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DORSEY/COTTAGE HILLS - Three local young men have won international titles in ninja, a sport where athletes test their speed, gymnastics and parkour skills by running through a timed obstacle course. In the past two months, Phill Folsom, 17, took first place at both the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Finals and the Federation of International Ninja Athletics (FINA) National Finals. Sam Folsom, 19, placed second in the FINA competition alongside his brother. Their friend Tyler Smith, 17, won gold in the Ninja World Cup and the World Ninja League Championships . “To watch him do good made me feel good,” Tyler said about seeing his friends win. “I started training with Phil and his older brother Sam close to six years ago. So just competing with them and training with them for so long, and then watching them do well — it’s a great bond that you can have, doing a sport with your best friends.” While the boys enjoy competing,

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ALTON - School starts this week, but it doesn’t have to be hectic with Kalli Erwin’s advice. Erwin, the owner of Just Right Organizing , offers clean-up and organizing services to people throughout the Riverbend area. She also has two young kids and previously worked as a guidance counselor, which means she understands how overwhelming the beginning of the school year can be. She stopped by our Our Daily Show! to share some tips on starting off the year with less clutter and less stress. “When people hire me, I say, ‘Just tell me all the things that have been driving you crazy, and we’re going to go in and clean it up,’” Erwin said. “For me, it’s about establishing a flow. And sometimes as an outsider coming in, I can have a really good perspective on it because it’s not my home.” Erwin’s services include in-person sessions and additional organization counseling. But in the meantime, she has

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EAST ALTON - The East Alton Fire Department issued a salute today for a retired firefighter who died on Friday, Aug. 11, Mike Rhodes. Mike was an East Alton firefighter for 13 years as a member of the department from 1983 to 1996. He also was asked to return as an advisor for a very successful explorer program. The fire department has displayed black bunting at Station 1 in honor of Mike’s loss. Mike was married to Karen, and has one child, Chris Rhodes, who followed in his footsteps as a Bethalto firefighter and is also the operator of the Madison County Scanner page, so his love of scanner activities likely stemmed from his father's influence. Chris said his dad left firefighting in 1996 when Chris was having some health issues and had to go to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis once a week. He told the East Alton fire officials at that time he had to put his family first. Chris was an athlete and said he never remembers his dad missing one of his soccer, basketball,

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JERSEYVILLE - Two individuals from Jerseyville were arrested on meth possession charges in Jersey County over the past week, according to recent court filings. Geoffrey J. Scott, 42, of Jerseyville, was charged with possession of more than 15 but less than 100 grams of methamphetamine on Aug. 8. Scott was charged with one Class 1 felony and his bail was set at $20,000. David D. Gettings, 60, also of Jerseyville, was charged on Aug. 9 with possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Gettings was charged with a Class 3 felony and his bail was set at $10,000. The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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PIASA - Reagan Beilsmith finished a successful girls' track season this past spring and is now ready for fall cross country challenges, her Piasa Birds’ girls cross country coach Gary Bowker says. Now a junior, Reagan will once again be one of Southwestern’s top female runners in cross country. Reagan is a reigning 3,200-meter Macoupin Conference champion and Bowker expects big things from her in cross country. Reagan is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. “I think her success in track and field will carry over into cross country,” the coach said. “Reagan is a steady competitor.” Coach Bowker said Reagan's best attribute is that she “always gives her everything when she is racing and training.” Reagan recorded a time of 3:15.56 in the 800 meters in the 2023 IHSA Class 1A Track Sectional at Carlinville in May. She won the Macoupin County Meet with a time of 15:35.77 in the 3,200

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SPRINGFIELD - In honor of National Minority Donor Awareness Month, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joined community groups, leaders, donor families and recipients to highlight the need for minorities and people of color to join the state's organ donation registry. “My hope is that communities across Illinois of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities can be informed and have a positive outlook on organ donation and its life-saving impacts,” Giannoulias said. “There is an especially great need for organ donation within communities of color, and the more people learn about it, the more likely they are to be donors.” During this month, Giannoulias is working to create a positive culture around organ donation in multicultural communities through outreach and education. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black people have the greatest need for organ transplants, specifically for kidneys, hearts and lungs. Of the total number

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ALTON - Tickets for Marquette Catholic High School’s Mega Raffle are on sale starting today, Aug. 14. One lucky ticket holder will win $50,000. The mega raffle drawing is on Sept. 23 during Marquette’s Homecoming Block Party. But in the weeks leading up to it, there will also be weekly early bird drawings for $1,000. Marquette families have the chance to win free tuition for their student by selling raffle tickets. “The profit directly supports Marquette Catholic High School, and so it’s one of our bigger fundraisers for sure,” said Mary Hough, Marquette’s Director of Development and raffle organizer. “I think a lot of people, when they purchase their tickets, they want to win that money for sure. But they also know they’re supporting the school. It’s a great fundraiser for us.” Marquette will celebrate the raffle and the beginning of the school year with a Mega Raffle Kickoff Party on Aug. 19 after the football team’s

