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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) Board of Education discussed chronic absenteeism and dropping test scores during a special Board of Education meeting on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton and Curriculum/Instruction Director Tara Fox presented data from Illinois Report Card — a program that breaks down how each school in a district is performing on an academic and social level — to the Board. ECUSD7 had 12 schools designated as “commendable” and one, Woodland Elementary School, as “targeted.” “There weren’t any internal surprises, because we know our achievement has kind of been stagnant, not moving in the right direction, for quite some time,” Shelton said. The school report cards can show how students and teachers are performing compared to other districts in Illinois. Shelton pointed out that chronic absenteeism has been a major issue in the district since

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) Board of Education has unanimously approved a resolution authorizing up to $13,000,000 to install solar panels at ten district buildings. The Board voted during a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 14, 2023. The $13M will be provided through Debt Certificates, which the district will pay off in annual installments using the energy savings they accrue through the solar panels. Solar panels will be installed at Worden Elementary School, Jon Davis Wrestling Center, Success Academy, Edwardsville High School, Hamel Elementary School, Leclaire Elementary School, Glen Carbon Elementary School, Albert Cassens Elementary School, Goshen Elementary School and Liberty Middle School. Board member Bob Paty said he had been "going back and forth" all night about how he would vote on this resolution. He asked why the solar panels could not be paid with Health Life Safety Bonds or General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2023D

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ALTON – John Simmons, President and CEO of AltonWorks today announced the start of a hotel feasibility study for a proposed new hotel in downtown Alton. The study will be conducted by HVS, a leading hotel consulting firm with offices in St. Louis and around the United States. The study will assess the demand for a new hotel in the downtown area of Alton, as well as the feasibility of developing and operating such a hotel. The study will consider a variety of factors, including Alton's economic development plans, the competitive landscape, and the availability of land and financing. HVS last completed an Alton area hotel feasibility study in 2014. This current study will build on the results of the previous study. “We are excited to move forward with this hotel feasibility study,” said John Simmons. “We believe there is strong demand for a new hotel in downtown Alton. To realize the long-term vision of downtown Alton, we need a variety of accommodations to attract

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Distinguished Research Professor Riza Demirer , PhD, is among the list of the Top 2 Percent of Global Scientists. The recognition, which involves input from Stanford University, is based on metrics surrounding Demirer’s published research. “I am humbled and appreciative of being recognized for my work by Stanford University and Elsevier,” said Demirer, of the School of Business’ Department of Economics and Finance. “This recognition is very motivating for me. It is a testament to the impact of my research globally, as it shows that my scholarship has an impact that goes well beyond SIUE. Research requires a lot of dedication, sacrifice and self-motivation, and being listed among the top global scientists in a large list of researchers from all fields of science is something that validates my efforts and hard work.” Research areas for Demirer, include investments, asset pricing,

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department is seeking organizations willing to volunteer for the City’s long-running Adopt-A-Highway program, a public service campaign to help keep area roadsides clean. The City has 13 routes of approximately a mile each that are in the Adopt-A-Highway program. The program is governed by an Illinois law that allows adoption of only those sections of road that are deemed safe for public litter pickup. Several of the City’s routes have been adopted, but Officer Jason Hunter, who oversees the program for Edwardsville, said at least five routes remain available. Any group that wants to do volunteer work is eligible, but all individuals must be at least 18 to participate. Over the years, the effort has included church groups, college organizations, businesses and nonprofit groups. Hunter said participation dropped off in the years since the coronavirus pandemic, but he’s hoping to revitalize the program. “This is an

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ALTON - Tucker Gehrig has created his own path during his career at Alton High but has also followed in the footsteps in carrying on a family legacy as a Redbird. Tucker is the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Remarkable Redbird of the Month. While taking all honors classes and carrying a 4.75 GPA, Tucker is also extremely proud to be leading the Alton High Scholar Bowl team this year. He is a three-year captain of the team. As a sophomore, Tucker led his team to a regional championship. During his junior year, Tucker moved the needle even higher as he not only led the Redbirds to another regional championship but also was recognized as an All-State performer. This award is given out to 20 students per year and there are currently 500 high schools in the state that participate in Scholar Bowl in the Illinois High School Association. The season is still young as the Scholar Bowl team has only had 1 match at the time of this writing, but Tucker shares that team coach, Dr. David Hurley, has encouraged

