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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) works to prevent potential firearm related tragedies by keeping firearms out of the hands of those who pose a significant threat to themselves or others, and our work is proving effective. Over the past year, ISP strengthened firearm safety laws in Illinois and increased education and training to law enforcement agencies and schools about using those safety laws. “We are united in our commitment to preventing gun related tragedies in Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m thankful for the Illinois State Police’s diligent efforts to train law enforcement agencies, school administrators, and medical professionals about the importance of reporting individuals who pose a threat of gun violence and how to do so. Every neighborhood and every home deserves to be free from gun violence, and the State of Illinois will continue to make significant investments in public safety and violence reduction.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor on the need to reopen key Gaza hospitals under the supervision of a credible, neutral third party in order to help the innocent civilians caught in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. During his speech, Durbin said he planned to speak with Secretary General António Guterres about implementing this proposal. He also called on Congress to pass President Biden’s emergency supplemental request, which includes emergency funds for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and humanitarian crises. Durbin began his speech by commenting on the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas to release hostages currently being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip during a temporary long ceasefire. Durbin said, “These innocent should never have been taken in the first place… This includes a young man with ties to my state, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was horribly injured during the October 7

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District #9 had five students recognized as part of the 2023 America Recycles Day Poster Contest, hosted by the Madison County Regional Office of Education 41. This year’s winners in the poster contest are as follows: Kindergarten – 2 nd grades 1st- Emery Corzine, Wilson 1-2 Education Center, 1st Grade 2nd - Claire Busacker, Highland Primary, 2nd Grade 3rd - Marlee Epps-Barnes, Nelson Elementary, 2nd Grade 3 rd – 5th grades 1st- Aliah Absher, East Elementary, 5th Grade 2nd - Grace Vangilder, East Elementary, 5th Grade 3rd - Jacorey Miller, Columbus Elementary, 4th Grade 6 th – 8 th grades 1st - Leah Maggart, Evangelical School, 8th Grade 2nd - Claire Hill, St. Mary’s Middle School, 6th Grade 3rd - Eden Kielty, Grigsby Intermediate School, 6th Grade 9 th – 12 th grades 1st - Marina Roeder, Granite City High School, 12th Grade 2nd - Autumn Wohlert, Granite City

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ALTON – Alton Pride’s second annual Thanksgiving Food Drive Competition was a huge success. Eleven area bars participated in the competition which ran October 28 thru November 12. A grand total of 3,366 non-perishable food items were donated over the two-week period – that’s over a 50% increase from last year! The donations collected were paired with turkeys from Mike & Mikey Klasner and Friends. This partnership successfully provided 55 Thanksgiving meals to Alton Riverbend Head Start and families in need in the community. A large donation was also made to the Crisis Food Center, the Boy’s & Girl’s Club Pantry and the Crisis Pantry in Alton. The winner of the competition, having collected 1,474 items, was Pete’s Lounge! This is the second year in a row that Pete’s Lounge has won and they beat their total last year by over 200 items. Pete’s Lounge is located at 100 Big Arch Rd, Godfrey, IL 62035, near Alton Square Mall. Owner

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ALTON - Alton Main Street’s quarterly information exchange, called “What’s Up Downtown”, will be held on Tuesday, November 28th at 5:30 p.m. at the iMerge Community Center, located in the Riverbender building at 200 W. 3rd Street in Alton, Illinois. The public is invited to learn the latest news regarding developments in Alton’s historic downtown district, including updates from new & existing businesses, news on real estate transactions and details of upcoming events and projects. The evening’s featured speakers include: - Melissa Bland will share details of her new shop called Honeybee Vintage that will open this month at 112 E. Broadway - Caleb Lewis will give a progress update on his redevelopment work at 112 E. Broadway, formerly the Caravan Resale Shop, which will soon be home to Moon Drops + Wellness and Honeybee Vintage as well as upstairs lodging - Lori Bregenzer will tell us what’s on the menu at Comfort Cuisine, her new take-away

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ALTON - The Alton Police Department requested the public's assistance early Monday night, Nov. 27, 2023, for a missing person. However, shortly after, the woman was located safe and sound. This was the Alton Police request: "The Alton Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing person. Wilda Tedford, an 80-year-old female, walked away from River's Crossing, located in the 3400 block of Humbert Road," Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said. Thankfully, the woman was located and was safe shortly after the request for assistance in the situation.

