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JERSEY - The Jersey County State's Attorney's Office announced charges today after a Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, incident that took place in the county on Costello Road. Walter E. Lee, 60, of the 26000 block of Costello Road in Jerseyville, has been charged with Reckless Discharge Of A Firearm and Unlawful Use Of Weapons. Jersey County State's Attorney Ben Goetten said the charges were as follows: Count 1: That on or about the 15th day of September 2022, in Jersey County, Illinois, Reckless Discharge Of A Firearm: "In that said defendant endangered the bodily safety of Christopher Thomas, at close range, thereby placing Christopher Thomas in danger of being struck by projectiles in violation of Chapter 720, Act 5, Section 24-1.5 (a) of the Illinois Compiled Statutes." Count 2: That on or about the 15th day of September 2022, in Jersey County, Illinois, Unlawful Use Of Weapons: "In that said defendant, while riding an older model Honda ATV four-wheeler on a public roadway, specifically

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ALTON - The Marquette Catholic High School spirit is running high as homecoming weekend approaches. Beth DeCourcey, a Marquette academic dean, was the coordinator of a pep rally at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Marquette Catholic’s gym. Charlie Fahnestock, Captain Marquette, provided the on-the-floor leadership for the Explorers with the cheer and dance teams. All the sports teams were introduced at the pep rally. “The pep rally was exceptional,” Marquette Catholic Principal Tim Harmon said. “Mrs. DeCourcey did a great job rallying the kids and Charlie Fahnestock also was able to get a good response along with the cheerleaders and dance team. It definitely feels back to normal with the pep rally.” Marquette takes on Breese Central at 7 p.m. for its homecoming game tonight. Prior to the game, at 6:30 p.m. at Johnson’s Corner in Alton, the queen and king candidates will be announced and then there will be a brief Explorers’ parade to Public School Stadium.

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(Photos by Sheri McDuffie) JERSEY - Erin Bittles is in her 10th year as band director of Jersey Community High School's Band and the group is something the community always looks forward to whether it be a football or basketball game, the Downtown Country Christmas in Jerseyville, or the various parades. This summer, the JCHS band marched at Disney World, which fulfilled dreams for many of the students. Bittles has a strong contingency of players with 80 9-12 graders and 32 eighth-graders. The youth leave with a love and appreciation for music, something Erin tries to instill in each of them. "The past two years we had to figure out how to work through procedures with the COVID-19 Pandemic," she said. "It was hard, but because of our creativity, we have been able to keep the numbers and are getting bigger. We always try to do the extra things. They get excited about playing in the community and it is something that connects the community to the school. It lets them feel like they

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EDWARDSVILLE— Madison County’s Veterans Court on Wednesday honored its newest group of graduates – three combat veterans who received praise from the court for using the program’s resources to get their lives back on track. The goal of Madison County’s innovative Veterans Court is to provide a strategy of treatment, rather than jail, for veterans who have entered the criminal justice system and suffer from PTSD or psychological or substance-abuse problems as a result of their service to their country. Veterans Court graduate Grant S. said for him, the program was nothing short of a lifesaver. “Honestly? It saved my life,” Grant said after the ceremony. “If it wasn’t for the program, I’d be in prison or dead. I owe these people a lot – I love these people.” Circuit Judge Sarah Smith, herself a combat veteran, presided over the ceremony, thanking the graduates for their service and commending them for utilizing

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ALTON - Two long-time friends and school colleagues, Alton High School Principal Mike Bellm and Lovejoy Elementary Principal John Ducey, were both honored Thursday night in Belleville at the annual Southwest Region Illinois Principals Association meeting. Alton Superintendent Kristie Baumgartner said she was exceptionally proud of both her school district principals. “Congratulations to Mike Bellm (Alton High Principal) and John Ducey (Lovejoy Elementary Principal)! Mr. Bellm was named the 2022 Illinois Principals Association High School Principal of the Year for the Southwest Region. Mr. Ducey received the IPA's 2022 Herman Graves Award for service," she said. "Both principals were honored at a ceremony in Belleville tonight. Way to go!” Bellm credited his students and other faculty and support staff for helping him receive the award. “I have such great people and staff at Alton High,” he said. “It is an honor to be part of working with all of them.

