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BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL – In a huge win for public higher education and the labor movement in Illinois, 650 tenured and tenure-track faculty at Illinois State University (ISU) filed authorization/membership cards today with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board expressing their intent to unionize. “It’s a really exciting moment for us,” said Xiaoying Zhao, ISU assistant professor of teaching and learning. “Today we have taken the necessary steps to formalize our union and send a clear message that the faculty at ISU want a strong voice to advocate for the needs of our students, this institution, and our colleagues who are dedicated to them both.” United Faculty of ISU (UFISU) officially launched a unionization effort in August. In just weeks, an overwhelming majority of faculty signed cards to say, “Union YES!” Dave Kopsell, ISU professor of agriculture, noted, “Right away, my colleagues and I recognized that joining a union

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CHICAGO - Today Governor JB Pritzker announced several upcoming transitions in state agency leadership. Theresa Eagleson, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), will step down at the end of 2023. The Governor has appointed Lizzy Whitehorn, who currently serves as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services, to serve as Director of HFS beginning January 1, 2024, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. The Governor also announced the upcoming transitions, also at the end of the calendar year, of Paula Basta, Director of the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA), and Marc D. Smith, Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Finally, the Governor announced the appointment of Camile Lindsay as Acting Director of Professional Regulation at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), pending confirmation. Lindsay is currently serving as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Public

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CHICAGO – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today hosted a celebration to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring the work of community leaders. The event was an opportunity to reflect on the great achievements of Hispanics and present awards to eight Latino leaders, including a retired White Sox executive, a TV news anchor, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools and the director of a Puerto Rican arts organization. “Today, let us take a moment to recognize the contributions of our Hispanic and Latino neighbors,” Frerichs said at the event held at the state government building at 555 W. Monroe St. in Chicago. “Let’s celebrate their dedication to making our communities a better place to live, work, and raise a family.” Hispanic Heritage Month is a national observance. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson established a Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to a month. This year’s

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GRAFTON - Summer is over and Raging Rivers is getting spooky this October with a Haunted Trail around the water park. The Raging Rivers’ Haunted Trail is a 30–45 minute walk through “Illinois’s darkest and most haunted forest,” according to the park’s website . Located at 100 Palisades Parkway in Grafton, the trail is open every Saturday from Oct. 7–28. “The land is a cursed graveyard from the old dynamite factory that was forced to shut down because of so many accidents and deaths. Mutants and monsters are lurking in the shadows for their next victim,” the website warns. “The trail will be kid-friendlier in the early evening but as the night gets darker, the ghouls get scarier.” You can expect strobe lights, jump scares, loud noises, fog and other haunted house favorites. Raging Rivers is offering glow bands in different colors, which will indicate what "level of scaring" you want to experience. Tours depart

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GLEN CARBON - State Senator Erica Harriss (56 th -Glen Carbon) has released the following statement following the resignation announcement of Marc Smith, Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: "DCFS is entrusted to protect our most vulnerable children. With the recent release of an audit showing an unacceptable increase in the mishandling of cases by this state agency, it is clear we must take action. I ask the Governor to take significant steps to overhaul the agency before further tragedies strike. We have a moral obligation to get this right."

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ST. LOUIS - Today, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, Ald. Anne Schweitzer (1), Ald. Laura Keys (11), the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (SLAAA), Assessor Michael Dauphin, and local senior citizens held a roundtable to discuss legislation to freeze property taxes for seniors in the City of St. Louis. This tax freeze is permissible under recently enacted state law, and St. Charles County recently enacted legislation to freeze taxes for seniors. This legislation stems from the passage of a new law ( SB 190 ) enacted by the State of Missouri earlier this year. “While the City of St. Louis invests in long left-behind neighborhoods, we can take advantage of new opportunities to help seniors stay in their homes and get some relief from rising property values,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “As we work to finalize legislative proposals, I am thankful to our senior citizens for their insight this morning and to City leaders for their work to support our seniors.” The legislation

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that both lanes of Illinois 143 from just east of Interstate 55 at Tosovsky Lane to U.S. 40 in Madison County will require intermittent daytime lane closures beginning, weather permitting, Tuesday, Oct. 10, through Friday, Oct. 13, and Monday, Oct. 16. The lane closures are necessary for the evaluation of pavement conditions. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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JERSEY COUNTY - Jersey County Sheriff Nicholas Manns released more information today about a Friday, September 29, 2023, incident in rural Jersey County along McClusky Road. "The incident was reported at 3 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2023, and the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), QEM Fire Department, Jerseyville Fire Department, Jersey Community Hospital Ambulance, and Godfrey Fire Department responded to a house fire in rural Jersey County along McClusky Road," he said. "Upon arrival at the property, Jersey County Deputies found the house fully engulfed in flames. QEM and the assisting fire departments worked quickly to extinguish the fire and protect the surrounding property, fields, and crops. "The house was unoccupied at the time. Subsequent investigation, along with invaluable tips from multiple concerned citizens, revealed the fire was arson. Within an hour, JCSO Deputies identified, located, and arrested the arson suspect, identified as Rochelle K. Maltimore (age 31). Maltimore

