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SPRINGFIELD - Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the expected announcement Wednesday that he plans to have the indoor mask mandate removed by Feb. 28. He did say that it will not apply to "sensitive locations of K-12 schools. Illinois is one of only nine states that had still required masks inside public places. "My intention is as we've seen these numbers peak at about 7,400 hospitalizations, and heading downward significantly - we're now I think under 2,500 hospitalizations, so that's almost a third of where we were at the peak and heading even further downward - to lift the mask mandate in the indoor locations by Feb. 28," the governor said. "And that... of course, we still have the sensitive locations of K-12 schools, where we have lots of people who are, you know, joined together in smaller spaces, thousands of people interacting in one location at a time. And so that's something that will come weeks hence. But very importantly, things are getting better across the state of Illinois." Pritzker'

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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College has received a $500,000 gift to create the Sonja Faust Hudren Endowed Professorship in Education. Hudren’s brother, Blackburn Trustee Jim Faust, his wife Helen, and their children Kristen, Erika, and Stephen established the Professorship to honor her incredible passion for teaching and to preserve her legacy at Blackburn. Originally from Chicago, both siblings attended and graduated from Blackburn - Faust in 1964 and Hudren in 1966. “I wanted to go away for college and discovered in a brochure that you could get to Blackburn by train,” Faust said. “The College was a very friendly place and, when my sister came down to visit me, she enjoyed the campus as much as I did.” After earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Hudren spent nearly 25 years in the classroom for the Dundee Community School District where she was well-liked by students and widely respected by her colleagues. Hudren cared deeply about

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ALTON — United Way 2-1-1 is partnering with local tax coalitions to provide free tax preparation services to St. Louis-area families with a household income of $57,000 or less in 2021. Local residents can dial 2-1-1 or visit 211helps.org to find their nearest tax preparation site, learn how to make an appointment, or get more information. The program will continue to operate flexibly to meet COVID-19 guidelines and keep volunteers and participants safe. While a limited number of sites offer walk-ins, most require advance appointments. “We are grateful to continue offering free income tax preparation services in light of the financial challenges the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created for families in the St. Louis region,” said Debbie Irwin, community economic development director, United Way of Greater St. Louis. “By offering free tax preparation services, families save money on costly tax preparation fees. Trained volunteers also work to make sure families

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SPRINGFIELD – In honor of Black History Month, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today kicked off a virtual campaign to highlight and celebrate the achievements of African Americans in Illinois. This year’s national theme is Black Health and Wellness. “Each year, it is important that we pause to honor the great contributions of people in Illinois doing impactful work in their communities,” Frerichs said. “These leaders are creating jobs, making a positive difference in the lives of our youth, and breaking down barriers to lead to a more equitable Illinois. We are thankful for their dedication and will continue to support those working hard to make things better for all.” Frerichs will honor the following recipients for their outstanding commitment to their Illinois communities: Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Humanities Roger J. Carter , Artist, Chicago Outstanding Service in Business Trez V. Pugh III , Founde

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Growing gardens in the summer can leave one feeling a little bored through the winter. Although there are a lot of cold-hardy plants you can still grow outside with minimal assistance, it's actually a lot easier to grow some things indoors than you might think. Growing salad greens or micro-greens can be done relatively easily and it really doesn't take up too much space. This can be done in a 10x20 tray on a designated shelf with grow lights or it can even be done in a cup on a window sill. It all just depends on what you want to grow and how much of it you want to have. A few ideas that are common include lettuce mixes, herbs and micro-greens. Some supplies you might want to have would include the seeds of your choice, a growing space, container(s), heat mats, potting soil mix, fertilizer and water. Really, all a plant needs to grow is soil, light and water. The additional supplies are certainly not “must haves,” they are just going to add to your success. Obviously, you

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Bob & Monica from Wood River Date Met/Started Dating: March 23, 1986 Briefly Describe First Date: Pere Marquette Date Married: March 26, 1994 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Spending family time, Date night, watching dirt racing. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Relationships are 50/50 and always tell each other " I Love You."

