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ALTON – Alton High School 2022 boys tennis season is here and one player who is especially ready for the upcoming season is sophomore Parker Mayhew. Mayhew played number two for the Redbirds last year and when he is not playing tennis, he runs cross country in the fall, which he says “helps give me a lot of endurance which you need for tennis.” Parker Mayhew is an Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month for AHS. High school sports provide young athletes a place to compete in sports they enjoy and a fun way to spend time with friends. “The whole team is good friends," Mayhew said. “Going into the season, I think us all being close will make for a competitive environment. We enjoy doing stuff outside of tennis, we are all close, and I think we will keep helping each other get better.” Mayhew credits his dad and also his assistant coach, Phil Trapani, for getting him into tennis. According to the strong sophomore player, “I started playing tennis

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville senior baseball pitcher/infielder Spencer Stearns enjoyed a successful 2021 season, although abbreviated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting .384 with a team-leading five home runs and 43 RBIs in helping the Tigers to a 34-4 record last year. As the season unfolds for the 2022 campaign, Stearns feels confident that the Tigers will have another successful season. Spencer is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for EHS. "I'm feeling good," Stearns said during an interview conducted recently during a scrimmage on the Tigers' junior varsity field. "It's like the team's coming together well. I wasn't sure how everyone, because we've got a lot of kids from a lot of different classes, so I wasn't sure how they were going to work together, but we've come together and we're looking better each day." Stearns is hoping to take a similar role this season as he had during 2021. "I'm hoping to be a similar role as last year," Stearns said, "core infielder

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville softball senior player Emily Wolff had a great varsity debut game for the Tigers, going two-for-four with an RBI single in the Tigers 10-6 opening day game against Freeburg this past Tuesday afternoon at the Edwardsville Sports Complex. Wolff had missed the last two seasons because of a shoulder injury and surgery, and although the outcome wasn't what she hoped for, she felt great in making her varsity debut. "Being out there in general for the first time in my whole high school career was really exciting," she said. "Having the girls back me up and cheering me on, like in warmups, they were like 'Hey, it's Emily's first game,'" she said with a smile and laugh, "and they were all so excited for me. So all those feeling and emotions made me so happy to be out here finally." Wolff agreed that it was great to be out on the field after her shoulder injuries, and had a very special motivation factor that kept her going while she was on the injured list. "From

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Nonprofit, fully online university plans to award up to $100,000 in funding to K-12 teachers across Illinois, Missouri and Kansas to help bring innovative classroom projects and initiatives to life ALTON – In a continued effort to show appreciation for area K-12 educators who have been navigating diverse styles of teaching to best lead students on their education journey, Western Governors University (WGU) has announced the return of its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The fully online, nonprofit university is pledging up to $100,000 in grant money for K-12 teachers who need help funding their innovative classroom projects. Teachers can submit proposed projects online at wgu.edu/fundmyclassroom for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding. Applications are being accepted March 21 through April 17, and selected classroom projects will be announced during Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs May 2-6. K-12 educators can request funding for any type

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ALTON - Elizabeth Guenther, daughter of Thomas and Amy Guenther, is one of the co-Alton-Godfrey Students of the Month for March. Elizabeth is a senior at Marquette Catholic High School. Maintaining a 4.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale, she is a member of the National Honors Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, and was named an Illinois State Scholar. Along with her extensive academic achievements, Elizabeth is active in activities both at school and in her community. She has been a captain of the Marquette Scholar Bowl team and competed on the Academic Challenge team in chemistry, math and English. As a leading member of the theater department, she has performed in musicals and plays, also contributing as a student director and playwright. Three of her published scripts have been performed publicly at multiple schools. As a founding member of the Marquette Pro-life Club and an active member of campus ministry, Elizabeth puts her faith into action. In her community and home parish,

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ALTON - Abigail Hasty of Alton High School was honored recently as one of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club March Students of the Month at the club's regular meeting at Gentelin’s Restaurant. Abigail, a senior at Alton High School, is the daughter of Jeanna and Michael Hasty. During her four years at AHS, she made high honor roll and received the St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A” Student designation every year. She was selected as an Illinois State Scholar during her senior year. Abbie is a member of multiple Honor Societies, including The National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and The Tri-M Honor Society. Additionally, she is on track to graduate as a “Platinum Alpha Student,” the highest educational designation offered by Alton High School. Abbie currently serves as Alton High School’s National Honor Society President. She leads weekly meetings of 60+ members and coordinates a tutoring program for students in Math, Science, and English from 2nd to 11th

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MACOUPIN COUNTY - The Macoupin Art Collective of Staunton, would like to announce its fifth-anniversary celebration on Saturday, March 26, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The MAC will be hosting an entire day of events and crafts and also unveiling their new ArtBus to extend their community ArtReach. Events of the day will include a silent auction, raffle, screen printing, and bus tours. In addition, they will be hosting 8 different craft classes, each open to 5 students, first come/first serve. All classes are free, but donations are welcome. The MAC is also requesting attendees bring a non-perishable item for the local Helping Hands food pantry, also celebrating their fifth year on Main Street. The Macoupin Art Collective was founded in 2017 by professional artist and educator, Brandace Cloud. In that short time, The MAC has become a vibrant and welcoming face on Main Street, creating a safe space for art and expression for all ages in mediums such as paint, clay, fabric, glass,

