Worker helps renovate the steel structure of historic Eads Bridge. (Photo courtesy of Bi-State Development Agency)

Maryville imposing marijuana penalties

The State of Illinois may have officially decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but those caught with pot could state faces stiff fines in Maryville.

The Maryville Village Board in September approved an ordinance banning marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia within the village.

That means village police will now have the option of charging pot users with either a municipal ordinance violation or a violation of state law.

Illinois lawmakers recently reduced possession of marijuana for personal use from a felony to a misdemeanor, carrying a maximum penalty of $200.

Under the new Maryville law, those found with under 10 grams of marijuana could faces fines of up to $2,500, as well as additional penalties such as mandatory participation in a drug rehabilitation program.

Village officials note that despite decriminalization at the state level, many law enforcement officers still consider marijuana use a problem.

As under state law, violations charged under the new Maryville ordinance will be misdemeanors. Local police will exercise discretion in enforcement of the new ordinance, village officials say. Those charged under the village ordinance will not have a criminal record.

Under the new Maryville ordinance:

– Possession of 2.5 grams or less is punishable by 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine; with violators eligible for 24 months of probation for the first conviction, and dismissal of charges after completion.

– Possession of 2.5 to 10 grams is punishable by six months in jail and a $1,500 fine; with violators eligible for 24 months of probation for the first conviction, and dismissal of charges after completion.

– Possession of 10 to 30 grams is punishable by one year in jail and a $2,500 fine, with violators eligible for 24 months of probation for the first conviction, and dismissal of charges after completion.

Individuals cited for possession of drug paraphernalia items – defined in the ordinance – could be fined up to $750 per offense.

The ordinance does not apply to medical marijuana, prescribed by a physician.

Edwardsville balks on SIUE Gardens agreement

Innovative public and private partnerships may be a key part of new Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Chancellor Randy Pembrook’s plans, but the university’s first is off to a rocky start.

After initially voting to have their municipality take over operation and maintenance of the university’s SIUE Gardens last month, Edwardsville City Council members last week acknowledged the agreement had been nullified as the result of a procedural error and the project was now being reevaluated.

The multi-year agreement to take over the park had been approved by the council last month on a 3-3 vote with Mayor Hal Patton casting the tie-breaking vote.  However, under the city charter, contractual agreements must be approved by a vote solely of council members, the city attorney’s office advised last week.

Paton last week said city officials will now have an opportunity to review terms of the proposed agreement and evaluate its benefit to the city.

Jailhouse murder suspect pleads guilty

Madison County Jail inmate Terrence T. Lee, 32, pleaded guilty in circuit court Thursday, Oct. 6 to one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery. Lee was awaiting trial on a previous murder charge when he beat fellow inmate John E. Newsome Sr., 61., to death in July, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.

At the time of the beating death, Lee was being held for the May 19 fatal shooting of Venice resident Kenneth Deal during a robbery in Madison. Lee was also accused of attempted first-degree murder of Sgt. Jim Hutchings of the Madison Police Department.

Under terms of a plea agreement, Lee will be sentenced to 30 years on the murder charge and 20 years on the armed robbery charge.  He must serve the entire murder sentence and at least 50 percent of the armed robbery.

St. Louis County policeman from Edwardsville killed

Flags across the St. Louis region are at half-mast following the shooting death of St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder.  An Edwardsville resident with four years on the St. Louis County force, Snyder, 33, was gunned down early Thursday, Oct. 6, as he responded to a peace disturbance in the Afton area of South St. Louis County.

Police say the officer was shot without warning as arrived on the scene and approached a vehicle occupied by Trenton Forster, 18, of south St. Louis County.

“It was an immediately fatal wound,” St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said. Foster is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, with bail set at $1 million.

Hundreds attended a memorial Thursday evening in Afton. Snyder, an Alton High School graduate, served on the board of Riverbend Family Ministries in Wood River. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Eads Bridge renovations completed

The 142-year-old Eads Bridge across the Mississippi River is ready for another 50 years of service following the official completion, Oct. 7, of a $48 million renovation project, according to the Bi-State Development Agency and City of St. Louis, which jointly own the structure.

Officials marked the occasion by closing the bridge Friday for a seven-hour celebration featuring food trucks, marching bands, and tours, via Metro-Link, of the newly completed bridge structure.  Speakers include Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) and Michael Bost (R-IL).

Work centered around stripping paint, rust and corrosion from the metal structure supporting the bridge, replacing failing components and applying a protective coating to prevent further deterioration. Federal funds covered 91 percent of the project’s total cost.

Originally scheduled for completion in late 2014 or early 2015, the renovations have been beset by adverse weather, a subsequently-dismissed whistleblower lawsuit, above-anticipated contractor bids, a towboat accident that cost the life of a worker.

Opened in 1874, the Eads Bridge was the first steel structure bridge in the United States and one of the first structures of any kind in the county to extensively use steel as a construction component.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–