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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker has designated the eastern milksnake as the official snake of the State of Illinois. House Bill 4821 began as an initiative led by Gentry Heiple, a 7th grader at Carterville Junior High School. Gentry was inspired to advocate for this legislation after reaching out to State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) to inquire about how a bill becomes a law. Gentry conducted all the research and ultimately chose the eastern milksnake. He presented his idea to the House of Representatives State Government Administration Committee who gave unanimous consent. The eastern milksnake is found all across Illinois – it lives in fields, woodlands, rocky hills, and river bottoms. The milksnake ranges from 24 to 36 inches in length, has smooth scales, large blotches with brown or black borders, and a y- or v-shaped mark on its head. It is not a poisonous snake and are even bred as pets. Illinois recognizes several other official symbols of the state, including;

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois electric crew members and contractors are working to restore power for customers impacted by today's severe thunderstorm. The early morning weather system felled tree limbs in local neighborhoods, knocking wires down and more than 120 power poles, causing more than 53,000 outages in the southern and southwestern section of the Ameren Illinois service territory. Power has been restored to more than 34,000 customers since Ameren Illinois activated its Emergency Operations Center at 6:30 a.m. to coordinate restoration, logistical support, and communication. "This storm has been particularly challenging," said David Wakeman, Senior Vice President, Electric Operations and Technical Services, Ameren Illinois. "Our crews are dealing with downed trees and limbs and significant damage to the distribution infrastructure that delivers power directly to local neighborhoods. These local outages require crews to assess each area and repair the services individually."

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PINCKNEYVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 7 officials are investigating the death of a 4-month-old male from Pinckneyville, IL. On Sunday, June 12, 2022, ISP DCI Zone 7 was requested by the Pinckneyville Police Department (PPD) to investigate reported serious injuries to the 4-month-old male. The male was eventually transferred to a regional hospital in Saint Louis, MO where he succumbed to his injures. An autopsy was performed on Friday, June 17, 2022 and results are pending. The ISP is being assisted by PPD and the St. Louis City Medical Examiner’s Office in this open and on-going investigation. No further information will be released at this time.

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Letter To The Editor: This letter of endorsement for Chris Slusser may sound biased because it is, as I consider Chris to be a good personal friend. Chris has already been serving as the Madison County Treasurer since December of 2016, and during that time, he has proven that his qualifications far exceed the demands of the job. I don’t know that Chris would even have a challenger in the Republican Primary, if not for the fact that he boldly took a stand against some co-workers who were accused of wrongdoing. As a result of Chris’ cooperation with law enforcement, these individuals were let go from the county. Chris has shown himself to be a great Treasurer and an even greater person. His honesty and hard work are reasons why I highly recommend voters give him their support and keep him in a job that he is doing with great success. - Mike McCormick, Godfrey

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CARROLLTON - Mail-in and early voting have begun in Greene County, but Greene County Clerk Deborah Banghart said this election’s turnout is slightly lower than expected so far, especially given the competition amongst county board candidates. “Compared to another primary, it’s down from what it was previously,” Banghart said. “We have a contested county board race - there’s 10 running on the Republican side and only seven of them can move forward. I really thought that would bring out a lot more , but so far that doesn’t seem to have happened.” The biggest contributing factor to this lower-than-usual turnout is this election’s unusual timing, Banghart said. “Nobody really thinks of an election being in June,” Banghart said. “Always before, it was in March and April and now when you advertise it, someone will say, ‘I didn’t even know we had an election coming up’ … a lot of people

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WOOD RIVER - Senior Madilyn Fry has loved her time as an East Alton-Wood River High School multi-sport athlete. She is concluding her career with the girls' softball team this spring. Recently, she made her decision to play softball on scholarship next spring for Blackburn College in Carlinville. She was also an all-conference player this past season. Marilyn is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. In a reflection on her athletic career, she said: "I would like to thank quite a few people in my life for helping me become the athlete I am today. First, I would like to thank my older brother for always playing with me in the front yard when I was younger. Every day after school we would go in the yard and play Wiffle ball. He taught me basically everything I know in the sport. Without him teaching me and challenging me when we would play, I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today. "Next, I would like to thank my little sisters, ever since they wer

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Habitat For Humanity has its first Habitat Home Sweet Home 5K Race at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Edwardsville Township Airplane Park. The race will start and finish at Airplane Park. It will be an out-and-back course down the Madison County Nickel Plate Trail. Awards will be as follows: a trophy for the top male and female. Medals will be provided to overall male and female finishers in each age group: 9 and under, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-plus. Toolen’s Running Start will provide professional timing. The cost to enter is $30 on race day. “It is a good course,” said Todd Taplin, a spokesperson for the race and a member of the Habitat group. This is our first race. We are building a Habitat house on Hill Lane in Edwardsville and all the proceeds will go toward this new house. It should be a fun race for a great cause.” Register online here. Print the registration form here.

