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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Metro East man prosecuted by his office pleaded guilty to disseminating child pornography. Jerry Newby, 25, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Jersey County Circuit Court to four counts of Class X dissemination of child pornography. He faces a sentence of between 24 and 120 years in prison. Newby is detained in the Jersey County jail, and his next court date is scheduled for Dec. 18. “Perpetrators who exploit innocent children must be held accountable, which helps prevent further abuse and can be critical to helping abused children and their families heal,” Raoul said. “This plea highlights the vital efforts of my Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which works tirelessly to identify and track down individuals who exploit children. I will continue to partner with local law enforcement to locate and hold these offenders accountable.” Newby was arrested and prosecuted as part of Attorney General Raoul’s

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ALTON - Alton High girls soccer standout Lily Freer has made some big decisions, but arguably none bigger than the one she just made. The AHS junior, still a grade too young to sign an official NCAA letter of intent, made a verbal agreement to continue her soccer and academic career at the prestigious Stanford University. "I'm very excited and feeling really good about it," Lily said. "It is a very competitive environment." For her accomplishment, Lily is an Auto Butler Car Wash Athlete of the Month for Alton. Stanford plays in the PAC-12 conference against other Western United States powerhouses like UCLA, USC, Colorado, and Washington State, all teams ranked in the top 25 in NCAA Division I. Stanford currently sits ranked No. 3 in the nation according to the latest United Soccer Coaches rankings and will begin play in the NCAA DI Tournament this weekend. "I was blown away because they are a top top school," Lily's former Alton High coach Gwen Sabo said. Former coach because

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GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney’s senior boys' soccer players concluded the season with a 12-9-2 overall record and an appearance in the 1A boys' regional soccer finals at McGivney in a PK loss to Columbia. McGivney head boys soccer coach Matthew McVicar said he was “very proud” of his seniors after the final match. The McGivney four seniors were Ethan Endress, Sam Strack, Noah Gardner and Nate McLaughlin. The senior cast are Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athletes of the Month for Father McGivney Catholic. “I am so proud of all the seniors for how hard they worked all season,” McGivar said. McGivar described Noah as one of the team’s most important players in 2023. “Noah always does his best,” McGivar said. “He started all over for us in his career and is a hard worker.” The coach continued: “Ethan has grown immensely as a player and I wish I had one more year with him he has developed that much. “Sam

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of Veterans Day, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—renewed her push to protect and support immigrant Veterans and servicemembers who have proven they are willing to make tremendous sacrifices to defend our nation. Today, Duckworth reintroduced a package of bills—the Veterans Visa and Protection Act, HOPE Act and I-VETS Act —that would prohibit the deportation of immigrant Veterans who are not violent offenders, provide these Veterans with a pathway to citizenship through their military service and help ensure those who have been deported already can access the VA healthcare services they are entitled to. “Far too many men and women willing to wear our uniform have been deported by the same nation they sacrificed to defend due to the unnecessary and complex barriers that they faced during the naturalization process,” said Duckworth. “On

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EDWARDSVILLE - The City has launched an update of its Comprehensive Plan and wants community members to share their vision for the direction Edwardsville should take in the next 10-20 years. Over the next several months, the public will have multiple opportunities to offer input as part of the Comprehensive Plan process. These will include open houses and “pop-up” events, which will be scheduled for locations throughout the City where people regularly gather or visit. The first open house is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12 at the City’s R.P. Lumber Center recreational facility. Comprehensive Plan team members will be on hand to answer questions; visitors can come and go at any time. The first pop-up event took place in October at the Land of Goshen Community Market, and included opportunities to “vote” for high-priority areas and objectives for the City and to offer written feedback. Additional open houses and pop-up events will be announced

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ALTON - Several organizations and community advocates gathered for the 17th annual Domestic Violence Memorial Service on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Alton Memorial Hospital Domestic Violence Team invited speakers from law enforcement and anti-violence groups to speak about their work. The service also recognized nine recent victims of domestic violence in Madison County, from ages 3 months to 85 years. “Our goal should be to change the way society thinks about, talks about and responds to domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse,” said Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn. “Simply put, we need to turn up the volume on these issues and let people know we still have a problem here.” Pastor Jim Johnson with First Christian Church of Alton led the service. Minister Joyce Elliott started the night with a prayer, and Kathy Schultz with Oasis Women’s Center sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Mary Cordes, the executive director

