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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Flag Day is nationally recognized each year on June 14 to commemorate the birthday of the American Flag. In 2023, the star-spangled banner is celebrating its 246th year. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , the flag’s design was approved and early renditions were created in 1777 - however, the first observance of Flag Day didn’t occur until about a century later. The original resolution approving the flag’s design read as follows: “That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation.” Since then, the flag has gone through about 27 different iterations before becoming the 50-star flag we know today, but it retains the original 13 stripes, symbolizing the 13 original English colonies the United States consisted of during the flag’s initial design. While that original 13-star

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Police Department today announced plans for a stepped-up July Fourth traffic enforcement with a focus on impaired and unbuckled drivers. The safety campaign will run from Friday, June 16, through the early-morning hours of Wednesday, July 5, to encompass three summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day. “It’s simple: If you’re driving, don’t drink, use marijuana or other drugs,” said Lt. Brandn Whittaker. “Our officers will be working around the clock to keep impaired drivers off the roads and enforce all other traffic laws. We’re doing it to save lives.” Edwardsville Police will join the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local police and sheriff’s departments for the increased statewide enforcement effort. Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt. It’s not only the law but also your best defense against an impaired driver. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled

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Letter To The Editor: When younger, many of us were required to take one (1) hour of Physical Education each day of the week. If you attended an older middle school or high school as I did, and if your memories of the venerable gym locker resemble mine, the smells aggregated into a pungent odor. Gym temperatures were predictable since heating or cooling locker rooms was not a high priority. Locker room floors were concrete and tile - cool to frigid in the winter; and, the lighting was dim and hot water for showers nonexistent. But the best evidence proving you had entered the locker room was the assortment of miss-matched athletic footwear and worn jerseys which, after a time, emitted a smell so odious one’s natural instinct was to hold your nose and gag. Naturally, had simple standards been established and enforced on a routine basis the old gym locker could have passed the “smell test.” On May 2, the Government Relations Committee of the Madison County Board me

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GLEN CARBON - Jason Whitaker, chief of the Glen Carbon Fire Protection District, gave a “Year In Review” presentation to update village trustees and the public on the progress they’ve made, statistics from the past year, and plans for the future. Whitaker emphasized the effectiveness of Glen Carbon firefighters in responding to calls, providing CPR, and much more. He gave the presentation at the most recent Village Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, June 13. He started with a “call breakdown,” which showed the number and types of calls the Fire Protection District received in the last year - a total of 1,977. Among those calls were 1,417 Medical Assist calls, 152 Fire Alarm calls, 40 Motor Vehicle Accident calls, and several more. “When I started here in Glen Carbon in 2007, we were getting 680 calls - so in just 15 short years, we’ve more than doubled our call volume,” Whitaker said. He also noted that the district’s

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BETHALTO - 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union recently awarded five, $1,000 scholarships to local area high school graduates Alyssa Mann, Aubrie Hancock, Cate Breden, Kathryn Pelot, and Lucas Moore. Alyssa Mann is a graduate of Civic Memorial High School. She plans to attend Southwest Baptist University to pursue a degree in Exercise Science, then obtain a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Aubrie Hancock, a graduate of Alton High School, plans to attend Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville and earn a degree in Music and Vet Tech. Cate Breden is a graduate of Jersey Community High School. She plans to earn a degree in Accounting from Illinois College. Kathryn Pelot, a Roxana High School graduate, plans to attend Lewis and Clark Community College to earn a degree in Art and Interior Design. Lucas Moore is a graduate of East Alton Wood River High School. He plans to attend Illinois State University to study Kinesiology and Recreation, Athletic Training. 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College and its National Great Rivers Research and Education Center are looking for exhibitors to take part in this fall’s 21 st annual Water Festival, a day for students and educators to explore all things water. The event will take place at Lewis and Clark’s Godfrey Campus. This year is expected to draw the biggest turnout yet, with over 700 fifth grade students from Lewis and Clark’s district expected to participate. “Water Festival provides a rich learning opportunity, not only for our area students, but also for teachers to learn,” said Interim Education Director and Swarovski Waterschool Coordinator Jen Mandeville. The students, alongside their teachers, will participate in exciting activities aimed at becoming familiar with an assortment of water related topics such as river ecology, how the water cycle works, river activities like fishing and boating, and watershed protection. Students can look forward

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SPRINGFIELD - Three bills sponsored by Illinois State Representative Amy Elik (111th-Alton) and State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) were signed into law by Governor Pritzker. The Metro East lawmakers’ legislation was included in ninety bills recently signed into law. Rep. Amy Elik and Sen. Erica Harriss’ legislation signed into law by Governor Pritzker includes honoring Constitution Day in the state, addressing the teacher shortage, and improving background checks on contractors providing transportation for foster children. Introduced at the request of the Madison County Regional Office of Education, State Senator Erica Harriss and Representative Amy Elik’s legislation signed into law (HB 1273) will commemorate September 17 each year as Constitution Day and shall also be a commemorative holiday within school calendars. Constitution Day is recognized federally but not by the State of Illinois, this will not require schools to close for the holiday. “Not

