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WOOD RIVER - Those wanting a new convenience in Downtown Wood River are about to receive their wish. Rob Lenhardt of Mac's acknowledged Monday morning that a new Mac's Convenience Store will open at 82 East Ferguson in Wood River by a projected mid-to-late August 2023. "It used to be Rachel's Cafe," he said of the building where the new convenience store will be built. "It will be just like the Mac's Convenience Store in Downtown Alton. It will have the convenience store and gaming like the Mac's in Downtown Alton." Rob said that about six months ago, Wood River city officials announced they were trying to fill vacancies in some of the empty downtown buildings and he caught wind of it. "We sat down with city officials and we have also learned of several other things getting ready to open in Downtown Wood River," he added. "I think you could see five or six more businesses opening up in Downtown Wood River by the end of the year. We are excited about it." Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup

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KAMPSVILLE - A Louisiana, Mo., man faces multiple charges after a stop by a deputy sheriff on Illinois Route 100 in Kampsville at 2:04 p.m. on Thursday, June 8. The Calhoun Sheriff's Office said subsequent to an investigation, the driver, Johnny L Chapman, age 38, of Louisiana, Mo., was arrested for the following offenses: Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Weapon by Felon, Driving While License Suspended, Operating Uninsured. Chapman was arrested without incident and transported to the Greene County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty.

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford recently recognized Officer Bill Reed for connecting in a special way with children, announcing Reed had been "caught in the act" of doing something positive. "The Alton Police Department believes in full transparency, especially when we catch one of our own in the act," Ford said on the department's Facebook page . "As an agency, we believe in holding each other accountable. Going to your supervisor to report a fellow officer can be difficult but absolutely necessary. "That exact scenario recently unfolded as one of our officers caught a fellow officer in the act. The officer did exactly as he’s supposed to do and immediately reported his fellow officer’s behavior to a supervisor. At this time, I believe it is important to bring this incident to light although the officer would never want his behavior spotlighted in the public eye. "This past weekend, Officer Bill Reed and fellow officer, Evan Zeller, were requested to ensure

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ST. LOUIS - The City of St. Louis officials have issued reactions after a fatal shooting of a 17-year-old at an overnight party this past weekend in Downtown St. Louis at Washington and North 14th Street. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has promised multiple changes ahead in the city to try to prevent this type of violence from occurring. St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy identified the victim killed at the party as 17-year-old Makao Moore. Nine others were hurt in the shooting in Downtown St. Louis at a party on the fifth floor of a building in the 1400 block of Washington Avenue. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones had this powerful statement Sunday: "Wrap your arms around your children today as we mourn." St. Louis Mayor Jones, joined by SLMPD Chief Robert Tracy, Congresswoman Cori Bush, Ald. Rasheen Aldridge (14), and Saint Louis Mental Health Board Deputy Director Serena Muhammad, delivered the following update on the tragic shooting at Washington and North 14th Street and announced

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ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis family is grieving the loss of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Eric Rucker in a hit-and-run accident near Fort Cavazos, where Rucker was stationed in Texas. A local organization is asking for volunteers so that they don’t have to grieve alone. The Flagman’s Mission Continues is a nonprofit that travels throughout the Midwest, putting up American flags for fallen soldiers and first responders. The organization will be lining the funeral route for Rucker with flags this weekend. They’re asking anyone who wants to volunteer to join them on June 24 and 26 to put up and take down the flags. “We basically organize a community and give a community a way to pay honor to a fallen hero they may or may not have known that’s coming home to their hometown…by lining all or part of the funeral route with these big 3 by 5-foot flags on 10-foot poles,” Jeff Hastings, the head of The Flagman’s Mission Continues, said. “And that’s

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ALTON - The Illinois Boots & Saddle Club hosted a series of horse racing events that were free for the public to attend last Saturday, June 17 at 10 a.m. Ariel Weinman, secretary for the Boots & Saddle Club and director of the Barrel Races show, said they plan to host more races and other events later this summer. Saturday’s series consisted of two timed events - Barrel Racing and Pole Bending. Weinman described these as “traditional rodeo events” in which the fastest horse wins. Taylor Peterson, one of the barrel racers competing in the event, said she’s had years of experience and appreciates the way this event is organized. “I love to barrel race because it’s what I’ve been doing since I was really small and it’s like a huge adrenaline rush,” she said. “It’s really rewarding to know all the hard work I put in pays off when I’m here running. “I love coming to this arena because the ground is really

