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ALTON - Alton Main Street and the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project are announcing the return of the Mississippi Earthtones Festival to Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 17. The organizations are seeking exhibitors, vendors, artists, sponsors and volunteers for their 16th annual event. The festival attracts thousands of community members and tourists to Downtown Alton every year to celebrate our river through art, music, and conservation. Dozens of local artists will offer nature-inspired, hand-made, and environmentally-friendly wares. Jacoby Arts Center is lining up an amazing day of performances and interactive art experiences, and all local artists are welcome to participate. Many creatives are being commissioned to design installations that will enhance the festival grounds. A variety of fun and educational activities are planned for families from Noon until 6:00 p.m., and there will be several agencies on hand to teach

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Arts Center has an upcoming exhibit set for the DeToye Student Gallery - "Out and About" Banner Contest. The exhibit dates are now until September 9 and there is a reception in the EAC Gallery from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26. About the Exhibit: “Still Life: Painters and Objects” is curated by Jane Barrow, retired professor of painting at SIUE. The exhibit features work by 16 incredibly talented artists from all over the country. "In the DeToye Student Gallery, we will display banner art by all artists who submitted work for our 2022 “Out and About” Banner Contest, hosted by the Community Destination Group," Barrow said. “Still Life: Painters and Objects” Featured Artists: Erin Raedeke David Ottinger Ron Laboray Sophie Binder Joe Morzuch Edmond Praybe Bo Kim Jason Bly Conrad Bakker Jean Koeller Sara Drescher Joseph Holsapple Tim Liddy Carol Stewart Samantha Slone Jerry Wilkerson For more

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior is introducing two new graduate programs, beginning spring 2023, with a focus on athletics in higher education and athletics leadership to help students stand out in a growing and competitive field. The fully online programs, which will begin in spring 2023, include: Master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Athletic Specialization Athletic Leadership Post-Baccalaureate Certificate “SIUE has a great opportunity to be a leader in the higher education and athletics space,” said Cherese Fine, PhD, assistant professor in the SEHHB’s higher education and student affairs athletics program. “SIUE offers high-quality programs at an affordable price. Moreover, these online programs are accessible to individuals regardless of residence.” The athletic specialization will prepare students with a variety of knowledge, skills, and perspectives

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s Ryan Fries, PhD, professor and chair of civil engineering, has received the Patrick T. McCoy Education Professional of the Year award. The award, presented by the Missouri Valley District Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), recognizes an educator who has made an outstanding contribution to the study of transportation and helps students advance in their education and as professionals. “I am honored to be recognized with this award,” said Fries. “I am dedicated to my student’s education and development as the next generation of transportation professionals. ITE is a great professional organization that has helped me in many ways. I encourage my students to become active in engineering professional organizations to build their networks, have fun, and never stop learning.” “The best educators, who do not get enough credit, are the ones who put their

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It’s 2022, and sometimes I will get a text from a friend I have not spoken to in some time. They will ask me how the “fam” is doing. For those unfamiliar, “fam” is short for family, and it is usually used in the context of referring to our friends as close. Family is important to a lot of us today, though it would seem in many mainstream circles, the nuclear family is attacked frequently. As strange as that is, frequent drug and alcohol use can affect many of our families (and friends). Mothers frequently worried about their son or daughter that has been using fentanyl or drinking every day for a few weeks can affect their personal sanity. It is important to understand that our loved one is not his or her addiction. Simply put, being addicted to substances or alcohol doesn't make someone a bad person. It just means they have a disease that requires attention and action, which can be clinical treatment and recovery support. Remembering this can help u

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(This is one in a series of articles with photos and descriptions of entries in the Edwardsville Arts Fair at City Park on September 23-24). EDWARDSVILLE - Alison Bozarth, Amanda Straeffer and Buddy Shaw have art displayed below with comments from them about their work. Artist Name: Amanda Straeffer Location: Fort Branch, IN. Artist Statement: Amanda's work is influenced by her travels with friends and family. She is often inspired by the ocean and her work reflects that influence. Her work intends to instill a sense of peace and tranquility. Artist Name: Buddy Shaw Location: New Bloomfield, MO Artist Statement: Hand-made original designed furniture and art, created with a function equal to form with hopes of becoming family heirlooms. Artist Name: Alison Bozarth Location: St Louis, MO. Artist Statement: None

