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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College students will be hosting a Spring Festival on April 23 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The festival will include a variety of activities including a craft fair, silent auction, a cash bar, food trucks, and a DJ. Blackburn students in the Leadership Skills Workshop class, taught by Dr. Shelly Peffer, professor of Leadership, Law, and Public service, are organizing the event. All activities will take place between Woodward Dawes Athletic Center and Demuzio Campus Center on the Blackburn College campus. This event will serve as a fundraiser for Blackburn and Beyond, a program designed to increase opportunities for young adults with diverse learning abilities. Claire Stein, a sophomore student in the leadership class, explained, “As young leaders at Blackburn we recognize the need to make high-quality education accessible to all young students. By supporting Blackburn and Beyond we feel that we are ensuring that this is something that can continue to positively

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ALTON - There is still one more opportunity to participate in a Seed Swap with the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois. The final seed swap will be held in partnership with The Lodge Bar at Lovejoy this Saturday, April 9. Join Three Rivers Project staff, our partner, and fellow farmers and gardeners while swapping or sharing your quality seeds, cuttings, and bulbs. This community event is free to attend and all are welcome. Join us in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the spring gardening season! The third and final seed swap event will be held at The Lodge Bar at the Lovejoy on Saturday, April 9, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. To register for the Seed Swap at The Lodge Bar at the Lovejoy, go to sc.org/Lovejoyseedswap . If you are sharing self-collected seeds, please label the homegrown seeds with the common or species name, year, and your name. If you are sharing commercial seed packets, no further action is needed. “We hope Metro-East community members wil

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ALTON – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces intermittent lane closures of IL 140 (College Ave) between Annex St and IL 111 in Bethalto beginning on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, weather permitting. At a minimum, one lane in each direction will remain open at all times. This project will provide a new asphalt surface and it should be completed by the end of September 2022. 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. The contractor on this project is the C. E. Mahoney Co. of Swansea, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ST. LOUIS – In support of his most recent album Wonder, GRAMMY nominated, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes has announced 13 additional "Wonder: The World Tour" shows in the US & Canada, with 86 arena dates announced so far spanning across North America, the UK & Europe. The new dates include stops in Shawn’s hometown of Toronto, new shows in San Diego, and St. Louis, as well as a second stop in Brooklyn. More great tickets have also been added to all previously announced shows in North America. On the tour, Shawn will be joined by Dermot Kennedy and Tate McRae in North America (see tour listings for respective opener in each city). Tickets for the July 16 stop at St. Louis’ Enterprise Center will be available via Ticketmaster starting Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m. CT, and range in price from $26.50 – $196.50. To purchase, please click here. Tickets for the added North America dates will be available via Presales that begin Wednesday, April 6th at

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GLEN CARBON – Summer camp is a Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois tradition, and it’s calling YOU! Girl Scout Camp gives girls the opportunity to try new adventures, build skills, make new friends, and enjoy the great outdoors. Not a Girl Scout? No problem! Girls can join Girl Scouts now through an extended membership so they can enjoy camping this summer and transition right into the troop experience in the fall. It’s the perfect time to join! “We can’t wait for summer to get here so we can experience the great outdoors at Girl Scout Camp,” said Mary Buchanan, Senior Director of Program Engagement. “Girl Scouts is all about empowering girls to try new things and explore what interests them. At Girl Scout Camp, girls have the opportunity to do this while building memories that will last a lifetime,” Buchanan added. Resident Camp sessions are available in DuBois, Edwardsville, Ozark, and Makanda. Spots are filling quickly, so be sure to

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EDWARDSVILLE – Jennifer Korte, a candidate for State Representative in the 112 th District, says her opponent’s position as the communications director for the Illinois Republican Party is a blatant conflict of interest and he should take a leave of absence while running his campaign. Joe Hackler is running for State Representative in the 112 th District. He currently is the spokesman for the Illinois Republican Party. “The state party exists to promote Republican candidates in Illinois and having a member of the staff run for a state legislative office is a conflict of interest,” Korte said. “The Illinois Republican Party as a matter of practice should stay out of primaries, especially in races where there is no Republican incumbent. It is hard for the Illinois Republican Party to argue they are not taking sides when one of their own is running in a contested primary. Joe Hackler should take a leave from his job to assure voters there is no impropriety

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding taxpayers that the upcoming deadline for filing 2021 state individual income tax returns is Monday, April 18, 2022. "We encourage those who have not yet filed to do so soon. Filing electronically with direct deposit will ensure the fastest processing and issuance of any refunds," said IDOR Director David Harris. "Taxpayers may file their electronic returns for free by using a registered MyTax Illinois account but may also file electronically with a tax preparer or third-party software." To aid in IDOR’s anti-fraud efforts, taxpayers filing their IL-1040’s through MyTax Illinois, must use a registered MyTax Illinois account. If they do not have a registered account, they may create one by choosing “sign up” in the login box at MyTax Illinois and follow the instructions. The ID number will be mailed to them within 10 days after being requested. While IDOR strongly encourages electronic filing,