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GODFREY - The Madison County Sheriff's Office is investigating a traffic crash that occurred on Godfrey Road, at Celesta St., Godfrey, around 4:16 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Madison County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Marcos Pulido said a preliminary investigation revealed that an 11-year-old boy was riding his bicycle across Godfrey Road at this intersection at the time of the accident. "A vehicle traveling northbound on Godfrey Road, traveling with a green light at this intersection, collided with the boy on the bicycle," Pulido said. "The 11-year-old boy was subsequently airlifted from the scene to a St. Louis area hospital. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene." Godfrey Fire Protection District Chief Eric Cranmer was not specific about what injuries the boy had encountered but said they were "serious," however he did not think they were "life-threatening." He said the boy lived close to where the accident occurred and that first responders had been able to get in touch

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford announced late Monday afternoon, Nov. 27, 2023, that a suspect has been charged and arrested for the shooting death of Jarred O. Hayes that occurred in the 900 block of E. 7th Street, Alton, at 9:16 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2023. The chief said the suspect, Stanford Stokes, 42 years old, from St. Louis, Mo., was charged on 11/08/23 by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office with the following offenses: Count I: First Degree Murder Count II: First Degree Murder Count III: First Degree Murder Count IV: Home Invasion Count V: Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Firearm Count VI: Unlawful Possession of Weapons by a Felon Stokes was arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department in Texas on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. The chief said the suspect will be extradited back to Madison County in the near future. "Again, our condolences go out to Jarred’s family and loved ones," the chief said. "Thank you to all the many agencies

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ALTON - The second annual Local Author Book Fair is the next event coming up at the Hayner Public Library in Alton, but several more are planned throughout December. Executive Director Mary Cordes recently shared more about these upcoming events and the Local Author Book Fair slated for Dec. 9, 2023. “This year we have 30 authors, which is more than we had last year - we had 25 last year,” Cordes said. “We’ve got a lot of really great local authors, and what we want to do is showcase that." This year’s event is going to be held at the Alton Square Mall location of the Hayner Library, and Cordes said she and others will be just outside the library in the courtyard between the library and JCPenny. “Support your local authors. You can buy their books, talk with them , you can get your book autographed,” she said. “We’re conveniently located right next to the gift wrapping station, so you can take it right over and the Alton

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ALTON - The annual Christmas Wonderland display at Rock Spring Park is open once again for Riverbend residents to enjoy the holiday lights and support local nonprofits. The display opened on Nov. 25 and will run through Dec. 27, 2023, at Rock Spring Park, located at 2100 College Avenue in Alton. You can drive through the park to see the lights and decorations from 6–9 p.m. Monday through Friday or 5–9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Grandpa Gang, a local organization that decorates the park, suggests a donation of $10 per car or $1 per person in cars of ten people or more. All proceeds go to organizations throughout the Riverbend region. “It’s really, really gratifying,” said Dick Alford, the “Head Grandpa” of the gang. “And the best part of that is knowing that all these people who come through are helping to help the community, because last year alone, we gave back almost $50,000 to certain organizations in the community. The more w

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic guard Braden Kline is off to a sizzling start on the hardwoods. He has been phenomenal from the three-point range and hit five in one game last week in the Roxana Hoopsgiving Tourney. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior, is already putting up numbers that will attract college coaches with a 25-point outburst against Freeburg, 18 in a game against East Alton-Wood River, and 17 against Waterloo. Braden Kline is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Male Athlete of the Month for the Explorers. Kline is known as a hot shooter, but his head Marquette boys basketball coach Cody Best said Braden is developing on the defensive side of play and is "much stronger" physically after a dedicated weight training program and workouts this past summer. Braden has already paid visits to several colleges and will likely make that decision at the end of the basketball season. “Braden definitely put on some muscle this summer and is showing off early and able to attack the baske

