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In the wake of the recent Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis, my True Crime Reporter® podcast opened its investigative archive on the Gaza-based group's past fundraising and recruitment in the United States. After my embedded assignment with the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, investigative producer Todd Bensman and I focused on how terrorists were using the Internet to raise money and recruit followers. Our investigation uncovered a monthly online magazine called Alsunnah that solicited suicide bombers to attack American and coalition troops in Iraq, as well as Israelis. We tracked the origins of the web magazine to an internet hosting company linked to three Palestinian brothers who were later convicted on federal charges of providing material support to the terrorist group Hamas. The Internet company named Synaptix was based in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Its management was intertwined with the Holy Land Foundation,

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JERSEYVILLE - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Jersey County does not have the legal authority to secede from Illinois and become part of Missouri, as the Jersey County Board had reportedly been considering. In an opinion document dated Oct. 17, 2023, Raoul stated that in his opinion, “non-home-rule counties, such as Jersey County, do not have the authority to secede from the State of Illinois and join another state.” Raoul wrote this opinion in response to an inquiry from State’s Attorney Ben Goetten. According to information Goetten provided Raoul, the Jersey County Board was considering a referendum “moving Illinois-Missouri border to make Jersey County, Illinois a county of Missouri." While the board tabled the item, Goetten made his inquiry in case the issue arose again in the future. While the state constitution does not address the issue of county secession directly, one section outlining the powers of non-home-rule counties and th

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CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Friday that the State of Illinois has awarded $3.5 million in funding to 19 different applicants across the state to support post-pandemic child and adolescent health. The size of the grants ranges from $92,000 to $200,000. Both a Macoupin County and St. Clair County department and the center received significant awards. The new round of grants follows $9.5 million in grants that were primarily federally funded to 40 organizations around the state announced last week. The Macoupin County Health Department received $200,000 from the grant, the maximum amount awarded. Comprehensive Behavioral Center of St. Clair County, Inc., also received $172,193.26, another large amount. Of the new round of grants, 41% are awarded to behavioral health treatment centers, 21% to schools, 21% to healthcare groups, 11% to local health departments and 5% to colleges. The grants are funded by the state

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EDWARDSVILLE – Metro-East Lutheran High School will host an Open House at its campus on Center Grove Road on Sunday, Nov. 12, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The event, which is open to the public, will allow attendees to take a tour of the school’s campus, meet with faculty and administration and find out more about the school’s academic, athletic and extracurricular offerings as well as get answers to questions about tuition, financial assistance and scholarship opportunities. Metro-East Lutheran High School (MELHS) has been providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment for more than 40 years. For more information about Metro-East Lutheran High School, email admissions@melhs.org or go to www.melhs.org .

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ALTON - Marilyn Hope (Waide) Lake, a former Altonian and longtime award-winning author, earned two more awards to add to her impressive portfolio as an author of everything from poetry to nonfiction to children’s stories and more. Lake received two awards at the Missouri Writers Guild (MWG) statewide conference, which was held on Sept. 23, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Lake was born in Alton and graduated from Alton High School in 1960. A conversation she had with a fellow member of her graduating class inspired one of her award-winning written works. Lake was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Best Poem category for her poem, "The Right Thank You," based on an incident told to her by her Alton High School Class of 1960 classmate Larry Donahue of Godfrey. She also received the Third Place award in the Best Nonfiction Book category for her memoir, “STORIES FROM MY LIFE, 2nd edition,” which was published in 2022 by Storyworth. Lake participated in the MWG’s

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ALTON - The Mothers Unique Grief Support Group will host a dove release in honor of the children they’ve lost. Everyone in the community is invited. The release is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at the Alton Amphitheater. Mary Jason, the group’s facilitator, explained that the release aims to bring exposure to what Mothers Unique does in Alton and how they can help grieving parents. “My group has always reached out to mothers that have lost children by giving them flowers and a condolence letter and whatever they need,” Jones said. “Maybe give us a little bit more exposure and let them know what we’re about. We’ve helped a lot of mothers, but to let them know we are sincere and we are reaching out to help them in whatever way we can.” Jones started the group in 2017. They meet from 4–6 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at the Alton YWCA, located at 304 E. 3rd Street in Alton. While there are eight dedicated

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ALTON - Alton Amphitheater Commission Chair Dan Herkert said this past season of events at the amphitheater has been a success overall, but he has big plans for next season and hopes to get more sponsors involved as the venue looks to expand its offerings. “Overall, it was a great season,” Herkert said. “The events that we had were all great this year, but you always want to do more, and that just comes down to sponsor dollars, and we’re working our tails off again on that already getting ready for next year.” Herkert said he expects several of the amphitheater’s “Anchor Events” to return this year, including local favorites like the fireworks show on the Mississippi River, Food Truck Festival, Alton Expo, and the Jazz & Wine Festival, though he noted the Jazz & Wine Festival may be on a slightly different weekend due to the leap year. Herkert said he heard several positive reviews of the "I Love the 90’s" show, which featured

