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BETHALTO — 1st MidAmerica Credit Union is pleased to announce Julius Sims as the new Regional Manager. Sims comes to the credit union with over 15 years of experience in financial services. With his previous experience as a market manager, Sims will be an excellent addition to the operations team at 1st MidAmerica. Through the years, Sims has held both member-facing and back office positions at financial institutions that will lend him a unique perspective in his role. “I’m excited to get started at 1st MidAmerica. I’m looking forward to helping and coaching the leaders of the operations team,” Sims said. Sims resides in Florissant. He volunteers with the National Black MBA Association, with his church and other various organizations. 1st MidAmerica Credit Union has a mission of exceeding member expectations. Additional information can be found at www.1stMidAmerica.org .

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Lauren and Cazic from South Roxana Date Met/Started Dating: May 22, 2018 Briefly Describe First Date: We hung out at his house and made food. Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Going out to eat, gaming together, watching movies. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Always communicate, even if you don’t know how always try your best at it. Don’t go to bed angry!

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EDWARDSVILLE - The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) recently welcomed two new Visiting Research Fellows: Blas Quiroga III and Krystin Polhemus. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the nine-month fellowship program is intended to provide training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high-skill jobs in the bioeconomy. “NCERC is pleased to announce the hiring of Blas Quiroga III and Krystin Polhemus as NCERC’s newest Visiting Research Fellows,” said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert. “NCERC benefits greatly from mentoring recent college graduates who have specialized areas of study in biology, chemistry and engineering. NCERC extends a special thank you to the Illinois Corn Marketing Board for providing the funding necessary to conduct the fellowship program.” Quiroga, a graduate of Texas A&M University and Cleveland

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Terry and Lorna Laws from East Alton Date Met/Started Dating: January 1, 1985 Briefly Describe First Date: Dinner, drinks, and the rest is history. Date Married: February 4, 2001 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Spending time with our family and close friends. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: A good marriage is falling in love many times with the same person.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Donald and Doris Ferguson from Jerseyville Date Met/Started Dating: August 20, 2011 Briefly Describe First Date: We went to Wild Country. Date Married: December 30, 2011 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Playing Pokémon go and spending time with our kids and family. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Communication and listening to each other.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Jonathon & Tiffany White from Dow Date Met/Started Dating: March 14, 2008 Briefly Describe First Date: Our first date was at Applebees. Date Married: May 26, 2018 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We enjoy going to demo derby with our kids! Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Always be there for one another no matter what the situation might be.

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EDWARDSVILLE - With dedicated passion for developing children both emotionally and intellectually and for supporting parents and caregivers, the SIUE Early Childhood Center (ECC) has been recognized by the Illinois Head Start Association Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development with a $2,000 grant for its Parent Cafés. Parent Café workshops provide a safe space for parents and caregivers to talk about the challenges and victories of raising a family. The space is moderated by a parent specially trained to be the Parent Host. “Our work with children and families is grounded in our commitments to nurturing trusting relationships, and Parent Cafés foster our mission,” said ECC Director Rebecca Dabbs MacLean. “We are devoted to growing a deeply connected community that recognizes student potential and values parental and caregiver contributions.” “Parent Café workshops are especially valuable because they allow fo

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ITASCA – The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has teamed up with Donate Life Illinois – a coalition of Illinois organ, tissue, and eye donation and transplantation organizations – to encourage high school students to get educated about donation and “Say Yes” to joining the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry whether online or upon receiving their driver’s license at an Illinois Secretary of State Driver Service Facility. The “Say Yes” campaign launching on National Donor Day , February 14, marks the fifth annual partnership to raise awareness, encourage donor registration and celebrate Illinois student-athletes, their families, and communities for saying “yes” to organ, tissue, and eye donation. Programs at all 44 IHSA finals events in 2022 will promote “Say Yes” with information on how to register as an organ, tissue, and eye donor. Illinois donation officials, donor families, and transplant

