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CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today announced the allocation of a $54 million increase in funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant as authorized by the Governor in the FY2023 state budget. The funds, which reflect a 10% increase in the overall Early Childhood Block Grant budget, will serve 4,500 additional Illinois students, adding to the more than 112,190 children who receive early childhood learning supports through state funded programs. “Supporting children from pregnancy to toddlerhood to preschool is one of my administration’s top priorities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And in Illinois, every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and succeed, regardless of their family’s socio-economic status. So we are investing millions to strengthen our early childhood education system—empowering families, teachers, and childcare workers to build the foundation for the next generation of young

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EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Lutheran High School has opened the 2022-2023 school year with the highest enrollment that it has had in the past eight years. MELHS begins the year with 215 students, up from 175 last year. MELHS Principal Dr. Jay Krause said the school is fully staffed and completing its first full week. He said MELHS remained in person throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. MELHS has been a fixture in Edwardsville for 43 years. "We have our largest freshman class ever this year with 60 in it," he said. "We also received a fair number of transfers, around 15-20 this year. We are moving in the right direction." Dr. Krause said he believes MELHS is definitely moving in the "right direction." He said he has stayed in contact with Father McGivney Catholic and Maryville Christian frequently and he said both have told him they are doing quite well with enrollment, a positive sign for each of the private schools in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon-Maryville area. The Back To School

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EDWARDSVILLE - Chapman Street will be closed for milling and resurfacing beginning Monday, August 22, through Thursday, August 25, weather permitting. During that period, the roadway will be closed to all traffic between North Buchanan Street and Illinois Route 157. The intersection of North Fillmore Street and Chapman also will be closed, and closures will be in place at the side roads of Leverette Lane, Hickory Street, Lindley Avenue, Mill Street, State Street, St. Andrews Avenue, and Home Avenue. The closure will be in effect each day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists will be required to use alternate routes. During those hours, residents will be required to park on side streets and utilize the sidewalks for access to their vehicles and homes. The City appreciates the cooperation of all residents during this process. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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ST. LOUIS - In collaboration with the City of St. Louis, the Saint Louis Mental Health Board (MHB) has opened an application process for childcare providers in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency with $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Childcare providers delivering high-quality care in the City of St. Louis are encouraged to apply for this one-time grant to help stabilize the early childhood provider community. “Without additional funding for childcare providers, Missouri’s most vulnerable children and families will not have access to affordable quality childcare,” stated Cassandra Kaufman, Executive Director of Saint Louis MHB. “This is an opportunity for providers to get the support they need while supporting St. Louis working families in need of child care.” Eligible providers may apply for up to $49,500 of funding. Applications and more information are available at https://tinyurl.com/STL-CIty-EC-ARPA . Th

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, has reached an agreement in principle with opioid maker Endo International PLC (Endo) and its lenders that would provide up to $450 million to participating states and local governments. The agreement would also ban promotion of Endo’s opioids and require Endo to turn over millions of documents related to its role in the opioid crisis for publication in a public online archive. The agreement in principle with Endo, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday night in the Southern District of New York, resolves allegations that Endo boosted opioid sales using deceptive marketing that downplayed the risk of addiction and overstated the benefits. “Opioid manufacturers like Endo sacrificed the health and safety of Illinois residents for their own financial gain,” Raoul said. “Their actions played a key role in the over-prescription, misuse, abuse,

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District #9 made a video recap from the first day of the 2022-23 school year for 1st through 12th grade.

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O'FALLON, IL - August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and HSHS Medical Group are reminding the community that immunizations are important for people of all ages. National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) was established to encourage people to stay up to date on vaccines recommended for them. NIAM also encourages parents to make sure their children are vaccinated and ready for the upcoming school year. “Vaccinations are important for people of all stages of life,” said Dr. Amy Redmer, a family medicine physician with HSHS Medical Group. “Whether that be during infancy, pregnancy or as an adult, keeping up to date with your vaccinations protects your health now and in the future.” In addition to routine vaccinations, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense against this illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the benefit of receiving your COVID-19 vaccination i