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ALTON - Alton Police announced Thursday that charges have been issued against Anthony N. Keltz of St. Louis in the shooting that occurred on September 12, 2022, on Ridge Street at Quincy Court in Alton. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the following charges against Anthony N. Keltz of St. Louis: Count I: Aggravated Battery With a Firearm. Count II: Unlawful Possession of Weapons By a Felon. The bond has been set at $250,000 by the Honorable Judge Heflin. "The patrol officers who conducted the initial investigation and detectives who furthered the investigation all did a great job," Alton Police Deputy Chief Jarrett Ford said. "Their commitment to solving violent crime and seeking justice for victims is first-rate. "Keltz is not yet in custody. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to call the Alton Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 618-463-3505 extension 634."

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WOOD RIVER — Madison County receives a $7,500 boost to help upgrade technology in the Employment and Training Department. Ameren Illinois awarded Employment and Training a $7,500 AmerenCares grant to help purchase a high-tech interactive whiteboard, a Meeting Owl camera for use with hybrid meetings being conducted post-pandemic, and marketing materials that can be shared at community events, job fairs, etc. Ameren awards grants to non-profits for arts and culture, civic and community, environment, health and human services and youth and education. “We are honored Ameren chose the Employment and Training department to receive these funds,” Employment and Training Director Tony Fuhrmann said. “These funds provided to employment and training will enable us to provide information on our services available to the public and businesses in new and innovative ways.” The department provides computer access and online resources for job seekers in Madison, Bond,

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ALTON - Xavier Carter of Alton High School was honored as one of the Students of the Month for September at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s Restaurant. Kennedy Stephens of Alton High School was the other Student of the Month. Xavier Carter, the son of Daniel and Jennifer Carter, is currently ranked #1 in his senior class at Alton High School with a GPA of 4.782. He has received numerous awards throughout his high school career, including being consistently named to the High Honor Roll as well as being selected for National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society. Because of his high academic achievement, Xavier was also selected as a Junior Marshall at the 2022 Alton High Graduation Ceremony. Xavier is a member of a number of other student organizations including: Physics Club, Redbird Nest, Math Team, Drafting Club, and he is the current president of Alton High's FIRST Robotics Team. He enjoys tutoring current math students

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ALTON - Kennedy Stephens of Alton High School was honored as one of the Students of the Month for September at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s Restaurant. Xavier Cartier of Alton High School was the other Student of the Month. Stephens is the daughter of Kristine and Tony Stephens of Alton. She is a senior at Alton High School with a 4.558 GPA. She is in the top 3% of her graduating class. She has received multiple awards throughout her years at Alton High, such as High Honor Roll, National Honors Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. She is also a part of multiple extracurricular activities, such as Minority Excellence as the secretary, Varsity Cross Country, Physics Club, Empowered To Be Me, Pathways to Womanhood, and Drafting Club. While juggling extracurricular activities and academics, Kennedy has been a member of the AHS Varsity Soccer team. Kennedy was selected as a freshman to be a part of the team and has been a key member of the defensive

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the award of more than $9 million in grants to agencies across Illinois that provide services to survivors of violent crime. Raoul’s office awarded 252 Violent Crime Victim Assistance (VCVA) grants, with the average grant being about $36,000. The funding goes to programs that offer support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, gun violence, human trafficking, elder abuse, and other crimes. These programs offer a range of resources, including crisis intervention, courtroom assistance, legal services, counseling and other activities geared at addressing trauma, and violence prevention. “It is incumbent on all of us to wrap our arms around survivors of violent crime in our communities,” Raoul said. “My office remains committed to supporting survivors and doing all we can to prevent violent crime in Illinois. These programs help survivors access the tools they need to overcome the trauma they’ve

