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A Maine mother is warning other parents after her 10-month-old daughter nearly died after accidentally swallowing a toy. Folichia Mitchell tells Good Morning America that her daughter wound up in the hospital after swallowing a water bead, a toy meant for her eight-year-old son. The tactile toys are marble-sized and water-absorbing. They are often used to reduce stress and anxiety while helping to develop focus and attention. The National Poison Control Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics say water beads can expand inside a person and cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage. The incident is a reminder to know the signs of poisoning and choking and the steps to reverse the effects of each, says Aminat Ogun, MD, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare in Champaign, Illinois. “Make sure there are no loose coins around - no small toys they can pick up and swallow,” Dr. Ogun advises as a first step. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has

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ST. LOUIS - In the Missouri and Arkansas Region, Red Cross disaster response volunteers have also provided relief and comfort after home fires and other local disasters, including responding to tornadoes that ripped across the two-state region, and flooding that impacted the St Louis area . Since January 1, 2022, more than 330 Red Cross disaster workers in the Missouri and Arkansas Red Cross Region have deployed to more than 30 events from coast to coast to help ensure no one faces a crisis of any size alone. Since January 1, 2022, nearly 3,200 disaster responses in the Missouri and Arkansas Region (primarily home fires, but also tornadoes, flooding or damaging wind events have resulted in more than 11,500 people receiving assistance in the region. In the Greater St. Louis chapter, approximately 625 disaster responses (primarily fires, but also floods, tornadoes, wind event responses) , have resulted in Red Cross assisting more than 2,120 people . Blood donations:

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ALTON - The Alton Committee of the Whole held a very brief meeting on Monday night, during which they approved several easements and property bids with little to no discussion. A temporary easement for the removal of encroachments on Plum Street and East 4th Street was approved unanimously. An ordinance authorizing a permanent easement for an encroachment on Plum Street was also approved unanimously. The Committee also approved a notice of sale of property owned by the City of Alton and an “invitation to bid thereon.” The City Clerk of the City of Alton will receive sealed bids for the purchase of the property, located at 1420 E. 4th St. Several property bids were awarded at Tuesday’s meeting as well. S. Shafer Excavating, Inc. was awarded the bid for 3602 & 3604 Thomas Ave. in the amount of $24,700.00 and for 645 East 5th St. in the amount of $31,400.00. A question was raised as to whether these properties were slated for demolition, which it was revealed

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EDWARDSVILLE - Nautical Bowls was jam-packed throughout the day for its grand opening Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, at its new Edwardsville location at 2323 Plum Street. Since the opening day, the location has been steady as one of the latest Edwardsville businesses. The new Edwardsville business is located between Sugarfire and Chicken Salad Chick on Plum Street. Joel and Melissa Nimmo, the new owners of Nautical Bowls, said the new business has been a year in the making. “We are excited to bring Nautical Bowls to the Edwardsville community,” Nimmo said. “Every ingredient we use is like a superfood and it looks like a desert. The food ingredients have a number of healthy textures. "We will serve delicious acai bowls that are packed full of superfood ingredients that are organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and loaded with essential vitamins and nutrients to fuel a full life.” Joel said he is originally from Edwardsville and graduated from EHS in 1994

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Inclusive Excellence, Education, and Development Hub (The Hub) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted five special celebrations to honor graduates representing various historically minoritized populations during the week of Dec. 5-9, ahead of the University’s fall 2022 commencement exercises being held Friday-Saturday, Dec. 16-17. SIUE recognized graduates who identify as Hispanic/Latinx, Black, Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI), LBTQIA+, and non-traditional during the week of celebrations. The pre-commencement ceremonies celebrated the extraordinary achievements made by these students. “It is an honor for The Hub to celebrate students at events such as this,” said Lindy Wagner, assistant vice chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, Education, and Development. “It is our responsibility to ensure students feel connected, have a sense of belonging, and know they are a part of a community here at SIUE. What better way to do

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City High School sophomore athlete Abby Knight is what can be described as a “multi-dimensional” student-athlete. Abby is a star on the soccer team, a tennis player, and last fall she became known as one of the area’s kickers with significant potential for her final two years. Abby’s head Warriors football coach Kindle Lyons said he always received “100 percent” out of the sophomore. Abby kicked several extra points and a 37-yard field goal against Carbondale added Coach Lyons. Abby is a Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete of the Month for the Warriors. “I think if she works hard in the weight room, she will be able to kick a 50-yarder," Coach Lyons said. “I told everybody that she kicks better than most young men. She is a great multi-sports athlete and she does so many positive things around the school. I look for her to grow and continue to get better. She will be a big boost for us in the 2023 season with

