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WASHINGTON D.C. - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of both the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, today issued the following statement in reaction to Finland formally joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance: “With Finland officially joining NATO today, our alliance is now stronger and more capable than it has ever been—which is especially important as Vladimir Putin continues to wage his unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. I was proud to help pass the Senate resolution to approve Finland’s accession into NATO last year, and now I’m even prouder to officially welcome Finland as the 31 st member of our alliance. This addition brings even stronger military defenses and diplomatic capabilities against Russia and other emerging threats and sends a clear, resounding message that the free world remains united in support of Ukraine. Moving forward,

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding taxpayers that the upcoming deadline for filing 2022 state individual income tax returns is Tuesday, April 18, 2023. "We encourage those taxpayers who have not yet filed to do so soon and file electronically with direct deposit to ensure the most efficient processing and issuance of any refunds," said IDOR Director David Harris. "Taxpayers may file electronic returns for free by using our recently enhanced online account management program MyTax Illinois and electronic filing is also available through third party software or with most tax preparers.” MyTax Illinois has been improved this year to make filing easier than ever. The system now includes a simple question and answer format, along with tax information prepopulated from previous returns. Taxpayers can also file their individual income tax returns using MyTax Illinois with or without an account and receive immediate confirmation once their returns hav

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GRANITE CITY - Meet Kyla Gerhardt, a senior at Granite City High School and a finalist in the 13 th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Gerhardt will perform Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/pYRsZZuwax4

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ALTON – The Alton School Board race was one of the closer contests in the Tuesday Madison County election. Alfred (Al) J. Womack, Jr., led the field with 1,502 votes. Christina M. Milien, received 1,863 votes and was unopposed for a two-year term. The top three finishers who won four-year terms were Womack, Jr., followed by David P. Lauschke, with 1,391 votes, and Vivian L. Monckton, who had 1,230 votes. Beverly Velloff had 1,124 votes, David M. Fritz recorded 1,097 votes, and Jarvis Swope had 494 votes in the contest. Al Womack Jr., also executive director of the Alton Boys & Girls Club was a new face in the school board race. He said: “I am excited about the opportunity and I am looking forward to serving our district. I am very humbled and almost speechless at the support I received from the community. It really encourages me with the work to be done for the kids. I am up for the challenge.” Lauschke said he was most appreciative of residents having the confidence

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WOOD RIVER – William “Bill” Dettmers led all Wood River City Council candidates in Tuesday night’s election with 681 votes. David Ayres was also elected in the two selections with 678 votes. Kristen Burns had 503 votes, Sonya Hageman had 386 votes and Davis M. Landry had 110 votes. Dettmers and Ayres both said they knocked on nearly every door in Wood River campaigning for themselves. Dettmers said he was even out Tuesday morning and knocked on a door of a lady who was disabled and she didn't have a way to the polls. He assisted the lady with a ride to get to her polling place. “I worked very hard," Dettmers said. "I went through town twice knocking on doors. I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support I had. I am going to be very cautious about decisions while on the council. I have said this, but I believe the new rec center is going to put the city in a very serious fiscal situation, so I will be bringing that up at the council.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Voters overwhelmingly passed an Edwardsville School District bond issue proposal 4,511-2,461 in Tuesday's election. Edwardsville District 7 Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton said the $100 million zero-tax-rate change bond referendum on the April 4, 2023, ballot, is aimed at improving school safety and the infrastructure of District 7 buildings. A 50 percent majority was required for the measure to pass. The bond issue will fund projects at every school in Edwardsville School District District 7. “I am appreciative of the District 7 community for getting out to vote and I am very proud to be in a community that has strong pride in its schools," Dr. Shelton said. "Improving our school buildings now will benefit many future generations of students and homeowners while helping to protect the financial future of our district.” The referendum approved by voters in April, District #7 will do the following: Install double-entry doors for improved safety and

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ALTON - Nariah, an Eunice Smith Elementary student, had an experience of a lifetime recently at Principia College. Nariah portrayed Astronaut Mae Jemison at the school's Living Museum event on March 10. As good fortune would have it, Dr. Jemison spoke at Principia College that night and Nariah got to meet her in person. Dr. Jemison traveled to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She became the first African-American woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992. Jemison joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1987 and was selected to serve for the STS-47 mission, during which the Endeavour orbited the Earth for nearly eight days on September 12–20, 1992. Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering as well as African and African-American studies. She then earned her medical degree from Cornell University. Jemison was a doctor

