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ST. CLAIR COUNTY – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an open house-style public meeting to discuss plans to improve the Interstate 64 and Illinois 111 interchange in St. Clair County. The meeting will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, at 1915 N. 55th St. in Washington Park, IL. The project involves replacing the Illinois 111 bridge over I-64 and improving the interchange between the two highways. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information about the progress and issues concerning this project and obtain public input. Due to the project’s location at the former sites of the Douglas-Lawnridge and St. Clair County cemeteries, IDOT welcomes input from the community, families and loved ones of those interred in these cemeteries. Handouts and display boards regarding the proposed improvement will be available for review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition, environmental processes and public involvement.

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PEORIA - On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global health emergency. As of July 29, 4,907 cases of monkeypox have been identified in the United States. This includes 396 in the state of Illinois – an increase of 350 cases in just a month, with Michigan going from just a single case a month ago to 28. Two children have now tested positive for the disease, a toddler in California and an infant in Washington, D.C. Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus. When someone is infected, the illness presents with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion, which then progresses to a painful rash and lesions. The illness typically lasts between two to four weeks. While the current monkeypox outbreak is growing, the CDC maintains the risk for contracting monkeypox is low for the general public. OSF HealthCare infectious disease physician Dr. Douglas Kasper agrees. He says the virus spreads only after what he

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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) today issued 28 additional Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses to applicants selected in three lotteries for 185 licenses. These awardees join the 149 conditional licenses issued by the Department on July 22, bringing the total number of issued licenses to 177. The Department’s Adult Use Cannabis webpage has been updated to include today’s awardees. Of the businesses selected for licenses, 41% are majority Black-owned, 7% are majority White-owned, and 4% are majority Latino-owned, while 38% of awardees did not disclose the race of their owners. All businesses qualify as Social Equity Applicants under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. “These 177 licenses represent 177 individual but powerful steps toward addressing the decades of injustice preceding cannabis legalization , and I’m proud to help foster an industry that

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QUINCY - Several area students are on the Quincy University 2022 Spring Dean's List. Honorees must earn a semester grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) to be included in the biannual Dean's List. In total, 342 students received the honor during the Spring 2022 semester. A complete list of honorees is listed below. The area students are as follows: Carrollton Cameryn Varble Edwardsville Margaret Brumback Godfrey Haley Milazzo Granite City Morgan Tanksley Jerseyville Ryleigh Jones

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Over the last decade, social media has become an important tool for connecting with loved ones, keeping busy, and staying informed on local and world events, with social media usage increasing even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, it is having a negative impact on the mental health of people across the country, causing an increase in anxiety and depression for many. Studies around the world have shown the impact of social media on mental health, which brings along with it an increase in anxiety and depression. “Right now, there are so many people who spend an inordinate amount of time on social media just because some people are stuck at home and kids are not going into schools. I think, in general, mental health can depend on what you are consuming on social media,” explains Marybeth Evans, an OSF HealthCare licensed clinical social worker. Evans warns to proceed with caution when scrolling through social media. Many people tend to highlight only th

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Center for STEM Research, Education, and Outreach is inspiring area middle and high school students to see themselves as scientists, to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and innovators, by presenting them with opportunities to engage in authentic scientific research. The STEM Center, along with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Environmental Sciences, the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Applied Health, the East St. Louis Center’s (ESLC) Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) Collinsville High School program and a colleague from the University of Southern Maine’s Public Health Program, engaged with students during hands-on learning sessions held in June and July. “Through these programs, we aimed to support student interest in science by engaging them in authentic science experiences,” said Carol Colaninno, PhD, research associate

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EDWARDSVILLE - McKenna Vereeke, the Miss Illinois Runner-Up from Edwardsville, and a University of Illinois-Springfield student, released photos and information about her competition in earlier July this week. McKenna is an Edwardsville High School graduate. “After winning the title of Miss River Valley in 2021, I have been anxiously awaiting Miss Illinois Week,” she said. “I competed in Private Interview, Red Carpet, On Stage Interview, and Talent phases of competition. These past few months I’ve put in blood, sweat, and tears into preparing for this week. I am so proud to say that my hard work paid off. Not only did I receive the Preliminary On Stage Interview Award, but at 20 years old, my first time at state as a Miss candidate, I made first runner-up to Miss Illinois 2022, and received $3,500 in scholarships. “I am so proud of myself for this achievement! I am so thankful for those who helped me on my journey there, and for the friends, I made