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ALTON - The Alton Police Department announced today it recently received notice that it has secured over $800,000 in grant funding. The funding is from two separate grants - the Smart Policing Initiative Grant and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the grants will help assist the department in addressing a variety of goals such as violence prevention, crime mapping and crime data transparency, and equipment needs. "The Smart Policing Initiative Grant (SPI) is for $800,000," Chief Ford said. "It is a highly competitive grant with Alton PD being one of only three agencies selected nationwide for the SPI Category 3 grant. The grant is awarded to agencies that are experiencing precipitous increases in crime or in a type(s) of crime within their jurisdictions and propose to implement and test applied justice information-sharing technology designed to respond to the crime increases and improve criminal justice data exchange. "The goals

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ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins will continue to represent Illinois as the State Chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) . MRCTI is an organization that brings together the towns on the Mississippi River. The mayors of these towns connect to discuss management, conservation efforts and ways to celebrate and protect the Mississippi River. “It is exciting to work with mayors on behalf of our river,” Goins said. “This coalition has really gained a strong voice in Washington D.C. because of the collaboration of mayors. We’re mayors from the upper, middle and lower Mississippi, and we comprise 102 mayors who are on the river from Minnesota all the way down to New Orleans. Each of us have our own challenges and our own ideas.” As the Illinois State Chair, Goins will represent the 18 Illinois mayors who are a part of the coalition. He took on this role when the previous Illinois State Chair mayor was not reelected. Goins was

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey County Sheriff’s Office recently issued a press release regarding the residential arson of a home in the 28,000 block of McClusky Road in Jersey County last week. The Sheriff’s Office said the property suffered extensive fire damage, but the suspect was identified, located, and arrested within an hour of committing the arson. The full release from the Sheriff’s Office reads as follows: “On Friday, September 29, 2023, at 3:00 p.m., the Jersey County Sheriff's Office (JCSO), QEM Fire Department, Jerseyville Fire Department, Jersey Community Hospital Ambulance, and Godfrey Fire Department responded to a house fire in rural Jersey County along McClusky Road. Upon arrival at the property, Jersey County Deputies found the house fully engulfed in flames. QEM and the assisting fire departments worked quickly to extinguish the fire and protect the surrounding property, fields, and crops. The house was unoccupied at the time. “Subsequent

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GODFREY - Godfrey trustees voted last night to approve and fund a $9,000 study to gauge the feasibility of building a hotel in the village. Economic Development Director Jim Mager first asked the board to consider approving and funding the study at their Sept. 6, 2023 meeting . At that time, he presented two options for the study at different price points - a basic study for $4,000 or a more in-depth, in-person study for $9,000. According to meeting documents, Mager spoke with the conductor of the 2017 survey, who recommended the $9,000 option for Godfrey. Mager said if the results of the new study come back positive, the village will take an “aggressive” approach to try and recruit hotels. “It’s my personal feeling, for whatever that’s worth, that this is probably something we ought to consider doing,” Mager said. “If you elect to approve this expenditure to do this study, should it come back positive - which it probably will

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OTTAWA – Pebbles, the eldest American bison at Buffalo Rock State Park, died Tuesday afternoon of natural causes. She had been under veterinary care. Pebbles was born at Buffalo Rock on April 25, 2005, and was a popular site for visitors to the park, which is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Two bison remain at the park: Cocoa and her 3-year-old calf, Hope. Hope was born April 28, 2020, just weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic created uncertainty across the world and led to the temporary closure of non-essential businesses and services, including Illinois state parks. Buffalo Rock State Park is located at 1300 N. 27th Road in Ottawa. In addition to bison, which can be seen daily, visitors to the park can enjoy hiking, camping, picnicking, e-bike rentals, and access to the I & M Canal State Trail.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Locally-owned Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors (CBBR) is encouraging people to consider a sweet, not scary, addition to their families this Halloween. The realtor group will be hosting its 7th annual Partners for Pets event on Oct. 14, 2023. The Howl-O-Ween Open House event is open to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 9136 Lower Marine Road in St. Jacob, Illinois. The event is designed to raise donations to support Partners for Pets and find adoptive homes for the animals currently in their care. “We look forward to this event all year long!” said Partners for Pets Director Erika Pratte. “We are so fortunate to have the support of Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors. The funds raised throughout the last seven years have allowed Partners for Pets to launch new community programs, make renovations to our facility, and help countless rescued dogs and cats find happy homes. We hope community members will take this opportunity