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METRO EAST — Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, along with state and local officials at Maplewood School in Cahokia Heights to announce Illinois’ partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The recently signed FY24 budget allocates $1.6 million to the program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children by inspiring a love of reading. The initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income. “Imagination Libraries are already working their magic at a few dozen locations around the state, and the teamwork of my administration and the Dollywood Foundation will make it possible to bring Dolly to every doorstep,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As a longtime early childhood advocate, I’m incredibly excited for what’s to come. These are some of the most crucial years for learning of a person’s

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ALTON - “Al-Anon saved my life.” These are the words of Shirley S., an outreach coordinator for a local Al-Anon group who hopes to bring a new Al-Anon chapter to Alton through OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center. Starting this summer, Shirley will host “How Al-Anon Works” meetings from 10–11:15 a.m. on Thursday mornings at OSF Saint Anthony’s. The program will run from June 22 to Sept. 28. Participants can learn about Al-Anon and how it could benefit them and the community. If there’s enough interest, the group will register with the Al-Anon World Service and become an official Al-Anon group with regular meetings at OSF St. Anthony’s. Al-Anon and Alateen are support groups for people who are worried about someone with a drinking problem, according to the organization’s website . Staci Knox, the manager of psychological services at OSF St. Anthony’s, approached Shirley about hosting “How Al-Anon Works”

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul urged the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to advance artificial intelligence (AI) governance policies that prioritize robust transparency, independent standards, testing and assessment requirements, and external audits, and allow for government oversight and enforcement where appropriate. Raoul joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the NTIA. The attorneys general applaud the agency’s commitment to a rigorous and data-driven approach to developing AI governance policies. The coalition recommends that the NTIA create independent standards that require transparency about the use of AI and recognizes that some AI uses present greater risks and require more oversight than others. “Consumers should be informed if companies are using AI in their products and services, and the potential impacts on people should be considered in shaping regulations,” Raoul said.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today released the following statement in response to the National Park Service releasing its Special Resource Study for the proposed national monument site memorializing the 1908 Springfield Race Riot: “We are pleased to receive such positive feedback from the National Park Service in its study of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot national monument site. We are thankful to the City of Springfield, the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP, St. John’s Hospital and countless others for their incredible work and support. We have been dedicated to preserving this critical part of our state and nation’s history and are committed to continuing the process of designation for this site. Commemorating this location and story of extraordinary cultural and historical importance is long overdue, and we’re eager to continue working with the National

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METRO EAST – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined state and local officials to announce the grand opening of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport’s expanded terminal – a $31 million multi-year project bolstered by $7 million in grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in addition to $24 million in federal dollars. The terminal expansion program supports passenger growth while giving airlines the opportunity to provide additional service. “Here in Illinois, we are proud to boast one of the best and largest aviation systems in the nation. And in my mission to advance the economic development of this region, a crucial component is the modernization and maintenance of our airports and support for the people that keep them up and running,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today, I’m proud to announce that after four years of construction and $31 million in state and federal funding, the 41,000-plus square-foot expansion

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EDWARDSVILLE – City Park in downtown Edwardsville once again will feature fun for all ages as part of Arts in the Park, the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department’s summer-long series of free events. Fresh off last weekend’s blockbuster Edwardsville Route 66 Festival, this long-running summer tradition returns with concerts, movie nights, a children’s art program, theatrical events and a new feature – a family-friendly improv series. “There’s so much to see and hear in City Park over the summer,” Mayor Art Risavy said. “We are excited to provide these fun activities for everyone to enjoy.” The fun gets underway this Friday, June 16, when the Zydeco Crawdaddys cook up Cajun-flavored tunes to kick off the Friday Night Concert series. Concerts are set for June 16 and 23, plus July 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 8 p.m. on the City Park bandstand. The lineup also includes Lustre Lights, Honkey Tonk, the Steve Ewing Band, Blue Suede

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GLEN CARBON - The Glen Carbon Police Department welcomed two new police officers at the Village Board meeting last night. Officers Christopher Nicholas and Mitchell Reynolds took the oath and were officially sworn in by Mayor Bob Marcus after some introductions from Police Chief Todd Link. Reynolds was issued badge number GLEN64 while Nicholas was issued Badge number GLEN65. Both were hired after the department received a COPS grant of $250,000 to expand their personnel. Chief Link noted that the two new officers came to the department “brand new,” without any prior training, but that they’ve since proven to be fast learners. “Hiring an untrained and untested probationary officer can be a challenge for a police agency … it can be a challenge, it can be a dice roll,” Chief Link said. “I’m glad that we took the risk on these two officers, because they’ve turned out to be great police officers. From the moment I met them,

