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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement regarding the announcement from President Joe Biden’s administration that it plans to cancel $10,000 in debt for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year and $20,000 in debt for Pell grant recipients. “Higher education should be within reach for all Illinoisans without the fear that they will be saddled with lifelong debt. The administration’s announcement today is a clear acknowledgment of the burden student loan debt imposes, and response to repayment and forgiveness programs that have been historically and systemically flawed. “While long-term reforms to the student loan system in this country are desperately needed, I commend the Biden administration for offering some immediate relief to millions of student loan borrowers.” Attorney General Raoul has long advocated for protections for student loan borrowers. In May, Raoul called upon President Biden to cancel federal

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MADISON - The SpeedTour Grand Prix Festival, featuring the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli and Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, will join World Wide Technology Raceway’s stellar calendar of motorsports events in 2023. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis in Madison, Illinois, WWTR is the only track in the world hosting NASCAR Cup Series, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events. The inaugural SpeedTour Grand Prix Festival is scheduled for WWTR’s 2.0-mile road course on September 22-24, 2023. The Trans Am Series is America’s road racing series and dates back to 1966. Throughout the years, some of the greatest names in motorsports have participated in the Trans Am Series, including Tommy Kendall, Mark Donohue, Peter Gregg, Bob Tullius, and Wally Dallenbach Jr. Recent standouts include NASCAR drivers Kaz Grala, Paul Menard, and Natalie Decker, as well as Indy Lights star Ernie Francis Jr. Trans Am race weekends consist

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Watershed Nature Center presents Wine and Whiskey for the Watershed on Friday, September 30 th at the Ink House from 6:30-9:30 p.m. This wine, whiskey, and food experience will feature some of the area’s most critically acclaimed restaurants and the world’s finest vintages and most sought-after spirits. Proceeds from the event will benefit outdoor recreation, education, and environmental stewardship for the Watershed Nature Center. “We are thrilled to host this event in person again and cannot wait to celebrate the Watershed Nature Center with some of the region’s best wines, whiskeys, and delicious food!” said Jennifer Warren, President of the Nature Preserve Foundation Board of Directors. The Nature Preserve Foundation is the non-profit steward of the Watershed Nature Center and supports all of Edwardsville’s green and blue spaces. General admission tickets are $85 and include tastings for more than 40 wines, 15 spirits, and

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GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic High School was not created overnight. A group of dedicated parents, grandparents, pastors, and other faithful volunteers began working on the “dream” of a school in 2005. In the fall of 2012 Father McGivney Catholic High School opened its doors to a group of 19 pioneer students. The McGivney students, families, supporters, staff, and parents will celebrate the anniversary with Mass at the school followed by a social gathering, at 1 p.m. Sunday, August 28. In 2022, and Father Mcgivney Catholic High School is thriving - breaking records in athletics, admissions waiting lists, 300+ students, huge academic successes, strong faith formation, and now the school prepares for another first--a momentous and exciting event, the 10-year anniversary of Father McGivney Catholic High School. The 10-year anniversary committee led by Suzanne Halbrook, McGivney Advancement Director, is working hard to organize, plan, and share a celebration with

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The St. Louis County Prosecuting Office has issued warrants on two suspects for Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the First Degree. On Friday, August 12, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspects Destini McConnell, 21, of the 10700 block of Spring Garden Drive in St. Louis, and Jerome Jones, 22, of the 1000 block of Jennings Station Road in St. Louis, for the charge. Jones was arrested on Wednesday, August 24, 2022. Mugshots of McConnell and Jones are attached. Each are being held on $100,000 cash only, no 10% bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement for McConnell and Jones reads: On or about August 11, 2022, Defendant failed to adequately supervise an 11-month-old child. As a result, the victim suffered from a drug overdose as a result of ingesting Fentanyl in the Defendant’s possession

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ALTON - Enjoy the sounds of smooth jazz and the taste of great wine as the successful Alton Jazz & Wine Festival returns to Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater on Saturday, September 3, 2022 with gates opening at 6pm. The Alton Jazz Confluence, featuring up and coming Alton/Godfrey student musicians, will again kick off this year’s festival. Following this exciting group of future jazz stars will be The Kendrick Smith Trio. The headliners for this year’s Alton Jazz & Wine Festival will be Mardra and Reggie Thomas. “The Alton Amphitheater Commission is excited to again bring great jazz to Liberty Bank Amphitheater with this popular and growing event,” said Dan Herkert, Amphitheater Commission Chair. “We’re particularly proud to again feature some of our local student musicians at the beginning of the festival.” “We are also thrilled to bring back the intimate jazz club setting where tables will be on the stage surrounding the artists as

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EDWARDSVILLE – Two recent Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) graduates Tara Habibi, of Springfield, and Priya Sapra Kullar, of India, have made history as the first to receive a Specialty Certificate in Endodontics from the SIU SDM. The program, introduced in 2020, offers students an advanced educational curriculum and a clinical residency regimen focused on endodontics and is accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association. “By starting the advanced education program for endodontics at the SDM, we now have the ability to manage all complex cases and provide a resource for the surrounding area to manage cases for those who have limited means,” said Marvin Leigh Speer, DDS, director of the endodontics program. “Tara and Priya were exceptional students in their coursework. It has been a true pleasure to work with such outstanding students.” “The SIU SDM feels like home,”

