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ALTON - Faces Not Forgotten , an Alton-based nonprofit organization and art project honoring children killed by gun violence with portraits and quilts, has been named a winner of Gold and Silver-level awards in the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards . The organization was named a Gold winner for Innovative Products and Services in the Special Projects category, as well as a Silver winner for Community Outreach in the Education, Art, & Culture category. More information about the awards and project is available here. “We elevate the individual humanity of each young gun violence victim by painting their portraits to give dignity to these children. These portraits are donated to the survivor families,” said Christine Ilewski, founder and executive director of Faces Not Forgotten. “We then assemble the images into quilts, organized by state, and exhibit them in venues across the country hoping to shift our collective social consciousness and ignite change.” Si

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ALTON - Father Christopher Uhl, OMV, the St. Mary’s pastor, said he is excited as always as the Lenten season begins for parishioners and that this is such an important time for parishioners in their penitence and sacrifice. St. Mary’s had several Masses this past Ash Wednesday where the ashes were delivered. The ashes come from the previous Palm Sunday. Uhl and the Oblates of the Virgin Mary members said that parishioners should enjoy these 40 days with the Lord at their side. “How is the Lord inviting you to spend this forty-day retreat in the desert? Do you feel like you already failed? Do not lose courage! “Allow the Lord into places of the heart, so that he may offer comfort again,” he said. The church invites us to go into a 40-day retreat invited into the journey of lent and we will never be ourselves you might want to change or improve your life. Change can be very difficult change can be scary for some of us. We are with Jesus and the one wh

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JOLIET – On February 27, 2023, at approximately 7:46 a.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash involving an ISP squad car on Interstate 55 northbound at Illinois Route 59, Will County. On the above date and time, an ISP Trooper was investigating a previous crash on the right shoulder of Interstate 55 northbound at Illinois Route 59, with emergency lights activated. A silver 2018 Nissan Altima, traveling northbound on Interstate 55, failed to yield to the stationary emergency vehicle and struck the left rear side of the ISP squad car. An ISP Trooper and K9 were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. The Trooper was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The K9 was uninjured. The driver of the Nissan, 24-year-old Tanner R. Poppenhager of Beardstown, IL, was issued a citation for: Scott’s Law – Failure To Yield To Stationary Emergency Vehicle. So far this year, ISP had six Move Over Law-related

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EDWARDSVILLE – The intersection of North Buchanan Street and Hillsboro Avenue will be closed beginning Monday, February 27, for concrete patching. Only the intersection will be closed. North Fillmore Street, North Kansas Street and other nearby roads can be used to bypass the intersection. Barring weather or other delays, the intersection is expected to reopen by the end of the week. The closure is part of the ongoing water main replacement project along North Buchanan Street. As part of that, all of the businesses and homes on North Buchanan between Union Street and East Vandalia Street are being switched from a century-old 4-inch cast iron water main to a new 12-inch main. The City of Edwardsville said it appreciates the cooperation and patience of all residents and businesses during this closure. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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JERSEYVILLE - Three Jerseyville individuals and one Granite City individual faced a wide range of charges in recent weeks, including possession of fentanyl, heroin, and meth, as well as charges of driving on a suspended license and providing a false name to police. Stephanie N. Choat, 36, of Jerseyville, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, specifically “less than 15 grams of a substance containing heroin,” a Class 4 felony. Choat was also charged with unlawful possession of a hypodermic syringe or needle (a Class A misdemeanor) and driving on a suspended license (a Class A misdemeanor). The incident occurred on Feb. 19, and Choat’s bail was set at $10,000. She pleaded guilty to the heroin possession charge, but the other two charges were dismissed as of Feb. 23. She was ordered to obtain a drug/alcohol evaluation before her sentencing hearing, which is set for March 27. More information about this case can be found on the Jersey Count

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CARLINVILLE - The Blackburn College Beekeeping Program will host its first beekeeping class this spring. This exciting opportunity will be open to the public, and attendees will have access to the campus’s apiary as a learning resource. The class will run from March 13 until May 9, 2023. The opportunity will consist of eight evening classroom sessions and up to eight in-hive field days on weekends (weather permitting). Those attending the class will learn introductory beekeeping skills, honeybee anatomy and reproduction, as well as hive social structure and function. The class will also include understanding the bees’ relationship to each other, their relationship to humans, the human relationship to bees, the impact on our shared environment, and how it affects both the bees and humans alike. Blackburn College is a chemical-free apiary, and coursework will therefore reflect this. While Blackburn’s commitment to pollinators dates back to the late 1800s, the current

