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Letter To the Editor: In today’s polarized political climate, it’s hard to find true public servants. In Madison County, we’re fortunate to have Treasurer Chris Slusser to invest and protect taxpayer dollars in a professional office free of political gamesmanship. Chris Slusser is ethical, honest, and sincere. When he witnessed wrongdoing in county government, he did not turn a blind eye; instead, he stepped forward to report it to law enforcement. As a result, two men were fired by the county board for their wrongdoing and ethical lapses. Now, one of those men is running against Chris for Treasurer. Voters should not reward this bad behavior with their confidence. As county treasurer for the last five and a half years, Chris has made the office more efficient, customer-service focused, and transparent. He has managed the county’s investments safely and securely, and due to his management, the county’s investment portfolio is the top performing i

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Letter To The Editor: Who is the REAL Jeff Larner? You might know about Jeff Larner, THE PROFESSIONAL: Marine, policeman, head of Global Security for two multinational corporations. But let me tell you about Jeff Larner, THE MAN. Or actually, THE KID. Jeff and I grew up in adjacent neighborhoods in the sticks outside Granite City. We attended grades 1-12 together. When we were in high school in the ‘70s: • Despite being a skinny runt, Jeff was a great athlete and natural leader. He was captain of the Granite City soccer team in the era they won ten state championships. I always admired his work ethic and discipline. • He was well-liked, and gentlemanly at an age it wasn’t cool. He was voted Fall Festival King. • When guys did dumb things like break school windows or TP yards, Jeff would try to talk them out of it and refused to participate. He resisted peer pressure — a man of principle even as a teenager. • He also ignored peer pressure

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Letter To The Editor: Dan DeCarli is a retired captain from the City of Ferguson, Missouri Police Department and has served in law enforcement for 45 years. He was the Chief Deputy Commander and the Commander of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis for 15 years. To the citizens of Madison County, Illinois: I am writing this letter to extend my support of and my endorsement for Major Jeff Connor for Sheriff of Madison County, Illinois. I have known Jeff for over two decades, both personally and professionally, and there isn't anyone more qualified, dedicated, and loyal to their profession. I am a retired captain from the City of Ferguson, Missouri Police Department and have served in law enforcement for 45 years. I also served as the Chief Deputy Commander and the Commander of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis for 15 years and it was during that time that I had the privilege to know Jeff and witness first-hand what a true exemplary law enforcement officer he is. Jef

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EAST ALTON - The value of NARCAN and the ability of first responders to administer it was shown once again Wednesday when the East Alton Police Department was called to a 911 call of a man unresponsive in the grass outside the Motor Lodge. East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike said the policeman who responded - Officer Alexander Godair - fully used his first responder training and properly administered NARCAN to help reverse the effects of an apparent opioid overdose. “The victim appeared lifeless when the officer arrived and after the officer administered NARCAN to him he came back to life, then was transported quickly to the hospital,” the chief said. “It was an overdose situation. We were very happy to see the person come back to life. I was also proud of the officer for his quick actions.”

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BETHALTO - Ryan McCoy, a father of a young 7-year-old TikTok enthusiast Kimberly “Kimmy,” had the experience of a lifetime on Monday morning when he opened his TikTok account. Ryan had always been a fan of actress Drew Barrymore, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine she would react to a TikTok video he posted with his daughter, Kimmy. Kimmy and Ryan often interpret scenes from movies in their TikTok videos and this time, Kimmy, who resembles Drew at age 7, emulated the Hollywood star when she appeared on “The Tonight Show” with host Johnny Carson. Drew responded with a TikTok duet with Kimmy that brought tears to Ryan and his fiancé, Brandi Huber’s eyes. @drewbarrymore #duet with @ryanmccoy04 ? original sound - Drew Barrymore Kimmy’s reaction was classic: She said: “Oh my God, Drew Barrymore responded?” Ryan said Kimmy was just overwhelmed with excitement and so red-faced with emotion that such a

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ALTON - Hayner Public Library announced today that all three Hayner locations at 326 Belle St., 401 State St. and 132 Alton Square Mall, will be available as cooling stations during normal operating hours. An excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the area and that extends into next week.

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SOUTH ROXANA - A South Roxana Police Officer was injured after she responded to the 400 block of Southard Avenue for a theft complaint and to serve a warrant out of the county at 12:41 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. South Roxana Police Officer Chralene "Charlie" O'Dell attempted to arrest Michelle Emmerick for an outstanding warrant out of Jersey County, in addition to serving Emmerick with a local theft of service complaint. While attempting to take Emmerick into custody a struggle ensued where Emmerick fled into her residence. Officer O’Dell suffered injuries as a result of the struggle and was treated at the scene by medical personnel, South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said. She has had some bruising and swelling from the situation, added the chief. Emmerick was placed into custody and transported to the Madison County Jail for lodging. The case was presented to the Madison County States Attorney’s Office where a felony warrant for Aggravated Resisting Arrest with

