Belleville News

“When cities do this, there's an immediate return on investment from a resident convenience standpoint”

-- Mayor Mark Eckert said the city is finally in a place where it can begin to reduce the amount of incentives used to entice big-box retailers into shopping centers such as Belleville Crossing and Green Mount Commons.

Eckert said the city has needed to provide incentives to get businesses to see Belleville as a great place to locate.

'We feel like we're finally to the point where that's happening,' Eckert said.

For Green Mount Commons, a $110 million shopping center and residential development on Carlyle Avenue, the city offered an incentives package of property and sales tax rebates worth $19.8 million. Read more

“We expect more from our workers.”

Two workers responsible for helping low-income families receive grants to pay energy costs face multiple felony charges in connection with thefts from the program.

Sherri S. Bush, 42, of Belleville, and Atiya K. Tally, 25, of Belleville, are accused of misrepresenting their income to qualify for financial aid through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Bush and Tally previously worked in the St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department, and officials say charges against other workers are likely. Read more

“It was tragic, what happened to me”

Today marks one year since Belleville police Sgt. Jon Brough was shot in the face. Although he's had good and bad days, he remains hopeful for a middle ground.

'I just want to go back to being normal,' Brough said Friday.

On Nov. 10, 2006, Larry J. Sicka, a suspect in the stabbing deaths of his former in-laws, shot Brough in the face during a police raid at 319 (Rear) S. First St. in Belleville. Sicka shot and killed himself that same evening.

Since then, Brough has endured nine surgeries -- two that saved his life and seven that reconstructed his face. He said he can't wait for the morning he wakes up to find he is no longer in pain. Read more

CaffA© Avanti, the locally owned gourmet coffee, sandwich and dessert shop located off Green Mount Road in O'Fallon, has signed a five-year lease with the Writers' Lofts in downtown Belleville.

Their ground-level cafA©, the company's second location, could open by March 1.

Owner Joe Lebryk said 'the total revitalization of downtown Belleville' is what drew him to the site.

For more on this story, read the News-Democrat Saturday or go to www.bnd.com. Read more

“We're hopeful this will be worked out.”

Workers at the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative said they will strike if a new contract agreement isn't reached before Nov. 27.

Jaye Smith, co-president of the negotiating team for Illinois Federation of Teachers Local 6143, one of two unions that represent workers at the school, said employees have tried to work out a contract for six months and they can't wait anymore.

Cooperative Director Christy Magnusen said today that she had not heard that the union had set a strike date. Read more

Police are searching for a man who approached a Catholic High School student Wednesday afternoon and followed her in his car.

The girl was walking home from Althoff Catholic High School on Frank Scott Parkway around 3:25 p.m. when she noticed a man watching her from his green four-door vehicle. He approached the girl in his car, according to the Belleville Police report, and asked her where she was going. The girl told the man in the car 'none of your business' and continued walking. According to the girl, the man asked her how old she was and if she had any friends while she ignored him and continued walking home. Read more

“The victim told him that she didn't have any money”

An East St. Louis man is accused of choking and beating a female friend and taking her purse in west Belleville.

James E. Thomas, 20, of 2617 Ridge St. in East St. Louis, was charged with robbery on Saturday.

Thomas had called a female friend who had a ring that belonged to Thomas and asked to meet her so she could return it, Belleville Police Sgt. John Moody said.

The victim agreed to meet Thomas at 9 p.m. Thursday in the first block of South 86th Street in Belleville and returned the ring, Moody said. Thomas then demanded money for gas and cigarettes. Read more

“Calls for service aren't going down, they're going up.”

Mayor Mark Eckert said Wednesday the city should spend less in incentives to develop the next part of the Belleville Crossing shopping center and maybe use the money it saves to hire more police officers and open a fourth fire station.

'As long as the city continues to grow, we can't shortchange ourselves on city services,' Eckert said.

The Economic Development & Annexation Committee on Wednesday unanimously agreed to recommend that the City Council approve $1 million in sales tax rebates for the shopping center's $13 million next phase. Read more

The city's Parks and Recreation Department has installed three new donated sculptures as part of the Sculpture in the City program.

The new sculptures, worth a total of more than $24,000 went up in front of Belleville West High School, Belleville East High School, and on West Main Street at Sixth Street.

The Roho Group donated the piece installed in front of Belleville West, and the Lancer Improvement Group bought the piece for outside Belleville East. Delta Theta Tau sorority donated the sculpture on display in front of 512 W. Main St., the former Jack Schmitt car dealership which the city purchased this summer. Read more

The son of a candidate who ran for the Illinois Supreme Court was arrested on a charge of soliciting a prostitute.

Thomas Gordon Maag, 32, of Highland, was arrested Friday during a sting operation conducted by Granite City Police.

Maag, an attorney, is the son of Gordon Maag, a Democrat and former judge who ran unsuccessfully in 2004 for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court. The race between Gordon Maag and Republican Lloyd Karmeier set a national record by attracting more than $9 million in campaign spending. Read more

Belleville police are looking for a couple who approached a girl near West Junior High School on Monday.

The girl called police after a couple in a black, muscle car approached her in the area of the school, said Belleville Police Sgt. John Moody.