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AURORA, Ill. – Aurora University has named Alexandra Bergin of Alton, IL, to the Dean's List for the spring 2022 semester. Bergin is majoring in Sport Management and Marketing. The Dean's List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 3.6 GPA or higher. Founded in 1893, Aurora University is a four-year, private, nonprofit, accredited higher education institution offering students an exceptional education. Aurora University is located on a beautiful 39-acre campus in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, approximately 40 miles from Chicago. The university serves more than 4,000 undergraduate and approximately 2,000 graduate students across more than 50 majors and programs. AU leadership, faculty, and staff are committed to the success of our students, offering academic support programs, hands-on learning activities, internships, and community partnership opportunities that prepare students to be successful beyond AU.

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ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Missouri Numismatic Society (MNS) presents its 62nd Annual July Coin Show at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, MO. MNS is Missouri's oldest educational numismatic organization having been founded in 1938. 125+ dealers will be attending. U. S. and Foreign coins and currency as well as ancient coins will be featured. MNS members will have exhibits on display. There will be free giveaways for Young Numismatists. MNS produces a yearly Journal of Numismatics which is made available to the public at no charge. The show is free to the public and parking is free. The show is open to the public from noon to 6 pm on Thursday, July 21st, 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, July 22nd, and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, July 23rd. https://www.missourinumismaticsociety.org/annual-coin-show

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JERSEYVILLE - Election Day is approaching in Jersey County, where mail-in and early voting have begun. Jersey County Clerk Pam Warford said this year’s early voting is starting to pick up, and hopes for a large turnout on June 28. The early voting period for this election began on May 19 and will end on June 27. Polls will open for regular voting on Election Day at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. More information about polling places for Jersey County is available on the Jersey County Clerk website . Warford said this year’s early voting turnout has been about average so far, but is starting to pick up as the election draws closer. “We’ve had a decent turnout, it’s starting to pick up more this week,” Warford said. “We’ve had at this point approximately 350 early voters, so it’s starting to pick up and moving along pretty well.” The last day to apply to vote by mail in Jersey County is June 23, and the application

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GRANITE CITY - Mitchell Title I Teacher/Reading Specialist Allison Downing spends most of her time giving back - whether it's in the classroom or making things greener in our community. Downing recently completed her 11th year of teaching in GCSD9 and 22nd year overall. She has small groups of 3rd and 4th-grade students in her class with the main goal of improving their literacy skills: reading and writing, along with building their confidence. "I really love being able to work with students in small groups because I get the chance to know them on more of a personal level," Downing said. "I like having the opportunity to get to know them and help them believe in themselves more. It's always neat at the end of the year to see how far our students have come." Outside the classroom, she is very instrumental in teaching students how they can make an impact in the community and the environment through a volunteer Garden Club. "The kids love it," she added. "This gives them an opportunity

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MADISON - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that all offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, June 20, in observance of Juneteenth. Offices and Driver Services facilities operating on a Tuesday through Saturday schedule will be closed on Saturday, June 18, and reopen for business on Tuesday, June 21. Offices and Driver Services facilities operating on a Monday through Friday schedule will be closed on Monday, June 20, and reopen for business on Tuesday, June 21. As a reminder, Secretary White has extended all driver’s license, ID card and learner’s permit expiration dates to July 31, 2022. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. Individuals can visit the Secretary of State’s website at ilsos.gov for online services including checking eligibility to renew their

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ST. LOUIS - The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis (CSL), serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were shot in the St. Louis region or were written, directed or produced by St. Louis-area residents or by filmmakers with strong local ties who are now working elsewhere. The Showcase’s 14 film programs range from narrative and documentary features to multi-film compilations of fiction, experimental, and documentary shorts. Feature programs include Q&As with filmmakers. In addition to the film programs, this year’s event includes four free master classes focused on key aspects of filmmaking. All film programs screen exclusively at Washington University’s Brown Hall. Three of the master classes are presented as live streams at specific times/dates during the Showcase, with the legal-issues master class offered both in person at the offices of

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Letter To The Editor: We, the following Chiefs of Police from Madison County, do hereby offer our endorsement for Major Jeff Connor to be the next Sheriff of Madison County. Major Connor has been a lifelong resident of Madison County and has been a Law Enforcement Officer in Madison County since he was first hired as a Granite City Police Officer in 1986. Major Connor worked his way up the ranks in Granite City and retired in 2014 after spending the last 9 years as the Assistant Chief of Police. Major Connor has been a leader in the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, serving as the Commander of this elite Homicide Task Force. Since 2014 Major Connor has served as the Chief Deputy Sheriff of the Madison County Sheriff's Office and has continued to serve as a liaison between all the local Police Departments and the Sheriff’s Office. His leadership skills have made him a highly respected leader in Law Enforcement throughout the entire St. Louis Region. Major Connor also currently

