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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is hosting its annual “You Have a Voice!” humanities speech competition at 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 20, in the Ann Whitney Olin Theatre of the Hatheway Cultural Center. The contest aims to give students an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences on what it means to be human. All students are encouraged to participate or attend. The top three winners will earn cash prizes. Speeches should be informative and persuasive, with a time limit of five to eight minutes. The competition is organized by the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society and hosted by PTK Sponsor and Speech Professor Elizabeth Grant. This year’s event is co-sponsored by L&C Student Activities. Grant said "You Have A Voice” was inspired by a former student who shared a heart-wrenching story. The student stood up for a fellow customer who was being bullied while waiting in line at CVS. "I realized that our students live in the trenches

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WOOD RIVER/ST. LOUIS - The DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation will host a fundraiser for local hockey player Wyatt Owens. Community members are invited to support the 18-year-old at an upcoming hockey tournament in St. Louis. The winter classic kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, and 36 teams throughout the St. Louis area will be competing. On Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, spectators can enjoy an auction and a public skate with Reed Low, a former St. Louis Blues player. All proceeds will go to St. Louis resident Adam Dowling and Wood River’s own Owens, who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. “This is an annual fundraiser that we do to help members of the hockey community going through times of crisis,” explained Jared Schmierbach, director of the St. Louis chapter of DAWG Nation. “Aside from the financial aspect of this, we try to get the community together to support these people going through these very challenging times.” The tournament is

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The list of accomplishments and contributions of the Hudin Family from East St. Louis is remarkable. From purchasing their freedom from slavery, to serving as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, to being a tennis coach to the late great Arthur Ashe, to working as Hollywood film producers, the Hudlin family’s legacy is rich and substantial. Norman Ross, retired executive director of the Greater East St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, will reveal interesting, impressive history about the Hudlin side of his family during a presentation at noon Wednesday, Feb. 14 at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Learning Resource Center (LRC). “We are very proud of some of the accomplishments by our family members within the St. Louis Metropolitan Region,” said Ross, who grew up in East St. Louis. “We feel deeply inspired that they were able to enhance the positive well-being of the total community.” Ross’s

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QUINCY - Quincy University released its Dean's List for the Fall 2023 semester. Honorees must earn a semester grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) to be included in the biannual Dean's List. In total, 407 students received the honor during the Fall 2023 semester. Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit www.quincy.edu or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or communityrelations@quincy.edu. Quincy University. Success by Design. HOMETOWN, STATE;

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine and Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford announced today that a third defendant has been charged in connection with a shooting that critically injured a 13-year-old girl. The third defendant, 24-year-old Keith A. Sanders of Alton, is charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder, Contributing to the Delinquency or Criminal Delinquency of a Minor, and Aggravated Battery With a Firearm. The charges against Sanders were filed Tuesday, but remained underseal until he was taken into custody. Sanders was taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop conducted by Alton Police on Friday afternoon. The charge of Attempted First-Degree Murder alleges that Sanders – or one for whose conduct he is legally responsible – discharged a firearm in the direction of the girl. The charge of Contributing to the Delinquency or Criminal Delinquency of a Minor alleges that Sanders encouraged a minor to become delinquent “by

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ALTON - Dale St. Peters, owner of St. Peters Family True Value Stores, recently received the prestigious Estwing Golden Hammer Award from Estwing Manufacturing Company which recognizes retailers with 50 years of service. The honor is considered one of the most distinguished in the home improvement industry. On February 9, 2024, a celebration honored Dale St. Peters for his 50-plus years of service in the hardware industry. St. Peters’ passion for hardware, innovative spirit, and tireless work ethic have distinguished him as a true leader and visionary. Over his 50 years of service, St. Peters has witnessed the evolution of technology, the rise of new trends, and the changing needs of consumers. As the owner of St. Peters Family True Value Stores, he has played a vital role and has been a role model and mentor to many. “I enjoy working with customers and helping them solve their problems,” said Dale St. Peters. “I am thankful to all the people I have had the

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MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Glen Carbon's Tony Marchetto, Letters & Science undergrad, has been named to the Dean's List at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the Fall 2023 semester. UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

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WOOD RIVER - The Five Below store at 672 Wesley Drive in Wood River is now open. Five Below fills the vacant space anchoring the shopping center near Walmart. Five Below Inc. is an American chain of specialty discount stores that prices most of its products at $5 or less, plus a smaller assortment of products priced up to $25. The next closest Five Below stores are in Fairview Heights and Florissant, Mo. Wood River city officials, members of the Wood River Business Alliance and Five Below staff celebrated the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning before the store opening. “We are excited to have Five Below invest in Wood River. We know they will be incredibly successful," Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Wood River is centrally located and close to multiple major highways, making us a perfect location for new businesses.“ Wood River Five Below is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fo

