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ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins said Tuesday he is excited to announce the Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) awarded nearly $100,000 to the City of Alton in annual grants. Alton Fire Chief Jesse Jemison and the Alton Fire Department said the Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) has awarded $36,922 toward the purchase of new rescue equipment. “Kuddos to Chief Jemison and Battalion Chief Tom House for leadership and diligence in securing the grant. It is so wonderful for the fire department to purchase disaster readiness equipment," Mayor Goins said. The Alton Fire Department requested new extrication equipment that can be used for auto extrication, structural collapse, breaching, and stabilization incidents. “We will now be able to purchase new battery-powered Genesis NEXGEN spreaders, cutters, and rams. This equipment will match our existing complement of tools which will streamline our response preparedness for future rescue incidents," said Chief Jemison.

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ALTON - The most delightful cast of Alton Little Theater's final production of the 89th season is pleased to offer a personal invitation to come join the merriment, madness, sexy silliness, and MORE at the Showplace May 5th through the 14th. The set is HUGE and sits across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower; the costumes are just too ooh la-la; the cast (pictured) Josh Sarver, Darla Hook, Gail Drillinger, Kathy Piercey, Joan Marie Wood, and Kevin Frakes are just waiting for an audience to entertain! The Champagne punch will be flowing, and the Director Lee Cox has planned some extra special treats and a signature drink for every performance - AND a beautiful basket of amenities and eight gift certificates to an Alton favorite, My Just Desserts, will be raffled off. The ALT Showplace has waited six years for DING DONG, a French Farce, to be translated into English -- and NOW, the fun can begin! Tickets are always available online: http://www.altonlittletheater.org OR by calling

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ALTON - YWCA is pleased to announce the 2023 Josephine Marley Beckwith Future Leader (JMBFL) Scholars: Isabella Hall, Alton, and Emma Smith, Bethalto. Isabella Hall attends Alton High School and intends to major in Data Analytics. Emma Smith attends Civic Memorial High School in Bethalto and intends to major in nursing. In addition, Guadalupe Calixto, Bethalto, Samantha Evanoff, Troy, Taryn Geiger, Bethalto, and Tristan Johnson, Hardin were approved for renewal scholarships. YWCA awards $1,000 renewable scholarships to deserving young women in honor of Mrs. Josephine Marley Beckwith, Woman of Distinction (WOD) Class of 2002. Erica Bratton, JMBFL Scholarship Committee Chair said “Year after year, YWCA of Southwestern Illinois continues to receive awesome career bound applicants for the JMBFL scholarship. Through their applications, these ladies share their desire for learning and volunteering in their communities... a promising path to GREAT leadership opportunities. Congratulations

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GREENVILLE - Greenville University welcomes alumni and friends to attend Legacy Weekend featuring Nicholas Morrow - an NFL linebacker and GU alumnus. Morrow played Panther football for four seasons from 2013 to 2016, and as part of the weekend's special events on April 21 and 22, his jersey number 20 will be retired. After his time at GU, Morrow signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and spent five seasons with the team, which eventually relocated to Las Vegas. He played for the Chicago Bears in 2022 and signed a contract to spend the upcoming 2023 season with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. "Nicholas is paving the way to being a next generation 'GU Giant.' He truly represents the best of us," says Tom Ackerman, GU Athletic Director. "He lives out his faith every day on and off the field and we could not be prouder of the way he represents GU and himself in one of the biggest arenas. During this weekend event, we will celebrate not only

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GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic High School held its Prom last Saturday. Six students were nominated to Prom Court: (from left to right in picture above) Kiera Cope, Evan Rybak, Olivia Gray, Andrew Douglas, Mae Klusas, and Riley Strack. The court is selected by number of service hours, and the king and queen are selected by student vote. Rilay Strack was named Prom King while Mae Klusas was named Prom Queen and are pictured together below.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is hosting its second annual One Day, One SIUE 24-hour day of giving on Thursday, April 20. The event will bring together the entire SIUE community–students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, friends and community partners–to raise money for top priorities across the University. Beginning at midnight on April 20 and continuing all day, the community is encouraged to make a gift at siue.edu/oneday in support of the day’s $1,000,000 goal from 1,000 unique donors. The day will culminate with an evening celebration in the Morris University Center – Meridian Ballroom. “Each of our donors and partners play an important role in the University’s success as we pursue our bold vision,” said Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD. “One Day, One SIUE contributions will increase our opportunities to keep college access alive and support the educational experiences that make SIUE students so competitive

