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BETHALTO - The Village of Bethalto is advising residents to consider remaining part of its energy aggregation program despite Ameren currently having a lower market rate. The energy aggregation program is meant to protect residents from market volatility by charging a fixed rate regardless of the market through 2024 - but if residents wish to opt-out and switch to Ameren, the village has also outlined the steps to do so. The new Ameren rate is $0.08162 compared to Bethalto’s program rate of $0.1220. Ameren’s new rate went into effect on June 1, and the aggregation program’s fixed rate will expire in December 2024. According to a press release from the village, “Residents need to understand the newly filed Ameren rate can return to an upward swing anytime during that period … The Village’s Program has been very successful since its inception in 2012.” Also noted in the press release were the savings from the previous round of the aggregation

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SPRINGFIELD — Residents struggling to pay their gas or electric bills will not face life-threatening utility shutoffs on hot days thanks to an initiative supported by State Christopher Belt that was signed into law last Friday. “This measure recognizes the urgent need to safeguard vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children and individuals with health conditions,” said Belt. “There are many risks associated with extreme heat, and this aims to mitigate them, as well as prevent potential health and safety hazards.” The new law prohibits a utility company from terminating gas or electric service due to nonpayment of bills on days when the forecasted temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above, or when the National Weather Service issues a heat watch, advisory or warning for the location of the residence. Previously, disconnections were prohibited during temperatures 95 degrees or hotter and did not take into account humidity or heat index.

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ALTON - Week two of the 133rd Alton Municipal Band season will feature music for the children and a local media personality! Jennifer Shenberger directs the band for the “almost-world-famous” Children’s Concert, which will feature music from movies, television shows, and more! Concertgoers of all ages will enjoy the classics they remember from childhood along with songs from the freshest new releases! Heidi Glaus, St. Louis radio and television personality, will be in town to narrate the classic tale of “Peter and the Wolf.” As a seasoned journalist, television star, and radio host, Glaus has won multiple accolades and Emmy Awards. Her iconic voice will be familiar to anyone who grew up watching TV or listening to the radio in St. Louis, and her fresh spin on “Peter and the Wolf” is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The concert will take place on Thursday, June 15th, at Riverview Park. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. The show will then repeat on Sunday,

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DIXMOOR, Ill. - In case you missed it, Congresswoman Kelly was joined by Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Village of Dixmoor to break ground on a new water main project. Largely supported by federal funds secured, in-part by Rep. Kelly, Dixmoor’s new water main would preserve and protect the village’s critical water supply. Dixmoor’s water main infrastructure project is planned to build a 3,700 ft 12-inch water main, which would stretch from Seeley Avenue, cross south under the I-57 overpass, and east onto 13th St. in Dixmoor. The project would also cap five other water mains in the area to help prevent future water main breaks. Congresswoman Kelly celebrated the over $2M she helped secure for the project, which included funds from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the most significant commitment to public infrastructure the United States has made in decades. “These investments ar

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WOOD RIVER - A Wood River man was charged after law enforcement officials from Calhoun County Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic disturbance on May 28, on Porcupine Lane in Hamburg in Calhoun County. He also has been sentenced after a guilty plea. Law Enforcement Officials from CCSO responded to the complaint and conducted an investigation. Subsequent to an investigation, Jerry A. Thomas, age 36, of Wood River, was arrested for the following offenses: Aggravated Battery (Two Counts) Aggravated Domestic Battery Unlawful Restraint At the time of the offense, Thomas was on Mandatory Supervised Release (Parole) from the Illinois Department of Corrections for unrelated convictions for Aggravated Domestic Battery. Thomas was arrested without incident and transported to the Jersey County Jail. On June 13. 2023, Thomas pled Guilty to Aggravated Domestic Battery and Aggravated Battery. Thomas was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, by the Honorable

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ALTON - The Alton City Council gave their final approval for several items passed earlier this week by the Committee of the Whole, including pay raises for some city employees, further progress on two solar installation projects in the city, as well as other items that were added by trustees. A resolution authorizing a 3% pay raise for non-union city employees was passed 6-1, with Alderwoman Carolyn MacAfee casting the sole “no” vote. These raises will remain in effect for the rest of Fiscal Year 2023. Renovations to the bathrooms at Gordon Moore Park were also approved, including the utilization of “battery operated motion detectors,” at a total cost of $78,391. Berco Construction is set to lead the renovation project. The council also approved a Ground Lease between the city and Alton Landfill Solar LLC. This allows the development of a solar farm at the Old Alton Landfill to move forward, and Alton Landfill Solar LLC is to lead the development project.

