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EAST ALTON - An investigation by East Alton Police that led to a defendant being convicted in Madison County of attempted murder has now resulted in the defendant also being charged with attempted murder in Nevada and California. After the defendant was charged in Madison County in connection with a double-shooting at an ice rink, local police and prosecutors continued their investigation, linking the defendant to additional shootings in other states. “This is a great example of the extra effort put out by our local police officers, investigators and prosecutors,” said East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike. “Berton Newton is a dangerous defendant, and no stone was left unturned getting him charged with attempt murder, not only here, but across the country.” Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said the case illustrates that the work of police doesn’t end when an arrest is made. “We have a great team in Madison County, going the extra mile

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JERSEYVILLE - KFC has officially returned to Jerseyville. The new location opened on Tuesday, Jan. 24, and has been steadily busy since opening. The new KFC is located at 1303 S. State Street and shares an entrance with the Jerseyville AT&T store, which is next door at 1301 S. State Street. Drive-thru and dine-in options are available at this new location. "There are a lot of people in Jerseyville extremely excited about KFC coming here," Mayor Bill Russell said prior to opening. "We want to continue to move forward and bring new business opportunities to our community." This marks KFC’s official return to Jerseyville after the old location closed sometime between 2007-2013. That location - 891 S. State Street - then became Village Inn Pancake House, and is now home to Nick’s Pancake House.

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BENTON – In a U.S. District Court on Thursday, a Granite City man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after possessing a firearm as a felon while out on supervised release from previous gun convictions. Donnie A. Sherrell, 30, pled guilty to one count of Possession of a Firearm as a Felon. After serving his sentence, he will receive three years of supervised release. “It’s disappointing when individuals don’t learn from their mistakes, and the defendant’s reckless decisions have rightfully landed him back in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the tenacity of law enforcement to pursue this criminal on foot, and I’m relieved the firearm was recovered without incident.” “The Illinois State Police will always go the extra mile to protect the public and pursue repeat offenders who continue to break the law,” said Illinois State Police Major Gregg Cavanaugh. According to court

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JERSEYVILLE/KANE - Jersey and Greene counties are getting their first-ever solar farm, which developer EDP Renewables said is expected to start operating in 2024. Hickory Solar Park, the name of this project, would consist of “1,000 acres of bifacial tracking solar photovoltaic panels,” according to EDP Renewables . The site will be built just north of Jerseyville, between Jerseyville and Kane. EDP Renewables claims the project will greatly benefit the local energy supply. Hickory Solar Park is expected to produce 110 megawatts of energy once it’s up and running, enough to power nearly 28,000 Illinois homes. “Hickory Solar Park’s generation would be equivalent to the average consumption of more than 27,800 of Illinois’ homes,” the company said. “Hickory Solar Park would save 139 million gallons of water each year and prevents the air pollution that causes smog, acid rain, and climate change.” The project is expected t

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GLEN CARBON - The new year can often be a time for setting goals and resolutions. If feeling healthier and younger is on your list, a local aesthetic physician and best-selling author is offering a video course you may want to consider. Kristen M. Jacobs, MD, aesthetic physician, best-selling author of “Live Life Beautifully (With a Little Help)” and owner of Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging & Wellness, is encouraging people to make a plan to prioritize their skincare in 2023. Dr. Jacobs is offering a 17-day video course that provides people with simple daily skincare and healthy aging tips. The course is valued at $1,997 but is currently free to those who sign up for the newsletter. “My journey with aesthetics began as a mother who wanted to look refreshed and age gracefully,” said Dr. Jacobs. “But there are so many products and options out there that finding a simple solution that actually works can be overwhelming. With my experience as a patient and physician,

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GRANITE CITY - Three members of GCHS Marching Warriors were recognized at Tuesday's Granite City School District 9 Board Meeting for advancement to the ILMEA All-State Music Conference/Concert. The students - Lauryn Fenoglio, Bailey Hanks, and Isaiah Tebbe - will spend Thursday through Saturday studying their music for Orchestra, Honors Band, and Music Education in Peoria.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Teachers are often asked by their students, “Why do I have to learn this?” and “When will I ever use this in life?” For Liberty Middle School sixth-grade language arts teacher Lauren Davis, the answer is simple. “You must learn to read and write. Language arts is one of the only classes that significantly impacts every person’s daily life.” Davis has taught an array of subjects, but for all 11 years of her teaching, she has taught at least one language arts or reading class every school year. “The power and importance of language arts is what drives me to push my students to become the best writers possible. Along with writing, I love watching students develop a love for reading by finding their favorite author or genre. Reading is powerful because it allows us to step into other worlds, break away from reality, and learn history about ancient places or important leaders that have gone before us.” Davis,

