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CHICAGO – The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) today announced the grand opening of the Home Repair and Accessibility Program (HRAP) designed to assist low-income and very low-income homeowners with health, safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency repairs to their homes. HRAP will provide $15.3 million to preserve existing affordable housing stock, provide investment in underserved communities, improve the health and well-being of occupants, and help people with disabilities stay in their homes and communities. Eligible homeowners may receive up to $45,000 to cover necessary repairs through a five-year, forgivable loan. “Every Illinoisan deserves housing that is safe and accessible—no matter their economic status or zip code,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This $15.3 million home improvement grant program will provide low-income and disabled Illinoisans with the resources and support they need to stay in their homes—all while investing

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GODFREY - The Pharmacy Technician education and training program at Lewis and Clark Community College has been awarded dual accreditation by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE.) Following a 2021 amendment to the Illinois Pharmacy Act, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024, new pharmacy technicians are required to have graduated from a nationally accredited pharmacy technician training program. According to Program Coordinator Kayci Sakmann, the accreditation was awarded following a thorough review of the commission’s survey conducted in June 2022. “This accreditation is a huge step for the program because it aligns L&C to the standard of what is required for pharmacy technician certification,” Sackmann said. Sackmann says the accreditation will allow L&C to help alleviate the desperate local need for pharmacy technicians. “By following the guidelines put forth by the ASHP/ACPE,

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GODFREY - Doug Tallamy, author and expert on the interactions of plants and insects, has written several books describing the importance of native plants in our ecosystem. One of his projects, homegrown national parks, encourages homeowners to plant native plants in their yard in order to bring wildlife back to our more urban areas. This year, The Nature Institute is helping to make that dream a reality by providing many species of flowering plants at the Native Plant Sale. All of these plants will help make your yard a habitat hotspot for pollinators, birds, and other animals. The Nature Institute (TNI), located in Godfrey, IL, has provided the community with native plants at its annual plant sale since the year 2000. On Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 9 am to 12 pm, TNI, Lewis and Clark’s Restoration Ecology Program, and River City Natives willprovide many species of native plants to the community at its annual native plant sale. This year the sale will be in a new location,

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BENTON – A U.S. District Court judge sentenced a Cahokia man to 33 months in federal prison after he was caught with a firearm as a convicted felon. Tyrone James, 47, pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to imprisonment, he will serve three years of supervised release. “The East St. Louis community has suffered from years of heartache and devastation due to gun violence, and one less felon in possession of a firearm is a positive step for the city’s revival,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Illinois State Police officers in the PSEG unit have made significant progress to improve public safety in East St. Louis, and I look forward to continuing our partnership to apprehend criminals.” “The Public Safety Enforcement Group continues to get illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals who repeatedly break the law,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The collaborative

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ALTON - NCG Cinema’s Sensory Friendly Screenings offer a unique moviegoing experience to a wider audience. A Sensory Friendly movie is one that is shown without previews, with the sound turned down, and the lights left on. It’s a comfortable and judgement-free environment where it’s encouraged to talk, sing, or even dance. NCG Cinema screens at least one Sensory Friendly showing each month at every location, and this year alone has featured popular titles like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Super Mario Bros Movie. And this summer, audiences can look forward to Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3, The Little Mermaid, and PIXAR’s Elemental. "At NCG, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the magic of going to the movies, regardless of their moviegoing preferences. We’re proud to offer this welcoming environment to our neighbors, and we can't wait for them to join us for a great time at the movies," said Jeff Geiger, CEO

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O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth's Interventional Pain Management Center is adding a new therapy to the many options available for patients who suffer from chronic pain. Spinal cord simulator trials (SCS) will be offered at St. Elizabeth’s for patients meeting appropriate health qualifications. SCS is a technology that helps to manage chronic pain when the cause cannot be repaired. Patients suffering from neuropathy, pain not relieved after back surgery, failed injection procedures and many other pain-related issues could benefit from SCS. The stimulation device consists of a wire, or "electrode," connected to a control unit and disrupts the nerve signals so they do not reach the brain. One or two wires are placed outside the spinal cord and a unit outside of the body controls a mild electrical pulse that usually is not felt. The external component is kept in place for a period of time so the patient can assess how well the stimulation is decreasing their pain.