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ALTON - The Brown Bag Bistro has gained acclaim across the Riverbend. Now, they’re taking on the rest of the country. America’s Best Restaurants , a media company that highlights independently-owned restaurants across the U.S., is coming to Alton. The Brown Bag Bistro will be featured on their ABR Roadshow series. The Bistro was opened in 2018 by mother-daughter duo Christine and Erin Velloff. As Christine explained, they found success as a “small, quaint little lunch spot.” “It’s just turned out to be incredible,” Christine added. “We really have consistent food.” The Bistro offers sandwiches, salads, soups and desserts, among other beloved menu items. Several of the sandwiches have unique names that nod to Alton history or the Velloff family, including “The Wadlow” and “The Sammy Roo.” The Bistro’s full menu can be found on their website . America’s Best Restaurants will film i

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MITCHELL - One of the most dramatic car fires in recent memory occurred this past weekend on Illinois Route 270 just over the Mitchell border. The Illinois State Police explained today what happened in the fiery incident: "At 6:36 p.m. on June 9, 2023, Troop 8 responded to a vehicle fire on I-270 westbound at the intersection with I-255 southbound in Madison County," ISP said. "Unit 1, a 2021 Chrysler Voyager, struck an unknown piece of debris in the roadway. The driver of Unit 1 pulled onto the shoulder and noticed that Unit 1 was on fire. "The driver and five occupants safely exited the vehicle and Unit 1 became fully engulfed in flames. Mitchell Fire arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames. " The State Police said no further information is available about the incident.

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ALTON - Each day, the new Starbucks in Alton gets closer to being a reality. Much progress has been made at the location, which is fenced off just off Homer Adams Parkway in Alton. The shell of the new structure is in a place where the old Shop 'n Save gas station was once located. Alton Mayor David Goins said he believes the new location will open soon. He hopes to see doors open sometime in July or in the summer. Mayor Goins said he knows the new Starbucks will provide a boost in tax revenues because it is such a popular coffee house and it has been sought for many years. Starbucks is an American chain of coffeehouses and roasters reserves headquartered in Seattle, Wash., and is the nation's largest coffeehouse chain. Starbucks has hot and cold drinks, whole-bean coffee, espresso, coffee latte, full and loose-leaf teas, juices, Frappuccino beverages, pastries and snacks with free Wi-Fi internet service. "We are really excited to see the progress on the Starbucks," the mayor said.

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GODFREY - Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick is stepping down from the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Board of Directors to focus on his mayoral duties. The board, which oversees the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau , will be saying goodbye to McCormick after more than 20 years of service. “My main job is being the mayor of the Village of Godfrey, but I’ve really enjoyed watching the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Board and how they’ve grown through the years,” McCormick said. “I have enjoyed the time I spent on the board, but it’s time for me to move on.” McCormick originally joined the board as a business owner. He owned Imo’s Pizza in North Alton before he accepted the job of mayor 14 years ago. “People needed somebody to represent the restaurant industry in the local area, and asked me to go on the board,” McCormick said. Over the next 20 years, he watched the Great Rivers & Routes group expand into the tourism

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GRAFTON - A large bobcat was viewed near Grafton off Powerline Road recently and definitely was “above average in size,” Scott Isringhausen, a Pere Marquette park ranger, said after a review of a photo. Bobcats are definitely appearing in the area more frequently, Isringhausen said. “Male bobcats are bigger than females, so my guess is it is probably a male in the photo,” he said. “Bobcats are definitely around more than they were a couple of years ago. There aren’t many predators for them and they are becoming more plentiful.” Bobcats don’t normally attack a person, Isringhausen said, but they will attack chickens, ducks and possibly pets. “We occasionally see a bobcat during the day, but they are very shy and secretive and usually you can see them at night,” he said. “They also prey on rabbits, quail and songbirds and they kill to kill. Sometimes they don’t even eat what they killed.”

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ALTON - Rosetta Brown is taking a group of teens to Raging Rivers Waterpark , and she’s asking for your help. “There are quite a few underserved children who have not been able to experience this, so I decided I would make this happen,” Brown, Alderwoman for the 4th Ward, said. For $15, teens ages 12–16 can join Brown on July 8 for a trip to the waterpark. This discounted rate includes bus transportation, entrance to the park and lunch. Brown is asking for donations so that every teen who wants to participate can do so. “I’m very honored and very appreciative of the residents of the 4th Ward,” Brown said. “They are ready to help out however. I do have a core group of volunteers who assist in any way that I ask, and I am very appreciative of them.” The Alderwoman’s office has also partnered with Darlene Croft from Next Step Forward Community Development Corporation and Kennedy Smith from Unity in the Community

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Flag Day is nationally recognized each year on June 14 to commemorate the birthday of the American Flag. In 2023, the star-spangled banner is celebrating its 246th year. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , the flag’s design was approved and early renditions were created in 1777 - however, the first observance of Flag Day didn’t occur until about a century later. The original resolution approving the flag’s design read as follows: “That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation.” Since then, the flag has gone through about 27 different iterations before becoming the 50-star flag we know today, but it retains the original 13 stripes, symbolizing the 13 original English colonies the United States consisted of during the flag’s initial design. While that original 13-star

