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EDWARDSVILLE - When Wes Sterling saw 9-year-old Ruby Leigh perform at the American Legion Post #199 in 2016, he had no idea he was watching a future star of “The Voice.” Now 16 years old and a finalist in the reality singing competition, Leigh is returning to Post #199 to perform on New Year’s Eve. Wes, the commander of Post #199, and his wife, Eva, are just as starstruck as they were then. “My wife is a great big fan of Ruby’s. We first met her when she was 9 when she came out here and played at the Bluegrass Festival,” Wes remembered. “Ruby had been out here probably five or six times on different events and played for us.” A local promoter — and the Sterlings’ friend — had seen Leigh’s talent in her hometown of Foley, Missouri. He connected her to Post #199 in Edwardsville. The couple quickly became friends with Leigh’s family, including her father, who Wes described as “a really, really nice

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EDWARDSVILLE - Sara Colvin is the new Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and CEO of the SIUE Foundation. Colvin replaces Seth Walker, former vice chancellor for advancement and CEO of the SIUE Foundation, who recently stepped down to accept a new role in his home state of Georgia. Colvin, who previously worked on major gift campaigns for both the School of Business and J ohn Martinson Honors Program, plans “to ensure continuity and positive momentum for the SIUE Foundation.” “My dedication to fostering positive relationships and adeptly navigating complex challenges positions me as a valuable asset in advancing the mission and goals of SIUE,” said Colvin. “We will actively engage with students, faculty, and staff to understand their needs and concerns. I am enthusiastic about contributing to the university's continued success within advancement and alumni relations teams.”

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ALTON - River Bend Yoga will combine holiday fun and mindfulness with their Kids Yoga: Christmas Edition class on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. From 1–3 p.m., kids can experiment with basic yoga movements and breathwork while making crafts, playing games and enjoying a few holiday treats. Stephanie Greenhaulgh, the class’s instructor, explained that it’ll be a fun day with all the benefits of a normal yoga class. “This one’s a little fun because it’s not just movement and breath," she explained. "We’re throwing in a little holiday twist." During the class, kids will be making reindeer food, ornaments and graham cracker reindeer. They will also decorate sugar cookies and enjoy cups of hot cocoa while they make cards for local nursing homes. Some of the yoga and breathing exercises that Greenhaulgh usually teaches during her kids classes will also have a holiday feel. She said her students will learn the “cocoa breath” technique,

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ST. LOUIS - The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a beloved landmark for many young actors, and one of The Rep’s most accomplished alums will be in town this weekend to fundraise for the theater. The “Rally for The Rep: Holiday Benefit with John Goodman” will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Attendees can enjoy a conversation with the famous actor, music by The Lovettes, a cameo by Ozzie Smith and a “Raffle for The Rep” that boasts a grand prize of tickets to see Adele in Las Vegas. The goal is to raise $2.5 million so The Rep can finish their 2023-24 season. “We’re so grateful for everybody’s support so far,” said Becks Redman, the theater’s associate artistic director. “The Rep is so important. It’s so important to St. Louis. It’s been a cultural institution here for such a long time. We’re so grateful that so many people are coming to this event and have helped with the campaign

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police (ISP) conducted Operation Silent Night on December 7-9, 2023, in St. Clair and Madison counties, focusing its efforts on East St. Louis and neighboring Metro East communities. The operation utilized intelligence and technology to target known high crime areas, organized violent offenders, and structured criminal groups in the communities of the Metro East. More than 30 officers from around the state, including Troops 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, the South Fatal Four Team, the ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 Public Safety Enforcement Group, and ISP Air Operations, joined forces with the ISP Special Operation Group South Statewide Anti-Violence Enforcement Unit for the multi-day operation. The Firearms Investigations Unit and Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois provided additional support during the operational period. There were several notable events and arrests during the detail: On December 7, 2023,

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GRANITE CITY - 1st MidAmerica Credit Union announced its four recipients of the Granite City Community Unit School District #9 Teacher Grants for the 2023 Fall Semester at the Dec. 12 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 four honorees and how the $250 grant will be used: Hannah Boehme - Maryville 1st Grade Doodle boards and play-doh for phonics lessons Karen Phillips - Maryville 1st & 2nd Grade Microphone ball for music classes Sarah Shaw - Wilson 1st Grade Rock memory garden for former teacher Jamie Kindle Denise Stout - Maryville 2nd Grade Horseshoe table for small group instruction For more information about 1st MidAmerica Credit Union, visit www.1stmidamerica.org/# .

