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PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched his third campaign for the White House. “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said before an audience of several hundred supporters in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, where he stood flanked by American flags and banners bearing his “Make America Great Again” slogan. “America’s comeback starts right now," he said, formally beginning the 2024 Republican primary. “We are a nation in decline,” he said. “We are here tonight to declare that it does not have to be this way.” Donald’s daughter Ivanka, released a statement after the announcement, saying that she does not plan to be involved in his campaign. “While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena,” she said in a

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GODFREY – Bethalto Superintendent Jill Griffin is the newest member of the Lewis and Clark Community College Board of Trustees. Griffin was sworn in during the Board’s regular meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 15, and will finish out the term of former chairperson David Heyen, which runs through April 2023. Griffin plans to run in the April election to maintain her position on the Board. “I have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for this work, as I’ve seen the power of education and its ability to transform lives,” Griffin said. “My education has opened doors for me that I never thought possible, and I believe in providing the same access and opportunity for all students interested in a post-secondary pathway. I am excited to be a part of the vision and opportunity that I believe exists at Lewis and Clark Community College. I want to assist in moving that vision forward on behalf of all L&C students.” Griffin has served the Bethalto School District a

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville girls soccer star Olivia Bacca made one of her dreams come true this past week on National Signing Day when she signed a letter of intent to attend Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Olivia said she was so excited to attend Xavier on a soccer scholarship next season. “It is like a dream come true,” she said. “It means a lot to me. I have been working for this since I was a little girl and it is really an exciting moment for me.” Olivia’s head coach Abbie Federmann said Olivia will be great at her next level. “Olivia had a break-out season last year scoring-wise and led us to as far as we have gotten in the last 10 years in the post-season,” the coach said. “She is just a force out there and is a very pleasant player to coach. I am a Cincinnati girl, so I am glad she is going to Xavier.” Amy Cotton, Lucas Cotton and Brian Bacca, her parents, all expressed pride in her decision. “She has put

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ALTON - Joseph Brangenberg of Marquette Catholic High School and Madison Ingram of Alton High School were honored as Students of the Month of November at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey held at Gentelin’s Restaurant. Joseph Brangenberg is a senior at Marquette Catholic High School. He is the son of Rod and Julie Brangenberg. He has an older brother, Jack, and a younger sister, Rose. His Academic Achievements include National Honor Society, being inducted in his junior year, and High Honor Roll all years at MCHS. He carries a 4.1 GPA. Joe’s extracurricular activities include Marquette Boys Varsity Tennis and Varsity Soccer for three years. He also plays Alton Irish Soccer and indoor soccer with his friends. Joe and his doubles partner Stetson won the Alton Junior Open and Riverbend Open last summer. Some of Joe’s hobbies include weightlifting, snow skiing, water sports, golf, hunting, fishing, and playing the piano. He is in three clubs at Marquette,

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GRANITE CITY - GCS Credit Union’s President and CEO, Keith Burton, was recently awarded the Illinois Credit Union League 2022 Hall of Fame Leadership Award. The Hall of Fame Leadership Award recognizes an individual’s contribution to the credit union movement in Illinois at the state and/or national level. Keith traveled to Chicago in early November to attend the Illinois Credit Union League’s Annual Convention where he was presented with his award during the Celebration Luncheon. Keith is the type of leader who encourages others to bring their own creativity, initiative, and persistence toward team goals. He is so passionate about encouraging the staff of GCS Credit Union that he instilled this into the core values of GCS. Mr. Burton is very active in the community. He volunteers for community events and civic committees. He is a proud volunteer, board member, and previous Executive Board Chair for the United Way. Also, a Granite City Area Community Foundation

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GODFREY - The Annual Cookies and Cocoa for Community Christmas sponsored by Freer Auto Body will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. Those who attend are encouraged to stop by with donations of money, toys, or coats for the United Way’s Community Christmas campaign. Margaret Freer of Freer Auto Body, said they are excited about having the Cookies and Cocoa event in more of a pre-COVID-19 sense after a few years of the pandemic. Please come and enjoy fresh baked cookies and homemade cocoa and drop off a toy or coat for Community Christmas!," Margaret said. "All items collected stay for local families!" Margaret explained they were excited to have the event return to a sense of normalcy. “We will have an event where everybody collects and sorts and more people can be together,” she said. “Working together the last few years with the COVID Pandemic, sometimes all people wanted to do is give a gift card or money. We are also hoping people can brin

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EDWARDSVILLE - Retiring Chief Judge William A. Mudge announced today that Circuit Judge Steve Stobbs has been selected to serve as the next Chief Judge for a two-year term. The ballots submitted by the Circuit Judges were unanimous. Judge Mudge is retiring on December 4. Judge Stobbs will commence serving in his new role on December 5. “I am honored to be selected by my colleagues to serve as Chief Judge. I look forward to working with my fellow judges and the wonderful employees at the Courthouse to serve the people of the Third Judicial Circuit,” Stobbs said. “Judge Stobbs is a respected and experienced jurist and I leave the Third Judicial Circuit in good hands with him at the helm,” said Mudge. Chief Judge Stobbs was elected Circuit Judge as a Republican in 2020 after first serving as an Associate Judge for fourteen years. Prior to his judicial career, Stobbs served as a member of the Madison County Board representing Godfrey. Throughout his judicial career,

