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GRAFTON - While places in the world were still unsure of how to approach 2021, Living Lands & Waters (LLW) continued their efforts to make the world a cleaner place. Headquartered in East Moline, Illinois, Living Lands & Waters is a 501 (c)(3) environmental organization. Spending up to 9 months a year living and traveling on their barge, the Living Lands & Waters' crew hosts river cleanups, watershed conservation initiatives, workshops, tree plantings and other key conservation efforts. As the COVID Pandemic took hold of the world the LLW crew continued picking up garbage from the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio Rivers. The crew also worked hard planting and distributing native trees and removing invasive species, but all in-person education came to a halt. With the need for a new education outlet, LLW educators Mike Coyne-Logan and Rachel Loomis took the opportunity to create a virtual education program designed for students from across the country and dedicated to connecting them

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CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced today the opening of the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) to help homeowners who have fallen behind on monthly mortgage payments and/or related housing expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Struggling homeowners will be eligible for up to $30,000 in free assistance to pay past due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance, and delinquent homeowner and/or condo association fees. Homeowners in need of assistance can find more information on program eligibility and begin an application at www.illinoishousinghelp.org . Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. “Housing stability is a crucial part of our economic recovery, and I’m pleased to announce that Illinois residents can now apply for $30,000 in mortgage support,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois was the fastest state in the nation to respond

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BETHALTO – The Civic Memorial girls soccer team is in good hands with senior goalkeeper Kaylyn Aiello. She made 13 saves against Marquette Catholic High School on Monday (April 11) in the 3-2 loss, but things could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for her terrific second-half effort. The funny part is goalkeeper isn’t even her preferred position. She’s usually a midfielder but gained the starting position after senior Emily Williams went down with an injury. Since then Kaylyn has played in eight of the 11 games for CM with an even 4-4 record. Through those eight games she’s recorded 65 total saves with a .793 save percentage. Kaylyn is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athlete of the Month For Civic Memorial. After the loss, she remained humble to her teammates and refused to talk about herself. “I just feel like it was a really good game. I feel like our defense limited the shots on goal.” When asked if this was one of her better

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GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College’s Radio Broadcasting program hosted a group of 22 students from Civic Memorial High School Wednesday, April 6. The students received a tour of the broadcasting department and WLCA studios, where they learned about radio and podcast production. The students even had the opportunity to interview L&C President Ken Trzaska during a Facebook livestream. To view a recording of the livestream, visit https://www.facebook.com/LCradiobroadcasting . To learn more about L&C’s Radio Broadcasting program, contact Lemons at (618) 468-4940 or mlemons@lc.edu . Fall registration is now underway. To get started, apply at www.lc.edu/admissions .

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GLEN CARBON – Operation: You’re Not Alone, a Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois community service project, was a great success last spring. As a result, they are bringing the project back for a second year. Through Operation: You’re Not Alone, Girl Scouts will collect personal care and entertainment items – such as socks, tissues, and word puzzle books – for residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Girl Scouts will leave plastic donation bags hanging on neighborhood doors by April 23. Filled bags will be collected on Saturday, April 30. “Girl Scouts are known for giving back to their communities. Our girls enjoyed this project last year, so it made sense to repeat it this spring,” said Mary Buchanan, Senior Director of Program Engagement. “Our neighbors in nursing homes and long-term care facilities were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this project, Girl Scouts can brighten their day and let them know

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MAPLEWOOD, Mo. – Through their giveback program, Closets for a Cause, Saint Louis Closet Co. donates to local nonprofits. This April, a portion of their profit for the month will go to Operation Shower, whose mission is to host baby showers for St. Louis military families to ease the stresses of deployment and separation. “Operation Shower is so excited to be partnering with the Saint Louis Closet Co. as we love their mission of giving back to organizations within their community,” says LeAnn Morrissey, Founder and Chief Shower Officer of Operation Shower. The donation from Saint Louis Closet Co. directly impacts how many moms-to-be Operation Shower can serve and will help provide necessary items for expecting families, such as diapers, bottles, baby clothes, and toys. Operation Shower has been active in the St. Louis area since 2007 and hosts about 500 military families each year, with about 16 large-group baby showers that bring families together. The nonprofit ha

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CHICAGO - On April 10, 2022, at approximately 6:53 p.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash involving an ISP District 9 Trooper on Interstate 94 southbound on the Steel Bridge (138th Street) in Cook County. On the above date and time, an ISP Trooper assigned to the District Chicago Anti Violence Detail was stationary at the above location inside of a fully marked squad car with the emergency lights activated, assisting a stopped motorist on the right shoulder. A Gold Chevrolet, traveling southbound on Interstate 94, failed to yield to the stationary emergency vehicle and veered off the roadway and onto the right shoulder, where the front end of the Chevrolet struck the rear driver’s side of the squad car. The ISP Trooper sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local area hospital for treatment; he has subsequently been released. The driver of the Chevrolet, Lillie Nelson, a 73-year-old female of Dolton, IL,

