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Tomorrow's transportation arrived today at The National Museum of Transportation. Direct from the Smithsonian Institution's Futures Exhibit, The Virgin Air Hyperloop is now on display at The National Museum of Transportation. Like all precious resources, time is worth saving. Be among the first to marvel at Virgin Hyperloop’s Pegasus pod . With speeds of up to 670 miles per hour, hyperloop could be the first potential leap forward in mobility in a century. In late 2020 Virgin Hyperloop made it one step closer to reality, and made global headlines, when its first passengers completed a successful trial run of a technology that has long been a staple of science fiction. Distances that once took months to travel, and now take hours, will require just minutes. In February 2022, Virgin Hyperloop announced it was refocusing its efforts from a mass transportation system to a cargo system, in response to the challenges of the global supply chain. It’s a good reminder that

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Caritas Family Solutions, the largest provider of foster care services in Southern Illinois, is hosting a unique event to raise funds for the youth and other vulnerable populations they serve. The event, called “Be A Kid For A Night” is designed to let adults experience being a ‘kid for a night’ through arcade games, inflatables, and other fun activities. The event will take place on October 15 from 6:30 pm to 10 pm at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, Illinois. “This is meant to be a fun event but it’s a reminder that there are children and families living in our communities that often don’t get the chance to just be a kid and enjoy carefree activities,” said Caritas Family Solutions CEO Gary Huelsmann. “All kids deserve to have a childhood and be cared for in a loving home. We hope this event will show people the impact they can make in a child’s life by supporting our mission of creating healthy relationships,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) along with The Madison County Career and Technical Education System provided a free conference to local high school students who are interested in the teaching profession. SIUE welcomed more than 100 high school students from Bethalto, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Highland and Triad high schools, for the Future Teacher Conference held Wednesday, Sept. 28 on the Edwardsville campus. “The Future Teacher Conference was a great opportunity to partner with the Madison County Career and Technical Education office and a few of our local school districts and their students,” said Angie White, director of field placements in the SEHHB. “High school students in attendance were able to learn about the teaching profession, speak with current SIUE students about University’s education programs and experience a glimpse of college life on their path to becoming

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BETHALTO – Cadets from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) recently presented a flag salute to the Lewis and Clark Community College Veterans Club during the St. Louis Regional Airport’s 26 th Annual Fly-In, Sept. 24-25. CAP, which is based at the airport in Bethalto, and the L&C Veterans Club joined forces earlier in the month to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 during the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bike MS: Gateway Getaway Ride, which was held on the college’s Godfrey Campus, Sept. 10-11. “It was a pleasure and an honor for the L&C Veterans Club to join forces with the cadets from the IL-286th Composite Squadron at the Bike MS 9/11 ceremony,” said Terry Lane, Director of Career and Veterans Services and advisor of the L&C Veterans Club. “It was raining that morning, but the cadets showed up early and in uniform to complete their mission. They exhibited professionalism and discipline and are a credit to their squadron.” The

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CHICAGO - In the wake of major flooding caused by Hurricane Ian, Attorney General Kwame Raoul today warned Illinois consumers to be on the lookout for flood-damaged vehicles that soon may be entering the used car market, which is facing shortages nationwide. Preliminary industry estimates indicate that Hurricane Ian has flooded thousands of vehicles in the Southeastern United States, especially in Florida and South Carolina. That damage includes new and used vehicles on dealership lots, as well as cars and trucks owned by individuals and companies. “Potentially thousands of vehicles have been damaged by the flooding caused by Hurricane Ian, and those vehicles could start appearing for sale across our state. Flooded cars are often shipped to places hundreds of miles from areas hit by storms and may be dangerous to drive or pose health risks,” Raoul said. “The current tight market for used cars can make buyers more likely to rush into a sale, but I urge consumers t

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EDWARDSVILLE - Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths help put fruits and vegetables on our plates and keep Earth’s ecosystem running. In fact, one out of every three bites of food we eat comes courtesy of our winged farmers. So, in honor of everything pollinators do for us, Edwardsville Children’s Museum (ECM) has planned a day to celebrate them! On Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, families are invited for a free day of fun at ECM during its Pollinator “Bee-Cause It Matters” Party sponsored by the City of Edwardsville. The Museum will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a variety of pollinator-themed activities available from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Kids of all ages and their caretakers can learn about insects, honey, and pollination in the ECM Discovery Garden as well as enjoy stories read every half hour by special guest, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Children will also receive a free seed pack to start their own pollinator gardens at home. “Pollinators

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MASCOUTAH, IL - The Good Traveler announced the launch of a new pilot program in partnership with environmental nonprofit organizations throughout the country. Individuals and businesses now have the option and opportunity to offset the carbon footprint of their air travel through mileage-based charitable donations to hyper-local projects working to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Pilot partners include San Diego Foundation (San Diego, CA), Weed Warriors Nature Stewards Program (Seattle, WA), Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities (Jackson, WY), Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers (New York, NY), and HeartLands Conservancy (Southwestern Illinois), with additional partners coming soon. HeartLands Conservancy is the participating non-profit organization most closely located to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. MidAmerica St. Louis Airport has an established partnership with The Good Traveler as an Aviation Partner and is proud to both practice and promote more sustainable air travel. Public consciousness

