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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced $25 million in available grant funding through the Back to Business (B2B) NewBiz program. Following state recovery programming for businesses totaling $1.5 billion, the latest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded opportunity is designed to provide additional support for businesses in hard-hit sectors who launched during the pandemic. Businesses that launched in 2020 or 2021 and remain in operation have faced significant impacts during the pandemic, but they have not been eligible for other federal or state relief programming since they were not operational prior to the pandemic. To provide hands-on support and raise awareness about the program, the State has mobilized a network of nearly 100 community navigators across Illinois. Applicants are encouraged to visit b2bnewbiz.com to learn more and apply. “Small business owners contribute to our thriving

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Rotary Club has chosen to honor Edwardsville High School student Ameenah Abdul-Rasheed with the Student of the Month Award for the month of November. Ameenah Abdul-Rasheed was nominated by Social Sciences teacher Erin Kloster of Edwardsville High School. Ameenah is the daughter of Jocelyn B. and Hakeem Abdul-Rasheed. She is very involved in her extracurricular activities, where she is the Head of Documentation for the EHS Robotics Club and is also president of the Rhoer Club, which is an affiliate group of the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho. This group benefits the community by helping young women learn about leadership and how to give back to their community through community service. Additionally, Ameenah is also a member of National Honors Society, National Science Honors Society, National Math Honors Society, National English Honors Society, and National Music Honors Society. As well as being very involved in the school and community, she has also been

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EAST ST. LOUIS – In October 2023, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office (SCCSAO) filed 53 charges in Illinois State Police (ISP) Zone 6 Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG) cases, 44 felony and nine misdemeanor charges. PSEG is a joint effort between ISP and the East St. Louis Police Department (ESTLPD) for violent crime investigations. PSEG was created to provide more highly trained resources in East St. Louis to help solve and reduce crime. SCCSAO charged the following cases in October. The dates listed are the dates the incident occurred. On April 13, 2023, PSEG agents responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of 39 th Street in which an 11-year-old male was shot while inside his residence. As part of an ongoing investigation where three other individuals had previously been charged, the SCCSAO charged a fourth person in the case. SCCSAO charged a 15-year-old female with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm,

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MATTOON — First Mid Bancshares, Inc. (First Mid) is proud to announce they have earned two 2023 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards, just a few months after receiving the prestigious 2023 Top Workplaces Industry award. Energage, a purpose-driven organization that builds and brands employers of choice, determines the awards. The Top Workplaces program has a 17-year history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations nationally and across 60 regional markets. Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards recognize organizations that excel in specific areas of workplace culture. First Mid received an award for Employee Well-Being, which celebrates organizations who put the health and wellness of their employees at the center of their workplace culture. First Mid also received an award for Professional Development, which celebrates organizations who focus on developing their employees’ careers and enable them to grow professionally. “Being recognized with Culture

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O’FALLON, Ill. — New moms, moms-to-be and families are invited to attend “Bundles for Babies,” HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s special holiday community event on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon in the main hospital lobby at 1 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd., O’Fallon, Illinois. Guests will meet St. Elizabeth’s Women and Infants Center staff, receive health and safety information and learn about services available to help them welcome their bundle of joy. Guided tours will also be offered of the Women and Infants Center. The tours will be limited to small groups to respect current patients’ privacy and safety. Christmas activities are also planned for children, including free photos with Santa while sharing cookies and milk and creating a fun holiday craft project to take home. Each family attending will receive a ticket to win an attendance prize. Additional tickets will be available for a $1 donation. All funds collected wil

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ROXANA - The Village of Roxana Street Department will once again light up the town for the holiday season. But this year, the lights will turn on early to celebrate the Roxana High School Shells football team. The Village of Roxana will turn on their Christmas lights on Friday night, Nov. 17, 2023, to prepare for the Shells’ playoff game at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at Roxana High School. “Everybody around here is stoked. Football is the word on the street,” said Ken Hoxsey, Roxana Street Superintendent. “This year, in honor of our football team that’s doing so well, we are going to light them early. We’re actually going to light them Friday night and have them on for the football game here in town, the playoff game. We’re hoping that as people come to and from the game, they get to enjoy those .” Hoxsey explained that lights will be hung along Highway 111, which runs through Roxana, to Roxana Park. Hubbard Memorial Park

