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EDWARDSVILLE - The first “Battle of the Badges” blood drive of 2023 is set for Monday, April 10. The Edwardsville Police and Fire Departments have rekindled this friendly competition in an effort to encourage much-needed blood donations. The blood drive will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at the Edwardsville Public Safety Building, 333 S. Main Street. The American Red Cross will operate the event from the second-floor training room. The fire and police departments collaborate on the Battle of the Badges blood drive at least twice a year. While it’s dubbed a “battle” between the departments, Police Chief Mike Fillback said the friendly competition is just a lighthearted way to tackle a serious problem: medical blood shortage. “It’s a good way for people to give back to the community and fill a vital need,” he said. “It’s very much appreciated for people to donate blood.” Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs

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ALTON - Today, Sierra Club Illinois announced a lawsuit against Prairie State Generating Co. (PSGC) for operating the Prairie State Energy Campus (PSEC) without a permit. Sierra Club’s lawsuit urges PSGC to cease operations until it obtains a lawful CAAPP (also known as a Title V) permit required by the Clean Air Act. The Prairie State coal plant is one of the dirtiest and deadliest plants in the United States. “No plant is above the law, especially one that is among the most polluting coal plants in the country,” said Christine Nannicelli, Senior Campaign Representative for the Beyond Coal Campaign of Sierra Club Illinois. “PSEC’s owners, like the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) and the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency (NIMPA), are actively pursuing federal taxpayer subsidies and investors to install carbon capture technology at the plant. Prairie State should instead be focused on complying with basic environmental laws like the Clean

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EDWARDSVILLE - As part of National Agriculture Awareness Month, First Mid Bank & Trust (First Mid) is working to raise awareness about a variety of financial and cropland management services available to farmers. Julie Huelsmann, First Mid Vice President, said as inflation continues to impact the overall lending market, it’s important for farmers to be aware of all current lending options and federal programs that are available to them. Huelsmann said the bank’s Ag Services Department offers a full range of services for farmers, designed to support them whether they are managing, buying, selling, or determining the value of their farm. They also offer a variety of lending options including intermediate loans, operating lines of credit, and ownership loans for farmers. “Our bank has been financing farmers since 1865. We are the second largest ag lenders in Illinois and the 40 th largest in the country,” said Huelsmann. “With both of those facts, we are

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ALTON - St. Mary's Middle School would like to announce their Honor Roll and High Honor Roll students for the 3rd quarter. To view the full lists, please click the link below: St. Mary's Middle School Third Quarter Honor Roll

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WEST ALTON - Maple Island Access Area remains closed to provide a necessarystaging area for Melvin Price Locks and Dam work. The parking lot, shoreline, and access road are all considered active construction zones and are therefore closed to all forms of public access including but not limited to: vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and anglers. With snagging season underway in Missouri, the US Army Corps of Engineers RiversProject Office wants to remind anglers that this closure may continue through the end of snagging season. The public should plan accordingly and contact the Project Office for any updates as the work progresses. For more information please contact the Rivers Project Office at 636-899-2600.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The following students have been named to the Honor Roll at Metro-East Lutheran High School for the third quarter of the 2022-2023 school year. To view the full list please click the link below: MELHS Third Quarter Honor Roll

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SPRINGFIELD - Attorney General Kwame Raoul presented the proposed budget for the Attorney General’s office for next fiscal year to lawmakers today in Springfield. Raoul announced to a legislative committee that his office collected nearly $1.6 billion in revenue on behalf of the state through litigation and collection efforts in 2022. The revenue collected for the state by the Attorney General’s office shows that for every dollar of taxpayer funding the office received in Fiscal Year 2022, it generated $39.52 for the state. “The Attorney General’s office has remained steadfast in our work to protect consumers, support victims of violent crime, apprehend offenders who prey on children online, and enhance public safety throughout Illinois,” Raoul said. “We are able to do this critical work while bringing needed revenue into the state, and I look forward to building upon our efforts to improve the quality of life in every part of Illinois.”

