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ALTON - A spirited Bans Off Our Bodies Rally was held in Downtown Alton on Saturday. The event was organized by Virginia Woulfe-Beile and Missy Ruth Johnson and was held at the intersection of Landmarks Boulevard and Piasa Street in Alton. Planned Parenthood also assisted in the organization of the event. The rally was described as a pushback against the recent SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which the organizers say put women’s lives at risk and restricted women’s access to healthcare. A large group attended the Saturday rally. In a historic and far-reaching decision, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade in June, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion, upheld for nearly half a century, no longer exists. Beile delivered opening remarks and said she and others in the group do not want to go back to the way things were before Roe vs. Wade. Several U.S. states immediately banned abortion after the Supreme Court Ruling. The high

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EDWARDSVILLE - Metro Community Church in Edwardsville has released information about incidents shared with local police departments of several reported instances of persons associated with the church receiving texts from someone impersonating Lead Pastor Seth Conerly. "The texts ask that a gift card be purchased and sent to Seth for the purposes of giving to people in need — to be reimbursed at a later date — and then pictures of the gift card information be shared," the church said in a release. "The texts end with the signature “Seth Conerly.” Local police departments are investigating the scam. Metro Community Church Director of Operations John Helmcamp said the church has turned it over to the police and noted that this type of situation has occurred with another church in Granite City over the last week. “We are aware this has happened with two different churches, and there could be more,” he said. “We wanted to make sure people were

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BELLEVILLE — Illinois American Water is accepting applications for its 2022 Firefighter Grant Program. Through this program, the company provides financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations in its service areas. Eligible fire departments can apply online by visiting www.illinoisamwater.com - News & Community - Firefighter Grant Program. According to Justin Ladner, president of Illinois American Water, the Firefighter Grant Program provides another opportunity to support public safety. He said, “Our team of professionals treat the water and test every fire hydrant annually to support local fire protection. The Firefighter Grant program is one more way we can strengthen our partnerships with local heroes and support the communities we serve.” Since 2010, Illinois American Water has awarded over $760,000 for over 770 grants to Illinois fire departments. Fire departments-districts are eligible for one grant per year. Uniformed professional and volunteer

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CHICAGO — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a lawsuit against The Kroger Co. (Kroger) and SSI Services LLC in relation to the alleged improper handling and removal of materials containing asbestos from a grocery store in Taylorville, Illinois. The lawsuit alleges that Kroger and SSI Services conducted unsafe renovations by leaving chipped floor tiles that contained asbestos in areas accessible to the public while the store was open, creating a substantial danger to public health. There is no known safe exposure level to asbestos. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. “Kroger and SSI Services have jeopardized the public’s health by exposing shoppers and employees to dangerous materials containing asbestos,” Raoul said. “The asbestos must be remediated before members of the public are allowed back into this store. I am committed to ensuring that Kroger an

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BETHALTO - SIHF Healthcare is pleased to welcome Dr. Dorothy Charles to the Bethalto, health center. Dr. Charles will be seeing patients for primary care, women’s health, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Dr. Charles received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Illinois. She is board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians. “I am pleased to be able to partner with you in your journey to health, at all stages of life,” Dr. Charles noted. She can see patients of all ages and is particularly interested in maternal-child health. Appointments may be scheduled by calling (618) 258-8460. SIHF Healthcare is a community health center that accepts most insurance, including Aetna Better Health, BCBS IL Community Plan, Meridian Health Plan, Molina Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, most Medicare Advantage plans, and commercial insurance plans. SIHF Healthcare can also see patients

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JERSEYVILLE - A rby’s largest franchisee, Flynn Restaurant Group, has launched an $11.5-million dollar brand revitalization of 32 Arby’s locations across the St. Louis area, including the Jerseyville location at 1302 State Street. Arby's renovations will continue to be completed throughout the remainder of 2022, leaving each restaurant with a fresh, new, and improved look and feel. The $11.5 million dollar brand revitalization will reinforce Flynn Restaurant Group’s commitment to western Illinois and eastern Missouri areas – injecting over 500 jobs into these respective local economies. The remaining Arby’s locations in Illinois (Jerseyville, Shiloh, and Fairview Heights) and Missouri (St. Louis, Dellwood, Union, St. Peters, and O’Fallon) will undergo enhancements without disrupting the amazing service and incredible food quality guests have come to love, Arby's said. Construction of each remodel is expected to be completed in just a few weeks,

