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SPRINGFIELD – Building on five years of fiscal progress, Governor Pritzker’s sixth balanced budget proposal will continue on the path of fiscal responsibility, introduce new investments in healthcare accessibility and equity, and build on our historic progress in education and economic development. Please see below for links to the proposed FY25 budget as well as the Governor’s remarks as prepared for delivery: Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Budget Fiscal Year 2025 Budget in Brief State of the State and Budget Address Wednesday, February 21 st , 2024 *Remarks As Prepared For Delivery* Speaker Welch, President Harmon, Lieutenant Governor Stratton, my fellow constitutional officers, members of the 103 rd General Assembly, Chief Justice Theis and members of the Supreme Court, honored guests, the First Lady of Illinois, my soulmate, MK, and all the people of the great state of Illinois, I am so grateful to be here t

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These are responses to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's State of the State address. Democratic Party of Illinois Statement on Governor JB Pritzker’s Address SPRINGFIELD — Following Governor JB Pritzker’s annual State of the State and Budget Address, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez released the following statement: “Building on five years of fiscal progress and responsibility, Governor JB Pritzker once again laid out a positive vision for our state that invests in education, health care, infrastructure, public safety, and human services in his State of the State and Budget Address. Democrats across the state will work together to continue bolstering our finances while investing in budget priorities that move Illinois forward. Governor Pritzker, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, and Democrats in the General Assembly have put Illinois’ finances back on track over the past five years, with nine credit rating upgrades,

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ALTON - Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, today responded to the Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, announcement that American Queen Voyages has discontinued operations for 2024. Please see the attached media statement for Mr. Jobe’s remarks. The following is a statement from Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, in response to the announcement that American Queen Voyages will no longer operate cruise ships in 2024. “The loss of American Queen Voyages dockings in Alton this year is unfortunate but doesn’t represent the overall health of the cruise ship industry in the U.S. and Southwest Illinois,” Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau remarked. “In fact, the cruise industry, as shown by American Cruise Lines and Viking River Cruises, remains strong and is surpassing pre-pandemic levels of popularity. “In 2024 alone, we anticipate 27 Alton cruise ship dockings

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TROY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that utility work by the city of Troy will require a full closure of Center Street in Troy at Collinsville Road for one week beginning, weather permitting, Thursday, Feb. 22. A posted detour will be in place to safely guide motorists around the closure. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to detour signs in work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. 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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GODFREY - According to Marie Mangrum, Rose Optical has two favorite “helpers”: dogs and kids. Dogs chew on glasses and kids break them. Mangrum joked that this keeps the optometrist in business, but in truth, Rose Optical’s 33 years in the Riverbend region are a testament to their service alone. She is thankful for the patients and the organizations, like the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council, that have supported the business over the decades. “We’ve been around for 33 years and we’re still thriving. We just love how the public supports us and the patients,” Mangrum said. “We want the patients to be happy. We have patients who have moved out of the area, and when they come back to visit family, that’s their eye exam.” This means a lot to Mangrum and her husband Kevin, who own Rose Optical and work there together with their children. The family hopes to provide quality care for patients no matter what they need,

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Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Look no further! From trivia nights to eagle watching and fish fries to painting fundraisers, the diverse range of upcoming events promises something exciting for everyone in the community. For a complete list of these engaging activities and more, visit https://www.riverbender.com/events/ and plan your next adventure today. Featured Alton Little Theater Presents: THE FOUR POSTER - The Alton Little Theater is excited to present "The Four Poster," a poignant play that spans 35 years in the life of a married couple. The play originally starred Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and takes place from their wedding night in 1890 to the day they leave their longtime home. Witness their joys, struggles, and the changes in their lives, all in the presence of their old fourposter bed. This touching narrative captures the essence of marriage and is not to be missed. BuzzTones: Buzzin' the VFW! - The BuzzTones are ready to fill your night with musi

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ALTON - When Carly Hamberg became the CEO of Logo It last year, she knew there were a lot of people who had her back, from her parents to the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council. Located at 2603 State Street in Alton, Logo It creates customized apparel and promotional products for local businesses, schools, teams and more. With plenty of loyal customers who have loved to watch them grow, Hamberg said that it’s been nerve-wracking but rewarding to take on the business from her parents. “It’s exciting. It’s scary as well,” she said. “My parents have created this amazing business. To have to take it on and hope that I succeed as much as them is a little scary. But I’m confident that I’m creating a team within the office where my employees can help me succeed to that level of my parents. I think it’s going well so far.” Logo It recently added 3,000 square feet to its interior, where they now have a showroom and warehouse.

