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CHICAGO – COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are continuing to rise across Illinois following the Thanksgiving holiday, with 74 counties in Illinois rated at an elevated level for COVID-19 by the CDC. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said that the anticipated post-holiday surge is a reminder for the public to take action to protect themselves and their loved ones during the remainder of the holiday season. This is especially important when it comes to members of the family who are vulnerable to severe outcomes. IDPH is emphasizing these safety reminders as the CDC reported 29 Illinois counties at a High Community Level for COVID-19 , up from 12 a week ago; while 45 counties are a Medium Level, compared to 51 last week. IDPH is reporting 21,404 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois since December 2, and 56 deaths. “Illinois is experiencing a significant rise in communities at elevated risk levels for COVID-19, including 29 counties

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ALTON - Senior Brody Hendricks plays volleyball and soccer at Marquette Catholic High School. He loves both sports, but he signed his college letter of intent to continue playing soccer at Southwestern Illinois College Thursday afternoon with his family and friends in attendance. Brody will join longtime friends Charlie Fahnestock and Myles Paniagua who signed to play soccer at SWIC a couple of weeks ago. He'll also be with Brayden Zyung and Joe Aiello from Civic Memorial, who he's played club soccer with most of his life. "It feels really good to stay close to them," Brody said about being able to stick with his friends. When talking with SWIC head coach Lindsay Eversmeyer, she said she loves bringing a ton of chemistry to the college's program. "Lindsay looked like a great coach, she knew what she was doing," Brody said. "I toured SWIC, thought I liked it, and just went from there," he added. He plans to study business but is unsure of a major at this time. Brody said that trying

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ST. LOUIS - Renowned Christian artist TobMac will bring his 2023 Hits Deep Tour to the St. Louis Enterprise Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 18. TobMac is a multi-platinum-selling artist TobyMac and the 2023 TobyMac Hits Deep Tour is coming to St. Louis with JOY FM / BOOST RADIO on Saturday, March 18. The tour will feature TobyMac and the DiverseCity band with support from CROWDER, Cochren & Co., Tasha Layton, Jon Reddick, and Terrian. The annual arena tour features will be a night of music and fun for the entire family. TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour has been to St. Louis before, and fans will hear TobyMac's hits as well as new songs from his recent release "LIFE AFTER DEATH," which debuted as Billboard’s No. 1 Christian and Gospel record of the week during street week. Tickets are as follows: Cost: $20, $30, $40, $50, $70, $90 and $100 Ticket Info: Tickets on sale Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster Ticket Link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/06005D70CDB3894B

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EDWARDSVILLE - Trinity Lutheran Church hosted its annual CHRISTmas Ugly Sweater 5K Saturday morning. This was the race’s seventh year. The race is a charity event held every year with proceeds going to Edwardsville Neighbors and the Glen-Ed Food Pantry. Each one of those organizations received $1,500. Trinity hosted Glen Ed Week at the church, a Christmas workshop with the kids that will receive an additional $5,700. This race used to be a huge draw in the Edwardsville area gathering almost 300 people before the pandemic. In 2020 the race was held virtually before being back in person in 2021. Casey Shank, the race’s main organizer said that this year they had 201 participants, up from about 150 last year. Shank said that her favorite part of the event is starting off the Christmas spirit as a community and being able to give back. What she really enjoys is when people will come up to her and tell her how much they loved the event. This happened multiple

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GODFREY – The Lewis and Clark Community College Veterans Club has joined forces with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to bring joy to area children in the 2022 Toys for Tots campaign. “This annual, nationwide toy drive offers a great and easy opportunity to help area kids have a happy Christmas,” L&C Director of Veteran and Career Services Terry Lane said. “Since it is a project of the Marine Corps Reserve, we can rest assured the toys will get to the kids who need them.” Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted until noon on Friday, December 16. Collection boxes can be found on the Godfrey Campus in Baldwin Hall, Room 2420, and in The Commons Café, located in the McPike Math and Science Complex. Toys can be dropped off at any time in the Campus Safety Office, located at the campus’ north entrance. Veterans Club members will be available to pick up donations from those who are unable to make it to campus. For more information, o

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BETHALTO - On December 9, 2022, Civic Memorial High School held a ribbon-cutting event for its new American Education program, which started during the Fall semester. This program is granted funded through the American Pathways grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. The "grow your own" program allows students to begin working towards their teacher's certification while earning four credits from Lewis and Clark Community College. This innovative program is the first step in helping solve the teacher shortage problem that plagues many communities across Illinois and throughout the nation. All students enrolled in this program are guaranteed a job interview upon completing their teacher certification. Mr. Werden, ROE 41 Superintendent; Dr. Jill Griffin, Superintendent of Schools; Mr. Justin Newell, Principal; Mrs. Angie Neilson, Instructor; Ms. Yvette McLemore, Lewis and Clark; Ms. Cathy Laramee, Lewis and Clark; Ms. Birdy Pruessner, Lewis and Clark, and students enrolled