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WOOD RIVER - As the holidays are here, one is reminded of one of the most inspiring athletic accomplishments of the fall when on pure courage and determination, East Alton-Wood River High junior Isaiah Kolmer qualified for the boys cross country sectional with a three-mile PR time of 18:07.5 in the Trenton Wesclin Regional. East Alton-Wood River head coach Russ Colona has witnessed a lot of positive performances in his long career with the Oilers, but this rainy, freezing cold day in October in Trenton is one he will never forget. Young Kolmer had established a goal early in the season of qualifying for sectional as an individual. Isaiah had something terribly tragic happen to him and his family in early October when his mom was killed in a car crash near Grafton. Somehow, the young man pulled himself together, likely in memory of his late mother, and turned in the performance of his life in the Trenton-Wesclin Regional and posted a PR. It was muddy, rainy, and an awful day for running

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My grandparents know a different Alton than I do. Both of them are Riverbend natives, born and raised. In between the buildings and the cracked sidewalks, they can still see the Alton of their childhoods. I love going downtown with them and hearing stories about our shared hometown, 50 years removed from the city I know. I never really noticed the years between us until the first time we went together to Germania. I had already spent hours at the downtown Alton location, hanging out with my friends and lounging on the rooftop benches overlooking the bridge. I thought my grandparents might enjoy something new, so we trekked downtown to check it out. My grandpa, especially, had a blast. He remembers the building as it was before the coffee shop, when it was a bank and he could only go a few steps inside to the teller’s counter. The rest of the bank was off-limits to the public, but now as he sipped at an iced chai and climbed the stairs to look out over the balcony, he was

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey County Arts Council (JCAC) reports an unfortunate incident related to a JCAC community project in November. A scarecrow was vandalized and Jersey Community High School (JCHS) property has been stolen. Sherry Droste of JCAC said she doesn't want to be a downer, but she feels compelled to share this unfortunate incident related to a community project. "We have had a great time, during the past year, helping to rally folks to participate in creative public art displays (yarn bombing, Cow Parade, Art to Go sacks, scarecrows, Halloween window painting, granny square Christmas tree)," Droste said. "People have joined in, worked together, and had a lot of fun. "We have also been blessed to have the support of the city, JCHS staff, individuals who have donated materials and money, and some dedicated volunteers who have been behind the scenes making all these things happen. This is exactly the mission of the Arts Council, and we are incredibly proud to have accomplished

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BETHALTO - The future looks bright for Civic Memorial sophomore cross country and track sensation Landon Kearbey. Kearbey showed constant improvement through the 2023 boys' cross-country season for the Eagles. He recorded a 16:41.9 in the Granite City Invite on Sept. 2, 2023, then continued to improve all season. He posted a 16:27.9 time for 3 miles in the Peoria High Invite on Sept. 30, 2023, and was fifth in the Madison County Invite with a time of 17:01.6 on Oct. 6, 2023. He was 15th in the Mississippi Valley Conference Championship on Oct. 12, 2023, with a time of 16:47.8. He qualified for the IHSA Regional and Sectional Meets to go to state for CM and, at state, recorded a PR for 3 miles of 16:13.5, a remarkable time for a sophomore. Kearbey continued to show his running talent on a cold morning, Nov. 25, 2023, right after Thanksgiving, with a 10th-place finish in the Great River Road Run at a time of 1:00.36 for 10 miles, another extraordinary performance. Landon is a Tom Lane

