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ALTON - Passenger trains will now travel 110 mph from St. Louis to Chicago, shaving off about 15 to 20 minutes for most trips. For travelers departing from the Alton train station, that could completely change how they travel through Illinois. “From our great new station in Alton, which I was just showing off to someone last week, we’re going to be a much better way to get back and forth to Chicago than I-55 has been almost forever,” Marc Magliari, the Amtrak spokesperson for the Chicago region, said. Magliari explained that the exact amount of time that it takes to travel from Alton to Chicago will vary based on the train and line, but it should save “upwards of 15 minutes.” The speed increase from 90 to 110 mph will have the biggest impact during the stretch of the railroad from Alton to Joliet. Amtrak hopes this will entice more people to try the train. “We’re already pretty close to driving time competitive. Now we're going to be

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ALTON - If you were curious, Taralei Griffin is here to tell you: No, insects cannot get high on cannabis. Griffin, the retail manager at Moon Drops, LLC, stopped by Our Daily Show to share some animal facts on the monthly Cannabis Education Segment. She explained the ways that CBD can help pets, and she shared stories about other animals who consume psychoactive drugs. But first, she has something to clarify. “CBD is not intoxicating,” Griffin said. “A lot of people get confused by that, because CBD relaxes you, it helps with anxiety, so how is it not intoxicating? But it isn’t.” Moon Drops sells a variety of products that contain CBD, or cannabidiol, which is derived from hemp plants but does not cause the high typically associated with cannabis. Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, is the substance in cannabis that causes psychoactive effects. Griffin explained that CBD is “not that part of the plant.” CBD can treat a long

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Health care providers will tell you the body functions as a whole. A problem with one system or organ will likely mean something else isn’t working well. The same can be said with certain health conditions. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) both cause shortness of breath and wheezing, and one can lead to the other. But treatment and prevention differ. Knowing how to tackle both is especially important during spring and summer months when smoky air and allergens come out to play. The basics Tracy Packer is an advanced practice provider in pulmonology at OSF HealthCare. She says asthma describes airway inflammation due to a stimulant. “The most common causes are allergens, chemicals, cigarette smoke and dust,” Packer says. “The most important thing is to know and avoid your triggers,” she adds. Asthma treatment is inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators. These help open your airways and combat allergies that trigger

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EDWARDSVILLE - Kaitlyn Morningstar, who finished on the podium three consecutive years in the IHSA Class 3A girl's discus throw, signed a letter of intent to compete on the women's track and field team at SIU-Edwardsville in a ceremony held Tuesday evening at Edwardsville High School Morningstar recently finished third in the discus in the state meet May 12-13 at O'Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, throwing 43.79 meters to take the bronze medal in the event. She finished on the podium in both her sophomore and junior years. Morningstar is an Edwardsville Female Athlete of the Month. Morningstar recently visited the SIUE campus and fell in love with it almost immediately, which helped make her decision to compete for the Cougars. "After going on a lot of visits after my senior track year, SIUE was one of the most recent ones I visited," Morningstar said in an interview following the ceremony, "and I just liked everything about it and that's

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GLEN CARBON - The Glen Carbon Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously to move forward on a proposed plastic surgery center after concerns were raised about the effect the center would have on local traffic, property values, and more. During the public comment portion of the meeting, one resident of the area voiced concern about the dumpster location, light pollution, diminished property values, and traffic issues. “A concern I have - one of them - is the dumpster location. Make sure that the dumpster’s not located right adjacent to somebody’s property, where you get bugs and animals and stuff like that, to seal it and make sure it’s not going to be a problem,” the resident said. “Second … would be the light infiltration, so someone sitting in their backyard, they’re not getting lit up at night from the property next door. “And then the third thing for them is the visual barrier. I would not want to sit in my backyard

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WOOD RIVER - It was announced Tuesday afternoon that Third Judicial Circuit Judge Ronald Foster made a ruling to dismiss a lawsuit against the City of Wood River to prohibit it from utilizing 1 percent non-home rule sales tax funds to build and operate a recreation center. The lawsuit had been filed by plaintiff William Dettmers while he was a citizen of Wood River in March 2022. Dettmers is now a Wood River City Council member. Dettmers had said the city violated the state's municipal code by misappropriating 1 percent sales tax funds to build the rec center. Riverbender.com contacted Wood River City Administrator Steve Palen and he said he was glad to receive the judge's ruling. The ruling allows the city to build and operate the Rec center that is presently being constructed. “We are very excited about the ruling,” he said. “We intend to do a walk-through with the media, council people and other dignitaries in mid-July of the Rec center. This has been a long

