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COTTAGE HILLS - Foodstock 2022 is a food drive and fundraising event to help raise food and money for the Community Hope Center and Oasis Women’s Center. The event will be held from noon to midnight Saturday, September 17, at the Cottage Hills VFW, located at 121 S Williams St. This year’s event will feature live musical performances the entire day; Lazy Lester will perform from noon - 3 p.m., followed by Roaming Home from 4-7 p.m., and finally Spillie Nelson from 8-11 p.m. Foodstock Founder Emmy Lou Friemann said there will be a magic show from John Johnson starting at 6 p.m. There will also be several other kids’ activities, including a foam pit, karate demonstration, and ballon-twisting. There is a $5 entry fee except for those 3 years old and under, who get in for free. Friemann said Foodstock started small, but has grown immensely over the years. “We’ve been doing it almost 10 years,” Friemann said of the event. “It started

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ALTON - The Alton Expo returns to Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater next week for four days of family fun with carnival rides, mud volleyball, multiple food vendors, and a full slate of musical entertainment, including returning favorites The Dirty Muggs and Platinum Rock Legends. The Expo will kick off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 8, and run through Sunday, September 11, with the following schedule of events: Thursday, September 8th, 5-10 p.m. Carnival rides by Luehr’s Ideal Rides 5-10 p.m. Live music by Super Jam 7-10 p.m. Friday, September 9th, 5-11 p.m. Carnival rides by Luehr’s Ideal Rides 5-10 p.m. Live music by Retro Boogie 5-7 p.m. Live music by The Dirty Muggs 7-11 p.m. Saturday, September 10th, 1-11 p.m. Carnival rides by Luehr’s Ideal Rides 1-10 p.m. Alton Sports Tap Mud Volleyball 11 a.m. Alton Catfish Classic Weigh-in 1-5 p.m. Live music by Platinum Rock Legends 7-11 p.m. Sunday, September 11th, 1-5 p.m. Carnival rides

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Treasurer, Chris Slusser, is reminding taxpayers that the second installment of their real-estate tax bill is coming due. “With the holiday weekend approaching, I want to remind everyone that the second of four tax installments will be due Wed, Sept 7,” Slusser said. “The Treasurer’s office is open for business Mon-Fri from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., but will be closed in observance of Labor Day on Mon Sept 5. Slusser reminds taxpayers of all payment options: at one of the participating collector banks or credit unions throughout the county, by mail, through your financial institution’s online bill pay service, the Treasurer’s website at https://www.co.madison.il.us/treasurer/ by phone at 1-844-919-4300, or in person at the Treasurer’s Office in Edwardsville. If paid by mail, letters must be postmarked on or before Sept 7. “No penalty will be applied for payments mailed and postmarked by the due date,”

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Inclusive Excellence, Education and Development Hub (The Hub) and the Kimmel Student Involvement Center hosted a series of special receptions throughout the week, welcoming and celebrating the various identity groups of incoming students. Students that identify as Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, or Black were invited to the student welcome receptions. And while the receptions were tailored for the specific identity groups, all students were welcome to attend. “The welcome events give students the opportunity to meet and engage with one another in a purposefully inclusive environment,” said Lindy Wagner, assistant vice chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, Education and Development. “The goal for these events is for students from various identity groups to feel seen and know that the university and surrounding communities have resources for them.” Each welcome event include

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ALTON - Sensational Alton singer IV4 captured first place in the Opening Act Contest quarterfinals and now heads to the semifinals that start voting today, September 2, and run to September 8. The winner in the semifinals advances to the finals where votes begin Sept. 9. IV4 was beyond excited to capture first place in the Opening Act quarterfinals. She was doing a sound check in the last hour when she was notified of the win. IV4 and her mother, Katrina Sorenson, said people were voting like crazy on the last day. "In the last hour alone, the lead changed position 20 times," they said. "I am very excited to win and compete in the semifinals." The Alton High School grad has signed a contract with Warner Music and her first project "Get rich and cry trying," has been released. She moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career dreams as a professional singer. Katrina, her mom, said they were so thankful for the votes they received around the Alton area and IV4's personal fan base.

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ALTON - Rob Lenhardt and Mac’s Downtown are busy this weekend. Mac’s had a visit from KSHE’s Party Bus at 5 a.m. on Friday to kick the weekend off. Lenhardt said he tried out some ideas for serving breakfast with the early morning customers. Those in attendance were greeted with some tasty bacon, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and American fries. Lenhardt said the breakfast items seemed to be a hit, and he believes in about a month they will start serving breakfast in the 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. range on Fridays and Saturdays, then possibly expand. Right now, Mac’s has brunch on Sundays. Rob pointed out that breakfast is not common in the immediate Downtown Alton area, and he would like to offer it to the public. “I have been thinking about it for about it for six months,” he said. “It went well today. We could have nine or 10 really good breakfast ideas on a small menu, nothing crazy. We could do it on a trial on Fridays and Saturdays, and

