As folks scramble to replace their outdated calendars, there’s plenty of news big and small to anticipate going into the new year, from election developments to construction projects throughout the county.

At the national level, the U.S. will soon see the return of Republican Donald Trump to the White House with his inauguration later this month.

On the topic of elections, Monroe County residents will be returning to the polls in April to decide a number of local races, though many positions are unopposed.

In Waterloo, two seats on the city council will be contested, with Jason Jones and incumbent alderman Kyle Buettner both running for a two-year seat in Ward 3.

Jones has previously run for Ward 3, and Alderman Tina Charron is set to run unopposed for the ward’s four-year seat which is also on the ballot.

Another contested Waterloo alderman position is in Ward 4, with Jordan Riley and Ryan Hirsch both running for the council seat to be vacated by Alderman Russ Row Jr.

Uncontested positions for city council include Alderman Matt Buettner in Ward 1 and Alderman Jim Trantham in Ward 2.

In Columbia, the mayor’s seat is on the ballot, with Bob Hill keeping the position as he runs unopposed.

Columbia’s governmental seats are likewise unopposed, with Andrew Hitzemann in Ward 1, Mike Lawlor in Ward 2, Paul Khoury in Ward 3 and Derek Reichert for city clerk.

Jason Mayer filed for Ward 4 alderman, filling a seat vacated by longtime Alderman Mary Ellen Niemietz.

Valmeyer elections are similarly uncontested. Howard Heavner will remain village president, and Robert Nowlan, Adam Tyberendt and Timothy Valentine will serve as trustees.

Hecker elections are also decided already, with current trustee Aaron Eckart taking over the position of village president from Charles Kujawski.

James Mueth, Gary Wittenauer and Arnold Eckart are running uncontested for the three open trustee positions while Annette Schreder will be returning as village clerk.

School board elections are also largely uncompetetive, though three of Waterloo’s regular four-year terms are up for grabs among incumbents Neil Giffhorn, James Yaekel and John Caupert as well as Lloyd Jarden who ran in 2023.

Nathan Mifflin is set to hold the seat he took with the departure of Kim Ahne last year, finishing out the remaining two years of the term.

Columbia’s school board race is entirely uncontested, with only incumbents Board President Greg Meyer, Board Secretary Tyson Search, Andrea Khoury and Adam Hemken running to claim the four seats on the ballot.

Valmeyer will actually be looking for an additional board member following the election as only Stefanie Johnson-Tyberendt and Michelle Skaggs are running for the three open positions.

The Waterloo Park District Board is also set to see an uncontested election as Commissioner Keith Buettner and Vice President Michael Nolte will not be appearing on the ballot.

Gina Pfund will return alongside Curtis Haentzler, who is taking over one of the board’s four-year terms though he currently holds the position vacated by Shelby Mathes who retired last year.

James Perotti will take on the other four-year seat while the remaining two-year term is left empty on the ballot.

Also in election news, the ballot in Waterloo will feature a referendum concerning the possibility of a pool, with voters deciding whether or not to allow the park district to borrow $6 million in bonds for this purpose.

Another referendum matter could be on the ballot for Millstadt as the community’s EMS department pushes for an independent ambulance district.

Still in governmental developments, Monroe County is expected to see a new comprehensive plan come to fruition this year, with a first draft anticipated in the next few weeks after a year of data collection in 2024.

The City of Columbia adopted its comprehensive plan on Monday. It will seek to develop a plan for implementation of that plan not only this year, but for the next 20 years.

At least one non-elected position in the community will see a changing of the guard as Waterloo Director of Public Works Tim Birk steps away after many years.

Gibault Catholic High School welcomes a new principal this year with Dr. Geoffrey Miller.

In other school news, students will be taking the ACT rather than the SAT for their standardized exams starting in the spring.

Waterloo High School is set to host a concert featuring artist Craig Campbell and longtime St. Louis Cardinal-turned-country artist Adam Wainwright in late March.

A number of construction and renovation projects are set to continue, begin or at least see further planning throughout the county.

Waterloo celebrated the opening of its new water treatment plant at the top of the year, though some work on the facility – namely the completion of the water softening component – is expected to see completion in the next few weeks.

There will be a handful of major projects in Columbia in the next twelve months. 

Work on the second phase of projects on Ghent Road and Centerville Road will be completed, as well as a county bridge replacement project on Bluff Road near Valmeyer Road.

A new roundabout to ease traffic congestion at the intersections of Old State Route 3, Ghent Road and Quarry/Palmer Road will also be completed this year. 

Columbia City Engineer Chris Smith said it will be a challenge to reroute traffic in the area during construction, encouraging motorists to be patient when the roundabout project is under construction.

Smith also said work will begin on developing Creekside Park in the northeast part of the city .

Also in Columbia, developer Joe Koppeis said work will begin on a Holiday Inn Express hotel on the property just north of the Eleven South complex.

Koppeis also reported work is expected to be complete in the coming months on a 160,000 square foot addition to a refrigeration/freezer facility at the Rock City complex in Valmeyer.

Progress on the Dupo I-255 interchange will continue as relocation of utilities continues.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has several multi-million dollar projects currently listed on its 2025-2030 schedule related to creation of the interchange, but there is not a set construction schedule currently available.

The Waterloo School District will continue to see work done at Zahnow Elementary School, with the school’s parking lot expansion having been completed in 2023 and the building expansion – including several classrooms and a new office space – continuing.

Waterloo’s Lions Park could see some work on the horizon as the topic of improving accessibility was discussed among the park board late last year. The Waterloo Community Splash Pad is also anticipated to get the major barn feature it was planned to open with.

The Columbia School District will also continue to see renovations at Columbia High School, with the first phase of a major expansion still underway, providing the school with additional classrooms, an auditorium and more office space.

Phases two and three, respectively adding a new competition gym and broadly renovating the existing building, are still on the horizon.

Construction for at least two businesses in the community is set to wrap up in the near future, with Sydenstricker Nobbe Partners currently making headway with a new facility just south of Waterloo and Stumpy’s Spirits Distillery – now known as Old Monroe Distillery Co. – set to open their Bourbon Ballroom between Waterloo and Columbia.