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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continued its commencement exercises Saturday, May 7 with ceremonies honoring graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the School of Engineering (SOE). Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, led the conferral of degrees. At the 9 a.m. ceremony, CAS student speaker Josie Pauley, who earned a bachelor’s in applied communication studies, encouraged graduates to live in the now and make the most of every moment. “Live in your own present,” she said. “Once we master the process of living in the present and focusing on ourselves, the possibilities that surround us are truly endless.” Having crossed the commencement stage 50 or more years ago, Class of 2022 Golden Graduates were honored. Cobb referenced the speech given by U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy at the Golden Graduates’ commencement ceremony in June 1972. “I would like to read you a

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Kentucky Derby is notorious for its showing of not only incredible horse racing but also fabulous hats and fascinators brimming with color and flowers galore. During the main event on Saturday, May 7, Rich Strike stunned audiences worldwide with its top finish at the 148th Kentucky Derby. In preparation and anticipation of the big race, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Meridian Society hosted a festive derby event, “All About That Hat,” on Tuesday, May 3 at The Outlet at Edison’s in Edwardsville. Fit with a red carpet entrance and derby-themed lunch, music, and games, the lunch reception featured awards for Biggest Hat, Best Hat, Most Glamorous, Dapper Dan, Glitzy Gal, Hattitude, and more. Meridian Society President Ethel Shanklin shared the mission of the Meridian Society. “We are an auxiliary organization of the SIUE Foundation, and we promote leadership and philanthropy and invest in SIUE community-based projects,”

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic cheerleader Trinity Thomas has been honored with a Division I scholarship to Alabama A & M University and has chosen a biology/psychology study focus. "I chose this college because of the history and the community they have," she said. Trinity Thomas is the Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Female Athlete of the Month for the Explorers for her efforts as a cheerleader. Trinity has been active in both Yearbook Club and Art Club and on the honor roll at Marquette Catholic. She said Marquette gave her a hardworking mentality and was a positive experience. She is the daughter of Eric and Kenya Thomas of St. Louis.

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ALTON – It’s not uncommon for a dad to coach their kids' baseball team. It happens all the time while growing up whether it be tee-ball, little league, or club. It’s a little rarer to be able to see a dad coach two of his sons at the high school level. That’s what Marquette Catholic High School baseball coach Tim Fahnestock gets to do. His son Charlie is a junior and Will is just a freshman, meaning that the three will get to go at it again next season. The brother combination of Charlie and Will Fahnestock are Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Male Athletes of the Month for Marquette Catholic. “I mean, I love it being able to play with your brother and your dad,” Charlie said after an 8-7 comeback win over Granite City. “It’s a great feeling.” Will, being two years younger had it a little more difficult growing up. “He was more of his coach than me, but I always played up and just tried to learn as much as I could,”

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INGREDIENTS For Cooking the Chicken: 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally and paper towel dried 1/2 cup Flour 2 1/2 teaspoon Get-R-Smoked Mike's SPG Seasoning 2 teaspoons Get-R-Smoked Italian Seasoning Blend 3 tablespoons Olive Oil Marketplace Italian Herb EVOO 12 oz Plentiful Pantry Italian Blend Spaghetti White Wine Parmesan Sauce: 4 tablespoons butter 1 small yellow onion chopped 4 garlic cloves minced 2 scallions chopped 2 small tomatoes diced 8 oz Sliced Mushrooms 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup white wine ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded 1 teaspoon Get-R-Smoked Italian Seasoning Blend 1/2 teaspoon salt more to taste ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes INSTRUCTIONS Making the Sauce: Add butter, diced yellow onion, and minced garlic cloves to the pan. Cook on medium-high until onions and garlic are translucent, about 2 minutes. Next, add chopped scallions and tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon

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GODFREY - Village of Godfrey Engineer Rich Beran said the Glazebrook Park Splash Pad ground was officially broken on Tuesday morning. He said splash pad site grading is about 99 percent complete. The hope is to have the Splash Pad finished about by the Fourth of July, but that will be weather-dependent, the village engineer said. “We are definitely excited to get it going,” Beran said. “I think it will be probably about six more weeks of work, but it depends on how the weather is as the summer begins. This is something people have been excited about for years and we are excited it will happen.” The Glazebrook Park Splash Pad is part of the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program (OSLAD) grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

