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ALTON - Over 300 Alton Community Unit School District #11 students recently enjoyed a sensory-friendly sports day. On Friday, May 2, 2025, the district hosted Autism Sports Day, a free event for kids in the special education program to enjoy bounce houses, face-painting, pony rides, games, food, a petting zoo and more. Tammy Wood, one of the organizers, explained that the students could have a fun day while still getting their needs met. “We have it worked out to where we can provide them an opportunity to have fun but also in an environment that’s safe and comfortable for them,” she said. “These students, a lot of them do have autism or other special needs. It just gives them a chance to do some fun things in a comfortable atmosphere where we’re looking out for some of the needs that they may have, where a bigger setting with more students can kind of be overwhelming.” Wood noted that the event commemorates Autism Awareness Month in April.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST)—underscored to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and other artificial intelligence (AI) leaders how important Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory are to accelerating scientific breakthroughs in fields such as particle physics, AI and cancer research, as well as how pivotal the labs are to Illinois and our nation’s economy. During her remarks, Duckworth also condemned Donald Trump and Elon Musk for taking a chainsaw to federal research funding, which threatens to set our country back decades and hurts our capacity to be a world leader in scientific breakthroughs. Video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found on her YouTube . “Illinois is the proud home of two crown jewels of scientific innovation and research—Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory—and there’s nothing more important than sustaining

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NASHVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that one lane in each direction of Interstate 64 will be closed from 1 mile west of CH 11 to the Jefferson County line in Washington County starting, weather permitting, at 7 a.m. Monday, May 12, for pavement patching. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The project expected to be completed by mid-summer. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com .

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today demanded answers from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for eliminating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team responsible for making sure people who are trying to become parents have the information they need to thoughtfully and safely grow their families—despite Donald Trump’s broken promise to support families seeking IVF treatments. “Because IVF is a complicated and expensive process, the American people deserve access to the best information possible to inform their family building journey. Unfortunately, hollowing out National Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Surveillance System capabilities and capacity is consistent with Donald Trump’s deceitful and disingenuous rhetoric on IVF,” the Senators wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy. “Your

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EDWARDSVILLE – New and returning elected officials for the City of Edwardsville were officially sworn in at the May 6, 2025 City Council meeting. Sworn in on Tuesday were Mayor Art Risavy, Ward 2 Alderman Adam Hanna, Ward 4 Alderman SJ Morrison, and Ward 6 Alderwoman Jennifer Warren (each pictured above). City Clerk Michelle Boyer, who was absent from the meeting and due to be sworn in this week, will be sworn in at a future meeting. Madison County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Carruthers administered the Oath of Office for each elected official. While each alderman ran in uncontested races during the latest round of Madison County municipal elections, this will only be one official’s first term. Hanna is serving his first term as Ward 2 Alderman, following the ward’s former alderman, Hal Patton. Returning for their second terms are Risavy, Warren, and Boyer, while Morrison has secured his third term. The newly sworn in council members also made a series of appointments

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2025-02 on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, affirming Illinois’ commitment to protecting the civil rights, human rights, and data privacy of autistic residents. The order restricts unauthorized data collection and sharing by state agencies and requires that autism-related information be handled only when necessary and with informed consent. The executive order was issued in response to growing national concerns about federal efforts to create autism registries or databases without clear legal safeguards or accountability. It prohibits state agencies, contractors, vendors, and grantees from collecting or disclosing personally identifiable autism-related data unless it is required for care, legal compliance, or program eligibility. All disclosures must follow strict privacy and data minimization rules and be limited to the minimum information necessary, with anonymization applied where feasible. “Every Illinoisan deserves

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WOOD RIVER — The Wood River Fire Department and Wood River Police Department responded to a traffic crash at the intersection of Wood River Avenue and Madison Avenue Thursday afternoon, May 8, 2025. First responders arrived to find two vehicles involved in the collision. Alton Memorial Ambulance dispatched two ambulances to the scene, two people were transported by ambulance. Traffic was disrupted while first responders handled the crash. Bill and Joe’s towing service removed the vehicles from the site. The Wood River Police Department is currently investigating the incident.

