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SPRINGFIELD – Over the year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eleven metropolitan areas, decreased in two and was unchanged in one for the year ending August 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). The unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one. “Steady, consistent job growth statewide continues to boost a strengthening Illinois economy,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar.“A growing labor market and newly created jobs are giving workers and jobseekers the opportunity to reenter the workforce and pivot career choices that better suit the talent and diversity of the state workforce.” The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Elgin Metro (+2.5 %, +6,400), the Danville MSA (+2.2%, +600), and the Springfield MSA (+2.0%, +2,200). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago

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ST. LOUIS – On Monday, Sept. 25, United Way of Greater St. Louis’ Charmaine Chapman Society will kick off the Divine 9 fundraising challenge. The Charmaine Chapman Society has 600 members and is one of the largest Black philanthropic groups in the nation. The Divine 9 challenge is designed to increase financial support for United Way’s annual campaign and celebrate Black Sororities' and Fraternities' continued commitment to service that ensures the St. Louis region is a better place to live, work and thrive. Last year’s challenge raised a total of $354,000 and the winners were: Sorority = Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - $107,857 Fraternity = Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - $53,273 This year’s Divine 9 co-chairs will be Francella Jackson and Cedric Mitchell. The fundraising challenge will run through November 20. This challenge will serve as an avenue to bring together members of the nine historically Black Sororities and Fraternities in

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EAST ALTON - Helmkamp Construction is proud to announce the promotion of Mark McGuire to Superintendent. McGuire began his construction career with Helmkamp in January of 2015 as a Carpenter’s Apprentice. With nearly nine years of experience and growth at Helmkamp, he is looked at as a bright, up-and-coming leader among our team in the field. Kyle Ogden, Helmkamp’s Vice President of Building & Life Science Construction, said “Mark has been a great example of how intelligence and hard work pay off. He has grown into a knowledgeable, capable, and respected individual who has been mentored under some of our best long-time superintendents. We’re excited for him to continue a long and satisfying career with Helmkamp.” McGuire’s transition to Superintendent comes at a time when labor shortages and a generational skills gap continue to be a rising challenge in the construction industry. According to a recent study by the Associated General Contractors of

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CHICAGO – Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan F. Kelly today announced the Division of Patrol (DOP) change of command. Colonel Margaret McGreal is retiring from ISP after more than 26 years of service. On September 21, 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Owen will be promoted to Colonel and will be the newly appointed DOP Deputy Director. “Congratulations to Colonel McGreal on her many years of distinguished service and dedication to the people of Illinois,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Colonel McGreal has been a true leader at ISP and her impact will live on through the officers she led under her command. We welcome Colonel Owen into his new role as the Division of Patrol Deputy Director and look forward to his leadership.” Colonel McGreal began her career with the Illinois State Police in May 1997 as a member of Cadet Class 95. Upon graduating from the Academy, she was assigned to District Chicago, now Troop 3. In 2006, McGreal

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ALTON - Alton High sophomore Sophie Helfrich's love of running shows on her face as she completes what some would consider an arduous 3-mile course. Sophie posted a time of 20:57 for three miles at the Granite City Robinson/Lang Cross Country Invitational and was very proud of her effort and the performances of her teammates that day. Sophie is an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for the Redbirds. "I felt good," she said after her Granite City win. "There was a lot of good competition here and I think it helped me go faster. "I do love running. I do it every day. I didn't do track last year, I played soccer instead, but I love both sports. I am very proud of my coaches and team." Last year, Sophie recorded a time of 21:10.73 in the Normal Sectional. She has already exceeded that time this season and her hope is to record an even better time this year in the postseason. Congrats to Sophie on her performances and her honor as an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for

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ALTON - There are a few things you should know about Bob Ryan. First, he is an Alton native and trusted lawyer with an office in the Riverbender building. Second, a piece of the Berlin Wall sits on his desk as a nod to his time in Germany during World War II. Third, he will turn 100 on Saturday, Sept. 23, and, in a move both exciting and uncharacteristic, he might leave work a little early today as a treat. “I’m lucky to be alive,” Ryan said, a sentiment that rings as true today as when he first thought it several years ago at the end of the war. For someone who was so young when World War II began, he lived a lifetime before it ended. Ryan graduated from Marquette Catholic High School and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps a year after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He is candid about his experiences during World War II, including the year he spent in a Nazi prison camp as a prisoner of war. In May 1944, Ryan’s B17 4-Engine Bomber was hit head-on by an enemy

