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Headline from a story about a Waterloo Illinois man charged with stealing big screen tvs from Collinsville and Glen Carbon Walmarts:
Man accused of RUNNING out of Walmart stores with Big-Screen TVs
Here's the thing, how many of us would be able to run and escape from a store while grappling with a large, boxed, big screen TV? And out of a Walmart no less where there are normally people in every aisle. Quite an image.
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IDOT warns of Madison County lane and exit ramp closures beginning to day along 55/70. I like the use of the word 'warn', it's perfect. But I wish IDOT's news release of these closures had included a map or that news outlets who reprinted it had used actual exit names instead of numbers. It's difficult to picture exactly where all these are when you read:
eastbound Interstate 55/70 near mile marker 13.2 from midnight to 3 p.m.,
westbound Interstate 55/70 near mile marker 7.9 and mile marker 16.4 from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Do most of us use mile markers as a way of explaining highway exits on a normal basis? Or do we tell people to "get off at 157" and etc? My sister has an uncanny ability to think in terms of mile markers and geographic location but I'd bet most of us don't. So if someone was going to drive from St. Louis to Collinsville today, what does this mean?
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All of a sudden clicking a story link on the BND website brings up box telling you to either sign in to your Press + Account or become a Press + Account member. Looks like this will cost you money and while memberships allowing access to the stories begin at 99 cents which seems like nothing, it is in reality a real pain. Who wants a 99 cent credit or debit card purchase?
Oddly, I can open links on the iPad but not the computer. Guess I'll follow them on Twitter to see if their Tweet links work. Nope, their tweet links bring up that same box.
Since we can't get the BND here in St. Louis, I guess it's so long to that paper.
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Metro East voters go to the polls today to election city councils, mayors, school boards, townships and vote yea or nay for various referendums.
In Collinsville voters will elect 3 council members, the mayor's term is not up. Those running for council are:
The two year seat vacated by Liz Dalton who is now on the County Board: Robert Graham, Bob Dorman and Karen Woolard.
The full 4 year term: Incumbents Nancy Moss and Jeff Kypta along with newcomer Jesse Hoskin.
Unit Ten school board: Five people running for 3 seats: Incumbents, Gary Kusmierczak, Theresa Billy, and Gary Peccola along with newcomer Adam Latham and past member Jim Achenbach.
Township: incumbents James Stack and Michael Foley along with Chris Guy, Dennis Hill, Carolyn Schneider, Brad Sewell and Albert “Al” Woolen.
Mississippi Valley Library district vote for 2 : Incumbent Larry Keller, his wife Susan Keller, Mark Schusky, and DeWayne Love.
I am confident the results from the Madison County Clerk's office will be online very very quickly tonight. Unlike most every election in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
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Former Cardinal and longtime baseball announcer, Mike Shannon opened another of his restaurants recently, this time in Edwardsville. Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafoods has been a downtown hot spot for many years and he felt the time was ripe to try the Metro East.
This looks to be the place to try no matter where in the St. Louis area you live. What's cool is the use of old gym lights in the dining areas and, a photo of one of the snack items has me wanting to go there tonight. Pub Mix 5 dollars-spiced Marconas, Cashews, Sweet n Spicy Almonds, Wasabi Peas and Sesame sticks served in a stainless container. A bottle of beer or glass of wine and some Pub Mix. You can see a photo of this and some other offerings here.
Mike Shannon's Grill will only be open evenings at the present time and I'd expect it to do well as Edwardsville is becoming a destination restaurant town.
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Next Wednesday, the 13th, the Caseyville Cafe will be featured on Restaurant Impossible as everything recieved a makeover-the physical building, kitchen, food prep and menu ideas, as well as staff management. Pictures of before and after by John Swistak at the link.
9 pm March 13th Food Network
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Congratulations to the girls baskeball team of Nashville Illinois for winning the state championship in Class 2A last night. They beat the number one ranked state team, Champaign St. Thomas More.
When Dale was the pastor in Venedy Illinois we were right down the road from Nashville which was the county seat and we were in Nashville many times for grocery shopping or what not. We were in the Okawville school district at that time which was also down the road from Nashville. Both high schools had a long tradition of winning basketball teams, both boys and girls.
Funny, many of the names of the players on this year's championship team are the same as the names of those who played when we lived out there. Likely they are the children of those players.
So Congrats, Nashville, what a thrill for the girls and the city.
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In just one month (December the first month legalized video gambling went into effect) Metro East gamblers spent 4.5 million dollars on 35 newly legal machines throughout the area. The amount gamblers lost was 400,000. Statewide 91.8 million dollars were played and of that total, 7 million was lost.
Actually 400,000 as a loss on 4.5 million played sounds like pretty good odds, but I am not a gambler so I may have this completely wrong. Taverns and veterans posts and small restaurants look to do pretty well with these video games.
More numbers
The Clayton School District recently voted to cut 1.2 million dollars out of its budget. The cuts will be permanent.
The Miners Institute Theater in Collinsville will have nothing more done to it for at least 3 years, it will, for all intents and purposes, sit idle. At issue is 190,000 dollars in TIF funds the Recreation District would have to prepay in order to return ownership to the Miners Institute Foundation. It's been tough sledding for years and years with the Miners.
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St. Louis isn't often featured on the Food Network or HGTV, two popular cable networks, but in the near future 2 local restaurants will be center stage.
On December 10, Roadhouse 61 in Webster Groves will be part of an episode of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives with host Guy Fieri. This is big! Really big. Guy's program brings a huge boost to the restaurants he visits and often ends up in one of his books. Fans of the show often take plan vacations around visiting places he highlights.
And, in early 2013, Restaurant Impossible will air a program on its makever of the Caseyville Cafe. In fact, Chef Michael Irvine and crew will be doing the makeover today and tomorrow. 421 S. Main in Caseyville.
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