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EAST ALTON — United Way’s annual Community Christmas drive is looking for businesses, organizations, schools, churches and stores to host donation boxes and collect items for those in need during the upcoming holidays. A business can serve as a donation drop-off location by requesting one or more boxes to place within their location, accessible for customers, visitors or employees. Those interested in receiving a box should call 618-258-9800. The boxes are provided courtesy of Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery and are of no cost. Boxes will be delivered to locations in mid-November and picked up from businesses in early December. This year, Community Christmas will support dozens of local nonprofits in the Southwest Illinois area. This summer, Freer Auto Body held its annual Christmas in July event that raised a over $52,000 for Community Christmas to purchase needed items for local families. About United Way of Greater St. Louis United Way of Greater St. Louis

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O'FALLON - Senior wide receiver Daion Gaston had a big game in Edwardsville's 43-36 win in the first round of the IHSA Class 8A football playoffs on Oct. 29 at OTHS Panther Stadium, catching three touchdown passes from quarterback Jake Curry and taking a kickoff back 85 yards for another touchdown to help the Tigers advance to the second round. It was a very happy Tiger sideline when the time ran out, and like his teammates and coaches, Gaston was ecstatic after the game. "I'm feeling great right now," Gaston said during a postgame interview. "I'm just happy we get to move on to round two in the playoffs." Gaston is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. Gaston also talked about his kickoff return for the touchdown, which gave the Tigers the lead back at 21-14 with 8:51 remaining in the second quarter. "I'm feeling good," Gaston said. "I just saw that hole and I cut it back and I was gone. I know that last game (against CBC), it was like three times I could have

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COLLINSVILLE – Cooler temperatures have arrived and most of us have turned on our natural gas furnaces for the first time this fall. As an important safety reminder, Ameren Illinois is encouraging residential and business customers to have their furnaces inspected by a professional HVAC technician to check for potential natural gas leaks. Natural gas in its pure form is odorless and colorless. Ameren Illinois adds an odorant to create the distinctive rotten egg smell that makes it easier to identify and detect gas while better protecting public safety. “A customer should never smell natural gas in or around their home or business. If they do, they need to leave the premises immediately and call Ameren Illinois at 1-800-755-5000,” said Leonard Singh, President of Ameren Illinois. “Our crews will respond immediately no matter what time of day, seven days a week, and there is absolutely no charge to the customer.” Natural gas leak response is a high

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Annual Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce Halloween Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The line-up begins at 4 p.m. in the Woodland Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School parking lots. All parade entries should be in place no later than 5 p.m., the Edwardsville Chamber of Commerce said. The parade begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Every year, the parade has tremendous participation with floats, bands, community and school organizations, politicians, businesses, and athletes taking part, along with government officials and more. The Chamber says the safest place to unload are the parking lots of Woodland Elementary and Lincoln Middle School. “Follow the specific instructions of police officers at the end of the parade route,” the Chamber said. “Do not pull over on Main Street and unload.”

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ALTON - The 105th Alton Halloween Parade should once again be a showcase for the region, Steve Schwartz, East End Improvement Association's publicity coordinator for the parade, said. The parade will begin at 7 p.m. Monday on Broadway and Washington and will conclude at Piasa and Fifth Streets. East End Improvement Association is the long-time Alton Halloween Parade sponsor. The parade will be live-streamed once again on Riverbender.com . The Riverbender.com Daily Show's C.J. Nasello will be the prime host of the parade for the live stream. Stella Cowan, an Alton High School freshman, won the poster contest to be featured in the Alton Halloween Parade. It is shown below. Schwartz said there will be "tremendous participation" in the annual Alton event. "We have received a lot of good responses," he said. "The Halloween Parade is the biggest event every year in Alton and it is typically wall-to-wall people along the route. There aren't many gaps." The Grandpa Gang will be this

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City High School congratulates five graduates who are entering the GCHS Wall of Fame Class of 2022. Jack Jenkins ( Class of 1971) , Jerry Kent ( Class of 1971) , Robin Nunn ( Class of 1973) , Mike Patton (Class of 1981) and Kim Seybert (Class of 1975) will be honored on Friday, November 11 during induction ceremonies in the GCHS atrium. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 6:30 p.m. To reserve a table of eight seats for $200, please email GCHS Principal Daren DePew: daren.depew@gcsd9.net . Jack Jenkins - Class of 1971 Jack Jenkins was the resident house organist at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, a position he held until retiring in 2021. While at the Fox, Jenkins recorded two record albums that sold throughout the states including Australia, Canada, England and Germany. In 1987 he changed directions accepting a position in sales at the Wicks Pipe Organ Company. This opened the world t

