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O'FALLON, Ill. - It’s that time of year when people start dreaming about spring weather and what they want their yards to look like as it gets warmer. However, when it comes to your vegetables, now is the time to start planting. Joe’s Market Basket, a family-owned business and garden center, recommends getting started on your vegetable garden in late February and early March to make sure your produce is on the right track ahead of spring. “One idea we like to recommend is using a seed starter kit to get your veggies growing indoors,” said General Manager Andy Klos. “That allows your plants to get a head start on the growing season and ensures that they are healthy and strong when you’re ready to transplant them into your outdoor garden. Seed packets are also a lot cheaper than developed plants so it’s a great way to save money on your produce. We just always recommend that you find a good spot near a window, so the plants get direct sunlight.”

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EAST ALTON - The name of the person who died in the storage unit Tuesday in East Alton has been released and also a Carrollton woman is being held and accused of providing false and conflicting information to those investigating the situation. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has been called to investigate and the man who died has been identified as James A. Huch, listed as homeless, but from the Alton area. He appears to have died as a result of an accidental fire, Major Case Squad investigators have discovered. The man's death is not believed to be a criminal act. However, one person - Paula M. Vinyard, 68, of Carrollton has been charged with obstructing justice in the case. East Alton Fire crews got the call about the fire around 1:25 a.m. Tuesday in the 600 block of West St. Louis Avenue. It took firefighters nearly an hour to put the fire out and when the person was found deceased in the storage unit, the investigation began. The Major Case Squad will likely deactivate

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022: “One year ago today, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, an ill-fated throwback to the era when aggressor nations tried to seize their neighbor’s territory by force—all in blind pursuit of some warped Soviet nostalgia trip. Putin was willing to sacrifice thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives, the reputation of his country, and the international order established after the horrors of World War II. Perhaps having listened to too many years of his own country’s brainwashing propaganda, Putin also thought Ukraine would fall in a matter of days or weeks. He thought the transatlantic alliance and community of democracies had atrophied and wouldn’t respond. Putin was wrong.

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ALTON - Recently, Madison County Catholic Charities was voted #1 Best Local Non-Profit in our area. We were more than grateful to receive the Best of the Best award. To be one of the top three agencies and to stand among the tough competition is an honor. Our staff works tirelessly at serving the community, so this award is especially meaningful and deserving. We are a small but mighty team of 10 staff. Since 1941, our offices in Alton and Granite City have been serving Madison County, Jersey, Calhoun, and parts of Bond. We provide essential services including counseling, a food pantry, and mobile food pantry, help with the cost of medication, rent and utility assistance, ID’s for the homeless, and legal services. Our mission is to provide hope and help to those in need and our goal is to be an example of God’s love for everyone who comes through our doors. “We want to thank all of you who took the time to vote for our agency. 10 staff and 17 advisory board

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GRANITE CITY - GCS Credit Union was awarded 1st place for Desjardins, Youth Financial Literacy, and 3rd place for Dora Maxwell, Social Responsibility, in the 2022 CUNA Awards Program for the $250 million - $1 billion asset category. GCS received an honorable mention for the Desjardins, Youth Financial Literacy, Award at the CUNA National Awards for the $250 million - $1 billion asset category. The Desjardins Award recognizes credit unions for leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of financial literacy for all ages. GCS was recognized for its youth financial literacy efforts. GCS is bringing Banzai, a premium online financial literacy program, to educators and students in our local community for free. In 2021, GCS had a record-breaking year by teaching 9,000 students through their Banzai program. Over 100 teachers were able to use the platform in their classrooms. A local teacher said, “Teachers around the country are scrambling to meet state literacy requirement

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SPRINGFIELD - SIU School of Medicine’s Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI) will host a webinar series for women in agriculture and a community forum on succession planning in March. Rural mental health specialist Monica Kramer McConkey, LPC will present a series of webinars focused on improving wellness for women who work in agriculture. The webinars will be held virtually each Thursday in March via Zoom. Topics will include the following: March 9: Learning to Love Ourselves March 23: Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships in Times of Stress March 30: Bend Don’t Break: Becoming Resilient The FFRI is also presenting a series of community forums on succession planning in March, “Planning for the Farm’s Future and Yours.” Wesley Tucker from the University of Missouri Extension will talk about the five steps to transition farm ownership and management, strategies to navigate family and

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SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker today celebrated S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of Illinois bonds. This latest action means that Illinois has received a total of seven upgrades in less than two years under Governor Pritzker. This fiscal progress was achieved due to strong fiscal leadership by Gov. Pritzker and Democrats in the General Assembly. S&P Global Ratings announced a ratings upgrade to A- for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds, its third upgrade of Illinois’ bonds since July 2021. The last time Illinois had an A- rating from S&P was before May of 2016. Fitch Ratings upgraded Illinois’ bonds by two notches last spring, the first Fitch upgrade for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds since June 2000. Illinois received two upgrades from Moody’s Investor Service in two separate actions in April 2022 and June 2021. “I am thrilled to see our hard work at righting the past fiscal wrongs of our state reflected in today’s action by S&P

