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JERSEYVILLE – Freshman Meredith Gray is beginning to turn some heads toward the Jersey Community High School girl’s basketball team. As a freshman, she has become the team’s second-leading scorer and has helped the Panthers tremendously throughout the season. Jersey currently sits at 12-7 on the season. Meredith has played in all 19 of those games and has amassed 203 points so far, good for a 10.7 point-per-game average. She’s also pulled down 89 rebounds, also second on the team. Meredith has put up double-digit scoring in nine games this season with a season-high 20 points against Hazelwood West back on Nov. 29. Just last night (Jan. 5) she put in 14 points to help her team win over Triad. It was the Panthers’ first Mississippi Valley Conference win in two years. She’s just happy to be along for the ride. "It feels pretty good,” she said after the win Thursday night. “I'm glad my teammates can count on me whenever they need me and

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Gori Law Firm recently announced the hiring of attorney Paula Gutierrez to its Edwardsville, Ill., office. Gutierrez joins the firm’s asbestos litigation practice where she represents individuals and families who have been affected due to asbestos exposure. Gutierrez is a former member of the United States Air Force, where she served seven years as a health service manager. Before joining The Gori Law Firm, she worked as a Veteran Service Officer, advocating on behalf of veterans for service-connected claims within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gutierrez has also practiced criminal defense law for the Missouri State Public Defender’s office. “We have worked with hundreds of veterans across the country who were exposed to asbestos in service of their country. Paula is a known advocate for these individuals, and we are happy to have her as part of our team,” said Sara Salger, managing partner at The Gori Law Firm. “Her experience

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ROXANA - A stellar up-and-coming female athlete at Roxana High School is sophomore Norah Washington. Washington went from a jump from No. 4 singles to the Shells' No. 1 player by the season's end. Washington also is a basketball and softball player for Roxana. Norah is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for Roxana High School. Norah's girls' tennis coach Zach Plocher sees great things ahead in the future for his No. 1 player this past season. She also placed third in singles at the IHSA Class 1A Sectional at Triad. "The thing I see with her potential is her work ethic and her commitment to become a better player and make the team better," he said. "She made a jump from No. 4 to No. 1 this season and instead of complaining, she would bike to all of the summer tennis and then right after going to the speed/conditioning program at the school. She would then come back later and try and hit with a teammate." Plocher said Washington's progress in one year shows ho

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced today that 2022 set adult use cannabis sales records in all categories it tracks. This includes number of items sold, sales totals to Illinois and out-of-state residents, and sales total by month. For the year, Illinois adult use cannabis dispensaries sold $1,552,324,820.37 worth of product, an increase of more than 12% from 2021 and 131% from 2020, the first year cannabis sales were first legally allowed in Illinois. There are currently 113 adult use cannabis dispensaries in Illinois, including the first three social equity dispensaries that opened their doors in 2022. These figures do not include taxes collected, which are reported by the Illinois Department of Revenue. “When I signed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act into law in 2019, we set out on an ambitious goal: to create the most equitable and economically prosperous cannabis industry in the nation. Our data from 2022 shows that

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ALTON - The Hit-n-Run Store at 2345 State Street in Alton owned by Dwight and Teresa Fowler, will reopen at 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. A fire broke out in the afternoon of Nov. 22 at that location causing it to be closed for over a month. Firefighters arrived and located the fire that had originated under the fountain machine. The flames were extinguished, but there was smoke damage to the building and the merchandise present at that time. “We are really excited to be open again,” Dwight said. “Servpro came in with some others and we had the business professionally cleaned. Some of the employees also have come in and helped clean and put things back together.” Dwight said he has a strong nucleus of store team members, some of who have been there for years. He said there is excitement around the community that they will be open again. “I even had someone ask me about it at the Granite City location this week,” he said. “People come

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WASHINGTON, MO. - The search for a missing rural Washington, MO. man has created considerable attention from where he was last seen on Dec. 27, 2022, cruising on a chunk of ice in the Missouri River near Washington. Aaron Duenke, 34, is the person reported missing and last seen in the river. A group of volunteers has searched up and down both sides of the river eastward toward Howell Island, Chesterfield, Mo., Pelican Island, and at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Officials say that Duenke was scheduled to meet family members close to Hinckley Bend at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 27, 2022. A helicopter has been used in Duenke’s search and the Boles Fire Protection District, Wright City Fire Department, and Monarch Fire Protection District utilized elaborate drones with heat technology in the search to no avail. The helicopter search was from the Missouri River at Highway 47 Bridge to the Highway 364 Bridge, west of Interstate 70. A Facebook page has been created

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Biden-Harris Administration announcing new expanded legal migration options and border enforcement actions: “Congressional Republicans who have repeatedly obstructed bipartisan immigration reform leave President Biden with no choice but to use the authorities he has under current law to establish a more orderly process at our southern border. I strongly support the President’s actions to clearly spell out legal pathways for migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. We have seen over the past decade that new border enforcement cannot be effective unless migrants are also given meaningful legal pathways to come to the United States. We have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that any migrant seeking protection at our border is given a fair chance to make their claim. “While unemployed Americans should

