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EDWARDSVILLE - Tuesday is Election Day throughout Illinois. This a reminder to residents that polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Debbie Ming-Mendoza, Madison County Clerk, said her office has witnessed an absolute "uptick" in early voting compared to the 2018 similar timeframe. She said the vote by mail has also increased from that year in 2022. Mendoza said there are many important races in the state and area, starting with the election of the Illinois governor where incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey square off. There are many other statewide and local races with several important judge candidates on the ballot for positions. "We hope to see as many people to the polls on Tuesday as we can," Mendoza said. "There seems to be greater interest this time than in 2018.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased in a crash that occurred near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Cambrone Drive in St. Louis County's South County Precinct has been identified as David Coco, 72, of the 18500 block of South Fox Creek Lane in Pacific, Missouri. St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating the fatal motor crash. On November 7, 2022, at 12:26 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the South County Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Camborne Drive. Arriving officers located two vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. A preliminary investigation has revealed an adult female was driving a GMC Sierra northbound on Telegraph Road and attempted to turn westbound on Camborne Drive. A Ford F-250 was southbound on Telegraph Road and struck the Sierra. The adult female driving the Sierra, along with a 3-year-old child,

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ROXANA - The Roxana High School football team had a turnaround season in 2022. After last season's 2-7 campaign, the Shells managed to make the playoffs, win their first playoff game since 2014, and then leave everything on the field against an undefeated team that went on to knock them out in the second round. The main key to success for the program is running the football. No one loves to run the football more than junior running back Terrell Graves. He was one of the teams' go-to RBs alongside junior Evan Wells and senior Nik Ward. Graves, a junior, rushed 111 times for 1,062 yards on the season, an average of 9.6 a carry. He scored 10 touchdowns with a long TD run of 87 yards. Graves is a Midwest Members Credit Union Roxana Male Athlete of the Month for his efforts on the football field. Roxana's head coach Wade DeVries said Terrell was one of the better players on the team and arguably the fastest. "Terrell's success is a testament to his consistency in weight room and training,"

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Seniors - High Honor Roll Joseph Aiello Clarence Arnold Bryer Arview Brock Barrows Gabriel Bays Evangelynn Beasley Hailey Becker Carter Bloodworth Hayden Bodwell Jade Bowker Jace Brawner Ellah Brown Sophee Brown Gabrielle Bryant Dalton Buhs Caleb Butler Lauren Carpenter Meadow Cermak Jackson Collman Jocelyn Combes Darren Cox Tyson Davidsmeyer Bryce Davis Isabella Dugger Olivia Durbin Carter Ehlers Maireli Figueroa Nicholas Fiorino Zachary Fitzgerald Jynnifer Floyd Brady Geisler Kylee Golden Olivia Goodman Rylee Gorby Haley Greeling Dathan Greene Addilyn Hadley Nolan Halcomb Ryan Halley Journey Hammons Kaydence Harlan Ryleigh Haynes Laura Hicks Dylan Hoffmann Noah Huth Tyler Jenkins Alexia Joseph Isabella Kallal Jacob Knight Travis Kramer Caitlynn Laird Jarrett Lamb Hannah Laper Myah Lindley Alyssa Mann Gage Martin Bryanna McDuffie Hannah Meiser Hunter Meiser Marissa Meyer Ethan Miller Karli Miller Dylan Moore Adriana

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EDWARDSVILE - To view the full first quarter honor roll list, please click the link below: MELHS First Quarter Honor Roll PDF

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ST. LOUIS - November is Bladder Health Awareness Month and local urologists are working to raise awareness about some common bladder conditions that affect nearly 46 million people in the United States alone. Dr. Travis Bullock, a urologist with Urology of St. Louis, specializing in urologic conditions affecting women said urgency incontinence and stress incontinence are two common conditions people deal with silently. “Because this topic can cause embarrassment, people often feel they are the only ones struggling with bladder issues,” said Dr. Bullock. “We have all heard about potentially serious diseases affecting the bladder like bladder cancer. However, even bladder conditions that aren’t life-threatening can tremendously impact a person’s daily life. I want people to know that many treatments for these conditions are not only covered by insurance, but they are also highly effective, minimally invasive and can make a significant difference in your

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ALTON - As part of their continuing effort to meet the needs of Riverbend residents, the psychological services, behavioral health navigation and sleep services departments at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton, Illinois, recently moved to new spaces within the hospital. Next week, the public is invited to tour these new spaces, meet providers and learn about the many services offered. An open house will take place on November 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Attendees should enter at the main hospital entrance (1 Saint Anthony’s Way, Alton), and OSF Mission Partners (employees) will escort you to the event. The open house will offer a progressive dessert bar. Residents can also learn about resources to manage mental health issues like OSF SilverCloud and take a questionnaire on healthy sleep habits. Attendees can even get the process started to see a provider in the psychology or sleep departments. For example, residents can schedule a free screening