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ALTON - A new audit reveals Illinois paid out nearly $2 billion in fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) is joining her colleagues in calling for immediate hearings into the operations at the troubled agency. According to State Representative Amy Elik, “$2 billion dollars is a lot of money for the state to lose, the public needs to know how this happened and figure out a way fast to make sure this does not happen again. This is why I am calling for immediate legislative hearings so we can hold IDES accountable and get our questions answered.” The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program was created to help people not usually covered by unemployment insurance, like gig workers and those who are self-employed, but according to a new audit, more than half of the money IDES paid out from a special pandemic unemployment fund went to the pockets of fraudsters instead

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ST. LOUIS - Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the J announced today that the area’s largest Jewish arts and culture festival will take place Sept. 18, 2022 at the same location as the first Sababa, in front of Simon Hall, Washington University campus. “We are thrilled to announce that we have the opportunity to celebrate the vibrancy of contemporary Jewish culture again,” said Brian Herstig, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Sababa (which means “cool” in Hebrew) features local, regional, and national visual art exhibitors, culinary experiences and musical performances, as well as activities from local Jewish organizations. New this year, the festival will feature a dedicated pavilion area for families and children’s activities and entertainment. Among the musical headliners expected to take part this year are the Jewish a cappella group Six13, Sheldon Lowe, and the 15 piece Klezmer band, Klezundheit. The festival, last

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PONTOON BEACH - Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn and Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic are requesting assistance in identifying a deceased individual found in a wooded area in Pontoon Beach on Thursday, June 2, 2022. The two describe the individual as an adult male with mixed ancestry, not to exclude Hispanic descent, approximately 5’2” to 5’8,” estimated age 30 to 50, and top front row teeth missing (five teeth total). The person had a black in color Michael Jordan jacket XL size (photos above and below) and a black Russell brand XL Dri-Power short-sleeved tee-shirt and a white long-sleeved thermal shirt. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the: Pontoon Beach Police Department at (618) 931-5100. Or the: Madison County Coroner’s Office (618) 692-7478 This case remains under investigation and no further information is scheduled to be released at this time.

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 6:30 a.m., Friday morning to assess the damage caused by severe weather throughout southern and central Illinois. The Emergency Operations Center will be staffed around the clock to coordinate service restoration, logistical support, and communication. Ameren Illinois is following its well-defined storm management plan to assess the damage and restore power to customers as quickly and safely as possible. Support resources are being mobilized and the company is moving linemen and support personnel to the impacted areas. Customer safety is of utmost importance, particularly when severe weather occurs. Ameren Illinois urges customers to take precautions to protect themselves and their families, including staying away from downed power lines and immediately reporting any downed lines to Ameren Illinois. Information on the restoration status of individual outages will be provided directly to customers

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GODFREY - Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick has declared a State of Emergency Order to extend the yard waste burn ordinance after a dynamic thunderstorm struck the area early Friday. “Due to the storm damage that occurred in the Village of Godfrey on Friday, June 17, burning for yard debris will be allowed in the Village from Saturday, June 18, through Wednesday, July 6. As stated in the ordinance, burning will only be allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the emergency period from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.” McCormick said there were a lot of tree limbs down in Godfrey and he wanted people to be able to burn because it was completely necessary. “We have had quite a few calls about tree limbs being down,” he said. Village of Godfrey Public Works Director Jim Lewis said his group had been busy throughout Friday morning with the cleanup. He said Pierce and Mulberry were initially blocked because of limbs down. He said the North Humbert area had quite a

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(BUZZ MAGAZINE) - June kicks off a summer-long season of interesting and entertaining new books with a smorgasbord of choices. Spy novels have long captured our attention with their stories of betrayal, loyalty, intrigue, and international politics. A master of the craft, Matthew Quirk, in Red Warning, puts CIA Officer Sam Hudson in a race against time to discover a Russian deep-cover operative loose in the USA and a mole in the agency before they can launch an attack in Washington, D.C. His previous books include The Night Agent and Hour of the Assassin. Filming starts soon on a Netflix TV series based on The Night Agent. Summer is also the season for popular “beach reads.” And the queen of this genre, Elin Hilderbrand hopes to repeat her past success of number one debuts on the New York Times bestseller list with Hotel Nantucket. Lizbet Keaton is hoping for a second act when she becomes general manager at the Hotel Nantucket, a blissful paradise with a celebrity chef

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