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GRANITE CITY - Nick Raftopoulos, the democratic hopeful for State Representative in Illinois’ 111th House District, will host a meet and greet event on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Bubby & Sissy’s in Alton. All are welcome for an opportunity to converse with Raftopoulos, gain insight into his background and political platform, and inquire about his vision for effectively representing the 111th District. “These meet and greets emphasize my commitment to open dialogue, community engagement, and creating a lasting impact,” Raftopoulos says. Located at 602 Belle St., Bubby & Sissy’s is one of the Metro East’s most prominent LGBTQ+ spaces. As a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, Raftopoulos is a firm believer of diversity, inclusivity, and equal rights for all. “It is my privilege to host this event at Bubby & Sissy’s, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and acceptance,” he states. “This establishment has

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ALTON - The Alton City Council recently passed two ordinances related to the Alton Landfill Solar Farm project, which was first announced earlier this year and is taking shape as progress continues. One item passed was a lease agreement between the City of Alton and Alton Landfill Solar LLC, while the other was an electric easement allowing Ameren to do minor work on the site. In a series of recent drone photos from 618 Drone Service , workers can be seen installing several concrete bases with metal brackets, which will eventually hold the solar panels. These concrete bases are necessary to install the solar panels without breaking ground on the former landfill, given the nature of what’s beneath its surface. Also known as the “Old Alton Landfill,” the site first opened as a municipal landfill in 1968. Prior to that, the area was once part of a much larger piece of land belonging to the Alton Brick Company, who used it to excavate clay for their bricks.

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Letter To The Editor: Food guilt…been there, done that. Of all the times to have the voices in your head telling you that you need to eat this, don’t eat that, I shouldn’t have eaten that – now is not it. The holidays can be stressful enough without adding food to the list of things making your head spin. As a certified nutritionist, I find it especially important over the holiday season to not have to worry about the foods you choose to eat. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and that includes all the special foods that come with it. I’m talking about even foods like pumpkin pie and your favorite Christmas cookie. Use these 3 tips to stop the mental chatter at your next holiday meal and find the confidence to enjoy the day. 1) Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner too It’s time to break free from the mindset that calories dictate how much you can eat in a day. You’re not going to skip breakfast in exchange for a larger holiday

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COLLINSVILLE - The Major Case Squad Of Greater St. Louis has been activated in a case that developed on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Collinsville. The Collinsville Police responded to a report at approximately 10:44 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in the vicinity of the 500 block of Loop Street in Collinsville, about an unresponsive male found by neighbors lying in a ditch. The subject, who sustained a serious laceration to his torso, was later pronounced deceased by the Madison County Coroner’s Office. The victim has been identified as Tyrese L. Owens, 21, of the 500 block of Loop St., #5, Collinsville, IL., 62234. The Collinsville Police Department requested the activation of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to lead the investigation. Currently, there are approximately 20 investigators assigned to the case, being led by Deputy Commander Mark Kuechle, the Collinsville Police said in a statement. Investigators are following up on numerous leads at this time. The Majo

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EDWARDSVILLE — A judge has granted a request by Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine to dismiss convicted killer Timothy M. Banowetz’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea for the murder of attorney Randy Gori. “We hope this ruling brings an end to this convicted murderer’s absurd legal gamesmanship,” Haine said. “We are going to continue to make every possible effort to ensure this brutal individual serves every day of his 70-year sentence, so fully deserved, so that the family and loved ones of Randy Gori can continue to heal with a sense of closure.” In December 2021, after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and armed robbery, Banowetz was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Circuit Judge Kyle Napp on Wednesday granted Haine’s request to dismiss Banowetz’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea and sentence. Banowetz’s motion was received by the Circuit Clerk in December 2022 – months beyond the 30-day window

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Letter To The Editor: This in reply to a letter written by Village Administrator - Bob Coles - Numerous people/ citizens have reached out, called/commented in support of this Facebook page and therefore a response is warranted. In December of 2020, 2 childhood friends came together with a plan to create unity in the community of South Roxana. At that time the Village had little to no events. These two friends planned and prevailed over the last 3 years with numerous events. All events created by these two friends were not city-affiliated due to the lack of the Village involvement. These events were not to publicly validate these friends as they wanted to fly under the radar because the reason for these events was strictly due to the love of their community of South Roxana. The first event was a Easter Egg hunt in Spring of 2021. The next event was over July 4th of 2021 and a safe and fun event was created for not just our community but surrounding communities. This event had over

