Friends of Fort Massac will approximate that period, as well.

Numerous door prizes will be awarded, and guests will have the opportunity to bid on various silent auction items. There will be paintings by local artists, pottery by a local artisan, knives, jewelry, a hand-crocheted afghan and an original print entitled "Recruitment" by Michael Haynes.

STAR Bonds Deal Slows, But Still Moving Forward

Though it seems like months since anything new has broken about STAR Bonds development deal for Marion, it's still moving forward, just at a pace frustrating to local officials.

The Marion City Council had two items on the agenda last night about the project, but delayed votes on both. The agenda labeled the items the "Millennium contract" and the "Holland Ancillary contract." Mayor Robert Butler told the council the two contracts weren't quite ready yet.

In other business with a bit of tourism impact the council created a new set of taxi licenses which will replace the current system. For years the city has limited the number of licenses available with existing companies able to buy up licenses and prevent competition.

The new system sets the license at $100 and no limits on the number that can be issued. The Marion Daily Republican provided the details.

Marcus Commander had approached the council previously and was present again Monday as the council changed its policy to accommodate his business and to keep others from monopolizing the market.

The council now requires a vehicle to go with each license, with a $100 annual fee per vehicle as well as proof of liability insurance with at least $500,000 in coverage. The current licensing system will be phased out by next June.

“We are putting no provision on the rates to be charged,” Butler said. “I felt that free enterprise and competition will take care of those rates.”

Kudos to the council for the action.

Marion Moves to Take Over Williamson County Pavilion

The Marion City Council took action tonight cleaning up the financial mess known as the Williamson County Pavilion, a mess caused at its creation when excess bed tax funds originally intended for the operation of the building, were unexpectedly required to be set aside.

That move crippled the Williamson County Events Commission's ability to adequately staff and operate the convention facility, requiring the separate Williamson County Tourism Bureau to subsidize the operations at a detriment to its own tourism promotion efforts.

Tonight the council passed an intergovernmental agreement with the Events Commission, voted to take over the facility, levy its own city 3 percent bed tax to pre-empt the existing county tax, pay off the old financing bonds, and issue new general revenue bonds in their place

The other part of the mess was the issue of property taxes on the property. Although a non-profit corporation, the Events Commission found out to their surprise that they were not tax-exempt when it came to property taxes. In a move suggested, or at least supported, by the local bank backing the bonds, the Events Commission sold its interest in the land back to the city (who originally donated it in the first place). Afterwards the city immediately leased the building back to the commission to operate. Since then the property transfer has been the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Marion School District in an effort to collect the taxes they feel should have been paid.

The council approved a lease of office space to the Williamson County Tourism Bureau which has been housed in the facility since it opened in 2005. The original proposal called for a five year lease of $500 a month. In recent negotiation the bureau asked that they be allowed to get out of the lease after one year with 30 days notice. The city's point man on the issue, local attorney Ron Osman, countered that both sides to the lease should be able to cancel it after one year. The bureau agreed and wanted 90 days notice, and the council tonight agreed.

Though there was some discussion at the meeting that they couldn't see why the bureau might want to leave. Trust me, it's obvious to anyone who has ever tried direct tourists to the building behind the Illinois Center Mall.

Between the proposed tourism development with the STAR Bonds district on the east side of the interstate and the Chamber of Commerce's earlier plans (now presumably on hold due to the STAR Bonds proposal) for a new visitors center on Main Street in front of the state regional office building, the bureau is smart to keep their options open.

I hope to know more tomorrow, but it's clear to me that tonight's move is a major step forward both for the Pavilion's operations and the potential of improvement for the tourism bureau as well.

Road Construction Ramps Up On The Hill in Marion

A line of concrete trucks idled next to Rent One Park today for work on the extension of Champions Drive in Marion from the Kokopelli clubhouse to the home of the Southern Illinois Miners.

Now that the rains have stopped for more than two days in a row it's construction time. Soon golfers, diners and residents heading to Kokopelli will be able to go up Halfway Road to pick up the new extension.

Meanwhile, a bit to the south at the four-way intersection at the base of The Hill next to 17th Street Bar & Grill where Halfway now turns into Champions and Morgan Avenue becomes the namesake 17th Street, crews are installing much needed stoplights.

It's amazing to think no intersection even existed there a decade ago!

With the new Speakeasy Liquors at the intersection now taking applications for workers while construction progresses, the new Holiday Inn Express on The Hill moving in construction trailers, the widening of the south side of the Route 13/Halfway Road intersection and the new Ron's OneStop planned for that corner, it seems that the construction drought has officially ended.

Maybe, just maybe, if gas prices don't strangle the recovery, this ever-dragging recession will finally become a thing of the past.

Fight Continues Over Use of New Madrid Floodway

The fight is now in the federal courts over whether to blow the levee below Cairo in order to save the city. The area in question is the New Madrid Floodway and was designed to be flooded in emergencies.

Since the 1927 Mississippi River Flood that has only happened once, in 1937. The Corps of Engineers wants to open a gap while Missouri is fighting to block the flooding.

Here's the area in question that would be flooded. Basically, there is a levee along the Mississippi on the right side of the area and another levee protecting a larger section of communities on the left side of the designated area.

The map is my best estimate based on the existing levee roads. The area stretches from Bird's Point, Mo., opposite Cairo, to New Madrid.


View New Madrid Floodway in a larger map

Crest Prediction Lowered a Bit

The National Weather Service is lowering its predicted crest of the Ohio River to 60.5 feet on Monday due to plans to release less water from Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

Still unknown is whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will blow a hole in the levee just below Cairo and flood 130,000 acres of Missouri farmland. The Missouri Attorney General sued in federal court today to stop the plans, which have been standard operating procedure for decades since the feds purchased flowage rights to the land following the levee building after the 1927 Mississippi River flood.

In 1937, they blew the levee when the water reached a little above 58 feet at Cairo, which it will be sometime before morning as it was 57.11 feet at 6 p.m. Back then, it lowered the water nine inches at Cairo before the river started rising again.

Dynamite Agains Becomes An Option

In a repeat of what happened in 1937, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering the dynamite option, Fox News reports.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was considering the extraordinary step of intentionally breaching the Birds Point levee in southeast Missouri, just downriver of the confluence, in a bid to reduce the amount of water moving down the Mississippi. The move would soak 130,000 acres of farmland, and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon objected to the idea. A decision was expected Tuesday.

This is part of a plan put in place after the levees were built following the disastrous 1927 Mississippi River Flood. They did it in '37 to help save Cairo and it worked.

[For the history go here at IllinoisHistory.com]

Then Cairo was a city of 14,000, now it's down to 2,800. In 1937, the river was getting close to overtopping the levee in Cairo. So far that's not the case — yet. The latest prediction is a crest next Tuesday at 61 feet, three feet below the top of the levee, and 18 inches above the '37 record.

