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CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker alongside a bipartisan group of nine governors from across the country, issued a letter to PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for Northern Illinois, urging the group to implement governance reforms to meet the ongoing energy affordability crisis and ensure power grid reliability for Illinois working families and businesses. “Illinois has long been a national energy leader and is committed to delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to working families and businesses,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “But PJM undermines our efforts and lacks meaningful accountability to the very states it serves. I’m joining Governors from red and blue states to call for reforms that give states a real seat at the table, ensures transparency, and listens to working families and businesses. PJM must evolve and embrace reforms if it is to remain a credible partner and responsible steward for the region.” The letter comes

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) issued the following statement after voting no on the President’s proposed package that slashes more than $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – jeopardizing over 1,500 locally owned public television and radio stations across the country. "With this vote, House Republicans have officially abdicated Congress's constitutional duty to appropriate federal dollars, effectively surrendering that authority to the Executive Branch. Let’s be clear: the funding they just voted to slash was passed with bipartisan support and signed into law. Walking away from those commitments isn’t just irresponsible — it’s reckless. These cuts jeopardize local public broadcasting, strip access to critical healthcare, gut lifesaving emergency programs, and undermine our support for global allies. It doesn’t make us stronger — it makes us weaker.” In addition to gutting fundin

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA), in partnership with the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI), launched an on-demand training course, "Defenses for Firefighters," to help firefighters navigate the challenge of balancing personal safety with effective emergency response. This online training course delivers actionable guidance developed from real-world incidents and highlights the importance of continually assessing and controlling risk. Whether new to the firefighting or a seasoned chief officer, the course empowers learners with the mindset and strategies needed to identify hazards, defend against injury or death, and make risk-informed decisions. “The entire course takes only fifteen minutes. I would encourage all fire departments in Illinois to put their staff through it and then continually reinforce the principles,” said IL OSHA Chief Erik Kambarian. “The goal is clear:

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BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL – As part of one of its busiest construction seasons ever, the Illinois Department of Transportation is delivering several major projects in the Bloomington-Normal area, fueled by Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. Five major projects combined represent a total investment of nearly $83.1 million, improving safety and mobility while sustaining and creating good-paying jobs throughout the region. “Through Rebuild Illinois, we are making good on our promise to restore and transform our state’s infrastructure while promoting economic growth,” said Gov. Pritzker. “This summer, IDOT will continue to build on years of progress by undertaking construction projects that will create safer roads and bridges and provide jobs across the state. Through these projects, we are demonstrating what government is supposed to do and that’s investing in the people and communities we serve.” Of the

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ALTON - On Monday, July 13, 1925, two men were rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Alton with heatstroke. William F. Morris died that evening. John Zink succumbed the next day. The high temperature in Alton hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit that week. John Zink, an employee of the James Fortin Construction Company, was overcome by heat near Roxana at noon on July 13 and was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital. William F. Morris collapsed on East Broadway near Main Street at 1:30 p.m. Dr. O.E. Carson, township physician, had been called in to attend Zink and was already there when Morris arrived. Dr. Carson tried to save both men, but their temperature on arrival at St. Joseph’s was 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature above 106.7 degrees is hyperpyrexia, a life-threatening emergency. Morris, 45, of 324 Main Street in Alton, worked as a lather. Bystanders noticed him staggering near the interurban car barns and he was likely on the way to his home on Main Stree

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WOOD RIVER - The Riverbend East Rotary Club has selected Cleary’s Shoes and Boots as its 2025 Business of the Year. Riverbend East Rotary Club President Mark Smith (center) makes the presentation to Cleary’s owners Andrew and Stephanie Hagopian. Riverbend East Rotary Club is located at 48 East Ferguson Ave., Wood River.

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BETHALTO — The Mail Box Store has joined U-Haul Co. of Illinois, Inc. as a neighborhood dealer to provide moving and storage services to the Bethalto community. Located at 333 W. Bethalto Drive, Suite C, The Mail Box Store will offer U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, and moving supplies. The store’s hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Customers can reserve U-Haul products by calling (618) 377-2907. Owner Charles Moore expressed pride in partnering with U-Haul, a leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage, to better serve the needs of Madison County residents. Unlike franchises, U-Haul neighborhood dealers like The Mail Box Store do not require a financial investment. These small businesses allocate a portion of their lot space for U-Haul equipment and dedicate time to assist local customers with their mobility needs.

