Sunday, October 23, 2011
West Frankfort Considers Little Egypt Oasis Development
West Frankfort Mayor Tom Jordan joins area developer Scott Williams in the latest video about the Little Egypt Oasis proposal to split the Exit 65 interchange on Interstate 57.
Williams owns the old Burlington Railroad bridge over the interstate and wants to make it a new centerpiece for development on the west side of the city.
The plan would move the south ramps at Exit 65 south past the bridge to what's known as North Road. There the ramps would connect to two one-way frontage roads on either side of the interstate that would run north to Main Street and the existing interstate ramps to the north.
The current ramps on the south side of Exit 65 are shorter than desired even by 1960s standards for interstate highway construction. The problem then was the presence of the massive railroad bridge.
With the planned widening of the interstate to six lanes during the next decade the railroad bridge's presence will only increase the safety issues, unless as Williams points out, the state splits the exit and moves the south ramps south of the railroad bridge.
That move would not only open up hundreds of acres for new commercial development, but would also allow the development of a southwest bypass or Burlington Boulevard along the old railroad grade connecting Route 37 on the south side of Frankfort to Route 149 west of Kmart.
Wiliams has been working on this for a few years now. The pyramid part of his project over the interstate would also create a huge gateway to Southern Illinois for southbound tourists entering the region.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Labor Agreement, Hotel Upgrades Boosts Illinois Tourism
Chicago's trade show industry sighed with relief yesterday with the joint announcement by Gov. Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel that unions representing workers at the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority have agreed to work rule changes.
The effort to change the work rules and preserve Chicago's trade show status has been in the works for two years now.
Meanwhile Emanuel's office also announced that Chicago hotels are pledging $500 million in rehabs and upgrades "to help bolster the local convention industry as city leaders strive to attract more trade shows."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office made the announcement Friday. Hotels making commitments include the Chicago Hilton, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (Fairmont Chicago and InterContinental Chicago hotels) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (W. Weston and Sheraton hotels).
Emanuel also wants to increase the city's bed tax by 1 percentage point, jacking it up to 4.5 percent. When state and other bed taxes are included it would make Chicago's overall rate to 16.4 percent, one of the top three in the country.
It doesn't seen like it, but the moves will help tourism throughout the state, including Southern Illinois. Chicago convention business is the single biggest factor in the state's bed tax receipts. When Chicago hurts there's less money for tourism promotions throughout the state, less money for state's tourism grants that help fund local tourism bureaus, marketing campaigns and development projects.
The two unions had sued over exhibitor-friendly work rules the General Assembly ordered last year. In March, a federal judge sided with the unions and threw out some of the reforms on the grounds that the Legislature was overstepping its authority.
The judge’s ruling threw the convention business into an uproar. Some show managers threatened to cancel bookings at McCormick Place, citing a fear of escalating costs.
With the new deal, the unions and McPier, as the McCormick Place board is commonly called, will agree to end the litigation.
McPier now can put in place an “exhibitors’ bill of rights” that lets show managers and exhibitors set up their own booths with simple tools. Exhibitors also can drive and unload their own vehicles at McCormick Place, and union work can be done by two-person crews instead of the old minimum of three.
The effort to change the work rules and preserve Chicago's trade show status has been in the works for two years now.
Meanwhile Emanuel's office also announced that Chicago hotels are pledging $500 million in rehabs and upgrades "to help bolster the local convention industry as city leaders strive to attract more trade shows."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office made the announcement Friday. Hotels making commitments include the Chicago Hilton, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (Fairmont Chicago and InterContinental Chicago hotels) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (W. Weston and Sheraton hotels).
Emanuel also wants to increase the city's bed tax by 1 percentage point, jacking it up to 4.5 percent. When state and other bed taxes are included it would make Chicago's overall rate to 16.4 percent, one of the top three in the country.
It doesn't seen like it, but the moves will help tourism throughout the state, including Southern Illinois. Chicago convention business is the single biggest factor in the state's bed tax receipts. When Chicago hurts there's less money for tourism promotions throughout the state, less money for state's tourism grants that help fund local tourism bureaus, marketing campaigns and development projects.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
State to Dedicate Extension of Tunnel Hill Trail to Eldorado
Local and state officials will officially dedicate the newest segment of the Tunnel Hill State Trail Friday at 4 p.m. in Harrisburg. The segments starts at the north end of Harrisburg, crosses the Saline River on a new bridge and travels through Muddy and Wasson before connecting with an existing network of bike trails in Eldorado.
