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EDWARDSVILLE - Bella Milano celebrated two decades of business in Edwardsville with a 20th anniversary party on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 at the Lewis & Clark N.O. Nelson Campus in Edwardsville. The event capped off months of promotions celebrating this milestone and featured live music from the Robert Parry Band, several longtime employees and customers, and much more. Tom Guarino, director of Sales and Hospitality for Bella Milano, said at the event that there were 200 people in attendance, including long-time customers and employees who were “having a wonderful time” celebrating and reminiscing on the past 20 years. “200 people … want to come and spend their time and money to celebrate our anniversary with us, and I just can’t tell you want an amazing feeling that is - to have people love Bella Milano as much as we do and want to celebrate it with us,” Tom said. He added that it “couldn’t be done” without Bella Milano’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) will hold a Special Board of Education Meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at Liberty Middle School in Edwardsville. The Board meets once a month for a regular meeting but has scheduled a special meeting, including an hour-long closed session. They will discuss the middle school language arts program, the tax levy and school achievement/school report card findings. They will also talk about a GIS spatial analysis of ECUSD7. Several action items are up for consideration, including the approval of resignations, retirements and employments. The board will also vote whether or not to approve a resolution that will provide approximately $6,196,573 of funding to several schools in ECUSD7, including $1,793,355.50 to Edwardsville High School for a new roof. Another resolution on the agenda will, if voted for, authorize and provide approximately $13,000,000 to “complete solar panel installations”

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ALTON - The speakers at the VFW Post 1308 Veterans Day Program, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at the Alby Street location each have a legacy of service, and that was felt during their presentations. Jake Lloyd, a corpsman in the United State Navy, was the keynote speaker. Alton Mayor David Goins read a moving proclamation during the service. The two then handed the baton to Dave Stout, an Air Force veteran and past state commander of the VFW to conclude the event before the 21-Gun Salute and playing of Taps outside. Some key points made by the trio: Lloyd was a corpsman in both Iraq and Afghanistan during those wars. Lloyd expressed that he was honored to make a presentation as the keynote speaker at the Vets Day ceremony and “it means a lot everyone takes part in this.” Lloyd said he grew up as a third-generation Navy brat and emphasized the Marine Corps doesn’t have combat medics, so he took on that role after intense prior training. He spoke of his swearing-in

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COLLINSVILLE - Ameren journeyman Jake Dukett recently spoke to a homeowner who had been living with a gas leak for over two weeks. Believe it or not, this story is not uncommon. The homeowner had smelled that signature rotten egg stench, but they didn’t call 911 or Ameren because they didn’t want to inconvenience anyone or get stuck with a huge service bill. To prevent this from happening again, Ameren Illinois has launched a “Smell Gas, Act Fast” campaign to spread awareness about gas leaks and how Ameren will fix a gas leak immediately, completely free of charge. “When in doubt, make that phone call,” Dukett said. “We don’t charge you to come out. We are a 24/7/365 service. That’s what we’re here for, to keep our community safe.” Dukett is also a volunteer assistant fire chief, and he knows firsthand how dangerous unchecked gas leaks can be. While natural gas is nontoxic to breathe, it’s highly flammable.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, is a day that Ron Swaim and his wife, Joy, will never forget. Swaim, a former Legion district commander and a key component of the Edwardsville Post 199 Legion, was the Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade grand marshal. Swaim has committed much of his life to fulfilling the four pillars of the American Legion - Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. He is a past veteran and he is so proud of the work of the Legion and his country. When Swaim was a Legion district commander, he scored a 103.98, which tied for top in the state. The score is based on retaining membership, and they had added 3.98 additional members during his tenure. Swaim is heavily involved in the Edwardsville American Legion Post and has served as district Legion commander and ranked at the top of those involved in the state. Swaim was very thankful his wife could share this special moment with him and ride with him in the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Ron Swaim, former American Legion District Commander and Grand Marshal of the Edwardsville Veterans Parade , said each year, bands are a key component of the parade event, along with Scouts and youth in general. The 2023 edition was no exception with several bands involved, including the Edwardsville High School Marching Band, Scott Air Force Color Guard, the Edwardsville Municipal Band, the Edwardsville Catholic Schools Band and more. “It just promotes more small-town camaraderie,” Swaim said of the performances of the bands. He said the American Legion was built on four pillars: Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. Swaim said he certainly felt this year's Legion Veterans Day Parade fulfilled those important pillars.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The 2023 Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade, sponsored by the Edwardsville American Legion and Metro East Rotary Club, ranked close to the top of recent years on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Edwardsville. This year's parade time was moved from the typical evening to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Both sides of the Downtown Edwardsville streets were packed with people. There was participation from many veterans in Jeeps and different vehicles, plus bands, Boys and Girl Scouts and just about everything possible in the parade. Ron Swaim was the parade grand marshal . Swaim is heavily involved in the Edwardsville American Legion Post and has served as District Legion Commander and ranked at the top of those involved in the state. Swaim said Andrea Wessel and the Metro East Rotary Club were tremendous help with the parade, and that it was awesome to have such good weather and be able to put the parade out in front of the public during the day. “It wasn’t