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GODFREY – The Lewis and Clark Community College Veterans Club will host an American Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, November 9, in the Hatheway Cultural Center Gallery on L&C’s Godfrey Campus. “We are proud to be working again with the American Red Cross on this great campus and community blood drive,” said L&C Director of Career and Veteran Services Terry Lane. “By taking part in this opportunity to help others, you just might save a life. Please make an effort to attend, and please share this information with your family and friends.” To schedule an appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor Code: LewisClark1 or call 800-RED CROSS. Walk-ins are always welcome, but scheduling an appointment helps the Red Cross make sure they have the right number of people and supplies on hand for the drive. Those who wish to donate can streamline their donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $36,103,607 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bring high-speed internet access to people living and working across 13 counties in Illinois. Today’s investments include funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which provided a historic $65 billion to expand reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the United States. “The pandemic emphasized that Illinoisans need access to high-speed internet to run their businesses and farms, go to school, access health care, connect with family and friends, and more,” said Durbin. “Today’s grant announcement for Hamilton County Telephone Co-Op and Shelby Electric Cooperative will help make high-speed internet access a reality for folks across rural Illinois. I’ll continue to work with Sen. Duckworth to brin

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BELLEVILLE - After unveiling updates made to the Belleville Transit Center in June as part of the “Transit Stop Transformation” project, the St. Clair County Transit District today celebrated the completion of an additional $348,000 in upgrades at the highly utilized station, located at 718 Scheel Street in Belleville. The improvements, which include rider amenities and office space, were made possible through an IDOT Capital Grant and local sales tax funding. A celebration got underway at 7:30 a.m., featuring an open house for riders and area residents to explore the newly revamped 2,352 square-feet of space, while enjoying beverages and sweet treats. A ribbon cutting ceremony was also held, and formal remarks were made by City of Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory and representatives from St. Clair County Transit, Chestnut Health Services and Citizens for Modern Transit. The upgrades include two, fully renovated public restrooms; refreshed lobby space, featuring décor,

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GREENVILLE, IL - Kaufmann Hall, the new residence hall under construction on Greenville University’s campus, is named in honor of Dr. M. Kenneth Kaufmann and family. It only seems fitting to name the new building that will house 246 students after the man who offered up space in his own home to many students who needed it. Most GU alumni from 1959 to 2000 recall Dr. Kenneth Kaufmann (Class of 1949) as Greenville College’s physician, husband to Stella (Butcher ’54), and father to seven children, six who attended GU. He also taught health and science classes at the institution. Over the years, he and his family opened their home to at least 24 students, a gesture that helped his young house guests afford college. Jerry Britt, a 1983 alumnus, stayed with the Kaufmanns during his sophomore year and remembers his time there fondly. He says they treated any student who lived with them like family. “Dr. Kaufmann was a successful doctor, but a down-to-earth guy

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More pics at: https://www.randymanning.com/Bus-or-Treat ALTON - The Bus or Treat Halloween event late last week brought out bus drivers dressed in costumes with an abundance of children in attendance. Once again the Bus Or Treat was a large success. Brandi Williams, a recruiter/trainer/bus driver for Illinois Central with a 4525 Alby location, was the coordinator of the Bus Or Treat event. “I started this last year, and we ran with it again this year,” Williams said. “I kept seeing all the trunk-or-treats and I wanted to have one that used buses instead of cars.” Williams said one of her main goals for the event was to share the Halloween spirit with children and also show the community the bus company and drivers want to be involved and are not just a bus company. “There were a lot of great costumes and I think the children had a lot of fun,” Williams added.

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CHICAGO – Powerball fever is sweeping Illinois as the jackpot climbs to a mind-blowing $1 billion for Monday night’s drawing. To celebrate the historic jackpot, the Illinois Lottery is hosting a ‘Halloween Ticket Grab Challenge’, hoping to turn the spookiest day of the year to the luckiest for some players. This Halloween, the Illinois Lottery is giving players a chance to scoop up over 1,000 free Powerball tickets at one of the top 10 ‘winningest’ Powerball stores in Illinois. Players can show off their Halloween spirit and join in on the fun at Lucky Mart, located at 2900 W. 87th St. in Chicago from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm on Monday, October 31. Lucky Mart has sold the most winning Powerball tickets in Illinois so far this year. For the Halloween Ticket Grab Challenge, the Illinois Lottery is setting up a money machine full of Powerball tickets, ready to be scooped up by excited players. Once inside the money machine, players have a few seconds

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EAST ST. LOUIS – On October 27, 2022, the Office of the St. Clair County State’s Attorney James Gomric charged 28-year-old Brion C. Earts of East St. Louis with Failure to Report an Accident Involving Death (Class 1 Felony), Reckless Homicide (Class 3 Felony), and Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer (Class 4 Felony) that resulted in the death of a 59-year-old male of East St. Louis on August 24, 2022. Earts was taken into custody without incident and will be held at the St. Clair County Jail. Bond on the above charges for Earts was set at $50,000, 10 percent to apply. ISP said no further information will be disseminated at this time.

