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EDWARDSVILLE - Rae Dorsey, owner of Rae Marcel Studios in Edwardsville, said she is so excited to share space in her new area with not only her clients but her family and others for creative opportunities at 301 N. Main St. in Edwardsville. The grand opening for Rae Marcel Studios was held on July 9. "This is for Rae Marcel Photography, but also for those who need creative space," she said. "We specialize in wedding, family photography, and newborns photography. I just needed a space to come home. Now, we have really put our feet in Edwardsville, we love the neighborhood. This ribbon cutting was just a mark of an amazing journey that started five years ago. I can't wait to see what comes through here. I am also excited it was an art space before and we are going to keep art alive here." Rae said she started her photography journey in high school. "I loved it so much that I took it for my art class all four years," she said. "I stayed in the darkroom seeing what I could come up with

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WOOD RIVER - Wood River Police released an announcement on Wednesday morning, that it is trying to identify the owners of each of the two above pictured vehicles in an ongoing investigation." "If you can help, we certainly appreciate it," the Wood River Police said. "Thank you in advance." Contact the Wood River Police at (618) 251-3114 with any information about the vehicles.

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ALTON - Alton Fire Department located a non-responsive female in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church at 400 Alby St. in Alton, at approximately 10:18 a.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. The female was determined to be deceased. She has been identified as Christine K. Stoner, 53, of Alton. The Madison County Coroner’s Office was requested and responded to further the investigation. While the investigation by the Alton Police Department and Madison County Coroner’s Office continues, preliminary information does not suggest any foul play to be involved in Christine’s death," Alton Police Department Deputy Chief Jarrett Ford said Wednesday morning.

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GRAFTON - The Grafton Police Chief Eric Spanton and Mayor Mike Morrow both expressed thanks for a unanimous Grafton City Council approval of an adjusted pay raise for police and municipal workers at the Tuesday meeting. The vote followed the adoption of Grafton Ordinance #756 which accepted the results of the June 28, 2022, General Primary Election. The question on the ballot asked the residents of Grafton to vote on increasing the Non-Home Rule Sales Tax from ½% to 1%. The citizens voted 71.08% in favor of the increase, with the additional funds to be used for police and municipal operations. The sales tax increase and pay adjustments will become effective on January 1, 2023. “On behalf of Chief Spanton and me, I want to thank the citizens of Grafton for voting to support our police and municipal workers,” said Mayor Morrow. “The Chief would have been here with us tonight, but he is in the hospital this evening recovering from a preventive surgery. He and hi

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EDWARDSVILLE - Members of the Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon presented Mayor Art Risavy with a check for nearly $112,000 for the R.P. Lumber Center’s teen facility at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 19. The check is the culmination of more than three years of fundraising in support of The Garage, a teen center at the City’s recently opened ice rink and community recreational facility, the R.P. Lumber Center. “This inviting center wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of the Junior Service members,” Risavy said. “We offer our sincere thanks on behalf of the City, and the families and students who will reap the benefits of this generous labor of love for years to come.” Junior Service Club members were involved in most aspects of creating The Garage, from the overall theme and furnishings to its laid-back “coffee house” vibe. Located near Edwardsville High School and Metro East Lutheran

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ULLIN - Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 7 are investigating an in-custody death of an inmate at the Pulaski County Jail in Ullin at the request of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. During the morning hours of July 14, 2022, Pulaski County Correctional Officers located a 47-year-old female of St. Louis, Missouri unresponsive in her jail cell. The female was transported by ambulance to an area hospital and later transferred to a hospital located in Mt. Vernon. On July 18, 2022, the female was pronounced deceased at the hospital. An autopsy is pending and the cause of death is unknown at this time. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office is assisting in the investigation. The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is being released at this time.

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) was selected to participate in the 2022 Emerging Legislative Leaders Program. The bipartisan program, which is sponsored by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF), was held last week at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “I’m pleased I had the opportunity to attend this highly impactful leadership program,” said Elik. “We explored the culture of contempt that exists in American politics today, the importance of restoring ethical leadership in government, and delved into what our founding fathers most feared by the effect of factionalism on our democracy. Joining fellow legislators from states across the country, both Republicans and Democrats, allowed for honest and respectful conversations led by the excellent faculty at the University of Virginia.” The program is held every year on the campus of the University of Virginia for a select group of

