SIUC Infrastructure

 The SIUC Welcome Center will cost an estimated $6 million.  Yeah, I know.  No taxpayer dollars or student fees are going to pay for the building and the university estimates it will open next month. 

However and meanwhile, McCleod Theater, the main stage at the SIUC School of Theater and Dance, has been closed for rennovations since December. No contractior has been hired yet, ergo no work has been done.

The University has an estmated $1 billion of defered maintenance that needs done. Quigly Hall has had leaks in the ceiling for a decade.  Most of the HVAC units on campus are obsolete.  No equiptment supply house still stocks replacement parts for them so maintenance has to source them from eBay.

Outdoor staircases have been roped off for months waiting on maintenance. Classroom floor tiles have buckled from the cold, exposing asbestos underneath. The tiles were replaced and sealed, leaving the asbestos in place.

The universtiy did not need a welcome center. It needs money spent making classroom and student facilities suitable for student.s

Chilly Jilly's

 Chilly Jilly's, the new ice cream shop in downtown Carbondale, had a soft opening this past Tuesday. Current hours are 8 a.m. to 1p.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m.  We will see how long the 8 a.m opening time lasts as I do not think many people are looking for ice cream at 8 in the morning but they cold have offerings that would appeal to customers at that hour.  I saw they offered a special Yummy Donuts ice cream sandwich, a split doughnut with a scoop of ice cream between the halves.

Slabz

 It looks as if Slabz has closed its S. Illinois location permamently. the sign has been removed from the building. I have heard the business was looking at relocating to a new location in Carbondale but no updated information on theirsocial media platforms.

Hemp n' Stuff

According to their social media pages, both Hemp n' Stuff and Magickal Hippie, which were under the same ownership, have closed down, Magickal Hippie's FB page does make a reference to following them it you want to see "what's happening next". A lot of  dispensaries have opened in the past couple of years in Carbondale to compete with Hemp n' Stuff, which, as far as I could determine, did not sell marijuana, just the supplies fo r smoking or consuming it. 

Carbondale, despite being a college town, has never had the customer base to support a new age show for more than a few years. Country Goddess lasted the longest and it closed after about 4 years.

WIDB Space

 From what I understand, the student run radio station WIDB shut down back around 2020 and the space has sat unused on the 4th floor of the Student Center since then. At least the area is getting put to use finally.

Small Towns

There used to be a lot of small towns in the area that have vanished with the trains and the growth of automobile use. Reed Station was located where Reed Station Road intersects with Highway 13 east of Carbondale, while Mount Carbon was located at the intersection of  Old Highway 13 and Highway 127. Texas Junction and Carbon Lake were both located just outside Murphysboro and were absorbed as the town grew.  The junction where the Ava Blacktop splits off Northbound 127, where the recently opened Southpaw Bar and Grill is?  That used to be Harrison. And of course, anyone driving south on 127 will see the sign for Etherton, now just a collection of houses adjacent to the abandoned railroad bed.

South 51 Closed

South 51/ S. University Ave will close for 24 hours for sewer repairs, from 5 am. March 28 to 5 a.m. March 29th between Walnut and Mill. Side streets crossing University will remain open but drivers will not be able to turn south on 51.