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GRAFTON - Those hoping to catch some Music in the Park in Grafton will have two more opportunities coming up this summer, with bands Krickett and the Grilled Avocados on Aug. 17 and Outlaw Opry on Aug. 24. Grafton's Music in the Park takes place each summer on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. at Grove Memorial Park. Peg Brooks with Grafton's Music in the Park said this year’s concert series has been met with an “amazing” amount of support and large turnouts so far. “Music in the Park has been met with amazing donors, biggest crowds ever - even in the heat - so many positive comments, and support,” Brooks said. “We - myself, my daughter Nickie Brooks, my husband Mike, and the Grafton Chamber are so happy with our growth. We have tried to add new incentives each year to keep our concert series growing.” Brooks said her family has made several additions to the concert series since they began overseeing Music in the Park. Among these additions

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ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District 11 (ACUSD11) will introduce a new mathematics curriculum and report card system for grade school students this year. These changes aim to better support kids and increase the collaboration between students. The new math curriculum, called i-Ready Classroom Mathematics, is a program that focuses heavily on numbers and real-life applications of math. Grades K-8 will use i-Ready Classroom Mathematics “to build mathematical thinkers and lifelong problem-solvers,” Superintendent Dr. Kristie Baumgartner explained. “Students will try problems, discuss their thinking with peers, and connect their strategies with the strategies of others,” Baumgartner said. “i-Ready Classroom Mathematics is paired with a diagnostic assessment that allows teachers to determine individual student needs and differentiate instruction to meet each student where they currently are.” Middle school classrooms at ACUSD11 already utilized

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GLEN CARBON - MidAmerica Plastic Surgery and The Spa will be hosting their annual Patient Appreciation Event on September 21, 2023. Historically, this event consisted of food trucks, live music, and activities for all guests. As a Southern Illinois native raised in Marion, Dr. Diederich says, “This region has provided us with so many opportunities. The people of the Midwest and their values helped make me who I am today. Being able to give back to the community is important.” Blues Fired Pizza and Seoul Taco will be dishing out some great food while Destination Desserts serves up some sweet treats. In addition to some tasty treats, Wandering Sidecar Bar will be serving both adult beverages and non-alcoholic options throughout the evening. As a thank you, all patients in attendance will be able to build their own flower bouquet. Guests can also expect to enjoy live music and be entered into exciting giveaways. You won’t want to miss it! “The support of our patients

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CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered remarks at the National Black Prosecutors Association’s (NBPA) 40 th Annual Conference in Chicago, the same city where 100 Black prosecutors met for the first time in 1983 and brought about the organization’s founding. NBPA describes itself as the “only professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of blacks as prosecutors” and “emerging as the international association of black law enforcement professionals with a reputation for providing education and leadership in the legal profession through its intensive training sessions and multi-disciplined networking.” Key Durbin quotes as prepared for delivery: “It’s great to have the annual conference back here in NBPA’s home base of Chicago. This is where, in 1983, more than 100 Black prosecutors met for the first time to discuss their commo

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VIRDEN - A Raymond man died in a single-engine plane crash that occurred at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Macoupin County Coroner Anthony Kravanya announced the plane crash death Monday afternoon. The man was identified as Gregory M. Bierman, 62, of Raymond, the coroner said. Bierman was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Kravanya. "Preliminary autopsy findings suggest he died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the crash," the coroner said. "The death remains under investigation by the Macoupin County Coroner’s Office, Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Traffic Safety Board."

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HAWAII - As wildfires devastate Maui, a former Riverbend resident is asking people to donate toys and school supplies for kids who have lost everything. Brad Beck lives with his wife in Hawaii but grew up in the Riverbend, and he has seen the destruction firsthand. When Beck dropped off supplies at the War Memorial Stadium in Kahului, which is operating as a recovery center for about 1,000 people right now, he couldn’t look away from the young kids who lost their homes overnight. “A $10 toy could change the world for these kids right now,” Beck said. “These kids have lost everything. I mean, absolutely, because people ran. No one had time to really grab anything. So what we wanted to do was a toy drive so that these kids could at least have something to hold on to that is theirs, that could maybe bring some kind of relief in all this madness.” Beck is asking anyone who is able to donate toys, backpacks and school supplies for Maui children. Because

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GRANITE CITY - United States Steel, a publicly traded company, announced on Sunday it has launched a strategic review to consider selling all or part of the company. News of the potential sale comes just after U.S. Steel announced it would partner with Google Cloud to use artificial intelligence technology at iron ore facilities in Minnesota. United States Steel operates a plant in Granite City and three plants in southwestern Pennsylvania and has its corporate offices there. David Burritt, the president and CEO of U.S. Steel, said recently the company was “extremely well positioned for what we believe will be the best American steel market in a generation." U.S. Steel reported second-quarter earnings of $477 million. Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson said he still needed to review the U.S. Steel message and would make a statement on Tuesday. Dan Simmons, USW Local Union 1899 president, released the following statement about the U.S. Steel announcement: “We at the office

