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ALTON - Alton High School senior Markus Jones has been an integral member of the AFJROTC chapter at the school over the past four years. Markus takes a lot of pride in wanting to reinforce a program that has given so much to him over the past four years at Alton High. Currently, he is the head of recruitment for the 70+ member chapter which had been in excess of 200 prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Markus is hopeful that this chapter can get back to those levels in the future. He added during a recent conversation that ROTC is looking for individuals with character and good common sense who have a willingness to understand that military discipline will be introduced to give a foundation for what it would be like for students who wish to pursue a career in the armed forces. For any prospective members, a typical week for AFJROTC members is lecture and in-class assignments from retired military members who are considered Alton High faculty on Mondays and Tuesdays, military order,

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EDWARDSVILLE - For 21 years, Ellen Bridgewater has been teaching the importance of staying active and improving students’ health in Edwardsville School District #7. She did not always want to be a teacher and didn’t originally follow that route even though both of her parents were physical education teachers and despite the fact that during her soccer career, her favorite jobs were the ones involving kids. “I actually started my degree in a dietitian program, but I ended up changing courses while in college. I kept gravitating towards the classes that interested me the most in the field of nutrition, but away from chemistry. And then I met some people who were physical education majors and decided that they were all the kind of people I enjoyed.” She began her career as a middle school teacher at Lincoln Middle School prior to the split and continued at Lincoln after the split. She also coached 7th-grade volleyball during her time at Lincoln. Bridgewater then

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ALTON - Vera Harper marked her 100th birthday on December 16, 2021, and she is a treasured member of the North Alton Baptist Church congregation. Vera has been a church member for 53 years, her pastor Rev. Sonny Renken said. "Vera is the sweetest lady," the pastor explained. "She is a grandma or mother to everyone. She has never had children and church members are considered her family. She is 100 and still has a driver's license." Vera still attends church at North Alton Baptist. She is also a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan who often communicates in loud fashion with the television when a game is on, Pastor Renken said. "She is a full-blooded St. Louis Cardinals fan," he said. "It is like she is at the game when she watches one on television." Vera said she has lived such a long life because of her belief and trust in God and feels she has been very blessed along her journey. "If she doesn't get to church, someone makes sure she gets a cup of coffee and doughnut," Renken said.

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ST. LOUIS - National Weather Service in St. Louis Meteorologist Melissa Byrd warned Tuesday morning of two waves of wintery precipitation Wednesday evening through overnight, then again by mid-day Thursday through the evening. Byrd said the commutes home on Wednesday and Thursday could be dangerous because of ice. The snowfall around the Metro East region should be light. Byrd says the winter precipitation should taper off by early Friday. This weekend, there should not be any precipitation. The NWS says total accumulations of snow and sleet are not likely to be heavy but will be enough to cause travel disruptions on area roads. Byrd said the biggest problem for the Metro East area will likely be freezing rain and there could be up to an inch by the time it goes through. “Motorists should drive carefully during the commutes both Wednesday and Thursday,” Byrd said. The weather forecast is predicted to be 29 degrees as a high today, 32 as a high Thursday, and 35 degrees

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ST. LOUIS – Watch Paddington, the famous, accident-prone bear, as he makes his St. Louis debut in Paddington Gets in a Jam Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 2 p.m. at Stifel Theatre. Tickets available via Ticketmaster Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, starting at 10 a.m. and range from $22-54. Paddington is making his favorite marmalade jam with the help of the Brown’s housekeeper Mrs. Bird, but they run out of sugar, so Paddington heads next door to borrow some from Mr. Curry. The usually grumpy Mr. Curry is even more short-tempered than ever as he prepares for a visit from his great aunt who is a stickler for tidiness. Paddington, feeling sorry for Mr. Curry, volunteers to help him with his chores. Unfortunately for Paddington his good intentions end up leading to chaos, as one by one each of his jobs starts to have an unexpected outcome! Will Paddington be able to fix everything before Mr. Curry and his great aunt arrive home? Stifel Theatre is a historic, 3100 seat theater in the hear

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ALTON - Turning Heads Beauty Salon is a family business that literally has been “turning heads” with their style and grace for 25 years in Alton. The beauty salon is located at 1803 Central Avenue, Alton. Owner Noel Bratton started the business two and a half decades ago and now her son, James Bratton, Jr. also known as Tony, a barber, her daughter, Cherrie Smith, a stylist, and new addition LaShawn Hubbard, a stylist/braider, join her in her business. Noel is so proud of her other daughter, Joanna Thomas, who is a St. Louis chiropractor, and says her daughter keeps her and the rest of her family adjusted to perform the best they can on the job. Noel and her husband, James, have been married for 40 years. She said she loves working with her family in the beauty salon. She started the salon 25 years ago when her husband took a break from Shell Oil. Her husband, James, is also good at cutting hair, Noel said. She worked at Central Hardware for 15 years and by the time

