Illinois Business Journal Illinois Business Journal
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St. Louis company may build $80 million ethanol plant in Southwestern Illinois
By ALAN J. ORTBALS
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The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's University Park is assisting a Missouri firm in the potential development of an $80 million ethanol plant in Southwestern Illinois that could be up and running as soon as next summer.

   Center Oil Co. of St. Louis is scouting Southwestern Illinois for a site to build and operate an $80 million ethanol production plant that could be up and running as soon as next summer.
   Several sites are under consideration including one on the Missouri side, according to Barry Frazier, president of Center Ethanol Co., a subsidiary of Center Oil.
   Center Oil is the area's second largest privately held company with $4.9 billion in sales in 2004. The company distributes gasoline and other refined [continue]

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Another budget crisis looms on ESL horizon
By ALAN J. ORTBALS
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   East St. Louis could well face another financial crisis June 1, despite the fact that the municipality just passed its 2006 budget one month ago.
   That's because the East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority only gave approval of its financial plan - and therefore its budget - for five months, according to Ken Gearhart, FAA executive director.
   It doesn't appear that the city is off on the right foot.
   For much of the past 10 years, the city of East St. Louis' financial office has been operated by an outside contractor. The contract with the latest financial advisor expired last year. Gearhart says the FAA wants East St. Louis to continue to use an outside third party, but that the city is resisting.
   "They (the city) did in fact, after pushing and shoving, go out with an RFP (request for proposal)," said Gearhart. "They have received proposals, but they have not made a selection. So we are sitting here this morning with people who would like to order supplies - or maybe services - who can't, because the system has not [continue]

Bush targets development grants for budget cuts again

By KERRY L. SMITH
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   Local community development agencies will be hit hard again if the Bush Administration budget passes as proposed. The budget, recently delivered to Congress, contains a 33 percent cut in community development block grant funding for the upcoming fiscal year.
   This is the latest in a steady decline of funding beginning in 2001.
   CDBG funds, under the federal umbrella of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are primarily used for public facilities like street work, sidewalks, water lines and sewer lines in eligible neighborhoods. Eligibility is determined by income levels. Another major focus of CDGB funds is to assist the poor and elderly with housing rehabilitation.
   Cheryl Jouett, director of Community Development for Madison County, has seen her funding drop by about 25 percent since 2002.
   "We used to get over $4 million," Jouett said. "In the past five or six years, [continue]

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