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PEORIA - Summer is a time when people are typically thinking about fun in the sun and less about guarding themselves against diseases that typically come in the wintertime. However, there is at least one common illness that people can contract any time of year: pneumonia. That’s why area doctors are encouraging older adults to protect themselves from the malady now. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year about 900,000 Americans get pneumonia, a lung infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Dr. Brian Curtis is an OSF HealthCare physician in Peoria, Illinois. He says the best way to prevent the disease is by getting vaccinated, and for certain populations, not getting vaccinated comes with major risks. “It could cause you to be admitted to the hospital. And at times when that happens, the pneumococcal bacteria gets into your bloodstream and you develop what we call sepsis, and people have been admitted to the ICU, placed on th

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SEE PHOTO GALLERY: Photos in Article (and Gallery) may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Lucy-Haskell-Birthday-Party ALTON - Lucy Haskell’s 142nd birthday was marked Friday night at the Haskell Playhouse at the corner of 12th and Henry with a large crowd, fun, games, and tours of the beloved Alton home. Margaret Hopkins, the organizer of the event, said the party every year mimics Lucy’s fifth birthday party when the playhouse was gifted to her. There were Victorian games, cake, lemonade, and pony rides to celebrate. Bailey Mishler, in the role of Lucy Haskell, said she was celebrating her fifth birthday and she received the Haskell Playhouse and it is a lot of fun. “The best thing about the playhouse is the decorations,” she said. “It is really big. It is a magical place and everybody can have fun in it.” Lucy Haskell received her own playhouse in 1885 for her fifth birthday but died at age 9 in 1890.

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County officials are continuing to update visitors of construction surrounding the Administration Building and Courthouse in downtown Edwardsville The sidewalks along Second Street, running from the parking lots behind the Administration Building to the courthouse are closed. Keller Construction is replacing the curbs and sidewalks from the loading dock at the back of the Administration Building to St. Louis Street The Second Street handicap ramp on the east side of the buildings will be closed and signage is posted in the small parking lot (on each disabled parking sign) directing employees/public to enter the rear Administration Building handicapped entrance. Visitors are being reminded to allow for extra time to arrive, park and safely enter county buildings. Visitors should not to cross under caution tape in an attempt to take shortcut. Milling and resurfacing of Second Street is scheduled to start on Aug. 8, which will completely close the street

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GODFREY - The Christmas In July fundraiser for charity at Freer Auto Body in Godfrey was the best ever on Friday. "What a huge success," Margaret Freer, one of the owners of Freer Auto Body and grandmother of the founders of the fund-raising event Taylor and Lily. "The community came thru again. We raised to date including a $2,500 foundation donation from Enterprise Rental more than $56,000." Everything raised from the event benefits the Community Christmas campaign during the holiday season. The winners are : $2,500 Apple vacations gift card - Mark Thornsberry 7 nights condo - Panama City Beach $2,500 Cash - David Watts 4 nights Tan Tara Estates - Abby Peipert $2,500 Cash - Gene Howell 4 St Louis Cardinal Green Seats - Gretchen Bell 3 nights Dreams Adventura - Ed Ryrie Top Ticket sellers: Tina Bennett 245 Margot Huber 217 Over 100: Rachel Waters Lisa Bechtold Brian Campbell Marcia Wheeler Erin Ventimiglia "Our hearts are full and the community hit it out

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ST. LOUIS – Nadja Kapetanovich, a 15-year-old Alton High School sophomore, will sing the National Anthem and “God Bless America” at World Wide Technology Raceway during the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Weekend. Nadja will sing “God Bless America” prior to the start of NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying. Later in the evening, she will sing the National Anthem prior to the start of the USAC Silver Crown race. Nadja is active in plays and musicals around the St. Louis area. She enjoys dance, piano, and singing, and plays on the AHS tennis team. For Kapetanovich, this is a return to WWTR’s main stage. She previously sang the National Anthem at oval track events and the NHRA Midwest Nationals at the speedway. Nadja said she was “so excited" to sing at WWT Raceway again. “It is always a wonderful experience,” she said. “I would like to thank my voice teacher, Alison Neace at Alton High School, and everyone

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ALTON - Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau President and CEO Cory Jobe gave Alton residents an update on the organization’s future tourism plans for the Riverbend, stressing the importance of the area’s riverfront to seize tourism opportunities from incoming cruise ships. “American Queen Voyages this year decided to pull all of their 2022 scheduled boats out of downtown St. Louis to more small, rural communities up and down the river, and we’re taking on about 95 percent of those cruise stops here in Alton and Grafton,” Jobe said. “We are welcoming over 60 cruise ships this summer alone to the Riverbend area.” Jobe continued with “some other good news,” highlighting a $10 million grant to improve different tourism experiences around the area. “We were recently awarded a $10 million capital grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through Governor J.B. Pritzker,” Jobe said. “$8.25

