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GRANITE CITY - More families in Illinois will be relying on First Student to provide the best start and finish to the school day. Granite City Community Unit School District (USD) #9 has selected First Student to manage and operate all school transportation services beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. “The school bus is an extension of the classroom, and we want to provide our students with the best possible experience as they travel to and from school,” said Granite City Community USD #9 Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann. “First Student is known for providing high-quality transportation services with its top safety standards and innovative technology. We believe the company will be able to deliver solutions that really make a difference for our families.” New state-of-the-art school buses with air conditioning will provide thousands of students with a more comfortable and secure ride to and from school. First Student is replacing all 68 buses in the

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined mothers from the Highland Park area, as well as survivors from the July 4 th massacre and other mass shootings like Uvalde and Parkland at a rally on Capitol Hill to speak out about the need for additional commonsense gun safety reforms. Duckworth, a mother of two young daughters, emphasized the moral obligation to protect our nation’s children and every community across America from senseless gun violence. Duckworth continued by extending her condolences to Highland Park and the many communities mourning from preventable gun crimes. Today’s demonstration came a little over a week after the tragic Highland Park Parade massacre and several community members and parade attendees were present. “I am so upset and so angry. Because I have a four-year-old and I was telling folks yesterday that after Uvalde, I was scrolling, looking for where I could buy ballistic backpacks and ballistic whiteboard

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Highland Park, Illinois, residents and members of March Fourth, a gun safety advocacy group, following the Highland Park mass shooting on July 4 that resulted in the deaths of seven people and injured dozens more. During the meeting, Highland Park residents shared their experiences from the shooting and the toll that attack has had on them and their families. Durbin and Duckworth went on to discuss policy solutions to the gun violence epidemic and to rein in assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Both Senators are cosponsors and advocates of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 . “After this July 4 th mass shooting, Highland Park will never be the same. Children will grow up without parents. Others will be emotionally and physically burdened for years to come. I admire the courage of Highland Park residents who came to share their experience with Senator

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker has appointed Dr. Sameer Vohra, a distinguished pediatrician and healthcare policy expert, to lead the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) beginning August 1. Dr. Vohra, the Founding Chair of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s (SIU-SOM) Department of Population Science and Policy, follows Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who stepped down in March after leading IDPH and the State of Illinois through the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m proud to announce the Illinois Department of Public Health’s next visionary leader: Dr. Sameer Vohra,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Dr. Vohra is accomplished in every sense of the word. His experience and education transcend sectors and fields, bringing a well-rounded perspective to this agency. As a leader in state and national health policy, I have absolute confidence in Dr. Vohra’s ability to continue shaping a stronger IDPH for the 21st century.”

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GLEN CARBON - Last year, Father McGivney Catholic High School's baseball team rostered four sets of brothers. It's unusual to see one set of brothers, let alone four. One of those sets of brothers is the Terhaars. They could easily be mistaken as twins but are indeed separated by a year. Older brother Nathan will be a junior in the fall while Justin will become a sophomore. Both will be seeing plenty of time for the Griffins at the varsity level this upcoming season. Justin and Nathan are recognized today as the Byron, Carlson, Petri and Kalp LLC Male Athletes of the Month for Father McGivney. "It's really cool to be playing on the same team," Nathan said who saw 110 at-bats and had a .309 batting average for Father McGivney last season. "It's not something that everybody gets to do," Justin added. Justin only took nine at-bats last season batting .222, but every year expect him to see more playing time. The two have been playing with one another since they were young, really

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Photos from this article (and gallery) may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Miss-Jersey-County-Pageant JERSEYVILLE - Tessa Huelskoetter was crowned the 2022 Little Miss Jersey County on Wednesday night at the Jersey County Fair. The other Little Miss winners were: Little Miss 1st Runner Up - Hattie Mae Kadell Little Miss 2nd Runner Up - Lola Yoder Little Miss 3rd Runner Up - Carly Ringhausen Little Miss 4th Runner Up - Jane Abbey People's Choice - Nora Hagen Huelskoetter said there was a lot of hard work and preparation that went into competing as Little Miss. For others who consider competing in the Little Miss competitions, Tessa said, "You should not be scared at all. It is so much fun." "I worked hard on practicing with my babysitter, and she made it really fun," Tess said. Tessa was overjoyed at capturing first, but said as she walks away from the pageant: "I am going to ride rides and enjoy the fair!"