Right now the biggest levee worry is along the Black River at Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where more than 10 inches of rain has fallen over a wide area since Friday night, according to the radar estimates.

At Cairo, the city council met last night to discuss evacuations. So far, eight families have notified police they are leaving. River levels were 56.6 feet last hour at 10 a.m., more than seven feet below the levee top. In 1937, the evacuations of women and children began on Jan. 25, a week before the Feb. 3rd crest when waters reached 58 feet, just two feet shy of the then 60-foot levees.

The biggest problem if the water doesn't overflow the levee itself like it is at Poplar Bluff, becomes sand boils.

The major problem by Feb. 2, 1937, became the dreaded "'sand boils' bursting up in the heart of Cairo Tuesday forenoon, gave warning of deeply undermined flood barriers. Emergency squads rushed to the danger spots, dumping hundreds of sandbags on the miniature "geysers" boiling through the then strata of protective surface over the city's foundation of sand."

Back then, a crew of 4,500 men manned the levees, adding sandbags, quickly adjusting to whatever was the latest danger. Approximately 1,500 were townsmen, 500 WPA workers, some CCC enrollees and the by one account (I know the math doesn't add up), 4,000 federal and state troops.

New Forecast Pushes Cairo River Stage to Record 61 Feet

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service ups its crest prediction for Cairo from 60 to 61 feet as of next Tuesday. That compares with the record set in 1937 at 59.5.

The river should rise past the 1937 record by 7 a.m. Thursday and reach 60 feet by 7 p.m. that day. Back in '37, 60 feet was the height of levee. Thankfully the Corps of Engineers raised the levees another four feet since then.

River Levels to Bust Cairo's 1937 Record Next Week

It's official, the river forecast for Cairo will surpass the record 1937 flood level.

I've been wondering if the AP had the wrong information and now it seems to be confirmed. There have been a number of reports that the river would "crest" Friday a foot below record stage at Cairo. The charts I was looking at from the NWS didn't show a crest, just the last point in the forecast Friday.

According to the Ohio and Lower Mississippi River Forecast on another page from last night at 7:40 p.m., the Ohio River expected to crest (meaning its highest point) will be on May 3, a week from Tuesday, at 60 feet which is a half a foot below the all-time record of 59.5 feet set on Feb. 3, 1937.

One of the important things to notice about the first chart is the difference between what was actually measured this afternoon and what was forecasted. The actual measurement was higher than the forecast. That's not good.

Unlike the 1937 flood which started upstream on the Ohio and came down to an only moderately flooded Mississippi, this one is appears to be due to heavy rains here in the Midwest with both major rivers in flood stage. Upriver on the Ohio is not so bad.

Paducah is expected to see a crest of 55 feet on the 3rd as well which will surpass all records except the big one of '37. That year it was 60.6 feet. While that's still major flooding for lands outside the levees, it's not at the point that would normally impact the heavy industries upstream at Calvert City, Ky. It's also well below the levee height of 64 feet.

A key note to last night's flood forecast by the NWS. They based it on 48 hours of future rainfall rather than the normal 24 hours. "River sages may potentially be 1-3 ft higher in some areas with 5 days of future rainfall."

That doesn't give a whole lot of wiggle room for Cairo. The expected 60 foot crest is just four feet below the top of the levees protecting Cairo.

Upriver Mounds and Mound City have another foot of protection. Their levees don't get topped until the river at Cairo is 65 feet.

Rains Raise River Projections, Cairo Could Top Record

With this weekend's storms already dumping 4 to 6 inches of rain throughout Southern Illinois and more on the way, the Ohio River at Cairo could reach record levels later this week if the projected trend of river levels continues.

The river was at 52.76 feet a few minutes ago at 1 p.m. Major flood stage at 53 feet will be reached within a few hours.

The National Weather Forecast only goes out to Friday morning when they project 58.5 feet, just one foot before the record of 59.5 set back in the 1937 record flood.

At around 1 a.m. Wednesday the river is expected to reach 56 feet. At that point U.S. Rt. 51 near Wickliffe, Ky., floods. Later that day the river will surpass the 1997, 1927 and 1975 floods at 56.2, 56.4 and 56.5 feet.

Even if the water hits the 1937 flood levels at Cairo, the city still has another 4.5 feet of levee height to protect it.

I'll have to pull out some history, but if I recall correctly, the mayor of Cairo ordered the city evacuated except for all albe-bodied male citizens who were required to stay and assist with sandbagging and other emergency efforts.

The situation is quite as bad at Paducah where the river was 46.36 feet at 1 p.m. and is projected to reach 53 feet on Friday, which means it will likely surpass the fourth worst crest of 53.2 feet from the 1950 flood.

If the tornado and storms of yesterday didn't cause damaged already, property damage from flooding will begin at 47 feet. At 49.5 feet, the first flood gate will be closed at Paducah. If it hasn't been done already, it will be likely be closed tomorrow as that level will be reached within the next 24 to 30 hours. Major flooding will begin to occur on both sides of the river when the waters reach 52 feet which is currently predicted for around 1 p.m. Thursday.

If waters continue to rise the next major impact occurs at 56 feet (which would be the second worst flood after the '37 one). At that point many of the industrial plants upstream at Calvert City, Ky., become impacted.

Tornado Targets Another Airport — This Time at Cairo

You'd think airports were turning into trailer parks with the damaged they've taken in the last 24 hours.

A tornado hit St. Louis International Airport last night blowing off parts of the roof and windows throughout the terminals. The airport reopened today and expects to be up to 70 percent capacity by Sunday.

This afternoon less than four hours ago another tornado hit the Cairo Regional Airport at Klondike in Alexander County, causing extensive damage at the airport as well as the hanger damaged as well.

Carbondale Tourism Office Moving Out of Mall

Tourists to Carbondale will soon be able to visit a new tourism office near the SIU campus on South Illinois Avenue starting in June.

Debbie Moore, executive director of the Carbondale Convention and Tourism Bureau, announced the planned move last week. The bureau's current office in the University Mall.

"We want to be more accessible to the students, so we can provide enhanced learning opportunities," Executive Director Debbie Moore said in a statement. "Our move isn't only based upon the needs of current students. We also see a need to be a better information resource for students' parents and for visiting alumni, who frequently seek travel information."

Moore also said plans were underway for a website, which is much needed.

Opportunity Exists to Right Wrongs in Old Water Plan at Rend Lake

On the surface water allocation rights don't seem to be a topic important to Southern Illinois tourism, but John Tranquilli, Ph.D., retired director of the Office of Resource Management at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources dives into the topic and how it's important to recreation use at Rend Lake.

Tranquilli made the points in a column in the Southern Illinoisan earlier this week.