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GODFREY - When Cathy Keller visited the ribbon cutting for OSF Moeller Cancer Center in 2019, she had no idea she’d be using the services two years later. Now, the 66-year-old Godfrey resident is telling other breast cancer patients: you can get through it, too. “You have to roll with the punches,” Keller says. The numbers Heather Chambers is a breast health navigator at Moeller Cancer Center and was with Keller from the beginning. She, too, is a breast cancer survivor. Chambers says one in eight women will develop breast cancer. Older people are at a higher risk than younger, but younger people typically have more aggressive cancer. “A huge, huge problem,” as Chambers puts it. Chambers explains that woman make hormones, especially estrogen, all their life. “A lot of the hormones in body are like a fuel to a cancer cell,” Chambers explains. “When you get an abnormal cell, estrogen in our bodies fuels that cell and produces

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ST. LOUIS – Blues for Kids, the charitable trust of the St. Louis Blues, has launched a 50/50 raffle and online auction to support the United Way Flood Relief Fund. Raffle tickets are on sale now through Friday, Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. and can be purchased by going to stlouisblues.com/5050 . Tickets are 314 for $90, 125 for $50, 50 for $25, 10 for $10, or 3 for $5. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early for a chance to win early bird prizes that will be drawn throughout the duration of the raffle. Early bird prize winners remain eligible to win the grand prize of 50 percent of the pot. Early bird prizes include a Niko Mikkola autographed game-used stick, an Alexey Toropchenko autographed game-used gloves, and a Vladimir Tarasenko autographed game-used stick. All participants must be 18 years of age or older to play and must be located in Missouri or Illinois at the time of purchase. Winning raffle number will be announced online at stlouisblues.com and on Blues Social

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GODFREY – Students from Lewis and Clark Community College’s YouthBuild program responded to a need for raised garden beds at Jerseyville’s Cheney Mansion, home of the Jersey County Historical Society. The garden beds and surrounding fence, which were constructed from reclaimed wood, will be used to grow heirloom produce in order to demonstrate life in a pioneer kitchen. YouthBuild Construction Trainer Greg Echols expressed his pride in the work the students did and the respect they showed to their peers and everyone involved with the project. “I am incredibly proud of these students and their hard work on this project,” Echols said. “They have been putting in the work to learn about the tongue-and-groove construction method and we were all very happy to be part of putting the final project together at Cheney Mansion.” According to Jersey County Historical Society Vice-President Beth McGlasson, the students’ efforts will help the

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CHICAGO - With less than 12 hours to go until tonight's drawing, Mega Millions sales have boosted the jackpot to a breathtaking $1.28 billion. This remains the third largest jackpot of all time - and the largest jackpot on offer in the U.S. in almost four years. The Illinois Lottery expects to sell around five million tickets for tonight's drawing - and every single one of those tickets is in with a chance to win this life-changing, epic $1.2 billion prize. With over 7,000 Illinois Lottery retailers across the State, there has been a noticeable increase in foot traffic, with players heading into their local stores to pick up a ticket and make sure they're in with a chance to win big. Retailers earn commission on every ticket sold and bonus commission for selling winning tickets. Every Mega Millions ticket sold in Illinois helps fund education across the State. The Illinois Lottery exists to generate funding for K-12 education, and the boost in sales from Mega Millions will boost

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced there will be lane closures on Illinois Route 143 near Old Alton-Edwardsville Road starting Monday, August 1, 2022. IDOT says the work is necessary to complete repairs to the Marathon Pipeline work in that area. Greeding Construction and Marathon Petroleum will be completing the work. “Motorists may experience traffic congestion with delays and should allow extra time for trips through the area,” IDOT said. “Motorists should avoid the work area and when feasible use alternate routes. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and refrain from using mobile devices.”

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EDWARDSVILLE - iCAN Clinic is revolutionizing the way they treat patients dealing with chronic pain issues. By not using opioids and instead helping patients to address the root cause of their pain, their 40-point functional medical exam is changing patient management and outcomes. Dr. Michael Harbison was once a patient who was treated with extensive opioid prescriptions after he was injured in Iraq while in the military. “I first injured my back in Iraq and then reinjured it at Special Forces Assessment and Selection which led to my medical retirement from the military. Back in the early 2000s, the main treatment for pain was opioids. Every doctor was prescribing opioids, which was standard practice at that time. For me, that meant addiction to these medicines which subsequently caused severe liver complications,” Dr. Harbison said. Dr. Michael Harbison eventually leveraged his own experience to create a clinic where a new concept of pain management is currently

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HIGHLAND PARK – Governor JB Pritzker announced today that the State’s request for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster declaration has been granted for several counties in Northeast Illinois that were affected by the shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. “Thank you to Administrator Guzman and the SBA for making low-interest disaster loans available to our Highland Park community during this time of tragedy and grieving,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With the SBA’s assistance, Highland Park residents can focus on healing—knowing that the state and nation has their back.” The declaration will make low-interest working capital loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) program available to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations whose ordinary and necessary financial obligations cannot be met as a

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