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This month I am proposing a resolution to the county board that the county changes its outside auditing firm every 6 years. This is on the agenda for the Wednesday, Aug 18, Executive Committee meeting. For more than 20 years Madison County has had the same CPA firm auditing its books. This is the "best practice" of the State of Illinois and many of the best-run counties. The following counties changed (hired new and different) outside auditors beginning with these fiscal years: Champaign – 2016 Lake – 2017 McLean – 2019 Peoria – 2016 Sangamon – 2017 Winnebago – 2017 Franklin County, Missouri – 2020 St. Charles County, Missouri – 2021 St. Louis County, Missouri - 2020 Major counties that did not change auditors within the last 5 or 6 years are usually with very large, often international, accounting firms. Independence is the reason for changing outside auditors. It's possible that over years of working together, relationships may

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ST LOUIS— Following the closure of the Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in St. Louis today, the American Red Cross and other area organizations in the MARC will still be available to provide services to those impacted by recent flooding. These centers (MARCs) have served as “one-stop shops” for people needing assistance to recover from flooding. Any individual who has had flood-damage, but has not yet had contact with the Red Cross through one of the Multi-Agency Resource Centers, is asked to call 1-800-Red Cross. The Red Cross conducts damage assessments on flood-damaged properties to determine eligibility for assistance. If an assessment has not yet been done on a property, teams will be sent out to do an assessment. The Red Cross has a separate process from the state and FEMA damage assessments which determine FEMA assistance, therefore, it is important that flood-impacted individuals contact both the Red Cross and FEMA. While the Red Cross is unable

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CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for Madison and St. Clair counties to assist in recovery efforts following Wednesday’s fire at the Interco recycling facility. A disaster proclamation grants the State of Illinois the ability to expedite the use of state resources, personnel, or equipment to help affected communities recover. “I’d like to praise the first responders who were on the scene quickly and thank them for their ongoing efforts to extinguish the fire,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “To support our communities in the Metro East, my administration has acted swiftly to utilize every available resource, accelerating the recovery process and providing relief for those affected by this incident.” Several fire departments in the Metro East and St. Louis area, as well as the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), are working together to put out the five-alarm fire , with firefighting efforts expected to continue for

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JERSEYVILLE - A ribbon-cutting ceremony for “Memory Lane - Fitness for the Mind,” a newly enhanced memory care program at Liberty Village of Jerseyville, will be held from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, August 25, at 1251 N. State St. in Jerseyville. Marketing Director Brady Dabbs said instead of focusing on peak physical fitness, the goal of this program is to help participants reach their peak mental fitness. “There are new games, new shapes, colors - just all kinds of things to help with their mind,” Dabbs said. “Instead of more physical activities, we’re going to work on the cognitive.” These new brain games and activities will be on display to preview at different stations at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dabbs said. There will also be guest speakers, refreshments, and tours of the newly-renovated interior of Liberty Village, which has newly painted walls and even painted toilet seats to help the visually impaired reduce bathroom accidents.

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ALTON - Illinois American Water Senior Manager, External Communications, Karen Cotton said today to support safety, the progress on Third Street and Belle Street in Alton sanitary sewer installation work has resulted in a slight delay in the time expected for completion. However, she assured the public that "all efforts are being made to still try to be completed on Third Street in the next couple weeks and Belle Street a couple of weeks after that." "As was expected on one of the oldest and busiest streets in Alton, there have been some challenges that the contractor has run into once they started excavating on 3rd Street," she said. "There are numerous old, abandoned utility lines. For the safety of our team and residents, we are working very diligently as we encounter these. Safety remains our #1 priority."

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EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Fire Department, backed up by multiple other fire agencies, attacked a fully involved residence over a garage fire in the 800 block of St. Louis Street in Edwardsville on Wednesday. The residence was occupied at the time of the fire, but everyone was able to get out safely without any injuries, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said. “The fire was heavily involved when we got there, and it took 30-45 minutes to knock it down,” the chief said. Chief Whiteford praised his group of firefighters and the others for knocking down the fire in fast fashion and saving the home. The fire department received three ambulance calls around the same time as this fire call and other departments had to assist Edwardsville, including with an overturned car down the street . Chief Whiteford thanked the other departments for their needed assistance in times of chaos.

