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EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s Terrestrial Ecologist John Crawford, along with co-authors Christopher Phillips and Andrew Kuhns, recently published a field guide focusing on Illinois amphibians and reptiles. The second edition of the “Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois ” replaces the first edition, published more than 20 years ago. This new edition offers up-to-date information on the state’s 102 species of frogs and toads, salamanders, turtles, lizards, and snakes. “We spent a great deal of time updating the species information to incorporate new knowledge that has been generated over the past twenty years,” Terrestrial Ecologist John Crawford said. Numerous projects have been underway to better understand species distribution and the natural history of many species in the state. The updated field guide also provides shaded range maps, better reflecting the distribution of all amphibians

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Letter To The Editor: Abe L. Barham, a community activist, is a candidate for Madison County Board 8 and says he is running for office to "give a voice to the people." I am 2nd Vice President of the Madison County Democrats, Chairman of the Miles Davis Festival, and Co-Chair of the Alton Juneteenth Committee. I work at Olin Corporation and have an associate degree in marketing and business. I'm running for office to help our less fortunate population, including but not limited to our brave veterans, the homeless, and those suffering from mental illness. While there has been an increase in the area of mental illness and homelessness, resources have not, and these people are not receiving the help they need. I plan to have quarterly meetings and collaborate with city officials, and meet with Veteran's Affairs to bring a more positive attitude to Alton. Additionally, I plan to strengthen our industrial base while working towards the revitalization of our forgotten neighborhoods. Also,

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ST. LOUIS - Today Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), takes another important step toward bringing more renewable energy to customers by announcing the planned acquisition of the company's largest-ever solar facility, a 200 megawatt (MW) solar installation in central Missouri that is expected to create more than 250 construction jobs. The facility will be acquired pursuant to a build-transfer agreement with EDF Renewables, a company with a longstanding track record of developing and building renewable energy facilities. Known as the Huck Finn Solar Project, it is planned to be constructed on the border of Missouri's Audrain and Ralls counties. Huck Finn is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 40,000 homes. With timely regulatory approvals, the project could begin generating clean energy as soon as 2024. "Developing Huck Finn is good for all of our customers because it provides clean electricity, creates economic opportunity, and injects

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CHICAGO — Too many mass shootings. Too much pain. Everyone has the right to feel safe, and when the threat of mass shootings prevents communities from living happy and healthy, we must act. President Biden signed into law gun control measures that will protect the safety and well-being of all Americans. This bipartisan effort puts public safety first by expanding background checks, providing further protection for domestic violence survivors, and investing millions of dollars in mental health and school safety. I congratulate President Biden and supportive elected officials in Congress for recognizing that gun reform has been long overdue and for taking this action that will undoubtedly save lives. I extend profound gratitude to the advocates and organizations that continue to work for stronger gun control and fight for safer communities. There is more work to do to ensure that our nation never has to carry the pain and trauma of another mass shooting. This law proves that

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ALTON - Since the announcement of the $1,000 Derrick and Kathleen Richardson Scholarship on March 5, 2021, the scholarship has received over $2000 in additional donations from generous individuals and organizations. “This will allow the awarding of additional scholarships. When people realize the potential impact that this could have, they want to support and contribute”, says Derrick Richardson, the scholarship co-founder. This year’s recipient is Raelynn Ballard, a recent graduate from Edwardsville High School Class of 2022, who has always had an interest in the medic side of being a first responder will receive a $1,579.00 scholarship. While waiting to enroll in the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Program at Lewis & Clark Community College in May of 2022, she began going through probation training with the Maryville Volunteer Fire Department in January of 2022 to see if she had an interest in the fire service side as well. Raelynn, who resides in Edwardsville,

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GLEN CARBON - Daniel Gierer will be a senior in the fall at Father McGivney Catholic High School. He'll also come back and play a huge role in his school's baseball team as they look to make it three 30-win seasons in a row. As a matter of fact, it's an expectation from head coach Chris Erwin that his team reach that mark again. "That's the goal," Gierer said. "We set high standards for ourselves here and we expect to meet them, so that's what we're really all about." The Griffins took a relatively early exit this season as they went out in the Regionals Finals. They were defeated by Mater Dei by a score of 2-0. Gierer says that it's important that his team make it deeper into the postseason in 2023. Gierer, who is one of the best overall baseball players in small or large schools in the area, is the Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalp Male Athlete of the Month for Father McGivney Catholic. The Griffins should be able to do it as they have a ton of talent coming back such as Jackson Rodgers

