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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with the leaders and members of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) and the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 58 Illinois private, nonprofit colleges across the state. During the meetings, Durbin and Duckworth advocated for doubling the maximum Pell Grant and supporting other federal student aid programs to help improve the accessibility of higher education. The Senators also discussed job training programs provided at Illinois colleges and universities and how they can serve as a pipeline for professions facing a workforce shortage, including the health care industry. “One of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation is an education. But for many Illinoisans, financial constraints are a barrier to reaching a college degree or a professional certification,” said Durbin.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representatives Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Zach Nunn (R-IA-03) today introduced bicameral and bipartisan legislation to collect demographic data on public school teachers and principals to improve the accuracy of educator workforce data. The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act would establish a permanent, national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level to assist in recruitment and retention of educators. The legislation stems from research showing that all students benefit from a high-quality, diverse educator workforce, and that students of color with at least one same-race teacher often have improved academic performance, attendance, graduation rates, and aspiration to attend college. Current solutions to address both educator workforce shortages and diversity gaps use incomplete data that is not easily accessible. Without a national dataset, legislators

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GRANITE CITY - A Granite City Police officer was struck when a subject fired a gun at officers in the 2400 block of Delmar Avenue on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. The call to the Granite City Police Department came in at 10:08 p.m. Granite City Police said upon arrival officers contacted a subject who fired a gun at officers and struck one officer. The officer struck in the gunfire sustained non-life-threatening injuries as a result. "Officers returned fire and the suspect fled from the scene of the incident," Major Gary Brooks said. "The suspect is still at large. Multiple agencies responded and are assisting with this investigation. There will be no further information released at this time." Anyone with any information about the situation, please contact the Granite City Police Department at (618) 877-6111 .

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GRAFTON - Raging Rivers Waterpark has some sweet deals this Valentine’s Day to get you in a summer state of mind. From Feb. 7–14, 2024, you can get two package deals that will save you $100 each. With some fun additions to the park, sped-up food service and other additions, the park promises another great year for its 35th season. “It’ll be our 35th year of operation and we want to keep it going,” said Melody Dossett, the Administrative Manager. “Raging Rivers is a long-standing business in the community and we hope to keep it that way.” The Valentine’s Day deal allows customers to purchase four tickets and a cabana — a value of $239 — for $150. Customers can also purchase four tickets, meal vouchers and parking, which is valued at $198, for just $100. These deals are only available Feb. 7–14, 2024, in the Special Event Section on RagingRivers.com . Dossett explained that affordability is important to Raging

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ALTON - Upper Alton Baptist Church will host their annual Chocolate Festival to raise money for their preschool. From 2–4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, community members can stop by Upper Alton Baptist Church at 2726 College Avenue in Alton for an all-you-can-eat chocolate extravaganza. The event costs $7 and you can refill your plate as many times as you want. All proceeds go to the Upper Alton Baptist Preschool, which serves families of children ages 3–5. “It’s vitally important,” said Alison Donoho about the fundraiser. “Our preschool has been around since 1980, and things change a lot with the costs and everything. We at the church feel like our number one ministry is the preschool and being able to serve those kids and the families, so fundraisers like this just help us continue to do that.” Donoho is the preschool committee chair. She sees firsthand how the kids benefit from the preschool, from learning their colors and the alphabet

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The third annual "Ice Jam at the Dam" winter festival, held at the National Great Rivers Museum on February 17 th , will highlight winter experiences that can be had along the river, along with winter-themed movies, live music, animal shows, and more. From 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., the public is invited to visit the National Great Rivers Museum for a wide array of wintery activities. Behind the museum at the foot of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, local organizations will have educational booths where visitors can learn about winter wildlife, view bald eagles in the wild, and hear about the Lewis and Clark over-wintering at Camp Dubois alongside a replica of the White Pirogue boat used on their expedition. Children who visit at least six stations will receive a goody bag of prizes. Families can also roast s’mores at campfires and enjoy hot chocolate while listening to live music by Chris Cahill, who will be returning for this year’s event. Of the many participating organizations,

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GODFREY - Godfrey trustees unanimously approved a special use permit for a cannabis dispensary to open in the former Woody’s Drive-In location in Godfrey. The vote followed a lengthy discussion between village officials about Godfrey’s first-ever adult-use cannabis dispensary, with some aiming to prevent any more dispensaries from opening in the village. Jeremy Wysocki with Tatich 3 LLC, the company requesting the permit to operate the dispensary, said at the meeting that while they’re currently undergoing a change in ownership, they aim to have the dispensary operational by March 1. Wysocki also said the Godfrey dispensary’s ownership would be split between him, Fast Eddie’s Bon-Air Owner Eddie Sholar Jr., and Gabriel Sarikov, the owner of Golden Meds, a company operating several dispensaries in the Denver area and beyond. According to Tatich 3’s application for a special use permit, “the business will generate substantial sales tax for