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GODFREY – The RiverBend Growth Association recently welcomed three more area businesses into their membership, joining in the first months of 2022. 1:16 Lawn Care was founded in 2015 by Zach and Jessica Darr with a passion to serve its community and a mission to create satisfied customers by providing high-quality lawn service. Their website notes that they strive to continually be “a company of remarkable integrity and professionalism.” Providing landscape design and maintenance services to customers that are both reliable and affordable, 1:16 Lawn Care has a crew of landscapers that provide an array of services, from routine lawn mowing and trimming to larger yard projects. Larger projects include such things as landscape, patio paver, concrete installation, landscape restoration, and seasonal property clean-ups. A unique feature for a lawn care company, they also offer to add a “pop of color to your home or create the perfect accent wall,” with their

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SPRINGFIELD – Area cities and counties showed a remarkable decrease in unemployment over the year from January 2022 to January 2021 in recently released Illinois Department of Employment Security stats. Edwardsville was down to a 3.0 percent unemployment rate compared to 4.7 percent from January 2022 to January 2021, while Alton dropped to 5.7 percent from 9.3 percent, Granite City to 4.9 percent from 6.4 percent and East St. Louis still was high at 8.4 percent compared to 12.1 percent in 2021. In the counties, Madison County is at 4.4 percent from 6.4 percent a year ago, Macoupin County is at 4.5 percent from 6.3 percent in January 2021, Jersey is at 4.2 percent from 6.1 percent, Greene County at 4.7 percent from 7.8 percent and Calhoun is at 4.9 percent from 6.6 percent. St. Clair County is at 5.5 percent from 7.8 percent a year ago in January. Statewide, the unemployment rate decreased over the year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in January for the tenth consecutive

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URBANA - High school and college basketball seasons are in the home stretch - March Madness gets underway this week and the state of Illinois just crowned its high school champions. Meanwhile, baseball bats, softballs, and track hurdles are being taken out of storage to start those campaigns. Each of those sports brings glory and fun but also stress on your bones, joints, and muscles. With sports being a year-round thing for many high school athletes, it’s important to practice good orthopedic health. Dr. James Murphy is an orthopedic surgeon for OSF HealthCare in Urbana, Illinois. He says high school athletes are still growing, so some pain is inevitable, especially if you’re jumping a lot. “When you're having pain that's consistent and pain that's very bothersome, get it looked into. Get it worked out,” says Dr. Murphy. “It's probably nothing. It usually doesn't mean any kind of surgery or anything else is indicated. But oftentimes it does indicate

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MAHOMET - Before the COVID-19 pandemic even struck, food insecurity in the senior population was a real problem in America. The most recent report from Feeding America found that 7.3% of the senior population – or 5.3 million seniors – is food insecure. The pandemic has only intensified the issue – making even a simple trip to the grocery store difficult or even impossible due to economic difficulties, fear of catching the virus or other hardships. Now, more than ever, food assistance programs can be a lifeline for seniors in need. The OSF Peace Meal Program is one example of help available. OSF Peace Meal helps seniors improve their nutrition, sustain their independence and enhance their quality of life through meals, fellowship and a connection to other services they may need. This March, OSF Peace Meal joins the Administration for Community Living and Senior Nutrition Service providers across the country to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the national Senior

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URBANA – Growing food is not limited to outdoors in the summer. With some planning, you can grow food indoors throughout the year. University of Illinois Extension horticulture educators Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle says that before starting an indoor kitchen garden, it is essential to think about what you want to gain by growing food indoors. You might wish to have herbs to give recipes a special touch or boost nutrition for added health benefits. “Keep in mind the amount of work you want to put into your indoor garden, schedules including your daily routine and time away, and whether your plants will be only indoors or transferred to outside during nice weather,” Flowers-Kimmerle says. The limiting factor for growing plants indoors is light. Three aspects of light must be considered when planning to grow an indoor garden – light intensity, duration, and quality. Most plants grown for food need intense, bright light. A south-facing window is a good location for

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Morgan County native Ellen Hardin Walworth was a woman whose interests were both diverse and numerous. Her role in founding the Daughters of the American Revolution, though, is her greatest legacy. Walworth, who was born in Jacksonville on Oct. 20, 1832, was one of four women who established the D.A.R. in 1890, which continues today as one of the nation’s foremost female historical organizations. Along the way, she not only became an attorney and scientist, but also an accomplished historian. Her intellect was a reflection of her upbringing. She was the oldest of four children to Jacksonville attorney John J. Hardin, a Kentucky native who had moved to Morgan County in 1831. The son of a United States senator, the younger Hardin was elected to Congress as a Whig in 1843 and was a political rival of Abraham Lincoln, despite the fact that he was a cousin to Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd. A three-term member of the Illinois House, Hardin was killed at Buena Vista during the Mexican-America

