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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the Attorney General’s office has charged a Madison County man with allegedly possessing child pornography. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download child pornography online. Raoul’s office charged Sergio Alberto Zuniga-Chapol, 24, of Granite City, Illinois, in Madison County Circuit Court with 15 counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies punishable by up to 28 years in prison. Zuniga-Chapol’s bond was set at $500,000. “These horrific crimes can potentially leave life-long scars on innocent children and their families, which is why I am proud that as a result of work done by my office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, this predator can be held accountable,” Raoul said. “I am grateful for the collaboration

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CHARLESTON - Freshman athlete Rayna Raglin had a very successful final at the IHSA Class 3A state track finals on May 20 at O'Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston for Alton High. Raglan finished sixth in the 100 meters, running a personal record 12.01 seconds and also finished seventh in the long jump, going 5.50 meters to make the podium. It's only the beginning of what promises to be a very successful track career for Raglin, a very hard worker who is preparing herself for success on the track. For her efforts on and off the track, Raglin has been named an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for the Redbirds. Raglin's head coach, Chelsea Anderson, was very proud of Raglin's and teammate Kaylea Lacey's efforts at state and has high hopes for their futures. "Without a doubt, I'm very proud of both ladies, as they competed as freshmen in a field of upperclassmen," Anderson said in a recent phone interview. "With Rayna, she definitely competed

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ALTON - Dave Emmons, local author and host of the Dave Emmons Show , recently discussed his personal experiences with the supernatural and his new book, “Angels and Supernatural Entities: The Alien Angel Connection” on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on RiverBender.com . The book describes six different “spirit guides,” including Guardian Angels and Spirit Animals, which Emmons said can be found all around us in our everyday lives. “These spirit guides can be anywhere from your relatives, your friends, they could be spirit guides that are assigned to you that you don’t really know,” Emmons said. “They come through dimensions and they could even actually be your animals, your pets and your dogs. I didn’t really know that until I got into some research … this book was highly researched.” He said these “spirit guides” are different from angels in the sense that they’re assigned to each

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EDWARDSVILLE - A good selection of top-quality reading materials will be available at low prices during a sidewalk book sale at the Carlinville Public Library on Saturday, June 3 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The library held its first-ever sidewalk sale last year, with resounding success. “It was a great event for us,” said library director Hannah Miller. “We had such a strong turnout, and raised a lot of money that we can really use. We hope this year’s event is just as successful.” Books will be on sale for $1 each at this outdoor event, which offers gently-used materials in all genres, including fiction, biography, how-to, cooking, travel, history, and holidays. In addition to the outdoor sale, visitors may browse the usual Book Nook selections inside in the conference room, where shoppers may fill a bag of books for one dollar throughout the day. All proceeds from the event will benefit library programs. The sidewalk sale is one of multiple activities

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People say all the time elections have consequences. This past April Wood River elected two men who join a third already on the council to “rectify” past perceived slights on the citizens. Since the election, this now includes rumors about tearing down the under-construction recreation center, firing employees who have successfully served the wants of past councils and preventing people who care about the city from participating in advisory roles. This type of retribution against our citizens and city employees has no place in our city. It has me asking who is their next target? In the recent past, thanks to past councils, many talented city employees and business owners who have worked hard and invested in our city - we have made strides to a better Wood River. There’s another saying – If you repeat a mistruth enough times people will believe it. All you hear from these three is how bad the city is, how broke we are, how corrupt everyone else has been. It’s

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DE PERE, Wis. (May 16, 2023) - Green Bay Packers President & CEO, Mark Murphy was the commencement speaker at St. Norbert College on Sunday, May 14, in the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center on the De Pere, Wis. campus. In addition to giving the commencement address, Murphy was given an honorary doctorate. Baccalaureate Mass took place on Saturday, May 13, at the same location. Glen Carbon native Christopher McCartney was a graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree for the spring class. Murphy, possessor of extensive experience in professional football and sports administration, is in his 16th year as the Packers' President and CEO. Under Mark's guidance, the organization continues to rank as one of the NFL's premier franchises, with highly successful operations both on and off the field. "One of the main reasons we wanted to honor Mark is because of his lifelong commitment to higher education," said St. Norbert College interim president Thomas Kunkel. "He believe

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EDWARDSVILLE – Two of the legal industry’s most prestigious firms - Flint Law Firm, LLC. and Raefan Group - announced today that they have merged to form the preeminent litigation firm, Flint Cooper, LLC. The new firm will be co-led by founding partners Ethan Flint and Jeff Cooper, both of whom are world-renowned for their accomplishments litigating asbestos-related cases and 5th Amendment Takings cases. By joining forces, Flint Cooper immediately scales the reach and velocity with which the firm manages a diverse portfolio of multibillion-dollar cases. Currently, Flint Cooper is actively working on a caseload worth over $17B the majority of which is comprised of post-judgment collections and damages phase litigation. Flint Cooper has offices in Dallas, Edwardsville, and Paducah. "Our firms have always respected and supported each other when it comes to shared values around client commitment and reputational excellence,” says Ethan Flint, Co-Founder of Flint Cooper.