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ST. LOUIS - Schnuck Markets, Inc., is continuing its decades-long partnership with The Salvation Army during the upcoming holiday season. From Wednesday, Nov. 9 through Wednesday, Nov. 23, Schnucks customers can donate to The Salvation Army by choosing to “Round Up” their purchases to the nearest dollar. Those customers who use self-checkouts may choose a $1, $3, or $5 “Scan and Give” option. Schnucks Reward s members also can donate their Rewards to The Salvation Army, as part of the Donate Your Rewards program. Every penny of round-up donations will support The Salvation Army in the communities in which it is donated. In 2021, Schnucks and its customers donated $266,000 to The Salvation Army as part of the Round-Up campaign. At the conclusion of the Round-Up, Schnucks will welcome back The Salvation Army’s bell ringers and their iconic red kettles. Starting Friday, Nov. 25, and continuing through Christmas Eve, bell ringers will

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PIASA - Jillian Beilsmith is the kind of student-athlete that any coach would love to have on their team. She is one of the athletes that are always persistent and improves throughout each season. Jillian, a senior, started the girls' cross country season at 30 minutes in the three-mile but finished the season with a best of 24:00 for the Southwestern High School Piasa Birds. Jillian is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. "She has been a top three finisher in every race this year," Southwestern's head girls cross country coach Gary Bowker said. "She is normally our No. 2 runner. She leads the team with her hard-working example every day. Jillian improved her overall time on our home course by over six minutes during the course of the season." Jillian thanked her parents and sisters and Coach Gary Bowker for always providing her with so much encouragement during the season. She acknowledged her favorite part about cross country

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ALTON - A Community Job Fair is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, at Alton High School. View the Flyer HERE Employers represented are the Alton School District, Illinois Central School District, Arbor Management, Aramark, Alton Farm & Home Supply, Caritas Family Solutions, City of Alton, Beverly Farm, Army Recruiting Center, Target, Scott Air Force Base - 375th Force, Support Squadron-Human Resources, Illinois State Police, Alton Steel, Vandalia Bus Lines, Amazon, Gateway Regional Medical Center, Carrollton Bank and more… David Allison from Aramark says, "To my knowledge, this is the first Job Fair of its kind in the Alton Godfrey Area. We hope to make it an annual event.” Allison says, "We are still taking employers right up to the end of business on Wednesday." If you would like to have a space for your company contact David by email at dallison@altonschools.org or by phone at 618-433-7860. This is a free event for employers and job seekers of all

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ALTON – BJC HealthCare will make it easier for families to access BJC’s world-class care in the Godfrey area in 2023. BJC will develop a 14,000-square-foot outpatient care facility with additional shell space for future expansion at the corner of Godfrey Road and Celesta Street. The BJC Outpatient Center will offer care for patients of all ages, with space for primary and specialty care, laboratory and radiology services. Additionally, BJC Medical Group will relocate its Alton Memorial Convenient Care to this new Godfrey Road location. The building is within the Alton Memorial Hospital EMS coverage area, and an ambulance post will be established at the location. “Alton Memorial Hospital is excited to expand our array of outpatient services in Godfrey with our colleagues from the BJC Medical Group,” said Dave Braasch, president of Alton Memorial Hospital. “We believe this will add even more convenient access to high-quality health care for those people

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Monday that a Wood River man has received a three-year prison term for the battery of his grandfather. Justin M. Davenport, 36, received the sentence as part of a guilty plea to a charge of domestic battery – 2nd subsequent offense (a class 4 felony). Davenport also will have to serve four years of mandatory supervised release, formerly known as parole. Davenport pleaded guilty to punching his 86-year-old grandfather in the leg and pushing him on July 8 in Wood River. Davenport resided with the grandfather and has a previous conviction for battery of the grandfather. “We take elder abuse and domestic violence very seriously,” Haine said. “The family dynamics of such cases are complicated. After consultation with the victims, we believed that this term of incarceration was appropriate. We must cherish our senior citizens. Physical abuse cannot be tolerated.” Haine thanked Wood

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that more than 170 teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators from his office will be monitoring elections throughout Illinois on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to ensure that voters’ rights are protected, and polling places are accessible. Raoul urged voters to call his office if they encounter suspected improper or illegal activity. Chicago and northern Illinois voters can call 1-866-536-3496. Central and southern Illinois voters can call 1-866-559-6812. Dial 711 to access TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services before your call if needed. Attorney General Raoul also encouraged voters to be aware of their basic voting rights. “The right to participate in our nation’s democracy is one of the most fundamental rights we have as Americans,” Raoul said. “I am working closely with partners in law enforcement and fellow state attorneys general to ensure everyone has safe access to the polls. Voters

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GODFREY – Those considering a career in nursing are invited to attend Lewis and Clark Community College’s Nursing Open House, Nov. 10, on the college’s Godfrey Campus. Nursing Professor Denise Caldwell said attendees will be able to tour the state-of-the-art facilities in the Templin Nursing Building and learn details about what it takes to become a nurse. “The Open House provides a wonderful opportunity to get an inside look at everything our program has to offer,” she said. “Instructors and students will also be on hand to answer questions and share their experience in the program.” The event will also feature interactive exhibits and skill demonstrations in the simulation lab. The public is invited to attend from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Templin Nursing Building. For more information, call (618) 468-4401 or visit the website www.lc.edu/nursing .

