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GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces lane closures in both directions of I-270 between IL 3 and Riverview Drive in Missouri beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2022, weather permitting. One lane in each direction will remain open throughout the weekend. This work is needed to do bridge deck repairs. All lanes will be opened on Monday, December 5, 2022, at 5:00 a.m. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The contractor on this project is Walsh Construction Company II, LLC of Chicago, IL. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - As expected, the walk-through night at Christmas Wonderland at Alton’s Rock Springs Park was rated as “magnificent.” Dick Alford, the head Grandpa Gang team member, said he received several compliments about the light display his organization has constructed for this Christmas season. The walk-through night ran from 6-9 p.m. Monday and it was packed with people the entire time. The suggested donation Monday night for the 1 1/2-mile display was $1 per person. There were no vehicles allowed in the park Monday night, only walkers. Drive-through Christmas Wonderland hours resume at 6 Tuesday night to 9, then are 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 5-9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday through December 27. Alford said the Christmas Wonderland display opened the Friday after Thanksgiving and to date, attendance has been exceptional, along with positive remarks. “We had three or four really good nights, which was about the same as last year and we have received

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School English teacher Nickie Pontious has been selected as one of Emerson’s 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award recipients. She is among more than 80 teachers from across the St. Louis metropolitan area who are being recognized this year through the program as examples of truly outstanding educational excellence. "I am truly honored to receive this recognition,” Pontious said. “There are so many teachers deserving of recognition for the work they do every single day, so I am especially grateful for this opportunity.” The Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards, now in its 33rd year, is one of the St. Louis region’s most recognized teacher recognition programs. Emerson proudly sponsors this program as a way of helping the St. Louis community express their collective admiration and gratitude for their dedication to teaching the area’s students. “We are extremely proud of Nickie for being named a recipient

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the Attorney General’s office obtained a guilty plea in a case against a Cook County OB-GYN who fraudulently charged Illinois’ Medicaid program for services that were never provided. In a case being prosecuted by Raoul’s office, Dr. Monique Brotman, 52, of River Forest, pleaded guilty in Cook County Circuit Court today to misdemeanor vendor fraud. Brotman was ordered to pay full restitution up front, and she will be excluded from the Medicaid and Medicare programs for a minimum of five years. She was also sentenced to complete five days of community service. “Thousands of Illinois residents rely on Medicaid for their health care. Defrauding the people of Illinois by misusing needed Medicaid resources will not be tolerated,” Raoul said. “I am committed to working with the Illinois State Police to identify Medicaid fraud and hold those who engage in it accountable.” Raoul alleges that

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EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy was joined by Chief James Whiteford as well as many other fire department staff and city officials Tuesday morning to hold a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new East Fire Station. The $5.1 million, 8,400-square-foot station will be located at 7407 Governors Parkway and will be the city’s third station. It comes shortly after the completion of the new-and-improved Public Safety Building on Main Street in 2017. The Public Safety Building serves as the city’s police and fire department headquarters. The other two stations are located at 783 NW University Drive on the campus of SIUE, and at 340 Montclaire Avenue. Chief Whiteford explained that these existing stations are much along the north and south of the city limits, however, Edwardsville has grown tremendously from east to west, requiring a new station to keep dispatch times as quick as possible, with citizen safety being a number one priority. “The

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SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton announced today a historic agreement to pay off the remaining $1.36 billion unemployment insurance loan balance, replenish the fund for the future, and protect benefits for working families. The agreement will save taxpayers an estimated $20 million in interest costs that would be due next September and preserves hundreds of millions of dollars in future federal tax credits for Illinois employers. The agreement between representatives from business, labor, bipartisan members of the General Assembly, and the state, will contribute more than $1.8 billion in state funds to the unemployment insurance trust fund, which includes the payment of the remaining federal loan balance borrowed under Title XII of the Social Security Act. The remaining $450 million will be placed into the trust fund from state funds as an interest-free loan. As the loan is repaid over the next ten years, funds will be deposited directly into the

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EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville issued a North Buchanan Street work update Tuesday afternoon: The block of North Buchanan Street between East Vandalia Street and Hillsboro Avenue is closed today (Tuesday, November 29) while the road is patched at the East Vandalia intersection, the city said. "It is expected to reopen by early Wednesday morning for those who need to access that block," the city added. "This is another step in the huge project to upgrade the very old water main along North Buchanan Street between Vandalia and Union streets. The new water main (a 12-inch pipe that will serve the area far better than the original 4-inch cast iron main) is in place, and we’re in the process of switching over everyone’s service to that main before we can get the road patched. "We know it’s taking a while, that it’s messy and disruptive, and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience and apologize for the inconvenience. A few hurdles have cropped up

