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ALTON - Antonia Phillips is a Senior at Alton High that gives her absolute best to every task she sets out to complete. As a junior, she was crowned the first female state champion (2022 was the initial season for girls wrestling in the Illinois High School Association) for Alton High School. Phillips is the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Alton High Remarkable Redbird of the Month. Antonia's goal for 2023 is to win it all again this year as a repeat champion. Antonia shared that she started playing football around the age of 5, and her dad suggested that she join wrestling because she always played football with the boys, and she was a pretty tough kid. Antonia's success happened while taking honors classes and maintaining a better than 4.0 GPA. Antonia added that her coursework gets more challenging each year as classes have gotten more intense. She said that "things have gotten tougher" but "I just want to make everyone proud." Her course load for senior year has included: AP-Statistics,

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EAST ST. LOUIS – A 72-year-old Caseyville woman admitted to cashing more than $128,000 in her deceased mother’s Social Security benefits in a U.S. District Court on Monday. Darlene L. Roger pled guilty to one count of Theft of Government Funds. “Concealing a relative’s death from the Government in order to keep receiving the relative’s Social Security benefits constitutes felony theft,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Individuals tempted to do this face going to federal prison.” “Ms. Rogers knowingly committed fraud by stealing Social Security retirement benefits that were intended for her deceased mother,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA). “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case. We will continue to protect the integrity of the SSA and hold accountable those who defraud its programs.” According to court documents, Juanita

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EDWARDSVILLE — A judge has handed a 32-year prison term to a Granite City man for the murder of a Madison teen in 2020, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Monday. Nicholas Rickman III, 18, received the sentence in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Sean D. Williams. In October, prosecutors won a jury conviction against Rickman on charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery. At a sentencing hearing Thursday, prosecutors asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence. The maximum sentence available in this case was 40 years in prison, due to Rickman being 16 at the time of the offense. “Understandably, for the family and loved ones of Sean, no sentence could possibly feel adequate. Their loss is immeasurable,” Haine said. “Yet I hope that this conviction and sentence will help them begin to heal.” A codefendant, 19-year-old Deandre Richardson, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. The jury found that

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JERSEYVILLE - A Jerseyville man has been charged with nine felony counts of credit/debit card and theft-related offenses. Brandon K. Ervin, 36, of Jerseyville, was charged with the following: Counts 1, 4, and 7: Unlawful Use of Credit Card (Class 3 Felony) Counts 2, 5, and 8: Unlawful Possession of the Credit/Debit Card of Another (Class 4 Felony) Counts 3, 6, and 9: Theft (Class 4 Felony) Counts 1-6 were issued relating to offenses committed on Dec. 30, 2022, while Counts 7-9 were issued regarding additional offenses committed on Jan. 2, 2023. Ervin stole $269 in cash and a debit card that did not belong to him, then defrauded Jersey State Bank by using that debit card to steal over $300 in additional cash on Dec. 30, 2022. Ervin had previously been convicted of retail theft in Jersey County on September 7, 2022. On Jan. 2, 2023, Ervin stole an additional $86 from the same victim and was still in possession of their stolen debit card, which he again used to defraud

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JERSEYVILLE - A Jerseyville woman was charged with attempting to flee from a police officer in her vehicle after speeding “at least 21 miles per hour over the legal speed limit” on Highway 16, according to recent court filings. Dawn M. Phillips, 43, of Jerseyville, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer on Jan. 13, when she drove her 2017 Nissan Rogue over 21 miles per hour above the legal speed limit on Highway 16 at Range Line Road in Jersey County. “After having been given a visual or audible signal by a peace officer, the defendant failed to bring her vehicle to a stop and drove at a rate of speed at least 21 miles per hour over the legal speed limit, in an attempt to elude a peace officer,” Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Tellor said of the charge. Phillips was charged with a Class 4 felony. A warrant was issued for her arrest on Jan. 17 and her bail was set at $15,000. She posted a $1,500 bond the next

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ATCHISON, Kan. - Katie Baumgarten of Alton, has graduated Summa Cum Laude from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. Most of the graduates walked during the college's Commencement Exercises on May 14, 2022, during which they heard from Bishop Robert Baron, founder of Word on Fire Ministries and the Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota. The college graduated 79 students at the end of the fall academic semester on December 12, 2022. Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is proud to have been named one of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report as well as one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense

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GRANITE CITY - A “Paranormal Valentine’s Experience” is coming to the Old Six Mile Museum in Granite City, which will feature a presentation from paranormal investigators, a catered dinner, and a murder mystery game set in the 1920s Jazz Age. The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4 starting at 1 p.m. at the Old Six Mile Museum, located at 3279 Maryville Road in Granite City. The cost of attendance is $25 per person, which includes a catered dinner, hors d'oeuvres, spirits (attendees must be 21 or over), and desserts. Alcoholic beverages won’t be the only spirits highlighted at the event, as attendees will also see and hear evidence of the museum’s ghostly inhabitants. “We discuss the paranormal events at the museum, and we hear from the paranormal team that actually came in and researched all of them and discovered the reasons for all the weird things that were happening,” Agles-Kempfer said. “Then we’re going to do a murder

