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CHICAGO - Governor Pritzker today celebrated the state’s ninth credit rating upgrade in just over two years as Fitch Ratings elevated Illinois’ rating for general obligation bonds. This fiscal progress comes as the result of five balanced budgets and years of responsible financial management and discipline under Governor Pritzker and Democrats in the General Assembly. “We are continuing to right the past fiscal wrongs in our state with disciplined fiscal leadership, and credit rating agencies and businesses alike are taking notice of Illinois’ remarkable progress,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Another credit rating upgrade means millions saved for Illinois taxpayers in interest—money back in the pockets of our state where it can better serve our residents.” The rating of a state’s bonds is a measure of their credit quality. A higher bond rating generally means the state can borrow at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions

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ALTON – A tale of mischief, mayhem, and murderous intent is coming to Alton Little Theater (ALT) Showplace with the opening of the critically acclaimed musical "A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder" on November 10th. ALT proudly brings this Tony Award-winning masterpiece to the community, promising a blend of laughter, romance, and unforgettable music. A story of Monty Navarro and his devilishly clever antics to inherit a family fortune, "A Gentleman’s Guide" has captivated audiences nationwide with its wit and whimsy. The ALT production features a robust cast of 13 extraordinary local talents, including the celebrated performances of Lorian Warford and Jess McCawley. The ALT Showplace is set to transform into the vibrant world of Edwardian England across several performances, offering both evening shows and matinees to accommodate all schedules: Evening Performances at 7:30 pm: November 10th, 11th, and 15th-18th, 2023 Matinee Performances at 2 pm: November 12th

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - The Making an IMPACT Foundation, a charitable foundation established by IMPACT Strategies of Fairview Heights, IL, held its second annual Sporting Clay Classic earlier this fall. The event was held at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, IL. All proceeds were donated to Hoyleton Youth & Family Services for their Home for Healing Capital Campaign. Attendees enjoyed a luncheon and several competitive sporting clay events, followed by a happy hour and awards ceremony honoring the winners. The Making an IMPACT Foundation supports the local community with a focus on four Pillars of Support: Community, Healthcare, Education, and Children. The Foundation works to add value through charitable donations, volunteer service projects, and lasting partnerships. Our mission is to support and engage employees of the IMPACT Strategies team to embrace the community and others by investing their time, talent, and resources. IMPACT Strategies Foundation Committee

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ALTON - The Alton Police Department immediately responded to a report of multiple gunshots fired in the 900 block of East Seventh Street in Alton at 9:16 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, and discovered an adult male had been struck by gunfire while in a residence. "He was transported by the Alton Fire Department to a local hospital and subsequently flown to a St. Louis area hospital," Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said. "He was later pronounced deceased at the St. Louis area hospital." "Preliminary investigation has revealed this to be a domestic-related incident. There is no reason to believe there is any ongoing threat to the public." Ford continued and said: "Detectives of the Alton Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division worked throughout the night and are still following up on leads this morning. They have been assisted by the Illinois State Police, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the St. Louis Medical Examiner's Office." Anyone with information

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To the Editor, As a public servant with over three decades of dedicated service, I have witnessed the shifting landscape of community engagement, particularly with the rise of social media. I write today with deep concern regarding the South Roxana Community Facebook Page. What began as an initiative I once supported—conceived by two friends to provide information and unite our town—has diverged alarmingly from its intended course, now undermining the democratic principles we hold dear. Having distanced myself from social media, I find these platforms too often echo misinformation and foster a craving for immediate attention rather than cultivating an informed and active citizenry. This page, which I initially supported the launch with the premise of offering a beacon of truth, has instead deviated into a one-sided forum where dissenting voices, especially those of our town's elected officials and employees, have been blocked from the page and prohibited from seeing the

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville City Council approved the appointment of a new 2nd Ward Alderman to serve the remainder of Jack Burns’s term after his passing last month . Former Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton will now fill the role after being sworn in at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Mayor Art Risavy said he’s honored to have Patton back on the City Council, where he first began his career in public service over 20 years ago - incidentally, as 2nd Ward Alderman. He also served on the Madison County Board before being elected and re-elected as mayor in 2013 and 2017. “Hal approached me about honoring Alderman Jack Burns, who he encouraged to run for the Aldermanic seat, and he asked if he could be considered to fill out Jack Burns’s term,” Risavy said. “I can think of no better person to serve that seat. I’m going to be honored to serve with Hal Patton as alderman. I’m so honored that he would want to participate in the