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JERSEYVILLE - An Alton man was charged with residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle in Grafton, while a Missouri man was charged with stealing a camper shell from a Jerseyville car dealership, according to the past week’s Jersey County court filings. Bryan R. Hickam, 22, of Manchester, Mo., was charged with one count of theft and one count of criminal trespass to a vehicle. Court documents allege that on or about Nov. 5, 2023, Hickam stole property belonging to the Quality Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram car dealership in Jerseyville - specifically “a camper shell offered for sale on their lot,” valued at approximately $2,841.78. Hickam is facing a Class 3 felony for the theft charge and a misdemeanor for the criminal trespass to vehicle charge. Court documents indicate he met the pretrial release conditions of the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act and was issued a summons to appear in court. Roger E. Pace Jr., 37, of Alton, was charged with residential burglary

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department once again will offer its Citizens Police Academy, an opportunity for participants to learn firsthand about law enforcement and many of the day-today activities of the City’s officers. The academy will be offered over 10 weekly sessions to be held from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays beginning January 18, 2024. The Citizens Police Academy offers an “eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at being a police officer,” said Edwardsville Police Sgt. Matt Evers, who leads the academy. Academy sessions will include tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities and a ride-along with officers. Some portions may require physical activity. The Police Department will work to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with special needs, but cannot guarantee participation in all activities. Among the topics and exercises planned for the sessions are: Law review Traffic/DUI enforcement Use of force, mental health/crisis intervention

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ALTON - Civic Memorial High School runner Jackson Collman won the race, while head coach Jake Peal and runner Lucas Naugle also finished in the top ten in the men's 10-mile race in the 64th annual Great River Road Run, held Saturday morning in Alton. The race, which dates back to 1959, is a November tradition in the Alton area and is sponsored by the Alton Road Runners Club and helps finance many of their year-round projects, such as the Summer Racing Series, and the annual banquet that honors the top high school cross country runners in the area, among others. Collman won the race with a time of 54:43.3, with Luke Padesky second at 54:54.5, Evan Rathgeb came in third at 55:09.8, fourth place went to Calvin Ranger, with a time of 56:59.6 and in fifth place was Max Weber at 57:10.4. Peal came in sixth place with a time of 57:19.5, in seventh place was Carsen Moon of Oklahoma City, Okla., with a time of 57:58.4, Jacob Cranford was eighth at 58:51.1, Alton High runner Noah Gallivan was

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ROXANA - Roxana’s girls basketball team has a pair of twins - Laynie and Abby Gehrs - who are providing what new head coach Addaya Moore said is “unbelievable energy” to the squad. Laynie and Abby are exceptional athletes and are keys so far to the Shells’ 3-0 overall mark. The girls recently captured the Dupo Tournament to open the season. Laynie had seven points in the Shells' 48-20 win in the final of the Dupo Cat Classic. Abby added four points in that encounter. Laynie and Abby are seniors on the squad. Both are also volleyball and soccer players. Both girls are strong on defense and always help move the ball in the Shells’ powerful offense so far in the 2023-2024 campaign. The two girls are Midwest Members Credit Union Athletes of the Month for the Shells. In a recent win over East Alton-Wood River, Coach Moore said the twin sisters finished off what the bench had started to seal the game when Roxana had some foul trouble and had to sit out some

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PIASA - The Southwestern High School boys basketball team finds itself sitting at 2-2 after the 2023 Roxana Hoopsgiving Classic. The Piasa Birds have won their last two games over Jerseyville and Staunton. A large part of that is junior Ian Brantley. The three-sport athlete also plays football and baseball for the Piasa Birds but is so far having a breakout season on the hard court. Last season, the Piasa Birds broke even, finishing with a 16-16 record. Brantley averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. Just four games into this season and he is nearly averaging a double-double. Brantley has scored 85 points so far, averaging 21.3 PPG and 8.8 rebounds per contest. For his efforts so far this basketball season, Ian Brantley is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Month for Southwestern High School. Brantley earned a spot on the 2023 Hoopsgiving Classic All-Tournament team as the Piasa Birds finished in ninth place overall.

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