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EAST ST. LOUIS – In response to a fire that consumed an apartment building in Washington Park, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) and Representatives LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) and Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) have teamed up to collect clothes for the victims who have been displaced from their homes. “While I am grateful the residents of the building made it out safely, I’m devastated as I think about the struggles the families will face as they’re displaced from their homes,” Belt said. “Representatives Greenwood and Hoffman and I have come together to pledge our support for the people who were affected by this unforeseen tragedy.” A fire struck at an apartment building Wednesday morning in Washington Park. The Assistant Chief for the Washington Park Fire Department Ronnie Harris reported that when firefighters got there, flames were already pouring from the building. Fortunately, all the residents were able to make it

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THE CONVERSATION - A shape-shifting flock of thousands of starlings, called a murmuration, is amazing to see. As many as 750,000 birds join together in flight. The birds spread out and come together. The flock splits apart and fuses together again. Murmurations constantly change direction, flying up a few hundred meters, then zooming down to almost crash to the ground. They look like swirling blobs , making teardrops, figure eights, columns and other shapes. A murmuration can move fast – starlings fly up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour). The European or common starling , like many birds, forms groups called flocks when foraging for food or migrating. But a murmuration is different. This special kind of flock is named for the sound of a low murmur it makes from thousands of wingbeats and soft flight calls. ‘Flight of the Starlings’ by Jan van IJken was shot in the Netherlands; the audio lets you hear how a murmuration gets its name. Murmurations

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ST. LOUIS - After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival returns to the Muny Grounds in Forest Park. Organized by the local nonprofit earthday365, the festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both April 23 and April 24. The free event aims to educate and empower the regional community for greater action toward a more sustainable future. “There’s so much anticipation for the festival this year,” said Dr. Jess Watson, Executive Director of earthday365. “For those of us in the sustainability movement, this is our time to reach out to new audiences and to connect with one another, which is doubly important given the urgent challenges we face.” The festival will include plenty of entertainment and activities for the entire family. The Main Stage will feature an excellent array of musicians, such as Fire Dog and Sharon Bear and the Cubs. The Community Stage will offer yoga with The Collective STL, bird shows

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URBANA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is renewing its focus on healthy lungs with a fresh set of advertisements featuring former smokers. While quitting smoking goes a long way, sometimes surgery is unavoidable. But what used to be a big undertaking with a long recovery is now much simpler thanks to a minimally invasive surgery for serious issues within the chest offered at OSF HealthCare. Dr. Ronald Cossman , a cardiothoracic surgeon with OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute, has been performing robotic thoracic surgery at OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana since 2017. Dr. Cossman only has to make several tiny cuts in the chest to use the da Vinci robot to operate on things like tumors. Traditionally, doctors have to make a large incision in the front or side of the chest, causing more painful recovery for the patient. “This has been a great thing for the patients because it's a much easier thing for them to recover from, and we're

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PRINCETON - Getting the proper amount of sleep each night is important. When healthcare providers look at an individual’s overall health, they typically ask about their eating habits and the amount of activity they get each week – but they also often ask what your sleep schedule looks like. Sleep is so important for our health that the National Sleep Foundation launched Sleep Awareness Week in 1998 – and it kicks off each year with the start of daylight saving time, when most people lose an hour of sleep. While many people tend to try and power through after a night of limited sleep, and may even pride themselves on this, it is not healthy in the long run. So, why is sleep so crucial for our health? “A lot of important things happen when we sleep. Our body cells and tissues can regenerate and restore at that point. Sleep is very important for our cognitive health – our mind and mental functions. If you have gone on very few hours of sleep, you know the

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BELLEVILLE - I often hear stories from people about how their pet was the only one there for them during difficult times - maybe the only thing that got them through their trials and tribulations. But no matter how good the intentions, sometimes life brings challenges that make caring for pets difficult or impossible. So I?was so thrilled to hear about the first animal assistance program in Southern Illinois that provides temporary care for pets of those experiencing domestic violence. The Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS) has created an alternative to surrendering a beloved pet during such a time, and the RedRover organization has awarded grant funding to support the first animal assistance program in Southern Illinois providing temporary care for the pets of those experiencing domestic violence, so that every family member can find safety. One in three women experience domestic abuse within their lifetime, but very few domestic violence shelters allow pets (only 10% nationally).

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Like everything else in the nineteenth century, the Civil War was a male-dominated affair. But one woman proved invaluable to the Union armies and was revered by even the likes of William T. Sherman. “Mother” Mary Ann Bickerdyke became one of the war’s larger-than-life figures, but in 1861, she was a 43-year-old widow from Galesburg, Ill. whose occupation was listed as “botanic physician.” That spring, she was moved during a local church sermon by Rev. Edward Beecher, the brother of Uncle Tom’s Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe, on the misery of military hospital conditions at Cairo, Ill. A relief collection was raised, and Bickerdyke was sent to distribute the contribution. Arriving in the calico dress and Shaker bonnet that became her signature, she was appalled at what she saw at Cairo, and quickly went to work. Among her first actions was to locate two hogshead barrels, saw them in two, and create a makeshift bathtub in which she washed dozens

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