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EDWARDSVILLE - On February 8, Edwardsville attorney James Craney entered his appearance on behalf of Madison County Circuit Judges Sholar and Threlkeld in the lawsuit pitting the voters of Madison County against various state bodies. The suit alleges that the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022 is unconstitutional in its application and unfairly prejudices Madison County voters and judicial candidates. Judges Sholar and Threlkeld have intervened in the suit as plaintiffs. Speaker of the House Chris Welch and Senate President Dan Harmon has also intervened as defendants in this rare contest pitting the Illinois judiciary against the legislature. Welch and Harmon are represented by long-time Madigan attorney, Michael Kasper. When asked about the intervention, Craney stated “I don’t usually comment on pending cases, but in this instance I’ll make an exception, to call attention to the cynical, Chicago-machine style attempt to prevent these judges to run for

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SPRINGFIELD - Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appeal of a downstate judge’s order that invalidated his statewide school mask mandate has been dismissed. The judge's ruling late Thursday was a huge blow to the governor’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy in schools. Pritzker’s appeal of the order that stopped his school mask mandate was rendered “moot” because of a bipartisan panel of state lawmakers earlier this week. There was an attempt by the Illinois Department of Public Health to reinstitute mask rules for classrooms. The Fourth District Appellate Court ruled that Illinois' indoor mask requirement in schools has expired and the appeal made by the Illinois attorney general of a temporary restraining order issued Feb. 4 barring schools from enforcing it was dismissed. The appellate court's decision noted that the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) "in no way restrains school districts from acting independently from the executive orders or the IDPH in creating

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S Attorney's Office announced Friday that Demarko Hines, 50, of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, was sentenced today to five years federal prison for distributing crystal methamphetamine. Hines will also serve a four-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison. On February 23, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Hines and his brother, Laquan Hines, for a drug transaction that occurred in August of 2020. Demarko Hines pled guilty on September 18, 2021. Laquan Hines remains innocent until proven guilty. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Trippe.

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ALTON - Temps will fall low again Friday night with 18 degrees at the bottom point predicted. Travel for rush hour on Thursday was definitely impacted, but motorists seem to keep their distance from others and it was relatively accident-free. There was a serious crash earlier in the day at Illinois Route 3 and Route 109 and several other minor crashes on the roadways Thursday. Saturday, a high of 30 degrees is predicted, then a low of 22 degrees Saturday night. Sunday will see a high of 57 degrees, and a high of 61 degrees is predicted for Monday on Washington's Birthday or President's Day. The ice and snow on the roads Thursday is mostly melted as of Friday afternoon.

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GREENFIELD - Greenfield CUSD #10 has joined the growing number of Illinois school districts going mask-optional. This follows an Illinois appeals court dismissing Governor J.B. Pritzker’s appeal of a ruling allowing masks to be optional for several Illinois school districts. Superintendent of Greenfield CUSD #10 Kevin Bowman said masks have since been made optional for the district, which includes Greenfield High School and Greenfield Elementary School. This policy was in place for the district prior to Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order requiring all schools in Illinois to have mask mandates in place at the beginning of the year. For more updates on Greenfield CUSD #10, visit greenfieldschools.org or their Facebook page .

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GODFREY - In Godfrey, it’s important to highlight the passionately entrepreneurial and expansive businesses that call the area their home. Gorilla Express, located at 5507 Godfrey Rd, is a carwash that’s been dedicated to serving its customers with everything needed to get their vehicles looking new again. At Gorilla Express, it’s not just the exterior of the vehicle that the company is focused on. The establishment’s marketing manager Joe McKenzie made it clear that they’re always looking for ways to improve and one of their recent projects has been the addition of twelve new vacuums. This change is coming with a wave of customer-friendly implementations the company is interested in. Alongside the new vacuums, expanded lanes are another priority for the company and will be installed concurrently. Finally, at their Cottage Hills location, customers should expect to see an additional pay station established for their convenience. Potential members can join

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ALTON - Stutz Excavating is near the end of the demolition project of the old artist Art Towata Studio/Warehouse Building at Sixth and Piasa Street near Downtown Alton. Grading was done this week and the entire structure had been demolished over the past week and remnants hauled away. Towata, a renowned artist, died in 2019. This building once housed Towata’s works of art from ceramics and paintings. The building had been in disarray and because of the repair expense, it was torn down to make room for future development. Alton Mayor David Goins has been by the property since the demolition and said the area looks “nice” and should greatly enhance the property's “curb appeal."

