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ALTON - Urology of St. Louis (USL) is proud to announce it is opening its newest location at Alton Memorial Hospital and will begin taking patients on March 13. The office is located at 2 Memorial Drive, Medical Building A, Suite 102, in Alton, Illinois. Urologists Majdee Islam, MD, Uwais Zaid, MD and Louis Aliperti, MD along with Josh Gibson MSN, APRN, FNP-C will be practicing at the new location. Dr. Islam is fellowship-trained in men’s health and Dr. Zaid is fellowship-trained in reconstructive surgery. The office will offer general urologic care as well as advanced care options including robotic surgery. “I’m so excited to continue to provide access to urologic care and be a part of the Alton community,” said Dr. Aliperti. “I have witnessed firsthand that many of our patients currently have to drive to St. Louis to receive care and in some cases, they delay necessary treatments because of that inconvenience. Our hope is that this new location will

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PONTOON BEACH - The Agency for Community Transit (ACT) Board of Directors recognized five drivers for achieving consecutive years of perfect safety while driving a public transportation vehicle, at the March 9 Board Meeting. ACT operates bus service for the Madison County Transit District (MCT) fixed route and paratransit services. As defined by the National Safety Council, to retain the ‘perfect safety’ designation, drivers must, in all situations, make every effort possible to avoid an accident. ACT drivers Ken Hill and Mike Saylor were recognized for 10 years of perfect safety—while logging more than 20,000 hours behind the wheel of a transit vehicle. Reatha Duff and Calvin Payne were recognized for 15 years of perfect safety, with more than 30,000 hours of driving. And, for the first time in ACT history, Monte O’Bannon was recognized for 25 years of perfect safety! O’Bannon achieved an agency first with her perfect safety record with more than 50,000

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois customers in and around Collinsville and Glen Carbon will see energy at work throughout the spring and well into the summer as crews replace steel pipeline and natural gas services with modern, corrosion-resistant polyethylene material. Ameren Illinois crews will upgrade nearly 2.5 miles of natural gas pipeline from the 1960s and more than 200 individual customers' natural gas services. All work should be completed by early August, weather pending. Phase 1 – Construction is underway in Glen Carbon. The work is being done along Edwards Drive. Phase 2 – Crews will begin work in July. Work will be done along Carl Street in Collinsville. For projects in process, a brief interruption of natural gas service is required while switching individual services over to their new services just before the work is completed. Ameren Illinois will relight natural gas appliances for any customer who requests it. If a customer is not home at the

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a second agreed interim order in an ongoing lawsuit against Marathon Pipe Line LLC (Marathon) over the March 2022 release of approximately 147,000 gallons of heavy crude oil from a pipeline near Edwardsville, Illinois. Raoul filed the order in Madison County Circuit Court which requires Marathon to fully investigate the impact of the spill and determine whether further corrective action may be needed. “The order my office filed ensures Marathon takes necessary action to eliminate both environmental and human health risks from the areas impacted by the spill,” Raoul said. “My office is committed to ensuring the remediation of the affected water and soil surrounding Cahokia Creek while our lawsuit continues.” Raoul’s lawsuit alleges that Marathon violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and endangered public health and the environment by causing or allowing a discharge of heavy crude oil

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ALTON - Alton High School's talented Scholar Bowl team has been sensational in the post-season competition this March. Team members shown above, left to right, are John Ramsay, Jacob Larson, Tucker Gehrig, Grant Fournie, and Noah Perkins. The Redbirds Scholar Bowl squad came home recently as IHSA regional champions. The Redbirds defeated O'Fallon 410-330 and then lost to Mascoutah 350 to 270 and Carbondale 370-350 in the Saturday Mt. Vernon Sectional. "Carbondale, Mascoutah, and O'Fallon are all tough high schools in scholar bowl," AHS Scholar Bowl head coach Chris Ford said. "They were extremely tough competition. We also played all three a few times throughout the regular season." Ford said he was "extremely proud" of his student team members for their overall performance this season. "They've worked extremely hard this season to get to this point," he said. "We've been practicing since September, and playing matches since October. They amassed a 61-32 regular season record including

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ALTON - The Alton Community Service League today announced winners of the recent Aeries Raffle. A total of $1,570 worth of tickets were sold for the raffle. Bernie Wickenhauser received the first prize - a $300 Aeries gift certificate, Georgia Smith received two nights of free lodging at Aeries for second place and the third-place winner was Mike Moylan who received two Aeries Zipline tickets. All the proceeds from the club fundraisers are distributed directly back into the community through grants. Grant winners will be announced next month. Shown in the photo above is Tammy Atchley, Ways, and Means Chair, presenting Bernie Wickenhauser with the first prize of a $300 Aeries gift certificate. "Thanks to the community for your continued," support, Jean Conrady, of ACSL said.

