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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College has teamed up with area high schools and fire departments to form the Fire Science Academy (FSA). The purpose of the FSA is to help incoming high school seniors take the initial steps needed to become a volunteer, on-call or full-time firefighter. L&C Fire Science Program Coordinator Ed Burnley says the idea came from Wood River Fire Chief Wade Stahlhut and East Alton-Wood River High School Superintendent Rob Miller. “The motivation was a recent decline in recruitment and fire department applications across the area,” Burnley said. “The hope is area fire departments will see an increase in the number of people interested in becoming a firefighter.” According to Burnley, the FSA will serve as a first step to an Associate in Applied Science in Fire Science for those considering a career in a fire service-related field. “These students will complete the cognitive and psychomotor components of

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Colleen Callahan will step down from her post on Jan. 16 after nearly four years leading the state agency charged with managing, conserving and protecting Illinois’ natural and cultural resources. Callahan has served as director since March 1, 2019, when she was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker. During that time, she guided the agency through a global pandemic, which resulted in millions of visitors seeking to nurture their physical and mental health in the outdoors at Illinois’ nearly 400 state parks, natural areas, and historic sites. During her time at IDNR, Callahan oversaw efforts to develop a strategic plan for the agency, with a focus on positioning IDNR as a leader on reducing the state’s carbon footprint and mitigating the effects of climate change. A climate action plan is currently under review and set to be released in early 2023. Callahan also ushered the agency into a new era o

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ALTON - The Alton Knights of Columbus has a fundraiser event in February to raise money for the Ss. Peter & Paul Church Capital Renovation Campaign. The Celebrity Dinner will feature Frank Cusumano, the Sports Director for KSDK and talk show host on KFNS. The dinner will be held on Friday, February 3, 2023, at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Alton. Doors open at 6 p.m./dinner begins at 7 p.m. By the time Cusumano was in high school, he was a DeSmet Spartan and was a part of a historic basketball run. Led by fellow Hall of Famer Steve Stipanovich, the Spartans won an astounding 63 games in a row, including the 1979 Missouri state championship. From there it was on to UMSL, where Frank played four years for the Rivermen. Frank started his broadcasting career in Kingsport, Tenn., and then Lexington, Ky. There, he covered sports passionately, but he always had his eye on coming back to St. Louis, where he could “live sports.” After six years, he was hired by KSDK.

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ALTON - A vehicle crashed into a power pole and a parked vehicle in the 1400 block of Pearl around 1 p.m. on Saturday. Ameren Illinois was called to the scene after about eight customers close to the crash were without power. It took Ameren Illinois workers about two and a half hours to fix the situation. Alton Police and Fire responded to the accident. It was not known yet if there were any injuries to the motorist, but the accident is under investigation.

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EAST ST. LOUIS – At 9:46 a.m. on January 7, 2023, at approximately 9:46 a.m., the Illinois State Police Zone 6 Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG) responded to the 7400 block of State Street to investigate a homicide. The victim, a 35-year-old male from East St. Louis, was fatally injured when he was struck by gunfire. Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has any knowledge of the incident is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 314-725-8477 (TIPS) or PSEG Agents at 618-343-5239. Witnesses can remain anonymous.

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ALTON - The Alton Police and Fire Departments were busy at 3:38 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, with a report of a traffic crash involving two vehicles on College Avenue at the intersection with Fosterburg Road. "Upon arrival, one vehicle was on fire so Alton Police Officer, Jen Doty, used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire," Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said. "One person suffered an injury as a result of the crash and not as a result of the fire. That person was taken to a local hospital via Alton Fire Department ambulance. Injury is not considered serious. The accident remains under investigation at this time." Chief Ford said he was proud of Officer Doty for using her fire extinguisher to help put the fire out.

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ALTON - Growing up, you hear the expressions, “rub some dirt on it” or “suck it up” when trying to express emotions through pain, sadness, or fear. For some, these expressions have been passed down from previous generations as a way to encourage men to be strong and resilient. From an early age, men are often forced to repress and express emotions very differently than women, and this can lead to emotional challenges. Men feel the same emotions as women but have traditionally expressed only the emotions more accepted by society. Men often experience their feelings more restrictedly, which might make it challenging to unlearn and create more emotional awareness as they grow older. “Men are not often exposed to mental health or discussing emotions. So having conversations where there was no exposure before might be fearful or unfamiliar territory,” says Dr. Shane Kuhlman, Chief Psychology Officer at Centerstone’s Research Institute. While it migh

