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SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced than more than $55.2 million in grant funding was awarded to 100 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities. For the third year in a row, the governor ensured funding was set aside for economically distressed communities, resulting in 29 underserved locations receiving $17.3 million in grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program. “Since I became Governor, it’s been my mission to build stronger, healthier communities across Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Through the OSLAD program, we’re bringing that vision to life by awarding over $55.2 million to local park projects, expanding green spaces and creating new recreational opportunities for all.” Among the OSLAD park projects included in this round of funding is a new park and interpretive

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Secretary of State’s office will host Illinois’ 19 electors who will cast their votes for U.S. President and Vice President Tuesday as part of our nation’s Electoral College process. Federal law mandates that every state cast its electoral votes on the same day and send its votes to the President of the U.S. Senate (Vice President Kamala Harris) to be counted on Jan. 6 during a joint session of Congress. “As we gather to observe our electors casting their votes, we witness the power of the people’s voice in action,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office oversees the certification process in Illinois. “This ceremony serves as a reminder of the sanctity of the democratic process. Long after voters cast their ballots, the certification of the state’s vote ensures that the voices of Illinois voters are heard.” Electors are selected by each of the major parties through their state’s

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GRAFTON - The City of Grafton will host its fourth annual Winter Lights Parade. At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, community members are invited to flood the streets of Grafton and enjoy this annual holiday parade. The parade route will travel down Water Street and end at The Loading Dock, and organizers promise it will be a lot of fun. “Bundle up, bring the family out and enjoy,” said Paula Jameson, who oversees the Enjoy Grafton Facebook page and helped organize the parade. “All it takes is teamwork. That’s all it has taken, just the town uniting and saying, ‘We’re going to do this together, and we all have something to offer and bring to the table here. As long as we shine together, we all shine bright.’” The parade officially starts at 5:30 p.m., and organizers ask participants to be completely ready and lined up by 5 p.m. There are enough spots on Water Street that people can park their cars along the street an

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Lane restrictions will be in effect on eastbound Interstate 55/64 over Trendley Avenue in East St. Louis on December 16 and 17, 2024, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The eastbound right-through lane will be closed as crews conduct bridge deck repairs. The work is necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the bridge, and IDOT District 8 Operations forces will oversee the repairs. Full access to the roadway will be restored as soon as possible, pending weather conditions. Motorists traveling through the area should anticipate delays and are encouraged to allow extra time for their trips. To avoid potential congestion, IDOT recommends considering alternate routes when feasible. Drivers are also advised to remain vigilant for changing conditions and signage in the work zones, adhere to posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices, and be alert for construction workers and equipment. For ongoing updates from IDOT District

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GILLESPIE - A familiar face has taken over a Litchfield game and hobby business designed to provide a fun, welcoming atmosphere for people of all ages. Jerry Ehlers, who grew up in Gillespie, is the owner of Bobbaloo’s at #7 Litchfield Plaza, and envisions the business as an alternative for “families to get together, and do things.” “Today, it seems like so many people just sit with their phones,” said Ehlers, “or they’re always playing video games. They aren’t doing things together, as a family. I want Bobbaloo’s to be a place where people come and have fun, as a unit.” In June 2023, Ehlers took over Bobbaloo’s, which is one of the few game and hobby outlets between Springfield and St. Louis. “Our products are getting more popular,” he said, “but these type of stores don’t usually serve small towns. I’ve had a lot of people tell me how glad they are that there’s a place like

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O'FALLON, Ill. — Seventh-grade students at Fulton Junior High School in O'Fallon recently engaged in hands-on science, utilizing microscopes to explore the microscopic world. The classes, taught by innovative instructors Ashley Stefanisin and Julia Weyhaupt, provided students with the opportunity to observe live microorganisms and develop their scientific skills. The activities took place during regular science classes, allowing students to interact with specimens and gain a deeper understanding of the microscopic realm. This experiential learning approach aimed to foster curiosity and enthusiasm among the students as they discovered various aspects of science. The school expressed pride in the students' engagement and eagerness to learn, highlighting the importance of such interactive educational experiences.

