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SPRINGFIELD – Eleven grants totaling nearly $750,000 have been awarded to Illinois land trusts to support stewardship on land protected by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced. The Nature Institute was awarded $78,500 for work in Madison County. Hire staff and purchase equipment to support ecological restoration through prescribed fire implementation and invasive species removal at John M. Olin Nature Preserve and Mississippi Sanctuary Nature Preserve. The goal of the Natural Areas Stewardship Grant program is to increase the delivery of much-needed stewardship activities to natural areas that are permanently protected within the nature preserves system. Stewardship needs on natural areas throughout Illinois have continued to outpace the ability to deliver these services by individuals, volunteers, organizations, and government agencies. This grant program is designed to fund projects that address this deficiency

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GODFREY – Melissa McKaig, of Jerseyville, joined the Lewis and Clark Community College Board of Trustees as the student representative in April 2023. McKaig is working on earning her associate degree in Nursing and plans to graduate in Spring 2025. She said she is honored to be able to serve L&C and does not take her responsibilities lightly. “My goal is to listen to my classmates and the staff on and off campus so that I can represent all of us in the best way possible,” she said. “We have a great campus, but like any organization, there is always room for improvement.” President Ken Trzaska said McKaig is a pleasure to work with. “The role of student trustee is vital, as the student serving in that role is the student body’s voice on the Board of Trustees,” Trzaska said. “McKaig takes this role seriously and performs her duties with the utmost professionalism.” McKaig decided to attend L&C because it i

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WOOD RIVER - Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup has issued a statement regarding the city’s fifth annual Food Truck Festival and said work is being done on a compromise to hold the event. “The City of Wood River is glad that work is being done on a compromise to have the Food Truck Festival,” Stalcup wrote in a press release. “It is clear that this event is a favorite in our community. “We understand that the City needs better oversight on events like these and hope to move in a positive direction. Going forward, we will be reviewing our guidelines to be sure that events will benefit all businesses in the event areas.” The mayor said Wood River is experiencing “growing pains” between the business owners contributing to its revitalization. “I’m grateful that we have so many passionate business owners and residents that are committed to the revitalization and growth of our city. Sometimes when you have passionate people doing grea

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VENICE - Venice Community School District #3 has announced that they will build a new elementary school, with plans to break ground in Spring 2024. “What we’re looking forward to, as a school district, staff, community and students, is just opportunity,” Superintendent Cynthia Tolbert said. “Our educational learning environment is going to be better. We’re going to be able to offer more opportunities for the children. We’re going to have learning spaces that are going to be conducive to student learning.” This new building will mark the end of a tumultuous few years in the district. The previous Venice Elementary School was deemed structurally unsafe and condemned in September 2020. Students and teachers used virtual learning during the 2020–2021 school year before locating to the Melvin Price Depot in Granite City, a previous U.S. Army base, for the 2021–2022 year. Tolbert noted that the space has not been ideal. The district

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ALTON - Jennifer Sillivan has always loved sunsets. Now that she’s an empty-nester, she catches every one she can. Each night, she sets up a chair in front of the empty bank building near Alton Square Mall. She takes off her shoes and socks. And for 45 minutes, she sits with her feet in the grass and watches the sky. “It’s physically helpful and spiritually helpful,” Sillivan said. “And then it’s just a time to reflect on the day. What I loved, what I would like to be different. It’s just peace.” Sillivan started this ritual for herself, but she’s been pleasantly surprised to find that it resonates with other people, too. Recently, a man stopped his car, rolled down the window and asked what she was doing. When she explained, he asked if he could join her. “I said that would be lovely,” Sillivan remembered. “He was younger than me, and lonely. He said that he was lonely. And he just talked and talked and talked,

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ALTON - Over a year in the making, Bella’s Fashion 305 is celebrating their grand opening this weekend with food, a bounce house and lots of great clothing and products. Located at 1300 East Broadway, Bella’s Fashion 305 will sell clothing, perfume, accessories, candles and various household products at an affordable price. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 25–27, they will also sponsor giveaways and cookouts to mark their grand opening. “I just want to give the community something different,” owner Aaron Crowder said. “My clothes come from Miami and California. I pick out my own clothes, and I just want to give the community something different and cheaper.” He aims to choose clothing in styles that people might not usually find in the Alton area. In addition to clothes, the store will offer several personal and household items, including LED mirrors, wireless earbuds, wall prints and more. His goal is to keep every item under $20. This opening

