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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College has received a financial gift to bolster a wide range of arts education programs, celebrate creative expression and establish a lasting legacy within the institution. The gift, made by the family of Blackburn Trustee James D. (J. D.) Sandfort honors his mother and lifelong Carlinville resident Sharon K. Sandfort. During a special ribbon-cutting ceremony this month, Blackburn unveiled the new name for the campus' visual art gallery, The Sharon K. Sandfort Gallery of Art. The private ceremony was attended by Sharon Sandfort, unaware that she was being honored during the evening. She was surprised to see her name prominently displayed on the gallery entrance as she entered the venue. The celebration included a dinner with family, friends, and Blackburn leaders and featured a birthday cake to celebrate her upcoming 80th birthday. President Greg Meyer welcomed guests and expressed Blackburn's appreciation for Sandfort's generosity. "It gives Blackburn the

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Police and Fire Departments honored two citizens and one of the City’s police officers for their heroic actions during life-threatening incidents this spring. The three were honored at the Tuesday, June 20, City Council meeting. Officer Christopher Noga is receiving the Life Saving Award for his efforts to assist a pedestrian who had been gravely injured on March 15, 2023, when he was struck by a truck on the SIU Northern Access Road. An area man, Earl Smith Jr., will receive a Citizen Commendation for his assistance during the same incident. Smith was a passerby when the pedestrian was injured, and was on the scene and had applied a makeshift tourniquet when Officer Noga arrived. The officer, who joined the Edwardsville Police Department in early 2022, then applied a department-issued tourniquet while Smith continued to comfort the pedestrian, who survived despite losing a leg in the incident. Fire Chief James Whiteford credited the “excellent

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EDWARDSVILLE - Two members of the Edwardsville Fire Department with a combined 36 years of experience serving the City have been honored as the 2022 Firefighter of the Year and Paramedic of the Year. The two were recognized at the Tuesday, June 20, City Council meeting. Fire Lt. and Paramedic Brett Milton was honored as the 2022 Firefighter of the Year. Milton joined Edwardsville’s Fire Department in 2001. He has a wide range of skills and training that are put to use in a variety of important settings, Chief James Whiteford said. Milton is a trained school inspector entrusted to identify fire code violations and ensure safety for all school occupants. He manages the fire hose maintenance, replacement and testing program to ensure the equipment is safe and ready for deployment. As a member of the Madison County Technical Rescue Team, Milton responds to unusual events such as confined space, structural collapse and trench rescue operations. He also serves as a liaison to

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $7,904,683in Department of Justice (DOJ) awards to assist state record repositories and state courts in sharing eligible National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) records to improve the firearm background check system in Illinois. The funding, awarded through DOJ’s National Criminal History Improvement Program and made possible by the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act , will go to the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. “When Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act , I strongly supported its provisions to boost gun violence prevention resources to strengthen the background check system for firearm sales. Now, we are seeing the resources provided by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act pu

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School and College of Arts and Sciences have announced a new forensic sciences master’s program. The curriculum is designed to meet the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) standards. “The Master of Forensic Sciences is a unique program built in collaboration with the Illinois State Police and designed to train scientists to pursue careers in a variety of professions related to forensics,” said Elza Ibroscheva, associate provost and professor in mass communications. “As the only program of its kind in the Southern Illinois region, we are excited to offer an opportunity for training future leaders in the field while also meeting the need of our community for expertise, leadership, educational outreach and research collaborations in this interdisciplinary space.” Students will be educated and trained in nine primary areas of forensic sciences with

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led six of his colleagues in sending a public comment letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, urging him to reinstate the Gainful Employment Rule. The proposed Gainful Employment Rule uses a debt-to-earnings (DTE) ratio and an earnings premium (EP) test to determine whether career education programs, including all programs at for-profit colleges, are providing value and preparing their students for “gainful employment.” Programs that consistently saddle students with too much debt or do not produce wages for their students that are higher than a high school graduate would lose eligibility to receive Title IV federal financial aid. The Obama Administration put the Gainful Employment rule into effect in 2014, but under the Trump Administration, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos rescinded the Gainful Employment Rule in 2019. Without the Gainful Employment rule in place, for-profit

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ALTON - Alton Main Street and Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau along with presenting sponsor Simmons Hanly Conroy are pleased to announce two summer concerts at the new Alton Godfrey Rotary Park, located across the street from Alton City Hall at 101 E. 3rd Street in Alton, Illinois. Both concerts are free to attend and will be held from 7-9 p.m. Funky Butt Brass Band will perform on Friday, July 14th. The band was formed in 2008 by six talented musicians who respect and revere the New Orleans brass band tradition. The FBBB takes traditional New Orleans brass tunes and sprinkles in their own brand of special Saint Louis musical magic. At any given gig, you’ll also hear some Chicago blues, Memphis soul, Southern rock and St. Louis R&B. Aaron Kamm & the One Drops will perform on Friday, August 18 th . Hailing from St. Louis, MO, AKOD merges flavors of Roots Reggae and Mississippi River Blues and infuses them with improv-laced jams, and soulful vocals. With their high-energy