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ALTON - Alton Main Street will host the Downtown Alton Chili Cook-Off, a longtime tradition that encourages Alton businesses and community members to compete for the best chili recipe. From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, you can sample chili from different teams representing Alton businesses, restaurants, organizations and individuals. A panel of judges will give cash awards to the best recipes, and you can vote for your favorite to receive the People’s Choice Award and coveted silver ladle. “The chili cookoff is just a great civic event where amateur chefs and professional chefs can put their recipes up against each other,” said Sara McGibany, the executive director of Alton Main Street. “It would be wonderful to see a full house there for people who are interested in supporting our efforts to revitalize downtown and to really just come out and see friends, maybe make some new friends, and have a great lunch.” The Lodge at the Lovejoy

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GODFREY - Illinois American Water announced the boil order that was issued for Godfrey, Grafton, Elsah, Chautauqua and Jersey County Rural Water Company (sale for resale) has been lifted. Impacted customers received a call from Illinois American Water on Wednesday, Sept. 20 to notify them. Terry Mackin, who handles external communications for Illinois American, explained why the boil order was necessary on Tuesday, Sept. 19. "A boil water order issued in accordance with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Anytime water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch (PSI) in any part of a community’s distribution system, a boil water order must be issued," Macklin said. A bout Illinois American Water - Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also

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O'FALLON, Ill. - September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and early detection is key to saving lives, which is why several Metro East community organizations and healthcare providers are collaborating to offer FREE prostate cancer screenings and education on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The event will be from 8 to 11 a.m. at The Rec, 9950 Bunkum Road in Fairview Heights, Ill. The American Cancer Society estimates that the U.S. had about 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer with about 34,500 deaths in 2022. If detected early, more than 99% of patients are alive five years after the initial prostate cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer has no symptoms in most cases and is usually detected by screening. Men aged 45-75 years and men with a family history of prostate cancer could benefit from getting screened. Additionally, according to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer develops more often in African American men. Organizers hope to further engage all at-risk men with community

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SPRINGFIELD - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today charged three men who own and operate a dozen Central and Southern Illinois gas stations for allegedly underreporting more than $50 million in sales from 2019 to 2022, which produced more than $4 million in tax liability. Roger Multani, 29, of Peoria, Illinois, and brothers Surinder (Paul) Singh, 34, and Jitender (Jay) Singh, 33, both of Indianapolis, Indiana, were charged in a Peoria County Circuit Court and Sangamon County Circuit Court with multiple counts of theft, fraud and tax evasion. “Individuals who underreport sales taxes are stealing from the state and from the residents in their communities who rely on the important programs and services stolen tax revenues are intended to fund,” Raoul said. “I appreciate the continued partnership of the Illinois Department of Revenue as we work together to hold these individuals accountable.” Raoul’s office alleged that between Jan. 1, 2019 and July 20, 2022

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GRANITE CITY - The 6,000 union members of the Southwest Area Council (SWAC) of the IFT/AFT/AFL-CIO stand with the United Steelworkers (USW Local 1899) at Granite City Works and call on U.S. Steel to work with them to resume operations. SWAC President Cyndi Oberle-Dahm released the following statement after steelworkers were laid off due to reduced operations: “We stand with the hundreds of United Steelworkers in Granite City and their families as they face layoffs following U.S. Steel’s abrupt idling of blast furnace B. This is a reckless decision that has immediate impacts on workers’ families and the regional economy. “The hard-working steelworkers of Local 1899 deserve better. They deserve job security. Instead, their employer used a loophole to lay off hundreds of people without any notice and is trying to pit worker against worker by blaming the UAW strike in the process. We see through this, and we will not accept it. “This is no time to play

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GLEN CARBON - Jean Sommer remembers the day she got home from the hospital, the first time she was told she would need an organ transplant. There were 14 stairs leading to her bedroom. Her husband held her arms and lifted her up. Her son had wrapped a belt around her chest to keep her upright. Her daughter knelt at her feet, lifting each foot up the stairs, step by step. Two months before, she had become septic through complications of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and polycystic liver disease (PLD). She would go on to receive a liver transplant in August 2016. Now in 2023, Sommer is once again facing a transplant list. PKD has affected her kidneys, and she has a seven- to nine-year wait before she could receive a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. Hoping to avoid dialysis, Sommer is searching for a living donor who would be willing to donate a kidney now. “I knew this day was coming,” Sommer said. “But it always surprises people

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MASCOUTAH – On Tuesday, Sept. 26, a fictional aircraft mishap exercise will be taking place at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah with the goal of testing and improving local emergency response efforts. As a result, access to the airport will be restricted that day between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. To avoid any public misconception or concerns, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport wants to ensure that area residents who may witness any emergency activity during the exercise timeframe are aware that the incident is not real. The fictional scenario will involve an aircraft that has experienced multiple bird strikes and needs to return to the airport. During the landing phase, the aircraft will experience a hard landing on the runway, leading to structural damage and fire, and emergency response teams from several fire and police departments will work together to quickly respond. This full-scale emergency exercise focuses on decision-making, coordination and integration with other