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SPRINGFIELD – In preparation for the new year, employers should be aware of upcoming changes to the One Day Rest in Seven Act taking effect January 1, 2023. The One Day Rest in Seven Act (ODRISA) gives workers the right to a day of rest every workweek and breaks for meals or rest during daily work shifts. Changes to ODRISA under Public Act 102-0828 and Public Act 102-1012 taking effect on January 1st include: • New meal and rest break requirements: Requires employees be given a 20-minute break if working a 12-hour shift or longer, and at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every consecutive 7-day period, clarifying the day of rest requirements for workers whose schedules don’t align with a Sunday to Saturday calendar week. • Notice posting requirements: All employers covered by ODRISA must post a notice at the workplace notifying employees of their rights under the Act. IDOL will provide this notice on its website for employers to download and post.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Effie Hortis, associate director of academic advising at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been appointed as a board member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) International Conference Advisory Board. The board members are chosen with the intent of showing representation across the globe. “This invitation to be part of the board is an honor,” said Hortis. “It provides a great opportunity to promote SIUE globally by collaborating with colleagues from around the world, building relationships and participating in culturally-diverse initiatives that can strengthen and motivate our practices.” The NACADA promotes and supports globally quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. The International Conference Advisory Board works to provide quality international conferences held each year. Hortis served as a former conference chair leading the efforts

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EDWARDSVILLE – For the past several months, District #7 has been working closely with the Edwardsville Public Library and other libraries in the District #7 footprint to provide each student enrolled in District #7 access to a public library card. That program is now active. “This partnership between District #7 and the public libraries serving the school district allows us to provide access to all students,” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. “This is possible due to the cooperation of the local public libraries and an Intergovernmental Agreement between District #7 and the Edwardsville Public Library to provide access to students living outside of a library taxing area.” Student’s cards will be registered at one of the following libraries based on their home address: Edwardsville Public Library, Glen Carbon Centennial Library, Worden Public Library, Wood River Public Library, Bethalto Public Library District, Maryville Community

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ST. LOUIS - The Hope Revival Tour with Sarah Jakes Roberts will arrive at St. Louis’ Stifel Theatre this upcoming February. Sarah Jakes Roberts is coming in with hope for a new-fashioned revival event in St. Louis at the Stifel Theatre on Feb. 23. Sarah, Dr. Anita Phillips, and the Woman Evolve Delegation for a one-night-only experience. The event details are follows: Who/What: Woman Evolve Presents The Hope Revival Tour with Sarah Jakes Roberts. Where: Stifel Theatre. When: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at 7 p.m. Cost: $39, $96 and $129. Ticket Info: Tickets on sale now via Ticketmaster. Ticket Link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/06005D5F9685222C

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Stephen Hupp, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, and best-selling author, Richard Wiseman, teamed up to publish a book called Investigating Pop Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies. The book covers topics such as horoscopes, demonic possession, and extrasensory perception (ESP). “The best thing about the book is the amazing list of authors we found to write each chapter,” said Hupp. “For example, Steven Novella, neurologist and host of the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe podcast, wrote a chapter on alternative medicine.” The book has many other notable contributors including Indre Viskontas, cognitive neuroscientist and co-host of the Inquiring Minds podcast, who wrote a chapter on brain training products. Karen Stollznow, linguist and co-host of the Monster Talk podcast, wrote a chapter on risqué encounters with ghosts. Additionally, SIUE’s

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CHAMPAIGN - An Illinois State Senator - Scott Bennett, a Champaign Democrat died at 1:15 p.m. Friday at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana at the age of 45. First responders were called to Bennett's home in Champaign just before 3 a.m. Thursday. Stacy, Sen. Bennett's wife, said in a statement that he died of complications of a large brain tumor. These are various statements from throughout the state about Bennett's death. Gov. Pritzker Statement on the Passing of State Sen. Scott Bennett Following the passing of state Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign), Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement: “Today, the state of Illinois mourns the loss of a dedicated public servant and devoted father. Senator Scott Bennett was a good man who always operated with the best interest of his constituents in mind. Throughout his time in Springfield, he fiercely advocated for the institutions that shaped his life, from his upbringing on a Gibson City farm, all the way to the University

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ALTON - Today, the City of Alton and Hayner Public Library Board of Trustees President unveiled ongoing discussions to transform the Haskell House into a fully-updated Children’s Library in partnership with the anticipated Children’s Museum. “We are making this public now due to an increasing amount of questions about it, and also to spread the word to other interested community partners who may want to be involved as the process continues,” said Kevin Botterbush, Hayner Board of Trustees President. " Alderman Strebel has presented this idea to members of our Board, and though the specifics still need to be filled in and there is much work to be done on the Haskell House to make it suited for renovation into a library, I see a real path forward. I look forward to discussing more specifics with my Board as they develop. It is a very exciting time for all.” “We are thrilled with the possibility of working with Hayner and its board to bring this

