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PONTOON BEACH - “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” and a relaxing ride on an air-conditioned bus improves a trip to the Muny “in the most delightful way!” Madison County Transit (MCT) is pleased to announce that it will once again operate the MCT Muny Express to every Friday night performance at the magical Muny in Forest Park, offering the best way to access “all that jazz” at this classic St. Louis summertime venue. This fast and affordable express bus service, from 13 convenient Madison County locations, drops passengers off and picks them up right in front of the Muny, so patrons won’t miss a note of their favorite showstoppers. The curtain rises on the 2022 Muny season with “Chicago,” on Friday, June 17 and continues with classic musicals such as: “Camelot,” “Mary Poppins,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Legally Blonde,” “The Color Purple,” and “Joseph and the

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CHICAGO – People will have an additional opportunity to become an organ donor thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Friday. “Organ donors save countless lives every year,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “After living on dialysis for a year, I received a kidney transplant in January 2010. I know the importance of giving people more opportunities to become organ donors.” House Bill 4696 allows the Department of Natural Resources to offer online hunting license holders the opportunity to be redirected to the First Person Consent Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. On average, 300 people die each year waiting for an organ donation. More than 4,700 Illinois residents are waiting for an organ or tissue donation. In 2020, there were 7 million Illinoisans registered as organ donors. The first-person consent law provides an opportunity to save more lives and ensures that your wish to be an organ/tissue donor is honored.

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MT. VERNON - Holland Construction Services recently broke ground on the new Mt. Vernon Police Station located at Logan and 27th Street in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The new 25,000 square-foot building will offer all the amenities of a modern police facility with the latest in equipment technology and larger spaces for training, dispatch, and offices. Mt. Vernon Assistant City Manager Nathan McKenna said the current police station, which is a converted car dealership built in the 1970s, no longer fits the department’s needs. “This new facility will be state-of-the-art and wired for new technology,” said McKenna. He added that Holland was selected to build the new station based on the company’s experience with similar project types and their reputation in the region. “We’ve never done a project of this scale, so Holland’s expertise and ability to troubleshoot any issues that might arise was very important to us,” said McKenna. “A lo

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ALTON - There was considerable activity at the new McDonald's construction site on Broadway Tuesday morning. Multiple Kienstra Ready Mix Concrete trucks were delivering to areas around the new McDonald's. The shell of the building for the new McDonald's has been erected. A Kienstra manager at the scene said he expected the concrete for the project to be put in place today. Kienstra workers assisted with traffic flow in the area. The McDonald's on Broadway in Alton is owned by the family of Dick Bold.

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All Ages: Read Beyond the Beaten Path 2022 All Ages Summer Reading Challenge Registration Starts May 31 Register at Either Library Location or Online at https://smrld.beanstack.com Pre-register online or with the Beanstack Tracker app starting May 23. Friends of the Library Book Sale Wilson Park Ice Rink Thursday, June 2 – 6 PM to 9 PM Preview Sale. Admission $6.00. Friday, June 3 – 4 PM to 8 PM Free Admission. Saturday, June 4 – 9 AM til Noon Free Admission. A bag of books can be purchased for $6.00. Hardback Books, Paperbacks, & DVDs – $1 Children’s Books – 50 cents Special items are priced separately. Summer Reading Performers 10 AM Johnson Rd & 2 PM Delmar Ave JUNE Friday, June 10 - Butterfly House Friday, June 17 - Mad Science: Walking on the Moon Friday, June 24 - Sword Fights & Sea Shanties JULY Friday, July 1 - Treehouse Wildlife Friday, July 8 - Campfire Stories with Sherry Norfolk

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EDWARDSVILLE - Some scientists estimate that one out of every three foods we eat exists thanks to pollinating animals such as hummingbirds, bats, bees, beetles, butterflies, and flies. Without them, we wouldn't have fruits, vegetables, and nuts….not to mention chocolate and coffee. Over the past few years, certain pollinators like monarch butterflies and bees have experienced significant declines in population. In order to help the small creatures that give us so much, Joe’s Market Basket wants to offer people tips on how to create their own pollinator garden. “It’s nice to have beautiful things in your yard but they can also be functional,” said Joe’s Market Basket General Manager Andy Klos. “One of the best things to do to prevent the decline of pollinators is to make your garden a landing pad for them so they can get their nutrients and sugars to pollinate.” Klos said certain flowers and native plants like salvia, milkweed, butterfly

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Centerstone, a not-for-profit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments, has promoted Megan Klaas to director of credentialing for its operations in Illinois and Tennessee. Previously operations director for Centerstone’s Illinois operations, Klaas joined Centerstone in 2017 as a credentialing manager. In her new role, Klaas leads all credentialing operations in both Illinois and Tennessee, producing high level results in a fast paced, high volume environment. Klaas manages external and internal communications that foster expedited and accountable credentialing processes. Also, Klaas oversees all of the credentialing functions from expedited application management to health plan and regulatory compliance to day-to-day management of the overall effective credentialing process and database and analytics management. “We are very happy for Megan and her new role at Centerstone. Since joining us in 2017, Megan has