In 1970, when Rend Lake was first built, the primary purpose for the lake was municipal and industrial water supply. At that time, the Office of Water Resources of the state of Illinois was given responsibility by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for the allocation of up to 109,000 acre feet of water from the "joint use pool" at Rend Lake. The joint use pool is defined as the volume of water in Rend Lake from an elevation of 405 feet above sea level to 391 feet above sea level. The initial water allocation gave no consideration to the impact of this allocation on outdoor recreation or natural resources at Rend Lake.

The key phrase is "no consideration to the impact... on outdoor recreation." That impact to the local economy has grown to around $30 million annually.

It's because recreation wasn't taken into consideration 41 years ago that leaves us to the mudflats that are all too frequent at the lake.

The spillway at Rend Lake is presently uncontrolled with the bottom of the notch at an elevation of 405 feet. When the water reaches the bottom of the notch, only 2 feet of water remains before recreational interests are impaired, but under OWR's 40-year-old contract, they are willing and able to continue removing water until the lake level falls to 399 feet. In fact, according to OWR's contract, more than 50 percent of the water allocated to them is still available, in spite of the fact that at the current allocation rate the lake has already reached 403 feet on 10 separate occasions. This disparity must be corrected to protect outdoor recreation.

The good news is that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is presently updating its Water Control Plan at the lake. Tranquilli supports retrofitting the notch to 407 feet providing another two feet of water depth.

Ohio River Rising Back for an Encore

Rising river levels aren't threatening the lodging facilities in Hardin County, but the extended closing of the ferry at Cave-in-Rock is hurting local restaurants who rely on Kentucky customers unable to make it.

I did a book run to Hardin County on March 1, and rising waters were just getting to the stage that the ferry was planning to close in a couple of days. After three weeks or so the waters receded and the ferry reopened. Now another round of flooding closed it again Sunday.

By Tuesday before the storms hit, the water was already up to the alley behind the buildings along Main Street. Water Street which is the parking area along the river is under water.

Down at Elizabethtown, the water's not a problem for the Rose Hotel and the River Rose Inn across the street. It is a problem for the floating E'town River Restaurant. The eatery is supposed to be in the water, but not the parking lot and Front Street. It normally opens for the season in April.

Upstream at Shawneetown, the National Weather Service is reporting flood waters at 42.68 feet this morning at 1 a.m. not quite reaching the Moderate Flood Stage level of 43 feet. Major Flood Stage is 53 feet there. They only forecast out one week. The water is expected to continue rising with a projection of 47 feet next Thursday. That's still seven feet below the 1997 flood and well below the 1937 levels of 65.64 feet.

Downstream, at Golconda the National Weather Service is forecasting rising waters throughout the next seven days. Flood stage is 40 feet and the river was 44.57 feet this morning at 1 a.m. It's projected to be at 47.9 feet in a week. Moderate Flood Stage is at 50 feet.

The river is at 45.1 feet at Paducah, just two feet over the start of Moderate Flood Stage. Major stage doesn't start until the water is at 52 feet which was the winter crest back in 1867, not that anyone remembers that one. The record flood of 1937 was 60.60 feet at Paducah.

It's a bigger issue at Cairo. It's supposed to be 51.8 feet at Cairo by Monday morning, just a little over a foot away from what they describe as Major Flood Stage. That's five feet below the March 1997 high water mark and just under 8 feet below the 1937 flood.

Chicago Man Pushing for Urban Winery in Windy City

The Illinois wine industry that for the most part remains nestled in the hills at the edge of the state, whether up near Galena or down in the Shawnee Hills, may soon its first urban competitor.

Chicago redeveloper Bill Lavicka wants to take an 19th Century country mansion in the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago and turn it into a winery, complete with locally-grown grapes planted on what's now city-owned vacant blocks. The Chicago Tribune has the story.

 

Updates on new Holiday Inn Express, One-Stop

Reed Station Hotels LLC out of Carbondale took out a Marion building permit last week on the 11th for their new Holiday Inn Express on The Hill in Marion.

Located at 2609 Blue Heron Dr, the inn will be located immediately to the east of MidCountry Bank and across the road in front of Rent One Park. Charlie Brown of Carbondale is the principal driver behind the hotel. His group also owns the Holiday Inn in Carbondale and has built others as well.

The building permit, the 22nd of the year so far, is the largest project to date at $4.7 million. Speakeasy Liquors is the second biggest.

Clearwave Communication took out building permit March 31 for a $560,000 office and mechanical building at 1100 Golf Drive immediately west of Marion Suburu. In other construction matters the city has issued  permits this year for four new homes and three triplex apartments.

There's no official word yet on the new Ron's One-Stop slated for the southwest corner of Route 13 and Halfway Road. In the last few weeks crews took out the gas tanks and torn down the old station. No building permit has been filed yet. It's supposed to be similar to the Ron's One-Stop on the east side of the interstate, except there won't be gas. Instead it will be a combination convenience store, focusing on tobacco products and liquor. An application for a liquor license supposedly has already been submitted.

Meanwhile, up Halfway Road, Speakeasy Liquor announced a few hours ago that they're now taking applications for employment on their Facebook page.

New River to River Trail Guide Available

The 4th edition of the River to River Trail Guide is now available for hikers and backpackers.

The new edition covers reroutes of the trail in recent years in the Lusk Creek Wilderness Area, Crab Orchard Fish and Wildlife Area and Pine Hills region. But the most notable difference in the new guide from the previous guides is the size.

...The guide is more than a trail section to trail section guide for backpackers. It gives information on legends of the area, such as a brief history of Anna Bixby who was credited with the discovery of milk sickness, a discussion of weirdness associated with the Max Creek Vortex, information on canoing opportunities and a chapter on the American Discovery Trail from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts of which the RTR Trail is a part. Those passages may not be vital to someone looking to the next turn in the course of a multi-day trek, but may help pass a few minutes at an end-of-day campfire.

The guide also is the first to show the official change of the eastern edge of the trail of Battery Rock to Elizabethtown which was made last year.

Copies of the guide can be purchased from Big John's in Eldorado, the Shawnee National Forest headquarters in Harrisburg as well as Bookworm in Marion and Carbondale. Orders can also be placed directly with John O'Dell, president of the trail society at 618-252-6789.

Supreme Court Clears Issue for Sparta Shooters

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled 7-0 yesterday to void the prosecution of an Indiana man arrested with a firearm, but no Illinois-issued FOID (Firearm Owners I.D.) card.

Although the arrest had nothing to do with tourism, the prosecution sent shivers to organizers and promoters of the World Shooting Complex at Sparta. The Supreme Court threw out the argument that a non-resident had to possess an Illinois-issued FOID card since state law limited FOID cards to residents in the first place.

Had the ruling been upheld the impact could have been crippling to the complex as its hosts shooters from across the country and many different countries.