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ALTON - Take a journey on the infamous Underground Railroad in Alton, IL during a two-hour guided shuttle tour sponsored by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau. Tickets are available now for tours that begin in April and run through November. Two tours a day are scheduled for April 30, May 14, June 4, Sept. 17, Oct. 22, and Nov. 5. All tours take place on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Renowned Underground Railroad historian J.E. Robinson will lead each tour. The shuttle tours begin at the Alton Visitors Center, 200 Piasa St. Tickets are $27.50 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.riversandroutes.com/things-to-do/buy-tickets/ . Advance ticket purchase is required due to the popular nature of the tour. Tickets must be purchased online. “The Alton area has a great Underground Railroad history,” Cory Jobe, President, and CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau notes. “These tours bring that part of the region’s history to lif

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GRANITE CITY – Juniors Caylie McElroy and Lauren Wilson of Granite City High School were selected as Granite City Rotary Club Students of the Month for February. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card, and will be recognized at a future Granite City Rotary Meeting. CAYLIE MCELROY Three-year member of girls soccer team and also played girls golf in 2021 ... Three-year youth group vocalist and Sunday service vocalist ... Three-year Secondary Honors .... Scholar-Athlete Award ... Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Renaissance Club, Spirit Club and Varsity Club ... Daughter of Amy McElroy. LAUREN WILSON Three-year member of girls bowling and softball teams ... Three-year Honor Roll and Secondary Honors ... Member of Renaissance Club ... Volunteer

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Illinois American Water’s work to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers continues. Below is information about this week’s road closures – Feb. 21, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: 6th Street east of Alby Street is open to George Street, with surface restoration work being completed as weather permits. Please drive carefully as some of the roadways are still rock surfaces. Alby Street is closed from 6th Street north to 7th Street, with closures north and east of Alby/7th Street in place. 7th Street east of the square to George Street is open, with pavement restoration still being completed. 7th Street from George to Mechanic Street is closed. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street will be closing this week to all thru traffic to allow for sewer installation work. The alley south of McKinley east of Lincoln is back open to traffic, with pavement restoration happening as weather permits. Douglas Street, between State and Lincoln Streets is close

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of a new exhibit inside the Edwardsville Children's Museum called the Phillips 66 STEM Forest Exhibit. The museum is located at 722 Holyoake Road in Edwardsville. Katie Haas, Membership Director Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce, coordinates the ribbon cuttings. "Continuing their mission to stimulate curiosity and cultivate learning at the age of wonder, the Edwardsville Children's Museum recently unveiled this new exhibit," said the Edwardsville Children's Museum officials. "This hands-on exhibit brings the outside indoors, giving children the chance to create their own woodland creatures and watch them come to life in a virtual forest. Caregivers can read about the ECM Micro Forest as well as the impact choosing native trees has on our local environment while their children discover steps they can take to protect our natural ecosystem."

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ALTON - Mac’s on 4th, a convenience store next door to Mac’s Timeout in Alton, has launched an alcohol delivery service for the Alton/Godfrey area. A wide selection of beers, hard seltzers, wines, and liquors is now available through Mac’s on 4th’s DoorDash page . Rob Lenhardt, manager of Mac’s on 4th, said the service allows Mac’s to fill in a gap that exists with other convenience stores’ alcohol delivery. “The only other place you can get beer delivered is Casey’s General Stores, but they don’t have a wine and liquor selection, so you only can get beer,” Lenhardt said. “ is kind of the only place in town you can get wine, liquor, and beer … We actually have a pretty good selection for what it is of wine and liquor as well.” Last spring, an Illinois bill was signed into law allowing third parties like DoorDash to deliver alcohol, an extension of a temporary measure passed at the start

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HARDIN - Calhoun CUSD #40 has joined the growing number of Illinois school districts going mask-optional. This follows Governor J.B. Pritzker taking his mask mandate for schools to the Illinois Supreme Court after being dismissed by an appellate court. Andrea Lee, superintendent of Calhoun CUSD #40, said masks have been made optional for the district, which includes Calhoun High School and Calhoun 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 Calhoun CUSD #40, visit calhoun40.net or their Facebook page .

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GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College opened its doors to area high school students and their parents Monday for Discover Day. Students had the opportunity to tour the campus and learn about the various degrees and certificates available through the programs offered at L&C. Pictured, academic advisors Samantha Ursch and Alex Ferguson assist a pair of visitors. For more information on L&C programs or to schedule a tour, contact Enrollment Services at (618) 468-2222 or enroll@lc.edu.