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BRADLEY – On October 27, 2022, the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 3 officials arrested 23-year-old Jaron M. Shannon Kankakee, IL for one count of Unlawful Sale of a Firearm (Class 2 Felony), one count Unlawful Sale of a Firearm (Class 3 Felony), one count of Unlawful Purchase of a Firearm (Class 2 Felony) and ten counts of Failure to Maintain Records of a Firearm Sale (Class A Misdemeanor). On December 29, 2021, at approximately 9:41 p.m., the Bradley Police Department responded to the Comfort Inn, 1500 north State Route 50, for reported dogs barking in an unattended vehicle which was parked in the parking lot. Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic was shot and killed. Officer Tyler Bailey was also shot and critically wounded. Darius Sullivan and Xandria Harris were subsequently arrested for First Degree Murder. ISP DCI Zone 3 Agents conducted an investigation into the firearm used on December 29th. Through the investigation, it was discovered

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EDWARDSVILLE — The Madison County Finance and Government Operations Committee on Monday approved a proposed $182.6 million fiscal year 2023 budget, along with a $30.8 million property tax levy. The committee voted on Thursday to send the proposed FY2023 budget and zero-growth tax levy to the County Board at 5 p.m. on Nov. 16. The new fiscal year starts on Dec. 1. “Once again the county balanced the budget and kept its property tax levy flat,” Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. “It’s been the County Board’s priority to reduce reliance on property taxes.” In 2017, the board lowered the tax levy by $1.8 mill to $30.8 million and it’s remained at that level. County Board member and Finance Committee Chair Chris Guy said the administration met with department heads and elected officials to put together a balanced spending plan. “We got a budget that does not increase taxes,” Guy said. “It also supports public safety in a time

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La SALLE – On October 27, 2022, at approximately 8 p.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) responded to a report of an interstate shooting on I-39 northbound near Hope Township at milepost 40 in LaSalle County. With a general description of the suspected vehicle, ISP officers located the vehicle and began following it on I-39 near LaSalle at milepost 57. Around Mendota at milepost 75, a passenger in the vehicle fired multiple shots toward the ISP squad car, hitting the car. Fortunately, the ISP officer was not injured. ISP continued to follow the vehicle further north, and after briefly losing sight of it, located it again on I-39 northbound near Monroe at milepost 112. At that time, ISP Air Operations had the vehicle in sight and ISP officers on the ground initiated a pursuit, which continued into Wisconsin. ISP provided information to the Clinton Police Department in Wisconsin, enabling them to deploy stop sticks. Ultimately, the vehicle ran out of gas and the three suspect

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating a fatal motor crash near the intersection of West Florissant Avenue and Buzz Westfall Road which resulted in the death of an adult female. On October 27, 2022, at 6:00 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the Jennings precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident near the intersection of West Florissant Avenue and Buzz Westfall Road. Arriving officers located two motor vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation has revealed a Saturn Ion was traveling southbound on West Florissant Avenue. The Saturn made a left turn into oncoming traffic onto Buzz Westfall Road when it was struck on the passenger side by a Ford transit van. The driver of the Saturn, a 74-year-old female, was conveyed to an area hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries but succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officials have issued a request to the public for any information regarding the death investigation of Andrew Long. On October 10, 2017, Andrew Long was found lying in the street near Manchester Park in Manchester, Illinois, with a head injury. Long was hospitalized and ultimately died from his injuries on October 19, 2017. Because of the questionable nature of Long’s death, ISP DCI Zone 4 Investigators are continuing to actively pursue any leads which could provide information regarding the circumstances of Long’s injuries and how he came to be at the location he was found. Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact ISP Zone 4 Investigations at (217)782-4750 Crime Stoppers of Morgan & Scott County online at morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com or (217) 243-7300. Tips also may be submitted by texting 274637 (CRIMES) with the first word of the tip being “payout”.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The 13th annual Edwardsville Turkey Trot 5k will take place this Thanksgiving in both in-person and virtual formats for 2022. Hosted by Edwardsville Neighbors, proceeds from the event will help local families in need. This year’s in-person 5k will be held on Thursday, Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day), from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. There will also be an in-person Kids Fun Run for ages 12 and under that will take place earlier that morning from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Both in-person runs will start at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Parking Lot F. More information about the route can be found at this link . There is also a Virtual 5k option taking place at any time from Nov. 24-30. As of this writing, the registration cost for both the in-person and virtual 5k is $30, and the cost for the Kids Fun Run is $15 - but those prices are set to increase on Nov. 1, so interested readers should register soon at this link . Chad Opel, co-founder of Edwardsville

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ALTON - Riverbender Radio is once again celebrating Halloween weekend with a spooky soundtrack of traditional Halloween favorites and music from classic horror films and tv for the residents of the River Bend and beyond. Special programming will run on The Bridge station only from 3 p.m. to midnight today, Oct. 28th through Halloween. Halloween has always been an important holiday for Riverbender.com since the site launched on Halloween day in 2005. The business has since participated in Alton's Annual Halloween Parade and other area parades on many occasions. This is The Bridge station's second year providing special Halloween programming. And, leading up to Christmas, The Bridge will once again shift its sound to seasonal favorites. This weekend you can expect popular songs I Put A Spell On You by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett, This Is Halloween by Michel Elias, Thriller, and Ghosts by Michael Jackson, Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band, Somebody's Watchin

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