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BELLEVILLE - The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is preparing for its 80th Annual Healing and Hope Novena happening July 28 through August 5. A lot of people agree that healing and hope are exactly what they’re looking for right now. “The shrine has an overarching sort of mission statement: It’s a place of healing and hope. Those are two things that people constantly need,” said Reverend Father Salvador Gonzalez, OMI. “While it is a Catholic Mass and it is a Catholic prayer, it’s open to everyone. Everyone’s welcome to come, especially if they’re dealing with one of these issues that we are praying for that night.” Gonzalez, known affectionately as Father Sal to his congregation, explained that the novena is nine nights of prayer. Each night has an intention, and the prayers will be led by local preachers and accompanied by area choirs. After the Mass, they honor a tradition from the first novena: an outdoor candlelight

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SOUTH ROXANA - Officer Bryce Dell, South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles and Mayor T.J. Callahan exemplified community dedication in a Friday evening rescue operation. In the event that encapsulates the spirit of a close-knit community and dedication to public service, a regular Friday evening turned into an unexpected community service call when a concerned citizen reported a potentially hazardous situation involving a tree limb precariously hanging over the roadway. The incident occurred at approximately 7:30 p.m. Friday in South Roxana, emphasizing that the duty to serve and protect extends well beyond regular business hours. Officer Dell was alerted to the problem by a resident. Officer Dell notified Chief Bob Coles about the issuer. Recognizing the safety risk, Chief Coles brought the situation to the attention of Mayor Callahan, who recently took office. Mayor Callahan told me he would be there to help me whenever needed. "To the surprise of some, Mayor Callahan agreed to get

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 17, 2023 – Cava Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of Cava Group, Inc. in Washington D.C., is issuing a voluntary recall of one lot of its packaged CAVA Spicy Hummus due to the potential for the product to contain undeclared sesame, which is a food allergen. People who are allergic to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product. The single affected product lot was distributed to retailers including Whole Foods Market, Giant Foods, MOM’s Organic Market, and regional independent retailers. CAVA’s packaged Spicy Hummus is sold nationwide. CAVA voluntarily initiated the recall after a single retail store notified the company that packaging lids for CAVA Spicy Labneh (which do not declare sesame as an ingredient) were applied to containers of Spicy Hummus, which contains sesame, a common allergen. The wrong lid was applied to a limited number of Spicy Hummus containers by a third-party

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ALTON/GRANITE CITY - Recently, the Cross-River Crime Task Force completed deployments in Alton, and Granite City areas. Below are the results of the area law enforcement deployments. On July 15, members of the unit assisted in a special enforcement detail which was coordinated due to reports of a large gathering of members of motorcycle clubs in the Granite City area. During that detail, officers conducted 11 traffic stops involving approximately 25 individuals. Officers issued 10 traffic citations and arrested two subjects on charges of disorderly conduct or public intoxication. One allegedly was making obscene gestures at motorists on a roadway, while the second allegedly attempted to start a fight. On July 1 and July 2, members of the unit deployed in the Alton area. That deployment resulted in 15 traffic stops, seven citations, one arrest on a felony Failure To Appear warrant and one U.S. Marshals Service felony warrant arrest. While conducting the deployment in the Alton area,

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ALTON - Summer is the new season of giving in the Riverbend. Freer Auto Body hosted their 15th annual Christmas in July fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21, and it was the most successful fundraiser yet. The first year, they raised $2,500. Last year, they donated around $56,000. Margaret Freer had noted that it would be difficult to top that number, but as donations continued rolling in on Friday, they had surpassed $57,000 by early afternoon. The Christmas in July event includes a luncheon and raffle at Freer Auto Body, located at 4512 North Alby Street in Godfrey. All proceeds go to United Way’s Community Christmas program, which provides toys, clothing, personal care items and more for families in need during the holiday season. “This event makes a difference in whether there is something underneath the tree for a child at Christmas or whether there is not,” Margaret Freer said. “We are so appreciative for the support we

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WASHINGTON COUNTY – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was requested by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department to investigate a body found in the area of Lunte Creek Road, west of Nashville, in Washington County. During the investigation, the victim was identified as 44-year-old Montez Pearson of East Saint Louis. On July 19, 2023, at approximately 8:44 p.m., the Washington County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a deceased Black male located near Lunte Creek Road. ISP DCI Zone 7 investigations and ISP Crime Scene Services responded to the scene. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Illinois State Police DCI Zone 7 Investigations at (618) 542-2171 Ext. (1203). Witnesses can remain anonymous. ISP DCI is leading this open and ongoing investigation. No additional information is being released at this time.