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated 303 traffic crashes, responded to 827 motorist assists, and over 2,000 calls for service during the recent significant winter storm event. Numerous crashes caused multiple interstate closures across Illinois during the inclement weather. ISP Troopers were assisted by a multitude of law enforcement agencies and personnel across the state to escort stranded motorists to safety and investigate traffic crashes. On February 17, 2022, beginning at approximately 3 p.m.., ISP District 6 (Pontiac) responded to assist motorists and investigate several crashes on Interstate 55 and Interstate 74. ISP District 9 (Springfield) responded to Interstate 72 westbound near New Berlin for several separate crashes. ISP District 10 (Pesotum) responded to Interstate 74 and Interstate 57 to investigate crashes and assist motorists. Due to these crashes, the interstates were closed for a significant amount of time. ISP District 8 (Metamora)

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GRANITE CITY - The Mexican Honorary Commission was recently broken into and damaged. The Granite City community has fought back and raised $3,650 as of Monday afternoon for a reward for information leading to an arrest of those who broke in and caused the damages. In Granite City, traditions and culture run deep throughout the community. Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson describes The Mexican Honorary Commission as “a sacred place to the community” located at 1801 Spruce St. A reward of $3,650 and rising is being offered for information leading to the arrests of those involved in the recent vandalism to the facility. “The Mexican Honorary Commission is one of the oldest organizations in our community and someone broke in and damaged the place,” Mayor Parkinson said. “This was very uncalled for. Many in Granite City are irate about it and have stepped up and brought money to help with the damages and catch those responsible. This was a senseless crime

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STAUNTON - A plane made an emergency landing in the area of Decamp Road at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, at Illinois Route 4 in Staunton, but thankfully there were no injuries. These are the details of the incident from the Illinois State Police. A Troy man - Albert D. Meinen - was the pilot of the plane. This is the preliminary ISP Report: AIRCRAFT: Unit 1 – Silver 1948 Navion L-17B Single Engine Aircraft. PILOT : Unit 1 – Albert D. Meinen, a 62-year-old male from Troy, IL. PASSENGERS : Unit 1 – Donald G. Torrini, a 79-year-old male from Edwardsville, IL. Unit 1 – Joseph Garrett, a 71-year-old male from Jacob, IL. PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigative details indicate the following occurred: ISP District 11 Troopers responded to an aircraft crash at the above time and location. A single-engine 1948 Navion L-17B aircraft made an emergency landing in an open field after experiencing a loss of power. There was minor damage to the aircraft

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THE LIONS OF HISTORY - by Mannie Jackson According to one of Aesop Fables, at a certain age, a person automatically becomes one of the surviving “lions of history”. I’ve recently had thoughts of what this meant, especially after analyzing past leaders and writers like Fredrick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Joseph Stiglitz, and others. I’ve accepted that I’ve survived to be a storyteller having traveled to 105 countries and having over a million followers; many of those from Asia after PUBLISHING my AUTOBIOGRAPHY BOXCAR TO BOARDROOMS … however, nothing matches my diminishing recall of all the bad and the very ugly stuff I’ve chosen to forgive and forget. Sports Hall of Famers frequently claim it’s an advantage to have a short memory. My own view is that unforgiveness carries with it a very expensive luxury tax. According to google, Lyndon Johnson’s civil rights act 1964, prohibited discrimination in all public places

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BETHALTO - The Bethalto community is one that always rallies for one another when someone is in need. Recently, a 6-year-old - Ollie - lost both his mother and father to COVID-19. Rob Brooks, who organized GoFundMe fundraiser for Ollie and Ollie's grandmother Cindy Cauley, said Ollie has severe autism and is non-verbal, requiring extra special, around-the-clock attention, and care. It has been a series of tragic events for Ollie's family. First, Ollie’s mother, Amanda Sitarz, 37, was struck with COVID-19 and died from complications. Then the entire family got sick, including Ollie, although Ollie recovered and is now healthy. Ollie’s great-grandmother and Cindy’s mother, Frances Griffin, then died from COVID-19 complications. Then Cindy's son, Brad Irvin, Ollie’s father, also died from illness complications, Rob said. Cindy Cauley will now be raising Ollie and she wants only the best for her grandson in spite of his autism. “All proceeds of this GoFundM

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STAUNTON - Ducks Unlimited continues to conserve acres and acres of wetlands each year. There are many current projects in Illinois being completed with the dollars earned each year through benefits across the state and country. One event that offers a big help to the Ducks Unlimited cause is the annual Highball Chapter of Ducks Unlimited fundraiser. Saturday, March 12, the Highball Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will be having a dinner auction. All proceeds will go towards conservation. Many of those efforts are currently underway in the region. This dinner will be located in Staunton at the Crystal Ballroom. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Dinner is being catered by Fema’s. "We take pride in our event, knowing that we include the entire family," Kelli Steward of the Highball Chapter of Ducks Unlimited said. "There are games for kids and raffles and games for the adults. Everyone can be a part of the effort to conserve as many acres as possible! "These projects could no

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PULASKI COUNTY - The Illinois State Police is investigating a single-vehicle traffic crash in the 2000 block of Shiloh Road, Village Ridge, in Pulaski County. The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 22 WHAT: Single-Vehicle Fatal Traffic Crash. WHERE: 2000 Block of Shiloh Road, Villa Ridge, Pulaski County WHEN: February 19, 2022 at approximately 8:30 p.m. VEHICLE: Unit 1 – 2008 Black Dodge Truck DRIVER : Unit 1 – Jonathan Utley, 26-year-old male from Olmsted, IL - Deceased PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigative details indicate the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling west on Shiloh Road in the 2000 block of Villa Ridge, Pulaski County. The driver of Unit 1 left the roadway to the left and struck a tree. Unit 1 driver was transported by ambulance to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

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