Casey Council Approves Route 49 Closure for Fourth of July Parade

Casey City Council Meeting | June 1, 2026

Article Summary: The Casey City Council on Monday, June 1, 2026, unanimously approved Resolution #060126A, temporarily closing Illinois Route 49 for the city’s Fourth of July parade along the same route used in prior years.

Fourth of July Parade Key Points:

• Resolution #060126A authorizes a temporary closure of Route 49 for the parade.
• The parade will follow the same route it has used in past years.
• The vote was 5-0, with Alderman Steve Jenkins absent.
• No residents signed up to speak during the meeting’s public forum.

CASEY — The Casey City Council on Monday, June 1, 2026, approved a resolution temporarily closing Illinois Route 49 for the city’s Fourth of July parade, clearing the last routine hurdle before one of the community’s largest annual events.

Resolution #060126A was the council’s only item under community affairs. Mayor Mike Nichols described it as a temporary closure of Route 49 that “follows the same path as it always has,” and asked for a motion.

Alderman Marcy Mumford moved to approve the resolution. Alderman Carlene Richardson seconded. On the roll call, the measure passed 5-0, with Aldermen Tanner Brown, Jeremiah Hanley, Mumford, Richardson and Lori Wilson voting in favor. Alderman Steve Jenkins, Ward II, was absent.

Because Route 49 is a state route running through Casey, a formal council action is required to close the roadway for the procession. The resolution’s approval keeps the parade on its established path rather than rerouting it onto local streets.

The parade falls in the middle of an unusually busy summer of programming in Casey. The city’s committee marking the 250th anniversary of American independence has scheduled a June 13 birthday celebration for colonial printer Mary Katharine Goddard, and the Casey library is running Revolutionary-themed programming throughout the month. Economic Development Director Tom Daughhetee told the council that the city is “moving ever closer to the 4th of July.”

Not every holiday-weekend event survived, however. Daughhetee reported later in the meeting that the Chamber of Commerce’s Motors on Main car show, scheduled for Sunday, July 5, has been canceled after health problems sidelined a key member of the car club that helps stage it.

The council’s public forum, which allots 15 minutes for pre-registered speakers who sign up in advance, drew no participants. “Nobody signed up,” Nichols said.

The meeting, which began at 6 p.m., adjourned 24 minutes later.