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EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Apple Orchard, a U-pick orchard located just east of Edwardsville, will celebrate its tenth season by opening on August 27, 2022. The orchard features 18 varieties of apples from August through November, a replica of a one-room schoolhouse, and a new farm market building filled with products from the orchard and treats from local businesses. The orchard will be hosting a Golden Apple Harvest Festival and 5k Run on September 24 to benefit childhood cancer research through the American Cancer Society. Liberty Apple Orchard is conveniently located near Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Troy, Highland, Granite City, and St. Louis, yet still situated in a rural setting. Guest may pick-their-own apples on Saturday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday from 12:00 - 4:30 pm, and after school Tuesday – Friday from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. On Labor Day the orchard will be open from 10:00 – 3:00 pm. A traditional family orchard, Liberty Apple Orchard is owned an

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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) today issued five additional Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses to applicants selected in lotteries held in the summer of 2021. These awardees join the 177 conditional licenses issued by the Administration in July, bringing the total number of issued licenses to 182 (of 185 available licenses). All businesses qualify as Social Equity Applicants under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. The list of today’s awardees and the next steps for the conditional license period are available on the IDFPR’s Adult Use Cannabis webpage . Of the businesses selected through the lottery, 41% are majority Black-owned, 7% are majority White-owned, and 4% are majority Latino-owned, while 38% of awardees did not disclose the race of their owners. To date, Illinois has made and executed the greatest commitment of adult use cannabis tax revenue to community

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) today to announce a $34.6 billion program to improve roads, bridges, transit, rail, airports, and ports over the next six years. This funding represents a robust commitment to invest in people and communities backed by the historic Rebuild Illinois capital program. “Since I signed our historic, bipartisan infrastructure program into law, Rebuild Illinois has undertaken a massive transformation of our state’s transportation systems,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And today, I am proud to announce IDOT’s new Multi-Year Program for the next six years — with $20 billion going towards transportation investments including 2,500 miles of roads and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck and $10 billion going towards our state’s rail and transit systems, airports, and ports. At its very core, Rebuild Illinois and this MYP are an investment in our future

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ST. LOUIS - Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments, was recently awarded a $106,000 grant from the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association (CBHA) of Illinois to expand supervised and skillful care access for children. The grant, over the course of two years, will fund clinical supervision and a stipend for eight, second year master’s degree level interns. “This grant will help improve our staff’s ability to address the needs and challenges that are experienced by youth. With a youth-specific training focus, providers will have access to tools and resources that will ultimately help address the service entry bottleneck, support the development of clinicians new to the field, and enhance the training of up-and-coming clinical professionals,” said Jenna Farmer-Brackett, Centerstone clinical manager. “Centerstone has long been a center for learning and development of behavioral health

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BETHALTO - “It’s exciting times,” Todd Hannaford said, CM’s athletic director. The fall sports season usually brings a lot of excitement around the Riverbend area, but that excitement is ramped up to 11 for the Bethalto community. Work has been going on at their football stadium this summer to make it look almost unrecognizable from a season ago. Upgrades include the addition of new storage under the grandstands, a brand new track, a completely re-done turf field, new fencing, and tons of new concrete to transform the area into something special. CM football fans were a little worried that all the work may not be done in time for the home opener on August 26th against Marquette, but workers were adamant that they are right on schedule. Some estimated that it could all be done by the end of next week. That's not saying there isn't still work to be done. It appeared as if a lot of concrete still had to be poured, the track needs to be lined, the turf

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WOOD RIVER - John Pawloski has been named as the new Pastor of St. John United Church of Christ in Wood River. After practicing law for over 30 years, Pastor Pawloski has decided to devote the majority of his working days to the ministry. Although he will continue to practice law, he will spend most of his time working for the church. Pawloski has also been tapped to helm St. John UCC in Brighton, and he will split his time between both congregations. “My memory isn’t as good as it used to be,” Pastor John jokes, “so I thought it best to pick two churches with a name I would not easily forget, and what is easier to remember than your own name?”. Pawloski entered Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves Missouri in September of 2015. Eden offers first-year students an opportunity to go to seminary tuition free. He still was not sure that it was something he would be able to do alongside working full-time as a trial lawyer. However, with classes offered

