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BELVIDERE, Ill. - Today, President Joe Biden will join Governor JB Pritzker at the reopening of a previously shuttered Stellantis assembly plant in Belvidere. Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez released the following statement celebrating the win for Illinois’ workers: “I want to extend my gratitude to President Biden for the role he played in reopening Belvidere’s Stellantis plant, restoring thousands of good-paying, union jobs in Boone County. This reopening would not have been possible without the advocacy of the President, Governor JB Pritzker, Congressman Bill Foster, and all of the local officials who fought hard to keep these jobs in Illinois. This comes on the heels of a historic win for workers’ rights, as United Auto Workers secured a historic deal with Stellantis for better pay, working conditions, and investment in local production. All of our Democratic leaders, from the White House to the Statehouse, will always fight to make sur

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ongoing effort to authorize subpoenas for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo relating to the Committee’s Supreme Court ethics investigation: “Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats remain united in our effort to implement an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices. To inform this effort, we will continue to pursue subpoena authorization for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo—two individuals who have refused to comply with this Committee’s oversight requests for months. “Due to scheduling issues, we were unable to complete the markup today. We will continue our efforts to authorize subpoenas in the near future. The highest court in the land cannot have the lowest ethical standards.” Last week, Durbin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST)—chaired an Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation subcommittee hearing to address the chilling surge in near-deadly close calls involving commercial airlines that is adding serious pressure to our aviation workforce and putting the safety of the flying public at risk. As our nation continues to experience this aviation safety crisis, Duckworth reiterated the need to preserve and strengthen the post-Colgan U.S. aviation system—including upholding the 1,500-hour rule—in order to prevent future tragedies like the deadly Colgan crash of 2009 . Full videos of Senator Duckworth’s opening remarks and questions are available using the links here and here . “ Our nation is experiencing an aviation safety crisis with near-misses that are happening way too frequently—and I refuse

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Senate considers critical additional aid for Ukraine as they continue to fight for their freedom against Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified war of choice, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees—reiterated the importance of expanding cooperation between our nations’ energy industries, bolstering energy security and securing greater international investments that will help create more jobs here at home, particularly in states with major nuclear energy sectors like Illinois. Duckworth also underscored her support for continued American aid to Ukraine, reiterating that supporting our Ukrainian partners does not only help them but is also vitally important for America’s own national security and strengthens the U.S. defense industrial base. Full video of the Senator’s remarks at today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing are available using

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Jack Reed (D-RI) led the majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus in a letter to President Biden condemning the brutal terror attacks by Hamas, expressing support for immediate funding to replenish Israel’s defensive systems, and seeking information on two clear U.S. priorities: supporting an Israeli strategy that will effectively degrade and defeat the threat from Hamas and taking all possible measures to protect civilians in Gaza. In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, Van Hollen, Murphy, Schatz, and Reed the letter was signed by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM),

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ALTON - The Russell E. Dunham Memorial VFW Post #1308 will mark Veterans Day with their annual wreath-laying ceremony. Located at 4445 N. Alby Street in Alton, the Post will welcome the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, to watch the ceremony. Alton Mayor David Goins and a retired Navy Corpsman will speak. “We just get together and reflect back on everybody that we knew and what we’ve done,” Bob Myers, a longtime Post #1308 member, said. “This is for all veterans. We like people to remember the veterans and those who didn’t return. You’ve got to think back and think how lucky you are to be here.” The ceremony will recognize all branches of the U.S. military. The public is invited to honor the veterans and enjoy coffee, donuts and Hardee’s breakfast sandwiches. After the event at Post #1308, Myers said that several members will also stop by local nursing homes and cemeteries to recognize the veterans there. It’s

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WOOD RIVER - Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup awarded several individuals with Certificates of Appreciation at the City Council meeting this week. Several were presented to community cleanup participants, while one was awarded to Karen Weber for serving on the Library Board for a decade. First, Mayor Stalcup presented Karen Weber with a Certificate of Appreciation for her 10 years of service on the Wood River Library Board of Trustees. “Thank you for your time, dedication, and commitment to the citizens of Wood River, for your service on the Wood River Library Board of Trustees,” Mayor Stalcup said. “Karen dedicated 10 years to the board, seven of which was served as secretary and another three years as treasurer. So Karen, we really want to thank you for all your service. Before posing for a picture with Weber and her certificate, Stalcup added: “We’re going to truly miss her as a board member.” Mayor Stalcup also presented certificates t

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office returned more than $18.9 million in missing money during October, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today. The total includes more than $18 million in cash and interest and more than $900,000 in stock value. All told, 33,845 claims were paid. “We help Illinois’ economy by putting money back in people’s pockets,” Frerichs said. “Our efforts to improve the efficiency of reuniting people with their missing money are paying off.” Illinois’ missing money program — also known as I-CASH — is one of the state’s oldestconsumer protection initiatives. The State Treasurer is tasked with safeguarding unclaimed property, such as the contents of overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. Illinois holds more than $5 billion in unclaimed property. The Treasurer’s Office has returned more

