Dump

 Had a friend who was dropping off donations to the Thrift Store on North Illinois refer to that section of town as a "dump". They are right as that section of Carbondale is not that attractive once you get north of Jackson. That section is a complex of light industrial buildings with several abandoned and going to seed. The only really attractive location is the Payne Accounting building, which has nice landscaping around it. I doubt anyone will ever move into the long shuttered Tesa Tuck building and the DAG Transmission building either so they will just sit there and further deteriorate. Driving into Carbondale from the North is just not attractive.

Haunted Carbondale Rain House

 Rain House stood at the northwest corner of West Oak and N. Poplar and, until it was razed a few years ago was, after Hundley House, the site of the most notorious murder in Carbondale's history, though today few people have heard of it.

 During spring break in 1982, most of SIUC decamped for the week including SIUC marketing professor Sion Raveed. However, unlike the rest of campus, Raveed did not return to campus. On March 9th the campus and community found out why.  His body  was found stuffed into a laundry bag in the basement of Rain House, dead from multiple stab wounds to his chest. Since prior to his time at SIUC Raveed had worked in international finance, his experience in the field a major reason for his recruitment to the department, and some of the activities he had been involved in were questionable to say the least, investigators thought maybe his past had caught up with him and not only the local police but representatives of the State Police, FBE and SEC visits, although what they sought was never made public.

However, the truth, when it came out, was much more prosaic. Raveed owned several rental properties in town and, sometime during spring break, he and his property manager had an argument that ended with the manager knifing Raveed multiple times, hiding the body in a laundry bag in the Rain House basement and fleeing to Canada, from where he was later extradited and convicted of manslaughter.

For a number of years afterwards, tenants in Rain House reported hearing voices, footsteps, electrical powered items turning on and off, cold spots, items moving by themselves and the smell of something dead or rotting. For a number of years after the murder, Rain House would rent then a short time after a "For Rent" sign would again appear in the window and its demolition means no other renters will encounter the uneasy spirit of Sion Raveed.

Halloween

 There was a lot of foot traffic downtown both Friday and Saturday night. Fraterinties or someone had gotten permission to close off West College for a street party and people were walking around in costume Saturday afternoon for a Halloween pub crawl to most of the bars on the strip as well as Oakland Station in the old fire station on S. Oakland. S. Glenview closed for Trick or treating and a broke water main on Chautaqua made driving out in that area to get home pretty tricky.

Apparently drunks were sleeping under some of the Road closed signs in the area as well. 

Faner Hall

 Dedicated in 1975, the Brutalist architecture of Faner Hall cuts across the central part of the SUC campus like a wall. Named after former SIUC English instructor and department chair  Robert Faner, who taught at the university for 37 years and died of a heart attack in his office in a building located where Faner Hall now stands, and now the hub of the College of Liberal Arts, the design is unlike any other building on campus. In fact, there is an urban legend that, after the SUC student riots of May of 1970, Faner Hall was designed so that if rioters took over any part of the building, that section could be sealed off from the rest of the structure. Of course, anyone walking through the building will find, though it might take a couple of tries, it can be navigated from end to end, although, according to another legend, at least one student never made it out.

Described by those who have seen her as a young woman carrying a backpack with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a green top and jeans.  Generally when she appears, it is in the eventing. She will pass by in the hallway and  turn one of the building's myriad corners. When the person she passed turns the corner, they see an empty hallway before them. Students in the building at night have reported hearing footsteps behind them but when they turn around, they see only a deserted corridor.

On a Haunted Carbondale tour a few years ago, an adjunct professor with an office in Faner told her encounter with Faner's ghost. Several evenings while she was in the office, someone had knocked on her office door but never came in when asked and, when the professor opened the door, no one was there. On one  occasion, instead of waiting, she opened the door almost immediately to see a young woman in a green top and jeans turning the corridor at the end of the hallway. Following the figure, she called to her but got no response and, when she turned the corner, saw only the empty hall. 

Lakey Creek Ghost

 since it is that time of the year, I thought I would post some of the Carbondale and southern Illinois ghost stories the Carbondale Times published this fall

Heading east out of McCleansboro on State Route 14, the driver will pass a Dollar General Store and soon cross over a small concrete slab bridge spanning a shallow creek, located just east of the intersection with County Road 1050. The stream beneath is  Lakey's Creek and was one of the most haunted spots in Southern Illinois during the mid 19th century. The haunting of Lakey's Creek dates back to the early 1800's when a man named Lakey built a cabin a short distance south of where the bridge crosses the creek ( Research among old property deeds from the era did find that a Joel Leaky, a variation in the spelling of Lakey,  owned property in that area at approximately the time when the story takes place so that much is true) . Like many early single homesteaders, Lakey was fairly withdrawn, having little to do with his neighbors. so they thought little of it when they did not see him in town or visiting with neighbors. 