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ALTON - YWCA is hosting its annual Trivia Night Fund Raiser on Saturday, November 5 at the Best Western Premier Conference Center, Alton, and is extending an invitation to the community to join this fun-filled event. Doors open at 6 pm. Trivia starts promptly at 7 pm. All proceeds benefit YWCA Programs and Services. “We are so excited to be back in person for Trivia! It has been two long years since we were together and YWCA has worked hard to develop a fun-filled and challenging evening with attendance prizes, Bucket of Booze raffle, 50/50 drawing, Trivia prizes, and more. Tables and individuals are welcome to join in the fun and support YWCA.” said Dorothy Hummel, Executive Director. Tickets are $25 a piece and tables can seat 8 to 10 persons. 50/50 and Basket Raffles will be held during the evening. Round sponsorship opportunities for $100 are still available. Program Sponsorships for our youth programs are available at $250. Cash bar for both alcoholic and

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) introduced two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address excessively high credit and debit card swipe fees that burden American consumers, small businesses, and veterans. Their first amendment would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Treasury Department to issue a report about a current law, 10 USC 1065 , that requires some veteran populations including Purple Heart awardees, Medal of Honor recipients, former POWs, veterans with service-connected disabilities, and veteran family caregivers, to pay surcharge fees for using credit or debit cards at military commissaries to cover the cost of the swipe fees. The report would ask for information from the last fiscal year on how much is being charged in these fees, which card networks and banks are receiving the fees, how much each category of veteran is being charged, and whether any banks

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ST. LOUIS – Salads 2 Your Door is announcing plans to donate its proceeds from the month of October to Chabad of Chesterfield. This nonprofit organization serves as a welcoming hub for Jewish members of the greater St. Louis community regardless of their affiliation, religion, status, or orientation.“Chabad of Chesterfield helps people live their best life, and Salads 2 Your Door helps people eat well with healthy items on their menu, making our mission and philosophy align,” said Rabbi Avi Rubenfeld, Director of Chabad of Chesterfield. “The support from Salads 2 Your Door has allowed us to help many more people over the past four years, and for that, we are extremely grateful.” Funds raised will go toward their Bowl of Love program, which delivers Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, traditionally known as Jewish Penicillin, to people not feeling well or in need of a pick-me-up. The majority of the work Chabad of Chesterfield does is fostering Jewish awareness, knowledge,

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ALTON - Weight can be a tricky topic. While our weight has no bearing on who we are or how we should be viewed or treated, it can be quite important when it comes to health and well-being. And that can be very meaningful - not only to us personally but also to our family, friends and others who care about us. Keeping weight in check can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, gallstones and 13 different cancers. It can also give a boost to quality of life and even how long we live. Numbers, though, show what most of us already know: that keeping weight in check isn’t easy. Nearly 75 percent of adults in the United States are at an unhealthy weight, and just over 20 percent of children and adolescents 6 years old and up are obese. One reason for this is that many of us live and work in environments that can make it harder to make choices that promote healthy weight. For example, there may be few places in our neighborhoods where we can easil

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ALTON - Brody Macias stole the show with his violin solo in the Alton High Marching 100 performance at halftime of the Alton-Edwardsville football game on Friday night. The Marching 100 has always been one of the crown jewels of Alton High School and it is the same this year under Blake Korte. Alton School District Superintendent Kristie Baumgartner said: "We are so proud of the Marching 100 and our student musicians and performers. "It always enhances our football games when you also get to see the Marching 100 perform at halftime or at other competitions and events. "Blake Korte and his team are very dedicated to our band students and I think that shows in the high level you see every time." The versatile Macias is also a drum major for the Marching 100 and when he finished the violin solo, he moved back to that position to finish the group performance.

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine on Monday announced a murder conviction and 40-year prison sentence for a defendant who fatally shot a man during a robbery attempt. Caleb D.E. Smith, 22, of Tilden, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Devin Judd, 23, of Lenzburg, in April 2020. Smith and Judd were acquainted and had been together on the night of the shooting when Smith attempted to rob Judd. The victim stumbled into the lobby of a Collinsville hotel and was taken to a St. Louis hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Smith will have to serve 100 percent of the prison sentence. “Thanks to the diligent work of police and assistant state’s attorneys, this defendant will spend most of his adult life behind bars,” Haine said. “Violent crime in Madison County will always be met with vigorous prosecution by my office.” Haine commended the work of Assistant State’s