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EDWARDSVILLE - Bella Milano celebrated two decades of business in Edwardsville with a 20th anniversary party on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 at the Lewis & Clark N.O. Nelson Campus in Edwardsville. The event capped off months of promotions celebrating this milestone and featured live music from the Robert Parry Band, several longtime employees and customers, and much more. Tom Guarino, director of Sales and Hospitality for Bella Milano, said at the event that there were 200 people in attendance, including long-time customers and employees who were “having a wonderful time” celebrating and reminiscing on the past 20 years. “200 people … want to come and spend their time and money to celebrate our anniversary with us, and I just can’t tell you want an amazing feeling that is - to have people love Bella Milano as much as we do and want to celebrate it with us,” Tom said. He added that it “couldn’t be done” without Bella Milano’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) will hold a Special Board of Education Meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at Liberty Middle School in Edwardsville. The Board meets once a month for a regular meeting but has scheduled a special meeting, including an hour-long closed session. They will discuss the middle school language arts program, the tax levy and school achievement/school report card findings. They will also talk about a GIS spatial analysis of ECUSD7. Several action items are up for consideration, including the approval of resignations, retirements and employments. The board will also vote whether or not to approve a resolution that will provide approximately $6,196,573 of funding to several schools in ECUSD7, including $1,793,355.50 to Edwardsville High School for a new roof. Another resolution on the agenda will, if voted for, authorize and provide approximately $13,000,000 to “complete solar panel installations”

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ALTON - The speakers at the VFW Post 1308 Veterans Day Program, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at the Alby Street location each have a legacy of service, and that was felt during their presentations. Jake Lloyd, a corpsman in the United State Navy, was the keynote speaker. Alton Mayor David Goins read a moving proclamation during the service. The two then handed the baton to Dave Stout, an Air Force veteran and past state commander of the VFW to conclude the event before the 21-Gun Salute and playing of Taps outside. Some key points made by the trio: Lloyd was a corpsman in both Iraq and Afghanistan during those wars. Lloyd expressed that he was honored to make a presentation as the keynote speaker at the Vets Day ceremony and “it means a lot everyone takes part in this.” Lloyd said he grew up as a third-generation Navy brat and emphasized the Marine Corps doesn’t have combat medics, so he took on that role after intense prior training. He spoke of his swearing-in

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COLLINSVILLE - Ameren journeyman Jake Dukett recently spoke to a homeowner who had been living with a gas leak for over two weeks. Believe it or not, this story is not uncommon. The homeowner had smelled that signature rotten egg stench, but they didn’t call 911 or Ameren because they didn’t want to inconvenience anyone or get stuck with a huge service bill. To prevent this from happening again, Ameren Illinois has launched a “Smell Gas, Act Fast” campaign to spread awareness about gas leaks and how Ameren will fix a gas leak immediately, completely free of charge. “When in doubt, make that phone call,” Dukett said. “We don’t charge you to come out. We are a 24/7/365 service. That’s what we’re here for, to keep our community safe.” Dukett is also a volunteer assistant fire chief, and he knows firsthand how dangerous unchecked gas leaks can be. While natural gas is nontoxic to breathe, it’s highly flammable.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, is a day that Ron Swaim and his wife, Joy, will never forget. Swaim, a former Legion district commander and a key component of the Edwardsville Post 199 Legion, was the Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade grand marshal. Swaim has committed much of his life to fulfilling the four pillars of the American Legion - Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. He is a past veteran and he is so proud of the work of the Legion and his country. When Swaim was a Legion district commander, he scored a 103.98, which tied for top in the state. The score is based on retaining membership, and they had added 3.98 additional members during his tenure. Swaim is heavily involved in the Edwardsville American Legion Post and has served as district Legion commander and ranked at the top of those involved in the state. Swaim was very thankful his wife could share this special moment with him and ride with him in the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Ron Swaim, former American Legion District Commander and Grand Marshal of the Edwardsville Veterans Parade , said each year, bands are a key component of the parade event, along with Scouts and youth in general. The 2023 edition was no exception with several bands involved, including the Edwardsville High School Marching Band, Scott Air Force Color Guard, the Edwardsville Municipal Band, the Edwardsville Catholic Schools Band and more. “It just promotes more small-town camaraderie,” Swaim said of the performances of the bands. He said the American Legion was built on four pillars: Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. Swaim said he certainly felt this year's Legion Veterans Day Parade fulfilled those important pillars.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The 2023 Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade, sponsored by the Edwardsville American Legion and Metro East Rotary Club, ranked close to the top of recent years on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Edwardsville. This year's parade time was moved from the typical evening to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Both sides of the Downtown Edwardsville streets were packed with people. There was participation from many veterans in Jeeps and different vehicles, plus bands, Boys and Girl Scouts and just about everything possible in the parade. Ron Swaim was the parade grand marshal . Swaim is heavily involved in the Edwardsville American Legion Post and has served as District Legion Commander and ranked at the top of those involved in the state. Swaim said Andrea Wessel and the Metro East Rotary Club were tremendous help with the parade, and that it was awesome to have such good weather and be able to put the parade out in front of the public during the day. “It wasn’t

