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EDWARDSVILLE - A piece of Route 66 history in Edwardsville is coming back to life as a Mother Road interpretive center with the grand opening of the West End Service Station, 620 St. Louis St., on Friday, June 9. Local officials will celebrate the grand opening of the station with a formal ceremony as part of a series of events showcasing Route 66 in Edwardsville. The West End Service Station will serve as a Route 66 interpretive center and museum. It will be open Fridays through Sundays each week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Originally slated for demolition, the historic building gained new life when the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau received a $919,000 Route 66 grant in 2022. A total of $460,000 was earmarked in the grant, allowing the City to purchase and retrofit the vacant building into an interpretive center showcasing Edwardsville’s place on the famous highway. “There are so many great stories along the Last 100 Miles of Route 66 in Illinois and we want to bring

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EDWARDSVILLE – Dozens of sponsors, food and market vendors, performers and, of course, classic cars are lined up and ready to make this year’s 25th Annual Route 66 Festival an all-day celebration to remember. Festival events are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in and near City Park in downtown Edwardsville. The festival celebrates Route 66, the iconic 2,440-mile trek that ran from Chicago to the Pacific Coast – and for several decades passed through Edwardsville. This popular event will get underway at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 10, with the Metro Milers 10k run/walk. The festival kicks into high gear at 10 a.m., when the Roadside Marketplace opens for business with at least two dozen artisan and boutique vendors offering a variety of clothing, hand-crafted goods, pet-related items and more. Feed your appetite with selections from 10 food and beverage providers. There’s fun for all ages in the family zone, with three face-painting artists,

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ST. LOUIS - After hitting historic highs for delivery of modern bulk industrial space in 2022, the St. Louis region now also has the largest amount of manufacturing space available on the market compared to other Midwest cities, along with one of the lowest average asking rents. In addition, the region has trained workers ready to support newcomers to the industrial market with 15% of the region’s workforce within the production and transportation/material moving occupations. The data is included in St. Louis Regional Industrial Real Estate Market Indicators & Workforce Report released on May 26 th by the St. Louis Regional Freightway as part of the annual FreightWeekSTL conference and expo. The real estate information underscores that the St. Louis region has the space and workers needed for manufacturing companies looking for existing places to grow and expand their businesses. The St. Louis Regional Real Estate Market Indicators & Workforce Report emphasizes the significance

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ALTON - Rich Portwood discussed his background in law enforcement, on TV, and more, as well as his latest venture Blue Line Tactical Academy, on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . After starting his career in law enforcement, Portwood said he actively sought additional training and found some success with competitive shooting. Then one day, he got a call from James Towle - who he had never met before - asking Portwood to appear on his new TV show. “ ended up being a guest on eight seasons of Stop The Threat, and it was one of the best experiences of my life - it really was,” Portwood said. Stop The Threat featured a panel of experts, Portwood included, who would analyze videos of citizens using firearms in self-defense and discuss what they could have done better or differently in their situations. Episodes of the show are available on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video . After a 19-year career in law enforcement, Portwood said his battle with

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BETHALTO - Through a diligent joint investigation that involved the FBI and the Bethalto Police Department, the Bethalto Police were successful in identifying possible suspects in the second attempted ATM theft. Evidence collected during the investigation was presented to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, which successfully obtained an indictment in the case for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Larceny. Today the suspect indicted in connection with the event is in custody on the associated warrant and other unrelated matters in Livingston, LA. He is identified as: Goldie L. Jones Age: 28, of Houston, Texas. "As you all know I like to keep our community updated on the department’s efforts, to both keep you apprised of what type of crime is occurring in the Village and to hold ourselves accountable for solving those crimes," Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon said. "For those of you who follow our page, you know our Village was targeted

