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CHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) today recognized March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Illinois. To raise awareness around gambling disorders and honor those in recovery, participating buildings in downtown Chicago will be lit teal. Throughout the month, IDHS will partner with providers across the state to raise awareness around disorders as well as support and treatment options for those in need. Awareness events will include gambling screenings, gambling presentations, workshops, and other events. A full list of related events can be found here . "Individuals who struggle with gambling disorders seldom seek help and often hide their behavior from family members. This month is an opportunity for IDHS and our providers to come together to continue to get the word out about the recovery support services that are available,” said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou. The IDHS Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery

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ST. LOUIS – As prices at the pump continue to rise, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is encouraging area residents to consider utilizing public transit. The organization has a FREE Try & Ride program that makes it easy for those who are new to MetroLink or MetroBus to familiarize themselves with the region’s integrated system to get them where they need to go. “Public transit is a safe, convenient and cost-effective transportation option, but many shy away from it because of the unknowns – including which route or line to take, how to purchase tickets and more,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “The Try & Ride program addresses these concerns head-on. It has helped more than 6,000 individuals familiarize themselves with the system and has been credited with turning many first-time transit users into regular transit commuters.” The Try & Ride program is open to any Missouri or Illinois residents

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GRANITE CITY - Caylie McElroy has not only skills as an athlete, but she is an outstanding student for Granite City High School. Caylie is the Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete of the Month for the Warriors. Caylie's top sport of the season is about ready to unfold - girls soccer. She has been a three-year member of the Warriors girls soccer squad. She also played girl's golf in 2021. Recently, Caylie also earned the Granite City Rotary Club Student of the Month honor with Lauren Wilson. Students for that honor were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and civic honors and awards and organization membership and leadership. She is a three-year youth vocalist and a Sunday service vocalist. The Granite City High School student is very involved in school activities from Member of Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, Renaissance Club, Spirit Club, and Varsity Club.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspect Joeron Mottley, 19 years of age, of the 1100 block of Grenshaw Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63137, for Murder 1 st Degree and Armed Criminal Action. A mugshot of Mottley is attached. Mottley is being held on a $500,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation, and Defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement for Mottley reads: The Defendant was inside J’s Wireless when the Victim entered the store. When the Defendant witnessed the Victim enter the store, he shot him, striking him in the torso. The Victim then fled the store into the parking lot where the Defendant chased him and fired at him several more times. The Victim died due to his injuries. The incident was captured on video surveillance and the Defendant confessed to police that he shot the victim.

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Benny Davis, 37, of Granite City, was sentenced in federal court on Monday, March 7, 2022, to 10 years in prison for possessing firearms while being a convicted felon. Davis was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the Hartford Police Department for traffic infractions. Police officers discovered a rifle, three shotguns, and a stolen handgun during a search of the vehicle. The recovered firearms were all loaded at the time of the traffic stop. The officers also obtained videos of Davis firing the guns the day prior to his arrest. Davis admitted to being a convicted felon at the time of his arrest which prevented him from legally possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction

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ALTON - Alton Police and Fire Departments responded to a two-vehicle crash around 9 a.m. Tuesday near the Clark Bridge on Landmarks Boulevard in Alton. The area has been one of many collisions over the years. The Alton Fire Department reported there were no injuries in the crash and the vehicles appeared to encounter moderate damage. A fertilizer truck and another vehicle collided in the accident. There was some fertilizer spilled on the road and certain protocols had to be taken to ensure safety, the fire department said. There was only a minor amount of fertilizer released to the road, so it was relatively easy to clean up. The crash was still under investigation by the Alton Police Department and no other details were provided.

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Junior Service of Edwardsville Glen Carbon is excited to bring an event like nothing our area has seen before! On March 19, 2022, The Moose Lodge in Edwardsville will be the place to be! Co-chairs Sara Colvin, Kate Grahek, Robyn Wendt & Michelle Chitwood state “The chairs of Brisket and Brews are so excited for this event. We are grateful for the support that local businesses have given us in preparing for this event.” Moussalli’s Prime, 1818 Chophouse, Doc’s Smokehouse, Edley’s BBQ, and Pig on a Wing have amazing tasting options that are sure to please. Don’t eat meat? No worries! For those needing a vegetarian option, Clean Eatz has that covered. Catfish Seminar is coming in from Nashville to knock everyone’s socks off. The band is not solely a country music band, but plays a variety of genres, which will lead to an overall enjoyable experience for everyone present. Junior Service Club would not be able to have suc

