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GODFREY - Great-horned owls and barred owls are the two common owls in Illinois. During the winter these owls build nests, find mates, and defend their territory. Since owls are active and vocal when defending their territories, it gives us a chance to consistently hear them in the wild. The Nature Institute will host two Owl Prowl events to give the public a chance to learn more about owls and hear them in the preserve. Treehouse Wildlife Center will bring several owl species to The Nature Institute on two occasions this winter. The Valentine’s Day Owl Prowl on February 14 is designed for adults. This program will be a unique event with learning, appetizers, and wine for groups of friends and couples to enjoy together. The Treehouse program will start indoors with the live owls and snacks, then we will head outside to call and listen for wild owls. On February 18, Treehouse will return for a family-oriented program. Families will learn about owls, meet the owl ambassadors then

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ALTON - Michael “Doc” Holliday Sr. Of Alton has a long history of community service in the Alton area. He has taken that service to another level at this point as he is the newly elected president of the Alton Branch of the NAACP. He is succeeding Andy Hightower, who choose not to run for re-election. Michael Sr. has been married to his wife, Priscilla, for 45 years. They have two children Michael Jr. and Erica. Michael Sr. was previously 1st Vice President of the Alton Branch of the NAACP. Michael is a Navy veteran. He also has retired from Olin Corporation after 39 years. He became a Precinct Committeeman in 1984, He twice held the Presidency of The Alton, Illinois, Chapter of The 100 Black Men of America, Board Member of The American Cancer Society, Chairman of the Deacon Board of Union Baptist Church (The Oldest Baptist Church in Illinois), he was elected to the Madison County Board in 1998 and still serving. He is currently President of The Illinois Association of Count

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EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE researcher Shivendu Pratap Singh, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Business’ Department of Computer Management & Information Systems (CMIS), has a published article in the December 2022 edition of Service Business by Pan-Pacific Business Association. The article is entitled “Overcoming bias against funding of female-led entrepreneurial initiatives: the democratizing influence of online crowdlending platforms.” Singh started off working in New Zealand where his interest in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was sparked, along with the concept of crowdlending which is when individuals lend small amounts of money to companies in exchange for a financial return that is specified in a loan agreement. Singh reports that the article is meant to convey the message that “female entrepreneurs should not be discouraged by any bias they experience in traditional financing environment” and that “our support for crowdlending

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today introduced bicameral legislation aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing the theft of firearms from federally-licensed gun dealers (FFLs). The Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective (SECURE) Firearm Storage Act would address the problem of “smash and grab” gun store burglaries by requiring all firearms to be securely stored when a federally-licensed gun dealer is not open for business. Additionally, the bill would authorize the Attorney General to review and put forth additional security measures to reduce the risk of theft, and requires a new section on the FFL application for an applicant to describe security plans before a license can be approved. Gun thefts from FFLs are a significant problem across the country. In 2020 and 2021, FFLs reported a combined 769 burglaries t

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EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville Arts Center (EAC) Board of Directors has appointed Beth Browne as the new Executive Director of the EAC. Browne’s five years’ experience on the EAC Board of Directors, combined with 21 years of various involvement in the community art scene, will undoubtedly help further the organization’s mission of enriching the lives and creative spirits of community members. "We are so glad to welcome Beth to our team,” comments EAC Director of Programs, Carolyn Tidball. “During Beth’s time as a board member, she has shown herself to be committed to the arts, a very hard worker, and has a collaborative mindset. As an artist herself, she truly understands the importance of our mission to make art accessible to everyone in our community." As Executive Director, Browne will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the EAC, ensuring ongoing local programming excellence, continual community outreach and networking, and developing