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A LTON - The Mothers Unique Grief Support Group and onlookers gathered at the Alton Amphitheater to release doves in honor of their children. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, nearly 50 people came together to pray and watch the doves take flight. Tears were shed as Mothers Unique member Rita Young read a poem that noted there are words to describe a person who lost a spouse and a child who lost a parent, “but there is no word to describe a person who loses a child because the loss is like no other.” “First of all, I’d like to give God all the praise, the honor and the glory for helping this group with the journey that we have been on,” said Mothers Unique founder Mary Jason. “I’d like to thank my grief support group for being so devoted and dedicated. They have been wonderful. They have helped me through the whole thing. Every walk, they were with me, and I thank them.” Many parents were present, including Michael Brown, Sr., and hi

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SPRINGFIELD - With an estimated 450,000 undocumented immigrants living in Illinois and the ever-increasing costs forced onto taxpayers to pay for their free Medicaid healthcare benefits, State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) has passed a Legislative Audit Commission resolution calling for an audit to ensure transparency on how much the State of Illinois is paying to provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrant adults ages 42 and up. “While individuals and families work hard each day to pay for their own healthcare costs, and seniors living on a fixed income carefully budget their monthly expenses, the taxpayers deserve certainty on how much the State is spending on free healthcare for undocumented immigrants. The audit I have requested will provide a transparent account of how our taxpayer dollars are being spent on this program.” On Tuesday, November 7th State Representative Amy Elik introduced a resolution (#165) at the Legislative Audit Commission’s

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School is proud to announce the induction of its newest members into the prestigious National Honor Society (NHS). The following Explorers are now members of the Marquette Catholic High School Rose Morelli Chapter of NHS: - Shawna Ahne - Lucia Lonero - Ava Albers - Karson Morrissey - Izabela Albers - Samantha Poole - Samantha Booth - Addison Pranger - Rose Brangenberg - Willa Pruitt - Amos Brass - Brooke Rister - Bradley Bower - Kel'c Robinson - Alyssa Coles - Tyler Roth - Alyssa Converse - Erin Schwartz - Lily Covert - Grace Schwegel - Payton Crane - Genesis Showers - Ryan DeClue - Chloe Steele - Cassidy Eccles - Maya Stephan - Nola Effinger - Luke Steyer - Marian Elmendorf - Grace Stoverink - William Fahnestock - Eleanor Tiemann - Addison Groshans - Caleb Thomeczek - Caleb Harteis - Tyra Wells - Laura Hewitt - Ellie Williams - Radley Hoener - Rodger Zawodniak - Niko Koeller. The National Honor Society is a prestigious organization that recognizes high

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ALTON - On a rainy fall afternoon, October 14th, 2023, 27 teams braved the elements to participate in the 17th annual charity golf tournament organized by Cope Plastics, Inc., a local company dedicated to supporting the community. The event, which was held at the beautiful Woodlands Golf Club and Banquet Center, successfully raised $13,996.37 for the Friends of Kids with Cancer, a charitable organization that has been offering vital support and hope to families with children battling pediatric cancer for over three decades. Friends of Kids with Cancer, based in the Saint Louis area, serves approximately 1,200 children and their families every year through educational and emotional programs. The organization has been at the forefront of the fight against pediatric cancer, providing essential resources and assistance to those in need. Cope has been a dedicated supporter of Friends of Kids with Cancer for the past 17 years and, during this time, has raised approximately $110,000 to

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Lance Gooden (R-TX-05) requested a comprehensive review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) detailing the federal government's interchange fee expenses over the last five fiscal years. This request highlights the exorbitant credit card interchange or "swipe" fees, a staggering burden the federal government and, in turn, American taxpayers, pay at around $240 million every year. In addition to Durbin and Gooden, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), along with Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02), Tom Tiffany (R-WI-07), and Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-At-Large-Northern Mariana Islands). The lawmakers wrote, “The Visa-Mastercard duopoly and the nation’s largest banks that issue their cards wield enormous market power in the credit card system, and they have used that power to

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SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, chair of the Illinois House Higher Education Appropriations Committee, today said the State of Illinois will soon announce a new program to fully provide public university students with free and universal test and licensure preparation classes. Illinois is the first state to offer this benefit to its public university students. The Prepare for Illinois’ Future Program offers comprehensive test preparation and professional licensure preparation at no cost to Illinois public university students. This means all students will have access to key resources, enabling them to best prepare for the required exams needed to advance to graduate school and/or professional exams vital in school-to-work pathways. The fiscal year 2024 State of Illinois budget includes $10 million for free test prep classes for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Examination

