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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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It is one of our favorite times of the year! June Dairy Month honors hardworking farmers who produce wholesome dairy foods. While dairy’s great taste is reason enough to celebrate, 2022 marks a milestone anniversary for St. Louis District Dairy Council (SLDDC), the organization charged with promoting dairy on behalf of farmers in Missouri and Illinois. Our “Ninety and on the MOOVE,” campaign designed to celebrate the 90-year milestone, reflects how the dairy industry and promotion efforts continue to move forward. Dairy Farmers Moving Forward 1923 was a game-changer for many farmers with the debut of the first milking machine, the Surge Milker. Farmers were filling milk cans (which could weigh 110 pounds each) and lugging them to storage, then loading them onto a truck once it was time for delivery. The “bulk milk tank” invention around 1948, freed farmers from the time consuming and backbreaking work of hauling milk cans. In the late 1990’s,

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ALTON - The 17 th Annual Memorial Day Sunset Ceremony will be held at Alton’s National Cemetery at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend for the first time in three years. Alton’s National Cemetery is located in one of the most unique cemeteries in the United States. Inside the parameters of the cemetery is Alton’s City Cemetery attended to by the City of Alton; Lovejoy Monument on the hillside under the care of the State of Illinois, and the National Cemetery maintained by the Federal Government, and specifically the National Cemetery Administration. Local authorities work out of the Jefferson Barracks facility and Shrine in St. Louis. Alton’s program features a guest speaker, a welcoming by the Mayor, 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

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ST. LOUIS - A 60-mile stretch of Illinois (IL) Route 3 generates $16 billion in annual business revenue and supports 221,881 direct and indirect jobs, according to a new economic impact study commissioned by the St. Louis Regional Freightway. The Route 3 corridor in southwestern Illinois is parallel to St. Louis, Missouri along the Mississippi River and Interstate 255, and goes from Waterloo, Illinois, in the south to Godfrey Illinois, to the north. It is gaining recognition as a premiere heavy industry and warehousing corridor with distinct advantages over other areas around the country, such as the percentage of the direct jobs in manufacturing, transportation and warehousing that greatly eclipse the regional and national averages for jobs in those sectors. “These concentrations and logistical connections make it a unique asset in the Midwest from a site selection point of view,” said Doug Rasmussen. “We do a lot of work throughout the country and in the Midwest

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ALTON - Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Derek Richardson expressed some strong pride for how a group of firefighters handled an early Friday morning fire/rescue situation on Hillcrest. “We were dispatched to a house fire on Hillcrest at 12:17 a.m. Friday,” he said. “Dispatch reported Alton Police were on scene, and two people were reported to occupy the house, along with three dogs. When I arrived on scene, I saw Alton Police Department escorting the second occupant out of the house. The first occupant had already made it out. Neither occupant needed emergency medical treatment. “It was reported by the Alton Police Department and bystanders that one of the dogs ran out of the house and down the street before Alton Fire arrived on the scene. After extinguishing the fire, the Alton Fire Department members did a secondary search, and crew members Engineers Sissom, Pruitt, and P. Campion found and rescued both dogs. Both dogs needed help breathing. AFD crew

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SPRINGFIELD - The United States and Illinois flags are displayed at half-staff from sunrise to noon on Monday, May 30, 2022. The Department of Central Management Services has received notice from Governor J.B. Pritzker that all person or entities covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act are to fly the flags at half-staff in honor of Memorial Day. Around the immediate region, at 10 a.m. Monday, May 30, 2022, Alton will have its annual Memorial Day Parade in Upper Alton. Also that night, the annual Memorial Day Sunset Ceremony is at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the United States National Cemetery in Alton. The morning Alton Memorial Day Parade is one of the oldest in the country with a 155-year time frame.

