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EDWARDSVILLE - A local 9-year-old is asking for donations so she can provide birthday parties for 150 kids in the community. Leah Frey is collecting birthday items to create “gift bags” so families who might not otherwise be able to celebrate birthdays can throw home parties for their kids. Each bag will include a disposable cake pan, cake mix, canned icing, birthday candles and other fun party items like streamers and balloons. Leah hopes community members will donate so she can create 150 bags by November. “I just wanted to think about the kids who can’t celebrate their birthdays as much as some other people, and I just wanted to make sure every kid could feel special on their own birthday,” Leah said. There are 31 donation boxes set up across Madison County. People can drop off items at these locations, or you can also send money over Venmo, which will be used to purchase items for the gift bags. As the current Miss Illinois Volunteer Princess,

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Sheriff's Office has issued a congratulations to Deputy Kyle Doolen on his upcoming retirement. Deputy Doolen, DSN 331, started his career in August of 2003 at the Madison County Sheriff's Office. He was a canine handler for 12 years with his first K9 in 2008, K9 Nero. In 2014, he patrolled the streets of Madison County with K9 Havoc up until 2020. He assisted numerous agencies with K9 Nero and K9 Havoc all throughout Madison County. In 2008 Deputy Doolen was named “Deputy Sheriff of the Year” for the State of Illinois. Deputy Doolen also received Medal of Valor and Medal of Honor in 2008. He served as a Firearms Range Instructor from 2013 to 2023, assisting at the range twice a year for firearms qualifications. "The citizens of Madison County and all of us at the Sheriff’s Office thank you for your dedication to the patrol division, K9 teams, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office Range," the sheriff's office said in a statement

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GRAFTON - Grafton Police Officer Mike Angel was honored by Crime Stoppers at a ceremony at ‘Straight Home’ in Hardin, Illinois on Monday evening, October 10, 2023. Officer Angel was presented with a Lifesaving Award in recognition of his quick actions on June 19, 2022, that helped to save the life of Eighth Circuit Court Judge Charles ‘Chipper’ Burch of Calhoun County who suffered serious, life-threatening injuries because of a bicycle accident on the bike trail at Graham Hollow outside of Grafton. Judge Burch told the audience what transpired that fateful afternoon. He said he was riding his bike with his family and found himself going pretty fast on a narrow section of the bike trail. He came to a section that had a wooden bridge when he lost control of his bike. He was thrown off and hit a 2” x 6” wooden guard rail with such force that he broke through the rail and was severely cut in several places. “Officer Angel arrived on the scene

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DOW - Jersey County Sheriff's Office is seeking help from the public in locating a Dow woman - Kaila M. Vatole - a missing person. The Jersey Sheriff's Office said it is believed that Kaila walked away from a residence located on Little Piasa Road in rural Dow, Illinois on January 8, 2023. Numerous searches in the area and extensive investigation have failed to locate Kaila, whose family continues to suffer with concern for her welfare and whereabouts. Kaila is a 40-year-old white female, approximately 5’3” tall and 110 pounds with hazel eyes. She has multiple tattoos, including a prominent tattoo on her neck. The Jersey Sheriff's Office said Kaila has a medical condition that requires a colostomy, has lived as a homeless person in the past, and has suffered with drug addiction. Kaila previously resided in Carlinville, Wood River, East Alton, and Alton. The JCSO is asking for farmers and hunters in the area of Kaila’s disappearance to pay particular attention as

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, will be honored with the Stellar Performer Award during the 36th St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala, Saturday, Nov. 4 at the America’s Center in downtown St. Louis. "I am deeply honored to receive the Stellar Performer Award from the St. Louis American Foundation,” said James T. Minor, PhD, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor. “This recognition is really a testament to the collective efforts of SIUE’s dedicated faculty, students and staff.” “Our mission at SIUE is to enroll diverse students,” Minor continued, “and provide them with the support needed to earn a high-quality degree and succeed in their careers, ultimately contributing to the growth and prosperity of our region. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this institution and work towards this important goal.”