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ALTON - The Alton Fire Department is known for its quick response to serious fire scenes. Around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, the AFD responded to the 3800 block of Aberdeen and because of the quick response, was able to “hit” the fire quickly, Fire Chief Jesse Jemison said. “They got in the basement where the fire started, and the adults were not in the home when they got there,” the chief explained. “One of the captains lives almost directly across the street from there and he understood the house and we got a good hit on the fire and extinguished it quickly.” The chief said he was proud of his firefighters for the quick response and effort to save another Alton home. “Without the professional personnel, training, and the equipment, there are a lot of homes that likely would see a lot of homes burned down to the basement level,” he said. The chief said the fire began in the basement and he said one of the residents' quick response to the

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ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Air Force took to STL skies for an aerial refueling demonstration over the Gateway Arch on Tuesday, June 27. But for local cadets and airmen, this was more than a fun demonstration; it was a chance to honor military history. Tuesday’s demonstration marked the 100th anniversary of the first aerial refueling in 1923. The Air Force gave demonstrations in all 50 states. “I’ve got guys that are all over the world right now doing this mission. So the ones that are here right now, for them to be able to showcase it and actually share that with the public is just a blessing,” Lieutenant Colonel Jason Knab said. Knab serves with the 126th Air Refueling Wing , which is based out of Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. The 126th Air Refueling Wing completed flyovers across Illinois, Missouri and Kansas today as part of the celebration. Knab noted that aerial refuelings are a vital part of Air Force missions. “We’re delivering

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA) reintroduced legislation to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. U.S. Representatives Jake LaTurner (R-KS) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) joined LaHood and Napolitano as original cosponsors. “Route 66 is a historic transportation artery that connects America’s heartland to the west,” said Rep. LaHood. “The Mother Road provides powerful economic development tools for communities throughout Illinois, creating jobs and opportunities. Designating Route 66 as a National Historic Trail would provide this highway with a permanent program to preserve, promote, and economically develop the road, giving it the appropriate designation it deserves.” "National Historic Trail designation of Route 66 would deliver much-needed federal dollars, resources, and jobs, not only to our San Gabriel Valley communities, but the countless others stretching from Chicago to Sant

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WEST ALTON - The Audubon Center at Riverlands is sharing how to watch out for wildlife and get involved in conservation efforts this summer. “Everybody can do something. The Center is a great place to start because we will throw as many resources at you as you want,” Ashley Lockwood, an educator at the Center, said. In the Alton area, many people have expressed concerns about turtles on the roadways . Lockwood acknowledges that some destruction is hard to avoid, but she encourages people to be vigilant and, if it’s safe to do so, move the animals off the road. “It’s just a part of wildlife and humans living together. There’s always going to be some give and take,” Lockwood said. “But luckily, there are a lot of organizations in this area. There’s a lot of citizen groups that are really committed to doing as much as we possibly can to minimize that.” This includes the Center itself, which specializes in birds but

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ALTON - Rob and Mac Lenhardt both have some big goals for the future with the hope for a collective 30 convenience stores, pizza places, or small restaurants over the next decade. The Lenhardts are already off to a strong start. Rob Lenhardt said on Tuesday the goal is to do two to three new locations a year, starting with neighboring cities. Rob Lehnhardt stressed whatever the city needed, whether it was a convenience store, restaurant or pizza place they would unveil. He also emphasized they wanted to keep their operations at the start within 20 minutes of the Belle/Third Street in Alton location, but would eventually go broader than that. Mac’s first convenience store was adjacent to the bar/restaurant on Belle Street in Alton and it has been phenomenally well-received, he said. Rob admitted they learned a lot with the expansion after adding a convenience store and will put that to good use as they continue to grow. “We are working on a pizza place/gaming establishment

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JERSEYVILLE - Sprinkles the Donut has been stolen from BigBoy’s Donuts in Jerseyville. The donut shop posted on their Facebook page last night that Sprinkles had been taken, and asked for the public to share the news of his disappearance in the hopes of bringing Sprinkles back home. “Sprinkles is missing again!” they announced in the post. “No questions asked if he is returned just please help us get him back home so we are able to celebrate with him during the parade & fair that is coming up!” When he’s not making appearances out in public or visiting with customers in the shop, Sprinkles is usually posted by the State Street entrance into the donut shop’s parking lot. As of Tuesday afternoon, BigBoy’s Donuts Owner Becky Matthews said there has been no update on Sprinkles’ whereabouts. She said he’s actually been missing for three or four days now, but she avoided making the situation public until this point in hope

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CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker was joined by state and local officials as he signed legislation authorizing a new state-based marketplace (SBM) for Illinois, which gives state agencies additional tools to create a more consumer-focused health insurance exchange and better identify traditionally uninsured communities. The Governor also signed historic rate review legislation, which will protect health insurance consumers from unfair rate hikes. The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) will work together to implement the new legislation and coordinate with all state medical assistance programs. “As governor, I’ve worked to build a state government that is more efficient and more responsive to what working families need,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Operating our own healthcare marketplace gives us the dexterity to offer more enrollment windows, coordinate with nonprofit partners who help