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is reminding the public about the importance of focusing on roadway safety as children across the state prepare to head back to school, especially laws specific to the safety of children in school zones and while boarding buses. Back-to-School season means an increase in pedestrians and bicyclists in traffic during morning and afternoon commutes. Not only are children walking to school and bus stops, they are also riding bicycles and crossing the street. While crosswalks are designed for pedestrians to cross the road safely, children sometimes walk in-between cars in an unsafe manner, not understanding the potential consequences of their actions. Motorists are reminded to be alert while driving through streets with parked cars that may conceal a child. Unless otherwise posted, pedestrians have the right-of-way at crosswalks. Parents and caregivers should also educate their children on proper crosswalk procedures and the importance

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DORSEY/COTTAGE HILLS - Three local young men have won international titles in ninja, a sport where athletes test their speed, gymnastics and parkour skills by running through a timed obstacle course. In the past two months, Phill Folsom, 17, took first place at both the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Finals and the Federation of International Ninja Athletics (FINA) National Finals. Sam Folsom, 19, placed second in the FINA competition alongside his brother. Their friend Tyler Smith, 17, won gold in the Ninja World Cup and the World Ninja League Championships . “To watch him do good made me feel good,” Tyler said about seeing his friends win. “I started training with Phil and his older brother Sam close to six years ago. So just competing with them and training with them for so long, and then watching them do well — it’s a great bond that you can have, doing a sport with your best friends.” While the boys enjoy competing,

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ALTON - School starts this week, but it doesn’t have to be hectic with Kalli Erwin’s advice. Erwin, the owner of Just Right Organizing , offers clean-up and organizing services to people throughout the Riverbend area. She also has two young kids and previously worked as a guidance counselor, which means she understands how overwhelming the beginning of the school year can be. She stopped by our Our Daily Show! to share some tips on starting off the year with less clutter and less stress. “When people hire me, I say, ‘Just tell me all the things that have been driving you crazy, and we’re going to go in and clean it up,’” Erwin said. “For me, it’s about establishing a flow. And sometimes as an outsider coming in, I can have a really good perspective on it because it’s not my home.” Erwin’s services include in-person sessions and additional organization counseling. But in the meantime, she has

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EAST ALTON - The East Alton Fire Department issued a salute today for a retired firefighter who died on Friday, Aug. 11, Mike Rhodes. Mike was an East Alton firefighter for 13 years as a member of the department from 1983 to 1996. He also was asked to return as an advisor for a very successful explorer program. The fire department has displayed black bunting at Station 1 in honor of Mike’s loss. Mike was married to Karen, and has one child, Chris Rhodes, who followed in his footsteps as a Bethalto firefighter and is also the operator of the Madison County Scanner page, so his love of scanner activities likely stemmed from his father's influence. Chris said his dad left firefighting in 1996 when Chris was having some health issues and had to go to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis once a week. He told the East Alton fire officials at that time he had to put his family first. Chris was an athlete and said he never remembers his dad missing one of his soccer, basketball,

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JERSEYVILLE - Two individuals from Jerseyville were arrested on meth possession charges in Jersey County over the past week, according to recent court filings. Geoffrey J. Scott, 42, of Jerseyville, was charged with possession of more than 15 but less than 100 grams of methamphetamine on Aug. 8. Scott was charged with one Class 1 felony and his bail was set at $20,000. David D. Gettings, 60, also of Jerseyville, was charged on Aug. 9 with possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Gettings was charged with a Class 3 felony and his bail was set at $10,000. The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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PIASA - Reagan Beilsmith finished a successful girls' track season this past spring and is now ready for fall cross country challenges, her Piasa Birds’ girls cross country coach Gary Bowker says. Now a junior, Reagan will once again be one of Southwestern’s top female runners in cross country. Reagan is a reigning 3,200-meter Macoupin Conference champion and Bowker expects big things from her in cross country. Reagan is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. “I think her success in track and field will carry over into cross country,” the coach said. “Reagan is a steady competitor.” Coach Bowker said Reagan's best attribute is that she “always gives her everything when she is racing and training.” Reagan recorded a time of 3:15.56 in the 800 meters in the 2023 IHSA Class 1A Track Sectional at Carlinville in May. She won the Macoupin County Meet with a time of 15:35.77 in the 3,200