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GRANITE CITY – Granite City High School seniors Lucas Hutchings and Reece Smallie were recognized at the 2024 SKILLED Award Winners Ceremony on Feb. 6 at the S.M. Wilson & Co. Headquarters in St. Louis. The event consisted of appetizers, networking and a short ceremony. Hutchings and Smallie were awarded $500 each for their plan in further developing the GCSD9 mobile classroom. Their plan included purchasing “more tools, machines, computers and other technology” for the trailer. "We have been fortunate to have S.M. Wilson as a part of our district growth in GCSD9. Their approach to a project goes past the physical construction, but also includes their celebrating the completion of a project with us," said GCSD9 Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann . "Their Skilled & Follow the Build programs bring student engagement into the educational forefront through specific classroom presentations by field experts, and on-site field trips to our own active project

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College Associate Professor of Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene Meghan Becraft has been nominated by her peers for the Illinois Community College Trustees Association’s (ICCTA) Outstanding Full-time Faculty Award. The award recognizes high-achieving Illinois full-time community college instructors. “I was so surprised and overwhelmed with gratitude to receive this nomination; it has been such a humbling experience to be honored in this way by my colleagues and friends,” Becraft said. “I am aware of the distinction this award comes with and will continue to do my very best to represent the Lewis and Clark team.” Becraft came to L&C in 2008 as a well-seasoned professional with 15 years of experience, working in a variety of private dental practices. She began as an adjunct, teaching dental hygiene clinical courses while still providing patient care in a private facility. “I really enjoyed

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EAST ALTON - As spring approaches, the East Alton Parks and Recreation Department has several clinics and programs coming down the pipeline. Tyler Lafferty, the department superintendent, explained that the Parks and Recreation Department will sponsor multiple youth clinics throughout March and April before tri-city volleyball and baseball begin later in the season. The department will also hold a Generation Gap trivia night on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, to raise money for a sports scholarship and senior programs. “It takes support,” Lafferty said. “We’re very blessed in East Alton in having so many connections locally. Everyone’s wanting to see the community grow.” In March, East Alton will offer a t-ball clinic for ages 3–5 and a basketball clinic for ages 5–7, followed by a “Soccer 4 Tots” clinic in April for ages 3–7. The clinics are scheduled for every Saturday for four weeks, and it costs $30 to participate.

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ALTON - Alton Family Martial Arts & Fitness invites you to join them at one of their classes. Steven Fisher, general manager, explained that the gym offers jiu jitsu, MMA and kickboxing classes. They also have a seven-day free trial period for people to check out their classes firsthand. He encourages people to give it a shot. “It’s never too early to start,” Fisher said. “We have every flavor in the gym and we take it at your pace, not our pace, so you have time to build that strength, build that momentum, and then you can go from there.” Fisher joked that many people are overconfident when they come to the gym at first, and the first class is known as the “ego killer.” While it can be intimidating at first, the coaches and fellow classmates are there to practice, and they always welcome newcomers. Adam Peipert knows this firsthand. Peipert has lost 100 pounds over the past 12 months of working with Alton Family Martial Arts & Fitness

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SPRINGFIELD – This Super Bowl Sunday, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police as well as law enforcement agencies throughout the state are taking a timeout to spread two very important safety messages to the public: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket.” “If you’re attending a Super Bowl party, the best call you can make before you start to celebrate is to plan for a safe ride home so that when the party’s over, you don’t get sidelined – or sideline anyone else – by driving impaired,” said IDOT’s Director of Highways Project Implementation Steve Travia. “Driving impaired is not a game and can have fatal consequences for you and others on the road.” If you’re driving this weekend, safety should be the top goal in your gameplan. When it’s time to leave the party, make sure your designated driver is sober. Remember that walking impaired also

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ALTON - Believe it or not, for professionals like Thomas Nealeigh, fire-eating is easier than it looks. “Fire eating, in a way, is one of the easiest acts to learn. But it is the most difficult one to master,” the performer said. “And you continually work with it and you have to keep in mind that at some point you’re going to catch on fire.” Nealeigh would know. He tells the story of a bad performance where the wind changed and the fire singed off his eyebrow and burned his chin. Ever the professional, he slathered on some burn ointment and lit up to perform the trick again — and quickly realized that burn ointment is flammable. This is part of the job for FreakShow Deluxe, the production company that Nealeigh helped start in 2001. The show travels all over the country, but Nealeigh and his family live in Alton, where he recently performed at Alton Little Theater before a production of “Elephant’s Graveyard.” He has a