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GLEN CARBON - Preliminary site plans for a new Heartland Dental office and two other commercial buildings in Glen Carbon’s Meridian Plaza have been approved following a vote from the Glen Carbon Village Board of Trustees on Tuesday. The new Heartland Dental office will measure 4,200 square feet and will be constructed on Lot 4 of Meridian Plaza along Route 157. The two commercial buildings will be zoned for commercial/office use and will be constructed on Lot 2. While a few tenants for these buildings have been identified, no further information about them was publicly available yet. Director of Community Development Erika Heil said at the Village Board meeting Tuesday that all of the necessary code requirements have been met and the plans have been unanimously approved by the appropriate committees. The Village Board unanimously gave the plans their final approval and construction on both projects is expected to move forward, though an exact timeline is still

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CREAL SPRINGS – Governor JB Pritzker and Saline River Farms today joined local leaders and partners to break ground on Saline River Farms’ new state-of-the-art USDA meat processing facility. Supported by the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit (EDGE) program and a $1.5 million grant through the Meat & Poultry Supply Chain Capital Grant Program along with a $6 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Saline River Farms’ expansion will create more than 400 jobs over the next several years. “This facility will soon become a state-of-the-art, 60,000 square-foot USDA meat processing plant — simultaneously improving our nation’s food supply by producing hundreds of thousands of pounds of beef a day while creating good-paying full-time jobs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “More food getting to consumers’ grocery aisles and more jobs for hard-working Southern and Central Illinoisans is a win-win.

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SMITHTON, Ill. - COUNTRY Financial Representative Deric Blaha is pleased to support the Smithton Volunteer Fire Department with a donation of $1,500. The funds will be used to support the purchase of a new grain chute to be used during grain bin rescues. Today, grain bin structures serve as critically important facilities for farm operators to store and safeguard their harvests. But beneath this innocuous structure lies a hidden danger that, all too often, claims lives. Grain bin entrapments have been on the rise for years. Purdue University’s Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department has been documenting and investigating these incidents since the 1970s. In its most recent study, in 2022, the group tracked 83 cases including 24 fatalities. This represents a 41% increase over the 59 entrapment cases reported in just the year prior. “Grain bin incidents often lead to severe injuries and fatalities and take an immense emotional toll on farming communities,”

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief , defending Delaware’s commonsense laws that restrict access to assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. Raoul and the coalition filed their brief in Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, Inc. v. Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The attorneys general argue that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not prevent states from enacting reasonable firearms regulations, including those that restrict the possession of unusually dangerous weapons and accessories to protect public safety, prevent crime and reduce the harms caused by gun violence. “I support Delaware and its commonsense laws to restrict access to assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. Like Illinois, Delaware is actively protecting its citizens and communities from deadly firearms,&rdquo

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EAST ALTON - NGRREC announced this week that it is the recipient of an American Water Charitable Foundation 2023 Water and Environment grant, focused on the expansion of the Water Festival experience to the Chicago and Bellville service areas. “The generous support provided by the American Water Keep Communities Flowing grant enables NGRREC to expand the Water Festival across Illinois,” said Jennifer Mandeville, interim director of education at NGRREC. “This expansion will provide free water and environmental education programs and educator professional development to communities in nine new counties. NGRREC will serve as a resource center to the new communities and provide training, manuals, and serve as consultants to support the establishment of Water Festival in other parts of the state.” The grant is part of the American Water Charitable Foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant program. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established b

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) released the following statement regarding the indictment of former President Donald J. Trump in Fulton County, Georgia. "Donald Trump, the leading challenger for the 2024 election, was marched by a Democrat District Attorney into Fulton County Jail, a facility that's under investigation for violence and poor sanitary conditions," said Bost . I stand with Donald Trump because we simply cannot accept the politically-motivated weaponization of our justice system. Democrats want to talk about election interference? Well, you're seeing it play out in real time in Fulton County tonight."

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ALTON - Are you a latte lover? How about a coffee connoisseur? Indulge in all things coffee related during the Great Rivers & Routes first-ever Javapalooza celebration which kicks off Sept. 1 and runs through Oct. 1. Fifteen locally owned and operated coffee shops throughout southwest Illinois are taking part in this debut event which focuses on the bean and the shops that create the local brews. Participating shops are showing off their coffee skills by creating a featured signature drink served up during the month-long event. And to sweeten the pot, visitors who stop by participating businesses have the opportunity to win $1,500 in coffee-themed prizes. “Southwest Illinois is brimming with great coffee shops that day in and day out serve up amazing coffee creations,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau noted. “We wanted to find a way to highlight their work and bring new awareness to coffee shops in the region. Javapalooza is our

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ALTON - Alton Main Street’s quarterly information exchange, called “What’s Up Downtown”, will be held on Tuesday, August 29th at 5:30 p.m. at Jacoby Arts Center, located at 627 E. Broadway in Alton. The public is invited to learn the latest news regarding developments in Alton’s historic downtown district, including updates from new & existing businesses, news on real estate transactions and details of upcoming events and projects. The evening’s featured speakers will be: Robert Fishbone from On the Wall Productions, who has just been commissioned by Alton Main Street to create Downtown Alton’s next mural this fall. Robert will share a slideshow of his work over the years, including many large-scale projects in St. Louis. Our audience will get the first look at a rendering of this 3-story avian-themed work of public art. Vicki Hake, who along with her husband Kent has been working on a major renovation to transform the former pub at 230

