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GODFREY – The Nature Institute is excited to offer a family event for members diligently supporting the organization’s mission. Family Fun Day, scheduled for April 30 from 10 a.m. - to 12 p.m., invites families to play games together, meet animal ambassadors from Treehouse Wildlife Center, and grab an ice cream sundae. This event is a thank you to the people that continue to support TNI’s mission of fostering awareness and appreciation of the natural world through education, restoration, and preservation. As a non-profit, TNI is supported solely through funding provided by memberships, generous donations, program fees, and grants. If you’re interested in becoming a member, information can be found at www.TheNatureInstitute.org . Memberships start as low as $30. The Nature Institute, located at 2213 South Levis Lane in Godfrey, IL, will host activities available starting at 10 a.m. Self-led activities and Minute-to-Win-It games can be discovered throughout

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St. Louis Union Station is celebrating the St. Louis Blues this Saturday, April 16 with a rally day on the Purina Performance Plaza before the game. Beloved Blues mascot "Louie" will be on the plaza and in the St. Louis Wheel Park for hugs, high fives, and photos from 10 to 11 a.m. The Charles Glenn Band, a favorite of Blues fans, will perform in the Plaza from noon until 2 p.m. The Blues will play the Minnesota Wild at 2 p.m. at Enterprise Center next door to Union Station on Saturday. The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station will be open beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday and the St. Louis Wheel, carousel, and mini-golf course will open at 10 a.m. Union Station's restaurants, including Soda Fountain -- famous for its Freak Shake milkshakes -- and Train Shed will open for lunch and dinner, beginning at 11 a.m. The Fire & Light Show on the Union Station lake will play throughout the afternoon beginning at noon. St. Louis Union Station is located at 201 S. 18th Street, St. Louis, MO 63103

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ALTON - JCPenney celebrated 120 years in business with discounts, a new ad campaign, and a new JCPenney-inspired character on Friday. The JCPenney store within the Alton Square Mall joined in on the festivities with a big birthday party from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday. The event featured live musical entertainment from DJ DK Gray as well as special furry guests from 5As Animal Shelter. Alton JCPenney store General Manager Libby Mark said the Alton store is “very community-oriented.” “We have repeat customers that are very loyal to us,” she said. “We pull a lot of people from the St. Louis area for our fine jewelry department. I am new in my position here but this store is very loved by the community. When I reached out to the community everybody was aboard. We have the best customer service here. Some of the employees have been here for 25 years. We try very hard with every customer that comes in our store." The company is also kicking off its “Shopping

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WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, April 18, 2022, at 4PM ET, Congresswoman Robin Kelly will host “The Future of Black Maternal Health,” a virtual event marking the fifth annual Black Maternal Health Week. Congresswoman Kelly will be joined by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and members of the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance (BWCA). “We know that the Black maternal mortality crisis is worsening, and the number of Black women experiencing severe morbidities and other pregnancy-related complications are growing. We have made progress during the past two years in advancing policies to save the lives of Black mommas, but there is still a long way to go,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “I am looking forward to talking with Administrator Brooks LaSure about what’s next for maternal health policy, and to hearing from members of the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance, who have both worked on maternal

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ALTON - Construction workers and plumbers are bringing the new McDonald’s on Broadway to life. The McDonald’s structure was destroyed in a devastating fire that occurred on June 18, 2021. Approximately a year later, likely by the summer of 2022, a brand new McDonald’s will be put in its place by owner Dick Bold. Bold, an extraordinary community citizen and owner of multiple areas of McDonald’s retained all the employees on Broadway at other local McDonald’s immediately after the fire. Many of those workers who were at McDonald’s on Broadway will return home to their jobs when it opens again. Luke Gruchala of Huber Plumbing and Heating said the company’s employees were busy installing pipes to bring water to the new McDonald’s on Friday, and soon they will be doing plumbing work inside. “Ostmann is the general contractor and they have most of the walls and framing completed,” he said. “We've had a lot of rain days,

