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ST. LOUIS - Varicose veins are a common condition affecting up to three in ten adults each year. A local vascular physician and cardiologist, Dr. Raffi Krikorian, wants to raise awareness about a simple treatment method that can alleviate the symptoms and in some cases, minimize the appearance of varicose veins. “Millions of people suffer from varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency,” said Dr. Raffi Krikorian. “While it is common, it can still impact a person’s quality of life in many ways and can lead to further issues down the road. We recommend people get their veins evaluated by our medical professionals so they know what type of vein condition they have and what treatment options are available. Compression stockings are a simple first step we often take to help improve a patient’s circulation and reduce the appearances of varicose veins.” Dr. Krikorian said varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency can cause heavy, tired, swollen

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CHICAGO – As Illinois celebrates World Trade Month, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced the 2022 trade show schedule and additional international business development opportunities to assist companies in starting or expanding global sales. DCEO’s Office of Trade and Investment (OTI) will coordinate the State’s presence at nine international trade events on four continents. “Illinois’ network of diverse industries and workforce have made Illinois a force in the global export economy, propelling our products around the world to over 200 countries,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From trade shows to development opportunities, my administration is proud to help Illinois companies expand their international market share during World Trade Month and beyond.” Illinois offers a convenient geographic location and proximity to airports, railways, and shipping ports, and has

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ST. LOUIS - The National Museum of Transportation Transportation Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution in the transportation industry. Inductees are recognized for their leadership or contribution in industries that move our community. Those recognized have demonstrated insight, innovation, and a progressive contribution in transportation throughout their distinguished career. Recipients are nominated in the summer of each year and are honored at The National Museum of Transportation Transportation Hall of Fame Awards Breakfast in December. Applications are accepted through August 31 for the 2022 inductees. For additional information, please contact: Frank Cunetto, Chairman TNMOT Transportation Hall of Fame TNMOT Board of Directors 314.791.2362 To nominate an individual visit: https://tnmot.org/nominate-for-the-transportation-hall-of-fame/ The National Museum of Transportation houses 'one of the largest and best collections of transportation

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EDWARDSVILLE - The fifth edition of International Studies Days at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, held virtually May 3-6, was as successful as previous editions in helping address important global issues. The series of events included senior assignment presentations, panel discussions on organizations with an international focus regionally, and international education opportunities available to students, as well as a lecture aimed at educating the public on current developments in Ukraine. “International Studies Days has become a tradition of student, faculty, and community engagement for the International Studies Program within the College of Arts and Sciences,” said Sorin Nastasia, PhD, director of this program and associate professor in the Department of Applied Communication Studies. “Given the war in Ukraine and the plights of students, both local and international, this year’s series of events featured prominently a discussion of the difficulties

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ALTON - The Vintage Voices committee has set an audition date for the 2022 edition of Vintage Voices. Auditions will be held Saturday, June 25, 2022, at YWCA of Alton, 304 E 3rd St, Alton, Illinois 62002. Actors wanting to audition should arrive anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and will be asked to do a cold reading. The event consists of tours held in the Alton Cemetery with actors in period costumes telling the story of Altonians who have shaped the area’s history. Auditions will be held to cast the roles of nine characters of a variety of ages, gender, and race. Commitment is five performances and an individualized rehearsal schedule. “Vintage Voices highlights the stories of so many people who contributed to the Alton area: people who were often well-known during their lifetimes, but whose legacies are now buried in books and newspaper articles. We need you to help bring these stories back to life! Please come out for auditions on June 25, 2022,” says

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BELLEVILLE - The St. Clair County Transit District is encouraging people of all ages to register now for its annual Summer Riding Program, so they are ready to hit the trails when the program gets underway on June 1. The program allows participants to track miles and earn prizes as they bike, walk, wheel, run, skate or skip along with the MetroBikeLink System, which boasts 14 miles of continuous trails and bike paths adjacent to the MetroLink alignment in Southwestern Illinois. Registration can be completed at www.scctd.org . Mileage tracking begins June 1, 2022. “The Summer Riding Program is much like those offered through libraries that incentive kids to read, but instead of reading a certain number of minutes to earn prizes, we are encouraging people of all ages to track miles on the MetroBikeLink System,” commented Ken Sharkey, managing director for the St. Clair County. “It’s a fun way to get people outside and active, as they enjoy this treasure in ou

