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ALTON - Tackling any task – from a child walking to an adult learning a new job – starts with a first step. The same goes for taking care of your mental and behavioral health, but even the experts admit it may be daunting to ask for help. In the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month , experts are reminding you there are resources to bridge the gap between “What do I do?” and “I have the care I need.” Katie Koeller is a behavioral health navigator (BHN) at OSF HealthCare in Alton, Illinois . BHN is a free, ministry-wide service at OSF HealthCare, but you don’t have to be an OSF HealthCare patient to use it. The program helps people in areas like depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol use, and problems with work, school, or relationships. The BHN talks to the patient – either at a provider’s office or over the phone – about what care they need, and they point the person to that care as close to home and as soon as possible.

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EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt was appointed to the Nonprofit Electric Generation Task Force to continue his support for the Prairie State Generation Campus. “I have been a longstanding champion of bringing clean energy to the Metro East and am honored to have the opportunity to continue to advocate for a cleaner community,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “As a member of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, I am proud to show my support for the coal plant that gives thousands of residents electricity. The task force investigates the technical and financial options to install carbon capture, sequestration, utilization and direct air capture, assess the existing regulatory construct and any legislative support mechanisms necessary to reduce carbon and prepare a report of the findings at the Prairie State Generation Campus. Located in the Metro East, Prairie State provides energy to 180 communities across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Throughout

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STAUNTON – Rural broadband is more than making an Internet connection, it’s about connecting people and giving back to our local communities. This year marks the 17 th year that Madison Communications has sponsored the Teacher of the Year Awards contest! Madison has proudly contributed over $19,000 to local area schools through this program. The Teacher of the Year program annually presents an award to three teachers. Teachers employed at school districts within Madison’s service areas are eligible to be nominated for this award. The contest takes place from March 1 st to May 2 nd and is divided into the nomination and voting phase. During the month of March Madison received a total of 140 nominations and during the month of April, they received over 12,000 votes. The three teachers who received the highest number of votes were announced on May 2 nd on social media platforms as well as on the https://gomadison.com/ website. The 2022 Teacher of the Year winners

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GLEN CARBON - May 25, 2022: St. Mary’s student, Lucas Frohnert, was Mayor for the day for The Villiage of Glen Carbon. He won this experience at the 2022 St. Mary’s School PTC Auction. Thank you Mayor Bob Marcus for donating this amazing experience. The Event Chair, Elizabeth Moody, explains, “It is incredibly generous of Mayor Marcus to not only donate this incredible experience but to take the time to plan such a meaningful and neat day for one of our students. Experience-based items like what Mr. Marcus donated are what make our auction successful, fun, and memorable.” With the help of Mayor Marcus and so many other local businesses, parents, donors, and school & parish families the St. Mary’s Auction was able to raise over $140k and will be building a brand new playground.

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ALTON - It is highly possible that residents may be able to enjoy a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte by fall 2022 in Alton, Alton Mayor David Goins said on Tuesday. Mayor Goins confirmed Tuesday that Starbucks is definitely coming to Alton and will position itself where the old Shop & Save gas station was once located on Homer Adams Parkway. He said the company had to do some additional soil and cleanup work in the area because it had once been the location of a gas station, but now it appears full steam ahead. “There will be quite a lot of excitement when Starbucks opens and it will definitely be a boost to our community,” the mayor said. “People have been asking a lot about Starbucks. People love their products and it is nice to know a business of Starbucks’ national stature is coming to Alton.” Mayor Goins extended kudos to those who have worked on Starbucks coming to Alton and said there was much work done before he became mayor on the project so he extende

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CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker today urged President Joe Biden and the federal government to ensure that Illinois receives federal funding that reflects its growth of 250,000 residents, lifting the state’s population to more than 13 million for the first time in its history. Illinois’s population was undercounted by roughly 2% in the 2020 census. The adjusted Census results show an increase in Illinois’ population as people move to the state in pursuit of expanded economic and employment opportunities. “Illinois is growing, and our federal funding should reflect that reality,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Nearly 250,000 Illinoisans—the majority of whom are from historically disenfranchised and underserved communities—were not represented in the Census results. That’s why I have urged President Biden and the federal government to ensure that the local communities of Illinois receive the federal dollars they are entitled to—and

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden, both of Illinois’ U.S. Senators - Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) - joined several other senators from across the country and political aisle to ask Biden to expedite the addition of Sweden and Finland into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Sweden and Finland recently announced their intent to join NATO, according to the senators’ letter. The senators wrote that the addition of Sweden and Finland into the alliance would send a “clear message” to enemies of NATO, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. “As Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has proven, NATO, along with our democratic partners around the world, is more united than ever in opposition to the illegal acts of war waged by President Putin,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Expanding NATO to include Finland and Sweden will send a clear message to Vladimir Putin, and any