View Larger Map of the Tunnel Hill State Trail at the Middle Fork of the Saline River by Harrisburg
The ribbon cutting will take place where the trail crosses Veterans Drive at the Small Street intersection.
South of Harrisburg the state maintains a 45-mile segment through Tunnel Hill, Vienna, and finally ends at the Cache River Wetlands Center at Perks.
The trail is crushed limestone in rural areas, and concrete in Harrisburg and Eldorado.
View Larger Map of the Tunnel Hill State Trail at the Middle Fork of the Saline River by Harrisburg
The showpiece of the new path must be the bridge spanning the Saline River at Muddy, where great blue herons may be seen trying their luck with the little fish flashing in the water below.
"The scenery is spectacular throughout the bike trail and the bridge enhances the beauty of the trail," Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg said. "I think this is something we can build on and I'm interested in working closely with (Eldorado) Mayor (Rocky) James and everybody along the bike path."
The ribbon cutting will take place where the trail crosses Veterans Drive at the Small Street intersection.
South of Harrisburg the state maintains a 45-mile segment through Tunnel Hill, Vienna, and finally ends at the Cache River Wetlands Center at Perks.
The trail is crushed limestone in rural areas, and concrete in Harrisburg and Eldorado.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
New Hotels to Add 165 Rooms in Marion
The addition of a new Holiday Inn Express with 101 rooms and a new Comfort Inn with 64 rooms will take Marion's room count from 1108 to 1273, when both projects are open by early 2012. Williamson County's count will grow from 1246 to 1411.
The top seven hotels in Marion have averaged around 78 percent of the motel tax receipts over the past five years. The seven are Comfort Suites, Country Inn & Suites, Drury Inn, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express (soon to change to another flag when the new hotel opens), and Quality Inn. When they open the Big 7 will become the Big 9.
The other motels in the city generate about 6 percent of the overall bed taxes. That leaves the remaining lodging establishments outside the city limits making up about 15 percent.
To put it in perspective, all the lodging establishments in the county generated roughly $700,000 in the 5 percent bed tax levied in calendar year 2010. Forty percent, or about $280,000 went to the Williamson County Tourism Bureau and 60 percent, or about $420,000 went to the Williamson County Events Commission to pay debt service and mandatory reserves on the Williamson County Pavilion.
Since then the city has taken over the Pavilion and levied a 3 percent bed tax on city hotels that preempts the county's 3 percent bed tax for the Pavilion within the city limits. The city issued new bonds to take the place of the outstanding debt. The biggest difference in terms of operational benefit is that any excess bed tax collected by the 3 percent city tax can be used by the city for operations. Under the original bonds, the excess funds went into a separate Bed Tax Savings Account that couldn't be touched short of a major disaster.
The Big 7 hotels have 640 rooms. Adding another 165 is a 25 percent increase. If the new hotels can add to the market rather than just eating into the existing hotels' market share (and that's what their competitors are hoping), then that could be a big kick of revenue for the tourism bureau and the Pavilion.
A 25 percent increase of the Big 7's 85 percent of the market using 2010 figures comes to just under another $60,000 for the bureau and almost another $90,000 for the Pavilion.
Being realistic the figures might be half that amount with the shaky economy. However historically bed tax revenues were up nearly 50 percent between 2010 and 2000 in Williamson County.
Even better, the larger hotels in Marion often employ far more employees than most people realize as they have to remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other than the management positions, it's not the highest paying jobs in town, but in this economy, every job counts!
Looking Back — 2000 to 2010
The county started the 21st Century with 1303 rooms. The county lost 200 when the old Holiday Inn/Travelodge/Executive Inn finally shut its doors in 2004, and another 53 rooms or so when Jim Zeller bought the back wing of America's Best Inns and tore it down for the new Country Inn and Suites in 2008. Another 20 rooms at SIU Touch of Nature aren't counted any more when the university decided it was no longer going to collect bed tax back in 2007.
Meanwhile Lake Tree Inn & Suites opened in 2000 with 20 rooms, Fairfield Inn opened in 2004 with 89 rooms, Hampton Inn expanded mid decade with another 20 rooms, and Country Inn & Suites opened in December 2008 with 69 rooms.
The decade also saw the expansion of the specialty lodging market. Olde Squat Inn already had 5 cabins and added two more. Devil's Kitchen Cabins opened with two cabins in 2006 and are now up to three. The Four Seasons Campground in Herrin added two cabins in 2006, though in recent years they've been turned into apartments.
