On that lonely drive into Charleston, students making their way back to school may have noticed that the vacant businesses were still vacant.

For the past three years, Charleston has seen numerous businesses pack up and leave, such as Hardee’s, Lulu’s Bait Shop, Long John Silver’s and the Clark gas station.

However, there’s a new man in town, and his goal is to change all that.

Alan Probst, Charleston’s new city manager, is well traveled. He has lived in Freeport, Kentucky, New Jersey, Kansas, Virginia, California, Florida, Germany and, now, Charleston.

Probst is replacing former city manager Bill Riebe who resigned his position last spring.

Officially, Probst began his new job as Charleston’s city manager June 10, but he was prepared for the job prior to that. Probst came here with a list of more than 25 ideas to improve the city and relations with the university, as well as his years of experience.

“I love the job; I really like the people. The only thing I don’t like so far is the climate…it’s been hot as the devil all summer long. Sometimes job satisfaction is just as important as job security,” he said. “I chose Charleston just as much as they chose me.

“The values and the education in the Midwest are particularly good.”

On his long resume are an 18-year-military career and five years working as the city manager for Platteville, Wisc. Still fresh to the job in Charleston, Probst has started to develop his ideas into reality.

One of those ideas is beginning a business incubator.

“They tend to be more successful in college towns,” he said.

A business incubator is designed to nurture small businesses which would have otherwise not gotten off the ground without the aid of the city’s administrative resources and cheaper rent for space.

Small businesses are grouped in a building and share an administrative room of computers, telephones, and other office tools.

Eventually, like a baby, the businesses grow to be too big for the incubator, and they buy a bigger building from the profits they made. They are then on their feet.

But the key, Probst said, is, “finding the right time, getting the right support, and finding the money.”

Further-more, bringing in more business will offer more jobs for students, which is also a goal, he said.

Also on his agenda is marketing the city, which is the important to get business interest in Charleston. The interstate, rail lines, and the university are all marketing tools that will attract businesses to the city.

“We’re going to become real aggressive to make (Charleston) the shining star of Illinois,” Probst said.

Platteville, where Probst previously worked, was home of the Chicago Bears spring training camp until they relocated to Bourbonnais this year. Another economy booster Probst has in mind is to get the Bears in Charleston for spring training.

“It puts a real shot in the arm for the economy,” he said. “If it ain’t working great (in Bourbonnais) then come on down.

“But, that might be a pipe dream.”

On the other side of the Charleston coin is the student population.

Everyday, Probst runs in O’Brien stadium and works out at the Student Recreation Center to create a rapport with students.

“It’s nice to get the view of the students and explain things to them,” he said. “I do intend to be very involved with the university just like the city.”

Along with his intentions for student kinship, Probst has been out in the community in the past week talking with students about limits on parties and drinking.

Important for students to know, he said, is that fun is not prohibited, but running down the street naked is, and it is not the intention of the city to make life miserable.

“Keep it within reason and we’ll probably leave you alone. It’s when they do something like go urinate on someone’s porch,” he said. “If we could hit that fine line, it’ll be great.

“We’re trying to set a positive tone that we’re not the enemy. Just because you’re a student doesn’t mean you give up rights.”