Happy New Year! The community ended 2025 with a successful gift giving season. The retail holiday events inspired our community to get out of their homes and into our local businesses. The tree lighting ceremony and Nikolausmarkt German Festival in City Park along with the Christmas Parade had the best attendance to date. As for the groups giving back to the community, the Community Needs Agency received many donations through the bucket brigade, and through this community’s generosity, the Chillicothe Police Department provided another successful Christmas for the children of IVC 321 School District. Thank you to all who helped make this holiday season a success! 

We are looking forward to the upcoming year with these 2026 projects: Continued Development on the Pedestrian/Bike Path plan, a Park Plan Study and focused efforts on our Comprehensive Plan Projects and continued well improvements.

At the December 8th City Council Meeting the Council:

Approved:

• Donation Request for Community Needs Christmas Basket Campaign in the amount of $2,500 
• Real Estate Contract for 1249 Fourth Street
• Energy Transition Grant Projects $55,275.77. Phase II Projects: Comprehensive Park Planning, River Corridor Walkway brickwork repair, Nikolausmarkt Chalet Purchase, Printed materials promoting tourism
• City Special Events Request with Open Containers for Ghost in the Park event, at City Park on October 9, 2026 from 4pm-10:30pm
• General Fund Priority One Project for a new employee
• Hiring Assistant Office Manager Chelsea White
• Payment of $2,400.00 to Picket Fence for planting the downtown planters

Did not pass:

• Viaduct - IDOT Letter requesting City of Chillicothe to take the lead for IL Route 29 Phase 1 Viaduct Project Engineering

Refer:

• City Attorney to draft an Agreement to Resolve Tenancy at Sturgeon Lane Property
• City Attorney to Contact Ameren regarding disconnection of services for Sturgeon properties

Discussion and Action(s) 

• Address the Processes Needed – Sturgeon Lane Properties

City Council meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 7pm at City Hall. The public is invited. The next Council meetings will be held January 12th and 26th.

January 2026

01 NEW YEAR’S DAY

03 New Year’s Barn Dance – Chillicothe Public Library, 7pm

04 LIVE MUSIC – Deuces Wild Acoustic Duo – American Legion, 3-6pm

07 Historical Society Program – Main Museum, 6:30pm

10 Winter Blast – Youth Dance & Dodgeball – Pearce Community Center 7-9pm

13 Adult Craft – Window Stars – Chillicothe Public Library, 2pm

14 Coffee at the Clubhouse – Shore Acres Clubhouse, 10am

15 Senior Bingo – Pearce Community Center 11am-12pm

17 LIVE MUSIC – The Kilborn Alley Blues Band

17 Puzzle Palooza – Shore Acres Clubhouse, 7pm

24 Parents Night Out – Pearce Community Center 5-8pm

28 Silver Cinema Series – Last Vegas, Chillicothe Park District Operations Facility, 1pm

30 Pairings & Pourings – Pearce Community Center 6-7:30pm

31 Aqua Sound Bath – Pearce Community Center 5-6:30pm

14 Coffee at the Clubhouse – Shore Acres Clubhouse, 10am

31 Trivia Night for IVC Travel Softball – Three Sisters park, 7-10pm

There are so many things happening in our town. Get out and have fun!

Your hometown,
The City of Chillicothe
Where the Rails Cross the River