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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum recently finished a major oral history project about the Covid pandemic called “Tumultuous 2020.” The team conducted some 80 interviews with people around the state to record their memories of this traumatic time. These are the observations of the project’s manager. Observations from an oral historian for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum By Amanda Riggenbach When COVID-19 turned life upside down in 2020, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum set out to capture memories of the pandemic through an oral history project called “Tumultuous 2020.” As head of the project, I spent the last year talking to Illinoisans about their myriad experiences as they weathered one of the most difficult years in recent history. It was an honor to speak to them directly or listen to their interviews with my colleagues. The stories we collected highlight the strength within people to continu

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CHICAGO - Income and property tax rebates will begin being sent to an estimated six million qualified taxpayers beginning today, September 12. The rebates are the result of Gov. Pritzker’s Illinois Family Relief Plan , which also provided grocery, gas, and school supply tax savings in addition to the direct payments. The rebate payments, which will take at least eight weeks to be issued in total, will be sent automatically to Illinois residents who filed 2021 state income taxes and claimed a property tax credit. Those who have not filed can still access the rebates after completing additional filing. “This $1.8 billion in tax relief is possible because Democrats balanced the budget, eliminated the bill backlog, funded schools, fixed roads – and through responsible financial decision-making – still found ourselves with a one-time surplus,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “There are those who might have sent those funds straight back into the pockets of

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ALTON - The Alton Community Service League held its kick-off meeting of the year on Monday, September 12th. Recognized at the meeting as volunteer of the month was Bernie Wickenhauser who volunteered 32 hours at Alton Memorial Hospital, and 3 hours at Asbury Library. Gail Drillinger, a member of Vintage Voices, presented the program portraying Alice Georgia. Alice was a resident of the Alton Woman’s Home located in Alton. The Alton Women’s Home Association is still in existence and has been for 125 years. ACSL provides guides for the Vintage Voices Walking Tour which will be held on Oct. 1, at 12:00 PM, and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2:30 PM at the Alton National Cemetery at 600 Pearl St., Alton, Il. Plans for the ACSL year include a kick-off raffle of a Horn of Plenty donated by Jeffrey’s Flowers by Design. Tickets, sold by any ACSL member, are $5 each or 3 for $10. Pictured with the Horn of Plenty donated by Jeffrey’s Flowers by Design, is Barbara Panfile and ACSL

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ALTON – Students from Lewis and Clark Community College’s YouthBuild AmeriCorps program volunteered for the Alton Citywide Litter Cleanup, coordinated by Alton Main Street and Pride, Inc. In the front row, from left to right are Isaiah Slater, Kyan O’Bannon, Kaden Conreux, Keyshawn Stapleton and Jaiden London. In the back row are Adult Education Pathway Advocate Kavon Lacey, Zion Haynes, Jacob Phipps, Dakota Hennemann, Jada Johnson, Carmela Singer and Seth Taylor. To learn more about YouthBuild Americorps or other programs offered at Lewis and Clark Community College’s Scott Bibb Center, contact Sabrina Davis at (618) 468-4150 or sdavis@lc.edu , or visit www.lc.edu/youthbuild .

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ALTON - At 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, the Alton Police Department received 911 reports of gunshots fired and a male gunshot wound victim at the intersection of Ridge Street and Quincy Street in Alton. Alton Police officers immediately responded and located a 27-year-old male who had been injured by gunfire. He was taken to a local hospital by the Alton Fire Department and then transferred to a St. Louis area hospital for further treatment. The Alton Police said preliminary information suggests that this is not a random act of violence. The investigation is ongoing at this time. The investigation is being conducted by the Alton Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division. Any further pertinent information will be released when available. Anyone with information is asked to call 618-463-3505, extension 634.

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COTTAGE HILLS – Court is now in session at Kutter Park. Wood River Township held a ribbon cutting on Saturday in honor of its new “Court of Heroes.” The pickleball courts are named in honor of two individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice – Firefighter Capt. Jake Ringering and Pontoon Beach Police Officer Tyler Timmons. “Both of these young men died in the line of duty and grew up in Wood River Township,” Township Supervisor Mike Babcock said. Ringering, 37, died in a house fire on March 5, 2019. He grew up in East Alton where he served as a firefighter before going to Godfrey. Timmons, 36, died on Oct. 26, 2021, after being shot as he approached a suspect in a stolen vehicle in Pontoon Beach. Timmons joined the Pontoon Beach Police Department in 2020 after previously serving in Roxana, Worden, and Hartford. Both men are graduates of East Alton Wood River High School. Their widows, Allison Ringering and Linsey Timmons, along with the families