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JERSEY - The Jersey County Arts Council welcomed spring, last week, with an Upcycled Paper Flowers class, facilitated by local resident and craft-lover, Tiffany Blasa. Class participants create a variety of beautiful floral bouquets using newsprint, magazine pages, and recycled book and sheet music papers. Mrs. Blasa shared that a wonderful group of kids and adults enjoyed crafting the paper flowers, as part of another class offered by the arts council. Check out the current schedule of classes that are available during the coming weeks! Tuesday, April 12, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Joan Dougherty will guide kids, ages 8 to 14, in using thumbprint art to decorate terracotta pots. This class is the first of a 2-part class. The second session will meet at the greenhouse, at Jersey Community High School, on Tuesday, April 26. This is a free class. Wednesday, April 13, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Class participants, ages 13 and older (or 8+, with an adult), will create a miniature Resurrection

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido on Monday afternoon provided more information about the fatal traffic crash at the intersection of East Broadway and Main Street in Alton on Saturday, April 2, 2022. The motorcyclist was identified as Nicholas O. West, 32, of Wood River, Chief Pulido said. The chief explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the occupant of a motorcycle was traveling westbound on East Broadway and collided with a flatbed style truck that was turning left (eastbound) onto East Broadway, after traveling southbound on Main Street. "Alton Police Officers and the Alton Fire Department arrived on scene and life-saving measures were attempted, but unfortunately, the occupant of the motorcycle died," the chief said. "The Alton Police Department and the Madison County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate this incident."

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SPRINGFIELD – Area unemployment figures continued to show a low mark for the month of February 2022 compared to February 2021. Jersey County had the lowest unemployment rate in the region in February at 4.0 percent compared to 5.6 percent last year at this time. Madison County recorded a 4.1 percent mark compared to 5.8 percent a year ago; Macoupin County was 4.3 percent compared to 5.8 in February 2021; Greene County was at 4.5 percent compared to 5.9 percent in 2021; and Calhoun was 4.7 percent compared to 5.8 percent a year ago. Edwardsville was down to a remarkable 2.7 percent unemployment rate for February 2022, compared to 4.2 percent a year ago. Alton dropped to 5.1 percent from 8.2 percent in February 2021. Granite City was at 4.2 percent from 7.2 percent a year ago; and O'Fallon recorded a 4.2 percent unemployment mark compared to 5.5 percent in 2021. The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in February for the eleventh

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GRANITE CITY - Cedarhurst of Granite City hosted a presentation by the Illinois Attorney General's Office on Thursday, March 31, about the most prominent senior scams and how to avoid them. The presentation was well attended. Marsha Griffin of the Attorney General's Office, Cedarhurst representatives, residents, and families were in attendance. Beth Dittman and Lauren Smith from Royal Banks in Granite City assisted in the presentation. The Illinois Attorney General's Office said financial scams often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute, so they’re considered a “low-risk” crime. However, they are devastating to many older adults and can leave them in a very vulnerable position with little time to recoup their losses. "The Attorney General protects the rights and safety of Illinois’ older residents who often are targeted by scam artists and abusers. The office can assist with special needs of all the residents, including those related to consumer

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ALTON - The Crisis Food Center and Midwest Members Credit Union (MMCU) are partnering to give away free hams and side items for Easter. Hams and side items will be given out from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at Crisis Food Center, 21 East 6th Street in Alton. “Together, we are able to purchase a lot of hams for families in need this Easter," Derrick Richardson, a CFC Board member, and former MMCU board member. Richardson is also an Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief. "The two organizations went 50/50 on the hams, and in addition, Crisis Food Center is donating the side items to go along with the hams," Richardson said. "Teaming up together makes a good partnership. This is the third time CFC and MMCU have teamed up for this giveaway. "We believe that feeding of our community is important and want to make sure that families in our community are able to celebrate Easter with a nice Easter meal. We want to give back in a way that would definitely impact the families in

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville High School Winter Color Guard Team is having its most successful season ever. The Winter Color Guard Varsity Team earned Silver in the Scholastic A Independent World-Class with their program “Tears of Gold.” The Junior Varsity Team, performing their program, “A Night at the Circus” , placed third place at the 2022 MCCGA Championships – Scholastic AA competition this past weekend. Both teams dedicated their performances to the memory of previous team member Mackenzie Allen, age 18 of Edwardsville, who died suddenly on January 6, 2022. “I’m so proud of our team”, said Ms. Leah Cummins, Director of EHS’ Color Guard Team. “I have been directing this team for six years, and they’ve grown so much. Mr. Ryan Lipscomb, EHS Director of Bands, added that because of the skills and difficulty of their program, the Junior Varsity team changed their ranking and is now competing in a more competitive

