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If it happens in Monroe County, it's news to us! |
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E-Newsletter - June 8, 2007 Mayor Makes Grand Entrance To Shriner’s Circus  Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith and his granddaughter Taylor Johnson rode an elephant Monday into the center ring at the beginning of the annual Shriner’s Circus at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. The well-attended event featured animal tricks, high wire acts and clowns.
I-255 At Telegraph To Be Closed This
Weekend Crews will start restricting lanes at 8 p.m. on Friday, to prepare for the 10 p.m. closure. During the closure, traffic from I-255 will be condensed into one lane traveling each direction and vehicles will be routed over the Telegraph Road exit and entrance ramps. Three Injured In Park Street Accident
Ethel Rohlfing continues to recover from minor injuries sustained Monday in an accident in Waterloo. Rohlfing was riding with Betty Lerch in a 2006 Grand Marquis driven by Ted Lerch of Red Bud. The three were driving westbound on Park Street in Waterloo heading to the Monroe County Fairgrounds to work at the Shriner’s Circus. In front of Fast Stop Convenience Store, Blake Wild of Waterloo, driving a 1989 Chevy S-10, cut into their path causing an accident. Wild was ticketed for failure to yield to oncoming traffic. He was not injured. Ted, Betty and Ethel were transported by ambulance to Red Bud Regional Hospital; they were all released that evening with minor injuries.
Niles Pleads Guilty To Sex Offense
Against A Minor “Before sentencing, Niles will undergo a sexual offender evaluation,” said State’s Attorney Kris Reitz. In the evaluation, Niles will be examined by a doctor and Doyle may use the findings when determining Niles’ sentence. Niles, 20, was arrested December 2006 by the Columbia Police Department for alleged acts which occurred during April and May of 2006 and were committed through the internet. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Columbia and was a camp counselor at Super Summer Camp in Greenville. The indecent solicitation of a child charge alleges Niles, as a person over the age of 17, knowingly solicited a child under the age of 17 to engage in sexual intercourse.
Monroe County Garden Tour Is Saturday Homes on the tour are Ron and Pam Bode, 414 Sycamore in Waterloo; Rich and Mary Stoecker of 28 Eagle Lake Drive in Columbia; Joe and Kathy Dunphy of 310 Armin Circle in Columbia; Tom and Joan Adams of 10 Justin Drive in Columbia; Bill and Jean Steibel of 420 Covington Drive in Waterloo; and Virgil Kirchoff, off of Route 156 in rural Waterloo. The American Red Cross will have a blood drive Monday, June 18, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at St. John United Church of Christ in Valmeyer. The SS. Peter and Paul Church of Waterloo Summer Picnic is tonight and tomorrow, June 8 and 9. Tonight’s food will be hamburgers and fried fish. Tomorrow there will be family-style chicken dinner beginning at 3:30 p.m., with Mass at 4 p.m. Activities both nights include games, quilt and cash bingo, and musical entertainment. Final plans and details for the annual July 4 Celebration in Columbia have been set. The event will begin Wednesday, July 4, at 11 a.m., and culminate with a dusk fireworks display at the American Legion Memorial Park at 375 E. Locust St. in Columbia. The celebration was first held in 1976 to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial. This year’s celebration will continue the tradition. The Columbia Volunteer Fire Department’s fish stand and the legion’s beer stand will open at 11 a.m. The legion will have bingo in their hall beginning at noon, rain or shine. There will be a washers tournament beginning at 1:30 p.m. and a Kloepper tournament beginning at 4 p.m. The Rich Cullen Band will provide outdoor music from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In addition to the firemen’s fish, food concessions will include the Turners’ bratwurst, Knights of Columbus’ chicken breast, hamburger and ice cream stands, Columbia Woman’s Club’s lemonade and nachos, and Job’s Daughters’ funnel cakes, soda and bottled water. The July 4 Committee relies solely on contributions from the community to fund the event. The annual budget is approximately $12,000. Local organizations man concession booths but all proceeds remain with that group. Donations to fund the celebration, including the fireworks, are received from local individuals, organizations and businesses. New donors from all segments of the community are encouraged to join the cause. Donations of any amount may be sent to: Columbia July 4 Committee, C/O Grace Volkert, 501 W. Legion, Ave., Columbia, IL 62236. The schedule has been finalized for the 2007 Valmeyer Mid-Summer Celebration, which will be held June 29 through July 4 at Borsch Park in Old Valmeyer. The celebration kicks off Friday, June 29, with rock music by Fountain Creek from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The first baseball game of the Mid-Summer Classic will be Saturday, June 30, at 9 a.m. Other Saturday events include a lawnmower pull, volleyball tournament and evening music by Aftershock. This year’s parade is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. Activities on Sunday include baseball games and a washers tournament. The celebration resumes Tuesday night with rock music by Aftershock from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The championship game of the baseball tournament will be Wednesday, July 4, at 3 p.m. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display at dusk. The Downtown Waterloo Merchant Group’s Super Summer Sale is June 11 through 16. Customers will have all week to have their cards stamped at each of the eight participating stores, similar to the Christmas Walk. One winner will receive $25 gift certificates to each of the eight stores, a $200 value. Participating merchants include A World of Difference Healthy Food Store, Back On The Rack, Caleb Heal Photography, Clark’s Country Oaks, Echoes of the Past Antiques, Mill Street Treasures, Reime Jeweler’s and Gifts and Vickie’s Hallmark. Stores will be open regular hours during the week and will feature various in-store specials.
