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The next Madison County primary election is officially underway, following Monday’s deadline for candidates to file their intent to run. Madison County will see some competition over a few offices and county board seats on June 28. Republicans Mike Walters and Linda Andreas will compete for the office of Madison County Clerk, while incumbent Debbie Ming-Mendoza will run unopposed for the Democratic ticket. Doug Hulme will challenge incumbent Chris Slusser for County Treasurer, both Republicans. Two Republicans will also face off to become County Sheriff, Jeff Connor and Jeff Larner. There will also be some competition over several Madison County Board seats this year. In the county’s 2nd District, incumbent Stacey Pace will be challenged by Christopher J. Willis for the Republican ticket. Democrat Charles “CJ” Metheney will run unopposed. Districts 7 and 8 will both see their incumbent candidates challenged. In the 7th District, incumbent Ray Wesley

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ST. LOUIS - St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are currently investigating a homicide in the 1400 block of Dunn Road which resulted in the death of an adult male. On March 15, 2022, at approximately 2:20 PM, St. Louis County Police Officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a sudden death in the 1400 block of Dunn Road, the Budget Inn. Officers discovered an adult male deceased in a room in the hotel. Further investigation revealed the death to be a homicide. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak to investigators if you have any information regarding the incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477) if you have any information regarding the incident.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Following reports of a 165,000-gallon crude oil spill affecting Cahokia Creek, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has referred an enforcement action against Marathon Pipe Line LLC (Marathon) to the Illinois Attorney General’s office. Sierra Club supports the decision of the IEPA, and the commitment of Attorney General Raoul to ensure that Marathon remediates the spill. In addition to immediate cleanup response, Sierra Club urges the Attorney General’s office to hold Marathon responsible for identifying the cause of the spill, and for investigating and remedying the long-term effects that the spillage of crude oil in groundwater and soil may have on the health and safety of the community, environment, and Cahokia Creek. The Marathon Pipe Line leak was first reported the morning of Friday, March 11, when residents identified the strong odor of crude oil. The leak began in Edwardsville near IL-143 & Old Alton Edwardsville Road, and entered

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DOW - Treehouse Wildlife Center Executive Director Sherri Easley announced a statement today about the recent Marathon Pipeline leak near Edwardsville. The statement went as follows: “Treehouse Wildlife Center is very busy at this time, focusing on wildlife rescue as part of the Edwardsville Response. All of our staff and volunteers are working hard to care for the animals entrusted to our protection. "Marathon Pipe Line is covering all expenses related to the wildlife rehabilitation effort and providing all needed resources to recover and rehabilitate impacted wildlife. We appreciate MPL’s commitment to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife that has been affected by oil. For information concerning the Edwardsville Response, please contact Joe Gannon at 210-415-7684." Easley continued and said: "With spring baby season arriving, community support will ensure we can continue our outstanding care for those sick, injured and orphaned animals we will normally receive during

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GODFREY - The construction for a new concession stand for the upcoming Splash Pad project is underway this week at Glazebrook Park, Rich Berran, PE, a Village of Godfrey engineer, said on Tuesday. "Trusses are being set today," he said. "Some electrical work, lights, and sidewalks in preparation for the installation of the Splash Pad are also being done." Berran said by the first of April the Splash Pad foundation work will be done and once the Splash Pad equipment is in it will be put together. He said the goal was to have the Splash Pad operable by summer. The new splash pad is part of the OSLAD (Open Space Lands Question and Development Program from the Department of Natural Resources. The splash pad is supposed to be completed by the end of May. Berran is overseeing the project as it evolves, then Park and Rec Director Chris Logan will take command once it is built.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Elaine Beckland, 49, announced Friday she has filed petitions to run on the Republican Party ticket for a seat on the Madison County Board in district 20 in 2022. Beckland made her decision to run because she believes the voters in district 20 deserve to have a real representative that will be an advocate for them on the Madison County Board. Beckland feels strongly about bringing important issues to the people for a vote instead of keeping them behind closed doors. Elaine’s family members are lifelong Granite City residents and Beckland has experience in public office as a former Nameoki Township Assessor. “I’m experienced in assessment and taxation practices, and I want to make sure residents of District 20 pay the least they can. I’ll do that by working with the Madison County Assessor's Office and the board of Review” Beckland said. Elaine Beckland is also an experienced Republican and has concerns about her opponent Denise Wiehardt’

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ALTON - Wild Pickins, a winery in Chesterfield, Illinois, is expanding into the Alton area with Sip & Play Wine and Gaming Café, a wine bar, and a gaming room that will feature slot machines, Wild Pickins wines, and more. “We wanted it to be a very scaled-down version of Wild Pickins where we could sell our wine and have some gaming,” said Leslie Snider, who co-owns Sip & Play with Todd McGill. “The games are slot machines through the state of Illinois. has nine varieties of his own wine, ranging from dry to sweet, semi-sweet in the middle. He makes all his own wine.” In addition, Snider said the café will have “Wineritas,” which are wine slushies, and a small menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Snider said they were looking to expand Wild Pickins and bring it closer to some of their most loyal customers, allowing Altonians to get some of their favorite wines in a fraction of the time. “Wild Pickins Winery …