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ALTON - Jacoby Arts Center presents a Celestial Moon Soundbath + Tarot card pull on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.jacobyartscenter.org/tickets or at the door. Children ages 8-12 are free with an adult. "Each one of us has looked up to the night sky and caught a stunning display of the moon + stars and we stop for a moment as we witness the beauty and grandness and magnitude of it all realizing we are a part of something WAY bigger," says Lisa Grezlak, Creator SVOUND™ "The moon plays such a beautiful part for us humans here on earth, and it has since the beginning of life on this planet. With its precise rhythm and cycles, it's always 'on time' and always showing up for us. However, it is always shifting. "And just like the moon, we are always shifting too. Using the moon cycle is a great way that can help us gauge things in our lives as change constantly swirls around us. "Each month, we offer the Celestial Moon + Tarot Soundbath as the

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ST. LOUIS - Get ready to get your Q on! The 15th Annual QFest St. Louis — presented by Cinema St. Louis (CSL) — will take place from April 29-May 5 at the Galleria 6 Cinemas, with a selection of programs also available online. The online programs can be streamed at any time during the festival’s dates. The St. Louis-based LGBTQ film festival, QFest will present an eclectic array of 35 films from 13 countries (20 shorts, nine narrative features, and six documentary features). The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture. The fest is especially pleased to host the St. Louis premiere of “The Depths,” a rarely seen 2001 work by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and a reprise from SLIFF of Sebastian Meiser’s prison drama

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SPRINGFIELD - It’s no secret that Illinois is plagued with corruption and today’s status hearing in federal court for indicted former House Speaker Mike Madigan is a fresh reminder of the fact. 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. According to State Rep. Amy Elik, “Under current law, Madigan will collect a taxpayer-paid pension until a guilty verdict is reached. This means Madigan could go on to collect his elected official pension for several years before it’s taken away. Corrupt lawmakers should not receive a taxpayer-funded pension if they defrauded the taxpayers while serving themselves in state government. Suspending pension payments while awaiting the resolution of a case will send a strong message to corrupt politicians that if you break the law, the consequences will be costly.” Since 2019,

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ALTON - Catholic Charities will be hosting its annual fundraiser Help On the Move on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Bluff City Grill, 424 E. Broadway, Alton. The evening will include a cocktail hour, dinner, music by Glendale Riders, a $10,000 raffle, and activities. Dinner tickets are $50 each. Raffle tickets are $25 or buy 2 and get 1 free. All tickets are available on our website cc.dio.org or by calling 1.618.462.0634. The event will include the presentation of the Father Jack Quilligan Award to Al Womack, Jr., Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Alton. He has been involved with the club for more than 24 years. “Al epitomizes what this award is all about,” said Steven Roach, Executive Director of Catholic Charities in the Springfield Diocese. “His dedication to the youth of this community is unmatched. He is a hero in real-time.” The Mary Alyce Beardslee Award also will be presented

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Historical Society (MCHS) has added a gallery to the Archival Library so selected items from the Museum Collections can be available for public viewing while renovations continue at the Weir House. The first set of exhibits include: Spirit of Sport: Winter Edition, featuring vintage sleds and skates, local photographs, and a history of winter sports. The Measure of a Man, a retrospective on the life of Robert Wadlow, including a growth chart and photographs from his life History is a Window to the Past, a changing screen featuring approximately 60 views of Madison County from the 19th century to the Mississippi River Festiva Madison County’s First Farmers, the story of Native Americans farmer and the foods they cultivated The Two Treaties of Edwardsville, 1818 and 1819s. Hours for the new exhibit are Wed-Fri, 9-4 and Sunday 1-4. The Madison County Archival Library is located at 801 N. Main Street in Edwardsville. There is no charge for

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ALTON - Illinois American Water’s work to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers continues. Below is information about this week’s road closures –April 4, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: Alby is closed from 12th Street south to 10th Street. 8th Street is closed between Easton and George Streets. All streets highlighted yellow are closed to thru traffic, with surface restoration starting very soon as weather permits. 10th Street between Alby and Easton Street is two-way traffic only temporarily. East of Easton Street is still only one-way traffic in a westward direction. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street pavement restoration will be starting soon. The alley south of McKinley east of Lincoln is back open to traffic, with pavement restoration beginning soon. Douglas Street, between State and Lincoln Streets is open, with pavement restoration being completed this week, weather permitting. Please drive carefully. The alley between McPherson

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EDWARDSVILLE — Officials and community leaders in Madison County kicked off Child Abuse Prevention Month on Friday at the Madison County Administration Building. Pink and blue cutouts of children line the lobby of the administration building, each one symbolizing a child interviewed by Child Advocacy Center during the past year over allegations of abuse. Also on display are T-shirts from the Oasis Women’s Center Clothesline Project that abused children paint and decorate. Madison County Chief Circuit Judge William Mudge who emceed the event said since the establishment of the CAC 20 years ago, forensic interviewers conducted thousands of interviews on children. “I would encourage any of you to visit CAC’s website to see all the things they do, the people they collaborate with and what they’ve done to help children,” Mudge said. “They’ve become one of the leading centers in the state.” He said in his my mind the CAC exemplifies

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