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ALTON - Community murals, a new Route 66 Visitor Center, Mother Road monuments and reopening the historic Cannonball Jail are interlocking pieces of a revitalized Route 66 envisioned by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau of Southwest Illinois The Tourism Bureau has applied for a grant under the Route 66 Grant Program administered by DCEO and the Illinois Office of Tourism. If approved, the grant would fund the projects throughout communities along the Last 100 Miles of the historic highway in Illinois. The grant funds are available to certified Destination Marketing Organizations in Illinois who represent and promote the Mother Road. “In four years, Route 66 will celebrate its centennial birthday. We want to be part of the Illinois and national celebration with a new and exciting stretch of the Mother Road in southwest Illinois,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Tourism Bureau said. “We have plans that include investing in four interlinking projects that highlight

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EAST ST. LOUIS – March 6-12, 2022, is National School Social Work Week, an opportunity for schools, communities, and partners to acknowledge and recognize the impactful work social workers do to support students, families, and their communities. School social workers focus on the whole child, link families to community resources, and serve as a valuable voice as part of a school’s multi-disciplinary team. “School social workers are powerful. Not because they have magic wands, but because they deeply care and support our youth,” said School District 189 Executive Director of Communications Sydney Kaufman, MSW. Kaufman, herself a social worker, noted that the East St. Louis School District has multiple school social workers at each campus that assist with advice, support, and resources for students and their families. “They help solve problems that may negatively impact student learning, equip students with social-emotional learning skills, and foster

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CARLINVILLE - The Illinois State Board of Education has announced Blackburn College as one of the recipients of the fiscal year 2022 Teacher Residency Planning Grant. The Teacher Residency Planning Grant is a critical tool to combat the teacher shortage. This third round of funding for the initiative prioritized programs that would serve rural areas or that would focus on preparing teachers in early childhood, bilingual education, or special education – the teaching areas experiencing the highest demand. This grant provides funding for colleges and universities to partner with local school districts to design and implement a teacher residency. Like a medical residency for future doctors, in a teaching residency, the teacher candidate embeds at a school for a full year, shadowing a veteran teacher and taking classes at the school – compared to one semester of student teaching typically offered in teacher preparation program. Research shows that residency programs are

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ALTON — Olga’s Kitchen is celebrating International Women’s Day, on March 8 by giving women a free side of Olga’s Snackers® with any purchase. Rewards members can redeem the offer via the Olga’s Kitchen mobile app when placing an order online or by using their account number when dining in. Those who do not currently use the app and rewards program will be able to download it at Apple or Google Play to immediately receive the offer or can sign up online at olgas.com. Free Olga’s Snackers® are available for dine-in, delivery, and carryout orders placed through olgas.com. In an effort to support and spotlight local female entrepreneurs, Olga’s Kitchen is hosting a $200 Olga’s gift card giveaway on Instagram . To enter a women-owned business, users can tag their favorite local female entrepreneur’s business account on the Olga’s Kitchen post to be entered for the chance to win. The winner will be selected and announced

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CHICAGO – In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is kicking off 'HERstory' – an initiative to celebrate and elevate Illinois and Illinois women-owned businesses . As part of this, DCEO is spotlighting women-owned businesses, resources, and hosting events with women trailblazers designed to provide tools and guidance for women in business to succeed. “During the month of March, and every day of the year, DCEO is focused on delivering resources that women-owned businesses need to grow and thrive,” said Acting Director of DCEO, Sylvia I. Garcia. “I'm proud to recognize the significant economic contributions that women entrepreneurs provide to Illinois’ economy, generating over $74 billion in economic activity each year.” Illinois has a vibrant community of 47,000 women-owned businesses that employ close to 411,000 employees across the state, in addition to 408,000 Illinois

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EAST ALTON – A series of upcoming training opportunities will prepare the next wave of citizen scientists to help shape stream health across the state of Illinois this spring. The Illinois RiverWatch Network will host a series of statewide trainings throughout March and April, which will educate community members on how to monitor the health of their local streams. RiverWatch, a community science initiative, is coordinated by the National Great Rivers esearch and Education Center (NGRREC SM ) at Lewis and Clark Community College. Each spring, RiverWatch offers workshops where volunteers learn to collect and identify stream macroinvertebrates (water bugs) and describe the physical condition of the stream habitat. Upon completing training and becoming certified, volunteers may adopt a stream site where they can monitor water quality and contribute to a state-wide dataset using these RiverWatch survey methods. “Macroinvertebrates are easy to collect and can tell us a lo

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GRANITE CITY – Granite City Community Unit School District #9 will host a public hearing on Tuesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. at the James J. Greenwald Administration Building in Granite City. In relation to school code 105 ILCS5/10-19.05 with the Illinois State Board of Education, GCSD9 would like to request permission to utilize three full days of school improvement (code WFS) instead of six half days of school improvement (code XHS). For more information about Granite City School District #9, visit www.gcsd9.net .

