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EDWARDSVILLE - After a 42-year career with Prairie Farms Dairy, industry executive Ed Mullins retired on December 31, 2022. This followed his decision in late 2021 to step down as Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President to assume a new role as Senior Executive Officer in 2022. A celebration of his career was held last week in Edwardsville, Illinois, where hundreds of people, including Prairie Farms’ board members, present and past co-workers, industry professionals, and friends, gathered over a 2-day span to honor Mr. Mullins and share well-wishes for his retirement. "It was a privilege to serve Prairie Farms over the last 42 years. My decision to retire was bittersweet because the Prairie Farms’ family means the world to me. From board members to our dairy farmers and employees, I will always be humbled by their trust in me to lead our fine company,” said Mr. Mullins. “At the same time, I’m looking forward to settling into retirement

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ALTON - Last year’s hit new winter festival will be returning to Alton later this month. Ice Jam at the Dam , held at the National Great Rivers Museum on February 18 th , will highlight winter experiences that can be had along the river, along with winter-themed movies, live music, animal shows, and more. From 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, the public is invited to visit the National Great Rivers Museum for a wide array of wintery activities. Behind the museum at the foot of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, local organizations will have educational booths where visitors can learn about winter wildlife, view bald eagles, and hear about the Lewis and Clark over-wintering at Camp Dubois alongside a replica of the White Pirogue boat used on their expedition. Expert Rangers will offer campfire programs while families roast s’mores at fire pits and enjoy hot chocolate and live music. Melvin Price Locks and Dam will also be open for guests to tour as they please, with tour guides an

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ST. LOUIS - As Spectrum makes steady progress on network expansion initiatives – often in newly served rural areas – the connectivity provider looks to expand its team by hiring more field technicians in several parts of Missouri. Strong business growth and aggressive statewide advanced fiber optic network buildout projects have Spectrum hiring more than 100 Field Technicians for its Missouri service area including St. Louis. Field Technicians install and support Spectrum services in customers’ homes and businesses to maintain vital connectivity. Field Technician roles offer competitive hourly wages starting at $20 an hour, along with comprehensive health and retirement benefits. Spectrum also provides Field Technicians extensive ongoing training and a robust career progression program that includes U.S. Department of Labor-certified Broadband Field Technician Apprenticeship. Many Spectrum technicians have advanced their careers into roles such as network maintenance,

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Freedom Caucus held a press conference on Wednesday to address the rising cost of energy for Illinois consumers. At the press conference, State Representative Chris Miller (R-Oakland) pointed to a copy of an electric bill that was more than twice the amount of the bill from the previous year. “I hear all of the time from people in my district who are experiencing the same thing,” Miller said. “Families are already struggling to pay their bills. They can’t afford to pay double the cost to heat and cool their homes. It is time for the Legislature to finally put the need of average citizens first.” The higher energy prices are also hurting small businesses. The Kincaid Food Market in Kinkaid, IL is closing its doors for good. In a Facebook post on Jan. 26, the store owners wrote: “It is with broken hearts that we have to announce, February 5th will be our last OPEN business day. For we are closing our doors due to the rising

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the news that Big Oil companies made record-breaking profits last year while working families struggled to afford sky-high gas prices, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) will reintroduce legislation that would crack down on this sort of corporate greed by preventing the oil industry from engaging in gasoline price gouging. Specifically, the Gas Price Gouging Prevention Act would make it unlawful to sell gasoline at a price that is unconscionably excessive during a crisis affecting the oil markets. “It is outrageous that Big Oil raked in billions of dollars in record-breaking profit by choosing to jack up gas prices at the expense of working families—rather than boost production to meet the needs of everyday consumers,” Duckworth said. “No megacorporation should be using Putin’s war of choice against Ukraine or any other crisis as an excuse to excessively increase

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Couples names: Michael & Peggy Weber City: Alton Date married: August 4, 1972 What makes your relationship special? Lots of neat things. Share a memory you have made together: Our son. And our 50th anniversary

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Couples names: Jorden & Emma City: Alton Date met or started dating: August 9, 2021 What makes your relationship special? I believe what makes our relationship so special is that no matter what we go through we still love each other as if nothing were happening and at the end of every day we still love and hold each other like no other. Share a memory you have made together: My favorite memory is there was one time I was trying to think of a name of someone, and I got two people very confused and came up with “bart baker”. he cracked up so hard, and months later he still talks and teases me about it!

