Quinn amendatory vetoes concealed carry bill Page 13 Riverboats coming Page 9 Red Bud parade • Serving Randolph, Perry And Jackson Counties Since 1980 • Page 10 Richelman retires Page 11 © Copyright 2013, County Journal www.countyjournalnews.com Volume 34 Number 27 20 Pages Your Local News Leader Wednesday, July 3, 2013 60¢ Should Popeye Picnic midway expand? By Greg Myers A request by the Popeye Pic- nic committee to close an ex- panded portion of Route 150 (State Street) for the upcom- ing festival was met with con- cerns July 1 at the Chester City Council meeting. For past years, the city has agreed to close the state high- way for the picnic, but this year, the picnic committee has asked to have the closure ex- tend all the way to Church Street, about another block. “Over the years, we have tried to make the picnic bet- The Belleville Fire Department brought its 9/11 memorial project to the Red Bud parade Sunday. ter,” said Ken Wagner of the picnic committee. “By closing the highway to Church Street, we feel this would open up the picnic more and give it more Red Bud parade includes WTC column of a midway feel. “There would be more room The Red Bud firemen’s pa- cess,” said Lanxon. “We got southern Illinois, not just a for vendors. We won’t be able rade Sunday included a trac- Will be part of a big architects and engineers on Belleville, memorial. The time to except any new vendors tor-trailer truck hauling a board and formed a commit- line or walkway will describe coming in without the expan- piece of the destroyed World 9/11 memorial to tee. We wanted a large piece. what happened the day of the sion.” Trade Center in New York. It was approved, and we had attack, and the memorial will Most of the concerns heard The vertical column would be built at Belleville it picked up and brought to be at the end. Monday night had to do with have covered three floors of fire station Belleville.” Lanxon said he wants safety problems the expanded one of the twin towers hit by The memorial and time line $100,000 in the bank before closure could present. hijacked jetliners September about the terrorist attack. will be built at Belleville’s en- they break ground, and more “There are some 911 con- 11, 2001. It is 40 feet long and According to Belleville Fire gine house No. 4 on Route 15. than half that amount has cerns, and if we can get away weighs 7,000 pounds. Chief Scott Lanxon, it all “We are in the last year of been raised. The committee is with not closing the highway The column was entered in started three years ago when fundraising,” said Lanxon. still seeking donations. all the way to Church Street, the parade by the Belleville the Port Authority of New “We have put the column in a Lanxon said he might try to that is something we should Fire Department, which is York offered artifacts from few parades to make people get the truck and vertical col- well into a plan to build a the twin towers. aware of what we are doing.” umn display in the Steeleville Continued on Page 5_______ large memorial and timeline “It was a big application pro- Lanxon said it will be a July 4 parade. Steeleville July 4 celebration begins in the rain Rain hampered the Steele- conclusion Thursday, high- have 40 to 50 vendors set up ville July 4 picnic Monday lighted by the morning pa- in it. and into Tuesday. Monday rade. The July 4 fireworks will night, as the rain and cool The parade will begin July 4 promises to be begin at 10. Following the temperatures persisted, the shortly after the Firecracker fireworks, the drawing for park was practically empty of 3K race, which begins at 9:40 cash prizes will take place. picnic-goers. a.m. The mega drawing will be Those who attended hovered The theme, From Sea to sunny and much warmer for $5,000 for first prize and under trees or other shelters Shining Sea, was chosen by $1,000 for second prize. as the rain continued. Braden Eichenseer. Eichen- Those tickets are $5 each or An upper-level low-pressure seer, along with two of his parade, and more were still cots will walk as well.” three for $10. system over Illinois keeps the friends, will start the 147th signing up. In addition to the parade, the The grand prize drawing rain coming, and more was rendition of the Steeleville “The alumni band is ready craft and vendor fair will be will be for $500, plus prizes predicted for Tuesday and parade. to go, and the Chester band from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Thurs- donated by businesses. Those into Wednesday. Parade coordinator Klay will be here,” Tiemann said. day in the