Four of the six trustee positions for the Village of Tolono up for election on April 6, 2021.
There are three four-year term trustee seats and one two-year term that will be contested as well as the seat for Village President.
Prospective candidates can pick information packets and petition forms at the Village Hall, located at 507 W. Strong Street in Tolono. The filing period will be December 14-21, 2020.
For more information contact village all at (217) 485-5212 or via email at info@tolonoil.us It is recommended candidates consult an attorney or contact the Illinois State Board of Elections for additional campaign information.
A week from tomorrow on October 31, Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges will grand marshall a Halloween costume parade for kids through the sidewalks and streets St. Joseph.
The walking parade - sorry no motorized modes of transport will be allowed - will march through the downtown area starting at 10:30am. Parents and pets on a leash are welcome to join in the fun the mayor said.
"Parents will be asked to help keep the kids moving along the parade route and to keep the kids safely distanced from the others," she said. "Hopefully we will have a beautiful day for the kids to enjoy a fun fall tradition."
The parade will start and end at the Municipal Building. Participants are asked to show up at 10:15 to line up.
The route will leave the building area and head east on the south side of Lincoln Avenue.
"We will cross Lincoln at Country Chics and continue on the north side of Lincoln. Once we get to Main Street, we will walk past Busey Bank east down the alley by the grain elevator to the Library. Then back to Mai through alley past the Apothecary. We will cross Main at that location. After crossing the street, we will stay on the sidewalk and will continue past the IGA on the west side of Main all the way back to the Municipal building."
Streets will not be blocked off for automobile traffic except when the marchers are crossing the street.
"We will have someone to hold traffic when crossing any streets and will keep the kids from gathering together in groups," Mayor Fruhling-Voges said.
Along the way, businesses that want to participate can set up a table near the sidewalk so that the kids can walk past and safely grab a treat. Parade participants should not enter buildings.
Paraders are asked to wear masks and hand sanitizers will be made available.
Spartans win supersectional, they're going to state
Stephanie Canfield tries to beat a tag at second on a steal during St. Joseph-Ogden's 2012 supersectional game against Chicago Christian. Knight's Ashley Quinlan got the pick-off tag for the third out with SJO leading 4-0 after their second at-bat. Canfield and the Spartans dealt a 11-1 thrashing while punching their ticket to the Class 2A state finals on May 28. Later in the week, the SJO softball team finished the season with a third-place state trophy.
St. Joseph-Ogden's Alex Arteaga lands in the sand pit during a long jump attempt at the 2012 Spartan Classic. The senior finished his career as a state qualifier in both long and triple jump events. He also all-state honors in the 300 intermediate hurdles and was a member of the 1,600 relay crew that finished third at the IHSA state meet that year. The Washington University recruit went out a career best of 41-9.75 in the triple jump and sailed 20-10.25 down the runway in the long jump at O'Brien Stadium.
Over the years, various voices in Chicago have supported adding a city income tax to the laundry list of government taxes and fees residents of the heavily indebted city are forced to pay.
Other cities across Illinois, including Kankakee, Alton, Danville, Peoria and more, also have crushing local government debts.
Amy Korte
The Illinois Constitution currently allows certain larger cities to impose local income taxes, with state lawmakers’ approval – but no cities in Illinois currently collect income taxes. Because the constitution also states everyone must be taxed at the same rate, it would be wildly unpopular to impose an income tax on a whole city.
That could change if the progressive tax is approved November 3.
If the Illinois Constitution’s flat tax protection were given up by voters, local governments would be able to target specific income brackets for taxation. Divided, city taxpayers fall: it becomes politically easier for state lawmakers to support local income taxes if they no longer can be blamed for taxing everyone.
Initially state lawmakers saw the potential for city taxes to spread and included language in the amendment proposal that prohibited them. That changed by the time they approved the ballot question, and the current progressive tax amendment offers no protection against local income tax hikes.
The appeal of a city income tax would not necessarily be limited to leaders in Chicago.
Many Illinois cities have been under fiscal strain for years, with mounting pension debt putting pressure on budgets. Add to that the COVID-19 economic crisis with plummeting sales tax collections and other declines in revenues, and many municipal leaders are seeking more funding sources. An Illinois Municipal League survey revealed 87% of responding municipalities face 20-30% revenue shortfalls in 2020 compared with 2019.
Even before the COVID-19-related economic crisis and shutdown, Peoria had cut positions in its police force and fire department and imposed a public safety pension fee to fill a hole in its budget caused by mounting police and fire pension costs. In 2020, Peoria city leaders debated throughout spring and summer how to close $10 million of the city’s $50 million COVID-19-related budget hole. In September, the city council voted to decommission two fire engines, which, at the time was expected to result in the elimination of 22 fire department positions, though a recently negotiated settlement of the firefighters’ union’s unfair labor practices lawsuit could keep one of the engines in service into 2021.
