The Coal Country Chamber of Commerce welcomed newest member Huddle-up Sports Ink, Ltd. at 225 S. Macoupin Street in downtown Gillespie with a ribbon cutting.  Those pictured are left to right:  Phil Hellmann, owner of Puroclean Professional Restoration Services; Sonja Levie, owner of A & C Insurance; Donna Watson of Sullivan Drug, Inc.; Steven and Kalli Phillips and Jeremy and Stevi Johnson, owners of Huddle-up Sports Ink, Ltd.; Betty Petroline of Dee-Dee's Designs; Brandi Schmit, banker at UCB of Gillespie; Jenni Alepra, UCB Branch Manager; and Chris Eccles, owner of Roma's Pizza of Gillespie.

The Coal Country Chamber of Commerce welcomed newest member Valerie Rodgers of The Chandelier, an Upscale Resale and Consignment shop at 308 S. Macoupin Street in Downtown Gillespie with a ribbon cutting.  Those pictured are left to right:  Chris Eccles, Owner of Roma's Pizza; Jessica Ely, Agent, State Farm Insurance; Gina Gucciardo, Owner, Gina Gucciardo, CPA; Elaine Hailstone, Owner, Accents Florist and Gifts; Rory Makler, Vice President of FNB Benld Banking Center; Pete Mode of George Alarm Co., Inc.; Kevin Rodgers, husband of Valerie and Owner of RCM, Repairs Construction and Maintenance; Valerie Rodgers, Owner of The Chandelier, Upscale Resale and Consignments; Joyce Mallory, Owner, Grannie's Attic; Micki Chappelear of Heritage Manor of Gillespie; Jean Strausbaugh, Director of Heritage Manor of Gillespie; Tara Cale, Owner/Publisher of The Buzz; Greg Craine of 1st BancFinancial/FNB Benld Banking Center.

Coal Country Chamber of Commerce welcomed new member Grannies Attic Gift Shop in a ribbon cutting at 107 E. Spruce St. in Downtown Gillespie.

Front row (left to right): Lance Ribes, Co-owner, Doc B's Sports; Phil Hellmann, Owner, Puroclean Professional Restoration; Elaine Hailstone, Co-owner, Accents Florist and Gift Shop; Mickie Chappelear, Community Relations, Heritage Manor; Lindsay Westhoff, Executive Assistant, UCB of Gillespie, Josh Maddaleno, Vice President and Loan Officer, UCB of Gillespie; Mark Rhodes, Grannies Attic Gift Shop; Deanna Mallory, Grannies Attic Gift Shop; Marilyn Rhodes, Co-owner of Grannies Attic Gift Shop;   Carl Mallory, Grannies Attic Gift Shop; Joyce Mallory, Co-owner of Grannies Attic Gift Shop; Denise Buske, Agent, Buske Insurance of Benld; Judith Morrison, President of CCCC; Dee Dee Goode, Owner, Dee-Dee's Designs; Wally Dyer, Co-owner, Michelle's Pharmacy of Gillespie; Katie and Chris Eccles, Co-owners, Roma's Pizza of Gillespie.  Back row:  Pete Duncan, Nominee for Macoupin County Clerk; Gail Remer and Robert Lewis, Supervisors of Illinois Valley Rehab along with their clients, Carol Chaplin, Larry Ersery, Tom Ersery, Larry Yon, Derrick White, Mike Crays, Heather Poe, and Jamie Remer.  The children in front are 2 year old Traegen Madeline and 6 year old Ayden Madeline of the fourth generation of the Mallory family.

With a ribbon cutting at Ageless Fitness Center in Downtown Gillespie, Coal Country Chamber of Commerce helped celebrate the relocation and reopening of the business which was destroyed by the tornado.

In photo from left to right:  Wally Dyer, Michelle's Pharmacy of Gillespie/Co-owner; Ashleigh Bethel, South County News/office manager; Shelly Davis, South County News/advertising manager; Dee-Dee Goode, Dee-Dee's Designs/owner; Debbi Tiller, Twinnco Real Estate, Ltd./realtor-owner; Mike Bellovich, Coal Country Times/advertising; Ruth Loveless, Home Options Co./owner; Pete Visitin, Ageless Fitness Center/general manager and Physical Trainer; Becky Hatlee, Polo Law Office/secretary; Sonja Levie, A&C Insurance Agency/owner; Pat Tiburzi, Accents Florist and Gift Shop; in front of banner, Cameron Hailstone, 7 yrs. old; Tobi Libbra, Twinnco Real Estate, Ltd./broker-owner; Jessica Ely, State Farm/owner-agent; Josh Maddaleno, UCB /vice president and loan officer; Nancy Hopper, Sullivan's Drug of Gillespie; Bill Toprani, Toprani Sales Company of Gillespie/owner holding 19 mo. old Carmen; Mark Brunetto of Brunetto Home and Landscape of Gillespie.

Coal Country Chamber of Commerce members welcomed new member, Buske Insurance Agency Home, Auto, Farm & Commercial Insurance Specialist in a ribbon cutting at 211 E. Central Avenue in Downtown Benld.