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ST. LOUIS - With New Year’s celebrations behind us and the promise of the new year ahead, it can be a great time to talk about the relationship between alcohol and our health. While the dangers of regular heavy drinking and binge drinking (drinking a lot in a short period) are fairly well known, less understood by many are the health risks from regularly drinking more modest amounts of alcohol. This may be in part because of the dominant message of the possible “heart health” benefits of moderate drinking, which have appeared for decades in media and in many health guidelines. We know now more than ever that when it comes to drinking there are many other conditions that need to be considered beyond just heart disease. “Alcohol is associated with increased risks of developing cancer - specifically, cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colorectum, liver and breast,” said Yin Cao, ScD, an associate professor of surgery and medicine at

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MARYVILLE - Millions saw Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills collapse from cardiac arrest earlier this week. “This was traumatic for everyone, especially Hamlin’s family and teammates but also for so many others involved and witnessing the event. More than 70% of cardiac arrests that do not happen in the hospital, occur in a home where access to medical professionals and an AED is not as readily available,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. “Recognizing a cardiac arrest, calling 911 immediately, performing CPR and using an AED as soon as it is available are critical for survival. Statistically speaking, it is likely that the person will need to be helped by a family member or a friend in order to survive.” There are so many timely lessons to be learned after this tragic event, but most importantly, the lesson of timely CPR. “As you can imagine, despite the best efforts of our EM

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LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO – This Christmas season, the leading bariatric supplement provider, ProCare Health , fulfilled the Christmas lists (and then some) and provided a Christmas Eve dinner for 27 children at the Catholic Children’s Home in Alton, Illinois. On Thursday, December 15, ProCare Health assisted in delivering the gifts to the orphanage, whose mission is to aid, protect, and care for the needs, education, and welfare of dependent, neglected, abused, or otherwise hurting children and families regardless of economic status, race, religious beliefs, and nationality. Established in 1879 by the Precious Blood Sisters of Ruma, Illinois, the Catholic Children’s Home has a 143-year history of providing care for those in need. Professional services available include: Therapy Counseling Social Work Specialist Care Education For more information, please visit http://www.catholicchildrenshome.com/professional-services . Programs available include: Special

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JERSEYVILLE - A new Jersey County Board member and owner of a prominent heating and cooling company died this week. Alan Womack, 56, of Jerseyville, died on Jan. 3, 2023. Alan is survived by his wife, Dawn of Jerseyville, and two daughters Samantha (Robert) Merkle and Abigail Womack of Jerseyville, and granddaughters, Isabella and Everleigh Merkle, and siblings, Edward and Nancy. Alan's visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Alexander Funeral Home and the funeral will be from 1-2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, at the funeral home. Alan was recently elected to the county board. Gary Krueger, a fellow county board member, said he was looking forward to having Alan on the board and he and other board members were shocked at his sudden passing. "It was very unexpected," Krueger said. "Alan was appointed as chairman of the building and grounds committee because of his knowledge of heating and cooling. He was my personal heating and cooling person. I was looking

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ALTON - A man has been charged after an investigation into the shooting that occurred at 5:06 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in the 1600 block of Washington Avenue in Alton. Alton Police and Fire responded to the scene and discovered one person had been struck by gunfire. Immediately, detectives from the Alton Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) were at the scene to investigate this incident, and Chief Jarrett Ford said they have done so "exhaustively throughout the week." As a result of their efforts, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office today charged Nekemar K. Pearson with the following offenses in relation to this incident: Count I: Aggravated Battery with a Firearm Count II: Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm Count III: Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm Count IV: Unlawful Possession of Weapons by a Felon Count V: Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons Chief Ford said the victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, and ultimately

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House of Representatives has passed a modified ban on high-powered weapons and large-capacity magazines early Friday. The bill passed along party lines in the House Executive Committee Thursday afternoon. The assault weapons legislation quickly advanced to the full House and after late-night debate passed on a 64-43 vote. The bill is scheduled now to head to the Senate. Some legislators are hopeful it is voted on before the new set of legislators is sworn in on Wednesday. The bill would ban the sale of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines with more than 12 rounds. Anyone in possession of those magazines would have 90 days to convert, dispose or sell them. Those who already own assault-style weapons would be grandfathered in, but have 300 days to enter the serial number of those weapons into the FOID system. A spokesperson for Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said: "These are critically important issues, and the Senate Democratic Caucus

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JERSEYVILLE - A black Pontiac four-door sedan caught on fire in the Jerseyville Walmart parking lot on Thursday, Jan. 5. Jerseyville Fire Chief Keith Norman said while his department was able to contain the fire and put it out relatively quickly, the vehicle suffered extensive damage to the front end. Norman said the incident was called in at 4:51 p.m., and he happened to be driving nearby, allowing him to be on the scene just 28 seconds after the call. Firetrucks arrived seven minutes later and firefighters spent 20 minutes putting out the vehicle fire. “It was absolutely totaled,” Norman said. “We kept the fire out of the passenger compartment, but the engine compartment was 100 percent destroyed.” While the exact cause of the fire wasn’t determined, Norman said he expects it was a malfunction in the engine compartment. “I would make an assumption that it did start in the engine compartment of the vehicle, so it was obviously some kind