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BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Area Humane Society announced today it has hired an Edwardsville woman as its first-ever veterinarian - Dr. Jennifer Marquardt. For decades, the Edwardsville woman has been an advocate for animal welfare and veterinary. Dr. Marquardt grew up in Edwardsville knowing from a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She achieved her goal when she graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked in private practice for 15 years in Chicago and St. Louis before starting her adventures in shelter medicine. Even with a national veterinary shortage trend, Belleville Area Humane Society was able to obtain Dr. Marquardt's services. Having a full-time veterinarian will transform operations at BAHS and they look forward to all that they will accomplish with this outstanding addition to the BAHS team. Executive Director, Kim Vrooman said: “We are over the moon to have the opportunity to serve beside such an outstanding

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EDWARDSVILLE - This is another in a series of articles with photos and descriptions of entries in the Edwardsville Arts Fair at City Park on September 23-25. Today, the work of Collinsville, St. Louis, and Chicago artists are featured. Artist Name: John Locus Location: Collinsville Artist Statement: "Since I don't travel far and wide, I try to capture the beauty in everyday scenes and objects that most people drive by without even noticing. Most of my images have been boiled down to their simplest forms, sometimes only revealing small parts of the objects or scenes." Artist Name: Jennifer Boston Location: Chicago Artist Statement : "I love using natural stones for my jewelry. The stones have spiritual and therapeutic properties and I enjoy helping my customers pick the right stone and the look they want." Artist Name: Lauren Nall Location: St. Louis, MO. Artist Statement: "Sterling silver art jewelry with surface embellishments, folds, and patterns

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ST. LOUIS – Granite City’s Mayor Mike Parkinson, Local Steelworkers 1899 Union President Dan Simmons, and area legislators have not given up on the plight of jobs that maybe be lost at the Granite City Works Plant. An announcement was made Tuesday by the United States Steel Corporation that it had entered a non-binding letter of intent with SunCoke Energy, a raw processing and handling company. Mayor Parkinson said as many as 1,000 jobs could be lost at the Granite City Works Plant if this plan was completed. He pointed out that right now this is a “non-binding letter of intent” to SunCoke. Parkinson said the binding letter is a commitment to talk and not a binding sale or contract. “No deal has been made at this time,” he said. “There is still a lot of fight left in the union, the city, and legislators to keep this business here,” he said. “Senator Duckworth will work to make sure if they leave they don’t leave a rough

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CARROLLTON - The Greene County Health Department staff are working to address community needs through focus and determination. Recently the department has been awarded over $400,000 in grant funds for addressing Greene County community needs assessment results. The Illinois Project Assessment of Needs (IPLAN) in Greene County prioritized access to healthy foods, mental health, substance use prevention, and recreational activities. “It is our goal to cause the effect in improving our community public health by focusing efforts on prevention of disease and disparity,” stated Molly Peters, Public Health Administrator. Peters also states, “Public Health is more than just assuring healthcare access, vaccination rates, and evaluating causes of death or disease. It is working to increase resources to improve high school and higher education graduation rates, assurance of access to daycare for families to thrive, and assisting to improve the community environments such

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for Perdue’s frozen ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken breast tenders “gluten free” that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically small pieces of clear plastic and blue dye. A recall was not requested because the product is no longer available for purchase. The frozen RTE chicken breast tenders “gluten-free” were produced on July 12, 2022. The following product is subject to the public health alert : 42 oz. plastic bags containing “PERDUE CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS GLUTEN FREE” with a “Best if Used By: 07 12 23” and a lot number of 2193 above the use by date. The products bear establishment number “P-33944” immediately below the “Best if Used By:” date on the back of the plastic bag. These items were shipped to BJ's Wholesale Club retail locations nationwide.

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HARDIN - Jonathan E. Meyers, 35, of Hardin entered a guilty plea on charges of theft, unlawful possession of methamphetamine, and attempted possession of explosive or incendiary device on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in Calhoun County Court. The court says these charges stemmed from three separate incidents which occurred in Hardin in Calhoun County between June and July of 2022. The first incident was a report of theft and criminal damage on June 10, 2022, at one of our local businesses. Myers posted bond on this offense and was released from jail. The second incident was a traffic stop on July 9, 2020, which resulted in an arrest for unlawful possession of methamphetamine. The final incident was a court-authorized search warrant, executed on July 10, 2022, at Myers' residence, which resulted in the discovery of more illegal narcotics and improvised explosive devices in various stages of completion. This incident also resulted in an arrest for unlawful possession of methamphetamine

