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ALTON - This weekend’s storms might have passed, but there's another twister coming in the form of “The Real Land of Oz.” The theater company 3 Purple Coats Productions is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a new, elevated production of the musical that made them famous in the Alton area. “The Real Land of Oz” is a retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” and was written by Leah Becoat, the founder of the production company. “You want people to be touched by your work,” Becoat said. “I think people will be moved or touched because there are so many things that speak to adults and youth.” Becoat began writing at age 8 to cope with severe eczema, and it quickly became her passion. She opened 3 Purple Coats Productions with her two sisters in 2013; the company’s name is a nod to their surname. In the 10 years since then, Becoat has written a youth show every summer, with additional productions throughout the year whe

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GODFREY – The RiverBend Growth Association has chosen Godfrey-based Karen Wilson State Farm as the July 2023 Small Business of the Month. As its business name suggests, this local State Farm Insurance office is owned by Karen Wilson. Located at 225 Tolle Lane in Godfrey, Wilson has been in business for 20 years and currently has three employees. “I downsized to two team members for a while,” Wilson noted, “but realized that a third person is crucial to an efficient and customer-focused office. We feel this has been beneficial to all. She said that continuing education is required because of the licensing her team members must have. “However, coming from the world of education, I always encourage continuous learning. Seminars, trainings, self-help books, webinars are a very important part of our culture. “We are a woman-owned and operated business and proud of it. Although we are all familiar with the company I represent, I am the business owner.

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TROY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that intermittent daytime lane closures will take place on both directions of Interstate 55 from the Interstate 270 overpass to the Macoupin County line, weather permitting, beginning Monday, June 26, through Friday, June 30. Work will be suspended between 6-9 a.m. on the southbound/westbound lanes and 3-6 p.m. on the northbound/eastbound lanes. These lane closures are necessary for the evaluation of the pavement. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict 8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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LITCHFIELD - One of the last drive-in movie theaters in the region will be showing “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” with subtitles on Thursday, July 6. The Route 66 Skyview Drive-In Theater, located on Route 66 in Litchfield, will also have interpreters onsite. Owner Chelsey Semplowski said she received a message from a regular customer who is hard of hearing, which sparked the idea. “He messaged me on Facebook asking if this would be something we’d be interested in. And with us being new owners, we thought it wouldn’t hurt to try something new,” Semplowski said. Once they got the go-ahead from the movie studio, they were “all in and super excited to try this out and see what happens.” Semplowski took over the drive-in with her husband and brother in late April. As the season continues, she hopes that this event will be well-received and lead to future subtitled screenings. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey County Fair is officially returning for 2023 from Saturday, July 8 to Sunday, July 16 at the American Legion Fairgrounds in Jerseyville. This year’s fair will kick off with the Jersey County Fair Kick Off Party & BBQ Cook-Off Contest on Saturday, July 8, starting at 6 p.m. Admission to the kickoff party is free, and the event will feature bounce houses, face painting, and a live band. The cost to sample barbeque at the Cook-Off Contest is $10. The Jersey County Fair will also feature Tinsley Amusement rides and a jam-packed lineup of grandstand events, including several livestock shows, the Jersey County Fair Queen Pageant, Talent Show, IPRA/MRCA Rodeo, Tractor Pulls, Demolition Derby, and much more. See the full event lineup with dates and more details at jerseycountyfair.com . The Jersey County Fair Parade is also returning on Tuesday, July 11 at 6 p.m. and will travel on State Street through Jerseyville. Tom Moore with the Jersey County

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EDWARDSVILLE - Soil and worms are main components of composting, but there’s no need to get your hands dirty with Good Dirt Composting Collective’s initiative to bring New Earth Farm composting services to Edwardsville. New Earth Farm is a St. Louis-based company that makes it easy for residents and businesses to compost. The group supplies buckets to customers, who fill them with food waste throughout the week. New Earth Farm then collects the food waste and adds it to their composting bins. “We’re just trying to totally keep it simple so that folks can participate in doing something good and something green,” owner John Cline said. “People just love being able to do something tangible to help the environment.” Cline and his wife, Stacey, want to expand New Earth Farm services to the Metro East area. They’ve been working with Good Dirt Composting Collective, a composting advocacy and education group in Edwardsville that often provide

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HOLIDAY SHORES - A beautiful Fourth of July turned into tragedy for a Holiday Shores family on Tuesday in the 1100 block of Tampico Drive. Holiday Shores Fire Chief Jim O'Brien described the home involved in the fire as "a total loss." He said the family was enjoying the Fourth of July on the Holiday Shores Lake when the fire occurred. Holiday Shores Fire and other departments were called in a mutual aid request around 2 p.m. on Wednesday. O'Brien added that the devastating fire began at the back of the home, then spread to the attic and beyond. Temps were higher than 90 degrees on the day, so it was a very intense situation for firefighters. “We had about 50 firefighters there in the mutual aid call,” he said. “We also had another 30 volunteers from the lake and community who helped them when the fire was extinguished." The chief said many came in flip-flops and swim trunks and tried to help in any way they could. Holiday Shores called for mutual aid with Worden,