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Granite City Community Unit School District #9 announced its school supply lists for the upcoming 2022-23 school year, which is set to begin on Wednesday, August 17. Additional items may be added by individual teachers at the start of the year. It is recommended to purchase additional basic supplies during the “Back to School” sales especially things like pencils, paper, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, and crayons. PRATHER (Pre-K & Kindergarten) - LINK MARYVILLE (1st & 2nd Grade) - LINK WILSON (1st & 2nd Grade) - LINK FROHARDT (3rd & 4th Grade) - LINK MITCHELL (3rd & 4th Grade) - LINK GRIGSBY (5th & 6th Grade) - LINK COOLIDGE (7th & 8th Grade) - LINK GRANITE CITY HIGH SCHOOL (9th-12th Grade) - LINK LAKE EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES CENTER - LINK Enrollment and registration remain open for the 2022-23 school year. Families can register by using your SKYWARD account. For all

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GRANITE CITY - Coolidge Junior High School has announced tryout dates and times for students interested in competing in Fall sports for the 2022-23 school year. All prospective student-athletes must bring a current physical and parent signed permission form to tryouts. If these items are not turned in at tryouts, the student will not be able to participate. BASEBALL Dates: August 1-3, 10 a.m.-Noon or 4-6 p.m. Location: Varsity Baseball Field Equipment: Baseball equipment plus water bottle Contact: Scott Smallie (Head Coach) - scott.smallie@gcsd9.net CROSS COUNTRY Dates: August 2, 4 & 9 - 8 a.m. Location: Corner of Wilson Park Equipment: Water Bottle Contact: Tom Miller (Head Coach) - tom.miller@gcsd9.net FOOTBALL Dates: August 8, 9-11 a.m. Location: Meet in Wrestling Room Equipment: Water bottle Contact: Mark Wilson (Head Coach) - mark.wilson@gcsd9.net SOFTBALL Date: July 25-27, 10 a.m. Location: Wilson Park, Diamon

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ALTON - A makeshift memorial of flowers, baby teddy bears, notes, and candles has grown throughout the day in front of My Just Desserts in Alton. Residents are mourning the loss of beloved My Just Desserts owner Yvonne Campbell, who died after she suffered injuries in a July 8, 2022, crash in Jamaica. Even as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, community members were gathered at the location conversing, sharing memories of the owner, who impacted a large number of lives in the Riverbend area. Connie Schmidt shared a comment about Yvonne that covered what many today around the Alton region felt: “She was just so nice. She had a beautiful smile (which she was always wearing). This is a nightmare for her relatives and friends here at home.” Alton Mayor David Goins said he was not surprised the makeshift memorial had swelled throughout the day. “I am not surprised at the growth of the memorial,” he said. “She had a huge impact on our area. She will truly leave a legacy

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GRANITE CITY - GCS Credit Union employees joined together to raise $815 in the month of June to benefit Staunton Helping Hands Center through their Don’t Stop Donatin’ Jeans Program. The Don’t Stop Donatin’ Jeans Program is funded by GCS employees who make monthly, monetary donations out of their own pockets to a local organization. By donating $15 or more to a specific organization, GCS employees are able to wear jeans and tennis shoes on Fridays and Saturdays during that month. This year, GCS Credit Union is focusing on giving back to the 18 counties that they serve. June’s focus was on Macoupin County, IL. GCS proudly raised $815 for Staunton Helping Hands Center. The Staunton Helping Hands Center is a place of support and comfort to those in need. This location serves Macoupin County residents with healthy food, hygiene, and basic needs. Visit https://www.stauntonhelpinghands.org/ to see how they offer a helping hand to the community! To find out