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SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to increase its ranks and attract potential future Troopers, the Illinois State Police (ISP) is excited to announce the reimaging of the Fast Track Program into the newly created Lateral Entry Training Program. The new program is designed to incentivize current law enforcement officers to increase their opportunities and join ISP. “The Illinois State Police is one of the premier policing agencies in the country, and with the largest budget in State Police history, we are looking to hire many more troopers to protect public safety and seek justice for the people of Illinois,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The Academy has created the Lateral Entry Training Program to retain the high training standards ISP is known for, but allow current police officers to spend less time away from home and their family.” The new Lateral Entry Training Program will incorporate much of the current Fast Track Program curriculum and

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COTTAGE HILLS - Cottage Hills Fire Department was the first to respond to a blazing fire on 14th Street in Cottage Hills early this morning. A Mutual Aid Call was immediately dispatched and Rosewood Heights Fire, Bethalto, Meadowbrook, and Fosterburg also responded. Rosewood Heights Fire Chief Corey Williams said his department was called to the scene at 4:58 a.m. Tuesday. He described the home on fire as “a total loss.” The exact cause of the fire was not yet released.

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CHICAGO– Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed May Childhood Drowning Prevention Month in Illinois, which serves as a good time to remind parents of the importance of constantly supervising children when they are in or near water to prevent the tragedy of accidental drowning deaths. In 2021, 18 Illinois children lost their lives to accidental drowning: eight in pools; three in bathtubs; two in lakes; two in ponds; and one each in a creek, a river, and a hot tub. All eight of the children who drowned in pools were age 5 and younger. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 14. For every child who dies from drowning, another eight receive emergency department care for non-fatal drowning. “A child can drown in seconds, in silence, and in as little as one inch of water,” said Illinois DCFS Director

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ST. LOUIS - Volunteers and members of the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis, will join with the Alton Fire Department on May 10 and the Ferguson Fire Department on May 12to install free smoke alarms for local families vulnerable to home fires during a Sound the Alarm event. This effort is part of a national Red Cross Sound the Alarm initiative to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country in May. WHAT: Sound the Alarm kickoff with remarks and volunteer training, followed by smoke alarm installations at area homes where volunteer teams will also discuss home fire safety with families. WHERE: Area homes in Alton, IL (May 10) and Ferguson, MO (May 12). WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Teams will meet on May 10 at 10 a.m. at the Alton Fire Department Training Center, 333 E. 20 th Alton, IL. Smoke alarm installations to follow. Teams will meet on May 12 at the Red Cross Chapter Offices, 10195 Corporate Square Drive

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ALTON - The Alton Community Service League met on May 9th, 2022 for their last meeting of the year at the Resurrection Lutheran Church. The Silver Bowl recipient was announced and the New Board was installed for the 2022-2023 year. The Silver Bowl Recipient, which honors the member with the most volunteer and league hours for 2021-2022 was Nancy Johnson. She volunteered 54 League hours and 122 Community hours making a total of 176 Hours. The value of these hours is $5,023.04. The total number of volunteer hours from all members was 2,292.25 which equates to $65,420.82. The organization has been keeping a tally since 2014-2015 and they have volunteered 47,591.05 hours which equates to $1,214,870.30. ACSL prides its organization on volunteering and giving out grants for beautification and to charitable organizations. Allocations for Charitable and Beautification Grants totaled $7,396. The new ACSL board will be under the leadership of their new president: Cathy Droste.

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GREENVILLE - The Greenville University Choir is looking forward to presenting a free concert and Q&A session, both open to the public, as part of Commencement weekend on Friday, May 13. The GU Choir will be performing selections from their spring tour this year which will include works by Franz Joseph Haydn, W.A. Mozart, Hyun Kook, Dominick DiOrio, and more. Immediately following the concert, attendees are invited to participate in a 15-minute Q&A session with Don Frazure, GU’s director of choral activities. Frazure says he will introduce GU’s newly hired Choir Recruiter Andrew Gibb-Clark and present the vision for the GU Choir, including plans for an upcoming European tour. “I am very excited about presenting this concert to our Greenville community,” Frazure says. “The choir has done an exceptional job this year working on and performing some very demanding repertoire. We are also implementing some incredible new recruiting efforts for the upcoming

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LENEXA, KAN. – This Wednesday, May 11, leaders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are hosting a Mississippi River Corridor Summit on Water Infrastructure Funding in East Alton, Illinois, with state co-regulators and Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) mayors. To kick off the summit, federal, state, and local leaders will host a press event overlooking the Mississippi River on top of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center Confluence Field Station. The Mississippi River Corridor Summit on Water Infrastructure Funding is focused on engaging MRCTI mayors to better understand their water and wastewater challenges and needs, especially those with equity and environmental justice concerns like small rural locations. Reporters are invited to attend the press event in person. EPA Region 7 will stream it on Facebook Live . Reporters may also attend the Mississippi River Corridor Summit on Water Infrastructure Funding in-person or virtually

