Galesburg City Council can on Monday take significant steps toward developing a community center. First, they can authorize a purchase of Churchill Junior High, although because District 205 is transferring the property through an intergovernmental agreement there's no cost in obtaining the building. 205 and the City are still finalizing which fixtures and property will remain, depending on what can be utilized by the District at other school buildings. Then the council can approve a professional services agreement for master planning for a community center. For all the intense debate around establishing a new community center, there have been few specifics pinned down regarding what kinds of space or programs would be desired. Farnsworth Group for about $20,000 would help both in terms of evaluating Churchill, and comparing that with other options like constructing a new building.
Potential uses for the school building as a city-owned community center include kitchen rental, art and music classes, indoor walking and recreation, outdoor recreation, youth and senior citizen activities, and community events.
Galesburg Police on Thursday, April 7th responded to a multiple-vehicle crash near the intersection of West Losey Street and Maple Avenue. The incident happened around 3:20 pm - as Churchill Junior High was letting out. According to several witness accounts, a Buick sedan and a Ford SUV were traveling southbound on Maple Avenue at a high rate of speed. The sedan crashed into a GMC pickup truck rendering both vehicles immobile. A male subject exited the Ford and jumped into the front seat of a woman's vehicle who had pulled over and told her to drive because he had warrants. The woman told the man to leave right before another male subject pulled him from the vehicle. The first male took off running and the second male got back into the Ford and drove away. The male driver of the GMC and the female driver of the Buick were transported to the hospital for evaluations. The female after first giving police a false name was identified as 20-year-old Emily Young of Galesburg. Young said