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BETHALTO - Twenty years ago, Laura Gipson found her way to Trimpe Middle School, and she has loved it there ever since. Gipson is the principal of Trimpe Middle School in the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8. She enjoys going to work every day and collaborating with other educators to make sure that students get the support they need as they transition to high school. “Being here at Trimpe is like being with family,” Gipson said. “We care about each other. We come together when working towards the same goal. It correlates with our mission, which is to create a safe and welcoming environment that empowers students to successfully navigate the transition from elementary school to high school.” While education has been a natural fit for Gipson, she didn’t grow up wanting to be a teacher. For a long time, she hoped to become a nurse. But her interest in music led her to SIUE’s symphonic band, and she eventually found her way to music

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ROXANA — Sean Maberry, a junior at Roxana High School, is making waves in the athletic community as a standout in three sports: football, basketball, and baseball. As the Shells' guard for the 2025-2026 boys basketball season, Maberry is not only a three-year starter but also a key leader on the team. Maberry’s impact on the basketball court has been significant. According to Mark Briggs, the head boys basketball coach and athletic director at Roxana, Maberry has logged the most minutes of any player on the team at this point. Maberry is 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, so he has good size for a quarterback and free safety in football. "He was a starter in basketball when he was a freshman. This is his third year in a row as a starter," Briggs said. "He is a leader on and off the floor. In my 25 years as head coach, he is one of the fiercest competitors I've ever coached." In addition to his basketball prowess, Maberry has also excelled as the starting quarterback for the football

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GRAFTON - Grafton will host its SantaCon Pub Crawl this weekend, complete with hundreds of attendees in Santa-themed costumes. From 3–11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, community members can enjoy the pub crawl throughout the City of Grafton. The event is completely free and there is no set schedule. People are encouraged to dress up, enjoy themselves, and make their way to The Loading Dock for a photo at 6 p.m. “How do you not smile when you walk into a bar full of Santas?” said Allison Rohan, owner of Tara Point Inn and one of the SantaCon organizers. “This is our sixth year for SantaCon, and it’s basically just a pub crawl to enjoy Christmas, enjoy the season.” Most of Grafton’s bars will have drink specials, contests and bands playing throughout the day. Last year, the pub crawl welcomed over 600 attendees. A lot of people choose to dress in Santa or Mrs. Claus costumes, while others go as elves or the Grinch. All Christmas

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GLEN CARBON - Carson Barone, a sophomore point guard at Father McGivney Catholic High School, has demonstrated early in the 2024-2025 boys basketball season that his future looks bright as a Griffins' athlete. The young guard, who is the son of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville coach Brian Barone, has been recognized as a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for his early contributions to the team. Barone's performance has drawn attention from his coach, Cory Clauser, who praised the player's basketball intelligence and potential. "He has great potential," Coach Clauser said. "He is a great ball player and he loves basketball. In a recent game against Metro East Lutheran on Friday, Barone contributed seven points, showcasing his skills as both a ball handler and an offensive leader on the court. He takes pride in his ability to play both ends of the court and effectively run the Griffins' offense. Having played as a freshman at both the freshman and junior

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PIASA - When it comes to sports, Bram Beuttel has proven to be a jack of all trades as a participant this past fall in both soccer and cross country. Beuttel has demonstrated his versatility as an athlete, participating in both soccer and cross country for Southwestern High School. The 17-year-old was recently recognized as the Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for his achievements in these sports. Beuttel recorded a time of 17:41.4 at the Class 1A Rushville-Industry Boys Cross Country Regional Meet, where he placed 25th individually. His performance contributed to the Southwestern boys cross country team finishing sixth overall, allowing them to qualify for the sectional meet. “Bram Beuttel is an all-around athlete,” said Gary Bowker, head coach of the boys cross country team. “Soccer is his number one sport, and he looks to play in college. His conditioning from cross country last year has really helped him.” In addition

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CAHOKIA HEIGHTS – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, that repairs on northbound Interstate 255 over Prairie Du Pont Canal just south of Illinois 157 in St. Clair County will require double lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 7 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11. One lane will always remain open. All lanes will reopen by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - Volunteers at The Salvation Army in Alton spent the morning sorting donations for Community Christmas. The United Way’s Community Christmas campaign collects toys, hygiene products, nonperishable food items and more donations for different organizations throughout the community. On Dec. 9, 2024, volunteers at The Salvation Army sorted the toys into different boxes to be distributed to The Salvation Army, Oasis Women’s Center, the Alton Boys and Girls Club, the Catholic Children’s Home, Beverly Farms, the YWCA, Riverbend Family Ministries, Caritas Family Solutions and other local nonprofits. “Isn’t giving wonderful?” said Kristen, a volunteer with The Salvation Army. “It all goes around.” Kristen pointed out that donations are needed year-round to support these organizations and the work they do in the Riverbend community. While the Community Christmas initiative has ended, there are still opportunities to donate to local