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ALTON — The Midwest Nationals Formula 1 Powerboat races began Friday afternoon with practice sessions along the Alton Riverfront. The day’s activities started at 1 p.m. with Formula 1 boats conducting test runs, followed by Formula Lights at 2 p.m., and Tri Hull boats at 2:45 p.m. Spectators were able to watch the testing free of charge, and despite the heat, several people turned out to observe the high-speed runs. After the practice sessions, some of the boats were paraded downtown to Mac’s Downtown, where a meet and greet event allowed attendees to get up close with the boats and speak with crews and drivers. Entertainment was provided by Flip the Frog, who played music during the gathering. Families were among those who visited the downtown event. One child described the experience as “awesome” and said it was “neat to see how fast they go” during the practice runs. "F1, Alton, the sponsors and all of Mac’s staff did a fabulous

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GODFREY — Freer Auto Body hosted its annual Christmas in July fundraiser on Friday, July 18, 2025, raising $74,000 to support community initiatives in the holiday season in December. Once again, Christmas in July was an enormous success and will help many who need it in the holiday season. While the total fell slightly short of last year’s haul, Margaret Freer, one of the owners of Freer Auto Body, rated the event highly successful. The fundraiser featured a variety of prizes awarded to winners from across the region. Winners $3,500 - Nick Howell Fort Morgan Trip - Matt Lewis Pigeon Forge - Joli Downer Ballton - Diana Copley Green Seats - Hannah Tonsor Side of Beef - Annie Eads $1,000 - Pamela Ditterline Top Ticket Sellers Tina Bennett - 247 - Dinner for 6 Gentelins Shannon Fraley - 189 - Dinner for 8 Bella Milano Doc Halliday - 179 - VanHoy’s Cardinal Tickets Margaret Freer, who organized the event, expressed gratitude to the community for thei

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BELLEVILLE — On July 17, 2025, Belleville Police Department detectives presented the case to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office, which filed charges against both - Kathy M. Bledsoe and Tynika R. McKinzie - after a recent dispute at McDonald's in Belleville. Belleville Police said Bledsoe faces one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony. McKinzie was charged with one count of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and one count of mob action, a Class 4 felony. Bledsoe remains in the custody of the Belleville Police Department and will be transferred to the St. Clair County Jail pending a detention hearing and further court proceedings. A dispute at a McDonald’s restaurant escalated into a shooting Wednesday afternoon, July 16, 2025, resulting in charges against both a manager and a customer, according to Belleville Police Department officials. At approximately 4:45 p.m. on July 16, 2025, officers responded to a disturbance

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CARLINVILLE – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski convened local farmers, food banks, and leaders in the food and agriculture sectors to discuss growing threats to food access in Central and Southern Illinois. The conversation focused on recent actions by the Trump administration, including the cancellation of the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) contracts, as well as newly signed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “Right now, Central and Southern Illinoisans are at risk of going hungry – not because of a bad harvest, but because of cruel, unnecessary cuts. Today, I heard from local farmers and food banks about the challenges they’re facing keeping our community fed,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “These leaders shared their concerns that the Trump Administration’s elimination of programs like LFPA and LFS will jeopardize the future of IL-EATS and the ability of foodbanks

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JERSEYVILLE - Sinclair Foods in Jerseyville will celebrate their 85th anniversary with a party. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2025, community members can come by Sinclair Foods to enjoy free hotdogs, visits with Santa and The Princess from the Tower, a storytime with local author Elaine Lavey, music by Ava Tonsor and Haylie Jones, archery with Big Ed’s Hooked On Fishing, and photo ops with the Monster Truck Bigfoot, Bluey, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. “All of the stuff we’re having here, all of the things, they have a local connection to Jerseyville or Jersey County,” said Dawn, an employee with Sinclair Foods who helped organize the event. “We have really appreciated the support that the entire Riverbend area has given the store.” As the store marks its 85th year in Jerseyville, Dawn and store owner Stan hope to see many people come out to enjoy the celebrations. Stan’s father opened the original Sinclair Foods on

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CARLINVILLE – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski convened local farmers, food banks, and leaders in the food and agriculture sectors to discuss growing threats to food access in Central and Southern Illinois. The conversation focused on recent actions by the Trump administration, including the cancellation of the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) contracts, as well as newly signed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “Right now, Central and Southern Illinoisans are at risk of going hungry – not because of a bad harvest, but because of cruel, unnecessary cuts. Today, I heard from local farmers and food banks about the challenges they’re facing keeping our community fed,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “These leaders shared their concerns that the Trump Administration’s elimination of programs like LFPA and LFS will jeopardize the future of IL-EATS and the ability of foodbanks i

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WEST ALTON, MO. - The Riverbend Community Orchestra will play a nature-themed concert at the Audubon Center at Riverlands. On Sunday, July 27, 2025, community members are invited to the Audubon Center in West Alton for two concerts at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. At 3 p.m., there will be a sound hike and instrument exploration for those in attendance to enjoy. Ann Geiler with the Riverbend Community Orchestra expressed the group’s excitement to collaborate with the Audubon Center. “With every concert, we’re thinking, how do we connect with another organization or get more people that maybe don’t have a chance to hear classical music?” Geiler said. “All of our stuff is free, so anybody can come. We hope people just have a good time. It’s very relaxed.” The RCO will play nature-themed music, which Geiler said is “a very common topic in classical music.” In addition to the free concerts, attendees can explore the Audubon Center a