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CHICAGO – An Illinois Lottery player is basking in joy after winning the top prize of $1 million on a scratch-off lottery ticket. “It’s the craziest thing to ever happen to me - I still can’t stop shaking,” expressed the lucky winner, who has requested to stay anonymous. “My wife was just saying ‘You’ve got to stop buying those things.’ So you can imagine how ecstatic I was to be able to tell her I won!” The $1 million winning scratch-off ticket was purchased at Phillips 66, located at 102 S. Lincoln Street in Philo, IL, a small town located eight miles south of Champaign - home to just over 1,300 residents. “The majority of our customers are local residents, so I can guarantee that if the winner walked into our store, we’d recognize him,” declared Umesh Patel, manager at Phillips 66 in Philo. “We are so excited that the winner is from our little city.” As part of his daily routine, the lucky

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CHICAGO, November 7, 2023 – An Illinois iLottery player has hit the jackpot in a new Fast Play game, Illinois Super Jackpot , that launched a few weeks ago. The online player was lucky enough to win $885,449 on Saturday, November 4. Illinois Super Jackpot is a $20 progressive Fast Play game. The jackpot begins at $50,000 and grows with each ticket sold statewide until the jackpot is won. Since its launch in late October, over 95,000 winning tickets for Illinois Super Jackpot have been purchased, netting players almost $4.8 million in prizes. Fast Play games can be purchased in retail, or online via IllinoisLottery.com or the Illinois Lottery app. There are currently 20 Fast Play games offered at various price points and play styles. About the Illinois Lottery Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $24 billion (since 1985) to the state’s Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Facebook whistleblower Arturo Béjar, former Director of Engineering for Facebook’s Protect and Care team, at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing entitled “Social Media and the Teen Mental Health Crisis.” “The bottom line is this. They made a decision that it is not a priority to them because of a profit motive, have they not? In terms of what it will cost them in their business model if they have to interrupt it and monitor the content.” Mr. Béjar responded by saying, “that would be a wonderful question to ask Mark and Sheryl , who is no longer there, and Adam , because they can speak to why they made these choices. I can only speak to the fact that they kept making those choices over and over again.” Durbin responded, “I would just back up what

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Name: David Stromske Hometown: Alton Years of Service: 1966-1968 Branch: Army Rank: ES War: Vietnam Medals Earned: Air Medal, Defense Medal, U.S. Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal. Message: "Dave Stromske doesn't know a stranger. He is the quintessential man, myth and legend." Submitters name: Kevin Walker

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Name: Alfredo D. Biay Hometown: Manila, Philippines Branch: United States Navy. Rank: Second Class Gunersmate Wars: Operation Desert Shield Storm Information: "My dad moved with his family from Manila, Philippines, when he was 9 years old. He has been discriminated against, and treated unfairly but that never stopped him from serving our country. He always said he would do it all over again." Submitters name: Michele Harris

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville takes the lead in BYU's latest accounting education case rankings . Three individual SIUE faculty members also rank in the top 10 of individual researchers publishing educational cases. “Creating these cases helps keep our faculty as well as our students up to date and helps us prepare our students for the accounting profession of tomorrow, as opposed to yesterday or even today,” said Jamie Hoelscher, associate professor of accounting in the SIUE School of Business. "It also helps us maintain credibility and recognition from area firms who are trying to train their new hires and workforce on similar topics.” The three faculty members in the top 10 category are Jamie Hoelscher; Andrew Gross, associate professor of accounting and chair of the department; and Brad Reed, professor and interim associate dean of accounting. Reed said of the commendation, “It is really an honor to be recognized

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EDWARDSVILLE - To a diverse crowd in the Meridian Ballroom of the Morris University Center, Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, spoke to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus community in his first State of the University Address at 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 2. The address opened with Barbara McCracken, PhD, president of the faculty senate, welcoming the full audience in attendance. McCracken introduced Geovonday Jones, assistant professor of theater, who passionately recited “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” an Emily Dickinson poem, and “Hope for Our New Beginning.” After a moving performance of prose and applause, the President of SIUE’s student government, Mackenzie Richards, took to the podium. Richards confidently introduced Chancellor Minor to an engaged audience. Minor opened his address with gratitude and a pause of recognition for “one of the great caretakers” of SIUE, former Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, PhD.

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PIASA - Members of the Military History Club at Southwestern High School have planted a field of 115 flags for the Disabled American Veterans nonprofit in honor of Veterans Day. Jeff Eldred, history teacher and advisor of the club, said he researched the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization and suggested the club could take part in their annual Veterans Day fundraiser. For every $10 collected by the students, the club received one flag to plant in front of the school. They set a goal of $300 and raised $1,150 for DAV. “The kids were really excited to do it. And next year, now that we know what’s really going on, we hope to do even more,” Eldred said. “There were 208 organizations, schools, community organizations, etc. that were part of this, and we raised the 25th most. We’re pretty proud of what we did.” The students set up tables at volleyball and football games to collect donations. They also contributed themselves when possible,

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