large hall of the tickets are $1 each. But the rain will end, and Tiemann said, as of June 28, “Fredbird and, hopefully, the American Legion. In case of rain, the fireworks the celebration will come to its there were 75 entries for the Southern Illinois Miners mas- The air conditioned hall will and drawings will be July 5. Train hits unoccupied vehicle A Chester man received men and Steeleville. the rails, he drove along the three tickets after his car was The car, which was unoccu- tracks to try to get off of them hit by a train Sunday at about pied when it was hit, was not but couldn’t. He then left the 5:50 a.m. on the road but was on the scene. According to the Randolph track about 100 feet from the After the car was hit, Smith County Sheriff’s Department, road, according to the sher- came back to the scene, and William K. Smith’s 2007 iff’s office. that is when he was issued Chrysler PT Cruiser was Speculation from those on tickets for trespassing on rail- struck by a Union Pacific the scene is that Smith ran off road property, parking on a train just off of the Substation the road at the crossing, and railroad track and improper Road crossing between Bre- getting a tire caught between lane use. A rainy picnic The first night of the Steeleville Fourth of July celebration Monday was basically a washout. Some rides operated from time to time, but the rain and a temperature well below 70 degrees kept people away from the park. Above, Ashleigh Stegman of Steeleville protects herself with an umbrella as one of the rides sits idle. There was more rain Tuesday, but Thursday, July 4 is expected to be sunny and warm. The Smith car that was struck by the Union Pacific train Page 2 County Journal July 3, 2013 Sparta Court dispositions The following cases guilty, more time in were recently termi- prison. firemen nated in Randolph Sandra Wilson of Til- County circuit court. den, theft, guilty, fine. Terrance Black of Adriana Bowers of respond Sparta, manufacture/ Coulterville, retail delivery of drugs, guil- theft, guilty, fine. ty, probation, jail, fine. Jacob Eisenmann of to call David Dunn of Sparta, Red Bud, criminal Sparta firemen were possession of cannabis, damage to property, called to an abandoned guilty, probation, fine; guilty, fine, restitution. apartment building on domestic battery, guil- Emerson George of Osborn Street the after- ty, costs; possession of Tallahassee, Florida, noon of June 26. The drug paraphernalia, possession of drug apartments were once dismissed. paraphernalia, dis- owned by Rex Dungee. Oscar Garcia of Spar- missed. The fire department ta, battery, guilty, pro- Samuel S. Jacobs of suspects that some bation, jail, fine. Steeleville, possession children were in the William Gyon of of drug paraphernalia, building and started Sparta, criminal de- guilty, fine; DUI, guilty, the fire. facement of property, fine. The blaze was con- guilty, conditional dis- Dawn Kueker of fined to one room on charge, fine, restitu- Chester, bad checks, the upper floor. tion. guilty, fine, restitution. A passerby saw Michael Pace, of Men- Michael Schumert of smoke and called the Shown fighting the fire at the apartment building on Osborn Street ard, possession of a O’Fallon, criminal tres- fire department. are Chris Haury and Brandon Lanton. The building was not occupied. weapon in a penal in- pass to land, court su- stitution, guilty, addi- pervision, fine. tion time in prison. Jack R. Houghlan of Allory Smith of Men- Chester, DUI, court su- Police activity during the past week ard, possession of a pervision, fine. Charlene C. Voudrie, appear in court on a trespass to real prop- rant for sexual exploi- weapon in a penal in- Rhonda McConachie 41, of Ellis Grove was DUI charge. He was in erty. He was released tation of a child. He was stitution, dismissed. of Red Bud, DUI, guilty, arrested July 1 by the jail with bond of $3,000. after posting $100 cash released after posting aggravated battery, fine. Randolph County Sher- **** bond. $1,000 cash bond. iff’s Department on a Kenneth J. Coley, 51, **** **** Randolph County war- of Baldwin was arrested Jacqueline M. Britt, Kevin R. Luthy, 30, Steeleville rant for deceptive prac- June 27 by the Ran- 46, Chester was ar- of Red Bud was arrested tice. She posted bond. dolph County Sheriff’s rested June 29, by June 30 by the Ran- **** Department on a war- Chester police for bat- dolph County Sheriff’s Farmers Market Michael R. Recar, 18, rant for driving while tery. She was released Department for crimi- EVERY SATURDAY of Coulterville was ar- license revoked.