As the calendar turns to 2024, it’s time to wrap up the year that was in the Galesburg area.
Some of the stories on our list are new topics, but a few have carried over from 2022. It was once again a year of transition at Galesburg City Hall, with five different individuals taking turns as the city’s top administrator. The April election shook up the balance of power on the Galesburg City Council, and the saga of the proposed community center will carry over into 2024.
Meanwhile, a major business development fell apart, another sprouted and a downtown eyesore came tumbling down.
Following is a recap of WGIL’s Top 10 Stories of 2023, as voted on by members of the news staff.
1. Musical chairs at City Hall
Employees for the City of Galesburg worked for no less than five bosses in 2023. Gerald Smith resigned from the position of city manager in June, triggering a chain of events which saw three men fill the position on an interim basis before Eric Hanson assumed the reigns earlier this month.
Smith departed Galesburg under a cloud of secretly recorded conversations and questions about why the City Council ultimately approved a separation agreement rather than firing him.
The reasons as to why Smith is out after just seven months on the job were complicated, according to City Council members. Rather than just one wrong move, they said Smith’s exit is a saga that started before he even stepped foot in Galesburg with his history at previous jobs, and continued through June 12 when the Council voted to accept the separation agreement that he initiated.
Hanson, most recently the assistant city manager in Normal and formerly the city administrator in Monmouth, was approved as the new city manager by a 7-0 vote in October, and assumed the position Dec. 11.
Filling in as interim city managers between Smith and Hanson were former Director of Public Works Wayne Carl, Director of Community Development Steve Gugliotta and former Galesburg Police Chief John Schlaf.
Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman praised the work of Carl, Gugliotta and Schlaf, but admitted city government was impacted by the lack of continuity in the city manager’s office. — Jay Redfern, WGIL News
2. Down goes the Broadview
Demolition started April 17 on the dilapidated former Broadview Inn & Suites on the Public Square. A crew from JIMAX Demolition Corporation of Peoria started the process as a large piece of Caterpillar equipment ripped through the restaurant portion of the property.
A few spectators sat in their vehicles to watch the demolition on a unseasonably chilly and windy day in Galesburg.
In February, the Galesburg City Council approved a bid of of $406,470.23 to demolish the former Broadview Inn & Suites and accompanying restaurant. JIMAX Demolition Corporation of Peoria took down the structures by mechanical means, rather than using explosives or a wrecking ball.
The hotel originally opened as a Howard Johnson Motor Lodge on May 1, 1978. The Broadview Inn & Suites closed in the Spring of 2020.
The city will likely seek ownership through the court system, and evaluate options to bring the property back into productive use. — Jay Redfern, WGIL News
3. (tie) Local health care options expand/move
After the closure of Cottage Hospital rocked the local health care scene in 2022, existing providers and locations in Galesburg continued to evolve and adapt to patient needs in 2023.
Canton-based Graham Medical has opened facilities in Galesburg each of the last two years, started construction on a third earlier this year and is eying a fourth in the future.
Graham has been aggressive in Galesburg since the sudden failure of Cottage Hospital in early 2022. Graham Medical Group’s Convenient Care clinic opened Sept. 6, 2022, at 1174 N. Seminary St. in the former Hayden Chiropractic Clinic.
And Graham’s Galesburg Family Medicine & Specialty Care Clinic opened in June of this year at 530 N. Seminary St.
Additionally, Graham acquired 36 acres of property on North Seminary Street. At 2300 N. Seminary St., Graham is buidling a new 13,000 square foot facility where Primary Care, multiple Specialty Practices, as well as laboratory, imaging and endoscopy services will be provided. Groundbreaking began this fall, with the proposed opening of this clinic being September of 2024.
Graham Health System CEO and President Bob Senneff and city of Galesburg officials told WGIL in July they also are looking to add a clinic on the city’s south side.
Meanwhile, OSF HealthCare announced in June it was beginning construction for a vault to house a linear accelerator as part of a project to offer radiation oncology services at OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg.
The linear accelerator will be used for external beam radiation treatments for cancer patients. The high-energy X-rays, or electrons, are focused on a patient’s tumor. The treatments are less invasive, destroying the cancer cells while protecting the surrounding normal tissue.
And in October, OSF HealthCare has announced office moves for several physicians and practices in the Galesburg area. Several physicians moved to the former Cottage campus at 834 N. Seminary St. The new location is called the OSF Center for Health (CFH). — Jay Redfern, WGIL News
3. (tie) Election shakes up balance on City Council
The City of Galesburg and Knox County have had major political shakeups in the last 12 months.
The direction of the City of Galesburg government pivoted with the election of three new City Council members; Evan Miller in Ward 3, Heather Accerra in Ward 5 and Steve Cheesman in Ward 7 in April, along with the re-election of Ward 1’s Bradley Hix.
On a series of issues and votes this year the Council has voted 5-2, most often with Ward 4’s Dwight White and Ward 6’s Sarah Davis opposed.
This Council also hired some of the top positions in city administration in the last six months; hiring Eric Hanson as city manager, Michael Doi as director of Public Works, and James Kelly Law Firm as city attorneys. — Cameron Line, WGIL News
5. Community center saga lingers yet another year; decision in 2024?
The long-talked-about development of a proposed Galesburg community center was at the heart of many City Council disagreements once again in 2023.
Conversations have gone on since the former on East Simmons Street community center was sold in June 2013 but have heated up in the last few years.
With the change in make-up of the Council this spring, also came a change in plans for a community center.