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GLEN CARBON – The Village of Glen Carbon kicked off their inaugural Hometown Heroes Banner Program by hosting a social hour at the Glen Carbon Fire Station on Wed., Nov. 15. Families that purchased Veteran banners were invited to attend, along with the Veterans being recognized. Banners will adorn Main Street in Glen Carbon for two consecutive years, during the Veterans Day and Memorial Day holidays. Local businesses showed their support for area Veterans by donating refreshments. Sam’s Club donated a sheet cake and Scooter’s Coffee treated guests to hot cocoa with whipped cream. Scooter’s also donated gift cards as attendance prizes. Over 50 people attended the event and many were lifelong Glen Carbon residents. Fire Chief Jason Whitaker, Village employees and Mayor Bob Marcus were also in attendance. Mayor Marcus was impressed by the event’s turnout. “It’s nice to see so many of our community come together tonight and visit. Many people her

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CARROLLTON - Several drug and alcohol-related charges were filed against individuals in Greene County over the past week, according to the latest Jail Booking Report from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Sheila M. Taylor, 43, of Jacksonville, was charged with adult use of cannabis in a motor vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on Nov. 15, 2023, by the White Hall Police Department and was released with a Notice To Appear in court. Jill N. Coates, 44, of Carrollton, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a narcotic instrument. She was arrested by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department on Nov. 9, 2023, and was released with a Notice To Appear in court. Kayla A. Hill, 34, of Carrollton, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested by the Carrollton

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Fire Department quickly extinguished a rooftop blaze ironically on the old Edwardsville Fire Station in the 400 block of Main Street. Edwardsville Fire called a Box Alarm and other area departments responded but they were called off when the fire was extinguished in what Fire Chief James Whiteford described as "a quick hit." Whiteford said they could see smoke from the old fire station from the new fire station. He commended his firefighters for their fast response to what could have been a very serious fire. "The building is undergoing a major renovation right now to be a new commercial space," he said. "We knew it was undergoing construction, so we weren't concerned about residents in the building. Our firefighters got the water up there quickly and put the fire out right away. We are doing some finish work right now and once we are done we will do an investigation to see what caused it."

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CARROLLTON - Several individuals have been charged with a wide range of crimes in Greene County over the past week, including one man who faces 11 separate criminal charges. These and other charges were included in the Greene County Sheriff’s Department’s latest Jail Booking Report. Jermaine M. Moffitt, 46, of Evansville, faces the following 11 charges: Armed violence Aggravated battery of a peace officer Aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a vehicle Possession of a stolen firearm Illegal possession of a weapon by a felon Criminal damage to state property Aggravated driving under the influence, having been charged with three or more prior DUIs Aggravated fleeing or eluding officer Obstructing justice Violating the state’s transportation of alcohol provisions Possession of cannabis Moffitt was arrested by the Carrollton Police Department on Nov. 11, 2023 and remains in custody. David A. Clark, 52, of Jacksonville, was charged with

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ALTON - The 29th Annual Community Tree Lighting at Lincoln-Douglas Square is a fun event for Riverbend residents, but if you can’t make it out, you can still be a part of the celebration on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. RiverBender.com has partnered with Big Z Media to stream parts of the tree lighting ceremony. Our Daily Show! host CJ Nasello will team up with Mike Roberts, former KSDK meteorologist, to host the broadcast. “It is really the official kickoff of Christmas in this area when the lights on that tree come on. It is maybe the earliest and biggest tree in the area,” Nick Darr, owner of WBGZ Radio, said. He added that he is excited about the collaboration between RiverBender.com and Big Z Media. “It has been a good partnership over the years. We obviously compete on some things, but we have been able to work on a lot of things together.” The broadcast will start at 6 p.m. when Santa Claus arrives at Lincoln-Douglas Square in downtown Alton.

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ALTON - The Alton Police Department and Alton Fire Department were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash at 3:56 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, at Homer Adams Parkway and College Avenue. Alton Police Lt. Seth Stinnett said a total of five occupants from both vehicles were transported to local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries. "Due to no witnesses and no evidence of right of way, no citations were issued," the lieutenant said. "Officers determined a vehicle was turning north onto Homer Adams Parkway from College Avenue when the front bumper of a vehicle traveling west through the intersection struck the passenger side door of the turning vehicle," he added.