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ALTON - Mississippi Valley Christian School participated in the Illinois Association of Christian Schools’ Academic and Fine Arts Competition on March 17-18. Sixteen students entered a variety of categories, all receiving Excellent and Superior honors. Olivia Allen was awarded third place in photography; Ava Felt was awarded runner-up in calligraphy; Gray Sapp was awarded runner-up in Bible testing. Jonah Feuerhak (Bible testing), Thomas Kunz, Timothy Vaughn, and the MVCS Acting group were declared state champions. The MVCS state champions advanced to the National American Association of Christian School Competition held at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, on April 5-7, 2002. The national competition included approximately 1,800 students from 28 states representing over 170 schools. MVCS students Thomas Kunz, son of Tim and Jeannie Kunz of Brighton, IL, placed first in the nation in Accounting testing; and Timothy Vaughn, son of Mark and Jennifer Vaughn of Bunker Hill,

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Princeton Review has named Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Nursing (SON) as one of the best in the country for its online Master of Science in Nursing program, marking the first time the SON has been included on the list . “Online nursing school master’s programs have become as rigorous as their on-campus counterparts,” PrincetonReview.com states. “For many nursing graduate school candidates, an online degree might even be the smarter choice. Online programs offer flexibility, affordability, access to innovative technologies, students from a diversity of career backgrounds, and global opportunities.” The SON offers online master’s degree programs in nurse educator (NE) and healthcare and nursing administration (HCNA). “The nurse educator program provides a challenging sequence of courses to assure that graduates are prepared to be successful in an initial role in academic or hospital-based

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ILLINOIS – Today, the Postal Service issued four new Presorted Standard stamps featuring patriotic rural scenes. These Flags on Barns stamps are intended for business mail and are sold in self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000. The flag is a symbol of endurance and hope, and barns reflect farming culture that allowed the country to grow and thrive. Together, these two iconic images depict the best of rural America. Painted flags can be found on barns in almost every region of the United States. People have many reasons for painting flags on barns, houses and other structures, including patriotism, encouragement in times of national crisis, public acknowledgement of the heroics of local veterans and first responders or simple enjoyment of the beauty of Old Glory adorning a vintage building. Some painted barns have even become tourist attractions, drawing visitors from around the United States and from other countries. Illustrator Stephanie Bower used pencil and watercolors

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SPRINGFIELD – Youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary total of 1,258 birds during the 2022 Illinois youth turkey season on March 26-27 and April 2-3. In 2021, a total of 1,304 turkeys were taken. The record total was set in 2020 when 1,733 turkeys were harvested. This year, a total of 5,032 youth turkey permits were issued, compared to 5,589 in 2020. The top five counties for harvest during the 2022 youth season were Jefferson (54), Randolph (45), Marion (44), Adams (36), and Pope (30). The following table shows Illinois youth turkey season preliminary harvest figures by county, with numbers from 2022 and 2021. County 2022 2021 ADAMS 36 25 ALEXANDER 8 15 BOND 13 15 BOONE 6 7 BROWN 10 10 BUREAU 16 14 CALHOUN 19 17 CARROLL 7 4 CASS 20 17 CHAMPAIGN 0 2 CHRISTIAN 3 5 CLARK 21 18 CLAY 27 22 CLINTON 19 8 C

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced a new app that provides audible route navigation for oversize/overweight loads and a tamp plate that ensures proper compaction of road patches have taken the top prizes in its fifth annual Innovative Ideas Contest. The contest rewards employees for innovative problem-solving that improves safety and efficiency while saving taxpayer dollars. “This year’s contest has once again produced a bounty of innovations from creative employees throughout the state,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “With an eye toward ingenuity, this contest is yet another example of how our team is always looking to improve the services we provide to the people of Illinois.” Ideas in two tracks – Operations and Technical – were submitted to IDOT’s internal selection committee. Projects were evaluated by size and scope of the problem, creativity in finding solutions,