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ALTON - An Alton Thanksgiving tradition - the 10-mile Great River Road Race - is set for its 63rd edition on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Downtown Alton. The race starts at 10 a.m. and finishes next to Ardent Mills in Alton, but reaches out five miles on the River Road and back on a flat course alongside the beauty of the Mississippi River. The Alton Road Runners Club hosts the race each year. The proceeds from the race pay for the Road Runners summer series of three races in June, July, and August for children, and also the Runners of the Year Banquet. Russ Colona, the race director, said the race is a such deep-rooted tradition for families. Families put away the Thanksgiving turkey and on the Saturday after the holiday run it off in the 10-mile or 5K River Road races. Luke Padesky and April Lund came out as the winners in the 10-mile races in 2021, while Emil Schlueter and Alyssa Mann took the 5K titles in the 62nd annual Great River Road Run. Lund has entered again and she recorded

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GLEN CARBON - The Goshen Academy of Martial Arts - Edwardsville/Glen Carbon - had a ribbon cut last week to celebrate new owner Nathan Wilkening. Wilkening plans to continue to change the lives of children and adults through martial arts. The Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce hosted the ribbon cut. The business is located at 310 Hillsboro Avenue, Edwardsville. Master Rich Grogan started this business 25 years ago and now Nathan, the master instructor of the academy, plans to take it into the next generation. Wilkening said he studied under Grogan as one of his first students and both think it will be a good transition carrying on what was started over the years with teaching life skills and character development. “I love martial arts and the type of service we provide,” Wilkening said. “Martial arts teaches you skills in all aspects of life. As a kid, I loved Chuck Norris, but what I found as I studied martial arts is I became a better person. I want

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased in a homicide in the 11100 block of Riaza Square in St. Louis County has been identified as Mikiah Darden, 33 years of age, of unknown address. At 10:02 p.m. on November 13, 2022, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a ShotSpotter activation in the area of Larimore Parkway and Riaza Square. Responding officers located an adult male in a parking lot in the 11100 block of Riaza Square suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers immediately rendered life-saving aid but the victim later succumbed to his injuries at an area hospital and was pronounced deceased. Preliminary investigation has revealed the shooting was the result of an altercation. St. Louis County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons detectives are conducting the investigation. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact

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ALTON – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation's largest mass torts firms and a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, is pleased to announce that Patricia Llanos has been selected to the 2022 edition of Missouri & Kansas Rising Stars. Llanos, an associate in the firm’s Asbestos Department, focuses her practice on helping individuals and families affected by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Previously, she focused on personal injury law at a St. Louis area law firm and worked for the New York City Department of Health and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services – Office of Minority Health. No more than 2.5 percent of attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or practicing for 10 or fewer years are included in the Rising Stars list. Published by Thomson Reuters, Super Lawyers uses independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations to determine the honorees. The Missouri & Kansas

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WOOD RIVER - Mia Seibert is now in her fourth year as an East Alton-Wood River High School cheerleader and she has been highly recognized for her efforts. Mia was an all-conference selection as a junior. Mia is recognized today as a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. Mia commended her coach and family for their assistance in her cheerleading career: "I would like to thank my coach, Alison Beachum, she has pushed me to become a better athlete mentally and physically. I would also like to thank my mom and sister, they have been my biggest supporters throughout my cheering career and I appreciate all they do for me." Mia was Rookie of the Year her freshman year for the Oilers and Co-MVP this high school football season by her teammates. "My favorite part about cheerleading is the friendships and lessons I have learned," she said. In her free time, Mia said she enjoys going to the gym and she teaches gymnastics to younger kids for the City of

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ILLINOIS - The Workers’ Rights Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine collective bargaining rights into the Illinois state constitution, still appears on track to pass one week after Election Day. There were two ways for the amendment to pass: if 60% of voters voting on the question approved it, or if over 50% of all voters - whether they skipped the question or not - approved it. The Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights Campaign held a virtual press briefing this morning providing an update on the current vote count. Using compiled public election results and data from Illinois election authorities , the campaign calculated current support for the amendment at 58.31% of those voting on the question and 53.05% of all voters, giving the amendment a path to passage. Director Samantha McClain said even the remaining mail-in ballots left to be counted could not stop the amendment from passing. “We can confidently assert that the Workers’

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EDWARDSVILLE -The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) provided free dental care to 85 deserving veterans during the fifth annual Veteran’s Care Day on Thursday, Nov. 10. SIU SDM provided more than $45,000 worth of free dental treatment during the event, including cleanings, x-rays, fillings, and extractions. Veteran Marine John W. Smith attended the event for the first time. Due to various circumstances, he had to take three different buses just to get to the dental clinic. Smith wanted to make sure he was not going to miss the opportunity to gain free, comprehensive dental care. “I need to get some teeth pulled. They hurt really bad,” said Smith. “I am thankful that the SIU SDM is doing this for the vets. It is really helping me out.” “We know the veterans are appreciative of this opportunity,” said SIU SDM Director of Community Dentistry Katie Kosten, DMD. “We are incredibly appreciative of them and what

