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O’FALLON — Expectant moms can get all their “what to expect when expecting” questions answered by attending any or all the prenatal education programs offered by HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in the coming year. St. Elizabeth’s Women and Infants Center offers a wide range of services for mothers and infants, and the class schedule for 2024 is now available. It includes Prepared Childbirth and Breastfeeding Classes that are taught by a registered nurse from St. Elizabeth’s Women and Infants Center. Classes are open to any mom-to-be and their support person. The recommended time to attend is after 28 weeks. “We want to make sure we are providing moms and families with the information they need so they are as prepared as they can be for the delivery, as well as taking their baby home,” shared Julie Brooks, RN, BSN, CLC, childbirth educator and lactation counselor at St. Elizabeth's Women and Infants Center. “We invite both

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ALTON - As a student-athlete, Anaiah Clanton-El consistently excels in both academics and athletics. In recognition of her success, Anaiah Clanton-El is a Hayner Public Library District Student of the Month for Alton High School. The junior student has a full load of honors classes that she balances alongside her volleyball and dance practices. Clanton-El has played on Alton High School’s volleyball team for the past three years. As she prepares to enter her senior season next year, she is already turning heads as an accomplished player. In addition to volleyball, Clanton-El is a dancer. She spends a lot of time in practice for both sports, and she even finds extra hours after school and during the weekend to train because she enjoys it so much. Clanton-El has big dreams, so she knows the importance of being responsible and dedicated. Her family shows her the power of hard work every day at My Just Desserts, the business they own and where Clanton-El works after school.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, the Illinois State Police located a deceased woman who has been identified as Marquisha Williams, 29, of the first block of Mohan Drive in Florissant, MO. Law enforcement reported numerous searches for Ms. Williams had been conducted over the last several days. The deceased woman was located close to one of the exits in Illinois and several law enforcement agencies throughout the state were involved. Law enforcement and volunteer groups searched along I-55 in Madison County in recent days and that included an area east of Edwardsville near I-143 and Staunton. The deceased female was found at an undisclosed exit in Illinois. St. Louis County Police thanked the different departments who assisted in the location of Ms. Williams: Illinois State Police St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (Missouri) Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois) Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois) City of Staunton Police

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GODFREY – The stage was set for a spectacular service event as Beverly Farm Foundation hosted the powerhouse Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® Upsilon Phi Omega Chapter. Joined by esteemed local dignitaries, this transformative service project is poised to leave an indelible mark on Beverly Farm's mission. Crystal Officer, the dynamic CEO of Beverly Farm Foundation, enthusiastically shared, “We are elated with the outstanding contributions made by the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® Upsilon Phi Omega Chapter. Their exceptional service event has been instrumental in our preparations to fully reopen our community day program and relaunch the Busy Bee Bakery—an entrepreneurial initiative empowering program attendees to sell the delightful goods they've baked. Their commitment has not only exceeded our expectations but has truly fueled the spirit of collaboration and progress at Beverly Farm Foundation. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for their extraordinary

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Abigail Taylor, a senior at Marquette Catholic High School, is an Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Student Of Month for December. Taylor and Morgan Jones of Alton High were honored by Rotary at Gentelin's On Broadway. She is the daughter of Josh and Hannah Taylor. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School from second grade through eighth grade before attending Marquette. Abigail has a GPA of 4.68, a score of 28 on the ACT, and over 30 dual credit hours. This is enough to graduate high school as a sophomore in college. Additionally, she has won many awards. Some of these include High Honor Roll, The Daughters of the American Revolution, Good Citizenship Award, Marquette Student of the Month in November, and was named an Illinois State Scholar. Not only does Abigail value her academics, but she is very active in her school community. She played volleyball for four years, and participated in scholar bowl for three years, being the captain her senior year. As a member of Marquette’s

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ALTON - Blue Wave Spirit will host a “Kicking in the New Year” event for all who want to show off their martial arts skills on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. Attendees will do 24 reps of 20 different kicks to “kick in” 2024. The hour-long event starts at 11 a.m. at the YWCA in Alton, and it encourages confidence and empowerment, two major parts of Blue Wave Spirit’s regular martial arts training. “It’s very much focused on self-defense and building a lot of those personal skills like discipline, confidence, self-management,” Blue Wave Spirit Director Tom Withee explained. “That’s the number one draw of training in martial arts. Learning self-defense is really great and being able to protect yourself, but that’s not what most people get out of training. What they get is they develop self-confidence, they develop a sense of peace, and they learn how to interact with other people in a way that they don’t feel anxiety.”