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ST. LOUIS - The Pitch Athletic Club and Tavern will open to the public today on Monday, February 27, 2023. It's a bit of soccer heaven in St. Louis. Located at Market and 20th streets on the northwest corner of St. Louis Union Station, The Pitch is across the street from the new City SC stadium, City Park. The Pitch will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and will open at 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays with breakfast for for fans who follow televised international soccer matches. Large TVs throughout the space will be tuned to soccer matches and other sporting events from around the globe. The new restaurant's interiors are accented with European pub colors and designs. The walls are covered with memorabilia from St. Louis' impressive soccer history. A large display features the current City SC players. See the game schedule here. The menu includes classics from New York's famed Carnegie Deli, including the Reuben, Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwiches. Pub classics

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WESTMONT - Edwardsville's Cohen Osborn finished in sixth place in the final of the IHSA boys' state swimming meet on Saturday at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont. Osborn, who qualified for the final on Friday, had a time of 50.50 seconds to finish sixth in the race. Brady Johnson of West Chicago won the race at 48.08 seconds, with Szymon Mieczkowski of Schaumburg coming in second at 49.22 seconds and Jaiden Heinlein of Palatine Fremd was third at 49.75 seconds. For his efforts this swim season, Cohen Osborn is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. Hinsdale Central ran away with the state championship, scoring 253 points to win the title, with Winnetka New Trier coming in second with 134 points, third place went to Lincolnshire Adlai Stevenson with 122.5 points, Highland Park was fourth at 89 points and Park Ridge Maine South rounded out the top five with 68 points. The Tigers, on Osborn's sixth-place finish, came in 31st with nine points. Osborn's Coach Christian

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WOOD RIVER - East Alton Wood River High School senior Bella Davis has enjoyed her time as a cheerleader for the Oilers. Ever since she started doing cheer when she was just six years old, she said that she loves how it's more than just a team, but more like a second family. Bella is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. She said that sports have taught her discipline, responsibility, dedication, and accountability. She added that they also helped her learn how to work outside her own social group and build new relationships. Bella is also an outfielder on the school's softball team. Post-graduation Bella plans to attend St. Louis University where she plans to study in cardiothoracic.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Girls can do anything, engineering included. That was the theme of “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday, Feb. 25. Over 130 local middle and high school girls attended the 11 th annual event at SIUE’s School of Engineering (SOE) sponsored by the SIUE Chapter of Society of Women Engineers (SWE). “Women in engineering is uncommon,” said Kaitlyn Colligan, junior industrial engineering major and president of the SWE. “We want to introduce girls to engineering and have it become the norm. Engineering plays a big role in society, and we want the younger generations to know that and see the impact they can have through engineering.” SIUE students and faculty lead various activities for the girls, featuring the engineering disciplines of mechanical, electrical, computer science, civil and industrial. “Engineering is a field that has historically been dominated

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s highest academic rank of Distinguished Research Professor was unanimously awarded to Kimberly Archer, DMA, professor in the Department of Music. Archer joins a prestigious group of tenured faculty members who have been recognized for their significant contributions to research and creative activities. Archer joined the SIUE faculty in 2005. She is the first woman faculty member in the arts at SIUE to have received this promotion. “I am pleasantly surprised to have received this award,” said Archer. “It is always challenging to explain to faculty and administrators outside the discipline how creative activity and even teaching in the arts works. I am thrilled that I was able to translate these differences successfully to the committee and honored that the committee found my work worthy of award.” Along with teaching music theory, aural skill and orchestration at SIUE, Archer is noted as

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ST. LOUIS - Comedian and Emmy-nominated actor Kevin James will bring The Irregardless Tour to Stifel Theatre on September 27. Widely known from his hit sitcom The King of Queens on CBS, Kevin James began his stand-up career on the Long Island, NY comedy scene and has built a legacy comedy career. About Kevin James Kevin James began his career as a stand-up on the Long Island comedy scene. After being discovered at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival, he signed a network development deal to create his own sitcom. The King of Queens, which premiered in 1998, ran for nine seasons on CBS with James starring and executive producing, and it garnered him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The show concluded its run in 2007 but continues to air daily in syndication across the country and around the world. James also starred in, and executive produced The Crew, a sitcom set in the world of NASCAR and is currently developing a single-camera comedy (both for

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EDWARDSVILLE - Register by March 1 to attend the Grow Native! Native By Design: Community Conservation workshop at Lewis and Clark Community College in Edwardsville, Illinois. Featured speakers will explore the following questions: How can we use community-level planning to conserve existing natural communities? How can we bring the public along in these efforts? How can we integrate our native landscaping projects into communities to combat nature deficit disorder? Ronda Burnett, community conservation planner with the Missouri Department of Conservation and chair of the Grow Native! Committee, will be the keynote speaker, presenting on how community conservation planning practices can increase the benefits of nature in cities as well as decrease the negative impacts of human communities on the natural world. The keynote talk will set the stage for plenary speakers Sara McGibany, Debbie Newman, Joann Fricke, Sarah Burton, and Eric Wright, who will share their experiences in protecting

