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ALTON - Kennedy Smith and his nonprofit Unity in the Community will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and several other events as the holiday season approaches. “I rode in on the bus, and just coming through the town of Alton, there are so many people homeless, hungry, and I feel that the community shouldn’t be like that,” Smith said. “It never stops for Unity in the Community. It’s that time of the year that Unity in the Community and a couple of other organizations that I’m partnered with this year, we’re giving back to the community.” From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, community members are invited to gather at Millennium Temple Church of God in Christ , located at 801 Blair Avenue in Alton, for a community Thanksgiving. Smith will be wearing the apron, and he thanks his wife, Tiffany L. Thomas-Smith, and his brother and community partners for supporting the dinner. He named Alderwoman Rosetta Brown, Mayor David

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department has joined the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement to ensure holiday travelers are buckled up and driving sober with a “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Thanksgiving enforcement campaign. The campaign begins this Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, and runs to Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Edwardsville Police Lt. Bradn Whittaker said no matter how short or long the drive, remember to buckle up and make sure children are in a safe seat." "By buckling up and making a plan for a sober ride home, you help everyone have a safe and happy holiday," he said. "Don’t be the Turkey this Thanksgiving.” The goal of this high-visibility effort is to reduce motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities. Proper seat-belt use is the most effective way to protect vehicle occupants." According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the statewide seat-belt usage rate has room for

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BETHALTO - Sophomore Taylor Brooks was a constant spark to this year’s Civic Memorial girls' cross country team. The senior kept the girls' team “peppy and was the glue to that team,” her head girls' cross country coach Jacob Peal said recently. Taylor is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athlete of the Month for the Eagles. Taylor finished the season with a time of 23:19.5 in the IHSA Class 2A girls regional at Highland. She recorded a time of 22:09.9 for 5,000 meters and fourth place in her category in the East Alton-Wood River Invite. Taylor placed 11th in the Madison County Invite with a time of 22:57.1. She also had a good run in the Granite City Invite where she posted a time of 23:40.1 for 31st place. Coach Peal said Taylor is "a hard worker and has a fantastic attitude." “I am very proud of her and she has a great future ahead,” Coach Peal said. Again, congratulations to Taylor Brooks for her recognition as a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance

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MONROE CITY - Kairos Hope will sponsor their third annual Festival of Trees to raise money for their Christian recovery home for survivors of sexual trauma. From Nov. 25 through Dec. 2, 2023, people can check out the festival at Henderson Hall, located at 115 1st Street in Monroe City, Missouri. Thirty local businesses and community members have donated and decorated Christmas trees, which will be sold through silent auction. Raffles, crafts and workshops are also scheduled throughout the week. “We turn an event hall into Hopeville. It’s our version of Whoville,” said Annette Clark, Kairos Hope fundraiser chair. “It’s fun just being able to let go and have fun. We start it right after Thanksgiving so it kicks off that Christmas season, so all those people are coming in just getting into that Christmas spirit. It just is a lot of fun to see it all come about.” Clark said that all of the volunteers will be dressed as Whos from Dr. Seuss’s

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BETHALTO - Civic Memorial distance runner Jacob Cranford was a key part of the Eagles’ boys' cross-country success in the fall of 2023. One of Cranford’s cross-country highlights was a second-place finish in the Madison County Invite with a time of 16:15.9. He also was 19th in the IHSA Regional at Highland with a time of 16:21.7 and posted a time of 16:17.0 in the state championships. He ran a 15:31.3 at the Jacksonville Sectional. Cranford is only a sophomore, so the Eagles' head cross-country coach Jake Peal has him for two more seasons. Cranford will also be a track and field athlete in the spring for Civic Memorial. Jacob is a Tom Farm State Farm Insurance Male Athlete of the Month for the Eagles. Coach Peal describes Jacob as a “very hard worker.” “Jacob is a student of the sport and isn’t afraid to share his goals aloud,” the coach said. Coach Peal said the sophomore runner developed into a huge role this year in the Eagles lineup

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ALTON - If you have a piece of local history - an old photo, a diary, or another small historical object - the Hayner Genealogy & Local History Library in Alton is one of only three select libraries hosting a “Mobile Memory Lab” this Saturday, where you can have your items “digitized” and uploaded to the Illinois Digital Archives to digitally preserve them and share their stories with the public. The Mobile Memory Lab “Digitization Day” will be held at the library this Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m with time slots every half hour - however, time slots are limited and are now only available from noon to 4:30 p.m. Call Lacy McDonald with Hayner Public Library at (618) 433-2859 or email genealogy@haynerlibrary.org to register for an available time slot. McDonald said certain items may not be allowed due to copyright issues, but most material published prior to 1923, as well as newspaper clippings pre-1978, would

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Call me a hippie, but I’m scared of climate change. Not only am I scared of climate change, but I’m also on the lookout for ways to solve it. I know this is a little ambitious — yes, me, a 23-year-old journalist with no scientific background and the lowest-effort recycling pile possible, will fix an age-old problem single-handedly. Well, no, probably not. But I can at least try to minimize my impact. Whether you’re worried about climate change or not, we can all agree that it’s a good idea to take care of the Earth as much as we can. So over the past several months, I’ve tried to be more intentional with my consumption and look for sustainable options where possible: my project to Save the World™, to varying degrees of success thus far. First, I want to acknowledge that sustainability is expensive and often requires space, time and money that not everyone has. I’m lucky that I have access to space, a little bit of extra time,