However, after several days of no sightings of Lakey, some travellers on the road that passed north of his cabin noted no smoke coming from its chimney. Given that the weather was cooling and a fire was necessary even for making most meals, they found this odd so turned their horses from the road towards Lakey's homestead. Arriving in the yard, they found Lakey's body sprawled in the yard, his head severed and placed on a nearby stump. According to one version of the story , the killer was never caught, but another says his son in law was arrested and tried for the crime, though what happened afterwards is unknown.

For years afterwards,evening  westbound travelers on the old wagon road north of Lakey's abandoned cabin would occasionally be joined by a headless rider on horseback, who would either ride with or pursue them until they reached the middle of the ford across the creek, at which point the ghost would either vanish or at that spot or turn and ride downstream, vanishing in the mists rising from the creek. 

As with the spirits of Dug Hill, the advent of the automobile caused sightings of the ghost to dwindle to almost nothing, though there have been a few  reports by drivers crossing the bridge who saw something "strange" and, upon slowing down, saw a large horse standing by the creek 

Recycling Bin

 Here is hoping the city picks up the recycling from the East College location soon.  Neither the cardboard nor the plastic/ glass bins have been emptied in at least two weeks.  People dropping off recycling materials are just piling stuff up around the bins because there is no more room, except for glass and paper.  I am glad the city put a recycling drop off point there again but it does need to get picked up at least once a week.

Candidates

 Here is the slate of candidates for mayor and city council. Carolyin Harvey and Nancy Maxwell are the only two candidates running for re-election.  Adam Loos is stepping down from his council position to run for mayor and Clare Killman has opted not to run again.  I may be misreading the name but it looks as if Mayor Harvey's son Jarius will be running against her for mayor. LaCaje Hill was on the council for 1 term, failing to win re-election in 2023

The following candidates filed nomination petitions for Mayor of Carbondale.

 

Mayor

1 – Adam Loos, 512 W. Pecan St.                                                                     (October 26, 8:09 a.m.)

2 – Carolin Harvey, 109 South Tower Road                                                (October 26, 1:03 p.m.)

3 – Patrick Noel, 611 Randolph Rd                                                                  (October 26, 2:31 p.m.)  

4 – May, F.S., Harvey K. Jairus, 621 N. Springer, St.                              (October 26, 4:08 p.m.)

5 – John Gardner, 4440 W Pleasant Hill Rd                                                (October 26, 4:46 p.m.)

The following candidates filed nomination petitions for Carbondale City Council Member. 

 

City Councilmember

1 – Dr. Ryan J. Reed, Sr., 1704 W Taylor Dr                                                 (October 19, 8:00 a.m.)

2 – LaCaje Elijah Hill, 603 S Skyline Dr                                                          (October 19, 1:10 p.m.)

3 – Nancy R. Maxwell, 1408 Bobette Lane                                                  (October 19, 4:17 p.m.)

4 – Yahaira L. Vargas, 700 West Main Street Ste. A                               (October 19, 4:18 p.m.)

5 – Jasper Futch, 1211 W Short Dr                                                                    (October 21, 2:10 p.m.)

6 – Casey Allen VanWinkle, 3212 West Kent Drive                 (October 26, 10:22 a.m.)

7 – Chastity Mays, 107 South Glenview Drive                                           (October 26, 11:13 a.m.)

8 – Robert Bruce Pierce, 703 N. Allyn St.                                                     (October 26, 11:42 a.m.)

9 – Jason Endicott, 707 N McKinley St                                                           (October 26, 11:54 a.m.)

10 - David “Zen” Dhabolt, 401 W Elm St Unit B                                       (October 26, 3:43 p.m.)

Trick or Treat on Main Street

 Good turnout for the event yesterday or as Carbondale Main Street called it, the Candy Walk.  I counted at least three dozen locations particpating with over 450 trick or treaters through the door at Castle Perilous Games & Books. have no idea how many people went to the Safe Halloween event at Murdale.

Horstman's Cleaners

 According to a post on soical media Horstman's Cleaners, closed since last April, will reopen on October 27. Glad to see Carbondale will have dry cleaning again, rather than having to haul items to Marion.