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ALTON - There was a large visible police presence on East 13th Street in the Blair Area in Alton this morning and officers were able to apprehend two subjects and take them into custody. The Alton Police said an initial report to the department said it appeared up to possibly four subjects were in a house that was under rehabilitation. The police used a drone to capture the two who had fled to the nearby woods. There has not been any information released yet on whether or not the subjects will be charged, but it appears the subjects were not authorized to be in the home. The investigation into this situation is ongoing, Alton Police said.

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Edwardsville, Ill. - Every year, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) honors educators across the state, and this year, two Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 educators are among the recipients for 2024. The awards program is divided into two categories – the “Illinois Teacher of the Year” cohort and the “Those Who Excel” awards. Within “Those Who Excel” are three different awards, including the Award of Excellence, the Award of Special Recognition, and the Award of Meritorious Service. Congratulations to Nelson Elementary Principal Melissa Edwards, who received Special Recognition, and Elementary Technology Teacher Gretchen Hertz, who received Meritorious Service. “We are immensely proud that these two exceptional educators have been recognized for their outstanding contributions,” said Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. “Their dedication

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EDWARDSVILLE - Talia Norman has been one of the key players for the Alton High girls' basketball team, helping the Redbirds to one of their best seasons ever, and they are currently 31-2 and headed to a sectional title matchup on Thursday night at Normal. Norman had 10 points in the Redbirds' 51-41 win over O'Fallon in the sectional semifinal on Tuesday night. "I feel great," Norman said in a recent postgame interview about her role with the Redbirds girls team. "As we move forward, we just have to do what we work on in practice and execute." Norman has averaged 7.7 points a game for the Redbirds and 6.5 rebounds a contest. She has played a dominant role under the basket for Alton on both sides of the court. Norman is ecstatic about where the Redbirds are at this point in the season. "I'm real excited," Norman said of what is ahead. "At this point, we do take it game-by-game." Norman sees her role on the team as one who keeps encouraging her teammates, keeping things upbeat and

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EDWARDSVILLE - If you’re looking for a Lenten fish fry , 1818 Offshore has all the seafood you need, every day of the week. Located at 210 S. Buchanan Street in Edwardsville, the restaurant has over 40 fresh seafood options on their dinner menu — but they don’t stop there. 1818 Offshore has decided to offer four specials during the Lent season through March 30, 2024. Choose either battered and fried or blackened fresh catch for the Fresh Catch Meal, which is served with house made pickles, creamy slaw and house made tartar sauce, Lucky Lola hushpuppies and bread or fries. Chef’s Daily Fresh Catch also comes as tacos, battered and fried or blackened, with jalapeño cilantro slaw, fresh pineapple salsa and preserved lemon aioli. The Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl offers tamari & mirini glazed ahi tuna, lime smashed avocado, pickled carrots, pickled ginger, spicy cucumber, edamame and calrose rice all together for a delicious but healthy fresh meal. And a loca

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EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville Community Foundation is pleased to announce the Christina M. Digby Memorial Scholarship for Students with Learning Challenges. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a graduating senior at Edwardsville High School who has faced challenges as a result of a learning disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or autism spectrum disorder and is continuing their education at college, university, communication college or trade/vocational school. This award is sponsored by Digby’s parents, DeAnna and David Kasich. Digby earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science from the Barnes Jewish College of Nursing and Allied Health at Washington University. “Christy worked tirelessly to overcome her own learning challenges to become a successful nurse practitioner,” said DeAnna Kasich. “We believe Christina would want others with learning challenges, who have demonstrated their ability to put i

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ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education recognized Niyam Patel and Peter Milien II as February's Optimist Students of the Month during the Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 20, 2024. Dr. Cindy Inman, principal of Alton Middle School, introduced Niyam Patel and shared a few remarks from his teachers. Patel is a straight-A student who plays baseball and basketball. He wants to be an aerospace engineer one day.\ “He is an amazing student and he’s an amazing athlete,” Inman said. “Niyam is an excellent example of what Alton Middle School students are like each and every day.” Patel’s teachers and coaches said he has a “positive attitude” and he is “a joy to coach.” He often leads by example and shows great sportsmanship by cheering on his teammates and smiling through the entire game. Patel loves science and helping his neighbors and family. “Niyam, you are a very hard-working