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SHILOH - At 1:47 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2024, Shiloh Police officers conducted a well-being check on a missing person in the 300 block of North Main Street. The missing individual, identified as Vikki L. Thomas, 59, was located driving a vehicle that was subsequently stopped, leading to the detention of all occupants. During a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers discovered a controlled substance. As a result, both females in the vehicle were taken into custody for outstanding warrants and possession of a controlled substance. The following day, St. Clair County Assistant State's Attorney Beth Nester issued two warrants against Thomas: one for Possession of a Controlled Substance Except (A)/(D), classified as a Class 4 Felony, and another for Obstructing Identification, a Class A Misdemeanor. The warrants were reviewed and signed by St. Clair County Judge Sara Rice, confirming their validity. Thomas is currently being held at the St. Clair County Jail. The investigation

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WOOD RIVER - A woman from Wood River and a man from East Alton were both charged with attempted armed robbery after luring a victim out of their home and pointing a firearm at them. Tyler M. Cunningham, 22, of East Alton, and Brooke C. Wiegand, 20, of Wood River, were both charged with attempted armed robbery, both Class 1 felonies. Cunningham was additionally charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 3 felony. On Dec. 11, 2024, Cunningham and Wiegand allegedly attempted a robbery while armed with a Bryco Model 49 9mm handgun, according to court documents. Cunningham’s possession of the pistol was unlawful as he had previously been convicted of unlawful possession of a controlled substance in a 2023 Madison County case. Cunningham’s criminal history also includes several other charges in Madison County dating back to 2020, including burglary, drug possession, probation violation, and more. Petitions were filed to deny both Cunningham and

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JERSEYVILLE — Taylor Woodring, a junior at Jerseyville High School, has had a standout cross-country season in 2024, marked by significant personal achievements and a strong support system. Woodring is a Sparklight Female Athlete of the Month for Jersey. Woodring, who has been running competitively since sixth grade, emphasized the importance of the sport in managing stress and staying connected with her community. "I love Jerseyville, and the team support is incredible," Woodring said. Woodring's season highlights include a first-place finish at the East Alton-Wood River Invite on October 12, where she recorded a personal record of 20:32.8. This performance was followed by a time of 22:27.9 at the Mississippi Valley Conference championships on October 17 and a 21:28.8 finish at the Jacksonville Regional on October 26. Earlier in the season, she also competed at the Granite City Invite on September 7, finishing with a time of 21:47.2. Woodring also advanced to the sectional

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GODFREY - Faith Baptist Church will present their annual Christmas musical, inviting community members to join in the Christmas spirit. At 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, the Riverbend community is invited to the church’s free play, titled “I Heard the Bells.” There will also be cookies, hot cocoa, roasted cinnamon pecans and more for attendees to enjoy. Located at 7505 N. Humbert Road in Godfrey, the church hopes to welcome people from across the region. “I want Christmas to smack people in the face when they walk in the door,” said Pastor Jon Tyler. “Really, it’s what our faith is all about. We’d be nothing without Christmas. So we’re just trying to convey that to our community and give something that people can come and feel at home and just really kick off their holiday week with our play.” Tyler explained that Faith Baptist Church has hosted a Christmas performance for “decades,” and they decided thi

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JERSEYVILLE – Jaxon Brunaugh, a standout multi-sport athlete for the Jersey Panthers, has made significant contributions to both the football and basketball teams this season. He is a Sparklight Male Athlete of the Month. In football, Brunaugh showcased his skills as quarterback this past season for the Panthers, passing for 1,364 yards and 13 touchdowns on 115 of 211 completions. He also demonstrated his versatility with 76 carries for 359 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. His performance earned him an All-Mississippi Valley Conference selection. Brunaugh’s impact extends beyond the football field. In January 2024, he surpassed 1,000 career points as a member of the basketball team. In a recent game against Taylorville, he scored 19 points, contributing to his current season average of 14 points per game for the 2024-2025 season. “Jaxon is running the show on offense,” said head coach Caleb Williams. “He has a great grasp of our schemes week to week.

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JERSEYVILLE — Jersey Community High School junior Meredith Gray and senior Ari Leslie have been recognized for their outstanding performances in athletics, earning honorable mention All-Mississippi Valley Conference selections and also being named Sparklight Female Athletes of the Month. Gray, a versatile player who has made significant contributions on both the basketball and volleyball teams, showcased her scoring ability in a recent girls' basketball game against Calhoun-Brussels, where she scored 18 points. Earlier in the season, on December 11, she recorded an impressive 28 points against Mascoutah. In addition to her basketball achievements, Gray excelled on the volleyball court, finishing the fall season with 140 kills. Over her varsity career, which began in 2022, she has accumulated a total of 210 kills. Leslie, serving as a libero and defensive specialist, played a crucial role in the Panthers' volleyball success in 2024. Her defensive skills were highlighted by he

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CARBONDALE - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation, met with Gary Shafer, Director of the Southern Illinois Airport that she recently secured $500,000 in federal funding for, and toured Southern Illinois University’s Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center with SIU Chancellor Dr. Austin Lane and former U.S. Representative Glenn Poshard. “Southern Illinois Airport is an essential economic hub for our state and the region, and making sure it has the federal support to thrive is a top priority,” Duckworth said. “I had a good conversation with Director Shafer, Chancelor Lane and Rep. Poshard about plans for Southern Illinois Airport and the Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center. I will continue to work alongside airport leadership as I advocate for additional federal investments to make our aviation