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SPRINGFIELD – A bill strengthening the Child Labor Law passed by the General Assembly was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker. Senate Bill 3161 enhances the Child Labor Law and is the result of negotiations among the Illinois Department of Labor, the business community, worker advocacy groups, and unions. “Protecting the youngest and most vulnerable workers is critical to preventing exploitation. This bill gives the Illinois Department of Labor additional tools to ensure that child workers in the entertainment industry are safe on the job,” said Illinois Department of Labor Acting Director Jane Flanagan. The Child Labor Law regulates the terms and conditions in which children can work. The changes enacted as part of SB 3161 provide IDOL with more discretion when it comes to protecting children in the entertainment industry from working through the overnight hours. In the fiscal year 2021, IDOL received 14,846 child employment certificates. During the same

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SPRINGFIELD – A bill strengthening the One Day Rest in Seven Act has been signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker. Senate Bill 3146 is the result of negotiations among the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), the business community, community groups, and unions. “The changes will strengthen the One Day Rest in Seven Act and reflect the ongoing mission of the Illinois Department of Labor to protect the rights, wages, and working conditions for people in Illinois,” said Illinois Department of Labor Acting Director Jane Flanagan. The One Day Rest in Seven Act gives workers the right to a day of rest every workweek and meal or rest breaks during daily work shifts. The changes enacted as part of SB 3146 are intended to clarify the day of rest requirements for workers whose schedules don’t align with a Sunday to Saturday calendar week and apply to any consecutive seven-day work period. The amendments also require an additional 20-minute break for workers during

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ALTON – Although Alton Memorial Hospital was unable to hold its annual Employee Awards Banquet again this year because of the pandemic, the hospital was still able to honor several of its top staff members for their 2021 accomplishments during the recent Health Care Week. Among the awards handed out was the Virginia Ilch Team Quality Award. The ”Promoting Vaginal Births” team was the winner for its part in a 2021 quality initiative as a part of the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative. “The aim was to support vaginal births and reduce primary cesarean sections to reach the Healthy People goal for a low-risk cesarean section target rate of 24.7 percent by December 2021,” said Debbie Turpin, chief nurse executive at Alton Memorial. AMH had a C-section rate of 22.5 percent in 2020. A team of nurses and physicians led the 2021 efforts for AMH, which included: Educating physicians and nurses on ACOG/SMFM labor management guidelines and labor support

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ROXANA – Sophomore pitcher Calista Stahlhut threw all seven innings and hit a home run as the Roxana High School softball team defeated the Alton Redbirds by a score of 3-1. With the win, the Shells end their regular season with a record of 9-13. As for Calista, she’s the Shells’ number one pitcher and she now has a 9-11 record through 20 regular-season appearances. She leads her team in games played and strikeouts with 118 coming into the game against Alton. The Shells led 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Calista took to the batter’s box with no one on and two outs. With a quick swing of the bat, she took the ball over the fence in left-center field to make it 3-0 over the visiting Redbirds. It was her third home run of the season which leads her team. Because of that she was intentionally walked later on in the game. When asked what she thought was more important, the pitching performance or the home run, she had this to say: “I think they were

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EFFINGHAM – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 8, is releasing video of a shooting that occurred at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in McLeansboro, IL on October 20, 2021. On October 20, 2021 at approximately 12:20 a.m., the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office asked ISP to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in McLeansboro, IL. Aaron J. Sealy, a 30-year-old male from Herrin was in custody after being arrested by McLeansboro police officers and was transported to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. While seated in a chair, Sealy was able to loosen the handcuffs, after which he grabbed and discharged a fire extinguisher toward a McLeansboro Officer and a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy. Both officers ordered Sealy to drop the fire extinguisher before discharging their firearms. Sealy was struck once. Officers rendered aid to Sealy until he was

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido reported on Monday that early Sunday morning, just after midnight, the Alton Police Department investigated a report of shots being fired in the general area of downtown Alton. "Officers arrived on scene immediately as they were patrolling in the downtown area at the time of this incident," the chief said. "Preliminary investigation revealed that shots were fired after an altercation took place." "The subjects involved were generally familiar with each other and no injuries were reported." The Alton Police Chief said the investigation is ongoing and being conducted by the Alton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.

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EAST ST. LOUIS – After a final arrest last weekend, federal authorities are releasing the results of a month-long, large-scale, multi-agency, law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service, Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, operating primarily throughout March 2022. The operation resulted in more than 150 arrests, including three individuals being charged with homicide in St. Clair County in connection with one of the firearms seized. Multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies worked countless hours concentrating their efforts on known gang members, wanted subjects, and other known violent offenders. Operation Washout (OWO) is a United States Marshals initiative deployed to local areas to bring immediate relief from violent, gang-related crime. The goal is to foster safer communities by investigating and arresting fugitives and members of criminal organizations responsible for committing violent crimes. The detail yielded 153 arrests with 5

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JERSEY - Jersey Community High School’s Panther Athletic Club recently presented the Don Snyders/PAC $1,000 Scholarship Award to Morgan Johnson and Sam Lamer for their athletic achievements, strong character and leadership, academic success, and PAC involvement. In addition to these seniors, the PAC awarded an additional $4,500 in scholarships to the following senior athletes: Kate Jones, Austin Hayes, Liam McGuire, Tyler Noble, Edward Roberts, Kyndal Price, Garret Smith, Karli Talley, and Zachary Wargo. Congratulations to all recipients, and a special thanks to Mr. Snyders for always supporting the PAC and our Jersey Athletes.