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his Administration’s plan to eliminate $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year and to extend the student loan payment freeze until December 31: “Tens of millions of Americans are plagued by student loan debt in pursuit of a quality education. Today’s announcement by President Biden is a crucial step to enable low- and middle-income borrowers—especially communities of color—to eliminate their debt so they can buy a home, start a business, save for emergencies, and fully participate in our economy. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are delivering on our promises and focused on lifting up working families and the economy.” Today’s announcement also allocates up to $20,000 of debt cancellation for Pell Grant recipients. On average, Illinois students

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police (ISP) conducted a firearms enforcement blitz with details in all 102 counties across the state from June 16 through July 31, 2022. The enforcement details are designed to ensure those who have had their firearm rights revoked are in compliance with the Firearms Owners Identification Card (FOID) Act . “ISP is continuously and aggressively looking for ways to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of those posing a significant threat to themselves or others,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Through these enforcement details, we are strengthening our impact in reducing gun violence and protecting our communities.” During the enforcement blitz, ISP completed 201 details statewide consisting of 1,742 compliance checks. As a result of these efforts, 1,027 individuals were placed into compliance by surrendering their FOID Cards, transferring all firearms out of their possession, and completing a Firearm Disposition

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WOOD RIVER - When motorists drive on Illinois 143 to Wood River or out of the city, they automatically observe the busy East End Retention Project. Workers have been out there for the entire summer grading and installing pipes. The project is adjacent to the Kia dealership. The goal of the project is to create a way to drain excess water from the 15 acres of land, so it can be developed. Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup said there has already been interest in the land from area developers, so the project has aroused attention. Stalcup said the good news is the irrigation project will hopefully be done within the month, depending on the weather. Mayor Stalcup said he is very excited to get the East End Retention Project completed to begin development. He said the area has great business potential for the City of Wood River. "It will take out the long-time flooding of that area, so we can do some development," he said. "We had a business developer in last week to look at the area,

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WOOD RIVER - Werts Welding & Tank Service, Inc., marks its 65th year in business this year. The company headquarters are located in Wood River. Werts Welding & Tank Service, Inc., is the leading supplier of tank trailer parts and equipment, trailers, and straight trucks, and has two fully accredited "R" stamp shops. Werts Welding & Tank Service, Inc. was founded in 1957 in Wood River, by Robert and Verna Werts. They were joined in 1977 by their son, Dwight Werts, who is now the company’s President/CEO. In the years past, the Werts family found it necessary to expand, to better serve their customers, so in 1991 they opened a branch in San Antonio, Texas. Seeing a need for further expansion, in December of 1997, they opened new branches in Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Ga., and Tampa, Fla. In 2003, they opened their sixth branch, this one in Des Moines, Iowa, then in December 2011, a seventh branch addition, this one in Billings, Montana. In February 2013, Werts expanded again by openin

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ALTON - This Saturday, August 27th, join author Troy Taylor for the official release of the new, updated, and revised version of his classic book 'HAUNTED ALTON.' The original book came out on December 1st, 1999. Mineral Springs Haunted Tours located at 301 E Broadway, Alton, IL 62002 will host Taylor's book release and signing from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. According to his bio found on Audible, he is a supernatural historian, murder buff, and the author of almost 90 books on ghosts, hauntings, history, crime, and the unexplained in America. Troy is also the founder of the American Hauntings Ghost Tour Company. Some of those tours are located in Chicago, Springfield, and right here in Alton. To find out more information or to book a tour visit the website here . You can also check out his Facebook page with more than 30,000 followers here . Troy describes Alton as “such a great town.” “Alton is a fun place to go back and dig up stories that people have never hear

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EAST ALTON – Illinois RiverWatch staff are looking for volunteers to help monitor local streams throughout the Metro East region at three events this September. “The events taking place this fall will serve three purposes,” Hannah Griffis, RiverWatch technician, and volunteer coordinator said. “New volunteers will be introduced to the program, current volunteers will become more comfortable with monitoring, and RiverWatch staff will be able to collect more data in the Metro East area.” The dates and locations include: September 17: Centennial Park, Swansea IL September 22: Piasa Creek, Godfrey IL September 24: The Nature Institute, Godfrey IL More details will be provided to volunteers who register. Each event will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers will be getting in the streams and participating in all of the monitoring steps. It is best to wear rain boots or other closed-toed shoes that can get wet. To register visit https://conta.cc/3c2HXZe

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Township’s 8 th Annual Touch-A-Truck event is a month on Saturday, September 24 th at Edwardsville Township Community Park, 6368 Center Grove Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Planning around 25vehicles will be on site for children to explore throughout the day. The free, family-oriented event, which has happened every year since 2014 (except in 2020 due to the pandemic), is open to the public. Each year, Touch-A-Truck brings thousands of people to the Park throughout the day. Families and kids are encouraged to check out many vehicles they see every day and others that are not often accessible. Emergency vehicles, farm equipment, antique tractors, boom trucks, line trucks, and more are open to young explorers all day. Local companies will be handing out free merchandise to attendees while supplies last. During the event, children are able to explore a wide range of their favorite vehicles. Previous years have included vehicles like, the SSM Health Cardinal

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