The first traditional bed and breakfast inn, Oakridge Manor B & B opened in 2004 with four rooms and they've since added a fifth. Mary's Bed and Breakfast in Herrin opened in 2008 with two rooms and Jasones Bed and Breakfast in Marion opened with five rooms in 2010.
The county also saw its first legal vacation rental, the Carriage House open down at the Lake of Egypt in 2008. Regrettably, there are at least two more on the north side of the county line down at the lake that aren't legal having failed to pay the county any bed tax.
Overall specialty lodging has gone from 1/10th of one percent to about 1.3 percent of the market in the last decade.
A Missed Opportunity
Regrettably in August the county board voted to eliminate the county's 3 percent bed tax after the city took over the Pavilion. Far from being next to nothing, the county threw away about $63,000 in economic development funds that could have been spent on brick and mortar tourism development projects in the county. The tax affected 10 properties, including two modern motels, four older motels, two properties with 10 cabins, two bed and breakfast inns and one vacation rental.
Potential development projects could have included a system of tourism highway signage on county highways and roads to compliment what's already on the state highway system, interpretive signage at county historic sites, capital funding for repairs to public and non-profit tourism sites, capital funding for the proposed tourist information center next to the chamber office, engineering costs for development of bike trails connecting to the Tunnel Hill State Trail, or proposed bike trails in Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, and matching funds for larger state and federal development grants.
The 3 percent county bed tax had been added to pay for the Pavilion, a big capital project that was originally proposed to help tourism development. When the city took that over, the money should have been moved to something similar. Although the bed tax is collected by local lodging operators it's paid by out-of-town visitors. Lowering the bed tax rate doesn't attract any more visitors to the area, it just throws away thousands of dollars that would have been coming to the county but now won't.
The top seven hotels in Marion have averaged around 78 percent of the motel tax receipts over the past five years. The seven are Comfort Suites, Country Inn & Suites, Drury Inn, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express (soon to change to another flag when the new hotel opens), and Quality Inn. When they open the Big 7 will become the Big 9.
The other motels in the city generate about 6 percent of the overall bed taxes. That leaves the remaining lodging establishments outside the city limits making up about 15 percent.
To put it in perspective, all the lodging establishments in the county generated roughly $700,000 in the 5 percent bed tax levied in calendar year 2010. Forty percent, or about $280,000 went to the Williamson County Tourism Bureau and 60 percent, or about $420,000 went to the Williamson County Events Commission to pay debt service and mandatory reserves on the Williamson County Pavilion.
Since then the city has taken over the Pavilion and levied a 3 percent bed tax on city hotels that preempts the county's 3 percent bed tax for the Pavilion within the city limits. The city issued new bonds to take the place of the outstanding debt. The biggest difference in terms of operational benefit is that any excess bed tax collected by the 3 percent city tax can be used by the city for operations. Under the original bonds, the excess funds went into a separate Bed Tax Savings Account that couldn't be touched short of a major disaster.
The Big 7 hotels have 640 rooms. Adding another 165 is a 25 percent increase. If the new hotels can add to the market rather than just eating into the existing hotels' market share (and that's what their competitors are hoping), then that could be a big kick of revenue for the tourism bureau and the Pavilion.
A 25 percent increase of the Big 7's 85 percent of the market using 2010 figures comes to just under another $60,000 for the bureau and almost another $90,000 for the Pavilion.
Being realistic the figures might be half that amount with the shaky economy. However historically bed tax revenues were up nearly 50 percent between 2010 and 2000 in Williamson County.
Even better, the larger hotels in Marion often employ far more employees than most people realize as they have to remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other than the management positions, it's not the highest paying jobs in town, but in this economy, every job counts!
Looking Back — 2000 to 2010
The county started the 21st Century with 1303 rooms. The county lost 200 when the old Holiday Inn/Travelodge/Executive Inn finally shut its doors in 2004, and another 53 rooms or so when Jim Zeller bought the back wing of America's Best Inns and tore it down for the new Country Inn and Suites in 2008. Another 20 rooms at SIU Touch of Nature aren't counted any more when the university decided it was no longer going to collect bed tax back in 2007.
Meanwhile Lake Tree Inn & Suites opened in 2000 with 20 rooms, Fairfield Inn opened in 2004 with 89 rooms, Hampton Inn expanded mid decade with another 20 rooms, and Country Inn & Suites opened in December 2008 with 69 rooms.