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LOVINGTON – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officials announce the arrest of 52-year-old Matthew E. Nation of Lovington, IL for First Degree Murder (Class M Felony). On September 26, 2022, at approximately 3:30 a.m., the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Department responded to a residence in Lovington, IL, where they located a 54-year-old male victim with multiple stab wounds. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. After a thorough investigation by the ISP, Nation was identified as a suspect. On December 7, 2022, the Moultrie County State’s Attorney’s Office presented its case before a grand jury who approved a four-count indictment for First-Degree Murder against Nation. An arrest warrant was issued, and Nation was taken into custody by the Lovington Police Department. Nation is being held at the Moultrie County Jail on a $250,000, 10% to apply bond. There is no further information

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EAST ST. LOUIS - The Illinois State Police and East St. Louis Police Department are requesting assistance in identifying the vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in late November. At 3:48 a.m. on November 27, 2022, a 42-year-old male from Arnold, Mo., was the victim of a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred on Illinois Route 157 at Church Lane in East St. Louis, Illinois. The vehicle is described as a silver sedan, possibly a 2011–2016 Chevrolet Cruze. ISP said the vehicle would have front end and driver’s side damage including damage to the driver’s side mirror. Anyone with knowledge of the incident is asked to contact Crimestoppers by phone at 1-866- 371- 8477 (TIPS) or visit https://www.stlrcs.org/ . Witnesses can remain anonymous.

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CARLINVILLE – The legacy of a late Carlinville man is now felt all the way to eastern Africa. The Jacob Library in Katovu, Uganda honors the memory of Jacob Glenn, a Carlinville resident who died at age 22 in October 2013. Construction of the library was spearheaded by Jacob’s mother, Becky Miller Root. Root provided a program at the Jacob Library at the Carlinville Public Library on Thursday, Dec. 8. The free, half-hour program was open to the public and featured a brief slide/Power Point presentation on both the Jacob Library and the culture of Uganda. Root’s visit to the site in October was emphasized. Cultural items and refreshments were featured during the program. The idea for the Jacob Library originated during the 2012-13 school year, when Root served in Uganda as an English Language Teaching Fellow, coordinated by the U.S. State Department’s exchange program. She saw that the area needed a library, and provided the seed money for the building in

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Walmart Supercenter Store at 610 Wesley Drive in Wood River celebrated its 35th anniversary in style this year with a process to remodel the store. On Friday morning, the City of Wood River and Walmart celebrated their grand reopening. On Friday, Walmart also donated several thousand dollars to a local charity, Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup said. Store Manager Glenn Masterson and Mayor Stalcup delivered remarks during the event. Masterson spoke of a meeting with Walmart founder Sam Walton and how Walton inspired him to want to be a manager for the company. Apparently, Sam Walton picked Masterson up one time for about an hour’s long airport ride and he said after he left the car with the Walmart legend, he was sold on a future with the company. Masterson has been the general manager of the Wood River Walmart Super-Center for 25 years. Mayor Stalcup said Walmart has been their largest retail partner for 35 years and thanked them for their contributions

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CHICAGO – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced an Edwardsville woman - 47-year-old Silk Lumpins - prosecuted by his office was sentenced to three years in prison after violating her probation by committing forgery. Lumpkins pleaded guilty in July to Class 3 felony state benefits fraud for allegedly omitting income and asset information on her application for the Chicago Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program. Attorney General Raoul alleges that Lumpkins, formerly of Chicago, fraudulently obtained more than $100,000 in benefits from the CHA. She was placed on probation and ordered to pay $105,762 in restitution to the CHA, with $20,000 of that due the day she entered her plea. Raoul said in Cook County Circuit Court this week, Lumpkins admitted to violating her probation by forging the cashier’s check she used to pay the $20,000 in restitution. “The Housing Choice Voucher Program provides important housing benefits to residents in need,

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ST. LOUIS - The deceased in a St. Louis County Police case on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Riverport Drive has been identified as Mark Davenport, 48 years of age, of the 400 block of Lanning Lane in Rolla, Missouri 65401. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons Detectives are currently investigating an officer-involved shooting at 13857 Riverport Drive in the City of Maryland Heights which resulted in the death of an adult male. On December 7, 2022, at 4:19 PM, Detectives from the City of Maryland Heights Police Department were searching for a suspect in the area of 13857 Riverport Drive. The suspect was wanted in relation to several criminal incidents in various area jurisdictions. Detectives had information the suspect was in the area. Detectives observed the suspect, a 48-year-old male, exit an area business. The suspect walked to the parking lot on the west side of the building. Detectives approached the suspect, giving commands in an attempt to take the suspect

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URBANA, IL. - Holiday baking brings family and friends together and creates lasting memories as friends share recipes, stories, and meaningful time together. Amid the flurry of flour-covered countertops and mountains of messy mixing bowls, keep food safety in mind. “Baking and food safety go hand-in-hand,” says Susan Glassman, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension. “Make sure that your holiday baked goods bring you nothing but deliciousness by taking precautionary measures to prevent foodborne illness.” Raw dough and batters contain raw eggs and flour, two ingredients that can lead to food poisoning if eaten raw. Raw eggs can carry Salmonella bacteria. The harmful bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) can contaminate flour – from its original grain form in the field through the processed stage sold to consumers. Both bacteria can cause mild to severe symptoms of food poisoning. Cooking or baking recipes that contain raw eggs

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