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ALTON - The Caring Circle Cancer Education and Support Group for women with cancer will be held on Saturday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to Noon, at OSF Moeller Cancer Center on the campus of OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center. Held on the third Saturday of every month, the support group offers women with cancer a chance to connect with other women about their experiences. The group is facilitated by Karen Boyd, R.N., oncology nurse navigator, and Heather Chambers, R.M.A., breast health navigator, experienced cancer care professionals from OSF Saint Anthony’s. For more information or to register, contact Karen Boyd at (618) 433-7609 or Heather Chambers at (618) 474-6791. To RSVP online, visit? osfsaintanthonys.org? and click on View Classes & Events.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville School District 7 welcomed back its faculty and staff with a warm kick-off event this week. Both Dr. Patrick Shelton and Edwardsville High School Principal Steve Stuart say there has been tremendous energy in the buildings since teachers have returned. Dr. Shelton said: "Welcome back to all our wonderful staff and teachers." The Edwardsville Marching Band welcomed the teachers with beautiful music as they returned to school and throughout the kick-off, there was continual excitement with presentations. Stuart said they are hoping to build on the energy that has been presented since teachers and other staff returned for a great year. Shelton and Stuart both admitted they are excited to return to a more normal setting for 2022-2023 and hope that continues.

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EAST ALTON - The East Alton Fire Department and the Village of East Alton have recognized Lieutenant Andrew Mortland and Engineer Jeremey Diveley for their outstanding work in securing three grants in a year’s time. The three grants totaled $75,970.90. "Because of their due diligence on and off duty these two men were able to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in the history of the department," East Alton Fire Chief Tim Quigley said. "To put in perspective, most departments have a chief officer working on grants as part of their job. These two men realize that being a small department they have to go above and beyond what is expected of them to help the department function. Thank you for what you have accomplished." These are the grants: Office of the State Fire marshal Small Equipment Grant $25,367.25 Commercial Extractor ( PPE/ Turnout Gear Washer ) Seven (7) sets of Firefighting Protective Gear. Illinois Department of Public Health EMS Assistance

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ALTON - Illinois American Water has been hard at work this week in the Downtown Alton area with its massive sanitary sewer project. Shown here are photos of some of the work and progress. Illinois American Water corporate spokesperson Karen Cotton said this week that the work on 3rd Street and Belle Street in Alton is the most difficult so far for the company in the large project. Both areas have a high traffic flow, she said. Cotton explained there are numerous old, abandoned utility lines, and even an old brick cistern that was recently uncovered. "To support safety, progress has been slowed some, resulting in a bit of a delay in the anticipated month time frame that was expected for the sanitary sewer installation work on 3rd Street and Belle Streets in the downtown area," she said. Cotton added that all efforts are underway to try to complete the 3rd Street part of the project in a couple of weeks and Belle Street a few weeks after that. She also said that 9th Street in Alton

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PONTOON BEACH - MCT hosted a brief ribbon cutting recently to celebrate the opening of the newly improved segment of the MCT Nature Trail under I-255 in Pontoon Beach. MCT Board Members and staff were in attendance, as well as Madison County Board members Chris Hankins and Erica Conway Harriss; Tom Lavelle from Keller Construction, and Charlie Juneau from Juneau Associates. Since its construction in the 1990s, this 0.6-mile portion of the MCT Nature Trail was a gravel farm access road that served as a trail connector under I-255. In recent years, however, the access road had deteriorated and become increasingly difficult to traverse on a bicycle. Thanks to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s approval of the improvement, this trail segment is now asphalt paved and provides a seamless connection for cyclists on the MCT Nature Trail. Madison County Transit (MCT) provides multi-modal transportation services for Madison County, Illinois. MCT operates a fixed-route bus

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CARROLLTON - Carrollton’s Courthouse Square, the grounds of the Greene County Courthouse at 519 N. Main St. in Carrollton, is receiving $1.9 million in improvements as part of the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital program. Carrollton Mayor Mike Snyder said improvements to be made include new parking areas on the Square’s southern and eastern sides, improved lighting and electricity for festivals and a redesigned handicap parking area meant to make the courthouse more accessible. Carrollton was recently announced as a recipient of the grant on Monday during a presentation from J.B. Pritzker at AltonWorks in Alton. Snyder said the city has not yet received the grant funding, so start and completion dates for the project have not yet been determined. The Carrollton Square Initiative is a community organization that formed years ago to “start a conversation” in Carrollton about where improvements could be made around town and ways to secur

