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Local News

  • Grace period for voter registration ends Tuesday

    Last Tuesday was the voter registration deadline for the Feb. 5 primary election. But, anyone who needs to register still has time to do so.

    Fayette County Clerk and Recorder Terri D. Braun, the countys election official, said on Tuesday that a state grace period essentially extends the time allowed for voter registration.

    However, Braun emphasized, those who register or the states grace period which began on Wednesday and runs through next Tuesday must cast their primary election votes in her office. Brauns office is on the first floor of the Fayette County Courthouse.

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  • Route 51 hearings are next Thursday

    The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold three public hearings in January on the continued four-lane expansion of U.S. Route 51, with two of those meetings being held in Fayette County.

    IDOT will hold one public meeting from 1-4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, in the multi-purpose room at the Kaskakia College Vandalia Campus, and a second meeting that day from 5:30-8 p.m. at Ramsey High School.

    A third hearing will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23, in Centralia City Council chambers.

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  • Federal funds used to buy new radio equipment for sheriff's office

    Fayette County will be taking another look into Enhanced 911 emergency phone service for residents of the county. But the possible introduction of that service is not the main reason for the replacement of the communications system at the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.

    Rather, the new equipment is being purchased because of the age and condition of the existing equipment.

    U.S. Congressman John Shimkus (R-Ill.-19th District) came to Vandalia last Friday to present Sheriff Aaron Lay and several members of the county board with a check for $211,500.

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  • Vandalia Schools to get more funds from the state

    Though it still must be signed by the governor, legislation approved last week by Illinois legislators would mark the first increase in the states per-pupil education funding since 1985.

    That $400 increase per student per year brings the states annual base funding level to $5,734 per student. For the Vandalia Community School District, that means an increase in state funding of about $250,000, according to Superintendent Rich Well.

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  • Miss Fayette County Fair Queen 2007 to participate at state level

    The IAAF Convention will be held Jan. 17-20 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. At this convention, county fair officials can get ideas and book events for their 2008 fair.

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  • VJHS band concert is Sunday

    The Vandalia Junior High School band concert will be held at 2 p.m. this Sunday in the Vandalia Community High School gym. The concert is free and open to the public.

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  • New KC Campus classes begin on Monday

    In mid-December, after a busy week of final exams at the Vandalia Education Center at 722 School St., the staff at the site packed up and moved to their new location, the Vandalia Campus at 2310 W. Fillmore St.

    As boxes were carted off to the new location, the Vandalia Staff worked hard to ensure that classes would start at the new location on Jan. 14.

    Most of the move involved unpacking new technical equipment, such as computers printers, copiers, etc.

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  • Watson challenging VCC cuts

    State Sen. Frank Watson acknowledges that since Gov. Rod Blagojevich was unsuccessful in his attempt to close Vandalia Correctional Center three years ago, rumors about cutbacks and closures at VCC "have run rampant."

    But Watson, the Greenville Republican who serves as the Illinois Senate minority leader, found out Tuesday that there's some truth to the latest report of a cutback at the local prison. And Watson said he told IDOC officials that afternoon that he wants some details about the agency's plans.

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  • End of the year wrapup

    The city of Vandalia filled its newly created position of director of economic development and tourism with a native of the Vandalia area. An area native was also chosen as the new librarian at Evans Public Library.

    Those were among the news stories from 2007. We finish our look back at the past year with some of the stories from the last three months of the year.

    SEPTEMBER

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  • City OKs bidding for downtown infrastructure work

    The Vandalia City Council decided on Monday to take another step toward making downtown improvements by seeking bids for water and sewer line work.

    After receiving bids for those improvements, the city will see where it stands financially as it makes decisions regarding downtown streetscape projects.

    The council's action on Monday comes several weeks after two council committees and the Downtown Advisory Committee recommended separating the infrastructure and streetscape improvements.

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