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TROY - Integrity Spine and Joint Center will be celebrating 10 years in business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and food trucks offering sweet treats throughout the day on June 1. The ribbon-cutting will start at 8:30 a.m. followed by the treat trucks, and visitors will have a chance to stop by, see the office, and say hello to the center’s staff. Owner/Clinic Director Dr. Arthur Langston said the full lineup of trucks includes a cake pop truck from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a snow cone truck from noon to 3 p.m. and an ice cream truck from 3 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and Langston said visitors can also visit the office for a free ticket to redeem an item at any of the trucks there that day. “It’s kind of a celebration/’thank you’ to the community for 10 years of supporting us,” Langston said of the event. Integrity Spine and Joint Center is a chiropractic office which offers a wide range of services and treatments,

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ALTON - Alton Little Theater is growing, stretching & embracing the celebration of 90 years of continuous production in the Riverbend. Yes, the theater was organized as a young educator's dream in 1933 - and has now produced over 800 live theater plays, musicals, and concerts as of this year - and of course, we hope that everyone in the Riverbend region will attend a production, or many productions, and become part of the Theater's Legacy Story! Under the stewardship of Lee Cox and Kevin Frakes, the ALT Showplace has become a destination location for 17-plus municipalities and draws actors, musicians, dancers, and artists from both sides of the great Mississippi River. For the 90th season, Lee and Kevin wanted to honor all people who have a dream of performing and make sure that both productions and extra concerts celebrate the talents of youth and mentors. Summer classes for youth have filled up quickly and will become a mainstay in ALT's programming and in January of 2024, ALT

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today lead a coalition of 21 attorneys general filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit supporting the federal government’s prohibition on the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition by federally-licensed retailers to individuals under the age of 21. “Protecting our communities, particularly our youth, from gun violence, is my top priority as Attorney General,” Raoul said. “The federal prohibition on the sale of handguns to individuals under the age of 21 is a commonsense restriction that protects the public from gun violence by preventing dangerous firearms from getting into the hands of those who will not use them responsibly.” Raoul and the coalition explain the Second Amendment allows governments to enact sensible and varied regulations to protect the public, including age-based restrictions on the purchase, possession or use of firearms. Although regulations vary based on

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EDWARDSVILLE - Lisa Webb, owner and managing broker of Third Street Realty, discussed real estate rules and regulations during the first “Third On Third” segment on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . Future segments will air on the third Wednesday of each month, when Webb and Third Street Realty will share everything home buyers need to know. Webb warned that there is a “fine line” home owners and buyers should be aware of when using “dual agents,” or agents that represent both the buyer and the seller. She said there are strict ethical guidelines those agents must follow, including not disclosing confidential information to sellers on how much a buyer might be willing to pay for a home. “That’s unethical, you cannot do that,” Webb said. “Real estate agents can be fined for that, it goes against our license law. People don’t understand that that has to be disclosed up front.” She then gave an example

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ALTON - Four new islands names were proposed at an official ceremony during an outdoor recreation-themed festival this past weekend at the National Great Rivers Museum. Nearly 1,500 visitors attended the festival to partake in activities like archery, rock climbing, fishing, and more. The ceremony was held at noon, sandwiched between two live animal shows, at the Museum’s sheltered pavilion and was attended by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff, students from surrounding school districts and their families, local stakeholders, and various media outlets. Proposing names for the islands, which were created through the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program (UMRR), was one of the last steps in what has been a project over two decades in the making. “The UMRR program was authorized through the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 and was the first environmental restoration and monitoring program undertaken on a large river system in the United States,” explains

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SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) and State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) have released the following statement following the Senate’s passage of House Bill 476 which allows appointed part time commissioners of the Metro East Sanitary District the ability to give themselves fulltime benefits: “The Metro East Sanitary District has unfortunately long been a magnet for controversy. Thankfully, local officials have been trying to fix the situation and rein in the spending. Just this week they made clear this bill attempts to undo the will of the people who actually live and work in the area. It’s extremely disappointing to see Chicago lawmakers bailing out their Metro East political allies at the expense of our constituents.”

