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Name: James Thomas McMaster Hometown: Rosiclare Years of Service: 1964-1968 DOD: April 15, 1968 KIA: Yes Branch: Army Rank: SPC5 Wars: Vietnam Medals/Honors Earned: Bronze Star CIB Vietnam Campaign Medals Vietnamese Gallantry Cross Vietnam Service Medal Purple Heart ARCOM AGCM Message: My brother who is forever in my heart. Salute. Submitted By: Donald P McMaster

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GRANITE CITY - The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that, weather permitting, Maryville Road from IL 203 to Chain of Rocks Road in Granite City in Madison County will be closed for rehabilitative work of the railroad crossing on Sunday, November 06, 2022, from 7:00 pm. and continuing until Tuesday, November 08, 2022, at 7:00 pm. Both lanes will be closed. A marked detour will be in place to safely guide motorists around the closure. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - Illinois American Water's large-scale sewer project has hit the asphalt stage on Belle Street across from the Riverbender.com and Mac's buildings. The pipework for the sanitary sewer replacement has been completed and now the finishing touches are being done. Mayer Company was the lead on Wednesday morning as the asphalt was positioned on the street. The asphalt work should be completed in a few days. The Illinois American Water project started the week of July 5 at U.S. Route 67 from 20th Street College Avenue south to 3rd Street and was initially closed. The sewer work should make a large difference when floods someday return to the Downtown Alton area.

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ARLINGTON, VA.— Nestlé USA is initiating a voluntary recall of ready-to-bake refrigerated NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® STUFFED Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling products due to the potential presence of white plastic pieces. This voluntary recall is isolated to NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® STUFFED Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling products that were produced between June and September 2022. These products were distributed in the continental United States and Puerto Rico. No other Nestlé Toll House products, including other NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® STUFFED Cookie Dough and NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® refrigerated cookie dough products, are impacted by this recall. While no illnesses or injuries have been reported, we immediately took action out of an abundance of caution after a small number of consumers contacted Nestlé USA about this issue. Consumers who may have purchased NESTLÉ®

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WOOD RIVER – Today, Democratic Candidate for State Senate Kris Tharp (IL-56), a police officer of 25 years, announced his endorsement from the Granite City Police Benevolent and Protective Association Unit 15. “The Granite City Police Department Police Officer’s Union PBPA Unit 15 has the utmost respect for Kris and is proud to call him our friend and colleague,” said Sergeant Nick Roberts, president of the Granite City Police Department PBPA. “Our men and women are confident Kris will always stand up and protect our citizens just as he has done for 23 years as a law enforcement officer in Madison County.” During Kris Tharp’s 25-year career as a police officer, he has been an elderly service officer for the seniors in his community and Deputy Commander of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, one of the oldest, most successful homicide task forces in the country. “I was born and raised in Madison County and I am proud to have served

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ALTON - Brittani Melton of the Lab is Alton Memorial Hospital’s October Employee of the Month. She received the award on Oct. 18 from AMH President Dave Braasch and Lab supervisor Melissa Crouch. According to the nomination, “Brittani is one of the hardest-working individuals I have ever met. She takes on many responsibilities in the lab. She is the go-to person for questions regarding send-out testing, is the backup for the Blood Bank department, prepares slides for thyroid FNAs and bone marrow biopsies, and keeps track of positive COVID tests for the state. Brittani is very knowledgeable in all departments and helps train new employees and students. Although usually ‘unseen,’ she is a true example of excellent patient care.”

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O'FALLON – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is now accepting applications for a two-week paid registered nurse (RN) internship to be held Dec. 11-23, 2022. The RN internship program is designed for nursing students to gain real-life experience in a health care setting during their winter break. Interns will be paired with nurses full time to work on nursing skills and documentation while learning clinical and professional skills. The program also offers new RNs opportunities to be hired in their areas of interest and specialty units upon graduation. This internship opportunity provides practical work experience for clinical students in an environment that emphasizes patient-centered care, while exposing the interns to innovative and emerging concepts in health care practice. “We are excited to once again be able to offer this paid RN internship,” said Julie A. Gordon, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, nurse manager of education, RN Residency and ICU nurse educator at HSHS St. Elizabeth'

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BRIGHTON - The Anderson Hospital 11 th Annual Foundation Sporting Clay Classic was held on October 1 st at NILO Farms in Brighton. The event featured 100 targets and 12 stations. Also included, was a great BBQ lunch for the shooters that were donated by Sodexo. Lori St. John, Anderson Healthcare Development Director said they had 166 shooters that came out on a beautiful fall day to enjoy this event. She said: "We thank the Sporting Clay Committee who worked hard to make this event a success and the 36 sponsors that donated to this event and who continue to support us each year." The event raised a total of $58,248.00. The Foundation allocates funds for capital projects and programs for Anderson Hospital and the Community. The 12 th annual Sporting Clay event will be on October 7, 2023, at NILO Farms. Please contact Lori St. John at 618-391-6426 for more information.