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ALTON - At just five-foot-four-inches, many coaches told Marquette Catholic senior Haley Rodgers that she wasn't going to make it out on the basketball court. She wanted to prove them all wrong and that's exactly what she did. After being in talks with a college coach for about a year she made the decision to continue her basketball career at Greenville University. She signed her letter of intent Wednesday afternoon fulfilling a dream that she's had for many years now. "I went to a college game with my dad, it was actually a Lewis and Clark game, and it's just been my dream ever since to play in college," Rodgers said. She certainly wasn't going to let her size get in her way. "I started basketball in sixth grade, I've always been small," Rodgers said. "I've had a few coaches tell me that I can't do it because of my height and size but I'm happy to say I've made my dream come true." For overcoming the odds, Haley Rodgers is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Female Athlete

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is currently accepting applications for the 2023 DCFS Scholarship Program. Through the program, a minimum of 53 academic scholarships will be awarded to current and former youth in care for the upcoming school year, with four awards reserved for the children of veterans. Scholarship recipients receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers to be used at participating Illinois state community colleges and public universities, a monthly grant of $1,506 to offset other expenses and a medical card. On average, the department receives 200 application packets each year, and has awarded over 1,500 scholarships since the program began in 1971. “Students who have been involved in the foster care system face a unique set of challenges from a young age that often set them at a disadvantage when it comes to funding their education,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The DCFS Scholarship

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WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act to strengthen elementary and secondary school procedures for preventing, identifying, and treating student-athletes who sustain concussions. While athletics are important to helping students learn team-building skills and connect with their peers, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, participating in school sports is not without risk. The National Federation of State High School Associations estimates that about 140,000 students playing high school sports suffer concussions every year, though many go unreported. Despite potential long-term impacts, concussions are not always easily diagnosed, and symptoms do not always manifest themselves immediately. Durbin’s bill requires states to adopt a “when in doubt, sit it out” policy, which prevents student athletes suspected of having sustained a concussion from returning to play

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ALTON - The month of February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Riverbend Head Start & Family Services (RHSFS) is committed to educating and offering free dental services to the children and their parents who participate in our program(s). The scope of this ongoing project is to provide oral health services to the more than 750 at-risk children under the age of five who live in Madison County, IL and attend one of our Head Start centers. We also provide oral health education for kids and their parents or caregivers. The children in our program receive dental screenings, treatments, and surgeries thanks to our community partners like Delta Dental. RHSFS covers the cost of treatments and surgeries performed by Associated Pediatric Dentistry and Riverbend Pediatric Dentistry because our families cannot afford to pay for them. Our staff can also help transport the child and their parents or caregiver to dental appointments. “Poor dental health can contribute to

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Among the New Year’s resolutions worldwide, many people have pledged to find and stick with a healthy diet. But there’s a lot more to it than just grabbing every “reduced fat” item off the grocery store shelf. Karen Whitehorn, MD , an OSF HealthCare internal medicine physician, hears questions all the time about diets. Her first question back is usually: what do you want out of your diet? Do you want to be healthy? Lose weight? Manage a medical condition? Sort through the details, and you’ll find the best option.Exploring the popular optionsU.S. News and World Report recently consulted a panel of medical and nutrition experts to rank the best diets . The Mediterranean diet topped the list. Dr. Whitehorn says this diet is based on the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a plant-based diet, incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice and seafood.“The Mediterranean diet is actually pretty easy to

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ST. LOUIS - St. Louis-based law firm Lewis Rice has promoted Kelly M. Gorman and Justin M. Ladendorf to members of the firm. Gorman joined Lewis Rice as a summer associate in 2014 shortly before graduating from the University of Missouri School of Law. She practices in Lewis Rice’s Pension & Employee Benefits , Health Care and Corporate departments. Her peers have selected her for inclusion in Best Lawyers ’ “Ones to Watch” for the last three years. Ladendorf practices in the firm’s Commercial Litigation , Labor & Employment , and Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Workouts departments. He also started his career with Lewis Rice as a summer associate in 2013 and 2014 before graduating from Saint Louis University School of Law. Active in his community, Ladendorf serves on Aim High St. Louis’ Board of Directors.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the dangers of cryptocurrency and emphasizing his continued skepticism. During his speech, Durbin outlined the collapse of various crypto firms such as FTX, which imploded and led to the resignation of CEO Sam Bankman-Fried a few months ago. “It’s been called ‘new money,’ ‘digital cash,’ and even the way of the future. I have another name for it: reckless, predatory, foolish, dangerous. I’m referring, of course, to cryptocurrency. The latest scam to rip off millions of hardworking Americans to the tune of billions of dollars. In under a decade, this industry skyrocketed in popularity—and raked in big bucks for its leading speculators—before exploding into dust for all the world to see,” said Durbin. In 2022, Bitcoin cratered—losing more than 60 percent of its value in one year. If you purchased one Bitcoin

