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ALTON - Community members teamed up at LaMay’s Catering to give out 150 hot side dishes, 200 turkeys and 500 meals for their annual Thanksgiving Blessing Giveaway. The giveaway is a partnership between Shenekia Stovall and Jason and Kayla Harrison, owners of LaMay’s. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, Stovall, Jason, Kayla and many volunteers from Deliverance Temple came together to pass out hot food and deliver meals to houses around Alton. “Times are hard for everyone right now,” Stovall said. “And just to be able to be a blessing and to serve, that’s who I am. That’s just why it’s important to me. From a church perspective, we need to be in the community, not only worshiping but serving and making sure we are meeting the needs of our neighbors. To do this with Jason and the church, it’s an honor.” While the giveaway is about helping others, the mission is personal to Stovall. When she lost her son, Monte, eight years ago

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ALTON - Vicky Schlueter shared some of her images from the Alton Tree Lighting Ceremony this past Friday night, Nov. 17, 2023, in Alton, which showcased the magical night. The tree lighting served as a kickoff for Christmas in the Alton region and was attended by hundreds of people, who enjoyed the lighting event. The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club and Alton Main Street were the main sponsors of the annual tree lighting. "The event is wonderful," Alton Mayor David Goins said. He said each year the Alton Tree Lighting brings the community together. Mayor Goins performed the honor of turning on the tree lights at the end of the ceremony. A multitude of children and families were present when he flipped the switch. The Salvation Army also used the event as a kickoff for its annual bell-ringing campaign in Alton. Residents are urged to give at the kettles this weekend when shopping around the Alton area. This shopping weekend is always one of the most important for the bell-ringing

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GRAFTON - After over 40 years in business, the beloved Fin Inn Restaurant is for sale. Located at 1500 W. Main Street in Grafton, the property will be sold as-is in an online auction next month. Bidding starts on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, and ends on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. Real estate agent Tommy Ruyle says the property has potential to be anything the buyer wants it to be, with lots of history and a prime spot on the Great River Road. “This an iconic restaurant, but also, it has frontage on the Great River Road there in Grafton, and that’s hard to come by,” Ruyle said. “It doesn’t come up very often in Grafton that you’ve got access to the Great River Road. So there’s all kinds of potential projects that somebody may have in mind to bring — if it’s not the Fin Inn again — some other attraction that the public and the tourist industry in that area are going to enjoy.” Ruyle, who owns Countryside Land & Auction,

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Saturday, November 18, 2023, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspect Ronald Perkins, 28 years of age, of the 5100 block of Abington Road in Florissant, Missouri, 63033, for three counts of Robbery First Degree and three counts of Armed Criminal Action. A booking photo of Perkins is attached. Perkins is being held on $500,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement reads: On November 8, Defendant entered a gas station at 7830 Clayton Road. Defendant, wearing a distinct outfit, pointed a black and silver handgun at the station employee and demanded money from the register. Defendant took cash from the register and while exiting the store he demanded a pack of Newport Cigarettes, which he was given. Defendant then left the gas station in a 2020 Kia Telluride. About an hour later

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ALTON - Alton resident Charlie Stocker raised concerns about code enforcement and deteriorating properties at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting . After months of trying unsuccessfully to meet with the mayor and the Code Enforcement/Building and Zoning director, he said he’s now taking the story to the news media. Stocker said he moved to Alton in 2005 and that the city’s Code Enforcement Department has “struggled at best,” adding he and others find the department “very ineffective.” “The part that seems to be most ineffective is when there’s a violation and somebody gets cited and for whatever reason, they ignore the city and their efforts to enforce it," Stocker said during public comments at Monday's meeting. "They either don’t pay the fine, or they pay the fine and still don’t come up to code. “As a result, in the last three years as of August 30, the city has spent just north of $900,000 t

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ALTON - Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, will host a free, virtual Child Abuse and Neglect 101 training on November 29 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. CT. CEUs are available. This training defines child neglect and how it differs from child abuse. “Neglect can be hard to spot, and the reasons for it happening are diverse and multifaceted. Professionals will learn how neglect interventions also differ from interventions for abuse, and learn to understand the best ways to prevent neglect in our communities,” said Hannah Chapman, Centerstone Trauma, Treatment and Training grant coordinator. Objectives of the training include: Define childhood neglect Define risk factors of neglect Define the consequences of neglect Determine protective factors vs risk factors Discuss effective intervention and prevention efforts The presenter of the training will be Rachel Chruszczyk, prevention specialist with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois. This training has