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CHICAGO - Fire Prevention WeekTM is October 8-14, and Illinois DCFS is reminding everyone about the importance of creating a home fire escape plan and practicing that plan with the entire family so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds. DCFS launched a free statewide program in October 2019 to provide smoke alarms to families served by the department. As of August 31, DCFS has distributed 4,312 smoke alarms to families across Illinois, including 897 this year. “In a fire, a few seconds can be the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy, and ensuring every family we serve has a working smoke alarm is a simple and important step we can take to save lives,” said Illinois DCFS Director Marc D. Smith. “It is also important for families to have and practice a fire escape plan so they can quickly get out of the residence and to a safe meeting place if the alarm sounds.” According to the National Fire Protection Association: Three out of five

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ALTON - Mothers and daughters (9 to 13 years old) in the Riverbend region are invited to participate in a very special afternoon gathering to explore God’s precious gift of female development in a respectful, loving atmosphere while establishing a foundation for dialogue between mothers and daughters. The “Mother-Daughter Tea” is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 4, from 1-4 p.m. in the Perpetual Help Center at OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center (#1 Saint Anthony’s Way, Alton, IL 62002). Seating is limited and registration is required. The registration deadline is Friday, October 20. The program will consist of the following presentations: “Theology of the Body” talk by Sister M. Gemma Kissel, FSGM “Changes During Puberty” talk by Shannon Vitali, RN, FCP “Discussion Forum” covering virtues, spirituality, modesty, and keeping good open lines of communication featuring local adults and older peers There

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GREENVILLE - Greenville University invites community members, alums, and friends to campus for Homecoming activities October 19 - 21, 2023. The weekend starts with a Greenville University choir concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Whitlock Music Center and a reception in the renovated Luzader Chapel. Friday morning begins with a prayer event with President Davis expressing gratitude to God through the decades of GU's history, followed by a reception at the Tidball Alumni House. Other highlights of the day include the Homecoming Parade at 4 p.m. along College Avenue, the consecration of the new residence hall under construction on College Avenue at 5 p.m., and at 5:30 p.m., the street fair on the square with food trucks and live music. A presentation event, RISE UP: A Vision for the future of GU, will commence at 6 p.m. at Whitlock Music Center, to share the priorities, the goals, and the projects as GU moves toward the future. A concert will follow by recording artist Michael W. Smith.

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has been chosen as the next president of the National Association of State Treasurers, the nation's foremost authority for responsible state treasury programs and related financial practices, policies and education. Frerichs, who has been serving as NAST senior vice president, was elected president at the organization’s annual business meeting in October. His term as president begins on Jan. 1, 2024. “I’m honored to be chosen by my peers as the next leader of NAST, the leading voice for excellence in public finance,” Frerichs said. “I’m also thankful to outgoing NAST President Josh Haeder of South Dakota for his friendship and leadership in the organization. As I move into this new position, I look forward to building on the good work my team and I are doing in Illinois, and I’m excited about continuing to collaborate with state treasurers from across the nation on public finance

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VANDALIA – The Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site will host its annual Grand Levée celebration on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Grand Levée is a celebration of the grand receptions held during the 1800s to honor government dignitaries and important visitors. The event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public. Activities include period artisans demonstrating their crafts, including wool spinning, pottery, blacksmithing, rug making, chair caning, and more. Performances will feature Lincoln presenter Randy Duncan and folk musician Chris Vallillo. Charles Lyons will present Times in History, a traveling museum featuring a magnificent collection of Lincoln memorabilia. Trolley rides will be offered by the Vandalia Historical Society, and Bryan Dale Headley, the Singing Blacksmith from Rural Heritage on RFD TV, will demonstrate the forging of an unfolded cross, which will be given away to a member of the audience. Children’s activities will include

