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ALTON - Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Derrick Richardson expressed some thoughts in regard to firefighters who are also fathers and grandparents today for Father's Day. These were Derrick's comments: "Most of us in the fire service are parents and grandparents. We choose the fire service because we want to help others, and provide a good life for our family while doing the job we love. We risk our lives to make someone else’s day better. As I like to say, “We risk our lives to make a person’s day better than the moment they needed us”. Derrick continued: "The community appreciates us, and our families appreciate us even more as husbands, fathers, and grandfathers who risk our lives to help others. We treat people, we rescue people, we save people, and we save savable property, and then go home to be with our families. I don’t like to think about how it would affect our families if we didn’t come home one day, but I know our families support

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Recently, pop star Britney Spears openly shared that she struggled with perinatal depression during a past pregnancy more than 16 years ago. In the social media post, Spears said “women didn’t talk about it back then” and that “some people considered it dangerous if a woman complained” when pregnant. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), perinatal depression is a mood disorder that can affect women during pregnancy and after childbirth regardless of age, race, income, culture, or education. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), one in seven women experience perinatal depression during pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery. “It may occur sooner in the pregnancy if a patient has a history of major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, anxiety, depression, or even bipolar disorder. If they have these prior to pregnancy, it can definitely be heightened throughout thei

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SPRINGFIELD - Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration and these included Sara Salger, a managing partner of the Gori Law Firm in Edwardsville. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Sara Salger will serve as a Member of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Salger is a Managing Partner at Th e Gori Law Firm in Edwardsville, IL where she has practiced since 2008. Prior to becoming Managing Partner she served as an Associate and Partner. She previously worked as a Law Intern in the Missouri State Public Defender System and a Law Clerk at a private practice firm. Sara is a member and 2 nd Vice President of the Illinois Trial Lawyer’s Association and a member of the American Association for Justice, American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and Missouri State Bar Association. She has received a Super Lawyers Rising Star Award every year sinc

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EDWARDSVILLE – A small frog is making big headlines thanks to the intriguing findings of researchers, led by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Richard Essner, PhD. Comparable in size to the end of a pencil, or approximately one centimeter in length, Pumpkin Toadlets’ tiny nature, notably their semicircular canals, is making them clumsy when they jump with the inability to land gracefully, according to the researchers. Essner, a professor in the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biological Sciences, collaborated with researchers from Edge Hill University in England, Universidade Federal do Paraná in Brazil, and the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Their work was recently published in the prestigious, open-access scholarly journal Science Advances. Now, brightly colored Pumpkin Toadlets and the researchers’ findings are taking Twitter by storm. Additionally, Science Advances’

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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the social media app TikTok has taken the world by storm. In September 2021, the app reported one billion monthly active users worldwide – and about 80 million of these users are in the United States. The age group that uses TikTok the most consists of 10 to 19-year-olds, followed second by the 20 to 29-year-old age group. While light-hearted videos of dancing, cooking, and cute animals are both entertaining and have brought joy to so many – especially during a global pandemic that left many people feeling isolated – health experts are now warning that too much time spent on TikTok can become problematic. The term “TikTok Brain” is being used to describe some of the issues being discovered, such as shortened attention spans and even signs that are commonly seen with addiction. TikTok in particular is so engaging because the app learns an individual’s interests based on how long they watch a video, whether

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ALTON - The Alton Community Service League banners are up again in the Downtown area. The Alton Community Service League outgoing and incoming boards met on Monday, June 13, giving their reports and passing the torch to the incoming 2022-23 new board. ACSL will be led by new president, Cathy Droste. Announced at the meeting was that the banners designed by the ACSL, depicting Alton Landmarks, are again up in the downtown area. "Thanks again to Paul Wallace for putting them up the first time and second time," the ACSL said. League members continue to be active during the summer months doing beautification and volunteering. "Some of those activities include deadheading roses every Monday morning at Gordon Moore Park and helping distribute sack lunches for children once the schools are not providing them," ACSL said. ACSL prides its organization on volunteering and giving out grants for beautification and to charitable organizations. Allocations for Charitable and Beautification

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EDWARDSVILLE – What is the best way to celebrate dairy month? Honoring Prairie Farms' dairy farmers, of course. With over 700 farm families in America's heartland, it is important to recognize what they stand for and their crucial contributions to helping feed American families. National Dairy Month started as a way to distribute extra milk during the warm months of summer. The commemoration was established in 1937 by grocer organizations sponsoring "National Milk Month." By 1939, June became the official dairy month. "I'm honored to kick off National Dairy Month. It is the perfect time to celebrate every step of our farm-to-table story. I'm grateful to our farm families and team members for their hard work on our farms and in our facilities to bring milk to family tables," said Matt McClelland, Prairie Farms' Chief Executive Officer. "We take great pride in knowing that millions of families enjoy Prairie Farms’ milk and dairy products every day, and we are thankful for thei

