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ST. LOUIS - A dozen students from the Metro East area convened at the Southern Illinois District Federal Courthouse in East St. Louis on April 24 to participate in a mock trial. Students were given a fictional case and worked individually and in groups to compile evidence and exhibits, develop eyewitness questions and answers, and formulate both direct and cross-examination questions. The trial was divided into two rounds in which each team of six had the opportunity to participate in one round as defense and in the other round as prosecution. They presented their case for a team of volunteer jurors and the Honorable Judge David Dugan presided over the case, guiding the students through the trial process. Program director, Sarah Jane Drury, guided the students for months in preparation for the mock trial. After the mock trial, a group of U.S. Marshals graciously gave a presentation to the students detailing their role in federal law enforcement, allowing students to tour through

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor honoring the legacy of former Congressman John E. Porter, who represented northern Illinois in Congress for 21 years. In his remarks, Durbin spoke about Porter’s reputation as a principled, bipartisan leader within the Illinois congressional delegation. “John Porter was raised in a home where public service was a way of life… believed that public service was a noble profession, that government could make life better, and that America must remain a beacon of hope for the world. He supported efforts to protect the environment in the earliest days. He championed human rights efforts across the globe and efforts to protect the environment at home and was a founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. He was a key supporter of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Durbin said. Durbin went on to express his gratitude for Porter’s advocacy on behal

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ST. LOUIS - As part of SLDC’s efforts to realign processes to meet its Economic Justice Priorities , the Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) will not accept any new applications to purchase LRA properties starting July 2022, excluding Prop NS properties. At this time, LRA will continue to process existing transactions, but will not accept new purchase offers through October 2022 while it reevaluates and retools its processes. LRA receives titles to all tax delinquent properties not sold at the Sheriff's sale and through donations. To create a more transparent, accountable and inclusive incentive process, St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) — the City’s independent, economic development organization — has been working in partnership with Baker Tilly, a municipal finance expert, since January 2022 to analyze and assess existing conditions and policies, engage community stakeholders and develop an incentives framework. At SLDC’s April 2022 board meeting

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor urging Senate Republicans to join Democrats and pass legislation to reduce gun violence following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among American children and teens. In 2020, 45,222 Americans died by gun violence. Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to hear from experts about the lasting trauma that gun violence leaves on children. Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on domestic terrorism following the mass shooting in Buffalo that killed ten Black Americans in a racist act of violence. In speaking about the Columbine High School tragedy 23 years ago, Durbin said, “In shooting after shooting since, as America has been stunned and grieving and burying its children, the

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ST. LOUIS - Raise your baton! The inaugural Classical Music Night at Busch Stadium is on Wednesday, June 29th as the Cards take on the Marlins. With the purchase of a special Theme Ticket, fans will receive a Meet Me in St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt! Plus, come early for a special performance by members of the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra. A portion of each ticket will be donated to Classic 107.3/Radio Arts Foundation. Please note: The t-shirt is available ONLY with the purchase of a special Theme Ticket. All Theme Ticket purchases will come with a game ticket that indicates the item and/or size of the Theme item included. Theme Tickets no longer feature a separate voucher. The ticket should be redeemed at the pre-game distribution for the Theme item. Only fans that present their Theme Ticket at distribution will be eligible to receive the item. Exchanges will not be available at distribution. You may pick up your item at the Budweiser Terrace Theme Tickets kiosk, across

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COLLINSVILLE – Flooding and other problems associated with a failing and undersized storm sewer system will soon be a thing of the past for residents of the St. Louis Road area as improvements are planned for June. The work planned for the area will include the replacement of existing storm sewer with a larger line and appurtenances. “The storm sewer system along St. Louis Road was installed over 50 years ago and is at the end of its useful life. Since it was installed storm sewer design has changed, so the pipe sizes will be increased to meet the more modern design standards,” Collinsville City Engineer Troy Turner said. The project is a part of a larger initiative adopted by the City of Collinsville in 2019, the St. Louis Road and Collinsville Road Great Streets Initiative Plan, with the goal of revitalizing the corridor, with upgrades to the traffic infrastructure to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist traffic. When the St. Louis Road and Collinsville Road Grea

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EDWARDSVILLE - The annual Route 66 Festival is set to take place Saturday, June 11 at City Park in Edwardsville. Rolling into its 24th year, thousands of festival visitors will gather in the downtown where classic cars, hand-crafted goods, and culinary treats will be on display. The event is open to all ages and features a family zone with inflatables, face painting, and much more. Eventgoers can also expect entertainment from local bands throughout the afternoon. The City of Edwardsville Parks and Recreation, as well as vendors, local artists, and patrons from the surrounding communities, will attend/host the event. The event will feature performances by the Matt Taul Group, The Nudge Band, Midnight Piano Band, and Dirty Muggs. Here is a rundown of the event schedule for Saturday, June 11th from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Metro Milers 10k Run – 8 a.m. Festival Opens – 10 a.m. Marketplace Vendors – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Family Zone – 10 a.m. to 6