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WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River junior Devon Green recently had outstanding performances in the Carlinville Tournament and is a key to the Oilers' boys' basketball success in 2022-2023. Kevin Gockel is Green's coach with the Oilers. Green said so far, one of the highlights has been winning the Carlinville Tournament Championship. Green has devoted eight years to basketball and he said he believes playing sports has shown him that "what you put into a sport or activity is what you get back. With hard work, you can achieve anything." The East Alton-Wood River star said he also wants to play basketball in college and study to become an aerospace engineer. Green is an overall athlete and also is a forward on the Oilers' boys' soccer team.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On January 24, 2023, the St. Louis County Police Department’s Burglary Unit in joint operation with St. Louis Metropolitan Police detectives and City of Normandy detectives conducted an investigation of a string of business burglaries that occurred on December 6, 2022, where a stolen white Hyundai Sonata from Calverton Park was used in conjunction with these burglaries. The detectives arrested two male juveniles (both 16 years of age) from the 4100 block of N. Newstead Avenue where detectives recovered five firearms to include a Glock handgun (pictured) that was stolen from Denny Dennis Sporting Goods on September 16, 2022. The two juveniles were charged with Burglary and Stealing from the following locations and held at Family Court: All incidents occurred on 12/6/2022 7498 Delmar Boulevard - Shell Gas Station 8835 Natural Bridge - Shell Gas Station 11208 West Florissant - Neat Restaurant and Bar 3675 Dunn Road - Conoco gas station

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BETHALTO - Mark Cassidy, a Bethalto resident and U.S. Navy veteran with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is in need of assistance from a caretaker as his disease progresses. His current Medical Assistant, Amy King, is seeking applicants to help her assist Cassidy with day-to-day functions. Cassidy said veterans are twice as likely to get ALS, regardless of their branch or position. “About 5,000 people a year are diagnosed with ALS in the United States, and for some reason, veterans are twice as likely to get ALS as non-veterans,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what branch of the service they were in, whether or not they saw combat duty, had a desk job … it doesn’t matter, veterans are twice as likely. “ The Association , after finding out this oddity about us being twice as likely to get it, they made the determination that there must be some connection between our service and ALS.” During his time in the Navy, Cassidy

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PIASA - MaCaylin Day is a strong athlete in multiple sports for the Southwestern High School Piasa Birds. For the 2022-2023 girls' basketball season, Day is the Southwestern leading scorer. She also is a standout in girls' soccer, an outside hitter in volleyball, and will be counted on heavily in the spring by the Piasa Birds. MaCaylin's goal is to play college soccer. Southwestern had a strong girls' soccer team last season. MaCaylin is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. MaCaylin has even spent some time in cross-country in her Southwestern career. The Piasa Birds’ athlete said one of the key things she has learned from sports participation is that "if you want something, you have to work for it." Southwestern head girls basketball coach Darren Mosley said MaCaylin always “plays hard.” “She is not only our leading scorer, but she always has the assignment of guarding the other team’s best

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MSCHA HOCKEY EDWARDSVILLE 5, ST. DOMINIC CATHOLIC 0: Andrew Mohesky scored twice to lead Edwardsville to a 5-0 win over St. Dominic Catholic of O'Fallon, Mo. in a Mid-States Club Hockey Association game played Tuesday night at RP Lumber Center. Mohesky's first goal came at 6:06 of the first period, assisted by Carter Crow and Connor Morrison, with Luke Thomlinson scoring at 55 seconds of the second period, from Konnor Goclan and Fred Bramstedt to put the Tigers up 2-0. Mohesky got his second goal from Joe Viox at 6:24 of the second to make it 3-0, and a goal at 14:59 from David Hensley, assisted by Thomlinson and Goclan, to give Edwardsville a 4-0 lead. The final goal was scored by Bramstedt, unassisted, at 9:17 to make the final 5-0 score. Edwardsville outshot the Crusaders 53-10, with Kai Vetter getting the shutout win. The Tigers are now 5-10-4, while St. Dominic goes to 8-7-4. MSCHA HOCKEY In a Mid-State Club Hockey Association game played Saturday night at th

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Wednesday that an Alton man has been convicted of attempted first-degree murder for a shooting that injured a woman and her daughter at the East Alton ice rink. Berton L. Newton, 31, received a sentence of 35 years in prison. “This crime happened in an area that is otherwise safe, and we intend to keep it safe," Haine said. "I commend our prosecutors who secured the conviction and sentence, the East Alton police and others who conducted a very thorough and swift investigation, and the victims and witnesses for their courage.” Assistant State’s Attorney Morgan Hudson, in outlining the evidence to the judge, said police responded to the East Alton ice rink on Jan. 22, 2022, for a report of shots fired. Two women were struck by a bullet but survived. The women – a mother and daughter – told police they were approached on the parking lot by a man who asked for a light for a cigarette.