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JERSEY - Nick Manns is excited to take his vast law enforcement experience and return to the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office he once served for three years as a detective. Manns recently captured the sheriff’s race in Jersey County in the November election over incumbent Mike Ringhausen. Manns issued a statement of thanks to his supporters after his election: “I want to send out some heartfelt thanks. I just want to thank my remarkable wife, my incredibly supportive family, and in-laws, and the scores of great volunteers that have been with Robin and me during this campaign. When we started, I was most concerned about how we would spread our message and ideas for the future of our Sheriff’s Office without a political party structure (he ran as an independent). Then, family, friends, and Jersey County citizens from both parties volunteered to help. “In the end, I know all of you helped me accomplish the only goal I had in this campaign: “to run a

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JERSEY COUNTY - A compact history of Abraham Lincoln’s ties to Jersey County is scheduled for release in mid-December. Acclaimed writer Tom Emery of Carlinville is releasing Lincoln and Jersey County, Illinois , which features a wide variety of stories of the sixteenth President and Jersey County, many that have never been covered. Though there is no proof that Lincoln ever appeared in Jersey County, he had plenty of connections to the area. Several friends and associates of Lincoln called Jersey County home, and some of his most noteworthy moments had a Jersey County connection. Among them are the famous “almanac trial,” which is considered one of Lincoln’s finest courtroom moments. The judge on that trial, James Harriott, was a former Jerseyville resident. A brakeman on Lincoln’s funeral train in Illinois was William Porter, a longtime resident of Jerseyville who left valuable recollections of his hours on the train. There’s also the story

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ALTON - New Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford has worked his way to the top of the department with 18 years of dedication and service to the department. Jarrett was born and raised in Alton by his mom and graduated from Alton High School in 2000. He also graduated from McKendree College (now McKendree University) in Lebanon, IL., in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in economics and finance. He also later obtained an associate's degree in law enforcement from Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey. The Alton man was hired at age 22 in January 2005 by the Alton Police Department. "My first three years I spent as a patrol officer and then received the opportunity to work in the Criminal Investigations Division as a Detective working all felony cases," he said. "After working five years as a Detective, I was promoted to Sergeant where I briefly returned to the Patrol Division as a supervisor before returning back to detectives as the Detective Sergeant supervisor. "In 2017, I was promoted

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ST. LOUIS - The seventh annual Winterfest in Kiener Plaza, presented by Bank of America and World Wide Technology and produced by Gateway Arch Park Foundation in partnership with the St. Louis Blues, opens Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 and runs through Jan. 1, 2023. Winterfest features holiday fun like ice skating, holiday lights and music, festive beverages and food, heated igloos, s’mores stations, a two-day Winter Market, visits with princesses and superheroes, and a New Year’s Eve celebration with a spectacular fireworks show. St. Louis celebrity chef Juwan Rice (JR), owner of JR’s Gourmet, returns for his second year as the exclusive catering partner for the Winterfest Cafe´. The second annual Winterfest 5K and 1-mile Kids Fun Run through the Arch grounds will kick off the festivities on Nov. 19. The 5K is presented by Caleres and the Kids Fun Run is supported by Famous Footwear, produced in partnership with Big River Running. Race proceeds benefit Gateway Arch

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GRAFTON - It’s beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas than summer and that means it’s time to snag a Raging Rivers 2023 season pass or two for that special someone on your holiday list. Raging Rivers Waterpark is having a Cyber Sale now through Nov. 30 for the lowest price on 2023 Season Passes. Save up to $35 off the regular-priced passes and purchase a General Season Pass for $49.99 and a Platinum Season Pass for $64.99 during the Cyber Sale. A season pass pays for itself in less than 3 visits and can be purchased for as low as $12.50 per month for a Regular Pass and $16.24 per month for a Platinum Pass plus tax/fees with a 4-month payment plan. All season passes include unlimited visits for one individual; discounts on food, beverage, and retail purchases at park outlets; admission to Family Nights and KidsFest; and free admission to Raging Rivers' 3rd Annual Mushroom Festival. In addition to those great pass perks, a General Season Pass comes with 1 bring-a-friend

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Alderman Elizabeth Grant was among area leaders who took a cross-country flight as part of a demonstration of the essential partnership between communities and U.S. military installations such as Scott Air Force Base. Grant was among regional officials who flew aboard a military aircraft from Scott Air Force Base to Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina for two days of meetings on November 8-9. Alderman Grant met with military personnel and Charleston-area municipal leaders, explored aircraft, and visited sites representing numerous branches of the military as part of the civic leader tour. “Partnering with the U.S. Air Force to understand the economic impact that military installations and municipalities have in our surrounding communities was the focus of the conference,” she said. “I was very impressed with the positive exchange between military personnel and municipal leaders.” Joint Base Charleston is one of 12 Department

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