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These photos were taken at the corner of Home Ave. and Chapman St. in Edwardsville. EDWARDSVILLE - Road work has closed the intersection of Home Ave. and Chapman St. in Edwardsville for repairs. According to workers, the road is being re-done all the way up until N. Buchanan St. and is estimated to take about a month to complete. The road was officially closed off yesterday morning, August 11, to begin work. One lane will remain open on Chapman St., but motorists should use alternate routes. Motorists will be required to utilize State St., Orchard St., and N. Fillmore St. to avoid the closure. The City appreciates the cooperation of all residents during this process. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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This month I am proposing a resolution to the county board that the county changes its outside auditing firm every 6 years. This is on the agenda for the Wednesday, Aug 18, Executive Committee meeting. For more than 20 years Madison County has had the same CPA firm auditing its books. This is the "best practice" of the State of Illinois and many of the best-run counties. The following counties changed (hired new and different) outside auditors beginning with these fiscal years: Champaign – 2016 Lake – 2017 McLean – 2019 Peoria – 2016 Sangamon – 2017 Winnebago – 2017 Franklin County, Missouri – 2020 St. Charles County, Missouri – 2021 St. Louis County, Missouri - 2020 Major counties that did not change auditors within the last 5 or 6 years are usually with very large, often international, accounting firms. Independence is the reason for changing outside auditors. It's possible that over years of working together, relationships may

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ST LOUIS— Following the closure of the Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in St. Louis today, the American Red Cross and other area organizations in the MARC will still be available to provide services to those impacted by recent flooding. These centers (MARCs) have served as “one-stop shops” for people needing assistance to recover from flooding. Any individual who has had flood-damage, but has not yet had contact with the Red Cross through one of the Multi-Agency Resource Centers, is asked to call 1-800-Red Cross. The Red Cross conducts damage assessments on flood-damaged properties to determine eligibility for assistance. If an assessment has not yet been done on a property, teams will be sent out to do an assessment. The Red Cross has a separate process from the state and FEMA damage assessments which determine FEMA assistance, therefore, it is important that flood-impacted individuals contact both the Red Cross and FEMA. While the Red Cross is unable

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CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for Madison and St. Clair counties to assist in recovery efforts following Wednesday’s fire at the Interco recycling facility. A disaster proclamation grants the State of Illinois the ability to expedite the use of state resources, personnel, or equipment to help affected communities recover. “I’d like to praise the first responders who were on the scene quickly and thank them for their ongoing efforts to extinguish the fire,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “To support our communities in the Metro East, my administration has acted swiftly to utilize every available resource, accelerating the recovery process and providing relief for those affected by this incident.” Several fire departments in the Metro East and St. Louis area, as well as the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), are working together to put out the five-alarm fire , with firefighting efforts expected to continue for

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JERSEYVILLE - A ribbon-cutting ceremony for “Memory Lane - Fitness for the Mind,” a newly enhanced memory care program at Liberty Village of Jerseyville, will be held from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, August 25, at 1251 N. State St. in Jerseyville. Marketing Director Brady Dabbs said instead of focusing on peak physical fitness, the goal of this program is to help participants reach their peak mental fitness. “There are new games, new shapes, colors - just all kinds of things to help with their mind,” Dabbs said. “Instead of more physical activities, we’re going to work on the cognitive.” These new brain games and activities will be on display to preview at different stations at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dabbs said. There will also be guest speakers, refreshments, and tours of the newly-renovated interior of Liberty Village, which has newly painted walls and even painted toilet seats to help the visually impaired reduce bathroom accidents.

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ALTON - Illinois American Water Senior Manager, External Communications, Karen Cotton said today to support safety, the progress on Third Street and Belle Street in Alton sanitary sewer installation work has resulted in a slight delay in the time expected for completion. However, she assured the public that "all efforts are being made to still try to be completed on Third Street in the next couple weeks and Belle Street a couple of weeks after that." "As was expected on one of the oldest and busiest streets in Alton, there have been some challenges that the contractor has run into once they started excavating on 3rd Street," she said. "There are numerous old, abandoned utility lines. For the safety of our team and residents, we are working very diligently as we encounter these. Safety remains our #1 priority."

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EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Fire Department, backed up by multiple other fire agencies, attacked a fully involved residence over a garage fire in the 800 block of St. Louis Street in Edwardsville on Wednesday. The residence was occupied at the time of the fire, but everyone was able to get out safely without any injuries, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said. “The fire was heavily involved when we got there, and it took 30-45 minutes to knock it down,” the chief said. Chief Whiteford praised his group of firefighters and the others for knocking down the fire in fast fashion and saving the home. The fire department received three ambulance calls around the same time as this fire call and other departments had to assist Edwardsville, including with an overturned car down the street . Chief Whiteford thanked the other departments for their needed assistance in times of chaos.

