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THE CONVERSATION - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy virtually addressed the United States Congress on March 16, 2022, and, as widely expected, requested additional U.S. military assistance for Ukraine. Zelenskyy also asked for the U.S. to create a no-fly zone over some portion, or potentially all, of Ukraine. “Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. Russian troops have already fired nearly 1,000 missiles at Ukraine, countless bombs. They use drones to kill us with precision. This is a terror Europe has not seen for 80 years,” said Zelenskyy, delivering the first virtual address by a foreign leader to Congress. He wore the army green T-shirt that has become his civilian uniform while leading Ukraine’s response to the war from Kyiv. “Is this a lot to ask, to create a no fly zone over Ukraine to save people? Is this too much to ask? A humanitarian non-fly zone, so that Russia would not be able to terrorize

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EDWARDSVILLE - The chief external architect of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s campus core, Gyo Obata, passed away on Tuesday, March 8 at the age of 99. Obata, of St. Louis, was a world-renowned architect. He co-founded the global architecture-engineering firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) in 1955, and designed the University’s Edwardsville campus in the early 1960’s. In an HOK release posted Thursday, March 10, Bill Valentine, FAIA, HOK’s chairman emeritus said, “Gyo embodied everything that’s honorable about the architectural profession. Instead of designing for the fashions of the times or to make a personal statement, Gyo designed to improve lives. He was a kind, thoughtful man who developed warm, personal relationships with his colleagues and clients. People believed in him, which is an essential part of turning drawings into buildings.” In highlighting many of Obata’s significant accomplishments as principal o

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The Center Square – The 2022 ballot for the June 28 primary election in Illinois is coming into focus. Monday was the deadline for candidates to file their intent to run for office. Gov. J.B. Pritzker learned he will have an opponent in the Democratic primary in his bid for re-election. He will be challenged by Chicago nurse and Army veteran Beverly Miles. "I’m a concerned citizen who is sick and tired of the issues that are going on in the state of Illinois and I decided to do something about it,” Miles said. Several Republican candidates have ambitions to be governor, including Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, state Sen. Darren Bailey, suburban businessman Gary Rabine, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan, Max Solomon, Emily Johnson and Keisha Smith. “We have a generation of leaders that have driven our state into the ground,” Sullivan, who waited until Monday to file, said. “They are best represented by Mike Madigan

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ALTON - There are still two opportunities to participate in a Seed Swap with the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois. The next Seed Swap will be held in partnership with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) on March 26 and the final event will be held in partnership with The Lodge Bar at Lovejoy on Saturday, April 9. Join Three Rivers Project staff, our partners, and fellow farmers and gardeners while swapping or sharing your quality seeds, cuttings, and bulbs. These community events are free to attend and all are welcome. Join us in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the spring gardening season! The next seed swap will be held outdoors at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) on Saturday, March 26 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. To register for the Seed Swap at NGRREC, go to sc.org/NGRRECseedswap . The third and final seed swap in this event series will be held at The Lodge Bar at the Lovejoy on Saturday,

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SPRINGFIELD – Due to the improving economy in Illinois and the statewide unemployment rate falling to 5%, the Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act is no longer in effect as of March 14th. The law, which requires employees on all public works projects to be comprised of a minimum of 90% Illinois residents, took effect on July 1, 2020, when the jobless rate was above five percent for two consecutive months. On March 14th, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the state’s jobless rate was five percent, triggering the suspension of enforcement of the Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act. “Following two challenging years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois’ economy is improving thanks to policies implemented by the Pritzker Administration,” said Illinois Department of Labor Acting Director Jane Flanagan. “The Illinois Department of Labor will continue enforcing the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act to ensure public tax dollars

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O’FALLON – Thirty-five percent of U.S. adults report sleeping less than the recommended minimum seven hours each night; 73 percent of teenagers say they get less than the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep for their age, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Sunday, March 13 marked the beginning of Sleep Awareness Week. It’s also the day to move clocks ahead one hour as daylight saving time begins. Sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise. Sleep technician from HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Sleep Disorders Center Lia Turpin says sleep is when the brain and body disconnect from the senses, no longer allowing us to process information from the outside. In turn, sleep allows us to review activities and experiences from the day which strengthens memory; gives our organs time to rest; allows our immune system to scan for infections and fight illnesses; and allows a child or teenager’s

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with the Illinois Municipal League and Illinois mayors to discuss federal funding for Illinois infrastructure projects allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). During their meeting, Durbin broke down the $17 billion in direct and guaranteed funding for Illinois from the IIJA. Durbin also spoke about COVID-19 recovery funding for local governments through the American Rescue Plan and received updates from the mayors about concerns they have in guiding their communities through COVID-19 recovery. “Our local leaders have been diligently putting in the work over the last two years to get their neighbors through a difficult, unprecedented public health crisis. It was great to host them in Washington again,” Durbin said. “Today, we focused on how best to rebuild our communities and make historic, much-needed investments in our infrastructure. I’ll continue to be a strong