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JACKSONVILLE - Illinois Local launched on December 9, 2020, amid the global pandemic. Gemma and Chris Long identified a need in Illinois communities for local independent businesses to connect, learn, and grow together. Illinois Local has expanded to 175 members in just 15 months. Members are in Springfield, Carlinville, Edwardsville, Champaign, Hanna City, and Jacksonville, to name a few. The membership consists of photographers, florists, artists, insurers, realtors, restauranteurs, retailers, designers, and more. As well as being included in a search engine optimized directory, members participate in pop-up events, markets, socials, professional photoshoots, social media takeovers, an annual conference, and awards. But one of the most powerful attributes of this membership is the opportunity for collaboration and growth between these local independent businesses. “Members collaborate to offer new services or products, open businesses together, wholesale from one another,

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QUINCY - Fifty-four years after United States Marine Corps Corporal David Gary Redenius made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation, his dog tag will be returned to his sisters Carolyne Redenius and Beverly Warning after being found by Canadian educator and tourist Christian Dumont. Corporal David Gary Redenius, United States Marine of Hancock County, served in the 3rd Marine Division, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, “Charlie” Company. He lost his life at Khe Sanh SW of Hill 689 on April 16, 1968 at the age of 20 and is the recipient of the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to his family in Quincy, Illinois where he was laid to rest. The efforts of this unit, referred to as the “Walking Dead,” earned its place in Marine Corps history. Fifty-four years later, on a visit to Vietnam, Christian Dumont discovered a dog tag in the dust of Hill 689. His research revealed that Corporal Redenius was from Hancock County, Illinois. Mr. Dumont reached out to the Illinois

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SPRINGFIELD – Bridges and buildings throughout the state are once again turning orange for National Work Zone Awareness Week and to honor those who have died in work zones as another road construction season gets underway in Illinois and across the country. “The color orange has come to symbolize that we all can play a role in making work zones safer and driving down the number of fatalities to zero,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “The effort to ‘Go Orange’ each year is gaining momentum. We deeply appreciate the contributions of our partners to help save lives.” Among the participants that will be turning their lights orange at night: Peoria’s Murray Baker Bridge. Quincy’s Bayview Bridge. Rockford’s Morgan Street Bridge. Rockford City Hall. Embassy Suites Rockford Riverfront. Rock Island’s Centennial St. Bridge. Interstate 74 Mississippi River Bridge in the Quad Cities In 2020, the most

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ALTON – Requiem Church held its first of many weekly Worship Gatherings on Wednesday, April 6, hosted by The Bridge. The Bridge has provided Requiem with the space to do their weekly gatherings. Lead Pastor Vince Bissey, his wife since 2002 Cristen, and his four kids Alec, Isaiah, Jara, and Luke moved to Alton last May to start Requiem Church. They attended their previous church, August Gate, for nine years. Prior to his lead role at Requiem he served as the Pastor of Discipleship and Development at August Gate Church in Belleville, Illinois. Bissey said that the goal of August Gate was to create more churches within the region and that’s exactly what happened. Bissey was sent from August Gate and with the help of his family and others, he started Requiem and brought it to Alton. “We consider August Gate to be a ‘sending church’ and so we are coming out of them. They are a support system for us, they’re a community for us, and they’re helpin

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BENTON – The U.S. State's Attorney's Office announced on Monday that Martin Cooper, 31, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 210 months in prison on Thursday, April 7, 2022, for his role in a Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Money Laundering. The offenses occurred in St. Clair County and throughout the Southern District of Illinois. Cooper pleaded guilty to both charges in October 2021. The United States Postal Inspection Service initiated an investigation in January 2019, after noticing numerous suspicious packages being sent to and from addresses in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona. During the investigation, agents learned that Jose Angulo shipped packages containing methamphetamine to the East St. Louis area to Martin Cooper. According to court documents, Cooper admitted to receiving narcotics from Jose and Steven Angulo in 2019 and acknowledged a package containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine destined for an address in East St.

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ALTON - The Alton Athletic Association hosted a sold-out Music Trivia Night Saturday, April 2. The event was quite a production of fun with Craig Lombardi the MC of the evening along with Amy Lombardi (AAA Secretary) who was the DJ of the event. The Trivia also had surprise celebrity guests Trish Gazell of 102.5 KEZK and The Dave Glover Show on KMOX, and Courtney Landrum of The Courtney Show on 106.5 The Arch. "It was a large crowd of over 400 attendees and the event raised more than $20,000," Lombardi said. "There were some fantastic donated auction items were sold, such as sports tickets, vacations, and lunch with the one and only celebrity radio personality Dave Glover of The Dave Glover Show on KMOX. "The Alton Athletic Association was almost on the verge of becoming non-existent due to COVID and was kept alive by Alton High School Athletic Director Chris Kusnerick. The Association has been brought back to life with a whole new board. including members Madeline Eades (President)

