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CARLINVILLE - The Blackburn College Department of Music & Theatre continues its Guest Artist Series on February 6 - 10, 2023, featuring Los Angeles-based professional singer, actor, and teacher Meridith Pyle. The week-long residency at Blackburn will include educational opportunities open to the public and conclude with a free community concert. Known for her “vocal chameleon” versatility and strong musicianship, Pyle is a full-time singer, voice teacher, and on-camera actress. During her Blackburn residency, Pyle will lead a Masterclass on Tuesday, February 7, and a presentation of “Don’t Sing It If You Don’t Mean It” on Thursday, February 9, both at 4:30 p.m. The week-long residency concludes with a free community concert Friday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. The classes and performances will be held in Bothwell Auditorium and are open to the public. She also will have open rehearsals throughout the week, preparing for her concert and allowing students

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today voted to establish a Federal Aviation Administration task force to improve the pilot alert system for flight safety hazards. The Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system experienced an outage earlier this month that led to the cancelation of more than 1,300 flights and the delay of nearly 10,000 more. “The recent ground stop demonstrates how critical it is that the FAA makes immediate improvements to the NOTAM system,” said Bost. “Pilots and passengers alike should never have to worry about whether the system meant to keep them safe will fail them midflight. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am working to ensure that the FAA is held accountable and that such a colossal failure never happens again.”

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EDWARDSVILLE - Beth K. Flowers, Shareholder and Vice President of Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., was appointed to the board of directors for Hospice of Southern Illinois, effective January 1, 2023. Hospice of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit, community-based hospice that offers Southern Illinois and St. Louis Metro-East communities a range of services for people of all ages at the end of life. The organization’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness. Beth focuses her practice in estate planning, real estate law and business law. Beth practices principally in the areas of death and disability planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and estate and gift taxes) probate administration, real estate matters and business entity formation. To learn more about Hospice of Southern Illinois, visit: https://hospice.org/ .

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ST. LOUIS - Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has signed BB44 to place a measure on the April 4, 2023 municipal general election ballot to create a citizen-driven commission to review and recommend amendments to the St. Louis City Charter. The measure, if approved by voters, will empower St. Louis City residents to suggest updates to the city charter, which was enacted in 1914. Any change to the charter requires approval by St. Louis voters. “St. Louis’ City Charter was adopted more than a century ago when people communicated by telegraph and traveled by steamboat,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “This gives St. Louisans the opportunity to have a voice and vote in modernizing city government for the 21st century.” “Giving St. Louis the opportunity for a City-led, public-engaged, and regular Charter Commission to review our city's governing document helps our city move forward together,”said bill sponsor Ald. Annie Rice (8). “There could be smal

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WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River junior Emmie Hall has been a cheerleader since she was six years old. Over the years, she said she has loved the role in cheering on the Oilers in different sports. Hall also said that cheerleading has taught her about "dedication, working hard, and never giving up when the stakes get difficult." Alison Beachum is the East Alton-Wood River cheer coach. Emmie is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. One of Emmie's side hobbies is "raising chickens," she said. Emmie plans on going to college at Paul Mitchell School and focusing on a hair and makeup career. She said she was very proud of her success in her math classes at East Alton-Wood River.

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BETHALTO - Not many basketball players can say they are averaging a double-double, but for seven-foot senior Sam Buckley, that has become the norm. Not a lot of players can say they've scored 1,000 points during their high school career, but Buckley can check that box off the list now too. He joined the '1,000 point club' back on Jan. 14 on the road in the Litchfield Tournament against Ramsey in a 52-37 win for the Eagles. Sam scored 18 points in that game bringing him to the impressive milestone. He pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds in that game as well. Breaking it down by year Sam scored 108 points his freshman year, 154 points as a sophomore, and 440 points as a junior. So far in his senior season, he's scored 375 points through 23 games bringing his current scoring total to 1,077 points. He's averaging 16.3 points per game right now as well as 10.3 rebounds. Sam scored a career-high 30 points in a 73-53 loss against Gibault back on Jan. 7. He became just the 14th player

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Sarah Conoyer, PhD, NCSP, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, along with three former psychology students, have been featured on the front page of the most recent edition of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Communiqué . The School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) alumni Julann Scheibal, Katelyn Houba and Mikayla Duncan-Ebner were Conoyer’s assistants through the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) program, leading to the creation and future publication of the featured article. “The article discusses how school psychologists and trainees are engaging in social media, the ethical issues concerning social media use and how school psychology supervisors and trainers can support professional growth through the ethical use of social media,” Conoyer explained. “One of the key features of the article is that we provide

