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ALTON - The Alton City Council voted 6-1 to officially approve an $8.1 million redevelopment agreement for the new Route 3 and Buckmaster Business District, also known as Alton Circle Plaza, which was passed by the Committee of the Whole earlier this week . The redevelopment agreement has been made between the City of Alton and Missouri-based Valcour Development Company. The total cost, which the city has agreed to reimburse up to half of, covers several interior and exterior renovation projects around the newly established Route 3 and Buckmaster Business District, which roughly covers the area encompassing Big Lots, Goodwill, and other stores, but excludes the new Starbucks location. The city plans to reimburse Valcour through new sales tax revenue generated by a 1% sales tax increase on most retail items sold within the newly established district. Mike Batchelor has repeatedly and publicly criticized the city’s decision to raise sales taxes in the area, noting it

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ALTON - Halloween is almost here and with it comes an abundance of trick-or-treating, parades and fun outside. This Halloween is going to be much cooler than normal around the region. Ben Herzog, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, said temps on Halloween night and the night before will likely be in the lower to mid-30s. The projection by the NWS is a high of 45 and a low of around 29 on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, and a high of 46 and low of around 27 degrees on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, Halloween night. “Temperatures are going to drop well before next week,” Herzog said. “We have a cold front that will come through on Friday. We will have pretty warm temperatures during the day on Friday, but by Friday night, temps in the St. Louis area are going to fall into the mid and upper 40s.” Herzog predicted on Halloween night temps would be around the mid-30s, but he said people would be fine if they dressed in layers for the night's fun activities.

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EAST ALTON/WOOD RIVER - Woodrow Peterson and his group the Backpack Bandits have been busy recently with a massive Community Cleanup in October. Peterson also saw a request from the Madison Police Department when they didn’t have any additional NARCAN for patrol officers and he helped fulfill that urgent need with a donation of 20 cases. NARCAN is a nasal spray designed to rapidly reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency. The recent Community Cleanup Day in East Alton and Wood River were very successful, Peterson said. He also commended the East Alton-Wood River High School volunteers who showed up to help. He singled out Ed Ringering, the former East Alton Street Department director, for his help with a tractor during the cleanup. “Some of the grass was five feet tall,” he said, but with the tractor and all the volunteer help, they were able to attack and remove it. The cleanup group addressed the needs of an elderly person in the area and i

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ALTON - The Overnight Warming Center received a portion of the proceeds from the Mayor’s Fundraiser and Charity Ball. Alton Mayor David Goins and First Lady Sheila Goins met with Overnight Warming Center organizers at Deliverance Temple Church of God in Christ in Alton . They made their donation alongside Dawn Elliott, the mother of Alton native and NFL star Zeke Elliott, who donated several pounds of food on Zeke’s behalf. “People come in agitated, freezing,” organizer Peter Hough said. “Give somebody a snack and treat them nice, it’s better. Everything gets better. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference.” The Overnight Warming Center provides food and shelter for people when the temperature reaches below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Anyone who needs a place to sleep for that night can come to Deliverance Temple at 1125 E. 6th Street in Alton. Hough and Tyler Dreith, the nonprofit’s operations director, said they

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Representative Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Representative Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), and Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL) announced the establishment of a new Congressional Caucus focused on educating policymakers and uplifting the needs of Predominantly Black Institutions. The Congressional Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Caucus will unite policymakers who share the goal of understanding and advancing policies to support PBIs. PBIs were established in 2007 via P.L. 110-84, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, to expand access to important federal grants to assist institutions with limited institutional wealth to include colleges and universities serving large percentages of low-income African American students. Prior to 2007, these support grants assisted only a subset of institutions that educate low-income students who are underrepresented in higher education, including: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions

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COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 8 Commander, Captain Casey Faro, announces the ISP will conduct Nighttime Enforcement (NITE) patrols in Madison and St. Clair County during November. NITE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to impaired driving and occupant restraint violations especially between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The number of unrestrained drivers killed in traffic crashes is significantly higher at nighttime and combined with impaired driving means even more traffic deaths during these critical hours. Officers will strictly enforce violations including: - Driving Under the Influence (DUI); - Safety Belt and Child Restraint use; - Speeding; - Distracted Driving; and, - All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations. Alcohol and drug impairment are factors in more than 30% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. Over half of all fatal crashes in Illinois occur at night.