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford recently presented Thomas Gattuso with the Officer of the Month award. Ford said on October 20, 2023, during an investigation of an unrelated theft, Officer Gattuso was provided information about a dangerous individual that the Alton Police Department was actively seeking. With quick-thinking police work, Officer Gattuso recognized the suspect's name and immediately relayed this information to his supervisors. "The Criminal Investigation Division of the Alton Police Department coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service, due to this individual having active felony warrants, and this individual was taken into custody." Officer Gattuso is recognized today as a Difference-Maker in the area for his efforts in law enforcement. Chief Ford continued about the officer and said the following: "Officer Gattuso's knowledge of this individual and quick reaction to communicate this new information led to the arrest of a dangerous criminal. Officer Gattuso

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ALTON - Morgan Jones, a senior at Alton High School, and the daughter of Cassandra Jones, was recognized recently as a December Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Student Of The Month. Morgan was honored with Marquette Catholic senior Abigail Taylor at Gentelin's On Broadway in Alton. Even though Morgan is involved in several different activities, she preaches that it is important to still have fun and make the most of your high school experience because it goes by in a flash. Morgan has maintained a 4.4 GPA and has been in all advanced classes since freshman year, including Advanced Placement Physics 2. She is extremely involved in extracurricular activities offered by the school, including Physics Club, Redbird Nest, Biology Club, AACE Leadership Program, Mu Alpha Theta, Choral Conservatory, and National Honors Society. She holds officer positions in Student Council as Senior Corresponding Secretary and Thespian Troupe 126 as a Clerk. In addition, she is on the Varsity Competition Dance

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My grandfather and I are best friends. I don’t know if he knows that, but I firmly believe it. We have spent a lot of time together one-on-one, watching the news and sipping coffee. His is black, mine is pale with all the milk and sugar I add. We make a sweet team. When we fall into silence, it’s comfortable, but I try to keep up a steady stream of chatter anyway. I’ll talk about anything and everything and, above all else, nothing, as he politely listens and tries not to nod off. And, inevitably, we get into some odd conversation topics. I start by mining my life for interesting ideas — “Work is going well,” “Listen to this funny story from the RiverBender.com office,” “My cats did the silliest thing this morning” — but when I run out of anecdotes, I start casting around for other topics. Maybe it’s natural, but I end up thinking about my own interests, and then I end up giving impromptu run-on speeches

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EDWARDSVILLE - Seniors Molly Peel and Olivia Kolnsberg are two keys for the Edwardsville girls' basketball team this season. The pair bring leadership qualities of a team that is young with mostly sophomores, a freshman and four juniors. The Tigers have had a slow start, but are expected to show strength as the season progresses. Each game the girls are learning and should be formidable foes for anyone by the season's end. "We've been practicing a lot every day and I can see improvement," Peel said. Peel is also excited about hitting heavy Southwestern Conference play as January 2024 unfolds. "I think to me being a senior, it's to know it's my last go-around," Peel said. "I'm just looking to make the most of this. It's my last year, and we've been working hard in practice, so I expect us to go pretty far and do well." Being the only two seniors on the team, Peel knows that she and Kolnsberg will be expected to show leadership and take the young players under their wings and show

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HARDIN - At 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office was notified by West-Central Illinois 911 dispatch of a disturbance in progress in the area of Dogtown Road in Batchtown. Calhoun County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas McCall and Sheriff William Heffington responded to the scene, met with victims and began an investigation. Upon their arrival, law enforcement officials were advised that the suspect vehicle had fled the scene. Deputy McCall located the vehicle traveling southbound at a high rate of speed on Illinois River Road and after a brief pursuit, conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. The sheriff's office says after an investigation, Annabelle M. Hammond, age 21, of Batchtown, was arrested for a large number of offenses: • Aggravated Battery with Deadly Weapon (Firearm), • Battery (Three Counts), • Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon (Firearm), • Aggravated Assault with Motor Vehicle (Three Counts), •

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SPRINGFIELD – E-cigarette use will no longer permitted in indoor public spaces in Illinois beginning January 1, 2024, under a new state law signed earlier this year by Gov. JB Pritzker. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) supports the intent of the new law, one of several taking effect in the New Year that will improve public health across the state. HB1540, sponsored in the House by Rep. Camille Lilly and in the Senate by Sen. Julie Morrison, adds electronic smoking devices to the list of items prohibited for public indoor use under the Smoke Free Illinois Act, the indoor smoking ban that was enacted in 2008. When the new law takes effect January 1, such devices can no longer be used in indoor public spaces or within 15 feet of a public entrance. “E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other chemicals which can be harmful to both those who use them and those who are exposed to them,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Just like smoking, vaping

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GRAFTON - It’s eagle season once again, and you can increase your chances of seeing an eagle by stopping by Pere Marquette State Park’s eagle-watching program this winter. The all-day program is completely free. Now in its 30th year, the tours will take people through a hands-on presentation at the Pere Marquette Visitor Center and then a drive to different locations around the park where eagles can be spotted. Lev Smolianski, the park’s natural resource coordinator, explained that while they can’t guarantee you will see an eagle, the chances are high. “It depends on the weather and a whole bunch of other factors. But — knock on wood — in the 30 years this program has been done here, there hasn’t been a single time that we’ve gone out and haven’t seen an eagle,” he said. Smolianski and Scott Isringhausen, the park’s eagle expert, will lead the tours. They explained that you’re more likely to see eagles