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Name: Carter A. Hutchinson Hometown: Grafton Years of Service: 1981-2001 Branch: Air Force Rank: (E-7) Master Sergeant Wars: Gulf War Medals Earned: Meritorious Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit with Valor, Air Force Marksmanship Medal. Message: Carter joined the Air Force in 1981 to serve to support his family in a way that would be fitting for his mechanical forté. He served 20 years, even through the Persian Gulf War, serving in Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Throughout his years in the Air Force, he traveled to amazing places such as Keflavik Iceland, Sardinia, and Alamogordo, NM, home of the Trinity test site. Submitter's Name: Charlotte Hutchinson

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an in-person public hearing on the Illinois 3 Connector project within Madison, Fairmont City and East St. Louis in Madison and St. Clair counties. The hearing will be held: Tuesday, Nov. 28 4 – 7 p.m. Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizens Center 6755 State St., East St. Louis IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is conducting a Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Study for the Illinois 3 Connector. The project involves improving the transportation flow and connectivity between Illinois 203 and Illinois 3 as well as from Collinsville Road to Illinois 3/North First Street. The purpose of the hearing is to present the preferred design for the improvements and obtain public input. Handouts and display boards (in both English and Spanish) will be available for review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition and environmental issues. Representatives

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GRANITE CITY - Mitchell 3-4 Education Center in Granite City hosted a raising of the flag on Monday in honor of Veterans Day. Students watched the flag being raised by members of the American Legion Post 307 and then recited the pledge of allegiance. American Legion Staff Al Mahan, U.S. Marine Corps/Army - 22nd District Commander Don Scheyer, U.S. Coast Guard - Post 307 Commander Charles Insco - U.S. Marine Corps, - Post 307 A complete photo gallery can be found on the school district's Facebook Page .

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Name: Wayne Seehausen Hometown: Jerseyville Branch: Army Wars: Vietnam Submitter's Name: Amy Ranger

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CHICAGO - Last week the Senate confirmed its 150th federal judge under the Biden-Harris Administration. Illinois’ own Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, played a key role in filling the vacancies and ensuring that the bench is filled with judges who are dedicated to fairness and impartiality, the rule of law, and the Constitution. The appointments also mark significant progress in diversifying the judicial arena, delivering on President Biden’s promise to confirm judges from an array of personal and professional backgrounds. 100 of the appointed judges are women, nearly double the number of women judges appointed under the Trump administration, and 98 are people of color. The President’s appointees “come from professional backgrounds that have for far too long been underrepresented on the bench—from labor and immigration attorneys to public defenders and civil rights lawyers.” President Biden extended his thanks

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EDWARDSVILLE - “There’s power in the student voice and my presence here,” said Winter Racine, a second-year mass communications student in the College of Arts of Sciences (CAS), and a Senator for Students with Disabilities. “Advocacy can bring about transformation.” Racine was one of a number of speakers who introduced the fifth annual Ed Roberts Champions of Accessibility Celebration in the Morris University Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Monday, Nov. 6. Student speakers shared stories of lived experiences while navigating the SIUE campus. The awards presented by SIUE’s Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) honored those who made it their mission to make SIUE accessible for all. The two Defender of Equity Awards were given to faculty member Timothy Lewis, PhD, associate professor of political science and staff member Jessica Harris, PhD, vice chancellor of Anti-racism, Diversity,

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Alestle, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s student news organization, recently won several national awards during the 102nd annual Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention. This year marks the most national awards for which The Alestle was nominated and received. For the first time since the 1990s, The Alestle was a finalist for the ACP Pacemaker for its website alestlelive.com . The Pacemaker is the highest honor in collegiate media. Besides being recognized as a Pacemaker finalist for its online presence, The Alestle placed 6th in the ACP Best of Show competition at the convention in the website category. The Alestle took fourth place in the Best of Show competition at the convention in the Newspaper/Newsmagazine category of four-year schools with less than 15,000 students. Many current and former Alestle staff members also won recognition in the College Media Association's national Pinnacle

