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ST. LOUIS, MO. — Just as most cars need to be refueled constantly, so does the nation’s blood supply. The American Red Cross has faced a concerning drop in blood and platelet donations this summer. Donors are needed to make an appointment to give in August to help prevent a blood shortage. The decline in donations has caused the Red Cross blood supply to shrink nearly 20% in recent weeks. The availability of blood products will continue to decline if donations do not increase. People should not wait until they hear there is a blood shortage to give. Type O negative blood donors and platelet donors are especially needed now. “This is a concerning trend that may soon make it tougher to keep blood products stocked on hospital shelves,” said Paul Sullivan, Red Cross senior vice president of donor services. “By choosing a time to give now, donors can help pump up the blood supply for those in immediate need of lifesaving care and those who rely on transfusions

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BETHALTO - The Village of Bethalto is continuing its participation in a municipal electricity aggregation program in an effort to save residents money on electricity costs, and has chosen a new electricity provider - Constellation NewEnergy. Section 1-92 of the Illinois Power Agency Act allows local governments participating in a municipal electricity aggregation program to negotiate the price of electricity for residents and local businesses. Bethalto’s participation in the program has led to savings for households and business owners, according to a press release from the village. “Our primary goal is always to protect our residents from rising electrical supply rates,” the release states. “Since June 2019, Bethalto residents and small businesses have been receiving fixed rates of 4.29¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) versus the Ameren IL market rate currently at 12.236¢ per kWh. “This equates to an average household savings of over $50 per

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BROOKLYN - The Illinois State Police said Friday evening that at 3:31 a.m. on October 14, 2022, the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 6 was requested to investigate a reported shooting at a business in the 200 block of Madison Street in Brooklyn. ISP said during an altercation in the parking lot with multiple subjects, a 24-year-old male was struck by gunfire and transported to a regional hospital in a personal vehicle with serious injuries. The investigation is still open and ongoing. No further information is available at this time. Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has any knowledge of the incident is asked to contact Crime stoppers by phone at 314-725-8477 (TIPS). Witnesses can remain anonymous.

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ALTON - When looking around Alton for stories of inspiration, one is successful entrepreneur Jerheart Huntley, owner of Prosper Credit Consultants, and other businesses. Jerheart is an Alton High School graduate and also graduated from Rock Valley Junior College and McKendree University. Jerheart made a decision in high school that he wanted to play college football, obtain a college degree and become a successful business person. Al Womack, now the Alton Boys & Girls Club director, said Jerheart overcame a lot to accomplish what he has to this point as a college grad and business owner. Jerheart's fiancé's name is Jami Goodman, his daughter is Amira, and his son is Jerheart Jr. “When the odds were stacked against him, he was determined to go to college and played football and studied at Rock Valley Junior College. Then he played football at McKendree University and graduated with a business degree. He is very successful with his credit repair business and is a family

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine announced Friday that a driver who crashed his pickup into a Granite City home, killing an occupant of the house, has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Jonathan M. Beasley, 48, of Granite City received the sentence in connection with a crash that claimed the life of Virginia Ohren, 74. On July 5, 2021, Beasley crashed his pickup into Ohren’s home on Joy Avenue in Granite City. Her body was pinned by the truck. Beasley’s blood-alcohol level was 0.255 percent. In Illinois, a driver is considered intoxicated at 0.08 percent. “This tragedy was totally preventable,” Haine said. “Virginia Ohren meant so much to her family and to her community. We hope that the resolution of this case provides some closure for her loved ones.” Ohren, who worked at the steel mill in Granite City for 32 years, was recalled as a generous member of her church who taught Bible classes for children, helped

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EDWARDSVILLE - Area residents can soon expect something new and unique, fresh from the islands - Hawaiian Brothers Grill - at 2386 Troy Road, Edwardsville. Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy said Hawaiian Brothers is expected to open by the end of October. A visit to the new restaurant showed much of the work finished on the building. The old Pizza Hut in Edwardsville used to be located in this location, Risavy said. “It is going to be a nice, new place,” Mayor Risavy explained. “I am excited to taste it and the food looks amazing. It will be a nice place to eat lunch or dinner. It will be a little different than anything else we have and it is supposed to be a taste of Hawaii, which will be something we don’t have in the community right now.” Mayor Risavy said he knows the new restaurant will be busy and it will also do catering in addition to the services at the Troy Road location. He said the business has locations in several states and he is thankful