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Mark Bennett on today’s date, for the production of child pornography. Judge Autrey set sentencing for June 13, 2022. At sentencing, Bennett is subject to imprisonment of not less than fifteen years and not more than thirty years, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The Court may also impose a period of supervised release of not more than life and not less than five years. According to the plea agreement, on December 11, 2019, Bennett attempted to download child pornography from a Microsoft search engine. Due to material sought, Microsoft reported the activity as a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on December 12, 2019. This cyber tip led to a law enforcement investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence of Bennett. A subsequent

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STAUNTON - The Highball Chapter of Ducks Unlimited had a highly successful banquet recently with just under 500 people attending and grossing more than $100,000. The crowd willingly donated thousands of dollars to help with conservation. Jim and Kelli Steward are spokespeople for the event. Jim said he wants to thank everyone for their generous donations, support, underwrites, and sponsorships. “We are humbled by the tremendous support we received from local businesses and individuals,” he said. “ We couldn't do what we do without their continued support. We are very excited to see those dollars being used for conservation. Kelli Steward said this was the most ever raised for this Ducks Unlimited Chapter. “We are ranked in the top 10 in the State of Illinois when it comes to raising money for conservation,” she said. “We work hard to improve year after year. At this point, we are maxed out on the number of people that we can have in th

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3 Sisters Tea, Apothecary & Yoga Studio will be hosting its grand opening on April 2 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Originally based online, the tea business will be moving into its first brick-and-mortar location at 221 South State Street in Jerseyville. “3 Sisters Tea, Apothecary & Yoga Studio is a welcoming place for the community to gather for delicious, artisan tea beverages & healthy snacks as they browse our collection of products for women-owned small businesses,” said Alyssa Rehel, director of marketing & public relations for 3 Sisters Tea. “All are welcome to our 3 Sisters Yoga studio for a wide variety of classes for all ages and abilities.” The grand opening event will feature yoga classes, tea beverages, and snacks in their café and a host of other small businesses' products (such as thrifted clothing and natural body care products) to shop in their women-owned small business boutique. Sisters & co-owners NaRetta Forrester, NaShona Staples, and

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EDWARDSVILLE – After losing only two matches throughout its regular season, the Metro-East Lutheran High School varsity scholar bowl team defeated Staunton on Monday night to win the regional championship. MELHS now moves on to the sectional competition, to be held Saturday at Southwestern High School in Piasa. MELHS will face teams from Southwestern, Litchfield and Althoff Catholic High School at the sectional. The MELHS varsity scholar bowl team includes just one senior, team captain MaryAnn Rainey. Other members of the team include juniors Silas Curtis and Josh Richie, sophomores Harry Mueller and Mary Curtis, and freshman Blake Schaper. “Every member of our team is a powerhouse player in their own way,” said Shanna Covarrubias, MELHS scholar bowl coach. “We’ve got math whizzes, people who know everything there is to know about mythology, experts on current events. They are all really well-rounded people, which allows them to thrive in this environment.”

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ALTON - The 9th Annual Alton Band and Orchestra Builders’ Spring Vendor/Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, March 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Alton High School, 4200 Humbert Road. Approximately 60 vendors and crafters will have their wares on display for your shopping pleasure. Admission is $1. Come and see many nationally known products and a wide variety of unique hand-crafted creations. Lunch will be available for purchase and features sandwiches from “Chicken Salad Chick” and “Firehouse Subs”. For more information call 314-690-8520, email: altonspringfair@gmail.com , visit our “Facebook” page: ABOB Spring Vendor Fair or click on our website: http://abob.net/vendor-fair . A list of participating vendors and crafters can be found on both our “Facebook” page and our website. This event is sponsored by the Alton Band and Orchestra Builders. All proceeds will be used for repairs, new instruments and special instructors.

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JERSEYVILLE - Meda Miller celebrated her 105th birthday on March 12, 2022, and she is still as sharp as they come. Meda's birthday celebration was held at Liberty Village of Jerseyville in the Media Room. Family and friends were in attendance and refreshments were served. Judy Tharp, activity director, said Meda is the "sweetest, kindest, and most considerate and loving person" she knows. "She is always thanking everyone for their help and consideration," she said. Meda said the keys to living a long and successful life are the following: "I always live each day to the fullest. I have strong values and faith, and that keeps me going. You have to just take one life one day at a time." Judy said Meda is in the Bounce-Back area of Liberty Village and hopes to go to her Bethalto home again. When Meda turned 100 2017, there was a story in Riverbender.com. In the story, she said her license had just been recently renewed. She was still very active at that time and had climbed an apple

