City of Columbia
Columbia City Clerk Wesley Hoeffkin, left, is shown swearing in Ward 3 Alderman Gene Ebersohl as acting mayor on Wednesday night at a special meeting streamed live on Facebook.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
It was a quiet and somber meeting that lasted only about four minutes.
On Wednesday night, Columbia City Council members elected former Ward 3 Alderman Gene Ebersohl as acting mayor.
Ebersohl replaces longtime Mayor Kevin Hutchinson, who resigned Monday after being indicted last week by a federal grand jury for allegedly lying to investigators about referral commissions he received on city insurance contracts.
Provided
A home surrounded by floodwater in Centreville in June 2020. Residents say heavy rainfall combines with the areas failing infrastructure to flood their homes and streets.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
Centreville, Alorton and Cahokia have applied for a $22 million federal grant that local leaders believe would fix failed sewage systems in those communities.
If the application is approved, the cities’ consulting engineer firm expects construction could begin next year and take about three years to complete.
Residents in north Centreville, who have endured flooding and sewage issues for decades, are hesitant to get excited about what the grant award could do for their community.
Illinois company settles fraud claim involving contracts herald-review.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from herald-review.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Construction company settles fraud claim involving contracts By: Associated Press March 1, 2021
11:29 am
A southern Illinois construction company has agreed to pay back $400,000 to settle a federal complaint accusing it of fraudulently accepting $8 million worth of contracts reserved for disadvantaged small businesses, federal prosecutors say.
R&W Builders agreed to repay the money in a civil settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The allegations were raised against the O’Fallon company during a federal investigation and no criminal complaint was filed.
R&W Builders owner and President Jill Rutter said she cannot comment on the investigation or the settlement, but she told the Belleville News-Democrat, “Just don’t believe everything you read.”