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SEE VIDEO: EDWARDSVILLE - Marvin “Preach” Webb will never be forgotten in the City of Edwardsville. On Friday, Preach had a bench featuring a plaque inscribed in his honor dedicated to him with a strong group of family and friends in attendance. City officials believe the bench and plaque will be a lasting tribute to the life of the beloved goodwill ambassador who died at age 86 in June. The bench is located in Edwardsville on the sidewalk on North Main Street, between the Madison County Government Building (near the Preach on Main Plaque) and Restore Décor (223 North Main Street). Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy said the community had so much love and respect for Preach. “He represented us with kindness, his caring ways and was always most helpful to everyone,” the mayor said. “He always touched our city and he was our goodwill ambassador. He was also an avid sports fan, and always cheered on our local teams. He was a spiritual man and love

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WOOD RIVER – It was always a goal to open multiple locations, but tomorrow, August 10, that goal becomes reality for business owner/operator of Easy Slots Mark Gernigin. He opened the original Easy Slots location at 112 W. Main St. in East Alton around three and a half years ago and it has been plenty successful. Due to its success, Gernigin decided that it was finally time to open another location. This one will be located at 308 Wesley Dr. in Wood River . The new location will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., and on Sundays from noon to midnight. Players receive complimentarily non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Beer is only $1. What sets Easy Slots apart from other gambling locations is that they are one of the only locally owned video slot parlors in the area. Gernigin said that most are owned by people from out of state. He said that opening up a new location took a “considerable amount of time.”

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Sunday, August 7, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspect Lakia Fisher, 27 years of age, of the 7100 block of Paisley Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63136, for two counts of Assault Third Degree on a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Resisting Arrest, one count of Escape or Attempt Escape from Custody, and one count of Stealing. Fisher is being held on $50,000 cash only, no 10% bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement reads: Officers responded to a report of a stealing at 9285 Halls Ferry on August 6, 2022, at 9:54 AM. Person matching suspect’s description was located on foot near Halls Ferry and Sundown. The stolen items, an electric trimmer, a sim card, and food items, were located on the defendant’s person. Officer conducted a computer inquiry, which revealed Defendant

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ALTON - Illinois State Representative Amy Elik says politicians indicted on corruption charges in Illinois continue to benefit, they get to collect a taxpayer-funded pension while on trial and these trials can take a long time. Take former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s corruption trial, for instance, Madigan’s trial won’t begin until February 1st of next year. That’s why State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) filed legislation to suspend a lawmaker’s pension if they are convicted or charged with corruption by federal investigators. “Lawmakers should be held to a higher standard when it comes to corruption and that’s why I think this taxpayer-funded pension benefit should be suspended so that politicians don’t game the system and delay the outcome just to get more money,” said Rep. Elik. “Suspending pension payments while awaiting the resolution of a case will send a strong message to corrupt politicians that if you break

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SPRINGFIELD - The State Fair in Springfield is showcasing Illinois as a place where innovation happens everywhere, and visitors will be able to see that on display at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo in the air-conditioned Orr Building on the fairgrounds. OSF Innovation will once again be there – August 17-21– with short STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activities and demonstrations that’ll wow children of all ages. At the OSF Innovation Jump STEAM booth, visitors will receive a passport to encourage them to take advantage of interactive STEAM activities that highlight multiple careers in medicine. Today, there are opportunities to join the medical field in a variety of ways, including as a bioengineer, medical illustrator, app designer and many more. Jump STEAM educators will share the possibilities through highly-interactive activities. Admission for kids 12 and under is free all week long! At the State Fair, children will be able to receive

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - IMPACT Strategies continues its work at Building 111 in Alton, Illinois ­ formerly known as the Millers Mutual Building ­ with an 8,900 square foot tenant finish project for American Water. The firm began renovation work on the building in 2017; this assignment marks IMPACT’s eighth interior remodel project in the building. The approximately $1 million project for American Water includes renovation of 3 existing tenant/shell spaces by providing modern office finishes. The project features an exposed concrete structure with acoustical ceiling baffles, huddle rooms, updated break room, conference room, and preservation of the decorative wood paneled walls within the old Miller’s Mutual Director’s Meeting Room that dates back to the early 1920’s. The renovation work began in July with completion expected in October 2022. American Water expects to bring several new jobs to Alton with the completion of the new space, which will be used

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ST. LOUIS – Today, President Joe Biden granted Governor Mike Parson’s request for a federal disaster declaration following July’s record-setting rainfall and flooding. The declaration will help eligible St. Louis residents get the resources through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. “July’s historic rainfall and floods devastated neighborhoods across our city. While surveying damage in Ellendale, Kingsway West, and Walnut Park, I heard from dozens of St. Louisans whose lives had been upended by severe flooding. As hundreds of families continue to fill the region’s Multi-Agency Resource Centers, it’s clear there is an ongoing need for help that federal resources will help us address,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “Thank you to President Joe Biden, our congressional delegation - especially Senator Roy Blunt and Congresswoman Cori Bush - and our state, local and community partners who have come together to support St. Loui