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BELLEVILLE - Illinois American Water is encouraging customers to view the company’s 2021 water quality reports to learn more about the source and quality of their drinking water. The report is issued for each service area, and highlights the company’s commitment to providing drinking water that meets or surpasses standards required by the Environmental Protection Agency. The water quality report, also known as consumer confidence report, describes local drinking water source information and test results. Commonly asked questions and answers concerning drinking water are included in the report. Customers can search for their local report by zip code at www.illinoisamwater.com under Water Quality. Rachel Bretz, Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance, said, “Water service is essential to the health and safety of the communities we serve. Our team of experts work around the clock to deliver a quality product at a good value. We take our responsibility

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ST. LOUIS - As United Way of Greater St. Louis marks its centennial anniversary this year, its president and CEO, Michelle Tucker, says this is only the beginning for the organization. “This year is a very special milestone in recognizing our local United Way’s impact in building a strong safety net for our region throughout the past century,” said Tucker. “Now, we have the opportunity to build on our legacy to launch the next century of helping people.” Initially called the Community Fund, the organization began in 1922 when community members and leaders joined together to create a simple, unified approach for supporting multiple nonprofits. Through its first annual campaign, businesses and residents raised $1.1 million for 40 local charities. Today, United Way of Greater St. Louis supports more than 160 local nonprofits serving a 16-county region in Missouri and Illinois. The organization’s most recent fundraising campaign raised over $67 million.

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ALTON - On Wednesday, June 15 th at 6:15 pm, Step By Step will be hosting a small groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the construction of their new location at 333 Mechanical Drive; East Alton, IL 62024. You’re invited to join us for this event! Step By Step has been in operation since 1993 with centers in Alton, Bethalto, and Brighton. We are excited to be able to help increase our enrollment during a time when quality childcare is hard to find. We would like to send a special thank you to our Project Manager, Jason Brunaugh from Brunaugh Construction, and Bank of Madison’s Market President Paul Abert for the hard work to make this project come to fruition. We are excited to see Munie Trenching and Excavating get started this month prepping our property and KAMEX Excavating and Grading for their concrete work, and Countryside Builders get started on our brand-new facility. For any questions, please contact me at 618-372-0083 or by email at barbaracorby@sbschild.com

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District #9 announced enrollment and registration are now open for the 2022-23 school year. Families can register by using your SKYWARD account. For all NEW enrollments, visit our Enrollment/Registration website for required documents prior to visiting our enrollment center: James J. Greenwald Administration Building 3200 Maryville Road Granite City, IL 62040 Monday through Thursday 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday: 7-11:30 a.m. Just a reminder, students will not be allowed to attend school on the first day if not registered or enrolled. The first day of student attendance is set for Wednesday, Aug. 17. If you have questions please visit Student Services at the GCSD9 Administration Office at 3200 Maryville Road, call 618-451-5800, or visit our website: www.gcsd9.net .

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GODFREY - Godfrey Public Safety Administrator Chris Sichra is advising motorists to pre-plan for a temporary detour this week starting at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, on Wenzel Road. Following a previous delay so that a utility company could complete another project at the same location on Wenzel last month, Godfrey Public Works has rescheduled the culvert project and will be closing Wenzel Road to “thru traffic” at Roach Road and at Seiler Road beginning Wednesday morning, 6/8/22 (for tree removal) then will close again Thursday 6/9/22 to begin the actual project. Wenzel will remain closed for approximately two (2) weeks with an expected reopening on Friday 6/17/22. Local residents on Wenzel will still have access to their homes. The repair project will be focused on replacing a drainage culvert that runs under Wenzel Road near the Fosterburg Water Tank. Sichra states that local first responder agencies and mutual aid companies (Fire, Police, EMS) as well as local

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine is set to argue against the new subcircuit law in the 4th Appellate District on June 22, 2022, on behalf of Madison County. Joining the County as Plaintiffs against the new law are Judges Chris Threlkeld and Amy Sholar (Represented by Attorney James Craney), Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie (Represented by Phillip A. Luetkehans), and pro-se Plaintiff Chrissy Wiley. Supporting the law are Defendants Governor Pritzker, the Illinois State Board of Elections, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, and Speaker of the Illinois House Chris Welch. In the new subcircuit law, the General Assembly suddenly created three new gerrymandered judicial subcircuits in Madison County without any public hearings or input. In response, a bi-partisan and overwhelming majority of the Madison County Board passed a resolution condemning this new gerrymandered judiciary scheme and calling for legal action to oppose it. After initially granting

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GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic High School recently graduated a senior class of 47 that posted some unbelievable accomplishments in both academics, scholarships, ACT scores, and athletics in the 2021-2022 school year. Lorraine Hentz and Jude Henke earned the Father Michael J. McGivney Legacy Award, McGivney's highest honor. "The recipients of this award have been nominated by the FMCHS administration and faculty," Principal Joe Lombardi said. "The recipients exemplify the spirit of our Catholic High School and patron Father Michael J. McGivney. Both recipients have exhibited the foundational pillars of Unity, Charity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. "They possess an excellent attitude and a proficiency in academics - demonstrated a Christ-centered and active faith - devoted to serving the culture of life, and joyfully living out their faith through prayer and celebration of the sacraments while courageously sharing the Good News of the Gospel."