Brad's Auto Repair

 Brad's Auto Service has moved from its Emerald Lane location to the long closed quick oil change shop located behid Wooly Wash ar 400 North Glenview.  Certainly a more visible location but I think a bit more promotion would help

Halloween

 it would be nice if there were a centraized location people could post information about Halloween activities taking place in town.  Murdale Safe Halloween has events this Saturday, Carbondale Main Street has its Candy Walk this Saturday and there are a number of events next week but there is no centralized place for individual organizations to post about their costume contests or other events going on that people might be interested in.

Homecoming

 For all of the activities surrounding SIUC's homecoming, I saw surprisingly little promotion about it. There were some stories in the paper and on social media as well as a couple of flyers posted about but I would think the city and SIUC would put up banners on the light poles advertising it for the week before.  Instead, what I saw up there were banners promoting Halloween (still important)  and the Off the Rails series of concerts, which ended a couple of weeks ago.

Drones Downtown

 A couple of drones flew over downtown shortly after 6 p.m. releasing some sort of spray in their wake.  Hoping this has something to do with Homecoming but the spray was grey colored rather than SIUC shades.

City Council Meeting

 Here are the minutes from the Sept 29 council meeting at which changes to downtown parking were discussed.  Here is the section summarizing the feeling of the council:

"Councilmembers gauged the consensus for a host of suggested Ordinance and Resolution

amendments. Those that gained majority support included free Saturday parking except for the

SIMMS lot and Lot 14; changing the proposed up-to-seven-day overtime ticket to $10; and

maintaining the Downtown Employee Parking permit fee at $15.00 for six months, Resident

permit fees at $25.00, and Senior Permit as it currently stands. The Ordinance and Resolution

will be brought back with the proposed amendments incorporated, in addition to the cleanup of

the language."

However, the resolution was not brought back for a vote at this past Tuesday's council meeting, leaving the parking situation remaining as it has for now.

Homecoming Help Schedule

 Here is the Schedule of help needed for this Friday's Homecoming event.  Register here

Artist Hospitality set up: 8am-12pm

Work with the Events team to prepare backstage/artist areas with water, snacks, tables, and chairs. Ensure spaces are welcoming, stocked, and labeled for each performer.

Signage placement/Banner placement/ Trash and recycling placement: 8:00am-12:00pm

Place directional, informational, and promotional signs and banners around event areas. Ensure visibility and secure installation (must be gentle with the metal sign frame).

Litter Pick up 10:00am-12:00pm

Walk the strip & parking lots to collect trash and recyclables to ensure a clean event space before attendees arrive. Supplies provided (gloves, bags, grabbers)

Event Set up 10:00am-3:00pm

Setting up tents, putting up tables, merch, other event set up tasks as needed

Event Runner 2:00pm-11:00pm

Work directly with Events team to help run various tasks such as relaying messages to event team, landing vendors, grabbing office supplies, helping monitor media and stage access, social media coverage, bands runner

Event Tear Down 10:00pm-12:00am

Help pick up parking signs, trash, recycling, tear down easy up tents, coolers, etc.

Stage

 I see the city and SIUC plan to shut down Illinois avenue for the Homecoming Concert this Friday.  Funny, I thought the city built a brand new stage over on Washington Ave. so that it did not have to put up portable stages again. I guess the city and SIUc are hoping to resurrect the feeling alumni had when closing down the Strip at night was a regular weekend thing.  

Be that as it may, if you want to volunteer to help out this Friday, here's the link.

City Jobs

 If you are looking for a job with the city, there are currently four positions open:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CARBONDALE - 

The City of Carbondale is actively seeking applicants for the following positions:        

Facility/Event Support Worker 

City Hall, IL 
Full-Time - $18.00 - $19.00 Hourly 
Category: Building & Safety / Building Maintenance / Customer Service / Building & Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Department: Civic Center

Lead Facility/Event Support Worker 

City Hall, IL 
Full-Time - $19.00 - $20.50 Hourly 
Category: Building & Safety / Building Maintenance / Maintenance / Customer Service / Grounds & Landscaping / Building & Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance 
Department: Civic Center 

Mental Health Advocate 

Police Department, IL 
Full-Time - $25.50 - $27.00 Hourly 
Category: Mental Health / Public Safety / Professional / Customer Service / Counseling / Community and Social Services
Department: Police Department 

Vacant Building/Property Inspector 

City Hall, IL 
Full-Time - $28.76 Hourly 
Category: Administration / Building & Safety / Building Maintenance / Code Enforcement / Safety / Maintenance / Community Development / Customer Service 
Department: Community Development 

City Limit Residency Boundary Requirement 

The City of Carbondale requires its employees to live within a 20-mile radius starting from the intersection of West Walnut Street and South Illinois Avenue in Carbondale. The 20-mile radius is outlined in GREEN. Please zoom in to accurately check for addresses that are within a 20-mile radius. To check a residence located near the boundaries of the radius, please contact Planning Services. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEOE) 

The City of Carbondale is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the City of Carbondale to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, veteran status, marital status, sex, national origin, age, based on genetic information, or the existence of a physical or mental disability. 

