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A total of nine potential cases have been reported to IDPH Dating to January; Illinois Healthcare Providers Advised to be on the Lookout and Report Potential Cases to Public Health Authorities SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that it has received reports of a total of nine patients under investigation for severe hepatitis in children under ten years of age, up from three that were reported in April. The cases date back to January, and the most recent had the onset of symptoms in May. Two-thirds of the children tested positive for adenovirus , a common virus that typically causes cold- or flu-like illness. Five patients were reported in northern Illinois, two were in the western part of the state and one each was reported in the central and southern parts of the state. All of the children were hospitalized, and one needed a liver transplant. No deaths were reported. The IDPH update follows a recent briefing by the CDC about

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EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Community Unit Schools District #7 has named Dr. Rusti Blount as principal of Lincoln Middle School. Blount’s hire was approved on May 23 by the District #7 Board of Education. She will take the school’s helm beginning with the 2022-23 school year. "Dr. Blount is a proven educator who has the knowledge, dedication and commitment that will be valuable in leading Lincoln Middle School,” said District #7 Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. “We look forward to seeing our staff and students at Lincoln thrive under her leadership.” Blount has served as a special education teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school level, while her previous leadership roles include serving as an elementary school principal and a program specialist for special education. “I am excited to join Lincoln Middle School and look forward to working with the staff and families to empower each student to meet their success.” As a

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SPRINGFIELD – These are statements from a variety of individuals from education representatives, to politicians about the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting where a reported at least 21 are dead. The following is attributable to Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi Griffin, IEA Vice President Al Llorens, and IEA Secretary/Treasurer Tom Tully regarding the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas: “We face another tragedy – an almost unbearable and oft-repeated incident of kids getting on a bus, going to school, and hanging up their backpacks on a hook in a classroom to never walk out. “The anguish of the families of these innocent children who were murdered, the two brave and nurturing teachers who tried to protect them, and of the Uvalde, Tex. community as a whole is almost too hard to watch. “It should raise red flags for us as a country that in the cases of Robb Elementary School, of the Tops grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y.,

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O’FALLON, Ill. — When a stroke occurs, doctors often say “time is brain.” That’s because every minute the brain is without oxygen due to a stroke, two million brain cells die. This can often lead to brain damage, disability or death. “Treatment for stroke can begin in the ambulance, so it’s really important to get someone who may be having a stroke medical assistance as soon as possible,” says Dr. Pavan Gupta, cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular. “Always call 9-1-1 if a stroke is suspected as immediate treatment and early intervention may minimize the long-term effects of stroke.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of stroke every four minutes. HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital encourages everyone to know the signs of a stroke by remembering the phrase/acronym BE FAST : B – Balance difficulty: Sudden

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ST. LOUIS - An unprecedented disruption in the global supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic is still having a major impact on many U.S. industries. Freight rail has had to adapt daily over the last two years to keep goods moving, and Union Pacific Railroad is taking its lessons learned, investing in adding more capacity and committing to moving more intermodal freight. That commitment includes investing $600 million of capital in 2022 alone as the company works to add more than one million lifts to the intermodal franchise and ramps up hiring so resources match demand. The various ways that Union Pacific continues to adapt and invest to keep freight moving were the focus of one of the panel discussions during FreightWeekSTL 2022. “Throughout the supply chain crisis, Union Pacific has been working to make sure that we're agile with our resources,” said Elise Gosch, assistant vice president Marketing and Sales – Premium Intermodal at Union Pacific. “Every

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BUNKER HILL - SIHF Healthcare is pleased to announce that staff member James Nanney, PA-C, has been awarded the 2022 Excellence in Clinical Education Award from Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University. Nanney serves as a Physician Assistant at SIHF Healthcare located at 144 N. Washington Street, Bunker Hill, Ill. The nomination letters submitted by colleagues and students recognized his many significant contributions to fostering student learning during their fieldwork experience. Nanney has been the only preceptor in the Physician Assistant program to be nominated every year for the last 12 years. His practice-specific knowledge and passion for communicating and engaging in their learning experience as an educator and role model has prepared them to be the competent and compassionate health care professionals of the future. “I’d like to personally congratulate James on receiving this well-deserved honor,” said Cathy Sabolo, Health Center Manager

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ST. LOUIS - For the fifth consecutive year, Schnuck Markets, Inc. is proud to support the Folds of Honor Foundation through a “Round Up at the Register” campaign taking place at all 112 Schnucks stores throughout the Midwest. Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that honors the sacrifices of fallen and disabled military veterans by providing educational scholarships to their spouses and children. Last year’s efforts raised $1 million which funded 200 scholarships. Starting today and continuing through Monday, July 4 (Independence Day), Schnucks customers will be able to contribute to Folds of Honor at checkout simply by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar. Those customers who use self-checkouts and wish to give may choose a $1, $3 or $5 “Scan and Give” option. Schnucks Rewards members also have the opportunity to donate their Rewards points to Folds of Honor as part of the Donate Your Rewards program. One-hundred percent of all