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All pics, (including the gallery), can be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Juneteenth-Alton-Illinois ALTON – Alton marked its 31 st Juneteenth Celebration with a rejoiceful day with milder weather and a huge crowd Saturday at James Killion Park at Salu. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 18th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets after the announcement in what was the first Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth is a nationwide celebration of the end of legal slavery in the United States, the end of the Civil War, and the Ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ending slavery. Today the celebration also encompasses current civil rights issues and in Alton,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Officer Dillan Chamness took the Oath of Office for the Edwardsville Police Department at the last City Council meeting. Chamness joined the Edwardsville Police Department on May 23, 2022. The Police Department asked the community to welcome Officer Chamness to his new position.

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ALTON - With hot temperatures here, area health care professionals are offering advice to stay safe. Andrew Miller, MD, Chief of Emergency Services and Medical Director at Alton Memorial Hospital, warns that the hot temperatures may result in an increased risk of heat-related illnesses ranging from mild illness, to heat exhaustion, or heat stroke (most severe). Risk factors that increase the likelihood of heat-related illnesses include a recent infection, dehydration, fatigue, poor sleep, obesity, and poor physical fitness. Use of caffeine, alcohol, or drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines also increase the risk. Patients with mild illness may experience heat rash, heat swelling, cramps, thirst and increased sweating. Patients with heat exhaustion often experience dry mouth, thirst, heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, irritability, nausea, and generalized weakness. Heat stroke, the most severe heat-related illness, is a true medical emergency and has two main types: non-exertional

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ILLINOIS - Former President Donald Trump announced today that he is traveling to the Quincy area to hold a rally with Congresswoman Mary Miller, who he endorsed for re-election in January. He will appear at a "Save America Rally" at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Mendon, IL. "Congresswoman Mary Miller is doing a fantastic job representing the people of Illinois! She is strong on Election Security, the Second Amendment, and our Military and Vets," said Trump in his endorsement of Miller. "She fights hard against Joe Biden's open borders, runaway inflation, and the radical indoctrination of our children." Congresswoman Mary Miller is excited to welcome President Trump to the 15th District, stating, "I'm honored President Trump is coming to the Quincy area to hold a rally after endorsing me over RINO Rodney Davis, who stabbed President Trump in the back by voting for the sham January 6th Commission. "Downstate Illinois misses President Trump's strong America

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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker has designated the eastern milksnake as the official snake of the State of Illinois. House Bill 4821 began as an initiative led by Gentry Heiple, a 7th grader at Carterville Junior High School. Gentry was inspired to advocate for this legislation after reaching out to State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) to inquire about how a bill becomes a law. Gentry conducted all the research and ultimately chose the eastern milksnake. He presented his idea to the House of Representatives State Government Administration Committee who gave unanimous consent. The eastern milksnake is found all across Illinois – it lives in fields, woodlands, rocky hills, and river bottoms. The milksnake ranges from 24 to 36 inches in length, has smooth scales, large blotches with brown or black borders, and a y- or v-shaped mark on its head. It is not a poisonous snake and are even bred as pets. Illinois recognizes several other official symbols of the state, including;

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois electric crew members and contractors are working to restore power for customers impacted by today's severe thunderstorm. The early morning weather system felled tree limbs in local neighborhoods, knocking wires down and more than 120 power poles, causing more than 53,000 outages in the southern and southwestern section of the Ameren Illinois service territory. Power has been restored to more than 34,000 customers since Ameren Illinois activated its Emergency Operations Center at 6:30 a.m. to coordinate restoration, logistical support, and communication. "This storm has been particularly challenging," said David Wakeman, Senior Vice President, Electric Operations and Technical Services, Ameren Illinois. "Our crews are dealing with downed trees and limbs and significant damage to the distribution infrastructure that delivers power directly to local neighborhoods. These local outages require crews to assess each area and repair the services individually."