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FERGUSON, MO. - Brittany Persch of Ferguson, Mo., has organized a GoFundMe for the family of Bernadine "Birdie" Pruessner and her beloved children, Millie, 2, Jackson, 6, and Ellie and Ivy, both 9. The family died in a tragic house fire in Ferguson on Feb. 19, 2024. "It is with deep sorrow and profound sadness that we announce the sudden departure of Bernadine 'Birdie' Pruessner and her beloved children," Persch said. "This heartbreaking loss has left us all grappling with immense emotional pain. "Birdie was an esteemed educator who generously shared her expertise with various educational institutions across the St. Louis region, spanning both Missouri and Illinois. Her dedication to teaching shone brightly when she was recognized with the prestigious Missouri Teacher of the Year Award in 2013 by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. She was a full-time member of the Lewis and Clark Community College faculty. "Beyond her achievements in the classroom,

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ELSAH - Principia College will present a play about the rise of fascism in one of the first fully-staged productions in the U.S. since the 1940s. “It Can’t Happen Here” will premiere at Principia College at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 29, March 1 and March 2, 2024, and 2 p.m. on March 2, 2024. Director Chrissy Steele said students have been rehearsing since the spring semester began, and they’re excited to share the story with audiences next week. “When we first started working on it, I felt like this was such a political play because there is this sense in our country of some people wanting a strong man, wanting someone to kind of come in and solve all of our problems, sort of a leaning toward authoritarianism. And so we felt like this play was really timely because it was dealing with some of those issues,” Steele explained. “But as we began work on it, we realized we can’t do a political play, we need to do a play that tells the story. An

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspect Edvin Draganovic, 34 years of age, of the 8000 block of Pontiac Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63123, for Leaving the Scene of an Accident – Accident Resulting in Death and Driving While License Revoked/Suspended. A booking photo of Draganovic is attached. Draganovic is being held on $75,000 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: Witness was southbound on Mackenzie when he observed Defendant's pickup truck pull up alongside witness at the intersection of Mackenzie and Gravois. Witness noted the color, size, and distinct decals of Defendant's truck. Witness observed Defendant's truck do a burnout at the intersection and immediately travel at a high rate of speed southbound. Defendant passed around

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ALTON - Alton Little Theater is thrilled to announce that it's received permission to produce Kenneth Jones' most notable play, ALABAMA STORY for eight performances from March 15th through the 24th. This was a quest for Director Lee Cox, who first learned of the play's existence in 2019 when the St. Louis Repertory Theater produced the work before it was even officially released as a publication. Cox fell in love with the beautifully written and staged work and became rather obsessed with obtaining production rights as soon as possible - no small feat for a play destined for greatness and only available to professional theatres! But Cox waited patiently, kept in touch with the playwright, and secured the performance rights for ALT to anchor the remaining shows she would produce for the 90th Season at the Showplace. Cox and Gail Drillinger are co-directing the show, and Gail also takes on the leading role of Emily Wheelock Reed. The play is based upon the true story of her life

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), co-founder of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced over $206 million in support for Illinois to help clean up drinking water and upgrade water infrastructure throughout the state. The funding is part of the more than $50 billion investment in water infrastructure upgrades thanks to Duckworth’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which she authored and was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Almost half of this funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans, ensuring funds reach underserved communities most in need of investments in water infrastructure. “I’m proud that this historic investment, which was made possible by my Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructur

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GODFREY - Due to increased patient volumes, OSF PromptCare (6702 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL 62035) announces new expanded daily offices hours. The new expanded daily office hours are: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m OSF PromptCare’s new expanded daily office hours are effective immediately. “Utilization of walk-in clinics will only continue to rise, and not just here in the Riverbend region, but across the country,” says Sharon K. Tippett, Director, Physician Practices, OSF Healthcare – Medical Group in Alton. OSF PromptCare is a walk-in clinic designed to assess and treat sudden minor illnesses and injuries for patients when their primary care provider is busy or unavailable. In December 2023, OSF PromptCare was voted “Best Urgent Care” for the second consecutive year in the “Best of the Best” awards program sponsored by The Telegraph and Hearst Community Media Group. According to the 2023 US Physicia

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EDWARDSVILLE - Rebirth is the theme of Nichlas Hart’s pencil drawing, which was one of 100 pieces of art selected to be showcased during Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Annual Regional High School Juried Art Exhibition, Feb. 8-16. A total of 200 pieces were considered for the show. Hart, a junior at the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS), said his piece, “Transfigure of the Shell,” was created out of a sense of him releasing negative emotions. “During the time of its creation, I had so many things going on in my everyday life, to the point where everything just became too much,” explained Hart. “I couldn’t do much of anything but listen to music. While listening, I fell in love with the album portals by Melanie Martinez and its visuals. The album and its visuals inspired me to make a version of myself within the world of the album. I put everything I felt onto the canvas. It was a way of letting everything g

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