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ALTON/GODFREY - JCPenney is celebrating 120 years in business with discounts, a new ad campaign, and a new JCPenney-inspired character. The local Alton JCPenney store within the Alton Square Mall is joining in on the festivities with an upcoming “birthday party” for the brand. The Alton JCPenney will host a JCPenney Birthday Party this Thursday, April 14, from noon-2 p.m. The event HELD AT ALTON SQUARE will feature live musical entertainment from DJ DK Gray as well as special furry guests from 5As Animal Shelter. In a press release, JCPenney announced the brand is celebrating its 120th birthday with sales of 30 percent off storewide, plus an extra $10 bonus reward for every $50 spent now through April 12 for JCPenney rewards members. The company is also kicking off its “Shopping is Back!” campaign, aimed at getting customers back to shopping in person at JCPenney stores. The campaign includes “a fresh brand look in stores and online,” according

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JERSEYVILLE - The BackStoppers of Jersey County, Inc. are having their first official fundraiser this April 15th, 2022, from 3 pm to 7 pm: a fish fry at Four Brothers Sports Bar & Grill in Jerseyville (Tri-County Bowl). "Come out in support of those who protect our community!" They are offering a catfish dinner with a choice of two sides, baked beans, coleslaw, or potato salad, for $12; a catfish sandwich with chips for $9; or a large slice of homemade cheese pizza with chips for $6. BackStoppers of Jersey County will also have shirts, koozies, and raffle tickets for a chance to win a YETI Coors Cooler donated by Ryan Decker with Chick Fritz, Inc. They invite the community to drive up, grab dinner and/or go inside Four Brothers Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy your dinner. "We are so blessed to have a community who believes in us but also sees the importance of supporting those who give selflessly to our community. "Why support the local BackStoppers of Jersey County? Our story is simple

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EDWARDSVILLE – Upon adding three new locations and several other support staff, Sivia Law has recently hired a Chief Operations Officer to assist with managerial duties. This position has been filled by St. Louis native, Jill O'Connell, who offers a wide range of strengths to the Sivia Law team. Some of O’Connell’s strengths include experience in developing HR functions, cultivating a positive work environment, collaborating with all levels of management, managing employee relations, and developing and communicating company-wide policies and procedures. With Todd’s work as a manager, he was unable to service clients. “I saw our firm continuing to violate our core value of customer focus with the amount of management responsibilities I had taken on. I needed someone to take over the management role for the benefit of our friends, which are our clients.” Jill joins the firm with 19 years of comprehensive experience within the legal sector. She formerly

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ALTON - Jerseyville native and former head of the Jersey County Business Association, Beth Bear, will join the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau as an Economic Development Specialist on May 1. Bear will focus on tourism product development. The Economic Development Specialist position is new to the Bureau and reflects the transformational thinking needed to create the next great tourism destination, Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Bureau noted. “We are always looking ahead to ways we can grow the region,” Jobe said. “Beth has a strong background in economic development and we are thrilled she is bringing those skills to our bureau.” As head of the JCBA, Bear advocated for businesses, created & delivered programs to drive consumer traffic, and assisted businesses and local governments in writing for grants and loans. In addition to her experience at the JCBA, Bear brings a wealth of experience working with communities at every level. She has over 20 years

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased has been identified as Eric Harris, 38 years of age, of the 9700 block of Lanier Drive in Moline Acres, Missouri 63136. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are currently investigating a homicide in the 9700 block of Lanier Drive in the City of Moline Acres which resulted in the death of an adult male. On April 7, 2022, at approximately 4:46 PM, City of Moline Acres police officers responded to a call for service for a shooting in the 9700 block of Lanier Drive. Officers located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. Shortly thereafter, the City of Moline Acres Police Officers requested the assistance of St. Louis County Police Department. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are now leading the investigation. Preliminary investigation has

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Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) Illinois Division recently announced a scholarship opportunity for students pursuing a career in nursing. The HSHS Scholars program is open to qualifying students attending an accredited nursing program. Students can earn up to $20,000 of funding for educational expenses. In addition to financial help, recipients will have a job upon graduating and passing boards in an HSHS Illinois Division hospital. “HSHS St. Francis Hospital and the other HSHS ministries in Illinois have many education and career development programs with partners in our area and within our system. This scholarship is another way we can support nursing students early in their careers while developing a strong, highly-competent workforce for our hospitals and the patients we serve,” said Bobbi Kinkelaar, RN, MSN, chief nursing officer at HSHS St. Francis Hospital. Interested students can apply at hshs.org/ILnursingscholarship. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2022.

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CARLINVILLE - In an effort to support students as they look to complete their degrees, Blackburn College has announced plans to create an efficient and cost-effective pathway to graduation for students impacted by Lincoln College’s recent announcement to close the institution and cease enrollments. To help chart the course from Lincoln to a Blackburn graduation, each Lincoln College student admitted to Blackburn will receive a financial aid offer that focuses on affordability. These offers will include price matching for tuition and housing, a guaranteed $3000 Lynx Grant, transfer merit scholarships, and need-based grants in addition to other aid based on eligibility. “We are saddened by the news that Lincoln College will be closing, it is a true loss to the state and higher education,” explained Dr. Steven Lambert, Vice President of Inclusive Enrollment at Blackburn. “We also recognized the severe impact on current Lincoln students, faculty, and staff and welcome

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