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Police Department Officers on Friday, October 14, 2022, apprehended an individual who was carrying a firearm at the Granite City High School football game against Quincy Notre Dame. The individual was apprehended without incident and was taken to the Granite City Police Department where he was held until his case was presented to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office on October 17, 2022. The individual charged has been identified as: Tommyandre J. McCarter, 18, of the 3800 block of Lake Drive in Pontoon Beach. McCarter has been charged with the following offenses by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office: CT I: Unlawful Use of Weapons (Class 3 felony) CT II: Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons (Class 4 felony) McCarter’s charges were presented to the Honorable Judge Janet Heflin and his bond was set at $50,000 (ten percent applies). McCarter was later released on his own recognizance on 10/18/22. The Granite

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JERSEYVILLE - Jerseyville has a new KFC that is being built on Route 67 across from Walmart and next to the AT&T office. Jerseyville Mayor Bill Russell said construction is moving ahead in a quick fashion and he expects it will not take the builders long to complete the project. Mayor Russell sees the new KFC as a future hit for the Jersey region. "There are a lot of people in Jerseyville extremely excited about KFC coming here," he said. "It may be mostly drive-thru but it will have an indoor dining area, too. We want to continue to move forward and bring new business opportunities to our community." Russell said the concrete is poured for the new KFC and the plumbing is installed. He didn't know an expected completion date, but he said they are off to a good start. "They (the new KFC) will do well," Russell concluded.

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EAST ALTON - A historical marker honoring war horses from World War 1 that were stored in East Alton will be dedicated in front of the East Alton Public Library at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. Kelli Fletcher, chairman of the East Alton History Museum, said representatives from the state of Illinois and the Mayor of East Alton will speak at the unveiling event. These historical markers must be in the vicinity of where the historic event took place, so Fletcher said this marker’s location will reflect the area where these war horses were housed. “War horses were actually housed in East Alton and transferred out to and from the war back in World War 1,” she said. “They were housed somewhere in the area where Van Preter Park was and they went all the way past where the East Alton Library is, and it was a huge area where these horses were stored.” The site for the marker is mostly ready, with just a few finishing touches needed before the marker is

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EDWARDSVILLE – Silas Curtis, a senior at Metro-East Lutheran High School, has earned the distinction of being named a semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Semifinalists are selected based on their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The students with the highest scores in each state qualify to become semifinalists, a distinction earned by less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. “I’m honored to receive this award, and I’m looking forward to college and beyond,” said Curtis, who is the son of Heath and Rebekah Curtis of Worden, Ill. Curtis now can compete to become a National Merit Finalist. This award is based on factors such as the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities and honors and awards received. Curtis must submit an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm his earlier performance on the

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Partnership Will Help Streamline Remodeling and New Construction Projects And Keep Budgets in Check EDWARDSVILLE – When home and business owners in the St. Louis Metro East take on a new building or remodeling project, they’re often forced to play middleman between their contractor and their interior designer. This lack of cohesion and communication between teams can result in missed deadlines, skyrocketing budgets, and disappointed clients. Through their new collaboration, two Edwardsville-based companies – Lantz Homes , a third-generation home builder, and Whitetail Design Studio , a renowned custom home design firm – are striving to erase the confusion and frustration of the traditional design-build process. By working side-by-side from project conception to completion, the partners can deliver the highest-quality results while ensuring the design plan stays on budget. “We feel this partnership is incredibly unique to the Edwardsville

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EDWARDSVILLE - Elementary education students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are preparing for their future classrooms by gaining valuable experience practicing instruction and communication skills with students at Eastwood Elementary in East Alton. “The CIED 441 course was developed to train teacher candidates on the foundational methods of teaching and learning elementary level mathematics,” said Barbara Martin, EdD, assistant professor of teaching and learning in the School of Education, Health, and Human Behavior (SEHHB). “It is designed around professional principles and standards, including the six basic precepts of equity, curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment and technology. These precepts are fundamental to a high-quality mathematics education.” The SIUE teacher candidates work with elementary students before the start of the school day. They engage the young scholars by creating games that are designed to practice math concepts suc