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to protect publicly-funded programs from fraud by adopting a robust and fair reading of the False Claims Act (FCA). Raoul joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in filing a brief in two Supreme Court cases that consider when a contractor can be held liable under the FCA for overbilling Medicaid. The FCA is an important law enforcement tool that states and the federal government use when a contractor knowingly provides false billing information for some publicly-funded programs, including Medicaid. “Illinois’ Medicaid program serves some of our state’s most vulnerable residents, who rely on it for their health care,” Raoul said. “I am asking the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve the False Claims Act, which is an important tool for my office to hold those who defraud this critical program accountable.” A federal appellate court held that two retail chain pharmacies

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As February is American Heart Month, SIHF Healthcare wants to remind the public about the importance of their heart health and what steps they can take to help prevent heart disease. About 655,000 Americans die of heart disease each year - that’s an average of 1 in every 4 deaths. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While the statistics on heart disease can be devastating, the good news is that it’s preventable in most cases with healthy choices, which include maintaining a healthy weight, choosing a healthy eating plan, being physically active, managing stress, not smoking, getting quality sleep and regular checkups. “No matter what your age, everyone can benefit from incorporating healthy choices into their lifestyle, says Malissa Weber, FNP-C at SIHF Healthcare in Millstadt.” Maintain a healthy weight . Being overweight puts more strain on your heart and its job to pump blood throughout your body. Achieving eve

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ST. LOUIS - The 2023 Anderson Hospital Foundation Gala was held on February 4th at The Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. The event marked the return of an “in-person” event after two years of a “virtual gala”. It included a cocktail hour, with passed hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, a gourmet dinner, a LIVE auction, an audience appeal fundraiser for the new Dialysis Center, and was followed by dancing to the sounds of the Well Hungarian Band. Over 300 guests attended and enjoyed the festivities. “We have such a great following for this event and we thank our sponsors who always support us. We were also happy to be back “in-person,” said Lori St. John, Director of Development. The event raised a total of $129,474.00. The Foundation allocates funds for capital projects and programs for Anderson Hospital. The 2024 Gala will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel on February 3, 2024. Please contact Lori St. John at 618-391-6426 for more information.

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SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 158,010 deer during all 2022-2023 archery and firearm seasons that concluded Jan. 15. The total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons compares with a total harvest of 146,438 deer for all seasons in 2021-2022. During the 2022-2023 deer seasons, hunters took 45.04% females and 54.96% males. Totals from specific seasons: Archery deer hunters took a preliminary total of 69,557 deer during the season that began Oct. 1 and concluded Jan. 15. The total archery harvest during the 2021-2022 season was 66,630 deer. Youth deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 3,339 deer during the three-day Illinois youth deer season Oct. 8-10, compared to 1,847 in 2021. Traditional firearm season hunters took a preliminary total of 76,854 deer during the firearm season Nov. 18-20 and Dec. 1-4. This compares to a harvest of 70,456 deer taken during the 2021 firearm season. Muzzleloader hunters harvested a preliminary

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On February 23, 2023, the St. Louis County Police Department’s Burglary Unit detectives arrested a 16-year old male juvenile also responsible for the below burglaries that occurred on December 6, 2022. All incidents occurred on 12/26/2022 7498 Delmar Blvd - Shell Gas Station 8835 Natural Bridge - Shell Gas Station 11208 West Florissant - Neat Restaurant and Bar 3675 Dunn Road – Conoco Gas Station 9882 Halls Ferry - Family Dollar 7900 St. Charles Rock Rd - Self-service car wash The juvenile was charged with Burglary and Stealing from the following locations and is currently being held at Family Court. The charges are five counts of First Degree Burglary, five counts of First Degree Property Damage, 4 counts of Felony Stealing and one count of Second Degree Tampering.

