Thursday, March 28, 2024

Joe Rehana

Video gambling starts in Johnson County

Even though video gambling has been in practice in Illinois since October of last year, Johnson County establishments are only just now getting in on the act with Big Boys On the Loop taking the lead in turning its machines on. Three Johnson County businesses have received licenses allowing them …

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Zip line tour operator opens in Southern Illinois

By Joe Rehana “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly like a bird between the trees,” he said, describing a sensation of weightlessness while zipping by rock bluffs under a canopy of colors.  “This is about as close to that as it gets.” Shawnee Bluffs Canopy …

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Vienna approves grant proposal requests for infrastructure upgrades

The Vienna City Council conducted two public hearings recently regarding Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant applications, which will help fund upgrades to a wastewater distribution infrastructure project and provide qualifying homeowners with home improvement needs. The two grant application proposals were approved by the city and discussed in …

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Johnson County prepares for consolidated elections

Johnson County will hold its 2013 consolidated elections April 9 with positions for mayors, clerks, trustees and school board members all on the ballot. Not all positions have candidates and in many cases candidates in Johnson County are running unopposed as the deadline for filing ends Thursday. Consolidated elections are …

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Four year old saves family from fire

When Cindy Easton left for a late shift at work Thursday night and set her four-year old son up to watch a movie while his sister and stepfather had already drifted off to bed, she never imagined it would lead to the saving of lives. “He’s a hero,” said Easton, …

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Inmate-empty Tamms to close Friday, Jan. 4

The Tamms Correctional Center’s last day of operation is Jan. 4, 2013, Illinois Department of Corrections officials said Monday, noting that all inmates have been transferred to other facilities. After a lower-court injunction to block the closure was reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court Dec. 19, Gov. Pat Quinn proceeded …

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Snowstorm dumps 10-16 inches, county at near standstill Wednesday

Snow removal crews were busy Wednesday and Thursday, December 26 and 27, in Johnson County as they cleared an estimated 14 inches off of roadways. An additional four to six inches of snow was added over night Friday. Emergency personnel in the county were also kept busy responding to a …

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O’Neal, Cain to take office Dec. 1

With 100-percent of Johnson County precincts reporting before 9 p.m. Tuesday night, local general election unofficial results unseated States Attorney Tricia Shelton and pushed through Ryan O’Neal as Circuit Clerk. Turnout for Johnson County’s 17 precincts was a few points behind its last general elections with 70.35-percent of its 8,172 …

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I-Cash event held in Vienna

Johnson County residents are responsible for $277,738 in unclaimed property being held by the Illinois State Treasurer’s office and they want to give it back. Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford was in Vienna Tuesday morning promoting an I-Cash event in which residents of Johnson County could have the Treasurer’s records …

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Johnson County readies for general election Tuesday, Nov. 6

As Johnson County enters its last week before joining the nation in the 2012 general elections, local officials say they are prepared for the more than 75-percent of registered voters to cast their ballots come Nov. 6. More than 850 Johnson County voters took to the polls by Tuesday, Oct. …

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