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ALTON - Brown Bag Bistro recently celebrated five years of being in business. The restaurant, which specializes in sandwiches, soups, salads and more, has become an Alton community staple over the years. To celebrate this milestone, they’re offering discounts on gift cards and encourage readers to “stock up” as there’s no limit - $50 gift cards are available for $40 or $25 gift cards are available for $20. Chris and Erin Velloff, co-owners of the Brown Bag Bistro, recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the restaurant’s success so far and how they got to this point. “I’ve always loved to cook and I thought, ‘You know what? When and if this building next door becomes available, let’s start a restaurant,’” Chris said. “So that’s what we did, with absolutely no experience except Erin working at Loading Dock - other than that, I had never stepped foot in a

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Wednesday, April 5, 2023, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspects Daryl Powell Jr., 31 years of age, of the 1000 block of Oran Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63137; Javon Crawford, 30 years of age, of the 5200 block of Louisiana Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63111; and Adrianna Evans, 28 years of age, of the 1600 block of McLaran Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63147; for Robbery First Degree, Assault Second Degree, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action. A booking photo of Crawford is attached. Booking photos are not available for Powell or Evans. Crawford and Powell are each being held on $250,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. Evans is being held on $100,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement for Powell reads: The defendant drove co-defendants Javon Crawford and Adrianna Evans

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ALTON - Alton Odyssey Tours has announced their full tour lineup for 2023, including the brand-new Prohibition Tour and two new variations of the popular Haunted Craft Beer Walk: the new Historical Craft Beer Walk and “Behind the Bricks” Haunted Walking Tour. “We’ve responded to requests from our customer base,” Managing Partner Caleb Lewis said. “We’ve added a historical beer walk for craft beer lovers more interested in the history of Alton than the hauntings. And we’re offering a ‘Behind the Bricks’ walking tour which includes the haunted history of each of the five locations we enter, without serving beer. This tour will be appropriate for ages 14 and up.” On Saturday, April 22, Alton Odyssey Tours will launch the area’s first Prohibition Tour in partnership with Vintage Voices, who will bring Prohibition-era characters to life for the tour. “We’re excited to announce our partnership with

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SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker announced the investment of more than $105 million for the construction of a health sciences building and renovations to existing buildings at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) campus. The funding is made possible by the Governor’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the largest capital plan in state history. "The investment at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is one of many examples of how Rebuild Illinois prioritizes higher education," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Healthcare continues to be the fastest growing industry globally, so it is critical that Illinois students have the training, resources, and facilities required to be the best in their fields." Funding will support renovating and connecting two existing buildings on University Park Drive. The scope of work also includes constructing a new 110,000 square foot building to accommodate the School of Pharmacy and School of Nursing. New classrooms,

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GLEN CARBON - Junior AJ Sutberry is enjoying the ride alongside his Father McGivney baseball teammates this season. The Griffins are off to a 13-0 start after a 10-1 win over the Staunton Bulldogs Wednesday afternoon. In that game, AJ went 1-4 with four RBIs. He hit a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning to go ahead 8-1. It was his fourth extra-base hit this season. AJ is a Byron, Carlson, Petri, and Kalb Athlete of the Month for Father McGivney. "I had a really solid day," he said after the win over Staunton. "I'm happy I got to help the team out and get the win. Get a little break and we can get back at it." His team remains undefeated heading into the Easter holiday, and it doesn't come as a surprise. He says that he and the team have put in a lot of work to get the results in the first third of this season. "We've been working all winter. We've been training every day and been expecting it," he said. "We went down to Memphis and had a really good tournament that boosted

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College and CJD E-Cycling will host a community e-Waste event from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22, in the Tolle Lane parking lot across from the college’s Godfrey Campus. Most items will be accepted for free, providing community members with a secure, Earth-friendly option for discarding used electronics. The following is a sampling of the items that will be accepted: Computers, printers, cables and peripherals (keyboards, mice, etc.) Fax machines, scanners, digital converter boxes, cable receivers, satellite receivers Video game consoles, digital video disc player/recorders, portable digital music players Networking equipment, server, telecommunications, phones, cell phones, clocks, etc. VCR, stereos, and audio/video equipment (including cable/satellite) Holiday lights, metal decorations and metal furniture Electrical, cabling, communication machinery, and equipment Home electronics, blenders, toasters,

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 22 states, urged the Biden administration to scrap dangerous federal rules that allow employers to interfere in the reproductive health decisions of their employees. The rules, put in place under the prior administration, took away contraceptive coverage from women who should have been entitled to complete coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). They added broad, unreasonable exemptions that allowed nearly all types of employers to deny birth control coverage to their employees based on religious or moral objections. In a comment letter addressed to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, Raoul and the coalition applaud the Biden administration’s proposal to restore access to cost-free contraceptive coverage by rescinding the moral exemption and creating alternate means to cover contraceptive services for