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WEST ALTON - The first-ever Family Fun Fest in West Alton is coming up this Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at West Alton City Park. The event will offer free entry and lots of family-friendly fun, including a petting zoo, food, games, a market, pumpkins and more. West Alton Mayor Bill Richter and his wife Crystal went into more detail about the festival and market on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . Crystal said this is the first year the Family Fun Fest is being held in West Alton, but not the first year for the market. Bill added that the event originally centered around the Great Flood of 1993, but has been “revamped” this year for a new purpose. “Since the ‘93 flood, we try to every 10 years have a little get-together, and then in the 2000’s, we started getting flooded at the time of the thing, so we stopped doing it for a while,” Bill said. “This time, we’re revamping it and making it mor

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center has partnered with Hea logics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced, chronic wound care services, to open the Wound Care Center of Excellence at the hospital to offer advanced wound care for people living with chronic, non-healing wounds. Hea logics is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and has a nationwide network of over 600 Wound Care Centers®.It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and that number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy. If left untreated chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb. “Our new Wound Care Center of Excellence addresses a very specific and important initiative to advance the hospital’s clinical platform forward when speaking about access to medical care that’s

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GRANITE CITY - The newly remodeled Granite City MERS Goodwill location is hosting a reopening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday morning, which will be held shortly before the doors open at 9 a.m. Improved parking and other improvements will greet customers when the store reopens just in time for the fall and Halloween seasons. “The store has improved the parking for its customers for ease and safety as they move in and out of the busy location,” MERS Goodwill stated in a press release. “Goodwill also has enhanced its covered drive-through and added an extra dock to streamline the donation process and make it more convenient for shoppers.” MERS Goodwill executives and staff will be on hand Thursday to celebrate the reopening and ribbon-cutting with members of the Granite City community. The store will reopen with regular store hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Donation hours will be

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business is setting their accounting students up for success through Meet the Firms, a networking event that attracts public accounting firms, corporations and government agencies, and has a proven history of success as numerous students have secured internships and full-time employment. “It is important to bring firms onto SIUE’s campus through events like this because it allows students to interact with recruiters without having to travel off-campus,” said Marc Ortegren, PhD, assistant professor of accounting. “By facilitating face-to-face interaction, Meet the Firms, provides students with a networking opportunity and exposure to the wide variety of individual firms, companies, and agencies that recruit accounting students.” Over 30 firms, including each of the Big-4 firms, attended the career fair earlier this month sponsored and run by the School of Business’ Bet

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ST. LOUIS - Starting today, Wednesday, Sept. 20, and continuing through Tuesday, Oct. 3, Schnucks customers in the St. Louis metropolitan area will be able to contribute to the United Way of Greater St. Louis at checkout simply by rounding up their grocery purchases to the nearest dollar. Those customers who use self-checkouts and wish to donate may choose a $1, $3 or $5 “Scan and Give” option. Schnucks Rewards members also have the opportunity to donate their rewards points to United Way as part of the Donate Your Rewards program. Schnucks has a decades-long history of supporting United Way, and during last year’s company campaign, teammates, customers and the company donated more than $2.23 million - including more than $126,000 from the Round Up at the Register. “At Schnucks, our mission to nourish people’s lives means supporting organizations like United Way as they work to address the vast and varying needs of the communities that we serve together,”

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EDWARDSVILLE: Bella Milano celebrated 20 years in business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at their Edwardsville location on Tuesday. Tom Guarino, director of sales and hospitality for Bella Milano, said he appreciated the community’s turnout to the ribbon cutting and their support over the past two decades. “ just kind of throwing a party for our 20th and the community has been amazing, they’ve responded tonight and everybody’s been so gracious about our 20 years,” Guarino said at the event. “It’s because of the community that we’re here 20 years, so we definitely appreciate that.” Guarino’s father and his father’s business partner, Craig Kalogerou, started Bella Milano 20 years ago after meeting through both owning Dairy Queens. Both Guarino and Kalogerou came from Italian heritage and had the vision to bring a proper Italian restaurant to Edwardsville - specifically along Route 157, which has seen lots of developmen

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GREENVILLE - The Panther 5K returned to Greenville University’s Homecoming celebration in 2022 after a COVID hiatus and received a welcome response. This year, runners will take their mark on Saturday, October 21, 2023, during GU’s Homecoming and Family Weekend celebration. Runners and walkers of all ages are invited to participate in the annual Panther 5K. Awards will be presented to various age groups. Participation cost for the 5k Run/Walk is $37.99. Early bird pricing increases after September 30. Participation in The Kids Fun Run is $5. Registrations are taken through the day of the event. Greenville University Student charge is $10. Price increases after October 10. “It’s fun for the whole family! The Panther 5k is a great tradition to add to Homecoming Weekend. There's something for everyone to enjoy between the fall weather, the community, the food, and the athletic events,” says Tina Watterson, Coordinator of Advancement and Alumni Engagement

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