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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 27, 2008
GRAYVILLE, IL
The City of Grayville
received word late Tuesday (August 26th, 2008) that
Governor Rod Blagojevich had signed House Bill 4137, which
conveys 249 acres of state owned property back to the City
of Grayville. Mayor Henry S. Kijonka who is also the
democratic candidate for Illinois’ 54th Senate
District said this will allow the community to begin
marketing this site for development. Kijonka went to work
on this immediately after his successful mayoral election
and within days organized a meeting with Springfield
officials to make the formal request that the state convey
the property back to Grayville. Former Republican State
Representative Roscoe Cunningham, Former Democratic State
Senator Phil Benefiel and City Attorney Jay Walden
accompanied Mayor Kijonka for this meeting with Speaker
Michael Madigan’s Office. A short time after,
Representative David Reis introduced the house bill that
has now been signed by Governor Blagojevich.
Mayor Kijonka
discussed a plan for regional marketing of the site saying
neighboring communities will also benefit from this asset
once developed. His plans to use City Economic
Development Coordinator JoEllen Seil in coordination with
Sandra Irvine – Executive Director for the White County
Economic Development Group and Brandi Stennett, City of
Mt. Carmel Economic Development Director to begin
marketing the site will be put into action immediately.
Mayor Kijonka said this is a new beginning for Grayville
and and excellent opportunity to bring jobs and tax
dollars to the Southeastern Illinois area.
Henry S. Kijonka,
Mayor |
Site information:
- Total
acreage at site approximately 249 acres, sub dividable
- The
site is within the Grayville corporate boundaries and is
zoned appropriately
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Located at the Intersection of Illinois Route 1 and
Interstate 64
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Commitment from state to make site available for
industrial prospects at no cost
- Total
site is 95% flat with a hill at the northeast corner
- Soils
are primarily Patton Silty Clay Loam (142) some Harco
(484) and Henshaw (483) Silt Loam
- This
is a stand alone site. A truck stop borders the south
boundary of the 249 acre site, Illinois Route 1 borders
the east boundary and farm ground borders the north and
west boundaries.
- This
site was a State of Illinois prison construction site.
The project was halted because of budget constraints and
declining prison population. See site photo
- Phase
I Archeological Reconnaissance Survey has been completed
- No
known wetlands. As per FEMA, the site is in Zone C – not
in a floodplain
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Illinois Department of Natural Resources has reviewed
the site and determined that construction on the site
will not impact endangered species
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Illinois Office of Historic Preservation has determined
that there are no known archeological or historical
resources located in the site.
-
Geotechnical borings are available from the State of
Illinois
- No
known issues that would slow development
-
Water, Sewer, Electric and Natural Gas on site
-
Constructed parking lots with 464 spaces
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Mayor
Kijonka awards Glen Coleman of Carmi the Mayor's Choice
Trophy for Glen's Limited
Edition Camaro SS, one of the many classic cars shown at
Grayville's car show. |
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Mayor
Kijonka presented a Proclamation to the Grayville
Ambulance Service EMT's and Drivers Proclaiming
EMS Week in Grayville May 18-24.
From L-R: Melissa Swain, Sherry
Funkhouser, Teresa Brock, Roy
Woolever, Linda Hill, Mayor Henry Kijonka, Tammy Houser,
Terry Burdin, Dave Etheridge, Tammy Reese and Rob Spencer.
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MAY 29, 2008
The
City of Grayville announces the Illinois General Assembly
has acted and returned the 249 acres known as the prison
property to the City of Grayville. Mayor Kijonka states
we began this effort last fall and finally Grayville has
successfully reached the end of a long arduous path
through the work of many people.
Mayor Kijonka and the City Council wish to express their
appreciation to the following individuals for their
efforts and work in returning the prison property to the
City of Grayville:
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Governor Blagojevich and
his staff for their efforts
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Speaker Michael Madigan
and his staff, particularly Ms. Heather Weir for her
personal efforts, and for all the staff’s efforts and
unanimous vote to pass the bill out of the House
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108th District
Representative David Reis for sponsoring House Bill 4137
to return the prison property to Grayville
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Former 108th
District Representative Bill Grunloh
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108th
Democratic candidate Jason Warfel for lobbying with
House and Senate Staff
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President of the Senate
Emil Jones
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54th District
Senator John O. Jones for shepherding the bill in the
Senate
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Mr. Tom Henderson,
Executive Director of the Illinois Tax Increment
Association for his testimony in the Senate Executive
Hearing.