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EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt joined the Illinois Department of Transportation in announcing funds from the Illinois Competitive Freight Program that will improve the movement of freight throughout the state, while creating jobs and economic opportunity and enhancing safety and local quality of life. “Continued investment in roads and railways are crucial to ensure freight is moving swiftly and efficiently throughout the state,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Projects like this will not only improve the flow of freight, but will also create jobs and boost economic growth in the region.” Every year, 1.6 billion tons valued at $2.5 trillion of freight flows in and out of the state, making Illinois one of the top three states for freight activity. Nearly $200 million in funds among 22 projects that are high traffic areas for freight mobility were announced last week – including two in the Metro East. A rail project at the Terminal Railroad

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ALTON - At 1:45 p.m. on April 5, 2023, a Madison County Sheriff's deputy was at a residence in the 3200 block of College Avenue, Alton, to serve legal documents. While the deputy was standing on the front porch of the residence, a person inside opened the front door to speak to the deputy. When the door was open, two dogs exited the residence in an aggressive manner. Madison County Chief Sheriff's Deputy Marcos Pulido said the person in the residence quickly told the deputy that the dogs were not friendly. "The deputy then retreated, backing away from the porch," he said. "Both dogs continued to aggressively approach and chase the deputy. The deputy continued running away, across the front yard of this residence. The dogs continued chasing the deputy onto the property of the Alton Fire Department. "At that point, one of the dogs stopped chasing the deputy, while the other continued to aggressively chase the deputy. The deputy then discharged one round from his duty weapon hitting

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ST. LOUIS - The Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas is hosting the 2023 Walk for Wishes presented by Centene & Spectrum in St. Louis. This year's walk is at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 8, 2023, at Forest Park, Upper Muny Parking Lot, Macklind Dr. St. Louis, MO., 63110. Organizers said this community walk is a fundraising event that shines a light on the nonprofit and how they provide life-changing wishes to children battling critical illnesses. A wish has the power to transform lives, bring communities together, and create life-changing moments. It is estimated that each year nearly 600 children qualify for a wish from Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas. All proceeds benefit Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas and their efforts to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses. Many wish children to go on to live healthy lives and reflect on their wish as a turning point in their recovery. This year, Make-AWish Missouri & Kansas is celebrating its 40th anniversary and four decades of granting more than

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O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center has been named a recipient of the Center of Distinction award by Healogics ® , the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. This is the third consecutive year that the center has achieved this recognition. The Wound Care Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92%. There were 532 centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award and 305 achieved the honor. Other Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals receiving this same honor include HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland. “We couldn’t be prouder of our Wound Care Center team for once again achieving this national distinction,” shared St. Elizabeth’s Hospital President and CEO Chris Klay. “The compassionate, high-quality care that

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CARROLLTON - Greene County voters have officially elected several candidates as alderpeople, school board members, and more in the April 2023 Consolidated Election. Greene County voters elected three candidates to serve as members of the Regional Board of School Trustees for Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, and Macoupin counties - one for a six-year term, one for a four-year term, and one for a two-year term. Sandra R. Moore was elected to serve for the six-year term on the Regional Board of School Trustees. Moore won 57.93% of the vote against Mark Prose, who received 42.07% of the vote. Michael Painter was elected to serve for the four-year term on the Regional Board of School Trustees, winning 64.72% of the vote compared to Jack N. Stork’s 35.28% of the vote. Jeff Clanton was elected to serve for the two-year term and won 47.37% of the vote, defeating Terry Strauch and John Henry, who won 29.11% and 23.52% of the vote respectively. Peggy J. Clough won the race for Carrollton’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - Play It Again Sports, a new and used sporting goods store, officially opened to the public in Edwardsville with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 29. Owner Dan Brynildsen said that “it’s been a long road to get here,” but he’s excited to bring a store like this to the community. Play It Again Sports has been buying quality used sporting goods from the public for the past six weeks, and they’re now ready to open and start selling those goods - and more - to the community. “We buy and sell quality used and new sporting goods,” Brynildsen said. “A lot of sporting goods out there have a lot of life left in them. We specialize in bringing those things in and marketing them to be able to sell them to the next person who can continue to get life out of them at a great value. “On top of that, we carry the new products as well, so we are a full-blown sporting goods store … if we don’t have it, I can order