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ALTON - The Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois, Alton YWCA, Milton Schoolhouse Gardens, and Hampton Gardens are hosting two Seed Swaps this winter to provide community members with a sociable space to swap and share quality seeds, cuttings, and bulbs. Join fellow farmers and gardeners in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the spring gardening season at this community event, which is free and open to all. The first seed swap will be held at the Milton Schoolhouse in Alton on Saturday, February 25 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. To register for the Seed Swap at the Milton Schoolhouse, visit fb.me/e/2MKVkc9Tg . The second seed swap will be held at the Alton YWCA on Saturday, March 4 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. To register for the Seed Swap at the Alton YWCA, visit fb.me/e/3hA11PCtB . If you are sharing self-collected seeds, please label the homegrown seeds with the common or species name, year, and your name. If you are sharing commercial seed packets, there is no

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WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at EAWR High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000. “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. January's winner is Seth Slayden. Seth is a Senior at EAWR and is involved with Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, National Honor Society and Spirit Club. Seth has received honors for Gold Renaissance, All Conference Football & Basketball, High Honor Roll, 75th Gallantin MVP, Best ERA (Baseball), 3rd team defense all Metro/STL Football. After graduation Seth is undecided on what he would like to major in but plans to attend college and play ball. Congratulations Seth and we all wish you good luck in your future! Midwest Members Credit Union has been serving your community

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EDWARDSVILLE - In a continued effort to facilitate the development of bicycle patrol programs in Madison County, Madison County Transit (MCT) donated RECON Interceptor Power Bicycles to the police department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and the campus safety office at Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) before the Thursday, February 23, MCT Board Meeting. The new ruggedized bikes will allow employees at the university and college to patrol the campuses and nearby trails. In the last five years, MCT has donated similar patrol bicycles to police departments in Alton, East Alton, Edwardsville, Granite City, Maryville, Highland, Troy, South Roxana, and Venice. RECON is a law enforcement ebike company specializing in patrol bikes. The all-terrain bicycles donated to SIUE and LCCC have a heavy-duty frame and durable, puncture-resistant 4-inch tires. Each bike contains a 1000-watt mid-drive motor for optimal speed and hydraulic disc brakes for greater stopping power

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GODFREY - The Nature Institute (TNI) is claiming 41 years of exploration! Discovery Day Camp, which started in 1982 with Aune Nelson as its catalyst, offers a premier nature camp experience for children in the Riverbend area. Children hike the trails, play in the creek, and search for native plants and animals. This year, TNI is making camp better than ever with more spots for our most popular age groups, a return of the long night, and a camp-out option for middle schoolers.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Riley Knoyle has been a standout for the Edwardsville girls' cross-country and track teams since her freshman year. The EHS senior recently signed an athletic letter of intent to attend Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN. George Patrylak, one of Knoyle's coaches over the years in both cross country and track, said she has definitely set the bar high for female running in the Edwardsville School District. Knoyle is an iCAN Clinic Female Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. Knoyle was an All-State performer in cross country and track her freshman year. She also placed 16th at the ShaZam Cross Country Meet, one of her more significant achievements, Patrylak said. Knoyle has a lifetime best of 17:14 in the three-mile and a personal record of 5:08 in the mile. "Her high school performances are a big indicator of the success she will have at the college level," Tennessee State University's cross country coaches said in a statement after she signed a letter of intent.

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CARROLLTON - Carrollton High School students visited with a wide range of businesses, colleges, and more at the 2023 Carrollton High School Career Fair on Feb. 22. The event saw a large turnout from students, who appreciated the variety of career options offered. Maggie Bland, a junior at Carrollton High School and Vice President of the school’s FFA chapter, said this year’s event saw even more students and businesses than last year. “I think we had a lot of student participation - more than I think we had last year,” Bland said. “We had a wide variety of businesses and colleges here, so I think we were able to get more student participation because of the wide variety.” Bland said she especially enjoyed talking with Macy from the Farm Bureau table, and she plans on going into the Business or Agricultural Business field after high school. Chloe Walker, a CHS senior and FFA chapter president, said she appreciated the opportunity to see different

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, named Andrew Gavin as the ninth director of athletics in the University’s history. Gavin comes to SIUE from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and will assume his new role on Monday, April 17. Gavin is expected to boldly lead SIUE Athletics and its student athletes to expand on success in competition and in the classroom. “The excitement is palpable within the SIUE Cougar and Edwardsville community – we are honored to have Andrew join us to continue the growth and success of our student athletes,” said Minor. “Andrew brings a wealth of diverse experiences that will help SIUE realize its ambition to graduate champions. It is clear that he has the capacity to improve the competitiveness of our athletics program while supporting SIUE coaches and staff, and most importantly our student athletes. We look forward to working with Andrew to continue the tradition o

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased in a fatal fire has been identified as Mark McQuay, 67 years of age, of the block of 1200 block of Wachtel Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63125, and Dorothy Bates, 70 years of age, of the 1200 block of Wachtel Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63125. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson detectives are currently investigating the fatal house fire in the 1200 block of Wachtel Avenue of the South County Precinct which resulted in the death of an adult male and an adult female. On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 9:54 AM, St. Louis County Police officers from the South County precinct responded to a call for service for a house fire in the 1200 block of Wachtel Avenue. Arriving officers observed the house to be fully engulfed and were unable to make entry. Responding Fire personnel located two adults — one male and one female — deceased in the front interior of the residence. No other injuries wer

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