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ALTON - There was an elephant in the room of the last Alton Committee of the Whole meeting - in fact, there’s been one since May 24, when Alderwoman Betsy Allen proposed several items to be added to the agenda which were never added. Expressing her frustration with the committee seeming unwilling to discuss any of her proposed items, committee members tried to clear up the confusion Monday night before deciding to discuss the items in future meetings. Allen, her fellow aldermen, Mayor David Goins, and the city attorney attempted to clarify a miscommunication that occurred while the city attorney was away. Someone had asked her whether Allen’s proposed items needed to be added to the agenda. The consensus at the time was that they didn’t need to be added because they were items to be discussed, not voted on. However, Allen specifically stated in her initial letter about the items: “To begin discussion, I am requesting these items be placed on the agenda

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EDWARDSVILLE – Dorothy McCoy, an entrepreneur and Army veteran from Illinois began her journey with Metro East Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in May 2022. With the guidance and support of the SBDC, she successfully launched her business, Mo’z Sweet Treats. McCoy received guidance from the SBDC about her business registration process, mentorship, guidance on health department regulations, assistance in obtaining a micro loan for her business, as well as opportunities for networking and sponsorship. “SBDC has helped me a lot dealing with regulatory and even some personal issues while managing the business,” McCoy expressed. Mo’z Sweet Treats is a non-motorized pedal ice-cream tricycle business that specializes in selling Artisan homemade ice cream popsicles and fresh fruit lemonades on the go. McCoy offers vegan popsicles as well as her Famous Fried Chicken ice-cream. McCoy has faced numerous challenges

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ALTON - James Gray has had a wonderful spring with a street sign dedication in Alton and his 89th birthday which was celebrated by a large group of people. Gray was past president of the Alton Branch of the NAACP for more than 25 years and has made a huge difference in Alton for impoverished children. Alton Alderwoman Rosetta Brown described Gray as "a legend in our community contributed so much in the lives of our youth, civil rights, organizations, families and overall to the energy of our community." Gray is a former member of the Alton Housing Authority Board and a current member of the Madison County Housing Authority Board. He is also a member of the 100 Black Men organization. James Gray married Vera Boyd in 1952 and they were married for 31 years. James Gray is the father of seven children with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren along with other family members. “Jim Gray has been the consummate servant to the people of Alton as the president of the Alton

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Police and Fire Department are investigating a home explosion in the 3000 block of Dale Avenue in Granite City. The home exploded at 2:45 a.m. Monday and the homeowner said he was at work at the time of the blast. The home was reported to have collapsed and glass and debris were tossed onto the street from the blast and around that area. Major Nick Novacich of the Granite City Police Department said the following in a statement: "As it stands right now, the investigation is still ongoing, but we can report that the residence was unoccupied when the incident occurred, no injuries have been reported stemming from this incident. The residence was a total loss and created a significant debris field that likely caused damage to the surrounding residences, but to what extent we do not currently know." He continued with the following: "The Granite City Police Department, along with the Granite City Fire Department, concur that the current evidence does not support

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) board received questions and comments about racism in schools at their board meeting on June 26. Several parents addressed the board. They spoke of specific situations where students were harassed, and they asked the board what they were going to do to prevent racial harassment going forward. “Rather than deal with hollow words, we want to deal with substance,” Scott Ahart, a parent, told the board. Ahart outlined policy changes that parents wish to see, most of which focus on prevention. He asked the board to implement a zero-tolerance policy for racial discrimination or harassment, provide age-appropriate education on racial discrimination to all students, and require cultural sensitivity training for teachers, administrators and staff. He also asked them to provide more access to literature by Black authors, and to increase the Black writings and writers studied in language arts, history

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EDWARDSVILLE - FCB Banks officially marked 20 years of business in Edwardsville with a ribbon-cutting and celebration hosted by members of FCB Bank and the The Ed/Glen Chamber of Commerce. David Toby, senior vice president of FCB Banks Edwardsville, said the bank opened in Edwardsville in June of 2003 and has been proud to serve the community for two decades. “We are celebrating today 20 years of being in this community,” Toby said. “We are a family-owned bank 3 generations, and so the community we serve and all our communities are very important to us. “We get rooted in the communities … we’ve been involved in the community and we’re very excited to celebrate those 20 years and here for another 20 years at least.” He emphasized the important role the bank’s customers have had in its success since 2003. “The customers that we serve every day, that is what drives our business,” he said. “The relationships

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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced today that the Illinois Department of Transportation has been awarded a total of $24.9 million in two grants from the Federal Transit Administration for new battery-electric paratransit vehicles and paratransit vehicle replacements. The investment will help expand and improve services, providing additional transportation options, reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing quality of life throughout the state. “Here in Illinois, we are taking bold action to reach our ambitious clean energy goals and tackle the climate crisis head on—from passing landmark climate legislation and strengthening our electric vehicle ecosystem to expanding workforce development opportunities and investing in historically underserved communities,” said Gov. Pritzker. “This $24.9 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration advances that critical work—all while making sure Illinoisans up and down the state

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