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EDWARDSVILLE - For the past five years, Lynette and Craig Watson have been the glue that keeps all the pieces together behind the scenes at Edwardsville High School’s Band Program’s successful Craft Fairs. The 30 th Annual EHS Band Craft Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, November 11 , and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 12, at the Edwardsville High School 6161 Center Grove Road, Edwardsville, IL., 62025. Music has always been important to both Craig and Lynette. Both were “band kids” growing up and Lynette is an EHS Marching Tiger alum. As parents, they believed that music was important to their children’s brain development, character, leadership and work ethic as well as providing supportive social experiences. Lynette said she once heard a student ask why all the band kids were “weird”. Lynette had a great response: “They’re not. They’re simply allowed to be who they are by their band friends.”

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EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Rachelle Crowe announced on Friday that a federal jury returned a guilty verdict for an East St. Louis man accused of distributing ounce quantities of meth in St. Clair County. Aaron Wallace, 42, was charged with one count of meth distribution in November 2021. “DEA works aggressively to remove meth dealers from southern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Thanks to their diligent efforts, we’re working to eradicate drug trafficking from our communities.” According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, Drug Enforcement Administration agents opened an investigation into Wallace in September 2020, after learning he was dealing large quantities of crystal meth in St. Clair County. During DEA’s investigation, a confidential source purchased four ounces of crystal meth from Wallace in East St. Louis. Wallace’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2024, at the U.S. District Courthouse

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ALTON – The BJC Outpatient Center at Godfrey opened its doors Nov. 1, providing accessible, high-quality health care for patients of all ages. The 14,000-square-foot facility, at 5213 Godfrey Road, offers primary and convenient care services, with plans to expand in the future to provide an array of outpatient services. "We are excited to offer this space to the families of Godfrey," said Dr. Daniel Berg, a BJC Medical Group family medicine provider at the new location. "We look forward to continuing to provide patients extraordinary care in a convenient manner and growing BJC's relationship with the community." Highly trained and experienced full-time primary care providers Daniel Berg, MD ; Mindy Faraone, FNP; and Donna Koenig, FNP , are ready to address health care needs and take new patient appointments. BJC Convenient Care at Godfrey has been open in the same building since late September, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily to take walk-in patients with various minor illnesses

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ALTON - After 45 years, New Frontiers Home Furnishings is as busy as ever and getting a new look. The store, located at 101 W. 3rd Street in Alton, sells a variety of home and garden furniture and accessories. Tony Fillop has been with New Frontiers since it opened and has spent the last several weeks painting the exterior, while inside, saleswoman Cathie Doria is helping customers find the furniture they love at discounted prices. “We just came back from market, so we’re just trying to clean out. Everything’s on sale. Storewide, everything — accessories, lamps, pictures, furniture — is on sale,” Doria said, adding with a laugh, “And we’re not going out of business. We’re not closing, it’s just trying to turn over the merchandise.” The most popular items in the Riverbend region are solid wood pieces made in America. When going to market, the New Frontiers staff walks through bedroom, kitchen and living room sets,

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ALTON - Last week, Alton Amphitheater Commissioner Michelle Brooks resigned after serving over 10 years on the Alton Amphitheater Commission, as Chair Dan Herkert recently announced on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . Herkert said Brooks was among the first “original” members ever appointed to the commission, and said she and her contributions will be sorely missed. “We’re all sad to lose her, it’s a huge loss to us on the commission. It’s a huge loss to the city,” Herkert said. “All the work that she’s put in … just from my perspective as the Chair, she’s been my right hand in taking care of things for me, so it’s going to be a big loss, and whoever ends up in that spot’s going to have big shoes to fill.” Herkert added: “Don’t think I won’t be trying to talk her into coming down and volunteering for a few events in the future.” Brook’s spot as commissioner

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EAST ALTON - East Alton Mayor Darren Carlton said the demolition of the Old Citizens Savings Bank is going according to plan and that the tear-down and site removal will continue into next week. Carlton reported that most of the old building is down, but some of the first floor has walls that are still standing that will be brought to the ground. “They will start hauling it off next week,” he said. Ultimately, the mayor said having the old building down would be better for that corner area. “We don’t have a developer for the area yet, but we hope to attract someone shortly,” he said. The mayor said the city didn’t have a choice about avoiding demolition of the structure because of the amount needed to restore it. The inside of the Old Citizens Savings and Loan was in terrible shape, the mayor said. Anyone interested in the site location for development can contact the mayor at (618) 259-7714.

