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As the holidays approach, home cooks often search for new time-saving dinner options for busy weeknights, or dishes and appetizers that will impress guests at holiday events. While dairy foods are often foundational ingredients in holiday and comfort food recipes, one dairy food — ricotta cheese — stands out this time of year due to its versatility, subtle flair and nutrition. Traditionally, cheesemakers make this fresh cheese from whey, a milk protein. To make ricotta, cheesemakers combine liquid whey with milk and vinegar, and then heat the mixture until the whey coagulates and forms the soft cheese known as ricotta. While moisture-rich ricotta cheese is slightly firm, it is not a solid cheese. Ricotta also has a smoother texture than cottage cheese, another variety of fresh cheese. Mild flavor, creamy texture adds dimension to recipes Ricotta’s light, slightly sweet flavor lends itself to both sweet and savory dishes, making it the perfect addition to holiday

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ALTON - As the holiday season approaches, gamers looking to enhance their gaming experience can consider custom gaming PCs from Riverbender Tech Center. The company, based at 200 W. Third St. in Alton, offers personalized builds designed to meet individual gaming needs and budgets. Riverbender Tech Center emphasizes the importance of tailored performance, stating that their custom builds cater to various gaming styles, whether for fast-paced shooters or graphics-heavy role-playing games. Each gaming PC is designed to prevent bottlenecks, ensuring that the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage work in harmony to deliver a seamless gaming experience. The company assures quality through meticulous component selection and expert assembly. Each machine undergoes rigorous testing to confirm it is ready for demanding gaming environments. Riverbender Tech Center offers options for every budget, from entry-level systems that can be upgraded over time to high-performance setups featuring the latest

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ALTON - Summer American Legion baseball will take centerstage at Alton’s Lloyd Hopkins Field July 24-27, 2025. The Illinois Junior Legion Baseball State Championship will be held in Alton showcasing six of the state’s best junior legion baseball teams in an exciting playoff series. The games will be held at the home field of Alton’s Prospect League Team, the Alton River Dragons. "We are thrilled to partner with the City of Alton and the Alton River Dragons to host the Illinois Junior Legion Baseball State Championships next July. Events like this are an excellent investment for Alton, as they bring teams from across the state, along with their families and supporters. These visitors will stay in our hotels, dine at our local restaurants, and shop in our businesses, all contributing to increased tax revenues for the city," said Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau. “I would like to give a big thank you to the

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SPRINGFIELD - We are entering the season of gift giving and it can be hard not to go overboard and buy too much. “Whether your holiday shopping is already underway or you’re just getting started, having a game plan can help keep you from overspending,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “You don’t want to end the year with a stack of credit card bills and an overdrawn checking account.” Here’s a few tips to keep your spending under control: Come up with a budget before you begin shopping, and then track how much you spend. You can set a total amount you feel comfortable spending or set a limit for how much you plan to spend per person. Make a list of what you have bought each family member and the cost. You may also want to consider other holiday expenses that can sneak up on you, such as work or friend gift exchanges, presents for teachers, traveling and hosting in your home. Take advantage of sales as much as possible, while being

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JERSEY - Kaden Strohbeck, a sophomore at Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100, has been recognized as an Alton Road Runners Boys Runner of the Year for Jersey after his outstanding performance in cross country during the 2024 season. This accolade and today's Sparklight Male Athlete of the Month honor highlight Strohbeck's remarkable achievements and potential as a competitive athlete. Strohbeck's accolades reflect his talent and the support and training provided by the Jersey Community Unit School District cross-country coaches and his family support. Strohbeck's season was marked by several notable performances, including a time of 17:40.3 at the East Alton-Wood River Invite, where he placed fourth. He also competed in the Mississippi Valley Conference boys championship meet on Oct. 17, finishing with a mark of 18:30.5. His impressive run of 17:25.4 at the Jacksonville Regional further established his role as a key competitor. Strohbeck broke 18 minutes for three miles at

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O'FALLON/ST. LOUIS, MO. - The St. Louis Blues organization expressed its support for Colin Brown, a 16-year-old hockey player who was critically injured by a stray bullet on November 23, 2024, while returning home from a high school hockey game. Brown was riding in a vehicle driven by his father, Calvin Brown, on Interstate 55 in South St. Louis when the incident occurred. He is currently hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Colin Brown is a student at Christian Brothers College High School in Town and Country, Mo., and plays for the school’s varsity hockey team as well as the Affton Americans hockey club. The shooting has prompted an outpouring of support from the local hockey community, which has rallied around Brown during this difficult time. Brown is a resident of the O'Fallon area. Dan Duffy, a member of the hockey community, shared his thoughts on the situation, emphasizing the unity that has emerged among rival teams. “At this moment, those rivalries

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 8 conducted Roadside Safety Checks (RSC) in Madison and St. Clair counties in November, resulting in a total of 87 citations and arrests, according to Captain Casey Faro, the Troop 8 Commander. The enforcement activity included five Driving Under the Influence (DUI) citations, alongside various other violations: 21 for occupant restraint offenses, 39 for registration offenses, 44 for driver’s license offenses, and 11 for insurance violations. In addition to these citations, officers issued 49 written warnings during the checks. Captain Faro emphasized the importance of these safety checks, stating, "RSCs are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road." This initiative comes amid growing concerns over alcohol and drug impairment, which are estimated to be factors in more than 47% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Nationally, there is an alcohol-related traffic fatality ever