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Public Health Director Urges Illinoisans to Monitor Local COVID-19 Case Counts and to Protect Themselves by Remaining Up-to-date on Vaccinations SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued a warning today that COVID-19 case rates are slowly rising in many areas of the state and that members of the public should be paying close attention to conditions in their local communities and staying up-to-date on their vaccination status. “While hospitalizations and deaths tied to COVID-19 remain stable at this time, we are seeing a slow increase in cases in many areas of the State,” said Acting IDPH Director Amaal Tokars. “This is a reminder that we all need to remain vigilant and remain up to date on our vaccination status. This is especially important for those who are at higher risk for serious outcomes.” Tokars stressed that vaccination is the most effective tool we have to fight the virus – and that it is easy to find a

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HARDIN - The Barefoot Restaurant is about to make a triumphant return in Hardin at 106 Water Street within just days. The Barefoot has been closed during the COVID-19 Pandemic, but Brian Matthews, his sister, Kelly Sievers, and brother-in-law, Phil, purchased the restaurant’s name, recipes, and menu use from previous owner Judy Herter. The purchase came in late September and the group has been working hard since that point on the old Illini Medical Building structure to be the new Barefoot. The good news is this Barefoot will be above the 1993 Great Flood levels and should be safe during difficult floods. The Barefoot was hit hard at its location during the floods. Matthews said he is thankful to continue the landmark for Hardin and bring the delicious fish fritters, chicken, and other Barefoot favorites back to life. Shown here is a picture of the back of the existing building where a new kitchen is being built. Another photo shows Brian Matthews and his son and nephews

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ALTON - On February 11th, the Riverbender Community Center (RBCC) reopened its doors to the youth of the Riverbend. Pre-teens and teens from Alton, Godfrey, and many neighboring communities flood the Center each Friday night from 6:30 - 10:00 p.m., evidence that the need in our community for a safe place for our youth on the weekends still exists and cannot go unanswered! Since the reopening 8 weeks ago, the “Friday Night Open Play” events have sold out within a few days of tickets going on sale. “We are overwhelmed with the response we have seen from the public since our doors reopened,” said Daniel Nosce, Director. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RiverBender Community Center (@riverbendercommunitycenter) “The Center has received countless notes, calls, and texts from local families thanking us for providing a well-supervised, exciting event for our kids. For 11 years, our doors have been open to teens and

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JERSEYVILLE - Dan Brynildsen, owner of Riverbend Axe Throwing and a top-10 axe-throwing world champion, competed in and hosted a series of major axe-throwing competitions last weekend at Riverbend Axe Throwing’s Jerseyville and East Alton locations. Things kicked off last Friday, April 8 with a “big axe” throwing tournament at the Jerseyville location. Tyler Flynn, an axe thrower from Ohio, won the first-place prize of $600; cash prizes were paid out from places first through sixth. Josselyn Allen, a 14-year-old Jerseyville resident, tied for ninth place, beating several highly-ranked axe throwers in the process. The tournament continued on Saturday in East Alton with hatchet and knife throwing competitions. Flynn also won the hatchet competition’s first-place prize of $800; cash prizes were paid to places first through eighth, and Brynildsen won fourth place in the competition. On Saturday night, Austin Bock won the knife-throwing tournament’s

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JERSEYVILLE - City Center will be bustling on Thursday, May 5th with the first Ladies Choice Night. This public-private partnership between a number of businesses in and out of the District gives visitors from all over the region the opportunity to grab the gals and Journey to Jerseyville for the evening. 3 scheduled events happening at locations within walking distance really allows for people to plan their evening to their liking. Starting at 6:00 pm, Sweet Peas Florals and Gifts & Ruby Mae’s have teamed up with DJ’s Pub and Grill to host “Bubbles and Bouquets.” Come in for a showcase of wonder grab-and-go flowers soon available at the floral shop along with other gifts for any occasion, and sip on some great drinks from the bar. As a bonus, it’s also steak night at DJ’s. Just across State Street at 3 Sister’s Tea, Apothecary & Yoga grab a wonderful cup of organic & sustainably sourced loose leaf tea blends and hear about how to take time