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EAST ST. LOUIS – William Goldsmith, 48, a Glen Carbon man who operated an online business admitted guilt in federal court of misbranding the ingredient list on a male sexual enhancement supplement product, thus deceiving his customers. Goldsmith pleaded guilty to a felony information Thursday charging one count of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. “Protecting consumers is critical to a healthy business environment, and entrepreneurs who use deceitful tactics to sell misbranded products place profits above people,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Misbranded prescription drugs that are smuggled from overseas can present a serious health risk to those who buy and use them. The drugs can contain unknown ingredients and can be made under unknown conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and

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Letter to the Editor: As I have mentioned before, Alton is experiencing very little transparency regarding important city issues. This has been a frequent complaint from many people. Aldermen have been handed resolutions at the start of council meetings to introduce and to approve of which they have no prior knowledge. It is just “Here read this resolution.” When they ask questions, the mayor looks around for someone else to answer, and often the answer is a shoulder shrug, or the person who could answer, is not there. If the council members are caught off guard, imagine how little informed we the citizens are. I have told many other citizens about this, and when they question me, I tell them to attend a meeting to witness for themselves or if that is not possible, watch the meetings streamed on RiverBender. Well, good luck with that. The ability to watch the meeting being streamed with sound is a coin toss at best as it is quite often unavailable. Many other municipalities

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JERSEY - Some may not know this but Jersey had boys cross country and track coach Harold Landon was an exceptional sprinter while a high school athlete and he placed in state. Over the years, Landon has produced a lot of top-notch sprinters. The latest in the group is Casey Borkowski, who stood out in both the 100 meters (11.3) and 200 meters (22.66) as a junior and will be a key senior member of the team in 2024. He also had a team-best 400 meters (55.24) this past year. Borkowski served as a main anchor for the Jersey boys' sprint relays, Landon said. When Borkowski took the handoff on that last leg he was always like a bolt of lightning for the Panthers. Borkowski was competitive in every Panthers' meet in the sprints and drew attention throughout the season. Casey is a Sparklight Internet Male Athlete of the Month for the Panthers. “Casey is a very hard worker,” Coach Landon said. “He is a track guy. He was all-conference in the 100 meters, 200 and anchored th

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) issued the following statement in Illinois’ most recent corruption trial verdict of Tim Mapes, former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s closest ally: “Federal prosecutors remain undefeated in their fight against corruption at 5-0 with today’s guilty verdict of former Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan’s closest ally, Tim Mapes. With five Democrat political insiders tied to Madigan being found guilty of corruption so far this year, it’s another reminder of why lawmakers at the State House need to enact strong anti-corruption reforms. It’s unfortunate these reforms are not being considered in the Democrat-controlled legislature. I hope when we return to the fall veto session if not sooner, we have the opportunity to vote on meaningful reforms aimed at stopping corruption in Illinois government.”

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WOOD RIVER - Matt Herren, co-owner and co-founder of C&B Boiled Bagels and 1929 Pizza & Wine in Wood River, said the rumors circulating on Facebook that his businesses were behind the cancellation of the Wood River Food Truck Festival are not only false, but have resulted in death threats against him and his employees, bottles being thrown at their buildings, and much more. On Tuesday night, the Wood River Enrichment Network announced on Facebook that the Food Truck Festival they planned for Oct. 7 had been canceled. Several comments and other Facebook posts indicated Herren was behind the cancellation, but he said he had nothing to do with it. “I didn’t ask them to cancel anything,” Herren said. “I have no idea why they canceled their festival, all I know is that we have been turned into somebody’s scapegoat.” While Facebook comments about the situation have gotten heated, Herren said the real-life response has escalated to threats and

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CARROLLTON - St. John the Evangelist in Carrollton has announced a two-phase $4 million project to renovate the school. Carrollton Principal Julie Lake said the school is preparing for the next 150 years of education with the project. "For almost 150 years, St. John the Evangelist School has provided a school where education, service, and faith combine to provide each student with a foundation of high standards in knowledge and ethics," she said. "St. John’s was established as an elementary school in 1877 and was originally staffed by the Dominican Sisters. Today, as a Catholic elementary and middle school, the teaching philosophy at St. John’s is guided by the belief that each student is a unique gift of God, created with special gifts and talents. It is our goal to nurture and develop those gifts to the benefit of the Church and the community." The renderings are still preliminary designs but give a simulated image of what the finished St. John's project could be. As

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