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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul was joined today by Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan F. Kelly, law enforcement representatives, and gun safety advocates to announce a new state-of-the-art online platform to assist law enforcement agencies in investigating gun crimes and identifying the sources of illegal guns. Raoul announced the new platform – dubbed Crime Gun Connect – at a press conference this morning in Chicago. “Crime Gun Connect will allow law enforcement agencies around Illinois to access critical crime-gun trace records more efficiently than ever before, giving them a new tool in their fight against gun violence,” Raoul said. “This new platform will digitize gun tracing records that today must be requested on paper, slowing investigations and hampering efforts to bring justice to victims. I would like to thank Everytown for their work in the development of this critical state-of-the-art resource.” Crime Gun Connect

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ALTON - Hayley Porter is one of those softball girls who will not be forgotten at Marquette Catholic High School. Hayley, a catcher this season, posted an amazing .472 batting average this season and had an on-base percentage of .500. Hayley had 42 hits, scored 27 runs, and had 9 sacrifices with 13 stolen bases. Hayley was a third-team All-State selection. She is an exceptional student and one of three athletes at Marquette to receive First Team All-Conference, All-Academic. For her tremendous athletic efforts on the softball field, Hayley is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire, Inc., Female Athlete of the Month for Marquette Catholic. Hayley's .472 batting average placed her in the top 15 on St. Louis Post Dispatch Area Leaderboard. "I enjoy softball because I love the competition and all of the friendships it has brought me and all of the memories I make with my team while playing," Hayley said. "I am most thankful for my parents Debbie and Bill Porter, teammates, and all o

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ALTON – Diane Mize had quite the adventure while driving to her very first day of work at Alton Memorial Hospital. But she didn’t let it discourage her from coming back. After all, that was 50 years ago. Diane has been working in the Digestive Health Center for 35 years now, but her total service time dates back to June 12, 1972, when she started on the old Med-Surg Unit on the first floor of the hospital’s Hatch Wing. “I was driving here in an old Ford Fairlane,” Diane said of her first day. “The hood came loose and flew up on the windshield. I had quite a time getting here, but I managed to arrive on time.” Although that was her first day as a full-time employee, Diane already knew the way to AMH from her home in Gillespie, Ill. She was a 1972 graduate of the Alton Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, which closed its doors just a year later. While the vast majority of the school’s alumni have either passed away or are retired,

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The deceased in a homicide in the 12200 block of Culpepper Drive has been identified as Michael Smith, 37 years of age, of the 1600 block of Veronica Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63147. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating the homicide. On June 28, 2022, at 10:12 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a shooting in the 12200 block of Culpepper Drive. Arriving officers located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot injury. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. Preliminary investigation has revealed the shooting was a result of a domestic incident. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information regarding

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CHICAGO - Governor Pritzker signed the CROWN Act into law today, codifying protections for Illinoisans discriminated against due to hairstyles historically associated with specific racial groups. The act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, categorizes traits such as hair texture or protective styling as race-based and therefore protected under bans against racial discrimination. “No Illinoisan should face discrimination based off the way they style their hair. Not in schools. Not in the workplace. Not anywhere,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Hair isn’t just deeply personal—it’s inherently cultural, passing down thousands of years of history from generation to generation. Hair discrimination isn’t just a microaggression—it’s racist. And it’s past time we prohibit it. I am proud to sign the CROWN Act into state law, protecting our Black residents’ right to style their hair however

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide in the 11900 block of Iguana Terrace which resulted in the death of an adult male. The deceased has been identified as Ra’hmello Stewart, 24 years of age, 11900 block of Iguana Terrace, St. Louis, Missouri 63138. A preliminary investigation has revealed this homicide occurred as a result of a personal dispute between individuals known to one another. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. On June 29, 2022, at 1:36 AM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a shooting in the 11900 block of Iguana Terrace. Arriving officers located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot injury. The victim was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment but later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional informatio