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ALTON - Alton High School has implemented a program that aims to ease the transition into high school by pairing freshmen with an upperclassman mentor. The program, called Link Crew, is used in high schools around the world to provide play-based mentorship to ninth graders. At Alton High School (AHS), the upperclassmen will meet with their group of freshmen every month to chat about both academic and social challenges. “What’s super important to me about this is with our incoming freshmen, they’re going to actually have someone — a peer — that they can go to, that they can converse with about different social issues that are happening or academic issues that are happening that they don’t necessarily feel comfortable with talking to adults about,” Amy Golley, the district’s Educational Equity Coordinator, said. “So that bonding or that relationship that they’re going to build is going to be really important. Assistant

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EDWARDSVILLE – On Sunday, August 20, the D.A.R.E. Car-Truck-Motorcycle Show returns for its 31st year as a showcase for some of the hottest hot rods, coolest cars and an overall huge variety of wheeled wonders. The event serves as an annual fundraiser to support the Edwardsville Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program, which has been taught by officers in Edwardsville schools for at least 30 years. The 2023 show will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Edwardsville High School, 6161 Center Grove Road. It is free for spectators, but there is a fee for those who want to display a vehicle. Vehicles will be featured in at least 44 classes. Additionally, motorcycles and tractors are again part of the show, but for display only. Last year, about 460 vehicles were on display, and the officers organizing the show are hoping for that many vehicles or more again this year. While the event is a big draw for auto aficionados, it offers something for everyone.

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HARDIN - These are reports of two Aggravated Battery cases in Calhoun County. On August 7th, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a disturbance in progress on Pleasant Dale Hollow, in Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, Robert L. Jarvis, aged 36, of Kampsville, for the following offense: Aggravated Battery - Person 60 Years or Older Jarvis was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Greene County Jail. Sterms Hollow Disturbance On July 16, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a disturbance in progress on Sterns Hollow, in Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, Sydney J. Mulder, aged 50, of Belleville, IL, for the following offense: Aggravated Battery - Person 60 Years or Older Criminal Damage to Property Mulder was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Greene County Jail. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court

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SOUTH ROXANA - With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our esteemed Village Trustee, Dwight Duke, who departed this world at the age of 77 after a brave fight with congestive heart failure. A lifelong resident of South Roxana, Mr. Duke's dedication to our community was unparalleled. He served over 12 years as a trustee, acted as the Police Chairman for the Village of South Roxana, and was a proud Navy veteran. His contributions extended beyond public service, as he also volunteered countless hours with our public works department, enriching our town in countless ways. "I have known Dwight Duke for 30 years," said Chief of Police Bob Coles, "and to say I am a better person for knowing him is an understatement to his character and the kind of person Dwight was. The village will miss his leadership and I will miss my afternoon conversations with him." Dwight leaves behind his beloved wife, Suzy Duke, who is undergoing radiation treatments. Unfortunately, Dwight did not have life

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SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is announcing that the next funding round for Illinois’ Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program will open Wednesday, November 1, 2023 and run through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Individuals that purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle from an Illinois licensed dealer, meet all other eligibility requirements, and apply during the rebate cycle will be eligible for a rebate as long as funds are available. Forms and instructions on submitting a rebate application will be made available on the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage on October 18, 2023.Illinois EPA Announces Dates of Next Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Funding Round “Here in Illinois, we are leading the clean energy revolution—providing competitive incentives for companies and consumers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Ever since I signed the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, we’ve distributed

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ST. LOUIS - The Missouri Department of Transportation is inviting the public to preliminary information meetings to learn more about MoDOT’s Statewide Improve I-70 Program. Missouri’s FY2024 budget from the General Assembly, signed into law by Gov. Parson, provides $2.8 billion in General Revenue for the costs to build a third lane of Interstate 70 across the state. The program will plan, design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate and add three lanes in each direction on approximately 200 miles of I-70 from Blue Springs to Wentzville. MoDOT is currently in the planning stage of the Improve I-70 Program. MoDOT engineers will share preliminary information about the goals for improving I-70, possible construction schedules for the 200 miles and next steps. MoDOT is interested in gathering feedback from the public regarding I-70’s current condition, construction staging and other general comments they may have. Public input is important ahead of the design phase of th

