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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that Danielle Fischer, 29, of Edwardsville has been charged by a Madison County grand jury on six counts of criminal sexual assault, four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and two counts of child pornography. Fischer was charged with these acts while serving as the victims’ teacher. “It is sickening to see figures of authority abuse children,” Haine said. “Working with the Madison County Child Advocacy Center, the State’s Attorney’s Office’s Children’s Justice Division is dedicated to punishing such crimes, and doing our part to protect the children of Madison County.” The criminal sexual assault charges are Class One felonies, and carry a sentence of 4-15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). The aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges are Class 2 felonies, and carry a sentence of probation to 3-7 years in IDOC.

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SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 147,004 deer during all 2021-2022 archery and firearm seasons that concluded Jan. 16. The total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons compares with a total harvest for all seasons of 162,752 deer in 2020-2021. During the 2021-2022 deer seasons, hunters took 43.75% does and 56.25% males. Archery: Archery deer hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 67,637 deer during the season that began Oct. 1 and concluded Jan. 16. The total archery harvest during the 2020-2021 season was 75,106 deer. Youth: Youth deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 1,829 deer during the three-day Illinois Youth Deer Season Oct. 9-11, compared to 2,322 in 2020. Traditional Firearm Season : Hunters took a preliminary total of 69,990 deer during the Illinois Firearm Deer Season Nov. 19-21 and Dec. 2-5, compared with 77,160 deer taken during the 2020 firearm season. Muzzleloader: Hunters using muzzleloading rifles

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A vehicle lost control on the ice at the Humbert and Washington railroad tracks about 5:40 a.m. on Friday, February 25, 2022. Train traffic was stopped, while the railroad tracks were cleaned. The arms and crossing gates encountered significant damage. There were no injuries reported in the accident.

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St. John’s Community Care is happy to announce that we partnered with Adaptive Equipment & Caregiver Corner. The team at Adaptive Equipment is helping to train St. John’s Community Care’s program assistants in the Adult Day Centers. They review best practices and strategies to assist those who may be unsteady or rely on a walker or cane for balance. They are collaborating with St. John’s to offer a Home Safety Evaluation to their families. The assessment allows for family caregivers from St. John’s to have objective, professional eyes walk through their home and make recommendations on changes that would make the home safer and more accessible for the caregiver and person with disabilities. “It’s an outstanding partnership, and our staff at St. John’s learned so many new ways to manage and assist our participants positively and respectfully,” said Stacey Rhodes, Adult Day Program Director. Adaptive Equipment & Caregiver Corner was

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday afternoon regarding racism at the university experienced by students, faculty and staff alike. At the meeting, students from the Black Unity Council shared a document with a list of demands for administration, and several campus community members shared their personal experiences. “In this document , you will find … a timeline of events that occurred at SIUE which reflects the systemic reoccurrence of racially-biased incidents for over a decade … as well as stats which support our stance that the university engages in the exploitation of its Black students and that they use us as a political formality,” said a member of the Black Unity Council at SIUE. “We’ve taken time to create a bulleted list of demands for administration to review,” they continued. “We don’t believe there’s anything in our list which the university can find

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) issued the following statement after the Sangamon County Circuit Court decision to maintain the Democrat’s scheme to change the way Madison County, Illinois voters elect their judges: “Regardless of today’s ruling, right is right, and wrong is wrong. The Democrat’s scheme to elect more Democrat judges by taking away the ability of Madison County voters to elect a judge countywide is just plain wrong. The Democrat-controlled legislature continues to pass laws that give themselves a competitive advantage, in this case, they overstepped their boundaries. I’m disappointed with the outcome but I remain optimistic that restoring integrity and fairness to the way we elect judges in Madison County will hold strong.”

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ALTON/EDWARDSVILLE - The Winter Weather Advisory for the St. Louis Region was extended to midnight by the National Weather Service and road conditions deteriorated in the second round of the winter storm on Thursday afternoon. Traffic flow at around 2 p.m. Thursday around the region was slow and trucks were out throughout the area salting. As predicted, there was considerable ice and slush on the roads after the second round of the winter storm. The NWS says the following: "Mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations less than half an inch, and ice accumulations less than one-tenth of an inch for portions of Southwest Illinois. Portions of east-central and southeast Missouri. "Plan on slippery road conditions," the NWS said. "The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday evening commute." The roads Thursday afternoon had a small amount of traffic and the hope by NWS that many have stayed home during the storm. The NWS advised motorists to slow down and keep a distance