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly to discuss the Illinois State Police’s work and how federal efforts can help support the agency. Duckworth and Kelly discussed the importance of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funding, the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. A photo from today’s meeting is available on the Senator’s website. “The work of the Illinois State Police and its brave officers is critical in helping keep Illinois safe,” Duckworth said. “It was good to meet with Director Kelly today, and I’ll keep working to do what I can at the federal level to support our law enforcement and fund programs that address local needs.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) led six of her colleagues on the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Climate Jobs Task Force in a letter calling on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board (EWAB) to develop a report including robust recommendations to strengthen and diversify the clean-energy workforce. Joining Congresswoman Budzinski in leading the letter were Representatives Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01). “We hope to see the EWAB continue to address worker retraining and technical development in the clean energy sector, particularly in energy communities and communities impacted by industrial sector closures, relocations, and large scale layoffs,” wrote the Members. “Ensuring that the workforce has accessible training and development opportunities will help level the playing field for workers and continue to grow ou

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ALTON - Alton Alderwoman Rosetta Brown is speaking out strongly against gun violence. The recent shooting of a 13-year-old in the city sparked Rosetta to provide her comments. The female victim in the weekend shooting remained in critical condition as of Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. A community candlelight prayer vigil is planned for the girl and her family and any others who have experienced gun violence at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, on Highland Avenue across from Hampton Gardens. Alton alderwoman Brown and Missy Johnson, a concerned citizen, have together come up with the idea for the prayer vigil. Brown said the recent shooting of a child in Alton is simply devastating and uncalled for. "How cowardly is such an act," she said in her comments. "We must let the thugs, uninvited guests and those who just don't belong on our streets know that this type of action will not be tolerated in our community. Just a block away from the shooting in a prominent church in our community prayers

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan Kelly and Illinois Drug Enforcement Officers Association (IDEOA) board members. Durbin and the group discussed the importance of continued federal funding for initiatives related to the intersection of drugs, guns, and human trafficking, including funding for the Byrne-JAG federal grant program, which supports state and local drug enforcement and public safety efforts. During their meeting, Durbin thanked the law enforcement leaders for their service. “Our Illinois State Police and local law enforcement officers are on the front lines combatting the opioid epidemic, and it’s imperative they have the resources they need to keep our communities safe,” Durbin said. “I have long supported increased Byrne-JAG funding because it provides critical support to law enforcement and public safety efforts,

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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District will display a letter written by Abraham Lincoln 180 years and one day after he signed it. On Feb. 17, 2024, Hayner’s Genealogy & Local History Library will welcome community members from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to look at the letter and other artifacts and learn about Lincoln’s connection to Alton. The day will also include a lecture by historian Tom Emery from 10–11 a.m. Hayner Library Director Mary Cordes explained that the event will welcome people to the library while sharing a piece of Lincoln history with community members. “That’s the whole goal of that Saturday, is to let people see something that truly belongs to all of us because it belongs to the library and the library belongs to everyone,” she explained. “We wanted to make sure people could come and see that and then at the same time, it’s kind of like, ‘Well, we already have people here looking at this letter, so maybe

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SPRINGFIELD - In recognition of Safer Internet Day, State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is renewing calls to pass bipartisan legislation to protect minors from exposure to harmful and inappropriate content online by implementing age verification requirements in Illinois. The Adult Content Age Verification Act, Senate Bill 2590, would require businesses to put in place “reasonable age verification methods” to ensure that individuals entering pornographic websites are indeed of legal age. “Our youth are incredibly vulnerable on the internet, and they have access to a wide variety of adult content, some of which can be harmful, hurtful, and inappropriate,” said Senator Harriss. “I filed this legislation to help protect children from accessing explicit material intended for adult viewership by requiring more accountability from pornographic websites.” A recent report found that most teens had consumed porn online and first encountered

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School junior Mary Wesley James had what was described by her coach Anna Schuetzenhofer as “an amazing day” at the IHSA State Cheer Championships last weekend. Not only was James a participant on the Edwardsville High team that was second in the Large Schools competition, but she also sang the National Anthem prior to the start of the competition. The coach said she did “an amazing job” and Schuetzenhofer was so proud of her. Mary Wesley sings at her church and has also performed the National Anthem at EHS before, her coach said. She sees her future full of endless possibilities with her vocal talent and other abilities. After her beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, James stepped over with her teammates and performed almost without a break. She was one of the key members of the cheer squad that brought home second place in the state trophy. “It was incredible what she did,” her coach said. “I can onl