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EDWARDSVILLE - At the regularly-scheduled Madison County Republican Central Committee (MCRCC) meeting, precinct committeemen voted to endorse two candidates for re-election in the June 28 th primary. State Representative Amy Elik and Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser received Republican party endorsements after being recommended by the MCRCC Executive Committee. “This election cycle, Republicans have an unprecedented opportunity to build on our success. Our county party will put its full weight behind our endorsed candidates to ensure their victory in June, and again in November,” said Ray Wesley, Chairman of the Madison County Republican Central Committee. “Representative Elik has been a strong voice for Madison County during her tenure in Springfield, fighting for lower taxes, Second Amendment rights, and protecting the unborn,” Wesley continued. “Treasurer Slusser has taken the county investment portfolio to the next level, moving Madison County

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THE CONVERSATION - When the Columbine High School massacre took place in 1999 it was seen as a watershed moment in the United States – the worst mass shooting at a school in the country’s history. Now, it ranks fourth. The three school shootings to surpass its death toll of 13 – 12 students, one teacher – have all taken place within the last decade: 2012’s Sandy Hook Elementary attack , in which a gunman killed 26 children and school staff; the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which claimed the lives of 17 people ; and now the Robb Elementary School assault in Uvalde, Texas , where on May 24, 2022, at least 19 children and two adults were murdered. We are criminologists who study the life histories of public mass shooters in the U.S. As part of that research, we built a comprehensive database of mass public shootings using public data, with the shooters coded on over 200 different variables, including

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are currently investigating a homicide in the 3200 block of Country Hollow Drive which resulted in the death of an adult male. The deceased has been identified as Dennis Abeln, 72 years of age, of the 3200 block of Country Hollow Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63129. On May 24, 2022, at approximately 6:33 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the South County Precinct responded to a call for service for an Assault Just Occurred in the 3200 block of Country Hollow Drive. Arriving officers located an adult male, 72 years of age, who had been struck by a motor vehicle. The victim was transported to an area hospital for life saving treatment but succumbed to his injuries. A 16-year-old juvenile remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation. The juvenile suspect was taken into custody and referred to Family Court. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville High School girls soccer team is headed to the Sectional Championship game this Friday (May 27) to take on Normal Community High School. It comes after beating the O’Fallon Panthers for the first time this season by a score of 2-0. The Tigers lost to O’Fallon twice in the regular season by scores of 5-1 and 2-1. The third time was indeed the charm for the Tigers, thanks to the help of their star forward, junior Olivia Baca. She netted a brace (two goals) within the span of 13 minutes in the first half against the Panthers in the sectional game. Olivia is one of the iCAN Clinic Female Athletes of the Month for Edwardsville High School. When asked about how it felt to score the two goals she replied: “It feels really good, especially against them.” Her first goal came in the 11 th minute off of a half breakaway. She beat her defender and then slotted the ball past the keeper to take an early 1-0 lead. She and her teammates

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GLEN CARBON – When Girl Scout Cadettes focus on an issue they care about, learn the facts, and take action to make a difference, they gain the confidence and skills that will catapult them to lifelong success. It all adds up to the Girl Scout Silver Award – the highest honor a Cadette in grades 6-8 can achieve. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is pleased to announce this year’s class of Silver Award Girl Scouts who were honored at the annual Recognition of Excellence ceremony on Sunday, May 15. Congratulations to all our Silver Award Girl Scouts! Troop #74 from the Belleville/Swansea area Project: Encouraging Students to Recycle Aria Brown Troop #74 from the Belleville/Swansea area Project: Preserving Pollinators Kyleigh Bagby Troop #121 from the ClinClair area Project: Humane Society Enrichment Walk Isabelle Tripp Elizabeth White Kate Wittenstrom Troop #163 from the O’Fallon/Shiloh/Fairview Heights area Project: Busy Blankets

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ALTON - Tackling any task – from a child walking to an adult learning a new job – starts with a first step. The same goes for taking care of your mental and behavioral health, but even the experts admit it may be daunting to ask for help. In the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month , experts are reminding you there are resources to bridge the gap between “What do I do?” and “I have the care I need.” Katie Koeller is a behavioral health navigator (BHN) at OSF HealthCare in Alton, Illinois . BHN is a free, ministry-wide service at OSF HealthCare, but you don’t have to be an OSF HealthCare patient to use it. The program helps people in areas like depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol use, and problems with work, school, or relationships. The BHN talks to the patient – either at a provider’s office or over the phone – about what care they need, and they point the person to that care as close to home and as soon as possible.