The decade also saw the expansion of the specialty lodging market. Olde Squat Inn already had 5 cabins and added two more. Devil's Kitchen Cabins opened with two cabins in 2006 and are now up to three. The Four Seasons Campground in Herrin added two cabins in 2006, though in recent years they've been turned into apartments.
The first traditional bed and breakfast inn, Oakridge Manor B & B opened in 2004 with four rooms and they've since added a fifth. Mary's Bed and Breakfast in Herrin opened in 2008 with two rooms and Jasones Bed and Breakfast in Marion opened with five rooms in 2010.
The county also saw its first legal vacation rental, the Carriage House open down at the Lake of Egypt in 2008. Regrettably, there are at least two more on the north side of the county line down at the lake that aren't legal having failed to pay the county any bed tax.
Overall specialty lodging has gone from 1/10th of one percent to about 1.3 percent of the market in the last decade.
A Missed Opportunity
Regrettably in August the county board voted to eliminate the county's 3 percent bed tax after the city took over the Pavilion. Far from being next to nothing, the county threw away about $63,000 in economic development funds that could have been spent on brick and mortar tourism development projects in the county. The tax affected 10 properties, including two modern motels, four older motels, two properties with 10 cabins, two bed and breakfast inns and one vacation rental.
Potential development projects could have included a system of tourism highway signage on county highways and roads to compliment what's already on the state highway system, interpretive signage at county historic sites, capital funding for repairs to public and non-profit tourism sites, capital funding for the proposed tourist information center next to the chamber office, engineering costs for development of bike trails connecting to the Tunnel Hill State Trail, or proposed bike trails in Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, and matching funds for larger state and federal development grants.
The 3 percent county bed tax had been added to pay for the Pavilion, a big capital project that was originally proposed to help tourism development. When the city took that over, the money should have been moved to something similar. Although the bed tax is collected by local lodging operators it's paid by out-of-town visitors. Lowering the bed tax rate doesn't attract any more visitors to the area, it just throws away thousands of dollars that would have been coming to the county but now won't.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Construction Updates in Marion
A few pictures from earlier today.
The new Holiday Inn Express on The Hill is up to three stories now. The goal is four stories and 101 rooms.
Progress continues on the former Marion Truck Plaza, purchased last month by Pilot Travel Center.
Last picture is the Comtech building on DeYoung St., a few blocks west of Court Street (Illinois Rt. 37).
With the expansion of Route 13 to six lanes from the interstate east to Route 37, all the buildings on the north side of the street from E. N. Baker Cash Chevrolet will be moved or demolished.
It looks like a little recycling work has begun as workers dismantled the metal roof of the building this afternoon.
This used to be a restaurant in the 1960s when originally built. I think it lasted until the early 70s, but I'm not sure.
The new Holiday Inn Express on The Hill is up to three stories now. The goal is four stories and 101 rooms.
Progress continues on the former Marion Truck Plaza, purchased last month by Pilot Travel Center.
Last picture is the Comtech building on DeYoung St., a few blocks west of Court Street (Illinois Rt. 37).
With the expansion of Route 13 to six lanes from the interstate east to Route 37, all the buildings on the north side of the street from E. N. Baker Cash Chevrolet will be moved or demolished.
It looks like a little recycling work has begun as workers dismantled the metal roof of the building this afternoon.
This used to be a restaurant in the 1960s when originally built. I think it lasted until the early 70s, but I'm not sure.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
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.
Monday, October 03, 2011
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 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.
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.
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.
Friday, September 30, 2011
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
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
Sunday, September 25, 2011
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.
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
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.
Friday, September 23, 2011
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.
The fundraiser's looking good. The three tickets left are out of 185 originally offered.
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.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
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.
Kudos to the council for the action.
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.
Monday, June 13, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Monday, April 25, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
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.
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.
Moore also said plans were underway for a website, which is much needed.
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.
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 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.
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.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Ohio River Rising Back for an Encore
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.
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.
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
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.
Friday, April 08, 2011
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 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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Friday, March 25, 2011
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.
Besides "Food Feuds" and "The Best I've Ever Ate," the restaurant has been featured on The Cooking Channel's show "Food Crafters."
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."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Speakeasy Liquors Heading for Marion's Restaurant Row
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.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
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.
This looks intriguing. Look forward to more tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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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17 County Total - 386,611 > 383,421 = (3,190) or -0.8%
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%
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
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.
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 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.
Friday, February 11, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
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.
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.
State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, filed a similar resolution, HR51 in the Illinois House yesterday.
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Walker's Bluff Expands Management Team
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