New Mayors for C'dale, H'burg and P'ville

Cities play an important role in tourism in Southern Illinois and while tourism never plays a key role in city races whoever wins those races tend to play an important role in tourism, even if just indirectly.

Marion voters re-elected Mayor Bob Butler to a 13th term in a three-way race with 58 percent of the vote. Ironically, prior to the Millennium Development project Butler was actually contemplating retirement.

In Franklin County, voters kept incumbent Mayor Gary Kraft and the entire city council in Benton. Among his other points Kraft was one of the organizers and a key volunteer in developing the Franklin County Jail Museum. Down the road in West Frankfort, voters gave Tom Jordan his own four-year term as mayor following his appointment last year first as finance commissioner and then stepping up as mayor when Marion Presley died.

Over in Perry County voters weren't so satisfied. DuQuoin voters barely returned John Rednour as mayor in what appears to be the closest race in the region. He defeated a strong challenge by Guy Alongi by just 16 votes. To the northwest in Pinckneyville voters replaced incumbent Mayor Joe Holder with Finance Commissioner August Kellerman in a four-way race.

In Carbondale, Joel Fritzler who came in third in the primary surged ahead and took the lead in today's general election to succeed Brad Cole who didn't run and has taken a job on the staff of U.S. Senator Mark Kirk.

Last but not least, former Saline County Board Chairman and state representative candidate Eric Gregg won an open five-way race for mayor of Harrisburg. In Eldorado incumbent Mayor Rocky James easily defeated his challenger.

In another race that will impact tourism challengers swept out four incumbents in the Marion Unit 2 District school board race. What that means for the administration is unknown, but it's expected that the district will now be dropping its ridiculous lawsuit over the Williamson County Pavilion and whether or not the non-profit corporation that operates the city-owned property should be paying property taxes.

Signs That the Recovery Is Here (or at least near)

Not only did the Great Recession (extended needlessly by Washington politicians clueless to past history) kill off Marion's Circuit City distribution facility and the all-but-announced Target distribution center on the east side, but it also put a stop to some smaller projects near the Interstate.

For the last couple of weeks though signs, like the spring flowers, are popping up that these long-delayed, or at least long-contemplated projects are about to bloom.

To be honest, both of these as of yesterday still haven't taken out building permits with the city, but site work is progressing.

At the corner of Route 13 and Halfway Road, owners of the old Amoco station across the street from the truck stop, had all but the north end of the building down yesterday. This was the first gas station west of the interstate built in the mid 1960s.

Originally built as a service station with a garage, over the years different owners have redesigned it as a convenience store, but it's just been too small and too inefficient a design. Between the truck stop on one side and the FiveStar Food Mart across the highway that opened in 2007, it was only a matter of time. Now the word in some of the neighboring businesses is that it's a new station.

Ron Kruep of Mount Vernon owns the Ron's One-Stop chain of stations in the region. He's never hesitated to close down, sell off, or just completely rebuild from scratch when needed. He already has the One-Stop on the east side of the interstate at Route 13 and Carbon.

Up Halfway Road will be an even bigger development just east of MidCountry Bank on Blue Heron Drive. They cut an entrance in the retaining wall on Morgan a few months ago, and for the last couple of weeks there's been a new sign. Marion, it appears, will be getting a new Holiday Inn Express.

Based on past interviews with the owner Charlie Brown who also has the new award-winning Holiday Inn at Carbondale, the Marion facility will be 101 rooms. (At least that's what I remember though to be honest I can't find my notes right now).

Unlike the Carbondale facility it will not have a restaurant attached to the property. However, if you check out the map for The Hill, there is an outlot between the new hotel and Stadium Drive that could become home to (say, ahem, an Olive Gardens possibly?) That's just speculation based on a long-running rumor. I've also heard of another location for the long-sought eatery on the west side, though with the Millennium Development all bets are off as to where such a restaurant might locate. Over the years Olive Gardens rumors have popped up almost as much as the Busch Gardens one.

Right now Williamson County has about 1245 rooms available with 1108 inside the Marion city limits. The new hotel would place Marion about at the same level as Mount Vernon in terms of rooms along the interstate. Even with 1209 rooms, it would still be less than half of what Paducah supports.

The proposed destination hotel in the Millennium Development project would bring another 300 to 450 rooms based on what the smaller Great Wolf Lodge inns offer. (A GWL hasn't been confirmed, but just given as an example by the developers of what they would like to attract.)

Brown's company has owned the land for the new Holiday Inn since at least 2007, but has not moved forward due to the credit crunch caused by the recession. Though it's never been formally announced, the project was one of three hotels looking at building in Marion around 2006-2007.

Jim Zeller went ahead and got the Country Inn and Suites up and running before the recession hit. A third developer bought the land behind Sao's Asian Bistro but has never developed it.

Meanwhile the new Speakeasy Liquors now under construction on Halfway Road has the roof. According to their Facebook page they will be holding a job fair later this month, but as of tonight have not set a date.

Iron Chef Finds 17th Street Ribs Among the Best

A production crew for the Food Network's "The Best I've Ever Ate" shot footage at 17th Street Bar & Grill in Marion last Friday.

Iron Chef Michael Symon first tasted 17th's ribs last fall during a taping for an episode of "Food Feuds." Since then he's stopped by the restaurant while traveling.

The Southern Illinoisan found owner Mike Mills a bit humbled by the publicity.

"It's a huge honor to be on any of these shows," Mills said. "We're kind of in the fly-over states, so anytime we can get exposure for Southern Illinois, it makes us very humble and proud. People really do come from all over the world."

Besides "Food Feuds" and "The Best I've Ever Ate," the restaurant has been featured on The Cooking Channel's show "Food Crafters."

Updates on the Millennium Development

While we're still waiting for details on the major anchors for the new Millennium Development, Marion officials continue to work on getting the city ready for the destination development.

City Administrator Gail West recently told Johnston City community leaders that none of the retail tenants are businesses that have any store currently within 70 miles of the city. While that is a requirement for the major anchors and suggested for the secondary, it's the first word that it would the case for "all" the stores.

The "Magic City of Egypt" has lost some of its luster over the decades and half of its population since the 1920s. City leaders are hoping recent approval of Home Rule and a TIF (tax increment financing) district will help turn the community around. They see the growth on the north side of Marion eventually spurring activity at the next interstate exit on their west side.

Last week the Marion City Council discussed agreements with IDOT over plans to for the new "single-point" interchange redo for Exit 54 on Interstate 57 at Illinois Route 13, as well as the expansion of the Morgan Ave overpass into a full interchange as well.

The city will kick in around $7 million for the 57/13 interchange and $1 million on the Morgan Avenue work. It would have to be reimbursed to the state over 15 years with the developer expected to share part the costs.