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COLLINSVILLE – Multiple streets will be receiving much needed attention as the Collinsville City Council unanimously approved a mill and overlay program at the May 24 meeting. The ordinance is to award a mill and overlay contact to Rooters Asphalt in the amount of $304,411.20. This bid came in under the $350,096.72 engineer’s estimate and under the $400,000 budgeted. According to Associate Engineer Kevin Madden, the project includes the mill and overlay of Northview Drive, Windridge Drive, West Clay Street and a portion of the Gateway Convention Center parking lot. Madden said the roads have significant cracking, including deformation to Northview Drive and by doing the mill and overlay the life of the road can be extended by as much as 20 years. Included in this project is restriping the roads as well as curb repairs where needed. This work is scheduled to begin on June 13 and be completed by September 1. In other business, the council unanimously approved a contract

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ALTON - Ten-year celebrations for businesses are always special, but the one this past Friday at Olive Oils Marketplace was what one could describe as "extra-special." The Friday ribbon cut to mark 10 years in business at the 108 W. 3rd St. in Alton location was a time to remember both the good and tough times, but it was a celebration the owners will not forget. Julie and Tim Meeks are the owners of Olive Oil Marketplace. Tim describes the business perfectly as a store for "foodies." Julie said she considers the marketplace a “gourmet kitchen store” which specializes in olive oils and balsamic vinegars, but also offers much more. At the ribbon-cutting on Friday, several product samples from vendors and in-store sales were offered to customers. Julie Meeks was emotional when she reflected on the 10 years at the 108 W. 3rd St. location and she and Tim both thanked their customers and family for their ardent support. Julie said during the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was

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WOOD RIVER - The City of Wood River Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Group has a meeting set from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 550 E. Madison Avenue, Wood River. The City of Wood River Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is forming a Community Advisory Group of diverse residents, business owners, and other interested parties representing a range of backgrounds and neighborhoods within the city. "We are seeking more representatives and local student bicycle commuters from Lewis and Clark Community College to join the group in the review and discussion of existing conditions and community goals impacting the plan," the city said in a statement. "Please note attendance at the meeting does not guarantee placement on the Community Advisory Group."

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Treasurer, Chris Slusser, said property owners should be receiving tax bills soon, with the first installment coming due July 7. The Treasurer’s Office will continue rolling out paperless delivery of tax bills, or “e-notice”, this year. Included on the front page of this year’s tax bill will be a website, enoticesonline.com, and an authorization code that will allow taxpayers to begin receiving their tax bills electronically the next year. Those who escrow taxes are strongly encouraged to sign-up for paperless billing to save printing and paper costs. “Although the Treasurer’s office serves as the county’s tax collector, it’s important to remember that the Treasurer’s office doesn’t determine the amount that is billed”, Slusser said. Property tax bills are determined by four factors — the assessment, the equalization factor or ‘multiplier,’ the tax rate and any exemptions.”

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ALTON - The Alton Municipal Band is gearing up to begin its 132nd season of Concerts in the Parks. Directed by David Drillinger and Jennifer Shenberger, the band will perform a nine-week concert season at Riverview and Haskell parks in Alton. Each week the band will present music that fits a different theme: from the famous children’s concert to the always-popular patriotic concert, there is sure to be music for everyone’s taste. This year, there are also a few surprises throughout the season that audiences will not want to miss! Thursday concerts will be held at the gazebo in Riverview Park, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday concerts are at Haskell Park, in front of Lucy Haskell’s historic playhouse, at 7 p.m. The season will begin with concerts on June 9th and 12th. Guest vocalist Jared Hennings will wow the audience with his powerful baritone voice at both concerts, and Mayor David Goins will make a special appearance at Sunday’s concert. Alton Municipal Band concerts

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GRAFTON - The City of Grafton unveiled a replica of the Dinky rail bus to a large, enthusiastic crowd at the Grafton Visitor’s Center and Museum on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Mayor Mike Morrow, who presided over the ceremony, called upon Alton’s Honorable Mayor Reverend David Goins for the Invocation. Mayor Morrow led the group in singing the National Anthem. He then gave a brief history of how the Dinky replica came to rest in Grafton. From 1939 until 1953, the Dinky traveled its rails beside the Mississippi between Alton and Grafton, connecting all stops along the way in less than half an hour. Reversed by a man-powered turntable near the Loading Dock, it would head back to Alton. “We are happy to see such a great turnout today,” Alderman Jim Spencer, a member of the Dinky Restoration Committee, said. “Many people have moved this project forward over the last ten years to its dedication today.” “Isn’t it true that all good stories

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