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Couples names: Paul & Casey City: Jerseyville Date met or started dating: January 1, 2010 Date married: June 22, 2013 What makes your relationship special? We rarely go anywhere without each other because we’d rather share experiences with each other. Share a memory you have made together: We took a short weekend anniversary trip to Gatlinburg. We went moonshine tasting and sightseeing.

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Couples names: Alfredo & Tracie Figueroa City: Alton Date met or started dating: November 20, 1994 Date married: April 10, 1996 What makes your relationship special? We actually like each other. We know that sounds funny but we are each others favorite person to be with. We always have each others backs. We help each other. We are truly in love. Share a memory you have made together: We lived in Orlando, FL at the time. We were newly married, had very little money but needed a car. We bought a Nissan pickup. That night we put 500 miles on it. We drove to the beach and hung out talking and laughing. This was a huge purchase for two kids just starting out. It was a great night.

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Couples names: Jake & Katie Pruitt City: Greenfield Date met or started dating: November 13, 2010 Date married: September 28, 2019 What makes your relationship special? We have been through so much from sickness to health. What makes it very special is when I was going through a lot Jake stuck right by me. Our bond together gets stronger every day. We are able to be ourselves around each other which is a huge thing. Share a memory you have made together: We have made countless memories together, we have done so many firsts and able to mark a lot off of our bucket list together. Making memories by going to blues games and doing things we have always wanted to do growing up.

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Couples names: Thomas & Nyki City: Wood River Date met or started dating: June 21, 2019 What makes your relationship special? We met at a cardinals game our friends were brother and sister and they chose us as their plus 1s. We both were in a toxic relationship and had a spark the very first time just seeing eachother. Share a memory you have made together: A good memory we have is at that cardinals game I (Thomas) liked her so much I was wiggling my but and dancing in my seat and trying to get her to dance too.

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Couples names: Kenny & Shelly Sievets City: Batchtown Date met or started dating: August 8, 1979 Date married: February 20, 1981 What makes your relationship special? That we our each others best friend and enjoy each other’s company! Share a memory you have made together: We make memories everyday , we enjoy being together and each other company, but our favorite memory would be when we renewed our wedding vows in Las Vegas on our 25th anniversary.

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Couples names: Emily & Andrew City: Hardin Date met or started dating: December 3, 2016 Date married: December 3, 2022 What makes your relationship special? We are best friends & knew from the moment we e met that we were meant to be. In the beginning of our relationship we were long distance for several months and still made our relationship work! He was living in florida and I was living in Illinois. Share a memory you have made together: Getting our new puppies Cooper and Crew (IG: @CoopThePortie & @Crew.ThePortie in 2022 and getting married on our 6 year anniversary! ?? 2022 has been one of the best years we’ve had yet and we are excited to see what’s in store for us in 2023!