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspect Sylvester Hill, 28 years of age, of the 5400 block of Plover Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63120, for Murder First Degree, Assault First Degree, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action. Hill was arrested in Houston, Texas, on January 24, 2023. A booking photo of Hill is not available at this time. Davis is being held without bond. The deceased has been positively identified as Myron Davis, 25 years of age, of the 4600 block of Alaska Avenue in St. Louis, MO 63111. The probable cause statement reads: On April 16, 2022, police responded to the scene of a shooting at or near the 6300 block of Lillian Avenue in St. Louis County. Two shooting victims were located in a vehicle at that location. Victim Myron Davis was in the driver's seat of that vehicle, had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead on the scene. Victim #2 was in the passenger area of th

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PIASA - Senior Hank Bouillon, a two-sport athlete at Southwestern High School, plays basketball and baseball. His coaches have nothing but good things to say about him. “That’s what he’s all about. He’s a hometown kid. He’s Southwestern through and through. He’s a true Piasa Bird,” head basketball coach Jason Darr said of Hank. Coach Darr said this after his team won the 104th Annual Macoupin County Tournament last Friday. With 0.8 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 36, all Hank had to do was make one to pretty much secure the win. He made both and his team went on to win the championship game in back-to-back seasons. After his clutch performance, Hank is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Month for Southwestern. "I knew I just had to get one to fall. I wanted the first one to go down and that happened. I knew the team trusted me, we worked hard all week. It was a fun time and I'm just glad I could sink those

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the state has officially repaid the remaining $1.36 billion unemployment insurance (UI) Trust Fund debt. The payment was made possible after a historic agreement was reached between the state, and representatives from business, labor, and bipartisan members of the General Assembly. It was then signed into law by the Governor. “I’m proud to announce that today, we officially paid off our state’s UI Trust Fund debt—further fueling Illinois’ strong economic trajectory,” said Governor Pritzker. “This achievement will save Illinois businesses hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade, and will save taxpayers $20 million in interest costs that would otherwise have been due next September.” “IDES is proud of the hard work and dedication it took members of the agreed bill process to achieve repayment of the

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MADISON COUNTY – The Salvation Army has exceeded its red kettle campaign goal of $217,000 by raising more than $364,000 to help people in Madison County. Reflected in the total are donations made through mail appeals, corporate gifts, unsolicited gifts, Schnuck’s Round-Up at the Register, and donations made at red kettles throughout the area. “Once again, the generous people of Alton and Godfrey and all of Madison County have shown how caring they are toward those in need,” said campaign co-chair Dr. John Hoelscher. “Even during this tough economy, the spirit of giving remained strong. This allows the Salvation Army to continue its good works for another year, providing food, clothing, shelter and guidance to our neighbors who need help.” “We want to thank everyone who gave so generously - those who signed up to ring bells in the cold and the many local businesses who set out red kettles in their shops and allowed ringers to stand outside thei

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EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Middle School had something to celebrate this week after defeating Lincoln Middle in the annual District 7 Math Counts competition. Liberty Middle School recognized the following individuals with a special salute: Ameila Zhang, Annica Miller, Daniel Wang, and Alan Chen for being the first-place team. Daniel Wang won first place in the individual and Countdown rounds. Alan Chen won second place individual and Countdown round. Liberty officials said luck to all members participating in the Regional Completion on Saturday, February 4.

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WATERLOO - The jackpot for the Waterloo Queen of Hearts drawing continues to grow - Tuesday night’s jackpot total was $1,574218, a substantial increase from last week’s jackpot of $1,397,265. Event organizers expect the final jackpot to reach the $2 million limit. Card #12 was revealed to be the Five of Spades. Since the Queen of Hearts card was not found, the final drawing of this round will be held next Tuesday, Jan. 31. 20% of the funds raised will benefit Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Waterloo . Music and Band Teacher Chad Minier said next week’s jackpot may meet - or exceed - its $2 million limit. “We at SPPCS are making an estimated judgement that the prize will reach - or just exceed - the $2 million mark,” Minier said at the most recent drawing. “Please know that ticket sales will not get cut off before Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. “What that means: we’re pulling until we find that Queen. It could happen th

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EAST ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man was sentenced to 235 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons after admitting to his involvement in a methamphetamine operation in southern Illinois. Terrence Thompson, 35, pled guilty to one count of Attempt and Conspiracy and one count of Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. Following his prison sentence, Thompson will have five years of supervised release. He was fined $750 and $200 in special assessments. In addition, the federal indictment lists seven other defendants for their alleged involvement. “Methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics are poisoning our families and communities, and individuals responsible for its distribution will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Southern Illinois is a transportation hub with major interstate highway systems, and law enforcement play a key role in detecting and disrupting the flow of methamphetamine across the country.

