By Ben Cox
Photos submitted to The Source
Jacksonville City Finance Committee recommends 4% levy increase due to rising insurance costs
Jacksonville city officials say a steep increase in employee health insurance costs could hit the city budget hard next year causing a recommended increase of the tax levy.
The Jacksonville City Finance Committee met over the noon hour on November 17 to discuss the tax levy percentage recommendation. City Treasurer Beth Hopkins and her administrative assistant, Eric Lightfoot, told the committee they’ve been working with more than a dozen insurance vendors since the city’s previous health insurance provider Health Alliance announced it will cease operations in the state on January 1.
Mayor Andy Ezard said after the meeting that the new insurance plan will amount to a 59% increase next year. He says that the city’s department heads are also going to have to clamp down on any potential capital improvement projects over the next year. Ezard was unsure of any capital improvement obligations besides a new fire truck for the Jacksonville Fire Department that the city must pay for in 2026.
The projected insurance cost increase would add roughly $85,000 in new costs, based on the 170 employees covered by the city. Over the last five years, the city has transferred about $4 million into the health plan to keep it afloat. Leaders say they are exploring ways to soften the impact, possibly by phasing in the increase over several years instead of absorbing it all at once.
Employees do not pay premiums for their own coverage, but they do pay full cost for spouses and children, meaning any change would also affect families. The finance committee ultimately settled on a 4% tax levy recommendation. The full city council will vote on the recommendation at the scheduled November 24 meeting.
Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau launches ‘Shop Small, Win Big!’ holiday campaign
The Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is inviting residents and visitors alike to experience Jacksonville this holiday season through its “Shop Small, Win Big!” campaign.
This new initiative is designed to support local businesses, encourage holiday shopping and dining, and celebrate the joy of exploring Jacksonville. The campaign begins Black Friday and runs for three consecutive weeks. Each week, participants have the chance to win $250, and the businesses listed on the winning receipt will also receive $250. “This campaign celebrates our local businesses and also extends a warm welcome to visitors,” says Brittany Henry, executive director of the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Whether you live here or are making a visit to Jacksonville, we want everyone to feel part of the holiday magic that is happening in our community.”
To enter, shoppers who spend $25 or more at any small, locally owned business or local restaurant in Jacksonville may submit their receipt for entry.
Results may be submitted by sending a photo via Facebook or Instagram message to the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; emailing a photo to visitors@jacksonvilleil.org or texting a photo of the receipt to 217-371-2602.
Participants should include their name and contact information with each receipt submitted. To encourage holiday tourism and support the hospitality economy, anyone who resides outside of Morgan County will receive two entries per receipt with proof of residency.
“We are incredibly proud of what our community has to offer—from our shops and boutiques to our restaurants and local makers,” Henry says. “We want to share that with our visitors. When someone chooses to spend their time and dollars in Jacksonville, it makes a meaningful difference, and we are honored to extend that invitation to explore, experience, and enjoy this season with us.”
One $250 shopper winner will be selected each week. The local business listed on the winning receipt will also receive $250. This structure ensures that every purchase contributes directly to both the shopper and the small businesses that make Jacksonville unique.
Campaign details and winner announcements will be shared at Jacksonvilleil.org and on the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau social media pages. For more information on Shop Small, Win Big, contact Brittany Henry at 217-243-5678 or email visitors@jacksonvilleil.org.
City leaders remind citizens about political signage regulations
Jacksonville officials are reminding residents that political yard signs on private property are broadly protected under Illinois law, leaving cities with little authority to regulate when those signs can be displayed.
Under Public Act 96-904, enacted in 2010, municipalities are prohibited from setting time limits on political signs placed on residential property. That means homeowners in Jacksonville can display political messages year-round, and the city cannot require permits or mandate when signs must go up or come down, aside from enforcing general size limits.
Jacksonville’s sign ordinance still applies in certain cases, but only in ways that are content-neutral. Political signs in residential zones can be up to 16 square feet, while those in non-residential districts may reach 32 square feet and must be placed at least 15 feet back from the right-of-way.
In non-dwelling districts, only one sign per candidate or issue is allowed per street frontage. All political signage—regardless of district—must remain on private property, not in utility or public rights-of-way.
The rules tighten on public property. While Jacksonville may regulate signage in public spaces, state election law requires a 100-foot campaign-free zone around polling places on Election Day, blocking all electioneering and sign placement.