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OAK PARK - Mary Miller, the U.S. Republican Congressional District-15 Primary winner over Rodney Davis on Tuesday night, Wednesday expressed excitement and gratitude to the voters after she claimed 57 percent of the vote. Miller started by saying: "I want to thank President Donald J. Trump, the leader of the America First movement. This win shows the strength and power of President Trump’s endorsement. "People in this country are waking up. The left may be 'woke,' but conservatives are 'awake.' We see past the lies and smears from the radical left and the liberal elites. I want to thank my wonderful family and my supporters for your love, your prayers, and your support. "My family has had to endure a lot, but they did so with grace and poise. My family is strong because we trust in the Lord with all our heart. Man cannot destroy what is built by faith." Miller thanked her opponent, Rodney Davis, for his very gracious phone call Tuesday at the conclusion of the election. "My

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GRANITE CITY - United States Steel Corporation has announced a plan to repurpose the Granite City Works mill and the local steel union and a state legislator say it could mean significant jobs lost at the plant. United States Steel has signed a non-binding letter of intent with SunCoke Energy, Inc., and SunCoke would obtain two Granite City Works blast furnaces and build a 2-million ton granulated pig iron production facility. U.S. Steel said by upgrading iron ore capabilities in Minnesota and repurposing blast furnaces at Granite City Works in Illinois with SunCoke Energy, the company aims to expand its domestic, low-cost iron ore advantage. United Steelworkers, which represents the Granite City plant and 1.2 million workers/retired North American members, said in a statement it disapproves of the plan. The Steelworkers said this: “In its announcement regarding Granite City’s future, the company callously failed to mention a word about the massive job loss or impact

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HARDIN - The results of the 2022 Primary Election for Calhoun County have officially been announced; while this year didn’t see a highly contentious race, it will see two nominees go on to replace Calhoun County’s incumbent Sheriff in the Midterm Elections this November. Mark S. Marshall II ran unopposed on the Republican ticket for Calhoun County Sheriff, as did Jeffrey Herkert on the Democratic ticket. The two will face off in the Midterm Elections this November and the winner will of that race replace incumbent Sheriff William “Bill” Heffington, who has served as Calhoun County Sherriff since 2006. Keisha Morris won the Democratic nomination for Calhoun County State’s Attorney with 60.1% of the vote, beating challenger Stephen George Friedel who won 39.9% of the vote. Republican Lucas J. Fanning ran unopposed on his party’s ballot. These nominees will compete in November to replace incumbent Calhoun County State’s Attorney Richard. J

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GLEN CARBON - Recent Father McGivney graduate Darren Luchetti signed to play baseball at Fontbonne University on Tuesday, June 28. Ironically, he will get to stay a Griffin. It was a day that Darren, and his parents, had been waiting for for a long time. The two-sport athlete could've also played collegiate basketball if he went that route. He was a huge part in achieving a .500 record for Father McGivney this season and has been playing basketball since he was a kid. He even went out to a few collegiate basketball camps at Saint Louis University and Bethany College and had some colleges interested in signing him, but he shifted his focus to baseball instead. McGivney baseball head coach Chris Erwin actually persuaded Dareen into trying out for baseball his sophomore year. Darren mentioned that Erwin made him believe in himself and made him realize the baseball talent that he had. Darren jokingly said that he only came out because the team was good and it was just good to get

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ALTON - Junior Logan "Bogie" Bogard is Alton High School's go-to catcher. He's consistently behind the plate for the Redbirds and during the summer he continues playing for the Alton Post 126 Sr. Legion team. The thing he's looking forward to most is stepping into a new leadership role for the Redbirds. "It'll be fun next year," he said. "I mean, hopefully, we can hit better and just do better." Bogard is the Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month for Alton. Alton had a disappointing end to their season after going out to the eventual state champions in the Regional Semifinals back in May. Edwardsville beat Alton in that game 16-4, but Bogard feels like Alton gave it everything they had. "We did put up a good fight against Edwardsville in the regional," he said. The Redbirds will try to better a 7-23 record from this year and Logan will continue to be an instrumental part of the team going forward. "We should've won a lot more games than we did," Bogie said. He agreed that it's