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MADISON COUNTY - Although significant enhancements are being made to the 138 miles of scenic Madison County Transit (MCT) Trails this year, progress will create temporary closures. Visitors should prepare to take alternate routes to avoid closures as work on the MCT Schoolhouse Trail and MCT Nature Trail will close segments between now and the end of the year. The projects will temporarily reduce access to several loops, a beloved feature of the MCT Trails. MCT Schoolhouse Trail Tunnel Work on the highly anticipated MCT Schoolhouse Trail tunnel under IL-157 in Collinsville has officially begun. The crossing on IL-157 near Horseshoe Lake Road requires trail users to cross multiple lanes of traffic, forcing bicyclists and pedestrians to stop and wait for a safe time to cross the state highway. Currently, the MCT Schoolhouse Trail is closed from Keebler Road to an area just east of the Metro East Parks and Recreation District (MEPRD) office, however construction crews may be present

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ALTON/ST. LOUIS - Jonathan Wickenhauser and Kevin Sullivan with the Veteran Golfers Association appeared on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the VGA’s upcoming golf tournaments, the therapeutic effect of golfing for veterans, and more. “The Veterans Golf Association is a golf tour set up for veterans, active duty service members, and their families. It’s a spot for all of us to basically be with people who have gone through the same stuff we’ve gone through, and it gives us a chance to experience the same camaraderie and the brother-and-sisterhood that we had in the military,” Sullivan said. “We care for each other, we travel to different tournaments together. “Overall, it is still competitive, but we do have a lot of fun and we make sure that we pick up our fellow brothers and sisters too. So it’s a great way to kind of experience that camaraderie, but also a little bit of therapy through the game

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EDWARDSVILLE — Metro East Humane Society is pleased to have received a Rachael Ray Save Them All grant from Best Friends Animal Society for its Madison County Animal Care & Control & MEHS Unicorn Foster Program to help save the lives of more adoptable pets living in Madison County. “This grant allows us to include the Madison County Animal Care & Control & MEHS Unicorn Foster Program in our work finding more homes for the pets in our care,” said Anne Schmidt, Director of Metro East Humane Society. “Our goal will be to adopt out 62 dogs pulled from our local animal control to loving families. We appreciate the support of Best Friends Animal Society in making this program possible.” Metro East Humane Society is an active partner in Best Friends Network which offers help and support to shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations working to save lives in their communities. “When you choose to adopt your next

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GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College Athletics is postponing Thursday's Trailblazers Trivia Night until the fall. The trivia night was scheduled for Thursday, March 23, in the Common on the Godfrey campus, as a fundraiser for The Trailblazers. The event was supposed to have eight rounds, 10 questions per round.

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SHILOH - In an unusual case, at 9:58 p.m. on Sunday, February 9, 2023, Shiloh Police were dispatched to the 2400 block of Parkland Boulevard in reference to a report of eavesdropping. Upon arrival, Shiloh Officers met with the victim who found a recording device in her residence that had been placed there without her knowledge. Shiloh Police said the individual responsible for placing the device in the residence was an acquaintance known to the victim. "All conversations on the device had been recorded without her consent. Shiloh Officers took the device, and the case was submitted to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office for review," the Shiloh Police Department said. "On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Elizabeth Nester issued a four-count warrant #23CF0049901, #23CF0049902, #23CF004903, and #23CF004904 for Eavesdropping, all Class 4 Felonies, each charging Shawn Joseph Hagan, 51, of the 300 block of Warrensburg Drive in Belleville,

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HARDIN - An Elsberry, Mo., man was arrested after a traffic stop at 4:52 p.m. on March 18, 2023, near the intersection of Park Sreet and Barry Street in Hardin. Subsequent to a Calhoun County Sheriff's Office investigation, a passenger, James A. Jackson, age 43, of Elsberry, Missouri was arrested for the following offenses: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Missouri Department of Corrections Parole Warrant Jackson was arrested without incident and lodged in the Greene County Jail. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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EDWARDSVILLE — R.P. Lumber was recently named as the City of Edwardsville, IL’s 2022 Large Business of The Year. On March 7, 2023, President & CEO of R.P. Lumber, Robert Plummer, accepted the award as presented by Mayor Art Risavy at the city’s annual economic forecast breakfast. Plummer was joined by his wife, Donna, other family members, and members of R.P. Lumber’s leadership team. R.P. Lumber employs over 700 people in communities across Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, including over 100 in Madison County, IL alone. The hardware and building materials retailer also supplies dozens of local homebuilders, remodelers, and handymen with the supplies they need for both commercial and residential building projects. “It’s always nice to be recognized for our contributions to the communities we serve,” said Plummer. “We are honored to accept this award on behalf of our great team members, customers, vendors, and other partners.