City of Carbondale Core Values 

As a responsive and caring community, Carbondale's success is not just based on "what we do" but also "how we do it." Our core values define the behaviors important in our interactions with residents, visitors, and one another. These are the values that guide our work: accountability, integrity, fairness, communication, honesty, and teamwork. 

Those interested may apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/carbondale 

Massage Parlors

It is a small thing but I have noticed that the names of almost all of the massage parlors in Carbondale have changed their name to "Something Spa"  . there are at least 4 in town that I know at those have all became spas over the last coupld of months. makes me wonder if they are all owned by the same person or company.

City Council Meeting 9/29/26

 Stopped in at this week's city council meeting.  A number of supporters of Anna's Choate Mental Health Center spoke during public comments, asking the council to go on record supporting Choate remaining open, which the council seemed inclined to do, saying it would bring up a proclamation at a later date. Speaking of proclamations, the council issued another one in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

A public hearing with no comments from the public followed, asking for comments on the sale of property along East Highway 13 to IDOT so the state may continue work on 13 in the Crab Orchard area.

The consent agenda passed without much discussion, authorizing the aforementioned sale of property as well as submitting grant proposals to IDOT and the Illinois EPA.

Most of the evening's discussion concerned changes to parking regulations in downtown Carbondale.  At the time I left, the council appeared leaning toward the following:

1.  two hours free parking with a charge of 75 cents per hour after the second hour.

2. a permitting system providing free parking in the SIMMMs parking lot for those travelling on Amtrak

3. unlimited free parking throughout downtown on Saturday and Sunday.  Current signage says only Sunday is free although there is no parking enforcement on Saturday either.

4.  Increased fines for overtime parking, somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 if paid promptly. Yearly parking permits will go up in price $10 to $15.

native Plant Sale

Native plant sale this Saturday at the Town Square Pavillion.  From 8:30 to 2 p.m.

Council Elections

 Potential candidates for mayor and city council can start picking up petitions at City Hall. Petitions are due between the 19 and 26 of October with the earlier you get your petition in, the higher you get listed on the ballot.

Notice is hereby given that the Carbondale City Clerk’s Office, located at 200 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Illinois, will accept nominating petitions for one (1) four-year Mayoral term and three (3) four-year City Council member terms for the 2027 Consolidated Election held on April 6, 2027 (or the Primary Election held on February 23, 2027, if necessary). The dates and hours during which petitions will be accepted are as follows:

Monday, October 19.             8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Tuesday, October 20             8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Wednesday, October 21        8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Thursday, October 22            8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Friday, October 23                 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Monday, October 26              8:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm -5:00 pm

Candidate Meet & Question

 From several posts on social media

The League of Women Voters is hosting TWO virtual candidate forums next month for the upcoming election! First, next Friday, October 2nd we will meet with candidates for Illinois State Representative for the 118th District, Chip Markel and Scott Doody. Then on Monday, October 12th we will meet candidates for the First Judicial Circuit Court for Jackson County, Ben Reed and Jamie Snyder. Each forum will help us learn about each candidates' qualifications and the duties of each office.

Registration is required for each Zoom forum! The forums will also be streamed to the Carbondale Public Library’s YouTube channel and Facebook page for later viewing.

118th Illinois House District Candidate Forum

Friday, October 2nd at 6:00PM (on Zoom)

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../WN_eoYxJZwPS4m-Vhht3tbz1Q...

First Judicial Circuit Court for Jackson County Candidate Forum

Monday, October 12th at 6:00PM (on Zoom)

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_hoWQk7-ATQCEju8kE3Ld1Q

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Learn more on the library's website: https://carbondalepubliclibrary.org/series/lwv/

Heritage Motel Sign

  I wish the city would contact the owners of the Heritage Motel and offer a grant or some other co-operation to repair the sign.  The Heritage is the last remaining non-chain motel in Carbondale and its sign is a reminder of an era when local owners competed to have the most eyecatching sign in order to pull in traveling motorists.

