Given the signage, or rather the lack thereof, it appears that Popeye's has officially given up the ghost for the second or third time. All of the signage featuring the company's name has been completely covered up
Longtime residents may remember the first Popeye's to come to Carbondale was located on the south side of East Main, a few dozen yards east. The last occupant of that location was a payday loan operation that closed down a couple of years ago.
From the city:
CARBONDALE - The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), in partnership with the City of Carbondale, invites community members to participate in “From Bystander to Upstander: Preventing Harm in Public Spaces,” an interactive training session taking place on Tuesday, August 26 beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the Carbondale Civic Center.
“Creating a safe and inclusive community requires all of us to take an active role,” said Stan Reno, City Manager of Carbondale. “We’re proud to partner with the Illinois Department of Human Rights to bring this important training to our residents. Equipping individuals with tools for safe conflict resolution and effective bystander intervention strengthens our community and supports our shared goal of promoting respect, accountability, and safety for everyone at all times.”
Grounded in the “5 Ds” of bystander intervention, this training is designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and tools to safely intervene in incidents of harassment and conflict. The presentation explores the impact of harassment, offers strategies for safety, and introduces practical de-escalation techniques grounded in empathy, active listening, and situational awareness.
Participants will also engage in real-world scenarios and learn how to access support networks, report incidents effectively, and promote systemic change. Attendees will leave with confidence and competence to foster safer, more inclusive public spaces.
This event is free and open to the public. Please contact the City of Carbondale’s Director of Violence Prevention Programs, Dianah McGreehan, at dmcgreehan@carbondaleil.gov for more information about this training or to register.
For media requests contact Public Relations Officer Eva Fisher at 618-713-0711.
Appears that part of the T-mobile lighting grant Carbondale Main Street received will go towards illuminating the alley between Cristados and the So Il Syndicate gym. Apparently the hope is to eventually block the alley and turn it into an outdoor dining space, much as was done with the alley running south of P.K.s
Looks like Carbondale has a new Chief of Police. Rather bemused the press release announcing it was sent out at 4:56 on a Friday afternoon
The City of Carbondale is pleased to announce the appointment of Anthony Copeland as its new Chief of Police, effective September 2, 2025.
Copeland brings more than two decades of law enforcement experience to the position and a strong commitment to community-centered policing and leadership development. Copeland began his career in law enforcement in 2002 with the Baltimore County Police Department in Maryland. In 2006, he and his family relocated to Western Kentucky, where he joined the Paducah Police Department starting as a patrol officer and then a detective. Over the course of his distinguished career, he served in or supervised every division as he promoted through the ranks within the Paducah Police Department. Since 2018, Copeland has held the role of Assistant Chief of Police.
Copeland holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a master’s degree in Human Development and Leadership from Murray State University. His training also includes advanced law enforcement leadership programs from the FBI, Penn State University, the University of Louisville, and the Southern Police Institute.
Carbondale City Manager and retiring Chief of Police Stan Reno expressed his confidence in the transition and praised Copeland’s extensive experience and character: “Chief Copeland is a proven leader who understands the importance of professional law enforcement practices, accountability and community engagement,” said Reno. “ His combination of experience, education, and vision makes him the right person to lead the Department into the future. I am proud to entrust the leadership of the Department with someone who is committed to building strong relationships within the Carbondale community and keeping the community safe.”
You know what the new transmodal station really needs? A sign. Make that two signs. One saying this is the Amtrak Station and one saying it is the Greyhound and other bus station. Seriously, put signs up. For years, those in the offices at the old train depot have had people coming in asking if it is the train station. There was even a sign put up a number of years ago telling train riders that the Amtrak station was two blocks south and still people kept asking. Why? Because the old train depot looks like a TRAIN DEPOT. The new building, while a nice addition to downtown, does not. The only signage currently on the outside of the building is a big one saying "Carbondale".
Given that the now demolished Amtrak station was built back in 1981 and 40 years later people still did not know where it was, putting signage up indicating the new building is now the train and bus depot seems a good idea. One on the building itself and one posted on a light pole out by the street.
The Lost Forest Coffeehouse, at the corner of College and Illinois in the old Artistic Minds Tattoo location opened this pas week and so far the reviews are good. I expect it to do well since it is the closest coffeehouse to the main SIUC campus, though Common Grounds is right across the street from the Towers. I hope the owners have plans to reach out to campus as they could draw a lot of traffic from there.
According to their Facebook page, Pagliai's is temporarily closed for repairs. The HVAC is currently getting replaced and the people who bought it last year have returned it to the previous owners who have put it up for sale again for just under $700,000
SIUC announced, along with the planned demolition of the old Greek row, it would install 3 level three EV changing stations on campus, one across from the Student Center, one at the entrance to Touch of Nature and one on the north side of the Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center at the Southern Illinois Airport. From the tone of the article, it sounds as if multiple drivers can charge vehicles at the same time and it will take about 45 to fully charge one vehicle. Installed by summer of 2026.
Caught on the news today that there are approximately 3800 beds on campus and they are just over 80% occupied (I assume during the fall and spring semesters). The university also plans to raze the old Greek Row complex, which for the most part is boarded up, west of Campus Lake and replace it with, ta-dah, Saluki Village, which will be targeted at.....fraternities and sororities. In effect, just replicating Greek Row under a new name with food service facilities. I rather expect to see the demolition take place but not too sure about the new facilities. The university pulled down the three story residence halls south of the Towers several years ago, with plans to replace them with new housing facilities, but nothing ever came of that.
Following up on my last post on tourism, we had easily half a dozen families stop in at the store that said they were staying in Carbondale and visiting the Shawnee region. We handing out Carbondale Main Streets new downtown dining and drinking book and pointed them in the way of attractions such as Boo Rochman (Castle), which given the nature of our clientele, they had either already visited or were very enthused to learn about about, Giant City State Park, alto Pass and Bald Knob and the assorted wine trails.
We did ask them were they were staying and, to a fault, no one said any of the local hotels. Every family had booked one of the local AirBnBs. Also, rather surprisingly, none of them said they were down for the wine trails.
I have been advocating for the city to celebrate Buckminister Fuller more so am glad to see Fuller Dome committee is hosting a celebration this Saturday commemorating his 130th birthday. This is the 2nd year for the celebration and I hope it continues. I also hope SIUC revives its Bucky Days multi day celebration it used to hold. It did host a speaker on Fuller's legacy in April of 2024 but nothing so far this year.
I normally do not plug the store here but tomorrow we will host our third annual reading of the Declaration of Independence at 11 am. You are welcome to join us at the store or watch live as we stream it on our Facebook page.
I see a note in the window at Zeenah's Palace saying they are currently closed but are available for catering. No indication as to why or how long.