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 14 state attorneys general, is today calling on Target to support inclusivity and to reject anti-LGBTQ+ hate, intimidation and discrimination. Raoul and fellow attorneys general sent a letter to Target during Pride Month in response to Target’s recent decision to remove certain Pride-related merchandise from its stores. This decision came amid an increasing trend of harassment, hate and politically-motivated attacks on LGBTQ+ people. In the letter, Raoul and the attorneys general expressed their commitment to protecting the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and their concern regarding Target’s recent decision. “Discrimination and harassment against LGBTQ+ people have no place in our society. Members of the LGBTQ+ community deserve to feel safe and welcome in Illinois and beyond our state’s borders,” Raoul said. “During Pride Month and throughout the year, I urge businesses to work with local

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ALTON - As The Brown Bag Bistro celebrates their recognition from America’s Best Restaurants , owners and mother-daughter duo Christine and Erin Velloff are reflecting on the restaurant’s success. Most people know The Brown Bag Bistro as the popular lunch spot it is today; after all, it’s receiving national acclaim. But the spirit of the restaurant is much closer to home. “Loving what you’re doing — I think that’s what’s driven us a lot,” Erin said. “And most of our staff has been here for years, too. I think everyone just has fun.” Erin explained that the decision to open a restaurant was her mom’s idea. It was an exciting, if unexpected, chance to get involved in the Alton food scene. “We had absolutely no experience,” Erin said. “Kind of just on a whim, she called me when I was in college and was like, ‘I’m going to open a restaurant. Do you want to help?’”

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A LTON - The Alton School Board appointed TaRael Kee as the new Alton High School assistant principal at their meeting on Tuesday, June 20. “Thank you so much for allowing me to become a part of the Redbird family,” Kee said to the school board following the vote.“I’m extremely excited and happy to be a Redbird now.” Secretary Vivian Monckton made the motion to appoint Kee as the assistant principal, which was seconded by Board Member Al Womack. Everyone on the board voted in favor of the appointment. Board Member Dustin Christner was absent. Kee has served as the assistant principal at Collinsville High School since July 2021. He was previously the president of the Illinois School Counselor Association and received recognition as the Illinois School Counselor of the Year in 2021. In his address to the school board, Kee expressed his excitement for the coming school year and said that Alton High School was his first choice when applying for positions.

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GODFREY - Trustees unanimously voted down two requests for liquor licenses from businesses seeking to install video gaming machines, as well as new rules and regulations regarding electrical work, at the Godfrey Village Board meeting on Tuesday night. A liquor license for a potential new business, “Carnival Foodie & Gaming,” was voted down 6-0 after several of the trustees voiced concern that the business was planning to be primarily gaming-based rather than food-based. Trustees have expressed in the past that they want to prevent a “gambling parlor” or anything similar from arising in Godfrey. “I’m not prepared to vote for this at this time,” said Trustee Jeff Weber. “People are basically just trying to open a video gambling facility, and when we set this all up originally, we were against doing anything like that. It’s one thing if there’s an existing restaurant and they want to add video machines - that’s

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ALTON - Mac’s owners Mac and Rob Lenhardt were in attendance on Tuesday at an Alton Public Safety Meeting at City Hall and both concur the correct steps will be taken to combat increased vandalism, loitering, and fights in Downtown Alton. Mac and Rob each praised Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford who led the meeting for his responses and the plan that will move forward from the meeting. Mac and Rob also both agreed much of the problem downtown is not coming from local residents, but “some patrons coming from across the river.” The downtown Alton area has seven bars with liquor licenses that allow alcohol sales until 3 a.m., however, Mac and Rob said while costly, they will continue to close at 1 a.m. on the weekends. Betsy Allen, Alderman of the 1st Ward agreed with the Lenhardts in a previous interview and said: “There are no places down there, I don’t think, that are having any problems inside their businesses. The problem is outside.” Mac’s

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CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - Governor JB Pritzker, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced that Gulfstream will expand its operations at the St. Louis Downtown Airport - creating 200 new full-time jobs and retaining nearly 500 existing jobs. New investments will enable the company to increase completions and outfitting operations while investing in modernization at its Cahokia Heights facility. “Illinois sits at the heart of the Midwest—serving as a major transportation hub for cargo and passengers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Gulfstream’s latest $28.5 million investment into Cahokia Heights’ St. Louis Downtown Airport speaks to the steps my administration has taken to attract new businesses to our state—all while modernizing our infrastructure and supporting our workforce to meet the demands of our 21 st century economy.” Through a $28.5 million investment,

