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EDWARDSVILLE - After a guilty plea arrangement, Jacob M. Sitze, 31, of Bethalto, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to Aggravated DUI with a blood alcohol level of .98 or more resulting in a death, a Class 2 felony. The Sitze crash resulted in the death of a Godfrey woman, Megan L. Labrenz, 39, on Nov. 6, 2020. Brian Brueggeman, a spokesperson for the Madison County State’s Attorney's Office recapped what happened in the plea and sentencing process for Sitze: “The defendant had no criminal history - it would have been taken into consideration had a judge imposed a sentence.” “The entire plea was vetted and coordinated with the victim’s family and the attorney who represented the victim’s family.” “The two dismissed counts were alternate ways of charging the same offense.” “The credit for time served was one day.” The accident that involved Sitze occurred in the 6600 block of Godfrey Road

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GRANITE CITY - To be able to play on one championship team is an honor unto itself. For a player to be a part of five consecutive championship teams is an amazing feat. And that's exactly what Michael Atkins has accomplished, as the senior goalie for the Granite City High hockey team played on his fifth straight championship team when the Warriors won its second straight Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association's Class 2A championship last week with a two-game sweep over O'Fallon in a best-of-three series. Atkins is a Stillwater Senior Living Male Athlete of the Month for Granite City. Atkins' record was very impressive during that run as well, going 96-17-11 in his five years as a top goalie for Granite, recording 45 shutouts while playing on junior varsity championship teams in eighth grade and as a sophomore to go along with three varsity titles in his freshman, junior and senior years. Atkins also played in the league's Rising Stars game, a JV All-Star game, getting a shutout

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County offers a free program to help reduce litter and maintain cleanliness throughout its communities. The county’s Building and Zoning Department is offering residents a free resource tool kit, which includes trash bags, reflective vests, gloves and litter grabbers to go out and pick up trash. "We are focused on ways to reduce the amount of litter in the county and this resource helps battle that problem,” Building and Zoning Administrator Chris Doucleff said. "Providing free resources for residents can impact change." Doucleff said since the inception of the program — Clean Communities — two years ago, residents picked up more than 3,300 tool kits to tackle the litter in their communities. He said the county regularly receives complaints about litter along the county’s roads and ditches. “We have made trash pickup a priority,” he said. “It’s not always easy, but this is something we did for those

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SPRINGFIELD - Amid coordinated efforts throughout the nation to ban books from library shelves, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has drafted first-in-the-nation legislation designed to support public and school libraries and librarians as they face unprecedented censorship of books and resources in Illinois. The legislation comes after extremist groups – including the far-right nationalist group, the Proud Boys – have targeted Illinois libraries, divided communities and harassed librarians across the country, even though the books are not required reading for anyone. Giannoulias, who serves as the State’s Librarian, reiterated his staunch support for Illinois librarians who not only deserve our gratitude, but also must have safe environments in which to work. Giannoulias argued that book banning undermines First Amendment rights, threatens individual freedoms and liberties and prevents the public from accessing reading materials of their choice. “This

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ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins is “elated” to hear that the Golden Corral will reopen in about a month. Employees were visible at the location this week, along with service personnel. This Golden Corral closed in July 2022 and has not reopened since that time. “I always felt in my heart of hearts that when they closed in July 2022 it wasn’t the end,” Goins said. “This is really exciting news. It was one of Alton’s most popular restaurants and has really been missed.” The business is located at 350 Homer Adams Parkway in Alton. Golden Corral is most known for its endless buffet.

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GODFREY - Keri Kiser, a Godfrey resident and mother, raised concerns about the speed limit on West Delmar Avenue while holding one of her children at the Godfrey Village Board of Trustees meeting on March 7. Kiser, whose two-year-old daughter was killed in a traffic accident in that same area, said the current 45-mile-per-hour speed limit is too dangerous for the neighborhood and that two businesses are controlling the speed limit for over 1,400 Godfrey residents. “There’s more than 1,400 people that live in that area … from Pierce down to Blue Fountain , it’s over 1,400 people - lots of families, lots of children,” Kiser said. “My daughter was the 2-year-old girl that was killed right there in front of my house on Pine Grove on West Delmar.” Not only was her daughter killed, but her dog was also hit by the car, which Kiser says was definitely speeding despite no official determination being made. “The circumstances of what happene

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WOOD RIVER - Wood River City Council member Jeremy Plank has proposed a voter referendum on the possible Wood River Cannabis Dispensary in the downtown area. “When elected to Wood River City Council two short years ago, I promised to bring transparency to the process and to work to build our downtown,” he said on Tuesday. “Last night, I asked that the March 20 th council agenda include a vote to rescind the January 3 rd vote that placed a cannabis dispensary in downtown Wood River, within four blocks of Lewis and Clark Elementary School. I also asked that a referendum of the voters be requested by City Council to give Wood River voters a chance to weigh in. “The January 3 rd vote came after just two business days’ notification and virtually no time for discussion. This decision was made without proper public input, and without a survey of downtown business owners. Our city should not be run this way. I will continue to be a voice for taxpayers, job