Five of the seven members of the Council rejected Churchill Junior High as a site, redirected bond proceeds that were marked for a community center, and supported a cap of $2.5 million.
However, Ward 7 Alderman Steve Cheesman proposed a Community Center task force with aldermen appointing the members.
There were complaints from community members and task force members that the meetings weren’t transparent enough, since they were not broadcasted and the meeting locations often changed.
Still, a majority of the task force approved a plan in November that proposes purchasing the current Galesburg Public Library for a community center, and granting funds to the Knox County YMCA for an indoor playground and child watch space.
It’s still up to the City Council to enact these plans or they could end up doing something different. — Cameron Line, WGIL News
6. Karlin won’t seek second term as Knox County state’s attorney
Jeremy Karlin made a surprise announcement in November that he would not seek a second term as Knox County State’s Attorney.
A Democrat, Karlin has served as the county’s top prosecutor since December 2020 after defeating Republican Brian Kerr.
Karlin previously was a two-term Ward 7 Galesburg alderman and a candidate for state’s attorney in 2016.
With Karlin not running again, and no Democrats having filed papers, it sets up Republican Ashley Worby as the presumptive Knox County State’s Attorney in 2024. — Cameron Line, WGIL News
7. Murder charges appear, disappear, then reappear in Maquon death saga
A story that shook the county and left a village seeking justice was that of then-50-year-old Marcy Lyn Oglesby of Maquon. On Feb. 6, Oglesby was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death, and more after Knox County Deputies discovered the body of former Maquon Police Chief Richard Young in a storage unit on Oct. 7, 2022.
Oglesby plead not guilty on Feb. 7.
On, March 16, Judge Andrew Doyle dismissed the murder charges leaving Oglesby with charges of concealment, forgery, and a FOID violation. Public Defender David Hansen said the state violated Oglesby’s rights to a speedy trial and filed new charges after the 120-day limit. Doyle then granted a state motion on Monday, May 1, and released Oglesby from Knox County to Fulton County for writing bad checks.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office officially confirmed March 28 that the body found in a Maquon storage shed last October was 71-year-old Richard R. Young of Maquon.
A state appellate court reversed Doyle’s dismissal of the case and the murder charges were reinstated on Nov. 7. The 4th District Appellate Court ruled that because the concealment of a non-homicidal death and murder charges were not part of the same act they weren’t required to be filed at the same time. Prosecutors allege that Oglesby and Young were in a relationship for years before she began poisoning him through food and drink, with over-the-counter medications and eye drops.
A pre-trial hearing for Oglesby has been set for Jan. 8 in front of Judge Doyle. — Tyler Gumm, WGIL News
8. Goodwill/Jersey Mike’s coming to town
A former popular steak buffet restaurant was demolished this year to make room for a new retail development on North Henderson Street.
A new Galesburg Goodwill will be the largest lessee in the two-building, multi-tenant retail center at 22oo N. Henderson, site of the former Sirloin Stockade. Jersey Mike’s Subs, a New Jersey-based fast food chain, and T Mobile also will open in the new Galesburg Commons retail development.
The new home for Goodwill will nearly triple the space, retail items and services of its current Galesburg location. It expects to open by late spring 2024.
Jersey Mike’s franchise owner Scott Miller told WGIL he expects to get possession of the space in February, with hopes of opening the Galesburg Jersey Mike’s by June 2024. — Jay Redfern, WGIL News
9. St. Mary’s Square project a bust?
A former downtown Galesburg hospital is once again for sale despite the city starting the demolition process for the blighted property.
The original St. Mary’s Hospital located at 239 S. Cherry Street is on the market with an asking price of $2.2 million. The property most recently sold for $507,677 on Nov. 19, 2021.
Kartrina Zhong, who oversees KXZ Properties LLC of Provo, Utah, is the owner of the property. She had presented an ambitious plan that would have brought a multi-million dollar development featuring office space, residential units and even a rooftop restaurant to a blighted downtown Galesburg property.
The property was the former longtime and original site of St. Mary’s Hospital, which traces its roots to 1909. St. Mary’s Square Living Center opened in September 1977 as a for-profit business and transitioned to a not-for-profit operation in 1979. — Jay Redfern, WGIL News
10. County 10 Bridge detour
A construction of a heavily-traveled bridge led to major traffic disruptions but completed much-needed repairs.
In June of 2022, the Illinois Commerce Commission authorized the use of $2.5 million from the Multi-Modal Transportation Bond Fund to assist with the rehabilitation of a grade separation structure near Galesburg.
The 38-year-old County 10 Bridge required repairs.
The heavy rehab work to the County 10 Bridge had an estimated cost of $2,778,000 and the MMTBF was to reimburse the county an amount not to exceed $2.5 million.
Brandt Construction of Milan was to complete the $5 million project.
It was then announced on Feb. 28 this year that the County 10 Bridge would close for six to seven months for repairs starting March 6.
More than six months later, the bridge re-opened to traffic on Sept. 20.
Other notable stories in 2023
- Catholic Diocese studies restructuring plan; Galesburg-area churches face possible closures
- Craft cannabis cultivation coming to Galesburg. Here are the details of NTI’s $4M project
- Costa school adapting ‘extraordinarily well’ to temporary location. Here’s when they expect to return home
- Developer bids to turn school into apartments. Here’s the plan for Churchill Place
- Knox County has plan to alleviate overcrowded courthouse. Here’s the potential location
- Ordinance would limit what flags can fly on Galesburg city property
Looking back: Shocking, tragic and contentious: WGIL’s Top 10 Stories of 2022 in the Galesburg area