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ben Cardin (D-MD) and more than two dozen Senate colleagues in a bipartisan a letter condemning the inaction of the United Nations (UN) regarding Hamas’s widespread sexual violence, including mass rape and mutilation, against women in Israel on October 7, 2023. The Senators urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to open an independent investigation into Hamas’s acts of sexual violence and to hold the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)—the organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence—accountable for its failure to immediately and unequivocally condemn Hamas’s atrocities against women. “We write to express our profound disappointment with the United Nations’ (UN) response to Hamas’

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today led 13 of his colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young urging the agency leaders to increase the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) research budget by at least five percent, plus inflation, for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). In their letter, the Senators emphasized the importance of public funding for food and agriculture research as it ensures that the U.S. remains competitive in the global market. The U.S. share of public agriculture research investments globally among high-income countries as a group has declined from 35 percent in 1960 to less than 25 percent by 2013. By comparison, in the past 30 years, China’s investments in public agriculture research has risen eight-fold, with China now the world’s largest public funder of agriculture

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GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that repairs on eastbound Interstate 270 between Illinois 3 and Riverview Drive in Missouri will require lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 15. One lane will always remain open. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 18. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. 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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JERSEYVILLE - A splash pad is officially coming to Lions Club Park in Jerseyville following unanimous City Council approval of a proposal from Water Odyssey for splash pad features/controllers/equipment. This is the latest in a series of improvements planned for Phase 2 of the Lions Club Park Improvements Project. Tyler Hermens, director of the Jerseyville Parks and Recreation Department, said at the meeting that “there’s a lot of moving parts with this project,” including several grants that have made it possible. “We have a $600,000 grant from the state of Illinois to potentially bid out the entire project and the construction,” Hermens said. “What this allows us to do, with the American Water $250,000 grant we received, this gives us the opportunity to pre-purchase the equipment and have that fabricated behind the scenes while we’re working on a final design and Department of Public Health permit. “With our Parks and Rec staff,

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CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined mHUB leadership, local elected officials, business leaders, and members of Illinois’ entrepreneurial community to celebrate the ribbon cutting and grand opening of mHUB’s new headquarters. The new innovation center is receiving $9.6 million in funding from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to continue advancing technology solutions for a clean tech economy through energy infrastructure, grid modernization, and long-energy storage. “To make Illinois a leader in clean energy innovation, we need institutions like mHUB that convene public and private sector interests towards a common goal, such as protecting the future health and economy of our state by developing new solutions to our climate crisis,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “The State is proud to recognize mHUB for the work it’s doing to scale the early-stage technologies needed to modernize, decarbonize, and incentivize

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PIASA - Southwestern High School on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, announced its list of Illinois State Scholar students. The group, shown above from left to right, are: Colin LeMarr, Parker LeMarr, Carson Burns, Matthew Arendell and Wyatt Akers. To be considered for Illinois State Scholar eligibility, a student must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. The State Scholar program recognizes students attending approved Illinois high schools, typically public schools. Eligibility for the State Scholar program is based in part on a student's highest qualifying ACT or SAT score.

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City had a long list of high school students who auditioned and were selected for the Eastern Illinois University Honor Band Festival. A total of 25 Granite City students were picked of the 103 students across the state to participate. The students rehearsed and attended masterclasses and faculty recitals before performing a concert conducted by Dr. Alicia Neal and Professor David Boggs. The Granite City administration said the students represented Granite City well and "we are proud of their hard work and accomplishments." The list of students is as follows: Makayla Bird Karlisa Brent Aaron Brinker Arianna Collins Abigail Dickerman Brennen Foote Bailey Hanks Adrianna Ireland Colin Lakatos Holly LePeire Teresa Maldonado Lilly Martin Kaylah Meyerhoff Gabrielle Mitchell Alexander Peralez Victor Peralez Issac Robinson Victoria Robinson Xavier Russell Fred SanSoucie Neva Schwartz Faith Teets Sunny Valle Jenna Watkins Alyssa White

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ALTON – The anonymous gold coin donor has struck again. Over the weekend, a gold coin was placed in The Salvation Army’s red kettle in Wood River. This has happened for many years in Alton and has become an annual tradition. “We are so excited to share that we have been blessed again this year with the gift of a gold coin at the Wood River Walmart,” Captain Cassy Grey announced today. “We are truly grateful for the generosity of this anonymous donor and send you our heartfelt thanks!” Bell ringers are still needed to help The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign reach its goal of $217,000 to help people in Madison County. As of Dec. 11, 2023, approximately $66,000 has been raised with just 11 ringing days remaining. Alton Salvation Army Captain Sean Grey would like to make a special plea for bell ringers through Dec. 23, 2023. “The holidays are a busy time for everyone, so please know how much we need and value your help.” If you can hel