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ALTON - Maeva's Coffee at 1320 Milton Road in Alton will be hosting our fifth Writers of the Riverbend Mix and Mingle in the hallway of Maeva’s Coffee on Saturday, June 11. Are you a book lover yourself? Come support local authors and discover what works are being created in your community! Meet people behind stories written right here in the Riverbend and connect with others who share your love of reading. This free event is perfect for browsing and picking up new books to add to your reading list. Creators, industry professionals, students, and dabblers: Sell and promote your craft! Are you a creator, but don’t have anything to sell? No problem, you can still attend without a space. Published or unpublished, authors, poets, songwriters, wordsmiths, editors, designers, illustrators, publishers, agents, creators, and book lovers are welcome! Come connect with new fans, network with other creators, promote your projects, and be a part of the community. Event Details:

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CARROLLTON - The Carrollton Fire Protection District firefighters and other departments battled an intense fire at the Oasis in Carrollton late Monday night and remained at the scene Tuesday morning extinguishing hot spots. Carrollton Fire Protection District Chief Tim Thaxton described the situation as “a total loss” for the Oasis bar and grill. The nearby motel remained intact thanks to the efforts of the firefighters. Chief Thaxton said the call came in around 11:30 p.m. on Monday. Chief Thaxton said the cause of the fire was not yet determined and that they were still investigating. Multiple neighboring departments responded to assist from Jerseyville, White Hall, Greenfield, and Roodhouse on standby. Thaxton thanked all the other departments and his firefighters for their efforts in the difficult situation.

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ALTON - Below is information about this week’s road closures – Mar. 7, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: 6th Street east of Alby Street is open to George Street, with surface restoration work being completed as weather permits. Please drive carefully as some of the roadways are still rock surfaces. Alby Street is closed from 6th Street north to 9th Street, with closures north and east of Alby/7th Street in place. 7th Street from George to Mechanic Street is closed. 8th Street east of Alby is closed to Easton Street. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street will continue to be closed this week to all thru traffic to allow for sewer installation work. The alley south of McKinley east of Lincoln is back open to traffic, with pavement restoration happening soon. Douglas Street, between State and Lincoln Streets is open, with pavement restoration started and being completed in the next couple weeks, weather permitting. Please drive carefully. Shields Valley Area: The west end of Greenwood

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GRANITE CITY - Caylie McElroy has not only skills as an athlete, but she is an outstanding student for Granite City High School. Caylie's top sport of the season is about ready to unfold - girls soccer. She has been a three-year member of the Warriors girls soccer squad. She also played girl's golf in 2021. Caylie is the Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete of the Month for Granite City High School. Recently, Caylie also earned the Granite City Rotary Club Student of the Month honor with Lauren Wilson. Students for that honor were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and civic honors and awards and organization membership and leadership. She is a three-year youth vocalist and a Sunday service vocalist. She is very involved in school activities from Member of Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, Renaissance Club, Spirit Club and Varsity Club.

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BENTON – Bryan Flanagan, 35, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Thursday, March 3, 2022, on two counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of interstate communication with intent to extort. Flanagan pleaded guilty to charges in federal court on September 16, 2021. Flanagan extorted multiple minor girls online to send him sexual videos and images. Beginning in February 2020, Flanagan used fake profiles pretending to be a teenage boy on Facebook to contact multiple underage girls across the United States. Flanagan pressured and threatened his victims into sending him sexually explicit videos and images. When some victims refused to do so, Flanagan lied and told them that he was babysitting a young child and would rape or molest the child unless his online victims sent him the requested images. Flanagan distributed images of child pornography to at least two of his victims. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood,

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BENTON – Bryan Flanagan, 35, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Thursday, March 3, 2022, on two counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of interstate communication with intent to extort. Flanagan pleaded guilty to charges in federal court on September 16, 2021. Flanagan extorted multiple minor girls online to send him sexual videos and images. Beginning in February 2020, Flanagan used fake profiles pretending to be a teenage boy on Facebook to contact multiple underage girls across the United States. Flanagan pressured and threatened his victims into sending him sexually explicit videos and images. When some victims refused to do so, Flanagan lied and told them that he was babysitting a young child and would rape or molest the child unless his online victims sent him the requested images. Flanagan distributed images of child pornography to at least two of his victims. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood,

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