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ALTON – Alton Memorial Hospital was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as “Gold Level” for its commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. “The Cribs for Kids Hospital Certification Program is a way to show our commitment to safe sleep and SUID reduction,” said Renee Strowmatt, clinical educator for the Women’s Health and Childbirth Center. “Gold level is currently the highest level of certification. We obtained this certification by educating families and staff about safe sleep, modeling safe sleep in the hospital and providing all families with sleep sacks, providing families in need with safe places for their infants to sleep, and reaching out to the community about safe sleep through social media and other activities.” The BJC Safe Sleep Collaborative has worked together to achieve the Cribs for Kids Safe Sleep Certification across the health care system. “At

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PIASA - The Southwestern Piasa Birds senior summer league team may have lost to the visiting Gillespie Elite, but senior catcher Hank Bouillon still got some work done. He went 3-3 with an RBI in the 11-7 setback at Schneider Park against Gillespie. "Not bad, but I mean we still didn't win. That's the main thing," Hank said about his performance. With the loss, the Piasa Birds are off to a 5-2 start in their summer league. In the spring high school season, the Piasa Birds split the regular-season conference championship with Gillespie, so the two are setting the groundwork for a potential rivalry of some sort. Bouillon had an excellent spring season for the Birds. Bouillon is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. "That's our motivation for next year," Hank said about splitting the South Central Conference with the Miners. Head coach Brain Hanslow mentioned that his team has some big shoes to fill with the departure of his senior

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ST. LOUIS - One of Time magazine's icons listed in "The 100 Most Influential People of 2022" and the recipient of the 2022 "Billboard ICON Award," the undisputed Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige, announces her Good Morning Gorgeous tour presented by Hologic in partnership with The Black Promoters Collective (BPC). GRAMMY Award-winning and Oscar-nominated Blige will perform in 23 cities with special guests, platinum-selling, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Ella Mai and platinum-selling rising star Queen Naija beginning on Saturday, September 17, in Greensboro, NC, and ending on Saturday, October 29 in Atlantic City, NJ. The tour also stops in Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, and Atlanta. Before offering to the general public, the Good Morning Gorgeous tour tickets go on presale today with The American Express® Card Members beginning June 15 at 10 am local time through June 16 at 10 pm local time. Tickets will be available to the general public on June 17 at 10 am local and

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ST. LOUIS - Night Life, the full-length directorial debut of St. Louis resident Seth Ferranti, is slated to have its world premiere as a centerpiece film at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase on Sunday, July 17, 7:30pm at Washington University's Brown Hall. This call-to-action docu-drama focuses on Reverend Kenneth McKoy, known to St. Louis as the Pastor of the Streets, and his NightLIFE Ministry's mission to fight an epidemic of mental illness and drug addiction while they actively interrupt the gun violence crisis within a city notoriously known for being the murder capital of America. “I’m looking forward to headlining the Showcase with Night Life because I feel that premiering the film in St. Louis is important to the city as a whole and can have a big cultural impact on the community,” Ferranti said. “While this film highlights people like the Reverend Kenneth McKoy who have made it their mission to save their communities and their people, it is a microcos

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ST. LOUIS - Today, Charter Communications, Inc. awarded $400,000 in scholarships to its newest class of 20 Spectrum Scholars, the company’s annual career development and scholarship program for underrepresented college students with financial need. Each student will receive a $20,000 scholarship, a professional Charter mentor, and the opportunity for an internship at one of the company’s corporate campuses in Stamford, Charlotte, St. Louis or Denver. “Through programs like Spectrum Scholars, Charter is committed to developing our workforce and to investing in the diverse communities we serve, both of which are key to our success as a leading broadband connectivity and technology company,” said Paul Marchand, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Charter. “This year’s Scholars are all outstanding, high-achieving students and we look forward to welcoming them to our offices and introducing them to the many career paths and

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ST. LOUIS, MO – Filament is accepting applications from businesses and nonprofits for their third annual Thinksgiving® event. Thinksgiving® 2022 will take place on November 3 at Cortex . This award-winning initiative connects teams from St. Louis companies with local nonprofits for a day of creative problem-solving. “Thinksgiving® is so important to Filament. It allows us to multiply our impact and make a real dent in the challenges facing mission-focused nonprofits in our community. They are already doing a lot of the heavy lifting to improve our region,” says Matt Homann, Founder and CEO of Filament and inventor of Thinksgiving®. Thinksgiving® is an annual event that culminates on a single day. The schedule of events includes: Challenge Workshop (Nonprofits) – Early September - Nonprofits identify a challenge impacting their work for their community. Filament helps craft these into single-sentence challenge questions with the