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SPRINGFIELD – An expansion of Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site’s popular new augmented reality – or AR – app is now available to visitors. The Grand Plaza AR tour launched Feb. 22 and joins the Monks Mound AR tour to offer a state-of-the-art experience for visitors. Users who purchased the Monks Mound app in December will receive The Grand Plaza free of charge upon updating their app. The Grand Plaza AR tour begins behind the Interpretive Center, which is the location of an ancient residential area outside of the Palisade, and follows the concrete trail around the Twin Mounds. In December, the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society (CMMS) launched the first phase of the product, which changes the way visitors experience Cahokia Mounds through leading-edge technology and catapulted the site to the forefront of Pre-Columbian interpretation. Planning for the app began in 2017. Since then, CMMS received two Digital Products for the Humanities grants funded by the National

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JEFFERSON CITY, MO - Pearl Embrey of Alton, IL, was recently named to the Dean's List of Lincoln University of Missouri (LU) in Jefferson City, Missouri, for the fall 2021 semester. The LU Dean's List comprises undergraduate students completing a full-time load of graded coursework with a minimum term GPA of 3.5. Lincoln University of Missouri is a historically Black, 1890 land-grant, public university that provides excellent educational opportunities to a diverse population within a nurturing, student-centered environment. Lincoln is known for its innovative undergraduate and graduate programs in agriculture, business administration, criminal justice, elementary education, nursing, business administration, guidance and counseling, and natural science. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, Lincoln University was founded in 1866 by the men of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries and their white officers for the benefit of freed African Americans. The university boasts an

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ST. LOUIS – United Way of Greater St. Louis is awarding over $9,900 to 12 philanthropic, service-based, student-led programs. The grants were awarded through the Student United Way program, which offers funding to student-led projects at colleges and universities across the region to equip students with skills in the areas of project development, evaluation, budgeting, and grant writing. The following programs were awarded up to $1,000 each in one-time grants: Food Recovery Network (Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville) is an area leader in community service for students and the future of hunger relief. Cougar Cupboard’s (Southern Illinois University -Edwardsville) mission is to minimize food insecurity and mitigate its associated stress through an inclusive and engaging environment. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (Southern Illinois University -Edwardsville) works with facilities directly to determine what their immediate needs are. They deliver care

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ALTON - Main Street UMC’s, Team Honduras, is pleased to announce that they will be hosting their 9th Annual Just For Chicks event on Saturday, March 12, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the church located at 1400 Main Street in Alton. “This special fundraiser for the Team is a celebration of the ladies in our community,” said Greg Gelzinnis, Team Leader. Gelzinnis added “It will feature ladies-oriented vendors like Craft Garden, Sazzy Fashions, Tepen Hollow Designs, Everything’s Shiny Creations, Countryside Gardens, Window to my World Stained Glass, and The Bag Ladies just to name a few.” As in previous years, spa opportunities & chair massage by Fitness for the Soul will also be offered. An assortment of homemade soups and salads prepared by Team Honduras members will be on the lunch menu, and the day’s speaker will help the ladies unravel the kNOTS in their life. Just For Chicks IX Guest Speaker, Tammy Tiller-Hewitt FACHE, is the

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser, announced that the County’s annual Tax Sale resulted in the lowest ever penalty rate recorded in Madison County, with a weighted average of just 0.43%. The previous record was 1.52% in 2021. Treasurer Slusser attributes the low penalty rate on the automated bidding system that the county currently utilizes, along with the high number of participating tax buyers. “We’ve come a long ways in ensuring the integrity of this process and achieving low penalty rates for those who are struggling to pay their taxes,” Slusser said. “The lower the rate, the less it costs a taxpayer to redeem their delinquent taxes. It’s great to see the penalty rate so low this year, which benefits those whose taxes were sold.” Each county in Illinois holds an annual Tax Sale to collect delinquent taxes which are distributed throughout their taxing districts. Illinois requires these sales, or auctions, so that

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LIVE: President Joe Biden addresses the nation as Russia continues its attack on Ukraine. Scheduled to start at 12:30 Central Standard Time

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance today urged Illinois Senators to support Senate Bill 2976 to help provide relief for Illinois wineries that have experienced a drop in tourism and increase in licensing fees during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide an equitable pathway for growth for the industry. SB 2976, sponsored by Sen. Rachelle Crowe, would reduce a significant licensing fee increase imposed on Illinois wineries during the height of the pandemic when many wineries struggled to stay afloat. The bill would also provide balance for wine production and self-distribution limits compared to counterparts in the beer and spirits industries. “With ongoing challenges created by the pandemic, the wine industry in Illinois is still working to bounce back and prove its resilience,” Sen. Crowe said. “By increasing the production cap and allowing makers to sell more wine directly to retailers, Illinois can offer support to one of its