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) earned the ‘Freshman of the Year’ award for her positive voting record in support of economic opportunity and free enterprise in Illinois. Elik was the only freshman member of the Illinois House of Representatives to receive the highest honor during the 102 nd General Assembly. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce presented the 2022 Champion of Free Enterprise and Freshman of the Year Award to Rep. Amy Elik in correspondence with the release of their 102nd General Assembly Legislative Ratings. This award is given by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce to legislators who work toward the advancement of economic opportunity for all Illinoisans and to those who have made special contributions to the defense and furtherance of free enterprise in our state. “As a lawmaker and CPA, supporting policy that helps grow our economy, cut red tape, and improve our job climate is a good recipe to make Illinois more prosperous,”

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MADISON AND ST. CLAIR COUNTIES – The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) is delighted to announce that its Board of Directors has approved $3 million in grant awards for 20 local park and trail projects located in Madison and St. Clair Counties, Ill. The grants, which were awarded under the MEPRD Park and Trail Grant Program, will assist local and county agencies, municipalities, park districts, and transit districts in the Metro East with developing or improving public parks, regional trails, and recreation facilities. MEPRD announced the FY 2023 Park and Trail Grant Program in June 2022 with a total program budget of $3 million—the largest program budget approved by MEPRD to date—and began accepting applications on July 13th. Under the program, eligible applicants with a qualifying project type could apply for a reimbursement grant of up to 40% of their estimated project cost; up to $100k for park and recreation facility improvements and up to $300k fo

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EDWARDSVILLE - Chief Deputy and candidate for Sheriff Jeff Connor is endorsing Jennifer Korte for State Representative in the 112th District based on her strong support for law enforcement. “It is imperative we have people serving in Springfield who are willing to take a stand in support of law enforcement,” Connor said. “I am supporting Jennifer Korte for State Representative because I know she will defend the police not defund them, and she will fight to end the current soft on crime policies that are making our communities less safe. She is the right choice for voters in the 112 th District.” Jeff Connor began his law enforcement career 36 years ago after becoming a police officer with the Granite City Police Department. In addition to being the current Chief Deputy of Madison County, Jeff is the Commander of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. He is a lifelong resident of Madison County, and he is running for Sheriff in Madison County as a Republican.

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SPRINGFIELD - Ninety-four Central Illinois Veterans are ready to experience a day of appreciation for their service on Land of Lincoln Honor Flight’s Mission #63; Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Two Korean-era Veterans and ninety-two Vietnam-era veterans will be on board this free flight from Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport to Washington, DC - - all ready to experience their national memorials with their comrades. These Veterans and their eighty-four (84) Guardians (who cover the cost of their own expenses) will arrive at the airport Tuesday morning at 4:15 AM, having traveled from the 55 Illinois cities and communities of Bethany, Bloomington, Blue Mound, Brighton, Carlinville, Champaign, Charleston, Chatham, Cowden, Danville, Decatur, Delavan, Donnellson, Effingham, Farmer City, Farmersville, Findlay, Franklin, Grafton, Granite City, Highland, Jacksonville, Lebanon, Lincoln, Litchfield, Lovington, Mahomet, Manito, Mansfield, Mascoutah, Mason City, Mattoon, Moweaqua,

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Wildey Theater will celebrate “The Art of Fashion” on Saturday, September 24th. This will be the 9th annual Art of Fashion runway show and it will showcase the fashions of 12+ Metro-East retailers, entrepreneurs, and curators. Two Edwardsville moms, Brandy Smith, and Kelly Schlechte, are especially excited to participate. Smith and Schlechte own Local 618, a clothing company that creates unique and locally-inspired designs. The Art of Fashion event will be on Saturday, September 24 at 7:00 PM. VIP seating is $50 (includes a gift bag and 6:00 reception in the Chandelier Room) and reserved seating is $25. Local 618 will participate in the fashion show by showcasing its unique designs along with many other local fashion businesses. The other businesses that are participating include: Minerva Boutique, The Charlie Bell Shop, Gabi and Grace Clothing Co, Cassandra's Closet Boutique, One Closet to the Next, Rushmore Boutique, Josephine's Tea Room and Gifts,