In a separate story, Mayor Robert Butler told the Southern that the city would be committing 2.5 percent of the city sales tax to the project for infrastructure improvements that would presumably include the road projects. Not mentioned, but again assumed, is that the sales tax would be the portion that is generated from within the STAR bonds district.

Harrah's Casino at Metropolis Reopens

Harrah's Casino and Hotel at Metropolis is set to reopen this morning at 9 a.m. following a temporary closing last Wednesday due to high waters on the Ohio River.

According to their website, "all food outlets will be open, with the exception of The Rivercrest, which will open Wednesday, and The Range Steakhouse, which is typically closed on Tuesdays."

The 36,000-square-foot casino and its related hotel are part of the Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corp.

Elsewhere in Metropolis, the portion of the new George Rogers Clark Discovery Trail in Fort Massac State Park is now open for bicyclists.

King City Adds New Attractions

Mount Vernon, the King City, has added a couple of historical attractions for tourists in Southern Illinois.

At the Mount Vernon Outland Airport, Charles Lindburg's personal airplane, a Monocoupe D-145, will be on display for most of the year while its normal space at Lambert St. Louis International Airport undergoes renovation.

Meanwhile on the other side of town at the Times Square Mall, the new Mt. Vernon Professional Firefighters Local 738 Firefighter Museum opened its doors Friday.

The center piece is a fully-stored 1939 Diamond T fire engine. The museum also offers historic photographs and displays of fire equipment from years gone by.

The museum is open during regular mall hours. If you're looking for a guided tour, contact the Mt. Vernon Professional Firefighters Local 738 at www.iafflocal738.org.

Speakeasy Liquors Heading for Marion's Restaurant Row

The new $600,000 building going up at the corner of Halfway Road/Champions Drive and 17th Street/Morgan Avenue between the Country Inn & Suites and 17th St. Bar and Grill will soon be home to Speakeasy Liquors come sometime in May.

They're shooting to be the city's "premier liquor store" with a "large beer cave, a cigar humidor, and a premium wine cellar." Their goal is to set a "new standard in quality and product selection while maintaining cost competitive products."

Diederich Properties took out the building permit. Jeff Diederich is the principal owner. His other businesses include Diederich Insurance and the 20s Hideout Steakhouse at the other end of Halfway Road.

They already have a Facebook page. Yesterday, they provided the latest update.

With approximately 60 days remaining until our grand opening, Speakeasy Liquors would like your input. We are currently working on developing our wine cellar and cigar humidor inventory selections. Naturally, we will have the basic items however; if you have any suggestions regarding premium wine or cigars we would love to hear them.

The new location will be at the crossroads of I-57 traffic coming down Morgan Avenue and as well as baseball fans and golfers coming down Champion Drive (formerly that part of Halfway Road up on The Hill) from Rent One Park and when the current roadwork is finished later this spring) Kokopelli Golf Course.

Rising Rivers, Gas Prices, Raise Concerns

Just got back from a book run through southeastern Illinois this afternoon. Here a few updates, thoughts, etc.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway visitors center in Equality will reopen next month.

First, the rivers are rising, but it's too early to tell if they're going to get damaging. I noticed the Saline was out of its banks below the Route 1 bridge. However, the ferry at Cave-in-Rock is expected to close Friday due to high water that will block access from the Kentucky side.

Hopefully we won't see a long period of high water. At this time of year a bigger percentage of the customers in the Cave-in-Rock restaurants come from Crittenden Co., Kentucky. Without a ferry, there's no close way to get to Illinois for a meal.

Yesterday, the water rose over Front Street in Rosiclare (which is annual occurrence in the winter) for the first time this season. The city closed the street today. Access is blocked to the E'town River Restaurant that floats along the river bank. Still, no cause to worry yet, the eatery wasn't planning to open until April anyway.

I also found out today that the Hardin County Independent decided to stop selling local interest books as of the first of the year. They had been carrying my books for the last few years. The late owner Noel Hurford was big on local history.

Not to worry, the gift shop at the historic Rose Hotel down the street has my books as well as others. (Check out the inn's website for a great video of the site). The River Rose Inn across the street also carries my books.

With all the trouble in the Arab world with residents finally getting upset with their undemocratic governments, oil prices are going up and so are gas prices. Wholesale prices for gas in Southern Illinois are now up to $3.01, I found at one service station on my way back. According to the owner, drivers can add another six bits (that's 75 cents in current currency) to see what the retail price will soon be.

I saw a lot of FOR SALE signs along Routes 1, 146, 145 and 34. This is a good time to buy. Just a reminder, I am a Realtor. While none of these are my listings, if you're looking for some property for a get-away retreat, hunting, or an investment, give me an e-mail at jon.musgrave@mchsi.com. I'm affiliated with Paul Wilson Realty in Marion, Illinois.

IHSA Looking for Sites for Football Championship Games in 2013

The Illinois High School Association needs a new home for the state football championships on Thanksgiving weekend starting in 2013. Changes in the Big Ten means U of I will need their field on even years.

SIU's new arena would provide the warmest location for the annual match-up. How about some regional cooperation between Carbondale and Williamson County tourism bureaus? It would take all the rooms in both counties to handle this, but it could be a big boost for late fall tourism.

Private Sector Stepping Up with Tourism Packages for Region

A new website, EscapeLocally.com will soon be offering Southern Illinois vacation packages to tourists. The Southern has a brief version of the story up tonight. A full version is expected tomorrow.

This looks intriguing. Look forward to more tomorrow.

Heart of Egypt Gains While Region Loses Population

The 2010 census shows deep Southern Illinois, the 17 southernmost counties of the state, losing 3,190 residents from 2000 to 2010.

Williamson, Jackson, Franklin, Massac and (surprisingly) Pope Counties all grew over the decade. The other counties shrank. Alexander and Pulaski counties at the tip lost 2,539 residents, continuing a long decline. Jefferson County and Mount Vernon which has stumbled economically a 3 percent decline in population. Saline County lost

The following are the county names, 2000 population, 2010 population and the amount and percentage gained or lost.
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• Alexander - 9,590 > 8,238 = (1,352) or -14.1%
• Franklin - 39,018 < 39,561 = 543 or 1.4% 
• Gallatin - 6,445 > 5,589 = (856) or -13.3%
• Hamilton - 8,621 > 8,457 = (164) or -1.9%
• Hardin - 4,800 > 4,320 = (480) or -10.0%
• Jackson - 59,612 < 60,218 = 606 or 1.0% 
• Jefferson - 40,045 > 38,827 = (1,218) or -3.0%
• Johnson - 12,878 > 12,582 = (296) or -2.3%
• Massac - 15,161 < 15,429 = 268 or 1.8% 
• Perry - 23,094 > 22,350 = (744) or -3.2%
• Pope - 4,413 < 4,470 = 57 or 1.3% 
• Pulaski - 7,348 > 6,161 = (1,187) -16.2%
• Randolph - 33,893 > 33,476 = (417) or -1.2%
• Saline - 26,733 > 24,913 = (1,820) or -6.8%
• Union - 18,293 > 17,808 = (485) or -2.7%
• White - 15,371 > 14,665 = (706) or -4.6%
• Williamson - 61,296 > 66,357 = 5,061 or 8.3%

17 County Total - 386,611 > 383,421 = (3,190) or -0.8%

Who Gained, Who Lost? Census Data in for Illinois

Details will be available within the next 24 hours for better population breakdowns, but there's what the U.S. Census Bureau offers up right now.