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is meeting the changes and challenges in the growing real estate field by offering classes to help individuals enter that career field as brokers. An individual must pass a total of 75 hours of instruction to take the Real Estate Broker’s licensure exam. Lewis and Clark is offering three different classes of Real Estate, all of which are needed for the exam: Real Estate Brokerage (Two sections available) (REAL 135-T60) – 7 - 9:40 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, May 28 – August 13, 2025 (REAL 136-T60 ) – 7 - 9:40 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 29 – August. 14, 2025 Real Estate Transaction Applications (REAL 137 – T1) 4:10 – 5:25 p.m., Monday, June 2 – August 11, 2025 All three classes are in-person or online via Zoom on the Godfrey Campus and will be taught by local real estate professional Kevin Botterbush, ABR, MRP, C2EX, REP4V. Students must be 18 years old to take the Illinois

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Honorable Judge Ronald J. Foster, Associate Judge in the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, will administer the oath of office to the newly elected Edwardsville Township officials on Monday, May 19, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at the Edwardsville Township Hall located at 300 West Park Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025. The following were elected on April 1, 2025 in the Consolidated Election and will be taking their respective seats upon taking their oaths: Township Supervisor-Janet Haroian, Clerk-Dave Schwind, Highway Commissioner-Danny Picarella and Trustees-Bethany Behrhorst, Yolanda Crochrell, Mandy Darr, and Daniel Rees. While the Township Assessor, Jennifer Hegel was elected at the Consolidated Election, the term for the Assessor begins in January 2026, and she will take the oath of office at that time. The Deputy Clerk, R. Andreya Ayers, will also take the oath to continue to serve in that capacity on the 19th. The outgoing Township Supervisor, Kevin Hall and Trustees, Matthew

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ALTON – A man from Alton faces his fourth domestic battery charge and more after allegedly tying up the victim and threatening them with a box cutter. Travis L. Watley, 40, of Alton, was charged with one count each of aggravated unlawful restraint and domestic battery, the latter charge being his fourth or subsequent such offense. Both charges were filed on April 29, 2025 and classified as Class 3 felonies. On April 27, 2025, Watley allegedly refused to let someone leave an Alton residence and threatened to kill the victim. A petition to deny his pretrial release states the victim told officers Watley “tied her arms and legs and threatened her with a box cutter.” “She was eventually able to inform family members of her situation and police arrived,” the petition states. “Defendant refused to exit the residence and engaged in a standoff with authorities, eventually exiting.” The petition also notes Watley “has a lengthy history of fligh

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WOOD RIVER – Members of the Wood River City Council on Monday approved an agreement to renovate a former pizza restaurant in hopes of attracting a coffee shop and/or bakery to fill the vacant space. Council members approved a redevelopment agreement with Wood River Properties LLC to renovate the property at 7 N. Wood River Ave. The site was the former home of 1929 Pizza & Wine , which has since moved to Edwardsville after initially opening in Wood River in 2022 . The ideal “proposed tenant” for the property is described as a bakery and coffee shop with sandwich offerings, according to the TIF application submitted by Tom Declue of Wood River Properties LLC. Under the agreement, the city would reimburse Wood River Properties for up to $34,867 in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to renovate the space. These TIF funds would cover 50% of the estimated project cost of $64,875. The full scope of the project includes the installation of a new stove, fryer, and vent hood

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EDWARDSVILLE - Kali Patterson has been selected as a New CTE Teacher of the Year for Madison County. Patterson teaches accounting, business management, international business, and a workplace learning course at Edwardsville High School in the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. She also serves as an adjunct accounting professor at SIUE. After spending 17 years in public accounting, she decided to start teaching to share her love for the profession with up-and-coming young professionals. “I just really wanted to give back to what I’ve learned in the accounting industry and help other kiddos learn about and fall in love with the profession like I did, so that’s why I actually got certified in high school business education two years ago and took up a job at Edwardsville to teach accounting,” she said. “I love it.” Patterson shared that her goal as a CTE teacher is to help students learn as much as they can about the field before

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ALTON - Terrez T. Whitehead, 24, of Belleville, faces multiple charges for allegedly shooting a man at an Alton home in the Landings of Belle Meadows Apartment Complex. The Belle Meadows Apartment Complex is located at 3200 Belle Street in Alton. He faces a charge of Aggravated Battery With A Firearm, Aggravated Unlawful Possession of Weapons and Felon In Possession Of A Weapon charges. The injury was non-life-threatening to the man involved. The Alton Police Department and Alton Fire Department responded to the situation that day and discovered a victim who had been shot in the leg. The victim was transported to a St. Louis hospital.