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EDWARDSVILLE - With extensive experience in the banking industry, Kent Weber has joined Busey Bank as Vice President - Treasury Management Executive. In his role, he works closely with commercial business owners to ensure their needs are met through Busey’s expansive suite of Treasury Management products and solutions, including ACH Services, Positive Pay, Remote Deposit Capture, Lockbox Services, and Integrated Payables. With a banking career spanning over 40 years, Weber has a prolific understanding of bank management, operations, treasury management, retail banking, marketing, and consumer and commercial lending. He started his 25-year career with TheBANK of Edwardsville—now Busey Bank—in 1980 before establishing TheEDGEBANK in Edwardsville, IL, in 2005. Ten years later, TheEDGEBANK was acquired by Town and Country Bank, where Weber was Executive Vice President and Community President until 2017. He went on to serve as Senior Vice President of Operations at the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville/Glen Carbon street crews were out in force overnight salting and clearing and by 9 a.m. Wednesday the surfaces were clear but mushy, officials said. Edwardsville city officials had this statement on its Facebook page: "The high snow totals that were possible did not materialize, but that doesn't mean the roads aren't slick in spots - they are - or that you shouldn't drive carefully - you should. Plus, as temperatures fall later Wednesday and into Thursday, the wet, mushy remains of the snow could refreeze, creating slick road conditions. "Our Public Works crews are working to clear the roads, so be alert, give plows and other vehicles extra room and be careful."

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Rotary Club made a $4,000 donation to Twigs to assist with the construction of its new facility at 21st and Cleveland. Launched in 2011, Twigs is a summer lunch program and school-year pack-a-sack program in multiple communities in Illinois. Thank you to Lisa Gulliams and the many volunteers who continue to make an impact in Granite City.

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GRANITE CITY - 1st MidAmerica Credit Union announced its three recipients of the Granite City Community Unit School District #9 Teacher Grants for the 2022 Fall Semester, as announced on Jan. 24 at the GCSD9 School Board Meeting. 1st MidAmerica Credit Union President/CEO Alan Meyer presented each honoree with a $250 grant. In addition, the grant winners received a certificate from GCSD9 Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann. Below is a list of the three honorees and how the $250 grant will be used: Kelly Fitzgerald - Frohardt Items for Sensory Room Karen Phillips - Maryville & Wilson New instruments at Maryville and Wilson and wants to add scarves to show movement Marcie Sedabres - Grigsby Provide high-interest books for students to read while they are waiting 30 minutes for school to begin For more information about 1st MidAmerica Credit Union, visit www.1stmidamerica.org/# .

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JERSEYVILLE - Thomas Klasner, county engineer for the Jersey County Highway Department, said road conditions are “all clear” so far today. “Road conditions in Jersey County are all clear and open,” Klasner said. “Everything’s fine, no issues here in Jersey County.” While there was a bit of snowfall earlier, high temperatures kept the pavement warm enough to keep anything from sticking or freezing. “Anything that came down initially, because temperatures were kind of warm, melted,” he added. “I’d say we only had 2 inches up here in Jersey County.” He said Highway Department workers didn’t need to apply salt to the roads overnight and have mostly been pushing slush off the roads this morning.

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HARDIN - Kyle Godar, county engineer with the Calhoun County Highway Department, said road conditions in Calhoun County are mostly clear so far, but he still advises the public to avoid travel if possible. “We applied salt starting between midnight and 1 a.m. this morning,” Godar said. “Temperatures have stayed warm enough that most of the snow has melted.” While road conditions aren’t necessarily dangerous, he still advised the public to avoid driving to keep the roads clear for Highway Department workers. “I would say if they could stay off the roads if possible when there’s a snow event, that allows our drivers to do what they need to do without coming into conflict with other drivers,” he added. Godar said he hasn’t received any calls regarding accidents or power outages, but if drivers do experience dangerous road conditions, they can contact the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office at (618) 576-2417 or the Highway

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