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HIGHLAND - Highland Lions Club President Tom Mannion with Lions Gene Redman (Past President) (R) and Larry “Biddy” Essenpreis (L) accepted 390 pairs of eyeglasses, 17 hearing aids, and 3 cell phones from Jay Boulanger of Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home. As a community service, and to help the Lions Club, the funeral home offers to collect the items from families they serve. Both Redman and Essenpreis work at the funeral home and help with the collections. Anyone wishing to provide donations is urged to contact Spengel-Boulanger in Highland and Marine or Dauderman Mortuary in Alhambra and Hamel at any time.

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SPRINGFIELD – A teddy bear. A set of dominoes. A jade pendant. Ordinary objects made extraordinary by owners who faced the worst that humanity had to offer but somehow managed to survive. Now these objects and dozens more have been gathered for “Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.,” a special exhibit that opened today at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Using personal treasures and keepsakes, the exhibit tells the stories of people who survived the Holocaust, wars, genocide … and the stories of friends and family who didn’t make it. Why did the survivors keep these particular mementos? What role did they play in the struggle to survive? Visitors to “Stories of Survival” will see the objects as well as beautiful photographs of the treasures surrounded by handwritten notes from the owners or their relatives. Learn the stories of: Ursula Meyer, who hid her teddy bear during the Holocaust. She survived to reclaim

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BELLEVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that Illinois Rt 161 from St Clair Avenue to Dutch Hollow Road in Belleville will be intermittently restricted to one lane in each direction beginning Monday, March 28, 2022, weather permitting. This work will take place daily between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Traffic in each direction will be maintained using flaggers and arrow boards. This work is necessary to complete pavement repairs. This work is expected to be completed by the end of Spring 2022. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. The contractor on this project is The Killian Corporation of Mascoutah, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - Alton Main Street business, River Bend Yoga, will re-open its doors at 100 W Third, Alton, IL in April. River Bend Yoga students have been saluting the sun in their current location for nearly eight years. The studio represents a sacred space for movement, but also a place for the community. Throughout the past few years, it’s become even more apparent that health and wellness are not trends, but essential components of daily life. As more classes were sold out well in advance, it was clear that the Alton community needed more space for transformation. In 2020, River Bend Yoga took the first step at facilitating that transformation with the opening of the River Bend School of Yoga. The school hosts a Yoga Alliance accredited 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program. Graduates of this program are now well known in the yoga community. Several have gone on to open their own studios, furthering the penetration of health and wellness. River Bend Yoga will be working on implementing

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Illinois State Police released information about a fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian traffic crash that occurred at approximately 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, on Illinois Route 177 westbound at Eidmann Road, St. Clair County. WHAT: Vehicle versus Pedestrian Fatal Traffic Crash VEHICLE: Unit 2- Tan 1999 Toyota Camry DRIVER: Unit 2- 16-year-old male from Mascoutah, IL. PASSENGER: Unit 2- 15-year-old female from Belleville, WI PEDESTRIAN: A 46-year-old female from Freeburgh, IL – Name withheld pending family notification – Fatally Injured PRELIMINARY REPORT: A preliminary investigation indicates the following occurred: Unit 2 was traveling west on IL Rt. 177 at Eidmann Road, in St. Clair County. The pedestrian was walking in the roadway and was fatally struck by Unit 2. The driver and passenger of Unit 2 reported no injuries. The events surrounding the crash remain under investigation and no further information is available at this time

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - Travis Schwartz, project manager, and Jordan Grant, senior project engineer at IMPACT Strategies have recently completed in-depth continuing education courses to further their construction knowledge and enhance IMPACT’s client services. Travis Schwartz completed the Project Manager Academy through Fails Management Institute (FMI) in Raleigh, NC in February. The four-day intensive training focused on topics such as: project planning, customer-focused construction, field productivity, and ethics and integrity. Schwartz said, “I enjoyed the hands-on learning and working as a team with different groups of people. I also developed relationships with other project managers from across the country as we learned new methodologies and best practices to take back to our firms.” Jordan Grant graduated from the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) Construction Leadership Institute in March. The nine-week annual program, attended by the area’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - Longtime Edwardsville Post 199 baseball manager Ken Schaake, who guided the team to the 1998 American Legion national championship, died Wednesday, at age 68. Schaake, who was a Legion baseball manager for 38 years for Post 199 and the Metro-East Bears before stepping down in 2019, was a fixture in area summer baseball, winning 874 games, three Illinois state championships and the national championship as Post 199 went 41-7 and won the Legion World Series in Las Vegas. Many of the players on that team were on the 40-0 Edwardsville High team that won the IHSA Class AA state title and were ranked number one in the nation. Schaake's teams also finished second in the Great Lakes regional three times to go along with 17 District 22 and nine Fifth Division championships. Dennis Sharp, another affiliated with area Legion baseball for more than two decades, said Kenny had 38 years in as a Legion manager/coach. “Legion Baseball was Kenny’s passion in the summer

