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People everywhere are enjoying the great outdoors after a long, bitter winter. But before you head out for that hike, health care experts remind you to take precautions to avoid tick bites. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates around 300,000 people are infected with Lyme disease each year, and is now warning people to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of the disease, which is usually contracted through tick bites. Tina Barton, Infection Preventionist at OSF HealthCare says there are tell-tale signs of Lyme disease, including a rash around the bite mark that takes the shape of a bulls-eye. "If you get infected, then it starts out with a rash. The rash may not appear for like three days or so and then it’s followed by a lot of like flu-like symptoms," said Barton. "So it can be fatigue and sore throats and things like that can go along with it too.” When caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. However, when untreated the disease

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EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Lutheran High School released its Fourth Quarter Honor Roll lists. To view them, please click the link below. Metro East Lutheran High School Fourth Quarter Honor Roll

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WASHINGTON DC - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement commending the Honorable Alvaro Bedoya, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for enforcing the three Civil Investigative Demand (CID) requests the FTC issued to three infant formula manufacturers that bid on contracts to provide formula through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). “I applaud the FTC for following through on its investigative efforts to examine this vital industry and root out potential anticompetitive behavior in this highly concentrated marketplace so that families everywhere have access to and can afford the formula they need to feed their babies,” said Duckworth. “Ensuring the infant formula industry promotes effective competition and more resilient supply chains remains a critical national priority. This action by the FTC demonstrates the Commission is appropriately

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GODFREY – The Village of Godfrey consultant - Good Energy - has informed the village that Ameren Illinois has established its new residential electric rate for customers in the Godfrey area and these rates should be released by June 1. Although the rate filings are not yet official, the preliminary rates for Ameren BGS-1 Residential, which would be from June 2023 – May 2024, are estimated to be $0.08450-$0.08650. However, residents need to also know the newly filed rate can return to an upward swing anytime during that period. These new rates are lower than Godfrey’s current municipal electrical aggregation contract with Constellation New Energy which is $0.1220. With the extreme volatility in the energy markets, in terms of both commodity and capacity, aggregation programs have deviated away from the primary goal of consistently saving the residents money to seeking the best available rates and allowing those rates to be insurance and protection during volatile

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City High School English teacher Ashley Richey was selected to receive a $1,000 Book Love Grant from the Book Love Foundation to expand her classroom library. With this $1,000 grant, Richey will be able to purchase a wide variety of new books to expand her classroom library and give students a diverse selection of books to independently read. "The Book Love Foundation is providing me with the opportunity to expand my classroom library and guide students into the wonderful world of reading," said Richey. "I am ecstatic to give my students more reading selections and allow them to be immersed in a book of their choice." Richey is in her second year at GCHS and teaches freshmen and sophomores in English 2A and 4. She graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2021 with a bachelor of arts degree in secondary English education. "Ashley began her teaching career at Granite City High School in our English Department and had an immediate impact,"

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WOOD RIVER – Refuge was joined for a night of hope and inspiration by nearly 350 community members at their 8th Annual Fundraising Dinner on April 20, 2023. On a mission to change the lives of Madison County children affected by trauma, the non-profit holds its fundraising dinner during Child Abuse Prevention Month every April. Next year’s dinner will be held on April 18, 2024, at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. “Our community showed up for our most vulnerable population, and we can’t thank them enough for their support,” said Executive Director Erin Bickle. “Refuge is 100% community funded, so it truly takes all of us to provide the hope and healing needed by so many children in our area.” Since 2014, Refuge has served children and families who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence. Refuge works to prevent the potential lifelong social, emotional, and physical impacts of trauma through a holistic

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GRAFTON - Get ready to make a SPLASH! Raging Rivers WaterPark opens for its 2023 season on Saturday, May 27th. The park features a wave pool, endless lazy river, body flumes, tube rides, family interactive play area, the Mississippi Monster, and more. If you're looking for unlimited fun all summer long, Season Passes are on sale for $59.99 and the Platinum Pass is $74.99 through June 12th. The 2023 Season Pass comes with a variety of benefits including: Unlimited Visits Exclusive Offers throughout the season One Bring-A-Friend Free Ticket (good for a 1-time visit with a Platinum Pass) Free Parking (with a Platinum Pass) One-day admission tickets can be purchased online starting at $21.99. The earlier you buy, the more you save. At the gate, admission is by height. Over 42" is $36.99, under 42" and Seniors over age 60 are $26.99, and children aged 2 years old and under are admitted free. The park will also be celebrating educators and all school staff this weekend with School

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ALTON - Alton City Council members denied two requests for additional ARPA funds from the city’s Police and Fire Departments at their meeting on Wednesday, May 24. The Police Department was seeking $27,970.33 to purchase 15 Bola Wrap devices, while the Fire Department was seeking $47,481.87 for two new motors for their rescue boat as well as repairs to Fire Station #2. Both requests failed to receive approval from the Committee of the Whole at their meeting on Monday, May 22 - at that meeting, the Fire Department’s request was unanimously shot down with “no” votes from each council member. The Bola Wraps request never received a motion and failed without a vote. Since both items “failed in committee,” the City Council took no further action on them, effectively denying both requests. A full recording of the May 24 meeting is available at the top of this story or on the Riverbender.com Facebook page .

