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COLLINSVILLE — The City of Collinsville hosted its monthly "First Thursday" event on October 3, 2024, attracting residents and visitors to participate in a celebration of local businesses. The event took place along Main Street, particularly in the 300 and 400 blocks, where several Uptown establishments showcased their offerings. Among the participating businesses were Miles Market on Main, which featured a variety of unique fall items, and Lou Belle and Bing, owned by Afton, who is also the organizer of the "First Thursday" events. Waterman's Floral, a recent addition to the area, opened its location across from the Collinsville Memorial Library Center, adding to the vibrant atmosphere of the event. The evening concluded with a visit to Bert's Chuckwagon, a long-standing local favorite. The "First Thursday" initiative encourages community engagement by allowing participating businesses to remain open for extended hours or during their regular schedules. They offer a range

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ALTON - A new petition on Change.org is calling for a halt to AltonWorks’ proposed development of the Great Rivers National Park. According to the petition starter, many citizens are deeply concerned that this plan could infringe on private property rights and diminish personal freedoms. The petition emphasizes that with 85% of U.S. land being privately held, the transformation of these private lands into a federal park would take away autonomy that many Americans value. Supporters of the petition say this isn’t an opposition to conservation, but a call to protect individual rights while considering environmental progress. The petition highlights that existing public and private lands should already support nature conservation without further encroaching on private ownership. This petition is a reminder that through Change.org , people continue to keep hope alive for the issues they care about. The platform makes it easier for people to take simple actions to shape

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $36,714,994 in federal funding for the Illinois Department of Human Services to help support treatment and prevention services for substance and opioid use disorders and overdoses. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a part of their State Opioid Response grants program. “The opioid epidemic has taken far too many lives, and resolving this crisis requires a comprehensive effort from officials at every level of government and from local organizations,” Duckworth said. “I will continue working with Senator Durbin to ensure those treating and preventing opioid addiction have the resources they need to serve all Illinoisans.” “As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage our state, we need prevention, treatment, and recovery

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $36,714,994 in federal funding for the Illinois Department of Human Services to help support treatment and prevention services for substance and opioid use disorders and overdoses. This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a part of their State Opioid Response grants program. “The opioid epidemic has taken far too many lives, and resolving this crisis requires a comprehensive effort from officials at every level of government and from local organizations,” Duckworth said. “I will continue working with Senator Durbin to ensure those treating and preventing opioid addiction have the resources they need to serve all Illinoisans.” “As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage our state, we need prevention, treatment, and recovery

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BELLEVILLE – A domestic disturbance escalated into a fatal confrontation involving law enforcement on Thursday evening, according to the Belleville Police Department. At approximately 7:46 p.m., officers responded to reports of a male subject armed with a firearm in the 5000 block of Schmidt Lane in unincorporated St. Clair County. During the incident, police reported that the 69-year-old male suspect discharged his weapon multiple times. Belleville Police Lt. James Hendricks stated that when confronted by numerous uniformed officers, the suspect continued to pose a threat. A deputy on scene subsequently discharged his firearm, striking the suspect, who later died from his injuries. “St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson has requested that the Illinois State Police Zone 6 Investigations Division assist in conducting an independent investigation per agency policy,” Lt. Hendricks said. The identity of the deceased suspect has not been released, as authorities are

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BELLEVILLE – A domestic disturbance escalated into a fatal confrontation involving law enforcement on Thursday evening, according to the Belleville Police Department. At approximately 7:46 p.m., officers responded to reports of a male subject armed with a firearm in the 5000 block of Schmidt Lane in unincorporated St. Clair County. During the incident, police reported that the 69-year-old male suspect discharged his weapon multiple times. Belleville Police Lt. James Hendricks stated that when confronted by numerous uniformed officers, the suspect continued to pose a threat. A deputy on scene subsequently discharged his firearm, striking the suspect, who later died from his injuries. “St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson has requested that the Illinois State Police Zone 6 Investigations Division assist in conducting an independent investigation per agency policy,” Lt. Hendricks said. The identity of the deceased suspect has not been released, as authorities are

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WOOD RIVER - Amare, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit recovery community organization, announces a significant leadership transition as its original founder and Executive Director, Ty Bechel, steps down to focus on the expansion and growth of his nonprofit training, coaching, and consulting company, Bechel & Associates Nonprofit Consulting and his other endeavor with IT Consultants and Managed Service Provider, Simple ITSM. Ty, who founded Amare in 2014 and officially incorporated the organization in 2015, has been a leader in the recovery community for over a decade. He and his team’s work has helped hundreds of individuals and families on their journey to recovery and wellness. In his announcement, Ty shared, “Founding Amare has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Watching it grow from an idea into a vital support system for our community has been a humbling journey. As I pass the torch to Carson, I have full confidence that Amare will continue to flourish