Unfortunately, what is happening is that the sign is slowly deteriorating and, instead of stepping in to address the problem, the city will likely wait until the sign is past the point of repair and require the owner to remove it, which will also remove one more bit of Carbondale history.

Diederich Insurance Building

 SIH has pulled down yet another building, this time the Diederich Insurance building, which it appears the company sold when it combined its operations to one location in Marion.  More parking for Memorial Hospital?

Notifications

 If you want to get alerts from the city, here is the link to set up your profile as to what sor of noticies you will receive.

The City of Carbondale uses the CivicPlus Mass Notification System to send emergency and routine alerts and notifications to help you stay informed about what matters most, whether it’s a weather warning, a public safety update, or important community news.

You can choose how you want to receive alerts: by text, email, voice call, or mobile app. It’s fast, reliable, and designed to keep you connected.

Sign up today or modify your existing notification profile to include weather alerts at: https://www.explorecarbondale.com/939/Alerts-Notifications.

Trick or Treating Hours

 Good

Mayor Carolin Harvey has proclaimed Saturday, October 31, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. as the official "Trick-or-Treat" hours for Carbondale.

Residents wishing to welcome "trick-or-treaters" should illuminate their porch and exterior lights. It is recommended that "trick-or-treaters" wear reflective tape or clothing and that parents check all treats for potentially harmful objects.  

SIUC Parent's Weekend

 SIUC's Parent Weekend was pretty quiet this year. It took place the last weekend, the 11th and 12th and I did not realize it was Parent's weekend until about mid-day on Saturday, so little in town promotion was there. You would think the university would reach out to downtown and make certain there were signange and banners up announcing the event but, aside from a few posts on social media, I saw nothing until, as I said, late on Saturday.  Here is hoping Homecoming gets a lot more promotion.

Sales Taxes

 Got curious so checked the sales tax rates for Carbondale. Sadly, the 9.75% rate is now comparable to several other cities within the state.  Add a 9% hotel/motel tax and a 2% food and beverage tax and visiting Carbondale can get rather pricey 

Pure Pet

 Pure Pet will be closing its Carbondale location on the east side of town near Reed Station Road.  the Marion location will remain open. This indicates the Marion location is doing better business than Carbondale because, of course, if the Carbondale location was doing better, it would be the one remaining open.

West Main Parking

 When West Main was made one way through the Arbor District, one of the selling points was that along with West Walnut, on street parking would be provided along one side of the street.  The section of West Walnut between Springer and Poplar does have on sreet parking on the north side of the street, however this never was put into place on the parallel section of West Main. At this late date, it would take some significant contruction to put that in place but it could help slow traffic down through that area.

Houses

 The city has razed about half a dozen houses so far this year.  From what I understand, they were taken for non-payment of taxes by the owners after multiple attempts to collect and were considered too unsafe or run down to allow occupancy.

Given the desire to get more people to move to Carbonale, instead of demolishing them, why not offer them to people for $1 plus a stipend equal to the cost of demolition on the condition that they rehab the house and occupy it for a minimum amount of time. If no one accepts the offer, then demolish it. Maybe I missed them, but I saw no indication that those buildings were up for sale or demolition. maybe there were notices posted online but that involves someone actively going online and searching for notification.  Putting a sign in the front yard at least catches the eye of people driving by.  Lord knows I am not an expert in the field but it seems demolishing the building makes it much harder to infill the space.

Bank of Carbondale Building

 The empty Bank of Carbondale building on East Main has either rented or sold as there is a large sign replacing the Bank of Carbondale sign proclaiming the building is now the Carbondale Elementary Schools Adminstrative Office building. Glad to see another empty building getting reused.

Lost Cross 40th Anniversary

A number of places are helping Lost Cross celebrate its 40th anniversary.  Indigo Lounge had a punk/industrial DJ playing vinyl and tape on Thursday night,  and PK's and Booby's both had shows last night as did the Robbie Stokes Memorial stage.   The Buckminister Fuller Dome Home had an event this afternoon and tonight West Elm is blocked off at the intersection with Beveridge for a concert going on late. Here are the events tonight and on Sunday

Attendance Up

 I see SIUC fall attenance is up over 12,000 this fall, reaching12,066.  While not historic, as the press release says and certainly a far cry from the rumored 2000 I heard last month. 281 students is still, as far as I am concerned,  within the standard deviation andnot large enough and not enough to be pointed to as evidence of a turnaround. After all, for a couple of decades, the university kept losing about that amount each semester and the administration said it was not large enough for concern.