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WOOD RIVER - Senior cheerleader Taylor Harding has been involved in 14 years of training in tumbling that transferred into her role as a cheerleader. She is in her fourth year as an Oiler cheerleader and says what she enjoys the most is "bringing the school spirit to the games and competing with my cheerleading team in the winter." Taylor thanked her mom and dad for always pushing her to be her best and that they helped get her the training she needed to improve in her sport. "My 14 years of training in tumbling have helped me a lot with the accomplishments I have made as a cheerleader," she said. "Being put in a competitive sport at such a young age really helped me with taking criticism well to be able to improve myself." Outside of cheer, Taylor said she likes to make art and jewelry and sell her work at local farmers' markets. She added that being involved in sports throughout high school has allowed her to become more of a leader in all aspects of her life. "After high school,

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Letter to the Editor: I have taught in Wood River-Hartford School District #15 for 35 years with the majority of my time spent at Lewis and Clark Junior High. Kris Tharp was one of my students during my early teaching career. I remember Kris as a very good student who had the ability to motivate others. He always was willing to help and knew that hard work and cooperation were the keys to success. Even then, Kris understood the importance of doing whatever was necessary to make any situation better. Kris has continued helping others throughout his stellar career in law enforcement, whether it be at the local level in the Madison County Sheriff’s Office or as a Deputy Commander in the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. He has protected lives and property and had a positive impact on many citizens. Kris has dedicated his life to serving his community and ensuring the safety of all individuals. Kris understands the importance of a quality education and realizes that all students

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EDWARDSVILLE - Marquette Catholic senior striker Myles Paniagua scored the only goal in brilliant fashion off a flick-on header in the Explorers' 2-1 loss at Edwardsville Saturday mid-day at Tiger Stadium. For Paniagua, it was his 12th goal of the season, among the leaders in the St. Louis area, and he's scored in every match thus far as the Explorers went to 5-2-0 on the season going into a home match Sept. 12 against Granite City at Gordon Moore Park. After the Edwardsville match, Paniagua felt the Explorers played well against a very good Tigers team. Paniagua is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Male Athlete of the Month for the Explorers. "Edwardsville's a tough team," Paniagua said. "We knew we had to come out here and work hard, keep their midfield in check. I mean, they're pretty good in midfield, pretty good on the lines. Up and down the field, they're just a good team. We were there, we were there the whole game, but put away a couple of those chances, we're right there."

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School football quarterback Jake Curry had another big game for the Tigers on Sept. 2, going 11-for-14 passing for 153 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for 96 yards and the key touchdown as Edwardsville defeated Highland 31-28 in the home opener at Tiger Stadium. In Saturday's 56-0 win over Soldan on the road, he continued to play a pivotal role in directing the Tigers' offense. Curry is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. Curry felt very happy after the Highland game, but also knows that his team can do much better also. "I feel pretty good," Curry said in his postgame interview, "but I feel like we could also do a lot better than what we've done the past two games. I feel like we've came out slow in the first half and then, we kick it in in the second half and I feel like that's now how we should play, We should play hard all four quarters." Although the Tigers did indeed get off to a slow start, all cylinders kicked in

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ALTON - The Riverbend East Rotary Club Foundation board members present a $2,700 check to William BeDell arc school principal Jessica Walton (3rd from right). The donation represents the proceeds from the club-sponsored Color Run in June and will be used to upgrade the school's sensory room. Board members pictured are Mark Speciale, Lindsey Herron, Robin Karpan, Mark Vaughn and Brad Pulaski.

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ALTON - Congratulations to Jody Crowe (center) of Alton Pain Management, who is Alton Memorial Hospital’s September Employee of the Month. Jody received the honor on Sept. 12 from Pain Management manager Sue Walker and AMH President Dave Braasch. The nomination said that “Jody consistently exemplifies BJC values. She consistently works in the best interests of our team and ultimately our patients. Jody is a fantastic nurse, respected for her clinical knowledge and pleasant disposition. She is also working on her BSN from McKendree University, with her graduation scheduled for May 2023.”

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ALTON - Tabitha Craig-Robinson, owner of the new Tab's Cafe in Alton, loves to watch people consume her home-cooked food. During her opening day Saturday at the new location at 400 State St. in Alton, she was busy as could be in her kitchen and had a smile on her face until she closed for the day. Tabitha said she was "thankful and felt blessed" for the overwhelming turnout on opening day and hopes for that to continue as she moves ahead. "People were lined outside before we even opened," she said. "I was back in the kitchen preparing food most of the day. I could hear people saying they enjoyed the food, I heard their laughter and their happiness. I can't tell you how good that made me feel. It was a great opening day. I am so excited." Tabitha said she could not thank her husband, Dan, enough for his help, along with her children and others who assisted on opening day. Dan completed much of the remodeling of what has become Tab's Cafe , sure to be a new fixture in Downtown Alton.