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ALTON - Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, will host a free webinar entitled Professional Self-Care: Fiercely Guard Your Well Being on Wednesday, November 8 from 10-11 a.m. CT via Zoom. CEUs are available. So often the mental health provider is left out of the self-care conversation. Many people find themselves feeling burned out and asking “What about me?”. This webinar will provide practical education and guidance about how we, as professionals, can fiercely guard our own well being so that we can serve people with our full selves. Objectives of the webinar include: Identify at least two ways that a professional can fall victim to vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Identify the importance of intentional self-care as a professional Describe components of burnout versus compassion satisfaction. Identify three or more intentional steps that each participant will take in their personal and professional lives to mediate fo

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ST. LOUIS - This time of year, many sports are calling for our attention. From college and pro football to postseason baseball and school soccer, it’s likely a lot of us will spend hours watching a game or match – whether in person or on TV. And almost as important as watching the game is having snacks on hand while doing so, whether we’re cheering our kids from the sideline or hosting friends to watch the big weekend matchup. Unfortunately, many traditional game day snacks aren’t the healthiest choices. Foods such as chips and dip, nachos, chili, pizza and sweets may be filled with flavor but are far from ideal when it comes to nutrition. Often, they’re high in calories, sugar, salt, red and processed meat and unhealthy fats. But, of course, snacks and snacking by themselves aren’t unhealthy. In fact, they can absolutely be part of healthy eating, said Lauren Gallen, a registered dietitian at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis. And if we’re

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ALTON — In a monumental stride towards achieving pretrial fairness and ending the practice of wealth-based pretrial incarceration, the state of Illinois has officially abolished money bond, marking a historic moment for the justice system. In my opinion, the Pretrial Fairness Act, which went into effect on September 18, 2023, brings a brighter future for countless individuals across the state who have languished behind bars while awaiting trial simply because they could not afford to pay bail. To acknowledge this achievement and educate the public about the transformative implications of the Pretrial Fairness Act, the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice and YWCA invite you to join a special teach-in event: Event Title: Pretrial Fairness Act Teach-In Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023 Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm CDT Location: YWCA, 304 E. Third St., Alton Each year, over 250,000 people in Illinois find themselves incarcerated while awaiting trial, despite being legally

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HARDIN - The Illinois Conservation Police and Calhoun County Sheriff's Office recently worked together on a situation that developed in Nebo in Calhoun County. The report says on October 6, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a male subject setting fires to various fields on Hillcrest Road, Nebo, Calhoun County. Illinois Conservation Police Officer Jordan Roundcount and Calhoun County Sergeant Zach Hardin responded to the scene. Officer Roundcount arrived on scene first and took a male subject into custody. In addition, the North Calhoun Fire Protection District also responded to the incident and successfully extinguished several fires that had been intentionally set. Subsequent to the investigation, Brandon L Capps, 36, of Jacksonville, Illinois, was charged with the following offenses: Arson Criminal Damage to Property Disorderly Conduct, Warrant - Failure to Appear (Jersey County). Capps was transported to the Greene County Jail where

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ALTON - An ordinance which would ban public camping in Alton is on hold once again after 22 people gave public comments at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. Overnight Warming Center volunteers, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, and more gave comments for and against the ordinance, with most asking the committee to table the item and seek more solutions to assist the city’s unhoused population. “I see absolutely no reason why we should be rushing this ordinance through,” Nate Gnau said. “It makes zero sense to me that we’re just giving people no warning before we take their stuff, and then charge them at least $75 that they don’t have … we can do better than this, we have to do better than this.” According to the “Penalties” section of the ordinance, each public camping violation is punishable by a fine of $75 to $750, and each subsequent violation within 30 days is punishable