City officials encourage residents with questions to consult Jacksonville’s full sign ordinance, noting that while most sign types require permits under Section 7.4-1 of the municipal code, political yard signs on residential property are exempt due to state preemption.
CCK Automations receives Made in Illinois grant
CCK Automations of Jacksonville has been awarded funding through the Made in Illinois Grant Program, a statewide initiative administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity in partnership with IMEC to help small and mid-sized manufacturers invest in advanced technologies.
General manager Michelle Scrogum said the company used the matching grant to upgrade its high-speed SMT (surface-mount technology) printed circuit board manufacturing lines. The investment, she says, is already improving production quality, increasing throughput and supporting growth with a major customer.
Founded in 1999, CCK Automations has grown into a full-service electronics manufacturer offering printed circuit board assemblies, box-build production and injection-molded components from its 100,000-square-foot Jacksonville facility.
The company serves industries ranging from industrial controls and automotive to aerospace and medical devices. The Made in Illinois program provides up to $50,000 in matching funds to manufacturers adopting automation equipment, advanced software, IIoT technologies, or other improvements that expand capacity and competitiveness.
State officials and IMEC representatives recently presented CCK with a ceremonial check at their facility. Scrogum says the support is helping the company strengthen its capabilities and remain competitive in a rapidly advancing manufacturing landscape.
Our Saviour Catholic Church’s priest passes after unsuccessful surgery
Father Joe Ring passed away Thursday, November 20 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis after complications from heart and lung surgery. He was 66.
Ring was born in Jacksonville but grew up in Paris, Illinois. Ring was ordained in 1988 and served at several Central Illinois parishes before returning to Jacksonville in 2020.
In addition, Ring served as chaplain at the Catholic Newman Center at Eastern Illinois University; director of the Department for Pro-Life Services, Charity, and Justice; and as the Bishop’s Delegate for Health Care Professionals.
Services and a luncheon were held on Monday, November 24 with a funeral mass and burial in Paris, Illinois, on Tuesday, November 24. Father Daniel Bergbower of St. Agnes Parish has been appointed as temporary administrator at Our Saviour Parish while services are being handled by other members of the ministry at this time.
Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau awards money to Murrayville Fire District through public safety grant
The Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau recently awarded $2,500 to the Murrayville Fire District through its Agriculture and Rural Fire Protection Grant program. It’s the fifth year the program has been in existence.
The grant was created to assist fire departments in getting equipment they consider essential for their crews to be better prepared for rural and farm emergencies. Murrayville Fire District officials say the grant will be used toward the purchase of new tactical saws for extractions and other uses.
Downtown square to close for Live Nativity on December 12
On December 12 at 6 p.m. in downtown Jacksonville, First Christian (1C) Church of Jacksonville will be hosting a Live Nativity on the Square. Due to the nature of the event, the streets around the square will be temporarily closed starting at 5:45 p.m. and will reopen immediately at the conclusion of the nativity at approximately 6:30 p.m.
This is being done to ensure safety of the live animals and the large crowd anticipated. Food trucks will be on-site to serve the attendees, and all are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs to view the live nativity. For questions regarding this event, please call 217-243-6445.
Man cited for DUI after striking a tree near downtown Jacksonville
Jacksonville police were called to the 200 block of West Morgan Street at 2:08 a.m. on November 22 for a report of a single-vehicle crash into a tree. The caller said the driver of a truck crashed into a tree and then fled southbound on foot toward the Jacksonville Public Library.
Upon arrival, officers located Braden J. Mendoza, 23, of the 1800 block of Mound Road, in the vicinity and requested assistance from EMS.
According to a Jacksonville police report, Mendoza was allegedly driving on South Sandy near Morgan Street and then for an unknown reason, veered off the roadway and struck the tree. Mendoza was transported by ambulance for injuries to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital and was later cited for improper lane usage and driving under the influence. Mendoza’s truck was towed due to extensive damage.
ICC cuts Ameren’s proposed gas rate increase nearly in half
In rulings handed down on Thursday, November 20, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) sharply cut a proposed rate increase for Ameren-Illinois. The ICC approved a rate increase of $73 million, a cut of 43% of their original request.
In a news release after the ruling in Chicago, ICC Chairman Doug Scott said the decision was made after careful review to approve only “necessary and justified” projects while striking “excess” spending.