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MADISON COUNTY - Chris Slusser recorded an overwhelming triumph in the Madison County Treasurer’s race over Doug Hulme in the Republican Primary. Slusser won with 14,794 votes compared to Hulme's 6,954 votes. Linda Andreas defeated Mike Walters in the Republican Primary for County Clerk by a narrow 10,329 to 10,154-vote margin with all 191 precincts counted. Slusser said he just wanted to thank the Republican voters in the primary who put their trust in him. “I think I have done a good job in the office and shown integrity and tried to do everything with excellence,” he added. “I was rewarded by confident Republican voters who soundly rejected an ugly campaign by the opponent.” Slusser credited his staff with their effort to make him shine on a daily basis to the public. “They are government employees who take a lot of pride in their work,” he said. “The taxpayers recognize what they have done. It is a good atmosphere and we have se

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MADISON COUNTY - Jeff Connor dominated the Madison County Republican Party Sheriff’s Primary race with a 14,619 to 7,243-vote victory over Jeff Larner on Tuesday night. There was not a Democrat on the ballot for sheriff. Connor was interviewed after the ballots were counted at a post-election gathering and said he and his running mate Marcos Pulido as chief deputy sheriff both were “ecstatic” with the win. “The team is so thankful the residents of Madison County had faith in me,” Connor said. “We are ready to move forward and do what we can to make the Sheriff’s Office better than ever before. “I think Madison County residents realize experience does count. Residents and voters recognized that and sent a loud message. I am proud of our experience and will use that experience to make the sheriff’s office the best it can be. "I am so excited for Marcos Pulido (the Alton Police Chief) to also come on board on December 1.”

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Republican and Democratic party nominations for the Madison County Board were decided on Tuesday in the primary elections as voters from both parties turned out to nominate their candidates who will run in the General Election on Nov. 8. Here are the results for Madison County Board and other county-wide offices, along with three ballot questions involving Venice, Highland, and Fosterburg: COUNTY BOARD REPUBLICAN PARTY DISTRICT 1 Fred N. Michael --- 1,141 (seven of seven precincts reporting) DISTRICT 2 Stacey Pace --- 848 (eight of eight precincts reporting) DISTRICT 3 William S. Meyer --- 1,242 (nine of nine precincts reporting) DISTRICT 4 Bobby Ross --- 1,266 (eight of eight precincts reporting) DISTRICT 5 Mick Madison --- 1,027 (10 of 10 precincts reporting) DISTRICT 6 Valerie Doucleff --- 951 (eight of eight precincts) DISTRICT 7 Michael Turner --- 761 Ray Wesley --- 365 (eight of eight precincts reporting) DISTRICT 8 Michael

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ALTON - Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Alton is a beautiful reminder of the past and has been in the city since 1855. Now, the church structure is in need of Old Cathedral repairs and renovation and is embarking on a large capital campaign that hopes to raise an estimated $800,000. The capital campaign is set to restore the structure of the church with much-needed repairs in the stonework and tuckpointing and much more. “Preserving the Past for the Future Campaign” will help bring an integral part of Christian Hill to future generations to continue the Catholic tradition. A kickoff of the campaign is planned for Wednesday night at the church. A Mass is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Saints Peter and Paul Church, followed by a picnic at 7 p.m. and Hanlon's film about the campaign will be shown afterward, he said. Ryan Hanlon of Route 3 Films and SSPP Pastor Jeff Holtman are guiding the project. Hanlon has already done considerable video work. Hanlon is well-known

