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ALTON - The annual Christmas Wonderland display at Rock Spring Park is open once again for Riverbend residents to enjoy the holiday lights and support local nonprofits. The display opened on Nov. 25 and will run through Dec. 27, 2023, at Rock Spring Park, located at 2100 College Avenue in Alton. You can drive through the park to see the lights and decorations from 6–9 p.m. Monday through Friday or 5–9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Grandpa Gang, a local organization that decorates the park, suggests a donation of $10 per car or $1 per person in cars of ten people or more. All proceeds go to organizations throughout the Riverbend region. “It’s really, really gratifying,” said Dick Alford, the “Head Grandpa” of the gang. “And the best part of that is knowing that all these people who come through are helping to help the community, because last year alone, we gave back almost $50,000 to certain organizations in the community. The more w

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic guard Braden Kline is off to a sizzling start on the hardwoods. He has been phenomenal from the three-point range and hit five in one game last week in the Roxana Hoopsgiving Tourney. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior, is already putting up numbers that will attract college coaches with a 25-point outburst against Freeburg, 18 in a game against East Alton-Wood River, and 17 against Waterloo. Braden Kline is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Male Athlete of the Month for the Explorers. Kline is known as a hot shooter, but his head Marquette boys basketball coach Cody Best said Braden is developing on the defensive side of play and is "much stronger" physically after a dedicated weight training program and workouts this past summer. Braden has already paid visits to several colleges and will likely make that decision at the end of the basketball season. “Braden definitely put on some muscle this summer and is showing off early and able to attack the baske

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WOOD RIVER - As the holidays are here, one is reminded of one of the most inspiring athletic accomplishments of the fall when on pure courage and determination, East Alton-Wood River High junior Isaiah Kolmer qualified for the boys cross country sectional with a three-mile PR time of 18:07.5 in the Trenton Wesclin Regional. East Alton-Wood River head coach Russ Colona has witnessed a lot of positive performances in his long career with the Oilers, but this rainy, freezing cold day in October in Trenton is one he will never forget. Young Kolmer had established a goal early in the season of qualifying for sectional as an individual. Isaiah had something terribly tragic happen to him and his family in early October when his mom was killed in a car crash near Grafton. Somehow, the young man pulled himself together, likely in memory of his late mother, and turned in the performance of his life in the Trenton-Wesclin Regional and posted a PR. It was muddy, rainy, and an awful day for running

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My grandparents know a different Alton than I do. Both of them are Riverbend natives, born and raised. In between the buildings and the cracked sidewalks, they can still see the Alton of their childhoods. I love going downtown with them and hearing stories about our shared hometown, 50 years removed from the city I know. I never really noticed the years between us until the first time we went together to Germania. I had already spent hours at the downtown Alton location, hanging out with my friends and lounging on the rooftop benches overlooking the bridge. I thought my grandparents might enjoy something new, so we trekked downtown to check it out. My grandpa, especially, had a blast. He remembers the building as it was before the coffee shop, when it was a bank and he could only go a few steps inside to the teller’s counter. The rest of the bank was off-limits to the public, but now as he sipped at an iced chai and climbed the stairs to look out over the balcony, he was

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey County Arts Council (JCAC) reports an unfortunate incident related to a JCAC community project in November. A scarecrow was vandalized and Jersey Community High School (JCHS) property has been stolen. Sherry Droste of JCAC said she doesn't want to be a downer, but she feels compelled to share this unfortunate incident related to a community project. "We have had a great time, during the past year, helping to rally folks to participate in creative public art displays (yarn bombing, Cow Parade, Art to Go sacks, scarecrows, Halloween window painting, granny square Christmas tree)," Droste said. "People have joined in, worked together, and had a lot of fun. "We have also been blessed to have the support of the city, JCHS staff, individuals who have donated materials and money, and some dedicated volunteers who have been behind the scenes making all these things happen. This is exactly the mission of the Arts Council, and we are incredibly proud to have accomplished

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BETHALTO - The future looks bright for Civic Memorial sophomore cross country and track sensation Landon Kearbey. Kearbey showed constant improvement through the 2023 boys' cross-country season for the Eagles. He recorded a 16:41.9 in the Granite City Invite on Sept. 2, 2023, then continued to improve all season. He posted a 16:27.9 time for 3 miles in the Peoria High Invite on Sept. 30, 2023, and was fifth in the Madison County Invite with a time of 17:01.6 on Oct. 6, 2023. He was 15th in the Mississippi Valley Conference Championship on Oct. 12, 2023, with a time of 16:47.8. He qualified for the IHSA Regional and Sectional Meets to go to state for CM and, at state, recorded a PR for 3 miles of 16:13.5, a remarkable time for a sophomore. Kearbey continued to show his running talent on a cold morning, Nov. 25, 2023, right after Thanksgiving, with a 10th-place finish in the Great River Road Run at a time of 1:00.36 for 10 miles, another extraordinary performance. Landon is a Tom Lane