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GLEN CARBON - The Glen Carbon Village Board held a brief meeting Tuesday night and passed several items, including two new appointments to the Community Events Committee and the donation of excess property from the Glen Carbon Police Department to the Maryville Police Department and Madison County Emergency Management Agency. Mayor Bob Marcus began the meeting with a few announcements, the first of which was that there are still Police Association Meat Raffle tickets available for $20 from the Glen Carbon Police Department. He said one winner will receive a $400-value meat bundle from Bagley Farms Meat Market, and the drawing will be held on May 19. Marcus said there are only a few Village Garden spots left and to contact Missy Miller at (618) 288-1200 to secure your spot. He added that sponsorship and vendor opportunities are also still available for the Glen Carbon Homecoming on June 16 and 17. Forms and more information are available at glencarbonil.gov . He also announced

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JERSEY COUNTY - On the morning of Sunday, April 23, Jersey County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Deputies responded to a burglary/theft in progress in rural Fieldon. The burglary was reported by the homeowner who was out of town but observed the suspects on his home surveillance cameras. When the first deputy arrived, two suspects, later identified as Cody L. Wells (age 30) and Dawn M. Phillips (age 43), fled in a stolen car, while the deputy detained a third suspect at the scene. "A second JCSO Deputy arrived in the area and attempted to stop the suspects in the stolen car," Jersey County Sheriff Nicholas Manns said. "The suspects continued to flee onto Highway 100, then off-road, eventually crashing and coming to a stop behind a barn, after which they fled on foot into a wooded area. "Additional JCSO personnel, along with personnel from the Grafton Police Department, Jerseyville Police Department, and Illinois State Police responded and assisted. With the help of the JCSO

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ALTON - The third annual Scott Reinke Memorial Ride to Fight Suicide will held on May 27, starting at Ted's Motorcycle World in Alton and featuring prizes, drawings, and more. Event Coordinator Danne Reinke appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the event and the meaning behind it. "It’s been a way for us as our family to help to deal with this tragedy and raise awareness to suicide prevention,” Reinke said. “My uncle was an avid motorcycle rider … what better way to keep him alive than keep that tradition going and raise some awareness?” Door Prizes will be drawn at each stop along the ride, and raffle and 50/50 tickets will be sold all day. Grand prizes - including Cardinals packages and more - as well as the 50/50 drawing, will be drawn at Bluff City Grill. To register or donate online, visit afsp.org/scottreinkeride . Reinke said those who register online beforehand will get a free t-shirt, pin, patch,

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ALTON - The groundbreaking ceremony of the new Alton Boys & Club playground was Monday and was well-attended by donors and special friends of the club. Alton Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Al Womack provided special recognition to Eddie Sholar, Gaye & Hon. Barry Julian, Helmkamp Construction, Simmons Hanley Conroy, Miles & Angel Lynch, and CNB Bank & Trust for their donations and work in the project. Ideal Play and Surfacing are the ones who are assembling the playground and prepared the site. "We have a long-awaited groundbreaking for our new all-inclusive playground," Womack said at the event on Monday. "We are extremely excited and grateful to the donors and the support we were given for this project. The new playground will feature of course a sliding board, swing set, and huge apparatus that will be exciting for kids that features a couple of additional sliding boards and climbing areas. Again it will be something new, and shiny and it feels amazing to see old equipment

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CARROLLTON – Greene County Health Department Public Health Administrator Molly Peters announce a new partnership between the health department with Tri-County Rural Transit to address transportation barriers in the community. This partnership will enable individuals to cover their transportation costs 100 percent when utilizing rural transit services for medical appointments. "Transportation challenges are significant barriers to health care, especially in rural communities like Greene, and often result in late arrivals, delayed and missed appointments, negatively impacting overall health," Peters said. "Working to address these challenges is important for mitigating adverse healthcare outcomes and avoiding additional costs to the healthcare system, including increased use of emergency departments and hospitalizations. “An estimated 5.8 million people across the country delayed medical care in recent years due to transportation. These groups are often already prone

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ALTON - Nearly two years ago, retired school district administrator Cathie Hentrich purchased the Riverbender Tech Center from her husband John Hentrich, owner of Riverbender.com . The Riverbender Tech Center is located at 312 Belle Street in Alton in the Riverbender.com building (directly across the street from Mac’s Timeout.) The business has its own entrance into the building right on Belle Street and parking is on the street or behind the store in the building parking lot. Cathie and her two technicians, Cody and David, will even come out to your car and carry your device into the store for you. "Now some might think it crazy that someone who has worked 35 years and is finally retired would take on the responsibilities of a small business, but that’s exactly what I did," she said. “Retirement didn’t sit well with me. It was a huge adjustment to go from a daily speed of 150 mph to 0 and I needed a worthwhile project to keep me busy.” Cathie walked