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GODFREY — Madison County Board member Mike Walters today announced his candidacy for Madison County Clerk. Walters, a Republican, has served as a member of the County Board for more than 15 years. Walters additionally serves as Chairman Pro-Tem of the board and currently chairs the county judiciary committee. "Madison County residents deserve government agencies that are efficient, responsive, and responsible," Walters said. "As County Clerk, I'll utilize my public and private sector experience to ensure the office is run efficiently and that Madison County citizens can have confidence in the integrity of their elections and vital records systems." Walters officially filed his petitions for the office on Monday morning. --- WaltersforMadisonCounty@gmail. com

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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District is pleased to announce that new laptops and hotspots are available for check out by eligible patrons of the District. The laptops come equipped with current Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, have a web camera, ports for a flash drive on which to save work, and up-to-date browsers installed to search and access the internet. The wifi hotspots can link a device, such as this laptop, a tablet, or phone, to high-speed internet service- free of charge. The Library received funding for the laptops through the Illinois State Library's Expanding Digital Inclusion: Transforming Library Services grant. Bernadette Duvernoy, Executive Director of Hayner Library said, “The district is so excited to offer this service to our community. We learned many lessons while working through the pandemic. Offering patrons access to education, information and communication without actually coming into the library is critical. Along

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GODFREY – Waggoner Equipment Rental, LLC has been chosen as the March 2022 Riverbend Growth Association Small Business of the Month award recipient. Located at 6 Helmkamp Drive in Wood River, the family-owned and operated company has been in business for 35 years now. Waggoner is a large equipment rental company, with a core fleet of deck cranes that range from 2.5 tons to 25 tons. Additionally, they have a solo 33-ton boom truck as well as rough terrain cranes with a range of 35 to 160 tons. They can also provide their customers with forklifts/telehandlers and skid steer equipment as needed, as well as crane mats and rigging. Waggoner provides free onsite job evaluations and consultations and offers 24-hour service as needed. All their operators are NCCCO certified and members of International Union of Operating Engineers and they have a fully staffed shop to service the equipment. Waggoner got its start in Madison, Ill. It was first owned and operated by Wilbur Waggoner. At

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As March is National Nutrition Month, Touchette Regional Hospital wants to help increase awareness of the importance of nutrition and provide tips on how you can make healthy food and drink choices, create improved eating habits, and incorporate more physical activity into your daily lifestyle. Here are some healthy tips from Macia Noorman, MS, RD, LD, Lead Dietitian at Touchette. 1. Make half your plate fruits and vegetable 2. Watch portion sizes 3. Prepare healthy snacks 4. Cook at home 5. Drink more water 6. Get to know food labels 7. Be active 8. Stretch 9. Explore new foods and flavors “Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals at one time. Try to set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-oriented) and work one day and meal at a time to achieve your goals,” says Noorman. The staff at Touchette Regional Hospital encourages you to incorporate healthy tips into your daily activities. And if you find that you need additional

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EDWARDSVILLE - Most people enter the world of education because they were inspired by some of their own previous educators. The same goes for Albert Cassens fifth-grade teacher Lauren Heigert. “I very distinctly remember my kindergarten and seventh grade Language Arts teachers. They had a knack for making you forget you were even at school because every minute of the day was filled with engagement. I loved their enthusiasm and unconventional techniques that stuck with me many years later.” Heigert had a desire to be a teacher ever since she was a kindergartner. That desire never waived, but rather it evolved into a passion. Heigert’s love for teaching was solidified when she was placed in a fourth-grade classroom with the now retired Leslie Piork at Worden Elementary. “I remember just watching her execute her lessons with grace and precision and would constantly tell myself ‘I hope that is me someday’.” Heigert is now in her 10 th year

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In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin thanked Dr. Ezike for her leadership in Illinois during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as she steps down from the position WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today took to the Senate floor to express his gratitude to Dr. Ngozi Ezike as she steps down from her position as Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health today after leading Illinois through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin highlighted Dr. Ezike’s positive impact on public health and applauded her approach to reassuring and educating Illinoisans about coronavirus. Dr. Ezike is a Harvard-trained, board-certified internist and pediatrician who has worked at all levels of public health. She has served as Director of the Illinois Department of Health for three years. “Appearing with Governor JB Pritzker at his daily briefings, she was the public face of Illinois’ effort to contain the virus and save lives.

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CHICAGO – Following extensive conversations with stakeholders, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is filing rules to simplify the cannabis dispensary license application process, remove barriers for social equity applicants, and expand opportunities targeted to the communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs. IDFPR is required by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) to issue at least 50 new adult use cannabis dispensary licenses by the end of 2022. “From day one, Illinois has been dedicated to leading the nation in an equity-centric approach to legalizing cannabis, and these proposed changes to the application process will make it much easier for social equity applicants to pursue licenses.” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “I appreciate all the feedback we have received from stakeholders since the start of the cannabis program, whose work informed this proposal and is continuing to make Illinois’ growing cannabis

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