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JERSEYVILLE - An Alton man was charged with residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle in Grafton, while a Missouri man was charged with stealing a camper shell from a Jerseyville car dealership, according to the past week’s Jersey County court filings. Bryan R. Hickam, 22, of Manchester, Mo., was charged with one count of theft and one count of criminal trespass to a vehicle. Court documents allege that on or about Nov. 5, 2023, Hickam stole property belonging to the Quality Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram car dealership in Jerseyville - specifically “a camper shell offered for sale on their lot,” valued at approximately $2,841.78. Hickam is facing a Class 3 felony for the theft charge and a misdemeanor for the criminal trespass to vehicle charge. Court documents indicate he met the pretrial release conditions of the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act and was issued a summons to appear in court. Roger E. Pace Jr., 37, of Alton, was charged with residential burglary

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department once again will offer its Citizens Police Academy, an opportunity for participants to learn firsthand about law enforcement and many of the day-today activities of the City’s officers. The academy will be offered over 10 weekly sessions to be held from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays beginning January 18, 2024. The Citizens Police Academy offers an “eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at being a police officer,” said Edwardsville Police Sgt. Matt Evers, who leads the academy. Academy sessions will include tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities and a ride-along with officers. Some portions may require physical activity. The Police Department will work to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with special needs, but cannot guarantee participation in all activities. Among the topics and exercises planned for the sessions are: Law review Traffic/DUI enforcement Use of force, mental health/crisis intervention

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ALTON - Civic Memorial High School runner Jackson Collman won the race, while head coach Jake Peal and runner Lucas Naugle also finished in the top ten in the men's 10-mile race in the 64th annual Great River Road Run, held Saturday morning in Alton. The race, which dates back to 1959, is a November tradition in the Alton area and is sponsored by the Alton Road Runners Club and helps finance many of their year-round projects, such as the Summer Racing Series, and the annual banquet that honors the top high school cross country runners in the area, among others. Collman won the race with a time of 54:43.3, with Luke Padesky second at 54:54.5, Evan Rathgeb came in third at 55:09.8, fourth place went to Calvin Ranger, with a time of 56:59.6 and in fifth place was Max Weber at 57:10.4. Peal came in sixth place with a time of 57:19.5, in seventh place was Carsen Moon of Oklahoma City, Okla., with a time of 57:58.4, Jacob Cranford was eighth at 58:51.1, Alton High runner Noah Gallivan was

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ROXANA - Roxana’s girls basketball team has a pair of twins - Laynie and Abby Gehrs - who are providing what new head coach Addaya Moore said is “unbelievable energy” to the squad. Laynie and Abby are exceptional athletes and are keys so far to the Shells’ 3-0 overall mark. The girls recently captured the Dupo Tournament to open the season. Laynie had seven points in the Shells' 48-20 win in the final of the Dupo Cat Classic. Abby added four points in that encounter. Laynie and Abby are seniors on the squad. Both are also volleyball and soccer players. Both girls are strong on defense and always help move the ball in the Shells’ powerful offense so far in the 2023-2024 campaign. The two girls are Midwest Members Credit Union Athletes of the Month for the Shells. In a recent win over East Alton-Wood River, Coach Moore said the twin sisters finished off what the bench had started to seal the game when Roxana had some foul trouble and had to sit out some

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PIASA - The Southwestern High School boys basketball team finds itself sitting at 2-2 after the 2023 Roxana Hoopsgiving Classic. The Piasa Birds have won their last two games over Jerseyville and Staunton. A large part of that is junior Ian Brantley. The three-sport athlete also plays football and baseball for the Piasa Birds but is so far having a breakout season on the hard court. Last season, the Piasa Birds broke even, finishing with a 16-16 record. Brantley averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. Just four games into this season and he is nearly averaging a double-double. Brantley has scored 85 points so far, averaging 21.3 PPG and 8.8 rebounds per contest. For his efforts so far this basketball season, Ian Brantley is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Month for Southwestern High School. Brantley earned a spot on the 2023 Hoopsgiving Classic All-Tournament team as the Piasa Birds finished in ninth place overall.

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SPRINGFIELD - Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) has donated 129 hospital beds to Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach as they standardize their beds across the health system. By the time the first project phase is finished, 190 beds taken out of service will be donated from five hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, including HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay; HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield; HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese; HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville; and HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. This is an unprecedented influx of a highly needed item for Mission Outreach’s international partners. Erica Smith, Executive Director of Mission Outreach, says hospital beds are the number one requested item, and they are already being shipped out to hospitals in other countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, and Lebanon, with more to go. “I recently was in Uganda, and I saw a hospital where the pediatric ward the children were on th

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Municipal Band is ready to jingle all the way into the holiday season with some festive tunes at its free winter concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 3, at Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Route 157. The Municipal Band's annual holiday performance is a tradition going back at least 20 years. This year's concert will mix in some fun new features, including a few dozen student performers from the Edwardsville School District and area parochial school bands. "It's going to be much more upbeat," said Steve Wehling, the Municipal Band Board chairman and a musician with the band. "We thought this would be something fun that we could do to really involve the community. We'd love to see everyone come out and enjoy the show." In addition to the guest performers, Wehling said the concert will include a sing-along on several tunes, and the American Legion is working to have Santa Claus attend. The concert is expected to run for about