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WOOD RIVER - What began six months ago as an electronic repair service offered out of Blake Brown’s home has found a new home in a storefront at 305 S. 6th St. in Wood River. BB Electronic Repair & Recycling has been open at the new location for about a month now offering everything its name implies and more. Brown spoke more about the business and its new storefront on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . “I have been messing with electronics since I was a kid. It has been something that has been a passion of mine,” Brown said. “During COVID, I was let go of my job and decided it was time to go ahead and pursue stuff of my own.” When he was first getting started, he described it more as a “side hustle” to make extra money while he tried and struggled to find a job in the industry. Eventually, he decided he was passionate enough about electronic repair to stop the job search and employ himself instead. “I

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted five special celebrations to recognize graduates representing diverse populations during the week of Dec. 4-8, ahead of the University’s fall 2023 commencement exercises being held Friday-Saturday, Dec. 15-16. Students were honored during the following special observances: Hispanic/Latinx, Black, Lavendar (formerly Rainbow), Asian-Asian American-Pacific Islander-Desi American, and Non-Traditional. “The purpose of these Affinity Celebrations is to ensure that the students from historically marginalized populations are seen, acknowledged and honored for their achievements,” said Ashley Jones, Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub office administrator. “The Celebrations are important because these students, in a lot of cases, have overcome great obstacles, systemic racism, inequitable circumstances, and personal difficulties to get to this place in their

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ALTON - Alton’s first-ever free Riverbend Wellness Festival is set for next month and hundreds of people are already interested in the event, which will include ten keynote speakers, four “wellness workshops” and over 30 vendors. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, community members will fill Milton Schoolhouse for a day of “Whole Wellness.” Organizers Beth Ahlin and Stella Webb hope to see a big crowd, and they’re asking local businesses to consider donating to the raffle, with all proceeds going to Amare, NFP. The goal, they said, is to promote community wellness. “We’ll have opportunities for individuals and families to seek wellness,” Ahlin said. “I always tell people, somebody’s way to wellness is their own way. So to have opportunities for anybody, families, individuals, to seek out wellness and to be able to talk to the people who can get them there, it’s super cool. And the huge overarching

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GRAFTON - Pere Marquette State Park has renewed their outreach efforts with the help of Lev Smolianski, the new natural resource coordinator. Smolianski explained that there are several programs in the works for anyone who is interested in learning about Pere Marquette and the ecosystem it supports. Whether he teaches at schools or at the park, he loves watching people become more passionate about the environment as they learn about it. “When you bring these kinds of programs and lessons to folks, people become connected to their land. It changes the way they view the world,” Smolianski said. “I believe through this kind of work, people become better stewards of their environment. My ultimate goal is to create an ideal of conservation in the folks that I interact with, to preserve for future generations and to create sustainable, long term management of our natural resources.” To do this, Smolianski is upping Pere Marquette’s programming and amplifying

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ALTON - Alton Ward 7 Alderman Nate Keener announced last night that he will be stepping down from his posts on the Alton Committee of the Whole and City Council at the end of this year to relocate for a new job in Springfield. “Today, I’m publicly announcing my resignation as Ward 7 Alderman effective Dec. 31, 2023,” Keener said at Monday’s committee meeting. “Earlier this year, I accepted a new job based in Springfield and due to this career change, my family and I will be relocating to central Illinois sometime after the first of the year.” Once Keener officially steps down, there will be an open vacancy for a new Ward 7 Alderperson yet to be appointed. Keener said he is “committed to helping make that transition as smooth as possible.” “It has been an honor to serve,” he added. “I’ve enjoyed meeting so many of you and hearing your ideas about how to make the city of Alton a better place to live, and

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WASHINGTON – Following a continuous stretch of severe weather events in Illinois, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today reintroduced the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act. The bill would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster declaration process to make it more transparent and equitable to small and rural communities in larger states like Illinois. Due to FEMA’s disaster declaration process, states like Illinois face difficulties qualifying for federal aid to repair damage caused by natural disasters. Durbin first introduced the bill in 2012 afterFEMA denied federal assistance to Harrisburg, Illinois, and Ridgway, Illinois, following a devastating outbreak of storms and tornadoes. “Illinois often struggles to receive adequate aid from the federal government after severe weather strikes a community, causing serious damage. We must fix the broken metrics FEMA uses to determine

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