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BELLEVILLE - Running back and linebacker Clayton Lakatos scored the game-winning touchdown on Friday night, taking in a screen pass from quarterback Jake Curry and racing 50 yards dead ahead to the Belleville East end zone with 2:51 left in regulation to give Edwardsville a dramatic and thrilling 49-45 win over the Lancers in a Southwestern Conference football game at Charlie Woodford Field in Belleville. The win upped the Tigers mark to 7-0 with two regular-season games to go and also sets up a SWC championship game with East St. Louis on Oct. 13 at Tiger Stadium. Lakatos is a Johnston Law Firm Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. The win was one where the Tigers trailed for much of the game until very early in the fourth quarter, then saw the lead see-saw between the teams four times before Lakatos took Curry's screen pass for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in what was a character win for the Tigers, who trailed by as much as 18 points before mounting their

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MARYVILLE - Father McGivney Catholic cross country and track runner Elena Rybak has captivated observers in her three years in a Griffins' uniform. She has won two 1,600-meter state outdoor track and field titles as a freshman and sophomore. Her most recent triumph was in the Madison County Small Schools Championship with a blazing time of 18:10.4 at Granite City on Oct. 3. On Tuesday, she will run for the conference championship at Father McGivney Catholic. On Sept. 9, Elena flew to a time of 17:28.3 for second place in the First To the Finish Invite. Her other efforts were 17:35.4 in the Mascoutah Kickoff, 17:48.5 in the Massac County Patriot Invite and 18:17.7 in the Freeburg Invite. Elena is a Byron, Carlson, Petri and Kalb Female Athlete of the Month for Father McGivney Catholic. She won the 1,600 this past spring at Charleston in 5:03.07, three seconds ahead of the next finisher. This cross country season, Elena has shown her strength mentally and physically, her head coach

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SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed October 8-14 as Fire Prevention Week in Illinois to educate residents about reducing the risk of a cooking fire. The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is joining organizations and fire departments across the state and nation to celebrate the 101st anniversary of Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme, “Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention,” focuses on cooking safety to help educate the public about simple but important steps they can take to help reduce the risk of fire when cooking at home, keeping themselves and those around them safe. “In Illinois alone, fire departments responded to over 400 incidents related to cooking or kitchens during 2022. It’s important that people never leave food cooking unattended and are following all the proper safety steps to decrease their risks of fires or injuries,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera

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JERSEY - Adam Kribs is a multi-sport athlete for Jersey Community High School. In the spring, he is a track and field star and in the fall he dons the Panthers’ boys soccer team jersey under Coach Scott Burney. Harold Landon, Adam's boys track coach, said Kribs had a breakout season last year, especially in the hurdles. Coach Burney said Adam is a very valuable member of his Jersey boys soccer team. Adam is being recognized as a Sparklight Male Athlete of the Month for the Panthers. Coach Landon said Adam was fourth in the 110-meter high hurdles at the Mississippi Valley Conference Meet and he won the Chatham Invite high hurdles title. He was also in fifth place in the MVC triple jump. “He really blossomed this past track and field season,” Coach Landon said. “He scored in the 110-meter hurdles at most meets. He will be a key for us next track season. We will be counting on points from Adam throughout the year.” Adam is also an outstanding student i

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BELLEVILLE - Saturday was a big day for the Edwardsville girls tennis team. The Tigers varsity girls tennis team won three of the six flights in the singles and finished second in two other flights and third in another, going on to win the team's fifth straight Southwestern Conference tournament championship at Belleville East High School and Southwestern Illinois College. The Tigers won with 56 points, with O'Fallon coming in second with 52 points, both the host Lancers and crosstown rivals Belleville West tying for third with 42 points each, Alton was fifth with 29 points, Collinsville came in sixth with 16 points and East St. Louis finished in seventh with six points. The Tigers tennis girls are Johnston Law Firm Female Athletes of the Month. Edwardsville High School head varsity girls tennis coach Dave Lipe said his girls played some "phenomenal tennis" over the weekend. "This was our best play in a tournament this year," he said. He is also looking ahead for next weekend's

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