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WOOD RIVER - Amare, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit recovery community organization, announces a significant leadership transition as its original founder and Executive Director, Ty Bechel, steps down to focus on the expansion and growth of his nonprofit training, coaching, and consulting company, Bechel & Associates Nonprofit Consulting and his other endeavor with IT Consultants and Managed Service Provider, Simple ITSM. Ty, who founded Amare in 2014 and officially incorporated the organization in 2015, has been a leader in the recovery community for over a decade. He and his team’s work has helped hundreds of individuals and families on their journey to recovery and wellness. In his announcement, Ty shared, “Founding Amare has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Watching it grow from an idea into a vital support system for our community has been a humbling journey. As I pass the torch to Carson, I have full confidence that Amare will continue to flourish

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ALTON - The Racial Justice Committee of YWCA Southwestern Illinois recently gifted over 150 books to West Elementary School in Alton, thanks to a $1,700 grant awarded to the Rotary Club of the Riverbend Alton-Godfrey. Rotarians from the Club, also known as Riverbend Rotary, and representatives from the YWCA recently delivered the books to TaRael Kee, the new principal of West Elementary. TaRael, along with School Librarian Steve Doering and students in the library were on hand to receive the books. “Many thanks to the Riverbend Rotary and YWCA for taking time to think about us and our children. These books will go a long way,” says TaRael, noting that he and the teachers have ambitious goals for students at West Elementary and they believe the students have potential to reach those goals. “These kids lit up when they saw the books - they noticed that the books’ characters are like them and look like them.” “We are excited to partner with the YWC

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ALTON - The Racial Justice Committee of YWCA Southwestern Illinois recently gifted over 150 books to West Elementary School in Alton, thanks to a $1,700 grant awarded to the Rotary Club of the Riverbend Alton-Godfrey. Rotarians from the Club, also known as Riverbend Rotary, and representatives from the YWCA recently delivered the books to TaRael Kee, the new principal of West Elementary. TaRael, along with School Librarian Steve Doering and students in the library were on hand to receive the books. “Many thanks to the Riverbend Rotary and YWCA for taking time to think about us and our children. These books will go a long way,” says TaRael, noting that he and the teachers have ambitious goals for students at West Elementary and they believe the students have potential to reach those goals. “These kids lit up when they saw the books - they noticed that the books’ characters are like them and look like them.” “We are excited to partner with the YWC

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ALTON - Community members gathered at the YWCA in Alton to hear from incumbent Amy Elik and challenger Nick Raftopoulos at a candidates’ forum for the Illinois House of Representatives 111th District. On Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, Elik and Raftopoulos spoke about their priorities and answered questions from the audience. The forum began by allowing both candidates to introduce themselves. Elik, a Republican, explained that she is running for a third two-year term. She said she voted against giving money to “illegal immigrants” and for ending the sales tax on groceries. She added that a main priority of hers is “keeping children in schools safe from predators.” “During my last four years, I have been laser-focused on really just trying to make Illinois safer and more affordable, a great place to raise a family, to start a business or maintain a business and a great place to retire,” Elik said. “I’ve done that by holding

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s WSIE 88.7 will wrap up its 2nd Annual WSIE Music Series with Deacon Dan: A Tribute to Steely Dan from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at the Old Herald Brewery and Distillery in Collinsville. The 2024 WSIE series closeout was rescheduled from Sept. 28 due to weather conditions. The series has provided great entertainment for the community since April 2023, featuring live, local talent with great blends of blues, easy R&B and a little rock and roll. There is a suggested donation of $10 at the gate and 100 percent of the proceeds collected benefit WSIE. Housed at SIUE in Dunham Hall, WSIE is a community-supported, non-profit, NPR (National Public Radio) music station that gives listeners in the St. Louis region a break from the “noise,” with an eclectic blend of jazz, smooth jazz, blues, easy R&B and more. Listeners can tune in at 88.7 on their FM dial, online at siue.edu/wsie/, on smart devices

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s WSIE 88.7 will wrap up its 2nd Annual WSIE Music Series with Deacon Dan: A Tribute to Steely Dan from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at the Old Herald Brewery and Distillery in Collinsville. The 2024 WSIE series closeout was rescheduled from Sept. 28 due to weather conditions. The series has provided great entertainment for the community since April 2023, featuring live, local talent with great blends of blues, easy R&B and a little rock and roll. There is a suggested donation of $10 at the gate and 100 percent of the proceeds collected benefit WSIE. Housed at SIUE in Dunham Hall, WSIE is a community-supported, non-profit, NPR (National Public Radio) music station that gives listeners in the St. Louis region a break from the “noise,” with an eclectic blend of jazz, smooth jazz, blues, easy R&B and more. Listeners can tune in at 88.7 on their FM dial, online at siue.edu/wsie/, on smart devices

