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WOOD RIVER - Midwest Petroleum and the City of Wood River celebrated the opening of a new gas station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, Sept. 15. Located at 1900 E Edwardsville Road, the Midwest Petroleum gas station had a soft opening on Wednesday but is now officially open for business. Already, several customers were shopping in the convenience store and filling their tanks at the pumps. “It’s a great idea. This company, Midwest Petroleum, has been great to work with,” Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup said. “We’ve been developing this east side of town, and this just kind of fell in. So this is just a stepping stone of what we’re doing for the east side here.” Several Wood River officials were present as Stalcup cut the ribbon in front of the gas station. Midwest Petroleum representatives noted the positivity of opening a new store and how easy it had been to work with the City of Wood River. Tony Koenig, project manager, also mentioned

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EDWARDSVILLE - Bella Milano is officially marking 20 years of serving the Metro East region and beyond at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19 with a rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the restaurant. The event kicks off a series of parties and promotions going until November to celebrate Bella Milano’s two decades in business. Tom Guarino & Craig Kalogerou with Bella Milano discussed the restaurant and its past 20 years on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . “I tell people all the time I’ve got the best job in the world - I host a party every night,” Guarino said. “We’re eating good food, we’re drinking some libations, and it’s just fun. It’s a fun atmosphere, and it’s family-friendly fun, too.” Guarino said the rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony next Tuesday will feature free beer, wine, and appetizers. Customers who stay for dinner after the event will receive 20% off their meals

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ALTON – The Marquette Catholic football team posted its first win in over two seasons, snapping a 24-game losing streak. While it was a team effort, one player stood out thanks to a four-touchdown game. Senior receiver Duarell Blocker was all over the place in the Explorers’ 49-21 win over the East Alton-Wood River Oilers last Saturday. His four scores were all rushing from 23, 46, and 53 yards out. His 80-yard punt return was just the icing on the cake for Marquette. For his performance in the historic win, Duarell Blocker is a Tucker’s Automotive Repair & Tire Athlete of the Month For the Explorers. Having a game with well over 200 yards rushing, head coach Eric Dickerson was thrilled with Blocker’s game. “Great kid,” Dickerson said. “Get the kid the ball and put him in a little bit of space. He had a great game.” Marquette is on the road in week four taking on Salem. The Explorers will be back at home next week against a tough

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Thursday that a Troy man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the strangulation death of the man’s mother. Neil A. Howard, 44, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The charges allege that, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, Howard caused the death of his mother, Norma J. Caraker, 60, by strangling her. At about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Troy Police responded to a request to check on the welfare of a resident at a home in the 600 block of Lower Marine Road. Officers were met at the residence by Howard. Inside the residence, officers located Caraker, unresponsive and not breathing. Efforts to resuscitate her were not successful. Howard was taken into custody without incident. “I commend the Troy Police Department and the assisting agencies for their tireless, thorough work,” Haine said. “Thanks to the efforts of our local police agencies – and the effort

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GRANITE CITY - Sophomore Tullio Zampieri is proving to be a very promising runner for the Civic Memorial High boys cross country team and in the 50th running of the Pete Robinson/Harry Lang Granite City Invitational meet, Zampieri ran a personal record 17:08.2 in helping the Eagles to a seventh-place finish in the meet. Zampieri is a very hard worker who, as a freshman, was also a key component of CM's 4x800 meter relay team that qualified for the IHSA Class 2A state meet this past spring in Charleston. Zampieri is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Male Athlete of the Month for CM. "Tullio had a very solid race for him," said CM cross country coach Jake Peal. "He picked up a lot of confidence in qualifying with the 4x800 team." The confidence Zampieri gained during the track season has crossed over into the cross-country season as well. "He's done a great job in cross country," Peal said, "but also was very good in track in both the 400 and 800 meters. He's definitely going to build

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EDWARDSVILLE – On Tuesday, Sept. 12, faculty and staff members from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville visited first-year residents in Bluff, Prairie and Woodland Halls and transfer students in Cougar Village Apartments. House Calls is designed to engage first-year and transfer students in conversation with faculty and staff early in their transition to campus. “House Calls is a valuable opportunity staff and faculty have to connect with residents in their living spaces,” said Mallory Sidarous, director of University Housing. “It is always a pleasure to talk with residents about their experiences in and out of the classroom since the start of the academic year.” The program provides the opportunity for residents to connect with a friendly face. House Calls saw great success with dozens of campus administrators connecting with residents about how they have been adjusting to on-campus living, classes, programs, student organizations, and any concerns

