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SPRINGFIELD – The Multi-Purpose Arena (MPA) will be up and running for the 2023 Illinois State Fair. The MPA underwent an $8.6 million overhaul in 2022, repairing sidewalks, walls, steps, expansion joints, electrical systems, readjusting the tension structure, installing a new canopy, and rebuilding the retaining walls around the facility. The funding was made possible by the Governor’s historic Rebuild Illinois capital program, which modernizes infrastructure throughout the state. “The Illinois State Fair is one of the jewels of our state, and my administration has prioritized investing in our fairgrounds to make sure every inch of the grounds reflects the best of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker .” The new and improved Multi-Purpose Arena is another important addition to the improvements we’ve made over the last several years, and I look forward to seeing Illinoisans from across the state come together to enjoy the space.” The MP

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ALTON/GODFREY - St. Louis Regional Freightway Executive Director Mary Lamie spoke at the most recent North Alton-Godfrey Business Council meeting on May 9, and discussed the ways her organization has worked to help market the advantages of the St. Louis Region. Lamie said seven years ago, metropolitan planning organization East-West Gateway looked at the manufacturing logistics industry in the St. Louis region and recognized that when compared to sister cities like Kansas City, Memphis, Columbus, Nashville, and Minneapolis, those cities had better growth in those industries at the time. She continued by saying the St. Louis region has several strategic and infrastructural advantages, but those other cities were “out-hustling” it with their superior marketing. “Then we looked at our freight assets. St. Louis has six class one railroads. Those are the national rail carriers, and that's a big deal - not one of those sister cities has six,” she said. “Not

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ALTON - The Annual Ballin' With A Cop last weekend was once again a way for Alton Police officers to reach out to the younger generation in a positive way. The event was held from noon to 2 p.m. this past Saturday at the YWCA of Alton and featured a great afternoon of basketball, three-point contests, and free-throw contests. "The officers didn’t fare too well against the kids but everyone had a blast," Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said. "It was a wonderful event to bring the community together and build good relationships. "Thank you to the Precious Organization, YWCA, Tammy Smith, and all the others who helped put on and participate in this event. We look forward to doing it again."

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EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville wants to hear from the public about the best ways to utilize and manage two parks prized by the City as significant green space properties. The City hired HeartLands Conservancy, a Belleville-based conservation nonprofit, last fall to create a management plan for William C. Drda Woods and Richards Woods, two properties acquired as part of Edwardsville’s commitment to preserving and protecting green space. HeartLands has launched a survey seeking input on potential public uses and access for the two properties. The results of the survey and other public input will be considered in the development of the management plan. The Drda Woods property includes about 70 acres previously used as farmland at 5404 New Poag Road. Since 2019, the City and HeartLands have been planting trees to help reforest the property, which is adjacent to the Bohm Woods State Nature Preserve. There are no facilities at the site; preliminary plans call for public

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EDWARDSVILLE – Stephen Hansen, PhD, has been a steadfast supporter of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the surrounding communities since joining the University in 1984 as associate dean of graduate studies and research and associate professor in the Department of History. Over the course of his career, Hansen has served as dean of graduate studies and research, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and interim chancellor. Hansen was presented with the Distinguished Service Award this past weekend during SIUE’s commencement ceremonies. The award is bestowed upon individuals who have made a profound impact on the growth of SIUE, in line with its mission, vision and values. “SIUE is where ambition meets opportunity,” Hansen said to the graduating Class of 2023 during the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering commencement ceremony. “It is where you have access to excellence. Thank you for coming and graduating from

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JERSEYVILLE - COUNTRY Financial Insurance Agent Nathan Wittman was pleased to support the Jerseyville Fire Department last weekend with a $1,500 donation as part of the company’s “Operation Helping Heroes” program. The funds will be used for additional supplies. “We appreciate our local firemen and thank them for their dedication and commitment to the community,” Wittman said. The “Operation Helping Heroes” program was created in 2015 to support non-profit events and programs that benefit active-duty service members, veterans and their families. Later, the program expanded to include first responders and teachers. COUNTRY Financial, an insurance and financial services company, has donated more than $5 million since 2020 to organizations and programs that support teachers, first responders, active-duty service members and veterans, supporting the company’s vision to “enrich lives in the communities we serve.” COUNTRY

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It's finally farmers market season with many local markets opening up this weekend. You will find a comprehensive list of Farmers Markets and other markets offering fresh produce and much more around the area below. ALTON The Alton Farmers' & Artisans' Market will begin its season this Saturday, May 13 in the parking lot at the corner of Landmarks Boulevard and Henry Street in Downtown Alton. This market will continue every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon through October 21. Night Market will begin its season on Thursday, June 1 inside of Jacoby Arts Center located at 627 E. Broadway Street in Alton, as well as outdoors in the neighboring pocket park. This market will continue every Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. through July 27. Night Market's 2023 band schedule is as follows: June 1 - Spillie Nelson , June 8 - Ahna Schoenhoff, June 15 - The Intrusion, June 22 - Loftys Comet, June 29 - Bring Me The Fires , July 6 - Toxic Johnny, July 13 - HOOKiE, July 20 - Jazz Troubadours,