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EDWARDSVILLE - This is a roundup of the various Madison County races held on Tuesday. In city and village Board of Aldermen and Trustee elections, Heather Stewart, Karen Straube and Randall D. Horner all ran unopposed for the three spots in Alhambra, with Stewart the leading vote-getter with 50, Straube having 49 votes and Horner receiving 43 votes. Elizabeth Allen also ran unopposed for Ward 1 Alderman in Alton, receiving 181 votes. For the Village Board of Trustees in Bethalto, the winners were Rachel Sontag, with 457 votes, Jeff Mull, with 346 votes, and Maria Perkhiser, who had 344 votes. Chrissy Wiley had 321 votes, Tim Vogel had 302 votes, Kenneth "Ed" Slayden had 256 votes and Brian Frier had 238 votes. Richard Stehman ran unopposed for Collinsville mayor, but collected 1,680 votes, while Tony Fuhrman and Anthony J. Hausmann were elected to the City Council, with Fuhrman receiving 1,211 votes to Hausmann's 1,033. Catherine Demers garnered 748 votes. Debra Angleton, Stanley Foiles

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HARDIN - Calhoun County voters have officially re-elected the Kampsville Village President, and have also elected a few trustees and school board members in the April 2023 Consolidated Election. Amanda Johnson won her re-election bid as Kampsville Village President. Johnson defeated challenger Angelia Suhling and won 56% of the vote, while Suhling received 23% of the vote with 100% of precincts reporting . Johnson will serve for aonther full four-year term. Kamspville voters also elected William J. Agney and Gary W. Smith as Kampsville Village Trustees, and both will serve for unexpired 2-year terms. Three total candidates competed for two open positions - Josephine D. Becker was not elected. Ken Schleeper was elected as a member of the Board of Education for Brussels Community Unit School District No. 42. He won 62% of the vote and defeated Michael Gilbreth, who received 51% of the vote. Schleeper will serve an unexpired 2-year term. David Schleeper, Ashley Affholder, and

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CARLINVILLE - Macoupin County voters have officially elected several trustees, alderpeople, and school board members in the April 2023 consolidated election. Gillespie, Eagerville, and Royal Lakes voters also decided on a few public questions that were on their respective ballots. Macoupin County’s most crowded city/village-level race saw five candidates compete for three open spots as trustees for the village of Royal Lakes. Angela M. Sanders, Charrease Frazier, and Henry Sanders were elected and won 29.59%, 27.55%, and 16.33% of the vote respectively. Tonya Stainback and Gary Weber were not elected and received 14.29% and 12.24% of the vote respectively. Dona Rauzi was elected as Gillespie’s Ward 1 Alderperson. Rauzi won 67.30% of the vote and defeated Jared Link, who received 32.70% of the vote, with 100% of precincts reporting. David A. Link Sr. was elected as Gillespie’s Ward 2 Alderperson. Link Sr. won 57.94% of the vote and defeated Bryan Wagoner,

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JERSEYVILLE - Jerseyville voters have officially elected Kevin Stork as their new Mayor. Stork defeated Lawrence Welsh and Clifford Coats, who were also competing for the Mayor’s spot after former Mayor Bill Russell decided not to seek re-election. Stork won with 56.45% of the vote, with 100% of precincts reporting. Welsh received 31.47% of the vote and Coats received 12.08% of the vote. Voters also elected John Miles as their new Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvements. Miles won with 46.59% of the vote and will replace incumbent Nick Bexheti, who received 32.13% of the vote. Chris Lorton received 21.28% of the vote. Anthony Steckel won Stork’s former seat as Commissioner of Accounts and Finance. Steckel won 53.09% of the vote and defeated Lisa Fitzgibbons-Wieneke, who received 46.91% of the vote. Zachary Crawford won his re-election bid against challenger Dean Comer. Crawford won with 81.90% of the vote and Comer received 18.10% of the vote. Jake

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HARDIN – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting to discuss the study for the proposed rehabilitation or replacement of the Illinois 16/100 bridge over the Illinois River (Joe Page Bridge). The meeting will be held: Thursday, April 20 5-8 p.m. Calhoun High School 102 Calhoun Ave., Hardin IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, has initiated the Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Study of the Joe Page Bridge, which carries Illinois 16/100 over the Illinois River to connect Calhoun and Greene counties. The Phase I study will look at options for the rehabilitation or replacement of the existing bridge. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the project and obtain input. Handouts and display boards will be available for public review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition and environmental issues. Representatives from IDOT and the project consultant, Hanson Professional

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JERSEYVILLE - Expansion is, at long last, on the horizon for the Jerseyville Public Library thanks to the generosity of the City of Jerseyville. The Board of Trustees began work on their vision for expansion of the library facilities by exploring grant opportunities as far back as 2010. In 2012, the Library’s architects quoted an amount which would be sufficient for the expansion plans and that amount was requested via a grant through the Illinois State Library. After seven years of applying, the library was finally awarded the grant in 2020. Also notable about that particular year was the onset of the COVID Pandemic. Due to the pandemic’s far-reaching impact on the economy, particularly construction costs, supply chain issues, etc., the grant amount became insufficient to see the expansion through as it was originally envisioned. The Board of Trustees began trimming away at those initial plans and eventually came up with a project that would maintain the integrity of the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Civic Memorial softball shortstop Bella Thien is off to a magnificent start this season, hitting .391 with two home runs and 16 RBIs as the Eagles have gotten off to a 6-1 start. Her second homer of the year came on Apr. 3, when Thien sent a three-run shot over the left field fence to give the Eagles some cushion in what turned out to be a 6-4 win at Edwardsville, which is a signature win for the CM program. For her efforts on the field, Thien has been selected as a Tom Lane State Farm Female Athlete of the Month for the Eagles. Thien, who's coached by Lucas Angelo, was ecstatic following her homer and the Eagles' sixth win of the season. "I'm feeling good," Thien said in a postgame interview. "I think it brought my confidence back; I've been struggling a little bit. I think the team really needed this win." Thien doesn't remember the pitch she hit over the left field fence, but just wanted to find some way to get on base and extend the Eagles' lead. "I don't remember