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ALTON - Alton Police Department is investigating an attempted vehicular hijacking that was reported at 12:44 p.m. on Monday, May 30, in the area of East Broadway and the Broadway Connector. Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido said: "Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim has just driven into Alton, from the State of Missouri after driving across the Clark Bridge. The victim then drove down the Broadway Connector and was stopped at the intersection of East Broadway. At that point, two black males, wearing all dark clothing with their faces partially concealed, exited a black Jeep that had been following the victim. The two suspects, who both were armed with firearms, approached the victim and attempted to remove the victim from the vehicle. The victim was able to safely drive away and the suspect’s attempt at the vehicular hijacking was unsuccessful." The chief added that a witness observed this occurring and watched as the two suspects return to the Jeep, at which point

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(The Center Square) – Conflicting population estimates for Illinois continue to spur debate about whether the state is growing or shrinking as has been estimated for years. Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent President Joe Biden a letter requesting the federal government send Illinois more federal tax money. He said a recent Census survey shows the agency undercounted Illinois by nearly 2%. Democratic members of Illinois’ congressional delegation followed up with a letter to the Census urging the bureau to update the population for funding decisions. “We are writing in regard to the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey (PES), which found that Illinois likely was undercounted at a rate of 1.97% in the 2020 Decennial Census,” the Democrats said. “With this knowledge comes the striking fact that Illinois did not lose residents, but rather, the State’s population is now at its largest in history with about 13 million residents. We are concerned about

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CARLINVILLE - After their graduation ceremonies, Blackburn College announces names of local graduates. Here are a few students from around the Riverbend area. Christian Curtner of Carrollton, IL graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Justice Administration from Blackburn College's 153rd Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Brendan Zeller of South Roxana, IL graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sport Management from Blackburn College's 153rd Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Ramsey Kerley of Brighton, IL graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science - Cybersecurity Track from Blackburn College's 153rd Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Gabrianna Lucas of Pontoon Beach, IL graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology - Molecular Track from Blackburn College's 153rd Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Emily Moran of Carrollton, IL graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in

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ST. LOUIS - The Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented By TicketSmarter entries are the stars and cars of the Daytona 500 and will include NASCAR Cup Series champions Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Mexico’s Daniel Suárez. The 240-lap, 300-mile Cup race is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. Central on June 5. Leading up to the main event will be a NASCAR hauler parade through downtown St. Louis and the Ballpark Village Fan Fest presented by Enterprise on Thursday, Richard Petty Day presented by Bommarito Automotive Group on June 3, the #CupTimeSTL Short Track Classic presented by Ranken Technical College at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois, and the June 4 Toyota 200 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Fans are invited to enjoy the pre-race pageantry and concerts, the Enterprise Infield Fan Zone Experience, the Rumble Before the Roar pre-race party and the new GEICO Campgrounds For tickets and additional information, please

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ST. LOUIS - NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suárez will visit with students at the Fairmont City Library on Friday, June 3, at 12 p.m. The library is located at 4444 Collinsville Road in Fairmont City, Illinois. The visit is expected to run from 12 p.m. to 12:40 p.m. CDT. Mayor Michael Suarez will welcome Daniel to Fairmont City and the native of Monterrey, Mexico, will tell his story to the children in both English and Spanish. The library is located five minutes from World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. Suárez drives the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, which is owned by St. Louis native Justin Marks and Grammy Award-winning rapper Pitbull. Suárez, 30, embarked on a motorsports career in Mexico at age 13, racing go-karts. He won the Mexican national go-kart title in 2004 and 2008 and also competed in Spain and Italy. He graduated to the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series (4-cylinder cars) in 2009. Suárez launched his career

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ALTON - OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center was presented with the Perseverance Award, this Wednesday at the Chamber Choice Awards. The awards luncheon, hosted by the Riverbend Growth Association (RBGA), honored Small Business of the Month winners from the past two years, local businesses, volunteers and retirees. The Perseverance Award was given to OSF Saint Anthony’s for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their leadership credits the hard work, dedication and compassion of each one of their Mission Partners (employees), who always serve with the greatest care and love in a community that celebrates the gift of life. “On behalf of our Sisters and Mission Partners, we want to thank the RBGA for the Perseverance Award. The real heroes are our nurses, technicians, doctors and patient care teams who risked their health, wellness and in some cases their lives, to serve our local community,” said Dr. Dennis Sands, Chief Medical Officer at OSF Saint