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Couples names: David and Theresa City: Mt Olive Date met pr started dating: October 9, 1997 Date married: May 22, 1999 What makes your relationship special? Love to spend time together Share a memory you have made together: Grandchildren

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Couples names: Jacob and Christina Hall City: Godfrey Date met pr started dating: March 16, 2022 Date married: October 12, 2002 What makes your relationship special? We tried to get married after a month of dating. Our parents were not happy! (Having our own children now, we can understand why. Lol) We married on our 6 month anniversary and have been married for 20 years now. Share a memory you have made together: There are so many that it is hard to choose but one that sticks out would be hiking up Bell Mountain in Missouri on Easter weekend during Covid and listening to a sermon with our 3 kids at sunset on top of the mountain.

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Couples names: Josh and Rebecca Billingsley City: Alton Date met pr started dating: July 14, 2020 Date married: September 11, 2021 What makes your relationship special? We try and put each other first. If we get into an argument we apologize, talk it out, and learn from it. We keep christ in the center of our marriage. Share a memory you have made together: We have made a lot of memories in a short period of time like getting married, having a child but one of our favorites was going to Lambeau Stadium to see the Packers.

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Couples names: David and Carrie City: Saint Elmo Date met pr started dating: July 4, 2021 Date married: June 25, 2022 What makes your relationship special? David and I met through some of the same Friends we had on FB. He was extremely respectful and charming. We met and we hit it off right off the bat. He and I have so much in common and he is someone I am blessed to spend the rest of my life with him. Share a memory you have made together: We share many moments together and the best ones are going to concerts and just taking a break and getting away for some one-on-one time. Every moment is amazing with him.

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Couples names: Eric & Jennifer City: Wood River Date met pr started dating: November 1, 2009 Date married: May 1, 2012 What makes your relationship special? We had met as teens and been pen pals for quite some time. Life happens marriage, kids, divorce. Met up to chat about life and it has all been a roller coaster since then. Share a memory you have made together: We have made many memories with our blessed blended family. Favorites would be back yard barbecues with all the kids and grandkids.

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CARROLLTON - The 2023 Carrollton High School Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., with setup beginning at 8 a.m. Several local businesses and organizations will have the chance to tell students more about their career opportunities and recruit potential employees. Lunch will also be provided during a lunch break from 11:04 a.m. to 11:34 a.m. Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor Blaine Hartwick said the event raises awareness of the opportunities CHS students have right in their own community. “My goal for the career fair is to show students the different opportunities that they have for career choices in our local area if they choose to stay home and raise a family here,” Hartwick said. “I think sometimes small communities like ours get bad reps for not having opportunities,” he added. “I feel like we are blessed in our area with a good variety of options and careers.” Local businesses, colleges, military

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Couples names: Mathew and Jessica Lister City: Jerseyville Date met pr started dating: February 25, 2011 Date married: February 27, 2021 What makes your relationship special? We met and fell in love in Italy. Share a memory you have made together: We moved to Seattle WA together after high school.

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Couples names: Tracey & Donna City: Brighton Date met pr started dating: November 30, 1993 Date married: November 10, 1994 What makes your relationship special? Understanding, appreciation, and a very rare love that not many people are blessed enough to find in their lifetime. Share a memory you have made together: We have welcomed a son into the world , we have welcomed grandchildren into the world there are so many years of love and laughter.

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