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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and its community partners are recognizing December 8th as Latina Equal Pay Day, a day acknowledging the pay disparity between Latinx American women and white men. On average, Latina workers in the United States are paid 49 cents for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic man. Latina Equal Pay Day is the final equal pay day of the year as Latinas face the largest wage gaps among women workers and all major race, ethnicity, and gender groups. The day marks how far into the next year Latinas must work to earn what white men earned in 2021; said another way, it takes Latinas nearly 24 months to earn what a white man earns in 12 months. “Women continue to comprise a large percentage of the American workforce, and yet make less than their male counterparts,” said Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan. “This day should be marked to honor the contributions of Latina women to Illinois’

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CHICAGO - As the colder months approach, the demand for shelter is growing and many shelter providers are already approaching maximum capacity. The increased demand could create difficulties for shelters, putting some of the most vulnerable Illinois residents at risk. To address this concern, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced today an additional $5 million is being invested to support the expansion of access to emergency shelters during the winter months. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: shelter is not a privilege—it’s a right,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With the winter season well underway and snowy days on our horizon, we are investing $5 million to ensure that no Illinoisan goes without the shelter they need to stay warm, safe, and healthy. This additional funding will help emergency shelters expand their operations—keeping a roof over the head of every Illinoisan who needs it.” “The

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CHICAGO — The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) announced a $2.8 million Transitional Housing Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) today. This federally funded Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) NOFO secures transitional housing services for individuals whose housing needs arise from or are a cause of their victimization. The statewide NOFO offers grants to public agencies and non-profit organizations that support programs that provide survivors safety, independence, and stable housing. “Everyone deserves to feel safe and protected. But, unfortunately, for many survivors of victimization, basic housing resources are threatened, reduced, or eliminated,” said ICJIA Executive Director Delrice Adams. “Secure housing is critical for survivors as they begin their paths to healing in both urban and rural areas. This funding opportunity will provide much-needed housing resources for survivors and their families.” Survivors of violence face significant

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EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 is inviting all community members to complete a brief survey. One of the key priorities of District 7 is ongoing community engagement. It is important to find ways to share ideas and listen to our community’s hopes, priorities, and goals for our schools. During the past few months, the Engage District 7 community engagement program has worked towards developing a facility improvement plan for the school district. The opinions of the community are important as the District continues to move forward, and input from the survey will assist in finding ways to work together to continue to improve our schools. The survey may be accessed at www.ecusd7.org/survey . Those wishing to have a copy of the survey mailed to them, may call the District 7 offices at 618-656-1182. Surveys should be completed by Dec. 15, 2022.

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CHICAGO – In response to the hospitalization of state Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign), Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement: “Scott Bennett is genuine, kind, and dedicated to serving his constituents. MK and I are keeping Scott, Stacy, and his entire family and community in our prayers.” A spokesperson with his office confirmed the Champaign senator is at Carle Hospital Thursday. There were not any details provided on why he is in the hospital or his condition. Bennett is a former Assistant State’s Attorney for Champaign County. He has represented Champaign and Vermillion counties in the General Assembly since January 2015. Bennett made headlines for filing an amendment on behalf of several state attorneys on the SAFE-T Act.

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JERSEYVILLE - Students in the Jersey Community High School Advanced Design class have been busy this holiday season making their own crafts and merchandise to sell for a good cause. Advanced Design teacher Erica Heitzig challenged her students to raise $100 each to donate to kids at JCHS who otherwise wouldn’t have Christmas gifts, and she said they have all reached that goal. Students worked individually or in groups and have been hard at work crafting handmade ornaments, designing sweatshirts, and promoting their products on social media. Heitzig said one team of four girls advertised their embroidered sweatshirts on social media and got 65 orders overnight. “It’s been neat to see what the students have done - some are doing machine embroidery, some are doing handmade crotchet ornaments, others are using the sewing machine or our Glowforge laser cutter, and there’s been some vinyl projects too,” she said. “I’m just the facilitator over

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GODFREY - The Annual Cookies and Cocoa For Community Christmas event carries on the legacy of David Freer's commitment to this particular charity year after year. David, who was a Freer Auto Body founder in Godfrey, died in September 2008, but his family has continued collecting and raising funds for the charity ever since his death in memory of him. Community Christmas is a United Way program that provides support to dozens of local non-profits in Southwest Illinois. Community Christmas donations assist the less fortunate during the holiday season to make sure who otherwise wouldn't have it, have toys, clothing, etc. Freer Auto Body's Christmas In July this year collected an astounding $52,000 for the charity. Margaret Freer, a current owner of Freer Auto Body and David's mother, said indeed they as a family have always tried to remember David year after year in this special way - supporting his favorite charity, Community Christmas. Lily and Taylor Freer have been catalysts