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ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis region is streamlining the site selection process for rail-accessible sites across the bi-state area. Through focused collaboration, the St. Louis region’s Class I railroads and economic development organizations, brokers and business leaders on both sides of the Mississippi River in Illinois and Missouri have identified the top rail-accessible industrial real estate sites in the region. They are also taking on previously overlooked sites that have potential for rail access. Eleven locations featuring heavy industrial user zoning are ready for developers who want to take advantage of the strong rail infrastructure and multimodal advantages in the bi-state area. Information about these sites can be found at https://www.thefreightway.com/real-estate/rail-access/ “We’re creating a pipeline of rail-served sites for the future and spotlighting rail sites that are currently ready to go,” said Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multimodal

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GLEN CARBON – The bats have been hot for the Father McGivney Catholic High School baseball team. One of the hottest bats on the team has been senior Jacob McKee’s. For his offensive contributions this season, Jacob is a Byron, Carlson, Petri, & Kalb LLC Athlete of the Month for the Griffins. Jacob has been batting an impressive .482 average with a .554 on-base percentage which leads the team. Through 56 at-bats he’s had 27 hits good for 14 RBI including six doubles and four home runs. His constant success at the plate this season has helped the Griffins to an 18-0 start to this season. Jacob said he’s been playing baseball for as long as he could pick up a bat. He said the game has taught him how to push through adversity and would like to thank his fellow seniors on the team, Jackson Rodgers, Gabe Smith, Daniel Gierer, Riley Strack, and Sam Chouinard for always being there for him. “It’s been a great four years of baseball,” he said.

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CARROLLTON - Battery, retail theft, and more charges were issued against several individuals over the past few weeks in Greene County, according to the most recent Jail Booking Report from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Matthew G. DuBois, 23, of Roodhouse, was charged with aggravated battery in a public place. DuBois also had a warrant for his arrest out of Greene County. He was arrested by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office on March 18 and has since been released on bond. Andrew K. Emerson, 20, of Roodhouse, was charged with domestic battery and unlawful restraint. He was arrested by the Roodhouse Police Department on April 8 and has since been released on his own recognizance. Jerome T. Hawk, 59, and Marya A. Radunzel, both of White Hall, were each charged on April 4 with domestic battery. Both were arrested by the White Hall Police Department and have since been released on bond. Jordan D. Shaw, 51, of White Hall, was arrested for battery and failure

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CARROLLTON - Several individuals have been arrested on drug and alcohol-related charges in Greene County over the past few weeks, including one who was arrested for bringing contraband into a penal institution and several others charged with driving under the influence. Amanda K. Edwards, 36, of Roodhouse, was charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution, meth delivery, and possession of methamphetamine. She also had an outstanding arrest warrant in Pike County. Edwards was arrested by the Roodhouse Police Department on April 1 and has since been “transferred,” though the facility she was transferred to was not noted. Alicia K. Maxwell, 47, of Rock Island, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, and driving under the influence of drugs. She was arrested by the Greenfield Police Department on April 13 and remains in custody. Clarence E. Arnold, 44, of Bethalto, was charged with driving under the influence

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County’s law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will operate a drop-off site for Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, in Edwardsville. Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine, Sheriff Jeff Connor and Coroner Steve Nonn will be operating the drop-off site in coordination with the DEA. The drop-off site, open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be in the Madison County Administration Building’s back parking lot on Second Street in Edwardsville: Madison County Administration Building, 157 North Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025. Haine said the event is “a convenient way for local residents to help fight the overdose epidemic and save lives.” Connor added, “I strongly encourage local residents to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s a way to dispose of unneeded medicines in a manner that is healthy and safe.” Nonn said, “Many of the tragic

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ALTON - If Alton High students do not see Senior Lucas Landuyt each morning, they are missing out on a friendly greeting from one of the more beloved students in the school. After starting at Alton High as a shy freshman four years ago, Lucas seems to know the entire student body by name, according to Teacher Christie Rickman and Assistant Principal Vernon Curvey. He will be the first one to say hello to all students by name and if he does not already know them by name, he will introduce himself and learn the name of the student he is meeting. Lucas is the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Alton High School Remarkable Redbird of the Month. Lucas has been a member of the Alton High Cross Country team for the past two years and has also had success in taking part in Special Olympics. Lucas has participated in 25- and 50-meter freestyle swimming events, has run the 400-meter race in track and has also participated in bowling. Lucas was also a proud recipient of a Silver Medal for his Special Olympic

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GRANITE CITY - Sunday evening, Madison County Sheriff’s Deputies were in the area of Route 3, near Granite City, as a nearby License Plate Reader just alerted law enforcement of a stolen Kia was in the area. Deputies then began searching the area for the stolen vehicle. Then, just before 11 p.m., Madison County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 5100 block of Buena Dr., unincorporated Granite City, regarding an armed Vehicle Hijacking that had just occurred. Madison County Chief Deputy Sheriff Marcos Pulido said the following: "Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was followed from St. Louis, to the 5100 block of Buena Drive. As she was in the process parking her purple Dodge Charger, she was approached by a male who was armed with what appeared to be a rifle. The suspect pointed the rifle at the victim, stole personal property and the Purple Dodge Charger. The stolen vehicle then left the area, followed by a blue vehicle. No physical injuries were reported