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NORMAL - The Illinois Board of Higher Education today approved a new College of Engineering at Illinois State University that is designed with an equity lens to help close long-standing gaps in enrollment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented and underserved students in the engineering field. “Illinois State understands that our whole state is stronger when more of our residents have access to opportunities in STEM, and I applaud the University’s commitment to build an engineering program that opens doors for traditionally underrepresented students,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m committed to opening doors for all of our residents to thrive in the 21st century economy, and our higher education ecosystem is one of the greatest tools we have to do better by all of Illinois.” “The Board applauds President Kinzy and her team at Illinois State University for their leadership in centering equity as they developed the College of Engineering.

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The next Madison County primary election is officially underway, following Monday’s deadline for candidates to file their intent to run. Madison County will see some competition over a few offices and county board seats on June 28. Republicans Mike Walters and Linda Andreas will compete for the office of Madison County Clerk, while incumbent Debbie Ming-Mendoza will run unopposed for the Democratic ticket. Doug Hulme will challenge incumbent Chris Slusser for County Treasurer, both Republicans. Two Republicans will also face off to become County Sheriff, Jeff Connor and Jeff Larner. There will also be some competition over several Madison County Board seats this year. In the county’s 2nd District, incumbent Stacey Pace will be challenged by Christopher J. Willis for the Republican ticket. Democrat Charles “CJ” Metheney will run unopposed. Districts 7 and 8 will both see their incumbent candidates challenged. In the 7th District, incumbent Ray Wesley

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ST. LOUIS - St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are currently investigating a homicide in the 1400 block of Dunn Road which resulted in the death of an adult male. On March 15, 2022, at approximately 2:20 PM, St. Louis County Police Officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a sudden death in the 1400 block of Dunn Road, the Budget Inn. Officers discovered an adult male deceased in a room in the hotel. Further investigation revealed the death to be a homicide. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak to investigators if you have any information regarding the incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477) if you have any information regarding the incident.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Following reports of a 165,000-gallon crude oil spill affecting Cahokia Creek, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has referred an enforcement action against Marathon Pipe Line LLC (Marathon) to the Illinois Attorney General’s office. Sierra Club supports the decision of the IEPA, and the commitment of Attorney General Raoul to ensure that Marathon remediates the spill. In addition to immediate cleanup response, Sierra Club urges the Attorney General’s office to hold Marathon responsible for identifying the cause of the spill, and for investigating and remedying the long-term effects that the spillage of crude oil in groundwater and soil may have on the health and safety of the community, environment, and Cahokia Creek. The Marathon Pipe Line leak was first reported the morning of Friday, March 11, when residents identified the strong odor of crude oil. The leak began in Edwardsville near IL-143 & Old Alton Edwardsville Road, and entered

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DOW - Treehouse Wildlife Center Executive Director Sherri Easley announced a statement today about the recent Marathon Pipeline leak near Edwardsville. The statement went as follows: “Treehouse Wildlife Center is very busy at this time, focusing on wildlife rescue as part of the Edwardsville Response. All of our staff and volunteers are working hard to care for the animals entrusted to our protection. "Marathon Pipe Line is covering all expenses related to the wildlife rehabilitation effort and providing all needed resources to recover and rehabilitate impacted wildlife. We appreciate MPL’s commitment to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife that has been affected by oil. For information concerning the Edwardsville Response, please contact Joe Gannon at 210-415-7684." Easley continued and said: "With spring baby season arriving, community support will ensure we can continue our outstanding care for those sick, injured and orphaned animals we will normally receive during

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GODFREY - The construction for a new concession stand for the upcoming Splash Pad project is underway this week at Glazebrook Park, Rich Berran, PE, a Village of Godfrey engineer, said on Tuesday. "Trusses are being set today," he said. "Some electrical work, lights, and sidewalks in preparation for the installation of the Splash Pad are also being done." Berran said by the first of April the Splash Pad foundation work will be done and once the Splash Pad equipment is in it will be put together. He said the goal was to have the Splash Pad operable by summer. The new splash pad is part of the OSLAD (Open Space Lands Question and Development Program from the Department of Natural Resources. The splash pad is supposed to be completed by the end of May. Berran is overseeing the project as it evolves, then Park and Rec Director Chris Logan will take command once it is built.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Elaine Beckland, 49, announced Friday she has filed petitions to run on the Republican Party ticket for a seat on the Madison County Board in district 20 in 2022. Beckland made her decision to run because she believes the voters in district 20 deserve to have a real representative that will be an advocate for them on the Madison County Board. Beckland feels strongly about bringing important issues to the people for a vote instead of keeping them behind closed doors. Elaine’s family members are lifelong Granite City residents and Beckland has experience in public office as a former Nameoki Township Assessor. “I’m experienced in assessment and taxation practices, and I want to make sure residents of District 20 pay the least they can. I’ll do that by working with the Madison County Assessor's Office and the board of Review” Beckland said. Elaine Beckland is also an experienced Republican and has concerns about her opponent Denise Wiehardt’

