Galesburg

Dr. B.S. Kesavan became a much-beloved pediatrician during his four decades in Galesburg.  A stroke sidelined him a couple years ago. It left him wondering what he should do and how he might recover.

Hundreds of people turned out Wednesday morning for a ceremony to mark the opening of the East Main Street underpass.  It will allow emergency vehicles and other drivers to get around that part of town without being stopped by trains.

Project Rebound is a non-profit organization that looks for single family homes in Galesburg that can be bought, renovated, and then sold for $60,000 or less with no down payment.  It strives to help people who are working stable jobs and have good credit but who don't make enough money to save for a down payment. 

The Knox Prairie Community Kitchen (KPCK) provides free community dinners twice a month in Galesburg.  The dinners will continue but beginning in July 2018 they will be held at a new location: the First Baptist Church of Galesburg at 169 South Cherry Street.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said that beginning Monday, April 16, it will close all four lanes of U.S. Route 34 from Illinois 164 east of Monmouth to Main Street in Galesburg to make improvements.  The project is scheduled to last into October.

World-renowned artist Julien de Casabianca installed a large mural on the east side of the Kensington Supportive Living Center during his Galesburg residency at the end of September.  It turns out the mural did not last for long.

Galesburg will join an international art project this month when artist Julien de Casabianca brings one of his latest projects to town.

George Washington Gale is one of Galesburg's most important historical figures. He founded the city and Knox College in 1837. And one year before that, Gale founded the location that would be his final resting place, Hope Cemetery.

For most high school seniors, the month of May is all about preparing for graduation and the future.  It's also a time to reflect on the past dozen years of school. In Galesburg, those memories include a trip back to the school where their education started.

Cafe in the Park has been a Wednesday afternoon summer tradition in Galesburg for decades. It's where someone can enjoy food from local restaurants and live music in an outdoor setting. But organizer Bill Morris said he won’t have time to put on the event this summer.

Galesburg aldermen approved a contract with J.C. Dillon of Peoria for $1.7 million to do the first phase of a lead water service line replacement program. The work is scheduled to begin next month.

The Ferris building on Mulberry Street in Galesburg will turn 100 next year. And a real estate developer wants to give it a new use as it enters its second century.

Galesburg voters saw a few new names on this month's ballot.  A couple of the newcomers who did not win said they nonetheless benefited from the experience.

Galesburg aldermen closed the beach's water slide and stopped paying for lifeguards about one year ago in an effort to save money.  Now, with another summer approaching, Tony Oligney-Estill, Director of Parks and Recreation, said two people talked to him about privatizing beach management so it can be reopened.

The Illinois Animal Disease Testing Laboratory in Galesburg has  conducted tests on dead animals since 1976.  The testing is done to determine the presence of West Nile virus and other diseases.  But the facility is scheduled to close at the end of April.

The city of Galesburg gave a total of $92, 858 to be split by 16 local not for profit organizations.  The money comes from the city's economic development fund. The city chose the groups based off of their ability to boost tourism within Galesburg.
 

The cuts were approved in separate votes at the board's meeting Monday night.  Board members Wayne Statham and Jean Ann Glasnovich voted against the cuts.  Voting in favor were Tianna Cervantez, Ellen Spittell, Joshua Gibb, and Amy Pickrel.  Board President Bob Lindstrom was not at the meeting.

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of downtown Galesburg Saturday morning in conjunction with the Women's March in Washington D.C. and similar demonstrations around the globe.

Galesburg has released more details about its plan to replace privately-owned lead water service lines.  City Engineer Wayne Carl said the city will start by replacing lines at 500 homes it deems the highest priority:

Construction of the East Main Street underpass is the biggest road project scheduled to begin in Galesburg this year.  But the city plans to tackle plenty of other projects too.

More than 4.6 million people rode an Amtrak train in Illinois in 2016. Overall ridership on Illinois routes was down about 3.5% from 2015. In Macomb, ridership dropped to about 68,000. 

The second oldest restaurant in Galesburg will serve its final meal on December 31, 2016. The New China restaurant opened in 1928, starting in a courthouse before moving to its current location at 329 E. Main St. in Galesburg.

The parking lot at the former Maytag plant in Galesburg will be in use again this week.  BNSF Logistics has agreed to lease the 50-acre property at 1801 Monmouth Blvd. from its owner, Industrial Realty Group, LLC. 

AFSCME members in Galesburg spent their lunch hour on Thursday chanting "What's disgusting? Union busting" and "2, 4, 6, 8, Rauner should negotiate."

A love of antiques has taken a Wisconsin man to places all over the Midwest as he tells people what he thinks their knick-knacks and heirlooms are worth.

The Galesburg Promise was created to help the city's students afford college, but the program itself is in need of a cash infusion. So the city is considering a nearly 2% hike in the hotel-motel tax.

The city of Galesburg will sell wood from a tree felled by a summer storm.  But this isn't just any old tree -- it's a tree that was older than the city itself.