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EAST ALTON/BETHALTO - Cayden’s Café opened today, July 21, and the sky is literally the limit. Located at the St. Louis Regional Airport at 16 Terminal Drive, the new restaurant aims to serve great food with a family feel. Cayden’s Café will host their grand opening from 2–10 p.m. on July 21, complete with karaoke, drawings and a special limited menu. “We want this restaurant to be different than every other one that there is. We want everybody that comes in to feel like they’re at home,” owner Dawn Malone said. “Our philosophy here is when people come in, we want them to come in as a customer, leave like family.” Malone explained that it’s always been her dream to own a spot like this. Cayden’s Café had a soft opening earlier in the week, but this bigger event will mark the official beginning of the restaurant. They decided to serve a limited menu tonight; guests can choose between fried catfish,

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WOOD RIVER - Riverbend East Rotary Club recognized Rustic Roots as their 2023 Business of the Year on Thursday, July 20. For owner Missy Bell-Yates, this signifies everything her business stands for. “It’s exciting and humbling and makes me extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished here and what we’ve done,” Bell-Yates said. “I love my community and I love supporting local, so it really means a lot to me.” Rustic Roots, located at 200 West Ferguson Avenue in Wood River, offers a place for artists and crafters to sell their work. Hand-crafted jewelry, dishware, custom signs, bath bombs and candles are just a few of the products they regularly carry. The adjoining Rally Room Event Space is also available for rent as a banquet room. The Riverbend East Rotary Club connects local business owners and community leaders. They select a Business of the Year to showcase small businesses in the community. Mark Smith, a Rotary Club member and th

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JERSEYVILLE - World-renowned educator and experienced paramedic Bob Page drew large crowds from a wide range of areas on Thursday, July 20 and Friday, July 21 for his lecture series with Jersey Community HealthCare. The event’s 80 attendees represented 11 different ambulance services and six area hospitals. Nathan Bishop, EMS & Training Center coordinator with Jersey Community HealthCare, said: “We knew when we decided to put this seminar on, Mr. Page brings people out of the woodwork. He’s world-renowned in this arena.” Hosted in the Jersey Community High School cafeteria, the series covered EKGs and heart function on Thursday, then capnography and lung function on Friday. Bishop said the two-day event went “absolutely amazingly.” “I knew it would be great - I didn’t know how great it would be,” Bishop said. “We had 80 attendees … I was very, very pleased with that, Mr. Page was very, very pleased with that.

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Letter To The Editor: What timing! On July 12, the East Alton / Wood River High School District No. 14 published a legal notice of a $2.4 million backdoor referendum – the tricky legal loophole in Illinois law that allows taxing districts to raise property taxes without voter approval. On July 13, the Madison County Board rejected my request to put PTELL property tax caps (Property Tax Extension Limitation Law) on the ballot, for voters to decide. If PTELL property tax caps were adopted by the voters of the county, the backdoor referendum would be a thing a the past. Four times (2018, 2020, 2022, 2023) I have asked the Madison County Board to put PTELL property tax caps on the ballot, and although some members voted to put it on the ballot, every time a majority of the board said no. A backdoor referendum is a sly way to increase property taxes – here $2.4 million – without voter approval. In this case, the district plans to issue $2.4 million of working cash

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CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $37.9 million in funding for the Illinois Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program or “CEJA Workforce Hubs.” The program represents the largest training component of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), establishing a network of 13 community-based hubs across the state offering training, job placement services, barrier reduction support and more. The organizations that will run CEJA Workforce Hubs will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process. “It’s been our priority since day one that as Illinois moves into the clean energy future, we make sure to continue to build strong career paths for those breaking into this growing industry,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Investing in these workforce hubs is a cornerstone of that commitment, working in collaboration with educational institutions and businesses

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JOLIET – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced three Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills this week for Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in these appropriations bills, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through the programmatic appropriations process. “These bills make critical investments in Illinois. I’m glad the Senate Appropriations Committee was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to advance these bills, which will benefit families, communities, and the economy in Illinois,” Durbin said. “Senators and Representatives know their states and districts better than federal agency

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CHICAGO, July 21, 2023 – Illinois Lottery players still have another shot at becoming an uber millionaire this weekend. The Mega Millions jackpot for tonight’s drawing is a staggering $720 million - the fifth largest Mega Millions jackpot in history. Last July, a single lottery ticket sold at a Speedway convenience store in Des Plaines, Illinois matched all six numbers - making two lucky Illinois players the winners of the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot. That jackpot was the largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois, and at the time, the third largest lottery prize ever won in the U.S. Another huge jackpot is up for grabs this weekend. The Lotto jackpot for Saturday night’s drawing has swelled to $19.85 million - the largest Lotto jackpot of the year and the second largest in nearly five years. With over 7,000 Illinois Lottery retailers across the State, lottery players can conveniently pick up a ticket at their local store - or they can login to the Illinois