'The victim told officers a man in the same car approached her several times before in the area of a bus stop at Pyramid and Loma streets,' Moody said.

The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s with brown hair and a small build, Moody said. Read more

A space heater left unattended and too close to kitchen cabinets at 9:30 a.m. today caused a fire in a home at 727 State St.

No one was injured, and the Belleville Fire Department has ruled the fire accidental. The kitchen was damaged by flames. Other parts of the house sustained smoke and water damage. Belleville Fire Chief Scott Lanxon estimated damage to the house, which did not contain any belongings, to be worth about $10,000.

Bobby Hinson, 24, had been painting his house, which he planned to move into soon. He left a liquid propane space heater on while he left for about an hour to pick up paint supplies. He came back and found the fire in the kitchen. Read more

“I think people will see the film, see the evidence and at least think twice about the death penalty”

Belleville resident Damon Davis hopes his documentary about one of St. Louis' most prominent murder cases will help free a death row inmate.

'I just want to tell the other side of the story,' Davis said. 'Hopefully, I can open some eyes.'

Davis is filming the documentary, 'The Color of Justice,' along with Lenard Blair and Ronnell Falaq Bennett, both of St. Louis, to tell the story of Reggie Clemons, one of four men convicted in the 1991 murders of sisters Robin and Julie Kerry at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Read more

“It got people thinking Belleville again”

An enthusiastic crowd celebrated the revitalization of downtown Belleville at the streetscape dedication ceremony on Sunday.

'This is a great time for Belleville,' Mayor Mark Eckert told the crowd. 'Spread the word.'

The dedication event began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in which Eckert thanked those who contributed to the project's success, in particular, the people of Belleville. It also featured food from local restaurants, trolley rides, local musical acts and a chance for 40 lucky people to win $50 gift certificates to Main Street businesses. Read more

“They want to annex. They want closer fire protection and they don't want to pay our extra sewer rate.”

City leaders have pushed back plans for a partial special census, in part because they are trying to annex a subdivision to boost the population.

City officials believed they could gain about 2,333 residents since the last special census in 2004. But that included about 1,000 people living in the Estates at Plum Hill subdivision off Illinois 177, which the city has been trying to annex for some time.

City leaders agreed in March to pay the U.S. Census Bureau $200 for an estimate of the cost of conducting a partial special census, and they hoped to start the count this fall. Read more

“You have to take what you get and work with them”

Across the state, test-weary high-schoolers are putting down their pencils after taking the ACT test -- and educators think they're not picking them up again for the state test the next day.

High-school test scores are much lower than those of their elementary-school counterparts at every metro-east district, and while there are many theories as to its cause, local educators say it isn't the test that's the problem.

Multiple 'feeder' districts going into one high school, the timing of the test and student apathy toward the high-school test are cited by metro-east officials as causes of the discrepancy. Read more

Firefighters raced through a building of the Freedom Drive Apartments near Belleville Saturday, warning residents to flee because of a blaze in an apartment where the family was not at home.

Eight fire trucks from three departments, including Belleville, responded to the 5 p.m. fire that caused no injuries but destroyed Apartment 219 and heavily damaged surrounding units.

Assistant Fire Chief Chester Borkowski of the Northwest Fire Department said it took only about five minutes to knock down the main flames that caused the temporary evacuation of 15 families. Read more

The Belleville Fire Department has not detemined the cause of a house fire at 517 N. 17th St. that occured Friday afternoon, Capt. J.P. Penet said.

Belleville firefighters responded to the fire at 2:15 p.m. Friday. Initial reports were that a little boy might have been trapped in the basement. However, authorities quickly located the boy, who was playing outside and was unharmed. Penet said it took almost three hours to estinguish the fire. No one was injured.

Penet said the damage to the house was extensive and estimated that it will exceed $100,000. The house next door at 519 N. 17th St. also received minor damage. He said the investigation to determine the cause of the fire is pending because of significant flooding in the basement. Read more

An 18-year-old man faces felony fleeing charges following a high-speed chase.

Antonio C. Lewis, of 119 N. 36th St. in Belleville, was arraigned on Thursday before Associate Circuit Judge Michael Cook on the charge, which carries a possible prison sentence of up to three years.

Lewis is accused of fleeing from Belleville police officer Tim Lay who tried to stop him on South Belt West for failing to signal a turn on Monday, according to police.

Lay followed Lewis, who was driving a 1994 Grand Am, east on Illinois 15, then onto Green Mount Road near Golf Course Drive in Shiloh, reaching speeds of more than 87 mph, police said. Read more

A Belleville West High School student was charged Thursday with punching an officer in the face at the school.

Brian A. Arterbridge, 17, of 1521 Brookshire Drive, Apt. B in Belleville, was charged with aggravated battery. His bail was set at $30,000.

According to Belleville Police Capt. Donald R. Sax, Arterbridge was in the school office when School Resource Officer Dennis Shea learned the Arterbridge had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

When Shea tried to get information from Arterbridge for booking and transport, the student refused to comply. When the officer told Arterbridge he would place him in handcuffs he began fighting with Shea and the school principal and punched Shea in the face. It took several school employees to secure Arterbridge so he could be transported to the city jail. Read more