In Springfield, the budget director warned in 2019 the city needs nearly $270 million more in additional revenue during the next 20 years to pay for its escalating pension costs. Springfield now has an $8 million-$11 million shortfall related to COVID-19. Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said he opposes tax hikes, but balancing the budget will be a challenge with pension obligations restricting the city’s room to maneuver.
Like Chicago, Peoria and Springfield, many other Illinois municipalities – such as Alton, Kankakee and Danville – face severe fiscal problems with few ways to balance their budgets other than service reductions or tax hikes. In an era of increasing pension costs and a COVID-19 economic crisis, many local leaders of cash-strapped municipalities might find progressive city income taxes hard to resist.
But they should, and voters should prevent the temptation. Adding city income taxes to Illinoisans’ already high tax burden would damage struggling municipalities by dampening economic growth and job creation, driving out residents and making it even harder for small businesses to recover.
Illinoisans should be aware: Stripping the Illinois Constitution of its flat tax protection could create damage far beyond the tax hikes already promised.
Amy Korte
Illinois Policy Institute
Amy Korte is vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization that promotes responsible government and free market principles.
Debbie Prather, Megan Blair and other timers have their fingers ready to go on their stopwatch buttons at the finish line during the 2012 Boys Spartan Classic. The group was waiting for the starters pistol to fire for next heat of the 110-yard high hurdles.
Instructors at St. Joseph-Ogden High School will hold Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday, November 5 via an an online chat platform.
Parents are encourage to contact the high school to make appointments with their student's teachers and guidance counselor either by email or phone. Conferences will be held from 3:00 – 5:00 pm and from 6:00 – 9:00 pm that day.
With first quarter grades distributed to students on October 29-30, this will be a good opportunity for discuss student's academic performance as well as objectives for remaining quarters with teachers.
To schedule an appointment by email, contact Nicki Falls at fallsn@sjo.k12.il.us or call (217) 469-7321. Appointments must be made by November 2.
Trapped by Robinson seniors Derrick Nicholas and Aaron Siler, St. Joseph-Ogden basketball starter Nate Michael looks for an open teammate to pass the ball during their sectional semifinal contest on February 29, 2012. Michael, who grew to become a prolific scorer, was held to just a single three-pointer in the 57-32 sectional semifinal loss. He finished both his prep and college career with more than 1,000 points. As a Spartan, he drained 1,244 points, good for fifth in the program's all-time scoring list, and was the 51st Bearcat to surpass the 1K mark finishing his career with 1,528 points.
St. Joseph resident Owen Yohnka is organizing a leaf raking service project for the community. Between now and October 30, Pack 40 and Troop 40 will rake leaves for homeowners who would like their assistance.
"It's always good to help out your neighbors," Yohnka said. "The Troop used to do this years ago. This is my first time doing this."
The scouts have done similar service projects including garbage pick up along the Trail Rail and clean up after the Fall Community Festival. They also place the flags at the high school and cemetery for Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Veterans Day.
The service is being offered to anyone who need help raking their leaves. Yohnka said residents are encouraged to send their name and address or contact information for someone who would appreciate the help via email at pack40stjoseph@gmail.com. Questions regarding the raking services can be sent to this email address, too.
The service is set up to be a contact-less service for homeowners or residents. After receiving an email request, a scout and their family will visit the property over the next few weeks to rake leaves for the village to vacuum away.
"We will just show up during the date range provided and rake the leaves in a nice straight pile along the road," Yohnka wrote in a post on Facebook announcing the service.
Rachel Mullen celebrates the final point of the match in St. Joseph-Ogden's 2-1 volleyball victory on October 7, 2014. After graduation in 2015 senior and two-sport athlete went on to play volleyball at Lake Land College. In her final season with the Lakers she was 4th in digs while competing in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and 6th in service aces.
The Old High School Park at 300 North Market Street in Ogden will be the site of Easter-ween this Saturday starting at 10am.
The egg hunt, originally scheduled for April 11, was postponed until this weekend due to the Shelter-in-Place Executive Orders issued by Governor Pritzker to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
In late March, Ogden trustee Sue Esposito told The News-Gazette that the village had no intent in canceling the event.
"We are going to just delay it, " she said. "So if we have an egg hunt in November or even December, whatever. ... There’s $700 worth of candy, eggs and money. That’s a lot. We’re not just going to give it up."
The Village of Ogden will provide Halloween bags to egg hunters.
By Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
Halloween is typically a relaxed day for America's kids to fill their coffers with candy. Children and adults often don their favorite wacky attire for a day of comic relief.
America needs a day of some kind of relief and maybe Halloween will provide some insanity or terror relief. Because nothing about Halloween is as scary as what America and the world has been experiencing.
We have buried over 220,000 Americans from Covid-19. Over eight million have been sick. Nursing homes and Intensive Care Units have become horror wards. The projections for more sickness and death scare most Americans. We are afraid to go to church, out to eat, and to the grocery store. The airplane, hotel and restaurant industries are in peril as many have already closed or are on the verge of closing. Over 12 Million Americans are now unemployed and many in financial devastation because of Covid-19.
Congress continues to haggle over what and how much the government can further indebt our nation to keep us afloat for the present. With an approximate 28 trillion-dollar deficit and growing when will America file for bankruptcy? What will it take to keep Social Security and Medicare going? More taxes for a broader range of Americans and increased payroll taxes are on the near horizon, most Americans fear. It's more than a little scary.
On top of Covid-19, job loss, business failures and increasing poverty Americans are masked fatigued.
Children are tired of being home from school. Adults miss the comaraderie and social dynamics of their workmates. Working at home first felt good and welcomed but has become old for many Americans. The thought of this going on for another six months or even a year or longer is more than scary - it's terrifying.
On top of all this, we have a major election in front of us. Americans are terrified about the election. We are frightened about who will be elected. Trump being reelected terrifies millions, while millions are terrified Joe Biden will be elected. We are horrified of what may come as the result of this election and what either of the candidates may bring to America the next four years.
We are further scared by each other. The hostility of Americans toward people with different views is out of hand.
Hurting people, cursing people, destroying property are not hallmark qualities of a civilized society. We have sadly stopped being civil in America. Rude and crude are no longer shy in this nation. Pushing, shoving and outright fighting with people is becoming too normal. This is not what the average American wants and is disdained by most of us.
Let's face it, people who act this way scare most Americans.
It's Halloween time in America and there is plenty of fright to go around. The best treat we can give our country is treating each other the way we would like to be treated.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.
This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of PhotoNews Media. We welcome comments and views from our readers.
ST. JOSEPH - Ty Pence dives after a loose ball with Paxton-Buckley-Loda senior Dalton Busboom. Pence, a freshman starter, finished the non-conference game with six points. The St. Joseph-Ogden boys squad drops the home game, after leading by one at the half, 51-42 to the Panthers on January 14, 2019.
CHAMPAIGN - Head coach Randy Wolken talks to his players during St. Joseph-Ogden's away game against Centennial in Champaign. Behind the pitching prowess of Alexandria Boaz, the Spartans pounded the Chargers 11-1 in the non-conference affair on April 9, 2014.
More Photos of the Day
TAGS: Photo of the Day, SJO Softball team, St. Joseph-Ogden beats Centennial, Spartans win road softball game at Centennial
St. Joseph-Ogden's Payton Vallee attempts to hammer the ball past St. Thomas More's Maci Walters and Anna McClure (right) during their Illini Prairie Conference regular season match on September 20, 2018. After dropping the first set 25-22, SJO rallied back to pull out a 25-21 and 26-24 wins over the host Sabers. Vallee collected a kill and two digs on the road trip for the Spartans.
By Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
Occasionally, we all feel like we are living in a rut. Our days and weeks are filled with the same activities and schedules.
We mow grass, rake leaves, clean the house, sweep out the garage and do the same jobs. We go to the same grocery store on a certain day, wash our car at the same place and see the same people along the way. We go to the same place of worship, and read the same daily or weekly newspaper. Our lives are made up of routines, schedules and the usual.
Occasionally we get bored with the usual and do something different. We enjoy the change briefly. There is always a rush of adrenaline with something different. For example, you may change grocery stores for the week or even drive out of town to try out a restaurant. You may even take a trip to a distant part of the state to see something different. While the unusual is stimulating it often makes us tired and we pine to return to the usual.
The usual is the known and the expected. We've done it so many times and usually have the same results. The same results are good if they make us happy. You know what to expect at the little coffee place you frequent and that's why you keep returning. The grocery store has what you need and you know where to find everything. Unless they change everything around in the store and this drives us crazy until we learn our way around again.
We visit with the same people and often have the same types of conversations because those conversations are within our comfort zone. The usual things we do are all about our comfort levels. With Covid-19 you may not feel comfortable doing a lot because of the unknown.
People's comfort levels have changed over the last year. Worship attendance has dramatically changed. Work places have changed. Community gatherings have changed or don't exist.
