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ALTON - A pair of popular twins - Abby and Owen Williams - emerged as the queen and king of the Marquette Catholic High School Prom Saturday night at Edison’s in Edwardsville. Abby and Owen are both outstanding athletes, students and community citizens. Members of the Prom Court are shown above in this order: Gavin Roberts, Allison Geiger, Noah Spencer, Abby Williams, Dillon Menke, Tori Fox, Caleb Gardner, Ellanour Brass, Owen Williams and Hayley Porter. Marquette Catholic Principal Tim Harman said he thought the Student Council and other school volunteers and Beth DeCourcey did a wonderful job with the prom. “Beth DeCourcey spearheaded the entire effort,” he said. “The junior and senior parents also did a ton of work and organized some fantastic prizes for the kids. They made sure every kid received something.” Preston Stork, Marquette Student Council President, said the night started with a catered dinner, followed by dancing until 10:15 p.m. Saturday,

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ALTON - The YWCA Southwestern Illinois 31st Women of Distinction Celebration will be held on Thursday evening, April 28 at Julia’s Banquet Center, 101 Eastgate Plaza, East Alton, IL 62024. The deadline for reservations is Friday, April 22, 2022. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m., with the event starting promptly at 6 p.m. The community is strongly encouraged to attend the gala event and meet 2022 Women of Distinction Honorees and the Josephine Marley Beckwith Future Leaders scholars. Tickets are $65 per person, or $520 per table of eight. Reservations can be made online at www.altonywca.com , or at YWCA, 304 E 3 rd Street, Alton or by calling (618) 465-7774. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event as well. Each year, some of the region’s brightest, boldest, and most influential women are honored at YWCA’s Women of Distinction celebration. The women honored at this event represent a diversity of women’s interests, talents and achievements

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ALTON - Basketball and athletic talent seem to be in the blood of the Stotler family. A new Stotler talent, that of 12-year-old Bishop, emerged recently when he cracked one of the more significant marks in Riverbend Community Center games. Bishop recorded a record 135 on the NBA Hoops Game, a remarkable feat. Bishop's grandfather, originally of Bethalto, was a University of Missouri football defensive back/placekicker on the 1969 Missouri team. Nic Stotler, Bishop's dad, was a standout basketball player for Civic Memorial High School and then Illinois State University. Bishop's mom, Amanda, who she said was not a college athlete, but excels more in the artistic arena, is so proud of her son not only for his basketball shooting skills but what kind of young man he is already. "Bishop was really happy about breaking the Community Center NBA Hoops Game record," she said. "He broke it first one week, then went back and broke it again." Bishop said without a doubt, that he loves basketball

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ALTON - The YWCA Southwestern Illinois 31st Women of Distinction Celebration will be held on Thursday evening, April 28 at Julia’s Banquet Center, 101 Eastgate Plaza, East Alton, IL 62024. The deadline for reservations is Friday, April 22, 2022. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m., with the event starting promptly at 6 p.m. The community is strongly encouraged to attend the gala event and meet 2022 Women of Distinction Honorees and the Josephine Marley Beckwith Future Leaders scholars. Tickets are $65 per person or $520 per table of eight. Reservations can be made online at www.altonywca.com , at YWCA, 304 E 3 rd Street, Alton, or by calling (618) 465-7774. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event as well. Each year, some of the region’s brightest, boldest, and most influential women are honored at YWCA’s Women of Distinction celebration. The women honored at this event represent a diversity of women’s interests, talents, and achievements in support

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ALTON - Laura Greenwood had her day in the sun on Friday at Lewis and Clark Elementary in Alton when she was honored with a permanent "Buddy Bench" for the school playground in her honor. Laura retired last year after 34 years in the school district. Through donors and other contributors, the "Buddy Bench" was purchased. Laura said she wants the bench to be a place for students when they want to sit or a place where they can invite someone else to play or just talk. Laura's daughter, Cathryn Greenwood Zerkel followed her mother's footsteps in education and is a teacher assistant for seventh graders in the Annex Building at Alton Middle School. "It truly meant a lot to finally be able to honor my mom for her years of service to the Alton School District," Cathryn said. "My mom taught and had loyalty to not just the district but to Lewis and Clark Elementary. She spent her entire teaching career there. "I mentioned how long she taught there and asked students questions about having

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ST. LOUIS - The U.S. National Weather Service in St. Louis announced Wednesday afternoon that the forecasts they made earlier in the morning regarding severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes in the area didn't pan out as severely as expected. “It’s frustrating for us and you when our forecasts don’t go as planned,” the weather service stated in a Facebook post . “So much thought and energy goes into our forecasts, we don’t take tornado or severe thunderstorm forecasts lightly. “When things like this happen we take a critical look at what went wrong. Many aspects of this event favored severe weather, but a few critical details did not develop.” Early Wednesday morning, the weather service predicted severe thunderstorms, high-speed winds, high potential for tornadoes and golf-ball-sized hail in the St. Louis area of southeastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois from about 11 a.m.-4 p.m. “This morning started out