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ALTON – State Representative Amy Elik is celebrating the passage of House Bill 222 through both chambers of the Illinois Legislature. On November 20, the bill passed the Illinois Senate and is awaiting Governor J.B. Pritzker’s signature. As Chief Co-sponsor of HB222, Rep. Elik continues her efforts to protect children from child sexual abuse. The bill builds on language Rep. Elik filed in 2023 in House Bill 1275 and makes two major changes to Illinois statute. The new provisions acknowledge that childhood sexual abuse is inherently traumatic and harmful, and includes provisions to prevent defendants in civil lawsuits from shifting blame onto childhood sexual abuse survivors. While Rep. Elik’s original legislation was filed upon the request of a downstate survivor, sadly, abuse cases happen throughout Illinois. During court hearings, victims have been accused of being at fault and not traumatized from child sexual abuse, which HB222 aims to correct. “Victims

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Rotary Club has chosen to honor Edwardsville High School student Marian Morby with the Student of the Month Award for November. Marian was nominated by Edwardsville High School history teacher Mr. Keith Baker. Mary is the daughter of Steve and Amy Morby and a senior at EHS. In addition to being selected as the Student of the Month from the Social Science Department as an outstanding student, Mary is also a member of the Thespian Honors Society and an active participant in the EHS Drama Club. Additionally, she participates in Journalism and currently serves as Culture Editor for The Claw, our student publication at Edwardsville High School. Mary is also in orchestra and sits as the first chair cello. In fact, she went to All-District Orchestra in both 2023 and 2024. Finally, Mary participated in the Women’s History and Empowerment Club for the last two years. Outside of school, Mary enjoys writing poetry and books, in addition to creating digita

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GRANITE CITY - Three individuals from Granite City were charged recently in separate but related cases of mob action. The following individuals were each charged with mob action, a Class 4 felony: Christopher W. Jones, 42, Heather R. Jones, 41, and Heather R. Blake, 31. All three reside in Granite City, with both Joneses sharing an address. Christopher was additionally charged with two counts of aggravated battery, both Class 3 felonies. On Oct. 28, 2024, Christopher allegedly caused “great bodily harm” to a victim by striking them in the head and face with a closed fist. The victim in this case reportedly sustained a “severe laceration to the head” and suffered a concussion. Court documents state all three individuals were “acting together” in striking the victim, resulting in the mob action charges against each of them. The Granite City Police Department presented the cases against all three individuals, who have each been granted pretria

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ALTON - A woman from Edwardsville has been accused of passing a bad check at Schwegel’s Market in Alton, marking the location’s fourth case of forgery in recent years. Dannielle K. Hindelang, 31, of Edwardsville, was charged on Nov. 21, 2024, with one count of forgery, a Class 3 felony. On Oct. 22, 2024, Hindelang reportedly attempted to pass a bad check written out in the amount of $950 at Schwegel’s Market in Alton. This comes as the fourth forgery case to occur at Schwegel’s Market since November of 2023. The first case on Nov. 9, 2023, concerned another Edwardsville woman, Marquitta M. Davis, 43, who wrote a bad check for $1,514.54. Three months later on Feb. 11, 2024, Duane A. Reams, 37, of Bethalto, attempted to pass a bad check for $2,204.63. More recently , Dwight R. Donley, 37, of O’Fallon was charged multiple times from Sept. 6 to Sept. 9, 2024, for passing a series of bad checks totaling $9,958.52. The Alton Police Department

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EDWARDSVILLE - Amy Ferguson, a reading teacher in the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7, has received the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. Ferguson has worked in District #7 for 34 years. She currently serves as a reading teacher for kindergarten through second grade in Hamel and Midway Elementary Schools. She is one of 100 teachers throughout the Greater St. Louis area who were recognized with the 2024 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. “I just feel very lucky to work in this district, and I love every day,” Ferguson said. “It’s very special. It feels very special.” Matthew Sidarous, principal of Midway and Hamel schools, said that he has worked closely with Ferguson over the past ten years. Ferguson will retire at the end of the 2024–2025 school year, and Sidarous said she will be missed. He noted that Ferguson is a devoted professional, and students love learning from her. He added that he receives many emails from

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ALTON — This year, 39 students from Alton High School have been recognized as Illinois State Scholars, a program that honors the top academically performing high school seniors across the state. Nearly every high school in Illinois participates in this initiative, which acknowledges student excellence. Alton High School released a statement expressing pride in the achievements of the honored students. "Alton High School takes great pride in the students who have received this prestigious recognition. Their hard work and dedication have led to this significant achievement, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to them and their families," the statement read. The Illinois State Scholars program highlights the academic accomplishments of students who have demonstrated exceptional performance in their studies. The list of this year's scholars from Alton High School includes: Madelyn Bearley Chad Betlach Elizabeth Blackmon Ava Boley Eric Braundmeier Keyser Butler Kristina