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ALTON - Clark Bridge will have daily lane closures for the next month as the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) completes inspections of the cable system. From Sept. 11 to Oct. 13, motorists can expect delays when traveling U.S. Route 67 over the Mississippi River on Clark Bridge, which connects Illinois and Missouri. The Clark Bridge has a unique design, so while this isn’t necessarily a regular inspection, it is a normal maintenance task for this kind of bridge. “This is a scheduled inspection,” Joseph Monroe, an IDOT engineer, said. “This isn’t an inspection that was put into place out of duress. This is a routine approach to this class of structure.” The Clark Bridge, also known as the Super Bridge, attracted attention when it first opened in 1994 because of its design. It’s a steel-framed cable-stayed bridge, which means most of the weight is supported by the cables. Pylon provides additional support. This design was the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Charges have been issued in an alleged distribution of child pornography case investigated by the Edwardsville Police Department and the Madison County State's Attorney's Office has issued serious charges. The City of Edwardsville released the following information Thursday afternoon: "On December 20th, 2022, the Edwardsville Police Department received information from the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) alleging that a resident of Edwardsville was involved in the distribution of child pornography. The Edwardsville Police Department initiated an investigation into the allegation. The subsequent investigation led to the suspect, Connor J. Bazzell M/W, 24 years of age. "On September 13, 2023, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office issued criminal information on Bazzell for the following offenses: COUNT 1 – Child Pornography, a class X felony COUNT 2 – Child Pornography, a class X felony COUNT 3 - Child

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ALTON - A man faces unrelated charges after Alton Police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of East 5th Street at 6:18 p.m. on Sept. 11, in reference to a domestic disturbance. Alton Police Jarrett Ford said upon officers' arrival, information was obtained from the victim, including that she had been battered by her son, Simon E. Grassle, and that Grassle had left the area on foot. Ford said at approximately 8:51 p.m., the same evening, officers were made aware that Grassle was walking in the 400 block of East Broadway. Officers contacted Grassle and took him into custody for domestic battery. At this time, an officer recognized that Grassle matched the description of a suspect from a vehicle burglary that occurred during the early morning hours of 09/06/2023 in the 500 block of Seminary Square in Alton. Grassle was interviewed by an Alton Police detective with the criminal investigation division and further information was obtained about two additional burglaries

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JERSEYVILLE - St. Francis/Holy Ghost Catholic School will host their 25th annual Harvest Fest this weekend, complete with activities, games, prizes, live music and more. The festival is held on St. Francis grounds, located at 412 S. State Street in Jerseyville. Kids can enjoy face painting, pumpkin decorating, games and a scavenger hunt while parents participate in the raffles, live auction and 90s trivia game. A cornhole tournament and pie-eating contest will round out the weekend, with music from local bands all day Saturday and Sunday. “ It’s a big carnival, church picnic environment,” Principal Dr. Dennis Cramsey explained. “The adults enjoy coming out for the adult beverages and the bands throughout the weekend…There are all kinds of kids’ games to keep the kids occupied while the adults socialize. It’s definitely geared toward families.” Plenty of food and drinks are on the menu. The live auction will take place on Saturday

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GODFREY – Longtime Music Professor Louis Michael is Lewis and Clark Community College’s Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award recipient for 2023. The award was announced internally during faculty in-service week in August, then again publicly during the September meeting of the L&C Board of Trustees this week. “It was a big surprise,” Michael said. “I’ve been here for so long and have seen other people get it, but I didn’t imagine myself getting the award. It’s really nice to be recognized.” Right out of high school, Michael got into the music business and made his living for 18 years playing live music full time. He played for a number of bands over the years, but started one under his own name in 1985. For more than a decade, he and the band traveled, played clubs, colleges and even opened for well-known national touring bands. At the age of 37, he found himself needing to go in a new direction. He had studied for two

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WASHINGTON PARK – A trio has been officially charged with a homicide in Washington Park that occurred last Friday. On September 12, 2023, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney, James Gomric, charged 22-year-old Deantae Hoskins of Madison with First-Degree Murder (Class M Felony) and Armed Habitual Criminal (Class X Felony), a 16-year-old juvenile of Madison with First Degree Murder (Class M Felony) and 26-year-old Cheyennea Hoskins of Hartford with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Class 4 Felony) and Aggravated Assault (Class A Misdemeanor). The state's attorney said at 3:47 p.m. on September 8, 2023, the Washington Park Police Department and ISP Zone 6 Major Crimes responded to 47th Street at Caseyville Avenue in Washington Park for reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a male victim who had been struck by gunfire and was pronounced deceased on scene. The victim was later identified as 36-year-old Peter Hester Jr. of East Carondelet. ISP said

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EDWARDSVILLE – The City has launched a forgivable loan program aimed at helping homeowners make improvements to Edwardsville’s older houses. The Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program offers forgivable loans of up to $25,000 to eligible residents for a variety of improvements. High-priority projects include roofing, electrical wiring, windows and doors, heating and air conditioning systems, foundations and more. “This program is a step in the right direction to help homeowners reinvest in some of our older housing stock that could be so lovely with just a little TLC,” said 6th Ward Alderwoman Jennifer Warren, who brought the idea for the housing rehabilitation program to City staff. Funds for the approved home projects will be provided to the homeowner as a five-year forgivable loan. If the homeowner sells the property or converts it to a rental unit within five years, the funds must be paid back on a pro-rated monthly schedule for the time remaining