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Police Department today announced plans for a stepped-up July Fourth traffic enforcement with a focus on impaired and unbuckled drivers. The safety campaign will run from Friday, June 16, through the early-morning hours of Wednesday, July 5, to encompass three summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day. “It’s simple: If you’re driving, don’t drink, use marijuana or other drugs,” said Lt. Brandn Whittaker. “Our officers will be working around the clock to keep impaired drivers off the roads and enforce all other traffic laws. We’re doing it to save lives.” Edwardsville Police will join the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local police and sheriff’s departments for the increased statewide enforcement effort. Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt. It’s not only the law but also your best defense against an impaired driver. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled

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Letter To The Editor: When younger, many of us were required to take one (1) hour of Physical Education each day of the week. If you attended an older middle school or high school as I did, and if your memories of the venerable gym locker resemble mine, the smells aggregated into a pungent odor. Gym temperatures were predictable since heating or cooling locker rooms was not a high priority. Locker room floors were concrete and tile - cool to frigid in the winter; and, the lighting was dim and hot water for showers nonexistent. But the best evidence proving you had entered the locker room was the assortment of miss-matched athletic footwear and worn jerseys which, after a time, emitted a smell so odious one’s natural instinct was to hold your nose and gag. Naturally, had simple standards been established and enforced on a routine basis the old gym locker could have passed the “smell test.” On May 2, the Government Relations Committee of the Madison County Board me

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GLEN CARBON - Jason Whitaker, chief of the Glen Carbon Fire Protection District, gave a “Year In Review” presentation to update village trustees and the public on the progress they’ve made, statistics from the past year, and plans for the future. Whitaker emphasized the effectiveness of Glen Carbon firefighters in responding to calls, providing CPR, and much more. He gave the presentation at the most recent Village Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, June 13. He started with a “call breakdown,” which showed the number and types of calls the Fire Protection District received in the last year - a total of 1,977. Among those calls were 1,417 Medical Assist calls, 152 Fire Alarm calls, 40 Motor Vehicle Accident calls, and several more. “When I started here in Glen Carbon in 2007, we were getting 680 calls - so in just 15 short years, we’ve more than doubled our call volume,” Whitaker said. He also noted that the district’s

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BETHALTO - 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union recently awarded five, $1,000 scholarships to local area high school graduates Alyssa Mann, Aubrie Hancock, Cate Breden, Kathryn Pelot, and Lucas Moore. Alyssa Mann is a graduate of Civic Memorial High School. She plans to attend Southwest Baptist University to pursue a degree in Exercise Science, then obtain a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Aubrie Hancock, a graduate of Alton High School, plans to attend Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville and earn a degree in Music and Vet Tech. Cate Breden is a graduate of Jersey Community High School. She plans to earn a degree in Accounting from Illinois College. Kathryn Pelot, a Roxana High School graduate, plans to attend Lewis and Clark Community College to earn a degree in Art and Interior Design. Lucas Moore is a graduate of East Alton Wood River High School. He plans to attend Illinois State University to study Kinesiology and Recreation, Athletic Training. 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College and its National Great Rivers Research and Education Center are looking for exhibitors to take part in this fall’s 21 st annual Water Festival, a day for students and educators to explore all things water. The event will take place at Lewis and Clark’s Godfrey Campus. This year is expected to draw the biggest turnout yet, with over 700 fifth grade students from Lewis and Clark’s district expected to participate. “Water Festival provides a rich learning opportunity, not only for our area students, but also for teachers to learn,” said Interim Education Director and Swarovski Waterschool Coordinator Jen Mandeville. The students, alongside their teachers, will participate in exciting activities aimed at becoming familiar with an assortment of water related topics such as river ecology, how the water cycle works, river activities like fishing and boating, and watershed protection. Students can look forward

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SPRINGFIELD - Three bills sponsored by Illinois State Representative Amy Elik (111th-Alton) and State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) were signed into law by Governor Pritzker. The Metro East lawmakers’ legislation was included in ninety bills recently signed into law. Rep. Amy Elik and Sen. Erica Harriss’ legislation signed into law by Governor Pritzker includes honoring Constitution Day in the state, addressing the teacher shortage, and improving background checks on contractors providing transportation for foster children. Introduced at the request of the Madison County Regional Office of Education, State Senator Erica Harriss and Representative Amy Elik’s legislation signed into law (HB 1273) will commemorate September 17 each year as Constitution Day and shall also be a commemorative holiday within school calendars. Constitution Day is recognized federally but not by the State of Illinois, this will not require schools to close for the holiday. “Not

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METRO EAST — Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, along with state and local officials at Maplewood School in Cahokia Heights to announce Illinois’ partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The recently signed FY24 budget allocates $1.6 million to the program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children by inspiring a love of reading. The initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income. “Imagination Libraries are already working their magic at a few dozen locations around the state, and the teamwork of my administration and the Dollywood Foundation will make it possible to bring Dolly to every doorstep,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As a longtime early childhood advocate, I’m incredibly excited for what’s to come. These are some of the most crucial years for learning of a person’s

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