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JERSEYVILLE - Jersey County voters will see a question on their ballots on March 19, 2024 asking them to consider a local sales tax increase of 0.5% to help maintain several local government facilities, according to a recent letter from the Jersey County Board. A public meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Jersey County Government Building to answer any questions from the public. “The Jersey County Board is asking for help from the voters of Jersey County to determine the path in maintaining the courthouse, Sheriff's Department, the government building, and all buildings and grounds owned by Jersey County,” the board wrote. “We have voted to put a public question on the ballot for voter consideration. To pay for public safety purposes, shall Jersey County be authorized to impose an increase on its share of local sales taxes by 0.5%?” The board added that they’ve been identifying needed repairs for the past six years, and

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GODFREY - A motorcyclist was flown to a St. Louis area hospital after a crash with a vehicle on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, on West Delmar Avenue, just west of Pierce Lane in Godfrey. The call to the Madison County Sheriff's Office came in at 11:57 a.m. Madison County Sheriff's Office deputies and members of the Godfrey Fire Department arrived on the scene shortly after the call for first responders. Madison County Sheriff's Office handles calls in the Godfrey vicinity. Marcos Pulido, chief deputy sheriff for Madison County Sheriff's Office, said a preliminary investigation revealed that while the driver of a passenger vehicle was pulling out of a driveway, it pulled into the path of a motorcycle that was traveling westbound on West Delmar Avenue. "As both units collided, the occupant of the motorcycle was ejected," Pulido said. "The driver of the passenger vehicle had to be extricated from the vehicle. "Both the occupant of the motorcycle and the driver of the passenger were transported

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ALTON/EDWARDSVILLE - Unemployment stats remained low year over year from December 2022 to December 2023 in the area. Edwardsville had a 3.1 percent unemployment rate in December 2023 compared to 2.4 percent in 2022, while Alton was 5.4 percent compared to 4.5 percent, Granite City was 4.2 percent compared to 2.9 percent and Belleville 4.6 percent compared to 3.7 percent in December 2022. Collinsville recorded a 4.2 percent rate compared to 3.3 percent in December 2022. As far as counties this was the breakdown: Madison County 4.1 percent compared to 3.1 percent December 2023 to December 2022, Macoupin County 4.2 percent compared to 3.3 percent, Jersey County 3.9 percent compared to 3.0 and Calhoun County was 3.6 percent to 3.7 percent a year ago. Greene County recorded a 4.1 percent rate compared to 3.9 percent a year ago. Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eight metropolitan areas, decreased in five and was unchanged in one for the year ending December 2023, according

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EAST ALTON – Lincoln Middle School teacher Maggie Dust is changing how her students interact and engage with scientific concepts thanks to a recent grant from the Environmental Education Association of Illinois (EEAI). Dust, a partner of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC sm ) and the Swarovski Foundation, plans to use the grant, along with matching funds from the Swarovski Foundation Waterschool program, to purchase an EnviroScape model for her classroom. "This grant holds immense value for my students and me as it enables us to expand our approach to environmental education,” Dust said. “The EnviroScape model, made possible by this grant, will revolutionize how students engage with scientific concepts.” The hands-on, visual EnviroScape model allows students to understand the interconnectedness of human activities and their environment more tangibly. It will enable them to explore the snowball effect of pollution

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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, will host prospective students and their families for an Open House on Monday, February 19, 2024, beginning at 9:00 AM. The winter event is designed to be an engaging opportunity for prospective first-year and transfer students to gather important information about the college application process. For students who bring their official transcripts, it may be possible to get an instant admission decision and find out immediately if they can attend Blackburn in the fall. Throughout the day, students and families will tour the beautiful 80-acre campus, make personal connections with current students and professors, and get to know what life is like as a Blackburn student. In addition to a complimentary lunch, they will see first-hand Blackburn’s unique approach to education as the only student-managed Work Program in the nation and discover how graduates build full resumes that will give them a four-year head start launching

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GODFREY – Prospective students looking to advance their careers or pursue higher education are invited to explore Lewis and Clark Community College during Discover Day, from 4-6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 19, in The Commons. Discover Day offers future Trailblazers the opportunity to tour campus, engage with academic and financial aid advisors, gain insights into programs and career prospects, and enjoy a taste of student life. "Discover Day is a chance for students in our surrounding communities to understand what sets Lewis and Clark Community College apart," said L&C Recruiter Daniel Nosce. "We'll highlight everything Lewis and Clark has to offer, from programs and departments to student support and other organizations." Discover Day takes place twice a year on Presidents Day and Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day), when many district high schools are closed but the college remains open, allowing students to explore the campus without missing school or work. “The

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