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (July 21, 2023) - Edwardsville's Josh Kleinheider received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude, recently from Rockhurst University. Rockhurst University awarded more than 450 degrees at its spring commencement ceremony, held May 13, 2023, at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City. The program featured two student speakers, with Sarah Wilson, a chemistry and Spanish major, representing undergraduate students, and Nathaniel Graham, a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders degree recipient, representing graduate students.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Illinois State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) hosted a grand opening of her Edwardsville District Office on Tuesday, July 18. “We had a great turnout, and it was great seeing so many new faces and familiar ones as well as we welcomed them to our new constituent services office,” Harriss said in a press release. “We had an opportunity to move our office this past spring to Main Street in Edwardsville as it’s a more centralized location in the 56th District and so far it’s been great.” Harriss is a Republican representing the 56th District. The grand opening invited local politicians and constituents to the office for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. State Representative Amy Elik and the Glen Ed Chamber of Commerce were in attendance. The office, located at 120 North Main Street, Suite 1B, has been open for a few months. Now that the Illinois Senate session has ended, Harriss has left Springfield and returned to the area. She

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WOOD RIVER - A proposal to subdivide 10 acres from Belk Park in Wood River, potentially for development of a wedding venue, was tabled at the Planning Commission public hearing on Thursday night. However, the City Council could technically still move the item forward without their recommendation at the council’s next meeting on August 7. The hearing, which lasted over two hours, saw more members of the public attend than many commission members said they had ever seen. In total, 17 members of the public spoke out against the proposal, while two spoke in favor. Supporters cited opportunities for economic growth, development, and an expanded tax base for the city. Critics said the proposal would be an improper use of land donated in Robert E. Belk’s will and voiced concerns about losing greenspace, increased traffic, and much more, recalling fond memories of time spent in the park. Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser said several Madison County mayors would

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As FAA reauthorization negotiations continue and our nation faces an ongoing aviation safety crisis, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—introduced the Experienced Pilots Save Lives Act to strengthen pilot training standards and uphold the 1,500-hour rule, which was enacted in 2010 after the last commercial aviation crash caused by pilot error. There has not been a single civilian death caused by pilot error in commercial aviation since the rule was enacted. With this new legislation, Duckworth is holding the line on safety as some Senators continue to consider watering down pilot certification standards by decreasing flying hours at the risk of public safety amid a spike in near-miss incidents in our commercial aviation system. “When it comes to our nation’s pilot training

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SPRINGFIELD – The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees met in Springfield this week. Among agenda items were performance reviews of System President Dan Mahony and Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane. SIU Board of Trustees Chairman Phil Gilbert released the following statement after the meeting: “Listening to the discussion today on the performance of our senior leaders, it is clear that this board is well pleased with our President and Chancellors and the leadership they are providing. President Dan Mahony and Chancellor Austin Lane, whose performance evaluations were up for review, and Chancellor James Minor, still early in his tenure, have tremendously impacted their campuses and this university system. They have the full support of the board. The board made a great hire in March 2020 when Dan Mahony became SIU’s ninth president, and that was confirmed early during the pandemic as we shut down our campuses and sent our students into online learning

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. District Court in East St. Louis announced on Thursday that a Florida woman was arraigned on an indictment in federal court on Wednesday charging her for allegedly scamming her grandmother living in Cahokia Heights out of more than $300,000. Tanya M. Aboseada, 38, of Pompano Beach, Florida, is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud. “Financial crimes against the elderly for personal gain are intolerable, and offenders will be brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz said, “The FBI remains committed to protecting the elderly in our communities from financial fraud and holding accountable those who exploit them.” The indictment alleges Aboseada convinced her grandmother to wire money into her bank account under false pretenses on at least 12 occasions between November 2021 and August 2022. Aboseada lied about needing money in order to transfer a truck

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Sweltering summer heat is here, and people are soaking up the sun. While some vitamin D from sun rays is good in moderation, experts warn that if you overdo it, you’re at risk for melanoma , a less common skin cancer but one that accounts for most deaths. To emphasize how important it is to be aware of skin cancer, look no further than two recent cases, one from Hollywood and one at OSF HealthCare. Khloe Kardashian recently went into more detail about her brush with melanoma. And Kristi Fetter of Granite City, Illinois, is a survivor of four types of cancer, including a melanoma diagnosis in 2018, and she regularly attends a cancer support group at OSF HealthCare in nearby Alton, Illinois . “I went to my doctor, and she noticed a little black dot on my chest. And she thought it was cancer, and it was,” Fetter says. “They cut it out, and it’s a pretty long scar,” Fetter adds as she gestures to the inches-long mark by her neck. “So wear

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