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure to stop gym and fitness centers from cancelling or changing benefits of a promised lifetime membership. “We all know the feeling of being swamped by memberships and subscriptions, the last thing we need is a price hike on what was a promised rate.” said Belt (D-Swansea). "This legislation makes sure gyms and fitness centers are honest with their members." Belt’s measure is designed to prevent fitness centers and gyms from changing prices or reducing benefits for any “lifetime membership” price they advertise. If a fitness center wants to change prices or benefits for one of these contracts, they would have to clearly disclosure their intention when the gym membership contract is being signed. “What we are trying to do here is uphold a standard for consumers,” said Belt. “Deceptive tactics looking to squeeze money from our residents will not be tolerated, no matter

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SPRINGFIELD – In a victory for working families struggling with the affordability crisis and deceptive corporate practices, the Illinois State Senate passed the Illinois Junk Fee Transparency Act ( SB1486 ) to curb the widespread use of deceptive and excessive junk fees. Economic Security Illinois Action put forward the legislation with lead sponsor Senator Omar Aquino and in partnership with Representative Bob Morgan and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “As Illinoisans struggle with rising costs, we applaud Senator Aquino and the Illinois Senate for taking action to protect working families from hidden fees that hike up their bills,” said Erion Malasi, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Economic Security Illinois Action. “This bill empowers the Illinois Attorney General to crack down on businesses hiding real costs, and ensures transparency in pricing for the majority of businesses already playing by the rules. The price you see should be the price you

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BELLEVILLE — The Diocese of Belleville expressed gratitude and support on Thursday, May 8, 2025, for the election of Pope Leo XIV as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. In a statement issued by Very Rev. Godfrey Mullen, OSB, Moderator of the Curia for the diocese, the Belleville Catholic community joined clergy, religious, and lay faithful in giving thanks to God for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in selecting the successor to Saint Peter. Pope Leo XIV, in his initial address, called on Catholics worldwide to embrace the gospel through humility, peace, justice, and unity. “He renewed the call to each of us, disciples of the Lord, to live His gospel of life: to receive the gift of humble and persevering peace, to open our arms to one another, to work fearlessly for justice, to rejoice in the resurrection, to gather in God’s people, to listen attentively to and dialogue charitably with one another together on the journey, in all things to build the Kingdom

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Gavin Kolley, 37, of Arnold, Mo., was charged Wednesday with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident following a fatal crash on May 6, 2025, authorities said. According to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Kolley was traveling eastbound on Meramec Bottom Road when he struck a vehicle driven by Victim #1. After the collision, Kolley fled the scene, continuing east on Meramec Bottom Road at a high rate of speed and erratic driving. He ran a red light at Meramec Bottom Road and Lemay Ferry Road before proceeding onto Baumgartner Road, where he crossed the center lane and collided head-on with another vehicle driven by Victim #2. Christine Decker, 57, of St. Louis, was identified as the victim who died as a result of the crash, according to the police. Emergency medical services found Kolley at the scene and noted signs of alcohol consumption, including slurred speech. Kolley admitted to relapsing an

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SPRINGFIELD – Wednesday, May 8, 2025 the League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) returned to Springfield to lobby their state legislators. LWVIL is a nonpartisan organization that takes action on issues it has studied and reached consensus on. LWVIL augmented this year’s Lobby Day with a team of trained volunteers who make up LWVIL’s newly-minted Volunteer Lobby Corps. After a day of orientation led by experienced members of the team, the Lobby Corps was joined by additional League members for a day of in-person meetings with legislators from both sides of the aisle. “LWVIL advocates to protect voting rights and advance a more equitable democracy,” explained LWVIL President Becky Simon. “The League stands up for social justice issues because systemic inequities prohibit people from participating equally in our democracy.” This year, LWVIL focused on protection of Constitutional rights and equity in education and housing. Local Leagues

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GRANITE CITY - The Rotary Club of Granite City recognized juniors Sophie Davison and Cate Smallie as Students of the Month for April. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card . SOPHIE DAVISON Member of girls basketball and girls golf team ... Secondary Honors program ... Academic Award ... Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Photography, Renaissance, Spirit and Varsity Club ... Volunteer at church and Relleke Farms ... Daughter of Corby and Gina Davison. CATE SMALLIE Member of girls tennis and girls swimming team ... GCHS Yearbook Editor ... Secondary Honors program ... Member of Renaissance and Varsity Club ... Volunteer at Old Six Mile Museum and Paddlers ... GCHS Baseball PA Announcer ... Personal Choice Award ... Daughter of Scott and Debbie

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ALTON – The Vintage Voices committee has set an audition date for the upcoming tours in October. Auditions will be held Saturday, June 7, 2025, at YWCA Southwestern Illinois, 304 E. 3rd St., Alton, Ill., 62002. Actors wanting to audition should arrive anytime between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The cast features nine characters of various ages – three White females, two White males, two Black females, and two Black males. Commitment is five performances and an individualized rehearsal schedule. "Vintage Voices is all about bringing local history to life through storytelling. Every year, we hold open auditions to find people excited to help write and perform the stories of those we're featuring in this year's event. Auditions are simple – just a cold read from a script we’ll give you. Hope to see you in June!" said Diana Enloe, Co-Director of Vintage Voices. The annual event consists of walking tours held in the Alton Cemetery (5th and Vine Streets) with actors in perio

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