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JERSEYVILLE - Jersey Community Hospital (JCH) is excited to announce the beginning of a $1.2 million transformative infrastructure upgrade project. The initiative aims to enhance our facilities, benefiting our patients, employees and the community. Supported by funding, in part, from the USDA, this project will include a new roadway entrance to Wock Lane for better traffic flow, a new 100 spot employee parking lot and the new JCH Memorial Walking Trail. The centerpiece of this project is the development of a ½ mile JCH Memorial Walking Trail. This trail, funded in part by memorial gifts left to the JCH Foundation, will serve as a tribute to the visionaries of our JCH Wellness Center who were passionate about wellness on our campus. The walking trail will be available for use by our community members, staff and visitors. Additionally, as part of the commitment made by JCH to support valued patients and employees, a new 100 spot employee parking lot is planned. The upgraded parkin

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ALTON - The Fosterburg Fire Protection District is getting ready to host their 2nd Annual Meet & Greet event. The family-friendly community event will be held on June 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Emmanuel Free Methodist Church, located at 3993 Fosterburg Road in Alton. Lieutenant Jay Wright and Event/Fundraising Coordinator Michelle Price recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the purpose behind the event and everything visitors can expect there. “Last year we just kind of put it together, trying to talk to the community without having emergency services - ‘Meet us before you need us’ was kind of the idea behind it,” Wright said. Price added: “Our community is so supportive of our department with everything that we do, and so this is just a small way for us to give back and get some excitement going.” She said the Meet & Greet will feature several emergency personnel apparatuses and a few

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) is celebrating the class of 2023 and their accomplishment of achieving a 98% first-time pass rate on the Integrated National Board Dental Exam (INBDE). “The SIU SDM Class of 2023 started their studies in 2019 pursuing their DMD through all of the challenges presented by the pandemic,” said SIU SDM Dean Saulius Drukteinis, DMD. “For this class to achieve a 98% first-time pass rate on the INDBE is truly a statement about the perseverance and hard work that these students put into earning their DMD degrees." The integrated examination for dental licensure, first administered in 2020, replaces the NBDE Part I and Part II, and covers the basic, behavioral and clinical sciences. According to the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, the new exam combines content from several disciplines, requiring test takers to “integrate their knowledge of science with the clinica

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ST. LOUIS - Today, Mayor Jones and Governor Parson met at City Hall to discuss the needs of the Circuit Attorney's Office, as the Circuit Attorney resigned earlier than previously expected. The Mayor and Governor agreed that restoring faith in this office is critical to a functional criminal justice system. She also re-emphasized that the appointment should serve as a caretaker for the office who can make much-needed changes without the distraction of re-election politics in 2024. Mayor Jones appreciates Governor Parson’s commitment to engaging St. Louis’ elected and community leaders as he makes this critical decision, as well as St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell for his willingness to extend assistance in the interim. We remain ready to support the Circuit Attorney's Office through this transition.

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that asphalt resurfacing on Illinois 159 between E. Country Lane near Collinsville and Center Grove Road in Edwardsville will require intermittent overnight lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 23. One lane will remain open in both directions at all times. All lanes will be open by 7 a.m. each morning. The lane closures associated with this portion of the project are expected to be completed by mid-November. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during these restrictions. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey Community High School Class of 2023 celebrated their graduation ceremony on Mother’s Day last Sunday, and Principal Jason Brunaugh congratulated the students and their friends and families on their achievement. “It has been a true pleasure to watch all of you - whether you come to us from the middle school, St. Francis, or transferred to JCHS - to watch you grow and develop into the young men and women sitting before us today,” Brunaugh said at the ceremony. “Parents, grandparents, family, and friends, please know that your love, devotion, and commitment are the main reasons for this once-in-a-lifetime achievement,” he added. “And parents, please never forget that you were your child’s first teacher and will always be their most important teacher. Congratulations on a job well done.” After all the graduates had been called on stage to receive their degrees, Brunaugh spoke further on the many “talents”

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GRANITE CITY – Seniors Ingrid Galeana and Xavier Paul of Granite City High School were selected as Granite City Elks Lodge #1063 Students of the Month for April. The Elks Student of the Month Program is designed to recognize outstanding young men and women for achievements in school and community life-fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry and farming.Nominees are judged on multiple achievements including leadership skills, good moral character, community involvement, extracurricular activities, honors and award and scholastic ability. Each student receives a $100 U.S. savings bond and an Elks certificate of achievement. INGRID GALEANA Color Guard and Dance Team Captain ... Four-year member of Color Guard and three-year member of Dance Team ... Renaissance Top-10 and Secondary Honors Award ... Best Color Guard Marcher in 2022 and Color Guard Award in 2023 ... Member of Foreign Language Club, National Honor Society, Spirit Club,

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