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EAST ST. LOUIS — A Chinese national has been federally charged for allegedly impersonating a federal agent and defrauding a Belleville senior of more than $70,000, according to authorities. Zhigang Lian, 42, a lawful resident of La Puente, Calif., was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. The charges stem from an impostor scam targeting a 76-year-old Belleville resident. Lian faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 if convicted. The investigation involved cooperation between the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Illinois State Police Metropolitan Enforcement Group Special Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross. Court documents detail that on June 13, 2025, the victim received a text message claiming to be from Apple, alerting them to a suspicious $258 transaction. When the victim called to dispute the charge, they were drawn into conversations

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ALTON – The owner of an Alton bar at risk of losing its late night liquor license has launched a movement to “ Stand Up ” for the fair treatment of all businesses amid claims the city is unfairly targeting his establishment. A hearing held on Monday, July 14, 2025, concerned the possibility of revoking the late night liquor licenses of two downtown bars, Pour Decisions and Hiram’s Bar. Under the Alton City Code , a “late night liquor license” allows a business to continue selling alcohol from 1 to 2 a.m. on weekdays and 1 to 3 a.m. on weekends. The owners of both bars were called to appear before Mayor David Goins, who also serves as the city’s Liquor Control Commissioner. Brian Trust, co-owner of the Pour Decisions bar in downtown Alton, said he’s launched a new Facebook page called Stand Up Alton . A post from July 17, 2025 addresses the reason behind the page’s creation. “To be clear, this page – Stand Up

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Education Association has reached a tentative agreement with Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. On July 16, 2025, the EEA released a 25-page document on its website outlining the tentative agreement. According to this agreement, teachers can expect a 4% increase on the base salary for the 2025–2026 school year. “I hope the teachers see this tentative agreement as a new chapter with a new board,” said Bob Paty, Board of Education president. In addition to the salary increase, other points in the contract note that teachers will be reimbursed a maximum of $100 per year for purchases of incidental supplies and they will receive 15 days of sick leave. You can read the entire tentative agreement here . This tentative agreement comes after many days of negotiations between the EEA and ECUSD7. The EEA has also organized several rallies in support of teachers following the Board of Education’s March

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COLLINSVILLE — Dustin Osborn and Kaitlin Hatcher are currently wanted by the Collinsville Police Department on charges of forgery and theft over $500. Authorities allege the two individuals took advantage of older family members, resulting in warrants. The Collinsville Police Department released information about the two in its "Fugitive Friday" feature on its Facebook page on Friday, July 18, 2025. The police department is seeking assistance from the public to locate Osborn and Hatcher. Those with information on their whereabouts are encouraged to contact the Collinsville Police Department at 618-344-2131, extension 5209. Callers may remain anonymous. In a statement, Collinsville Police officials urged Osborn and Hatcher to consider turning themselves in. The charges are based on probable cause, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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PIKE COUNTY - The Pike County Sheriff’s Department is seeking information about the theft of four off-road vehicles reported over the past two months in Pike County, Illinois. Pike County is adjacent to Calhoun County and the Calhoun Sheriff's Office released this information in its social media. The thefts occurred at various locations between late May and early July 2025. On or about May 31, a red and white Honda 70 dirt bike was taken from a property on the 1000 block of Bainbridge Street in Barry. Approximately nine days later, on June 9, 2025, a gray CF Moto 800 four-wheeler was stolen from a property on the 36000 block of County Highway 2 in Baylis. Two days after that, on June 11, 2025, a green 2020 Polaris was reported stolen from the 500 block of State Highway 106 in Barry. Most recently, on or about July 9, 2025, a green and black Polaris Ranger UTV was taken from a property on the 18000 block of U.S. Highway 54 in Rockport. The sheriff’s department is asking

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GODFREY - Community members are coming together to help each other at the annual Christmas in July fundraiser. From 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 18, 2025, Freer Auto Body hosted their Christmas in July event to raise money for 17 local organizations through Community Christmas. Attendees could buy raffle tickets and donate to receive a sloppy joe. All of the proceeds will go back to the community to provide toys, clothes, hygiene products and more to families in need at Christmastime. “It’s really cool,” said Lily Freer, who helps organize the event. “I’m very proud of everything our community has done and everything my family has done to set this up, but it really is the community. I’m very proud of the people we’re surrounded by.” Lily and her sister Taylor started the Christmas in July fundraiser 17 years ago at Freer Auto Body to honor the legacy of their uncle David, who loved supporting Community Christmas. Since

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