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SPRINGFIELD - Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, with four times the average number occurring. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on Thanksgiving Day alone, an estimated 1,160 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments in 2021, reflecting a 297 percent increase over the daily average. Cooking causes over half (53%) of all reported home fires and nearly two of every five (38%) home fire injuries, and it is a leading cause of home fire deaths (18%). Ranges and cook-tops account for almost three out of every five home fires reported involving cooking, with ovens accounting for 13% of those fires. “Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate with family and friends and to be thankful, not deal with an accidental fire due to a cooking accident,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera . “It’s important to keep cooking safety a top priority and ensure all your cooking appliances are

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ALTON - Survival Flight is now providing emergent and non-emergent patient medical ground and air transportation to and from OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center for Riverbend region residents. “Adding Survival Flight to our roster of EMS service providers only enhances our Mission of serving with the greatest care and love,” says Jerry Rumph, president, of OSF Saint Anthony’s. “Local residents have yet another resource available for them to gain access to the health care services available here at OSF Saint Anthony’s.” Survival Flight, Inc., is a premier emergency medical transportation company dedicated to medical transportation focusing on the quality of care to patients and their safety with aviation and ground medical transportation. Their mission and purpose are serving customers with unsurpassed and rapid medical services to save lives. “Our top priority is to extend and enhance a patient’s life by safely providing air and

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CHICAGO – With the arrival of Thanksgiving and the season for family feasts, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is advising Illinoisans to take precautions to protect everyone from foodborne illnesses, as well as those unwelcome guests, namely seasonal viruses. Hosts can protect their guests by following basic food safety steps, including keeping hot foods hot, cold foods cold, and properly thawing frozen turkeys before roasting them. In addition, with COVID-19 and RSV ticking up again this season, IDPH reminds hosts to provide good ventilation for large gatherings to safeguard against all the respiratory viruses that circulate at this time of year. “All of us at IDPH wish our fellow Illinoisans a happy, festive and safe Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” said IDPH Director Sameer Vohra. “As we enjoy food, family, and friends, I want to remind everybody that we can prevent unhappy holiday outcomes by following proven food safety guidelines such a

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SPRINGFIELD – With a deposit of $11.5 million today, Illinois’ Rainy Day Fund reaches an important milestone on the road to respectability: $2.005 billion. In the worst days of the fiscal impasse that marked the previous administration in 2017, the Rainy Day Fund had just $48,000. That’s not enough to run the state for even 30 seconds – hardly enough to be of any use when the global COVID-19 pandemic struck. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, working with Governor JB Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Senate President Don Harmon and other legislative leaders, has prioritized building up that reserve to useful levels. “Whatever you think Illinois’ most important program is – funding our schools, policing our highways, caring for the elderly – that program is in jeopardy when a crisis strikes if Illinois has not built up a strong reserve,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “The bond rating

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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 the 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 Timothy Melton. Timothy is a Senior at EAWR and is involved with the National Honor Society, Baseball, Bowling, and Golf (all 4 years for all sports). Timothy was in the Student Council and Scholar Bowl his Freshman year. Timothy has received honors for Eagle Scout, NHS, DAR Youth Citizenship Award & Renaissance Gold Level. After graduation, Timothy plans to attend college at The University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. Timothy is thinking of majoring in Electrical Engineering. Congratulations Timothy and we all wish you good luck in your

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement with Colony Display LLC (Colony) that resolves allegations Colony entered into no-poach agreements and engaged in wage fixing with three staffing agencies. The settlement requires Colony to pay more than $1 million to compensate temporary workers who were impacted by the unlawful activity. “Illinois workers ultimately pay when employers collude to keep wages down. I am pleased that this settlement includes compensation for workers who were impacted by unlawful activity that limited wages and job opportunities,” Raoul said. “We will not tolerate companies collaborating to take advantage of workers, and my office is committed to enforcing laws that protect workers’ rights and access to fair wages and opportunities to better provide for their families.” In 2020, Raoul’s office filed a lawsuit against three staffing agencies – Elite Staffing Inc., Metro Staff Inc., and Midway Staffing

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 11 attorneys general, announced today that student lender Prehired will provide more than $30 million in relief to student borrowers for making false promises of job placement, trapping students with income share loans that violated the law, and resorting to abusive debt collection practices when borrowers could not pay. Raoul and the CFPB’s federal court-approved order requires Prehired to cease all operations, pay $4.2 million in redress to consumers that were affected by its illegal practices, and void all outstanding income share loans, valued by Prehired at nearly $27 million. “Prehired deceived student borrowers with false promises and lies of deferred payment until employment,” Raoul said. “I am proud of my office’s collaboration with the CFPB and a bipartisan group of attorneys general to ensure Prehired is held accountable and that borrowers

