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ALTON - This Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, a dynamic duo of best friends and lifestyle/business coaches are hosting the perfect event for near-last-minute gift shoppers. Jama Fabry and Nikki Fiedler of the Bluff City Betties are welcoming the public to their “11th Hour Holiday Market” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Milton Schoolhouse. In the Crystal Ballroom, attendees will find more than a dozen local vendors offering everything from gifts and gift wrapping to holiday apparel and more. Admission to the event is free. While Amazon remains a popular online destination for gift shopping, it doesn’t foster the personal or community connections of an event like the 11th Hour Holiday Market. Both “Betties” describe the event as “buying for your community, from your community.” “I don’t know Jeff Bezos … but I know Tammy with TLJ Rocks so personally,” Fiedler said. “Having these personal relationships wit

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Key takeaways: When working through a difficult conversation, choose a goal and find the right time. Use “I messages” rather than putting the blame on others. Be an active listener. Don't get distracted by devices. “I deserve a raise!” “Son, your grades are slipping.” “Honey, we’re not spending enough time together.” Difficult conversations come up more often than you’d think. Luckily, there are time-tested ways to navigate them, says Sara Bennett, a psychotherapist at OSF HealthCare. Choose a goal. Figure out what you want out of the talk, whether that’s the raise you’re after at work or just a better understanding with someone close to you. Also plan how you may react to responses. “Hopefully that goal is to not be right. Hopefully it’s to come to some kind of resolution or share some information. Maybe you’re seeking advice,” Bennett says. In other words, yo

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 16 colleagues in introducing the End the Threat of Default Act , legislation that would permanently remove the threat of a default by repealing the national debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit restricting the amount that the United States Treasury can borrow to pay its debts. In June 2023, President Biden signed legislation that suspended the statutory debt ceiling until January 2, 2025. “Defaulting on the debt would send the economy into a tail spin, leading to catastrophic consequences for Americans. Using the threat of default as a political tool is fiscally irresponsible. We cannot afford to have our economy held hostage,” said Durbin. “I’m joining my colleagues to introduce legislation that would stop this brinksmanship and end the threat of default for good.” A default would be catastrophic and would likely trigger a recession.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Lainey McFarlin is a junior forward for the girls' basketball team at Edwardsville High School, and has helped the Tigers get off on the right foot this season with a 4-2 start. Edwardsville lost their first game of the season on Dec. 5 41-24 to Alton at Lucco-Jackson Gym, a game where the Tigers held the Redbirds to a 10-10 halftime tie, but the Redbirds went on an 11-1 third-quarter run to take control of the game, and eventually win. O'Fallon beat Edwardsville 34-31 on Tuesday. After the game, McFarlin felt disappointment about the outcome, but knew the Tigers had the ability to bounce back quickly. Lainey is a Spencer Homes Female Athlete of the Month for Edwardsville. "We worked really hard in practice this week, and the thing we worked on, it didn't follow into the Alton game, and I feel like our energy just got low," McFarlin said. It's still a good start for the Tigers now at 4-2, and she felt positive about how things have gone in the early part of the campaign

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) spoke from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize two Illinois state championship football teams from the Metro East – the East St. Louis Flyers and the Belleville Althoff Crusaders. On November 28th, the East St. Louis Flyers won their eleventh Class 6A State Championship with a 48-28 victory over Geneva. The Belleville Althoff Crusaders won their first Class 1A title since 1990 after beating Lena-Winslow 57-14. Dierre Hill Jr., who was recently named the 2024 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, led the Crusaders to victory. The Belleville senior has committed to play for the University of Oregon next year. Budzinski’s remarks can be found below: “I rise today to recognize two state champion football teams in my district - the East St. Louis Flyers and the Belleville Althoff Crusaders. Under Coach Darren Sunkett’s leadership,

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ALTON - Persnickety by Jen Farley, a new store in downtown Alton, offers an “eclectic blend” of vintage, antique and contemporary products for every household. “I like to say my pieces find me so I can help them find their owners,” said owner Jen Farley. “I always wanted a shop. I grew up here in Alton. I went to Marquette. I spent a lot of time on Broadway back in the old days when it was all the antique shops, and I just always wanted to have one of my own.” Located at 303 E. Broadway inside of Mineral Springs Mall, Persnickety was started by Farley earlier this year. Melissa Bland of Honeybee Vintage and Kim Tanner of Strangelovely encouraged her to open Persnickety, and she has loved being a part of downtown Alton. She noted that the area has “a great vibe,” and she is excited to see its revitalization. As a store, Persnickety sells a wide variety of items. Farley finds most of her inventory at estate sales, vintage