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We knew this day was coming. The extremists on the Supreme Court have made an abhorrent decision — one rooted in partisan games — leaving an indelible stain on our nation. Overturning Roe v. Wade directly contradicts the nation’s history of expanding rights in the United States. It’s an attack on freedom and liberty our constitution is supposed to guarantee. Right now, it’s abortion they’re taking away. Next, it will be birth control and other contraceptives. Next: fertility treatment. They are coming to take away women’s power to become mothers at the time of their choosing. And they are allowing states to criminalize the exercise of reproductive rights. Women and their doctors are now threatened with going to prison or being bankrupted because of the radical majority Donald Trump and his right-wing allies created on the Supreme Court. Here we are. At exactly the point many of us feared and even predicted. Privacy rights are being eviscerated

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DU QUOIN – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 7 agents arrested 45-year-old Isaac Hill and 41-year-old Katrina S. Simelton, both from Carbondale, for Child Endangerment (Class 3 Felony). On June 22, 2022, the Carbondale Police Department (CPD) requested ISP to investigate the death of a 3-year-old female. The child was taken to a local area hospital where she was pronounced deceased. ISP notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) of the investigation. An autopsy was conducted in Bloomington, Illinois on June 23, 2022. A collaborative effort by ISP investigators, CPD, DCFS, Jackson County Coroner’s Office, and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office resulted in the arrest of Hill and Simelton. Hill and Simelton are each being held on $250,000 bond, 10% applies, at the Jackson County Jail. No further information is being released at this time. The public is reminded that all persons

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This is a historic and incredible day for Life and the unborn in America, a day that all of us in the pro-life movement have been praying for and working towards. The Supreme Court was absolutely right to overturn previous, wrongly-decided abortion decisions. Nothing in the Constitution confers the right to an abortion. As a pro-life lawmaker with a 100 percent pro-life voting record, I have advocated for years that the Court overturn Roe. Now that the Supreme Court has turned this issue over to the people’s elected representatives, our pro-life work continues. We must elect pro-life leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure we advance pro-life policies and protect the unborn. Nowhere is this more important than the State of Illinois, where J.B. Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield have advanced an extreme abortion expansion agenda that legalized taxpayer-funded, late-term abortions, and even restricted parents’ abilities to know if their minor child is

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EAST ST. LOUIS – On June 24, 2022, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney charged Troy L. Cooper, a 34-year-old male of Cahokia, with two counts of First Degree Murder (Class X Felony), two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 3 Felony), one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm (Class 3 Felony), and one count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm (Class 1 Felony). On June 19, 2022, the Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), comprised of Illinois State Police Troopers and East St. Louis officers, responded to a shooting in the area of 15 th and Broadway in East St. Louis. The suspect, Cooper, allegedly fired a weapon at a passing vehicle, striking a three-year-old male and an 11-year-old male. Both victims were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. The three-year-old male was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. On June 22, 2022, PSEG agents arrested Cooper and he is being held at the St. Clair County Jail on a $1,500,000.00

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SPRINGFIELD - Jersey County's unemployment rate remained solid at 3.9 percent in May 2022, the same as May 2021 in the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor and Illinois Department of Employment Security statistics. Jersey's unemployment rate is the best in the area. Madison County is just behind at 4.2 percent for May 2022, compared to 4.6 percent in May 2021 and Macoupin County is 4.2 percent, compared to 4.0 percent a year ago at the same time. Greene County has a 4.3 percent rate, up from 3.8 percent in May 2021 and Calhoun County stands at 4.3 percent now compared to 4.4 percent in May 2021. St. Clair County has a mark of 5.4 percent in May 2022 compared to 5.8 percent a year ago. Edwardsville has a 3.4 percent rate, the lowest in the area for May 2022, up slightly from 3.2 percent a year ago. Alton has a 6.2 percent unemployment rate in May 2022, down from 7.8 percent in May 2021, a big positive. East St. Louis has an 8.1 percent rate, which pushes St. Clair County's mark up and was 11.8

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JERSEY COUNTY - The Illinois Department of Transportation announces a lane closure on Illinois 100 at Elsah Creek beginning on Monday, June 27, weather permitting. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in the eastbound direction. This closure is needed to perform bridge painting and it should be completed by mid-July. Immediately following the completion of that work, another lane closure will begin on the same road at Chautauqua Creek. Traffic will again be reduced to one lane in the eastbound direction. This closure is also needed for bridge painting and should be completed in by mid-August. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone.

