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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and ten of their bipartisan colleagues in a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prioritize the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by maintaining the blending requirements for 2022; denying all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs); eliminating proposed retroactive cuts to the renewable volume obligations (RVOs); and setting 2021 RFS volumes at the statutory levels. “The RFS is a significant tool for EPA to reduce the carbon footprint of our transportation sector,” the Senators wrote. “By taking the above actions, the EPA can quickly restore integrity, stability, and growth to the RFS and the U.S. biofuel sector while ensuring that the program continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diversify our fuels, drive down gas prices, strengthen our national security, and drive rural economic opportunity.”

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SPRINGFIELD — With the upcoming winter storm, HSHS Illinois recommends a few safety tips before you shovel snow to clear your sidewalks and driveways. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 11,500 people visit the emergency room each year to treat injuries received while shoveling snow. “Shoveling snow can be a strenuous activity, particularly because cold weather can be taxing on the body,” says Dr. Gurpreet Mander, HSHS Illinois chief physician executive. “There is a potential for exhaustion, dehydration, back injuries and even heart attacks.” Keeping your driveway and walkway clear of snow and ice is in most cases a necessity and will help prevent falls this winter. HSHS Illinois wants you to keep the below tips in mind when you shovel snow. Know if you shouldn't shovel. Certain people should avoid shoveling snow. If you have a history of heart problems, you should avoid this activity. Dress appropriately. Wear light clothing

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MENOMONIE, WI - Tim Thannum, of Edwardsville, graduated in December 2021 from University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI with an MS in Manufacturing Engineering. UW-Stout, Wisconsin's Polytechnic University, has 47 undergraduate majors and 24 graduate programs, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with an employment rate above 97% for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001. Enrollment was 7,670 in the fall. The university graduated 454 undergraduate and 106 Graduate School students in December 2021. UW-Stout is Wisconsin's Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Shannon (Honeybear) & Amanda (Angelbear) from Jerseyville Date Met/Started Dating: June 20, 2004 Briefly Describe First Date: First date was a Halloween party Amanda hosted in Shannon's honor when he flew home on leave from Iraq. Date Married: June 23, 2012 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Playing video games, hiking, photography, and spending time with our son. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Communication can make or break a relationship, never forget to have fun, and love with all you have.

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation is warning the public that a major winter storm is expected to create treacherous conditions starting tonight and lasting for several days, with the potential for extremely dangerous and, at times, life-threatening travel across much of the state. Throughout Illinois, periods of heavy snow, rain, ice, high winds and bitter cold should be anticipated, leading to a likelihood of whiteout conditions and roads that will be impassable in the hardest-hit regions. “The Illinois Department of Transportation spends the entire year preparing for snow-and-ice season and is ready to respond around the clock to this significant weather event, but clearly the public needs to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and postpone all unnecessary travel,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Always remember, during extreme weather, the safest option is to stay home. If you must be on the roads, please be

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EDWARDSVILLE - SIUE is a nationally recognized university that educates and develops professional and community leaders through its excellent faculty and programs. Undergraduates who meet high academic standards are included in a Dean's List issued each semester. To be eligible for the Dean's List, a student must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or better and have 12 hours calculated (B is equivalent to 3.0; A to 4.0). For the complete list, visit www.siue.edu/news/deanslist CITY LAST NAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME Alton Bakshi Bhavesh Alton Bakshi Muskan Alton Bevenour Emily Claire Alton Bond Alexander Joseph Alton Bonnell Aaron T. Alton Cox Seth David Alton Cross Isaiah Allen Alton Davison Jessica Renee Alton Dyer Nathaniel Bryant Alton Engelman Jared Michael Alton Figueroa Isabel M Alton File Hayley Jordan Alton Frank Brandi M. Alton Frankford Korinne Alton Gray Bene Elizabeth

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College has a variety of events planned in February to honor Black History Month. “Because of the pandemic, L&C is holding fewer events than normal in celebration of Black History Month, but the calendar is varied,” Student Activities Coordinator Jared Henning said. “The schedule includes educational presentations, music, soul food, civic contributions, and a popular tour of local Underground Railroad sites.” The 2022 event schedule has been designed to keep in line with the campus’ COVID-19 policy. All events are free and open to the public, except for the Soul Food Dinner, which is for L&C students. 2/9 – D.C. Cooper on Public Speaking: 11 a.m.-noon, Reid Memorial Library. Communications expert D.C. Cooper will highlight information on the value and importance of becoming proficient in public speaking. Participants will learn how to develop skills to become more confident and competent when speaking