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ALTON - At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9, the Alton Police Department was made aware of a head-on traffic crash near the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and 10 th Street. Officers and members of the Alton Fire Department arrived on scene and discovered two vehicles that were involved in the crash. Preliminary investigation revealed that a gold 2003 Chevrolet S10 pickup was traveling northbound on MLK when it crossed over the center line and struck a white 2016 Nissan Rogue that was traveling southbound, Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said. "Both vehicles sustained extensive damage," Chief Ford said. "The driver of the Nissan was transported to a local hospital and later to a St. Louis area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet was also transported to a local hospital by Alton Fire Department Ambulance for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the accident remains under investigation at this time."

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure out of the Senate Thursday that would prohibit law enforcement from pulling a vehicle over for objects placed between the driver and their front windshield. “When drivers are pulled over due to something being on their rearview mirror, they are often unfairly targeted by law enforcement,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “It’s long overdue that we eliminate this reason for being pulled over.” Under current law, people cannot drive with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield, which obstruct the driver's view. House Bill 2389 would clarify that vehicles cannot be stopped or searched by a law enforcement officer solely on the basis of a violation or suspected violation of this subsection. “This will go a long way in promoting fairness and equity in our state,” said Belt. “It’s vital we provide clarity to both law enforcement and drivers

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MT. VERNON – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Internal Investigation (DII) continues to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred on Interstate 64 near Mount Vernon, IL in which an ISP officer was shot. On Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Interstate 64 eastbound at mile post 72, an ISP Trooper stopped to assist a stranded motorist on the right shoulder. Upon arrival, the Trooper encountered a 23-year-old male of Albuquerque, NM and a female passenger in the vehicle. A second ISP Officer arrived for routine assistance a short time later. While on scene, an altercation occurred during which gunfire was exchanged between Griffin and a responding officer. A 16-year ISP officer suffered serious, although non-life threatening, injuries after being shot during the altercation and is being treated at a regional hospital. Griffin was pronounced deceased on scene by Jefferson County Coroner’s Office personnel. The other involved

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EDWARDSVILLE – Metro-East Lutheran High School’s scholar bowl team defeated teams from high schools across Southern Illinois to win the championship of a televised game show tournament produced by PBS. MELHS won the 2023 Scholastic Hi-Q tournament in a match the team played in the fall but which was only recently released by PBS station WSIU Television. MELHS defeated Calloway County High School by a score of 655 to 455 to win the tournament. Calloway was the previous Hi-Q champion, having won the tournament in 2022. Thirty-two teams from high schools across southern Illinois competed in Scholastic Hi-Q, an academics-based game show that has been produced by WSIU Television in Carbondale since 1985. All the episodes of this year’s tournament are available for viewing on the PBS website ( https://www.pbs.org/show/scholastic-hi-q/ ). “Winning Scholastic Hi-Q in only our second year competing in it was a great way to start the season for us and really set the

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O’FALLON – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction celebrates St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic. "Our commitment to patient safety is a top priority,” said Dr. Dennis Szurkus Jr., chief medical officer at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. “Our safety grade achievements are a testament to the high-level of quality care provided to our patients and the dedication of our care teams to ongoing safety improvement processes. I am so proud of our colleagues and medical staff for their outstanding performance.” The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization,

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More than 9 million children faced hunger in 2021. That’s 1 in 8 kids at risk for hunger” (Child hunger, n.d.). Throughout development, kids who miss meals are consistently more likely to repeat a grade in elementary school, experience developmental impairments with language and motor skills, and have more social and behavioral problems (Child hunger, n.d.) Children spend most of their waking time at school. Thus, the eating behaviors of children are largely dependent on the quality and availability of food at schools, in addition to the scheduling of meal times. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program(SBP) are federally-funded programs meant to address malnourished children in the United States. While seemingly sufficient to meet the needs of our nation’s children, these programs are failing to address many key issues that may prevent the appropriate and intended distribution of free and reduced meals. These key issues include negative

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GRANITE CITY - Juniors Abigail Brinker and Evan McKechan of Granite City High School were selected as Granite City Rotary Club Students of the Month for May. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree will receive a framed certificate and a gift card, and will be recognized at the Granite City Rotary Club Meeting on May 16, 2023. ABIGAIL BRINKER Three-year member of girls golf team ... Two-time Most Improved Golfer ... All-Warrior Award ... Three-year Honor Roll and Secondary Honors ... Member of Varsity Club ... St. Elizabeth Church Picnic Volunteer ... Daughter of Carolyn Ryterski. EVAN MCKECHAN Member of Hobby and Science Club ... Son of Mark McKechan. For more information about Granite City School District #9, visit www.gcsd9.net .