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CHICAGO - Today Governor JB Pritzker signed SB3792 into law, amending the code of multiple acts and agencies to replace references to high school equivalency certificates to State of Illinois High School Diplomas. State Rep. Amy Elik (R-Alton) expressed pride to be the House sponsor of this new law. "This will encourage more individuals to complete their GED because their achievement will be the equivalent of a high school diploma," she said. "This will increase job opportunities and improve the future for people and their families,” she added. This change recognizes the equal value of a State of Illinois High School Diploma and will aid Illinois graduates in establishing reciprocity with educational requirements in other states. “Graduates of Illinois schools should never have to start their post-secondary career or schooling at a disadvantage,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation reflects the high standards to which we hold our high school students

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MADISON COUNTY - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Madison County Coroner’s Office are involved in what is described by a captain as “a death investigation” near Illinois Route 157 and Pentecostal Lane in the county. Madison County Capt. Will Dimitroff said the 911 call came in at approximately 1:20 p.m. Friday. Multiple deputies are reported at the scene with other law enforcement, along with Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn and staff. Captain Dimitroff said he could not release any more information about the investigation at this time, but more will be released whenever possible.

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade by leaving it up to the states to decide whether or not to make abortion illegal: “The Supreme Court's ruling will save innocent lives. In Illinois, the Democratic majority continues to expand abortion and take away the rights of parents. "I will continue my work to protect the life of the unborn and the rights of parents in their children's lives.”

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ALTON – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that weather permitting, U.S. Route 67 (Piasa Street), from 20 th Street/College Avenue south to 3 rd Street in Alton located in Madison County, will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. on July 5, 2022. IDOT said today it is expected that this work will take one month to complete. "This closure is needed for Illinois American Water to upgrade its water and wastewater infrastructure," IDOT explained. "This work includes rehabilitating the sanitary sewer system and installing a new water main. A marked detour will be in place to safely guide motorists around the closure. The detour will utilize Illinois Route 111, Illinois Route 3, and Illinois Route 143 to circumvent the closure. Access for local businesses will be maintained throughout the closure." IDOT said motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. "To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should b

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ALTON, IL – The White Cross Auxiliary (WCA) of Alton Memorial Hospital is again having a mail-in fund raiser in 2022 instead of its usual “Girls on Grapes, Boys on Brew” event, which has been postponed for a third year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to donate is Aug. 1. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Irene McLaughlin at 618-530-8589 or Meg Dorris at 618-530-7006. Anyone who donates to the WCA will receive a gift certificate to a local business or restaurant. A donation of $25 to $50 will net a $10 gift certificate; a donation of $60 to $100 will net a $20 gift certificate; a donation of $110 to $150 will net a $30 gift certificate; a donation of $160 to $200 will net a $40 gift certificate; and a donation of more than $200 will net a $50 gift certificate. The White Cross Auxiliary’s mission this year is to provide more wheelchairs within the hospital as well as in the medical office buildings on the hospital campus.

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ALTON - Illinois American Water’s Work To Separate The Alton Combined Sewer System And Install New Sanitary Sewers Continues. Here is this week's update. Piasa Valley Area: 9th Street will be closed from east of Alby Street intersection east to George Street. 10th Street is closed between Alby Street and George Street with pavement restoration happening. Brick pavement restoration is currently occurring on 8th Street and some rework of the brick placement on 7th Street. The intersection of 10th Street and Alby Street will close early next week to all traffic for several days to facilitate a storm sewer repair. This work is scheduled to start Tuesday, 6/28/22. Please drive carefully in this area, as there is a lot of construction equipment moving around the different work areas. The sewer installation work in the area of State Street and Grand Avenue is nearing completion. The pavement restoration work will start early next week and should be finished by week’s

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GODFREY – For the first time since 2019, Lewis and Clark Community College’s Adult Education program was able to hold its commencement in person, June 9, in the Hatheway Cultural Center in Godfrey. For Associate Dean of Adult Education Val Harris, this year’s ceremony was particularly poignant. “This is my favorite event each year because these students found the courage to give education another try and succeed,” she said. “Like the rest of the world, we have all been through strange times the past two-plus years. Our students’ success is always meaningful; and this year is even more impressive as they have navigated virtual classes, COVID-19 testing, cancelled classes – and they persevered. I couldn’t be more proud.” Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Senior Director for Adult Education and Literacy Kathy Olesen-Tracey was this year’s key-note speaker. She recognized the number of award-winning students L&C’s

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ST. LOUIS – Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU), with support from the United Health Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of UnitedHealth Group, has developed a summer bioinformatics bootcamp for students interested in the bioinformatics field. HSSU is inviting media to showcase the bootcamp on June 28 where HSSU students will mentor 25 high school students, from schools in the St. Louis region, about the interdisciplinary field receive a Bioinformatics Certification upon completion. The boot camp curriculum will include speakers working directly in the bioinformatics field, notably Bilikis Oladimeji MD, MMCi Senior Director of Clinical Informatics and Innovation for Optum Health’s Center for Advanced Clinical Solutions (CACS). Other activities will include setting up computers and apps, an introduction to bioinformatics and prepping for a student presentation at the end of the week Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines computer science, physics,

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