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ALTON - Several property demolitions were on the agenda for tonight’s Alton Committee of the Whole meeting, and each of them were approved unanimously. Mayor David Goins has stated in previous meetings that the high number of slated demolitions is part of the city’s plan to address housing issues by eliminating “derelict” houses. Alderwoman Elizabeth Allen was the only member absent. Demolition proceedings were approved for the following properties: 1217 East 5th St. 728 Humboldt Ct. 730 Humboldt Ct. 1613 Joesting Ave. 915 Harrison St. 1923 Gross St. 1109 Wesley St. 3105 Hillcrest Ave. 2813 Sunnyside St. 3308 Franor St. The Committee of the Whole also approved a bid for the demolition of 616 Oak St. and 928 Humboldt St. - the bid of $23,684 was awarded to Supreme Trucking & Excavating. Alternatively, the city is accepting bids for three properties: 1321 E. 5th St., 2317 Humbert St., and 934 Tremont St. A few other bids were

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EDWARDSVILLE – The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) recently welcomed Lucas Clayton as its newest visiting research fellow. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the nine-month fellowship program is intended to provide training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high-skill jobs in the bioeconomy. “I’m excited to welcome Lucas Clayton as our newest visiting research fellow,” said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert. “His background in chemical engineering will contribute greatly to our grant-funded and contractual research projects in the NCERC Fermentation Suite and Pilot Plant. NCERC benefits from mentoring recent college graduates who have specialized areas of study in biology, chemistry, and engineering and we extend a special thank you to the Illinois Corn Marketing Board for providing the funding necessary

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EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville and some local groups have mapped out four days of fun inspired by Route 66, the iconic 2,400-mile trek that ran from Chicago to the Pacific Coast – and for several decades passed through Edwardsville. The events will offer a mix of music, food, history and family fun in the days leading up to and after the annual Route 66 Festival, which is cruising toward a milestone in June: its 25th year. Special activities are planned from Thursday, June 8, through Sunday, June 11, at sites throughout Edwardsville. First up is the “Get Your Kicks!” musical travelogue that will feature an all-alumni cast from Edwardsville High School. This one-night-only production will offer songs from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, and is being produced by the Alumni Players organization and the Friends of the Wildey. The show is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main Street. All proceeds will go to the

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Beloved St. Louis University Men’s Basketball player Terrence (TJ) Hargrove Jr. spoke with the Lincoln Middle School student body during a special assembly on Monday, April 24 th as part of National Every Kid Healthy™ Week. He is an alum of East St. Louis Senior High School where he led the Flyers basketball team to its first-ever state championship in 2019. TJ is currently at St. Louis University and is a key Forward for their Men’s Basketball team. He candidly shared his story, including his struggles with mental health. This is not the first time TJ has publicly come forward in sharing his struggle with depression. TJ Hargrove was recently named a recipient of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) 2023 Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award because he is using his platform as a high-performing student athlete to draw attention to help remove societal stigmas associated with mental health challenges. TJ Hargrove spoke

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GODFREY - Several events are coming up this spring and summer at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey, including an Arbor Day Celebration, Youth Fishing Derby, and much more. Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan appeared on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the upcoming events. This Saturday, April 29 is the Youth Fishing Derby, which is catch-and-release and free to the public. Registration is required, but you can register online or at the event starting at 9 a.m. Fishing will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 11:30 a.m., when the judges will make their final decisions to award the Biggest Catch, Most Fish Caught and Strangest Catch awards. “We actually have a category called ‘Strangest Catch,’ so if somebody reels in half a thing of Christmas lights, we’ve got a little something for you,” Logan said. Winners will be announced during an award ceremony at noon. There are three age groups: 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Participants

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SPRINGFIELD - Madison County has been issued a final property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue. The property assessment equalization factor, often called the "multiplier", is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state's 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result. Under a law passed in 1975, property in Illinois should be assessed at one-third (1/3) of its market value. Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland assessed at one-third of its agriculture economic

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GODFREY - Godfrey Fire Protection District has announced multiple promotions in its ranks from the recent Board of Trustees Meeting. Luke Warner is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Christopher Stratton to the rank of Captain. Ben Hamberg to the rank of Assistant Chief. Godfrey Fire Protection Chief Eric Cranmer said the promotions are the result of a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of those who will be in new positions. "I feel everyone here is good," he said of the entire Godfrey Fire Protection team members. "Those who are promoted have to also study hard and test. It takes a lot of experience and positives in the testing process to earn these promotions. They all put in a lot of time for this."

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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College is proud to announce that U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) will serve as the keynote speaker for the 154th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 13. Representing Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, Congresswoman Budzinski was first elected to the House in 2022. With a background in the labor movement as well as in state and federal government, her mission is to restore the American Dream, rebuild the middle class, and deliver results for communities in Central and Southern Illinois. She currently serves on the House Agriculture Committee and House Committee on Veterans Affairs. "We are delighted to welcome Congresswoman Budzinski as we celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2023,” said Blackburn President Gregory J. Meyer. “She is deeply committed to public service, dedicated to delivering results for the communities she serves, and truly understands the importance of higher education. As someone just beginning

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