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CARROLLTON - The Carrollton United Methodist Church does various outreach programs during the holidays, including Operation Christmas and the Christmas Carol Sing and family funeral dinners throughout the year. A key fundraiser is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at the church that people are encouraged to attend. A free-will offering will be accepted with proceeds going to support various ministry and outreach programs. Menu items include baked potatoes with a variety of hot and cold toppings, relish tray selections, build-it-yourself ham sandwiches, homemade dessert items and your choice of drinks. The Church and Fellowship Hall are located on the northeast corner of Maple Street and Highway 67 in Carrollton. "Everyone is welcome and all are cordially invited to attend," Larry Gillingham, a spokesperson for the church said.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Registration is now open for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s winter session for undergraduate and graduate students as well as visiting students in search of courses needed for their home institution. SIUE Winter Session offers a variety of accelerated three-week classes held entirely online December 18, 2023 through January 7, 2024. "Winter session at SIUE offers students the unique opportunity to continue their path to graduation. With over 50 undergraduate and 11 graduate course offerings, the accelerated 2023 winter course options align with SIUE's mission and vision to provide innovative and interdisciplinary programs that empower students to achieve their full potential," said Angie Cooksy, Ed.D, interim associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Management. Courses range from Hispanic civilization to drama and musical theater to physics to literacy diagnostic reports. Students can complete courses from anywhere in the U.S. with reliable internet

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ALTON - The renowned Veterans Day Program at VFW Post 1308 on Alby was once again a beautiful tribute to those who have served and are serving in the military. The annual ceremony recognizes each service branch with a laying of the wreaths. Shannon Yount, United States Marine Corps, was the master of ceremony, Jeff Gray, a United States Air Force veteran, did the invocation and Joe Macias gave the Pledge of Allegiance. Steve Corbitt did an outstanding rendition of the National Anthem and Alton Mayor David Goins read a proclamation about Veterans Day on behalf of the City of Alton. Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick and State Rep. Amy Elik were also in attendance. The Laying of the Wreaths portion of the program featured the following: Medal of Honor - Wayne Able POW/MIA - 2nd. Lt. Robert Ryan, USAAAF/Sue Parrish Gold Star Mother - Lynn Leenker Alton Post 1308 & Auxiliary - Commander Joe Macias and Chuck Herring Army - Chad Sibley Navy - Jake Lloyd Marine Corps - Brad Yount

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ALTON - Celebrate Small Business Saturday by finding locally-made, environmentally-friendly gifts for your friends and family in Downtown Alton. Alton Main Street is teaming up with the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project to present the 21 st annual Green Gift Bazaar to continue the tradition of “going green” for the holidays. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 25, 2023, featuring 45 eco-artisans and green vendors at two locations: Post Commons, located at 300 Alby St., and Jacoby Arts Center, located at 627 E. Broadway in Alton. The full menu at Post Commons will be available, and at Jacoby Arts Center Big Boys Q will serve a lunch menu. There is no entry fee to shop, and attendees of the Green Gift Bazaar will be provided with a brochure full of Small Business Saturday information, featuring refreshments, giveaways, discounts, free gifts with purchase, gift card specials, in-store activities, etc. from many downtown retailers

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GLEN CARBON - The future of Father McGivney's Catholic boys soccer under Coach Matt McVicar’s Griffins looks bright with several returnees next year. Some of the returnees include juniors Spencer Martin, Alec Frohnert, Spencer Sundberg, Aaron Brodwater, Mason Holmes, Kai Gaither, Chris Marchetti and Tyler Ahring, plus sophomore Lucas Roedl, and freshmen Owen Weissert, Patrick Geirer and Will Rakers. McGivney Catholic’s boys soccer returnees are Byron Carlson, Petri & Kalb male athletes of the month for the Griffins. Will Rakers started most of the games as a freshman and will be a key returnee next year, the coach said. “The freshmen players are good players and will continue to grow as well as our sophomore and junior players.” Geirer was extraordinary in goal for the Griffins during the season and was only a freshman. He has a very bright future ahead, Coach McVicar said. Geirer had 55 saves on the season in goal and is highly ranked throughout the state

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ALTON - As Santino’s Steak and Pasta House celebrates five years in Alton, owner Sonny Asani is reflecting on the restaurant’s journey and his commitment to the community. “I believe that hard work, good quality food, good portions, reasonable price, people will come in and support us,” Asani said. “I want to thank the whole community and the people that came to us and support us and open their arms for us. We’re here now five years, and we just signed another lease for another five years.” Asani has opened a few restaurants before, but he knew right away that Santino’s was special. Five years ago, he was visiting Alton when he saw the building that would become Santino’s, located at 180 E. Center Drive near Alton Square Mall. This property has hosted several restaurants before that ultimately failed, and a lot of people warned Asani that the building was “jinxed.” But he couldn’t stay away. “When

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