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EAST ALTON - The AMC Theater in East Alton has "permanently closed," the website of the business, says today. East Alton Mayor Darren Carlton confirmed the theater has been closed for better than a month. The mayor said from what he remembers, AMC signed a three-year agreement to lease the area in East Gate Plaza about three years ago, so that time period has likely expired. AMC does not have any announcements about the closing on its corporate website, and the theater in East Alton is not returning calls at this time. Mayor Carlton said he believes the COVID-19 Pandemic had a huge financial impact on the East Alton theater because it was forced to close for a long period of time. When it returned, it was open on only a limited basis, he said. "We would like to see it back open," the mayor said as the theater has had a five-decade run in East Alton. The mayor said he used to attend the theater as long ago as when he was a kid, and that it has had a significant impact on East Alton

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EAST ALTON - East Alton Fire Chief Tim Quigley said Wednesday morning that a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a two-vehicle crash on 9th Street and Haller Drive in a crash that occurred in the 5:15 p.m. range Tuesday in East Alton. Chief Quigley said the man was taken directly from the scene by ARCH to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis with a serious hip injury. The chief said a splint was attached to the man’s hip region to stop the bleeding and stabilize the area. The East Alton Fire Department and Police Department worked the scene after the crash. “The first responders did a good job and got him out of there quickly,” the chief said. The chief said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, but the man did undergo emergency surgery Tuesday night in St. Louis.

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced that a Madison County man was charged with possession of child pornography. James V. Cassady, 45, of Troy, Illinois, was charged in Madison County Circuit Court with 15 counts of possession of child pornography, each a Class 2 felony punishable by three to seven years in prison. Cassady’s bond is set at $500,000. Raoul’s investigators conducted a search of a residence Thursday, July 14 in Troy, IL., on Colonial Acres Road. Cassady was arrested after authorities discovered evidence of child pornography. The case will be jointly prosecuted by Raoul’s office and Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine’s office. “The partnership between my office and the Attorney General’s office is helping us make Madison County a safer place to live and work,” Madison County State's Attorney Haine said. “I look forward to continuing our work to identify and prosecute offenders who exploit children

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Reid and Marsha Mortensen are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this month. The two married on July 7th, 1972. They were married in Mesa, Arizona and they now have six children together and 24 grandchildren.

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(BUZZ MAGAZINE) - I spent several years gardening in a typical manner by tilling, planting, and slowly losing my garden to the ferocious weeds and pests. I personally felt as though God was pushing me to grow a healthy garden. I needed to push through the trials of it, but I was struggling. I thought to myself, “If God expected us, humans, to sustain ourselves with a garden, it can't be this hard.” Nature does it, why can't I? It made no sense to me that nature has existed forever and I can't get a garden to survive one season without the help of commercial herbicides and pesticides. This can't be the only way. He would never set our success behind the paywall of commercial growing supplies (GMO seed, pesticides, herbicides). There has to be a better way! I then learned to mimic nature with my garden and allow nature into my garden. Monoculture (growing vast amounts of one crop) is not the way nature was designed. Fertilizing plants is not the way nature takes in nutrients.

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(BUZZ MAGAZINE) - I’ve never dreamed of owning a bird. I love animals and own a 13-year-old beagle, but since having my son five years ago, acquiring more creatures to care for has been low on my list. Especially a bird. Be that as it may, last week while proudly showing my mother my new hot tub in the backyard of my Edwardsville home, a lovebird came and landed on her shoulder. I’ve had some experience with birds as my cousin owned two while growing up, so I instinctively knew this friendly, bright-colored creature was someone’s pet. I scooped it up and brought it into my home. This bird was a beauty. Soft greens and blues the color of salt water taffy with a touch of peach on its face. It was so social and cuddly that my son and I naturally began referring to it as “Sweetie.” I quickly started the search for Sweetie’s owner but was excited to enjoy this surprise guest while we could. For the next few days, Sweetie snuggled under our chins

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EDWARDSVILLE - Rotary District 6460 is pleased to announce that Claire Bouse is the winner of a $3,000 scholarship. Claire is the daughter of Dennis and Laura Bouse and is from Edwardsville. The scholarship will help pay her expenses at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. She is studying to be a forensic pathologist. The money for the scholarships is accumulated from donations from Rotary members around District 6460. This year the district gave five scholarships at $3,000 each. To win, she submitted an application found on rotary6460.org , was chosen as a finalist, and interviewed by a committee of Rotary members in Jacksonville, IL., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. The district's approximate boundaries are from Galesburg to Alton and the Mississippi River to Interstate 55. In her later career, Claire is very excited to give back to the community that has given so much to her. She wants to encourage other students by telling them that anything is possible with hard work and