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BETHALTO - For Civic Memorial High School Principal Justin Newell, Bethalto is a lot more than a job. It’s a family. And, just like he would for his own family, he spends most of his free time with the students at CM. He watches everything from basketball games to band competitions, and he loves being there for his students. “You would go support your own kids. So you also have to go out and support your own students,” he said. “While my inside life and outside life are intertwined, I wouldn’t change it. I love it. I love being out there enjoying all the athletics and activities, and we celebrate that as a family, that we can go do that together.” Newell was recently named the Illinois Principals Association Southwest Region Principal of the Year. The community has recognized him as a valuable asset to Bethalto Community Unit School District #8, but Newell argues that the award speaks more to his staff at Civic Memorial than his personal

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ALTON — The Alton Wreaths Across America event took place on December 14, 2024, at the city cemetery, where volunteers gathered to honor veterans by laying wreaths on their graves. Despite challenging weather conditions, the event saw the participation of local scout and youth groups, who helped transport 560 wreaths to the National Cemetery. Margaret Hopkins, the coordinator of the event, emphasized the importance of the day, stating, "Remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach children the value of freedom." The event's activities were scaled down due to the weather, but the spirit of the occasion remained strong as volunteers from East Elementary School worked alongside veterans to lay wreaths. Art Williams, a 101-year-old World War II veteran, participated in the wreath-laying ceremony, continuing a tradition he has upheld for the past 18 years. The event also featured performances by buglers Quinn Halliday and Seana Grey, who played taps after the wreaths

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CHICAGO - Today Governor JB Pritzker, joined by medical experts and legislators, announced his support for proposed legislation intended to regulate the “intoxicating hemp” industry, a term used to describe hemp-derived THC and CBD products currently sold outside of a licensed dispensary setting (such as Delta-8 products). The legislation, which follows reports of minors ingesting misleading or poorly labelled products, sets limits on intoxicating hemp products like those imposed on legal cannabis through the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA). These regulations would ban misleading marketing and packaging that rips off consumer brands to appeal to children while moving intoxicating hemp products into the state’s existing marketplace to follow safe testing and dosage requirements. “This regulatory gray area has created a loophole that put Illinois consumers of all ages, but particularly children, in danger while an underground market flourished—the

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CHICAGO - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced more than $7 million in grant funding for five youth organizations in Illinois participating in the U.S. Department of Labor’s YouthBuild Program , which is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational services for 16 to 24 year-olds who left school without a secondary diploma. “I’m glad to see this funding go to these important organizations across our state to help educate and train even more young Illinoisans for good-paying jobs in high-demand industries while at the same time helping create more affordable housing throughout our state,” said Senator Duckworth. “These sorts of investments can help change lives and communities for the better, and I’ll keep working to bring additional federal funding like this home to Illinois.” “Communities are made stronger when the federal government invests in building

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Representative Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-8), today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to include additional data on the diversity of the educator workforce in the annual Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). Maintaining a diverse educator workforce has shown to improve outcomes for all students. “The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a valuable tool to measure whether students have equal access to educational opportunities, including a high-quality, diverse educator workforce. Yet, there is no permanent national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level. We urge the Department of Education (Department) to collect data on teacher and principal demographics and teacher certification similar to our Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act (S.3736 / H.R.7250) in the 2025-26 CRDC and 2027-28 surveys,” the lawmakers wrote. In their letter,

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Chair of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—led a subcommittee hearing focused on the challenges facing our passenger aviation system amid the busy holiday travel season, where she underscored the urgent need to invest in updated air traffic control (ATC) systems and equipment to prevent near-misses and protect the flying public. This hearing comes amid the chilling surge in near-deadly close calls involving commercial airlines that is adding serious pressure to our aviation workforce and putting the safety of the flying public at risk, and after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a September report that determined a significant amount of ATC equipment was outdated, unsustainable and in urgent need of modernization. Full videos of Senator Duckworth’s opening remarks and questions are available

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EDWARDSVILLE — The aisles of Target in Edwardsville buzzed with excitement Saturday morning, Dec. 14, 2024, as local police officers partnered with children from 14 families for the annual Christmas with a Cop shopping event. Organized by the Edwardsville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 244, the initiative has provided holiday cheer for at least 15 years. Approximately 30 children participated in this year's event, which aims to ensure that families in need enjoy a special holiday season. In addition to shopping for gifts, each family received food baskets and a box of household goods, thanks to the support of local businesses and community members. The event began with a breakfast gathering at a nearby Chick-fil-A, where participants fueled up before heading to Target in a police convoy, complete with sirens and lights. Officers and their families assisted the children in wrapping presents after their shopping spree. The Edwardsville FOP Lodge 244 expressed gratitude

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