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey County Fair grandstands will be packed with plenty of horsepower from Thursday to Sunday night - between a rodeo, tractor and truck pulls and demolition derby events for both children and adult competitors, each night is sure to be jam-packed with entertainment. Thursday night is the International Professional Rodeo Association / Missouri Rodeo Cowboys Association (IPRA/MRCA) Rodeo. Jersey County Fair President Phil Ringhausen said the evening will feature “all the events of a full rodeo.” “We’ll have bull riding, bronco riding, you’ll have calf roping, you’ll have barrel racing - it’s a full-fledged rodeo with all the events,” Ringhausen said. The IPRA/MRCA Rodeo begins at 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $4 for children. On Friday night, Ringhausen said the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League Super Pro Showdown will see three classes of modified tractors pull that night, along with one class of two-wheel-drive

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ALTON - The Schwegel family has a long legacy in Alton for its care and concern about the region as a well-recognized mom-and-pop grocery store at 901 Alby Street. For many Alton neighbors and friends in the community, Schwegel's has provided their meats, grocery products, and a place to cash checks when no one else would for years and years. Robert McAfoos, a long-time friend of the Schwegel family and former employee, sent a meaningful letter to Riverbender.com a few days ago about the store and how it has hit some hard times since the COVID-19 Pandemic. It went as follows: "Schwegel's Grocery Store at the corner of 9th and Alby has hit very hard times: first, with the COVID-19 Pandemic and now with road/sewer construction that has gravely hindered business. Schwegel's has served this side of town, which has been considered to be a food desert for four generations. They are not your average grocery store. Countless families have come in and filled their grocery carts with food,

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CHICAGO — As part of his continuing plan to carefully unwind the state’s COVID-19 executive orders, Governor Pritzker today updating vaccine and testing requirements in some industries. The updated executive order amends testing requirements for some unvaccinated health care employees and removes mandates for some other industries. Among the provisions that have been lifted in past months, Governor Pritzker has reduced requirements for school exclusion, removed provisions relating to setting up alternative care facilities, returned to non-emergency hospital oversight by removing several provisions and restarted normal jail-to-prison transfers. Other changes included lifting provisions in an effort to ensure governments are resuming normal operations. The Governor continues to maintain all provisions necessary for the health and safety of the people of Illinois, as well as all provisions in disaster proclamations that enable the state to recoup the maximum available from

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - Detectives are seeking assistance to identify a person of interest in a bank robbery that occurred at the U.S. Bank in the 11000 block of Larimore Road in St. Louis County at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. St. Louis County Police said the person of interest entered the bank, showed the teller a note, and demanded money. "The subject then fled to a nearby Dirt Cheap store where they entered a restroom and changed clothes," St. Louis County Police said. "The person of interest was last seen walking westbound on Dunn Road. The photos here show the subject before and after changing clothes." Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective McDonald through our Bureau of Communications at (636) 529-8210 or (314) 615-8686. "Thank you for your assistance!," St. Louis County Police said.

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ALTON - Francine Jackson was renting the home in the 1300 block of Taylor in Alton on Friday, July 8, and was sound asleep when a burning smell and coughing caused her to rise out of bed. At first, she thought it was the “smell of burning leaves” that captured her attention, and she grabbed her phone to contact the fire department. Then, she realized this wasn’t burning leaves, but she looked at the window and saw the whole window engulfed in flames. She tried to grab a fire extinguisher in her cabinet but she realized she had to get outside. She trudged in a blind fashion through a gulf of smoke and was barely able to get out the doorway. “I was sound asleep and I woke up coughing,” she said. “I have asthma.” Jackson’s asthma issues may have ultimately saved her life in what seemed what she called "a miraculous escape." “I felt lucky,” she said. “I had no idea I was that close to death. If I had woken up 30 seconds

