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Alton May Get New Business District, Public Hearing Set

2 years 1 month ago
ALTON - Alton may be getting a new business district after a proposal was approved by the City Council on Wednesday. The new “Route 3 and Buckmaster Business District” is intended to attract business growth to the area, which has reportedly seen high vacancy and a decline in visitors in recent years. A public hearing on the proposed district is set for later this fall. The new district would be bordered by Homer M. Adams Parkway to the north, Buckmaster Lane to the west, Oakwood Avenue to the south, and to the eastern edge of the property currently occupied by Big Lots and Goodwill. The number of “deteriorated” sites within the area has made it “an economic liability to the community,” according to the ordinance proposing the new business district. “Additionally, consumer visitation to the proposed Business District declined dramatically in recent years due to excessive vacancy resulting in an economic underutilization of the area,”

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Missouri small businesses thrive in these counties

2 years 1 month ago
In 2021, the IRS received a whopping 5.4 million business applications—an all-time high since the U.S. government began tracking this data in 2004. The year with the second-highest number of new business applications? 2020. Today, small businesses employ nearly half of the nation's workers, according to a Chamber of Commerce report. It's fair to say [...]
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Circuit Clerk Tom McRae and Buddy Kahoks Great Kevin Stallings Live By 'No Friends Like Old Friends' Motto

2 years 1 month ago
EDWARDSVILLE - Some may not realize this, but Madison County Circuit Clerk Tom McRae and Collinsville basketball legend Kevin Stallings have been best of friends for most of their respective lives. Kevin and Tom are almost exactly the same age. Tom turned 63 in April 2023 and Kevin will hit the mark in October 2023. Kevin said, “I am pretty sure we knew each other by 4 years old. He is my oldest friend. We were very fortunate we both had older brothers about the same age and we came from big families. “I played some summer ball with Tom and a lot of sandlot football games. I remember the first time we got to play I got kicked in the ear by one of Tom’s cousins. We have been friends since 1964. We were both born in 1960 and we have remained fast friends since we met.” Recently, Kevin and Tom attended a St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball game in St. Louis and Jacob Stallings of the Miami Marlins slammed a pair of hits. It was a proud night for both Tom and

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