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dennis Bouvier, PhD, professor in the School of Engineering’s Department of Computer Science, is the recipient of the 2022 Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award . The highly competitive award is annually presented by the SIUE Graduate School to a faculty member who has a proven record of combining scholarship and teaching. The recognition demonstrates the belief that to be a good teacher, one must also be a good scholar. Award recipients have made significant contributions to original research or creative activities, and have successfully integrated those contributions into their teaching practices. “I am surprised and pleased,” shared Bouvier. “Surprised because I know there are many other wonderful teacher-scholars at SIUE, and pleased that others see the value in the work I have been doing.” Bouvier’s research interest is in the area of computing education, specifically

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BETHALTO - With the school year winding down, Civic Memorial High School released the lists for Honor Roll and High Honor Roll for the 4th Quarter. The names are separated by class. High Honor Roll Seniors Kaylyn Aiello Deacon Anderson Kennedy Bickmore Domanik Bivens Emma Bollinger Madelyn Brueckner Guadalupe Calixto Pichardo Hailey Chappell Jake Cheatham Nina Chen Carli Collins Bailey Combs Dalton Drew Lauren Dunlap Collin Elledge Matthew Haar Allison Hallstead Katelyn Hallstead Aslan Henderson Bradley Holder Zora Isken Peyton Keller Savannah Knapsted Severen Knoche Allie Lively Hannah McCann Kaitlyn McGarvey Bryce McMurray Madison McNealy Jack McRae Ethan Meiser Gannon Meyer Ella Middleton Danielle Milazzo Brynleigh Mormino Peyton Mormino Shelton Naumann Maura Niemeier Alexis Noel Isabella Norton Brian Pearson Kaitlyn Peterson Madison Reynolds Toni Reynolds Allie Roberson Brody Rust Savannah Schaaff Jessica Schillinger Nathan

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WORDEN - Sarah Brown, a veteran educator, recently marked 17 years with Edwardsville School District 7. Sarah appears to have been destined to be a teacher. She has taught for 21 years and 15 of those years have included time between the schools in Hamel in Worden. During her time in education, Sarah is known to have had a huge impact on developing her students for the future. Brown knew she wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember. “As a child, I taught my dolls and stuffed animals in my playroom, fit with bulletin boards, chalkboards, and old teacher manuals that were given to me.” Brown said children are a joy and that it is a privilege to care for and teach third graders. “Third grade is a year to watch children grow more independent as learners, develop important social skills, brighten up when they find a good book, and still love coming to school.” When she’s not teaching, Brown enjoys spending time with family. Sarah and

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ALTON - For the 155th time, dating back to the end of the Civil War, Alton will host the Memorial Day Parade in honor of our armed forces. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30. It will begin at Alton Middle School and head up College Avenue toward Upper Alton. This year there will be five parade marshals. Richard Wickenhauser (Marines), Alvin Roderfeld (Navy), Art Williams (Army), Harry Hill, and Jack Green. All five men are WWII veterans. "We wanted to get as many World War II vets in as possible," Steve Schwartz, East End Improvement Spokesman, and Parade Committee Chairman said. "We think that would be the greatest generation to get in." There is a long-running Memorial Day parade in Pennsylvania, however, Schwartz believes Alton's to perhaps be the longest-running one ever. East End Improvement will sponsor the parade as they have for the past eight years Schwartz says. East End Improvement has been sponsoring the Alton Halloween Parade since its inceptio

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CHICAGO - Democratic Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia announced today that she has earned the endorsement of the Illinois National Organization for Women (NOW) PAC, a major endorsement that highlights Valencia’s unwavering commitment to protecting and advancing women’s rights, especially access to abortion and reproductive justice. The endorsement comes as extreme politicians across the country are passing laws undermining a woman’s right to reproductive health and just weeks before a U.S. Supreme Court decision that is expected to undermine these rights in a significant way. “Illinois NOW PAC is pleased to endorse Anna Valencia for Illinois Secretary of State,” said Laura Welch, President of IL NOW PAC. “Especially now, Illinois must elect leaders like Anna who fully support women and our rights to privacy. She has a proven track record of uplifting those most often disenfranchised in our state—women, people of color and people whose

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CARLINVILLE, Ill. - The Blackburn College Department of Music and Theatre will host two music workshops in June for elementary, middle and high school students. The week-long workshops are designed for students who are interested in learning about musical instruments and for those who love to sing. Both workshops will be held in Bothwell Auditorium on Blackburn's campus in Carlinville, Illinois. Dr. Joseph Welch, Professor of Music at Blackburn, will direct both workshops. Welch said, “This is the first year Blackburn is offering these educational and fun workshops for young students interested in music. There is a space for younger students to explore music, instruments, and their own natural creative gifts. We will also provide participants with the opportunity to work with professional musicians and to grow as artists.” The first workshop, “Music Makers,” for students entering 4th through 6th grades, will focus on instruments and the building blocks of

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ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, and Belleville, Illinois, recently entered into a cost-shared Project Partner Agreement, or PPA, for rehabilitation of the East Creek Sewer Separation Project. The project will involve separation of combined sewers as well as construction of a new storm water collection system and expansion of existing storm water detention and pumping facilities. These improvements would not only benefit residences in the project area by reducing sewer backups, but it would also greatly reduce the amount of wastewater the city is required to treat extending the operable life of the wastewater treatment facility. The East Creek Sewer Separation project will be constructed in three phases and located primarily in residential neighborhoods within the city limits of Belleville. These neighborhoods experience street flooding, basement backups and yard flooding during storm events. "While projects like this improve existing infrastructure,

