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EAST ALTON - Local pickleball players gathered on Jan. 13–14, 2024, for a “Picklin’ for the Cure” pickleball tournament that raised over $4,000 for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life initiative. Competitors played a round-robin tournament over two days at Keasler Recreation Complex in East Alton. Ruby Berghoff, tournament director and a U.S.A. Pickleball ambassador said “a perfect marriage” of organizations came together to make the tournament successful. “Pickleball people are just good people. It really worked out well,” Berghoff said. “It was an emotional day in a way because we have several survivors within our organization, within the group that were playing there that day.” Players and spectators enjoyed a raffle, silent auction and 50/50 drawing throughout the weekend. There were 48 teams and they played in different divisions depending on skill level. Loretta Gratta and Jane Short won in the women’s

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MADISON COUNTY - The Madison and Bond Counties have been required to keep the Offices of the Courts and Circuit Clerk closed on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. However, matters noticed for remote proceedings will proceed as planned. The Office Of the Circuit Court is required to notify all parties by posting on its website, notifying attorneys and by other appropriate means. Court activities will resume as planned on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.

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The region has been hit with icy conditions that have made streets, highways and sidewalks treacherous on Monday morning, Jan. 22, 2024. Classes in every school in the region were cancelled because of the ice and some employees are working on a remote basis on Monday because of the difficult driving conditions. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) released information on Monday morning just a few minutes ago and said there was “slow progress across all 11 countries in IDOT District 8.” “Salt is working well and trucks are mobile. Please take it slow if you are traveling today,” IDOT said. There were reported accidents on both I-270 and I-55 by state police on Monday. If you must be out, please plan and travel accordingly and visit https://idot.click/u6h for traffic and road conditions.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville YMCA Meyer and Niebur Centers have delayed the reopening of the centers until 3 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, due to the winter weather conditions in the area. The YMCA said the afternoon and evening programming will go as scheduled. The Allison Cassens ECDC will remain closed on Monday and reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. “Please stay safe and use caution as you travel,” the YMCA said in a statement.

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ALTON - When Jason and Kayla Harrison’s daughters came home from school hungry after refusing to eat the school lunches, again, the couple realized something had to change. LaMay’s Catering , named for their daughters, was their solution. Now in daycares and schools across the Metro East, LaMay’s is a customizable catering service that aims to please the most difficult customers: kids. The service offers nutritional meals that kids enjoy. But LaMay’s was only the beginning for Jason and Kayla, and they’re excited to watch the company continue to grow alongside their food truck Food Revival and restaurant Café 111. “It just came together,” Jason said. “Opportunities come, we seize the moment, and it’s like it just fits hand-in-hand. It’s just phenomenal just to see how it unfolds…Our initial goal was just get children to eat, and then as we got into it more we thought, ‘What if we could get them

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NEW ALBANY, Ohio - Today, Bob Evans Restaurants announced their 2024 Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Grant recipients with 12 high school students from across the Midwest. The Bob Evans SAE Grants are made available through its longstanding partnership with the National FFA Organization. Bob Evans – the home of “America’s Farm Fresh” – aims to inspire and aid future farmers, and pay homage to founder and farmer, Bob Evans. The 2024 Bob Evans SAE Grant program will continue to provide high school FFA members with the opportunity to advance the farming community with special agricultural projects and experiences. Each experiential learning project helps students learn more about agriculture, marketing, and running a business – all essential skills for those looking to be successful in the modern farming industry. All 12 Bob Evans grant recipients will receive $1,000 to help achieve goals outlined in their SAE Grant application. For example,

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EDWARDSVILLE — The Madison County Highway Department is inviting local road users in the Alton and Godfrey area to two public involvement meetings to discuss potential improvements to Humbert Road. Madison County Engineer Adam Walden said the Highway Department has prioritized capital improvements to Humbert Road to reduce traffic accidents, increase pedestrian safety, and support overall roadway accessibility within its five-year plan. The proposed project would modify the number of traffic lanes and add a dedicated turn lane. In addition, a permanent sidewalk would be added to support pedestrian traffic. The meetings are intended to provide an opportunity for the community to learn about the project, ask questions, and provide valuable feedback. During the event, Highway Department employees will be on hand to discuss the proposed project and answer citizen’s questions. CBB Transportation Solutions, who recently completed a traffic study examining the proposed improvements,