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EDWARDSVILLE - As the festivities of the holiday season begin, Home Instead® encourages Edwardsville residents to participate in the Be a Santa to a Senior ® program and share joy by giving a gift to older adults in the community who may not have anyone to celebrate with. “The holidays can be hard for many older adults, especially those who may not have a companion to share them with,” said Nikki Bishop, owner of the Edwardsville Home Instead office. “Through Be a Santa to a Senior , we can help these seniors experience the happiness and togetherness the season can bring.” This year program coordinators hope to collect 400 gifts for local older adults. This is the program’s 3 rd year in the area. To participate, shoppers can look for Be a Santa to a Senior trees or displays at locations around the area. Ornaments featuring the name and desired gift of an older adult will be on display, and shoppers can buy the requested gift and return

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), today reintroduced the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act , legislation that would expand the boundary of the Lincoln Home National Historic site to include a replica 1844 Lincoln cottage and the Elijah Iles home. The bill would also require the National Park Service to increase the height of the road in front of the Lincoln home and at the intersection of 8th and Jackson to provide greater accessibility within the existing Lincoln Home site. “Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in Springfield’s rich history. We should preserve the Lincoln Home National Historic site to ensure that future generations can learn about his presidential legacy. With this legislation, Illinoisans and tourists can appreciate our state’s history while visiting the Elijah Iles House and the replica Lincoln cottage,” said Durbin. The Abraham

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) announced an arrest and charges against a 23-year-old man for his part in an armed robbery of more than $14,000 worth of casino chips from Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. On October 31, Ismail Ahmed Ateyat is suspected of entering Rivers Casino wearing a black face mask, pulling out a handgun, pointing it at casino employees, stealing $14,100 in casino chips, and fleeing the casino. Ateyat, of Chicago Ridge, was charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with three counts of armed robbery on November 1. He is currently being held without bond. Gaming Board Agents were able to track Ateyat to his Chicago Ridge home, where they discovered the handgun, the mask and the stolen chips. “Because of the swift and diligent work by our Gaming Agents and our local law enforcement partners, we were able to arrest this individual and recover the stolen casino chips,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “I

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Name: Matthew Garland Hometown: Jerseyville Years of Service: 6 years Branch: Navy Rank: Petty officer 2nd class Message: Proud of this Navy nuke! Love mom and dad Submitter's Name: Joseph Garland

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Name: Elmer D. Haines Hometown: Bethalto Years of Service: 1950-1953 KIA: No DOD: January 28, 2006 Branch: Army Rank: 187 Airborne Wars: Korea Submitter's Name: Patricia Lowrance

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JERSEY COUNTY - Jersey County Sheriff Nick Manns reported that a vehicle crash occurred on Route 3 on Wednesday night where one vehicle struck another and one of the drivers ran away from the accident. Another passenger, who suffered an arm injury, followed after the driver. Eventually the sheriff's deputies arrived and arrested the woman. Manns said it was an apparent crash that involved a drunk driver. A name has not been released in the situation. The incident occurred in the Route 3 and White Pine Lane area.

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Name: Donald Elledge Hometown: Wood River Years of Service: 1970-1974 Branch: U.S. Navy Rank: Seaman Wars: Vietnam War Medals Earned: National Defense Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal Meritorious Unit Commendation Navy Unit Commendation Submitter's Name: Jenny Johnson

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Name: Gregory Bock Hometown: Alton Years of Service: 22 years Branch: Navy/Air Force Rank: E7 Submitter's Name: Laura Bock

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GRAFTON - Stop by the Grafton Winery on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, for a three-hour performance by 2022 Atlanta Blues Festival winner Drew Ashworth. From 5–8 p.m., Drew will play covers and original songs with blues, jazz and country influences. This performance will follow the Winery’s Sip & Sign event hosted by Angela Ashworth , Drew’s wife. He encourages people to enjoy the American Sign Language event and a glass of wine before an evening of classic blues music and “a real chill vibe." “I’m lucky because I got my calling really, really early in life and I kind of always knew this was what I’m supposed to do,” Drew said. “The music that I’m making these days, I like to call it y’allternative, because it’s got a little bit of everything. It’s got a little bit of neo-soul, it’s got a little bit of jazz, blues, but there’s also a heavy dose of country and southern rock-n-roll in it. An

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Name: Brian Frier Hometown: Bethalto Years of Service: 2007-2013 Branch: Marines Rank: Sergeant Wars: Iraq Submitter's Name: Patricia Lowrance

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EDWARDSVILLE - State Senator Jason Plummer (55 th -Edwardsville) and Senator Erica Harriss (56 th - Glen Carbon) have released the below statement following the Senate’s passage of HB 2394, which provides additional resources to the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation licensure process: “Delays at IDFPR have been an ongoing issue for far too long, which has created a major backlog for a large number of people who need to be licensed and certified to be able to work. Through several conversations regarding this issue, it was evident that some of the issues were due to the agency’s outdated systems. As a major concern for many families in our districts, we proudly supported HB 2394, which was written to help modernize the licensing system. It is our hope that this legislation will help our highly trained professionals to be able to get back to work, stay on the job, and support their families.

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Vet name: Mikel Phillips Hometown: East Alton Years of service: 2005-2014 Branch: Army Rank: SGT/E5 Wars: Operation Iraqi Freedom Medals honors earned: National Defense Ribbon Army Achievement Medal Good Conduct Medal Iraqi Campaign Medal Global War on Terror Service Medal Army Service Ribbon Message: "Thank you for all your hard work, dedication and service to our country." Submitter name: Samantha Phillips

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