Columbia Having Passport Fair
Saturdays The hours of the event are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the post office located at 800 Columbia Centre. The Passport Fair will make it easy for customers who need to obtain their passports on a Saturday, since the post office does not currently accept passports on Saturdays. Customers can find passport applications online at www.usps.com/passport or they can pick them up at the Columbia Post Office, said Supervisor Customer Service Jeff Hamilton. Regular passport acceptance hours at the Columbia Post Office are Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Passport applicants pay two fees at the time of application. Adults and children 16 years of age and older pay a $30 Postal Service processing fee and a $67 Department of State application fee. The total cost is $97. Cash or checks are accepted. If payment is made by check, two checks are required. Persons under 16 pay $30 to the U.S. Postal Service for a processing fee and $52 to the Department of State for the passport application fee. The total fee is $82. Applicants can have their passport expedited for an additional fee of $60, payable to the State Department and an additional fee of $32.50 for express mail for a total cost of $189.50 for adults and $174.50 for children under the age of 16. The Postal Service offers the following suggestions to help the passport application process go smoothly and efficiently: • Bring in proper proof of American citizenship such as a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a naturalization certificate. A hospital issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable. • Bring in proof of identity. This must be a previous U.S. passport; a naturalization certificate; a certificate of citizenship; or a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID. • The passport application requires two recent identical passport photographs, which can be taken at the Post Office for a minimal fee. To save time complete the application http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html you visit the Post Office. Customers can call 800-ASK-USPS or go to www.usps.com/passport to get other information on passport applications. It is recommended that customers apply for their passports at least two to three months before their departure date. Currently it is taking approximately 12 to13 weeks for the State Department to process Passports. You can also expedite your passport and the processing time for this has been four to five weeks. Gregson Breaks Country Club Record  Former Waterloo High School golf team standout and current Kansas State player Mitchell Gregson broke the Waterloo Country Club’s 18-hole record Sunday, June 3, with an 11-under score of 57. – photo by Karen Pottoff
Music At Metter Begins This Weekend Music at Metter is a family-oriented event, with a playground, and tennis and basketball courts available for use during the concerts. Refreshments are available and attendees are welcome to bring their own, as well as a lawn chair or blanket. Local businesses and charitable organizations can sponsor a concert or help out with refreshments. For more information, call Jackie Hausmann at Columbia City Hall at 281-7144 ext. 106. The first-ever Columbia Pond and Waterfall Tour is Sunday, June 10. Buses will pick up at Metter Park from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and transport people to and from the participating residential gardens. The event is sponsored by the city of Columbia’s Progress Committee, a group that promotes Main Street and surrounding areas. “We wanted to showcase the city's color,” said Ron Langhans, the event’s organizer. “These folks work really hard on their properties and we'd like to show them we appreciate what they do.” Event will be followed at Metter Park by the season’s first Music At Metter. The Joey James Orchestra will provide musical entertainment from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Greg Knobloch and Jaclyn Althoff will exchange wedding vows this weekend in Maeystown. The couple and guests will kick up their heels later in the evening at the Heckerdome. This morning Pat and Mandy Fromme became the proud parents of twins, Jack and Ella. Big sister, Emma, can’t wait for their arrival at their Columbia home.
Calendar of Events
Saturday
Sunday
Recent Obituaries Margaret M. Carr, 96, of Red Bud, died June 3, 2007, in Red Bud. Survivors include her sisters Gladys Carr of Red Bud and Mildred (Robert) Curran of Waterloo. She worked in nursery of St. Clement’s Hospital in Red Bud for 23 years and in the surgery department for two years. Visitation is Tuesday, June 5, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Wednesday, June 6, from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., at Welge-Pechacek Funeral Home in Red Bud. A funeral Mass will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Fr. Tom Stout officiating. She will be buried at St. John Catholic Cemetery in Red Bud. June Turner nee Mitchell, 70, of Millstadt, died June 6, 2007, at her residence. She was born March 19, 1937, the daughter of John and Mildred nee Parnell Mitchell. June was a retired social worker who was employed at Birchwood Nursing Home and Mill Haven Care Center. She is survived by husband, Darrell Turner; children Teresa (Ron) Andres, Darrel (Mamie) Turner, Pat (Kent) Lischer, Nancy (Brian) Holdener and Lynda (Jeff) Weber; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by son, John Gardner Turner; sister, Edna Blackman; brother, Glenn Mitchell; and father-in-law and mother-in-law James and Ethel Turner. Visitation is Friday, June 8, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Strauss Funeral Home in Millstadt. Funeral is Saturday, June 9, 11 a.m., at Strauss. Memorial may be made to Unity Hospice of Greater St. Louis. Diane M. Krebel, 58, of Waterloo, died June 7, 2007, in Waterloo. Survivors include her brothers Orvel (Ursula) Krebel of Waterloo and Kenneth (Linda) Krebel of Waterloo. Visitation is Sunday, June 10, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Monday, June 11, from 8 a.m. until the funeral service begins at 10 a.m. at Quernheim Funeral Home, Fr. Roger Karban officiating. She is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Renault. She will be buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Renault. Humane Society Of Monroe County’s Pet of the Week  Annie is a very playful, 3-year-old, medium-sized cat. She likes to be around people and would do best in a home with no other cats, but does well will children and dogs. For adoption information call 282-PETS or you can visit the society’s website: www.hsofmcil.org. |
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