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ST. LOUIS - City Museum is hosting an in-person Job Fair on February 18 - 21, 2022. The popular attraction also has been named a finalist in the USA Today 10Best Readers Choice Awards. JOB FAIR AT CITY MUSEUM Part-time and seasonal positions are available for floor staff, retail associates, facilities and groundskeepers, and members of the food and beverage team. Interested workers can apply line now at https://www.citymuseum.org/about-us/employment/ or in-person on Friday, February 18, Saturday, February 19, Sunday, February 20, or Monday, February 21 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. Resumes are encouraged but not required. Weekend and evening availability is preferred. Wages begin at $12-13 per hour and applicants must be 16 years of age or older. The perks of working at the City Museum include a fun environment, free admission for employees and their friends and family, tickets to other attractions and events in St. Louis, monthly prizes, and free access to other Premiere Park

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GODFREY – Prospective students are invited to learn more about becoming a Trailblazer and experience campus during Lewis and Clark Community College’s Spring Discover Day, Monday, Feb. 21. Future Trailblazers will be able to speak with financial aid and academic advisors, tour campus, find info on the programs they’re interested in, and even experience a taste of student life with free food, fun and giveaways. “Discover Day is always a great experience, whether you’re thinking about attending college in the fall or even further down the line,” Recruiter Amy Bowling said. “It’s an excellent chance to gain a lot of valuable information about the benefits of attending Lewis and Clark and the enrollment and financial aid processes, wrapped in a fun and engaging campus event.” L&C Student Activities will provide the food and entertainment for the open-house style event. Guests are free to come and go as they please, but are encouraged

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois State Police (ISP) District 11 has announced a Trooper arrested Juan Martin Mercado, a 30-year old male from Peoria, IL who was wanted for questioning for Predatory Criminal Sexual Abuse involving a 14-year-old female and was also a suspect in a parental abduction of a five-year-old female. On February 12, 2022, ISP District 11 communications received a call from the Peoria Police Department about trying to locate a GMC Yukon that was driven by Mercado. At approximately 3:02 a.m., a District 11 Trooper observed a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle in question and conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 70 near Packers Avenue in St. Clair County. The driver, Juan Martin Mercado was taken into custody without incident and the five-year-old female was taken into protective custody. Mercado was transported to District 11 headquarters and custody was turned over to the Peoria Police Department. The juvenile is in the process of being reunited

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ALTON - Reggie and Teresa Pearson of Alton met on June 28, 2013, at a special place - the Alton Belle Casino. "He was sitting next to me asking me how to play games in the casino," Teresa said. "My answer was simple: put your money in and pull the handle." One thing led to another and a little over a year later, Reggie and Teresa were married on August 28, 2014. The Alton couple shares a lot of things in common starting with going to church. "We also love to travel and do some occasional gaming at the casinos," she said. A trip to a casino always sparks memories of how they met. Teresa shared advice on what it takes for a happy, healthy relationship for a couple: " Take time to listen to each other’s personal goals and also set couples' goals," she said. "Be kind to each other and all arguments are not fair; accept a critique and make it work."

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ALTON - Darin and Amy Withrow share a love of a show many couples seem to watch over and over - The Office re-runs. The Alton couple has been married since December 12, 2020. The two met on June 13, 2018. “He helped me move and then we got cheeseburgers at Mini Corral,” Amy said of their first date. “We both love playing Scrabble and watching re-runs of The Office. He is originally from Jerseyville and I am from Alton. We talk and laugh together often! Darin and I are very much in love. Every day with him is a dream come true, really.” When asked who their favorite Office show characters were, she said, “I know my favorite is Kevin Malone and his is Michael Scott. Every single episode of The Office is hilarious. There are so many quotable lines from the show.” Amy’s advice to other couples who want to be successful is to "talk and laugh together. Be quick to learn and slow to speak. Always be ready and willing to admit when you are wrong

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police announced late Monday that Rashad L. Stewart, 18, of 100 block of South Pence Street in East Alton, was charged today in Madison County Circuit Court with Aggravated Battery With A Firearm. Stewart is not in custody at the time of this release. Any information on the whereabouts of Stewart can be reported confidentially to the Wood River Police Department at (618) 251-3114, or to your local law enforcement. The Wood River Police Department received a 911 call from the 300 block of Bonita Street for a male who had been shot in the chest. Officers were dispatched. The male victim was treated at the scene and transported to a St. Louis area hospital. The victim was speaking with officers prior to being transported. As a result of the investigation, officers were able to determine Stewart came to the residence to make contact with a juvenile female who was at the victim’s residence as a visitor. The victim and Stewart had contact with each other