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EDWARDSVILLE - A jury has found a Collinsville man guilty of two counts of aggravated DUI in connection with a crash that caused a fatality, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Tuesday. The jury found Wayne A. Stayton, 41, guilty of two counts of aggravated DUI causing death. The jury found that he was under the influence of cannabis when his pickup crossed the center line of U.S. 40 in Highland and crashed into a truck driven by Charlene Johnson, 45, of Highland. “We thank the jury for their public service and diligent analysis of the scientific and medical evidence,” Haine said. Stayton faces 3-14 years in prison when he is sentenced later. Jurors deliberated about five hours before returning the verdict Friday evening. After the verdict, Associate Judge Ronald Slemer ordered that Stayton’s bail be revoked, and that he be held in the Madison County Jail pending sentencing. Stayton had been free on a $10,000 cash bond. The case was prosecuted

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford met with local business owners to discuss public safety measures for downtown Alton that have either been implemented, suggested, or will be implemented in the near future. He asked local business owners to help his department monitor and police their businesses and the areas just outside of them, while business owners asked Chief Ford to step up patrols in the area and enforce city ordinances more strictly. In a memo to City Council members, Chief Ford said some of the recent problems downtown include “noise/peace disturbances, overly intoxicated subjects, open drinking, aggressive/unruly subjects, loitering/blocking streets and sidewalks and so forth.” In addition to these problems, one business owner brought up the issue of people openly smoking cannabis outside their business or in parking lots. Chief Ford encouraged business owners to call the police if people in or near their businesses won’t listen to them, but

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GODFREY - When you logged onto Google today, did you recognize the featured Doodle? If you’ve ever been to Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) in Godfrey, you might. Today’s Google Doodle honors Magdalena Abakanowicz, a famous Polish sculptor, on her 93rd birthday. One of Abakanowicz’s pieces, “Untitled,” has a home on the LCCC campus. The sculpture is located behind Baldwin Hall. “Untitled” features five headless bronze figures that appear to be midstep. These figures are reminiscent of “Agora,” arguably Abakanowicz’s most famous work, which has a permanent installation at Grant Park in Chicago. Abakanowicz was born in 1930 in Warsaw, Poland. Her family was a part of the Polish resistance after Germany invaded Poland when Abakanowicz was nine. This, as well as her time as a nurse during her teenage years in the thick of the war, likely influenced her art and eventual focus on the human condition. After World War

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MADISON COUNTY - HSHS launched a rescue flight after a crash left two entrapped in a semi vs. car accident on Highway 4 on Tuesday afternoon. Highland EMS with St. Jacob Police Department and Fire Department, Illinois State Police, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Troy EMS and MedStar EMS provided mutual aid. A medical person reported there were multiple injuries at the scene. Authorities did not have any other information to release at this time.

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ST. LOUIS - With new local art and classic local bands, 31art gallery’s Rock the Art show is bound to pull in audiences from across the St. Louis region. 31art gallery, located in the heart of the city, will be hosting live music and over 200 pieces of art from 4–9 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. The event is free, with a cash bar and a lineup of five bands. Roughly 15 artists will be exhibiting their work. “Everybody there, Jared and Amy basically handpicked. They’re all really nice people and great artists,” Andy Dykeman said. “Some of them are photographers, so we have lots of photography. We have some collage work. We have some assemblage work, mixed media, painting, print work, all kinds of stuff. There’s something for everybody there.” Dykeman, who works as a chiropractor at Rosewood Chiropractic Clinic in Alton, will be showing his own art at Saturday’s show. Additionally, he organizes the music events at 31art gallery

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GRAFTON - A 45-year-old male on a bicycle was injured in an accident at Graham Hollow Road going down from Pere Marquette State Park and airlifted from the scene. Grafton Police, Jersey County Sheriff's Office, QEM and Jersey Community Hospital Ambulance all responded to the call at 10:51 a.m. on Monday. Law enforcement said the present condition of the 45-year-old man was not known at this time. Grafton Police Officer Mike Angel responded to the call of a bicyclist down and needing help on the bike trail at Graham Hollow outside of Grafton on Sunday afternoon. When he arrived on the scene, he found the injured cyclist lying on the bike trail in what Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow described Tuesday afternoon as "a pool of blood." "The cyclist told him he was going very fast and lost control of his bike," Mayor Morrow said. "He hit the 2” by 6” wooden guard rail with such force he broke through the rail and was severely cut in several places. Officer Angel quickly assessed hi

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WOOD RIVER - A Wood River resident said he plans to file a recall election against City Councilmen Bill Dettmers and David Ayres during the Public Comment portion of the most recent council meeting on June 19. Jason “J.T.” Thompson said he’s taking these actions after watching and repeatedly disapproving of the way the council members have been conducting business, adding that the current council was elected during a low-turnout election. “You had 650 votes (each), which is not even a tenth of this town that voted, probably because the town is made up of working-class people,” Thompson said. “Nobody can get off in time, you’ve got to go home, feed your kids, and then come back in and vote, so we get small counts when it comes vote time.” While any recall election would have to wait about six months, Thompson said he plans to start laying the groundwork for it soon by polling the voters from the last election. “ six months

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