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EDWARDSVILLE — The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted a record number of felony cases to conclusion in 2022, according to the Annual Report released Monday by State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine. The report also highlights a significant reduction in vehicle thefts in Madison County. The State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted 4,451 cases to conclusion in 2022, topping the previous high mark of 4,320 cases resolved in 2021. “I could not be more proud of our fantastic team at the State’s Attorney’s Office,” Haine said. “One of our primary goals for the year was to reduce a case backlog that developed during Covid’s restrictions on the court. This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our prosecutors and staff, and to our collaboration with judges, police agencies and all the other entities involved in our criminal justice system in Madison County.” As a result of that effort, the number

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WOOD RIVER - Riverbend Family Ministries held its grand opening on Friday at their new location at 144 E. Ferguson Ave. in Wood River. Riverbend Family Ministries Executive Director Tammy Iskarous was beaming on Friday at the grand opening event. "We are finally in the whole building, and today is a celebration of a bunch of non-profits coming together to do incredible work and be able to move from the 7,000-square-foot building to this one," Iskarous said. "For 14 years, we helped families in crisis and ran out of room. In 2019, we bought this building - little did we know the world was going to shut down with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Then construction was going to take a little longer and it is now finished. "It seemed like we would never get this building open and I could not be more proud of this building or more thankful and for all the organizations across the board who do such hard work and work with families in crisis due to violence, addiction, homelessness. It has been

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ALTON - Alton High junior tennis player Luke Boyd is off to a good start this spring with the Redbirds boys squad. Luke served as a captain last year and this year. He was all-conference and all-conference academic team for the past two years. Luke is an Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month for Alton. "Luke was our team MVP last year because he is a vocal leader who works hard in practices and matches," Coach Jesse Macias said. "He is a really strong doubles player and his partner is Nate Bartlett. "Luke is our number three player in singles. He has improved his serve this year and he is moving better. "He’s working on constructing longer points. He’s a good athlete and leader."

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EDWARDSVILLE – As part of their clinical practice, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) students provide home visits for senior citizens in the area. The SOP students and faculty go further than only providing health checks to their senior patients.“I noticed that they have a hard time keeping up with some of the larger jobs around the yard, and the state of their yards presented real fall risks,” said Chris Lynch, PharmD, professor and director of clinical programs. "We started this program in 2017 to provide yard cleanups for local senior citizens. Having a group of energetic and altruistic students is a real godsend when it comes to this type of service.” Throughout April, the SOP students and faculty have set days to go out in the community to pull weeds, cut up large limbs downed in recent storms, plant flowers and help with various other yard jobs for senior citizens in the area. “It is always nice to see how much

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WEST ALTON - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers River Project Office announced that Maple Island Access Area reopened to the public Saturday, April 15. The area was previously closed to provide a necessary staging area for work on the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. “We are happy to welcome our local anglers, bird-watchers, and other members of the public back to Maple Island Access,” said Katelynn Dearth, Natural Resources Specialist and Park Ranger for the Rivers Project. “Though the closure was necessary, we were eager to re-open this area for public access, because we know it’s an important river access point for our community. With the snagging season ending at Maple on May 15 th , we’re especially happy we no longer have to turn anglers away.” During the month of April, this location is also an important spawning site for lake sturgeon, an ancient species of fish that is listed as state endangered in both Missouri and Illinois. This species has

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general , asked the Supreme Court of the United States to hear an important case in order to protect veterans’ rights to their hard-earned benefits. “The men and women who have served in the military deserve our recognition and support for the sacrifices they and their families have made to protect our nation,” Raoul said. “That’s why I am proud to be a part of this bipartisan coalition asking that the U.S. Supreme Court ensure that veterans get the benefits they have earned. James Rudisill, the plaintiff in the case, is a Virginia resident and a decorated army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After his first tour, Mr. Rudisill used benefits to which he was then entitled under the Montgomery GI Bill to further his education, successfully complete his undergraduate degree, and return to the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer. Mr. Rudisill serve

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, with 24 attorneys general, filed a brief supporting continued access to medication abortion and other essential health care for all Americans. In the brief filed in the United States Supreme Court, Raoul and the coalition support the federal government’s request for an emergency stay of a lower court decision in Texas that, if allowed to take effect, would drastically reduce access to safe abortion care and miscarriage management for millions of people across the country. “Let me be clear: mifepristone continues to be available in Illinois because of our proactive legal action. Regardless, I will continue to advocate for all Americans to have the same access to medication abortion that has been safely and effectively used by millions of patients for more than two decades,” Raoul said. “I continue to closely monitor these quickly moving cases and am committed to using all available tools to protect access to

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