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ALTON - Several improvements are planned for a few Alton parks later this year, including Milton Park, Gordon Moore Park, Olin Park, and more. Alton Parks and Recreation Department Director Michael Haynes said they’re starting to get bids from contractors, and most of these projects should be completed later this spring and summer. Haynes said one such project is the installation of a new playground at Milton Park after one has been missing for years. “We’ve had Milton Park earmarked for several years now as trying to get something in there. There used to be a playground there years ago, it just got old and we had to take it out due to safety concerns,” he said. “We’re going to get one there at Milton for everybody who lives in that area down there.” Haynes said the Milton Park parking area will have an ADA-accessible walkway up to the new playground, which will feature rubber, pour-in-place surfacing, which he described as the “nicest,

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ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Highway Patrol said Monday morning that a Hermann, Mo. police officer has died after a Sunday night shooting and another was injured after an incident at 9:20 p.m. Sunday at the Casey's on Market Street in Hermann, Mo. The Madison County Sheriff's Office issued this statement this morning about the fatal police shooting: "Today we are thinking of Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith, 34, one of the two officers shot last night in Hermann Missouri. Sergeant Griffith succumbed to his injuries. "Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. The second officer shot is in serious but stable condition. We pray for all involved." The second police officer shot is at a St. Louis hospital, the Missouri Highway Patrol says. Officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was the other officer shot in the incident. A Blue Alert from Hermann was canceled Monday afternoon after a suspect in the shooting Kenneth Lee Simpson, 35, was taken into custody. Police converged on the hous

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SOUTH ROXANA - The Village of South Roxana is proud to announce the construction of a new Senior Citizen Center for the community. The building will be located next to the Village Hall and will provide a space for residents to use for meetings, clubs, activities, and events such as birthday parties. This Senior Citizen Center has been a long time in the making, taking over 8 years of hard work to get to fruition. The community faced constant setbacks and denials when trying to partner with others to assist with funding for the center. However, former State Representatives Rachelle Crowe and Amy Elik were vital in providing bipartisan support to make this vision a reality. Bob Coles, the Village Administrator, stated that this project has been a challenging one to undertake. "The communities who are in the most need for assistance are rarely the ones who receive support," he said. "A Senior Center was one of the big to-do items on my checklist during my administration." This will be

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Illinois Becomes Third State in the Nation to Guarantee Paid Leave CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker today signed SB208 into law, making Illinois the third state in the nation, and the first in the Midwest, to mandate paid time off to be used for any reason. The historic legislation provides employees with up to 40 hours of paid leave during a 12-month period, meaning approximately 1.5 million workers will begin earning paid time off starting in 2024. “Working families face so many challenges, and it’s been my mission to alleviate those burdens in every way I can. Today, we will become the third state in the nation to require paid time off, and the first among the largest states,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “Employers benefit from allowing employees to tend to the urgent personal matters of their lives. Workers’ productivity increases, and they often gain greater passion for their job when they can manage the stresses they face outside work.

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VIENNA – A southern Illinois man who operates a “high-fence” shooting facility in Johnson County has pleaded guilty to poaching white-tailed deer following an investigation by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources conservation police and other agencies. Jerry Stafford, 58, of Vienna, who owns Samson’s Whitetail Mountain, entered a negotiated plea on Jan. 6 to one count of unlawful take in connection with the illegal harvest of 8-point and 12-point wild white-tailed deer. He also pleaded guilty to one count of open dumping for improper disposal of animal carcasses. Both are Class A misdemeanors. Stafford operates a “high-fence” shooting facility, where customers pay money to shoot raised or imported game mammals in a fenced area, which runs counter to the principles of fair-chase hunting. Illinois Conservation Police began investigating after learning he was advertising “low-fence hunts” in conjunction with Illinois’ official

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ST. LOUIS - St. Louis CrimeStoppers has again posted a request for tips on the fatal shooting of Nicholas Kapusniak, a St. Louis College of Pharmacy student. This is a long-unsolved case. He was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting at about 1 a.m. on the morning of March 1, 2014. The shooting occurred in the rear yard of a home in the 2700 block of Accomac in St. Louis County. The victim was standing with a group of acquaintances when he was struck by gunfire from a passing vehicle. Witnesses say an unknown subject started shooting from inside of a white sedan as it traveled eastbound in the south alley of Accomac. The white vehicle continued east out of sight. If you have any information about this Homicide please call the CrimeStoppers Tip Hotline at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477). If your tip, called into CrimeStoppers, leads to the felony arrest of the subject(s) responsible for this homicide, you can receive a reward of up to $5,000. All tips called into CrimeStoppers are completely

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ALTON - The Alton High School Robotics Team has had a great season in 2023. Recently, team members competed in the first Robotics Competition at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. Members of the highly competitive team are: Clara Velloff Will Dickson Andrew Owen Andy Hatch Jordan Hasty Reyna Loftis Hayden Markert Xavier Carter Kyle Yinger Team mentors are: Brian Bergin Tyrone Stevenson

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ALTON - Nicholas Trefny was the winner of Marquette Catholic's Mr. Irresistible competition on Saturday night. Parker Macias was the runner-up to Trefny and Max Cogan was judged the crowd favorite. The Mr. Irresistible evening attracted a large, interactive audience, normal for each year. Above is a video from the presentation and some photos are below.