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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker has proclaimed May as Motorcycle Awareness Month in Illinois, joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and motorcycle safety advocates to remind all users of the road to “Start Seeing Motorcycles.” “Thousands of riders enjoy Illinois by motorcycle. During the coming months, it’s important to share the road, slow down and be aware of your surroundings,” said Steve Travia, IDOT’s Director of Highways and Chief Engineer. “By working together and following some simple rules, we can save lives.” The Start Seeing Motorcycles campaign coincides with the arrival of warmer weather and more motorcyclists on the roads. With thousands of deaths each year, motorcyclists are significantly overrepresented in traffic crashes and fatalities. Although motorcycles represent 3% of total vehicle registrations in Illinois, according to preliminary data, they accounted for more than 11%

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HSHS - As we celebrate nurses across the country for National Nurses Week (May 6-12), I am deeply appreciative of our nursing colleagues who provide exceptional care to those served by Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) 15 hospitals throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. One week hardly seems like enough time to thank them for their extraordinary accomplishments, especially as the last couple years have brought so many challenges in healthcare. I am so proud of how our nursing colleagues have demonstrated their resiliency, commitment and passion for their profession. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), National Nurses Week was permanently designated May 6-12 in 1993, so this is the 30 th anniversary of National Nurses Week. While celebrations and accolades are shared during this week annually, we know that the work of nurses is a vital contribution to the health of our communities, day in and day out. Our nurses continue to elevate quality and develop clinical

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EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Humane Society (MEHS) is participating in the 10 th annual Give STL Day on May 10, 2023, with a fundraising goal of $3,000 to continue its mission to improve animal welfare in the St. Louis Metro East region. Give STL Day, powered by the St. Louis Community Foundation, is a 24-hour online fundraising event designed to ignite the spirit of giving to nonprofit organizations throughout the St. Louis region. Since its inception in 2014, Give STL Day has raised over $26.2 million for more than 1,000 regional nonprofits. "There's something about this specific day dedicated to giving back in the STL area that really goes to show year after year just how invested in our community residents of the Metro East and beyond are,” said Mady O’Reilly, Development Manager of Metro East Humane Society. “We're lucky to have one incredible support system and excited to harness the power of community together again for Give STL Day 2023 for the sake of saving

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O’FALLON – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is honoring all their colleagues with a weeklong “We Are HSHS” Week which combines the celebrations of National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and National Hospital Week (May 7-13). As a unified organization, HSHS is combining this week to celebrate collaboration and provide St. Elizabeth’s Hospital administration an opportunity to thank and recognize all those who serve patients and their families each day with respect, care, competence and joy. St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is comprised of doctors, nurses, security, health techs, therapists, food services colleagues, environmental services colleagues, administration, spiritual care and much more. HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital President and CEO Chris Klay shared, “I am extremely proud of our team of colleagues who provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients and area communities. We Are HSHS Week celebrates how the collaborative efforts of

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One in 1,000 Americans are affected by secondary lymphedema. It’s a chronic disease when there’s an increased collection of lymphatic fluid in the body that causes swelling. Those with cancer are known to develop lymphedema, which can lead to skin and tissue changes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Sometimes those with lymphedema can inherit the disease, known as primary lymphedema, which is much rarer. You can be born with lymphedema, develop it during puberty, or later. There’s no cure for lymphedema. It’s a disease, and one like diabetes that you have to manage through treatment. Treva Haney, a supervisor in Rehabilitation Services at OSF HealthCare, says her team works through different treatment plans with patients to meet their specific needs. “Usually the plan of attack for treating lymphedema is complete congestive therapy,” Treva says. “This involves compression bandaging and a special, lymphatic massage.”

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GODFREY - The Annual Village of Godfrey Parks and Recreation Department has a series of captivating events throughout the spring, summer, and fall for children and families and this past week. The Big Truck Day event had what Park and Recreation Director Chris Logan called "a lot of participation." "I think it went very well," Logan said. "It was a great day and there were a lot of good groups who also participated. It was a beautiful day and a great event. I think everyone had a great time." Those in attendance had an abundance of trucks, buses, and even a helicopter to view at Big Truck Day. Some even participated in face painting, another hit. "There was a little bit of everything," Logan said. "I think every kid I saw there found something they really liked. We were also thankful that Survival Flight Emergency Transport Services was kind enough to come over. Godfrey tries to reach children and families and it was really nice to see people enjoy their work on this day. We were

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