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced an agreement with Castle Concrete Construction, Inc. (Castle) to pay $76,101.16 to resolve claims that the company unlawfully deducted wages from workers’ paychecks and failed to compensate an employee for time spent transporting other workers to and from worksites. “Any company doing business in our state must follow laws that require workers to be compensated for the hours they work without unauthorized pay deductions,” Raoul said. “I am committed to enforcing laws that protect Illinois workers and support law-abiding businesses.” In 2021, Castle began making unauthorized deductions from its employees’ wages. Castle also failed to pay one of its employees for the time he spent driving the company truck to and from job sites and working in Castle’s facility. Raoul and Castle executed an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance resolving an investigation by the Attorney General’s office

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As 2023 comes to a close, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) highlighted several key accomplishments she secured over the last year: “From helping almost 4,000 Illinoisans recover more than $2 million the Federal Government owed them to bringing home hundreds of millions of dollars to get the lead out of children’s drinking water, and from protecting hundreds of jobs in Peoria to helping bring home Illinois hostages held abroad, I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished this year,” Duckworth said. “It’s a true honor to continue serving Illinoisans in the United States Senate and as I look forward to the year ahead, I know there’s still much work to do to help save working families money, protect and defend women’s rights, end preventable gun violence, invest in communities that have been ignored for too long, advocate for Illinois on a global stage, support our troops and make sure we keep the promises

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today that veteran service organizations can now apply for a state charter through his office. As part of the Veteran Service Organizations State Charter Act that goes into effect Jan. 1, the Attorney General’s office will approve veteran service organizations’ (VSOs) applications for state charters. The Attorney General’s office assisted with the drafting of the act, which was sponsored by Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit and passed earlier this year by the General Assembly as House Bill 925. The law establishes requirements that a VSO must meet before being eligible to obtain a state charter in order to ensure that veterans throughout the state are being connected to the support and services they need. Prior to the passage of HB 925, the Military Veterans Assistance Act provided that VSOs could be congressionally or state chartered, but statute did not outline a process for VSOs to become state chartered. HB 925 brings clarit

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GRANITE CITY - Revity Credit Union employees joined together to raise $2,331.00 in the month of November to benefit the Granite City American Legion through their Smile for Jeans Program. The Smile for Jeans Program is funded by Revity Credit Union employees who make monthly, monetary donations out of their own pockets to a local organization. By donating $15 or more to a specific organization, Revity employees are able to wear jeans and tennis shoes on Fridays and Saturdays during that month. Nothing gets better than seeing a smile on an organization’s face when Revity Credit Union presents them with a jeans donation check. Revity Credit Union’s 2023 Smile for Jeans Program focuses on supporting our local communities that we work, play and live in. During the month of November, Revity employees proudly raised $2,331 for the Granite City American Legion. Revity Credit Union’s November donation was raised through combined efforts, $1,215 was raised through the jeans

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jerseyville City Council on Tuesday passed a $250,000 grant agreement to fund the installation of the future splash pad at Lions Club Park. The agreement between the city and the American Water Charitable Foundation marks the latest step in the park’s multi-phase improvement project. Council members unanimously approved a motion to approve a $250,000 grant agreement between the American Water Charitable Foundation and the City of Jerseyville for splash pad features/controllers/equipment, related to the Lions Club Park Improvements Phase 2 project. This item essentially finalizes the paperwork needed to release the funds that were approved earlier by the Jerseyville City Council, Mayor Kevin Stork said. Parks and Recreation Director Tyler Hermens said at the previous meeting that these funds will help pre-purchase equipment while a design for the splash pad and surrounding area is finalized. “With the American Water $250,000 grant we received,

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ALTON - It took to almost to the end of December, but the Metro East Region observed its first snowflakes of the winter season on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. National Weather Service in St. Louis Meteorologist Matt Beitscher said this was not typical of normal November and December months in this region to see snow so late. “There were two other instances where we had no measurable snow in December and one was in 1971 and the other in 2021. But in those years, we had measurable snow in November.” The forecaster said part of the reason for the lack of snowfall is the higher temperatures and also a lack of rainfall. The St. Louis meteorologist said there could be some light snow late in the afternoon or evening on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, and early Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. The precipitation did make driving visibility more difficult in the lunch hour range around the Metro East. The precipitation mix will end on Friday morning. There may be minor accumulations of snow on gras

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SPRINGFIELD - Two new laws regarding libraries in Illinois and a third expanding voter registration for teens are just a few of several new laws set to take effect statewide at the start of the new year in 2024. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias recently announced these and several other new laws initiated by his office that will take effect at the start of the new year. The initiatives were passed earlier this year by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law. A Ban On Book Bans In 2024, Illinois will become the first state in the nation to place a ban on book bans. Giannoulias, who also serves as the State Librarian, said this legislation aims “to prevent public and school libraries from banning books, guarding against censorship and protecting librarians.” He added that he introduced it after far-right extremist groups “targeted Illinois libraries, divided communities and harassed librarians.” “The concept of banning

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