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is accepting applications now until April 17, 2023 for Fiscal Year 2024 grants to local law enforcement agencies interested in a collaborative effort to reduce and prevent illegal possession and use of firearms, firearm related homicides, and other violent crimes. Law enforcement agencies that are members of the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force are eligible to receive grants from the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund . Funding would help agencies conduct enforcement operations for individuals whose Firearm Owner's Identification Cards (FOID) have been revoked or suspended but have failed to comply with the Firearms Owners Identification Card Act. The enforcement details focus on individuals who have become the subject of a Firearm Restraining Order or Clear and Present Danger, or received a criminal conviction, among other reasons. Funding would also help agencies enforce the Firearm Concealed Carry Act and Firearm

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ALTON - Due to overwhelming demand for the first session, OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center (1 St. Anthony’s Way, Alton) Psychological Services Department will be hosting a second Healthy Workplace Lunch & Learn program offering free NARCAN training. This new “lunch & learn” program will be held on Friday, March 31, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the hospital’s Perpetual Help Center and led by Karen Tilashalski, community health specialist, Chestnut Health Systems. The training program is free and lunch will be provided, but registration is required. Registration can be completed by visiting http://HealthyWorkplaceNarcanTraining.eventbrite.com . NARCAN® Nasal Spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency. Attendees will also learn about the opioid epidemic in southwestern Illinois including: Local overdose data What happens when a person overdoses How to recognize an overdose How t

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Fair is excited to announce Old Dominion will headline the Illinois Lottery stage on Friday, August 11th. The 5X CMA and 5X ACM Award winning band is coming off a record-breaking fifth consecutive win for “Vocal Group of the Year” at the 2022 CMA Awards, where they were also nominated for “Album of the Year.” Since breaking onto the music scene in 2014, the band has notched eight number one singles including: Break Up with Him, Hotel Key and One Man Band . In 2021, Old Dominion received two GRAMMY nominations for their song “Some People Do,” including “Best Country Song” and “Best Country Duo/Group Performance.” The band wrapped up 2021 by releasing their fourth studio album, Time, Tequila & Therapy , featuring the smash summertime single I Was On a Boat That Day . The song was named one of the “100 Best Songs of 2021” by Billboard and was certified Platinum.

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ST. LOUIS - James Turman died after he sustained multiple puncture wounds to both legs and his abdomen in an incident where St. Louis County Police officers were called to the scene at 2 p.m. on March 30, 2014. The case remains unsolved and St. Louis Crime Stoppers is seeking information. When officers arrived, Turman was lying in the reclined front passenger's seat of a 1980s Chevy Iroc Camaro parked at 8933 Riverview Boulevard in St. Louis. The victim was unconscious and sustained multiple puncture wounds to both legs and his abdomen. An initial scene investigation indicated that the victim parked at this location when he was approached by the suspect. An argument ensued and the suspect shot the victim with a "dark-colored" handgun. The suspect then fled southwest from the location on foot. If you have any information about this homicide, please call the CrimeStoppers Tip Hotline at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477) If your tip, called into CrimeStoppers, leads to the felony arrest of the subject(s)

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SPRINGFIELD – The 2023 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 1, at 58 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state. An early opportunity at selected trout sites – the spring catch-and-release fishing season – will open March 18. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release fishing period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning April 1. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season. An additional 80,000 trout will be stocked for the fall trout fishing season, which begins in October. The Illinois Catchable Trout Program receives funding support from those who use the program through the sale of Inland Trout Stamps. For the 2023 spring trout season, no trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from March 13 until the season opens at 5 a.m. April 1. Anyone attempting

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SPRINGFIELD - Today Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) announced the release of emergency medical supplies to support long-term disaster relief efforts in Turkey and provide humanitarian medical aid following the February 6 earthquake in the Mediterranean. “The recent earthquakes in the large Kahramanmaras region have had a devastating impact on countless families and communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “Here in Illinois, we lend a helping hand whenever we can, and we are proud to have medical supplies that can directly serve those in affected areas with immediate life-saving results.” Working through the non-governmental organization MedGlobal who specializes in international humanitarian crisis and is located in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, the State of Illinois can now directly support survivors in marginalized communities throughout the disaster-affected areas. The transfer of medical supplies will include

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