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EAST ALTON – NGRREC, in collaboration with Route 3 Films, announces the premiere of their new documentary, “The Call of the Swamp: Investigating the State-Threatened Bird-voiced Treefrog.” The event will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at The Old Bakery Beer Company in Alton. There will be a brief introduction about NGRREC, a Q&A session and a social hour to accompany the film’s premiere. The documentary will be available on NGRREC’s social media channels on Nov. 16. Research Coordinator and Assistant Scientist Jessica Mohlman was the project lead for the documentary. The film was a joint effort between NGRREC and Route 3 Films, a local video production company based in St. Louis. NGRREC’s upcoming film focuses on conservation research occurring in the bald cypress and tupelo swamps of the Cache River System in Southern Illinois, home to a threatened species of treefrog, the bird-voiced treefrog. Viewers will follow NGRREC’s

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SPRINGFIELD - State Representative Kevin Schmidt has introduced HB4128, proposed legislation set for discussion in the upcoming spring legislative session. The bill strives to honor veterans in Illinois by creating the Veterans Day Paid Leave Act. If passed, beginning January 1, 2025, HB4128 would require all Illinois employers to grant a paid day off to veteran employees scheduled to work on Veterans Day. To be eligible for this leave, employees need to inform their employer in advance and provide proof of their veteran status. The proposed bill also amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to offer an income tax credit equivalent to 100% of wages paid by the taxpayer to a veteran under the provisions of the Veterans Day Paid Leave Act. "HB4128 is a way to honor and recognize our veterans’ service and sacrifices by ensuring they can observe Veterans Day," explained Rep. Schmidt. "This bill not only acknowledges their contributions by giving them the opportunity to take the day

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Bob Casey (D-PA), along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), and Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), in leading a bicameral group of their colleagues in urging congressional leadership to renew expired funding for child care in any supplemental funding package. Funding the lawmakers passed in the American Rescue Plan to allow parents to afford child care and keep their jobs during COVID expired in September, but the child care crisis continues. Without this funding, many child care providers are struggling with how they are going to continue to operate and serve families. The lawmakers’ letter comes after President Biden’s supplemental funding request to Congress included $16 billion to address the child care crisis. “W

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) in reintroducing the Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act. The legislation would help protect the health and safety of pregnant, postpartum and lactating people in immigration detention by establishing a presumption of release, prohibiting any agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from shackling pregnant women in its custody—including those in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—and setting new standards of care and transparency for the treatment of pregnant women and youth. “The practice of shackling and detaining pregnant women by ICE and CBP must stop immediately,” said Duckworth. “This policy puts mothers and their infants at risk while also denying these women the

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SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement concerning the passage of SB1559, the Transporter License Moratorium & Fee Deferral: “The passage of SB1559 through both chambers of the General Assembly is another step towards guaranteeing Illinois is the home of an equitable legal cannabis system that does not disregard the injustices of the past. The two-year moratorium on new transporter licenses will allow the current, smaller independent transporters to secure contracts and grow their businesses. License holders will also have a two-year holiday from paying annual fees to further aid these small businesses as the industry develops. Since day one of the fight for legalization, I have stressed that this accomplishment is meaningless without reinvestment and repair for the communities left behind by the war on drugs. Small businesses, whether transporters, growers, or dispensaries, must be able to succeed if we wish to achieve that equity. This bill is another

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ALTON - In recognition of Veterans Day, local veterans received free comprehensive dental work courtesy of the SIU School of Dental Medicine on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Students and faculty members with the School of Dental Medicine saw nearly 120 veterans throughout the day. They completed as much dental work as possible for every veteran at no cost. “As a member of this community here in Alton and the Metro East, we have a real commitment to not only be a part of the community, but to be a part of solving problems,” said Dr. James T. Minor, SIUE Chancellor. “There are real stories that walk through the door here. They have a need. And what’s special about today is that we made a commitment to try to meet those needs.” Third- and fourth-year dental students saw patients under faculty supervision. They tried to address the most urgent concerns first. If a patient needed more intensive dental work, such as dentures or crowns, the school could help

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CARROLLTON – Jerry Reno, who worked as the “inside” manager of the White Hall Farmers Elevator for 25 years, will present a program on grain elevators, featuring those in Greene County, and how local elevators have trended to become the grain terminals of today. Once a place where the locals gathered to watch the markets, buy dog food and sip coffee in small towns, they now tend to be giant facilities to buy, sell and store grain. It all becomes a fascinating history of grain storage and transportation throughout the American Midwest. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, with a brief business session, followed by Jerry’s presentation on the history of local elevators. Everyone is cordially invited to attend and there is no charge. The Greene County Historical Society is housed in the historic Lee-Baker-Hodges building located on the northwest corner of the Carrollton Public Square.