Click in the top right corner of the graphic to take it full screen and make is readable.

State Approves Rules for STAR Bonds

The new destination development planned for Marion passed a new milestone last week with the adoption of formal rules by the state to create and oversee the development of the STAR Bonds District.

The Illinois Department of Revenue proposed rules last year. A department spokesman told the Southern Illinoisan last week the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules approved them last Wednesday.

The district allows for a portion of sales taxes generated by the planned retail and entertainment complex be used to offset development and construction costs.

"The rules seek to assure job creation by requiring that the Marion STAR bond project be a destination development that draws people into Illinois from other states - otherwise you are just moving jobs around in Illinois," Klemens said. "The rules seek to assure that the project will be a true destination development with the power to draw visitors from Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville (Tenn.) and beyond," he said.

Kokopelli's Renovations on Course with Clubhouse

The newly renovated and expanded restaurant at Kokopelli Golf Club — Koko's — has opened to rave reviews.

The grand staircase is gone, and the bar which awkwardly stood out on one side of the dining area, has been moved to the old pro shop. The pro shop has moved downstairs to the former main entrance.

"Golfers wanted a place where they could go that wasn't in the middle of the dining room," Events Coordinator Mark Sutton said. "That almost doubled our seating capacity and made us more flexible because we're able to divide it off for different things."

A wood floor covers the space originally open for the building's main staircase. That brings diners close to a picturesque view of the golf course and neighborhood.

The moves are all part of a rehabilitation and expansion of the course facilities and housing development by the new owners Green Grass Group. In addition, work is underway on an extension of Champions Drive southward from the clubhouse to Halfway Road at Rent One Park.

Late last year, the Marion City Council, officially changed some of the street names around the area of The Hill development. Halfway Road now stops at the base of The Hill at 17th Street. Champions Drive will run up the hill, past MidCountry Bank, Fairfield Inn, and the west side of Rent One Park before entering Kokopelli and heading up to the clubhouse.

As part of the name changes, the city also dropped Fairmount Homes Drive from the list of street names, replacing it with Morgan Avenue, which now includes the new overpass over Interstate 57 and runs to Halfway Road, where it becomes 17th Street, in honor of the barbecue bar and grill at the intersection.

For more information about Kokopelli check out their website, KokopelliGolf.com.

Friends of Bald Knob Cross Win in Court

A federal judge in central Illinois accepted a magistrate's recommendation against the claims of a northern Illinois atheist who sued over a $20,000 tourism grant for the restoration of famous Bald Knob Cross near Alto Pass, Illinois.

The Friends of the Cross organization received a $20,000 state grant in their $300,000 fundraising campaign to restore the badly weather-worn landmark.

More than $500,000 has been raised and spent over the last two years to restore the 111-foot tall cross, first built in 1959 and covered in 1963.

More on the cross can be found online at www.BaldKnobCross.com.

Senate Memorializes Father of Illinois Wine Industry

The Illinois Senate passed a resolution today honoring Guy Renzaglia for his role in developing the state's modern wine industry. State Sen. David Luechtefeld, R-Nashville, introduced Senate Resolution 35 Tuesday.

Renzaglia died three months ago on Nov. 4, 2010, at his home in Mahomet, Ill. He was the founder of Alto Vineyards at Alto Pass, the oldest of the modern-era wineries in Southern Illinois.

The Senate resolution includes the following history.

WHEREAS, Guy Renzaglia enlisted to serve his country during World War II and finished first in the Officer Candidate School in the Army Air Corps; he served with distinction during five years in uniform, and, like many of his peers in the Greatest Generation, he returned home and attended college on the GI Bill; and

WHEREAS, Guy Renzaglia, the son of Italian immigrants, was an accomplished athlete and scholar and a member of the George Washington University Hall of Fame; he earned his bachelor's degree at GWU and his master's degree in physical education at the University of Minnesota; he subsequently earned his second master's degree in psychology and his doctorate in counseling psychology; and

WHEREAS, Guy Renzaglia had a vision to provide support to underserved persons; he applied his determination and wisdom to develop the Rehabilitation Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, making it one of the few universities in the country at the time to provide services for the blind, deaf, and persons using wheelchairs; and

WHEREAS, Through Guy Renzaglia's strength and charisma, the Rehabilitation Institute became a nationally acclaimed program which trained more than 1,000 professionals in rehabilitation and mental health services; and

WHEREAS, Guy Renzaglia retired from SIU-C after 23 years of service; at the age of 60, he started a partnership with two friends, Ted Wichman and Skip Cosgrove, and began a vineyard and winery later known as Alto Vineyards; and

WHEREAS, People from across the globe have come to southern Illinois to sample the brilliant wines and warm hospitality of Alto Vineyards, seeing and tasting for themselves the labor of love which Guy Renzaglia passed along to his son, Paul Renzaglia, as well as a love for life and people which is evident in every delicious sip; and

WHEREAS, Alto Vineyards has served as the model for dozens of other wineries and as the birthplace of the wine industry in Illinois, which now boasts some 90 working wineries and hundreds of acres of vineyards, and brings Illinois national respect as a wine-producing region enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year; and

WHEREAS, Our hearts are heavy with his loss, but we rejoice in the time he shared in our lives; we are comforted by the knowledge that Guy Renzaglia's heart will never leave the fertile and beautiful rolling hills of southern Illinois, the wonderful people of southern Illinois, and the SIU community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family, and friends, the passing of Guy Renzaglia; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we affirm that his spirit remains a living part of us all and that his family and friends will love and forever miss him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Guy Renzaglia as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.

State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, filed a similar resolution, HR51 in the Illinois House yesterday.

Bradley, Bost Introduces Bills Affecting Tourism

UPDATED with additional bills

Two Southern Illinois lawmakers have introduced four bills that could impact tourists and the area's tourism industry should they get lawmaker approval and the governor's signature.

State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, has introduced the first three, and state Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, the fourth one.

House Bill 1154 would exempt the Red Cross from paying bed tax at local hotels when the rooms are used for official purposes during disaster relief. The Red Cross isn't named directly, but is referenced as a distaster relief agencies incorporated by the United States Congress.