Ameren, which provides natural gas delivery to approximately 816,000 customers in central and southern Illinois, filed in January for a $134 million rate increase.
According to a report from Capitol News Illinois, the proposal, if it had been approved, would have amounted to about a $9 increase per month in residents’ gas bills. Ameren spokesperson Ellie Leonard said in an email to Capitol News Illinois that Ameren was still reviewing the ICC’s order and running calculations to determine the rate impact to consumers.
Ameren’s filings indicated that the increase was needed to fund replacements or retirements of aging infrastructure for gas transmission lines and upgrades to gas storage facilities. In a press release on November 17, Ameren representatives said that natural gas customers could expect stable supply prices this winter.
Former Ponderosa location demolished
The former Ponderosa Steakhouse building at 1001 West Morton Ave. in Jacksonville was demolished this week.
The 1.24-acre site was sold to Peoria-based developer Vertex Commercial Real Estate for $547,500 back in August, according to Morgan County property records.
Vertex representatives told the Jacksonville Journal-Courier back in August the plan was to market the location to restaurant brands that currently do not have a presence in Jacksonville.
Ponderosa closed in 2020 as a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, with equipment and furnishings auctioned off in July 2020. Marx Commercial Development Co. in Quincy bought the building in 2023. Current plans for the new tenant and a new building on the site have not been officially announced.
Moore set to succeed Ptacek as District 117 superintendent
The Jacksonville School District 117 Board of Education has approved a three-year contract for assistant superintendent Matthew Moore, formally setting the path for him to become the district’s next superintendent.
The board’s vote came Wednesday, November 19, and includes both an additional year in his current role and a transition into district leadership upon the retirement of superintendent Steve Ptacek.
Moore, who has served as associate/assistant superintendent since joining the district, said the plan aligns perfectly with both his professional goals and his family’s desire for long-term stability.
In an interview with WLDS News, Moore expressed enthusiasm about the transition ahead. “When we moved here, that was kind of always the goal, the hope,” he said.
“My family doesn’t move around a lot, so we believed this was going to be our last stop and finish my career here. Very excited about the opportunity.”
Under the approved contract, Moore will serve one more year as assistant superintendent through the 2026 school year. Ptacek, who has led District 117 since 2013, is set to retire in 2027.
Moore’s contract then carries him forward for three years as superintendent, beginning July 1, 2027. Moore says the district’s succession plan is designed to maintain continuity and provide a smooth leadership shift.
A Peoria native, Moore spent his entire upbringing in the Peoria area before beginning his education career. Prior to joining District 117, he served seven years as principal in Riverton.
The leadership transition comes as District 117 continues progress with a new Murrayville-Woodson facility, curriculum enhancements and the long-term strategic planning initiatives Ptacek helped set into motion. Moore said he looks forward to continuing that work while guiding the district into its next chapter. His first official day as superintendent will be July 1, 2027.
Dot Foods Neighbor to Neighbor program delivers to food pantries
Dot Foods, the Mt. Sterling-based food distribution company, visited 15 area food pantries and distribution programs November 13-14.
Dot Foods employees with the Neighbor to Neighbor program, wearing bright green shirts, dropped off $5,000 worth of food to each pantry just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Neighbor to Neighbor program was launched 14 years ago and makes deliveries year-round. The Meredosia Food Bank, Winchester Kiwanis Food Bank, Murrayville/Woodson Food and The Salvation Army in Jacksonville were among the recipients of the delivery.
Each of the food pantries were allowed to select from Dot’s inventory for items they needed most and then have Dot volunteers deliver those goods directly.
Matthew 25 adds portable shower trailer to aid the unhoused
Mandy Hutton, operator of the Matthew 25 thrift store, announced that proceeds from the store as well as offerings and missions from Go Church have helped purchase a new portable shower stall trailer.
The trailer has two private shower stalls to serve the unhoused in the community.
“There’s more planning ahead, but we can’t wait to open the doors and offer this new resource,” a Facebook post said on November 18.
Hutton told the Journal-Courier that they hope to have the trailer in operation in the spring of 2026.
Hutton and Matthew 25 already operate a mobile hair salon, which they purchased last year. The salon provides haircuts to the underprivileged and unhoused in the area. Underprivileged households can also take part in their Loads of Love Laundry Ministry, in which the Matthew 25 thrift store will pay for laundry services.
If you would like to learn more or make a donation to the thrift store, visit them at 767 South West St. in Jacksonville.