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WOOD RIVER — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine and Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells announced Friday that a 44-year-old St. Louis man has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI in connection with a fatal crash. The charges against Dustin L. Gilliland stem from a crash that happened June 24 on Illinois 3 in Wood River. The crash claimed the life of 18-year-old Gregory Kuehnel Jr. of Jerseyville. “Impaired driving puts everyone on the road at risk,” Haine said. “I cannot begin to imagine the loss experienced by the family and loved ones of this young man.” The charges allege that Gilliland was under the influence of alcohol when his 2021 Ford Bronco crashed into a 2023 Dodge Charger at the intersection of Illinois 3 and Illinois 143. Gregory Kuehnel was an occupant of the Charger. In connection with the death of Gregory Kuehnel, the defendant has been charged with aggravated DUI resulting in death (punishable by up to 14 year

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ALTON - The North Alton-Godfrey Business Council donated $1,000 to the Alton Memorial Hospital Services Foundation on Nov. 6 in support of the SIU School of Medicine’s Family Medicine Residency program at Alton Memorial Hospital. The Family Medicine Residency program kicked off at AMH in 2021 with its first six-member class. The program now has a full roster of 18 residents, with its first class set to graduate next summer. Dr. Nazanin Kheirkhahan, PGY-3, has signed with the BJC Medical Group and will join the AMH hospitalists staff in September. The North Alton-Godfrey Business Council is a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting activities and projects which the communities that it serves. Alton Memorial is a member of NAGBC.

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Metro East man prosecuted by his office pleaded guilty to disseminating child pornography. Jerry Newby, 25, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Jersey County Circuit Court to four counts of Class X dissemination of child pornography. He faces a sentence of between 24 and 120 years in prison. Newby is detained in the Jersey County jail, and his next court date is scheduled for Dec. 18. “Perpetrators who exploit innocent children must be held accountable, which helps prevent further abuse and can be critical to helping abused children and their families heal,” Raoul said. “This plea highlights the vital efforts of my Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which works tirelessly to identify and track down individuals who exploit children. I will continue to partner with local law enforcement to locate and hold these offenders accountable.” Newby was arrested and prosecuted as part of Attorney General Raoul’s

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ALTON - Alton High girls soccer standout Lily Freer has made some big decisions, but arguably none bigger than the one she just made. The AHS junior, still a grade too young to sign an official NCAA letter of intent, made a verbal agreement to continue her soccer and academic career at the prestigious Stanford University. "I'm very excited and feeling really good about it," Lily said. "It is a very competitive environment." For her accomplishment, Lily is an Auto Butler Car Wash Athlete of the Month for Alton. Stanford plays in the PAC-12 conference against other Western United States powerhouses like UCLA, USC, Colorado, and Washington State, all teams ranked in the top 25 in NCAA Division I. Stanford currently sits ranked No. 3 in the nation according to the latest United Soccer Coaches rankings and will begin play in the NCAA DI Tournament this weekend. "I was blown away because they are a top top school," Lily's former Alton High coach Gwen Sabo said. Former coach because

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GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney’s senior boys' soccer players concluded the season with a 12-9-2 overall record and an appearance in the 1A boys' regional soccer finals at McGivney in a PK loss to Columbia. McGivney head boys soccer coach Matthew McVicar said he was “very proud” of his seniors after the final match. The McGivney four seniors were Ethan Endress, Sam Strack, Noah Gardner and Nate McLaughlin. The senior cast are Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athletes of the Month for Father McGivney Catholic. “I am so proud of all the seniors for how hard they worked all season,” McGivar said. McGivar described Noah as one of the team’s most important players in 2023. “Noah always does his best,” McGivar said. “He started all over for us in his career and is a hard worker.” The coach continued: “Ethan has grown immensely as a player and I wish I had one more year with him he has developed that much. “Sam

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of Veterans Day, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—renewed her push to protect and support immigrant Veterans and servicemembers who have proven they are willing to make tremendous sacrifices to defend our nation. Today, Duckworth reintroduced a package of bills—the Veterans Visa and Protection Act, HOPE Act and I-VETS Act —that would prohibit the deportation of immigrant Veterans who are not violent offenders, provide these Veterans with a pathway to citizenship through their military service and help ensure those who have been deported already can access the VA healthcare services they are entitled to. “Far too many men and women willing to wear our uniform have been deported by the same nation they sacrificed to defend due to the unnecessary and complex barriers that they faced during the naturalization process,” said Duckworth. “On

