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EAST ST. LOUIS – In a U.S. District courtroom on Monday, a federal judge sentenced a Cahokia Heights man on Monday in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison after he admitted to distributing methamphetamine in 2021. Carlos M. Johnson, 49, received a concurrent sentence of 87 months’ imprisonment for a separate possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charge, and another concurrent sentence of 87 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was fined $300 and must also pay $300 in special assessments. Following his release from federal prison, Johnson must complete five years of supervised release. “Drug dealers selling harmful and dangerously addictive drugs gamble with their freedom by the decade,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Federal law enforcement agents will work alongside state and local partners to pursue drug distributors wherever they are located and bring them to justice.”

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon chapter of Habitat For Humanity is hosting a Chicken Lunch fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, at the Edwardsville Moose Lodge, located at 7371 Marine Road in Edwardsville. Board Member Todd Taplin said all proceeds from the event will fund their next home-building project. “We are thrilled to partner with the Edwardsville Moose Lodge for another delicious chicken dinner on April 16,” Taplin said. “The proceeds will be directly used to fund our next build. “We are currently in the last stages of building a home Hill Lane in Edwardsville, Illinois. A local resident, Faith Jordan, and her three girls will be purchasing the home at the end of April. We will be starting a new home build as soon as we raise a substantial portion of the funds.” Adult plates are available for $12 each, kids’ (age 12 and under) plates are $6 each, and desserts are available for $3 each. Tickets can be purcha

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide in the 11100 block of Riaza Square that resulted in the death of an adult male. On April 11, 2023, at 12:24 AM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for shots fired in the 11100 block of Riaza Square. Responding officers located an adult male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. This is an active investigation. 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 receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, alongside a coalition of 24 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief challenging the decision issued by a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that could restrict medication abortion access nationwide. The amicus brief , filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, urges the court to suspend the district court’s ruling until the appeal can be heard. Raoul said if the ruling is allowed to take effect, it would halt the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, which has been FDA approved for more than 20 years. Raoul and the coalition warned that revoking federal approval for mifepristone may drastically reduce access to safe abortion care and miscarriage management for millions of people across the country, endangering lives and trampling states’ authority to protect and promote access to abortion. Illinois was among 18 states to proactivel

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EDWARDSVILLE – On Saturday, May 20, all paths will lead to pancakes, thanks to the City of Edwardsville’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and some partner organizations. A free pancake breakfast – served up by local VIP chefs – plus exhibits and information about vehicle-free ways to get around are on the menu for the first Bike & Hike to Breakfast event, to be held in partnership with the Land of Goshen Community Market in downtown Edwardsville. The event is part of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s mission to show how easy it is to walk, run, ride or bike throughout the community. The committee hopes to make this an annual event and to expand on it in future years. “The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is committed to promoting active living in our community,” committee Chairperson Jo Gibson said. "We are excited to kick off our efforts with this fun, family-friendly event.” To encourage participation,

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ALTON - A man in his 20s survived what Alton Fire Chief Jesse Jemison estimated as a 75-foot jump from the Clark Bridge around 2 p.m. Monday. Chief Jemison said the man appeared to walk onto the bridge, then jumped closer to the Missouri side on the part of the bridge facing the Melvin Price Lock and Dam area. Chief Jemison said he only recalled one other incident in his long career where a person who jumped off the bridge into the Mississippi River survived. He said the person who jumped appeared to be having some "personal issues" and was "a very lucky young man" to survive such a leap. Alton Police's Mike Morelli and Alton Deputy Fire Chief Matt Fischer and other officers and first responders were quick to the scene. Fischer did a fit check on the bridge jump survivor, who appeared to have some difficulty with his chest and possibly ribs, but the man was able to walk, Jemison said. The man was transported to an area hospital for additional treatment. The Alton Fire Boat was dispatched

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GRAFTON - The Grafton City Council recognized State Representative CD Davidsmeyer in a public ceremony held recently in the Grafton City Hall for his dedicated work in setting aside a $120,000 DCEO grant for Grafton to be used for infrastructure repairs. This grant was initiated last year by Representative Davidsmeyer with Grafton being named as the recipient in the direct line item appropriation. “We are very grateful for the continued good work Representative Davidsmeyer does for Grafton and the county,” said Mayor Mike Morrow. “This money allowed us to start our concrete streets and sidewalks repairs in our first Ward Grafton Hills Subdivision and will allow us to continue this year with the addition of Pickle Ball courts and a parking lot at our Red Hawk Park.” Representative Davidsmeyer worked last year to set aside the money for Grafton in the appropriation bill and has shepherded the process through the close of the pandemic. “I am proud to represent