House Bill 1389 is a short appropriations bill authorizing $300,000 for the Illinois Department of Transportation to prepare a study for a new interchange on Interstate 57 just north of Benton at Petroff Road. This bill most likely won't pass as written, but the language could be added to one of the main appropriation bills later in the session. These aren't fully developed until the end of the legislative session.

The third bill isn't tourism-related directly, but would benefit tourists and local residents alike. House Bill 1392 would prohibit local units of government from issuing ticket quotes for law enforcement officers. Communities such as Cairo and Ullin, and even Williamson County, are becoming notorious for speed traps along I-57. I'm not saying that those agencies are using quotas, but Cairo especially could use more law enforcement inside their city limits rather than harass interstate travellers crossing the bridge from Missouri.

Bost's bill, House Bill 303 would amend the State Finance Act to create the Grow Illinois Jobs Fund that would allocate 2 cents per gallon of any existing tax on wine (other than cider) to be deposited into the new fund to promote the grape and wine industry in the state. The money would be split between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity home of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism which has supported wine promotion in the past.

Bost's 115th District includes the largest concentration of wineries in the state, including the dozen wineries on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and at least another half dozen in Union and Jackson counties. State Sen. David Luechtefeld, R-Nashville, has introduced Senate Bill 1285, a Senate version of the same legislation.

Over on the senate side, state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, has co-sponsored Senate Bill 1337 introduced by John M. Sullivan to create a hunting season for river otters.

State Sen. John O. Jones, R-Mount Vernon, has introduced Senate Bill 77 that would amend the criminal code to exempt military re-enactors from restrictions prohibiting the sale, manufacture, purchase, possession or carrying of specified vintage weapons under certain conditions.

Walker's Bluff Expands Management Team

If anyone still had any doubts as to
The complex reopens after their winter's break on Feb. 10, just time time for Valentine's Day.

Another Winery Opens North of Route 13

View Wineries North of Routes 3/149/13 in a larger map

There's the makings of a new wine trail in the region with the opening of a fifth winery in northern Jackson County just south of Elkville.

Lyn-Nita Vineyards opened Nov. 19 at the intersection of U.S. 51 and Coal Road, according to the Southern Business Journal. Anita Eckhardt is the proprietor.

Eckhardt said the winemaking community in Southern Illinois has been helpful and welcoming to her on her new venture.

"All the wineries down here have been just wonderful," she said. "They don't view it as a competition; they actually view it as something good for the business.

"Right now nobody feels like the market is over-saturated just yet," she added. "They feel like it's good to have more wineries here."

Jackson County is better known for the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail which runs south of Carbondale and Murphysboro and has previously decided to limit themselves to south of Route 13 and west of Interstate 57.

Twelve wineries operate on that trail, the state's first. Two more wineries have opened in the last year or so in their territory and may soon qualify for membership - Lincoln Heritage in Union County and Honker Hill in Williamson County.

'Phone Ringing' With Interest in Millennium Development

View Marion STAR Bonds District in a larger map

Sunday's Southern Illinoisan brought the latest status update for the new Millennium Development project slated for Marion's north side.

Many are interested, but nobody's signed on the dotted line yet in terms of the major anchors, though the developer hopes to have one by the end of the month.

"The phone is ringing. We've been in meetings and having conversations with several potential users. Some are performing market studies, doing their own due diligence. We hope to know more before the end of December," [Developer Bruce] Holland said. "Of course, the holiday season is their busiest time of the year, but we've been talking to some on a weekly basis."

Developers need to land at least one of the two major destination users (large retailers with the capability to attract shoppers from far away) as well as the major entertainment user before they can submit a plan for city and state approval.

Holland told the Southern that they have all the land they need at the present, though should the project expand they could acquire additional acreage. Legislation allowing the STAR Bonds District allows the district to expand up to 500 acres. It's currently under 400 acres.

Watch Out Metropolis! Cape Lands A Casino

Cape Girardeau snagged a new $125 million casino today after state gaming officials selected the city as the site of Missouri's 13th casino license, approving a  plan proposed by Isle of Capri. The city beat out two other locations in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas.

The move could help the counties on both sides of the Mississippi River in Illinois and Missouri with new jobs and tourism opportunities, but it's expected to come at a cost to Southern Illinois' only existing casino at Metropolis.

Last May another Missouri casino operator touted a study that showed Cape Girardeau as the best location for the state's 13th casino, at least in terms of actually adding to Missouri's take of gambling taxes. The study by Ameristar Casinos showed the Mississippi River town with a potential to generate $87 million in gross revenue to become the state's biggest casino outside Kansas City and St. Louis.

Importantly for Missouri, but bad for Illinois, the study showed a Cape Girardeau casino wouldn't cannibalize any Missouri casino, just Harrah's casino in Metropolis.

Only a small portion -- $10 million -- of the Cape Girardeau revenue would come from another casino, and the report identifies Harrah's in Metropolis, Ill., as the loser.

Ameristar, which already operated casinos in Missouri wanted to limit the competition and not see another competitor come to the St. Louis market. A second study by the state's gaming commission that came out last week basically agreed.

"In all three scenarios, Isle of Capri-Cape Girardeau generated the highest net new casino revenue and gaming taxes, new employment, and, overall Gross Domestic Product," the study found. Casino Celebration was second in all three scenarios.

Both St. Louis and Kansas City are home to several casinos. Cape Girardeau is about 100 miles south of St. Louis. The only other casino within a close drive is in the small town of Caruthersville in the Missouri Bootheel, about 85 miles south of Cape Girardeau.

"All of the applicants have submitted proposals for medium-sized facilities but only Isle of Capri is far enough from existing Missouri casinos to minimize cannibalization," the report found.

Isle of Capri, based in suburban St. Louis, is proposing a $125 million casino along the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau.

The casino would become one of the largest tourism sites in the Heartland with the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and the four dozen lodging operators seeing the first benefit. It will also be just 45 miles away from the new Millennium Development project in Marion.

The casino isn't slated to open until late 2012 according to the Southeast Missourian.

The project is expected to include 1,000 slot machines, 28 table games, three restaurants, a lounge and terrace overlooking the Mississippi River and a 750-seat event center at an estimated cost of $125 million.

Isle of Capri will present a preliminary development plan to the city planning commission on Dec. 8.

Marion Lands Miss Illinois Pageant

The Marion Cultural and Civic Center as well as Drury Inn landed the 2011 Miss Illinois pageant next June 28-July 2. The winner goes to compete in the Miss America pageant.

The Miss Illinois Scholarship Association announced the selection on the website MissIllinois.org. The Marion Daily Republican has the story.

The announcement of the move was posted on the Miss Illinois website Friday. The website had formerly announced the pageant would return to the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles. But that changed after the pageant's director visited Marion earlier this month.