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EDWARDSVILLE - The City has launched an update of its Comprehensive Plan and wants community members to share their vision for the direction Edwardsville should take in the next 10-20 years. Over the next several months, the public will have multiple opportunities to offer input as part of the Comprehensive Plan process. These will include open houses and “pop-up” events, which will be scheduled for locations throughout the City where people regularly gather or visit. The first open house is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12 at the City’s R.P. Lumber Center recreational facility. Comprehensive Plan team members will be on hand to answer questions; visitors can come and go at any time. The first pop-up event took place in October at the Land of Goshen Community Market, and included opportunities to “vote” for high-priority areas and objectives for the City and to offer written feedback. Additional open houses and pop-up events will be announced

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ALTON - Several organizations and community advocates gathered for the 17th annual Domestic Violence Memorial Service on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Alton Memorial Hospital Domestic Violence Team invited speakers from law enforcement and anti-violence groups to speak about their work. The service also recognized nine recent victims of domestic violence in Madison County, from ages 3 months to 85 years. “Our goal should be to change the way society thinks about, talks about and responds to domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse,” said Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn. “Simply put, we need to turn up the volume on these issues and let people know we still have a problem here.” Pastor Jim Johnson with First Christian Church of Alton led the service. Minister Joyce Elliott started the night with a prayer, and Kathy Schultz with Oasis Women’s Center sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Mary Cordes, the executive director

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EDWARDSVILLE - Sewer repairs forced the closure on Thursday, November 9, of a portion of the 300 block of Clay Street to thru traffic. The affected area is just west of downtown Edwardsville. While the repairs are ongoing, drivers in the area will need to use alternate routes to bypass the work. Access is available on either side of the closure; Center Street and High Street are available detours. The City appreciates the cooperation and patience of all residents during this closure. Please contact the Public Works Department at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statements on President Biden’s and United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain’s visit to Belvidere, Illinois, after UAW and Stellantis reached a deal to restart the Belvidere Assembly Plant and add on an electric vehicle battery plant to the facility: “While I cannot welcome them in person, I am pleased to have President Biden and UAW President Shawn Fain visit Belvidere today ahead of the plant’s reopening. Shawn was an unwavering advocate for Belvidere, keeping his word that the future of this plant must be included in any deal struck with Stellantis. The restarting of Belvidere Assembly Plant is a win for our state, our economy, and the workers who will come back to the plant with a higher hourly wage,” said Durbin. “The future of the electric vehicle industry starts here in Illinois. I will continue to

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased has been identified in a fatal crash at Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive in St. Louis County. Sandra Ware, 68 years of age, of the 8400 block of Lucas and Hunt Road in St. Louis, Missouri 63136. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a pedestrian struck at Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive that resulted in the death of an adult female. At 5:21 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the City of Jennings Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle crash with a person struck at Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive. Arriving officers observed an adult female had been struck by a motor vehicle. The female suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. Preliminary investigation revealed that an adult female was crossing the intersection of Lucas and Hunt Road and Kinamore Drive when she was struck by a vehicle

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BELVIDERE, Ill. - Today, President Joe Biden will join Governor JB Pritzker at the reopening of a previously shuttered Stellantis assembly plant in Belvidere. Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez released the following statement celebrating the win for Illinois’ workers: “I want to extend my gratitude to President Biden for the role he played in reopening Belvidere’s Stellantis plant, restoring thousands of good-paying, union jobs in Boone County. This reopening would not have been possible without the advocacy of the President, Governor JB Pritzker, Congressman Bill Foster, and all of the local officials who fought hard to keep these jobs in Illinois. This comes on the heels of a historic win for workers’ rights, as United Auto Workers secured a historic deal with Stellantis for better pay, working conditions, and investment in local production. All of our Democratic leaders, from the White House to the Statehouse, will always fight to make sur

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ongoing effort to authorize subpoenas for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo relating to the Committee’s Supreme Court ethics investigation: “Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats remain united in our effort to implement an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices. To inform this effort, we will continue to pursue subpoena authorization for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo—two individuals who have refused to comply with this Committee’s oversight requests for months. “Due to scheduling issues, we were unable to complete the markup today. We will continue our efforts to authorize subpoenas in the near future. The highest court in the land cannot have the lowest ethical standards.” Last week, Durbin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the

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