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PONTOON BEACH - On Sunday, February 5, Madison County Transit (MCT) is implementing its winter service change. Thanks to aggressive recruitment efforts by Agency for Community Transit (ACT), and changes to the composition of driver rosters, MCT was able to forego the reductions that were previously proposed due to the labor shortage, and even extend select routes with additional evening trips. “We’re incredibly grateful that we have the energetic and dedicated workforce to keep our buses on the road and to continue providing critical transportation services each day,” said MCT Managing Director SJ Morrison. “The service cuts that were initially proposed due to the driver shortage would have been detrimental to thousands of Madison County residents.” A summary of the changes, effective Sunday, February 5, 2023, is listed below. For detailed schedule information visit www.mct.org , call 618-797-INFO (4636), or e-mail info@mct.org . ROUTE CHANGES:

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ALTON - Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments, will host the quarterly Southern Illinois Opioid Response Advisory Council on February 27 from 1-2 p.m. CT on Zoom. The Southern Illinois Opioid Response Advisory Council was created to help establish a collective understanding of the existing efforts and initiatives occurring in the Southern Illinois region to address the opioid crisis, identify gaps, promote evidence-based strategies and policies designed to combat this public health crisis, and to support the development of Centerstone's Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) hub-and-spoke model. All sectors of the community are welcome to participate in the advisory council and its meetings. It is a great way to stay connected with all of the impactful initiatives and life-changing programs taking place across Southern Illinois,? Stearns said. ?If you are passionate about recovery, work in healthcare, have lived experience

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JERSEYVILLE - Do you have an interest in weather and helping your community? Well, we have an excellent opportunity for you! The National Weather Service in St. Louis, in coordination with Jersey County Emergency Management Agency, is offering storm spotter classes at Jersey Community High School on February 6th at 6:30 PM. Classes usually take approximately two hours and cover the basics of thunderstorm development, storm structure, the features to look for, and where to find them. They will also cover what, when, and how to report information, as well as basic severe weather safety. If you would like to assist your local community by becoming a volunteer storm spotter and reporting severe weather to the National Weather Service, or if you simply want to learn more about severe weather, consider attending these informative classes! More information can be found at https://arcg.is/1y0G1m .

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SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA) is celebrating a record year in terms of advancing economic development and partnership opportunities across the region. SSGA was formed five years ago with the goal of promoting and pursuing economic development efforts in Springfield and Sangamon County. CEO Ryan McCrady said SSGA has played an instrumental role in pushing forward several significant community projects including the Land of Lincoln Energy Center (LLEC), which has been issued its final construction permit and Double Black Diamond Solar, which will be the largest solar development in Illinois and recently broke ground. In addition, SSGA supported efforts for the SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe and the University of Illinois Springfield Innovation Center. SSGA also partnered with the City of Springfield to fund the phase 2 environmental study of the Pillsbury Mills Site, an 18-acre development site in Springfield’s north end which has allowed th

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ALTON - Alton Little Theater's Artistic Director, Kevin Frakes, has something special planned in early February that should delight everyone who has ever admired the many, many songs that Frank Sinatra made famous! Yes, Kevin & a talented company of performers will produce SINTRA: LAST CALL on February 10th and 11th at 7:30 pm; Sunday, February 12th at 2 pm. CNB Bank is the Corporate Sponsor for the event and the Theater is going all out to celebrate Kevin's Farewell Concert and tribute to the "crooner" he admires so much. Indeed, Kevin has produced six concerts in the last nine years, honoring the works of Kenny Rogers, Barry Manilow, a Family Christmas Concert, and three tributes to the 400+ songs in Frank Sintra's catalog. Each prior concert focused on a particular era of Frank's life with Big Band sounds, famous duets, and stories --and after digging into research and listening to so many songs, Kevin decided to bring the "love" to the ALT stage. Sinatra was a " Ladies

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s campus and greater communities are invited to join together for a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. next week. The celebration, to be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Trimpe Ahlemeyer Atrium (TR 141), will include a keynote address by Alton's First Lady, Rev. Sheila Goins, live music by Blancas (led by L&C's own Brenda Lancaster), readings by L&C students, and free refreshments at the conclusion of the event. Rev. Goins’ address will focus on financial literacy. A native Altonian, Rev. Goins began her career as a banker in 1986 – first, as a part-time teller, then she worked her way up to management. She was the first African American woman to be hired as the branch manager of a financial institution within the Riverbend community. “I am honored to be the keynote speaker for the annual MLK event for Lewis and Clark Community College,” she said. “My career has awarded me the opportunit