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ALTON – The Salvation Army Tree of Lights campaign will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, during the Alton Main Street Tree Lighting ceremony. The event takes place at Lincoln Douglas Square and includes free trolley rides, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, caroling, hot cocoa and cookies. A new addition to the festivities will be the Red Kettle bounce house. For those unable to attend the Tree Lighting in person, portions of the event will be streaming live in a cooperative effort between Riverbender.com and WBGZ Radio. Mike Roberts and C.J. Nasello of Our Daily Show! will host the broadcast. Salvation Army Madison County Corps Advisory Council Chairman Kevin Botterbush announced earlier this year that local Meteorologist Mike Roberts and his wife Karen will chair this year’s campaign. “Our goal is to raise $217,000 through the red kettle campaign,” the Roberts said. “We are humbly asking for gifts - the gift of time and the gift of financial

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ALTON - Rosetta "Rosie" Brown is back at it again with her annual Socks For Tots Community Socks Drive. The campaign has made such a difference in children's lives to keep children's feet warm as winter moves forward in the region. Brown is the alderman for the Fourth Ward of Alton. The Socks for Tots Drive will begin in November and last through December 2023. "It’s time to replenish the socks inventory for our youth," Brown said. "My mission is to 'Heat the Feet' of our school-age children. Last year with the help of our community I was able to provide over 6,000 pairs of socks to schools, daycares, the Oasis Women's Center, Boys and Girls Club and Catholic Children’s Home. Let’s really make an impact on the lives of our children by collectively donating toward this initiative. My goal this year is 10,000 pairs of socks." How and Where to Support The Campaign Boxes will be placed in several venues in our community including the Alton-Godfrey and Wood River

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is announcing the latest recipient of a grant for projects funded through the Wildlife Preservation Fund grant program. The Wildlife Preservation Fund provides grants under the Illinois Non-Game Wildlife Protection Act. Five percent of non-federal dollars deposited into the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund are committed to grants through this program. The Act provides for a voluntary check-off designation on state income tax return forms, allowing individual taxpayers to make charitable donations to the fund. These contributions provide grants to help with maintenance of existing Illinois wildlife rehabilitation facilities that care for threatened and endangered species. Eligible uses of grant funds are limited to structural repair and maintenance of existing buildings, pens, cages, and appurtenant facilities used to take care of threatened or endangered wildlife species. IDNR has awarded the following

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SPRINGFIELD – Seven snowmobile trail projects in Illinois have been awarded $392,150 for the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance the trails. The grants come from the Illinois Snowmobile Grant program (SNOW) and the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund Grant program (STEF). SNOW grant recipients are: Freeport Park District – $39,150 for rehabilitation and maintenance of the trail for snowmobile use. Freeport Park District – $120,000 for purchase of a tractor to groom snowmobile trails. Lake County Forest Preserve District – $29,000 for replacement of snowmobiles and trailer for park rangers so they can perform routine patrols. McHenry County Conservation District – $30,000 for rental of a tractor for maintenance, operation expenses, and trail signage. Rockford Park District – $40,000 for operational and maintenance expenses, rental tractors, and snowmobile trail equipment STEF grant recipients are: Illinois Association of Snowmobile

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Clandestine Lab Team (CLT) recently hosted a Basic 40-hour Clandestine Lab Safety School and two 16-hour Clandestine Micro-Lab recertification courses to combat the increase in unknown drugs found on the street and the rise of labs used to make illicit drugs. “ISP is committed to combating illegal drugs across the state, including the labs where they are made,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “We want to ensure our people have the necessary training to safely handle clandestine labs as we continue providing these services to law enforcement agencies across the state.” The Basic 40-hour Clandestine Lab Safety School was provided by the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center and was conducted to increase the number of certified clandestine lab team operators. A total of 19 ISP Division of Criminal Investigation agents from across the state attended the school and were certified as CLT members. CLT is based

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led nearly every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Biden urging the White House to grant Governor JB Pritzker’s request for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Cook County recover from storm damage. In September, severe storms passed through Cook County producing nine inches of rainfall and flash flooding. “We write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois, to help Cook County recover from storm damage that occurred in September,” wrote the lawmakers. “Governor Pritzker has indicated that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and local governments. He requests Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance

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Name: Michael Mulrean Hometown: Brighton Years of Service: 1979-1983 KIA: No DOD: June 27, 2022 Branch: United States Marines Rank: Lance Corporal Message: My husband was a very proud Marine. He served his country with pride. 3 years ago we found out he had tonsil cancer from drinking the water at Camp lejune. He suffered a lot, he never complained, never gave up and never lost his faith. Our family lost a great man. He left behind his wife Georgia, his son Michael and his wife Heather, a daughter Lisa and her husband Jeremy and a precious grandaughter Stella who worshipped her paw paw. We know there are many families going through this same thing. We pray for all the families and all the Marines facing these sicknesses that are taking Marines from their families. I miss and love you Mike. Submitter's Name: Georgia Mulrean

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JERSEYVILLE - In an effort to maintain public safety, the Jerseyville City Council passed ordinance 1792, 7-11-2023 updating the required “Fire Code” to the 2018 edition of the International Fire Code and requiring the inspection and maintenance of private hydrants to be performed annually. A “private hydrant” is a hydrant that has been installed for the purpose of fire suppression only for the premises on which it is located, e.g., a commercial building, school, hospital, residential care facility, etc. City Code section 10-6-5B2 states “It shall be the duty of the owner, lessee, or occupant of any property requiring fire hydrants, if those fire hydrants are not owned by Illinois-American Water Company, to have each such hydrant annually inspected and maintained by a licensed plumber to verify and insure its proper operation...” It then states the minimum inspection criteria. Most fire hydrants in our community are owned, operated, and maintained

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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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