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EAST ST. LOUIS – A jury has found Evette B. Osuegbu, 62, guilty of conspiring to commit arson and fraud, marking a significant development in a case involving multiple properties in Illinois and Missouri. The conviction was announced following a trial that revealed Osuegbu's involvement in setting fire to her apartment in St. Louis on Dec. 31, 2022, with the intent to collect insurance benefits. Osuegbu was convicted on multiple charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, ten counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit arson, and one count of using fire to commit a federal felony. Her sentencing is set for April 23, 2025. Co-defendant Rufis A. Jefferson, 47, from Venice, pleaded guilty to related charges in January and is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 6, 2025, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe said, “The pair are guilty of conspiring together to commit

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BELLEVILLE — Belleville East High School Honor Society recently hosted its first annual Letters to Santa event, engaging over 50 children in festive activities. The event featured a variety of holiday-themed activities, including Christmas stories, crafts, and coloring. The Belleville East English Honor Society members facilitated the event, helping children write letters to Santa and take pictures with the jolly figure. The success of the event was attributed to the collaborative efforts of the library staff, student members, custodial staff, and others who contributed to its planning and execution. The English Honor Society expressed gratitude for the support that made the event possible.

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EDWARDSVILLE - EXO Lounge, Edwardsville’s newest “utopia” complete with a nail bar, med spa and cocktail lounge, will host a Christmas party for all to enjoy. From 4–10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, community members are invited to EXO for a fun-filled Christmas party. All of EXO’s services will be available, and attendees can also enjoy photos with the Grinch, music by DJ Spicy, and over $3,000 worth of giveaways. “It’s everything Christmas,” said EXO owner Gina Gamblin. Located at 2157 Center in Edwardsville, EXO opened in 2019 but was destroyed in a fire in 2021. The lounge reopened earlier this year and Gamblin said they are “off to a good start.” “I am so proud of EXO and where we are today,” she added. “The brand has been through a lot, and I appreciate all the support and love from the community.” EXO previously hosted a variety of special events, and Gamblin is eager to bring these

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EAST ST. LOUIS - East St. Louis Senior High School student Paishynce Prude has been selected to participate in the Girls Lead 2025 program, an initiative of the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, as announced by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. This program aims to empower young women by providing them with valuable leadership experiences and insights into state government. The Girls Lead 2025 program is designed to offer participants a transformative experience, which includes shadowing a female leader in state government for at least three days. In addition to this hands-on experience, participants like Prude will engage in workshops and "fireside chats" with prominent women leaders from across Illinois. As part of her involvement in the program, Prude will work alongside her assigned office to explore an ongoing policy issue. She will conduct research and develop a paper presenting her personal recommendations for potential solutions. The initiative seeks to

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and author of the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act —issued the following statement after the full committee voted to advance David Capozzi to serve on Amtrak’s Board of Directors. Capozzi would serve in the designated disability advocate seat on the board, which was created by a provision Duckworth authored and successfully included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. If confirmed, Capozzi would help ensure the senior Amtrak leadership hears the voices of individuals with disabilities who have demonstrated histories or experience with accessibility, mobility and inclusive transportation in passenger rail or commuter rail. His nomination now heads to the Senate floor for final confirmation. “I worked hard to create this position on Amtrak’s Board of Directors because it is important

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CHICAGO – An Illinois Lottery player is bringing home more than just the bacon after they purchased a jackpot-winning $700,000 Lucky Day Lotto ticket at Jewel-Osco. “Occasionally when I go to the grocery store, I add a Quick Pick lottery ticket as part of my shopping list,” laughed the lucky winner. “I didn’t even find out I won until a week or so after the drawing. That’s when I went to a Lottery machine to check if my ticket had won, and the machine said ‘Congratulations, You Won’ but I didn’t know what the prize was.” The ticket was purchased for the Sunday, November 10 evening drawing at Jewel-Osco, located at 4660 West Irving Park Road, in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood. “Once I realized the prize was $700,000, I couldn’t believe it. I was in complete shock,” shared the Lucky Day Lotto winner. “I kept looking at my ticket to double check my numbers with the winning numbers.