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GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic junior runner Liam Boeving returned strong at the end of the season for the Griffins in the postseason. He was 10th in the Gateway Boys Cross Country Meet with a time of 17:34.3 at Father McGivney Catholic on Oct. 10, 2023. He also was 18th in the Trenton-Wesclin Class 1A Regional at Trenton on Oct. 21, 2023, with a time of 17:37.8 for three miles. Boeving said he was pleased to come back by the end of the season from an injury and do so well in the regional event. The McGivney junior is a Byron, Carlson, Petri and Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for the Griffins. He had a broad smile on his face after the Gateway Conference finish at McGivney and was very pleased at how he shined late in the season. “I hope to keep improving,” he said about his future in running. "I felt I was closer to where I should be at the end of the season.” Boeving said he loves running and the great cross country team and head coach Jim Helton at Fathe

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PIASA - Southwestern High School junior Layla Hall and junior Katlynn Kemna closed their 2023 cross-country seasons with top performances. The two girls were interviewed after the Trenton Wesclin Regional and they both were tired but pleased with their efforts on the 3-mile course. Hall said that day: “I felt great and I thought I did well.” Katlynn agreed: “I thought I ran a good race.” Both girls are Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athletes of the Month for the Piasa Birds for their postseason efforts. Kemna ran a 28:14.2 for 66th at the Trenton Regional, while Hall ran a time of 28:27.7 for 67th position that day. Hall had a 27:23 in the IHSA Benton Sectional, while Kemna was 11th with a 28:24.7. Both girls look forward to the track and field season. Hall said cross country helps her for spring track and she typically participates in more sprint races. Katlynn agreed that the cross-country training is very beneficial for her races in the

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Fire and Police Departments once again competed in a “Battle of the Badges” blood drive to encourage blood donations and interdepartmental relationships. From 12:30–5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, community members could donate blood at the Edwardsville Public Safety Building. When people signed in for their appointments, they were asked to note whether they were on the side of the Fire Department or the Police Department. Assistant Fire Chief Robert Morgan explained the winning department would get the best prize of all: bragging rights. “We obviously respond to a lot of accidents and incidents, especially on the paramedic side. A lot of people that we deal with are going to need blood, and we know there’s always a shortage,” Morgan said. “So it’s just something that would be good for not just our community, but the greater community at large.” Battle of the Badges has been an Edwardsville

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is seeing a turnaround in enrollment trends for the 2023-2024 academic year. “We are excited to see enrollment figures increasing again, as we continue to develop new opportunities to impact access and agility for students and to serve the community’s needs” said L&C President Ken Trzaska. Tenth day enrollment figures for Fall 2023 showed increases across the board, including total student headcount (5.6 percent), credit hours (8.9 percent) and both high school partnership (dual credit students in the high schools – 7.2 percent) and non-high school partnership students (4.8 percent, compared to the previous fall. Student headcount totaled 4,196. Spring 2023 also saw increases compared to Spring 2022. Total headcount was 4,007 students, up 9.6 percent from the previous year – with credit hours at 32,869, an increase of 5 percent. Notably, part-time students (2,852) and part-time credit hours (16,061)

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced today fines totaling $231,900 for Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, for violations of the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act (NATA) requirements for health insurers to post up-to-date, accurate, and complete provider directory information. Earlier this year, following a targeted market conduct examination of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the Department fined HCSC for violating NATA and ordered the company to take corrective action, including updating provider directories and making the information clearer to consumers. * Market conduct examinations allow the regulatory agency to review insurance companies' compliance with state and federal laws. The health insurer’s delayed compliance with implementing changes to its provider directories to address the NATA violations resulted in the new fine. “Consumers rely on their health insurance

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives approved funding today for interior programs and public health and safety, including several local projects championed by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12). Bost secured $3 million for three projects strengthening water treatment and sanitation at facilities in Dietrich, Centralia, and Teutopolis. "Being a governing conservative means fighting for our Southern Illinois values while delivering real results for the people you represent,” said Bost. “That’s why I’m proud the House approved funding I requested to improve sewer and water treatment projects in Dietrich, Centralia, and Teutopolis. These are important steps forward for the many thousands of rural Southern Illinoisans who rely on these facilities for public health and sanitation.” The Southern Illinois projects funded by the Fiscal Year 2024 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill include: $1 million for Dietrich, IL, for a sanitary sewe

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, together with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), released the following statement: “The tragic war in Gaza, initiated by Hamas terrorist attacks on innocent civilians on October 7, is causing heartbreaking suffering among Israelis, Palestinians and citizens of other nations living in the region. “Israel has the right and obligation to defend itself against Hamas, whose leadership continues to state clearly that their goal is the complete annihilation of Israel. Israel also has the obligation, pursuant to international law, to conduct that defense in such a way as to minimize harm to civilians and allow

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