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SPRINGFIELD – Spots are still available for an introductory wingshooting clinic Saturday, May 14 at the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area in Will County. The clinic is designed for boys and girls 10 years and older and adults who are interested in learning to shoot or improving their ability to shoot a shotgun at moving clay targets. For this wingshooting clinic, participants need to be in the beginner/novice shooting skill level. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Illinois Conservation Foundation, and several co-sponsors are hosting the clinic, which is designed to teach participants how to safely shoot a shotgun at a moving target with reasonable reliability. The clinic will begin with a shotgun safety presentation at 10 a.m., followed by a short, small-group, hands-on shotgun orientation session with each group’s wingshooting instructor. Clinics are taught by instructors certified by the IDNR or the National Sporting Clays Association.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY: The deceased in a St. Louis County crash has been identified as Sylvia Twigger, 89 years of age, of the 9700 block of Jackie Lane in Saint Louis, Missouri 63123. St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are currently investigating a fatal motor crash in the area of Reavis Barracks Road and Lemay Ferry Road which resulted in the death of an adult female. On May 6, 2022, at approximately 3:50 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the South County Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident in the area of Reavis Barracks Road and Lemay Ferry Road. Arriving officers located two motor vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation has revealed a Nissan Rogue, driven by an 89-year-old female, was eastbound on Reavis Barracks Road in the northbound turn lane onto Lemay Ferry Road when it crossed the centerline, striking a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by an adult male.

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These photos may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Alton-Farmers-and-Artisans-Market ALTON - The Alton Farmers' & Artisans' Market kicked off with an outstanding start on Saturday in the Downtown Alton Historic District. The market is organized by Alton Main Street. Alton Main Street Executive Director Sara McGibany said she couldn't have been more pleased with the start this past Saturday. The market runs from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday through October 15, 2022. "It is super exciting to have the Farmers' and Artisans' Market underway again," she said. "We are all now almost like family and we miss each other when it is in the off-season. There were a lot of hugs today. The community has really embraced this event year after year and new vendors and crowds of people just keep coming along with the returning vendors." Live entertainment, artist demonstrations, and other special activities have been scheduled every week, McGibany said. Shoppers

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Pontoon Beach– The Illinois Department of Transportation announces intermittent lane closures of IL 162 between IL 157 and Nameoki Rd. near Granite City beginning on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, weather permitting. Two-way traffic will be maintained by the use of flaggers. This project will update pavement marking and it should be completed by the end of the month. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert to changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The contractor on this project is RoadSafe Traffic Systems, Inc. from Romeoville, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ST. LOUIS – The 80,000-plus fans projected to attend the upcoming Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter NASCAR Cup Series race and related festivities will be entertained at every turn throughout race weekend. Live performances will begin at the Ballpark Village Fan Fest presented by Enterprise on Thursday, June 2, and will continue at World Wide Technology Raceway on Friday, June 3; Saturday, June 4; and Sunday, June 5, concluding with a post-race concert. Confluence Festival: Crossroads of Concert & Community – a showcase of innovation, talent, and live entertainment – represents the region’s communities coming together in welcoming NASCAR, the No. 1 form of motorsports in the U.S, to World Wide Technology Raceway. “We promised our fans a world-class event, and this festival will deliver on a wholenew level,” said Curtis Francois, owner, and CEO of World Wide Technology Raceway. “Collectively, with our incredible partners World Wid

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GRAFTON - The Village of Grafton is accepting applications for full-time and part-time patrolmen. Candidates must be certified through the Illinois Training and Standards Board. Starting pay is $21.50 per hour with time and a half for holidays. Applications can be obtained at the Grafton Police Department, 118 E. Main St., Grafton, IL., 62037, by e-mail at graftonilpd@gmail.com or on the City of Grafton web page; cityofgraftonil.com .

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Belleville - St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) today announced it will provide complimentary round-trip rides, via the SCCTD Trolley Bus, from the Belleville Transit Center (800 Scheel Street, Belleville, IL 62221) to the Art on the Square event, which is being held in the Belleville Public Square in downtown Belleville, from Friday, May 13, to Sunday, May 15. The SCCTD Shuttle Bus will drop riders at the corner of East Main and North Jackson streets. Art on the Square is being held from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 13; from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 14; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 15. The SCCTD Shuttle Bus will begin service 10 minutes before the event opens each day. Trips will be made to and from the Belleville Transit Center and Art on the Square every 15 minutes throughout the duration of the event each day. The final trip each evening will depart from East Main and North Jackson streets 20 minutes after each day’s event is scheduled to end. “Art

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