Those pictured are (left to right):  Greg Craine, 1st BancFinancial/FNB and Vice President of CCCC; Kurt Kozak, Chief of Police of City of Benld; Pat Tiburzi of Accents Florist & Gift Shop, Treasurer of CCCC; Andy Bloom, Agency Sales Manager of Dairyland Auto and Cycle; Denise Buske, Buske Insurance Agency, Owner; Judy Morrison, President of CCCC; Eric Braasch, FNB/Benld Banking Center, Branch Manager; Rob Wirth, Wirth Design Services of Gillespie, Owner.

Coal Country Chamber of Commerce members welcomed new member, Miner’s Family Restaurant of Gillespie in a ribbon cutting at 304 S. Macoupin in Downtown Gillespie.

  Those pictured are (left to right):  Greg Craine, 1st BancFinancial/FNB and Vice President of CCCC; Sonja Levie, A & C Insurance Agency, Owner; Rose Tipton, A & C Insurance, Agent; Paula Cox, TwinnCo Real Estate, Agent; Anne Stinnett, Coal Country Times, Reporter; Gina Guicciardo, CPA, Owner; Shelly Davis, South County News, Advertising Director; Jessica Ely, State Farm Agency of Gillespie, Owner; Elaine Hailstone, Accents Florist and Gifts; Owner; John Ronald, City of Gillespie, Alderman Ward 2; Jim Alderson, City of Gillespie, Treasurer; Ismail Mustafoski, Miner’s Family Restaurant, Cook;  Katie Tilley, Miner’s Family Restaurant, Waitress; Joe Jusufi, Miner’s Family Restaurant, Owner; Bob Fritz, City of Gillespie, Alderman Ward 1; Tracy Gilliam, Miner’s Family Restaurant, Prep Cook; Lori Dufrain, Sullivan’s Drugs of Gillespie, Gift Buyer; Mark A. Smith, MetLife Agency, Registered Representative; Micki Chappelear, Heritage Manor of Gillespie, Community Relations; Denise Buske, Buske Insurance Agency, Owner; Josh Maddaleno, UCB of Gillespie, VP, Loan Officer; Dick Drew, Drew Ford, Inc., Owner; Jean Strausberg, Heritage Manor of Gillespie, Administrator; and Rob Wirth, Wirth Professional Services of Gillespie, Owner.

Coal Country Chamber of Commerce members welcomed new member, Michelle's Pharmacy of Gillespie in a ribbon cutting at their second store at 120 S. Macoupin in Downtown Gillespie.  Those pictured are from left:

 Chris Smalley of A. G. True Value; Josh Maddaleno, V.P. and loan officer of UCB; Bob Reimer of The Castle's Forgotten Treasures; Sonja Levie, A & C Insurance Agency; Bill Toprani, Toprani Sales Co.; Elaine Hailstone, Accents Floral and Gifts; Ruth Loveless, Home inspection Pre-Qualification School; Lauren Agans of Michelle's Pharmacy; Mary Engelke, Pharmacy Tech of Michelle's Pharmacy; Debbie Kuethe, Coal Country Times; Wally and Michelle Dyer, Co-owners of Michelle's Pharmacy with Maryann Qualls, mother of Michelle behind; Micki Chappelear, Community Relations at Heritage Manor of Gillespie; Travis Guicciardo, pharmacy tech at Michelle's; Paula Cox of TwinnCo Real Estate Agency; Jean Strasbaugh, Administrator of Heritage Manor of Gillespie; Theresa Roberts of Sullivan Drug; Jennifer Carter, Hicks Maytag Home Center; Stan Morgan of Stan's Barber Shop; and Eric Braasch, Branch Manager of FNB/Benld Banking Center.

Coal Country Chamber of Commerce members welcomed new member, Coal Country Times, in a ribbon cutting at their new office at 320 South Macoupin Street in Downtown Gillespie. 

Those pictured are from the left:  Wally Dyer, co-owner of Michelle’s Pharmacy of Gillespie; Eric Braasch, Branch Manager of FNB Benld Banking Center; Bryan Jubelt, Owner of Doc B’s Sports; Dean Plovich, Gillespie Chief of Police; Ron Reid of Reid’s Electric Service (Heating and Cooling); Jay Endress, Editor and Publisher of Coal Country Times; Debbie Kuethe, Office and Account Manager of Coal Country Times; John Hicks, Mayor of Gillespie and Owner of Hicks Maytag Home Center; Sharon Aldridge of the Coal Country Times Office; Mike Bellovich of George Alarm Co., Inc.; Debbie Tiller, TwinnCo Real Estate Agency, Owner; Tobi Libbra, TwinnCo Real Estate Agency, Owner/Broker; Betty Petroline of Dee-Dee’s Designs; Sonja Levie, A & C Insurance Agency; Theresa Robert of Sullivan Drug, Inc.; Rory Makler, Senior Vice-President FNB/Benld Banking Center; Bob Rieman of The Castle’s Forgotten Treasure; and Greg Craine of 1st BancFinancial of FNB.