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s online master’s in healthcare informatics (MSHI) program is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Since the start of the program, 165 students have earned their healthcare informatics master’s degree. "The health informatics program actually started as a non-credit certificate program back in 2008; the popularity of the certificate program provided the motivation necessary to develop the master’s program,” said Frank Lylera PhD, RN, CAHIMS, FHIMSS, professor in the School of Nursing and Graduate School, and director of the healthcare informatics program. “The popularity of the program persists as our 2021 and 2022 fall cohorts have experienced maximum enrollment. We are currently accepting applications for fall 2023 which will be our 20 th cohort.” SIUE developed the program in a corporate partnership with BJC Health Care to ensure its workforce would be well-trained to meet

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ST. LOUIS -The St. Louis area avoided the top 25 most ozone-polluted cities list for the seventh consecutive year but still receives poor grades for overall air quality in a spring release by the American Lung Association. Madison and Jersey County both had low marks in the American Lung Association’s latest “State of the Air” report. Nearly 36 percent of Americans – 119.6 million people – still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. Madison County received an F grade, while Jersey and St. Clair County came in with a C grade. St. Charles County also was graded with an F and St. Louis city recorded a D grade. “It’s encouraging to see that St. Louis has once again escaped the list of the most ozone-polluted cities with more counties in the bi-state area receiving a better grade in this year’s annual “State of the Air” report compared to last year,” said Susannah Fuchs,

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ALTON - On the heels of sponsoring two (2) very successful and capacity-packed NARCAN training sessions in February 2023 and March 2023, OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center (1 St. Anthony’s Way, Alton) is continuing its advocacy in addressing the opioid epidemic in southwestern Illinois by hosting a Community Conversation on Opioid Use Disorder. The Community Conversation on Opioid Use Disorder program will be held on Friday, June 16, 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., in the hospital’s Perpetual Help Center. The training program is free and lunch will be provided, but registration is required. Registration can be completed by visiting https://AltonConversation.eventbrite.com . According to statistics available through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), between 2013 and 2021, the number of opioid overdose deaths in Illinois increased by almost 300%. According to provisional data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates more than 108,000

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CARROLLTON – Scholarship grants totaling $39,200.00 were awarded to 23 graduating seniors at the Carrollton Community Unit High School graduation held Friday, May 19, 2023, in the gymnasium. The awards will cover the 2023-2024 academic year at junior colleges, colleges, universities and trade schools selected by each graduate. District One Foundation (DOF) scholarships are awarded only for a student’s freshman year, although donors may continue their financial support for a particular graduate at their discretion and with assistance from the DOF Board of Trustees. Scholarship awards are supported by local donors and others who are located elsewhere in the United States, and by various fund-raising activities sponsored by DOF. Some donors specify the criteria to be used for the selection process, and some choose to make their own selection. Senior applicants can apply on line by logging on to the Google Classroom website, and a Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), composed

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SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan F. Kelly, and law enforcement officials from across the state honored the acts of heroism performed by local and state officers during the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Ceremony today in Springfield. The Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Committee awarded 136 officers from 41 agencies the Medal of Honor in recognition of their brave and sacrificial service to the citizens of Illinois. “Every single one of our Medal of Honor Awardees exemplify the unwavering unselfishness and courage that it takes to be a true public servant,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From the July 4th Highland Park massacre to hostage situations and armed robberies, Illinois’ police officers respond to our most daunting emergencies with resolve and selflessness — and on behalf of the people of Illinois, we couldn’t be more grateful.” The Medal of Honor is awarded to officers who have