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EDWARDSVILLE - Sewer repairs forced the closure on Thursday, November 9, of a portion of the 300 block of Clay Street to thru traffic. The affected area is just west of downtown Edwardsville. While the repairs are ongoing, drivers in the area will need to use alternate routes to bypass the work. Access is available on either side of the closure; Center Street and High Street are available detours. The City appreciates the cooperation and patience of all residents during this closure. Please contact the Public Works Department at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statements on President Biden’s and United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain’s visit to Belvidere, Illinois, after UAW and Stellantis reached a deal to restart the Belvidere Assembly Plant and add on an electric vehicle battery plant to the facility: “While I cannot welcome them in person, I am pleased to have President Biden and UAW President Shawn Fain visit Belvidere today ahead of the plant’s reopening. Shawn was an unwavering advocate for Belvidere, keeping his word that the future of this plant must be included in any deal struck with Stellantis. The restarting of Belvidere Assembly Plant is a win for our state, our economy, and the workers who will come back to the plant with a higher hourly wage,” said Durbin. “The future of the electric vehicle industry starts here in Illinois. I will continue to

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased has been identified in a fatal crash at Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive in St. Louis County. Sandra Ware, 68 years of age, of the 8400 block of Lucas and Hunt Road in St. Louis, Missouri 63136. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a pedestrian struck at Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive that resulted in the death of an adult female. At 5:21 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the City of Jennings Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle crash with a person struck at Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive. Arriving officers observed an adult female had been struck by a motor vehicle. The female suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. Preliminary investigation revealed that an adult female was crossing the intersection of Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive when she was struck by a vehicle

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BELVIDERE, Ill. - Today, President Joe Biden will join Governor JB Pritzker at the reopening of a previously shuttered Stellantis assembly plant in Belvidere. Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez released the following statement celebrating the win for Illinois’ workers: “I want to extend my gratitude to President Biden for the role he played in reopening Belvidere’s Stellantis plant, restoring thousands of good-paying, union jobs in Boone County. This reopening would not have been possible without the advocacy of the President, Governor JB Pritzker, Congressman Bill Foster, and all of the local officials who fought hard to keep these jobs in Illinois. This comes on the heels of a historic win for workers’ rights, as United Auto Workers secured a historic deal with Stellantis for better pay, working conditions, and investment in local production. All of our Democratic leaders, from the White House to the Statehouse, will always fight to make sur

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ongoing effort to authorize subpoenas for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo relating to the Committee’s Supreme Court ethics investigation: “Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats remain united in our effort to implement an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices. To inform this effort, we will continue to pursue subpoena authorization for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo—two individuals who have refused to comply with this Committee’s oversight requests for months. “Due to scheduling issues, we were unable to complete the markup today. We will continue our efforts to authorize subpoenas in the near future. The highest court in the land cannot have the lowest ethical standards.” Last week, Durbin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST)—chaired an Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation subcommittee hearing to address the chilling surge in near-deadly close calls involving commercial airlines that is adding serious pressure to our aviation workforce and putting the safety of the flying public at risk. As our nation continues to experience this aviation safety crisis, Duckworth reiterated the need to preserve and strengthen the post-Colgan U.S. aviation system—including upholding the 1,500-hour rule—in order to prevent future tragedies like the deadly Colgan crash of 2009 . Full videos of Senator Duckworth’s opening remarks and questions are available using the links here and here . “ Our nation is experiencing an aviation safety crisis with near-misses that are happening way too frequently—and I refuse

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Senate considers critical additional aid for Ukraine as they continue to fight for their freedom against Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified war of choice, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees—reiterated the importance of expanding cooperation between our nations’ energy industries, bolstering energy security and securing greater international investments that will help create more jobs here at home, particularly in states with major nuclear energy sectors like Illinois. Duckworth also underscored her support for continued American aid to Ukraine, reiterating that supporting our Ukrainian partners does not only help them but is also vitally important for America’s own national security and strengthens the U.S. defense industrial base. Full video of the Senator’s remarks at today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing are available using

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Jack Reed (D-RI) led the majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus in a letter to President Biden condemning the brutal terror attacks by Hamas, expressing support for immediate funding to replenish Israel’s defensive systems, and seeking information on two clear U.S. priorities: supporting an Israeli strategy that will effectively degrade and defeat the threat from Hamas and taking all possible measures to protect civilians in Gaza. In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, Van Hollen, Murphy, Schatz, and Reed the letter was signed by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM),