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Former State
Representative Roscoe Cunningham and former State
Senator and Retired Judge Phil Benefiel
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City Clerk and Economic
Development Coordinator JoEllen Seil for her leadership
and guidance
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City Attorney Jay Walden
for his legal expertise
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Former Mayors Joe Bisch
and Dennis Campbell
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And many untold others - we owe our
gratitude
The return of the prison property will allow the City of
Grayville to begin the process of clean up, marketing and
developing the property for prospective industry to locate
into the area. This is an excellent opportunity for the
development of jobs as the property has been included in
Grayville’s TIF District and recently proposed Enterprise
Zone that will go through Grayville to Champion
Laboratories in Albion and West Salem. Mayor Kijonka
stated we all must continue to work together on the future
development of jobs at the City’s new industrial
development area. The return of this prime industrial
site will ensure jobs, tax revenue and opportunity for all
of Southeastern Illinois.
-Mayor Henry S. Kijonka |
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City
of Grayville Recognized For Water Excellence! |
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Julie Ann Janssen, acting chief of the
Division of Oral Health for IDPH, at 76th Illinois
Potable Water Supply Operators Association Conference,
presents water excellence award to Grayville water
commissioner, Jesse Houser. Grayville was one of 423
statewide recognized for having mandated levels for all
12 months of 2006. 9th year in a row to get award from
IDPH and EPA.
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OUTDOOR WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATED
The City of
Grayville
has enacted an outdoor warning siren system. This system
has two individual locations – one at the Junction of IL
Rt. 1 and IL Rt. 130 and the second location is adjacent
to City Hall and First Bank.
The Tornado Warning System procedures are:
(1)
Upon receiving a confirmed report of a Doppler radar
notification of any actual tornado within 20 miles of the
City of
Grayville, the City Tornado Warning sirens will be
activated for one three minute cycle. Immediately after
activating the Tornado Warning Sirens, the Grayville
Police Department will announce over the Grayville Police
Department radio frequency, “A Tornado Warning is in
effect for the Grayville area.”
(2)
The Grayville Police Department in conjunction with the
Little Wabash Fire Protection District will make one of
the following announcements over the Grayville Police
Department radio frequency.
a.
This is a confirmed report of an actual sighting of a
tornado followed by location and direction of travel.
b.
This is a Doppler radar report and not an actual visible
sighting of a tornado.
(3)
Upon a confirmed tornado sighting by the Little Wabash Fire
Protection District weather spotters; the Warning Sirens
will be activated for an additional three (3) minute
cycle.
Henry S. Kijonka, Mayor
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Grayville Days 2007 Pageant Winners |
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Little Mister
Austin Cowling |
Miss Grayville
Paige Bosecker |
Little Miss Grayville
Carsyn Robinson |
Grayville Days
2007- A Huge Success!
Grayville Days 2007 was deemed a huge
success by its organizers. Huge crowds turned out for
the five-day Labor Day weekend festival. Pictured is
the throng at Saturday's free
concert by Confederate Railroad, estimated as high as
5,000.
- Photo courtesy The Navigator
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September -
2006
WINTER HEATING ASSISTANCE
Wabash Area Development, Inc. is now
making appointments and taking applications for winter
heating assistance.
More information is available from your local WADI
office. Grayville
residents should go
to the office in Albion, the office is at
334 Industrial Drive, and the phone number is 445-2379.
Major improvements have
been completed at the VA Hospital in Marion, IL. A new
in-patient ward on the third floor was dedicated on Tuesday.
Instead of the old open wards that housed as many as 8
patients with one shared bathroom, the new facility features
rooms for one or two patients with a private bath.
The
Grayville Library Boosters, Inc.
The Illinois 510c3 non profit corp. are working towards
funding a new library and learning center for Grayville and
the surrounding community. Their goal is to raise $300,000
in three years. As of 4-28-06 the Boosters have raised
$159,710. The property for the site of the new library
was generously donated by Integra Bank NA The
Grayville Library Boosters invite you to join them in
leaving a lasting legacy for Grayville's history and to
provide a solid learning foundation for our children. Your
donations are essential in funding the new Library / Museum
Building. Under the Internal Revenue Code, 100% of your gift
is tax deductible. The Boosters would like to thank you in
advance for your donation! Please make donations the:
Grayville Library Boosters, Inc.