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Gaming Board has issued a new casino owners' license to Wind Creek IL LLC, of Wind Creek, Chicago Southland, in the final meeting of 2024. “Wind Creek is Illinois’ 16th casino,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “This is the sixth casino license the IGB has issued since enactment of the 2019 landmark gaming expansion legislation that authorized six new casino licenses. The IGB has collected more than $386 million in upfront gaming fees from those new casino operators since the first of the new casinos opened in Rockford in November 2021. These fees have been deposited into the Rebuild Illinois fund for critical infrastructure projects across our State.” The IGB granted Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort, LLC, a Master Sports Wagering License and granted a Management Services Provider License to Hillside (Illinois) LLC d/b/a bet365. Licensure will permit Walker’s Bluff and bet365 to work together to operate the

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GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that repairs to eastbound Interstate 270 between Illinois 3 and Riverview Drive in Missouri will require one lane to be closed starting, weather permitting, at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. One lane will remain open. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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WOOD RIVER - Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at EAWR High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The Seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000.00 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. November's winner is Jack Gould. Jack is a senior at EAWR and is involved in Cross Country, Track and Field, Drama Club and Band. Jack has received honors with the National Honor Society and the Illinois State Scholar. In Jack's free time, he enjoys volunteering at the Soap Box Derby, cleaning the First United Methodist Church, helping at Hayner Public Library and helping run Cross Country and Track meets for the school. After graduation, Jack is planning on attending Illinois College in Jacksonville to become a Nurse and then after some time working his way into becoming

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BETHALTO – Midwest Members Credit Union has announced its sponsorship of the “Eagles of the Month” program at Civic Memorial High School, recognizing outstanding senior students for their achievements. Each month, faculty members at the high school select students from various departments to receive this honor. The program awards certificates and Subway gift cards to the selected students, with two seniors—one male and one female—chosen each month to compete for a $500 “Eagles of the Year” scholarship at the end of the academic year. For November 2024, the winners of the “Eagles of the Month” program include: Math: Braxten Niedert Visual Arts: Isla Schilling Social Studies: Sara Aiello PE/Health: Kayla Godar Choir: Abigail Saboff Band: August Frankford Science: Jayden Valez Ortiz English: Laila Barney Additionally, the program recognizes the contributions of teachers with the “Teacher of the Month” awards,

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ALTON - A violent altercation at Roper’s Regal Beagle in Godfrey last month has led to multiple felony charges against a man from Alton. Jason B. Carlie, 33, of Alton, was charged on Dec. 4, 2024 with two counts of aggravated battery, both Class 3 felonies. Court documents state that on Nov. 27, 2024, while at the Regal Beagle, Carlie allegedly struck an individual about the head and face, causing abrasions. He also reportedly bit another victim’s hand, “breaking the skin.” A petition was filed to deny Carlie’s pretrial release, describing him as the “aggressor in a bar fight.” “Defendant was identified as the aggressor in a bar fight,” the petition states. “During the scuffle, he struck a male victim about the face, and bit the hand of a female victim, breaking the skin.” At the time of this incident, Carlie was on electronic monitoring from another Madison County felony case filed earlier this year. In that

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ALTON - On December 14, 1924, the Franklin W. Olin Jr. memorial organ was dedicated at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alton. The Estey Organ Company installed the organ, which had fourteen stops and was electrically operated. Rev. Frederick D. Butler officiated a blessing of the organ at morning services, and the church organist, George A. Rieder, gave an organ recital at 4:30 p.m. Three vocalists, Mildred Dixon McDow, Reven DeJarnette, and Herbert S. Heil, accompanied him. McDow “charmed everyone who heard her,” especially in her performance of “The Penitent,” by composer Beardsley Van de Water. DeJarnett sang the song “It Is Enough,” by Felix Mendelssohn, “with great power.” Heil sang “The Lord is My Light,” by Francis Allitsen. According to the Alton Evening Telegraph article reporting on the dedication, “only the time, the occasion, and the place prevented applause to express the appreciation of the audience.”

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MADISON COUNTY — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has announced the addition of Deputy Jacob Propes to its Patrol Division, effective Dec. 2, 2024. Previously serving in the Corrections Division, Deputy Propes is set to further his training by attending the Police Academy in the near future. The Sheriff’s Office officials expressed optimism about Deputy Propes's transition, stating, "We look forward to what he will contribute to our office and wish him a safe career." The appointment marks a significant step in Deputy Propes's law enforcement career as he prepares to take on new responsibilities within the department.

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O'FALLON - During a recent O'Fallon City Council meeting, the O'Fallon Police Department (OPD) received recognition from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police for successfully completing the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP). This marks a significant achievement for the department, which was first accredited in 2018 under former Chief Eric VanHook. Kirk Brueggeman is the O'Fallon Director of Public Safety. The recognition was presented by Kenny Winslow, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, and 2nd Vice President Dan Ryan. Winslow emphasized the importance of this accomplishment, noting that only 65 departments in the state of Illinois are accredited at any level, representing less than 5 percent of law enforcement agencies in the state. “Accreditation is a way to recognize those departments who are embracing best practices, going above and beyond, and setting the standard for professionalism,” Winslow said. Brueggeman

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