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SPRINGFIELD – Starting January 28, 2024, the Illinois Governor’s Mansion will host art tours for all Illinoisans to learn more about the Illinois based art in the Governor’s Mansion and the Illinoisans behind the works. The art in the mansion was carefully curated by First Lady MK Pritzker, the Illinois State Museum, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library to represent Illinois’ people and history. The Illinois artists guests will get to view on the tour include Harold Gregor, Gertrude Abercrombie, and Theaster Gates. Through February, the tour will also include “Noir 3,” an exhibit on loan from the Illinois State Museum that celebrates Black culture and creativity and through eight different award-winning artists. For additional information and to make a reservation, visit: Illinois Governor's Mansion Art Tours Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite . About the Illinois Governor’s Mansion The Illinois Governor's

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today it has been awarded $7.1 million in federal funds to fix electric vehicle chargers available to the public statewide. The funding, made possible through the Federal Highway Administration’s Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Program , helps support Gov. JB Pritzker’s goal to have 1 million EVs on the road in Illinois by 2030. “This investment will help to improve the reliability and accessibility of charging stations throughout the state,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT is committed to modernizing transportation and expanding green practices. This award is an important step in that direction.” The grant will repair, replace or upgrade an estimated 93 Level 2 ports and 34 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports at various locations throughout the state. A complete list can be found on IDOT’s website,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Maria Mezo of Edwardsville, Ill. graduated on Dec. 9th, 2023 from Maryville University with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She also became a member of the Delta Phi Tau National Honor Society ands received the Award for Excellence in Physical Therapy.

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ALTON - According to the 2023 US Physician Office Market Report, as published by BusinessWire (a Berkshire Hathaway Company), physician office visit volumes are expected to increase through 2029. Also, according to the report, the overall percentage of patient visits declined in 2020 due to the pandemic and has since risen roughly 10%, with the projection to continue to increase in 2023. OSF Medical Group can certainly attest to that projection and market conditions as 2023 brought increased physician office volumes to its Riverbend region locations in Alton, Godfrey, and Bethalto. “Our growth in 2023 was fueled by the combination of 1) employing additional primary care and specialty providers and 2) offering expanded programs and services for our patients,” says Sharon K. Tippett, Director, Physician Practices, OSF Healthcare – Alton Medical Group. “Throughout 2023 and as we begin 2024, we continue to see demand for increased access to primary care and specialty

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ALTON - Motorists are advised to take it slow going out the door on the morning of Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, because of several hours' worth of freezing rain on the sidewalks and roads. Illinois Department of Transportation, Missouri Department of Transportation and county and city streets crews are out this morning salting and preparing the roads for travel. Still, the icy precipitation will likely continue until the temperature gets to 32 degrees or more, Chris Kimble, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, said early Monday morning. “It is going to be icy out there until the temps rise above freezing,” he said. “We are going to see on and off showers throughout the day. It will take a while before it goes to where we have the ice. I would advise staying home if possible before it rises above freezing.” Kimble said he advised residents to wait until the afternoon to venture out. For the rest of the week, temps should stay much warmer

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If you have a cancellation email news@riverbender.com or text (618) 623-5930. Closings and Cancellations: Brussels School District 1, E-Learning Day Calhoun School District 1, E-Learning Day Carlinville School District 1, E-Learning Day Carrollton School District 1, Closed Greenfield Community Unit School District 10, Closed Jersey Community School District 100, Closed Mt. Olive School District 5, Closed North Greene School District 3, Closed Southwestern School District 9, Closed

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ST. LOUIS, MO. – United Way of Greater St. Louis recently named Kiesha Hammock as their new Vice President of Community Investment. In this role, she will supervise and oversee United Way investment opportunities, Portfolio Managers and volunteers while also implementing and monitoring the investment portfolios of partnerships across the United Way safety net agency network. “We are thrilled to welcome Kiesha back to United Way as she returns with a wealth of experience and a proven track record of making significant impact. Kiesha’s expanded perspective and diverse skill set will undoubtedly help propel our agency network efforts forward as we leverage her expertise while forging ahead into our second century of impact.” Throughout Hammock’s career, she has developed large-scale systems change initiatives that are nimble, responsive, and attuned to the complex nature of social change. In her most recent role as Director of Partnership and Capacity

