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BELLEVILLE - The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) today announced it has been awarded $200,000 in grant funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the development of Phase 3 of its Fairview Heights – Swansea Trail. This new, 1.1-mile trail segment is part of three trails in Fairview Heights that, once complete, will combine to create a 4.5-mile bike trail corridor extending from the intersection of Highway 161 and Sullivan Drive to The REC Complex of Fairview Heights on Bunkum Road. The corridor will add to St. Clair County Transit District’s ever-evolving MetroBikeLink System, which currently consists of 39 miles of interconnecting trails and bike paths in Southwestern Illinois. Phase 3 of SCCTD’s Fairview Heights – Swansea Trail will feature a 10-foot-wide paved bike and pedestrian pathway that will extend along Union Hill Road from Frank Scott Parkway north to Longacre Drive, connecting more than 1,500 residents to the trail.

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ALTON — The Hayner Public Library District is set to host a program titled “Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. The event will take place at Hayner Library, located in Alton Square Mall. Mark H.X. Glenshaw, an award-winning naturalist, will lead the presentation, sharing insights from his two decades of observing Great Horned Owls in Forest Park, St. Louis. Since December 2005, Glenshaw has meticulously documented the behaviors and lives of these owls, and he will showcase his findings through photos and videos during the talk. The program aims to educate attendees about the unique behaviors of these birds, emphasizing their remarkable adaptations and the challenges they face in their natural habitat. Interested participants are encouraged to register by calling 1-800-613-3163.

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GODFREY – What could be argued as a best choice during the month that celebrates love, Olive Oil Marketplace in Alton is being honored by the RiverBend Growth Association as the February 2025 Small Business of the Month award recipient. Located at 108 W. 3rd Street, Olive Oil Marketplace is a local, family-owned and operated gourmet market that began providing both products and knowledge to customers in 2011. First operating as a vendor at various festivals, fairs, and other events, Olive Oil Marketplace opened its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown Alton in July 2012. Owners Tim and Julie Meeks then opened a second location in downtown Belleville, at 122 E. Main St., in November 2016. When asked why they started the business, Julie Meeks said that the underlying motivation came in “providing customers with the best quality of oil and balsamic while also teaching the importance of using the products and why everybody needs it.” “We are much more

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WOOD RIVER — Avery Huddleston demonstrated her skills on the basketball court as the Civic Memorial High School girls' basketball team secured a significant victory against Pleasant Plains on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. The Eagles triumphed with a score of 49-41, bringing their season record to 22 wins. Huddleston, who played a pivotal role in both offensive and defensive strategies, scored 14 points during the game and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Civic Memorial head coach Jeff Durbin described the win as one of the team's best performances of the season. “Avery is probably my team's best finisher, game in and game out,” Durbin said. “She had a great game against Pleasant Plains. She made some big shots and some great free throws. She deserved the player of the game.” In addition to her performance in the recent game, Huddleston has also been recognized as a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athlete of the Month for the Eagles. Avery's consisten

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EAST ALTON - Young entrepreneur Amoriah Gray is eager to unveil her second book and her first toy. In 2022 at age 7, Amoriah published “Amoriah’s Magic Afro Puffs,” which encourages kids to love their natural hair. Now, she is working on a new book that details how her imaginary friend helped her through her mother’s medical struggle. She is also proud to release an Amoriah Plushie that looks just like her, complete with a ballerina dress and magic afro puffs. “What I want them to know about my plushie the most is if you ever, ever, ever struggle with something and you don’t know how to write a book or make a plushie, you could always buy my plushie,” Amoriah said. Amoriah and her mother, Angela Gray, decided to create the plushie after they realized there were no dolls on the shelves that looked like Amoriah. Ever the entrepreneur, Amoriah asked if they could create a plushie, and Angela was quick to agree. “I said,

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TROY — Neil A. Howard was found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, for the strangulation of his mother, Norma Caraker. The jury reached its verdict shortly after deliberations began, following the conclusion of testimony and closing arguments last week in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Amy Maher at the Criminal Justice Center in Edwardsville. The trial stemmed from events that began in September 2023, when Caraker was discovered dead in her home in Troy. Prosecutors argued that Howard, motivated by a deep-seated hatred for his mother, committed the crime in a premeditated manner. Evidence presented during the trial included DNA found on a glove used in the murder, which Howard could not adequately explain. Tom Haine, the prosecutor, expressed his relief at the verdict, and said: "Norma should be alive. She didn't deserve this. It was a horrific case, and the ripple effects will continue. This family has been torn apart in so many ways." Haine emphasized