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ALTON - The Alton Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred Sunday in the 1300 block of Highland Avenue in Alton. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford provided the following summary of what happened late Monday morning: "At 12:53 a.m. on Sunday, June 18, 2023, the Alton Police Department received a report of a large group of subjects creating a disturbance in the 1300 block of Highland Avenue in Alton. Approximately one minute later, we received notification from Alton Memorial Hospital that a subject with gunshot injuries had just arrived at the hospital." Chief Ford said the preliminary investigation revealed that the subject was shot while in the 1300 block of Highland Avenue. "His injuries are non-life threatening," Chief Ford said. "The investigation is ongoing at this time." Anyone with information is asked to call the Alton Police Department at 618-463-3505.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business alumna Rachel Clothier chose SIUE for her undergraduate and graduate studies. What sold Clothier on SIUE was not only the value of the degrees she earned, but also the value the University provided. Today she finds herself immersed in the city of Edwardsville’s business scene, continuing to call the community her home. “Ever since I graduated, I never really wanted to be anywhere except Edwardsville and this community,” said Clothier. “I have always felt connected to SIUE. Edwardsville is a smaller community, but SIUE has done a lot for our community. It is a wonderful resource to have the University in our backyard.” Clothier earned a bachelor's in business administration in 2006 and then a Master of Business Administration in 2008. She owns Goff & Dittman Florists and Gift Shop in Edwardsville, and although she is relatively new to the florist business, she

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - With the help of over 35 sponsors and 120 golfers, GCS Credit Union raised $29,217.80 during their 7th Annual Tee Up Fore Veterans Golf Tournament. The money raised during this event at Stonewolf Golf Club in Fairview Heights was donated to the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight and Songs4Soldiers. The Greater St. Louis Honor Flight received $25,000 of the tournament proceeds. This donation will sponsor a flight of veterans on a one day, all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials that were built in their honor. For more details about the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight please visit gslhonorflight.org. Songs4Soldiers received $4,217.80 of the tournament proceeds. Songs4Soldiers is a not-for- profit organization with a mission to enrich the lives of combat veterans and their families who have limited resources. This year is Songs4Soldiers 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert. This year’s concert will be on September 15th presenting Travis Tritt

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EDWARDSVILLE - Home Instead Senior Care in Edwardsville is hosting an event to commemorate the Longest Day, a fundraiser sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association. Home Instead’s Longest Day event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21, at the Main Street Community Center in Edwardsville. Many healthcare agencies will be there to provide information on dementia care and caregiver support. They will also be encouraging donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, which is the leading organization on Alzheimer’s disease care and research. “I think the one thing that we all are hoping for is a cure,” Nikki Bishop, the owner of Edwardsville’s Home Instead branch, said. “But in the meantime, it’s being able to support each other with patience and compassion.” The Longest Day takes place every year on June 21, the summer solstice. According to the Alzheimer’s Association website , the solstice

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ALTON - There’s a new club on the block, and all the cool kids are there — literally. On June 14, the indoor playroom Leo’s Clubhouse had a busy opening day with lots of excited kids and thankful guardians. “We are a place where children and parents alike can both come in and interact with other parents or other children, and just get the socialization that they probably wouldn’t get at other places besides the park,” owner Madison Massena said. The playroom is geared toward kids from infancy to about 7 or 8 years old, but any child is welcome. They offer open play sessions at $12 for one child and $8 for any additional children. The playroom can also be rented out for parties. Massena explained that they have a variety of toys, activities and books. There is a gated infant section for children under 24 months. Older kids might enjoy the train table, Lincoln Logs table, climbing toys or the variety of kitchen and house playsets. The Clubhouse

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SPRINGFIELD – Utilizing the authority granted to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) by Senate Bill 1298, recently passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor, the Department has filed emergency and regular rules for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) programs. These new rules establish the process the Department will use to determine if and when to alter the program, and how the Department will provide public notification of the alterations. In passing the FY24 State budget and Senate Bill 1298, the General Assembly directed the Department to ensure the HBIA and HBIS programs do not exceed the funds available and appropriated by the General Assembly for FY24. To do this, HFS will follow the process laid out in the emergency rules to temporarily pause new enrollments in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program , covering eligible residents between the ages of 42 t

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BRIGHTON - On Friday and Saturday, the Village of Brighton celebrated its history at the 117th Betsey Ann Picnic with carnival rides and games, food and craft vendors and Brighton’s famous Burgoo soup. The Picnic opened on Friday night at Betsey Ann Park. Little Egypt Shows & Carnival provided carnival rides and games from 5–11 p.m. Bingo was held throughout Friday evening. Players competed for the chance to win attendant prizes. Several local vendors also had booths to exhibit their products, including potted plants, woodworking projects, steel crafts, embroidered hats and more. The food opened at noon on Saturday. The Burgoo soup team cooked 650–700 gallons of soup and there were plenty of desserts and “tasty taters” are on the menu, as well as chicken and pork dinners. Other carnival food staples, like funnel cakes and snow cones, were available. The Brighton Athletic Association had he popular lemon shake-up stand, where you were able