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RIVERBEND - Whether you’re a veteran, you have a veteran in your life or you just want to show appreciation to Americans who have served, Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize these people and remember those who have been lost. There are several activities scheduled this weekend around the Riverbend to recognize Veterans Day. Donuts With Veterans What: A morning of complementary coffee and donuts with veterans When: 8–10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 Who: Open to the public Where: The School House Grill at Senior Services Plus, Inc., located at 2603 N. Rodgers Avenue in Alton Note: More information is available here . Carlinville Primary School Veterans Day Parade What: Students will parade around Front Circle Drive at the school to recognize Veterans Day. Veterans are invited to walk with them. When: 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 Who: Open to the public Where: Carlinville Primary School, located at 18456 Shipman

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GODFREY - The Godfrey Village Board of Trustees voted 5-1 to amend its Electrical Code on Tuesday, including the creation of an “electrical inspector” position, registration and permit requirements for major electrical work, and more. “The electrical inspector shall have the authority to review, inspect and approve all electrical drawings, specifications, installations and equipment,” according to the ordinance amending the Electrical Code. “The electrical inspector shall have the authority, during reasonable working hours and with reasonable notice, to enter upon any premises or into any building or structure or portion thereof for the purpose of making any inspection of permitted work.” According to the ordinance, it is now unlawful to do electrical contractor work without being properly registered as an electrical contractor in Godfrey. Those already registered in another municipality will not be required to re-register in Godfrey. Permits

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PIASA - It is an accomplishment for a player to earn all-conference in any sport, but Southwestern tight end, defensive end, and kicker Logan Keith was recognized as all-conference in all three of his categories. He was a first-team football pick for All-South Central Conference as a kicker, second-team as a defensive lineman, and third-team as an offensive skills player. Logan had some big runs and was strong defensively in Southwestern's final regular season 35-7 win over Hillsboro that punched the Piasa Birds into the IHSA football playoffs. These are some of Logan's stats for the season: Rushing - 63 carries, 325 yards, and seven rushing touchdowns. Receiving - 17 receptions, 237 yards and two receiving TDs. Tackles - 55 solo tackles, 11 assists and three sacks. Logan Keith is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. The Piasa Birds' head football coach Pat Keith said Logan developed into a solid football player during

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ALTON/GODFREY - The Great Rivers Choral Society is making final preparations for their first concert of the season, “Illumination: Piercing the Darkness,” with performances in both Alton and Godfrey during the weekend of Nov. 10 and 11, 2023. The first performance will be held on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Bridge Church, located at 504 E. 12th St. in Alton. The concert will return on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 at 3 p.m. at Godfrey First United Methodist Church, located at 1100 Airport Road in Godfrey. Both concerts are free to attend and open to the public, though a free-will offering will be taken. “The choir sounds amazing and we are looking forward to sharing our hard work over the past few months with you,” the Great Rivers Choral Society said on their Facebook page. “Invite a friend, or two! We hope to see you there!” This concert will also feature guest pianist Sun Hye Chung. Chung studied Piano Performance for her Master’s

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GODFREY - Karen Wilson is ready to be roasted. The State Farm agent is known as a good neighbor throughout the Riverbend region, and she’s taking one for the team next month as the celebrity community member who will be roasted to raise funds for Pride, Incorporated. From 5–8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, community members will gather at The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey for a buffet, roast session and Wilson’s counter-roast. “My daughter’s been waiting her whole life for this,” Wilson laughed. “I’m scared. If you want to know all the dirt on me and make fun of me, come on Dec. 14th.” Even the event’s dress code — “Globetrotter Chic” — is a playful poke at Wilson’s hobbies. Wilson, a philanthropist and volunteer through Pride, Inc., joked she’s nervous about this “living wake” but excited to support the nonprofit. All proceeds will b