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ALTON - Due to the impending rain over the next several days, Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation has rescheduled the Ribbon of Strength unveiling. The new date is 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Godfrey. If you have any questions, please call the Alton Memorial Hospital Development Office at 618-463-7701. Proceeds from this year’s Ribbon of Strength campaign will be used to help cancer patients at AMH experiencing financial hardships, as a result of their diagnosis or treatment, to pay for the essentials – gas, car repairs, rent, mortgage, and utility bills – so they can focus on treatment, healing and recovery. Many from the community have purchased a ribbon customized with a message memorializing someone who lost his or her life to cancer, or sending well wishes to someone battling the disease, or celebrating someone who won the fight. The ribbons will be laid end to end to form one giant ribbon at Tuesday’s event. “The

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GREENVILLE - A quintet of classical musicians from Taiwan will perform at Greenville University on Sunday, April 2, as a part of the group’s tour of the United States. The 4 pm concert by the Muen Ensemble will be held in the Whitlock Music Center at the intersection of College Avenue and Elm Street. Since the concert is being performed on Palm Sunday, it will include several Easter songs in addition to classical music numbers. Though the members of the ensemble are Taiwanese natives, they are familiar with the United States since they all earned advanced degrees in musical performance from U.S. universities. The group includes three violinists, one cellist, and one pianist. The leader of the ensemble is Oliver Shon. Brother and sister Greenville College alums and retired music professors, Joe and JoAnn Noble, were instrumental in bringing the ensemble to Greenville. Joe worked with Shon to form the group in 2014 when he was working in Taiwan. The purpose of the group is

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PIASA - Southwestern Middle School recognized its PBIS Students of the Month for February. From left to right, front row: Sydney Dwiggins, Knox Miller, and Zaylen Sanford. From left to right back row: Olivia Alward, Ellie Myette, Maci Lloyd, Chloe Holden, and Patrick Buis. They were nominated according to the word of the month. Acceptance. Also, for being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. They all received a Dairy Queen lunch of their choice.

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Community College System has recorded its largest year-over-year enrollment growth in nearly 15 years. Opening Spring 2023 enrollment increased by 7.2 percent from the previous spring according to the Illinois Community College Board’s (ICCB) Spring 2023 Enrollment Report. “This upward enrollment trend is encouraging and continues to signal a shift towards pre-pandemic levels. This data furthers our confidence that efforts to expand learning opportunities and increase access to a community college education are working,” said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham. The 2023 Spring Enrollment Report shows the first Spring-to-Spring semester increase in the last five years. It’s also the second largest enrollment increase in nearly 15 years (7.8 percent increase between Spring 2009-2010), and the second consecutive semester of growth for the nation’s third-largest community college system. Significant findings from the Spring

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Seniors - High Honor Roll Joseph Aiello Michael Attebery Jacob Baker Gabriel Bays Evangelynn Beasley Hailey Becker Carter Bloodworth Hayden Bodwell Jade Bowker Anaya Braggs Jace Brawner Ellah Brown Sophee Brown Gabrielle Bryant Dalton Buhs Caleb Butler Lauren Carpenter Jocelyn Combes Alexis Cox Madelyn Daniels Isabella Dugger Olivia Durbin Carter Ehlers Maireli Figueroa-Santana Nicholas Fiorino Zachary Fitzgerald Jynnifer Floyd Brady Geisler Kylee Golden Olivia Goodman Haley Greeling Dathan Greene Addilyn Hadley Journey Hammons Logan Hanner Ryleigh Haynes Hayley Hicks Laura Hicks Dylan Hoffmann Cael Huber Noah Huth Tyler Jenkins Isabella Kallal Jacob Knight Travis Kramer Caitlynn Laird Jarrett Lamb Hannah Laper Adelaide Liljedahl Myah Lindley Alyssa Mann Hannah Meiser Ethan Miller Benjamin Morris Baylea Nickle Emma Niemeier Kaitlyn Pfeifer Aurora Phillips William Piening Peter-James Postlewait Kaitlyn Rider Alivia Roark

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine announced Tuesday that an Alton man has been convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault and child pornography, resulting in a 45-year prison sentence. Ryan M. Nation, 39, received the sentence for convictions on one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and one count of child pornography. Nation pleaded guilty Tuesday to committing sexual acts with a child on March 15, 2022, and using a phone to make a recording of the assault. “We will continue to work with law enforcement and use any available resources to investigate and prosecute those who prey on children,” Haine said. “I commend the diligent work of law enforcement and the prosecution team in our Children’s Justice Division, who worked hard to ensure this offender will no longer be a threat to our children and our community.” The Madison County Sheriff’s Office spearheaded the investigation, which

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