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and law enforcement agencies throughout the state are reminding the public to buckle up and drive sober this Thanksgiving. Motorists will see hundreds of additional seat belt enforcement zones and other enforcement patrols looking for seat belt law violators and drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers through Nov. 28. “Unfortunately, some drivers and their passengers will travel without ever buckling their seat belts. Seat belts save lives. It really is that simple,” said IDOT’s Director of Highways Project Implementation Steve Travia . “Driving distracted or impaired significantly increases the likelihood of a crash and not wearing your seat belt increases your risk of serious injury or death even more.” During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Illinois last year, 10 people were killed in crashes. “Each year in Illinois, lives are needlessly lost simply because

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The Madison County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Marcos Pulido announced on Tuesday morning, Nov. 21, 2023, that Amanda Cunningham, 36, who had been reported missing had been located and was safe and sound. Cunningham was determined missing on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, and has not been heard from since, her family said this morning, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. Pulido thanked everyone for their assistance in the matter. The family and sheriff's office had been searching for the woman who had been missing since last Friday.

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ELSAH - Take a step back in time this holiday season while strolling the historic streets of Elsah, IL, often called the town that time forgot, during Elsah’s annual Home for the Holidays House Tour from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, December 2. A total of 18 historic buildings will be open for the event, including eight private homes, the two-room school house, Farley Music Hall, the Elsah Museum, the bed and breakfast inns, churches and villages shops. Tickets for the annual Holiday House Tour are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour. Ticket prices include a tour booklet with a photo and description of each building, musical performances, and a self-guided walk thru the historic village filled with sounds of the season from local caroling groups. “Since the 1970’s, the Village of Elsah has offered house tours for visitors who can’t wait to get a look inside some of its beautiful historic homes and buildings,” said Blair Smith, one of the organizers

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ALTON - An updated version of the Alton public camping ban was given preliminary approval at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting . After being laid over for months of discussion and debate from community members, the item now goes to the City Council for full approval on Tuesday night. The latest version of the ordinance, which would ban “unauthorized encampments” in Alton and the storage of personal property on public property, features notable changes from the first draft introduced in September . The previous version’s fines of $75 to $750 for first-time violations have been changed to a maximum of $100. Fines for subsequent violations went from $500 to $750 for each offense to a max of $500 each. All fines issued under the ordinance can now be satisfied by either cash payment or community service. The old ordinance gave “the court” the sole power to determine whether or not community service was an acceptable means of deterrence

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ALTON - Art Williams is a special man and has an equally special group of friends - The Big Dogs - who honored him before his 100th birthday on Dec. 3, 2023. Godfrey Mayor Mike Mike McCormick read a proclamation that makes this Dec. 3, 2023, “Art Williams Day” in the village. “We are excited about Art’s birthday,” McCormick said. “He is one heck of a guy and one of my better friends. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met.” Art said he was very thankful for the club honoring him and is looking forward to his family marking his actual birthday with him. "These are a great bunch of guys," he said. "I am part of the group. I am thankful they did this today." In 2022, Art was the parade marshal of the Alton Memorial Day Parade. Art served in World War II and is a veteran who was in the service from 1942 to 1945. He served in the Pacific for a period during World War II. He also is a former plant manager at the old Shell Refinery

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GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSofSI) has wrapped up the annual Fall Product Program for 2023. Girls in Southern Illinois crushed it this fall, selling over $525,000 in tasty treats, magazines, and other fun products. Let’s give a shout out to the following girls for being Fall Product Top Sellers for their respective areas: Alvina Farley from the Alton/Godfrey/Wood River/Roxana Service Unit sold $1,415 in product Riley Isaak from the Granite City/Madison/Venice Service Unit sold $1,409 in product Katelynn Norman from the Bethalto Service Unit sold $2,230 in product Kinsley Godier from the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Service Unit sold $1,293 in product Allison Malter from the Troy/St. Jacob Service Unit sold $1,234 in product Layla Basso from the Highland Service Unit sold $1,370 in product Margeaux Williams from the Collinsville Service Unit sold $701 in product “Our Girl Scouts continue to amaze me with their entrepreneurial spirit

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HARTFORD – The 220 th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s arrival at their Illinois winter encampment will be commemorated with “Arrival at Camp River Dubois” Dec. 9-10 at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Madison County. Activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the site’s interpretive center. The event is free and open to the public. Reenactors and demonstrators will interpret life for the Lewis and Clark Expedition soldiers while wintering at Camp River Dubois from December 1803 to May 1804. Visitors will see how the training and preparation at Camp River Dubois forged the Corps of Discovery and prepared it for a strenuous journey. Soldiers in period uniform will be on site. Lewis and Clark Expedition uniforms can be seen on demonstrators of the White Pirogue boat. The War of 1812 artillery unit will display and interpret their cannon and equipment. Some of the Expedition soldiers went on to serve during this

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