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GRANITE CITY – Front Office Fiduciary Network and the Metro East Sports Podcast has named 2022 Granite City High School graduate Ella Stepanek their monthly Charitable Champion Award, as announced on Thursday. This program gives school districts within Madison County an opportunity to showcase their remarkable student-athletes. Once a month, the Front Office Fiduciary Network will recognize a “Charitable Champion,” a local student-athlete who epitomizes the qualities of academic and athletic excellence, leadership, compassion, and team-spirit. Once selected, the “Charitable Champion” will be invited to join the Metro East Sports Podcast for an interview in honor of this prestigious recognition. The nominated athlete will also be asked to choose a local charity to receive a $500 donation on his/her behalf. "We are excited to announce our next Charitable Champion of the month, Ella Stepanek from Granite City High School," said Chad M. Opel, Senior Wealth

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GRANITE CITY - At 4:40 a.m. on Sunday, August 7, 2022, the Madison County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call of a disturbance occurring at a residence in the 2200 block of Miracle Ave., Granite City. Upon arriving on the scene, deputies located two victims that had been battered and the suspect, who was still on scene at the residence. The suspect was identified as Kevin K. Streeb, 30, of Granite City. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said while assessing the scene and gathering preliminary information, it was determined that when Streeb arrived at the residence, he attacked the victims. Streeb was taken into custody at the scene. One of the victims sustained substantial injuries and was transported to a St. Louis area hospital. The victim was identified as: Michael John Reay, 25, of Granite City. On August 9, 2022, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Blake K. Streeb with multiple counts of Aggravated Battery and Battery in furtherance of the incident.

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BETHALTO - Bethalto East, a school for pre-kindergarten through first-grade students at 309 Albers Place in Bethalto, has undergone major renovations this past summer. Jill Griffin, superintendent for Bethalto School District #8, said there are a few finishing touches to be put on, but the school has largely been transformed. When school resumes on August 22, students will see updated lockers and cubbies, hand-washing basins in the bathrooms, new tile flooring, and more. Griffin said these renovations are meant to make the facility more age-appropriate for its students. “All the tile floor has been redone and updated to make it look more like an elementary school. Bethalto East was a middle school at one time … it these old, ugly middle school lockers and you’ve got 5- and 6-year-olds putting their stuff in them - it just didn’t have that elementary school feel,” Griffin said. “It wasn’t as developmentally appropriate for that age range

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EDWARDSVILLE – Around the same time multiple fire departments were responding to a blaze in the 800 block of St. Louis Street in Edwardsville, another call came out for an overturned vehicle in a crash on the street. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford described the crash as west of the fire scene. Whiteford said the two incidents were not related; it was all just coincidentally in the same vicinity. “We were dealing with the fire and three ambulance calls, including the crash,” the chief said. Other agencies assisted the Edwardsville Fire Department with all the calls at once.

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SOUTH ROXANA - On Monday, August 8, 2022, the South Roxana Police Department Sgt. Lewis Haines attempted to stop a motorcycle for traffic-related offenses, when the driver fled from the traffic stop, a short pursuit took place that ended at Madison and Illinois 111. The motorcycle was reported stolen out of Missouri. This is the second Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding case the South Roxana Police Department filed in two days through the State's Attorney’s Office. The subject, David Hallstead a 35-year-old male out of Godfrey, had multiple active warrants for his arrest. A brief struggle ensued trying to apprehend Hallstead where he was taken into custody and transported to Madison County Jail for lodging. South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said during his arrest a subsequent further investigation revealed a large amount of suspected methamphetamine was found in his possession. The case was presented to the Madison County State's Attorney’s Office today where formal charges

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ALTON - Join us on Saturday, August 13th, for the Alton Owls Club 80th Anniversary Party. Doors open at 7:00 and HOOKiE will be rocking the stage from 8:00 PM to Midnight. Bailey Blair, from Bakers & Hale, will be bartending the event as their newest member. Blair said, “I am excited to have been offered the option to bartend the event and hope to see a lot of familiar faces. This will be my first event working with the club and I hope some new faces for the club can also come see what the Alton Owls Club has to offer!” The Alton Owls Club was started in 1942 and remains to be a non-profit social club available for wedding receptions, fundraisers, banquets, and any other party you can dream of. Feel free to contact us online at altonowlsclub.com or via phone at (618)-462-4331 if you have any questions or concerns or if you just want to book your next party with the Alton Owls Club.

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BELLEVILLE - On Aug. 11 Illinois American Water is reminding Illinois residents to contact 811 before any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Every few minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to the local 811 center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators then arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint, or both. Location marking includes locates for critical water system infrastructure as well as other utilities. Beth Matthews, Vice President of Operations for Illinois American Water, said, “Calling 811 is really the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area so that you can dig safely. It helps to protect not only critical infrastructure but also residents and neighborhoods.” She added, “Striking

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BETHALTO - 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union recently awarded five, $1,000 scholarships to local area high school graduates Anya Wilkie, Alexis Buckner, Kennedy Bickmore, Haileigh Lenger, and Monica Wendle. Anya Wilkie is a graduate of Classical Academy of Academic Excellence. She plans to attend Emmaus Bible College to pursue a degree in Computer Science and Counseling Psychology. Alexis Buckner, a graduate of Blue Springs South High School, plans to attend Missouri State University and earn a degree in Nursing. Kennedy Bickmore is a graduate of Civic Memorial High School. She plans to earn a degree in Nuclear Medicine from the University of Missouri. Haileigh Lenger, a Southwestern High School graduate, plans to attend Illinois State University to earn a degree in Electrical Engineering. Monica Wendle is a graduate of Marquette Catholic High School. She plans to attend Lewis and Clark Community College to study Elementary Education. 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union has a mission of exceeding