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GODFREY - A new Japanese restaurant will be opening in Godfrey sometime over the next few months. Toko Sushi & Boba will open in Godfrey’s Monticello Plaza at 5775 Godfrey Road, Suite D. “We have not done a final inspection with them yet, but I do know they’ve been talking with the mayor and the clerk to get a few more permits lined up,” Godfrey Building and Zoning Assistant Erica Schmeig said. “About a week or so ago, they were shooting for 30 days.” At last night’s Godfrey Village Board of Trustees meeting , Godfrey Economic Development Director Jim Mager said that based on his conversations with the owner, they would be looking at a “March or April” opening date. During that meeting, the Village Board conducted the first reading of an ordinance that would grant the new restaurant a liquor license to serve sake and wine. The board will officially vote on that ordinance at their next meeting on Feb. 21. Schmeig said th

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SPRINGFIELD — Health care providers at HSHS Illinois hospitals encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands when exposed to highly touched surfaces to aid in reducing the spread of these illnesses like RSV, Influenza, COVID and more. “COVID, flu and RSV primarily spread through droplets in the air but could also be spread by our hands,” said Stephanie Thannum, HSHS Illinois manager of quality and infection prevention. “Germs can be spread by hands coming into contact with a hard surface contaminated by the cough or sneeze of an infected person. Washing your hands often, especially before eating or touching your face and after using the restroom, can help prevent many illnesses including COVID, flu and RSV.” Depending on the type of illness, some germs can live on non-porous surfaces from a few hours to a few days. Most cold and viral respiratory germs can live on hard surfaces for up to one week, but they lose their effectiveness after the first

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ALTON - The Alton City Council passed several resolutions and approved the resignations of two members of the Alton Municipal Band, as well as the appointment of two new Police Chaplains, at their Feb. 8th, 2023 meeting at 6:30 p.m. The Alton City Council unanimously approved the resignations of both Mike and Linda Ferguson from the Alton Municipal Band after 40 years of service. “They are retiring, stepping down from this volunteer position after 40 years of service, so we’d like to thank and congratulate Mike and Linda for their service to the Alton Municipal band,” Alton Mayor David Goins said. They also approved the appointment of two new Alton Police Department Chaplains, Lewis “Ray” Vajda and Harrell “Eddie” West. “Our Chaplain program is very important to us, they do a variety of things … internally, they’re there for offices and their families for counseling and emotional support,” Alton Police Chief

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, had Chris Manson as his guest for President Biden’s State of the Union Address. Chris, who is Vice President of Government Relations for OSF HealthCare in Peoria, Illinois, and founder of U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine, has helped deliver 28 ambulances and one fire engine to Ukraine and works with volunteers across Illinois to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of medical supplies, clothing, and nonperishable food for the Ukrainian people amid Putin’s illegal war. In October, Durbin saw firsthand the vehicles and goods that Chris helped deliver to Ukraine at a Chicago-area warehouse. Durbin’s office has helped Chris and his group connect with a variety of governmental and nongovernmental groups to help with their notable effort. “Chris’s story is an inspiration to us all and really proves no matter where you are in the world, you

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased has been identified in a homicide in the 800 block of Surrey Lane in the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors as Denzel Williams, 27 years of age, of the 800 block of Surrey Lane Court in Bellefontaine, Missouri, 63137. At 6 p.m. on February 7, 2023, City of Bellefontaine Neighbors Police officers responded to a call for service for shots fired in the 800 block of Surrey Lane. Officers located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound inside a residence. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. City of Bellefontaine Neighbors police officers requested St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons Detectives lead the investigation. The investigation is active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak to investigators with information regarding the incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, pleas

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson detectives are currently investigating a 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 were reported. The investigation is active at this time, a cause has not been determined. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information regarding this incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers

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ALTON - The Holiday Inn Express construction is moving along in rapid fashion from a view of the Riverbender.com Skycam on Wednesday morning. The walls are going up and it appears the roof will be added soon to the new facility. The new Holiday Inn Express is located on Golf Road near the Alton Amtrak station on Golf Road. Alton Mayor David Goins continued to be excited about the addition of the new hotel. "Any time you bring in lodging like this one you will attract tourists and visitors to this region," the mayor said. "It is great it is located so close to the Amtrak station. People can stay at the hotel and go around the Alton area or head easily to St. Louis. It is a perfect location. It should be another added opportunity that should help business in the area." The Holiday Inn Express should be completed in 2023.

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