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ALTON - It’s been an eventful year for Jayla Fox-Wallace, a former Alton High School scholar-athlete who became a member of Team Fredbird this season and was recently named an assistant coach for the Alton Middle School’s girls’ basketball team. Jayla graduated from AHS in 2019, playing basketball all four years of high school and receiving a scholar-athlete award. She also played volleyball her freshman and sophomore years and was the editor-in-chief of the AHS newspaper, The Redbird Word, in addition to being in Student Council, Spanish Club, Honors Society, and much more. After playing basketball on a full-ride scholarship and earning her Associate’s degree from SWIC at Belleville, Jayla learned about a new job opportunity to join Team Fredbird with the St. Louis Cardinals from her grandpa, an usher at Busch Stadium. She applied in early March of this year and got the job later that same month. Team Fredbird entertains fans at Busch Stadium an

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ALTON - Reese Plont, a senior outside hitter for the Alton High School girls' volleyball team, has provided much leadership and encouragement to her teammates this season, in which the Redbirds are currently 11-13-1 after Alton's loss to the Tigers 25-17, 25-10 in a Southwestern Conference match played Oct. 11 at Lucco-Jackson Gym. Plont has been one of the team's statistical leaders this season, serving up 82 points and 20 aces, also having 134 kills with 19 blocks, 21 assists and 229 digs as the season goes into the final two weeks before the IHSA Class 4A playoffs start later this month. For her efforts both on and off the court, Plont has been selected as the school's Riverbender.com Auto Butler female Athlete of the Month for October, 2022. Plont, who plays for head coach Dan Carter, felt that her team did have some good moments and worked well together as a team, but were missing some key parts due to injury and with another player on a college visit. I think we worked well

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EDWARDSVILLE - The famed Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will make its way back to Illinois from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 16, at the Leclaire Parkfest in Edwardsville. The Wienermobile was at the Edwardsville and Godfrey Schnucks stores this week and at each location attracted a large crowd. A fleet of motor vehicles shaped like a hot dog on a bun, called "Wienermobile," is used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. The first Wienermobile was created by Oscar Mayer's nephew, Carl G. Mayer, in 1936. Donations were being accepted for the United Way however it is completely free to go and get a picture with the Wienermobile.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The new Metro East Mega Storage at 5222 Chain of Rocks Road, Edwardsville, has opened a new business that will cater to large vehicles and larger items in general with covered parking. A ribbon cutting was held by the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce at the Metro East Mega Storage facility this week. Kim Bridges, one of the owners, said her company has been in the mini-storage business for 23 years. “We will also have covered parking and units up to 14 x 50 for larger storage needs,” she said at the ribbon cutting. “We are very excited to offer this type of facility for the region. We have had strong support from Glen Carbon and Edwardsville.” The new business offers climate control, an onsite manager, a security camera, drive-up access, parking, a gate and RV parking. For more information, call (618) 205-8335 or visit metroeastministorage.com .

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Name: John W. Kirkman Jr. Hometown: Mt. Carmel Years of Service: 1941-1945 KIA: No Branch: Army and Airforce Rank: Sergeant Wars: World War II Message: Aircraft repair and maintenance Submitter's Name: Nancy Elson

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Name: Danielle Stacy Hometown: Bethalto Years of Service: 2006-2011 KIA: No Branch: US Marines Rank: Sergeant Wars: Afganistan Conflict Message: Thank you for your service Submitter's Name: Selena Eads

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Name: Jon Chester Hometown: Godfrey Years of Service: 2001-2006 KIA: No Branch: US Marines Rank: Staff Sergeant Wars: Iraq Conclift Message: Thank you for your service Submitter's Name: Selena Eads

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URBANA, IL. — For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Illinois Foundation reports new business topping $400 million. That figure and other Fiscal Year 2022 data from the Foundation and the University of Illinois System were announced today at the 87th Annual Business Meeting of the University of Illinois Foundation, an event that shares and celebrates the impact of private support for the U of I System. The Foundation posted $371.5 million for cash* gifts and $467.7 million for new business** in FY22—the fifth year running new business exceeded $400 million. This year’s new business figure is the second highest in history, second only to 2018 which recorded $498.5 million. Alumni and friends contributed $257.5 million of the new business total, illustrating their continued commitment and unwavering support for the University of Illinois. The largest percentage of cash gifts reported in FY22—74 percent or $275 million—was designated