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SPRINGFIELD – With the regular waterfowl seasons about to open this fall, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters to be aware that they could encounter highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, again this year. IDNR will monitor for outbreaks of HPAI during the fall bird migration. Members of the public are encouraged to report large concentrations of 20 or more deceased birds found one location. Reports can be made to the local IDNR district wildlife biologist . IDNR first announced HPAI was detected in wild Canada geese in Illinois in March 2022 in a joint notice with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. IDNR reminds waterfowl hunters to take precautions by thoroughly cooking game meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Hunters also should avoid handling sick or dead waterfowl found in the field, and they should not allow dogs or other pets to consume waterfowl that died from unknown causes. Rubber gloves and a mask

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BETHALTO - “Surviving the Holidays,” a special free event for those in area communities who are grieving the loss of loved ones, will take place at Zion Lutheran Church, Bethalto , on Sunday, November 12, 2023, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Adults and teens are invited to hear a presentation about resources, strategies and tools for coping with grief during the holiday season. “Grief and loss are always hard to deal with during the holiday season,” said Rev. Brandon Metcalf of Zion. “Whether the loss was recent or many years ago, this can be a hard time of year, and we want to help and offer hope.” The presentation will focus on how to cope with grief, what to be aware of as the holidays are approaching, and how to find hope in the midst of loss from a Christian viewpoint. Participants will hear from people who have recently experienced a loss and are dealing with grief, as well as from Zion’s pastors, Rev. Kale Hanson and Rev. Brandon Metcalf,

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) issued the following statement today regarding U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) being elected the 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives: "I was proud to cast my vote today for the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Speaker Johnson is a consistent conservative with the steady hand to lead the People’s House through consequential times. "I share his conservative vision for America and value the respect he inspires from all corners of the Republican Conference. We’ve got a lot of work to do, from securing the border to passing conservative spending bills and aiding Israel. The time to get back to work is now; and we’ve got the right leader for the job.” Statement from Rep. Robin Kelly on Election of Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) issued the following statement on the election of Rep.

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BALTIMORE, MD. - On Tuesday night, upon returning from her conference visit in Baltimore, St. Louis Mayor Jones took a COVID test as a standard precautionary measure after traveling and received a positive test result. While she is experiencing mild symptoms, Mayor Jones will be working from home and holding meetings virtually over the next five days to protect the health and safety of her staff and others around her. The individuals she was in contact with this week have been notified as well. Mayor Jones is fully vaccinated and boosted, and will continue to test according to CDC guidelines. She urges any St. Louisan who is not fully vaccinated and boosted to take the steps to do so, and find opportunities on the City of St. Louis Department of Health’s website and vaccines.gov .

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MARYVILLE – Intensive Care Unit Nurse, Adam Quitmeyer, RN, of Anderson Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, 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. The nomination submitted read: “I was in the hospital following an ER visit and emergency Pace Maker implanted. Adam was the Nurse on the ICU level at night during my stay. He was just exceptionally kind, constantly checked on me, answered tons of questions, and continuously went above and beyond. I was quite scared considering my heart had such a large issue, but Adam kept checking on me, letting me know he would return, and offering his assistance with every little thing including making sure I was hydrating, checking my hydration levels, getting me food, and preparing me for all of my tests. "My family was not able to stay at the hospital and thanks to Adam I didn’t

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ST. LOUIS - It’s that time of year when ghosts and goblins take to the streets for some Halloween fun. Halloween continues to be extremely popular with kids of all ages, however, it can pose some safety challenges. “It’s important to plan ahead for Halloween fun and festivities to ensure everyone stays safe while participating in the many different activities surrounding this holiday,” said Beth Elders, executive director of the Greater St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross. Here are some tips to consider to keep you and your family safe and healthy this Halloween. Trick-or-Treating Make your trick-or-treaters visible to others . Provide kids with reflective gear, flashlights, and glow sticks to help make the route easier for them to follow and more visible to any vehicles on the roads. Adding reflective tape to costumes and treat buckets can help increase your trick-or-treater’s visibility to traffic. Keep your hands clean. Bring hand sanitizer

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GLEN CARBON - Glen Carbon Code Enforcement Officer Brian Hunt recently gave a presentation to village trustees updating them on various properties around the village, most of which have become code compliant, aside from two problem properties. Hunt said so far, there have been 120 code enforcement citations issued in 2023. Most of these were issued for either junk storage, overgrown brush, parking in yards, and inoperable vehicles. Fines were collected on about 20 of those citations, and Hunt said the majority of them have since become compliant, either before or after going to court. He also commended the work of Next Mile Lawn LLC, a local mowing company founded by a pair of brothers which the village has contracted for seasonal mowing work. “They have done a tremendous job mowing for the village this year. It’s a couple of young brothers that decided to start their company from the ground up. The work they do is great, they have great attention to detail,