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GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is excited to announce that Girl Scout Cookies are starting to arrive in the hands of customers! If you haven’t gotten your freezers stocked up yet, we have you covered! National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend is right around the corner! February 18-20 will be the biggest weekend for the Girl Scout Cookie Program as drive-thru cookie booths will be held in areas all throughout Southern Illinois. To find a cookie booth near you (for this weekend or any other weekend) visit gsofsi.org/findcookies or text COOKIES to 59618. In addition, Girl Scouts will be in their neighborhoods for Walkabouts and Red Wagon Weekends during National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend as well as the previous weekend (February 11-13). Cookie booths will be held throughout the duration of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, which runs through March 20. You can use the cookie locator to find a cookie booth near you during any weekend now through March 20. Every Gir

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GODFREY – The Brown Bag Bistro has been chosen as the February 2022 RiverBend Growth Association Small Business of the Month award recipient. Located at 318 East Broadway in Alton, mother-daughter duo owners Christine and Erin Velloff have kept the restaurant establishment going after starting with other family members in the mix. “We were lucky enough to not have to let any staff go during the pandemic,” Christine noted. In business since 2018, the duo currently employs 18, with most of their kitchen staff working close to 40 hours a week. “We have only been open for three and a half years and our business has grown exponentially,” said Christine. “In the near future, we are hoping to add in our own delivery service so that we can give our customers the best service they can get and move away from third-party delivery service. We also hope to expand the upstairs and add another kitchen on-site.” The Brown Bag Bistro today reflects an extensive

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JERSEY COUNTY - Jersey County is embracing an official affiliation with BackStoppers. First responders are also set to support the organization with future fundraisers. Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby said he and the other first responders in Jersey County are excited to move ahead with the BackStoppers agreement. He said it will not only benefit Jerseyville Police but Jerseyville Fire, Grafton Police, Jersey County Sheriff’s Office, and all the first responders in Jersey County. This also includes all volunteer firefighters in Jersey County and EMS personnel. BackStoppers was started in this region by Richard H. Amberg, one-time publisher of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The publisher took the idea of Nicholas Blassie, president of Meatcutters Union Local #8 in Detroit, who created an organization that provided relief for families of fallen public servants. Amberg invited key civic leaders from business, labor, and other professions and created the charger for BackStoppers

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From ancient Greece, live performance theater has had a rich and sometimes challenging history and nothing short of controversial. Thespis, the Greek poet, is considered the father of tragedy and introduced dialogue to the live performance’s choral performance structure, though some scholars tend to disagree. But it is no longer the time of Ancient Greece. The United States has its vibrant history of live performance theater from the Broadway Theater in Manhattan, N.Y., to Illinois’ longest-running community theater, Alton Little Theater, located in Alton. Alton Little Theater’s website states it was founded in 1933 by an English teacher, Dorothy Colonius, who had a clear vision of creating a community theater for Alton residents. Eighty-eight seasons later, the torch was passed to Executive Director and goddaughter of Colonius, Lee Cox, and her passionate and theater-loving team members. It is no easy feat to put together a live performance, and what the audience

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ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Postal Service has acknowledged delivery has been backed up in recent days because of the serious winter storm that hit many parts of the United States and also hit this region with considerable snow and ice this past week. One local postal service branch supervisor said some carriers on Wednesday morning received 6,000 letters to deliver, so it appears the backlog in postal services receiving mail has broken. She encouraged residents to be patient because the service is working hard to rectify the delay in delivery. “Every office in the 620 and 622 zip codes have had delays,” the area postal supervisor said. “Our carriers normally get up to 300 letters a day and they averaged 20 to 80 letters a day until today, and they now have over 6,000 letters. We have been backed up since last week because of the weather.” A U.S. Post Office spokesperson says the agency is aware of delivery problems and is taking steps to address the issues. The recent

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Kelly And Kevin Willumat from Granite City Date Met/Started Dating: June 7, 1984 Briefly Describe First Date: I was 9 so we sat on the swings and talked. Date Married: August 26, 1994 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Disc Golf Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Compromise. Have a day a week with your own friends.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Kim & Kraig Daniels from East Alton Date Met/Started Dating: August 30, 2014 Briefly Describe First Date: Football game followed by Applebees for dinner. Date Married: October 14, 2017 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We’re both competitive at heart so whether it’s Dave and Busters or playing the Wii we love to play games together. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Don’t ever lose your playfulness, just because your growing older together and have more responsibility doesn’t mean you can’t have fun together.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Megan and Scott Rardin from Alton Date Met/Started Dating: June 8, 2006 Briefly Describe First Date: We enjoyed a few drinks at a local establishment. Date Married: July 8, 2013 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We enjoy going to sporting events, live concerts, and the occasional parents' night away! Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: You can’t always get what you want but as long as you got each other you got all you need.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Butch and Juanita Davis from Cottage Hills Date Met/Started Dating: December 16, 1997 Briefly Describe First Date: Movies and Taco Bell Date Married: October 16, 1999 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Camping, church, window shopping and just spending time together. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Talk things out, don't go to bed upset, and tell each other that you love each other.