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ALTON - The 7th Annual Alton Cigar Event created by Derrick Richardson will be from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at Bluff City Grill, 424 East Broadway in Alton. This is a rain-or-shine event under the covered outdoor patio. Admission is free to the public. Scott Biancardi, owner of STL Cigars, is amazingly skilled in the art of cigar-rolling, and will roll the cigar of your choice right in front of you. Brandon Shaw aka DJ Brando will be playing a mix of the oldies and the newest hits. According to Richardson, he said this is the only annual cigar event in Alton right now. The Alton Cigar Event is seven years strong. "Since I started the Alton Cigar Event it has been held at Bluff City Grill and Scott Biancardi has been the cigar roller," Richardson said. DJ Brando has been the DJ since 2021." "This event is about fellowship and cigars," Richardson continued."Bluff City has wonderful food and drink selections for purchase. "Every year the attendance gets bigger, and

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October 4th is a day that has repeatedly marked significant turning points in history, spanning a variety of fields. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit. This groundbreaking event marked the dawn of the space age and was a pivotal moment in the Cold War era's space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Sputnik 1's success had a profound impact on scientific research and technology development worldwide, as it demonstrated the possibility of space exploration and inspired future missions, from lunar landings to Mars rover expeditions. The launch sparked a surge of interest in science and technology education, leading to significant investments in these fields and ultimately laying the groundwork for the technological advances that we benefit from today. Beyond the realm of space, October 4th has seen numerous other significant events. In 1830, the Belgian Revolution reached a decisive moment when a provisional

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October 4th is a day that has repeatedly marked significant turning points in history, spanning a variety of fields. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit. This groundbreaking event marked the dawn of the space age and was a pivotal moment in the Cold War era's space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Sputnik 1's success had a profound impact on scientific research and technology development worldwide, as it demonstrated the possibility of space exploration and inspired future missions, from lunar landings to Mars rover expeditions. The launch sparked a surge of interest in science and technology education, leading to significant investments in these fields and ultimately laying the groundwork for the technological advances that we benefit from today. Beyond the realm of space, October 4th has seen numerous other significant events. In 1830, the Belgian Revolution reached a decisive moment when a provisional

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TROY - At the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce 40th anniversary celebration, State Representative Charlie Meier told the fascinating story behind the “cupcake bill,” the first one he introduced as a representative. 12 years ago in Troy, he said the Madison County Health Department stopped a then-12-year-old Chloe Stirling from giving homemade cupcakes to nursing home residents because they weren’t made “in an inspected kitchen, and people could die.” “This is just crazy,” Meier said of the Health Department response. He then got to work crafting the “cupcake bill” in an effort to prevent such a shutdown from happening again. “We got the bill written … we’re set to go in front of committee, and of course Chloe’s got her box of cupcakes there,” Meier said. The bill faced an uphill battle as it went through a series of hurdles in the House, with Meier adding that 95 healt

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BUZZ MAGAZINE - It was a round metal object the size of a beach ball, and only weighed 183.9 pounds. Yet it managed to throw a nervous world into a panic. Friday marks the anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, which was thrust into space by the Soviet Union on Oct. 4, 1957. The launch marked the beginning of the space race and was a landmark in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviets. The launch, just months after Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev’s declaration that “we will bury you,” threw the United States into “near hysteria” in the words of one writer and “political pandemonium” in the words of another. Sputnik was designed to correspond with the International Geophysical Year, set by the International Council of Scientific Unions in 1952 to last from July 1, 1957 to Dec. 31, 1958. In 1955, the U.S. had announced plans for its own satellite. The Soviets, however, beat th

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BUZZ MAGAZINE - October is the month for haunted houses and other historic buildings. And for this year's October issue, I present six outstanding attractions – two historic homes, a prison, two theaters, and a hotel – that are said to have had unearthly happenings. The 300+ miles of Illinois Route 66 offer a treasure trove of historic buildings to visit, and more than a few are said to be haunted. But don't let a rumored ghost or two stop you from visiting these amazing attractions! And, you don't have to visit just at Halloween. When you plan to visit any of these attractions, please check their websites for more information and then observe open hours, fees, and visitor rules Old Joliet Prison - 1125 Collins Street, Joliet Notorious killers Richard Speck, John Wayne Gacy, and “crime of the century” murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were all housed at the old Joliet Prison, and, of course, it was the fictional home of the Blues Brothers, Jake

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BUZZ MAGAZINE - It was a round metal object the size of a beach ball, and only weighed 183.9 pounds. Yet it managed to throw a nervous world into a panic. Friday marks the anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, which was thrust into space by the Soviet Union on Oct. 4, 1957. The launch marked the beginning of the space race and was a landmark in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviets. The launch, just months after Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev’s declaration that “we will bury you,” threw the United States into “near hysteria” in the words of one writer and “political pandemonium” in the words of another. Sputnik was designed to correspond with the International Geophysical Year, set by the International Council of Scientific Unions in 1952 to last from July 1, 1957 to Dec. 31, 1958. In 1955, the U.S. had announced plans for its own satellite. The Soviets, however, beat th

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