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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) is supporting measures to ensure that Direct Support Personnel are fairly compensated for the assistance they provide to individuals with developmental disabilities. “Support workers are essential workers,” Belt said. “These individuals care for residents who rely on them to do basic day-to-day tasks that many of us do without thinking. It’s vital that these workers are taken care of and paid a fair wage.” DSPs are vital in community residential settings, where they help residents with daily personal care like eating and hygiene as well as teaching life skills and attending to complex medical needs. While funding for these services has increased over recent years, starting wages remain barely above minimum wage, and vacancies remain high. This disparity is because the state does not always require community agencies to pass wage increases through to the workers. Belt joined State Senators

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SEE VIDEO: ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Louis District kicked off its 150 th Anniversary celebration with great reception recently at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton. Col. Kevin Golinghorst, Commander, USACE St. Louis District, Grafton Mayor Michael R. Morrow, and Alton Mayor David Goins, signed proclamations recognizing the District’s history, partnerships, and contributions to the region. On February 19, 1872, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established a new district in Saint Louis, the Gateway to the West, and few could have foreseen this auspicious occasion of their 150th Anniversary would usher in a successful long-lasting partnership between the states of Missouri, Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps in Saint Louis. “Today, we celebrate a history of innovation with our partners, without which we could not deliver the vital engineering solutions that contribute to the growth and prosperity of the regions we are so

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ALTON - Cruise port development and high-speed rail are critical to the success of tourism and community development in southwest Illinois, Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau told an Illinois Senate Committee Thursday. “Both represent massive infrastructure opportunities to move people to destinations -- not just commodities and freight,” Jobe told the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee during testimony on Thursday, March 10. “We must quit thinking of our waterways as only highways for commodities and freight. The cruise ship industry is poised and ready to ramp up cruise experiences on Illinois Waterways.” Development of outdoor recreational opportunities goes hand-in-hand with attracting travelers to southwest Illinois, Jobe pointed out. The bureau is working with key partners and service providers to activate a plan for a regional approach to better utilize the natural resources, open spaces and byways in the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Chief Judge William A. Mudge announced on Friday that he is retiring at the end of his term on December 4, 2022. Judge Mudge obtained his law degree in 1985 from Saint Louis University School of Law. After serving as an Assistant State’s Attorney, he was a partner at Lucco, Brown and Mudge, a private general practice law firm in Edwardsville, for 16 years. He is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Missouri. Including his time as an Assistant State’s Attorney and as a part-time Assistant Public Defender, Mudge served the citizens of Madison County as their State’s Attorney for eight years from 2002 to 2010. In 2010 he was elected Circuit Judge, and was retained for another six year term in 2016, and was later elected Chief Judge in 2019. His retirement will bring to an end 25 years of public service in those capacities. “My professional career has been incredibly rewarding. I was privileged to be a law partner with Bill Lucco and Joe Brown

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ALTON - A woman with a long history of drunk driving was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison for crashing head-on with a motorcycle, knocking Natasha J. Dillinger, 27, of Bethalto off the bike, killing her. Erin L. Arras, 45, of Belleville, agreed to plead guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in injury or death, in exchange for an eight-year prison sentence. She will have to serve at least 85 percent of her sentence. The normal sentencing range is three to 14 years. “A few years in prison in exchange for a life doesn’t make sense to me,'' said Zachary Cable, her cousin, in his victim impact statement. Assistant State’s Attorney Andrew Thierry said the defendant’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.21 percent, compared with a level of 0.08 for a legal presumption of intoxication. He said Arras was westbound on Broadway on Sept. 7, 2020, when she turned into a parking lot in the 700 block of Broadway, then headed back east where