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MADISON COUNTY IL – Learning never stops at the Madison County Regional Office of Education. Regional Superintendent Robert Werden is excited to announce the 2022 Madison County ROE Summer Camp line up which includes: STEM Camp, Construction Camp, Agricultural Camp, and new for 2022, Madison County ROE is partnering with the Madison County Historical Society to present History Camp for Kids. This line up has been designed to enhance and grow your child’s learning in fun and exciting ways. Madison County ROE STEM Camp: June 13-17, 2022 ROE #41 is pleased to bring back for the 7th year, our most successful camp, STEM Camp. Students in grades 2nd – 6th are invited to a week of fun that provides a variety of hands-on activities that incorporates all areas of STEM. STEM Camp will be held at the ROE’s CEO (Center for Educational Opportunity) School located in Troy, IL. Madison County ROE Construction Camp: June 13-17, 2022 Students in grades 7th-12th are

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are currently investigating human remains found at the Flamm City Boat Ramp located at 1100 Telegraph Road. The deceased has been identified as Carol Schulte, 72 years of age, of the first block of Greystoke Court in Ballwin, Missouri 63021. There were no obvious signs of trauma to the body. On May 30, 2022, at approximately 5:26 PM, St. Louis County Crimes Against Persons detectives responded to a call for service for human remains located at 1100 Telegraph Road. Responding detectives observed human remains of an adult. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information regarding this incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).

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SEE VIDEO: ALTON - The Alton Memorial Day Parade was held for the 155th time on Monday and it was well-attended it featured five parade marshals who are World War II veterans - Richard Wickenhauser (Marines), Alvin Roderfeld (Navy), Art Williams (Army), Harry Hill, and Jack Green. "We wanted to get as many World War II vets in as possible," Steve Schwartz, East End Improvement Spokesman, and Parade Committee Chairman said. "We think that would be the Greatest Generation to get in." East End Improvement Association sponsored the parade once again. These photos may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Alton-Memorial-Day-Parade The parade this year with have upwards of 50 participants including a wide variety of scouts, organizations, bands, and the crowd favorite Rolling Nobles. Carol Westbrook was in attendance Monday and she said she was very proud of the longest-running Memorial Day Parade in the country. "It means a lot to me and Alton," she

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ALTON - The 17 th Annual Memorial Day Sunset Ceremony held at Alton’s National Cemetery came off with the usual strong remembrance of those who fought and died for their country. This was the first time for a complete in-person ceremony in three years. The Alton National Cemetery is maintained by the federal government, specifically the National Cemetery Administration. Local authorities work out of the Jefferson Barracks facility and Shrine in St. Louis. Richard Baird is the founder of the Sunset Ceremony and is still the leader of the tribute. Alton’s program Monday night featured a guest speaker, a welcoming by Mayor David Goins, music and vocals by a high school student, the Pledge of Allegiance led by an elementary student, a haunting version of “Echo Taps” played by three talented trumpeters, and the Alton Fire Department Pipes and Drums. {bagpipes and drums} This program has received compliments identifying it as one of the finest in the United States

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ALTON - Art Williams is a World War II veteran who served in the United States Army from December 1942 to December 1945. He was one of five WWII veterans who are going to be marshals in the year’s Alton Memorial Day Parade. Williams has been participating in the parade for a while now. The parade has been going on for over 150 years, making it one of the longest-running in the country. Because of that Art thinks it’s very significant locally. He said that his favorite parts about the parade are greeting the crowd and handing out candy to the kids lined the streets. He mentioned that WWII veterans are hard to come by with every passing year. “There aren’t many of us left,” Williams said. “It certainly was an interesting generation with the war.” He recalls growing up in Oregon where he didn’t have electricity or a telephone until he was 13. Not long after that, he started at Oregon State University where he lived with seven other men

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ALTON - Alvin Roderfeld is a World War II veteran who served in the United States Navy. He recalled being in Great Lakes boot camp when the bomb dropped. He served for about 15 months, he said. Roderfeld was one of five WWII veterans in this year's Alton Memorial Day Parade. He’ll get to be one of the parade marshals. Roderfeld been in the parade before. He remembers riding in a car a few years ago right behind the mayor at the time, Brent Walker. When Alvin was asked to partake in this year’s event, he said it would be an honor. “The people are very good about thanking you for your service and it makes you feel good,” Roderfeld said.

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner is celebrating the reappointment of Dr. Gina Lathan, a prominent Springfield native, to the Springfield High Speed Railroad Community Advisory Commission. “Gina is a valued member of our community. Her voice is much needed on this commission,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “I am happy to see her reappointment, and I know she will work to ensure the high speed rail program best represents the community.” Lathan has over 25 years of experience as a senior administrator in the public sector and as an entrepreneur with expertise in public health, social justice and community capacity development. Lathan has served in several advisory roles on local and international travel and tourism committees and projects. Her learned experiences living close to the rails will provide a valuable voice for the community. The Springfield High Speed Railroad Community Advisory Commission was created to help increase transparency for

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