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EDWARDSVILLE -This week’s poll administered by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), found that Judge Amy Sholar is the only candidate recommended by Bar Association members in her race for Third Judicial Circuit Judge. “I am proud to receive this recommendation from my peers and members of ISBA,” stated Sholar. “It’s a validation of the hard work I’ve put in as a private attorney and now as a Judge.” Based on this evaluation Circuit Judge Amy Sholar was recommended in the ISBA advisory poll with a 79.09 rating based on her ability to meet the requirements of the office. She was rated by 112 attorneys and judges. Her opponent was not recommended with a rating of 56.92 in the same category. The Illinois State Bar conducts this advisory poll through a survey of all licensed attorneys in the circuit. Sholar scored higher than her opponent in every category and scored especially high in the areas of legal ability, integrity, and court management.

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TAYLORVILLE - U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-III.) announced today that he is accepting applications from students who wish to seek a congressional nomination to one of our nation's service academies for the Class of 2027. Davis can nominate to the following academies: U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), U.S. Military Academy (USMA), U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). His office will also be hosting a Service Academy Day informational event for interested students, parents, and school officials with the office of U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood in Springfield on Saturday, June 18th. More details are below and registration is required. Service academies offer fully-funded four-year scholarships to young U.S. citizens with a desire to serve their country, who qualify by age and academics, who demonstrate desirable leadership qualities, and who have the wherewithal to strive for excellence in all their endeavors. A four-year education at one of the service academies

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met virtually with representatives from the Will County Board to discuss how increased federal funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is helping Will County and to thank Durbin for the Congressionally directed spending he secured for Will County in the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations bill. Included in the omnibus bill at Durbin’s request was $300,000 for the expansion of the Will County Behavioral Workforce Pipeline project and $175,000 for Will County’s opioid overdose intervention program. During the meeting, Durbin and the county leaders went on to discuss the impact of the IIJA, which allocated $17 billion in direct and guaranteed funding to Illinois. In addition to the direct funding, Will County is eligible and competitive for U.S. Department of Transportation grant applications to fund the expansion of road projects including

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EAST ALTON – Spring brings new possibilities, not only in nature but also in the education department at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC sm ). NGRREC, a division of Lewis and Clark Community College, recently welcomed two new team members to the education department, Kathy Fournier and Jen Mandeville. Fournier joined the team in early January and Mandeville just recently started in mid-April. “I love connecting people to their environment in ways they may not have realized existed,” Fournier said. “Seeing things from a new perspective can have significant impacts on groups and individuals and change how they think about conservation and protecting our planet.” Fournier works as the lead educator for the Critical Interface Network project. Her role is to transform cutting-edge research into education programs and lessons that are useful for teachers throughout Illinois to teach earth science. This position is partially

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ unclaimed property program reached another historic milestone this month when it paid its 1 millionth claim since 2015, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. The achievement is even more noteworthy when considering only 500,000 claims were paid between 2003 and 2014. Frerichs became state treasurer in 2015. The dramatic increase is a result of a complete restructuring of the unclaimed property process, especially the addition of electronic claims, eliminating red-tape that slowed small-money claims, and leveraging technology to allow payments to be made without a claim even needing to be filed. “This milestone was achieved because we reimagined the office and used common sense to make it more efficient,” Frerichs said. “As a result, we have returned a record-shattering $1.4 billion to Illinois taxpayers, who richly deserve to keep more of their own money.” Unclaimed property, also known as I-Cash, refers

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CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker today announced that the State of Illinois has received $5.4 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will support and expand access to equitable and affordable family planning services for low-income populations across Illinois. This federal grant, along with $5.8 million in state general revenue funds, means the Illinois Family Planning Program is providing approximately $11.2 million in funding in state Fiscal Year 2023 to 29 delegate agencies that operate 98 family planning clinics throughout the state. The new HHS grant to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will support access to Title X services under the Illinois Family Planning Program that were sharply restricted under the previous federal administration, which imposed a “gag rule” that blocked family planning clinics from referring patients to abortion providers. “Now that the Biden administration has reversed Trump’s

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