Get an increase of 10% or better and the administration could point to their actions as having an actual effect.

Shooting Arrest Made

 Carbondale Police have made an arrest in the shots fired case in the Arbor District area over the weekend. Lalyn Frais, 19 of Carbondale, was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and resisting a police officer. Happily, although there was damage to a building in the area, no people were hurt.

Saluki Way Tax

 Back around 2009, city council passed the Saluki Way tax, increasing local sales taxes by .25% to help fund the replacement of McAndrews Stadium, remodeling of what is now Bantera Arena and helping cover the cost of the Studnet Services Building (which is not currently named after anything). The tax is supposed to raise about $1 million a year to help with repaying the bods issued to pay for all the contstruction and is scheduled to expire in 2027 or 2029. 

I certainly hope the council does not pass a resolution keeping the tax in place. Our current sales tax rate is higher than about 90% of the other sales tax rates imposed by other communities throughout the state and I have heard from several local restaurant owners they have lost catering business to restaurants in Marion and Murphysboro due to their lower tax rates.

Off Premises Signage

 The city approved 6-1 an amendment to an ordinance at its last meeting allowing for the placing of off premises signage along East Main and East Walnut between Washington Street and Lewis Lane. However, the businesses wanting to place off-premises signage must have frontage along those right of ways.

The same ordinance was a major point of contention when the city was working to get Kohl's to open a storefront in Carbondale. One of the things Kohl's insisted on was an amendment to the same ordinance allowing it to place a sign on Highway 13 pointing towards the Kohl's location on Giant City Road.

Shots fired

 Apparently shots were here in the West Cherry, West College, South Forest area east of Poplar about 4 this afternoon. Officers were still in the area about 7 p.m. walking down West Elm, I gather to see if they could get any more information.

Harbaugh's Cafe

 I see by their social media posts that downtown staple Harbaugh's Cafe has opened a location in Marion and is currently holding a soft opening with a grand opening sometime in September.  Glad to see they are dooing well enough to have a second location.

Moka Coffeehouse

 Looks as if downtown Carbondale will get a new coffeehouse in the near future.  No opening date posted yet but signage is up for Moka Coffeehoue in the empty Geologic Oddities space in University Plaza on S. Illinois.

Property Taxes

 Given the hue and cry over Walker's Bluff Winery's recent announcement they were closing the facility due to high property taxes, here a basic overview of property taxes in Illinois and how they are calculated. With some exceptions, property taxes are assessed at 33% of the fair market value and, if oounties assess the value above or below that amount, an equalization factor kicks in to adjust the value back to 33% .  If you are not happy with property taxes, it is not all the fault of the country board.

Solar Bear

 Although I have not seen much publicity for it (granted I am not the target market either) but the annual Solar Bear event takes place this Friday and Saturday. It looks as if Levels has taken over from Pinch Penny as the main bar hosting Solar Bear drinking but there typically a lot of people congregate along West College between University and Poplar, with fraternities sponsoring a lot of house parties.  From what I have heard, last night was no busier than normal, though there were two stabbings on N. Washington near Washington and Main last night.

Update:  West College between S. University and S. Poplar is currently blocked off for Solar Bear partying.

Job Search

Seeing posts on social media from people looking for work certainly struck me when I was chatting with a restaurant owner earlier today. They have a number positions open and had open interviews a couple of weeks ago. They interviewed 30 people and called back 8 of them to offer them a position.  Of those 8 who apparently were still looking for a job, only 3 showed up.

SIMMS Grand Opening

 The southern Illinois Multimodal station has its official grand opening on August 28th.  I guess the bus stops there but not at the times I pass by as I have not seen any picking up or disgorging passages.  Originally, there was supposed to be taxi pickup there but with the ubuiquity of Uber and otehr car services, I do not know if there are any active taxi services in the city.

The City of Carbondale will celebrate the official grand opening of the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS) with a Ribbon Cutting and Dedication Ceremony on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at 401 South Illinois Avenue in Carbondale.

The completion of SIMMS represents a major milestone for Carbondale and the Southern Illinois region. Affectionately known as the “Jewel of the Southern Line,” the new station serves as a modern regional transportation hub, connecting multiple modes of travel and bringing together Amtrak, Greyhound, FlixBus, JAX Mass Transit, regional transit providers, bicycle and pedestrian connections, and Southern Illinois University’s Welcome Center within one facility.