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JERSEYVILLE - The results of the 2022 Jersey County Primary Election have officially been announced. The county will see its first new nominee for County Coroner in nearly 30 years as several new party nominees are set to compete in the Midterm Elections this November. Voters nominated Kevin Ayres for Jersey County Coroner, the first time a new candidate has been nominated for the office since the passing of Jersey County’s longest-serving coroner in history, Larry Joe Alexander, who served as coroner for 29 years from 1992-2021. Ayres won with 50.34% of the vote over Republican challenger Collin Crawford, who won 49.66% of the vote. Katie Steckel-Abbey won the Republican nomination for Jersey County Treasurer with 48.84% of the vote. Steckel-Abbey replaced incumbent Republican Gilbert Ashlock and beat challengers Gregory “Greg” Weiner, who won 28.19% of the vote and Martin "Marty" Ward, who won 24.96% of the vote. County Clerk Pam Warford and Sheriff Mike

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GRAFTON - The citizens of Grafton overwhelmingly voted to pass a ½% Non-Home rule sales tax to support their police department and municipal operations in Tuesday’s ballot referendum by a 71 percent vote. “The Police Chief and I are extremely grateful to the citizens of Grafton for voting for this tax increase,” said Mayor Morrow. “This tax increase will generate roughly $68,000 annually and half of this tax increase will immediately allow us to adjust our officers and municipal workers' pay and offer a 3% match to their individual retirement accounts with money left over for needed equipment and training requirements.” Grafton Chief Of Police Eric Spanton said: “I am overwhelmed by the support and outpouring of concern from our citizens for our police officers. “I want to thank the mayor for working non-stop to help our officers and the department, this show of support from the community means a lot to us." The council will vote on

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SPRINGFIELD —Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez has announced plans to retire at the end of June, 2022. Perez has served over 7 years as Illinois State Fire Marshal and over 37 years in the public safety field. Before beginning his career in the fire service, Perez worked for two years as a patrol officer in the Kane County Sheriff’s Department. He then joined the Aurora Fire Department where he served 27 years and became certified as a paramedic, an arson investigator, and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief. “Matt Perez has been an outstanding Fire Marshal for all of Illinois, serving through administrations on both sides of the aisle and championing districts urban and rural alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “His decades in service offer an example in excellence for public servants across government, and while I’m sad to see him leave, his mark on the Fire Marshal’s office will long outlast his time in office thanks to his leadership

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ALTON - Get ready for a fireworks road trip to southwest Illinois with local communities ready to light up the night skies with a variety of fireworks shows starting Saturday, July 2 and running through Monday, July 4. Several communities in the Great Rivers & Routes region of southwest Illinois from Troy to Carlinville, Alton to Grafton are celebrating the long Independence Day weekend with celebrations that cap off with evening fireworks shows. Fireworks take center stage in Edwardsville , Carlinville, Girard, Gillespie, Greenfield, Brighton, and Grafton on Saturday, July 2. The Carlinville light show takes place at the Macoupin County Fairgrounds with gates opening at 8:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at dusk. Admission is free. Enjoy entertainment and food and drink specials at Grafton businesses and when the sun goes down, enjoy the fireworks lighting up the skies near Lighthouse Park at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers along the Grafton Riverfront.

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WOOD RIVER - Thanks to the foresight of the leadership for Wood River Township and their consultant Good Energy LP, its residents located in the unincorporated areas of the township are protected from the increasing costs of electric supply. Along with several other local communities and other townships, Wood River Township Supervisor, Mike Babcock, joined the municipal aggregation program nearly 10 years ago. The program has been successful over the years by saving residents money on their electric bills. However, it’s never been more successful than it is now. With the current volatility in the energy market, prices have skyrocketed. If not for the aggregation, the residents would have no choice but to receive their power supply from Ameren. In May, Ameren filed its latest rate increase with the Illinois Commerce Commission, since that time they have had to readjust those rates upward two additional times to the current rate. Rates starting in June will be .10628 per kilowatt

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