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GLEN CARBON - The Autism Clinic at Hope is committed to giving children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) professional care and attention so they can soar. The recently commemorated location at 4559 Benes St. in Glen Carbon focuses primarily on preschool ages children. Presently, there are some openings at the center for anyone interested. For more than a half-century, Hope has pursued a single mission: to help children with disabilities achieve their full potential. For decades, they have carefully cultivated a culture of hope for children, no matter how great the challenges they may face. Hope’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) intervention services hits the core of helping children with autism by following one simple rule: every child is unique and the Hope team will develop individual treatment plans to best meet their needs. Through a Preschool ABA program, children learn by playing with their peers and with small group activities. Some learn to communicate by exchanging

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WASHINGTON - The United States Navy Band awarded the inaugural Alton Augustus Adams Sr. Award for Emerging Composers to Jaylin Vinson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for his chamber work “Afrophilia.” “Afrophilia is a sonic expression of my love of African and African diasporic music. It incorporates harmonic and melodic idioms from jazz, hip-hop, and gospel. This piece is a raw product of me exploring and loving every sense of Blackness that is quintessential to my existence,” said Vinson. “Afrophilia” will be premiered by the U.S. Navy Band Woodwind Quintet on Feb. 9, 2023, at Howard University’s Childers Recital Hall at 12:40 p.m. A violinist, Vinson is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in composition from the Sheperd School of Music at Rice University in Houston. The award honors the Navy Band’s first Black bandmaster, Chief Musician Alton August Adams Sr., who led an all-Black Navy band at the height of racial segregation policies

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ST. LOUIS - Although the holidays can be a time of joy, they can also be a time of stress for people struggling with mental health disorders. Getting out of normal routines, extra family gatherings and less healthy foods can all lead to an increase in symptoms. Independence Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping adults living with mental illness, wants to remind people of some simple tips to help those struggling with mental health have a good holiday season. Independence Center Executive Director Trish Holmes said stress and anxiety typically play a significant role in triggering mental health symptoms. She said paying attention to what is causing those feelings can help people avoid those triggers. “Stressors around the holidays can range from past memories of substance abuse, financial restrictions or dealing with difficult family members and friends that you only see around the holidays,” said Holmes. “We encourage our members to put themselves and

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Thursday that a jury returned guilty verdicts against a Glen Carbon man who sexually assaulted a child. The jury convicted Jesse W. Chartrand, 43, of one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Chartrand committed sexual acts with the child between Aug. 17, 2019, and July 30, 2020. “Crimes against children are the worst,” Haine said. “We continue to pray for the healing of the victim, who testified bravely in this case. We also thank the dedicated work of police, prosecutors, and the staff at the Madison County Child Advocacy Center. Thanks to their tremendous work, this predator was convicted and is facing a long prison sentence.” Key to the prosecution’s case were an interview of the victim, conducted by staff of the Child Advocacy Center, and an interview of Chartrand, conducted by Glen Carbon Police. Chartrand

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ALTON - Alton Odyssey Tours is hosting its eighth annual “Tunes For Toys” fundraiser this Saturday, Dec. 10 from 6-10 p.m. at the Post Commons, located at 300 Alby Street in Alton. Live music will be performed by the Soulard Blues Band and proceeds will benefit local nonprofits. The cost of admission is either a new, unopened child’s toy donation or a $10 cash donation - toy donations will benefit Riverbend Family Ministries , while cash donations will benefit Faces Not Forgotten . “This event is a family-friendly event each year to raise efforts for not only giving back during the holiday season, but kind of community togetherness - showing that together, we can really help those in need,” Lewis said. “ kind of that, ‘Better to give than receive’ mentality for this holiday season.” Lewis added that Decaro’s will be providing appetizers while supplies last, which have been donated by Decaro’s and Sysco, two

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville High School Music Department held its Winter Concert on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at the EHS gymnasium, and the packed house was left filled with the Christmas spirit. The EHS band, orchestra, and choir all performed in the winter showcase. EHS Orchestra Director Victoria Voumard said a total of $3,322.51 was raised at the concert Wednesday night. "We will donate half to Main Street Community Center," she said. One of the highlights of the Winter Concert was "Winter Palace" featuring Connor Miller on guitar, Cash Vereeke on electric bass, and Abigail Stacy on the drumset. Another highlight was "Carol of the Bells," featuring two senior orchestra violinists, Ashley Kim and Jane Fitzgerald. Other music performed included "All I Want for Christmas is You" by the orchestra, "Here We March A-Wassasaling" by the band, and "Mi Y'maleil" by the choir. The band also performed "Toboggan," the Choir sang "This Christmas," and a percussion ensemble did