Whatever your usual is, try to continue to enjoy the familiar and the routine. Keith Urban sings a song about "All that wasted time." One line in the song says, "The best years of my life was all that wasted time."
We seldom see the usual we do as wasting time. Usually it's moving forward with the routines of life. It's going to school. Doing our homework. Going to work. Earning a paycheck. Saving some money. Paying our bills. Maintaining our houses and cars. Going to the doctor and caring for ourselves. When you really think about it, we're very fortunate if we have daily and weekly routines. The best of life is often what we do every day.
We don't vote often. Once or twice a year we may go to the polls. Break with your routine and do something great for your local, state and national government.
Go vote. When the election results come in then you'll know you did your part when you return back to doing your usual.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.
This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of PhotoNews Media. We welcome comments and views from our readers.
A newly formed adult kickball league in Tolono is looking for teams next month.
Games will be played every Sunday during the month of November at the Small Diamond in Tolono. Teams can be co-ed with players no younger than the age of 16. The official schedule will be released once the number of teams have been set.
Teams will play 7 inning contest or for 55 minutes, whichever comes first.
The registration fee for each team is $300, which will cover the cost of lights, umpires and balls.
For more information contact Ashley Kolakowski via messenger on Facebook.
Chasing a solo runner in front of her, St. Joseph-Ogden distance specialist Chelsea Blaase extends her lead on the main pack during the Class 1A 1600-meter run at the IHSA Track & Field State Finals in Charleston in 2012. The senior finished the qualifying race with a time of 5:04.96 to finish second in her heat behind GCMS' Sydni Meunier. Two days later, both Blaase and Meunier ran slower times in the championship race on Saturday, but their position in the final standings remained the same at one-two. Blaase won the two-mile state title to lift the St. Joseph-Ogden girls track team to a third place finish in the team standings.
St. Joseph-Ogden pole vaulter Loren Brooks starts over the bar on her way to clearing 8'6" during Thursday's prelims at the 2012 IHSA Track and Field State Finals. Brooks, a sophomore, failed on this attempt but later cleared the bar. She failed to make the qualifying height in order to advance to Saturday's finals.
Discover the headlines published on each of these days from our news and sports coverage from Champaign‑Urbana and the wider community. From local news and sports to community events, politics, and opinion pieces, The Sentinel archives capture the stories that shaped life in Champaign County year after year.
There are three four-year term trustee seats and one two-year term that will be contested as well as the seat for Village President.
Prospective candidates can pick information packets and petition forms at the Village Hall, located at 507 W. Strong Street in Tolono. The filing period will be December 14-21, 2020.
For more information contact village all at (217) 485-5212 or via email at info@tolonoil.us It is recommended candidates consult an attorney or contact the Illinois State Board of Elections for additional campaign information.
Even before the COVID-19-related economic crisis and shutdown, Peoria had cut positions in its police force and fire department and imposed a public safety pension fee to fill a hole in its budget caused by mounting police and fire pension costs. In 2020, Peoria city leaders debated throughout spring and summer how to close $10 million of the city’s $50 million COVID-19-related budget hole. In September, the city council voted to decommission two fire engines, which, at the time was expected to result in the elimination of 22 fire department positions, though a recently negotiated settlement of the firefighters’ union’s unfair labor practices lawsuit could keep one of the engines in service into 2021.
In Springfield, the budget director warned in 2019 the city needs nearly $270 million more in additional revenue during the next 20 years to pay for its escalating pension costs. Springfield now has an $8 million-$11 million shortfall related to COVID-19. Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said he opposes tax hikes, but balancing the budget will be a challenge with pension obligations restricting the city’s room to maneuver.
Like Chicago, Peoria and Springfield, many other Illinois municipalities – such as Alton, Kankakee and Danville – face severe fiscal problems with few ways to balance their budgets other than service reductions or tax hikes. In an era of increasing pension costs and a COVID-19 economic crisis, many local leaders of cash-strapped municipalities might find progressive city income taxes hard to resist.
But they should, and voters should prevent the temptation. Adding city income taxes to Illinoisans’ already high tax burden would damage struggling municipalities by dampening economic growth and job creation, driving out residents and making it even harder for small businesses to recover.
Illinoisans should be aware: Stripping the Illinois Constitution of its flat tax protection could create damage far beyond the tax hikes already promised.
The service is being offered to anyone who need help raking their leaves. Yohnka said residents are encouraged to send their name and address or contact information for someone who would appreciate the help via email at pack40stjoseph@gmail.com. Questions regarding the raking services can be sent to this email address, too.