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HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office apprehended two suspects in a large narcotics bust after an attempted traffic stop at 12:51 a.m. on March 28, 2023. Calhoun Sheriff's Deputy Nic McCall with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office tried to conduct a traffic stop on Illinois Route 100 near Poor Farm Hollow in Hardin on that date. The vehicle failed to pull over and continued northbound on Illinois Route 100. Deputy McCall and Sergeant Zach Hardin continued to follow the vehicle north through Calhoun County in an attempt to get the vehicle to stop. The vehicle continued to travel northbound, turning onto Route 96 and heading in the direction of Pike County, Illinois. Deputies from the Pike County Sheriff’s Department responded to the county line in an attempt to intercept the vehicle. The vehicle again failed to stop and continued to flee north into Pike County. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Pike County Sheriff’s Department continued to follow

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ALTON - Southbound traffic on Belle Street will no longer be able to access 10th Street, to then access US 67, starting on 4/5/2023. Sewer work is progressing north on Belle Street toward 10th Street and will close this intersection. Please continue to utilize State Street, Alby Street, and US 67 for north-south travel thru this area of town. Sewer work is progressing north up 9th Street, currently near Augusta Street. Sewer installation has been completed on 9th Street east of US 67 moving toward Alby Street, with water main installation still needing to be completed. North-South traffic on Piasa Street (US 67) will not be impacted. Pavement restoration work is starting on Belle Street near the intersection of 9th Street. Please avoid these areas if possible until pavement restoration work is completed. Below is an up-to-date map of the consisting road closures.

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CHARLESTON, Ill. - More than 95% of union members surveyed at tonight’s well-attended membership meeting endorsed the option to declare a strike on April 6. The union – EIU University Professionals of Illinois (EIU UPI, IFT Local 4100) – is standing firm in its efforts to strengthen EIU by calling for an investment in students. The decision to strike comes after an eight-hour bargaining session yesterday, where EIU administration walked away from the bargaining table after offering an effective pay cut for all members of the union. Compensation and workload are the remaining issues on the table. EIU UPI President Jennifer Stringfellow took this difficult decision to the union. “After our members saw the administration walk away from the table, we knew we had no choice but to move forward with a strike. We are still very far apart on key financial issues, including wage adjustment to catch up on lost wages and adjusting minimum salary so that no faculty teaching

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GODFREY - The Nature Institute (TNI), located at 2213 South Levis Lane in Godfrey, Illinois, will be showing movies outdoors on the front lawn of the Talahi Lodge, once a month, starting April 27. The movies will be presented free of charge, with donations accepted. Each film will be shown around the quarter moon during the month, so donations are encouraged in the form of quarters ($.25), but all donations of any denomination will be accepted. Attendees will need to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. Snacks and drinks will not be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own. No alcohol is permitted. Join us on the following dates to watch these Classic Films: - April 27 at 8:00 pm - My Man Godfrey (1936) - May 11 at 8:30 pm - ‘Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) - June 8 at 8:30 pm - The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) - July 25 at 8:30 pm - A Bug’s Life (1998) (Sponsored by Hayner Public Library) - August 24 at 8:00 pm - One Eyed Jacks (1961) - September

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ALTON - Riverbend region residents are invited to join the OSF Lymphedema Therapy team for a free educational session about Lymphedema and meet other people with Lymphedema. The next Lymphedema education meeting will be held: Thursday, April 6, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center Rehabilitation Service 228 Alton Square Mall, Alton, IL (Enter the Rehab office from the upper Mall parking lot, facing Alby Street, under the"OSF HEALTHCARE" sign.) Interested individuals should direct questions or requests for additional information to OSF Saint Anthony’s Rehabilitation Services at (618) 463-5171.

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SPRINGFIELD —Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim today announced a $27,023,485 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to fund the replacement of existing diesel school buses with new all-electric school buses located and operated in any of the three priority areas outlined in the Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP). Illinois EPA will also fund a portion of new electric charging equipment if charging infrastructure is needed. This opportunity continues the Pritzker Administration’s commitment to focus Illinois’ remaining Volkswagen (VW) Settlement funding on electric transportation and infrastructure. “Here in Illinois, we are leading the clean energy revolution—and this latest $27 million in funding for electric school buses will help us achieve our goal of 100% clean energy by 2050,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This isn’t just a win for our environment—it's a win for our state’s children

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, took action today in support of a West Virginia student challenging a state law banning transgender female students from participating on sports teams consistent with their general identity. The student was prohibited from joining her school’s girls’ cross country and track teams and filed a lawsuit against the board of education. In an amicus brief filed in B.P.J. v. West Virginia Board of Education, Raoul and the coalition argue that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as it denies transgender students access to the same athletic opportunities that other students enjoy. “Transgender students should be afforded the same extra-curricular opportunities available to every student,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand with my colleagues against discriminatory policies and in full support of the rights of transgender

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