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JERSEYVILLE – The Jerseyville City Council passed a series of several items on Tuesday related to this year’s Downtown Country Christmas Festival, set for Nov. 29 to Dec. 31, 2025. The following items were unanimously approved: A $7,000 tourism grant submitted by Downtown Country Christmas Festival Inc. for marketing of the 2025 festival events. Approval of the usage of City Center Plaza on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the festival. A motion to waive the rental fee for Downtown Country Christmas Festival Inc. to use City Center Plaza. The approval of certain road closures during the festival: Jefferson Street from East Arch to East Pearl Street; Pearl Street from State Street to Jefferson Street; alley connecting East Pearl and East Arch Street; each to be closed from 12 to 6 p.m. during the festival. The south end of the alley connecting East Spruce and East Pearl Streets, as well as city parking lots C and D, will also be closed from

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BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Daughters of the American Revolution rang bells outside of the Belleville Courthouse to commemorate Constitution Day. At 4 p.m. EST on Sept. 17, 2025, across the country, DAR chapters rang bells and held signs encouraging people to celebrate the U.S. Constitution. In Belleville, DAR Constitution Week Chairperson Becky Juelfs was eager to join her sisters. “Just knowing that it was a national moment that others were participating in was very special,” she said. Juelfs and the DAR regent Debbie Belter read speeches and welcomed DAR members to the bell-ringing ceremony. A few members made signs so passing cars knew they were commemorating Constitution Day. Anita Gajewski, who serves as the principal at Legacy Christian Academy in Fairview Heights, brought her class to the bell-ringing. The kids answered questions about the Constitution and its amendments. “The kids were well-prepared,” Juelfs said. “They knew a lot of

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EAST ST. LOUIS — A double stabbing early Thursday morning, Sept. 18, 2025, in East St. Louis left one man dead and another injured, authorities said. The incident occurred around 3:15 a.m. Thursday inside a vacant building at the Orr-Weathers Apartment Complex, located at Missouri Avenue and North 14th Street, according to East St. Louis Police. East St. Louis Police said the stabbing involved two men. Officers responding to the scene found one man stabbed across the street from the vacant building. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police later located a second man inside the vacant building, possibly on the eighth floor, who had also been stabbed. That man was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances surrounding the stabbings remain under investigation.

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GODFREY – An attempt to override Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick’s veto of a village-wide 1% grocery tax was ultimately unsuccessful on Tuesday night after much discussion and debate. An item to reconsider the mayor’s veto of the grocery tax received a 3-3 vote, which fell short of the two-thirds supermajority needed for it to pass. Voting to uphold the veto were Trustees Karen MacAtee, Sarah Woodman, and Gerard Fischer, while Trustees Rick Lauschke, Mike Fisher, and Craig Lombardi voted to override the mayor’s veto. Godfrey differs from most local communities which have voted to implement locally collected 1% sales taxes on groceries to offset major revenue losses once a state-level grocery tax expires in 2026. Instead, trustees voted in July to approve a 0.75% general sales tax increase in an effort to more fairly split the tax burden between village residents and visitors. Village Board members then voted on Sept. 2, 2025 to pass a 1% grocery tax

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ALTON - The Alton Area Landmarks Association will host their 53rd annual Historic Building Tour, allowing community members to tour historic homes in Alton. From 12–5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, you can tour over 20 homes in Alton, from the McPike Mansion to Pfeiffenberger houses. This self-guided tour takes you through the historic district and allows you to visit the homes and learn from their owners. “The house tours are a way of getting people into Alton and getting into the streets and neighborhoods that maybe they haven’t been on before to see historic homes,” explained Terry with the Alton Area Landmarks Association. “One of the basic tenets is that the way to save houses in Alton is to get people to come and buy them and move here and live here. So that’s the big push of the house tours, to get people to come and enjoy the house tour.” Tickets to the Historic Building Tour cost $10 for AALA members and $15 for the general

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Did you know that the average office worker spends up to 6 weeks a year just searching for misplaced items? This staggering statistic highlights a hidden drain on workplace efficiency that many overlook. Beyond the obvious distractions, the physical environment where you work plays a crucial role in shaping your productivity levels. An organized workspace isn’t just about aesthetics—it directly impacts focus, stress levels, and the quality of output. The Psychology Behind an Organized Workspace Our brains are wired to respond to order and clarity. Cluttered environments often lead to cognitive overload, where the brain struggles to filter out irrelevant stimuli. This overload can reduce attention span, increase stress hormones, and impair decision-making abilities. Studies in environmental psychology show that workers in tidy, well-organized spaces tend to complete tasks faster and with fewer errors. One illustrative example comes from a study conducted at Princeton University