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EDWARDSVILLE — Izzy McLeod, a senior at Metro East Lutheran High School, recorded her fastest time of the season at the Benton Sectional on Nov. 2, 2024, clocking in at 20:00.6 for 2.92 miles. This performance marked a personal record for McLeod, who has been a prominent athlete for the Knights throughout her four years in cross country. McLeod's achievement at the sectional meet follows a season that included a 20:59.4 finish at the IHSA Regional Meet at Trenton Wesclin and a fourth-place finish at the CM Invite with a time of 21:45.7. Earlier in the season, she also secured second place at the Coal Mine Classic, finishing with a time of 22:51.0. McLeod's head cross country coach Kevin Reiseck said he very pleased with McLeod's final performance and her commitment over the years as a leader of the MELHS cross country squad. "She missed qualifying for state by just 12 seconds, and she improved her personal best time by 30 seconds," the coach said. "She did a great job at the

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GLEN CARBON - Thijson Heard, a senior forward on the boys' basketball team or Metro-East Lutheran, had a big game on Friday, Dec 6, 2024, scoring 39 points, and helping the Knights come back for an 11-point third-quarter deficit to take a Gateway Metro Conference win over Father McGivney Catholic 69-64 at the McGivney gym. In Metro-East's first two games, both wins over Granite City and McGivney, Heard is averaging 34.5 points, having scored 30 points in the opener against the Warriors and 39 against the Griffins. He's the most important player this season for the Knights, who went to 2-0 with the win, and has some lofty and ambitious goals for the team and himself. Heard is a BJ's Printables Male Athlete of the Month for Metro East Lutheran High School. It was a very good comeback against McGivney, and in his postgame interview, Heard was very happy, indeed. "I feel good," Heard said. "The first half was a little bit slow, but we knew what we needed to do to come out in the second

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ALTON/GODFREY - The Great Rivers Choral Society will offer a free Christmas concert this weekend. “Sing We Now of Christmas,” the community choir’s annual Christmas show, invites community members to come out and enjoy holiday classics. The show will premiere at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, at Upper Alton Baptist Church in Alton; 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alton; and Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at Godfrey First United Methodist Church in Godfrey. “ As I see our audiences grow, it reaffirms the importance of being able to listen to live music,” said President Pat Stewart. “Especially at Christmas time, who doesn’t like Christmas music?” The show is completely free to attendees, though the choir will be accepting a freewill offering. Great Rivers Choral Society (GRCS) members will also be holding a bake sale at the Sunday, Dec. 15, performance, so Stewart encourages people to “put a couple

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BELLEVILLE - The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) issued an order Thursday approving new water and wastewater base rates for Illinois American Water, driven primarily by $557 million in capital investments in 2024 and 2025. The rate change request was filed on January 25, 2024. “By making prudent, ongoing necessary investments to maintain and upgrade our water and wastewater systems, Illinois American Water is committed to the safety and reliability of our water and wastewater systems in the communities we serve,” said Rebecca Losli, Illinois American Water president. The new rates will be effective January 1, 2025. The approved increase will result in a total annualized revenue increase of approximately $110.6 million and will support continued investment in critical water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state, including the replacement, lining and installation of approximately 44 miles of aging water and wastewater pipelines. Investments also include

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GODFREY – The annual Freer Auto Body Cookies and Cocoa event, a cherished local tradition, took on added significance this year as area students contributed their efforts to support the Community Christmas campaign. The Cookies and Coca event took place this past Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, and aims to ensure that every child in the region experiences the joy of the holiday season. Kamryn and Vincent Hollinger, children of Bret and Jamie Hollinger, along with Nora, Abigail, and Charlie Murray, children of Tim and Marisa Murray, sold homemade bracelets and raised additional funds through a yard sale to benefit the Cookies and Cocoa initiative. The children came with an abundance of toys to the Cookies and Cocoa event for Community Christmas. Their contributions align with the broader goals of Community Christmas, which supports various agencies during the holiday season. Margaret Freer of Freer Auto Body expressed her admiration for the children’s initiative, stating, “They