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GLEN CARBON - Jeff Garde and his family have once again constructed a memorable, family-friendly Halloween display at 54 Oakshire Drive in the Fairfield Subdivision of Glen Carbon. Garde said this marks the 11th consecutive year for the family Halloween display at their home. The home is located near Father McGivney Catholic High School. "Each year, we like to invite all families as we give out candy the night of October 30," Garde added. "Last year, we had over 300 visitors." Last year's special display was a spider display that attracted hundreds during the Halloween season. In 2023, the Garde family decided to construct the display with a Haunted Daycare theme. Jeff's family assists him with the project each year. He said before that the family asks people what their biggest fears are every year and somehow they formulate a plan for the display. He has said it is a complete Garde family effort to build and take down the display, plus formulate ideas. Close to Halloween

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement are reminding the public that impaired driving can lead to frightening consequences this Halloween. The message is simple – don’t be scared to “Drive Sober” and “If you “Drive High, you’ll get a DUI.” “Don’t let this Halloween turn into a nightmare. If someone has been drinking, using cannabis or any other impairing substance, don’t let them trick you into letting them drive,” said IDOT Director of Highways Project Implementation Steve Travia . “Thinking ahead is your responsibility and means you’ll avoid a costly DUI that will take away your driving privilege – and save lives.” As of Oct. 16, 991 people have died on Illinois roads, according to IDOT provisional data –12 fewer than on the same date a year ago. However, while crash fatalities are lower than this tim

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MARYVILLE - The Anderson Hospital Foundation 12 th Annual Sporting Clay Classic was held on October 7, 2023, at 1 NILO Farms in Brighton Illinois. The event featured 100 targets and 12 stations, the event also included a large BBQ buffet for the shooters. Anderson Hospital Development Director Lori St. John said: "We had 184 shooters, which was a record amount, that came out on a beautiful fall day to enjoy this event. We thank the Sporting Clay Committee who worked hard to make this event a success and the 33 sponsors that donated to this event and who continue to support us each year." The event raised over $54,500. The Foundation allocates funds for capital projects and programs in support of Anderson Hospital." The 13 th annual Sporting Clay event will be on October 12, 2024, at NILO Farms. Please contact Lori St. John at 618-391-6426 for more information.

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GLEN CARBON - 2023 has been a good year for the Glen Carbon Senior Center so far, with a wide variety of activities and programs for local seniors. Senior Center Administrator Felicia Voelkel gave a presentation to village trustees at their meeting this week to update them on the center’s progress this year. Voelkel said her time as administrator of the busy Senior Center has been “so far, so good.” “I’ve been at the Senior Center a little over a year, and so far, so good,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of activity, a lot of different projects going on.” The center hosts “Game Days,” which feature cookies, bingo, and the card game “Whoopee.” They also host an “Age Well” exercise class with a certified personal trainer, as well as a weekly Art Class which is currently working on a sculpture of a cardinal perched on a tree branch. Past activities included Chair Yoga and Tai Chi, the latter

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WOOD RIVER - The second annual Chili Cook-Off presented by Wood River Economic Development LLC on Saturday in Downtown Wood River was rated a big success once again, organizers said. For the second straight year, the Pump House Bar & Grill was the grand champion. Runner-up was Rachel & Co. Coffee House, third was C&B Boiled Bagels, and the Mayor's Choice award went to Harper Davis. Kristen Burns, a spokesperson for Wood River Economic Development LLC who coordinated the event, issued a huge thank you to all the volunteers, Money Shot band, who performed, the City of Wood River, City of Wood River Public Services and City of Wood River Parks & Recreation for their help in the very successful event. "Everyone seemed to have a great time," she said. "The chili was the best and we had some good competition. We can't wait to do this again next year." Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup said the event was certainly a success with a lot of quality chili and once again had great attendance.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting fifth and sixth-grade writers and artists from around Illinois to participate in this year’s Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest. The contest theme for the 2024 awards is “ Where Does Rain Go? How Can We Slow the Flow? ” focusing on understanding how rain moves through the landscape, the effects of droughts and floods, and how we can adapt to help protect our water resources. Educators are encouraged to introduce students to topics such as watersheds and the water cycle, how the amount of rain (frequency and duration) impacts water pollution and the landscape in droughts and floods, and how we can apply conservation practices (slow the flow) to help protect our water resources. Conservation practices can reduce stormwater runoff (nonpoint source pollution) and flooding impacts on our rivers and lakes and even our city’s sewer systems. Informational resources are available

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County’s Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday Madison County’s law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will operate a drop-off site for Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, in Edwardsville. The event will be in the Madison County Administration Building's back parking lot at 157 North Main Street, Edwardsville, 62025. Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine, Sheriff Jeff Connor and Coroner Steve Nonn will be operating the drop-off site in coordination with the DEA. Haine said the event is “a convenient way for Madison County residents to help fight the overdose epidemic and save lives.” Connor added, “I strongly encourage local residents to take advantage of this service. It’s a way to dispose of unneeded medicines in a manner that is healthy and safe.” Nonn said, “Many of the tragic overdose deaths we see

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