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ALTON - For those who love bluegrass music, they are in for a special treat all day and night on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at the Lodge at Lovejoy. Several professional bluegrass acts will be on stage starting at noon Saturday at the Lovejoy location at 401 Piasa Street in Alton. Russ Smith, the owner of the Lodge at Lovejoy and the highly successful Weddings and Event Center within the large Alton business, said it should be "great weather with a great lineup of bluegrass music people who play throughout the region." "Tait Kelly will kick it off with Rick Wagner," Smith said. "Tait Kelly is organizing the event and does such a good job. He is also a great person to work with. He organizes and does a lot of shows throughout the area. "It is a bluegrass event with a lot of singing, picking, and a lot of traditional down-home bluegrass. We did it last year and it turned out great, so it was an event we wanted to continue. I think we will do it annually and grow it and keep bringing i

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JERSEY COUNTY - The Jersey County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police, and Jerseyville Police were called to a domestic incident in a rural area on Thursday night. Jersey County Sheriff Mike Ringhausen said a man is in custody after the incident and he said a weapon was involved and shots were fired, but thankfully, no one was injured. He said the situation occurred on Costello Road near Illinois Route 16. The sheriff and other authorities were waiting on a search warrant and then they were going to look for shell casings, the sheriff said at the scene late Thursday. The man left the scene on a four-wheeler, but eventually was apprehended, the sheriff said. ISP had drones that were used in the search, the sheriff said. The sheriff said he greatly appreciated the teamwork to apprehend the person and that ISP, the sheriff's office, and the Jerseyville officer worked together in good fashion. The man was taken without incident once the four-wheeler was stopped, he said.

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ALTON - Hiram’s Bar on Third Street in Alton is making a valiant attempt to support local artists with an art show on Saturday. He said he will allow artists to display up to three pieces of artwork (paintings and sculptures). The artist chosen will have their best work and a profile about them featured the week after the show on Riverbender.com. Hiram’s owner Hiram Lewis said artists can sell their work for free that day in his 2,000-square-foot gallery and he encourages people to bring their friends and family. “We have a huge art culture around the Alton area and I just wanted to have a free place for them to display and sell their work,” Lewis said. “This is a way of giving back. Some people were talking to me about doing some things for the artists, so I thought this would be a good way to start. I already have some artists lined up, but I hope for some more to come and display their work.” Submit photos of your work to: artshow@hiramsbar.com

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WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) condemned the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) failure to meet e-cigarette and synthetic nicotine deadlines, unwillingness to take action against companies that defy the agency’s orders, and general lack of urgency when it comes to protecting children from the harms of tobacco and nicotine use. The court-ordered deadline for FDA to finish reviewing e-cigarette applications was more than one year ago, September 9, 2021, and yet the agency has only completed reviews of about half of those e-cigarettes with submitted applications that represent a large share of the market—leaving dangerous, kid-friendly e-cigarettes available on store shelves to hook children. Durbin said, “As a result of FDA’s inaction, dangerous, kid-friendly e-cigarettes remain available on store shelves without FDA review or authorization. The Truth Initiative estimates that in

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GODFREY - The Resurrection Lutheran Church Men’s Club will host a series of Chili Drive Thru events on Oct. 20, Oct. 27, and Nov. 3, each from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the church, located at 1211 W. Homer M. Adams Parkway in Godfrey. Proceeds from each event will support relief for Illinois and Missouri flood victims. Two microwave-safe bowls of chili with crackers will be available for $6. Tickets will be sold for $6 a piece at the drive-thru and can also be purchased in advance by calling the church at (618) 466-2788 or contacting any Men’s Club member. Men’s Club President Dan Garner said these events started during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the chili is easy to store/prepare at home. “This is our third year - we started during the COVID period and thought it was a good idea, that people can just drive up, pick up some chili and go home,” Garner said. “The containers are microwaveable or freezable, so they can just put them in the microwave, war

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