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SPRINGFIELD - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) issued the following statement after the Illinois House of Representatives approved a tax on Illinois jobs: “I voted against the jobs tax because we have the funds to pay off this debt. Thousands of Illinoisans were sent to the unemployment line by the governor two years ago, leaving the state with $4.5 billion in unemployment insurance debt. Instead of paying off this debt with funding received from the federal government as many other states have done, House Democrats approved legislation to only pay down $2.7 billion in debt, leaving Illinois workers with $1.8 billion in debt that will result in higher taxes and decreased benefits.”

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ALTON - You’re a patient, and your health care provider has talked to you about taking part in a clinical trial – research to see how care can be delivered better. Trials can last weeks to years. You could do them at home or need to make regular trips to a clinic. The study could involve taking new medicine or simply giving feedback about how to manage the cost of your health care. It’s a lot to consider. Pros and Cons Leah Watson is clinical research coordinator at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton, Illinois, which recently started clinical trials at Moeller Cancer Center . Watson says when thinking about participating in a clinical trial, you should first evaluate the pros and cons as they relate to you. “Pros would be obviously, hopefully, curing , or at least giving a longer life or less progression of disease,” says Watson. “Some cons that we're seeing: our patients aren't willing to give personal data. A lot of

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GLEN CARBON - The Troy Knights of Columbus have given a generous donation of $2,000 to Father McGivney Catholic High School. McGivney School issued a thank you to the Knights of Columbus for their constant support.

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EAST ALTON – Registration is now open for the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s water-focused summer camps, to be held throughout June and August as part of its Swarovski Waterschool USA program. This year, NGRREC sm will have two camps – a one-day River Connections camp, and a five-day Camp Waterschool – each hosted through Lewis and Clark Community College’s (L&C) College for Kids program. “We use hands-on activities to explore the world of water in a way that is both fun and educational.” Director of Environmental Education Sarah Fisher said. “Kids have a great time interacting with water while learning about water within our communities and in our rivers.” The one-day camp, River Connections, will give campers an opportunity to put their science sleuth skills to work through a day of exploration. The participants will use their senses to experience the river in a whole new way. River Connections

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GODFREY – Current and potential Lewis and Clark Community College students will have the chance to experience the dynamic world of criminal justice during an open house from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 29. The event, held in Haskell Hall on L&C’s Godfrey Campus, will feature much more than general information about the college’s Criminal Justice program. A panel of criminal justice professionals that includes representatives from law enforcement, corrections, juvenile, and department of social services will give their insights and answer questions. “The Criminal Justice Open House is an event that will introduce prospective and current students to the field by providing an overview of the program, introducing the faculty that teach in the program, and giving those interested a chance to ask questions of the professionals,” said L&C Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Jessica Noble. “This is a great way to network, find out more about the program,

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EDWARDSVILLE – Bob Meyer, 61, announced Friday he has filed petitions to run on the Republican Party ticket for a seat on the Madison County Board in district 16 in 2022. Meyer is a life-long Republican. Meyer made his decision to run because he believes the public has the right to make policy choices through the referendum process and to streamline County Government. Meyer is opposed by a former Democrat, Chrestene Rosser-Schmitt. Meyer opposes the influence former Democrats have on the Republican Party and blames former Democrats now elected as Republicans for voting down of public referendums on property tax caps (PTELL) and a significant reduction of the Madison County Board. “Elected officials may disagree about the merits of a proposal, but an elected official has no honorable reason to vote down a binding public referendum on Property Tax Reform or anything else for that matter . If elected officials disagree on public policy questions, they can agree to disagree,

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GODFREY - Judge Amy Sholar filed her petitions to run in the newly created Subcircuit 1. Sholar was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to fill the vacancy of Richard Tognerelli. Under new legislation passed by the legislature at the last minute, Sholar is running in Subcircuit 1 instead of countywide. In fact, there will be three elections for judge in Madison County this year and all three will be in Subcircuit 1 because of this legislation. Two-thirds of Madison County residents will not be able to vote for any of these three judges who might eventually hear their cases in the future. The legislation is still being fought in court. Sholar filed with triple the number of signatures required. “I personally walked door to door and attended numerous events to get these signatures,” stated Sholar. “The voters were both happy to sign my petition, but also outraged at the shenanigans that brought us to this place. The voters are tired of politics as usual. They