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GODFREY - Lyons Glass Company has been selected as the August 2022 RiverBend Growth Association Small Business of the Month award recipient. Located at 2400 Belle Street in Alton, the business was founded by Jim Lyons in 1929. Lyons started the business as a salvage yard, but “there was so much demand for glass that he converted to a glass retail and installation business shortly thereafter,” noted current owner Perry Hill. In 1982, Hill bought the business when Lyons retired at age 82. Hill had grown up next door to Lyons and began working for him after school at age 14. Since its beginning and throughout its 93 years thus far, Lyons Glass Company has focused on customer satisfaction while providing quality products and services at a reasonable price. Now with six employees, it continues to do so today and into the future. The experienced staff is trained to meet customers' auto, home, and commercial glass needs. Lyons Glass offers automotive glass replacement and

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ALTON - Calling all leaf peepers and history buffs: the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is now offering a series of guided Fall Color and River Road History Tours in Grafton and Elsah starting in late October and running through early November. The first-ever Fall Colors and River Road History Tours are 20-passenger guided shuttle tours that will highlight the stunning fall colors found on the river bluffs flanking the mighty Mississippi River and include visits to the historic Village of Elsah, Principia College and Pere Marquette State Park. The three-hour tours are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20, Friday, Oct. 21, Thursday, Oct. 27, Friday, Oct. 28, Thursday, Nov. 3 and Friday, Nov. 4. “These are one-of-a-kind tours that can’t be found anywhere else in southwest Illinois,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau said. “We want to be able to give people the chance to drink in the beauty of the region and learn more about

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ST. LOUIS - The Bommarito Automotive Group continues to expand its footprint in motorsports. Missouri’s #1 automotive group has signed as the primary marketing partner of AJ Foyt Racing’s No. 14 Chevrolet for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway on August 19-20. Associate sponsors and friends over at Rebel Bourbon are also proud to be a part of the 6th Annual Bommarito 500 NTT INDYCAR Series race. A.J. Foyt, the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, started his race team over 50 years ago. He won three of his seven INDYCAR championships and claimed the final two of his Indy 500 victories while driving for his own team. Since he retired from driving in 1993, his team has continued to win, claiming two more national titles and the 1999 Indy 500 with Kenny Brack. At WWT Raceway, the team has five top-10 finishes, three of which were in the top five, including a fifth-place last year with Sebastien Bourdais and a third place in 201

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GRANITE CITY - Yesterday morning (August 10), a 5-alarm fire broke out at Interco Trading in Granite City, creating a plume of smoke so intense that it is registering on Doppler radar. The Interco Trading facility is a “metaltronics” recycling factory that recycles several non-ferrous metals, including lithium-ion and lead acid batteries. Burning batteries releases several toxic substances, including lead and sulfuric acid, that pose several public health and environmental risks. This is not the first time this facility has endangered the public—a similar fire happened at the facility in March 2020, and Interco was cited for Clean Air and Clean Water Act violations. Firefighters and first responders from eight separate departments are battling the industrial fire, and the Madison Illinois Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order for residents within a one-mile radius. Residents are urged to stay indoors with their windows closed, monitor any symptoms

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WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service filed notice today with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding a temporary price adjustment for key package products for the 2022 peak holiday season. This temporary rate adjustment is similar to ones in past years that help cover extra handling costs to ensure a successful peak season. The planned peak-season pricing, which was approved by the Governors of the Postal Service on Aug. 9, would affect prices on the following commercial and retail domestic competitive parcels: Priority Mail Express (PME), Priority Mail (PM), First-Class Package Service (FCPS), Parcel Select and USPS Retail Ground. International products would be unaffected. Pending favorable review by the PRC, the temporary rates would go into effect at 12 a.m. Central on Oct. 2, and remain in place until 12 a.m. Central Jan. 22, 2023. This seasonal adjustment will bring prices for the Postal Service’s commercial and retail customers in line with competitive

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ALTON - The Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), sponsored by Medicare and the Illinois Department on Aging, has an office at Alton Memorial Hospital. The SHIP office provides free, confidential, and unbiased counseling for all Medicare beneficiaries. Counseling is available for all Medicare-related questions, including: Medicare Supplement Plans Medicare Advantage Plans Medicare Drug Plans SHIP serves people who are nearing Medicare eligibility and those wanting to review their coverage during the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 each year. The office is accepting telephone consultations and will soon be open again for in-person consultations. Appointments are required and can be made by calling the BJC Central Scheduling Department at 800-392-0936. Ask for Medicare insurance counseling at Alton Memorial Hospital. The direct office phone is 618-463-7182.

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