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CARLINVILLE - An investigation by the Carlinville Police Department and efforts by the Macoupin County Sheriff's Office and the Macoupin County State's Attorney's Office resulted in a suspect being apprehended for an armed robbery at Casey's on West Main Street in Carlinville. A suspect, Dillan Weaver, 25, of Carlinville, has been charged with aggravated robbery in the Casey's robbery that occurred in the early morning on Aug. 11, 2023. The Carlinville Police Department received a call about the Casey's robbery at 5:20 a.m. on Aug. 11. Weaver will be charged with holding a Casey's employee at gunpoint in the robbery early that morning, Carlinville Police Department said. Weaver was taken into custody by law enforcement at 3:20 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2023, Carlinville Police Department said. The Carllinville Police said formal charges will be filed on Monday, Aug. 13, 2023. Members of the public are reminded that allegations are not proof of the defendant's guilt. A defendant is presumed

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford confirmed a motorcyclist died at 5:20 p.m. Saturday in a fatal crash on West Broadway at the Ardent Mills Building. "The accident involved a single motorcycle traffic crash with the motorcycle striking a retaining wall, ejecting the driver," Chief Ford said. The driver was the sole occupant of the motorcycle and died on scene. Chief Ford said Madison County Coroner’s Office is assisting in the investigation.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Four city employees were injured in an accident at 10:26 a.m. on May 24, 2023, when a driver was driving west on College Avenue and his vehicle drifted right into the designated parking area on the street. While doing so, the driver struck a trailer attached to a City of Alton-owned vehicle. An Alton man now faces serious charges in that accident. The vehicle and trailer were legally parked in that area as the City of Alton employees were making beautification efforts ahead of the Memorial Day Parade. Several City of Alton employees were on and/or near the trailer when it was struck causing them to be thrown from the trailer as well as pinned underneath it. All four City of Alton employees were injured. Three were taken from the scene by ambulance to a local hospital and two were later flown by helicopter to a St. Louis area hospital for further treatment of their serious injuries. On Aug. 11, 2023, the facts of this case were presented to the Madison County State’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 (ECUSD7) has hired several additional counselors and social workers to provide mental health support at every grade level. “We are really putting a strong priority on ensuring that our students and staff have their needs met,” Kristy Mitchell, a social worker counselor for the district, said. “We really prioritize student voice, staff voice and family and community voice. So we try to get consistent communication out to the community as often as possible to share what supports are in place for our students.” Mitchell was recently named the Multi-Tiered System of Support Coordinator and has played a big role in this mental health initiative, according to Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. He added that mental health and substance use are major concerns for high school and middle school students, and he is thankful for the district’s support in combating these issues. “Mental health

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BETHALTO - Tom Lane officially marked 25 years of working with State Farm on Tuesday. Spending nine years as a claims adjuster and the past 16 years as an agent in Bethalto, Lane said he and his team hope for many more years of serving the community that has supported them for so long. “I think we’ve got a great group of people working in my office,” Lane said. “I think we’ve established ourselves well in the community, and I feel that we are carrying on the purpose and the vision and the mission of State Farm through my office every day, and that is to help people recover from the unexpected and make sure that they are well taken care of. We plan to do that for several more years.” Lane and his team have generously given back to the community in several ways, including making donations to local schools and much more, which he said is just one important part of being an agent. “We’ve been very blessed and had the financial means to be

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JERSEYVILLE - Alexander Funeral Home is closing its doors after decades of serving the Jersey County community following an announcement from Kari Jo and Alyssa Alexander. The sisters have overseen the funeral home’s operations since the passing of their father, Larry Jo Alexander , the former owner of the funeral home and the longest-serving coroner in Jersey County history . “We, Kari Jo and Alyssa Alexander, are writing to regretfully announce that Alexander Funeral Home is closing its doors,” the sisters wrote on Facebook . “Please know that this decision was not made lightly, there have been countless difficult conversations and many tears that have gone into the decision to close a business that our parents loved and centered their family around. However, our parents’ dream is not for either of us girls and we are looking forward to our next chapter.” Those who made funeral pre-arrangements with Alexander Funeral Home were notifie

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BETHALTO - Civic Memorial High School welcomed freshmen today for an orientation and a chance to meet the peer mentors who will be working with them throughout the school year. The FreshMentors program assigns one upperclassman student to around five freshmen. The older student will check in with their group throughout the school year and serve as a point of contact if they have questions or need help connecting to resources. “ started the FreshMentors group where our students mentor the incoming freshmen to make them comfortable throughout the school year,” Principal Justin Newell said. “So we are just the guide by the side, and the students are doing it all themselves.” Phil Schneider, a social studies teacher and the FreshMentors Coordinator, added that most of the students who signed up as mentors chose to join the program because they found it helpful when they were freshmen. “The FreshMentors join up because they had such a good experience.

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