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ALTON - Alton history comes to life this month with the 22nd annual Vintage Voices tours at Alton Cemetery. “It’s a walking tour of the cemetery,” explained Kerry Miller, a director with the program. “You have reenactors at various points in the cemetery who are in costume and they will then tell the story of what we call the decedents, who are buried at or near where the actors are located.” Tours will depart every 15 minutes from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2023. A guide will take groups of 8–12 people through the cemetery to listen to the stories of deceased Alton residents, portrayed by local actors. The Vintage Voices program began in 2001. This year, there will be nine stops with 14 actors. The walk through Alton Cemetery lasts a little over an hour and the path can include unsteady ground, so there is also a 5 p.m. performance at the Lovejoy Event Center on Oct. 15, 2023 for those who would rather skip the walking

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This time of year, many sports are calling for our attention. From college and pro football to postseason baseball and school soccer, it’s likely a lot of us will spend hours watching a game or match – whether in person or on TV. And almost as important as watching the game is having snacks on hand while doing so, whether we’re cheering our kids from the sideline or hosting friends to watch the big weekend matchup. Unfortunately, many traditional game day snacks aren’t the healthiest choices. Foods such as chips and dip, nachos, chili, pizza and sweets may be filled with flavor but are far from ideal when it comes to nutrition. Often, they’re high in calories, sugar, salt, red and processed meat and unhealthy fats. But, of course, snacks and snacking by themselves aren’t unhealthy. In fact, they can absolutely be part of healthy eating, said Lauren Gallen, a registered dietitian at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis. And if we’re going for

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SPRINGFIELD – Under the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the Illinois State Police (ISP) has enhanced its coordination with all local law enforcement agencies as part of the background check process for those younger than 21 years. BSCA allows for more thorough background checks by expanding what records are being reviewed and allowing more time to look into the records if required. “Every day, ISP performs lifesaving background checks on firearms purchasers to prevent individuals who are a threat to themselves or others from obtaining a gun,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Under this federal Act, ISP has enhanced our background check process for those under 21, giving law enforcement a fuller picture of the individual seeking to buy a firearm, stopping potential tragedies. This is not theoretical – this is real interdiction that happens every day.” One of the greatest enhancements for ISP is communicating with

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program opened Oct. 2. State Senator Christopher Belt is urging eligible families to apply for this program to receive assistance with natural gas, propane and electricity bills. “LIHEAP is an excellent program the state offers for those who struggle to keep up with the high cost of energy bills,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “I want everyone to be warm and safe as winter approaches, so I’m encouraging all eligible residents and families to take advantage of this program as soon as possible.” Families whose combined income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, have a household with a senior or a child under age 6, and/or a person with a disability are now eligible to receive support through LIHEAP. A chart with eligible income thresholds can be found here. Additional eligible households will be able to apply for assistance during upcoming application opening periods

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Bost Statement On House Speaker Vote WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) issued the following statement regarding the vote to vacate the speakership: "Under Kevin McCarthy’s speakership, the House has passed legislation to secure the southern border, unleash America’s energy potential, ensure parents have a say in what their children are learning in the classroom, provide for our veterans, and overturn the Biden administration’s crippling COVID mandates. Each of these conservative victories were accomplished despite the narrowest majority in history. But now, that agenda is at risk at a time we can least afford it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if conservatives truly want to defend our values, then we must stop fighting each other and start taking it to the liberals who voted in lockstep against Kevin McCarthy today." Statement from Rep. Robin Kelly on the Removal of Speaker McCarthy Congresswoman

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is celebrating National Women’s Business Month throughout October by recognizing the significant contributions of women-owned businesses throughout the state. The monthlong celebration – which is designated through a proclamation – includes business resources such as virtual and in-person events, resource guides for financial and social capital, business spotlights on social media, and a social media campaign to support and elevate Illinois women-owned businesses. “This month and every month, we’re proud to continue supporting, uplifting, and celebrating women-owned businesses throughout our great state,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “For too long, women business leaders and entrepreneurs faced systemic and financial barriers when starting and growing a business -- but here in Illinois, we're making it possible for everyone to succeed through increased

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