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County’s top two assessment officials are retiring. Joe Dauderman, who became the Chief County Assessor for Madison County in May 2013, announced his retirement for the end of February and his chief deputy, Phil Byers, said goodbye Friday. “The retirement is a huge loss to Madison County,” Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. “They are taking with them a combined 72 years of experience.” Dauderman began working in Madison County in April 1985. Byers came on board in September 1987. During Dauderman’s tenure, he watched the county’s property value increase and the office take on additional responsibilities in assessing property. The assessor's office determines the value of all taxable property in the county and decides when adjustments are needed based on various laws and exemptions. In 2018, the county board passed a resolution giving townships a choice to either pay for the full costs of tax assessments or do the

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JERSEYVILLE – Freshman Meredith Gray is beginning to turn some heads toward the Jersey Community High School girl’s basketball team. As a freshman, she has become the team’s second-leading scorer and has helped the Panthers tremendously throughout the season. Jersey currently sits at 12-7 on the season. Meredith has played in all 19 of those games and has amassed 203 points so far, good for a 10.7 point-per-game average. She’s also pulled down 89 rebounds, also second on the team. Meredith has put up double-digit scoring in nine games this season with a season-high 20 points against Hazelwood West back on Nov. 29. Just last night (Jan. 5) she put in 14 points to help her team win over Triad. It was the Panthers’ first Mississippi Valley Conference win in two years. She’s just happy to be along for the ride. "It feels pretty good,” she said after the win Thursday night. “I'm glad my teammates can count on me whenever they need me and

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Gori Law Firm recently announced the hiring of attorney Paula Gutierrez to its Edwardsville, Ill., office. Gutierrez joins the firm’s asbestos litigation practice where she represents individuals and families who have been affected due to asbestos exposure. Gutierrez is a former member of the United States Air Force, where she served seven years as a health service manager. Before joining The Gori Law Firm, she worked as a Veteran Service Officer, advocating on behalf of veterans for service-connected claims within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gutierrez has also practiced criminal defense law for the Missouri State Public Defender’s office. “We have worked with hundreds of veterans across the country who were exposed to asbestos in service of their country. Paula is a known advocate for these individuals, and we are happy to have her as part of our team,” said Sara Salger, managing partner at The Gori Law Firm. “Her experience

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ROXANA - A stellar up-and-coming female athlete at Roxana High School is sophomore Norah Washington. Washington went from a jump from No. 4 singles to the Shells' No. 1 player by the season's end. Washington also is a basketball and softball player for Roxana. Norah is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for Roxana High School. Norah's girls' tennis coach Zach Plocher sees great things ahead in the future for his No. 1 player this past season. She also placed third in singles at the IHSA Class 1A Sectional at Triad. "The thing I see with her potential is her work ethic and her commitment to become a better player and make the team better," he said. "She made a jump from No. 4 to No. 1 this season and instead of complaining, she would bike to all of the summer tennis and then right after going to the speed/conditioning program at the school. She would then come back later and try and hit with a teammate." Plocher said Washington's progress in one year shows ho

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced today that 2022 set adult use cannabis sales records in all categories it tracks. This includes number of items sold, sales totals to Illinois and out-of-state residents, and sales total by month. For the year, Illinois adult use cannabis dispensaries sold $1,552,324,820.37 worth of product, an increase of more than 12% from 2021 and 131% from 2020, the first year cannabis sales were first legally allowed in Illinois. There are currently 113 adult use cannabis dispensaries in Illinois, including the first three social equity dispensaries that opened their doors in 2022. These figures do not include taxes collected, which are reported by the Illinois Department of Revenue. “When I signed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act into law in 2019, we set out on an ambitious goal: to create the most equitable and economically prosperous cannabis industry in the nation. Our data from 2022 shows that

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ALTON - The Hit-n-Run Store at 2345 State Street in Alton owned by Dwight and Teresa Fowler, will reopen at 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. A fire broke out in the afternoon of Nov. 22 at that location causing it to be closed for over a month. Firefighters arrived and located the fire that had originated under the fountain machine. The flames were extinguished, but there was smoke damage to the building and the merchandise present at that time. “We are really excited to be open again,” Dwight said. “Servpro came in with some others and we had the business professionally cleaned. Some of the employees also have come in and helped clean and put things back together.” Dwight said he has a strong nucleus of store team members, some of who have been there for years. He said there is excitement around the community that they will be open again. “I even had someone ask me about it at the Granite City location this week,” he said. “People come

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