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SPRINGFIELD - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is announcing the opening of the application period for our new Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Grant Program. The Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Grant program provides grants up to $350,000 for the construction or rehabilitation of fire stations with a total of 5 million dollars available to departments across the state. Applications must be electronically submitted or postmarked no later than February 28, 2025. “We continue to see and hear the need of fire departments across Illinois. As the cost of equipment and fire apparatus increase, the need to store these assets in an adequate station that doesn’t leak and is free of any hazards will help to keep the Illinois firefighters safer and help equipment last longer,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. “I hope this grant shows that our commitment to helping provide funding to departments across

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SAINT LOUIS - “Christmas Carol: The Remix” tells the classic Charles Dickens story with a hip-hop twist. The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival will be sponsoring the show until Dec. 22, 2024, at the .ZACK Theater in St. Louis. Tom Ridgley with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival explained that this show is a contemporary retelling of “A Christmas Carol,” refreshed so that the setting and characters have a more modern feel. “It feels like St. Louis in 2024,” Ridgley said. “It’s just brilliant because it’s so fresh and funny but it also is the story of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ which is just so moving and uplifting and never gets old because we’re always hoping that there’s a chance we can start again and do things over.” “Christmas Carol: The Remix” tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present and Future. Ridgley said it’s “identical”

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EDWARDSVILLE - With a cast of voices, an assortment of sounds and a body in motion, the award-winning, international storyteller and author Bobby Norfolk masterfully weaved a web of tales, folklore and history around his audience on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Lovejoy Library. Norfolk’s performance kicked off the library’s celebration of holiday traditions from around the world during the month of December, according to Simone Williams, Diversity and Engagement librarian and assistant professor. Norfolk started his presentation with his rap rendition of “Three Billy Goats Gruff.” “… He should have learned not to be so greedy,” sang Norfolk, as he snapped and swayed. “He should have learned to help the needy. So, the goats ate grass, and they got fat. Trip trap. Trip trap. That’s that.” “We took a 400-year-old Norwegian folktale and put it into the African American tradition

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit stayed an injunction a district court entered regarding the Protect Illinois Communities Act. The stay will remain in place while the appeal is pending. “I am pleased the 7th Circuit has stayed the district court’s injunction. My office will continue to prosecute the appeal, and the Protect Illinois Communities Act remains the law of the land as the litigation is pending in the lower courts. The Protect Illinois Communities Act is an important tool to prevent weapons of war from being used in our schools and on our streets, and I am committed to defending its constitutionality.”

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BELLEVILLE — The Belleville Police Department welcomed two new officers to its ranks on Thursday following graduation from the Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy Session 154. Officer Ortiz-Medina and Officer Headen are now poised to begin a comprehensive four-phase Field Training program designed to further develop their skills under the guidance of the department’s Field Training Officers (FTOs). The graduation marks a significant milestone for the officers, who will continue their training in a structured environment to prepare for the challenges of law enforcement. The Belleville Police Department emphasized that while the officers have completed their initial training, their education and development will continue through this rigorous program. The department encourages the community to join in congratulating Officer Ortiz-Medina and Officer Headen as they embark on their careers in public service.

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SPRINGFIELD - The OSFM is providing the secret recipe for a fun and safe holiday season; fire safety. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) more than one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles. More than two of every five home decoration fires occur due to decorations being placed too close to a heat source. The NFPA also reports U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 853 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. Between 2018-2022, US fire departments responded to an average of 155 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in more than two in five homes. As Christmas trees dry out, they become more and more flammable. Thirty-six percent of Christmas tree fires were in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, they can grow very fast. Candle fires peak in December followed closely by January. More

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EAST ALTON - Two girls reported missing in East Alton have been located safe, according to Police Chief Scott Gollicke. The announcement was made on Monday morning, December 9, 2024. Chief Gollicke stated that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the girls' disappearance is ongoing. He emphasized that the police are collaborating with the parents but could not provide further details at this time. The East Alton Police Department is committed to ensuring the well-being of the children involved and is focused on gathering more information as the investigation progresses.

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GODFREY - Fifteen members of the Godfrey Women’s Club dedicated their Friday to ringing bells for the Salvation Army kettles outside Schnucks in Godfrey. The event is part of the club’s ongoing commitment to community service. The Godfrey Women’s Club, known for its various service projects, aims to support local initiatives and charitable organizations. Among the volunteers were Eileen Aimone, Becky Areford, Sharon Wild, and Tanya Sisk, who contributed their time to raise funds for the Salvation Army. This annual tradition not only helps gather donations for those in need but also fosters a spirit of community involvement among the club's members. The efforts of the Godfrey Women’s Club exemplify the organization’s dedication to making a positive impact in the area.

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