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CARLINVILLE - The Blackburn College Department of Music & Theatre continues its Guest Artist Series on February 6 - 10, 2023, featuring Los Angeles-based professional singer, actor, and teacher Meridith Pyle. The week-long residency at Blackburn will include educational opportunities open to the public and conclude with a free community concert. Known for her “vocal chameleon” versatility and strong musicianship, Pyle is a full-time singer, voice teacher, and on-camera actress. During her Blackburn residency, Pyle will lead a Masterclass on Tuesday, February 7, and a presentation of “Don’t Sing It If You Don’t Mean It” on Thursday, February 9, both at 4:30 p.m. The week-long residency concludes with a free community concert Friday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. The classes and performances will be held in Bothwell Auditorium and are open to the public. She also will have open rehearsals throughout the week, preparing for her concert and allowing students

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today voted to establish a Federal Aviation Administration task force to improve the pilot alert system for flight safety hazards. The Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system experienced an outage earlier this month that led to the cancelation of more than 1,300 flights and the delay of nearly 10,000 more. “The recent ground stop demonstrates how critical it is that the FAA makes immediate improvements to the NOTAM system,” said Bost. “Pilots and passengers alike should never have to worry about whether the system meant to keep them safe will fail them midflight. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am working to ensure that the FAA is held accountable and that such a colossal failure never happens again.”

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EDWARDSVILLE - Beth K. Flowers, Shareholder and Vice President of Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., was appointed to the board of directors for Hospice of Southern Illinois, effective January 1, 2023. Hospice of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit, community-based hospice that offers Southern Illinois and St. Louis Metro-East communities a range of services for people of all ages at the end of life. The organization’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their loved ones touched by a terminal illness. Beth focuses her practice in estate planning, real estate law and business law. Beth practices principally in the areas of death and disability planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and estate and gift taxes) probate administration, real estate matters and business entity formation. To learn more about Hospice of Southern Illinois, visit: https://hospice.org/ .

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ST. LOUIS - Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has signed BB44 to place a measure on the April 4, 2023 municipal general election ballot to create a citizen-driven commission to review and recommend amendments to the St. Louis City Charter. The measure, if approved by voters, will empower St. Louis City residents to suggest updates to the city charter, which was enacted in 1914. Any change to the charter requires approval by St. Louis voters. “St. Louis’ City Charter was adopted more than a century ago when people communicated by telegraph and traveled by steamboat,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “This gives St. Louisans the opportunity to have a voice and vote in modernizing city government for the 21st century.” “Giving St. Louis the opportunity for a City-led, public-engaged, and regular Charter Commission to review our city's governing document helps our city move forward together,”said bill sponsor Ald. Annie Rice (8). “There could be smal

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WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River junior Emmie Hall has been a cheerleader since she was six years old. Over the years, she said she has loved the role in cheering on the Oilers in different sports. Hall also said that cheerleading has taught her about "dedication, working hard, and never giving up when the stakes get difficult." Alison Beachum is the East Alton-Wood River cheer coach. Emmie is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. One of Emmie's side hobbies is "raising chickens," she said. Emmie plans on going to college at Paul Mitchell School and focusing on a hair and makeup career. She said she was very proud of her success in her math classes at East Alton-Wood River.

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BETHALTO - Not many basketball players can say they are averaging a double-double, but for seven-foot senior Sam Buckley, that has become the norm. Not a lot of players can say they've scored 1,000 points during their high school career, but Buckley can check that box off the list now too. He joined the '1,000 point club' back on Jan. 14 on the road in the Litchfield Tournament against Ramsey in a 52-37 win for the Eagles. Sam scored 18 points in that game bringing him to the impressive milestone. He pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds in that game as well. Breaking it down by year Sam scored 108 points his freshman year, 154 points as a sophomore, and 440 points as a junior. So far in his senior season, he's scored 375 points through 23 games bringing his current scoring total to 1,077 points. He's averaging 16.3 points per game right now as well as 10.3 rebounds. Sam scored a career-high 30 points in a 73-53 loss against Gibault back on Jan. 7. He became just the 14th player

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Sarah Conoyer, PhD, NCSP, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, along with three former psychology students, have been featured on the front page of the most recent edition of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Communiqué . The School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) alumni Julann Scheibal, Katelyn Houba and Mikayla Duncan-Ebner were Conoyer’s assistants through the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) program, leading to the creation and future publication of the featured article. “The article discusses how school psychologists and trainees are engaging in social media, the ethical issues concerning social media use and how school psychology supervisors and trainers can support professional growth through the ethical use of social media,” Conoyer explained. “One of the key features of the article is that we provide

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