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Name: Carter A. Hutchinson Hometown: Grafton Years of Service: 1981-2001 Branch: Air Force Rank: (E-7) Master Sergeant Wars: Gulf War Medals Earned: Meritorious Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit with Valor, Air Force Marksmanship Medal. Message: Carter joined the Air Force in 1981 to serve to support his family in a way that would be fitting for his mechanical forté. He served 20 years, even through the Persian Gulf War, serving in Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Throughout his years in the Air Force, he traveled to amazing places such as Keflavik Iceland, Sardinia, and Alamogordo, NM, home of the Trinity test site. Submitter's Name: Charlotte Hutchinson

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an in-person public hearing on the Illinois 3 Connector project within Madison, Fairmont City and East St. Louis in Madison and St. Clair counties. The hearing will be held: Tuesday, Nov. 28 4 – 7 p.m. Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizens Center 6755 State St., East St. Louis IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is conducting a Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Study for the Illinois 3 Connector. The project involves improving the transportation flow and connectivity between Illinois 203 and Illinois 3 as well as from Collinsville Road to Illinois 3/North First Street. The purpose of the hearing is to present the preferred design for the improvements and obtain public input. Handouts and display boards (in both English and Spanish) will be available for review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition and environmental issues. Representatives

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GRANITE CITY - Mitchell 3-4 Education Center in Granite City hosted a raising of the flag on Monday in honor of Veterans Day. Students watched the flag being raised by members of the American Legion Post 307 and then recited the pledge of allegiance. American Legion Staff Al Mahan, U.S. Marine Corps/Army - 22nd District Commander Don Scheyer, U.S. Coast Guard - Post 307 Commander Charles Insco - U.S. Marine Corps, - Post 307 A complete photo gallery can be found on the school district's Facebook Page .

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Name: Wayne Seehausen Hometown: Jerseyville Branch: Army Wars: Vietnam Submitter's Name: Amy Ranger

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CHICAGO - Last week the Senate confirmed its 150th federal judge under the Biden-Harris Administration. Illinois’ own Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, played a key role in filling the vacancies and ensuring that the bench is filled with judges who are dedicated to fairness and impartiality, the rule of law, and the Constitution. The appointments also mark significant progress in diversifying the judicial arena, delivering on President Biden’s promise to confirm judges from an array of personal and professional backgrounds. 100 of the appointed judges are women, nearly double the number of women judges appointed under the Trump administration, and 98 are people of color. The President’s appointees “come from professional backgrounds that have for far too long been underrepresented on the bench—from labor and immigration attorneys to public defenders and civil rights lawyers.” President Biden extended his thanks

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EDWARDSVILLE - “There’s power in the student voice and my presence here,” said Winter Racine, a second-year mass communications student in the College of Arts of Sciences (CAS), and a Senator for Students with Disabilities. “Advocacy can bring about transformation.” Racine was one of a number of speakers who introduced the fifth annual Ed Roberts Champions of Accessibility Celebration in the Morris University Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Monday, Nov. 6. Student speakers shared stories of lived experiences while navigating the SIUE campus. The awards presented by SIUE’s Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) honored those who made it their mission to make SIUE accessible for all. The two Defender of Equity Awards were given to faculty member Timothy Lewis, PhD, associate professor of political science and staff member Jessica Harris, PhD, vice chancellor of Anti-racism, Diversity,

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Alestle, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s student news organization, recently won several national awards during the 102nd annual Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention. This year marks the most national awards for which The Alestle was nominated and received. For the first time since the 1990s, The Alestle was a finalist for the ACP Pacemaker for its website alestlelive.com . The Pacemaker is the highest honor in collegiate media. Besides being recognized as a Pacemaker finalist for its online presence, The Alestle placed 6th in the ACP Best of Show competition at the convention in the website category. The Alestle took fourth place in the Best of Show competition at the convention in the Newspaper/Newsmagazine category of four-year schools with less than 15,000 students. Many current and former Alestle staff members also won recognition in the College Media Association's national Pinnacle

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