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As the vibrant hues of autumn emerge and the days grow shorter, the holiday season approaches, bringing joy, festivity, and often an overwhelming to-do list. While this time of year is filled with gatherings, celebrations, and cherished traditions, it can also be a source of stress and fatigue. The key to enjoying the season lies in prioritizing self-care, allowing you to embrace the festivities with a refreshed spirit. Here are some practical self-care tips tailored for the busy holiday season. Establish a Routine During the holiday chaos, maintaining a consistent routine can provide a much-needed sense of normalcy. Establishing a daily structure helps in managing your time effectively and minimizing stress levels. Morning Rituals Start your day with a morning ritual that includes activities like meditation, stretching, or journaling. Even dedicating just 10-15 minutes can set a positive tone for the day. For example, a quick meditation session can enhance your focus and reduce

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On November 26th, history has witnessed a remarkable array of events that have shaped our world in profound ways. Starting with one of the most monumental events in contemporary history, November 26, 1989, marked a pivotal moment in the aftermath of the Cold War. On this day, the Berlin Wall, a symbol of division and oppression, had already begun to crumble just weeks earlier. The Wall, which had stood since 1961, separated East and West Berlin, embodying the ideological rift between communist and capitalist worlds. By late November 1989, the momentum for change was palpable. Citizens from both sides were uniting in their desire for freedom and reunification. The fall of the Berlin Wall not only heralded the end of an era but also sparked a wave of democratic movements across Eastern Europe. This day serves as a reminder of the power of collective action and the enduring human spirit that seeks liberty. Fast forward to November 26, 2008, when the world was shaken by a series of

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and U.S. Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03) and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) in introducing the CBP Guidance on Personal Belongings Act , bicameral legislation to require the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to develop guidance for the handling of personal property of individuals arrested, restrained, or confined by the Agency. The legislation would expand protections for all individuals traveling through CBP custody to ensure they can retain and retrieve their essential personal belongings if confiscated. The bill would also help to ensure that individuals can maintain access to their medications unless CBP officials have identified a specific safety concern or provided an equivalent replacement medication. The bill comes after several nongovernmental organizations identified hundred

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ALTON - Improvement projects at two Alton parks are moving forward following approval from the Alton Committee of the Whole on Monday . The following amounts have been set aside for upgrades to Rock Springs Park and Gordon Moore Park: $23,885.10 to purchase picnic tables and a picnic pavilion at Rock Springs Park $13,492.76 for a shade structure for the new pickleball courts and to purchase picnic tables for Gordon Moore Park Committee members unanimously approved two intergovernmental agreements between the City of Alton and Alton Township related to the park projects. According to the Rock Springs Park agreement, Alton Township will provide the $23,885.10 in funding for the picnic tables and a pavilion. If the City of Alton fails to complete the project “in a timely manner,” the city will be required to return those funds to the township, though the agreement sets no specific deadline. The agreement for Gordon Moore Park appears nearly identical, with

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ALTON - Laila Janae Davis, a junior at Marquette Catholic High School, has made a significant impact on her school's girls varsity basketball team, earning recognition for her performance during the Columbia High School Girls Basketball Tournament held on Nov. 23, 2024. Davis led her team with 16 points in a standout game and was selected for the all-tournament team, showcasing her skills and determination on the court. She is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Female Athlete of the Month for the Explorers. Davis has been playing basketball for approximately seven years and credits her success to the support of her mother and the influence of her coaches and teammates. "I would like to thank my mom for constantly encouraging me to stick with basketball even through the ups and downs," she said. "I also want to mention all my past coaches and teammates and my current coaches and teammates for believing in me and making the experience 10 times better." Her coach, Whitney Sykes-Rogers,

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SWANSEA – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged a Belleville man with disseminating child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. The Attorney General’s office charged Austin A. Wheat, 23, in St. Clair County Circuit Court with seven counts of disseminating child pornography, each Class X felonies punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Sentences are ultimately determined by the court. Wheat is currently detained at the St. Clair County jail. “Survivors of child abuse and exploitation are revictimized each and every time an individual trades or downloads one of these heinous images or videos,” Raoul said. “I will continue to partner with law enforcement to investigate and hold alleged perpetrators accountable, and I thank the Swanse

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ALTON - Local families and community members received 100 turkeys for Thanksgiving. On Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, Meridian Health donated 100 turkeys to families who utilize the Crisis Food Center in Alton. State Senator Erica Harriss was present to distribute the turkeys, and she noted her enthusiasm for helping local families while sharing more resources with the community. “I think people don’t always know what their state legislators do,” she said. “They know that we maybe go to Springfield and work on bills and laws, but this is, to me, the very fun and great part of being able to be connected in our district and meeting people and seeing what their needs are, and, if we can meet those, getting to do that. That, to me, is a great part of this job.” Harriss shared that her office has received more calls than last year from people who are seeking resources, including people experiencing food insecurity. She said the turkey giveaway was “a

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