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ST. LOUIS — Yesterday, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones joined her fellow co-chairs of Mayors Against Illegal Guns , a nonpartisan coalition of more than 1,000 current and former mayors that is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, applauded the agreement reached by a bipartisan coalition of 20 U.S. Senators on major gun safety, mental health, and school safety provisions. Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chairs Mayor Brandon Scott (Baltimore, MD), Mayor Tim Kelly (Chattanooga, TN), Former Mayor Steve Benjamin (Columbia, SC), Mayor Quinton Lucas (Kansas City, MO), Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard (Mount Vernon, NY), Mayor Eric Adams (New York, NY), Former Mayor Michael Tubbs (Stockton, CA), Mayor Tishaura Jones (St. Louis, MO), Mayor Jane Castor (Tampa, FL), and Mayor Regina Romero (Tucson, AZ) issued the following statement: “Mayors are on the frontlines of our nation’s gun violence crisis, and for far too long, we’ve been urging our federal lawmakers to advance life-saving

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ALTON - The Alton Municipal Band enters week two of its 132nd season of Concerts in the Parks with a celebration of conductor Jennifer Shenberger, who has co-directed the band for a decade. The theme of the concert, “Jen’s Tenth Anniversary Playlist,” will feature some of Shenberger’s favorites: music that the band has performed before, and music that she remembers listening to growing up. Performing alongside the band this week is solo percussionist Noah Petti, who will dazzle the audience with his virtuosic musicianship. The band will present the concert twice: once on Thursday evening at 7:30 (Riverview Park), and once on Sunday evening at 7:00 (Haskell Park).

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ALTON - River Bend Yoga hosted the film, Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, at Old Bakery Brewery on Sunday, May 29 th . Through the donation of space from Old Bakery Brewery and the generosity of the attendees, $1,025 was raised for Be a Bridge. Be a Bridge NFP is a registered 501c3 focused on building relationships and fostering a peer community amongst youth. They provide programs such as adolescent support groups, fine arts experiences, and workforce development. As noted on their Facebook page , “Be a Bridge will soon be launching our newest program, Dance Haus! We want our youth to learn healthy self-expression and cultural awareness, and both can be found here. Middle school and high school students are welcome to attend.:” For more information on this or any of their services, you can contact them at beabridgenfp@gmail.com. Mission: Joy donated the film screening. Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness

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GODFREY - The Rolling Hills Golf Course located at 5801 Pierce Lane, Godfrey, suffered a minor beam support failure in their clubhouse causing the Godfrey Fire Department to come and intervene. General Manager Rick Martin said a support beam rotted out causing the building to lower a couple of inches. The wooden part at the bottom of the beam deteriorated enough to cause the support beam to fail. Martin and the staff were forced to shut down the restaurant and bar area due to safety precautions. The pro shop and courses are still open per usual. The beam was located near the garage where all of the golf carts are stored but Martin says that staff were able to retrieve some carts before the fire department shut the area down. It's expected that there will still be enough carts for the course's regularly scheduled league. During this heat wave, the course is still able to sell bottled soft drinks and canned beer to its guests until the lounge reopens. "I mean, the golf course is

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ALTON - The City of Alton has been riveted by a pair of homicides the Chief of Police describes as a “monster” at work. A Litchfield man - 22-year-old Deundrea S. Holloway - on Monday was charged with the gruesome murder of pregnant mother Liese A. Dodd, also 22, in the 3400 block of Bolivar Street in Alton. Holloway faces charges of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of intentional homicide to an unborn child, dismembering a human body, offenses related to motor vehicles, and concealment of a homicide death. Chief Pulido said in a video broadcast on Monday: “That monster had an on-and-off relationship with Liese for about two years. “She had an expected delivery date in late July and that ‘monster’ savagely decapitated her and brutally murdered the unborn child.” Pulido said today the Alton Police Department has a very experienced staff, but “unfortunately, this crime is one of the most horrific actions we have ever seen

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CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation into law requiring insurance and managed health plans provide coverage for continuous glucose monitors, an essential tool for diabetes care. SB2969 expands safe and affordable treatment options for thousands of Illinoisans. Continuous glucose monitors are essential devices for patients with both Type I and Type II diabetes to maintain safe blood sugar levels and prevent the need for emergency medical care. The bill was signed at Lurie Children’s Hospital, a major endocrinology center that treats thousands of diabetic patients each year. “No one—regardless of their socioeconomic status or insurance coverage—should go without the care they require,” said Governor Pritzker. “But for too long, diabetics have had to make the impossible choice between obtaining this necessary medical equipment or putting food on the table. That is an unacceptable burden to ask diabetics to bear, and this legislation

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met virtually with six public health organizations regarding the failure of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fulfill its obligation to regulate e-cigarettes under the Tobacco Control Act . In 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland mandated that FDA finalize its review of e-cigarettes on the market by September 9, 2021. As FDA has delayed for more than nine months past that deadline on finalizing its reviews, FDA has made the senseless decision to give a free pass for addictive e-cigarettes with kid-friendly flavors to remain on the market and hook children on nicotine. During his meeting with these health groups, Durbin discussed his recent statement for Dr. Robert Califf to immediately clear the market of unauthorized, kid-friendly e-cigarettes or step aside. “We know that kids are getting hooked on these flavored e-cigarettes that are specifically targeted to children, like

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