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GRANITE CITY – Front Office Fiduciary Network and the Metro East Sports Podcast has named 2022 Granite City High School graduate Ella Stepanek their monthly Charitable Champion Award, as announced on Thursday. This program gives school districts within Madison County an opportunity to showcase their remarkable student-athletes. Once a month, the Front Office Fiduciary Network will recognize a “Charitable Champion,” a local student-athlete who epitomizes the qualities of academic and athletic excellence, leadership, compassion, and team-spirit. Once selected, the “Charitable Champion” will be invited to join the Metro East Sports Podcast for an interview in honor of this prestigious recognition. The nominated athlete will also be asked to choose a local charity to receive a $500 donation on his/her behalf. "We are excited to announce our next Charitable Champion of the month, Ella Stepanek from Granite City High School," said Chad M. Opel, Senior Wealth

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GRANITE CITY - At 4:40 a.m. on Sunday, August 7, 2022, the Madison County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call of a disturbance occurring at a residence in the 2200 block of Miracle Ave., Granite City. Upon arriving on the scene, deputies located two victims that had been battered and the suspect, who was still on scene at the residence. The suspect was identified as Kevin K. Streeb, 30, of Granite City. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said while assessing the scene and gathering preliminary information, it was determined that when Streeb arrived at the residence, he attacked the victims. Streeb was taken into custody at the scene. One of the victims sustained substantial injuries and was transported to a St. Louis area hospital. The victim was identified as: Michael John Reay, 25, of Granite City. On August 9, 2022, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Blake K. Streeb with multiple counts of Aggravated Battery and Battery in furtherance of the incident.

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BETHALTO - Bethalto East, a school for pre-kindergarten through first-grade students at 309 Albers Place in Bethalto, has undergone major renovations this past summer. Jill Griffin, superintendent for Bethalto School District #8, said there are a few finishing touches to be put on, but the school has largely been transformed. When school resumes on August 22, students will see updated lockers and cubbies, hand-washing basins in the bathrooms, new tile flooring, and more. Griffin said these renovations are meant to make the facility more age-appropriate for its students. “All the tile floor has been redone and updated to make it look more like an elementary school. Bethalto East was a middle school at one time … it these old, ugly middle school lockers and you’ve got 5- and 6-year-olds putting their stuff in them - it just didn’t have that elementary school feel,” Griffin said. “It wasn’t as developmentally appropriate for that age range

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EDWARDSVILLE – Around the same time multiple fire departments were responding to a blaze in the 800 block of St. Louis Street in Edwardsville, another call came out for an overturned vehicle in a crash on the street. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford described the crash as west of the fire scene. Whiteford said the two incidents were not related; it was all just coincidentally in the same vicinity. “We were dealing with the fire and three ambulance calls, including the crash,” the chief said. Other agencies assisted the Edwardsville Fire Department with all the calls at once.

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SOUTH ROXANA - On Monday, August 8, 2022, the South Roxana Police Department Sgt. Lewis Haines attempted to stop a motorcycle for traffic-related offenses, when the driver fled from the traffic stop, a short pursuit took place that ended at Madison and Illinois 111. The motorcycle was reported stolen out of Missouri. This is the second Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding case the South Roxana Police Department filed in two days through the State's Attorney’s Office. The subject, David Hallstead a 35-year-old male out of Godfrey, had multiple active warrants for his arrest. A brief struggle ensued trying to apprehend Hallstead where he was taken into custody and transported to Madison County Jail for lodging. South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said during his arrest a subsequent further investigation revealed a large amount of suspected methamphetamine was found in his possession. The case was presented to the Madison County State's Attorney’s Office today where formal charges

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ALTON - Join us on Saturday, August 13th, for the Alton Owls Club 80th Anniversary Party. Doors open at 7:00 and HOOKiE will be rocking the stage from 8:00 PM to Midnight. Bailey Blair, from Bakers & Hale, will be bartending the event as their newest member. Blair said, “I am excited to have been offered the option to bartend the event and hope to see a lot of familiar faces. This will be my first event working with the club and I hope some new faces for the club can also come see what the Alton Owls Club has to offer!” The Alton Owls Club was started in 1942 and remains to be a non-profit social club available for wedding receptions, fundraisers, banquets, and any other party you can dream of. Feel free to contact us online at altonowlsclub.com or via phone at (618)-462-4331 if you have any questions or concerns or if you just want to book your next party with the Alton Owls Club.

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BELLEVILLE - On Aug. 11 Illinois American Water is reminding Illinois residents to contact 811 before any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Every few minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to the local 811 center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators then arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint, or both. Location marking includes locates for critical water system infrastructure as well as other utilities. Beth Matthews, Vice President of Operations for Illinois American Water, said, “Calling 811 is really the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area so that you can dig safely. It helps to protect not only critical infrastructure but also residents and neighborhoods.” She added, “Striking

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