Data center issue surfaces at Madison County committee meeting
Same committee will discuss the topic more in-depth in February • by Randy Pierce • Touched upon at this month’s meeting of the Madison County Board Grants Committee, the subject of data centers is slated to be discussed in a bit more depth when its members meet again on Feb. 10, tentatively, at 4 p.m.…
Read MoreMadison County Transit plans new ‘microtransit’ service between Maryville, Troy
by Randy Pierce • Madison County Transit Managing Director SJ Morrison was one of six members of a panel who participated in a discussion hosted by the Citizens for Modern Transit organization in St. Louis earlier this month where he shared information regarding pending local projects planned for an area that includes Collinsville, Maryville and…
Read MoreCollinsville officers, telecommunicators receive SILEC/SIPCA awards
by Randy Pierce • Three officers and two telecommunicators with the Collinsville Police Department, along with two deputies from the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and one of its telecommunicators, are recipients of awards presented at the 33rd annual recognition event hosted jointly by the Southwestern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission (SILEC) and the Southern Illinois Police…
Read MoreMaryville to restrict parking near elementary school
By Kathy Turner • On Jan. 21, the Maryville Board of Trustees approved an ordinance that will restrict parking near Maryville Elementary School. The restrictions will prohibit parking on Renee Street during school days and the school’s hours of operation. Local residents and parents have complained about congestion on Renee Street. The village engineer conducted…
Read MoreUnemployment rate up in majority of metro areas for November; Chicago sees continued job growth
Chicago Hits Record Number of November Jobs, 17 Consecutive Months of Year-Over-Year Growth SPRINGFIELD – Over-the-year, total non-farm jobs decreased in 8 metropolitan areas and increased in 4, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth in Chicago (17 consecutive months) and Lake (6 consecutive months). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in 10 metro areas and…
Read MoreProject Homeless connect links people to housing, health care, support
By Tribune Staff • EDWARDSVILLE – Community members will come together later this month to support people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Madison County will host its annual Project Homeless Connect from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, bringing individuals and families who are navigating homelessness or a housing crisis together with…
Read MoreAmeren delivers big economic benefits for Missouri, Illinois
By Tribune Staff • ST. LOUIS – Ameren Corporation’s (NYSE: AEE) operations in Missouri and Illinois triggered more than $20.7 billion in annual economic output, according to a study by a leading market research and development firm. Conducted by HR&A Advisors and commissioned by Ameren, the study analyzed direct spending by the company on functions…
Read MoreNew H-2A wage rule ‘step in the right direction’
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek In the mid-2000s, Flamm Orchards in southern Illinois was forced to decide: Move to the H-2A temporary visa program or scale the operation way down? “We didn’t have the workforce needed to do what we do,” co-owner Austin Flamm told FarmWeek. The H-2A program allows farmers to bring non-immigrant foreign workers…
Read MoreMECO Engineering, Heneghan and Associates announce strategic merger in Missouri, Illinois
HANNIBAL—MECO Engineering Company, Inc. and Heneghan and Associates, Inc., two established civil engineering and land surveying firms with deep roots in Missouri and Illinois, announced today that they have completed a strategic merger effective Dec. 31, 2025. The combined firm will operate under the name MECO Heneghan, Inc. The merger brings together two firms with…
Read MoreIllinois National Guard, Portugal formalize new state partnership agreement
LISBON, Portugal — The Illinois National Guard and the Ministry of National Defense of the Portuguese Republic held a ceremony Jan. 12, 2026, in Lisbon to officially establish a new State Partnership between the two armed forces. The agreement marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral military cooperation between the United States and Portugal through…
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