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CARLINVILLE – Thanks to an exciting grant program, the Carlinville Public Library will be able to massively upgrade its digital capability for patrons. The library has been named a recipient of a Digital Equity Capacity Kickstarter (DECK) grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Office of Broadband. Carlinville is one of only two public libraries statewide to receive funding under the program. The other was the Chicago Public Library. In addition, the Carlinville library was one of only seven entities outside the nine-county Chicagoland region to receive a DECK award. The main goals of the program are “to sustain existing local initiatives and support other proven and pilot ideas” to “shrink often-overlooked aspects of the digital divide.” “This grant has enabled us to make huge improvements in the technology we’re able to offer our patrons,” said Hannah Miller, director

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EAST ST. LOUIS - A 17-year-old male was shot and killed Saturday evening, Feb. 8, 2025, in East St. Louis, marking a tragic incident that has prompted an ongoing investigation. Parker A. Bujnak, a resident of the 600 block of Fulton Street in Belleville, was pronounced dead at 9:30 p.m. at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. The shooting occurred at approximately 8:37 p.m. at the intersection of 59th and State streets, as confirmed by the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 6 Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG). Authorities have not yet disclosed any information regarding a potential motive for the shooting. ISP DCI agents responded to the scene to assist the East St. Louis Police Department, who are leading the investigation. As of now, no further details have been released, and the investigation remains active.

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is inviting prospective students and their families to see what the college has to offer during Discover Day, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 from 4 to 6 p.m. This event, an exciting opportunity to learn why so many students choose L&C as the starting point for their higher education journeys, will be held in The Commons on the college’s Godfrey Campus. Attendees will be able to connect with college representatives, discover career and transfer programs, and experience the vibrant student life at L&C. Prospective students will have the opportunity to meet with advisors, admissions staff, and current students to gain a comprehensive understanding of everything L&C has to offer. "Discover Day provides a great opportunity for prospective students to explore various career options and learn how Lewis and Clark can support them in achieving their goals," Vice President of Student Affairs Cherise Jackson said. "The consistent increase in enrollment

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general today to stop the Trump administration from unlawfully cutting Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding that supports cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. The coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. These reimbursements cover necessary expenses to facilitate biomedical research, including lab, faculty, safety protocol, data processing and utility costs. “The funds the Trump administration is proposing to cut support lifesaving medical research,” Raoul said. “The impact of these illegal cuts would be enormous in Illinois, harming the ability of our universities and research institutions to achieve breakthrough

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EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is inviting residents across the 56th District to register for her Free Constituent Resource Card as a way to explore more than a dozen Illinois Museums and Parks in the greater Chicagoland area. “This is one of the many benefits my office can help provide to the residents we serve,” said Senator Harriss. “While Chicago may seem far away to some, this free museum pass is a great way to explore our state’s parks and museums with complimentary admission.” The Illinois Museums and Parks for 2025 include: Adler Planetarium The Art Institute of Chicago Brookfield Zoo Chicago Chicago Botanic Garden Chicago Children’s Museum Chicago History Museum DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center The Field Museum Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center Lincoln Park Zoo Museum of Contemporary Art National Museum of Mexican Art

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CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4144, also known as Karina’s Law, a measure to improve protections for victims of domestic violence. The law allows local law enforcement agencies to promptly confiscate firearms from any individual whose Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card has been revoked due to restraining orders (often put in place to protect victims after law enforcement is made aware of abuse). Karina’s Law is named for Karina Gonzalez, a mother who was granted an order of protection against her husband, Jose Alvarez, weeks before he shot both her and their teenage daughter, Daniela, in July 2023. During the incident, Alvarez also shot their son, who survived and lobbied for the General Assembly to pass the law in his mother’s name. “Protecting victims of domestic violence is a cause that’s taking a giant leap forward today,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Karina’s law will protect survivors of domestic

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ELGIN, IL – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker—alongside parents, teachers and staff at Two Rivers Head Start agency—underscored how President Donald Trump’s illegal funding freeze is continuing to inflict needless chaos, confusion and financial pain on Head Start programs and the middle-class families they serve throughout Illinois. As a result of the financial setbacks triggered by Trump’s funding freeze, many Head Start programs in Illinois are unsure how they’ll be able to provide food and resources to the kids in their care or whether they’ll have to shut down altogether. Photos from today’s press conference are available on the Senator’s website . “Despite running on the promise that he would lower costs for middle-class Americans, Donald Trump’s illegal funding freeze is hurting the same families he swore he’d protect by jeopardizing the Head Start programs so