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GODFREY - There has been considerable excitement in the air about the new splash pad and pickleball courts at the Village of Godfrey Glazebrook Park, and on Saturday, Godfrey will host a soft opening for Labor Day weekend. The splash pad will be operating between 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Moving forward, it will be open on weekends, weather permitting. The pickleball courts will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with a 1½-hour time limit if others are waiting. “We encourage all players and visitors to be courteous and considerate,” Village of Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick said. He also added that he was very pleased the courts would be open on Saturday for Labor Day weekend. Village of Godfrey Park and Recreation Director Chris Logan said the village has worked very hard on the project. He commended the efforts of Village Engineer Rich Beran who had a big influence on the final product. “The Splash Pad has been

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District No. 9 is partnering with Chestnut Health Systems to host a Back to School Physical Clinic on Thursday, September 8 from 4-7 p.m. in the Granite City High School Parking lot. Students from preschool all the way through 12th grade are eligible. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment contact Jen Evans at 618-512-1863. Patients will need proof of health insurance and no out-of-pocket fees will be charged for those who are eligible. If you do not have insurance or have questions about vaccines please call 618-512-1863. No vaccinations will be given, just back to school and sports physicals. This event will be held to help protect students and others by meeting school and sports physical requirements. All incoming kindergarteners, 6th graders, and high school freshmen are required to have a school physical and updated shot records. For more information about Granite City School

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ALTON - Alton city staff had a team-building exercise that involved the cleanup of Rock Spring Park Drive on Friday morning. Alton Mayor David Goins led the cleanup. The mayor's goal was to make the walkway area cleaner for Alton Middle School students and other residents who use the area. The mayor said eventually, that area will be redone, he said, but it is in the second half of a project for the park that includes new guardrails and sidewalks there between College and Brown. "We wanted to make sure this was in good shape primarily for the students who go back and forth to Alton Middle School on the walkway," he said. "We will clean up the debris on the sidewalk area and cut the weeds back." The goal is in the end to have new sidewalks that will really add a lot to that area, Mayor Goins said. "We had department heads, Public Works, and our PAC Cleanup group out there this morning," he said.

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GLEN CARBON - The Glen Carbon Police now has a St. Louis suspect charged in a highly difficult armed robbery case. The charges come after an extensive investigation by Detective Ross Tyler and several other law enforcement officers. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois has charged Jaylin E. Lewis, a 20-year-old male, of the 1600 block of Rudelle Drive in St. Louis, MO., with three counts of actual or attempted robbery with the use of a firearm under the Hobbs Act (18 U.S.C., 1951). Glen Carbon Police recalled the incident that started the case as follows: "At about 6:53 a.m. on Friday, September 3, 2021, Glen Carbon Police responded to an armed robbery reported by 911 phone call and activated panic alarm at the Glen Mart BP Gas Station, # 4 The Game Drive. Arriving on the scene within minutes, Glen Carbon police officers and detectives found the lone armed robber had successfully fled the scene toward Highway 270 in a black Chevrolet passenger car. "During the ensuin

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EDWARDSVILLE - With the November 8 General Election approaching and early voting just a month away, Madison County Clerk’s Office says it has been inundated with FOIA requests for voting records. Madison County Clerk, Debbie Ming-Mendoza, is issuing this statement to the public with information regarding access to voting records. Mendoza stated: “It is my utmost responsibility as the Chief Election Officer of Madison County to maintain the highest integrity of voting records. All election results are available to the general public on the County Clerk’s website following the canvass of the ballots cast. Results from primary elections do show how primary voters tend to vote by party identification.” The voting system Madison County uses is an optical scan system. It has proven to be very accurate in counting the proper number of votes for individual candidates, as well as, referendum ballot questions. The system does not track who votes for who or what issue.

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BETHALTO - A Bethalto man was charged today in Madison County Circuit Court with three counts of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm and one count of Aggravated Battery With a Firearm. The man is Thomas A. Bowers, 67, of the 700 block of South Moreland in the Kickapoo Village Trailer Park in Bethalto. Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon said charges stem from the police response and investigation into two separate 911 calls received at 12 p.m. on August 31, 2022, reporting a man shooting a gun inside Kickapoo Village Trailer Park, 750 South Moreland Road, Bethalto. "The first caller reported her neighbor had just shot a gun into her home, which was also occupied by her 10-old-daughter and fiancé," the chief said. "The second 911 caller was a family member of the manager of Kickapoo Village who reported the manager had been shot while mowing grass in the park. "Officers from the Bethalto Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the East Alton, Woo

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ALTON - Monica and Mike Schwegel were both “excited” after they learned of Alton City Council approval for video gaming in their store. The Conservatory in Alton was also given the council approval to establish video gaming in its business. Monica said their store has had some business slow down with the road/sewer work in the area. She added that some media attention resulted in positive results for a period, but it has somewhat slowed down. The Schwegel's co-owner hopes the new video gaming will draw in more customers. She also encouraged customers not to forget them because overall the year has not been one of their best from a financial standpoint. Shown are a few photos of the work underway at Schwegel’s to establish video gaming. The next step will be to get state approval. She said once the work for the new area is finished, the state approval should come. “We don’t know how long the whole process will take, but we hope to have it running by th