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HIGHLAND - T-Mobile just announced its newest retail location in Illinois and its first retail store in Highland. The store opens for business on Friday, April 7, and is in a plaza on State Route 143 and Cherry Lane. Customers and wireless shoppers in the area will now have convenient access to a local T-Mobile store where they can choose service plans, smartphones, tablets, and accessories that best meet their wireless needs. It’s the first store to support Highland. The company expects to open 7 retail locations across the state this year, with a store opening in Carlyle in the coming months. The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. The Highland location is part of T-Mobile’s efforts to expand its retail footprint with the addition of new stores in small towns and rural communities across the country. “T-Mobile retail stores offer customers the ease of connecting

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BETHALTO - Bethalto Police today announced the following subjects were charged today in Madison County Circuit Court with Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine (Class X Felony): Joshua K. Morris Male / Age 38 Wood River Kenneth J. File Male / Age 49 Dow Bethalto Police said the charges stem from a traffic stop that was conducted by a Bethalto Officer late Thursday evening, April 6, 2023, on Illinois Route 140 and Texas, for a registration-related offense. The stop led to the discovery of more than 15 but less than 100 grams of suspected Methamphetamine. The driver (File), and two passengers, one being Morris, were taken into custody in connection with the discovery. File and Morris were linked to the Methamphetamine through the investigation and held on probable cause at the Madison County Jail. The third occupant was released without charges. Today the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office drafted the information and warrants on Morri

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EDWARDSVILLE - On Saturday, April 1, 2023, Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., (MM&R) shareholder Deanna L. Litzenburg, spoke at the Illinois State Bar Association Allerton Conference 2023 held in Champaign, Illinois at the I-Hotel & Conference Center. This year’s conference, presented by the ISBA Civil Practice and Procedure Section Council, was titled “Technology and the Courts: Transforming the Delivery of Justice” and explored hot topic issues impacting the civil practice and procedure area. The Allerton Conference is an invitation-only event sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association Mutual Insurance Company. This year, Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., (MM&R) also served as a sponsor for the conference. While attendees receive CLE credit, the Civil Practice & Procedure Section Council has always thought of the conference as a “think tank” of sorts where new ideas are examined and debated. Attendees and speakers included law professors, practitioners,

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EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56 th -Glen Carbon) is announcing a new district office location in downtown Edwardsville, closing the former office in Maryville immediately. “Since taking office, my team and I have always had an open mind about what a new office location would look like for the district,” said Senator Harriss. “After months of looking, we have found an easily accessible location that gives us a clear presence in the area we serve and it’s ADA accessible which is incredibly important to the constituents we serve.” Senator Harriss says the new office located at 120 North Main Street, Suite 1B, Edwardsville, will serve as a space to provide constituent services to residents throughout the district which includes both Madison and St. Clair counties. “We will spend part of the week moving but should have the new location up and running by Thursday,” said Senator Harriss. “We have already met so many grea

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EDWARDSVILLE — The State’s Attorneys of 32 counties have joined Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine in a brief he filed with the Illinois Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the state’s ban on certain types of weapons. The Amici Curiae brief, also known as a “friend of the court” brief, asks the Supreme Court to strike down the state’s so-called Assault Weapons Ban. The legislature passed the ban in January during a lame-duck session, and Gov. JB Pritzker signed it into law. Haine is the lead attorney for the Amici Curiae brief. The other State’s Attorneys joining him in the brief represent the following counties: Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Clinton, Edwards, Effingham, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Macon, Marion, Mercer, Monroe, Ogle, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph, Schuyler, Union, Vermilion, Warren, Washington, Wayne and White. In its conclusion, Haine’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - The second annual One Day, One SIUE event is returning to the SIUE campus on April 20, 2023 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., while the 24-hour Day of Giving runs the entire day. Senior Director of Annual Giving Julie Babington said last year’s event saw more than 500 participants and over $668,000 raised, and their fundraising goal for this year is $1 million. “We were pleasantly surprised how it all turned out, we had more than 500 participants that came out to SIUE on our Quad, and it was a fun night,” Babington said. “We were hoping to get some community members and we definitely had that represented, we had a ton of our student body, faculty and staff, and then we were pleasantly surprised to see even baby strollers and pets.” This year, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the SIUE Stratton Quadrangle (also known as “The Quad”), food and live music will be available featuring the band Vote For Pedro. The event will also feature opportunities

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ALTON - Alton VFW Post 1308 and Cottage Hills VFW Post 7678 both have a special place in their hearts for other veterans, and Chad Sibley has organized a collection for the veterans in Rolling Fork, Miss., with the VFW in Alton, Cottage Hills, and District 12. "We are currently collecting donations for veterans of Rolling Fork, Miss., who have been recently affected by a severe tornado," Sibley said. "We are going to take the donations down there April 14-16," he said. Tornado winds reached a maximum of 170 mph, an EF4 on March 24 in Rolling Hills, Miss. The tornado ripped across 170 miles on a path of destruction. The deadline for Rolling Hills, Miss., donations is Thursday, April 13, 2023. The donations can be taken to the VFW Post 1308 in Alton and the Cottage Hills VFW. Sibley said he will travel to the National Guard Armory in Rolling Fork with the donations. Sibley said they will also spend a day or two there helping cleanup or handing whatever items they can to those who nee