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GODFREY - The Godfrey Village Board of Trustees denied a liquor license request from a local restaurant, progressed two rezoning requests, and appointed a new Sustainability Commission member at their March 7 meeting. One of the agenda items that was not approved would have granted a liquor license to Shanghai House, located at 5741 Godfrey Road. Mayor Mike McCormick said the owner of the business failed to submit the paperwork to reapply for a liquor license since it had been granted one by the village over three years ago. The board did not vote on the ordinance. Two ordinances amending the zoning classification for two properties were given a first reading by the board and will be considered for final approval at the next meeting. The properties in question are 6212 and 6214 Isabel St. in Godfrey. Both properties’ zoning classifications will change from “M-1” Manufacturing to “R-3” Single Family Residential. The Board of Trustees also approved th

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ALTON – OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center today bestowed its inaugural Mission Partner of the Month Award to Cindy Stamper, a Mission Partner with more than 20+ years of service at the hospital. Ms. Stamper, who currently serves as Transporter in the Surgery Department, received multiple nominations detailing her exemplary attitude and work ethic. “Cindy is consistently complimented by her fellow Mission Partners and there truly is no one more deserving than Cindy to be honored as the first ‘Mission Partner of the Month’ award winner,” Shawn Schroeder, Manager, Surgical Services, said. Winners of the Mission Partner of the Month Award are noted for their exceptional manner by exemplifying the hospital’s Values, providing outstanding service through his or her work, and exhibiting a positive and supportive attitude. Winners also receive a designated parking spot for their use during the month. Additionally, they will also be one of the 12 monthly

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police released information and a photo about a missing juvenile on Wednesday. The missing juvenile is Cloe Schmidt, a white female, 5-foot-6, 140 pounds, with blue eyes, long straight blonde hair, and 15 years of age. She was last seen wearing a beige colored T-shirt with black animals printed on it, blue jeans with rips, and blue and white tennis shoes, in the 3100 block of Brunswick Drive at 4:30 p.m. on Monday and has not been located since. St. Louis County Police said Cloe has scars on her left arm and open wounds on both legs. Anyone with any information on Cloe, please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at (636) 529-8210

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ALTON - A new dining outlet is opening in the Argosy Casino in Alton sometime later this spring, but few details are available just yet. Director of Marketing Operations Michael Kipper confirmed there will be a new restaurant coming to Argosy Casino in Alton this spring, but said he had no other details to offer right now beyond what the casino has shared on social media. On Monday, March 6, Argosy posted this statement on their Facebook page : “We're excited to announce a tasty, new dining outlet coming to Argosy Casino Alton this Spring! We're thrilled to welcome a new world of flavors to our property,” they said. They went on to state the current Captain’s Table Buffet will close and the area will be repurposed. “The Captain's Table Buffet will close permanently as we make plans to see the buffet space reimagined,” they said. “Be sure to keep up with us on social media - more updates to come!” Several in the comment section

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PESOTUM - On March 8, 2023, at approximately 1:59 a.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash involving an ISP Trooper’s squad car on Interstate 74 westbound at exit 197 in Champaign County. On the above date and time, an ISP Trooper was stationary in the construction zone on Interstate 74 westbound at exit 197 with emergency lights activated, parked behind several construction barricades. All traffic at the time was being diverted off Interstate 74 westbound onto exit 197 for construction in the area. A brown 2023 Mack truck tractor hauling three truck tractor units, traveling westbound, failed to follow the designated traffic diversion, drove through the barricades, struck the Exit 197 sign, and then struck the rear and driver side of the ISP squad car. The Trooper was inside of the squad car at the time of the crash and was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Mack truck, 46-year-old

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today took to the Senate floor to sound the alarm on railway safety after news broke this morning of a third rail accident involving Norfolk Southern. The accident, in which a Norfolk Southern train collided with a dump truck in Cleveland and killed a rail employee, is the third incident in one month involving the rail company. In his speech, Durbin urged his colleagues to prioritize railway safety before another community loses a loved one or is plagued with the environmental impacts of a derailment. “These three rail accidents in just one month – one of them a catastrophic derailment – have sent a grave and blaring signal that we need to do more to protect American communities from hazardous freight rail shipments,” Durbin began. “The need for greater rail safety is urgent, especially in my state of Illinois. Chicago, Illinois, is the busiest rail hub in the United States… If