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SOUTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL SEMESTER 2 2022-2023 HIGH HONOR AND HONOR ROLL HIGH HONOR ROLL Senior Class of 2023 High Honor Roll List for Semester 2 Brandon Adams, Jillian Beilsmith, Ryeleigh Bertman, Madison Bryant, Cassie Christian, Daniel Cokel, Rylee Crane, Masen Day, Kennedy Dempsey, Casey Dugan, Melanie Goff, Audrey Gordon, Vance Hake, Madyson Henderson, Jillian Hoback, Tyson Kahl, Allison Medford, Ryan Raymond, Gracie Schneider, Jaron Whipps Junior Class of 2024 High Honor Roll List for Semester 2 Wyatt Akers, Matthew Arendell, Chiara Biciocchi, Kelsey Bray, Carson Burns, Mia Greenwell, Abigail Hellrung, Ashlynn Huber, Gavin Humm, Alyssa Kasten, Colin LeMarr, Parker LeMarr, Abigail McDonald, Aubrey Reno, Jillian Smith, Alexandra Wigger Sophomore Class of 2025 High Honor Roll List for Semester 2 Ike Austin, Lainie Behrends, Reagan Beilsmith, Cali Bolin, Ian Brantley, Makenzie Cottingham, Secilia D’Angelo, Gracie Darr, Madison Fenstermaker, Hailey

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A LTON - Golden Corral in Alton has officially re-opened. Featuring a remodeled interior and a new management team, the location has been in a “soft opening” phase this week and will ramp up its marketing starting next week. Golden Corral will be open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Director of Operations Rena Hurst said the Alton location officially re-opened on Memorial Day last Monday, May 29. Since then, she said they’ve had a steady number of customers and expect even more after their next marketing push. “We did two days of training on Saturday and Sunday, so word got around pretty quick that we were going to be open,” Hurst said. “We had a very nice soft open on Monday and Tuesday, well up over last year, so we’re hopeful with the additional advertising we’ll get the word out to everybody.” Hurst

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O'FALLON - On Sunday, May 28, 2023, St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Judith Dalen issued a three-count warrant: for Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking with a Firearm, a Class X Felony, for Vehicular Hijacking, a Class 1 Felony, and for Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, a Class 2 Felony, each charging Marlon J. Carter, 34, of the 1300 block of Kim Drive in O'Fallon, IL., with the above crimes. At 6:55 p.m. on Friday, May 26, 2023, Shiloh Officers were dispatched to the area of Sierra Drive in Shiloh in reference to a fight in progress, with one subject armed with a firearm. While officers were responding, dispatch advised two vehicles were leaving the scene. One of the vehicles was stopped by Shiloh Officers, and it was determined the driver of the vehicle was the victim of an armed vehicular hijacking, and the other vehicle which fled the scene was the victim’s vehicle which was being driven by the suspect. O’Fallon Police Officers arrived

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ALTON - The 2023 season of the Night Market will be held every Thursday night in June and July from 7:00-10:00 p.m. Get a jump start on your weekend at this fun event held inside Jacoby Arts Center located at 627 E. Broadway, in the neighboring pocket park, and wrapping around the building to connect with FLOCK food truck park. Enjoy live music and great food and beverages while shopping for art and handmade wares as well as vintage and hip thrift items at this family and pet-friendly event. Indoor and outdoor vendor space is available—the fee is $10 for a single week or $80 for the entire 9-week season. Find full details and a link to register at DowntownAlton.com/Events, and stay up to date on announcements at Facebook.com/NightMarketAlton . LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE: June 1 - Spillie Nelson June 8 - Ahna Schoenhoff June 15 - The Intrusion June 22 - Loftys Comet June 29 - Bring Me The Fires July 6 - Toxic Johnny July 13 - HOOKiE July 20 - Jazz Troubadours July 27

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HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital honors colleague with quarterly National DAISY Award O’FALLON – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital presented the quarterly National DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses to Jennifer Nesbit, RN, in the telemetry unit. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's nationwide program to recognize the superhuman efforts nurses perform every day. A colleague nominated Nesbit for the DAISY award, acknowledging Jennifer’s supportiveness toward her patients and their families. She engages with them and advocates for them while also encouraging them to always ask questions and share concerns. The nomination noted, “Jennifer not only is a true advocate for our patients and their family but continuously goes above and beyond for them to get answers and communicate with providers. Jennifer did more than just take care of her patients; she treated them as family and showed our Mission through her work and lives our Core Values.”