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WOOD RIVER - These are Wood River residents clarifying instructions for the 2023 Community Aggregation Program. All City of Wood River residents and qualifying small businesses will receive notification by mail within the next week pertaining to the City’s municipal aggregation program. Opt-Out Notices The opt-out notices will come from Constellation NewEnergy explaining the new aggregation program. If you were previously part of the aggregation program and wish to continue the benefits of the program, simply do nothing with the letter, and you will automatically be re-enrolled in the program. Upwards of 90 percent of all eligible residents participate in the aggregation program. Although savings are never guaranteed, residents who have participated in the program since its inception 10 years ago have saved money over Ameren Illinois rates. Opt-In Notices These notices are for residents and qualifying small businesses who were not part of the aggregation program and ar

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) will open the fourth year of the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program on December 15. Applications will be available at https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Pages/default.aspx beginning at 8am. Funding of eligible acreage will be on a first come, first serve basis. IDOA received funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to add 40,000 acres to the program for a total of 140,000 acres available for the 2023 growing season. In 2022, the 100,000-acreage allotment was met in under 24 hours and a total of over 131,000 acres were requested by the time the application period ended. The program is applicable for acreage in Illinois planted to cover crops in the fall of 2022 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2023. Eligible applicants receive a premium discount of $5 per acre on the following year’s crop insurance for every acre of cover crop enrolled and verified in the program. Applicants will be require

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) received the 2022 “Jim Guilinger Legislative Award” from the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education (ILCAE) for her support of agricultural education in Illinois schools. “We all depend on our next generation of farmers to grow crops that will help feed the world and it starts with agricultural education on the farm and in the classroom,” said Rep. Elik. “I support these programs that help educate our future farmers as the Ag industry makes up almost a quarter of Illinois jobs. I am honored to receive this recognition and support the vision created by Jim Guilinger. As technology evolves, so does agricultural education in our state.” Since 1987, the “Jim Guilinger Legislative Award” has been presented to legislators who advocate for and have been publicly supportive of Illinois agricultural education. According to ILCAE, these legislators understand the importance of the

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SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker announced today the release of $37.3 million to launch facilities for five hubs of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), created to accelerate job creation and economic growth through groundbreaking education, research, and discovery. The funding is made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital program, with state investments matched dollar for dollar through university, private, and philanthropic funding sources. “Rebuild Illinois isn’t just about modernizing our roads and bridges—it’s about building a future for generations to come that is economically prosperous with the promise of opportunity at every turn,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “That’s why we are distributing more than $37 million to first-rate educational institutions throughout our state to create facilities that will prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. From researching water resources at NIU’s Northern Illinoi

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GRANITE CITY - Juniors Taylor Carson and Caden Yarber of Granite City High School were selected as Granite City Rotary Club Students of the Month for December. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card, and will be recognized at the Dec. 13 Granite City Rotary Club Meeting. TAYLOR CARSON Three-year member of soccer team and two-year member of tennis team ... Three-year Honor Roll and Secondary Honors ... Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hockey Club, Renaissance Club, Spirit Club, Student Council and Varsity Club ... Daughter of Matthew and Peggy Carson. CADEN YARBER Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Student Council ... Secondary Honors ... Member of junior varsity soccer team ... Volunteer for Gateway Regional Medical Center and Relleke Farms

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EAST ST. LOUIS - IMPACT Strategies began construction last week on a 5,000 square foot urgent care addition to an existing SIHF Healthcare health center at 2001 State Street, East St. Louis. The addition will include four exam rooms and one procedure room plus lab and radiology services. This will be a $2.8 million investment, partially funded by the State of Illinois. “We are extremely pleased to be launching this much needed service for the residents of the greater East St. Louis metro area,” stated Larry McCulley, CEO of both SIHF Healthcare and Touchette Regional Hospital. “As the recipient of a State of Illinois Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives grant, this is the first visible sign to the community of our efforts and is serving as the public launch of our Transformation project, which will be named LifeBridge,” McCulley noted. “The LifeBridge campaign is about our actions to connect health and social conditions together for a path to health

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SPRINGFIELD - During a holiday season when families face hardship, any little bit helps to bring festive cheer to those who need it most. This year’s second annual Illinois Lottery Holiday Toy Drive aimed to do just that, by collecting gifts from participants in Chicagoland and Springfield, who opened their hearts to share joy with others. During the two day toy drive, December 8 and 10, the Illinois Lottery collected nearly 1,000 donated toys. The outpour of generosity from participants, along with the Illinois Lottery’s gifting match, means 2,000 new toys will now help bring holiday fun to children affiliated with the Boys & Girls Club Illinois Alliance , the beneficiary of this year’s efforts. “We want to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to support our holiday toy drive this year, helping us to collect and donate even more toys than last year to provide to families in need,” said Harold Mays, Illinois Lottery Director. “We

