Judge grants TRO against work on county's radio system after complaint filed
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- Written by: Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal Reporter
A temporary restraining order has been granted, halting any work or progress for the installation of a 300-foot radio tower in order to make improvements on the county's emergency radio system.
Last week, Don and Sherri Schomaker, along with Carl Wessling and Betty Rolves, all of Germantown, filed a complaint, seeking a temporary restraining order against Clinton County, Clinton County Zoning Board of Appeals, Germantown Township, and Sabre Industries, for the installation of a 300-foot radio tower located on Germantown Township property.
Sabre Industries is the contractor for the proposed radio towers/systems.
The complaint states that the plaintiffs are the occupants of the property adjacent to 7704 State Route 161, where a permit was filed for the construction of a 300-foot tall radio tower.
The tower would be within 100 feet of the plaintiffs' residential, agricultural properties which "necessarily affects the plaintiffs' use and enjoyment of their property, their health and their property values and that their due process rights were violated because they were not notified by the county in a timely manner."
On Monday afternoon, a judge granted the temporary restraining order (TRO), halting the project.
Brad Knolhoff, on behalf of the Clinton County Board, issued a statement following the TRO that the board was disappointed that the system construction is being held up.
"This will result in the delay of having an operable Emergency Radio System for the almost 36,000 residents and visitors," he said. "Clinton County has been working on bringing reliable emergency radio coverage to our citizens for the past three years. This has been needed for over 40 years."
Knolholff said the radio system is the means that police, fire, EMS, and first responders use when seconds matter.
"The Clinton County Board, in conjunction with entities across the county, were rounding the corner to begin the construction of four towers across integral parts of the Emergency Radio System," he said.
"Clinton County is committed to the use of the Germantown location. Geological, Archaeological, FCC, soil boring, engineering, frequency studies, have been completed and ready for this location. By abandoning this important location, this potentially life-saving system may be set back many months."
City of Breese to buy Holy Cross Lane land for infrastructure needs
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- Written by: Bryan Hunt - Breese Journal Editor
In finance news, the Breese City Council unanimously approved the purchase of 11.73 acres on Holy Cross Lane for $350,000 at their May 7 meeting.
The land is being purchased for infrastructure use for the city of Breese, Mayor Kevin Timmermann said.
He said city officials do see a need for the property for some expansion of utilities in that area.
That property is between Woda Cooper Companies' McKay Manor and Lincoln Village.
In public safety news, Police Chief Mark Berndsen discussed vehicle break-ins and the call for residents to be more vigilant and pro-active in preventing those crimes.
Berndsen talked in detail about these events, and others in surrounding towns, in a story which appeared in the May 9 edition of the Breese Journal.
On May 9 around 2:56 a.m., a caller reported her 2016 black Honda Civic stolen from the Vossclare Subdivision in Breese.
The alleged suspects were from out of state, looking for specific items, Berndsen said.
Obviously frustrated, Berndsen said people need to keep their keys out of their vehicles and inside, along with other valuables they might leave in vehicles as an afterthought.
Many towns reported multiple vehicles being broken into, including Breese and Germantown, with at least six vehicles gone through there.
A month before, there were six vehicles gone through in Carlyle, with some guns stolen in those break-ins.
Berndsen said a similar incident recently occurred in O'Fallon, with an 18-year-old and a 14-year-old being taken into custody.
Alderman Tim Schleper also mentioned thieves having access to residents' garage door openers, be it the opener itself or if it is programmed into a vehicle, thereby opening residents to another possibility for a sad outcome.
With access to that opener, "they're right inside, so it's very important that everybody just has to practice safety," Schleper said.
Mater Dei walks it off with a 5-4 win over rival Cougars on Saturday
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- Written by: Jeremy Chawgo - Breese Journal Sports Editor
Both Central and Mater Dei baseball teams split their final two regular season games with the Knights taking down the Cougars on Saturday in walkoff fashion.
The Knights also took a loss to Mascoutah on Thursday while Central shut out North Clay on Friday.
Mater Dei then won their opening game of the postseason with a 7-1 win over Greenville as a part of the Class 2A Carlyle Regional play-in game on Monday. They are 10-16 and played Roxana on Wednesday in Carlyle.
The Cougars enter the postseason with a 21-11 overall record as they finished the Cahokia Conference, Mississippi Division play with a 6-4 record.
Central will take on Alton Marquette (13-14) in the semifinal of the Class 2A Columbia Regional on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The winner of that game will play in the title game on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Mater Dei 5, Central 4: The Knights walked it off against the rival Cougars on a beautiful morning in Breese.
The Cougars led with two runs in the top of the fourth inning only to see MD pull off some two-out magic in the sixth inning scoring three runs.
Central answered with a pair of two out runs of their own in the top of the seventh before MD walked it off in the bottom of the inning.
With Zane Schrage and Garrick Winkeler keeping the bats silent early on, the Cougars got to Winkeler in the top of the fourth inning.
Jonathan Husmann and Easton Becker each singled before Husmann scored on an RBI single through the left side by Bryce Wieter. Jake Robke added a sacrifice fly later in the inning for a 2-0 lead.
With Schrage cruising, he ran into some two-out trouble in the bottom of the sixth inning when he walked both Gabe Schlimme and Aidan Toennies. After Carson Dorries singled to load them up, Winkeler drew an RBI walk. Freshman Avery Strader came through with a two-run single to the right side for a 3-2 lead.
Robke coaxed a leadoff walk and stole second base, moved to third on a passed ball and was later thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice.
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