She apparently liked what she saw. Congratulations civic center staff for landing the event.

Hunters Harvest More than 68,000 Deer So Far

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) reports that hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 68,037 deer during the opening weekend of the 2010 Illinois firearm deer season, Nov. 19-21. The seven-day firearm season will conclude on Dec. 2-5.

The preliminary total for the first three days of the 2010 firearm season compares with the first weekend harvest of 66,126 deer during the 2009 deer season and 71,894 deer during the opening weekend in 2008. The top county harvest totals last weekend were reported in Pike (1,957), Adams (1,741), Fulton (1,721), Jo Daviess (1,640) and Randolph (1,520).

Hunters harvested 99,493 deer during the entire seven-day firearm deer season last year. The preliminary first-season figures reported for each county include those deer taken on special hunt areas within that county as well as on private land.

“The opening season of firearm deer hunting offered hunters a combination of enjoyable weather and virtually-complete crop harvest,” said IDNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton. “Rutting activity was still evident, so it all came together for a very successful season with a number of nice bucks harvested.”

The IDNR has issued more than 370,000 firearm deer hunting permits for the 2010 season. Most hunters register their deer harvest online through the IDNR web site or by phoning 1-866-ILCHECK (1-866-452-4325) by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest. Hunters in Boone, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties take their deer to county check stations (by 8 p.m. on the day of harvest) where the IDNR registers the deer and conducts sampling for chronic wasting disease (CWD).

Approximately 60 percent of the deer taken during the first weekend of firearm hunting were bucks, identical to the first weekend of the firearm season in 2009.

The Illinois firearm deer season concludes Dec. 2-5. The muzzleloader-only deer season is Dec. 10-12. The split late-winter antlerless-only firearm deer season and the special CWD deer season are Dec. 30, 2010-Jan. 2, 2011 and Jan. 14-16, 2011. The state’s 2010-2011 archery deer season continues through Jan. 16 (except closed in firearm counties during the second firearm season Dec. 2-5).

The table below provides preliminary county harvest totals for the first weekend of the firearm deer season and comparable figures for the first season in 2009.

County 2010 2009
Adams 1741 1614
Alexander 296 328
Bond 535 566
Boone 90 102
Brown 892 938
Bureau 1024 820
Calhoun 668 858
Carroll 756 698
Cass 458 494
Champaign 219 171
Christian 459 400
Clark 940 908
Clay 947 942
Clinton 588 581
Coles 560 502
Crawford 819 798
Cumberland 641 617
DeKalb 157 126
DeWitt 283 250
Douglas 131 130
Edgar 565 528
Edwards 325 366
Effingham 774 765
Fayette 1264 1336
Ford 101 74
Franklin 820 779
Fulton 1721 1725
Gallatin 402 421
Greene 986 873
Grundy 300 274
Hamilton 812 872
Hancock 1291 1215
Hardin 696 747
Henderson 449 390
Henry 545 479
Iroquois 502 387
Jackson 1502 1416
Jasper 861 837
Jefferson 1475 1606
Jersey 625 585
JoDaviess 1640 1493
Johnson 1202 1304
Kane 37 38
Kankakee 151 121
Kendall 53 59
Knox 1021 866
Lake 5 9
LaSalle 878 756
Lawrence 399 457
Lee 531 436
Livingston 454 316
Logan 285 235
Macon 200 203
Macoupin 1192 1200
Madison 651 638
Marion 1276 1374
Marshall 569 548
Mason 439 443
Massac 402 425
McDonough 738 707
McHenry 191 215
McLean 550 450
Menard 334 310
Mercer 674 551
Monroe 722 792
Montgomery 820 841
Morgan 626 732
Moultrie 232 206
Ogle 742 645
Peoria 1074 1012
Perry 823 899
Piatt 127 115
Pike 1957 2012
Pope 1294 1275
Pulaski 466 471
Putnam 355 365
Randolph 1520 1576
Richland 545 614
Rock Island 591 578
Saline 720 644
Sangamon 569 541
Schuyler 1130 1114
Scott 377 368
Shelby 1012 996
St. Clair 662 656
Stark 261 186
Stephenson 789 547
Tazewell 514 505
Union 1162 1168
Vermilion 609 472
Wabash 194 211
Warren 429 388
Washington 799 839
Wayne 1210 1247
White 662 692
Whiteside 627 501
Will 208 214
Williamson 1110 1101
Winnebago 307 269
Woodford 700 662
Total 68037 66126

New Winery Opens in Union County

The Southern Illinoisan today has the story on the new Lincoln Heritage Winery in Union County operated by Homer and Bonnie Cissell. The winery opened last week on Oct. 15.

In planning and designing their winery, the Cissell's said they wanted an atmosphere that reflected their personalities.

"We don't want a frenetic or party-like atmosphere," Bonnie said. "The great thing about the wine trail is every winery has its own personality."

"So if you want that party atmosphere, you've got a couple places you can go, and if that's not for you, you can come here," she added. "We wanted it to reflect what we enjoy when we go places."

Homer said it's important for each winery to have its own persona, both in its atmosphere and in its wines offered.

The winery is located at 772 Kaolin Road outside Cobden. They're open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and from noon to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

You can find them on Facebook and it appears that they're still working on their website, which will be at www.LincolnHeritageWinery.com when it's up and running.

Papers Add to Story About STAR Bonds District

View Marion STAR Bonds District in a larger map
Both the Marion Daily Republican and the Southern Illinoisan have their stories online from last night's Marion City Council meeting establishing the state's first STAR Bonds District.

Monday's action means the next legal step belongs to the Illinois Department of Revenue which has to approve the district's creation.

Although the developers did not identify any prospects by name, the Southern reports that Holland said the destination users could be identified within the next two months.

By law, Millennium Development must include at least one of the potential two destination users as well as the entertainment user in their master plan before the state will sign off on the plan.

The entertainment user is the non-retail attraction, possibly a theme park, that's necessary to attract enough visitors to the area to support the retail development. In turn, the sales tax generated by the retailers is what pays for the development of the entertainment user.

The legislation is designed to require both sides of the equation to be in place or the plan can't work and won't be certified by the state in the first place.

The law allows for a STAR Bonds district of 300 to 500 acres. The new district is just 366 acres, which leaves 134 acres that could be added later if necessary.

Marion Establishes STAR Bonds District

The Marion City Council voted 5-0 tonight establishing the state's first STAR (sales tax and revenue) Bonds District north of Morgan Avenue.

Developer Bruce Holland could only publicly confirm that prospective partners were showing interest, but due to non-disclosure agreements could not name them at this time.

This is typical for major commercial developments. In the case of the Illinois Centre Mall the identity of the anchor stores came later after the initial mall announcement.