Made possible through more than $23 million in federal and state grant funding, SIMMS reflects years of planning and collaboration among the City of Carbondale, the State of Illinois, the federal government, transportation providers, regional organizations, and community partners.
In addition to strengthening transportation connectivity throughout Southern Illinois, the station represents a significant investment in the future of downtown Carbondale. SIMMS is expected to improve access to the region for residents, students, and visitors while supporting economic development, tourism, and downtown revitalization.

“This is a historic moment for the City of Carbondale and the entire Southern Illinois region,” said City Manager Stan Reno. “The Southern Illinois Multimodal Station represents years of vision, collaboration and investment. We are excited to officially open a facility that will strengthen regional connectivity, support economic development and serve as a welcoming gateway to our community for decades to come.”

The August 28 ceremony will open with a performance by a SIU Brass Ensemble and include remarks from elected officials, project partners, and transportation leaders, followed by the ceremonial ribbon cutting. SIU Cheerleaders and the Saluki Shakers will help commemorate the occasion with the Saluki Fight Song.

Walker's Bluff Winery closing

 According to this post on their Facebook page, Walker's Bluff Winery will close permanently in the near future.  The owners blame the increase in property taxes by about $8000 this year to around $400,000. The owners also says the winery has not made a profit in the past 2 years.

I had not heard anything about the winery since Walker's Bluff Casino has opened and was under the impression it had closed down with the opening of the Casino as all the focus of the company, at least promotionally, was on the casino. Incidentally, the closure does not affect Walker's Bluff Casino, which will remain open.

City Council Agenda

 Here is the agenda from last week's city council meeting. Council voted to impose a fine for sleeping or camping on public property of $25 for the first offence, increasing with subsequent violations, with a 48 hour notice before the city will clear a campsite.

Council also voted to continue discussing increasing free public parking in downtown but that has been under discussion since 2020 so I doubt anything will get decided quickly.

Carbond-alien Off the Rails Concert

 I swung by tonight's off the rails concert just before the last band ended their performance.  According to one of the vendors I spoke with sales were really slow early in the day.  apparently no one wanted to come out in 95+ F degree weather. Crowd seemed a bit sparse too but it was still pretty muggy and warm even at 8:30 in the evening.  Hopefully the weather is cooler for the August 29th event.

SIUC Attendance

 From what I have heard from a member of the SIUC staff, unoffical numbers put fall attendance up about 2000 students from last fall. That is certainly a good number but on average about 45% of them will drop out before they graduate. the unviersity is currently at about 12,000 with a goal of 15,000 by 2030. That seems like a highly reachable number.

Hangar 9

 Hangar 9 is scheduled to reopen this Thursday.  For those that do not get downtown that much, the music venue/bar has been closed for remodeling since May so a lot of people are looking forward to what the interior looks like.

Bike lanes

 I really like the bright green bike lane in front of the SIMMS (Southern Illinois Multi Modal Station). it really stands out and makes the lane visible.  I hope the city, over the next few years, applies a similar bright paint scheme to other bike lanes throughout the city.

Lighting

 I see new lighting has been installed and turned on in the alley next to Aban Kitchen, to adi with customer pickups and in Friendship Part at the intersection of Mill and Illinois.   If I remember correctly, the plan is to install similar lighting next to Rips' Pizza and in the alley between So Ill Syndicate and Yesteryear's Tobaccoist, making an outside dining spot for Cristaudo's.

Recycling Locations

 The city has updated its recycling drop off locations. There is still one in the Exodus Church Parking lot on S. Oakland and the one on East College is now in the parking lot half a block east of the fire station.

Stix

 It looks as if Stix may reopen sometime later this year.  I see work done on the outside and Dyvx on the outside and I remember seeing an application before the Liquor Control Commission earlier this year for a transfer of a liquor license to the location.

Lightning Detectors

 The city has installed lightning detectors  at various locations throughout Carbondale. Superblock, Evergreen Park and the New Era Events Plaza will provide sirens and strobe lights to alert visitors when lightning is detected within 10 miles of the location.  There is also signage at Poplar Camp Beach with a QR code visitors can scan to find weather and lightning information for that location.  Poplar Camp Beach's warning system is set to detect lightning strikes within 15 miles of the beach.

I guess it is useful but I thought that was what the city's storm warning sirens were for. This will give warning of a specific type of danger though.

The City of Carbondale Office of Emergency Management has implemented the Perry Weather automated lightning detection system to enhance public safety at designated City facilities and event locations. The system provides accurate, real-time lightning detection using atmospheric data to identify hazardous conditions and deliver timely notifications when lightning threatens the area.

Below is information on where these detection systems are located and how they can be utilized.