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KANSAS CITY, MO. - Rockhurst University awarded close to 300 degrees at its winter commencement ceremony, held Dec. 11, 2022, at Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland in downtown Kansas City. The following students were awarded degrees: Edwardsville, IL Ethan Kleinheider, Master of Business Administration The program featured two student speakers, with Nhukim Nguyen, a biochemistry major, representing undergraduate students, and Jessica Davis, a Doctor of Education degree recipient, representing graduate students. About Rockhurst University Rockhurst University, founded in 1910 and located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, is a Catholic university in the Jesuit tradition committed to providing inclusive, innovative, and transformative education. As a comprehensive university and supportive community of nearly 4,000 students, its mission is to form lifelong learners in the liberal arts tradition who engage the complexities of our world and serve others as compassionate,

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ALTON - NCG Cinema is hosting a special, live screening of the UFC 283 Event on Saturday, January 21. Tickets are now on sale for this special event - which airs live for one night only at NCG Alton - at ncgmovies.com. Join us for TWO exclusive Title Fights: Teixeira vs. Hill and Figueiredo vs Moren broadcasted LIVE from Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “NCG is proud to continue offering exciting, live events to our neighbors. The opportunity to stream two UFC Title fights, live from Brazil, is an experience that we’re thrilled to bring to our communities. Fans of UFC and mixed martial arts should keep their eyes out for more exclusive streaming events in the future.” said Jeff Geiger, NCG Chief Executive Officer. Alcoholic beverages will be available before, and during, the big fight at NCG Alton’s exclusive theater bar for those 21 years and older.

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SPRINGFIELD - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives approved a firearm ban pushed through by Cook County Democrat lawmakers shortly after 12:30 am Friday: “I voted against the firearm ban as I believe this bill is unconstitutional. I support the Second Amendment. The bill approved will hinder the right to keep and bear arms for law-abiding gun owners. The legislature should get tough on crime and stop punishing law-abiding citizens.”

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TAMPA – A Tampa man was sentenced Thursday in a U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison and a $25,000 fine for his involvement in a bank fraud conspiracy. One victim was from Alton. According to court documents, Jaykumar Patel, 33, worked in Florida moving criminal proceeds for an India-based fraud conspiracy targeting elderly, vulnerable victims in the United States. “Those who prey on the most susceptible victims through these kinds of scare tactics and phone scams must be punished to the full extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Defendants both in the United States and overseas need to know that we will protect and defend vulnerable Americans.” In June 2021, the Alton Police Department filed a report when a resident received a phone call from an individual who claimed to be a member of law enforcement warning her that her identity had been stolen. The caller demanded the victim to send $29,000 to an address in Florida so h

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ALTON - The Alton High School girl's basketball team finds themselves undefeated 16 games into the season. That’s all in part to the team’s starting five rotation. A main part of that starting lineup is junior guard Alyssa Lewis. Reaching the midpoint of the season she’s scored 165 points good for a 10.3-point per game average. Lewis is an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for the Redbirds. Where she's especially lethal is from behind the three-point line. She’s knocked down 35 threes and has a matching 35 percent shooting average from beyond the arc so far this season. Last game, a home victory over Belleville West on Monday, she scored 18 points, her second-best performance of the season. The game with Belleville West was relatively close after the first quarter. That was before Lewis heated up and made five straight threes before halftime. "It was just practice," she said after her excellent shooting performance. One of those three-pointers

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SPRINGFIELD - Secretary of State Jesse White announced today that the state’s organ/tissue donor registry reached 7.5 million registrants. “I am so proud that Illinoisans have shown their giving and caring spirit by signing up for this lifesaving program,” said White. “Our mission over the past 24 years has been to strengthen the Organ/Tissue Donor Program through outreach and registration initiatives. We have worked to end the waiting for the approximately 4,000 people statewide. Each year, unfortunately, about 300 people die waiting for a transplant in Illinois.” Of the more than 12.8 million people living in Illinois, 10,146,583 qualify to become organ/tissue donors. Of those, 74% have registered as organ/tissue donors. In addition, more than 270,000 16- and 17-year-olds have registered with the program since 2018, when Secretary White initiated a law allowing them to register as organ and tissue donors. “I believe our public awareness campaign,

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Jaylan D. Quinn, 23, of St. Louis, pled guilty in a U.S. District Court on Wednesday to fatally shooting a security guard while robbing First Bank in East St. Louis in August 2021. “Vicious acts of armed violence in our communities are intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The U.S. Attorney’s office is prepared to pursue justice in honor of the life lost, and I commend the FBI and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to improve public safety and remove dangerous individuals from society.” “The FBI and our law enforcement partners acted swiftly, working around the clock, to quickly arrest the individuals responsible for the robbery and tragic death of Mr. Horn,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “While the violent act will have a lifelong impact, we hope the justice that is to come will bring some level of comfort for the employees, friends, and family