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor's (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) has released an incident report following the closure of an inspection and investigation of an apartment fire that left one firefighter dead. The Marmora Incident Report serves as an educational resource for the Illinois Fire Service while also detailing an incident in December 2021 that ultimately took the life of a firefighter. The firefighter, who had recently celebrated his one-year anniversary at the affected fire department, was alone on the first floor of the building when he experienced a life-threatening malfunction of his self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and called for a mayday (firefighter in distress). The firefighter was found unresponsive and out of air and rushed to a hospital. He died from his injuries five days later. IL OSHA determined there were several contributing factors that led to the death: The initial fire suppression team di

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CHICAGO – While more than half of the counties in Illinois remain at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations according to CDC data, the state’s overall respiratory illness level has decreased in recent weeks and is at Low in the most recent available data, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced. The CDC’s latest update of its COVID Data Tracker indicates that as of the week ending January 13, the state of Illinois is at Medium level for COVID-19 hospitalizations for a fourth straight week with a total of 1,393 hospitalizations reported during the week. A total of 54 counties were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 50 of those at Medium level (between 10 and 20 COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 of population) compared to 57 counties the previous week. Four counties were at High level (more than 20 hospitalizations per 100,000) compared to seven the previous week. IDPH notes that only about 24% of adult

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ALTON - An Alton business owner was indicted on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 by a Madison County Grand Jury on charges of sales tax evasion, forgery, and filing fraudulent sales and use tax returns after years of evading more than $10,000 in taxes owed and more. Sufian Shihadeh, 52, of Alton, is described in recently filed Madison County court documents as the owner and responsible party for filing tax returns for Sufian & Noor, Inc., the corporation behind Jim’s Corner in Alton. From April 1, 2016 to Jan. 20, 2019, Shihadeh allegedly evaded more than $10,000 but less than $100,000 in taxes owed by providing “false sales figures to the accountant who then used those false figures to prepare and file monthly sales and use tax returns on behalf of Jim’s Corner,” according to court documents. Shihadeh was also indicted for filing a fraudulent sales and use tax return after “knowingly” understating the amount of “high rate” sales for the

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Chair of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today requested United Airlines and American Airlines meet with members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the City of Chicago to discuss the path forward for the Chicago O’Hare Terminal Area Plan (TAP). In letters to United CEO Scott Kirby and American CEO Robert Isom, the Senators invite all O’Hare stakeholders to come together and reaffirm a shared commitment for increasing gate capacity, reducing projected costs and securing additional federal investments, all critical for the success of this nationally important project. “Completion of this project, including the 25 percent increase in gate capacity promised within the original agreement, is essential

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Supreme Court today issued a ruling in Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s lawsuit against Elite Staffing Inc. (Elite), Metro Staff Inc. (Metro Staff), and Midway Staffing Inc. (Midway). Agreeing with Raoul, the court ruled that the Illinois Antitrust Act does not exempt Illinois labor markets from antitrust scrutiny. “The Illinois Supreme Court has confirmed that Illinois’ Antitrust Act prohibits agreements among employers to restrict worker mobility and fix wages,” Raoul said. “I am pleased with this important result. My office will continue to enforce Illinois’ statutes to protect the rights of workers to seek better employment opportunities, wages and benefits, which allow them to support themselves and their families.” The matter stemmed from a 2020 complaint Raoul’s office filed against the three staffing agencies and their mutual client, Colony Display LLC. The complaint alleged the staffing agencies formed

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SPRINGFIELD - Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) proudly unveil the participants selected for the second cohort of the Governor's Office Academy of Leadership (G.O.A.L.) program. Following the resounding success of the inaugural cohort, this highly competitive program is entering its second year, reaffirming Illinois’ commitment to providing a robust professional development opportunity for the State's mid-level leaders, who play pivotal roles in advancing key initiatives and ensuring optimal operations for the state. “As Governor, I’m always excited to invest in our future by promoting leadership and community across our state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today, I’m proud to announce the next cohort of incredible public servants chosen for the G.O.A.L. program. I have no doubt this diverse group of professionals will advance our shared mission of a stronger Illinois.” The G.O.A.L. program,

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