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ALTON - Pat Liston is celebrating playing 50 years of Music and coming to the ALT Showplace after a two-Night Engagement at the Pageant Theater in St. Louis. Beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 7, will be a very special evening of music from the man who has been the anchor of "MAMA'S PRIDE" along with his brother, Danny, after being inspired by his teachings from his own Mama "Lou". Indeed, Pat is a man with family values and a dream to make this "ole world a better place." Audiences of all ages will enjoy the range of his musical talents on multiple guitars and keyboard - and the purity of his vast collection of songs that have been recorded by Atlantic Records for several decades. And yes, he prides himself on being a Southern Rock Artist who has kept family values together for over 40 years - and still hit the Billboards both regionally and nationally. Pat was inducted into the KSHE 95 Hall of Fame in 2012 and Pat's song "Blue Mist" has remained the most requested song on KSHE fo

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COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 11 Commander, Captain Casey Faro, announces the ISP will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols in Madison and St. Clair County during December. ACE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs. The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers working the detail will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license, transporting open alcoholic beverages, and most importantly: - Driving Under the Influence (DUI); - Safety Belt and Child Restraint use; - Speeding; - Distracted Driving; and, - All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations. Alcohol and drug impairment are factors in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - December 1, 2022, is the one-year anniversary of Detective Antonio Valentine’s line of duty death. In honor of Detective Valentine’s sacrifice, the Bella Fontaine Shelter in Bella Fontaine Park, located at 9565 Bellefontaine Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors, will be renamed the “Detective Antonio Valentine Memorial Shelter”. A dedication ceremony will be held at the shelter at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, 2022. On December 1, 2021, St. Louis County Police Detective Antonio Valentine was fatally injured in a motor vehicle crash that occurred in North St. Louis County. Detective Valentine was assigned to the Bureau of Drug Enforcement. Detective Valentine is survived by his four children, ranging in age from 10 to 22. He was 42 years of age. Detective Valentine joined the Department in June of 2007 and served in the Central County Precinct, the Bureau of Transit Police, the North County Precinct, the Special Operations Unit, the Auto Crime

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EDWARDSVILLE - Cathy A. Hensley, a spokesperson for the City Of Edwardsville, reported Tuesday afternoon the ruptured gas pipe in a field on the east side of the city late Monday afternoon that forced the closure of a portion of Illinois Route 143 has been rectified. "All is clear, the road is fully open and the situation has been addressed," Hensley said. The Edwardsville Fire Department shut down Route 143 between Staunton Road and Goshen Road (east of Interstate 55) just before 5 p.m. There was no immediate danger to anyone who lived in the area, Hensley said. An update was issued later Monday night: "One lane of traffic on Route 143 has reopened, but drivers are asked to please be cautious and heed the guidance of first responders as traffic alternates between the eastbound and westbound directions." The Edwardsville Fire Department is being assisted in this matter by the Marine Fire Department.

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ST. LOUIS - With the holidays around the corner, Mueller Furniture wants to make sure all families within the St. Louis area have food on their tables and the resources they need. Mueller Furniture, a 4 th generation, family-owned local business, is participating in The Salvation Army’s annual Tree of Lights campaign. The campaign is a historic St. Louis holiday tradition and is now in its 75th year of serving communities in St. Louis. “We are so grateful for the support the community has shown our business and want to always return the favor,” said Mueller’s Furniture owner, Mark Mueller. “It’s important to us that we participate in the community by giving back. During this holiday season, we are encouraging our customers to round up at the register to the nearest dollar to help support the Tree of Lights campaign and the amazing work The Salvation Army does.” The Salvation Army encourages local businesses throughout the St. Louis area

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FOSTERBURG - Givin' It All For Guts is hosting an important blood drive on Wednesday, November 30 in Fosterburg. The blood drive is from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Fosterburg Township Community Center, 2919 Main St., Fosterburg. Givin' It All For Guts is a local non-profit that raises funds to support the research of Crohn's Disease, Colitis, and IBD illnesses. The American Red Cross always stresses this is a vital time to donate blood during the holiday season because the donations sometimes trail off, but the needs do not. "The region has been dealing with a blood shortage for almost two years now," Angela Richards, president of Givin' It All For Guts, said. "What a great gift this is to give someone this time of year."