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SEE VIDEO: WOOD RIVER - Riverbend Family Ministries is a group of eight local nonprofit organizations operating under one roof to help “families in crisis” - those experiencing violence, addiction, homelessness and/or poverty. That roof is about to get bigger as the group moves into a larger building with a backstory rooted in their own history. The story of this new building begins in a former Wood River coffee and bagel shop, at the time known as T.R.’s Café. Then-owner Tammy Iskarous decided 15 years ago to close the café and begin her journey in the nonprofit world by moving operations across the street and founding Riverbend Family Ministries. Iskarus said the idea behind their collaborative model is to pool resources to ease financial burdens on local nonprofits. “There are some small nonprofits that are doing some great work, but yet they can’t afford the brick and mortar, so they're not being as impactful as they could,”

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JERSEYVILLE – On what seemed to be just another chilly day in February was the celebration of a milestone in the project timeline for Illinois American Water’s new operations center in Jerseyville, Illinois. The 16,000 square foot operations center will consolidate field operations, administrative and operations support staff in a single location at the address of 501 Mound Street. As snow melted, the preparation for construction commenced and excavation equipment began to arrive. Finally, a groundbreaking celebration for all parties involved was underway. Kyle Ogden, Project Director at Helmkamp Construction, welcomed all attendees to the groundbreaking event saying “Thank you to the entire design build team for their work in the design phase and getting us to this point. We are all excited to move into the construction phase and bring this project to life.” Also joining in the occasion was the City of Jerseyville’s mayor, William Russell, who was excited

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GRANITE CITY – Seniors Makaina Woods and Nick Butchee of Granite City High School were selected as Granite City Elks Lodge 1063 Students of the Month for February. The Elks Student of the Month Program is designed to recognize outstanding young men and women for achievements in school and community life-fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry, and farming. Nominees are judged on multiple achievements including leadership skills, good moral character, community involvement, extracurricular activities, honors and award, and scholastic ability. Each student receives a $100 U.S. savings bond and an Elks certificate of achievement. MAKAINA WOODS Two-time Speech Team Captain and President of Thespian Society ... Four-year Honor Roll ... Treasurer of National Honor Society ... GCHS Dance Team ... Member of Foreign Language Club and Pride Club ... Worship Leading/Singing at Unity Baptist Church ... Daughter of Jennifer Woods. NICK

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Several local school districts will be dismissing students early today in anticipation of winter weather and hazardous road conditions. Jersey Community Unit School District 100 recently announced they’ll be dismissing students at noon today. JCHS student drivers will be allowed to leave during their lunch hours - 10:30 a.m. for fourth-hour lunch and 11 a.m. for fifth-hour lunch. All students who ride the bus, walk or have someone drop them off will be dismissed at noon. Southwestern Community Unit School District 9 also announced they will be dismissing middle and high school students at noon and elementary students at 12:10. They are also canceling the spring sports meeting that was planned at the high school for today. Calhoun Community Unit School District 40 will be dismissing elementary and junior high school students at noon, followed by high school students at 12:15 p.m. Schools in both Carrollton and Greene County school districts are staying open

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ST. LOUIS - Round two of a wintery mix should begin around noon on Thursday in the Metro East Illinois area, National Weather Service Meteorologist Lydia Jaja said Thursday morning. “We expect the wintery mix to go from noon to 6 p.m. and after that, it will taper off and the event will end,” Jaja said. “So far, the weather event has been what we expected.” Temps are cold today and will only reach the mid-20s, so the weather forecaster advised that people show caution on the highways. “If you don’t have to get out, don’t, but if you do, leave plenty of space,” she said. “Give yourself a little more time to get to your destinations than normal because of the weather.” Jaja said Mardi Gras Saturday should be a good day, with the sun shining and highs in the low 40s to 50s for both Saturday and Sunday. The high Saturday is projected at 41 degrees and a low of 24 degrees.

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The Center Square - A new study shows hospital price transparency requirements continue to lag around Illinois and the rest of the country. Federal law requires hospitals to be more transparent about prices by posting the numbers in various capacities, but a study by PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) shows it rarely happens. “One year after this law-making hospitals show prices came into effect, unfortunately, we found that only 14.3% of our country’s 1,000 of 6,000 hospitals are complying with this law,” PRA founder and CEO Cynthia Fisher said. The law required hospitals to post prices for all services, including gross charges and discounted cash prices. In addition, the rule requires the information to be available in two formats, a machine-readable file that contains pricing data for third parties to compare between hospitals and a shoppable service list that displays specific services offered at the facility. Fisher said many would be surprised at the difference

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