The egg hunt, originally scheduled for April 11, was postponed until this weekend due to the Shelter-in-Place Executive Orders issued by Governor Pritzker to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
In late March, Ogden trustee Sue Esposito told The News-Gazette that the village had no intent in canceling the event.
"We are going to just delay it, " she said. "So if we have an egg hunt in November or even December, whatever. ... There’s $700 worth of candy, eggs and money. That’s a lot. We’re not just going to give it up."
The Village of Ogden will provide Halloween bags to egg hunters.
Halloween is typically a relaxed day for America's kids to fill their coffers with candy. Children and adults often don their favorite wacky attire for a day of comic relief.
America needs a day of some kind of relief and maybe Halloween will provide some insanity or terror relief. Because nothing about Halloween is as scary as what America and the world has been experiencing.
We have buried over 220,000 Americans from Covid-19. Over eight million have been sick. Nursing homes and Intensive Care Units have become horror wards. The projections for more sickness and death scare most Americans. We are afraid to go to church, out to eat, and to the grocery store. The airplane, hotel and restaurant industries are in peril as many have already closed or are on the verge of closing. Over 12 Million Americans are now unemployed and many in financial devastation because of Covid-19.
Congress continues to haggle over what and how much the government can further indebt our nation to keep us afloat for the present. With an approximate 28 trillion-dollar deficit and growing when will America file for bankruptcy? What will it take to keep Social Security and Medicare going? More taxes for a broader range of Americans and increased payroll taxes are on the near horizon, most Americans fear. It's more than a little scary.
On top of Covid-19, job loss, business failures and increasing poverty Americans are masked fatigued.
Children are tired of being home from school. Adults miss the comaraderie and social dynamics of their workmates. Working at home first felt good and welcomed but has become old for many Americans. The thought of this going on for another six months or even a year or longer is more than scary - it's terrifying.
On top of all this, we have a major election in front of us. Americans are terrified about the election. We are frightened about who will be elected. Trump being reelected terrifies millions, while millions are terrified Joe Biden will be elected. We are horrified of what may come as the result of this election and what either of the candidates may bring to America the next four years.
We are further scared by each other. The hostility of Americans toward people with different views is out of hand.
Hurting people, cursing people, destroying property are not hallmark qualities of a civilized society. We have sadly stopped being civil in America. Rude and crude are no longer shy in this nation. Pushing, shoving and outright fighting with people is becoming too normal. This is not what the average American wants and is disdained by most of us.
Let's face it, people who act this way scare most Americans.
It's Halloween time in America and there is plenty of fright to go around. The best treat we can give our country is treating each other the way we would like to be treated.
Halloween is typically a relaxed day for America's kids to fill their coffers with candy. Children and adults often don their favorite wacky attire for a day of comic relief.
America needs a day of some kind of relief and maybe Halloween will provide some insanity or terror relief. Because nothing about Halloween is as scary as what America and the world has been experiencing.
We have buried over 220,000 Americans from Covid-19. Over eight million have been sick. Nursing homes and Intensive Care Units have become horror wards. The projections for more sickness and death scare most Americans. We are afraid to go to church, out to eat, and to the grocery store. The airplane, hotel and restaurant industries are in peril as many have already closed or are on the verge of closing. Over 12 Million Americans are now unemployed and many in financial devastation because of Covid-19.
Congress continues to haggle over what and how much the government can further indebt our nation to keep us afloat for the present. With an approximate 28 trillion-dollar deficit and growing when will America file for bankruptcy? What will it take to keep Social Security and Medicare going? More taxes for a broader range of Americans and increased payroll taxes are on the near horizon, most Americans fear. It's more than a little scary.
On top of Covid-19, job loss, business failures and increasing poverty Americans are masked fatigued.
Children are tired of being home from school. Adults miss the comaraderie and social dynamics of their workmates. Working at home first felt good and welcomed but has become old for many Americans. The thought of this going on for another six months or even a year or longer is more than scary - it's terrifying.
On top of all this, we have a major election in front of us. Americans are terrified about the election. We are frightened about who will be elected. Trump being reelected terrifies millions, while millions are terrified Joe Biden will be elected. We are horrified of what may come as the result of this election and what either of the candidates may bring to America the next four years.
We are further scared by each other. The hostility of Americans toward people with different views is out of hand.
Hurting people, cursing people, destroying property are not hallmark qualities of a civilized society. We have sadly stopped being civil in America. Rude and crude are no longer shy in this nation. Pushing, shoving and outright fighting with people is becoming too normal. This is not what the average American wants and is disdained by most of us.
Let's face it, people who act this way scare most Americans.
It's Halloween time in America and there is plenty of fright to go around. The best treat we can give our country is treating each other the way we would like to be treated.