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GURNEE, Ill. (AP) — Three people were injured in a shooting outside a Chicago-area amusement park's entrance that sent visitors scrambling for safety and prompted the park to close early, authorities said. Officers responded about 7:50 p.m. Sunday after 911 calls reporting shots fired at Six Flags Great America, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Chicago, the Gurnee Police Department said. “The shooting ... was not a random act, and appeared to be a targeted incident that occurred outside the park,” police said in a statement posted to Facebook. According to an initial investigation, police said a white sedan entered the parking lot and drove toward the park's front entrance. People got out of the car and shot at another person in the parking lot before driving away, police said. Additional details about the suspects, including the number of people who fired shots, wasn't immediately released. Police were investigating. A 17-year-old boy from Aurora, Illinois,

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PONTOON BEACH - Two Madison County Trail vandals have been apprehended thanks to a video provided by a Glen Carbon resident. Madison County Transit officials, the Edwardsville Police, and Madison County State's Attorney Thomas Haine saluted a Glen Carbon resident - Loren Strahm - this past week for the efforts to capture two who have been vandalizing the trails. In a brief presentation, Madison County Transit (MCT) Managing Director SJ Morrison presented Strahm with a reward check for $1,000 for providing information that enabled the Edwardsville Police Department to identify the two individuals. Also on hand for the presentation, which took place on the MCT Nickel Plate Trail, were Edwardsville Police Lieutenant Charlie Kohlberg and Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine. In recent months, vandalism and graffiti on the MCT Trails have increased significantly. In June, MCT issued a public reminder about its commitment to investigate incidents of vandalism along the trails.

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ALTON - Below is an Illinois American Water update on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, about road closures in Alton because of sanitary sewer line work. Karen Cotton, a spokesperson for Illinois American Water, said as was expected there have been some challenges the contractor has run into once they started excavating on 3rd Street, one of the busiest areas in Alton. Work includes over six miles of sanitary sewer main is being installed in the Turner Tract, Shields Valley, and Piasa Valley areas of Alton. This project includes almost five miles of sanitary sewer main. "There are numerous old, abandoned utility lines, and even an old brick cistern was uncovered last week," Cotton said. "For the safety of our team and residents, we are working very diligently as we encounter these. To support safety, progress has been slowed some, resulting in a bit of a delay in the anticipated month time frame that was expected for the sanitary sewer installation work on 3rd Street and Belle Streets in the

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CARLINVILLE - Everyone in the community is invited to sign up for the Carlinville Public Library newsletter, which is another way to keep in touch with activities at the library. The monthly newsletter will be distributed by email, and provide a wide variety of information about the library. “It’s a new way for us to keep people connected,” said Director Hannah Miller, the creator of the newsletter. “It will cover anything that’s going on at the library.” All library events, including speakers, demonstrations, and youth programs, will be covered in the newsletter, as well as any new displays and artwork. New books for the month, with highlights on selected titles, will be featured, as well as new apps like the SHARE Mobile Library and the CloudLibrary. Books and programs for children, teenagers, and adults will all be covered in the newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, use the form at the bottom of the library’s website, or email

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WASHINGTON PARK – Illinois State Police (ISP) was requested by Washington Park Police Department to assist with a death investigation. On August 12, 2022, a 43-year-old female was located deceased in the 1500 block of Westmoreland Avenue, in Washington Park. When ISP arrived on scene, Washington Park Police Department had a person of interest in custody. The investigation is being led by the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) with assistance from the Washington Park Police department. The investigation is still open and ongoing. No further information will be disseminated at this time. Anyone with information referencing this homicide is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 314-725-8477 (TIPS).

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The St. Louis County Police Department's Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in the city of Flordell Hills which resulted in the death of an adult male. On August 14, 2022, at 4:37 PM, police in Velda City requested the assistance of the St. Louis County Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Bureau to investigate a homicide at the intersection of Glenboro Dr. and Gaylord Dr. in the city of Flordell Hills. The investigation revealed two males were engaged in an altercation when one male shot the other. The victim who was struck by gunfire died at the scene. The suspect was taken into custody a short distance away. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information regarding this incident. To remain anonymous or potentially

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WASHINGTON PARK – Illinois State Police (ISP) announced that it was requested by Washington Park Police Department to assist with a death investigation on August 12, 2022, when a 43-year-old female was located deceased in the 1500 block of Westmoreland Avenue, in Washington Park. When ISP arrived on scene, Washington Park Police Department had a person of interest in custody. The investigation is being led by the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) with assistance from the Washington Park Police department. The investigation is still open and ongoing. No further information will be disseminated at this time. Anyone with information in reference to this homicide is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 314-725-8477 (TIPS).