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PINCKNEYVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 7 officials are investigating the death of a 4-month-old male from Pinckneyville, IL. On Sunday, June 12, 2022, ISP DCI Zone 7 was requested by the Pinckneyville Police Department (PPD) to investigate reported serious injuries to the 4-month-old male. The male was eventually transferred to a regional hospital in Saint Louis, MO where he succumbed to his injures. An autopsy was performed on Friday, June 17, 2022 and results are pending. The ISP is being assisted by PPD and the St. Louis City Medical Examiner’s Office in this open and on-going investigation. No further information will be released at this time.

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Letter To The Editor: This letter of endorsement for Chris Slusser may sound biased because it is, as I consider Chris to be a good personal friend. Chris has already been serving as the Madison County Treasurer since December of 2016, and during that time, he has proven that his qualifications far exceed the demands of the job. I don’t know that Chris would even have a challenger in the Republican Primary, if not for the fact that he boldly took a stand against some co-workers who were accused of wrongdoing. As a result of Chris’ cooperation with law enforcement, these individuals were let go from the county. Chris has shown himself to be a great Treasurer and an even greater person. His honesty and hard work are reasons why I highly recommend voters give him their support and keep him in a job that he is doing with great success. - Mike McCormick, Godfrey

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CARROLLTON - Mail-in and early voting have begun in Greene County, but Greene County Clerk Deborah Banghart said this election’s turnout is slightly lower than expected so far, especially given the competition amongst county board candidates. “Compared to another primary, it’s down from what it was previously,” Banghart said. “We have a contested county board race - there’s 10 running on the Republican side and only seven of them can move forward. I really thought that would bring out a lot more , but so far that doesn’t seem to have happened.” The biggest contributing factor to this lower-than-usual turnout is this election’s unusual timing, Banghart said. “Nobody really thinks of an election being in June,” Banghart said. “Always before, it was in March and April and now when you advertise it, someone will say, ‘I didn’t even know we had an election coming up’ … a lot of people

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WOOD RIVER - Senior Madilyn Fry has loved her time as an East Alton-Wood River High School multi-sport athlete. She is concluding her career with the girls' softball team this spring. Recently, she made her decision to play softball on scholarship next spring for Blackburn College in Carlinville. She was also an all-conference player this past season. Marilyn is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. In a reflection on her athletic career, she said: "I would like to thank quite a few people in my life for helping me become the athlete I am today. First, I would like to thank my older brother for always playing with me in the front yard when I was younger. Every day after school we would go in the yard and play Wiffle ball. He taught me basically everything I know in the sport. Without him teaching me and challenging me when we would play, I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today. "Next, I would like to thank my little sisters, ever since they wer

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Habitat For Humanity has its first Habitat Home Sweet Home 5K Race at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Edwardsville Township Airplane Park. The race will start and finish at Airplane Park. It will be an out-and-back course down the Madison County Nickel Plate Trail. Awards will be as follows: a trophy for the top male and female. Medals will be provided to overall male and female finishers in each age group: 9 and under, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-plus. Toolen’s Running Start will provide professional timing. The cost to enter is $30 on race day. “It is a good course,” said Todd Taplin, a spokesperson for the race and a member of the Habitat group. This is our first race. We are building a Habitat house on Hill Lane in Edwardsville and all the proceeds will go toward this new house. It should be a fun race for a great cause.” Register online here. Print the registration form here.

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AURORA, Ill. – Aurora University has named Alexandra Bergin of Alton, IL, to the Dean's List for the spring 2022 semester. Bergin is majoring in Sport Management and Marketing. The Dean's List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 3.6 GPA or higher. Founded in 1893, Aurora University is a four-year, private, nonprofit, accredited higher education institution offering students an exceptional education. Aurora University is located on a beautiful 39-acre campus in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, approximately 40 miles from Chicago. The university serves more than 4,000 undergraduate and approximately 2,000 graduate students across more than 50 majors and programs. AU leadership, faculty, and staff are committed to the success of our students, offering academic support programs, hands-on learning activities, internships, and community partnership opportunities that prepare students to be successful beyond AU.

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ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Missouri Numismatic Society (MNS) presents its 62nd Annual July Coin Show at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, MO. MNS is Missouri's oldest educational numismatic organization having been founded in 1938. 125+ dealers will be attending. U. S. and Foreign coins and currency as well as ancient coins will be featured. MNS members will have exhibits on display. There will be free giveaways for Young Numismatists. MNS produces a yearly Journal of Numismatics which is made available to the public at no charge. The show is free to the public and parking is free. The show is open to the public from noon to 6 pm on Thursday, July 21st, 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, July 22nd, and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, July 23rd. https://www.missourinumismaticsociety.org/annual-coin-show

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