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GODFREY - The Godfrey Family Fun Fest had a huge crowd in attendance on July 4 with multiple activities, and ended with a special fireworks display. Godfrey Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan said the Family Fun Fest had a wide array of activities for families. The festival kicked off at 5 p.m. and had everything from face painting, balloon art, inflatables, food trucks, vendors, watermelon eating contests, and much more. T-Ball and Pitching Machine awards began at 5:30 pm. Rookie Baseball, Soccer, T-Ball & Pitching Machine coaches were in a dunk tank starting at 5 p.m. The Great Godfrey Maze theme was also announced as “Family Game Night.” Fireworks were once again extraordinary, Logan said. “Every parking spot was taken and it was a really nice event,” he added. “I think there were thousands of people there and I think people appreciate what Godfrey is doing for the Fourth of July. It is a chance for a nice family event for people of

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GODFREY - The theme for the 2023 Great Godfrey Maze was announced as “Family Game Night” at the Family Fun Fest event on July 4. Godfrey Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan said the theme was one of multiple choices offered to Godfrey by the company that cuts the design for the Maze. “We wanted to try something different,” Logan said. “It is a mixture of board game pieces and it will be carved into the maze. We plan to open the Maze the weekend of September 16th. The Godfrey Maze will be open on Friday nights and Saturday all day after it starts.” Logan said he feels the public always looks forward to the Godfrey Maze and the interest has continued to grow over the years. “We are trying to offer new things and keep it relevant,” Logan added.

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ALTON - A new area code will begin rolling out on Friday, July 7, to some of those in the 618 region seeking new phone numbers or additional lines. The State of Illinois announced last year that a new 730 area code will "overlay the existing 618 area code to address the depletion of prefixes available for assignment within the region.” The 618 area code covers 37 counties in southern Illinois and includes the communities of Alton, Belleville, Bethalto, Carbondale, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Fairview Heights, Glen Carbon, Grafton, Granite City, Jerseyville, Wood River, and more. The state further clarified that 730 numbers may begin appearing after Friday, but most areas will still have some 618 numbers available. “While many individual 618 telephone numbers remain unassigned, an area code is deemed to be ‘exhausted’ when the last available prefix has been assigned. While 730 telephone numbers will begin to appear in the second half of 2023, there wil

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ALTON - This week, because of construction at Riverview Park, the The Alton Municipal Band's Thursday concert is moving to the Alton Amphitheater. At 7:30 p.m. this Thursday, July 6, the Alton Municipal Band will perform at the Alton Amphitheater, with a picturesque view of Clark Bridge and the Mississippi River. "We're excited to get the chance to play at this beautiful facility," Adam Rodgers, board chair of the Alton Municipal Band, said. "It is hard to believe we're already halfway done with the concert series!" Featured this week is the Alton High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Chris Jarden. "These young musicians represent the future of music in our community, and audiences will enjoy their toe-tapping rendition of jazz favorites," Rogers said. "In addition, Lewis and Clark Community College will be on-site, with information about their course offerings and activities. Blazer, the mascot, will be on-hand to lead the famous children’s march." The concert will

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ALTON - Alton's annual Fireworks on the Mississippi event went off without a hitch on Monday night, July 3, at the Alton Amphitheater. The festivities began at 5 p.m. and were filled with live music, food and celebration before the display happened at 9:30 p.m. Alton Mayor David Goins commended the Amphitheater Commission for again doing “a wonderful job” putting the event together with music, food and culminating with the fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. J&M Display launched the fireworks for the 25th time on Monday night and once again there were many crowd favorites. Local food trucks Kona Ice, Pig on a Wing, Quite Bite and Frozen Treats and Ray’s Touching Tacos were among the vendors on hand and were well-received by the crowd. Robert “Chick” Fritz Inc. had beer and other drinks for those in attendance. The 399th Army Band once again performed and pushed the patriotic theme of the event. The band performs all across Illinois, Missouri and Indiana

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WOOD RIVER - Several Wood River residents made public comments at Monday night’s City Council meeting, and the majority of them called for the resignation of councilmen Bill Dettmers, Dr. David Ayres, and Jeremy Plank. Amy Davis criticized Dettmers for his lawsuit against the city funding the construction of its new recreation center using dollars from a 1% sales tax increase, which was dismissed by a circuit judge who ruled the city was within their rights to fund the project that way. “Mr. Dettmers, your behavior and lawsuits against the city are an embarrassment,” Davis said. “How is it fiscally responsible for a council member to cost the city money by defending itself against your lawsuits? You talk about conflicts of interest with volunteerism - that is a way bigger conflict of interest than any volunteer would ever bring to this community.” Davis added that she believes a law should be put in place that forbids sitting city officials from