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GRANITE CITY - There was nothing that could stop Granite City's eighth-grade distance standout Landon Harris Saturday at the Illinois Elementary School Association Boys State Cross Country Meet at Maxwell Park in Normal. Harris recorded a time of 10:26 to capture the two-mile IESA state championship race. Harris, a Coolidge Middle School student in Granite City, slipped and fell at the start of the competition, but he jumped back up and sprinted to the front of the pack and never looked back. It was the first Granite City state distance title in boys' cross country. Harris posted his best time of 10 minutes flat at the sectional qualifier for the state meet. Landon Harris is a Stillwater Senior Living Male Athlete of the Month for Granite City. When he finished, his coach Tom Miller said Landon was exhausted but just ecstatic to bring home the state title in front of many in his family and hundreds of others present. Landon also takes an inhaler to meet and battles asthma. Miller

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It is very rare in this day and age for a family to celebrate five generations. Rena Reed, 92, recently was able to mark that significant birth milestone with her family. Rena's five generations of a family are shown above, from left to right, Rena Reed, Amber Smay, Brynn Huddleston, Mona Norton, and Baby-Zaviah White. Rena’s great-granddaughter, Brynn Huddleston recently had the family’s first baby in the fifth generation. The newborn is named Zaviah White. “We have a very close family,” Mona Norton said. “The baby was born on Brynn’s mom’s 40th birthday.” Rena Reed survived breast cancer when she was 75 and also had COVID-19 this past year and has struggled some with after-effects, but continues to be strong, Mona said. “She loves her family and all her grandkids,” Mona added about Rena. “She is one of the sweetest people I know.”

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EDWARDSVILLE – Beginning at noon on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, North Buchanan Street will be closed to all traffic at the intersection of Hillsboro Avenue. North Buchanan Street also will be closed at East Vandalia Street. This closure will allow for water main installation; the closure is weather dependent. Motorists should use alternate routes to bypass the closure. North Fillmore Street, North Kansas Street, Chapman Street and East Vandalia Street should be used as detours. The roadway will be reopened as soon as improvements can be completed. The work is part of the North Buchanan Street water main replacement project. The City of Edwardsville is in the process of replacing a very old 4-inch cast iron water main with a 12-inch water main on North Buchanan Street from East Union Street to East Vandalia Street. The City appreciates the cooperation and patience of all residents during this process. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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PONTOON BEACH – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces a lane closure on IL 162 at the I-255 interchange beginning on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, weather permitting. Two-way traffic will be maintained by the use of temporary traffic signals. This closure is needed to perform bridge maintenance and it should be completed by mid-November 2022. 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. The contractor on this project is Venus Painting Co. of Valparaiso, Indiana. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ST. LOUIS - "Pirate Quest for the Sunken Treasure," a family-friendly adventure, is open daily through October 31, 2022, with after-hours trick or treating on Fridays and Saturdays, October 21 & 22, and October 28 & 29. On the exciting treasure hunt inside the Aquarium, guests will take a self-guided tour through a highly themed wonderland of pirate ship scenes and treasure caves and grottos. Social media fans will love the Instagram-worthy photo opportunities throughout the transformed Aquarium during their journey. Visitors follow the quest's clues as they make their way through all of the marine habitats and hands-on animal adventures at the Aquarium. Along the way, they will find the Pirate Captain's journal containing treasure hunt hints as well as amazing animal facts and pirate jokes. Guests will explore elaborate scenes, including the Captain’s Quarters, a Shipwreck Canyon, and the Treasure Grotto. A spooky Secret Cave, Pirate Library, and a Pirate Hideout add to th

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GREENVILLE, IL - Greenville University invites potential students to campus for Scholarship Day, an opportunity to earn up to a full-tuition scholarship and the chance to get to know campus before their fall 2023 semester. One hundred percent of traditional undergraduates at GU receive institutional financial aid, and on November 18, students who attend Scholarship Day could earn one of the multiple full-tuition scholarships available. GU’s average financial aid package is $22,000 and all students who attend Scholarship Day are guaranteed to come away with a sizeable scholarship offer. All students have the opportunity to come to campus the day before and spend the night in the residence halls and interact with current GU students and faculty. Students interested in pre-nursing also have the option to tour the HSHS Holy Family Hospital nursing center Friday morning. Check-in for Scholarship Day begins at 8:30 am on Friday, November 18, at the Crum Recreation Center on campus.

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