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School field hockey star Avary Osborne had a dream of playing field hockey in college and also studying archaeology. With her signing a letter of intent recently with Earlham College, a liberal arts college in Richmond, Ind., she has accomplished that dream. Avary is an iCAN Clinic Female Athlete of the Month for Edwardsville. “This is super exciting and almost a little nerve-racking going up a level,” she said. “I really like the team members at Earlham College. I will start there this summer with training. This means a lot to me because I can continue to play field hockey which I really love. I think it will be a great experience.” EHS head field hockey coach Jaimee Henderson coached Avary all four years. She said Avary has been “wonderful to work with and someone we could always depend on.” “It seems like she has been on the team forever,” Henderson said. “She is a defender and there is a

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GODFREY - The ninth annual Pride, Inc. Local Celebrity Roast is coming up this Thursday, December 1, at Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey. The cocktail reception is at 5 p.m. with a dinner at 6 p.m., while the Roast itself begins at 6:55 p.m. and ends by 8 p.m. Tammy Iskarous, Founder and Executive Director of Riverbend Family Ministries, will be roasted and toasted as the subject of this year’s Local Celebrity Roast. Fifteen years ago, Iskarous brought several small nonprofits under one roof to help local families in crisis due to violence, addiction, homelessness, and poverty. As founder and volunteer Executive Director, she has clocked over 50,000 volunteer hours – and would be the first to tell you there’s always more work to be done. To secure your spot for a fun evening of good food and bad jokes, register online at prideincorporated.org or by calling the Pride, Inc. office at (618) 467-2375. The price is $65 per person or $500 per table of

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EDWARDSVILLE - Dennis Terry, Business Development Officer at First Mid Bank & Trust, will be retiring on December 30, 2022, after a long-standing banking career of over 50 years in Edwardsville, IL, and the surrounding communities. “Dennis has been a stable force in the financial industry in the Metro East for many years,” said Lisa Fowler, Regional Community Bank President at First Mid. “Not only is he well-known in Edwardsville and Madison County, but he has worked with many businesses and individuals throughout the St. Louis area during his career. He has been instrumental in providing opportunities and mentoring many individuals in the communities he has served. We will certainly miss his daily presence but his influence on all of us will continue his outstanding legacy. We wish him the best in his retirement and are forever grateful for his service to our organization, our customers, and his colleagues.” Terry began with Mercantile Trust in St. Louis,

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in the 5300 block of Gladstone Place which resulted in the death of an adult female. On November 25, 2022, at 9:57 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the Central County Precinct responded to a call for service for an assault in the 5300 block of Gladstone Place. Responding officers located an adult female suffering from a gunshot injury. The victim was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment. On November 28, 2022, the victim succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. The victim has been identified as Kacie Stith, 23 years of age, of the 5300 block of Gladstone Place in St. Louis, Missouri 63121. On Monday, November 28, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued updated charges on suspect Brianna Williams, 23 years of age, of the 10500 block of Hudson Road in St. Louis, Missouri 63136, for Murder

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BETHALTO – Senior hurdler Bella Dugger thought it would be a good idea to follow in her older sister’s footsteps. “Ever since I knew Mal ran in college, I was like oh, hey I have to do that too, that would be pretty cool.” Bella’s older sister Mallory, a 2009 CM graduate, went to Saint Louis University where she ran track for a couple of years participating in a variety of events. Now, Bella will become the second sister to run track collegiately as she committed to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Monday afternoon in front of her family and coaches. Bella is recognized as a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance in Bethalto Female Athlete of the Month for the Eagles. “I’m really excited to see where it takes me and how the help from college coaches can really improve my ability to do what I do now,” Bella said about being able to continue her athletic and academic career. For her, it was also important to try and stay close to home

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CHICAGO - Attorney Kwame Raoul announced today that his office, along with five other states and the Federal Trade Commission, have reached settlements with Google, LLC and iHeartMedia Inc. that resolve the coalition’s investigations into alleged deceptive ad campaigns that ran false endorsements of the Google Pixel 4 smartphone. The settlements secure more than $9.4 million in civil penalties, of which Illinois will receive more than $1.5 million. According to a complaint filed with the consent judgments, which remain subject to court approval, in 2019, Google contracted iHeartMedia radio personalities to record advertisements endorsing Google’s Pixel 4 smartphone. In these ads, which ran on certain iHeart radio stations and internet streaming services, the radio personalities falsely claimed they used the smartphones and found that they performed favorably. However, the radio personalities never owned or operated a Pixel 4 smartphone prior to making their endorsements.

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ALTON - Alton Main Street’s quarterly information exchange, called “What’s Up Downtown”, will be held on Wednesday, November 30th at 5:30 p.m. at Jacoby Arts Center, located at 627 E. Broadway in Alton, IL. The public is invited to learn the latest news regarding developments in Alton’s historic downtown district, including updates from new & existing businesses, news on real estate transactions and details of upcoming events and projects. The evening’s featured speakers will be: Andrea Yancey, Deputy Director of Planning & Development, sharing updates on behalf of the City of Alton regarding the implementation of the Great Streets plan, a Reconnecting Communities grant, and developments including the Wedge Innovation Center and a cannabis dispensary Brigit Holt, who plans to re-open the Riverbender Community Center under a new name, iMerge, and is planning a grand re-opening of the center with a New Year’s Eve Extravaganza for middle school

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