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BETHALTO - The 27th annual Wings-N-Wheels Fly-In Festival takes flight on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 1, each from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto. Featuring free flights for kids, tours of planes on the airport tarmac, a car show, food trucks, a Farmers Market, and much more, the weekend is jam-packed with family fun at no admission cost. Danny Adams, general manager of the St. Louis Regional Airport, said on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com that they enjoy opening to the public to showcase the airplanes and the airport itself. “It’s a nice community event. We like showing off the airport, we love showing what we do,” Adams said. “We like showing the airplanes off and that’s our prime opportunity to do it.” On Saturday, Sept. 30, the festival kicks off with tours on the airport tarmac of several different types of aircraft, including local pilot planes, a jet from West Star Aviation, a B-25 bomber

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. District Court in St. Louis today announced that a man - Vallie F. Zeller - had been sentenced by a judge for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Travel with Intent to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a Minor, and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor after evidence presented at trial showed he was conversing online with an alleged 15-year-old girl with the intention of having sex with the minor, and then traveled to Illinois to meet her. The judge in the case sentenced the 46-year-old St. Louis man to spend nearly 34 years in federal prison following his conviction by a jury for several attempted sex offenses involving a purported minor. In March 2023, a jury convicted Zeller. Following the federal prison sentence, Zeller will serve the rest of his life on supervised release. “The defendant is a child predator, and our communities are better off with him spending time in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “This operation

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ALTON - The Robert Logan Memorial Tennis Invitational will occur on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Andy Simpson Tennis Center at Lewis and Clark Community College, Alton High School, Gordon Moore Park’s Simpson Tennis Center, and Civic Memorial High School. The tournament is named for the former boys and girls tennis coach at Alton High School who died after a brave battle with cancer in 2016. He was only 30 years old at the time of his death. Alton High Coach and Tournament Director Jesse Macias said: “We are blessed to host this event and celebrate Robert Logan's life. He was a special coach and person and is a guardian of our tennis community. This tournament is a tribute to him and allows his family and friends to get together to remember everything he meant to us.” As for the 2023 competition, Coach Macias is excited about the field. “The tournament is absolutely loaded this year," he said. "Cor Jesu, Lafayette, Effingham St. Anthony, Triad, and Highland hav

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GODFREY - The Great Godfrey Maze opens on Friday, Sept. 15 for a month of family fall fun. From Sept. 15 through Oct. 28, you can enjoy the Great Godfrey Maze and other activities every Friday and Saturday at the Robert E. Glazebrook Park in Godfrey. This year’s theme, “Family Game Night,” has attractions for kids of all ages — and some spooky fun for the older crowd, too. “The team here is incredible, and we have a lot of pride in what we do,” Chris Logan, the Godfrey Parks and Recreation Director, said. “I know everyone that works here enjoys doing it and is just so happy to do it. It’s all worth it when you see families come out and have fun.” Logan says the maze is the main attraction, but families can also take a ride on the hay wagon, swim in the Corn Crib, hop on the Jumping Pillow and check out the new Vortex Tunnel. Younger kids can also try the Mini Maze and take a 5–7 minute ride on the Cow Train. The Corn Crib

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ALTON - Illinois American Water’s work to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers continues. Below is information about upcoming/current road closures – Sept. 14, 2023 Belle Street south of Hamilton Street to 10th Street remains closed to all traffic, with blocks north of Hamilton Avenue closing in the coming weeks. Please use US 67 and/or Alby Streets to the east to traverse north-south in lieu of using Belle Street. A major road closure will start on September 18th with the closure of the intersection of State Street and Madison Avenue. Southbound State Street traffic will be asked to use the detour of Jefferson Street to Grand Avenue to State Street. Alternatively, southbound traffic that previously used State Street can also utilize US 67 or Alby Streets to head south through town. The closure of this intersection is expected to last several weeks. More detailed information regarding access to Bo’s Hardware and Maher Automotive

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JACKSONVILLE - State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) is inviting everyone in the 100 th District to participate in his photo contest to help update the decor in his Capitol office in Springfield. People of all ages are encouraged to take a picture of a place, object or an event in the 100 th District and email the picture with contact information to RepCDDavidsmeyer@gmail.com . Information to include with submissions: First Name, Last Name, Mailing Address, E-mail Address, and Phone Number. “We are fortunate to have many amazing people, places and fun events throughout the 100 th District,” commented Rep. Davidsmeyer. “With many mobile phones having camera capabilities these days, it is easier to capture images of nature or places you come across unexpectedly that help tell the history and story about Illinois. I receive great comments about the photos from many visitors to my Capitol office from around the state and across the country.”

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate increased +0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent, while nonfarm payrolls were almost unchanged, down -100, in August, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. August total nonfarm payrolls remained above the pre-pandemic number of total nonfarm payroll jobs. The July revised unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, unchanged from the preliminary July unemployment rate. The July monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +11,200 to +3,400 jobs. The August unemployment rate and payroll jobs estimate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. In August, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains included: Educational and Health Services (+4,400), Leisure and Hospitality (+800), and Manufacturing (+400). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job decline

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