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HARDIN - The Calhoun Sheriff's Office announced that on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, Jason W. Harkey, age 48, of Kampsville, pled guilty to charges of DUI - Drugs, Obstructing Justice/ Attempting to Destroy Evidence, and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. These charges stemmed from a traffic stop, initiated by Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office deputies. This traffic stop took place on Illinois Route 100, just north of the Joe Page Bridge in Hardin, Calhoun County, on September 17, 2021. The Calhoun Sheriff's Office said while conducting their investigation, deputies located and seized methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Harkey attempted to destroy evidence at the scene, and deputies had additional probable cause to believe Harkey was Driving Under the Influence of Drugs. Furthermore, subsequent to his arrest, Harkey also brought contraband into the jail at the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. The initial traffic stop and subsequent investigation and arrest resulted

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ALTON - Two cars collided on Sixth and Piasa in Alton around 10 a.m. Thursday and a nearby power pole and lines were damaged. Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom House said there were no injuries in this accident and that no one was taken to the hospital from the scene. Ameren Illinois was called to the scene broke off at ground one pushed into the pole and confirmed the pole was broken off. Thankfully, there was no power loss in that area. Ameren will likely be working on the pole and wires repair throughout Thursday afternoon and motorists are recommended to avoid the area.

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ST. LOUIS, MO. - Holland Construction Services recently broke ground on a $6 million expansion and renovation project at Dorris Intermediate School in Collinsville, Illinois. Construction work on the existing school, which was built in 1962 and has a current enrollment of roughly 1,000 students, is set to begin the first week of September and has a completion date in the fall of 2023. “This expansion will give our students the additional space they need to learn and grow in the classroom along with additional space for some of our students with higher needs,” said Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 Superintendent Dr. Brad Skertich. “The district felt Holland would be the best fit for this project because of their previous work and reputation. We have been incredibly impressed with their open communication, keeping us aware of every step in the process and we’re very excited to get started.” The 14,000 square foot expansion consists of a two-story

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ALTON - Karen Baker-Brncic, Fran Purdy, and their crew of Parrot Pointe Marine Inc., were celebrated Saturday night for their work at Alton Marina at the annual anniversary party. They were surrounded by the love of family, friends, and residents. She will remain in the GM spot until April 2023. This was Karen's last official Alton Marina party to host. Baker-Brncic loves throwing parties and she is hoping the final Alton Marina Anniversary Party is one people won’t forget. She said probably 1,500 people attended the event. Almost everyone who had ever been in her life was at the party. “Every year, we have this as our anniversary party and I decided to make it a big last event,” Baker-Brncic said. "The No. 1 thing I have heard over the past 48 hours was how people kept seeing old friends they hadn’t seen in a long time. "I saw one girl I hadn’t seen in 40 years - Dorita Tuetken. Some of my flight attendant roommates were there and a great crowd from

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ALTON - The Lucy Haskell Playhouse will remember Sept. 11 by doing a community project for "Patriot Day." This will also be the second annual "Lucy Lends A Hand" event. From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 10, the playhouse will host an open house. "This will be our final open house," Margaret Hopkins of the Lucy Haskell Playhouse, said. "We will be collecting personal care items that will be donated and distributed by St. Mary's Charitable Outreach. We will be accepting any personal care items: toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, soap, wipes, etc." Hopkins said playhouse operators look forward to receiving donations. "We also want to share the history of the playhouse with some light refreshments," she added. "Last year this event was successful and we look forward to the continued generosity of the Riverbend area. See you on Saturday, September 10."

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ALTON - The Smoke'n Aces Poker League was created a few years ago to bring people together to do something they love to do. It started small but quickly grew. They are now playing poker in 89 different bars and restaurants throughout Illinois with a few in Wisconsin as well. Ted Cook, a district director came on to Riverbender.com's new podcast Our Daily Show to talk about the league with host CJ Nasello. To find out more about Our Daily Show or to listen to past shows click here . Cook explained how playing works and talked about how players can earn real cash prizes every month. "You play for points. It's all free. At the end of the month, the top three players who have earned the most points will earn a spot in the main event to actually win real money." First place for those main events will pay out $1,500 every month to the top player. Smoke'n Aces has given out over $400,000 in prize money since it's been up and running. Last year was a "huge success" according to Cook.

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ALTON - Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project, Alton Main Street, and the Army Corps of Engineers are calling for volunteers to support the 16th annual Mississippi Earthtones Festival Great Mississippi River Clean-up. The river clean-up will be held on September 24 in conjunction with the Mississippi Earthtones Festival, which celebrates our river through art, music, and conservation. During the clean-up, which takes place the weekend after the festival, volunteers will work together to remove trash and debris from the beautiful Mississippi River and its shorelines. Interested community members can register to volunteer at the clean-up via bit.ly/MEFriver22 . “To date, the Mississippi Earthtones Festival Great River Clean-up has netted over 45 tons of trash and has recycled 10 tons of materials,” said Christine Favilla, Co-Coordinator of the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois. “The river clean-up is hosted in honor of National Public Lands Day

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