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ST. LOUIS - See St. Louis Union Station in a whole new light this spring during GLOW, a neon-themed event opening Friday, March 11, and continuing through the end of May. LET'S GLOW PLAY A variety of neon art installations, perfect for capturing Instagrammable moments, are placed throughout the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station. Guests can participate in new hands-on activities and glowing animals -- including coral formations and scorpions that glow under black light -- will be featured. Aquarium team members will explain nature's bioluminescent phenomena as they help guests explore the fun. GLOW is free with Aquarium admission. Outside on the Union Station Plaza, the St. Louis Wheel will be glowing nightly with millions of colors and patterns. St. Louis Mini Golf will get in on the glow with neon golf balls and glowing flag markets at each of the course's 18 holes. The Fire & Light Show will glow on the Union Station lake every hour throughout the evening. Carnival games are set

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Lewis and Clark Events Calendar March 12-19, 2021 For current information regarding Lewis and Clark Community College’s operations during the pandemic, please visit lc.edu/coronavirus . Recurring event: Alton Area Tax Project: 5-7 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m.-noon, Saturdays, Templin Nursing Building, NU201, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. Appointments are required. Visit https://AltonAreaTaxProject.com/appointment or call (314) 292-9597. 3/11-13 – Positive Vibes Dance Competition: 3 p.m., Friday; 7 a.m., Saturday and Sunday; Hatheway Cultural Center, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. (618) 520-2637. 3/15 – NGRREC Neighbor Nights, What Makes a River Great: 6:30 p.m., virtual event, registration required at https://conta.cc/3C5bhXl . Contact jenryoung@lc.edu . 3/16 – Bella Milano Catering Open House: 6-8 p.m., The Commons, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey

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AGENDA PLANNING & ZONING MEETING 6810 GODFREY ROAD-VILLAGE HALL GODFREY, ILLINOIS 62035 MARCH 16, 2022 6:00 P.M. Introduction of Members and Officials PUBLIC HEARING R. DEAHL CONSTRUCTION 111 E. 5 TH . STREET, STE. 350 ALTON, IL. 62002 This is an application from A.R. Deahl Construction requesting a minor subdivision of 4528 Levis Lane to split a 7.6 acre lot into two lots. The lot will be split as follows: Lot 1 will be 3.65 acres and Lot 2 will be 3.93 acres with approval of two variances Section 70.303 (K) flag lots and Section 70.303 (K) 4 number of flag lots. PPN: 24-1-01-33-00-000-006.001 REGULAR MEETING Motion for Approval of the Minutes for Planning & Zoning meeting September 15, 2021. Motion for Approval of the Minutes for Planning & Zoning meeting February 16, 2022. Motion for Approval of Application for minor subdivision to split a 7.6 acre lot into two lots. Next Planning and Zoning meeting

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This story would have been better for the February issue of The Buzz since we got a major snow storm the day after we finished delivery. But I didn’t know the forecast enough in advance. And it was, in fact, that snowstorm that brought these memories back to life in my mind, and made me decide to share them with you. For the sake of the story, it would be nice if we had a major snowfall in March - which conceivably could happen but it won’t this year. Weather.com says temps will range from 46-61 degrees this month. And I won’t complain about that. The snowfall on Feb 2-3 this year in this area of Illinois ranged from 10-15 inches, depending on where you live. I think we got about a foot here at our house. The second day high winds caused drifts on already cleared roads and parking lots. We can see the interstate from our house and if I recall correctly, this is the first time I saw that interstate with almost zero traffic for that long of a period. People buckled down

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March is Women’s History Month. What better place to start than with a new book from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyle, one of our most esteemed living fiction writers. Some may remember her great novels from years ago: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant , The Accidental Tourist , and Breathing Lessons , among many others. Baltimore has been her principal location for her fiction as it is in her newest book, French Braid . Beginning with a family vacation in 1959, Tyler takes us along on a brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one family’s foibles from a boyfriend with a red Chevy in the 1950s to a longed-for reunion with a grandchild in our pandemic present. Margaret Atwood, celebrated as the author of The Handmaid’s Tale , offers us nearly two decades of her musings in Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces , 2004-2021. In more than 50 pieces, Atwood aims her prodigious intellect and impish humor at the world, taking us on a roller-coaster