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CHICAGO - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and New York Attorney General Letitia James today urged the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the U.S. Soccer Federation to foster a professional environment of respect and accountability after a recent independent investigation found widespread abuse and misconduct in women’s professional soccer. The detailed findings in the Oct. 3, 2022 report allege that NWSL and U.S. Soccer, both headquartered in Chicago, failed to provide adequate oversight, implement appropriate workplace policies or respond to complaints of misconduct in women’s professional soccer. In a letter sent to NWSL and U.S. Soccer, Raoul and James support the recommendations provided in the report to hold wrongdoers accountable, enhance transparency and ensure players are treated with respect. “I was shocked and disappointed to learn of the alarming allegations in women’s professional soccer. Under no circumstance should anyone

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul expressed support for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposal to help cut down on unwanted text messages by requiring mobile wireless providers to block texts from invalid, unassigned, or unused numbers, and from numbers on a Do Not Originate (DNO) list. In addition, Raoul and a bipartisan collation of attorneys general are asking the FCC to continue pushing the wireless industry to help protect consumers. “As my office and attorneys general across the country crack down on robocalls, scammers are shifting to sending text messages,” Raoul said. “Robotexts are more than just a nuisance; they cost consumers time and sometimes money. I am committed to protecting the rights of Illinois consumers by fighting against illegal robocalls and robotexts.” Attorneys general work to protect consumers in their states and have long been at the forefront of fighting to reduce the number of robocalls that plague Americans.

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance today encouraged all wine growers and winemakers in Illinois to join its effort to capture the growth of winemaking in the state as it grows in popularity and production here. The IGGVA launched two critical surveys for wine growers and winemakers that can be found on its website . The last time such an audit of the industry was completed was in 2011, and data collection is crucial to the ongoing success of the Illinois wine and grape industry. As a growing tourism attraction in many Illinois communities, from Chicago to Carbondale, the Illinois wine industry has exploded with talent and award-winning wines. The IGGVA survey will capture the growth of the industry and its role as a tourism generator, contributor to local economics and job creator. “Wine growers and winemakers are increasingly turning to Illinois as a home for their wineries and tasting rooms,” said Lisa Ellis, director of the IGGVA.

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GODFREY - The community’s college has a new look and feel going into the new year. Lewis and Clark Community College publicly unveiled new branding, including new logos and the addition of new colors to the college’s palette, during a Brand Launch Party at 2 p.m., Monday, Dec. 12 in The Commons. “Lewis and Clark has been a staple of our communities for more than 50 years, and for all or most of it – our branding has been the same,” said L&C Manager of Marketing & PR Laura Inlow. “Meanwhile, the college is always growing and changing – looking for new ways to innovate and expand access to students. We felt it was time that our branding more effectively reflect who we are as a student-focused, forward-thinking institution.” The new branding consists of a new typeface family (Raleway) the addition of new colors (black, gray and sunglow), and a suite of new logos – all of which were revealed during a short program in front of mor

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EAST ALTON - At 10:48 p.m. on Sunday evening, December 11, 2022, the East Alton Police Department responded to a single-unit traffic crash, involving a motorcycle, in the 300 block of Lewis and Clark Boulevard. Upon arrival, the operator of the motorcycle was determined to be deceased at the scene. The deceased was Harrison A. Henderson, a 25-year-old male from Alton.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a pedestrian struck at the intersection of Buckley Road and Lemay Ferry Road that resulted in the death of an adult female. The deceased has been positively identified as Subrina Coleman, 44 years of age, of the 300 block of North Fourth Street in Pacific, Missouri, 63069. On December 9, 2022, at 6:14 p.m. St. Louis County Police officers from the South County precinct responded to a call for service at the intersection of Buckley Road and Lemay Ferry Road for a person struck. Responding officers located an adult female who had been struck by a motor vehicle. The female was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment, but later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. A preliminary investigation has revealed a vehicle was traveling eastbound on Buckley Road at Lemay Ferry Road when a female entered the roadway and was struck. The driver of the vehicle remained

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville School District 7 is considering closing Midway Elementary and sending all northern K-2 students, who come from an area larger than 50 square miles to Hamel. Through the D7 engagement process, it has become clear that D7 gathered little background on the condition of the Midway aside from the study completed by Cordogan Clark. I and others have requested basic information from D7 on the condition of Midway and have yet to get answers. At the recent November 30 Midway engagement meeting, attended by nearly 130 people opposed to closure, D7 abruptly ended the meeting, still unable to share the root causes of building issues or context on why the district has failed at conducting basic maintenance at the school. This community does not agree with the current proposal. And there are several alternative solutions to fixing Midway School that would cost far less than the $5 million proposed. D7’s failure to conduct and share research on a proposal for Midway

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