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CHICAGO – Celebrating the passage of a FY23 budget that prioritizes responsible spending, Gov. JB Pritzker joined students, lawmakers, and advocates at Gately Park Indoor Track in Chicago to highlight programs designed to foster the success of young people throughout the state. “Last week we passed a budget that will have an enormously positive impact on the wellbeing of young people in this state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It focuses on giving them every opportunity to succeed, investing in their future like never before. Our children deserve a stronger, healthier Illinois to grow up in, and by continuing to make responsible financial decisions we are delivering on that promise.” “Every child and teen, regardless of their skin color or background, has the potential to do great things,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, (D-Chicago). “It is our duty and responsibility to ensure our youth have the necessary tools fo

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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College has been awarded a $250,000 two-year Teacher Residency Grant from the Illinois State Board of Education (IBSE) to help address the state’s teacher shortage. The funds will be used to accelerate Blackburn’s established Teacher Licensure Program (TLP) which the College launched in 2020. Blackburn’s fully-online licensure program provides the opportunity for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in other fields of study to pursue new careers in teaching. Dr. Michelle Stacy, Professor of Education and Teacher Licensure Program Coordinator, explained that these funds will allow Blackburn to provide additional resources to continue to address the teacher shortage in Illinois. She noted, “Our Teacher Licensure Program was originally designed to train high-quality teachers for areas most in need. It’s very popular because it is a fast-track licensure program that can build a ton of essential training and first-hand classroom experienc

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ALTON - The OSF HealthCare blog has been named to Feedspot’s " Top 100 Healthcare Blogs and Websites " list of health care blogs to follow in 2022. Feedspot is considered the largest human-curated database of bloggers and podcasts. The OSF HealthCare blog recently checked in at number 27 on the list, which evolves every few weeks. The recognition highlighted the OSF blog’s polished and relevant content and its robust following. In 2021, the blog registered nearly eight million visits. "This recognition is a testament to our team’s work to bring relevant and valuable information to the community," said Susan Milford, Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications at OSF HealthCare. "Health care can be complicated, and especially during the pandemic, trusted and up-to-date factual information for our communities became even more important. The content found on the OSF HealthCare blog provides expert answers to a number of questions and connects people with

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CHICAGO - On April 10, 2022, at approximately 5:25 a.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash on Interstate 290 eastbound near Western Avenue in Cook County, involving an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Emergency Transportation Patrol (ETP) truck. On the above date and time, an IDOT ETP truck was stationary, with emergency lights activated, removing traffic debris from the two left lanes. At this time, a gray Nissan traveling eastbound, failed to yield to the stationary emergency vehicle and the front of the Nissan struck the rear of the IDOT ETP truck. The Nissan became fully engulfed in flames. Both drivers and a passenger in the Nissan were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries and later released. The driver of the Nissan, Devon J. Lovaloy, a 23-year-old male of Chicago, IL, was charged with Scott’s Law-Improper Passing of Emergency Vehicle, Driving While License Revoked, Operating Uninsure

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ST. LOUIS - Congresswoman Cori Bush will be the featured speaker at the Opening Ceremony and Sustainability Awards at the St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 23, at 1 pm. Organized by the local nonprofit earthday365, the Sustainability Awards will highlight achievements in sustainability over five different categories. 2022 EARTH DAY SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS - Outstanding Nominees Hellbender Lifetime Achievement in Sustainability Wayne Garver, Gateway Electric Vehicle Association President and environmental educator Jean Ponzi, EarthWays Center, MOBOT’s Green Business Challenge, BiodiverCity STL, Earthworms radio show/podcast/column, original Earth Day Festival organizer Emily Andrews, Executive Director of US - Green Building Council, Green Schools Quest, champion of landmark energy efficiency standards such as the 2021 Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) and the new Building Energy Exchange - St. Louis. John Risberg, former Maritz executive

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JERSEYVILLE - City Center Park in Downtown Jerseyville will host the 1st of 4 planned events for the community on May 6, 2022. This concept, developed by Explore Jerseyville Tourism, brings together a public-private partnership. Each event happening over the remainder of 2022 will bring together different Jerseyville businesses to cover aspects of the evening, showcasing what they provide. City Center Park will come alive with representation from 3 local businesses, making this the perfect way to bring small business week to a close. The May “Rock the Block” will feature food and beverages from Redbird Deli, Brossio Tavern, and Bare Bones BBQ, a local member of the St. Louis BBQ Society. A variety of foods will be available for the Series goers along with beverages for a fee. Our entertainment, Exit 52 will take the stage with their unique sound and wonderful beat bringing all in attendance to their feet. Classic sounds from the past are given life once again with EXIT

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been nationally-recognized as a 2022-23 Military Friendly® School. The University’s “Gold” designation emphasizes its commitment to successfully connect the military and civilian world through its Office of Military and Veteran Services. The Military Friendly® Schools survey is the longest-running most comprehensive review of college and university investments in serving military and veteran students. According to militaryfriendly.com, the 2022-2023 Military Friendly® Schools list is “more exclusive than ever, and covers institutions offering certificate programs to doctoral degrees.” The number of schools participating in this year’s survey increased 50%, from 1,200 to 1,800 nationwide. “Recognition from these premier national rankings is a testament to the outstanding work being accomplished in the Office of Military and Veteran Services,” said director Kevin