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) signed on as co-sponsor of U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) legislation to cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for Illinoisans and all Americans. The Affordable Insulin Now Act would require Medicare plans and private group or individual plans to cap patients’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month. This legislation would lower costs for insulin users and save money for hardworking Americans—many who are paying exorbitantly from their own pockets for insulin and other diabetic treatments. According to one estimate , diabetics spend close to $6,000 annually on insulin alone. This is all while costs for insulin are going up and manufacturers of the drug are pocketing more revenue from insulin sales than in prior decades. “Every time I hear from an Illinoisan who is facing the unbearable decision of either paying for their—or their child’s—lifesaving

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EDWARDSVILLE - Chappy’s is a new fried chicken and burger restaurant in Edwardsville. With walls adorned in automobilia and Americana, the restaurant offers some vintage diner nostalgia and a wide-ranging menu. Formerly known as So’Pasta, Chappy’s is a completely new venture from owner Ryan O’Day in the same location at 1031 Century Drive. Directly next door is Wang Gang, also owned by O’Day. The theme of Chappy’s is “all things American automobile,” with vintage car and service station decor adorning the interior, giving the restaurant a diner-like atmosphere. “We have a lovely dining room that is set to the Route 66 theme for any car lover,” O’Day said. “We want our car-loving theme to really shine through and everyone know we have outstanding burgers and fried chicken.” The Chappy’s menu combines a bit of old and new - in addition to the new fried chicken and burger offerings, there are

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ALTON - Alton Police Officer Elliott Fergurson seems to be the perfect choice to lead the Explorer Program for the Alton Police Department. He has been in his capacity for two years. Elliott, an Alton High and SIUE graduate with a B.A.S. in criminal justice and corrections, served from September 2006 to November 2009 as an M1A1 Armor Crewman (Tanker) in the U.S. Army. He has a Purple Heart from his Army service time in Iraq. Officer Fergurson explained what happened when he was injured in Iraq: “I was on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, and my stryker (a stryker is a 19-ton, eight-wheeled armored vehicle) got struck by a rocket and it punctured through the inside of the truck. "It sent shrapnel and knocked me unconscious. I had a mild brain injury. I stayed in Iraq after this happened and went back to the front lines.” Elliott said he felt fortunate to be alive after the strike hit his unit." Elliott was a psychological operations specialist in the U.S. Army with the reserves

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County is continuing to battle litter issues with its Clean Communities Program. During the past year, residents, community groups, and volunteers worked together to pick up litter throughout the county. “Litter was everywhere and the county worked to ‘clean it up,’” Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. Building and Zoning Administrator Chris Doucleff said his department often receives complaints about litter along roads and ditches. “Last year we made picking up litter a priority,” Doucleff said. “And we are doing it again this year.” Doucleff said in March 2021, the county kicked off the Clean Communities litter pick-up program. The grassroots effort took aim at the litter problem by providing the public with resources to assist them in picking up trash. “We offer citizens a resource tool kit,” Doucleff said. The resource tool kit includes reflective safety vests, litter grabbers, gloves, and garbag

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ALTON - Reiniger Jewelers is opening their newest location in Alton at 1633 Washington Avenue, the former location of Maneke Jewelers. Their grand opening is from March 31 to April 2 and will feature drawings to win some valuable giveaway prizes. The March 31 ribbon cutting is set for 11:30 a.m. Giveaway prizes announced so far include a $1,500 gift certificate for Reiniger Jewelers, a Gabriel pendant and Seiko watch, with many more in store. Paul Reiniger, the owner of Reiniger Jewelers, said there are a few things that set them apart from other jewelers. “We do quite a bit of bridal, but we also do custom design, something a little different,” Reiniger said. “And our repair department is very well-known for quality of workmanship. We want to make sure things are maintained properly for the customers.” In addition to carefully vetting the quality of the vendors he buys from, Reiniger also said his experience as a jeweler helps him determine the

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido has a long history with the department that dates back to 1994 when he entered the Alton Police's Explorer Program. He is a firm believer in the Explorer program for youth after his own personal experience that led to him becoming a police officer and ultimately, the chief of police. Chief Pulido is a highly respected police chief/officer across the area and has a very bright future ahead in law enforcement. One of the most important beliefs Pulido has about law enforcement is that people appreciate “authenticity.” He stresses that with all of his Alton Police officers as one of their most important roles in the community is to be "real" with the public. The chief said right now the Explorer program needs candidates, and he wants to bring attention to expanding the program. Chief Pulido vividly remembers doing ride alongs with other officers and the impact those had on him in regard to choosing his career as an officer. “I

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