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EDWARDSVILLE - Danyel Harrell, a co-owner of Wall to Wall Home & Commercial Furnishings in Edwardsville, said she and her husband feel right at home in the new business because of their Edwardsville background. Recently, the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting at Wall to Wall. “My husband and I both graduated from SIUE,” she said. “Edwardsville just fits for us. We are excited to get into it. We have a lovely store manager, Melissa, who has helped set up the design inside and she works and checks local trends. When people walk into the store, they can order things in the store and from kiosks. Customers can get measurements or outfit anything they want from our store. We have items for living rooms, bedrooms, mattresses, and anything you might need in a home or business.” The owners also said: “We feature America’s finest furniture brands. A shopping experience at Wall to Wall provides unmatched variety as our expansive

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ST. LOUIS - Schnuck Markets, Inc. and The Salvation Army today announced that Schnucks customers and the company donated a total of $250,135 to The Salvation Army’s annual Tree of Lights campaign through Schnucks’ “Round Up at the Register.” Schnucks customers had the option to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with 100 percent of donations from the two-week campaign benefiting The Salvation Army. Customers donated $237,424 and Schnucks added $12,711. “Each year during the holidays, our customers show their immense generosity towards The Salvation Army at checkout through our Round Up at the Register campaign and by donating to the red kettles at the entrances of our stores,” said Schnucks Chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck. “We congratulate The Salvation Army on a successful 75th annual Tree of Lights campaign and thank them for the tireless support they bring to those in need. Together, we continue to Nourish People’s Lives

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ALTON - YWCA Southwestern Illinois Women of Distinction Event Chair Donna Dixon pleased to announce that the nomination period for the Women of Distinction program is now open. In addition, the 32nd Annual Women of Distinction Celebration will be held on Thursday evening, May 4, 2023, at Julia’s Banquet Center, East Gate Plaza, East Alton. Each year, some of the region’s brightest, boldest, bravest and most influential women have been honored at the YWCA‘s Women of Distinction (WOD) celebration. Honorees are women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement in their professional, civic and personal lives. The WOD Academy has grown into a dynamic and diverse group of over 300 women representing a wide range accomplishments and contributions. YWCA is requesting the public’s help in soliciting nominations for Women of Distinction. The community is urged to nominate exceptional women who create real change in our communities. Nomination packets

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GODFREY - The Godfrey Village Board passed one ordinance and two resolutions at their first regularly scheduled meeting of 2023, which was held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Trustees Karen McAtee and Rick Lauschke were both absent from the meeting. The Village Board unanimously approved an ordinance amending the Municipal Code of the Village Of Godfrey by the addition of Article IV, which establishes standards for the construction of facilities on the right-of-way. Essentially, this ordinance updates the language of the village’s current right-of-way ordinance, which was put into effect in 1992. A resolution authorizing an application to be filed for a project fixing erosion issues at 5405 and 5403 Cottonwood Drive was also approved unanimously by the Village Board. The project is set to be partially funded by a Madison County Resource Management Program Environmental Grant. Finally, the board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Mayor/Supervisor/Park Board

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Letter To The Editor: ALTON - For those unaware of the American Rescue Plan of Action (ARPA) funds, Alton received over $21MM in ARPA funds in 2022. The use of these funds is very restricted, misuse can result in stiff penalties, the least of which is Alton having to reimburse the misspent funds. Madison County also received ARPA funds and hired Ernst & Young, one of the Big Four accounting firms, to ensure that the guidelines were followed. A couple of months ago, a public hearing was held at City Hall, to read the department head's wish list and to meet the federal requirements of a “public hearing.” There are some worthwhile expenditures cited, new HVAC systems for five city buildings, a ladder truck, two EMS ambulances, a street sweeper, paving equipment for our pothole-filled streets, servers for the city’s IT department, etc. The above-mentioned equipment will cost well over $12MM, leaving less than $9MM for other projects. One proposed use is one o

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Larry W. Hale, 54 of Belleville, Illinois, was sentenced to 15 years in the Bureau of Prisons in a U.S. District Court on Wednesday for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. According to court documents, Hale, who was 51 at the time, traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, in February 2020 to pick up a 16-year-old female and bring her back to Illinois to live with him. She was discovered in his home in July 2020. In a voluntary, videotaped interview with law enforcement, Hale admitted to engaging in a sexual relationship with the minor, stating that it began shortly after she moved into his residence. He also admitted to knowing she was 16 years old when he picked her up in Georgia and transported her to Illinois to live with him. Finally, he admitted that there was a video of the victim performing a sex act on his cell phone. “Sex crimes against children are particularly disturbing, and Larry Hale deliberately

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