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ALTON - It is with great sadness the death of Yvonne Campbell, owner of My Just Desserts, is announced Wednesday morning. However, she died of complications after a crash in Jamaica on July 8, 2022. She had been hospitalized in Jamaica since the accident. Others from Alton were involved in the crash and one person remains in a Jamaica hospital hoping to be flown back for additional medical treatment in the U.S. My Just Desserts in Alton issued this statement on its Facebook page on Wednesday morning: "We have to share with you all about the passing of our owner Yvonne. Anyone that knew her, loved her, and knew how much of a bright light she brought to every room she entered. No one will ever bake a pie, cobbler, or cake as good as her. "Please give us room for grievance at this time. We will be closed until further notice and will let everyone know when we will be back. Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers, this is devastating to all." Shelia Goins, the wif

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EDWARDSVILLE - Kathy McKinnon, President/CEO of SIUE Credit Union, will be retiring after 38 years of service on June 30, 2022, and will be succeeded by Matthew Parrott as the new President/CEO. Kathy became the 3rd president of SIUE Credit Union on December 1st, 2006, succeeding Maxine Callies. Kathy began her career in credit unions in 1972 working for the American Steel Federal Credit Union and then started at SIUE Credit Union in 1984 as Vice President of Operations. Kathy has been instrumental in the growth of the credit union from 9 million in assets in 2006 to over 30 million in assets in 2022. During her tenure, Kathy has implemented many products and services for the benefit of its members. Kathy also served as a Director on the Epcor payment systems board for more than 15 years. Epcor provides payments expertise through education, advice, and member representation. Matthew Parrott succeeded Kathy McKinnon on July 1, 2022. Matthew has been in the financial industry for more

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HARDIN - Johnathan E. Myers, 35, faces a number of charges after a traffic stop and a court-authorized home search in Hardin, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday. At 10:02 p.m. on July 9, 2022, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Park Street near Main Street, Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, Johnathan E. Myers, age 35, of Hardin, Illinois was arrested on the following charges: Disobeying a Traffic Control Device, Driving While License Suspended, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On July 10, 2022, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office followed up with the criminal investigation and executed a court-authorized search warrant at a residence in the 200 block of South Park Street in Hardin. Subsequent to the execution of said search warrant, law enforcement officials discovered items used to manufacture an explosive or incendiary device,

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ST. LOUIS - The City of St. Louis has reported the city's first probable case of monkeypox. The individual has told the St. Louis Department of Public Health said it is awaiting confirmation from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation of their monkeypox case. "The individual likely contracted the virus outside of the state during recent travel," the St. Louis Department of Public Health said. "An investigation shows the individual has had minimal contact with the public, and any potential close contacts have been notified." Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, director of health for the City of St. Louis said: "Through this individual's cooperation with the Department of Public Health, we believe their minimal contact with other individuals will help contain the spread of this virus within our community. At the same time, it is important that if anyone develops the symptoms of monkeypox, they should contact their medical provider immediately and avoid direct contact

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GRANITE CITY - Dean Justus is a musician from Granite City who is competing to win $10,000 and the chance to be the opening act at a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles later this year. Justus, who writes original songs, sings and plays the ukulele under the name Justus & the Experience, is currently ranked fourth in his group in the Opening Act competition . With just over nine days of voting left, you can cast a vote every day for Justus & the Experience on the Opening Act website before voting closes on the 21st. Justus doesn’t confine his musical style into any one genre, but says it mostly sounds like American folk with elements of other musical styles in different songs. “It’s going to have good lyrics, songwriting, good storytelling,” Justus said. “You won’t hear anything else out there like it. Nobody plays the style I do, nobody plays the uke like I do.” You can listen to some of his music on YouTube, where

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