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ST. LOUIS — How do you plan to enjoy this summer? Whether your plans include fun in the water, camping or grilling your favorites, the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis has some resources you can use to help you have a safe summer. And don’t forget your furry friends — there are even some safety tips to follow to help protect your pets as the weather warms up. “Summer is a great time of year to get outside and have fun with your friends and loved ones,” said Beth Elders, executive director, American Red Cross Greater St. Louis. “But there are dangers if you don’t swim, camp or grill properly. We here at the Red Cross want you to have a safe summer and offer these steps you can follow.” WATER SAFETY Every day, an average of 11 people die in the U.S. from unintentional drowning — and one in five of those are children 14 or younger according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Red Cross

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CHARLESTON - Edwardsville senior distance runner Ryan Watts joined Stephen Pifer as the only Tiger runners to win state championships in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs as Watts won both events at the IHSA boys Class 3A track finals Saturday afternoon at O'Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Watts won the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:11.16, and also won the 3,200 meters at 8:56.66, while Geo Patrylak finished ninth in the 1,600 with a time of 4:14.43. In addition, senior Jordan Brooks came in fourth in the triple jump, with a distance of 14.00 meters and sophomore Malik Allen was seventh, going 13.35 meters to help the Tigers tie for second in the team standings. Batavia won the team championship with 37 points, while the Tigers tied for second with Gurnee Warren with 30 points each, Minooka was fourth with 29 points, Glenview Glenbrook South, Oswego and Champaign Centennial all tied for fifth with 26 points apiece, Homewood-Flossmoor was eighth

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ST. LOUIS - An unprecedented disruption in the global supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic is still having a major impact on many U.S. industries. Freight rail has had to adapt daily over the last two years to keep goods moving, and Union Pacific Railroad is taking its lessons learned, investing in adding more capacity and committing to moving more intermodal freight. That commitment includes investing $600 million of capital in 2022 alone as the company works to add more than one million lifts to the intermodal franchise and ramps up hiring so resources match demand. The various ways that Union Pacific continues to adapt and invest to keep freight moving were the focus of one of the panel discussions during FreightWeekSTL 2022. “Throughout the supply chain crisis, Union Pacific has been working to make sure that we're agile with our resources,” said Elise Gosch, assistant vice president Marketing and Sales – Premium Intermodal at Union Pacific. “Every

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ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Regional Freightway’s 2023 Priority Projects List includes 25 projects representing a total investment of more than $3.8 billion, up from $2.75 billion last year. More than $2 billion of the total covers infrastructure projects that have recently been completed, are already funded and under construction or expected to start in 2022 and 2023, or are programmed to begin within the next few years. The list, which represents the infrastructure needs of the manufacturing and logistics industries in the Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois area, indicates tremendous progress on a range of projects that will strengthen critical roads, bridges, rail infrastructure, and port and airport facilities across the bi-state St. Louis region. “These projects are supporting multimodal connectivity and providing global access to shippers and carriers throughout the world,” said Asim Raza, who leads the Freight Development and Needs Analysis Committee

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SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate in April 2022 stood at 5.6 percent in Alton compared to 8.3 percent the same month in 2021 and in Edwardsville remained stable at 3.4 percent to the same 3.4 percent a year ago. Granite City's rate was 4.2 percent compared to 6.7 percent in April 2021. East St. Louis has made considerable progress, moving from 12.1 percent in April 2021 to 7.7 percent in April 2022. Jersey was the lowest in the region in April 2022 at 3.7 percent compared to 4.3 percent in 2021, while Macoupin County was at 4.0 percent compared to 4.5 percent in April 2021 and Madison County was 4.1 percent in April 2021 and was at 4.9 percent in 2021 during the same month. Greene County also had a 4.1 percent rate in April 2022 and was listed at 4.9 percent in April 2021. St. Clair County is now at 5.2 percent in April and was 6.3 percent in 2021. The unemployment rate decreased over the year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in April according to preliminary data