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ALTON - Tammy Iskarous, founder and executive director of Riverbend Family Ministries, has recorded some incredible community achievements during her 10 years as executive director of Riverbend Family Ministries. She will be the person roasted and toasted at this year's Ninth Annual Local Celebrity Roast for Pride, Inc. Pride, Inc. is taking reservations for its roast that will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, December 1, at Lewis & Clark Community College. The reception for the event begins at 5 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6 p.m. The Roast begins at 6:55 p.m. and concludes by 8. Ten years ago, Tammy Iskarous had the vision to bring smaller nonprofits all under one roof so they could work together holistically for families in crisis due to violence, addiction, homelessness, and poverty. Riverbend Family Ministries, an incubator model of care, has been recognized by leaders in Madison County and Illinois. Tammy has also been on the boards of other nonprofits, such as YWCA - Alton, Wood

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EDWARDSVILLE - As the community prepares to celebrate the season of giving, Home Instead® encourages Edwardsville area residents to share the holiday spirit with older adults who may not have family and feel alone. Through Be a Santa to a Senior ® , community members can give a special holiday gift to an older adult who may otherwise go without. “A simple gift can bring such joy to older adults who may not have loved ones to celebrate with,” said Nikki Bishop, owner of the Edwardsville Home Instead office. “Through Be a Santa to a Senior , we can help them feel the holiday spirit.” This year program coordinators hope to collect 250 gifts for local older adults. This is the program’s 2 nd year in the area. To participate, shoppers can look for Be a Santa to a Senior trees or displays at locations around the area. Ornaments featuring the name and desired gift of an older adult will be on display, and shoppers can buy the requested gift and

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GRAFTON - On November 3, various city, county, and state agencies came together at Grafton City Hall in an exercise designed to analyze and coordinate their proposed actions in response to a flood emergency. Doug Downing, Coordinator for Region 8 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), created and led the exercise which allowed the various groups to hear responses from all participants during the forecast, flooding, and recovery stages of a major flood scenario. IEMA developed the exercise based on a request from the Grafton mayor after a meeting they had in Springfield last year. “It’s rare that a municipality requests this type of help, so we were glad to come and conduct this exercise for Grafton. IEMA has responded here in the past and that history was helpful, but the real benefit of this exercise is that we all now have a plan at the city, county, and state levels. We can respond efficiently to future flooding events and minimize coordination efforts with

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On Monday, the bi-partisan group of Sixty-Two (62) State’s Attorneys who have sued to overturn the Safe-T Act released the following joint statement: “As the Chief Legal Officers of our respective Counties we swore to protect and defend the rule of law. Therefore, we are compelled to inform the people of the State of Illinois, that the SAFE-T Act is unconstitutional and a serious threat to public safety, specifically, to victims of and witnesses to violent crimes in our communities. This is not political. We are Democrats and Republicans. Whatever the result of the various elections decided tomorrow, our fundamental legal concerns with the SAFE-T Act remain. "The SAFE-T Act violates the constitutional requirement that all bills “shall be confined to a single subject,” but the SAFE-T Act quite obviously covers several unrelated subjects across its 764 pages. "A court’s ability to require a monetary bail is specifically stated in the Constitution Yet the

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ST. LOUIS - Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design is proud to announce its Cascade Mausoleum is recognized by the 2022 Architecture Awards. Architecture MasterPrize gave the mausoleum, located in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, an Honorable Mention in Architectural Design. A mausoleum had not been built in Bellefontaine Cemetery for over 70 years. Then a family approached Thomas Wall of Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design to design a mausoleum. They trusted Wall and his process and allowed him to express his creativity without financial or aesthetic restrictions. “Thomas has an amazing appreciation of art and beauty,” said the client, who wishes to remain anonymous. “He has the unique ability to extract, cultivate, and realize a vision that goes far beyond simple bricks and mortar. Mitchell Wall does not miss a detail." Built at a cost of $5.3 million, the structure with a solid concrete core encased in granite panels and blocks overlooks Cascade Lake. Visitors

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ST. LOUIS - To honor veterans this Veterans Day, Scooter’s Coffee is giving back to those who have proudly served our country. On Friday, Nov. 11, veterans can receive a free handcrafted drink of any size at Scooter’s Coffee. Veterans can choose from any of Scooter’s Coffee hot, iced or blended drinks, including holiday favorites such as a Peppermint Mocha , Praline Caramelicious®, and Sugar Cookie Latte – all made with rich, fresh espresso. Veterans can visit scooterscoffee.com/menu for a full list of delicious drink offerings. “We are grateful to veterans and all military members for their courage, sacrifice, and commitment to serve and protect our freedom,” said Joe Thornton, President of Scooter’s Coffee, LLC. “Scooter’s Coffee customers, dedicated franchisees, and employees are passionate about helping veterans in the communities we serve, and we are honored to give back to those who exemplify our company Core Value

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