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ALTON - The Alton School District recently launched a new set of vending machines in seven of their elementary schools, but not the kind you would think. While a traditional vending machine feeds the stomach, these machines – filled with a wide array of books – fuel the mind. Each Book Vending Machine is proudly adorned with the distinguished Alton Redbird mascot, the sponsor of the respective machine, as well as text that proudly states, “Redbirds are Readers.” And if it’s up to the faculty in Alton schools, this statement will ring true for years to come. Continuing literacy with the help of partners Reading is a cornerstone for learning and becomes such a pivotal piece of future success for students. So much so that if a child cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade, their chances of success are significantly impacted, according to Ron Mayhew, a longstanding advocate for literacy and CCO Club Communications Officer at the Alton-Godfrey

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ALTON - The Viking River Cruise Line visit to the Alton riverfront was just another part of a beautiful event weekend as the crew and those aboard were welcomed with open arms to the river city. The Viking made its inaugural call to the city with a celebration and ribbon cutting Saturday morning. Alton Mayor David Goins, Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau and other dignitaries were on hand to greet Viking Cruise Lines. Mayor Goins said this was a historic visit and he very much enjoyed the inaugural docking on the riverfront and looks forward to more in the future. He said he is very excited with three cruise lines each now visiting Alton’s port. He said the visits bring tourists into the area and help generate not only goodwill, but income for local businesses and city tax revenue. A brass band welcomed passengers who will be able to take their pick of locally grown apples and pears before they board for their cruise from Alton to St. Paul,

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ALTON - There were several from the area who participated in the 18th Annual Cycle Across Illinois event for 2022. The event is to honor, remember and support families of the Illinois Chapter Of Concerns Of Police Survivors. Local riders started in Alton and rode across the state to Bridgeview, IL., over multiple days. Madison County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Will Dimitroff has been a fixture in the cycle event in recent years and plans to do it again next year. He describes riding across the state and meeting families of fallen officers as one of the most touching things he encounters as a member of law enforcement. In addition to Dimitroff area participants were: Sgt. Nick Mooshegian of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, retired Capt. Jenna Delong of the Granite City Police Department, Deputy Kelsey Ford of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Eric Stacy of the Granite City Police Department, David Parks, owner of the Cyclery in Edwardsville, and Officer Jacob

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MARYVILLE – Yuka Saathoff, RN of Anderson Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. OB patient, Amanda Church, nominated Saathoff. Church, a nursing student, was admitted in early labor at 37 weeks. Her nurse, Yuka Saathoff, RN, had actually switched shifts that day with a coworker and was assigned to Church. “When I met Yuka, I could tell she was special. She thoroughly explained my epidural and her plan to help me throughout labor and delivery. We loved her personality. She was at all times professional, but put us at ease with her sense of humor.” Church’s son was born at 1:15 a.m. but had a low Apgar score. Apgar is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The 1-minute score determines how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. Tests quickly revealed a few other complications

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CARROLLTON - The Greene County Health Department announced today it has confirmed two positive mosquito pools for West Nile Virus (WNV) located in Greene County. Greene County Health Department Director Molly Peters explained that West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has contracted the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Peters said the Greene County Health Department is still accepting dead birds through October 15, 2022, which have been dead 48 hours or less and have died from natural causes such as the crow, blue jay, grackle, starling, sparrow, finch, robin, cardinal, flycatchers, swallows, catbird, mockingbird, warbler, wren, and small to medium owls and hawks. "Upon detecting a bird carcass contact the Health Department for collection," she said. "Decomposed birds are not acceptable for submission. These are birds that can be recognized as having a strong odor present, eyes deflated or dried, maggot infestation, or bloated from decomposition

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Health Advisory Board met Sept. 6 and discussed the new COVID boosters that are available at local pharmacies and the county’s health department. Dr. Anthony Fauci is again on every mainstream media channel recommending the new boosters (third booster, fifth shot) as “safe and effective.” One message coming from the health advisory board meeting — “People should learn all they can about the new boosters, before making a decision.” This is consistent with “informed consent,” meaning that a patient should be equipped to weigh the risks and rewards of medical treatment. That’s easy to say, but for the average person, it’s actually difficult to find information or opinions that disagree with Fauci, the CDC, and the FDA. Doctors, scientists, and medical researchers critical of Fauci have been censored by mainstream media and have lost jobs. Books I have read and recommend Include: The Real Anthony

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ALTON - The City of Alton and Pride Incorporated had the second semi-annual city-wide cleanup on Saturday and it was a perfect example of the event's "Love Where You Live" motto at work. A wide variety of ages participated, from young children all the way to older adults. The event is designed to help “beautify” the streets of Alton, in hopes of bettering the community and to help drive foot traffic to local businesses in the area. Every year, the city-wide cleanup counts on local volunteers from different organizations to help out with the effort. It gives a chance for locals to give back to their community. The main focus for many volunteers was to keep the area clean and to make a difference in the area where they live in. “Love where you live” was the main fall cleanup slogan for the Pride Inc. cleanup this year. It was a way to get people encouraged by the event. When asked if there was a message that Pride Inc. wanted to give out to the community,

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