Highland City Council remembers the late Joe Michaelis, welcomes new mayor Hemann

Councilwoman Peggy Bellm stopped to talk with late Highland Mayor Joe Michaelis after the council meeting three weeks ago.

She said the conversation was about an open house for a new business, and they reminisced about the business that had occupied that spot many years before.

“He said, ‘You know, I bet there’s very few people in the room who remember what that was,’” Bellm told the city council April 5.

Bellm said she replied, “Yeah, Joe, but we’re getting old.”

Michaelis agreed, she said, but added, “We’re getting old, but change is inevitable ... here we are ... dealing with a change that none of us expected.”

Bellm, acting as mayor pro tem April 5, called on the council for a moment of silence to reflect on Michaelis’ long service at their first meeting since Michaelis unexpectedly died March 24, including his time as coach, police officer and mayor.

After a few moments, Bellm said, “I don’t think Joe would want us to carry this on too long. He’d say, ‘Move on.’ So that’s what we’re going to do.”

Kevin Hemann was appointed as acting mayor in a unanimous vote prior to the election. Hemann was the sole candidate on the ballot for the April 6 election, and said he had been meeting with Michaelis in preparation for succeeding him after Michaelis decided not to run for another term.

“I never would have dreamed that he would pass away so suddenly,” Hemann said. “He would get very emotional talking about the city’s accomplishments ... I could see the past year dealing with the pandemic had run him down, but he truly loved the city of Highland.”

Hemann said he hoped to continue Michaelis’ legacy in his own term as mayor. He will continue as acting mayor until May 3, at which point he will be sworn in again for the beginning of his own term.

Hemann, 64, is the retiring senior vice president for sales at Highland Machine and a graduate of St. Paul High School in Highland and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.