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(Note: This is released by Associate Judge Ryan Jumper) EDWARDSVILLE - Following the announcement by Circuit Judge William A. (Bill) Mudge that he will not seek retention, I am excited to announce that I will seek to fill that vacancy in the upcoming 2022 elections. Let me be the first to congratulate Judge Mudge on his distinguished career as a public servant, and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. It has been fifty years since Clayton Williams was first appointed an associate judge in Madison County, since that time there has not been a single black circuit judge or county-wide officeholder. Although my candidacy is historic, I’m not running just to be the first black anything, I’m running because the 3rd Circuit needs good smart people who care about and invest in this county to join its leadership. I’ve spent my career both in private practice and on the bench working with principled friends from all backgrounds and know that whatever

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COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police District 11 Troopers continue to investigate a shooting that occurred Thursday morning near East St. Louis. State troopers were dispatched to a single unit crash on the ramp from Interstate 70 eastbound to Interstate 64 eastbound. While Troopers were responding to the scene, the victim, a 49-year-old male from St. Louis, MO., called District 11 telecommunicators. He advised that as he was traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 near Milepost 3 in St. Clair County, a black male in a dark-colored vehicle fired an unknown number of shots at his vehicle. The victim fled from the suspect vehicle and subsequently crashed into the concrete median at the above location. The suspect vehicle also fled the scene. There were no injuries to the driver or defects in the vehicle. The investigation is still open and ongoing. There is no further information available at this time. ISP Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 6 agents and ISP Crime Scene

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James Heinemeier, co-owner and co-founder of J & P’s Edelweiss antique store in Alton along with his wife Patricia, is looking to close the store later this year and retire after 20 years in business. J & P’s Edelweiss is having a large clearance sale to help Heinemeier reach his goal of emptying the store’s packed shelves by this October. Right now, all items are 20% off until the end of March - on April 1, that discount will increase to 25%. This May, all items will be 30% off and any remaining items after that point will be sold at auction. Heinemeier got into the antique business by selling antiques at booths in local antique stores, eventually opening his first antique shop in the Mineral Springs Mall in the 1990s. He bought the old Alton Tire Sales Co. building at 435 East Broadway in 2002 and opened J & P’s Edelweiss - since then, his collection has expanded considerably. “To understand my store, words can’t do it - you need to come

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SEE VIDEO: EDWARDSVILLE - The new Essential Venue business in Trace on the Parkway in Edwardsville had a well-attended grand opening hosted by the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce this week. A full video of the ribbon cut is included at the top of the article. Owner Danyel Harrell is the mastermind behind the new event venue in Edwardsville, located at 6170 Bennett Drive, Suite C, Edwardsville. A Grand Opening Community Meet & Greet is set from noon to 4 p.m. for Saturday, March 12. She said at the ribbon cut that Essential Venue (EV) is open to nearly any type of gathering from baby showers, retirement parties, private dinners, before and after prom ceremonies, luncheons and is space capable of hosting a wide variety of events. “It is a micro-event space,” Harrell said. “It doesn’t seat as many as a large event space. It will seat about 60 people for a network or social event or 80 in a smaller event.” Harrell stressed Event Venue

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Scott Reinhardt II, age 36, to 25 years in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime on supervised release for the production of child pornography. Reinhardt previously pleaded guilty in December 2021. According to the plea agreement, between the dates of February 1, 2020, and December 13, 2020, in Jefferson County, Missouri, Reinhardt sexually abused the victim, who was under the age of ten at the time. Reinhardt used his cellular telephone to video record and produce images of his sexual abuse of the victim. Reinhardt also used the same cellular telephone to secretly record a second minor female victim while nude in the bathroom of the residence he shared with the victims’ mother. Reinhardt had been previously convicted on November 12, 2014, of one count of statutory rape second degree and two counts of statutory sodomy second degree for sexual contact perpetrated against a minor, who was

