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Today's News

  • St. Elmo squeaks past Cowden, 53-51

    After seeing Cowden-Herrick last week and winning easily behind a 23-point performance by Nathaniel Maxey, St. Elmo should have felt pretty confident going into Tuesday night’s game against the Hornets. Only this time, the Eagles would be without their leading scorer. But that didn’t hurt their confidence at all.

     

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  • Donations sought for CEFS Food Pantry

    For many low-income families, the Christmas holiday season is a tough time of year.

    This year, it’s particularly difficult – with many families facing seasonal layoffs or job losses.

    Many of those families have used the services of the CEFS food pantry, leaving the food supplies precariously low.

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  • Burnam, Daniels are modern-day 'fishers of men'

    To sit in on a casual conversation with Dale “Pete” Burnam and Glen “Whitey” Daniels, one would think the two were highly incompatible.

    As they volley insults back and forth, however, it soon becomes clear they actually share a close, brotherly-love-like friendship and have the utmost respect for one another.

    When not harassing one another, they are quick with compliments, credits and tributes to the other.

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  • Statehouse's Christmas Open House is Saturday

    Rooms illuminated by candlelight will highlight the annual Christmas Open House from 4:30-6:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site, the oldest remaining Capitol building in Illinois.

    The Statehouse where Abraham Lincoln served as a state representative from 1836-39 will be trimmed with 1800s decorations, including fresh greenery, fruits and nuts.

    Statehouse staff and volunteers in period clothing will greet visitors and be available to answer questions. Period recorder music will be provided by Baroque Folk.

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  • Dispute over firing of St. Elmo chief continues

    The division created by the mayor’s firing of the police chief has risen to the level that the St. Elmo City Council is unable to conduct regular business.

    Various area media outlets reported that the council’s regular December meeting came to an early end when three of the city’s aldermen walked out of the meeting in protest of Mayor Larry Tish’s decision not to reopen discussions on the firing of Ken Thomason.

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  • Council approves 8.57-percent water rate hike

    Over the displeasure of two aldermen, the Vandalia City Council on Monday approved an 8.57-percent increase in water rates as a way of helping the city’s ailing water and sewer funds.

    That increase is on top of the 7.19-percent water rate increase approved by the council in September.

    In presenting the latest increase, City Administrator Jimmy Morani explained that the rate hike was being proposed as a way of generating funds that the city did not receive as a result of council action in 2007.

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  • City grants Motown a 7-month extension

    Two months after the deadline passed for Motown Technology & Sports Facility Inc. to provide proof of financing for a $300-million sports and entertainment complex in Vandalia, the Vandalia City Council gave the group seven more months to provide that proof.

    The council approved that extension in a 6-1 vote after hearing that Motown has received a letter of intent for the financing of a $300-million sports and entertainment facility that would be built on the city’s west side.

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  • Wintery blast brings memories of past

    As the first blast of winter hit this week, the memories of past winters – when we had mounds of snow – came to mind. This year, according to the persimmon seed, with its telltale spoon, we should expect to have our snow shovels at the ready.

    The winter of "eighteen hundred and starve-to-death" in 1831, was not the first big freeze experienced in Illinois. An earlier freeze, about 1813, was known as the "year without a summer."

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  • City must avoid Motown debt

    It was an impressive array of vendors and contractors that was assembled by Motown Technology for Monday’s meeting with the Vandalia City Council. Participants included representatives of Wyndham Hotel Group, IBM, Select Contracts, Hunt Construction Group, TSI Global and several other design and construction companies.

    One by one, at the invitation of developer Kenneth Bardwell, those representatives told of their expertise and the part they would play in the creation of a proposed $300 million sports and entertainment complex in Vandalia.

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  • Vandalia comes back from down 10 at half to win, 40-38

    Last Friday night, the Vandalia boys basketball team opened up its season at home with an nail-bitter of a game. The edge-of-your-seat action came down to the final second and pair of free throws by Will Cowger to clinch Vandalia’s 40-38 win over East Alton-Wood River.

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The Leader Union is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Vandalia, Il, and the surrounding area.