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SEE VIDEO: EDWARDSVILLE - Bagley Farms Meat Market recently held a ribbon-cutting of its new location at 1208 Highway 157 Edwardsville. The Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce hosted the ribbon cut. The Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce said Bailey Farms Meat Market is a family-owned business that offers quality products at competitive prices and describes its staff as "some of the nicest people you will ever encounter." "We always have weekly specials," Andrew Bagley, a partner in the business, said. Bagley Farms Meat Market comes from fifth-generation farmers from Shipman, IL. “We produce corn, soybeans, and wheat, but our biggest commodity is Angus Cattle,” Andrew Bagley of Bagley Farms Meat Market said. “Our focus will be on providing the Metro-East with local products like beef, cheese, and produce when it’s available. “While it's impossible to source 100 percent local products 100 percent of the time, we’ll do ou

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Jimmy and Lauren (Hess) Horman, of Bethalto, welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on March 9. The couple’s daughter, Hadley Marie Horman, was born in Maryville, Ill. at 4:26 p.m., weighing 7 pounds and 7 ounces. Along with her parents, Hadley was welcomed by grandparents: Jim and Nancy Horman of Hardin and Bob and Shelly Hess of Millstadt, and great-grandparents: Russel Gibson of Jerseyville and Mary Ogle of Roxana.

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is adopting new federal guidelines for tracking COVID-19 at the community level. The new CDC guidelines emphasize the case rate and hospitalizations in order to better track the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities. As a result of these new guidelines, testing providers will no longer be required to report some negative tests and IDPH will therefore no longer report test and case positivity. In addition to adopting new CDC guidelines, IDPH is bolstering the data on its COVID-19 dashboard to provide additional information to help communities respond to changes in the course of the virus. Among the new data that has been or will be shared on the IDPH COVID-19 dashboard are the following: • Updated data on vaccination rates to reflect the full population eligible as eligibility continues to evolve. • The number of people admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 diagnosis. • More detailed data on hospitalizations

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O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center has been named a recipient of the Center of Distinction award by Healogics ® , the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including patient satisfaction rates higher than 92% and a minimum wound healing rate of at least 92% within 28 median days to heal. There were 555 centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award and 278 achieved the honor. Other Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals receiving this same honor include HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland. “We are pleased to have received this national distinction,” shared St. Elizabeth’s Interim President and CEO Brandon Fish. “The high-quality and compassionate care that our Wound Care Center provides is often life changing for man

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GRANITE CITY – In the first endorsements of the 112th district, Joe Hackler is supported by the following conservative lawmakers from the Metro East and Southern Illinois: State Representative Charlie Meier (HD 108), State Representative Amy Elik (HD 111), State Representative David Friess (HD 116), State Representative Dave Severin (HD 117), State Representative Patrick Windhorst (HD 118), and State Senator Terri Bryant (SD 58). Hackler is the choice of surrounding state legislators because of his record as a proven fighter and trusted conservative. “Joe has demonstrated conservative leadership on his local township board and has stood up to Chicago democrats in races across Southern Illinois. Joe is the candidate who can win the 112th District for Republicans,” said State Representative Amy Elik, who defeated democratic incumbent Monica Bristow in the 2020 election. Hackler has fought for conservative representation for nearly a decade in Southern Illinois, serving

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ST. LOUIS - April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month and Urology of St. Louis (USL), the largest private urologic practice in St. Louis and the Metro East, is raising awareness about the importance of early detection. “It is very important for men to go to a primary care provider or urologist if anything feels abnormal,” said Gregory Auffenberg, MD. “This cancer occurs in an area that is sensitive, and it can often cause anxiety for some patients. Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.” Dr. Auffenberg said testicular cancer can affect people at any age, but it is most often found in men ages 15 to 40 years old. This type of cancer occurs when healthy cells in the testicle become altered. Some symptoms include a lump or enlargement in either testicle, feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, dull ache in the abdomen or groin, sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum, and pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum. Dr. Auffenberg

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SPRINGFIELD - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) received a donation of 1,000 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms from Vision 20/20 for the “Be Alarmed!” Smoke Alarm Program. Vision 20/20 partners with organizations and experts to drive Community Risk Reduction across all levels of the fire and emergency services. They help to identify gaps, evaluate and apply data-driven strategies and resources, and provide guidance in implementing adaptive measures to reduce fire and other risks. In 2021, 2,945 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms were installed in Illinois homes. The program reached 2,268 (1,027 high-risk) Illinois residents educating them on smoke alarm maintenance, home fire safety, and home fire escape plans as well as protected by new smoke alarms. Of those homes visited, 80% of pre-existing smoke alarms in homes that received new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms from our program had non-functional o

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