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Successful Communities Collaborative (SCC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is hosting the inaugural Speakers Series at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31 in the Meridian Ballroom in the Morris University Center. The Speaker Series will focus on food systems, including production, distribution, access, and consumption. Designed to complement SCC partnerships, the series will elevate expert voices from both local communities and the region to launch dialogue and spark action around our region’s food systems. Yves Doumen, founder of the Motherland Community Project in Springfield, will present, “Strengthening Community Capacity and Increasing Access to Healthy Food Through Sustainable Urban Agricultural Systems.” Doumen recognizes that access to healthy food among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and communities affected by poverty is limited, but urban agriculture has the potential to change this dynamic by boosting access to

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SPRINGFIELD - There will be no PEEPEE, SUKIT, or DUCKYOU for Illinois drivers. Those are just a few of the nearly 400 requests for vanity and personalized license plates that were rejected by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office in 2022, according to Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. Last year, 54,236 Illinoisans requested vanity and personalized plate requests and 383 were shot down due to their tawdry, lewd or offensive nature or because they were difficult to read. "We love the creativity and pride Illinoisans take in choosing their personalized license plates,” said Secretary Giannoulias. “Most plate requests are approved, but a small percentage fail to meet the standards of good taste and decency and are rejected because they violate the state’s vehicle code." The Secretary of State’s Office oversees the process by which Illinoisans may request specific vanity or personalized license plates for their vehicles. Many use the office’s

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THE CONVERSATION - Across the U.S., children and adults are increasingly exposed to harmful chemicals from a source few people are even aware of. It begins on a street outside a home or school, where a worker in a manhole is repairing a sewer pipe. The contractor inserts a resin-soaked sleeve into the buried pipe, then heats it, transforming the resin into a hard plastic pipe. This is one of the cheapest , most common pipe repair methods, but it comes with a serious risk: Heating the resin generates harmful fumes that can travel through the sewer lines and into surrounding buildings, sometimes several blocks away. These chemicals have made hundreds of people ill , forced building evacuations, and even led to hospitalizations. Playgrounds , daycare centers, and schools in several states have been affected, including Colorado , Connecticut , Massachusetts , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Washington , and Wisconsin . With the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law now

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COLLINSVILLE - Alton High sophomore bowler Sam Ottwell qualified as an individual for the IHSA state bowling tournament on Jan. 27-28 by throwing a six-game series of 1,255, which tied him with Collinsville's Ben Sloan for the last two individual berths at the sectional tournament at Camelot Bowl in Collinsville Jan. 21. Ottwell had a high game of 257 in the morning session, and in the afternoon half, had three games of 195, 191, and 199 to help him go through to state as the only Redbird bowler to qualify. At the time of a post-tournament interview, the final team and individual standings had yet to be announced, but Ottwell felt that he bowled well enough to qualify. "I did pretty well the first block," Ottwell said. "I think I shot a 670 (series) and then, the last block, I was just kind of trying to hold on. I never really shot a 200, but a lot of high 190s. So I was really happy with my first sectional." At the time, Ottwell was very hopeful that he and the Redbirds would advance

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EAST ST. LOUIS – To express love and lift the spirits of local seniors, State Senator Christopher Belt is collecting store-bought or handmade cards to deliver to long-term care facility residents for Valentine’s Day. “It’s important for us to take time out of our day to show appreciation for people in our community,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “A little act of kindness can go a long way and make someone’s day. Let’s show our seniors that we appreciate them.” Belt is collecting store-bought and handmade cards for local seniors. People are encouraged to write kind notes and drop them off or mail them to his district office, located at Kenneth Hall Regional Office Bldg. #10 Collinsville Ave., Suite 201A, East St. Louis, IL 62201. He is collecting cards until Feb. 10 and then will deliver them to local long-term care facilities. People with questions can reach out to Belt’s office at 618-875-1212.

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ALTON - Today I would like to formally announce my candidacy for the Alton Community Unit School Board - District 11. As a long-standing resident and member of the community, I have a vested interest in our children’s future. Having 2 young girls attending school in the district and as a 2005 graduate of Alton High School, I currently serve our community as the Information Technology Director for the City of Alton and in Law Enforcement as a Part-Time Police Officer in our area. As a member of the Alton Community Unit School Board - District 11, I will promote an agenda to establish a plan with goals centered on preparing our children for a successful future, and bring forth transparency, honesty, respect, and accountability to establish trust with our community. By serving as a member of the School Board, I will demonstrate integrity, and responsibility in the allocation of tax dollars to restore the confidence of our taxpayers while serving as an advocate for the community by

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that the CDC is reporting 28 counties in the state are at an elevated level for COVID-19, compared to 61 in the previous week. Of those, three Illinois counties are at a High Community Level , compared to five the previous week; and 25 counties are at Medium Level, compared to 56 the previous week. IDPH is reporting 10,967 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois in the week ending January 15, and 78 deaths. “I am encouraged to see COVID-19 community levels continuing to decrease across Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Rates of the XBB ‘Kraken’ variant, spreading throughout the East Coast, are slowly increasing in the Midwest, and we continue to monitor this new variant closely. However, we are fortunate at this time to see no increase in hospitalizations. IDPH is continuing to focus our efforts on preserving hospital capacity and protecting

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