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WORDEN - Worden once again is waiting in anticipation of the Wordi Gras Celebration. The parade begins at 3 p.m., followed by an abundance of festivities with bands and more around the community. The event has grown from 2006 to about 5,000 people, much bigger than the Worden population of 1,096 in the 2020 census. "It is just great for our small town," said one of the coordinators - Rick Landreth - who works with his wife Nikki to organize the event. The couple also puts on one of the bigger shows and displays of the event at the Yellow Dog Bar and Grill in Worden. The Baywolfe Band will perform from 1 to 5 p.m. and the Cheers band from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be several food trucks there also on the day and plenty of hurricane drinks, Nikki said. The Yellow Dog and other establishments in Worden order a significant amount of food and drinks for the affair. Any float or vehicle can enter the parade - all an entry has to do is just get in line, and entry is free. Each year

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EFFINGHAM - U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that he has nominated 18 local young men and women for admittance to the U.S. Service Academies. Nominations were made following the recommendations of an independent panel that reviewed applications and conducted formal interviews. Final determination on admission is made by the individual academies. "Southern Illinois is fortunate to have some of the brightest and most patriotic students in the country," said Bost. "With Scott Air Force Base in our backyard, it's easy to see why service to our nation is an important value within Illinois's 12 th District. These students are an exceptional part of our community and set a fine example for others both inside and outside the classroom. As our next generation of leaders, these nominees have incredibly bright futures ahead." ACADEMY NOMINATIONS Gregory Adams - Attends Mascoutah High School and was nominated to the Air Force Academy. Elijah Bishop - Attends Herrin High

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser has proposed a plan that will allow senior citizens in Madison County an automatic extension for their senior citizen homestead exemption. This new proposal to be voted on at the Madison County Board finance committee meeting next week. “We should be reducing pointless red tape whenever we can,” said Slusser. “We recently found a clause in the state statute governing the senior citizen exemptions that allowed for automatic renewal if passed by the County Board. Once someone turns 65 and they’re given the exemption, automatic renewal only makes sense. It’s not like they’re getting any younger,” Slusser said. “In Illinois, we have the second highest property taxes in the country,” said Slusser. “Senior citizens are often the hardest hit by this property tax burden. This is the least we can do to make things easier for them to receive the savings they’re eligible for.

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with a bipartisan coalition of 18 attorneys general, filed comments with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expressing support for a recently proposed rule to crack down on deceptive and unfair fees faced by consumers. The recently proposed rule by the FTC – called the Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees – is intended to deter deceptive and unfair acts or practices involving fees. The rule seeks to promote a level playing field that enables comparison shopping and allows honest businesses to compete. “Hidden and junk fees drive up the price of goods and frustrate consumers to no end, decreasing trust in the marketplace and putting honest businesses at a disadvantage,” Raoul said. “My office’s Consumer Protection Division will continue to go after bad actors who exploit consumers for their financial gain.” In the comment letter , Raoul and the coalition detail the widespread

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ALTON - Sacred Spaces of CARE will host a trivia fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, to raise money for the organization’s programs to support mental health in the community. Megan Tyler, the executive director, explained that the organization just celebrated its first anniversary and has stayed busy connecting people with resources and working with the Alton Police Department to promote officer wellness and crisis intervention. The trivia night, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Alton-Wood River Sportsmen’s Club, will fund these initiatives for another year. “I think this next year is going to be phenomenal. Everybody’s passionate, everybody’s eager to just dive in,” Tyler said. “Now we have that traction and we see fruit and we see the change, the difference it’s making, and so I think it just fires everybody up and we want to really go through ’24 with a lot of great projects, great plans moving forward.” The

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EDWARDSVILLE - The theft of an iPad from Alton City Hall resulted in felony charges filed against a homeless man who also reportedly damaged the iPad late last year. This case joins a long list of other thefts reported in Madison County court documents. Terrell E. Porter, 45, homeless, was charged by the Alton Police Department with one count of theft and one count of criminal damage to government-supported property. Porter allegedly stole a 5th generation Apple iPad valued at over $500 from Alton City Hall at 101 E 3rd St. in Alton on Dec. 26, 2023, according to court documents. Porter was additionally charged with criminal damage to government-supported property after reportedly causing damage to the same city-owned iPad he stole from the City of Alton. Porter faces a Class 2 felony for theft and a Class 4 felony for damaging government-supported property. Court documents indicate he was released upon his signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order. Deana M. Kirkwood,

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