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an in-person public hearing on the Illinois 3 Connector project within Madison, Fairmont City, and East St. Louis in Madison and St. Clair counties. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 4-7 p.m. at the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizens Center located at 6755 State St., East St. Louis. IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is conducting a Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Study for the Illinois 3 Connector. The project involves improving the transportation flow and connectivity between Illinois 203 and Illinois 3 as well as from Collinsville Road to Illinois 3/North First Street. The purpose of the hearing is to present the preferred design for the improvements and obtain public input. Handouts and display boards (in both English and Spanish) will be available for review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition and environmental issues. Representatives

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ALTON - OSF Medical Group – Primary Care (Godfrey) is pleased to announce a new board-certified family medicine physician has been added to its staff to better serve the primary care needs of Riverbend region residents. Susan Reynolds, MD, is accepting new patients at OSF Medical Group – Primary Care, located at 6702 Godfrey Road, in Godfrey. Dr. Reynolds will see patients Monday-Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Dr. Reynolds’ family medicine interests include (but are not limited to) Primary care Women’s Health Smoking cessation High blood pressure Diabetes Pulmonary disease (i.e. asthma, hay fever) Depression Anxiety As a current board-certified practitioner through the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. Reynolds has accumulated more than 38 years of medical practice with experience in telemedicine, urgent care, and family medicine; additionally, she possesses full unrestricted medical licenses in Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois,

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SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) filed for reelection this morning at the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield. Bost submitted 5,191 petitions signed by constituents in all 34 counties of the 12 th Congressional District, nearly five times the number of signatures required by law. “I am honored to have widespread support from Republicans in every county of the 12th District,” said Bost. “Conservative voters know we can’t afford to hand the keys over to failed politicians who are more interested in promoting themselves than protecting our values. Today is the first step in continuing to serve the land I love in a position I am blessed to hold.”

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CHICAGO - Ahead of Giving Tuesday, Attorney General Kwame Raoul cautioned potential donors today to make wise giving decisions this holiday season. Under Illinois law, fundraisers and charitable organizations are required to register each year with the Attorney General’s office. “I encourage potential donors to review my Charitable Trust Bureau’s tips before making donations today for Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season,” Raoul said. “I will continue to advocate to inform generous consumers who give charitable donations to ensure their donations are used for the intended purpose." Attorney General Raoul recommended donors consider the following tips prior to making charitable donations. Ask how much of your donation will go to the charity and how much will be used to pay fund-raising costs. Solicitors must give you this information if you ask. Pay close attention to the name of the charity. Some fraudulent charities use names that

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EDWARDSVILLE - Annual Donation of Thanksgiving baskets by Edwardsville Township to Four Local Schools Edwardsville, Illinois – November 22, 2023. The Edwardsville Township ensured several families in the area have a holiday meal this Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Edwardsville Township Supervisor Kevin Hall and Community Outreach Director Christine Doty presented N.O. Nelson Elementary, Edwardsville Head Start, Glen Carbon Elementary, and Columbus Elementary School Thanksgiving baskets. Twenty baskets were donated, with five baskets presented to each organization, to help residents in need this holiday season. Each basket included a gift card for a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, and gravy. During the Touch-A-Truck event on September 30th at Edwardsville Township Community Park received a record number of sponsorships which Edwardsville Township uses this support to make the Thanksgiving baskets possible. This is the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville congratulates Chris Gordon, PhD, associate dean of the School of Engineering (SOE), on his recent induction into Scott Air Force Base (SAFB) 2025 Class of Honorary Commanders . Gordon is one of 24 St. Louis Metro Area community leaders chosen for this role by the 375th Air Mobility Wing, the host wing of SAFB. “We have an Educational Partnership Agreement with SAFB which we have used to foster collaboration with senior design teams,” said Gordon. “My objective in participating in this program is to continue to strengthen our connection with SAFB.” Gordon is paired with his assigned commander, Colonel James Clark. Clark serves as Commander, Detachment 9, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Clark’s work in installation and mission support affects 70,000 personnel in 17 wings. As Team Scott’s Honorary Commander,

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JERSEYVILLE - A towering Christmas tree made of crocheted “granny squares” now on display near Germania Brew Haus in Jerseyville is an impressive and festive example of community collaboration. Erica Heitzig, who teaches Advanced Design at Jersey Community High School, oversaw the project which she credits several people with making a success. “My students started crocheting squares in early October. Our JCHS welding class constructed the base,” Heitzig said. “My students and I offered lessons at our local coffee shop on Sunday afternoons for those who wanted to learn.” The tree features granny squares from residents of Jersey, Calhoun, Greene, and Madison Counties - but it also features many squares from out-of-state contributors who heard about the tree project through social media. Some squares from Franklin, Virginia arrived in the mail earlier this month . “Word spread like wildfire with our granny square vision and with the

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