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that all offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21, in observance of Presidents’ Day. • Offices and Driver Services facilities operating on a Tuesday through Saturday schedule will be closed on Saturday, Feb. 19, and reopen for business on Tuesday, Feb. 22. • Offices and Driver Services facilities operating on a Monday through Friday schedule will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21, and reopen for business on Tuesday, Feb. 22. As a reminder, Secretary White has extended all driver’s license and ID card and learner’s permit expiration dates to March 31, 2022. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. Individuals can visit the Secretary of State’s website at ilsos.gov for online services including checking

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in introducing new legislation to cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin. The Affordable Insulin Now Act will require Medicare plans and private group or individual health insurance plans to cap patients’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month. This will dramatically reduce costs for millions of patients with diabetes and save money for hardworking Americans. According to one estimate , patients with diabetes spend close to $6,000 annually on insulin alone—despite insulin being discovered more than 100 years ago and its patent being sold for $1. The three most popular forms of insulin today have had their prices increased dozens of times to more than $300 per vial, despite being sold for a fraction of the price in Canada and Europe. “It’s unconscionable that Illinoisans are forced to ration their supply of life-saving insuli

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(The Center Square) – As nine members of the Illinois House were ejected from the chamber Thursday for not wearing masks, most other Republicans followed them out. The temperature plummeted in Springfield as a winter storm hit Central Illinois with ice and snow. Inside the House chamber, the debate over mask rules heated up for a third day in a row. State Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, made a motion to eject state Reps. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, David Welter, R-Morris, David Friess, R-Red Bud, Chris Miller, R-Oakland, and Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, for not wearing masks per the House rules. She made a similar motion Wednesday, but rescinded the proposal. That’s after lawmakers debated the House rule for masks. McCombie on Thursday said she had asked others in close proximity if they’re more comfortable if she wore a mask, but argued against ejecting

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Germania Brew Haus’s East Alton location debuted for a “soft opening” today from 6 a.m.-12 p.m. They asked the public for patience as they practiced serving coffee out of the drive-thru of their latest location in EastGate Plaza. “As always, thank you so much for letting us serve you coffee,” Germania Brew Haus wrote in a Facebook post . “It is truly a blessing to be a part of so many peoples lives in a small way, but nonetheless, a part of your day. You trust us with your time and money, and we don’t take that lightly.” After a series of power and pandemic-related delays, Germania’s third location finally had working electricity as of Thursday night . While this location will be drive-thru only for a short while, they’re currently working with EastGate Plaza on a patio space for this spring. This EastGate drive-thru location will also be open tomorrow and Sunday from 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Next week, it will be open

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ALTON - Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP are pleased to announce Jane Saale, President & CEO of Cope Plastics as a 2022 Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes St. Louis’ Top 100 CEO’s & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2022 Titan 100 and their companies employ more than 38,000 individuals and generate over $15.7 billion dollars in annual revenues. This year’s honorees will be published in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on April 28, 2022, and will be given the opportunity to interact and connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans. “The Titan 100 are shaping the future of St. Louis’ business community by building a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County officials recognized an Alton woman Wednesday night as a “Living Legend” for her contributions in the community. Chairman Kurt Prenzler and County Board member Michael “Doc” Holiday of Alton presented Maxine Jackson Caldwell with the 8th annual Madison County Living Legends Community Service Award at the County Board meeting. The county presents the award during Black History Month to a resident who makes extraordinary contributions in the community. Prenzler said it’s an honor to present Caldwell with such and accolade. “Maxine is very deserving of this award,” Prenzler said. “She’s a small business owner who’s worked for decades to put children first. You don’t find many people who stay in the child care business as long as she’s been in it.” Caldwell is the owner/operator of Maxine’s Daycare Inc. in Alton. She holds a daycare license and meets regulatory standards