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EDWARDSVILLE - 20 students from SIUE Suzuki Program's Tour Group just completed a nine-day tour of the Czech Republic and Poland, performing a series of concerts along the way. Under the direction of Allison Woerner, they performed a total of three concerts, two of which were done in cooperation with local Suzuki groups from Prague and Krakow. Woerner said in a Facebook post that this tour was five years in the making due to the pandemic. “This tour was special,” she said. “Five years it took to get this to happen because of Covid. We did it. They did it. Only one of these students had ever toured before - it was a totally new and untested crew. They trusted, grew, bonded, played, laughed, shopped, and did it all with kindness and silliness.” The group also visited historic sites such as the Prague Castle District, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and Auschwitz. After their final performance , Woerner said: “These kids have made me so proud, and

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ALTON - If you asked him, Marc McLemore would tell you he’s lived a “mundane” life. His loved ones, however, disagree. A graduate of the FBI Academy, retired Captain of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, current Chief Operating Officer at United Fruit & Produce Company — the list goes on. And Marc’s so-called mundane life wouldn’t be complete without his titles of father, husband and grandpa. All of those accomplishments deserve to be recognized. But Marc is quick to point out that he doesn’t need to be lauded for his parenting; after all, it’s his main job. “I know Father’s Day is celebrated, but being a parent, these are just the things that go along with being a parent if you’re doing it right,” Marc said. “Parenting is just parenting. It is what you do when you have children. You parent them and guide them and raise them and it’s nothing particularly special, or at least, it shouldn’t

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MEDORA - Matt Hasquin puts in a lot of hours with a lot of kids. He has a long list of titles as a teacher, coach and mentor, but his most rewarding job is being a father. Matt is a social studies teacher at Southwestern High School, where he also coaches football, boy’s track and scholastic bowl. As a Medora native, he knew he wanted to raise his kids in the same community-oriented area that he grew up in. “This place has done so much for me that I wanted to be able to give back to it, and I wanted them to benefit from it,” Matt said. “I always wanted to come back to the area. I felt very strongly about the school and the community, and I’d always hoped that my family and my kids would be able to come back to the places I went through.” The Hasquin family is firmly rooted in the community. Matt’s wife, Holly, is the director of the Brighton Memorial Library District . She spends most of her days at the library with their son Connor,

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GLEN CARBON - Multiple fire agencies and police responded to a single-car rollover accident at the I-270 exit ramp at Glen Carbon on Friday night. A Glen Carbon Police spokesperson said the driver did suffer injuries. The vehicle was spotted off the road in a nearby field. Glen Carbon Fire said the driver was transported by ground with minor injuries to Anderson Hospital from the scene.

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GLEN CARBON - Glen Carbon is getting closer to the construction of its first shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists along Glen Carbon Road. The new path is set to connect Schon Park and Route 159 once completed at an overall estimated cost of $1.8 million. The Village Board of Trustees voted during this week’s meeting to approve a Professional Services Agreement with TWM, Inc. for Phase 1, or the “design engineering” phase, of the new shared-use path project. The cost for this first phase is not to exceed $94,270. Public Works Director Scott Slemer said Phase 1 will extend from Schon Park to just past Lakewood Drive, and that two-thirds of the project will be funded by two grants: an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant of $967,586 and a Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) grant of $181,261. Construction is expected to begin in 2025. Trustees voted 6-0 to approve the Professional Services Agreement and move forward with

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor is excited to announce the release of a new custom smartphone application. The app will serve as an innovative way for the Sheriff’s Office to connect with Madison County residents and visitors, providing information quickly and efficiently to anyone with a smartphone. Search "Madison County Sheriff’s Office" in your app store to download the application for free. "We are trying to be as transparent and involved in the community as we can," Sheriff Connor said. "You will get push notifications if there is a weather issue or road closure, it just goes on and on. "We encourage you to go on our app and download it right away." The app offers quick access to items of public interest and is easy to use. In just a few clicks, users can access features such as: Breaking News and Alerts Sheriff’s Welcome Courthouse Detainee Search Detainee Resources Community Relations Sex Offenders Contact Us More This mobile

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a three-part series this weekend on the ISP Team Illinois Youth Camp coming soon at Principia College in Elsah). ELSAH - There is a week-long camp on the Principia College campus in Elsah - the Illinois State Police Team Illinois Youth Camp (TIYPC) - that will commence with a Sunday, July 16, check-in at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and conclude on Saturday, July 22, at Calvary Baptist Church in Alton. The camp has left a forever lasting impression on many young men and women. Long-time Illinois State Police Trooper Master Sgt. Calvin Dye will talk more in-depth in a separate story about his experiences with the camp, including one person who became a college football star - Dominic Lovett - and others. ISP's Troop 8 Administrative Assistant Sandy Voytas received a new role with the state police, but asked if she could continue her camp experience because it has meant that much to her. She will also talk in a separate story about

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