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September 18 has witnessed a remarkable array of events throughout history, spanning continents, cultures, and fields of human endeavor. Let's journey through time and explore some of the most impactful events that occurred on September 18. One of the most globally significant events on September 18 occurred in 1931, when the Mukden Incident ignited the conflict that would lead to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, marking a critical escalation in the lead-up to World War II. On this day, Japanese military personnel staged an explosion on a railway line near Mukden (now Shenyang, China), which they falsely blamed on Chinese dissidents. This pretext allowed Japan to launch a full-scale invasion of Manchuria, establishing the puppet state of Manchukuo and setting the stage for broader hostilities in East Asia. The international response was complex and contributed to tensions that would later engulf the world in war. Moving back in time, on September 18, 1793, the cornerstone of th

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GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that repairs on eastbound Interstate 270 between Illinois 3 and Riverview Drive in Missouri will require lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. One lane will remain open. All lanes are expected to reopen by 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this lane closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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EDWARDSVILLE - During their regular meeting on Sept. 17, 2025, the Madison County Board voted 17–6 to have a day of remembrance in honor of Charlie Kirk. The resolution, brought forth by Dalton Gray and the Executive Committee, named Kirk as “one of the nation’s strongest defenders of freedom of speech” and “a martyr for the cause of faith, freedom and free speech.” In Madison County, Oct. 14, 2025 — Kirk’s 32nd birthday — will be recognized as a day of remembrance. Several public comments and comments from Board members addressed the resolution before the vote. As the public comment portion concluded, Chairman Chris Slusser thanked all speakers for their time. “Charlie Kirk would have wanted everyone to get a chance to speak tonight whether he agreed with them or not, so we let everyone speak,” Slusser said. During the public comment portion of the meeting, six speakers spoke against the day of remembrance

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ALTON - At the 19th annual Mississippi Earthtones Festival on Saturday, September 120, Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project , Alton Main Street , and the Jacoby Arts Center will award three local activists with the 2025 Confluence Conservation Leadership Award. The festival organizers have recognized community members who have made significant contributions to environmental conservation in the Riverbend region since 2007. This year’s Confluence Conservation Leadership awardees include: Amy Cloud and the Three Rivers Community Farm, Jo Anna Pollock of Simmons Hanly Conroy Law Firm, and Elise Ratcliff with the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, IL. “All three award recipients have made significant contributions to sustainable and regenerative agriculture, healthy rivers, and environmental justice and conservation in the Riverbend and are unsung heroes in our region,” said Christine Favilla, Coordinator of the Three Rivers Project of Sierra

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center has received its first-ever Magnet® Recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Most importantly, this recognition comes "with distinction," making OSF Saint Anthony’s the 46th hospital in the United States to be recognized with this award. Magnet with Distinction™ recognizes hospitals based on quality patient care and nursing excellence. Fewer than eight (8) percent of hospitals in the U.S. have earned Magnet with Distinction status. Additionally, the Magnet with Distinction™ program was created as a special designation to "celebrate hospitals and health care organizations that exceed scoring thresholds required to earn Magnet designation." Receiving the “Magnet with Distinction” honor is even more impressive in the following ways: OSF Saint Anthony’s is one of only 47 hospitals internationally to have earned the "Magnet with Distinction"

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that lane closures on eastbound Interstate 64 between 15th and 25th streets in St. Clair County will begin, weather permitting, at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, for bridge deck patching. Traffic will be reduced to one lane. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - September is National Recovery Month, and OSF St. Anthony’s has several options to help those who are struggling with substance use disorders. Charlotte, Staci and Shannon with OSF St. Anthony’s noted the importance of marking National Recovery Month and providing top-notch care to their patients. They offer counseling and compassionate nursing as well as withdrawal management. “It’s a month that we celebrate people who have taken those steps towards recovery, maybe know people who are in addiction, looking for that to kind of heighten awareness around what it is that we offer and how we’re here to help,” explained Charlotte. “Many of us have been touched by addiction in our experiences personally and professionally.” OSF St. Anthony’s partners with New Visions, located at the health center, to provide medically-supervised withdrawal management. Individuals who are experiencing mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms

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ALTON/MADISON COUNTY - The Madison County Sheriff's Office and Alton Police Department recently received a donation from MustacheMarch4PD, a volunteer-based organization that supports law enforcement and collaborates with several area police departments to foster positive community interactions. The contribution will be used to fund the addition of a third K9 unit for the sheriff’s office, officials said. "This volunteer-based organization supports law enforcement and frequently collaborates with several area Police Departments to help create positive community interactions," the sheriff's office said. "We are extremely thankful for their contribution." “We also know this wouldn’t be possible without the generous donations from the individuals, families, and businesses in our communities,” the Alton Police Department said in a statement. “We are grateful for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to making a positive impact. Partnerships lik