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ST. LOUIS - On Wednesday, joined by advocates and community members, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed Executive Order #74, establishing a volunteer commission to explore and recommend opportunities for reparations in the City of St. Louis. “The people closest to the problems are closest to the solution,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “I look forward to reviewing this commission’s work to chart a course that restores the vitality of Black communities in our city after decades of disinvestment. We cannot succeed as a city if one-half is allowed to fail.” The Commission will be comprised of nine members. All must live in the City of St. Louis, and must represent different backgrounds, including at least one civil rights advocate, clergy member, attorney, academic, public health professional, and youth. According to the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) reparations is defined as “a process of repairing, healing

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ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has made remarks in regard to the sentencing of of former aldermen Lewis Reed, Jeffrey Boyd, and John Collins-Muhammad. "A federal court held Jeffrey Boyd, John Collins-Muhammad, and Lewis Reed accountable for the pain they have caused our communities. These crimes have victims: Their families, who are suffering; their constituents, whose interests they put aside in pursuit of personal profit; and our entire city, which was shaken by the brazenness of the trio’s corruption. "City agencies have already taken steps to reform past practices and increase transparency in development work to help prevent abuse in the future. LRA halted sales for the remainder of the year while it addressed its internal procedures, and SLDC is creating a development scorecard for incentives to make this process clear to the public. "We have more work to do. In electing President Megan Green, St. Louisans have emphasized the need to break from the past, which

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced a new requirement today to have extensive protective netting in place at all Professional Development League (PDL) ballparks. The fan safety initiative was adopted at the 2022 Winter Meetings after being unanimously approved by the MLB PDL Executive Board. In June 2019, after repeated incidents of MLB fans being hit by foul balls, Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to MLB Commissioner Manfred urging him to have all 30 MLB teams extend protective netting to the right and left field corners at all ballparks. In December 2019, MLB announced that all 30 teams would extend protective netting during the next season. Durbin has continuously met with baseball safety advocates to discuss fan safety at MLB and Minor League Baseball games. “In 2019, it was clear something had to be done to protect fans from foul balls being hit at high speeds into the stands.

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ALTON - The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau received three Excellence in Tourism awards in the annual Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism during an awards ceremony at Chicago’s Navy Pier Monday, Dec. 5. The bureau received awards for Best Website, Best PR Marketing Campaign and Best Cooperative Partnership. The PR Marketing Campaign recognized the bureau’s Eagle Season campaign and the Cooperative Partnership award was presented for The Last 100 Miles of Route 66 Postcard Mural Trail. “We are extremely honored and thrilled to be presented with these awards from our industry peers,” Great Rivers & Routes President & CEO Cory Jobe noted. “Our tourism website is second to none in the state and showcases our region with compelling imagery and strong content enticing visitors to the region. The Bureau team works hard to make sure our region shines on a daily basis.” The Illinois Excellence in Tourism Awards were presented t

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ALTON - The Alton Tractor Supply store is inviting all the young artists out there to celebrate the upcoming holiday season with an Ornament Craft activity. On Dec. 17, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., the store will host a craft event where young customers can decorate a Christmas ornament with stickers and other colorful extras, while supplies last. The interactive craft provides a fun way for youth to get in the holiday spirit with colorful ornaments in the shape of twinkling lights. Once complete, each participant can take their free craft home to decorate their Christmas tree. "We enjoy spending quality time with our customers during the holiday season, particularly with a fun, creative craft for the kids to take home," said Alton store manager, Michael Webb. "Ornament decorating sparks the joy of Christmas and encourages the young members of the Alton community to use their imagination and creative spirit. Whether our young customers use their ornament as a gift for

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MARYVILLE - Ashley Brannan, RN of Anderson Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. Ashley, a specialty care nurse in both the Intensive Care and Intermediate Care units at Anderson Hospital, was nominated by a family whose father was a patient Brannan cared for in the ICU. The nomination read: “What a bright light Ashley is! Even though she had many other clients, Ashley made my dad (87) feel comfortable. She was quickly accessible and always fresh and friendly with answers to our inquiries. "Inquiring minds want to know!" Speaking of answers, she always answered my dad’s repeated questions. Due to his Alzheimer's, my dad asked the same questions over and over and over but each time Ashley would respond with a smile as if it was the first time she answered him, although it was the 15th! She also made "light" of his

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02) joined Axios’s Tina Reed to discuss the future of healthcare policy. The conversation focused on a range of issues; including combating maternal mortality, addressing mental health, increasing clinical trial diversity, and treating gun violence like the public health crisis that it is. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE. Congresswoman Kelly is working to ensure that the Medicaid postpartum extension to a full year of coverage, accessible to residents of every state, is passed before the end of this year. This is a key provision in the MOMMA’s Act , using research-backed strategies to combat maternal mortality. The CDC found that 80% of maternal mortality deaths are preventable. Black maternal deaths are nearly six times higher than those of their white counterparts in Illinois. “The American people are looking to Democrats in Congress to provide solutions to their challenges, particularly

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