Civil rights pioneer to be honored
East St. Louis educator and lifelong civil rights champion Thelma Mothershed Wair will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) at its May 2016 commencement.  Wair was one of nine students – then widely known as “the Little Rock Nine” – to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. in 1957, following the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education decision, which found state-sanctioned public school segregation unconstitutional. After earning degrees through the SIU system, Wair taught in the East St. Louis school district until her retirement in 1994. She also worked at the St. Clair County Jail’s Juvenile Detention Center and an American Red Cross shelter for the homeless. She was National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Spingarn Medal in 1958. She is also a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal — the nation’s highest civilian honor. (Photo courtesy: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)

Ruling allows St. Clair County circuit judges to stay on ballot

A Sangamon County Circuit Court judge has ruled that three St. Clair County circuit judges can seek to remain on the bench by running for election rather than retention.

Fearing an uphill retention battle, Judges John Baricevic, Robert LeChien and Robert Haida last year all resigned from the circuit court, effective in December, and then filed to run for election to their places on the bench in this year’s election cycle.

Retention of judges requires approval by 60 percent of voters.  Election requires a simple majority.

Last week’s rule comes as the result of a challenge filed by Belleville City Clerk Dallas Cook. Cook this week is expected to the appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, which he hopes will rule prior to the March 15 primary.s

State investigating Edwardsville schools’ finances

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is launching an investigation into the financial integrity of the Edwardsville School District. The district was placed ISBE’s Financial Watch List in March 2015. Edwardsville Superintendent Lynda Andre was notified of the probe in a Feb. 19 letter.  District officials now have until March 4 to provide the state with financial statements. They also must provide information on the district’s contracts for food services and transportation, labor agreements, payroll levels, and bond issue amortization schedules.

Should the ISBE rule the school district is in financial distress, district officials could be required to submit a financial turnaround plan, subject to approval by the state board.

Although the Edwardsville district has reduced expenditures by $12 million over the past seven years, officials anticipate its cash reserves will be depleted at the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year.  The district in 2014 issued $9 million in working cash bonds to balance the district’s budget for a two-year period.  The district plans to place another bond issue on the November election ballot.

District officials blame their financial plight on declining state revenue, stagnation of property tax revenues, and the need for additional personnel in the rapidly growing school system.

Marriott coming to Edwardsville

Marriott International, Inc., has announced plans for a 90-room TownePlace Suites hotel at the intersection of Route 157 and Center Grove Road in Edwardsville. Targeting the extended stay traveler, the hotel will offer studios as well as one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites featuring fully equipped kitchens and separate living/working and sleeping areas. It will feature a 24-hour business center, wireless Internet access, meeting rooms, guest laundry, convenience market, swimming pool, whirlpool, fitness center and a complimentary hot breakfast with a 24-hour coffee service. It will be owned by Edwardsville Hospitality, LLC, a joint venture of R.L.P. Development Company, with Marriott, one of the world’s largest high-end hotel management firms, in charge of operations.  Spearheading the development is R.L.P. development founder Bob Plummer, who was also responsible for development of Edwardsville’s Holiday Inn Express.

Madison County launches micro-loan program

Madison County has joined with Justine Petersen Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) of St. Louis to create a new Madison County Micro-Loan Program for small businesses. Madison County Community Development is providing a $200,000 loan to the Petersen Institution’s Great Rivers Community Capital program, to in turn make funding available for small-business entrepreneurs.  Named for a long-time St. Louis area activist, Justine Petersen, a 501(c)3 company, is the nation’s largest micro-lender for the U.S. Small Business Administration. The new Madison County program was announced Feb. 19. For information, call Galen Gondolfi, senior loan counselor and chief communications officer at Justine Petersen, at (314) 533-2290, or visit the organization’s web site at: www.justinepetersen.org.

Section of I-64 reduced to one lane

Substantial congestion is expected along I-64 in East St. Louis over the next 12 or more months, as the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reduces the interstate to one-lane of traffic to accommodate construction.  The department planned to close the right-lane Feb. 29, weather permitting, with the closure in effect through November. The left lane is then scheduled to be closed until the spring of 2017.

The closures are necessary to construct a new ramp connecting eastbound traffic from the Martin Luther King Bridge to westbound I-55/64 and southbound Illinois 3, IDOT said.

Delays are expected around the closure area during weekday rush hours, and IDOT is encouraging motorists to plan accordingly and use alternate routes such as the Interstate 70 Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge or the Martin Luther King Bridge.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–