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ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Metropolitan Police lost two police officers on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, one to illness and another in a fatal car accident in East St. Louis, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has announced. District 4 Officer Malik Baker was killed in a car accident on Interstate 55 in Illinois while driving to work. The crash occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on southbound I-55 in East St. Louis, according to the Illinois State Police. ISP said Baker was driving a Toyota SUV and was traveling behind a Ford van carrying a trailer when he collided with the back of the van. Baker was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the van was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries. Officer Baker had served the City of St. Louis for nearly four years. The police department described both officers as having served the community with honor and commitment. District 2 Sergeant James Sanders, a 31-year veteran, died after a prolonged battle with cancer. Despite

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OTTERVILLE – The 42nd annual Hamilton Primary School Festival is returning soon to the historical grounds of America’s first-ever integrated school. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 from 12 to 5 p.m. The event will welcome visitors to the historic schoolhouse grounds at 107 E. Main St. in Otterville for a weekend of fun with games, food, live music, and more – with no cost for admission. 2025 also marks the 26th year of the festival’s famous Bake-Off and Auction on Saturday, Sept. 27. Participants are encouraged to bake their best cookies, pastries, pie, cake, or bread for a chance to win one of three cash prizes: $30 for first place, $20 for second place, and $15 for third place. Bake-Off contestants should only prepare one item per entry, unless they’re submitting cookies or pastries, in which case they should prepare a dozen of either item. All entries must be brought

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BETHALTO - A teacher at Civic Memorial High School is one of 50 Voya Unsung Hero awardees in the country. Angie Parish, who teaches Medical Careers 1 and 2 at Civic Memorial, is the only teacher in Illinois who has been recognized by Voya. Parish’s classes provide hands-on training and shadowing opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine. “It’s really cool to have that opportunity and for it to be able to turn into something that's going to keep impacting students long past my career,” Parish said. “It’s very cool that the kids get to do this.” As part of the award, Parish received a $2,000 grant, which will go toward the purchase of CPR manikins and AEDs. These wishlist items will allow for CPR training that is “a lot easier and a lot more realistic” for the students. Parish conceptualized and began teaching Medical Careers 2 last year. After learning the basics in Medical Careers 1,

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ALTON - Alton High School’s girls cross country team placed fifth at the Belleville West Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, with senior Sophia Helfrich leading the way in the varsity girls race. Helfrich finished 14th out of 65 runners, posting a season-best time of 20 minutes, 15.5 seconds. The meet took place at Belleville West High School, where Alton competed against eight other teams. Highland High School won the event with 41 points, while Alton scored 119 points to secure fifth place. In addition to Helfrich’s performance, senior Monica Klockenkemper finished 17th with a time of 20:31.8, and senior Aliyah Rehling placed 23rd, completing the race in 21:09.8. Junior Allison Pruitt was 30th with a time of 22:11.6, senior Morgan Jinks came in 42nd at 24:22.8, and sophomore Anna Caughran finished 46th with a time of 25:36.2. The girls’ cross country squad members are Auto Butler Female Athletes of the Month for Alton.

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BELLEVILLE - The Alton High boys cross country team had a bundle of outstanding performances in the Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, Belleville West Invite. Senior Hank McClaine led the Alton boys' cross country team with a personal record at the Belleville West Cross Country Invite, helping the team secure sixth place out of 11 teams. McClaine won the boys varsity race with a time of 15 minutes, 16.5 seconds. The meet took place at Belleville West High School, where 76 runners competed in the varsity race. Redbirds' freshman Isaiah Cooper finished 33rd with a personal record of 17:52.6. Sophomore Austin Jones placed 47th, setting a personal best of 19:10.9. Junior Elias Clark and freshman Ezra Pfleger also achieved personal records, finishing with times of 19:22.7 and 19:30.7, respectively. Sophomore Gustavo Alcazar completed the race in 20:54.2, and junior Chase Baxter finished with a time of 21:46.9. Alton's boys team scored 178 points overall, placing sixth behind Highland, which won

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Alejandro Sanz, MD , wants women dealing with breast cancer to know: a diagnosis might not mean you have to lose your breasts and the identity and confidence that come with them. The OSF HealthCare surgeon who specializes in breast surgery says if the disease is caught early, doctors and patients can review options to maintain the breasts. “Breast conservation surgery has developed significantly in the last few years. It’s an option that’s getting more and more common,” Dr. Sanz says. “With advances in screening mammograms and imaging quality, we are able to detect suspicious lesions early in their development. That’s good for breast conservation surgery because you’re dealing with less disease. That will also improve the prognosis overall.” Dr. Sanz performs breast conservation surgery that’s minimally invasive with a goal of addressing the cancer and keeping the breasts cosmetically pleasing (hiding scars, for example). “We

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