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EDWARDSVILLE — The Madison County Board on Wednesday approved a $182.5 million budget and a zero-growth property tax levy for the seventh straight year. The board voted, 26-0, to approve the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024 spending plan that starts on Dec. 1, along with a $30.8 million property tax levy. The levy is the amount requested from property taxes used to help finance the county’s budget. “In 2017, we reduced the levy from $32.6 to $30.8 million, and we haven’t raised it since,” Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. “Keeping the levy amount the same, against the backdrop of increasing real estate assessments, has caused the county’s total levy rate to decrease to $.48 per $100 of assessed valuation from $.73 — what taxpayers paid in 2015. That’s a 34 percent decrease in the rate, and the rate will be even less next year.” Chairman Pro-tem Mick Madison said the county reduced it’s levy by 1/10 of a percent. “It may no

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BELLEVILLE – With Thanksgiving around the corner, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, is joining Meridian Health and state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, for a free turkey and ham giveaway this upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Downtown Belleville YMCA, located at 200 S. Illinois St. “The holiday season is always an exciting time, and we want families to have access to a nice turkey or ham for Thanksgiving dinner,” Hoffman said. “Thanksgiving gatherings provide some of the most memorable moments for people, and we’re happy to help play a small part in it for local families this year.” Attendees are encouraged to arrive early before supplies run out. There will be 125 turkeys and 125 hams available for residents courtesy of Meridian Health. For more information, please contact RepJayHoffman@gmail.com . Who : State Rep. Jay Hoffman, state Sen. Christopher Belt, Meridian Health What : Holiday Turkey and Ham Giveaway

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate passed a continuing resolution that would keep the government open and spare working families from the pain of a shutdown: “Last night, I’m relieved the Senate was able to consider a clean bill and pass it with a strong bipartisan vote to keep our government open for working families. From the beginning, Democrats made it clear our priority was avoiding a government shutdown that would have devastated our economy and hurt millions of hardworking Americans—and a government funding bill that was free of the extreme MAGA poison pills House Republicans had been threatening was the path forward. “Our bipartisan vote last night accomplished just that. Now, working families and servicemembers can have peace of mind knowing that they won’t be forced to work without pay through the holiday season or go without the critical government programs that so many

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) once again pushed to better support Veterans, servicemembers and military families as they transition from military service to civilian life by reiterating the need to codify the highly popular and successful “Boots to Business” (B2B) program, a small business education and training program that has already served more than 194,000 participants since its inception. During today’s Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) Committee hearing, Duckworth underscored the importance of passing her bipartisan legislation, the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training (VET) Act , which would codify the B2B program into law for five years and prevent the possibility of future budget cuts or program deactivation. Full video of Senator Duckworth’s remarks can be found using this link here . “I’ve long supported the Boots to Business Program because of its successful track

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund various federal agencies through January 19 th and February 2 nd , respectively: “Funding the government is one of the essential parts of this job, and tonight, the Senate came together in a good-faith effort to pass the bipartisan House CR. We’re keeping the lights on through the holidays and fulfilling our basic duties to ensure thousands of hardworking Americans and service men and women will not be forced to work without pay during what should be a joyous time of year. “And while today’s particular bill did not include additional funding as I had hoped—for Israel, Ukraine, or innocent civilians around the world caught in the crossfire during periods of conflict or food insecurity—a shutdown would jeopardize America’s ability

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act to reauthorize relief for an additional four years for qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship. The legislation would protect a long-standing bipartisan carveout from means-testing restrictions in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. “Declaring bankruptcy is a difficult choice for any American, and that option should be assessed using an accurate depiction of a person’s income and financial standing,” said Durbin. “Our National Guard members and reservists must not be penalized for any active duty pay should financial calamity force them to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This bipartisan legislation ensures that they won’t be.”

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CHCAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 10 attorneys general, today filed comments in support of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regarding changes to the H-2A program. The H-2A program allows agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to perform temporary agricultural work. The proposed regulations would strengthen worker protection measures for H-2A agricultural workers and the DOL’s capability to monitor compliance and take enforcement actions. “Individuals who come to the U.S. to fill critical workforce shortages deserve to be protected from abuse and unsafe workplaces,” Raoul said. “The Department of Labor’s proposed rule strengthens its H-2A program to enhance the department’s ability to protect vulnerable workers as they play important roles enhancing our nation’s economy.” The H-2A program, and agricultural

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is proud to announce the promotion of Rebecca Hooks from Lieutenant Colonel to First Deputy Director, effective immediately. First Deputy Director Hooks is the first female to achieve this position within ISP since its inception in 1922. As the First Deputy Director, Hooks is second in command to Director Brendan F. Kelly. “First Deputy Director Hooks is an outstanding example of the kind of grit, intelligence and integrity found within to ISP,” said Director Kelly. “With First Deputy Director Hooks, the ISP will continue to move sharply forward into our second century!” First Deputy Director Hooks is not a newcomer to the realm of ISP Command. Prior to her recent promotion, she was the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Director. First Deputy Director Hooks has served with ISP for more than 21 years, beginning her career in 2002 as part of Cadet Class 105. Her first assignment was patrol in the

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