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EDWARDSVILLE — Zachary Capers will serve the rest of his life behind bars because of a decision announced Tuesday. Capers was issued a sentence of 60 years in prison on Tuesday for the murder of Edwardsville's Michael Ladd, 89, and Dr. Lois Ladd, 68. Madison County State's Attorney Thomas Haine made the announcement about Capers' sentence. Capers had entered a guilty plea to a count of first-degree murder. Lois was a chiropractor and Michael had worked professionally as a contractor. Capers, 28, of Collinsville, will receive credit for time served but will be required to spend his entire sentence in prison. The two were stabbed and killed at their residence at 826 North Kansas Street in Edwardsville. The couple was found deceased in their Edwardsville home on March 18, 2019. "The Ladds meant so much to their family, their friends, and their community," Haine said. "There is no sentence that could even begin to make up for the tremendous loss felt by the many loved ones of this

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GRANITE CITY - Along with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Castillo, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski hosted a roundtable discussion yesterday with local mayor’s, state officials and stakeholders from around the Southwestern Illinois region. Granite City Mayor, Mike Parkinson was at the table to discuss economic revitalization and development efforts in Central and Southern Illinois and how Granite City has been active in ongoing partnerships with nearby communities in developing Metro-East area commerce. The forum was conducted in Alton, Illinois at the Jacoby Arts Center and focused on economic development and collaboration with several municipalities in the Southwestern Illinois area, Andy Manar, Deputy Governor, Senator Erica Harris, and State Representative Amy Elik were present as well. Assistant Secretary Castillo spoke on how a shared vision and economic planning should involve a community partnership and that the regionalization

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Monday, June 12, 2023, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspect Tyree Fletcher, 18 years of age, of the 4200 block of Smithfield Place in St. Louis, Missouri 63134, for one count of Murder Second Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, one count of Robbery First Degree, one count of Resisting Arrest/Detention by Fleeing. A booking photo of Fletcher is attached. Fletcher is being held on a $250,000 cash only, no 10% bond. The probable cause statement reads: At approximately 3:00 P.M. on June 10, 2023, Officers responded to a report of a shooting at the BP at N. Hanley and I-70. Video surveillance shows Defendant and a passenger get out of a gray Chevrolet Malibu. Defendant is identified as the driver of the gray Chevrolet Malibu. The Victim was observed sitting outside the gas station. Video surveillance shows the Defendant and the passenger have a brief conversation with Victim. Defendant stated Victim asked i

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SPRINGFIELD – Wildlife biologists and conservation police from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) are monitoring reports of black bear sightings in Lake County. The most recent sighting occurred in a backyard in Antioch during the weekend. The bear’s current location is unknown at this time, and IDNR has received no further reports of sightings since early Sunday morning near Antioch. Wildlife biologists believe the Antioch bear is likely the same black bear that was seen in Gurnee last week. Bears are known to travel long distances. This particular bear has not caused any problems, and IDNR encourages people to let it continue its movement without interference. Should anyone see a bear, IDNR encourages them to report it online at https://bit.ly/ IDNRwildlifereport . IDNR further recommends that people who live in the vicinity of a confirmed bear sighting secure their garbage cans and barbecue grills indoors and stop feeding birds for a few days. I

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EDWARDSVILLE - One of the strong points of the Edwardsville Route 66 Festival is there is something for everyone. The day started with the Metro Milers 10K Run, then the festival officially opened at 10 a.m. There was a wide variety of marketplace vendors at the event, a family zone, a local musical showplace, a car show in the Cassens Parking Lot, then the Matt Taul Band, Butch Wax and the Hollywoods and the Well Hungarians closed the night's entertainment. Edwardsville is one of the oldest communities on the historic road. Grace Pellock, special events and marketing coordinator for the City of Edwardsville Park and Recreation team, said she loves the Route 66 Festival. "We expanded the weekend this year and made it a Route 66 theme. The Route 66 Festival is very beloved in the community. It started off the morning with the 10-K run, then the festival started at 10 a.m. We had tons of food vendors music throughout the day, market and artisan vendors and the whole kid zone area.

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ALTON - A newly founded Alton-based nonprofit organization, Sacred Spaces of CARE, is joining efforts alongside the Alton Police Department to address mental health and combat crises. Sacred Spaces of CARE will partner with the department to engage in collaborative, trauma-informed practices to educate, further equip, appropriately support, and safely respond to crises through the creation of the RISE (Restorative Intervention Support Efforts) Program. The initiative aims to provide training and further techniques for law enforcement and all community stakeholders to intentionally support individuals in crisis in an effort to divert from the criminal justice system, reduce barriers to care, and navigate toward appropriate services. “The mental health and wellness of our community is most effectively addressed through collaboration,” according to Megan Tyler, Executive Director of Sacred Spaces of CARE. “There are multiple pathways to recovery and various methods fo

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