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EDWARDSVILLE – In the wake of damaging weekend storms in the Edwardsville area and throughout Illinois, the Edwardsville Fire and Police Departments are offering tips to help residents prepare for severe weather events. Volatile weather can occur at any time, but spring is often considered the height of the severe weather “season.” In Illinois, the majority of tornadoes have struck between April 1 and June 30, although there have been occurrences during other months in Edwardsville and the rest of the state. An essential step that residents should take is to monitor severe weather alerts, and arrange for emergency notifications via cellphone apps, weather radios or other means, said Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford. This is especially important during storms that hit during overnight hours. Residents are encouraged to sign up for Code RED, which provides customizable alerts in the event of an emergency or critical community event. It’s available through

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BETHALTO - To maintain compliance with and to reduce future training costs associated with the SAFE-T Act, the Bethalto Police Department has worked with Bethalto Public Works and local donors to build an in-house Defensive Tactics Training Room. "We believe it is the first of its kind in the region and that it will save thousands of dollars in training costs while providing officers advanced de-escalation and controlled tactics training that will allow them to better serve our community," Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon said. "I want to thank all the members of the Bethalto Public Works Department and Police Department who took part in the build." Chief Dixon also extended a big thank you to the Keister Family of “Keister & Associates,” and the Stassi Family of “Stassi Chiropractic and Wellness Center” for "making donations that in part made this facility possible."

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JERSEYVILLE - Four individuals have been charged with meth possession and other related charges over the past week, according to recent court filings from the Jersey County Circuit Clerk’s Office. Jason D. Wanick, 50, of Wood River, was charged with unlawful possession of between 15-100 grams of methamphetamine. He was charged with a Class 1 felony and his bail was set at $30,000. His preliminary hearing is set for April 5 at 1 p.m., and more information and updates on this case can be found here . Jon G. Deneef, 37, of Jerseyville, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, specifically “less than 15 grams of a substance containing heroin/fentanyl,” according to court documents. He was also charged with possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Deneef was charged with a Class 4 felony for the controlled substance charge and a Class 3 felony for the meth possession charge, His bail was set at $10,000. More information and updates

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Firefighter/Paramedic John Gooden is getting ready to celebrate five years of service with the department. He was appointed in April 2018. An Edwardsville native, Gooden attended Trinity Lutheran School and Metro-East Lutheran High School. Gooden had plenty of fire service and EMS experience when he came to the Edwardsville Fire Department. He previously served on the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department and attended Lewis and Clark Community College’s Fire Science program. Gooden also worked at Alhambra-Hamel Ambulance Service, where he obtained his paramedic license. John previously worked full-time at Staunton EMS, and worked part-time with Phillips 66 and in EMS for Glen Carbon, Highland, Maryville and Troy. “I like working for the Edwardsville Fire Department because every day is something new,” Gooden said. “My co-workers are awesome to work with, and I get to protect and serve the community that I grew up in.” John has bee

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Letter To The Editor: Why Should Students Go on Field Trips? Field trips are beneficial to students because they allow students to see how what they are learning is applied in the real world. Field trips also give students an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom, which may help keep the classroom routine from getting monotonous. The majority of field trips students are taken on are educational ones and allow students to see the way that the world works outside of the classroom. Field trips give students the opportunity to see how what they are learning will apply to them when they are out of school. It can give them an idea of things that they may want to do when they have completed school and can also give them an opportunity to see how other people live their lives. Students may not be aware of all of the cultural implications of certain jobs and industries, and field trips give them the opportunity to see these implications. Field trips are also ideal for students

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Friday, March 17, 2023, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued “at large” warrants on suspect Zachary Myers, 34 years of age, of the 15400 block of Jost Main Street in Florissant, Missouri 63034, for DWI – Death of a Another. Myers was taken into custody on March 30, 2023. A booking photo of Myers is attached. Myers is being held on $100,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. The probable cause statement reads: Defendant was operating a motor vehicle Northbound on New Halls Ferry Rd. in St. Louis County. The Defendant was traveling approximately 60mph on this 40 mph Rd. The Defendant crossed the double yellow lines and struck Victim vehicle head on. Victim was taken to the hospital and died as a result of this collision. Defendant admitted operating the motor vehicle. Defendant stated either a deer or dog ran in front of his vehicle causing him to swerve. Witness saw Defendant veer left into oncoming traffic, and did not see any

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