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a bipartisan coalition of 10 attorneys general in fighting for increased transparency in the poultry industry. Raoul and the coalition submitted a comment in support of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule, Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments , to reduce the information imbalance between farmers and processors in the poultry industry. This increase in transparency would make it easier for small poultry farmers to compete for fair pricing terms from large poultry processors. “The proposed rule will help put a stop to anticompetitive behavior and will support poultry farmers in Illinois and throughout the United States by increasing transparency,” Raoul said. “That’s why I have joined the bipartisan coalition to support this rule proposed by the USDA.” The USDA is proposing the rule under its authority in the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921

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LITCHFIELD - The Sunday, Aug. 14 Pickers Market in Litchfield has been canceled, city officials have announced. A building collapse in the area of the market has prompted the cancellation. City officials cite an abundance of caution for the safety of vendors and attendees as the primary concern. Please see the attached press release for additional information. Due to the incident that occurred over the weekend in downtown Litchfield with a building collapsing in the 300 block of North State Street, the Pickers Market scheduled for August 14th has been canceled. As of Monday, August 8, 2022, at 11:30 am, the structural engineer(s) have not been on site to assess the building(s). The City wanted to provide as much notice as possible to the vendors of market cancellation, so the difficult decision has been made to cancel the market for Sunday. Please understand that much has been considered when making such a decision as no one wants to cancel. Public safety is our utmost concern and keepin

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ALTON - The memoir of life-long Alton resident, Henry Eugene “Gene” Maul, has been released by LuLu Press, Inc. The memoir, Diary of Henry Eugene Maul, Prisoner of War , is a compilation by his eldest daughter, Diana Maul Halstead, a 1970 graduate of Alton High School. The Maul family was a fixture of Alton going back to the late 1830’s. Gene Maul was influenced and angered by the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Shortly after graduating Marquette High School, Gene enlisted in the United States Army Air Force, training to take on one of the most dangerous positions in the Air Force as a waist gunner. As a member of the 96 th Bomb Group and the 338 th Bomb Squadron he completed 8 missions before his plane was downed by enemy fire, May 8, 1944, causing him and his crew to be captured by German scouts. This diary is not a story told in the typical day-to-day accounting of time, but a visual drawing-by-drawing, poem-by-poem, note-by-note diary. Gene

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A Batchtown driver refused to stop as the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office attempted to do a routine traffic stop on the Illinois River Road near Gallinepper Road in rural Calhoun County at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2022. The driver of the 2004 Pontiac refused to stop, increased speed, and then fled from the deputy. The Pontiac then turned westbound on Batchtown Road and the vehicle continued to flee from the deputy, reaching speeds over 100 MPH. The deputy continued to pursue the vehicle. The vehicle continued to travel toward Batchtown at a dangerously high rate of speed. The deputy was able to catch up to the Pontiac in the village of Batchtown, however, the driver continued to fail to stop. Eventually, the vehicle pulled into the driveway of a residence. A traffic stop and subsequent investigation then resulted in the arrest of Jonathan M. Logsdon, age 54, of Batchtown, for the following offenses: Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, Aggravated

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HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Illinois River Road August 6, 2022, near Krause Road in Brussels, Calhoun County, and subsequent to the investigation, an Eldred woman - 34-year-old Brittany Hilton - was arrested. Hilton faces the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Unlawful Possession of Hypodermic Syringes DUI - Drugs. Hilton was arrested without incident. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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CALHOUN COUNTY - At 2:42 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2022, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on South County Road, Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation the driver, Katie N. Scott, age 28, of Fieldon, was arrested on the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Operating With Suspended Registration, Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle. A passenger, Anthony J. Bushnell, age 30, of Hardin, Illinois was arrested on the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Calhoun County, Illinois, Warrant for Failure to Appear, Calhoun County, Illinois, Warrant for Failure to Pay. Scott is currently lodged at Jersey County Jail. Bushnell is currently lodged at Greene County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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HARDIN - At 11:11 p.m. on Friday, August 5, 2022, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on Illinois River Road, near Hagen Road, Brussels, Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, Amy R. Morris, 36, of Jerseyville, was arrested on the following charges: Aggravated DUI - Alcohol (While Transporting a Child Under Age of 16) Speeding Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle. Morris was arrested without incident and lodged in the Jersey County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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