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O'FALLON - The O'Fallon and Fairview Heights Police Departments have requested the Illinois State Police to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred recently at the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Old Collinsville Road in O'Fallon. The shooting occurred at 11:28 p.m. on May 28, 2023. The preliminary investigation indicates the O'Fallon Police Department and Fairview Heights Police Department attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle wanted in connection with a felony offense out of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, armed and dangerous. The driver, 26-year-old Jesse A. Cook of East St. Louis, exited the vehicle, armed with a firearm, and fled on foot. Cook fired at the officers and the officers returned fire. Cook continued running approximately 100 yards where he was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Cook was airlifted to a regional hospital and pronounced deceased. No officers were injured during this incident. This investigation

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SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate remained low in area counties for the month ending in April 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES) displayed today. For April 2023, Madison County had an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent compared to 3.6 percent the same time last year, while Jersey County also had a 3.5 percent unemployment rate compared to 3.4 percent last year at this time and Macoupin County's rate was 3.5 percent compared to 3.6 percent a year ago. Calhoun County was at 3.8 percent compared to 3.6 percent a year ago and Greene County dropped from 4.0 percent to 3.9 percent this year. Edwardsville's unemployment rate has remained steady from 3.1 percent last year to 3.0 percent in April 2023. Alton recorded a 4.8 percent unemployment rate, compared to 4.9 percent in April 2022. Granite City has a 3.3 percent unemployment rate and was the same as a year ago. East St. Louis remained steady at 6.4 percent for

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JERSEYVILLE - Two individuals were arrested for driving on revoked/suspended licenses from past DUIs and another was arrested for meth possession in Jersey County, according to recent court filings. Howard E. Gray, 60, of Brighton, was charged with driving on a license that had been revoked/suspended following a previous DUI charge. Gray had previously been convicted of driving on a revoked/suspended license on the following dates in the following counties: February 18, 2013, in Camden County, Missouri April 9, 2021, in Madison County, Illinois December 3, 2021, in Macoupin County, Illinois Gray was charged with a Class 4 felony, and no bail was noted. The incident took place on April 14 on Oak Rest Road in Jersey County. More information and updates on Gray’s case are available here . Robert L. Tidwell Jr., 56, of Brighton, was also charged with driving on a license that had been revoked/suspended following a previous DUI charge. Gray had previously been convicted

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BETHALTO - Matthew Livingston Jr. is off to a sensational start in motocross racing and has qualified for two regionals in June. If he places in the top six, he will qualify for the national competition at Loretta Lynn's Ranch. He will be racing June 16-18 in Ponca City, Okla. - if he doesn't advance there, he will be in a regional race in Casey, Ill., on June 23-25. Matthew won two championships in the Mid America Motocross Series the last two years in a row, and is now sitting in first place in points in the 50-Senior Class and fifth in points for the 50-Open Class in the THOR series. Matthew's mother, Kara, and his father, Matthew Sr., both said they are extremely proud of their young son. He seems to be "a natural" for the sport and started when he was 5 years old. He now operates a Cobra FWE bike. Young Matthew attends Bethalto schools and is currently devoted to only motocross as a sport from an athletic standpoint. His mother said Matthew Jr.'s future looks exceptionally

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ALTON - A local man whose body was found submerged in Wood River Creek has been identified as Trever J. Oliver, 33, of South Roxana. Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn identified the body, which was found near the intersection of Wood River Creek and East Broadway on Friday, May 26, 2023. Alton Police and Fire was notified of the body discovery at 6:05 p.m. on Friday. Responding officers found the man in a prone position with his head submerged underneath the water. Authorities also said Oliver was known to be in the general area prior to his death. He was pulled to shore by Alton Police officers and secured until the arrival of Coroner’s Office Investigator Christopher Hartman, who pronounced Oliver dead at 6:44 p.m. Friday, May 26, 2023. Coroner Nonn said an autopsy has been conducted in order to shed light on the cause and manner of death. "Preliminary results of the autopsy failed to reveal overt signs of nefarious involvement, however, a final cause of death, as well

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