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COLLINSVILLE – Today, Illinois State Police (ISP) officials dedicated Illinois Route 3 from Kaskaskia Road to GG Road in Waterloo, Illinois as Trooper Nicholas J. Hopkins Memorial Highway in honor of the fallen Trooper. On August 23, 2019, Trooper Nicholas Hopkins, #6141 and other ISP Troopers were executing a search warrant at a residence in East Saint Louis when Trooper Hopkins was struck by gunfire. Trooper Hopkins tragically lost his life as a result of his injuries. “Nick was known for his selfless acts and the huge smile permanently affixed across his face,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Trooper Hopkins made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the people of Illinois and his dedication and service now will be known to everyone traveling down this stretch of Illinois Route 3 as they see the sign in his honor.” Trooper Hopkins was 33-years-old and a 10-year veteran of the Illinois State Police. Trooper Hopkins’ family and friends joine

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ALTON - Alton’s Spring City-Wide Litter Clean-Up will be held on Saturday, April 23 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., rain or shine. The community is invited to pitch in by picking up bags, gloves, a free donut, and directions to areas that need cleaning. Registration stations are open from 8 am-12 pm and located Downtown at the corner of 3rd & Belle St., and in Middletown at Hellrung Park at 7th and Central Ave. At 9:00 a.m., groups are departing in Upper Alton from Taqueria Maya at 621 College Ave and in North Alton from Joe K’s Restaurant, located at 2530 State St. If needed, groups can pick up supplies at Great Rivers Tourism Center, or Jacoby Arts Center two weeks prior. Alternatively, volunteers can simply pick up litter in their neighborhood and deposit it in their own trash & recycle bins at their convenience. The bi-annual cleanups are coordinated by Pride, Incorporated, collaborating with Alton Main Street who share the vision and understanding that litter-free

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GODFREY – The annual Trebuchet competition returned to the George C. Terry River Bend Arena at Lewis and Clark Community College on April 8 for its 15 th year. “We were very excited to hold the annual Trebuchet contest once again, after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus,” Mathematics Professor Kevin Bodden said. “It was great to see kids enjoying a STEM experience and learning more about what L&C has to offer through our programs.” Out of a field of 10 teams, Team AVC from Bunker Hill High School won the contest, with Team Rass-putin from Edwardsville High School placing first in the reporting competition. Bunker Hill teacher and Trebuchet team advisor Jeremiah Goltz, who brought two teams to the competition, said he and his students look forward to the contest every year. “When our students were able to get a consistent shot forward, they began to get really excited,” he said. “We went into the contest just hoping to compete and make

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ALTON – Elsayed Abo-Salem, MD, MSc, FACC, joined the Alton Memorial Hospital medical staff April 1. Dr. Abo-Salem is board certified in Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, and Echocardiology, and has a special interest in congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, preventive cardiology, and telemedicine. Dr. Abo-Salem joins St. Louis Cardiology Consultants in Medical Office Building A on the hospital campus after spending the past six years at Saint Louis University Hospital. For more information, call St. Louis Cardiology Consultants at 618-466-6612.

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BRIGHTON - The Second Annual Ray Botterbush Memorial Sporting Clays Shoot is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Nilo Farms in Brighton. Lunch catered by Chef Bob's will feature pulled pork, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, garden salad, and iced tea and lemonade. Nilo is the Olin Corporation’s and Winchester Ammunition’s nationally known hunting and shooting facility. Event Chairman Kevin Botterbush said that money raised from this event will benefit Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Venturing, and Explore Scouts in the Riverbend, and Camp Warren Levis. This event is named in honor of long-time Madison County Deputy Sheriff, community leader, and scouter Ray Botterbush for his many years of service to the community. Kevin Botterbush said: “Ray was a lifelong scout who epitomized the best of the Boy Scouts of America.” As a young man, he earned his Eagle Scout, then continued on with scouting and eventually received the Silver Beaver Award for

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