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Treasurer's note: In honor of Veterans Day this coming weekend, the majority of this newsletter is devoted to our nation’s veterans. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude. I frequently talk about how much fun my job is. I get to make money for the state. I get to help families save for college and retirement. I get to return hundreds of millions of dollars in missing money to our residents. But there is no greater honor than the 10 times I have reunited veterans or their loved ones with Purple Heart medals that have been left in bank safety deposit boxes and turned over to my office. Part of that is because Veterans Day is important in my family. Over the decades, my family has kept alive the memories of Uncle Doug and Uncle Walt. April 28, 1968, is an important day for my family. It’s the day my parents were married. It’s also the day Amel Douglas Royalty, my Aunt Bev’s husband, was killed by an enemy mortar in Vietnam. She found out two weeks after the

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JERSEYVILLE - Charli Sawyer is a senior at Jersey Community High School, but she’s also an aspiring teacher who’s already going above and beyond for her students. Charli takes the TEACH class at JCHS, which offers dual credit with Lewis & Clark Community College and provides real-world teaching experience for seniors considering an educational career. She also takes Advanced Design, where students learn - among many other things - how to sew by machine and by hand. Combining the skills she’s learned in both classes, she recently made her students a special surprise - 19 handcrafted monsters made of felt, which are their new “reading buddies.” For 90 minutes each school day, Charli teaches Kindergarten students in Mrs. Goetten's classroom at West Elementary School. She encourages her students to read faithfully to their new “reading buddies” to help make their monsters smarter while learning valuable skills. “I want to help all kids succeed,&rdquo

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CARLINVILLE - To address what the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recognizes as “the defining public health crisis of our time ,” thirteen colleges have received $3.275 million in funding from The Endeavor Foundation for the first phase of “Enhancing Student Learning and Experience through Campus Wellness, Student Wellbeing, and Mental Health Initiatives.” The multi-year collaborative project seeks both to respond to pressing needs and to integrate attention to mental health, well-being, and wellness throughout student learning. “Student mental health issues represent an urgent challenge. These issues affect students in ways that prevent them from full participation in campus life and rob them of the precious sense of well-being which should be theirs. We hope that the Colleges’ work will help them transform their communities as well as inspire other institutions of higher learning to address challenges collectively,” said Julie Kidd,

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Name: Olin M. Gray Hometown: Alton KIA: No DOD: November 3, 2013 Branch: 4th Marine Raider Battalion Wars: WWII Medals Earned: Distinguished Service Cross Message: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Olin M. Gray (MCSN: 458574), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company Q, FOURTH Marine Raider Battalion, in the early part of the engagement at Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, on 20 July 1943. After all the other men in his machine-gun squad had been either killed or wounded, Private Gray, on his own initiative, took over the gun and manned it single-handedly with spectacular daring and zeal during the entire action. He repeatedly exposed himself purposely to the Japanese and boldly invited fire so that their gun position

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Name: Jeff Gray Hometown: Alton Branch: Navy Submitter's Name: Kathryn Gray

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Name: Conner Fassler Hometown: Alton Years of Service: 2023-Present Branch: Army Rank: PFC Message: Thank you for your willingness to do what it takes to defend us and our nation! Submitter's Name: Lori Fassler

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Name: Michael Earl Cronk Hometown: Alton KIA: No DOD: May 29, 2020 Branch: Army Rank: SP5 Wars: Vietnam Medals Earned: Honorable Discharge Commendation Award for Meritorious work Message: Husband, father, uncle, friend Submitter's Name: Valerie Trudell

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco to discuss Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) oversight. During their meeting, Durbin followed up on his September letter to Deputy Attorney General Monaco requesting information about the reports of excessive force in BOP facilities, including United States Penitentiary Thomson (USP Thomson). “I take BOP oversight seriously in my position as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I have sought to address the injustices and challenges that impact the daily lives of incarcerated Americans, as well as BOP staff. I am deeply disturbed by the reports of excessive force used in BOP facilities, particularly at USP Thomson,” said Durbin. “I met with Deputy Attorney General Monaco today to reiterate my concerns. I urged her to use her position in the Department of Justice to provide additional oversight to prison

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today applauded Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act of 2017 for an additional five years. The legislation equitably expands access to basic education for children around the globe. “Given the terrible learning loss around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic and troubling backsliding on girls education in places such as Afghanistan, reauthorizing the READ Act couldn't come at a more important time,” said Durbin. “Doing so will ensure U.S. development programs continue to focus on providing basic education around a sound, long-term strategy – one that includes making sure girls have access to schooling. This legislation has strong bipartisan support, and I’m encouraged that the Senate passed it unanimously. I urge the House to take up our legislation swiftly

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