Col. John Howard, Commander, 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott Air Force Base.
(Photo courtesy of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)

Bicentennial observances planned for Metro East

The year-long Illinois Bicentennial celebration officially began Dec. 3 as Metro East counties and municipalities joined others around the state in raising a new bicentennial flag at government buildings.

Metro East observances will center largely around the 200th anniversary of the Illinois Constitution on Aug. 26, 2018.

That day, Gov. Bruce Rauner will lead an Illinois Bicentennial Route 66 motorcycle ride between Chicago and Edwardsville — the state’s third oldest city.

In East St. Louis, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Community Center will host an Illinois Bicentennial Celebration focusing on St. Clair County’s role in state history.   Community-based vendors and musical entertainment will be featured.

Radio station KSHE95 will sponsor an Illinois Bicentennial rock concert at a Metro East location, to be announced.

In conjunction with the bicentennial, the City of Edwardsville last week announced its “200 Acres for 200 Years” campaign to add 200 acres of preserved green space around the city.  

Mayor Hal Patton and Alderman SJ Morrison are spearheading the project with the assistance of HeartLands Conservancy and the Edwardsville Community Foundation.

“Edwardsville is committed to preserving the natural elements as the city continues to grow,” project leaders noted in a press release last week.

Those interested in donating land for the project enjoy should contact the mayor’s office at (618) 692-7531.

The Illinois Bicentennial Commission is currently seeking nominations for three awards programs:

• #IllinoisProud will offer at least one $5,000 award for a community-based improvement project in every Illinois county.
• HONOR 200 will recognize Illinois veterans for extraordinary service fellow former military personnel or communities at the official Bicentennial Birthday Party in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2018.
• The BORN, BUILT & GROWN campaign will honor people, places, and things that make Illinois so enduringly strong, kind, and beautiful.

Funding for #IllinoisProud awards is to be raised through a combination of corporate sponsorship, philanthropic donations and crowdfunding campaigns.

A complete list of bicentennial events can be accessed at: https://illinois200.com/celebrate/signature-events. Information on awards programs and other bicentennial projects can be accessed at https://illinois200.com/celebrate/signature-projects/.  Nominations for HONOR 200 recognition can be submitted by mail or on-line at www.illinois.gov/veterans.

Illinois became the 21^st state in the U.S. on Dec. 3, 1818. Additional information on the bicentennial and state history can be found at www.illinois200.com.

Alton casino operator in merger talks  

Two gambling companies, which together own four of the St. Louis area’s six casinos, are negotiating a possible merger.

Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming Inc. — which operates the Alton Argosy Casino as well as the Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights, Mo. — has disclosed it is in talks for the acquisition of Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., which operator two other St. Louis-area gambling halls: the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Mo., and the River City Casino in the St. Louis County community of Lemay.

Pinnacle owns and operates a total of 16 gaming properties across the U.S. Penn National has 29.

Regulators could order the consolidated company to sell off some of its casinos in the St. Louis area or elsewhere to preserve market competition.

The Illinois Gaming Board would have to approve any transfer of control of the Alton Argosy.

O’Fallon residents to see lower electric rates

O’Fallon residents and small businesses, who get electricity through the city’s electrical aggregation program with Homefield Energy, will enjoy lower rates over the next 18 months, according to city officials.

Under a new 18-month contract extension, Homefield’s electric rate in O’Fallon will be lowered 4 percent, from 0.0595 to 0.0570, beginning in January. The rate will then decrease another 2 percent to 0.05596 on June 2019 and be maintained at that level through December 2020.

O’Fallon participants in the Homefield Energy program will enjoy rates 7 percent lower than those paid by customers of Ameren Illinois, according to Mayor Herb Roach said.

O’Fallon has offer Homefield Energy as an alternative electricity supplier for residents and small businesses since 2013.

Participants will see the new rate reflected on their February bill for January service.

Grafton settles mudslide suit

The City of Grafton has agreed to pay a pair of property owners a total of $70,000, in the wake of a massive 2015 mudslide that destroyed two houses on Illinois Rt. 100. City officials say steep terrain along the Great River Road gave way after 10 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours; demolishing the two structures and closing the already partially flooded roadway for days.

Property owners Joanne Groves, who lived in one of the houses, and Jeffrey and Sandra Green, who maintained the other as rental property, filed suit in federal court against the city and two neighboring property owners, alleging they had negligently failed to stabilize their steeply sloped land.

Scott Commander to address SIUE commencement

CCol. John Howard, Commander, 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott Air Force Base (SAFB), will address the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville fall 2017 commencement exercise at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16 in the Vadalabene Center. SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook invited Howard to speak to the graduating class in honor of SAFB’s 100th anniversary.

“We are extremely pleased to have Col. Howard as our December commencement speaker to celebrate the base’s 100th anniversary,” Pembrook said.  “Scott Air Force Base and SIUE have worked successfully together in many ways in the past, and we anticipate many more partnerships in the base’s next century of service to our community.”

Howard leads more than 3,100 personnel, oversees assets totaling more than $4 billion, and controls an annual budget exceeding $130 million. The 375th Air Mobility Wing’s mission is to provide aeromedical evacuation for patients, and operational support airlift for high priority passengers and cargo with a fleet of 12 C-21 aircraft.

Prior to his current assignment, Howard served as the vice commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force, Mildenhall, England. He is a fully qualified joint staff officer with joint assignments as the aide-de-camp to the commander, U.S. Pacific Command; the aide-de-camp to the commander, U.S. Central Command; an Afghan Air Force advisor, NATO Air Training Command, and deputy commander of the Commander International Security Assistance Force Advisory and Assistance Team, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Howard earned a bachelor’s in mathematics in 1994 from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., achieved an MBA in 1997 from the University of California-Davis, and is a 2011 U.S. Air Force National Security Studies Fellow to Stanford University.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–