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EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt was appointed to the Nonprofit Electric Generation Task Force to continue his support for the Prairie State Generation Campus. “I have been a longstanding champion of bringing clean energy to the Metro East and am honored to have the opportunity to continue to advocate for a cleaner community,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “As a member of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, I am proud to show my support for the coal plant that gives thousands of residents electricity. The task force investigates the technical and financial options to install carbon capture, sequestration, utilization and direct air capture, assess the existing regulatory construct and any legislative support mechanisms necessary to reduce carbon and prepare a report of the findings at the Prairie State Generation Campus. Located in the Metro East, Prairie State provides energy to 180 communities across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Throughout

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STAUNTON – Rural broadband is more than making an Internet connection, it’s about connecting people and giving back to our local communities. This year marks the 17 th year that Madison Communications has sponsored the Teacher of the Year Awards contest! Madison has proudly contributed over $19,000 to local area schools through this program. The Teacher of the Year program annually presents an award to three teachers. Teachers employed at school districts within Madison’s service areas are eligible to be nominated for this award. The contest takes place from March 1 st to May 2 nd and is divided into the nomination and voting phase. During the month of March Madison received a total of 140 nominations and during the month of April, they received over 12,000 votes. The three teachers who received the highest number of votes were announced on May 2 nd on social media platforms as well as on the https://gomadison.com/ website. The 2022 Teacher of the Year winners

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GLEN CARBON - May 25, 2022: St. Mary’s student, Lucas Frohnert, was Mayor for the day for The Villiage of Glen Carbon. He won this experience at the 2022 St. Mary’s School PTC Auction. Thank you Mayor Bob Marcus for donating this amazing experience. The Event Chair, Elizabeth Moody, explains, “It is incredibly generous of Mayor Marcus to not only donate this incredible experience but to take the time to plan such a meaningful and neat day for one of our students. Experience-based items like what Mr. Marcus donated are what make our auction successful, fun, and memorable.” With the help of Mayor Marcus and so many other local businesses, parents, donors, and school & parish families the St. Mary’s Auction was able to raise over $140k and will be building a brand new playground.

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ALTON - It is highly possible that residents may be able to enjoy a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte by fall 2022 in Alton, Alton Mayor David Goins said on Tuesday. Mayor Goins confirmed Tuesday that Starbucks is definitely coming to Alton and will position itself where the old Shop & Save gas station was once located on Homer Adams Parkway. He said the company had to do some additional soil and cleanup work in the area because it had once been the location of a gas station, but now it appears full steam ahead. “There will be quite a lot of excitement when Starbucks opens and it will definitely be a boost to our community,” the mayor said. “People have been asking a lot about Starbucks. People love their products and it is nice to know a business of Starbucks’ national stature is coming to Alton.” Mayor Goins extended kudos to those who have worked on Starbucks coming to Alton and said there was much work done before he became mayor on the project so he extende

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CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker today urged President Joe Biden and the federal government to ensure that Illinois receives federal funding that reflects its growth of 250,000 residents, lifting the state’s population to more than 13 million for the first time in its history. Illinois’s population was undercounted by roughly 2% in the 2020 census. The adjusted Census results show an increase in Illinois’ population as people move to the state in pursuit of expanded economic and employment opportunities. “Illinois is growing, and our federal funding should reflect that reality,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Nearly 250,000 Illinoisans—the majority of whom are from historically disenfranchised and underserved communities—were not represented in the Census results. That’s why I have urged President Biden and the federal government to ensure that the local communities of Illinois receive the federal dollars they are entitled to—and

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden, both of Illinois’ U.S. Senators - Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) - joined several other senators from across the country and political aisle to ask Biden to expedite the addition of Sweden and Finland into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Sweden and Finland recently announced their intent to join NATO, according to the senators’ letter. The senators wrote that the addition of Sweden and Finland into the alliance would send a “clear message” to enemies of NATO, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. “As Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has proven, NATO, along with our democratic partners around the world, is more united than ever in opposition to the illegal acts of war waged by President Putin,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Expanding NATO to include Finland and Sweden will send a clear message to Vladimir Putin, and any

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dennis Bouvier, PhD, professor in the School of Engineering’s Department of Computer Science, is the recipient of the 2022 Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award . The highly competitive award is annually presented by the SIUE Graduate School to a faculty member who has a proven record of combining scholarship and teaching. The recognition demonstrates the belief that to be a good teacher, one must also be a good scholar. Award recipients have made significant contributions to original research or creative activities, and have successfully integrated those contributions into their teaching practices. “I am surprised and pleased,” shared Bouvier. “Surprised because I know there are many other wonderful teacher-scholars at SIUE, and pleased that others see the value in the work I have been doing.” Bouvier’s research interest is in the area of computing education, specifically

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