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ALTON - Wild Pickins, a winery in Chesterfield, Illinois, is expanding into the Alton area with Sip & Play Wine and Gaming Café, a wine bar, and a gaming room that will feature slot machines, Wild Pickins wines, and more. “We wanted it to be a very scaled-down version of Wild Pickins where we could sell our wine and have some gaming,” said Leslie Snider, who co-owns Sip & Play with Todd McGill. “The games are slot machines through the state of Illinois. has nine varieties of his own wine, ranging from dry to sweet, semi-sweet in the middle. He makes all his own wine.” In addition, Snider said the café will have “Wineritas,” which are wine slushies, and a small menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Snider said they were looking to expand Wild Pickins and bring it closer to some of their most loyal customers, allowing Altonians to get some of their favorite wines in a fraction of the time. “Wild Pickins Winery …

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Mark Bennett on today’s date, for the production of child pornography. Judge Autrey set sentencing for June 13, 2022. At sentencing, Bennett is subject to imprisonment of not less than fifteen years and not more than thirty years, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The Court may also impose a period of supervised release of not more than life and not less than five years. According to the plea agreement, on December 11, 2019, Bennett attempted to download child pornography from a Microsoft search engine. Due to material sought, Microsoft reported the activity as a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on December 12, 2019. This cyber tip led to a law enforcement investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence of Bennett. A subsequent

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STAUNTON - The Highball Chapter of Ducks Unlimited had a highly successful banquet recently with just under 500 people attending and grossing more than $100,000. The crowd willingly donated thousands of dollars to help with conservation. Jim and Kelli Steward are spokespeople for the event. Jim said he wants to thank everyone for their generous donations, support, underwrites, and sponsorships. “We are humbled by the tremendous support we received from local businesses and individuals,” he said. “ We couldn't do what we do without their continued support. We are very excited to see those dollars being used for conservation. Kelli Steward said this was the most ever raised for this Ducks Unlimited Chapter. “We are ranked in the top 10 in the State of Illinois when it comes to raising money for conservation,” she said. “We work hard to improve year after year. At this point, we are maxed out on the number of people that we can have in th

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3 Sisters Tea, Apothecary & Yoga Studio will be hosting its grand opening on April 2 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Originally based online, the tea business will be moving into its first brick-and-mortar location at 221 South State Street in Jerseyville. “3 Sisters Tea, Apothecary & Yoga Studio is a welcoming place for the community to gather for delicious, artisan tea beverages & healthy snacks as they browse our collection of products for women-owned small businesses,” said Alyssa Rehel, director of marketing & public relations for 3 Sisters Tea. “All are welcome to our 3 Sisters Yoga studio for a wide variety of classes for all ages and abilities.” The grand opening event will feature yoga classes, tea beverages, and snacks in their café and a host of other small businesses' products (such as thrifted clothing and natural body care products) to shop in their women-owned small business boutique. Sisters & co-owners NaRetta Forrester, NaShona Staples, and

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EDWARDSVILLE – After losing only two matches throughout its regular season, the Metro-East Lutheran High School varsity scholar bowl team defeated Staunton on Monday night to win the regional championship. MELHS now moves on to the sectional competition, to be held Saturday at Southwestern High School in Piasa. MELHS will face teams from Southwestern, Litchfield and Althoff Catholic High School at the sectional. The MELHS varsity scholar bowl team includes just one senior, team captain MaryAnn Rainey. Other members of the team include juniors Silas Curtis and Josh Richie, sophomores Harry Mueller and Mary Curtis, and freshman Blake Schaper. “Every member of our team is a powerhouse player in their own way,” said Shanna Covarrubias, MELHS scholar bowl coach. “We’ve got math whizzes, people who know everything there is to know about mythology, experts on current events. They are all really well-rounded people, which allows them to thrive in this environment.”

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ALTON - The 9th Annual Alton Band and Orchestra Builders’ Spring Vendor/Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, March 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Alton High School, 4200 Humbert Road. Approximately 60 vendors and crafters will have their wares on display for your shopping pleasure. Admission is $1. Come and see many nationally known products and a wide variety of unique hand-crafted creations. Lunch will be available for purchase and features sandwiches from “Chicken Salad Chick” and “Firehouse Subs”. For more information call 314-690-8520, email: altonspringfair@gmail.com , visit our “Facebook” page: ABOB Spring Vendor Fair or click on our website: http://abob.net/vendor-fair . A list of participating vendors and crafters can be found on both our “Facebook” page and our website. This event is sponsored by the Alton Band and Orchestra Builders. All proceeds will be used for repairs, new instruments and special instructors.

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