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ALTON - Illinois State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) was named ‘Legislator of the Year’ by the Associated Builders & Contractors, Illinois Chapter at their 2023 Annual Member Awards & Apprenticeship Graduation event in Elk Grove Village. According to State Rep. Amy Elik, “The construction industry helps grow our economy and creates jobs. When we go to work, shop, or go out to eat – the construction industry built the infrastructure. I appreciate the recognition and will continue to support our workforce and training programs to help the individuals and small businesses that work to build and grow our economy.” Rep. Elik received the 2022 House Freshman ‘Legislator of the Year’ award from the Associated Builders & Contractors, Illinois Chapter for her positive voting record and commitment to free enterprise in Illinois. Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association representing more than 22,000

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"I’m very optimistic about the future of tourism in our region. In 2022 we welcomed millions of visitors to the Metro North Region of southwest Illinois. Those visitors spent hundreds of millions of dollars at our local restaurants, businesses, retail establishments, hotels and visited our parks, sites, and attractions in record numbers. Visitor spending produced millions more in local and state tax revenues used to protect our citizens, keep our streets safe, and fund much-needed public works projects. New products opened including the Aerie’s Alpine Coaster in Grafton, Flock Food Truck Park in Alton, and Herald Square in Collinsville. New hotel projects are underway in Alton and Edwardsville. Speaking of Edwardsville the city’s food scene continues to explode with more variety and experiences. The bureau invested $1 million dollars in creating new product and developing new experiences along the Last 100 Miles of Route 66 in Illinois from Virden to Collinsville.

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CHICAGO — Today Governor JB Pritzker joined local, state, and community leaders to release a new report from the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, which will redesign the delivery of behavioral health services for Illinois youth. The goal of the Initiative is to transform statewide systems to provide clear, consistent, and comprehensive guidance to families seeking behavioral or mental health services for children and adolescents. “Nearly a year ago, I announced the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, which builds on the substantial progress made by Illinois agencies to ensure that every young person experiencing mental or behavioral health problems can access needed services,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Through rate increases, community networks, and inter-agency collaboration, we are taking a multi-faceted, comprehensive approach to establish the number one children’s behavioral healthcare

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DUPO - A standoff after a shooting that lasted several hours ended Monday morning. The shooting suspect Reginald Allen, 40, was discovered dead in his garage from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, law enforcement reported. A person was shot to death in the situation and a police officer was injured. A neighborhood in Dupo was locked down for several hours. Law enforcement around the region was called to the situation and visible. Law enforcement said Allen barricaded himself inside a McBride Avenue in Dupo home near Interstate 255, and killed a person, and shot a Dupo Police officer. The initial call to law enforcement came at 1:18 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023.

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DUPO - The Illinois State Police announced Sunday afternoon that a police officer had been wounded and a second person was shot and reported deceased Sunday afternoon in Dupo. There was a standoff in a neighborhood just outside Dupo in the 400 block of McBride Avenue. State Police reported the shooting occurred at 1:15 p.m. Sunday. Dupo Police Department, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, and Illinois State Police are at the scene. State Police said the suspected shooter is believed to be barricaded in a residence in Dupo. More to come.

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Illinois State Police (ISP) Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG) arrested 53-year-old Mark Booker from East St. Louis, IL for Aggravated Battery (Class X Felony), Armed Habitual Criminal (Class X Felony), and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 2 Felony). On February 21, 2023, at approximately 4:39 p.m., the ISP PSEG agents and the East St. Louis Police Department responded to a report of a person shot at the 1400 block of Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis, IL. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries. After a thorough investigation, PSEG agents were able to identify Booker as the suspect. On February 22, 2023, the St. County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges for Aggravated Battery, Armed Habitual Offender, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. PSEG, along with the U.S. Marshal’s Service, apprehended Booker without incident. Booker is being held on $500,000 bond with 10% t

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ALTON - Metro East Humane Society’s (MEHS) Riverbend Pet Food Pantry is teaming up with Senior Services Plus (SSP) in Alton to provide pet food for more families in Madison County through SSP’s Meals on Wheels program. The partnership is set to begin in late March and will distribute pet food to an additional 40 families in the Metro East. "Senior Services Plus is excited to continue growing its Meals on Wheels pet food program through this new collaboration with the Metro East Humane Society,” said Emily Jackson, Development Director for Senior Services Plus. “Many Meals on Wheels recipients live on a fixed income and have reported sharing their meals with their pets. We hope to increase both senior and pet food security through the pet food program." According to MEHS Executive Director Anne Schmidt, the humane society approached Senior Services Plus with the offer to supply pet food through the MEHS Riverbend Pet Food Pantry when the program was restructured

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