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CHICAGO - Illinois Lottery players have two chances to become a mega-millionaire this weekend as the multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball, approach a combined jackpot of $1 billion. The Mega Millions jackpot for tonight’s drawing now stands at $494 million- the second-largest jackpot of 2022, while the Powerball jackpot for Saturday night’s drawing is an estimated $454 million - the game’s largest since April 2022. Just two months ago, a $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, which marked the third largest lottery prize in U.S. history, was won with a single ticket purchased at the Speedway gas station in Des Plaines. In addition to the historic billion-dollar jackpot, four other Illinois residents have won prizes of $1 million or more with Mega Millions and five players have won prizes of $1 million or more with Powerball so far this year. In total, Mega Millions and Powerball players have purchased over 4.5 million winning tickets and won nearly

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CHICAGO – The Illinois State Police (ISP) joins law enforcement agencies across the nation in the campaign to recognize October 15, 2022 as “Slow Down, Move Over Day.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued a proclamation designating October 15, 2022 as Move Over Day in Illinois, which aligns Illinois’ law designed to promote safe driving behavior and encourage motorists to move over for all vehicles stopped on the side of the roadway. “This ‘Slow Down, Move Over Day,’ I am thinking about emergency responders, like Chicago Firefighter Lieutenant Scott Gillen, who lost their lives while saving others,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These deaths are as tragic as they are preventable. And this day—and every day—I remind the great people of Illinois to support our first responders and our fellow motorists by slowing down and moving over.” ISP is committed to reducing traffic crash fatalities and limiting the risk of

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WASHINGTON, DC — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) met this week with Ukrainian Soldier Oleksandr Chaika, who is receiving care at Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics (MCOP) in Silver Spring, Maryland. Duckworth and Van Hollen toured MCOP, met with Oleksandr and highlighted the continued need for U.S. support for the people of Ukraine. Photos from the meeting are available here . Oleksandr, a Ukrainian athlete, choreographer, acrobatics coach and teacher, joined the Ukrainian military shortly after Putin began his unjustifiable war on Ukraine. Oleksandr was deployed to the Luhansk region where he lost his leg to an explosive. Oleksandr has now received a prosthetic leg as part of MCOP’s Operation Renew to serve Ukrainian military personnel. “It was an honor to meet with Oleksandr—not just to be able to thank him for his sacrifices during Putin’s unjustifiable war, but also to speak

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ALTON - At 3:49 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2022, officers from the Alton Police Department responded to the 800 block of East 7th Street and contacted Catherine L. Wisniewski. Officers found that Wisniewski had an active warrant for her arrest for Unlawful Failure to Register as a Sex Offender through the Madison County Sheriff’s Office from 2019. Alton Deputy Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the further investigation by the Alton Police Department revealed that Wisniewski was residing in the 800 block of East 7th Street, Alton, Illinois, without registering this address since the middle part of 2020. Wisniewski was taken into custody and held at the Alton City Jail. On October 11, 2022, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Wisniewski with Unlawful Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (2nd Subsequent Offense). Bail for Wisniewski was set at $30,000. “This investigation began with a tip from the public," Deputy Chief Ford said. "The Alton Police Department

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating a fatal motor crash in the 9800 block of Halls Ferry Road which resulted in the death of an adult female. On October 13, 2022, at 12:20 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident in the 9800 block of Halls Ferry Road. Arriving officers located two motor vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation revealed a gold-colored Chevrolet Cavalier was traveling southbound on Halls Ferry Road and was attempting to turn left into a parking lot near the intersection of Halls Ferry and St. Cyr, when it was struck on the passenger side by a gray-colored Toyota Camry traveling northbound. The Chevrolet Cavalier was occupied by the driver only. The Toyota Camry was occupied by the driver and two passengers. The driver and passengers suffered minor injuries.

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ALTON - Alton City Council approved a sign honoring Bishop Samuel E. White on 13th Street at Wednesday night’s meeting. The sign ordinance had passed through the Alton Committee of the Whole on Monday night. White has marked 48 years with Monroe Memorial Church in Alton. The street sign ordinance was adopted by a unanimous 7-0 vote. Alton Mayor David Goins also read a proclamation that detailed many of Samuel E. White’s major accomplishments, and awards during his career with Lewis and Clark Community College and as pastor at Monroe Memorial. The proclamation and street name are positive reflections of his life in honor of his 76th birthday, the mayor said. White is known for his time as a student mentor, helping found the Urban League and Coalition Of Concerned Citizens Of Madison County, and for many contributions to the community. The mayor also read a proclamation to Beverly Farm for their years of devotion and care for adults with developmental disabilities. He said

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