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ALTON - The Russell E. Dunham Memorial VFW Post #1308 will mark Veterans Day with their annual wreath-laying ceremony. Located at 4445 N. Alby Street in Alton, the Post will welcome the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, to watch the ceremony. Alton Mayor David Goins and a retired Navy Corpsman will speak. “We just get together and reflect back on everybody that we knew and what we’ve done,” Bob Myers, a longtime Post #1308 member, said. “This is for all veterans. We like people to remember the veterans and those who didn’t return. You’ve got to think back and think how lucky you are to be here.” The ceremony will recognize all branches of the U.S. military. The public is invited to honor the veterans and enjoy coffee, donuts and Hardee’s breakfast sandwiches. After the event at Post #1308, Myers said that several members will also stop by local nursing homes and cemeteries to recognize the veterans there. It’s

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WOOD RIVER - Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup awarded several individuals with Certificates of Appreciation at the City Council meeting this week. Several were presented to community cleanup participants, while one was awarded to Karen Weber for serving on the Library Board for a decade. First, Mayor Stalcup presented Karen Weber with a Certificate of Appreciation for her 10 years of service on the Wood River Library Board of Trustees. “Thank you for your time, dedication, and commitment to the citizens of Wood River, for your service on the Wood River Library Board of Trustees,” Mayor Stalcup said. “Karen dedicated 10 years to the board, seven of which was served as secretary and another three years as treasurer. So Karen, we really want to thank you for all your service. Before posing for a picture with Weber and her certificate, Stalcup added: “We’re going to truly miss her as a board member.” Mayor Stalcup also presented certificates t

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office returned more than $18.9 million in missing money during October, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today. The total includes more than $18 million in cash and interest and more than $900,000 in stock value. All told, 33,845 claims were paid. “We help Illinois’ economy by putting money back in people’s pockets,” Frerichs said. “Our efforts to improve the efficiency of reuniting people with their missing money are paying off.” Illinois’ missing money program — also known as I-CASH — is one of the state’s oldestconsumer protection initiatives. The State Treasurer is tasked with safeguarding unclaimed property, such as the contents of overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. Illinois holds more than $5 billion in unclaimed property. The Treasurer’s Office has returned more

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EDWARDSVILLE - As the festivities of the holiday season begin, Home Instead® encourages Edwardsville residents to participate in the Be a Santa to a Senior ® program and share joy by giving a gift to older adults in the community who may not have anyone to celebrate with. “The holidays can be hard for many older adults, especially those who may not have a companion to share them with,” said Nikki Bishop, owner of the Edwardsville Home Instead office. “Through Be a Santa to a Senior , we can help these seniors experience the happiness and togetherness the season can bring.” This year program coordinators hope to collect 400 gifts for local older adults. This is the program’s 3 rd year in the area. To participate, shoppers can look for Be a Santa to a Senior trees or displays at locations around the area. Ornaments featuring the name and desired gift of an older adult will be on display, and shoppers can buy the requested gift and return

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), today reintroduced the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act , legislation that would expand the boundary of the Lincoln Home National Historic site to include a replica 1844 Lincoln cottage and the Elijah Iles home. The bill would also require the National Park Service to increase the height of the road in front of the Lincoln home and at the intersection of 8th and Jackson to provide greater accessibility within the existing Lincoln Home site. “Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in Springfield’s rich history. We should preserve the Lincoln Home National Historic site to ensure that future generations can learn about his presidential legacy. With this legislation, Illinoisans and tourists can appreciate our state’s history while visiting the Elijah Iles House and the replica Lincoln cottage,” said Durbin. The Abraham

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) announced an arrest and charges against a 23-year-old man for his part in an armed robbery of more than $14,000 worth of casino chips from Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. On October 31, Ismail Ahmed Ateyat is suspected of entering Rivers Casino wearing a black face mask, pulling out a handgun, pointing it at casino employees, stealing $14,100 in casino chips, and fleeing the casino. Ateyat, of Chicago Ridge, was charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with three counts of armed robbery on November 1. He is currently being held without bond. Gaming Board Agents were able to track Ateyat to his Chicago Ridge home, where they discovered the handgun, the mask and the stolen chips. “Because of the swift and diligent work by our Gaming Agents and our local law enforcement partners, we were able to arrest this individual and recover the stolen casino chips,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “I

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