122 S. Court, Grayville, IL. 62844 |
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March 30, 2006
Ten finalists have been named in the annual
Wayne-White Electric Youth to Washington Essay Contest.
The finalists are Travis Thompson, Josh Gray and Ilesha
Rhodes of Grayville, Jennifer Brinkley, Ben Lemmon and
Dylan Bowman of Norris City, Jessica South of Enfield,
Kent Kiefer of Dahlgren, Rachel Campbell of McLeansboro
and Elizabeth Bierman of Carmi. The finalists will attend
the Illinois Electric Co-op Youth Day in Springfield April
5.
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| New Police
Cars |
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March - 2006 |
Two new 2006 Dodge Chargers have been striped and are now in
service along a black unmarked vehicle.
Jr. Bison win regional title
The Grayville seventh grade volleyball team came from behind
to capture the Illinois Elementary Association Class 7A
regional championship in Albion Thursday.
The Bison, coached by Kim Milligan and Tricia DiMaggio,
dropped the first game of the match, 17-21, to West Salem (a
feeder program for Edwards County High School), then came
back to win the next two, 21-17, 21-14.
News Summary
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Wabash Christian Retirement Center in Carmi has announced
plans to build a $5.1 million, 49-unit senior adult
supportive living facility. Groundbreaking for the facility
has been set for April 2006.
Old-time country music star Little Jimmy Dickens will
headline this year's Bluegrass Festival in Grayville. The
festival is set for Aug. 4-6 at the city's park. |
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Grayville Police Report
2005 |
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Ethanol Plant to be built at Grayville
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A local
company plans to construct a fuel ethanol plant on
Grayville's south side as well as restore rail lines through
the area to serve the plant.
The project was announced Friday, October 7th, 2005,
afternoon by Ed Bailey of Browns, chief executive officer
and president of Illini Cropland & Energy, and the company's
vice president, Allen Wilson of Fairfield, at the site of
the ethanol plant just east of the Super 8 motel south of
Grayville. Joining them was Mike Bryan, CEO of
Colorado-based BBI International, a consulting firm to the
renewable fuels industry, which conducted the feasibility
study for the project and will guide development of the new
plant.
The size of the plant is "yet to be determined," Bryan said,
but he estimated it to cost between $75 and $100 million,
producing 60 to 75 million gallons of fuel ethanol each
year. When completed, the plant will employ "someplace
around 50 people," Bryan said. Construction will take from
12 to 14 months and will create 50 to 100 construction jobs,
he said. It will be constructed on an 80-acre site Bailey
purchased earlier this year from SJD Farms, based in
Evansville, Ind. Total annual revenue for the plant will be
$80 to $120 million, depending on
the size of the plant, with 20 percent of that coming from
the production of high-quality distiller's grain for a
number of agricultural purposes, Bryan
said.
The plant will use between 20 and 30 million bushels of corn
per year. Bailey said he anticipates development of a
distribution center at the site to handle the outflow of the
plant's products.
Bryan said it will take 16 to 21 months before IC&E is ready
to break ground at the site. "Basically, it's a 2 1/2-year
project until there's steam coming out of the stack," he
said. Bailey said there is no timetable for restoration of
the rail line, the first phase of which will run from the
Norfolk-Southern line at Browns to the plant site at
Grayville. The second phase will entail reconstruction of
the old Illinois Central bridge across the Wabash River to
reach the CSX line at Poseyville, Ind. A section of the
bridge caved in during last January's record flood.
Bailey said he has received permission from the federal
Surface Transportation Board to reclaim the right-of-way for
rail use. Part of the property constituting the old Indiana
Hi-Rail system was held by the Indiana Trails Fund for use
as a bicycle trail.
Bailey praised the White County Economic Development Group
as well as the City of Grayville and the Greater Wabash
Regional Planning Commission for their assistance with the
project.
Among those on hand for the announcement were WEDG Executive
Director JoEllen Seil and her assistant, Sandra Irvine,
Grayville Mayor Joe Bisch and GWRPC Executive Director
Brandi Stennett. |
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