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EDWARDSVILLE – The stage is set for a fun-filled weekend for residents and visitors alike, whether you’re a theater fan, prefer pedal power or want to check out some cool cars, hot rods and vintage vehicles. These free special events are scheduled to take place downtown on Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, and at Edwardsville High School on Sunday, August 21. St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s touring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” kicks off the action on Friday night. The play will be performed at 6:30 p.m. at City Park, 101 South Buchanan Street. There is no charge to attend the event, which is being presented by the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department. Those attending should bring a chair or blanket for seating. More information is available here. Saturday marks the return of the Busey Bank Edwardsville Rotary Criterium Festival, an annual series of professional and amateur bicycle races on the downtown streets. The

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ALTON - Alton School District Superintendent Dr. Kristie Baumgartner said today that the district is off "to a fantastic start." "It was so wonderful to welcome students this morning," she said in a statement. "You could certainly feel the excitement in the air." Alton School District started classes on Wednesday at all levels.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Dr. Patrick Shelton, Edwardsville School District superintendent, said this is his 14th start in District 7 as a parent or superintendent and he thinks it is the best one yet. "Starting up a school year is never easy - there are always new employees, students, and families to get acclimated to District 7," he said. "It was fabulous to see educators and students smiling and excited to start the school year!"

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School is off and rolling with the 2022-2023 school year. Students, faculty, administrators, and support staff appeared excited to be back as classes started on Wednesday. Edwardsville High School Principal Dr. Steve Stuart said they are glad for this year to start and a continued return to a more normal setting after a few years of confronting the COVID-19 Pandemic. "The staff has been working hard over the summer to get programs like our PLC (Professional Learning Communities) in place to help our professional growth which will translate into better instruction within the classroom. "We are working closely with our Student Counsel and planning fun events for the kickoff with a Senior Sunrise next week and events leading up to our homecoming football game and dance."

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EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Middle School has a theme set for the school year for everyone to be “legendary.” If the start is any sign of the year to come, the Liberty School year will definitely fit that theme. Students were greeted by excited administrators, teachers, support staff, and students on Wednesday morning for the first official school day in the Edwardsville District. Liberty Middle’s veteran Principal Allen Duncan said he felt a great atmosphere was set for opening day and there was indeed “great excitement.” “We wanted to make the first day of school special for everybody and want them to come back tomorrow and continue to be fired up,” he said. “We want an atmosphere that is fun, and we want the kids to feel safe, welcome, and comfortable.” Principal Duncan said Liberty has a tremendous cast of students and he knows they will do great things this year. “We are going to have a good school year,” the 18-yea

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ALTON - West Elementary School Principal Dr. Brian Saenz and the rest of the administrative team, teachers, and support staff embraced a bunch of students today with smiles on their faces on the first official day of school in the district. Dr. Saenz said it was "a great day" to finally have the students back in school without masks after the long battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic. "To be able to see their faces and interact with them without a mask was like another new beginning," he said. "Everything is new to them from their clothes, supplies and they were ready to get started. "To see them coming back from last spring, many of them have grown so much and they look very different. It is amazing how fast they grow. Seeing their smiling faces and excitement to come back to school is why we do what we do." Dr. Saenz said when an educator sees the students on down the line after they leave West and graduate from high school, they can see they are making a difference in the world.

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department Police Chief Brad Wells is leading a search today of an area near Illinois Route 3 close to where Vernon L. Law, missing since July 21, 2022, was last seen. Those involved in the search with dogs were seen close to the Colman’s Country Campers area at 2 Fun Lane, Hartford, and that vicinity. On July 27th, 2022 , the Wood River Police Department received notification that a male subject, identified as Vernon L. Law, was last seen on July 21, 2022, at 2:40 p.m., by a coworker, departing Economy Boat Store, 200 S. Amoco Road, Wood River. Vernon L. Law worked as a deckhand on the riverboat "Kevin Michael.” Law left property on the boat. His wallet and identification were not left behind. He possibly left with these items in his possession. Vernon is from Chester, Illinois, with associates in Columbia, Illinois, and O’Fallon, Missouri. Vernon L. Law was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots.

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