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 16 of their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to expand congressional oversight of foreign assistance decision-making. The Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act would require the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and for all foreign assistance funding provided to the State Department or U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to be used as directed within 90 days of its appropriation by Congress. The Director of Foreign Assistance is currently not confirmed by the Senate, and the Trump Administration has refused to publicly identify the individual currently occupying this powerful position. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk illegally dismantling

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) introduced the Bringing Low-Cost Options and Competition while Keeping Incentives for New Generics (BLOCKING) Act, which would discourage pharmaceutical companies from parking their exclusivity on a generic drug application. “Too many Americans are burdened by high drug prices, and Congress must act. Current policies are failing to foster competition and are hindering affordable options,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “This bill aims to right this wrong by reducing exclusivity, enabling generics to enter the market sooner and lower prices for people.” Under current law, drug manufacturers are granted 180 days of market exclusivity when they are the first to file a generic drug application for a drug that does not yet have a generic. Unfortunately, some companies "park" or "hold" their exclusivity, blocking other companies from producing generics and keeping prices inflated. The BLOCKING

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CARLINVILLE - The Cavaliers secured a spot in the sectional competition by finishing second at the ACES Regional, formerly known as WYSE, hosted by Carlinville High School at Blackburn College on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. The team, which was edged out by Roxana, will advance to compete at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville on March 7, 2025. Sam Wilson stood out in the competition, tying for first place in the math portion and earning third place in chemistry. Joanna Roemer also made a notable contribution, finishing second in English, while Victorine Harrington secured third place in physics. The team, under the guidance of coaches Ethan Klaffer, Jason Crowell, and Darrin DeNeve, showcased a strong performance with contributions from team members including above front row: Victorine Harrington, Bailey Maberry, Kassidy Michaels, Elyse Eldred, and Joanna Roemer. Middle row: Coach Ethan Klaffer, Coach Jason Crowell, Annalee Johns, Marleigh Konneker, Taylor Brandenburg, Brendon Atterberry,

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EDWARDSVILLE - At a birthday party on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, a quick response by a trained employee at Altitude Trampoline Park in Edwardsville helped save the life of an unconscious man. Taylor Smith, a senior at Edwardsville High School, was working on Saturday when she was alerted to the situation. According to Smith, a party attendee's father had collapsed and was unresponsive. "I grabbed the AED," she said when she heard of the situation, referring to the automated external defibrillator. Smith, who works at the trampoline park, had learned about the device during a health class at Edwardsville High School. "I could not be more thankful that I was able to stay calm and knew to grab the AED," she added. Taylor said another person at the Trampoline Park on Saturday, who works in a medical field, assisted by placing the AED pads on the man. After the device was used, the man regained consciousness just as the ambulance arrived. Smith emphasized the importance of knowing how

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ALTON – An 18-year-old Alton man faces a major felony for shooting someone in the leg after being “disrespected” by the victim. Brandon A. Gray, 18, of Alton, was charged with a Class X felony count of aggravated battery with a firearm. On Jan. 28, 2025, Gray reportedly shot the victim in the leg at the intersection of State and Miller Streets in Alton. Further details about the incident are contained in a petition to deny Gray’s pretrial release. “Upon arrival contacted the victim, who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg,” the petition states. “The victim identified the defendant as the person who shot him.” Gray admitted to “shooting the defendant and hiding the gun in a storage unit” in an interview with the Alton Police Department. The gun was later recovered from the storage unit Gray described. The state’s petition to keep Gray detained was upheld by a detention order, which states the shooting

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Emma and Jorden, a couple from Alton, have shared their love story and the foundation of their relationship, which began on Aug. 16, 2021. The couple describes their bond as one that thrives despite challenges, emphasizing that they face struggles together. In a recent submission to Riverbender.com, Emma highlighted what makes their relationship special. "No matter the struggle, we get through it together," she said, reflecting on their partnership. A memorable moment for the couple was moving into their first house together after adopting two dogs. This experience has contributed to the growth of their relationship and has added joy to their lives. If you want to tell of your love story, click here.

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SPRINGFIELD — Today, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Chairman Sean Smoot issued the following statement on the life-saving impact of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training in law enforcement, as demonstrated recently by Sergeant Travis Schaal of the Chatham Police Department: “Late one night while on patrol, Sergeant Schaal noticed a vehicle parked on train tracks in the 200 block of North State Street. Hours later, the vehicle remained in the same location, prompting his concern. Trusting his instincts, he approached the car and found an 18-year-old woman who initially claimed she was fine. However, relying on the skills and techniques he gained through CIT training, Sergeant Schaal engaged the young woman in conversation and created an atmosphere of trust. “During their discussion, she revealed her true intentions: she had been struggling at home and in school and was planning to take her own life by waiting for an oncoming

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