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BELLEVILLE – Illinois American Water announced today the application window is open for the company’s 2022 Environmental Grant Program. Through the program, funding is provided to environmental stewards focused on innovative, community-based projects to improve, restore and protect Illinois watersheds. For over 10 years, Illinois American Water has supported diverse initiatives such as watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects, wellhead protection initiatives, hazardous waste collection efforts, education efforts and more. “Our team plays a vital role in our customers’ daily lives by delivering safe, reliable service to families, businesses and for fire protection. We understand how important it is to protect our precious resources. We are proud to collaborate with community partners through our environmental grant program to positively impact our source water and watersheds,” said Justin

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BETHALTO - The girls' basketball team at Civic Memorial High School is something special. The Eagles are enjoying a great season so far, with its biggest highlight to date coming on Jan 22, when the Eagles defeated a previously undefeated Okawville side 53-47 in the final of the 25th Highland Invitational Tournament. CM stands 24-3 and is poised to make a big run in the IHSA Class 3A playoffs in February and possibly March. CM defeated Pleasant Plains 48-30 Monday at Pleasant Plains. Junior Aubree Wallace was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for her solid play in CM's journey to the title, while fellow junior Olivia Durbin was also named to the All-Tournament first team and senior Kelbie Zupan was selected for the second team. For their efforts on and off the court this season, the entire Eagles girls basketball team has been selected the Tom Lane State Farm Female Athletes of the Month for Civic Memorial. The CM girls exemplify what team basketball is all about under head

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SPRINGFIELD – Area unemployment rates stayed low in the month of December 2021 in the latest statistics. Edwardsville's unemployment rate was a remarkable 2.3 percent, the lowest in the area. Madison County's unemployment rate stood at 3.3 percent, while Jersey was 3.1 percent, Macoupin County was 3.3 percent, and Calhoun and Greene County 3.4 percent. St. Clair County stood at 4.2 percent. Alton has a 4.8 percent unemployment rate for December 2021, much better than 8.9 percent in December 2020. Statewide the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in December 2021, compared to 7.9 percent in 2020. The unemployment rate decreased over the year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in December for the ninth consecutive month according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Jobs were up in thirteen metro areas and down in one. “We are pleased to see continued positive economi

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MACOUPIN COUNTY - The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has been activated after an unresponsive female was found at 7:40 a.m. on Monday, January 31, 2022, in the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane, Bunker Hill. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department received a 9-1-1 call of an unresponsive female at that address with multiple injuries at the end of her residential driveway near the roadway. The female victim was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Macoupin County Coroner. The decedent is identified as: Nancy Blycker, 91 years of age, Bunker Hill, Illinois. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has been activated to investigate this matter with approximately 20 investigators from the Major Case Squad are working the investigation. Investigators are actively working leads in order to identify the person(s) responsible for Blycker’s death. The investigation is in the early stages and there is no further information to provide at this time. Anyone with information

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Tuesday morning to prepare for a winter storm which is forecasted to dump snow and ice across the Ameren Illinois service territory. The EOC is staffed around-the-clock to coordinate service restoration, crew mobilization, and communication. George Justice, vice president of Electric Operations for Ameren Illinois, said while snow may pose driving challenges for crews during a winter storm, ice and wind are the more hazardous and frequent causes of winter power outages. “Ice storms are particularly challenging from a power restoration perspective," Justice said. "Significant ice build-up combined with below freezing temperatures and strong winds can wreak havoc on our power lines, transformers and other equipment. Ice accretion of more than a quarter inch is our main concern because that's when we see tree limbs snap and fall into our equipment." Justice said activation of the EOC is the firs

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ST. LOUIS REGION – World Wide Technology Raceway’s Toyota 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event today was announced as the first leg of the three-race NASCAR Triple Truck Challenge. The June 4 Toyota 200, the prelude to WWTR’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, will pay an extra $50,000 to the winner if he is a Truck Series regular. If one driver sweeps the series and wins all three, he will earn $500,000. The second and third races of the Triple Truck Challenge are Nashville Superspeedway on June 24 and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio) on July 9. Tickets are on sale for WWTR’s 2022 NASCAR Weekend, featuring the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota 200. For tickets and additional information, please call (618) 215-8888 or visit www.WWTRaceway.com . Follow WWTR on social media (@wwtraceway) for additional information. About World Wide Technology Raceway World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is th

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CHICAGO – Final federal numbers show that a total of 323,427 Illinoisans selected health plans on the ACA (Affordable Care Act) Health Insurance Marketplace during the Open Enrollment Period and 12,938 selected their plans during the last month of enrollment. The Biden-Harris Administration extended the deadline from December 15, 2021 to January 15, 2022, allowing consumers additional time to purchase ACA Marketplace plans.* Even without including the additional 30-day extension, a comparison to last year’s Open Enrollment Period reveals an increase of 19,274 sign-ups in Illinois. ** IDOI Acting Director Dana Popish Severinghaus said Illinoisans were also encouraged by the reduced health insurance premiums available under the American Rescue Plan. “Our ad campaign and outreach promoted the benefits of buying quality health insurance on the ACA Marketplace, made even more affordable with the ARP,” said Popish Severinghaus. “We worked hard to get the