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SDM) fall semester is underway, and to set the tone for a productive and collegial year, students gathered for a welcome event on Tuesday, Aug. 9. The SIUE Division of Student Affairs coordinated the event which included a taco lunch, wellness bags with health essentials, and Dairy Queen blizzards handed out by SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD and Alton Mayor David Goins. Students also enjoyed participating in various games and creative activities. “I’m excited to start year three at the SIU School of Dental Medicine,” said Julissa Quinonez, of Rochelle. “I’m really jumping into clinics. I’m seeing a lot more patients now than I did in the summers and am eager to try new procedures.” “This is basically home,” said first-year dental student Alyssa January, of St. Louis. “Everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful on campus. The whole transformation

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Illinois Department of Transportation announces upcoming daily lane closures on Illinois 143 near Old Alton Road. The changes started on August 1 and are projected to continue through August 27. Geeding Construction and Marathon Oil are doing the work. Residents should expect delays and are encouraged whenever possible to take alternate routes away from the area.

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MADISON COUNTY - The Third Judicial Pro Bono Committee met in person earlier this year for the first time since 2020. Committee members were excited to share with the group their successes over the last quarter and plan future projects and events. Judge Maureen Schuette chairs the committee made up of judges, court staff, legal aid providers, and lawyers from a variety of different practice areas who meet quarterly. With the help of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) and the Madison County Bar Association, the Committee hosted a seminar on May 18 geared toward family law practitioners. The well-attended event provided legal education for attorneys who serve in a volunteer capacity in our Legal Advice Clinic in the Madison County Law Library or other legal aid organizations. “We truly appreciate each and every attorney and staff member who graciously donates their time and talent to our Legal Advice Clinic, to our Continuing Legal Education Seminars, and to our Pro Bono

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ALTON - Riverbender.com continues to expand its horizons with the newest addition of a two-hour daily talk show hosted by Alton High School graduate CJ Nasello. The show will broadcast live every morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. from The RiverBender Radio Studio in Downtown Alton. The show will be a live video podcast with local guests covering news, sports, business, entertainment, and everything else local. After the show airs live, it will also be available for on-demand streaming on Riverbender.com If you don't have the Riverbender App downloaded yet, here are direct links for the Google Play Store or the Apple Store . In addition to watching the show on Riverbender.com you will also be able to listen to it on all the popular podcast apps like Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and more. "I'm excited to see this new content added to our platform. There is really nothing like this currently happening here in the Riverbend. We've needed this for a long time." John Hentrich said,

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SPRINGFIELD – With new guidance from the CDC that addresses the need to keep students in classrooms while protecting residents from COVID-19, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is adopting new operational guidance for schools and early education from the CDC that eases some restrictions while maintaining a core set of infectious disease prevention strategies as part of their normal operations. The new guidelines drop the requirement for quarantines and ease physical distancing rules. Schools are still encouraged to follow the CDC’s new operational guidance on best practices for all infectious diseases and keep students home if they are ill, and use testing to confirm or rule out COVID-19 and other infections. Schools must also continue to provide remote learning to any student who is under isolation for COVID-19 based on the State Superintendent’s Remote Learning Declaration. “Current conditions of th

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ALTON - JK-BEC presents another Movie Night At The Park scheduled for Saturday evening at James Killion Park at Salu in Alton. The featured film is "The Good Dinosaur." The movie sponsor is Barry and Gaye Julian. There will be free hotdogs, popcorn, and snow cones for the children. The movie begins at dusk. The following week, the featured movie is "The Bad Guys." The sponsor next week on Aug. 20 is Carrollton Bank. Shelia Goins, Alton's First Lady, said last week's Movie Night was "a great success." "We had about 50 kids and their parents come out last week and it was a great success," she said. "We hope for more this week. We will have free snowcones, popcorn, and hot dogs for all who attend. We appreciate all our community sponsors who have stepped up to make this a great community success. "The James Killion Beautification and Enhancement Committee are excited to host Movie In the Night every Saturday starting at dusk. This week's Movie Night sponsors - Barry and Gaye Julian

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HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office made another methamphetamine arrest after a traffic stop at 2:34 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11. The sheriff's office is making every effort it can to eliminate the illegal drug problems in the county with the serious effort. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Park Street on Thursday near Barry Street in Hardin. Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, Rabecca L. Townsend, age 56, of Collinsville, Illinois was arrested on the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle, Speeding. Townsend is currently lodged at Jersey County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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