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BETHALTO – Area Flight Instructors Don Hill and John Harding invite those interested in flying to the PIASA FLYERS Aero Club meeting at the St. Louis Regional Airport at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Airport Managers Building just south of the tower. The meetings run from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the St. Louis Regional Airport Managers Building just south of the tower. "Come one, come all," Hill said. "This coming Wednesday evening, April 12, will go down in history as the official forming of the PIASA FLYERS with the Aero Club’s election of officers. "The PIASA FLYERS name was voted in by a majority of the incoming members at their last meeting March 9, and was so named after the legendary flying dragon of the local area Piasa Hills. Now, the PIASA FLYERS look forward to making their own legend on into the future." Hill said more than 40 attendees were at the March 9 meeting and about half were pilots without airplanes who were looking for

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GODFREY - The Freer family is preparing for its annual Christmas In July Sloppy Joes event set for 10:30 to 1:30 p.m. on July 21 at Freer Auto Body in Godfrey and is seeking prizes, organizer Margaret Freer said today. Proceeds from the event each year benefit the Community Christmas campaign in the Alton area. Margaret said her granddaughters - Taylor and Lily - are looking for raffle prizes. "Any house, condo, or timeshare would be great that could be used as a raffle prize," she said. "It is always a mutually agreed date. "A tax letter will be given as it is a non-profit and tax deductible." Margaret said please call 618-466-6151 if you would be willing to help with this great event. Last year's event was a huge success and a total of $56,000 was raised. Margaret and her granddaughters co-founded this significant charitable event. All proceeds raised benefit Community Christmas and provide a huge boost each year to the campaign.

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Letter To The Editor: In my most recent letter to the editor, I wrote that the city plans to build a $10,000 flood wall along Broadway. I omitted three zeros. The projected cost of the wall and rebuilding of Chessen Street is $10 million, not $10 thousand. While 10 million dollars is a lot of money, is it enough to build a wall that will protect downtown Alton? I heard a rumor that the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates it would cost $50 million to build an effective flood wall. I could be wrong here, too. To clarify any misunderstandings and help the City Council make informed decisions when they vote on the flood wall design in the next few months, perhaps the Alton Riverfront Commission will invite the Army Corps and other river experts to its next meeting. Libby Reuter, Alton

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JERSEYVILLE - Two Missouri individuals have been arrested in Jersey County over the past week, according to recent court filings from the Jersey County Circuit Clerk’s Office. One was arrested on a weapon charge while the other was arrested on a meth possession charge. Penny Lou Dyer, 57, of Spanish Lake, Mo., was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. According to court documents, Dyer was in possession of “a black 800 type direct-current ultrahigh voltage taser.” She was also charged for driving with no valid registration, and both charges were issued on April 2. Dyer was charged with a Super Class 3 felony for the weapon possession charge. Her bail was set at $25,000. Her arraignment hearing has been set for May 15, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. and more information and updates on this case can be found here . Shayne L. Mundy, 51, of Montgomery, Mo., was charged on April 4 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine. He was charged with a Class

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ALTON - Alton Little Theater is launching summer acting classes for youthful performers, with a dozen 90-minute classes from June 20th through the end of July (with an open, no-charge showcase on Monday, July 31st for family members). Classes from 1 to 4:00 p.m. will be held at the ALT Showplace under the direction of Artistic Director, Kevin Frakes and Executive Director Lee Cox. Up to 30 students will be accepted for the first-ever real-theater-immersion classes offered for students ages 8-17. ALT's goal is to begin building a broader base of youth involvement in the coming three years since plans are afoot to produce the full version of FROZEN, a revised Disney tribute, and so many more shows that may require casting opportunities for under 18 (even though ALT tries very hard not to compete with concurrent school Theater programs). Application forms and more information can be obtained by calling Lee Cox at 618-462-3205. This is a nominal cost for the classes, but NO ONE ever

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ALTON - Back in the day, cats getting stuck in trees and fire departments coming to the rescue used to be commonplace. There is a new technology twist to this story that doesn’t involve cats, and this time it’s the local responders who need assistance. Earlier this month, the Alton Police Department tactical drone got stuck up in a tree. “The Alton Police Department called me first out of all the other tree services… they called early and we hurried to their rescue,” said Aaron Hodge, owner of Riverbend Tree Service. Riverbend Tree Service provided this rescue as a complimentary service to the city and giving back to the community. In a letter from Alton Chief of Police Jarrett Ford, Jarrett wrote “Your service went above and beyond to retrieve the drone. We appreciate you and your community partnership”. Hodge believes that the Alton Police Department called Riverbend Tree because of his longstanding contract in managing the trees throughout

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