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GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College held its second annual Summer Fest enrollment event, July 14, on the college’s Godfrey Campus. Prospective students and their families toured the campus, learned about the college’s programs and met with advisors. The three-hour event drew around 120 visitors to campus, with 54 registering for the Fall 2022 semester, which begins Aug. 22. There’s still time to enroll. Call/text (618) 468-2222, email enroll@lc.edu or visit www.lc.edu/admissions to get started. Pictured above, L&C Enrollment Assistant Daniel Nosce (left) takes a group of students on a tour of campus.

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BELLEVILLE - Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA) and Bywater Development Group joined with other key stakeholders and guests on July 13 for a much-anticipated grand opening event to celebrate the successful completion and full-lease up of Lofts on the Square in downtown Belleville, Ill. The $14.2 million historic rehabilitation of a 90-year-old building introduced affordable apartment living for active seniors in Downtown Belleville’s Public Square and is proving to be a resounding success. “The hard work and collaboration of the entire development team and support from our city leaders and congressional delegation were integral to delivering this meaningful project,” said SWIDA Chairman David Willey. “The future of this building was uncertain for a long time, and we are proud to be bringing new vitality to Downtown Belleville through the revitalization of this historically significant space that is once again a focal point of our city.”

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EDWARDSVILLE – According to the 2020 United States Census, one in 44 children in the U.S. has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with communication, social, verbal, and motor skills. Research shows most children who have ASD are not diagnosed until age four or older, even though ASD can be reliably diagnosed by age two. Now, with the support of a Sustaining Illinois Seed Grant from the Illinois Innovation Network, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s (SOE) Sinan Onal, PhD, is leading research aimed at providing equitable access to early screening tools for ASD. Onal is principal investigator (PI) of the project, entitled, “A Data-Driven Application to Predict ASD Index for Children Living in Underserved, Underrepresented, and Low-income Communities.” Co-PIs include three researchers from Northern Illinois University. Their work aims to reduce the current gap in diagnosis and

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CHICAGO — After being notified of several close contacts testing positive for COVID-19, Gov. Pritzker received a positive test result during his routine COVID testing regimen. The Governor is experiencing mild symptoms and has been prescribed the anti-viral medication, Paxlovid. He will follow CDC guidelines by working from home . The Governor is fully vaccinated and double boosted. He urges all Illinoisans to continue following CDC guidance, use anti-viral treatments, and get all available boosters. "He looks forward to returning to in-person work as soon as possible," according to a statement. MORE: Governor Pritzker Continues Effort To Ramp Down COVID-19 Requirements With Updated Executive Order Governor Pritzker Appoints Health Policy Expert Dr. Sameer Vohra To Lead Illinois Department Of Public Health

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Chancellor James T. Minor announced in an email to students that the university is ending its mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing requirements for students and employees who are not fully vaccinated. The new policy was issued in response to Executive Order 2022-16 from Governor J.B. Pritzker. This new order repeals part of an earlier executive order which required higher education students and staff who are not fully vaccinated to undergo mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing. Minor said the requirement will stay in place in certain campus settings. “In response to this recent development, SIUE’s mandatory on-campus testing protocol will conclude this week for most students and employees,” Minor said in the announcement last Friday. “In accordance with EO 2022-16, students and employees in health clinics, early childhood, and PK-12 educational settings will need to continue testing if not fully

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SEE VIDEO: ALTON - Ever since Flock’s grand opening in mid-May , they’ve seen nothing but success and great reception from locals. “Things have been going great down here. We’ve been having a lot of fun so far this summer,” Laura Windisch said, an operating partner with Flock. On a typical weekday or weekend, food trucks will be serving lunch and dinner to guests. The dining areas are mainly outside at many hand-made picnic tables with umbrellas to stay out of the brutal Midwest sun, and there is also some seating inside by the bar. Garage doors allow patrons to enjoy a nice airflow. Flock has live music on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons from noon to 3 p.m. Windisch says that those are good times to come out and visit Flock. Shelly Norman from T&S Smoke House lives in Godfrey. She says she likes to keep things close to home. “I get to see how friendly Alton really is. There’s always a good crowd,” Norman said. “I

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