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SPRINGFIELD - In honor of National Minority Donor Awareness Month, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joined community groups, leaders, donor families and recipients to highlight the need for minorities and people of color to join the state's organ donation registry. “My hope is that communities across Illinois of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities can be informed and have a positive outlook on organ donation and its life-saving impacts,” Giannoulias said. “There is an especially great need for organ donation within communities of color, and the more people learn about it, the more likely they are to be donors.” During this month, Giannoulias is working to create a positive culture around organ donation in multicultural communities through outreach and education. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black people have the greatest need for organ transplants, specifically for kidneys, hearts and lungs. Of the total number

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ALTON - Tickets for Marquette Catholic High School’s Mega Raffle are on sale starting today, Aug. 14. One lucky ticket holder will win $50,000. The mega raffle drawing is on Sept. 23 during Marquette’s Homecoming Block Party. But in the weeks leading up to it, there will also be weekly early bird drawings for $1,000. Marquette families have the chance to win free tuition for their student by selling raffle tickets. “The profit directly supports Marquette Catholic High School, and so it’s one of our bigger fundraisers for sure,” said Mary Hough, Marquette’s Director of Development and raffle organizer. “I think a lot of people, when they purchase their tickets, they want to win that money for sure. But they also know they’re supporting the school. It’s a great fundraiser for us.” Marquette will celebrate the raffle and the beginning of the school year with a Mega Raffle Kickoff Party on Aug. 19 after the football team’s

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ALTON - Alton High School has implemented a program that aims to ease the transition into high school by pairing freshmen with an upperclassman mentor. The program, called Link Crew, is used in high schools around the world to provide play-based mentorship to ninth graders. At Alton High School (AHS), the upperclassmen will meet with their group of freshmen every month to chat about both academic and social challenges. “What’s super important to me about this is with our incoming freshmen, they’re going to actually have someone — a peer — that they can go to, that they can converse with about different social issues that are happening or academic issues that are happening that they don’t necessarily feel comfortable with talking to adults about,” Amy Golley, the district’s Educational Equity Coordinator, said. “So that bonding or that relationship that they’re going to build is going to be really important. Assistant

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EDWARDSVILLE – On Sunday, August 20, the D.A.R.E. Car-Truck-Motorcycle Show returns for its 31st year as a showcase for some of the hottest hot rods, coolest cars and an overall huge variety of wheeled wonders. The event serves as an annual fundraiser to support the Edwardsville Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program, which has been taught by officers in Edwardsville schools for at least 30 years. The 2023 show will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Edwardsville High School, 6161 Center Grove Road. It is free for spectators, but there is a fee for those who want to display a vehicle. Vehicles will be featured in at least 44 classes. Additionally, motorcycles and tractors are again part of the show, but for display only. Last year, about 460 vehicles were on display, and the officers organizing the show are hoping for that many vehicles or more again this year. While the event is a big draw for auto aficionados, it offers something for everyone.

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HARDIN - These are reports of two Aggravated Battery cases in Calhoun County. On August 7th, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a disturbance in progress on Pleasant Dale Hollow, in Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, Robert L. Jarvis, aged 36, of Kampsville, for the following offense: Aggravated Battery - Person 60 Years or Older Jarvis was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Greene County Jail. Sterms Hollow Disturbance On July 16, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a disturbance in progress on Sterns Hollow, in Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, Sydney J. Mulder, aged 50, of Belleville, IL, for the following offense: Aggravated Battery - Person 60 Years or Older Criminal Damage to Property Mulder was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Greene County Jail. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court

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SOUTH ROXANA - With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our esteemed Village Trustee, Dwight Duke, who departed this world at the age of 77 after a brave fight with congestive heart failure. A lifelong resident of South Roxana, Mr. Duke's dedication to our community was unparalleled. He served over 12 years as a trustee, acted as the Police Chairman for the Village of South Roxana, and was a proud Navy veteran. His contributions extended beyond public service, as he also volunteered countless hours with our public works department, enriching our town in countless ways. "I have known Dwight Duke for 30 years," said Chief of Police Bob Coles, "and to say I am a better person for knowing him is an understatement to his character and the kind of person Dwight was. The village will miss his leadership and I will miss my afternoon conversations with him." Dwight leaves behind his beloved wife, Suzy Duke, who is undergoing radiation treatments. Unfortunately, Dwight did not have life

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SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is announcing that the next funding round for Illinois’ Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program will open Wednesday, November 1, 2023 and run through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Individuals that purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle from an Illinois licensed dealer, meet all other eligibility requirements, and apply during the rebate cycle will be eligible for a rebate as long as funds are available. Forms and instructions on submitting a rebate application will be made available on the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage on October 18, 2023.Illinois EPA Announces Dates of Next Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Funding Round “Here in Illinois, we are leading the clean energy revolution—providing competitive incentives for companies and consumers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Ever since I signed the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, we’ve distributed

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