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ALTON - The weather on Saturday in Alton was beautiful and David Goins’ Mayor’s Basketball Day at James Killion Park at Salu was simply “amazing,” he and his wife, Sheila, said. The touching side story to the whole event is David and Sheila both met at Salu Park late in their respective childhoods. Both were basketball players and each consider the park home. “I didn’t live that far away, and David was close to the park, too, growing up,” Sheila said. Both said James Killion Park and especially the basketball courts, hold a special place in their hearts. “It was an amazing day and the event was well attended and overall, I think everyone had a good time,” Mayor Goins said. Both agreed they have done a lot inside the park to bring young and old together from Movie Nights, Juneteenth, and many other special events like this one on Saturday. The two praised Jason Harrison and his wife, Kayla, and LaMay’s Catering for their

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EAST ALTON – Nine regional fifth-grade classes explored interactive booths focusing on the importance of water during the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC sm ) 20 th Annual Water Festival, held Friday, Sept. 30, at the Lewis and Clark Community College’s Godfrey campus. Since 2002, more than 13,000 students and 150 teachers from 42 schools in about a dozen counties and two states have participated in the Water Festival. “Water is something that we rely on every day and the work that we do here at NGRREC is dedicated to not just studying and protecting our freshwater resources, but also educating people about the importance of those valuable resources,” Director of Environmental Education Sarah Fisher said. “Water Festival is a way for us to bring together regional schools and community partners in a day dedicated to celebrating and learning about water.” Water Festival, which began as the Water Stewardship Project,

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CALHOUN COUNTY - Teresa L. Hammitt, age 59, of Barry, Illinois, was arrested on multiple charges as a passenger in a traffic stop on Illinois Route 96 near the Mozier Junction in Mozier, Calhoun County, at 5:26 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2022. Hammitt faces the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Pike County, IL Warrant Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, Stephanie A. Shelton age 45, of Barry, Illinois, was arrested on the following charges: Pike County, IL Warrant Calhoun County Warrant. Both subjects were arrested without incident and transported to the Pike County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

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WOOD RIVER – Today, Democratic Candidate for State Senate Kris Tharp (IL-56) announced his endorsement from yet another law enforcement organization, the Sheriffs of Illinois. This makes him the Democratic state senate candidate with the most endorsements from law enforcement groups in Illinois. “I’ve been a police officer for 25 years, an elderly service officer for the seniors in our community, and deputy commander for one of the oldest, most successful homicide task forces in the country,” said Tharp. “I know the importance of public safety and will always stand with my fellow police officers and law enforcement agencies to ensure they have the resources to keep our communities safe.” “Kris Tharp is one of us, a public servant dedicated to protecting his community and improving the lives of community members,” said Sheriffs of Illinois Chairman Dwight Baird, Kendall County Sheriff. “The Sheriffs of Illinois endorses Tharp because

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COLLINSVILLE – On October 2, 2022 at approximately 9:55 p.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) District 11 Troopers responded to a reported expressway shooting on Interstate 55 southbound near milepost 5. The victim stated they were traveling southbound on Interstate 55 at the above location and time when someone inside a dark gray or black pickup truck (possible 4-door) fired an unknown number of shots at their vehicle. The victim reported no injuries and the suspect vehicle and occupants have not been located. On September 25, 2022, at approximately 12:16 a.m., ISP District 11 Troopers responded to a reported expressway shooting on Interstate 55 southbound near milepost 6. The victim stated they were shot at by someone in a dark blue or black pickup truck. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was treated at a local hospital. The suspect vehicle and occupants have not been located. These shootings occurred in the same area and the suspect vehicle is very similar. Th

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GLEN CARBON - Senior middle blocker Sophia Ivnik has shown great leadership and has also been a rallying point around the girls' volleyball team at Father McGivney Catholic High School during the 2022 season. After two Gateway Metro Conference wins Sept. 27 over Centralia Christ Our Rock Lutheran and Sept. 29 over Maryville Christian, Ivnik has played well. having two service points for the season, with 62 kills, 95 blocks, 44 assists and seven digs in matches through the win over the Lions, helping the Griffins to a 14-8 record going into the final month of the season. She's also one of the team's leaders and hardest workers, helping to set the standard for the younger players to follow and a player the others rally around for leadership and strength. For her efforts both on and off the court, Ivnik has been selected as a Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb Female Athlete of the Month. Ivnik, who plays for head coach Jake Williams, was feeling very good after the sweep over COR on Sept. 2

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center is pleased to add a new clinical psychologist to its staff to better serve the Alton community and surrounding areas. The addition of Ari Lakritz, PsyD, ensures increased access for patients in need of behavioral health and psychological testing services at the OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center – Psychological Services office at 1 Saint Anthony’s Way in Alton. In addition to providing clinical assessment and outpatient therapy treatment, Dr. Lakritz will provide psychological testing for diagnoses that include ADHD, chronic pain and cognitive impairments including dementia, post stroke, concussion and IQ testing/learning disabilities. Dr. Lakritz received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Yeshiva University in New York, and he received both a Master of Arts and Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from William Paterson University. Dr. Lakritz interned with Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital

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