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MARYVILLE - The 27 th annual Anderson Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament was held on May 8 th at the Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville. The event featured 18 holes of golf. Contests included: Men’s and Women’s Longest Drive and Men’s and Women’s Closet to the Pin, Buy a Drive and a Putting Contest. “We were lucky to have a beautiful day and we have a great group of sponsors who support us each year as well as 137 golfers who played in our tournament!” said Lori St. John, Director of Development. The winners of the tournament were Alan Dombrowski, Don Harris, Cord Dombrowski and Jack Connell The team’s final score was (-15). The event was a great success, raising a total of $20,605.00. The Foundation allocates funds for capital projects and programs for Anderson Hospital.

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ALTON - At 10:26 a.m. on Wednesday, May 24, the Alton Police Department was notified of a traffic crash with injuries on College Avenue near the intersection with Clawson Street. Alton Police Officers, Alton Fire Department members, and other area EMS service personnel responded quickly to the scene. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the preliminary investigation revealed that the at-fault driver was traveling west on College Avenue when his vehicle drifted right and into the designated parking area on the street. "In doing so, his vehicle struck a trailer that was attached to a City of Alton-owned vehicle," he said. "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 and pinned underneath it. "All four City of Alton employees were injured. Three were

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CARROLLTON - The annual Greene County Agricultural Fair is returning for 2023 with a full lineup of grandstand events, shows, live music, and much more. This year’s fair will run from Tuesday, May 30 to Saturday, June 3. Adult Single Admission Tickets will be available for $4 until the last weekend of the fair, when those tickets will be $5. Children under 12 will be admitted for free. Festivities will kick off on Tuesday, May 30 with the Sheep Show at 8 a.m. That evening, the Miss Greene County Fair Pageant will be held in the grandstands at 6:30 p.m. and the Art Hall will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. Ticket prices for the pageant are $6 for General Admission and $12 for Reserved Seating. Wednesday, May 31 will start with the Steer Weigh-in at 8:30 a.m., followed by Harness Racing that evening at 6:00 p.m. in the grandstands. Tickets for the Harness Races are $2 each. The Beef Show and Swine Show will start at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 1, and the Rodeo and 4H Weigh-in

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KAMPSVILLE - On June 2 and 3, more than 25 local and regional bands will take the stage for Trinity River Festival at McCully Heritage Project in Kampsville, Ill. to help raise funds for the local nonprofit Trinity’s Way. This year marks the first year the festival will be offering camping throughout the two day event. also offers festival-goers miles of beautiful hiking trails and two fishing ponds. Weekend camping passes are available for $50 for both Friday and Saturday or $30 per day. Non-camping weekend passes are $30 for both Friday and Saturday or $20 per day. Advance tickets can be purchased online with debit/credit card or PayPal at www.trinitysway.org until May 31. Tickets are available the day of at the gate, cash only. Trinity’s Way formed in 2018 after 17-year-old Trinity Buel was killed in a tragic car accident. The nonprofit was started by her mother, April Gray, and her godfather, Chris Unthank, to carry on Buel’s kindness and compassion for animals

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ALTON - YWCA is pleased to announce a Boys Council Summer Program is being offered starting Tuesdays, beginning June 6, 2023 at YWCA at 4 pm. The sessions includes one hour of Boys Council meeting and one hour of gym time at YWCA. The session will end on Tuesday, August 8. School year sessions will be announced at a later date. Boys Council focuses on the promotion of growth in young males from 10 to 14 years. This program promotes boys’ natural strengths and increases their options about being male in today’s world. It challenges myths about how to be a “real boy” or “real man”. Boys and young men are given the opportunity in a safe environment to address masculine definitions and behaviors. By promoting valuable relationships with peers and adult facilitators, Boys Council increases boys’ emotional, social, and cultural literacy. In a safe and action-oriented context, boys can identify healthy and unhealthy ideas about what it means to be male