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GLEN CARBON - Elite Fitness Training (“Elite FT”) is a family-oriented fitness facility located inside The Sports Academy in Glen Carbon. Not only have they recently revamped their sports performance training program, they’re also offering a free trial of their fitness classes during the week of February 28. Owner Justin McMillian said both the program and the gym itself have been upgraded. “We are now offering the program every evening Monday through Thursday, plus Saturday mornings,” McMillian said. “We’ve remodeled our gym to create more square footage, and then we are adding in seasonal testing for our members that will measure their improvements, and we’ll be sharing that feedback with their parents.” The four training components Elite FT focuses on are strength, speed, power and fitness. At the beginning of each training cycle, athletes from all sports are tested on their abilities. After a couple months of training,

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BETHALTO - A suspect - Robert T. Yates - was charged today in Madison County Circuit Court with a felony count of burglary at the Bethalto Walgreens. Yates, 29, is of Springfield, IL. Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon said the charge stems from a call of suspicious subjects at the Bethalto Walgreens, that came in at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Employees reported that Yates along with a second unknown male had unlawfully entered a secured area of the store, which leads to where they maintain their high-end liquor. Shortly after officers entered the store, the unknown male exited the restricted area with numerous bottles of liquor in his hands and began fleeing from officers, the chief said. "While fleeing the B/M recklessly ran past shoppers, one of which had a 1-year-old child in their shopping cart," Chief Dixon said. "As he ran past the cart one of the bottles, he was carrying struck the child in the face and head. The child was examined at the scene and later

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GODFREY – Beverly Farm resident Kathleen Gastler has been selected to be on Team Illinois and compete in bocce at the Special Olympics USA Games, June 5-12, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. Kathleen lives in Group Home 5, one of Beverly Farm’s six group homes, and she has been a Beverly Farm resident since 2011, which is when she first moved into Group Home 5. She enjoys bocce and has been playing the sport for about 10 years. “We will all be cheering for Kathleen when she is down in Orlando competing in the USA Games in just four short months,” said Crystal Officer, CEO of Beverly Farm Foundation. “Kathleen is the first Beverly Farm athlete to be selected to compete at any national competition. She makes us proud.” Bocce is a game that originated in Italy. The basic principle of the sport is to roll a bocce ball closest to the target ball, which is called a “palina.” Bocce as a Special Olympics sport provides people with special needs th

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EDWARDSVILLE - Due to severe inclement weather in Madison County, it is hereby ordered that the Courts and the Offices of the Circuit Clerk for Madison County, Illinois, shall be closed at 3 p.m Thursday, February 17, 2022. This order is filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk of Madison County and that said order be made available to the members of the bar and public by Chief Judge William Mudge.

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SPRINGFIELD - U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber announced today his decision in a 25-page opinion that nevertheless required the feds to identify false statements made amid alleged eight-year scheme prosecutors say was designed to show favor with former State Sen. Michael Madigan. The four were accused of arranging for the ex-House speaker’s associates and allies to get jobs, contracts, and money in order to influence Madigan as key legislation worked its way through Springfield. The judge declined to issue federal charges against Madigan's inner circle and rejected arguments in what is described as a key ruling seven months ahead of a trial. In the 50-page November 2020 indictment were Madigan confidant Michael McClain, ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-top ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and Jay Doherty, the former president of the City Club. The four people had been accused of arranging for Madigan’s associates and allies to get jobs, contracts, and money in order

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Pete & Ashley Diamond from Wood River Date Met/Started Dating: April 3, 2000 Briefly Describe First Date: Ashley joined 7th-grade track at Trimpe to spend more time with Pete. Date Married: August 1, 2020 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We love going on trips, spending time with our families, and hanging out at home with our furkids. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Communication is absolutely key! Live every day with love, compassion, and trust.

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ALTON - The Overnight Warming Center of Alton is activating Thursday, February 17 – doors open at 5pm, at the Deliverance Temple Church at 1125 East Sixth Street in Alton. Doors are located on Cherry Street. "We are aware that multiple days coming up are going to be cold overnight," Chelsea Boyles, a spokesperson for the Overnight Warming Center, said. "We will still continue to make the decision each morning on whether we will be open. "Part of this reason is that we need to ensure that we are staffed properly. We are looking for more volunteers. If you know anyone interested please send them to our Facebook page to sign up to be a volunteer!" Contact Boyles at (877) 467-3123 if you wish to volunteer.

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