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As a veteran political reporter, Taylor Pensoneau placed a premium on accuracy and realism. Now, as an accomplished fiction writer, he is doing the same. Pensoneau has just released Devil on the Prairie (Downstate Publications: $18.95), an intricately written mystery novel that captures readers with its suspense and numerous sidebars. The fast-moving work weaves real-life locales throughout the Midwest to provide a sense of place, and create a realistic tone. “Many of the scenes from the book are set in real places in southwestern Illinois, St. Louis, and elsewhere,” remarked Pensoneau. “I visited a lot of those places in my youth, and in my work in journalism.” Pensoneau, who lives in New Berlin, IL, was a top political writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the 1960s and 1970s. He was based at the Illinois statehouse for much of his time with Post-Dispatch, but covered some of the seminal moments in national political history, including the Watergate

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ALTON - As an effort to raise awareness of National Children’s Dental Health Month for February, SIHF Healthcare is reminding parents of the importance of promoting good dental care habits for their children. “Developing good habits at an early age helps children to get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums,” says Megan Preville, DMD at SIHF Healthcare in Centreville. As soon as teeth appear in the mouth, decay can occur. One of the risk factors for early childhood caries (sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay or nursing mouth syndrome) is frequent and prolonged exposure of a baby’s teeth to liquids, such as fruit juice, milk, or formula, which all contain sugar. Once a child turns one year old or if they have a tooth prior to that age, parents need to schedule regular bi-annual checkups. Just as with an adult visit, a child’s dentist will give their teeth thorough cleanings to remove plaque build-up and food debris they cannot remove

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is introducing three new concurrent degree programs to provide students with greater opportunities for learning and career advancement in the health sciences while saving time and money. The new concurrent degree programs, which will begin in fall 2022, include: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSPS) PharmD and Master of Public Health (MPH) MPH and Master of Business Administration (MBA) “Today's health-science professionals frequently work in interdisciplinary teams,” said Paul Rose, PhD, associate dean and professor of psychology in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB). “They need to cooperate and communicate effectively across disciplinary boundaries. One advantage of these program collaborations is that students will learn alongside others who bring different perspectives.” PharmD and MSPS The School of Pharmac

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GODFREY - St. Ambrose Catholic School has announced its 2nd quarter honor roll lists. Honor Roll: Bennett Anderson (4th) Stuart Clark (4th) Emma Crews (4th) Erin Crawford (4th) Noah Delehanty (4th) Adelyn Labrenz (4th) Leon Kerkemeyer (4th) Averie Kochan (4th) Lydia Kribs (4th) Genevieve Merkle (4th) Audrey Nailor (4th) Isabelle Bassett (5th) Mallory Cronin (5th) Adelyn Estes (5th) Max King (5th) Ryan Kline (5th) Parker Robinson (5th) Keagan Anderson (6th) Alisa Buchanan (6th) Daxter Dornes (6th) Lena Droste (6th) Henry Franklin (6th) Maggie Morrissey (6th) Sophia Statos (6th) Bishop Stotler (6th) Myra Sutton (6th) Hubert Allen (7th) Daniel Bennett (7th) Mia Buchanan (7th) Sophie Copple (7th) Ben Droste (7th) Ginger Finger (7th) Ella Osborn (7th) Mya Pickens (7th) Brianne Bagwill (8th) Ashlynn Bennett (8th) Luke Brown (8th) Keller Jacobs (8th) Isabella Macias (8th) Finnley Stevenson (8th) High Honor Roll: Piper Adams (4th) Kayli Jacobs (4th) Elizabeth King (4th) Charlotte Kohl

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BRIGHTON - Southwestern School District Superintendent Kyle M. Hacke announced this week the district has immediately altered the mandated COVID-19 mitigation efforts that specifically require face coverings for students and staff, along with some other items. These are full details of what the superintendent said: "Dear Friends of the Southwestern School District, The Southwestern School District, as well as numerous other districts in the state of Illinois, was named as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging the Governor’s, Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) and Illinois School Board of Education’s (ISBE) ability to mandate COVID-19 mitigation efforts in schools, specifically requiring face coverings for students and staff, the exclusion of close contacts and the requirement of weekly testing for unvaccinated employees. "Due to the court’s decision entered upon Friday, January 4, 2022, the Southwestern School District will immediately alter the

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