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GRANITE CITY - A local high school student has recently been awarded the GCS Credit Union Scholarship. The admirable recipient is Caylie McElroy from Granite City High School. GCS was looking for applicants who receive good grades, have an opinion on effective money habits, and who are actively involved in school and the community. Nicole R. Thorp, to whom the scholarship is dedicated, was a big believer in helping out where needed. Caylie is ranked number one in her class, played soccer, golf, and was in marching and concert band for GCHS. Caylie is very active in her church and volunteers for numerous community outreach events. Caylie will be attending Saint Louis University for nursing with a minor in Spanish. Caylie wishes to travel the country and aid in pediatric care in hospitals with children who may not be fluent in the English language. Candidates were also required to submit an essay on three principles they believe should guide a new college student’s money habits.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison Communications Technicians, Bryan Huffstutler, Daron Verbais, Greg Crabill, and Tanner Pieri attended the 2023 SCTE Gateway Chapter’s Cable -Tec Games located in St. Charles, MO on Thursday, May 18 th . The SCTE (Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers) is an international organization that is split up between 68 chapters. The four technicians did an outstanding job representing Madison Communications and the SCTE Gateway Chapter competing against 4 other teams consisting of technicians from Mediacom and Charter. Madison Communications took home the 1 st place team overall for the 11 th straight year along with technician, Bryan Huffstutler taking home the overall 1 st place solo award and Greg Crabill taking home the second-place solo award. Out of the 24 potential medals to be awarded at the contest, the Madison technicians took home 16 of them! The winning categories consisted of games that evaluated cable splicing, fiber splicing, meter reading,

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WEST ALTON - A new J-turn lane is now open on U.S. 67 in West Alton, marking the latest milestone in the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Route 67 Elevation Project. The new lane allows southbound drivers to make a J-turn to travel northbound; another J-turn lane will be constructed in the future going the opposite direction to allow drivers from Riverlands Way to make a J-turn to travel southbound on 67. In the original road design, drivers from Riverlands Way wishing to travel southbound on 67 had to cross over two lanes of busy northbound traffic before turning left on southbound 67. This new design will eliminate the need to cross over the highway, instead routing those drivers northbound temporarily to then merge into the leftmost lane, enter the J-turn lane and use it to turn and travel southbound. A video demonstration of a J-turn in action is available on the MoDOT website. The Route 67 Elevation Project aims to reduce the potential for collisions

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine and Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback announced Wednesday that an assistant principal at Edwardsville High School has been charged with Criminal Sexual Assault. The two stated on Monday, May 22, the Edwardsville Police Department received information alleging that an assistant principal at the school had a sexual relationship with a juvenile who was younger than 18. The subsequent investigation led to a suspect, Erin L. Hamilton-Foley, 50, of Edwardsville, being taken into custody on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Hamilton-Foley with the following offenses: COUNT 1 – Criminal Sexual Assault, a class 1 felony COUNT 2 – Criminal Sexual Assault, a class 1 felony The charges allege that Hamilton-Foley “held a position of trust, authority or supervision” in relation to the 17-year-old victim, “being that

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Attorney's Office on Monday released information about a federal indictment of Jim F. Lanier, 49, of Marissa, being charged with the unlawful possession of a destructive device. In a previously filed complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation alleged that Lanier admitted to making a homemade pipe bomb that he intended to use to blow up his wife’s vehicle, and further admitted to lighting and throwing the device at people who confronted him inside a trailer park in Marissa, Illinois on April 29, 2023. Lanier was ordered detained pending trial. The device did not detonate, according to the complaint. The complaint further alleged that a second suspicious device was found stored among Lanier’s belongings. The unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. “Destructive devices can be exceptionally dangerous to life and limb. All suspected cases of the unlawful possession

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MARYVILLE — Our Lord’s Lutheran Church will host Vacation Bible School this June from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday the 5th through Friday the 9th. Families are welcome to participate in a free family meal from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. before dropping children off to enjoy a journey through the Holy Land in this year’s Jerusalem Marketplace. Children from ages 3 to 10 can enjoy creating jewelry, pottery, and more while exploring the rich history of Jerusalem. This event is free for the community. There will be a limit of fifty spots available. Last day to register is Friday, June 2nd. Go to Our Lord Lutheran’s Church website at https://ourlords.org to sign up. To find out more information, call the church at 618-345-5692 or email Olivia Cross at love2haveu@ourlords.org . Our Lord’s Lutheran Church is a child safe environment and led by Pastor Darla Ann Kratzer. For more information on any of Our Lord’s worship services and upcoming events, visit ourlords.org

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GRAFTON - The 34th annual Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair will return to Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will be jam-packed with outdoor activities, live music, food, drinks, prizes, and much more. Fishing poles, bait, and supplies are all provided at the fishing fair, and no fishing license is required to participate. Scott Isringhausen, urban fishing coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the event is a great opportunity for some free family fun. “It’s such a wonderful thing, it’s all free, and if you’ve never been to it, bring your kids because I think people will be truly amazed,” Isringhausen said. This year’s Fishing Fair will see several favorite attractions return, including the catch-and-release Bluegill Pond where young anglers can have their photos taken with their catch, the One-Cast station where everyone wins a prize,

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