Today's News

Once again, Vandalia officials are doing everything possible to preserve jobs at Vandalia Correctional Center. And, once again, local residents are encouraged to be part of that effort.

This latest tussle between the state and our community comes about five years after a local effort, led by Mayor Rick Gottman, staved off then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attempt to close VCC. The key player in that fight was the public.

The original plan for Vandalia’s downtown enhancement project called for brick pavers to be used to enhance the sidewalks. That plan was revised, with stamped concrete instead of brick, to cut project costs.

But city officials have learned that it will actually be cheaper to use brick pavers for sidewalk edging and insets.

And the advisory committee formed by Mayor Rick Gottman for the downtown enhancement project is hoping that the bricks used are ones taken from Gallatin Street.

For several years, the city of Vandalia has talked about improving sidewalks throughout town. The process of doing that has begun.

The Vandalia City Council last week authorized city officials to solicit bids for a considerable number of sidewalk repairs.

John Moyer, the city’s director of public works, presented to the council a list of sidewalk repairs to be done in the near future. Moyer developed that listed after being asked by Mayor Rick Gottman to drive through town and find the worst sidewalk problems.

A number of interested parents have organized into a "Field of Dreams Committee" in the hopes of revitalizing the Vandalia baseball fields.

"Anyone who has ever played on them knows that they are in bad shape," Kenny Montgomery an interested parent, former baseball coach and member of the committee said. "We want to make sure that the fields are a decent place for our kids to play."