Monitored Sites with Notification Hardware (“Hard Sites”):

The following City locations are equipped with Perry Weather notification hardware that provide automated alerts:

• Superblock
• Evergreen Park
• New Era Events Plaza (Robbie Stoke Memorial Stage)

These locations are equipped with:

• Audible warning sirens
• Voice public address (PA) announcements
• Visual warning strobes
• Informational signage with QR codes that provide real-time weather information, safety recommendations, and all-clear countdowns

“Soft Sites”:

The City also monitors designated "soft sites" that do not have installed notification hardware. The only soft site currently equipped with official signage is Poplar Camp Beach, while there are other locations being identified to be monitored and designated with signage with further project development. 

At soft sites:

• Site signage with a QR code that provides:
  • Site-specific weather conditions
  • Lightning information
  • Safety recommendations
  • A countdown to the all-clear
• City staff can receive real-time Perry Weather alerts.
• If City Staff are present, they are responsible for notifying the public when hazardous weather conditions exist.

Additional locations where City staff are not routinely present may also include QR code signage. These locations provide public access to site-specific weather information only and do not include audible or visual notifications.

All sites (excluding Poplar Camp Beach) detect lightning within a 10-mile radius. Poplar Camp Beach is set to detect lightning within a 15-mile radius.  

Alley Lighting

 Remember the T-Mobile grant Carbondale Main Street got last year to upgrade lighting in some parts of downtown Carbondale?  Judge Services finished work on the first project, the alley running just north of Aban Kitchen, criss crossing overhead strings of lights from Illinois Avenue to Pickle's Alley. Have not seen them turned on yet so have no idea how bright they are.

Aban Kitchen uses the alley as a pick up location for their to-go orders adn the new lighting will make it brighter for customers waiting in the alley and safer for staff members bringing out the orders. There are two more locations in town scheduled for similar upgrades.

Hiring

 Both Thai Taste and Big Chill are looking for additional staff. Due to staff shortages, Thai Taste will close for lunch on July 29th and dinner on July 30th.

off the Rails Schedule

 Here is the schedule for the fall slate of Off the Rails Concerts. While I see the August 15 as a welcome back concert for SIUC students, I just hope the summer heat does not drive away attendance. After all it is starting at 3 in the afternoon.

The City of Carbondale is excited to announce the return of the Off the Rails Concert Series, bringing five unforgettable nights of free live music to downtown Carbondale from August through October 2026. For the first time in the series' history, our concerts will take place on the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage at the New Era Events Plaza (200 S. Washington Street), marking a new era for one of Southern Illinois' favorite live music traditions.

Following the successful debut of the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage during this summer's Sunset Concert Series, Off the Rails now has a permanent home in the heart of downtown. The series continues its mission of showcasing an eclectic mix of nationally touring artists, regional favorites, and emerging local talent while creating memorable community experiences that celebrate Carbondale's vibrant music culture.

"Off the Rails has always been about creating opportunities for people to experience incredible live music in the heart of downtown Carbondale," said Dena Haun, Tourism and Special Events Coordinator for the City of Carbondale. "This year feels especially meaningful as we bring the series onto the Robbie Stokes Memorial Stage for the very first time. Robbie dedicated so much of his life to supporting musicians and building Southern Illinois' music community. It's incredibly fitting that this stage will now host artists from across the country while continuing to shine a spotlight on the amazing talent we have right here at home."

The 2026 season kicks off with the CarbondAlien Music Festival, celebrating Southern Illinois' thriving local music scene before welcoming nationally recognized artists throughout the fall. All events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy local food vendors while experiencing live music in downtown Carbondale. Public consumption of alcohol is permitted within the Downtown Entertainment District in accordance with City regulations. Guests may purchase beverages from participating establishments or bring their own in non-glass, single-serve containers.

2026 Off the Rails Concert Schedule:

Saturday, August 15 // CarbondAlien Music Festival // 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Features: The Hornworms, City of Soul, Tawl Paul & Slappin' Henry Blue, Tr!cks, Stay Here and the Southern Illinois Soul Jazz Coalition!

Saturday, August 29 // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Features: Marcella Simien & Family Soul Band

Friday, September 4 // Lost Cross 40th Anniversary // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Features: Didjits & Acumen

Saturday, September 19 // Hemp, Hops & Shrooms // 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Features: Hot Like Mars & MoonShroom with programming from the SIU Cannabis Science Center and the SIU Fermentation Science Institute

Friday, October 2 // SIU Family Weekend // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Features: Kyle Tuttle Band & Special guest Chris Housman