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CHICAGO - Governor Pritzker today announced that Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Director Rob Jeffreys is stepping down from his position, effective April 1, 2023. Jeffreys has led the Illinois correctional system since June of 2019, overseeing 29,000 individuals in 27 facilities across the state and supervising nearly 13,000 employees. IDOC Chief of Staff Latoya J. Hughes will serve as Acting Director in the interim. “I’m grateful to Director Jeffreys for his years of service, ensuring the dignity and safety of the incarcerated people of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “His work in reforming and redesigning services has given individuals in custody opportunities for advancement and improvement while also ensuring the highest level of security and care for the IDOC staff as they carry out their critical responsibilities.” “Leading the Illinois Department of Corrections and our dedicated employees since 2019, through unprecedented

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois averages 53 tornadoes per year, which means you should grab your dog Toto and be prepared for tornadoes and severe weather. March is Severe Weather Preparedness Month and a good time to plan ahead, especially with the severe weather here in Illinois. “From heavy snowfall to dangerous winds, everyone in Illinois should be prepared for adverse conditions,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau . “Last week, Illinois saw multiple tornadoes throughout the state, followed by unseasonably warm temperatures, and now we’re getting ready for snow and potential flooding.” Illinois ranks fourth in the United States for the most tornadoes per square mile. Communities across the state are also susceptible to flooding as it is the most common natural hazard in the U.S. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), just 1 inch of water can cause $25,000 of damage in your home. Severe weather

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WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this afternoon met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Louis District Commander Colonel Kevin Golinghorst to discuss critical water infrastructure projects in the Metro East, the Upper Mississippi River and lower Illinois River watershed including the Lock and Dam 25 construction project and addressing environmental justice concerns in East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights. The Senator also highlighted Golinghorst’s dedication as the region’s outgoing District Commander, as well as the transition to the new St. Louis District Commander Colonel Andy Pannier and how she can support it. A photo from the meeting is available here . “Protecting and strengthening our inland waterways and water infrastructure is critical to growing our local economies and protecting the health and safety of our communities,” Duckworth said. “I was glad to meet with Colonel Kevin Golinghorst to discuss the ongoin

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, today supported a proposed federal rule that protects access to health care for all individuals. The proposed rule rescinds portions of the 2019 Healthcare Refusal Rule, which allowed anyone working in health care to broadly refuse to provide care based on religious or moral beliefs. In the letter , Raoul and the coalition said the Biden administration’s proposed rule eliminates the problematic and illegal aspects of the federal government’s 2019 rule and better safeguards patients, including those in the LGBTQ+ community and those seeking abortions, from being denied access to critical or lifesaving health services. The 2019 rule also threatened to cut off essential federal health care funding to states for a single breach of the rule. “Every patient seeking health care should be able to do so without fear of discrimination or being denied critical and lifesaving health services,”

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BELLEVILLE - The St. Clair County Transit District’s (SCCTD) Board of Commissioners last week awarded a contract to Hank’s Excavating and Landscaping Inc. for construction of Phase III of the Old Collinsville Road Trail. The $2.03 million contract is for the development of a 0.8 mile trail that will run along Old Collinsville Road from Munie Road to Frank Scott Parkway East. This latest phase will further extend the reach of the MetroBikeLink System, which features 14 continuous miles of trails in Southwestern Illinois and links users to six Metro Transit Centers, where area residents can access MetroLink, MetroBus and microtransit options including the SCCTD Flyer and VanGo. Bikes can be brought on MetroLink and all MetroBuses are equipped with exterior racks. “This latest award will only strengthen connectivity in St. Clair County while at the same time offering residents and visitors a healthy amenity in our community,” said Herb Simmons, Chair of the

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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, has received a $10,000 gift from the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. The generous gift will support experiential learning opportunities for students in Blackburn’s Department of Fine Art. The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation is a charitable trust named for the acclaimed 20th-century American artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) that honors the memory of the artist and his disabled younger brother. Cornell was a pioneer of collage art and glass-fronted shadow boxes. His work has been seen around the world, with the most recent exhibits at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Today, the Foundation provides support to a variety of nonprofit and educational organizations, with a specific emphasis on the arts. “Arts education is an important part of the Blackburn student experience,” Blackburn Trustee and Alumnus Jim Faust shared. Faust wa

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ST. LOUIS – Visitation to Gateway Arch National Park jumped by 41% from 2021 to 2022 according to National Park Service visitation figures released this week. The increase is attributed to a continued rebound toward pre-pandemic levels. Visitation at the Arch grew by nearly 475,000 from about 1.15 million to approximately 1.62 million. And attendance in 2023 is off to a strong start. Park staff reported the highest January tram ridership in 17 years. “2022 was a great year for Gateway Arch National Park,” said Jeremy Sweat, superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park. “There is so much to see and do at the park, especially for visitors who haven’t been back to the Arch visitor center and museum since the completion of the CityArchRiver renovations in 2018.” While attendance continues to rise, local officials expect visitation to increase more as conferences and business travel rebound from pandemic effects. “It is exciting to see the continued

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