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GLEN CARBON – Heather Hall, a fourth-grade teacher at Albert Cassens Elementary School in Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7, has received a $300 grant through WGU’s “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The funds will be used to purchase Tinker Crates to spark creativity and curiosity using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) principles for her fourth-grade students. Hall learned she was selected for the grant on May 5 when WGU staff surprised her with a check presentation at her school. The Tinker Crates will feature engaging, hands-on learning activities designed to help students discover, explore and create things in the world around them. Hall believes this method of learning is the best way for her students to acquire and retain information, while having fun doing so. The grant money received from WGU will allow Hall to add Tinker Crates to her classroom, enabling her fourth graders to use STEM learning as a key to creative problem solvin

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EDWARDSVILLE - Glen Carbon Mayor Bob Marcus made a very positive impression on St. Mary's student, Lucas Frohnert, who was recently Mayor for the Day for the Village of Glen Carbon. Mayor Marcus shared his valuable time and energy in creating what event chair Elizabeth Moody described as an "incredible experience." Frohnert, was Mayor for the day for The Villiage of Glen Carbon. He won this experience at the 2022 St. Mary’s School PTC Auction. "Thank you Mayor Bob Marcus for donating this amazing experience," Moody said. "It is incredibly generous of Mayor Marcus to not only donate this incredible experience but to take the time to plan such a meaningful and neat day for one of our students. Experience-based items like what Mr. Marcus donated are what make our auction successful, fun, and memorable." Moody concluded by saying: "With the help of Mayor Marcus and so many other local businesses, parents, donors, and school and parish families the St. Mary’s Auction was

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy’s (SOP) Khushali Sarnot has been recognized nationally with the 2021-22 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Student Leadership Award. The award honors Sarnot’s interest in pharmacy practice in health-systems and her successful track record as a leader. Sarnot’s exceptional attributes and leadership accomplishments were recognized among the pool of 12 contestants in a “rigorous and competitive selection process,” according to ASHP. As a second-year student, Sarnot, of Manchester, Mo., holds several leadership positions, including class vice president, Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP) president-elect and social chair for the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP). She participated in a 2021 ASHP Summer Internship, which provides pharmacy students with an opportunity to gain association experience in membership

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 36,843 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 45 deaths since May 20, 2022. According to the CDC, 15 Illinois counties are now rated at High Community Level for COVID-19, an area that includes Chicago, Cook County and surrounding counties in northeastern Illinois as well as counties around Peoria. An additional 30 counties in Illinois are now rated at Medium Community Level, the CDC reports. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,286,377 cases, including 33,806 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic. As of last night, 1,136 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 123 patients were in the ICU and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 289 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans. The counties listed at High Community

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ST. LOUIS — How do you plan to enjoy this summer? Whether your plans include fun in the water, camping or grilling your favorites, the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis has some resources you can use to help you have a safe summer. And don’t forget your furry friends — there are even some safety tips to follow to help protect your pets as the weather warms up. “Summer is a great time of year to get outside and have fun with your friends and loved ones,” said Beth Elders, executive director, American Red Cross Greater St. Louis. “But there are dangers if you don’t swim, camp or grill properly. We here at the Red Cross want you to have a safe summer and offer these steps you can follow.” WATER SAFETY Every day, an average of 11 people die in the U.S. from unintentional drowning — and one in five of those are children 14 or younger according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Red Cross wants

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JERSEYVILLE - Jerseyville Public Library now offers Explore More Illinois, a cultural pass program that provides discounts and other offerings from museums, historical societies, performing and visual arts centers, and other attractions across the state of Illinois. The program is free for adults 18 years and older who have a library card from a participating library. Offerings differ by attraction and include free or reduced admission, free parking, discounts at attraction shops, and more. Explore More Illinois is available 24/7 from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. Visit www.jerseyvillelibrary.org, click on the Explore More Illinois graphic on the home page, and log in using a valid library card number and password to review and reserve offerings by attraction and specific dates. Current attractions include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield), Chicago Children’s Museum, Discovery Center Museum (Rockford), and the Gateway Grizzlies (Sauget).

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