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CALHOUN COUNTY - Rashad L. Stewart, 18, of the 100 block of South Pence Street in East Alton, was taken into custody Thursday, March 10, 2022, on a felony warrant of Aggravated Battery With A Firearm. Wood River Police Department Chief Brad Wells said Stewart was taken into custody by Detectives with the Wood River Police Department, the U. S. Marshall’s Office, and Deputies with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Stewart was taken into custody during a search for him this morning, at approximately 9 a.m., in the 400 block of Porcupine Lane, Hamburg, Illinois. At 11:35 p.m. on February 13, 2022, the Wood River Police Department received a 911 call from the 300 block of Bonita Street for a male who had been shot in the chest. Officers were dispatched. The male victim was treated at the scene and transported to a St. Louis area hospital. The victim was speaking with officers prior to being transported. As a result of the investigation, officers were able to determine Stewart

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JERSEYVILLE – A local man had a very lucky day on Thursday, March 10, when a visit to a local gas station turned into big winnings on the video gaming machines. Eldon Medford, general manager for Medford Food Mart said, “We really enjoy seeing our customers win big, but this is the largest one we have ever seen.” The winnings for the man who wanted to remain anonymous totaled over $15,000 between three different payout slips. The first two totaled around $3,500 and the big hit was a single payout of $11,681.50 shortly after the first two. Medford said the man was very excited and didn’t mind the wait for the state to show up to hand pay the winnings and that He didn’t specify what he plans to do with the winnings but it’s great to see. Medford Food Mart is partnered with Accel Entertainment for its video gaming program and is the local leader in the area in terms of video gaming volume. Medford Food Mart is a family-owned business based out of Jerseyville.

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), received notice from USDA Wildlife Services of the first confirmed highly pathogenic Eurasian H5 Avian Influenza (Avian Flu) in a wild bird in Illinois for 2022. Three Canada geese, located in Will County were submitted for sampling on March 2, 2022. The findings were confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory on March 10. Wild bird detections have been occurring throughout early 2022 and many states have also experienced detections in domestic poultry recently. While Illinois has not seen any Avian Flu in backyard or commercial poultry within the state this year, this finding demonstrates that the virus is present and may be circulating within the wild bird population in Illinois. Anyone that owns birds or is involved with poultry production, whether on a small or commercial level

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is requesting President Joe Biden directs Attorney General Merrick Garland to establish and chair a Gasoline Price Gouging Enforcement Task Force to carefully monitor and investigate oil and gas markets for potential violations of criminal or civil laws, including gasoline price gouging, that inflict financial harm on hard-working American families at the pump and result in higher prices for all, as businesses pass on higher operating costs to customers. In part, Duckworth wrote: “Whether from price manipulation or fraud in the commodities market, the United States Government must prioritize protecting American consumers from suffering financial harm as a result of oil and gas executives taking advantage of a deadly global pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s unjustified and unlawful brutal war of aggression against Ukraine to increase corporate profits on the backs of consumers. Establishing a task force consisting o

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EDWARDSVILLE - Junior Leticia Bennasar Lluy of Metro East Lutheran High School had a big season this year, averaging 9.2 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Knights. Leticia is the Metro East Lutheran High School Female Athlete of the Month. She said she would like to thank her parents for always helping her, taking her to basketball practices and games. "I also want to thank my coach Sonia Pons, from Spain for always making me work hard and not giving up and for trusting me as a player," she said. "And thanks to Mr. Stock for coaching me this season and making this a great basketball season for me." Leticia averaged 3.5 blocks per game during this season, 9.2 points per game, and 8.1 rebounds per game. "I also think that I had a lot of dedication for the team, going to all the games and practices," she said. "I’ve been playing basketball for 12 years now; I started when I was 4. The things that I like the most about basketball are that I got to meet a lot

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