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SPRINGFIELD - The 2022 Winter Olympics are here and to celebrate Team USA, the Illinois State Fair is giving you a chance to win. Now through February 22, when you purchase a State Fair Mega or Jumbo Pass, you will be entered into a drawing to win an admission booklet and one parking pass for the 2022 Illinois State Fair. Two winners will be drawn on February 22 or “Twosday” (2-22-22), one Mega Pass purchase winner and one Jumbo Pass purchase winner. “In the middle of a Midwest winter we all need something to look forward to,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. “With the Winter Olympics and “Twosday” falling within the same month, we thought it would be a great opportunity to do something fun to break up the ‘winter blues’ and get people looking towards warmer weather.” The Mega Pass gives you unlimited rides in the Midway and Adventure Village, while the Jumbo Pass has the bonus of unlimited trips down the Gian

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BUNKER HILL - Bunker Hill High School released its Illinois State Scholars list today. The Bunker Hill students on the Illinois State Scholars selections are Lydia Yates, Kyla Thyer, Drake Scroggins, Juliene Lefler, Karli Yotter, and Laney Bazzell. The Illinois State Scholar program is awarded to high school seniors based on ACT or SAT test scores. Each student who is designated as a state scholar receives a congratulatory letter, a certificate of achievement and statewide news media recognition.

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ST. LOUIS - As the National Weather Service (NWS) declares a Winter Storm Warning for our region from the evening of Tuesday, February 1 through the noon on Thursday, February 3, the City of St. Louis is joining the NWS to urge residents to take precautions and preventive measures to protect themselves and their families during the storm . The warning predicts accumulations of snow between 6 and 10 inches, as well as sleet and icy conditions. In the face of hazardous conditions, residents are cautioned to avoid travel and follow local media, the City’s website and City Emergency Management (CEMA) social media alerts for information, resources and updates. “We are urging everyone to take this forecast seriously and plan ahead to keep your loved ones safe,” said CEMA Commissioner Sarah Russell. “Stay alert and follow local media, the City’s website, and CEMA for important updates.” Street crews will begin their work at 12am Wednesday morning

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GODFREY – Early Bird Registration for high school seniors is back in person at Lewis and Clark Community College this spring. “For high school seniors, graduation is just around the corner, and Lewis and Clark wants to make your college transition as smooth as possible,” said L&C Recruiter Amy Bowling. “Early Bird registration puts you ahead of the game. In most cases, you can even register for classes before our current students do, and get the schedule you want.” Participants will receive a tour of L&C’s campus and take part in an orientation where they will hear from financial aid and academic advisors, learn tips and tricks for first-time college students, and register for summer and/or fall classes. Free lunch and an L&C T-shirt will be provided. Early Bird events will take place every Friday from Feb. 25 through April 22, except for when campus is closed. All events, except Edwardsville High School, will take place from 8:30 a.m. –

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GREENE COUNTY - If anyone has seen or has any information on the whereabouts of Randa (Long) Davidson, you are urged to contact the Greene County Sheriff's Office immediately. Randa's car was found in Springfield, IL., on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. She was last seen alone on foot, near the corner of Wabash Avenue and White Oaks Drive, in Springfield, late in the evening, on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Randa is described as 5-8 and weighs 140 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. The Sheriff's Department's phone number is 217-942-6901. The Sheriff's Office and Randa's family would appreciate any assistance in locating Randa and making sure that she is safe. Randa's family phone numbers listed are (217) 491-7025 or (217) 831-0142. The Springfield Police Department and the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office are aware of Ms. Davidson being last seen in their jurisdiction and are assisting the Greene County Sheriff's Department is trying to locate her. "At this time, there is no evidence

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ALTON - The man who now coordinates snow removal for the Illinois Department of Transportation on big snowstorms and another from his neighborhood vividly remembers the massive storm of January 30-31, 1982, that extended to Feb. 1, 1982, that dropped 17 inches of snow in Madison County. Joe Monroe, an operations supervisor for IDOT, said he was fifth grade at St. Matthews School in Alton when the massive snow in 1982 hit the region. He added that the snow kept youth out of school for a week. “The forecast was not supposed to be a big storm and it turned out to be especially significant,” he explained. “It was a totally different scene back then. I lived nine houses away from the Hanlon family on Omega in Alton and I remember sledding in the neighborhood with Pat Hanlon, Jim, and Dorothy Hanlon’s son. That week was one to remember.” Julie Gonzales, Jim and Dorothy’s daughter, remembers her siblings enjoying the snow days and outside fun in 1982.

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