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HOLIDAY SHORES - James and Sarah Fillback consider their life like a dream come true with their relationship together and live with the children. James said the first date for them was a Pere Marquette State Park hiking trip. “We absolutely love bicycle riding and kayaking,” James said. “These are days we need as a couple.” James looked out at his backyard and said 10 years ago he could have never pictured this beautiful family and life. “She is the best mom to our children,” he said. “We have similar but different backgrounds. What we love most is taking trips for our recreation, kayaking, bicycling. We both love it.” James and Sarah plan to get married soon. “COVID put a damper on things,” he said. “We have some older ones in our family. We event postponed some family reunions. We are really trying to make sure everyone can be there.” James said what he loves the most about Sarah is that she “keeps

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ALTON - Alton Fire Department battled a difficult doublewide trailer fire on Saturday evening in the 300 block of Aladdin and unfortunately, it lost a ladder truck in the process. Alton Fire Department Chief Jesse Jemison said the ladder truck will “probably be down for a while.” “We had a guy looking at the ladder truck today,” he said. “The wiring harness in it, repaired once before, burned through the airline and it locked up the brakes. Public Works had to come and to get it moving and Fred’s Towing towed it back to the firehouse. We hope it is repaired soon and we are also hoping eventually for a new one.” Alton contacted East Alton Fire Department to bring in their ladder truck and Rosewood Heights was activated to watch East Alton’s fire station. Jemison said the fire caused significant damage to the doublewide trailer on Saturday night. “It was a very unusual fire,” the chief said. “I don’t know i

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Gas prices are on the rise around the Riverbend, but the region isn’t alone. Factors like historic inflation and a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine mean gas prices are rising across the globe, with no stability yet in sight. There is currently a 50-cent price difference between gas prices in Jerseyville ($3.69 per gallon) and Alton ($3.19). Surrounding communities like Godfrey and Edwardsville land somewhere in the middle, typically around $3.50 per gallon. Despite the fluctuation in local prices, Riza Demirer, professor of Economics and Finance in SIUE’s School of Business, said the price of gas depends more on global factors rather than local factors. “Gas prices are directly affected by global energy prices and crude oil prices,” Demirer said. “Crude oil is a global commodity that is priced in global markets, not in the U.S.” That being said, Demirer said the Biden administration doesn’t actually have that much control over

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Our Love Story: The Couple: David & Kendra Johnson from Jerseyville Date Met/Started Dating: July 12, 2020 Briefly Describe First Date: Our first date was a trip to the St. Louis Zoo and then treated to a dinner at Red Lobster. Date Married: October 23, 2021 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We love watching movies together as well as playing with our three dogs and cat. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Don’t compare your past to your present.

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BELLEVILLE - Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Jess Vega have a simple but quite effective way of keeping their marriage intact: “We keep constant open communication and keep things light-hearted,” Michelle said. “We let go of the petty stuff and focus on the happy little things.” The female couple has been together since October 29, 2017. “We knew each other for six years, but we never really hung out in the same group,” Michelle said. “Our first date was a sushi dinner and a movie.” The couple was married on August 10, 2021. Michelle’s dad - Michael - is originally from the Alton-Godrey area. She said both she and Jess are very much into physical fitness. Jess is a personal trainer in O’Fallon. Michelle works for Magellan Health. “We are pretty much the same in every aspect, almost like twins,” Michelle said. “I was in love with her for a long time,” Michelle said. “We both went down a road with differen

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ALTON - There is an immense amount of pressure to perform grand romantic gestures for your partner on Valentine’s Day. Experts suggest it’s just as important to show that special someone how much you appreciate them in simple ways 365 days a year. For example, do you know your partner’s love language? “Love languages refer to five different styles of communicating love and appreciation in a relationship,” says Julie Bailey, clinical manager at Centerstone. They include quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, and gift giving and receiving. “If love and appreciation are not expressed on other days, whatever is offered on Valentine’s Day may feel obligatory,” says Bailey. “People need the assurance and security of love and appreciation every day in gestures both big and small.” Here are ten different ways to show your partner love and appreciation on a regular basis: Mail a card. Even if it’s

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