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GRAFTON - Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow today announced the plans for the Annual Grafton Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony. The event will be held May 30, 2022, American Legion Post #648 will host Grafton’s Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony at noon on Monday, May 30, 2022, starting at the Post’s WWI Monument overlooking the Cemetery in Grafton. “There will be a short ceremony honoring our nation’s fallen military members followed by a twenty-one-gun salute by the Legion’s Honor Guard and the playing of taps,” Mayor Morrow announced. The morning starts early for the Honor Guard as they visit the local cemeteries, placing flags on veterans’ graves and rendering honors. “It’s a very special day for us. We have a busy schedule to decorate all the graves and return in time to conduct the Memorial Day Ceremony,” said Bruce Olmsted, Post Commander. “On behalf of the members of Post #648, we invite everyone to the ceremony,

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JERSEYVILLE - The Veterans Assistance Commission of Jersey County is excited to finally see a return of its highly regarded annual Memorial Day Parade. This year's Jersey Memorial Day Parade is set for 9 a.m. on Monday, May 30, 2022, Memorial Day. "The parade will begin lining up at Wells Norris at West Prairie Street in Jerseyville as early as 8 a.m.," Gregory S. Breden, one of the coordinators of the parade. "The parade will proceed north on State Street in Jerseyville until it reaches Pearl Street where it will turn east. "Then it will continue east on Pearl to Spruce then to Oak Grove Cemetery. The ceremony will begin once everyone is situated. In case of bad weather, the parade will be canceled. The ceremony will be moved to the American Legion Post 492 at the big pavilion outside." Breden said it has been two years since they had a Memorial Day Parade in Jersey. "During Memorial Day 2020, we could not conduct a Memorial Day ceremony live," he said. "We ended up with the help

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GLEN CARBON - Dermatology, an estimated one out of every five people will develop some type of skin cancer in their lifetime. Kristen M. Jacobs, MD, aesthetic physician, best-selling author, and owner of Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging & Wellness said the type of sunscreen you use, as well as the frequency, can make a tremendous difference in how your skin ages and the protection it provides. “Regular sunscreen use is key to healthy aging, but what’s even more important is that you’re using the right kind of sunscreen,” said Dr. Jacobs. “Many people have never heard of the difference between a physical sunscreen versus a chemical one, so we make it our mission to educate our patients on the benefits of a physical sunscreen. There can be many harmful ingredients in chemical sunscreens so it’s important people know what to look for.” Dr. Jacobs said physical sunscreen works as a shield to protect your skin from the sun, whereas chemical sunscreen

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WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. – Centerstone, a not-for-profit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments, will host a free, virtual Identifying Drug Endangered Children: A Collaborative Approach training on June 29 from 10-11:30 a.m. Ignored, abused, and abandoned – these are some of the chronic conditions experienced by children raised in environments where there is substance use, manufacturing, cultivation and distribution. Drug-endangered children are part of a very large, and growing population of children whose lives have been seriously and negatively impacted by dangerous drugs. Thousands of these children across our country go unnoticed and do not receive the necessary care and treatment to heal from these abusive environments. If ignored and left unsupported, these children continue to be victims caught in a cycle of drug abuse. The primary challenge with illegal substance abuse and drug-endangered children is in aligning the agencies

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O’FALLON — In honor of National Nurses Week, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital hosted a Nursing Exemplar Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 11. Hospital colleagues and medical staff members were asked to submit nominations in seven categories. Below is the list of winners honored during the ceremony: Nurse Leader of the Year Kacey Frederking, RN Intensive Care Unit Charge Nurse of the Year Julie Bryant, RN Intensive Care Unit Preceptor of the Year Nicole Howard, RN Medical Surgery Rookie of the Year Matt James, RN Telemetry Educator of the Year Lleyna Gorka, RN Staff Education Partner in Nursing Tyler Hendrix, CNA Medical Surgery Excellence in Nursing Angela Capps, RN - ED Shelby Gray, RN - Medical Surgery Michelle Mehring, RN - Division Float Pool Mathew Ostendorf, RN - Division Float Pool Amanda Warwick, RN - Surgical Services “Nurses here at St. Elizabeth’s have had a special impact on our community and continue

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Rockhurst University has announced the dean's list for the spring 2022 semester. This honor recognizes students who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 or above. The following students earned a place on the list: Glen Carbon, IL Morgan Marshall Granite City, IL Analiese Wilmsmeyer Nicholas Wilmsmeyer Olivia Wilmsmeyer About Rockhurst University Rockhurst University, founded in 1910 and located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, is a Catholic university in the Jesuit tradition committed to providing inclusive, innovative and transformative education. As a comprehensive university and supportive community of nearly 4,000 students, its mission is to form lifelong learners in the liberal arts tradition who engage the complexities of our world and serve others as compassionate, thoughtful leaders. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Rockhurst among the top Midwest Regional Universities. Rockhurst has held the community engagement

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