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ALTON - Alton Police has provided an update on the fatal shooting in the 2400 block of Lincoln Avenue in Alton on July 2, 2023. Alton Police received the call at 12:49 a.m. and Alton Police Officers, in addition to officers with the Cross River Crimes Task Force who were in Alton for unrelated reasons, immediately responded to the scene and determined that 33-year-old Nathan A. Brown of Alton, had been shot and ultimately died. Officers were also able to immediately locate 20-year-old Neko J. Walker of Alton, who was determined to be responsible for discharging the firearm and causing Brown’s death. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said Tuesday, the facts of the case were presented to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Neko Walker with Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons. Bail was set by the Honorable Judge Slemer at $83,000. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office declined

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ROLLA, Mo. - Missouri University of Science and Technology announces the names of students who made the honor list for the Spring 2023 semester. To be included on the honor list, students must have carried a minimum of 12 hours and had grade point averages of 3.2 or above out of a possible 4.0. About Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation's top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu. HOMETOWN, STATE; ZIP CODE, NAME, MAJOR, CLASS YEAR Alton, Illinois 62002, Christian Adams, senior 62002, Reiley Clark, junior 62002, Markus Fischbeck, sophomore 62002, Jeffrey Frankford, sophomore 6200

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ROLLA, Mo. - Approximately 1,000 students received degrees from Missouri University of Science and Technology during three commencement ceremonies held on campus this past May. A ceremony for Ph.D. graduates was held Friday, May 12. Two ceremonies for undergraduates and students earning master's degrees were held Saturday, May 13. All ceremonies were held at the Gale Bullman Building. Missouri S&T has traditionally recognized graduates earning a bachelor's degree with honors by placing the designation "summa cum laude," "magna cum laude" or "cum laude" on their diplomas. The highest honor, summa cum laude, is awarded to students who have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 or above on a 4.0 scale for all courses counting toward the degree. Magna cum laude is the designation for a GPA of 3.5 to 3.79, and cum laude indicates a GPA of 3.2-3.49. About Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused

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EDWARDSVILLE - A total of 877 customers in Edwardsville, 855 in Collinsville, 534 in Granite City and 1,600 in Columbia remain without power as of 5 p.m. Monday, Ameren Illinois spokesperson Brian Bretsch said. Bretsch said Ameren Illinois is doing everything it can to fully restore power to the area. Statewide, more than 3,000 Ameren Illinois line, contractor and support personnel are engaged in cleaning up remaining power outages from last weekend’s severe thunderstorms statewide. Bretsch also said Ameren workers have worked around the clock in the restoration efforts for three days. In a released statement from Ameren Illinois, the company said: ”We have restored nearly all of the outages caused by the initial derecho that impacted a wide section of the region on Thursday. Today's work focuses on restoring outages from that second wave of severe weather," said Lenny Singh, Chairman and President, Ameren Illinois. "We know this has been a challenging time for our customers

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EDWARDSVILLE - Robert Werden, the Madison County Regional Superintendent of Schools, was sworn in Monday morning to begin his second term. In Werden’s speech, he thanked many people in the Madison County Regional Office of Education as well as other local educators and program leaders. “I truly do love my job,” Werden said. “I love working for the taxpayer and I love working for the residents of Madison County.” He noted that he titled his speech “I Love My Job” and joked that he appreciates the people who work with him, especially those who deal with the “crazy parents crazy administrators.” Dr. Tricia Blackard was sworn in as the assistant regional superintendent. Blackard previously served as the assistant principal at Collinsville High School. Judge Amy Maher performed the ceremony. “It’s a joy to wake up every day and be excited to go to work,” Blackard said. Werden thanked a long list of attendees,

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JERSEYVILLE - A 21-year-old Jerseyville resident has been charged with eight counts of criminal property damage for spraying orange spray paint on several pieces of government, private, and personal property around the city. Court filings state Dakota L. Harris, 21, of Jerseyville, was charged on June 23 with two felony counts of criminal damage to government property, as well as six misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property. The following pieces of property were affected by Harris’s spray painting spree: A stoplight switch box located on the corner of State Street and Pearl Street, where Harris “spray painted a cross,” according to court filings. A one-way street sign located at the south rear entry alley of Royal Banks, located at 117 S. State Street. Two poles at the rear alley entrance of 117 S. State Street, property of Royal Banks. A 2010 Toyota RAV4, which was located in the 100 block of East Pearl Street. Several areas of the George's

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GREENSBORO, N.C. - 17-year-old Tyler Smith’s dreams came true this past week when he captured the World Ninja League Elite crown at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Tyler became the first competitor in eight seasons to clear all three stages in the Elite division at the world championships. “This is definitely one of my bigger dreams come true,” he said. “I have been training for seven and a half years and competing in this league for six years and slowly made my way up. I was 10th, fifth, and third and I was really happy to win the whole thing this time.” Tyler trains five to six days a week, often at a farm Ninja gym in a barn in Dorsey and also at Shinobi Fitness. Tyler lives in Holiday Shores. Tyler’s mother, Leila, said she was so proud of her son for such a remarkable achievement. “I think being proud of him might be an understatement,” she said. “He has worked so hard the last seven and a half years. He has been competing

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