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ALTON - While COVID-19 was the disease that made all the news in 2020, for Matt Contarino it was something that unfortunately is much more familiar – diabetes. The 60-year-old Alton resident was diagnosed after a routine exam that year at Family Physicians of Bethalto with Denise Schleeper, FNP. From there, however, Matt has things under control – and he owes a huge debt of gratitude to the diabetes educators at Alton Memorial Hospital. “I felt fortunate in the fact that I was the only one in my immediate family who did not have diabetes,” Contarino said. “Denise confirmed through my labs that I did, and she was very proactive with me, as I had thousands of questions in my head. She suggested that I contact the AMH Diabetes Management Center. I called immediately. The timing was perfect. I was signed up to start the very next month.” Naomi Ward, registered dietitian at AMH, contacted Matt prior to classes starting to discuss his eating habits and

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BETHALTO - Germania Brew Haus Owner Jared Brynildsen said Bethalto is the coffee house’s next target location - while specific details are still under wraps for now, he said they’re looking at beginning the renovation and construction process this fall, with plans to open next spring. Brynildsen said a few things make Bethalto the ideal home for the next Germania location, including the level of interest from fans and his own family connections to the area. “The demand from Bethalto has been great. Every social media post receives multiple comments from people asking for Bethalto to be next,” he said. “It was also on the radar previously due to its location in relation to our other stores - but also because of the time me and my family spent there growing up, which has continued through today.” He also said he appreciates the cooperation and collaboration from community members. “What we love about these small towns like Bethalto an

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker today signed House Bill 4292 into law, extending the pension buyout option for state employees to 2026. The bill authorizes $1 billion in additional general obligation bond funding to extend the buyout program. This action was another important step in the Governor’s mission to ensure fiscal responsibility and reduce overall liability costs placed on taxpayers and follows the inclusion of an additional $500 million contribution to the retirement systems above certified amounts across FY2022 and FY2023. “Responsible fiscal management means taking every action possible to address our pension obligations while honoring promises made to current and retired workers – promises made by governors and legislators on both sides of the aisle,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The expansion of this bipartisan pension buyout program builds on Democrats’ work this session to save taxpayers nearly $2 billion in pension liabilities

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, released the following statement underscoring the importance of mental health care access, especially among Black Americans: “Data shows that both new instances of mental health issues and exacerbation of existing mental health issues are on the rise across the country. According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than white adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress. “However only one in three Black Adults who need mental health care receive it. Additionally, there is a growing mental health crisis among our youth. According to the CDC, only 20 percent of children with mental health issues receive care from a specialized mental health provider. “We must continue working to expand availability of care, increase the diversity of our mental healthcare workforce,

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SOUTH ROXANA - On May 4, 2022, Madison County Chief of Police meeting, hosted by Chief Brad Wells of the Wood River Police Department a presentation made by Crime Stoppers State Director Kathy Norris took place about adopting a Crime Stoppers program in Madison County. "Crime Stoppers has been around since 1976 and with Madison County being the eighth-largest county in the state, I think it is imperative we catch up with technology to better assist our citizens," South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said. "Crime Stoppers would allow the police to partner with our communities, where a non-law enforcement citizen board would be put in place to assist in running a Crime Stoppers program. "One of the amazing things about this program is it gives power back to the citizens, which is essential in bridging the relationship between police officers and the community. "I believe law enforcement has a lot of support in our county and a tool like crime stoppers could benefit everyone. A discussion

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WOOD RIVER - Carson Reef, a senior varsity athlete at East Alton-Wood River High School, recently signed on to the Lewis and Clark Community College’s golf team during a school assembly. Reef has been a varsity athlete all four years of his high school experience, and it’s starting to pay off. While Carson also excelled at soccer and played “more sports than anyone in recent memory,” according to his athletic director, Mark Beatty, he was awarded two years of free college for his exceptional golfing performance. Reef is being recognized as the Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for East Alton-Wood River High School. In an interview with Riverbender.com, Reef recounted his progression in the sport, “I started playing when I was little but I didn't start taking it seriously until my freshman year and then I probably noticed my most improvement from sophomore year to junior year, that’s where I kind of shot up the numbers.”

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SPRINGFIELD –The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the release of the new Illinois Official Highway Map. The map includes route updates as well as a new feature that shows mileage between towns and marked route junctions to help residents and visitors alike plan their travels throughout Illinois. “While many of us now use smartphones for directions, paper maps remain an important resource,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “When your phone dies or you drive out of range, paper maps will show you the way. What’s more, they provide valuable information about our great state to help you make the most of your travels.” The new map’s cover features a beautiful shot of the capitol building in autumn. The photograph was the winner of IDOT’s employee map cover contest, submitted by Andrew Bolinger, an office assistant. For those with a smartphone, QR codes printed on the maps provide easy access to information

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting the 31st “Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward” conference on May 9 and 10 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. The longtime conference hosted by IDOT’s Office of Business and Workforce Diversity provides female- and minority-owned businesses with opportunities to make connections and develop skills to grow and succeed. “Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward is one of the premier events in the state for our contracting community to build relationships and open the door to participate on projects,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman.“Thanks to the historic Rebuild Illinois capital program and unprecedented investments happening at the federal level, there has never been a better time to be involved in the transportation industry. Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT is committed to making its projects more diverse and inclusive. The information at thi

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CHICAGO —During National Small Business Week, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that the full $250 million in relief funds have been granted through the Back to Business (B2B) program. This concludes the program, providing nearly 6,500 grants to small businesses in over 475 cities and more than 90 counties across the state, with 96 percent of awards delivered to businesses in disproportionately impacted communities or in the hardest-hit industries. A list of Illinois B2B grantees can be found here . “Illinois responded to the pandemic by providing $1.5 billion in economic relief for childcare providers, local government services, and so many hard-hit small businesses that shape our communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These are investments that preserve jobs and Main Streets and dreams. When we put our state’s fiscal house in order, we can invest taxpayer dollars in building a stronger

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JERSEYVILLE - The First Presbyterian Church of Jerseyville and the Jersey County Arts Council will host an open house and art exhibit Saturday, May 21, 2022, from 1 to 4 p.m. The church is located at the corner of State and Carpenter Streets (400 S. State St.) in Jerseyville. Parking is available both behind the church and across the street to the north. The First Presbyterian Church has served as a Jerseyville landmark since its completion in 1882 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in February of 2021. This will be the first time since that designation was awarded that the public can tour the historic building to learn its history. The church’s roots can be traced to 1834 when a group met in Newel Adam’s log cabin to officially organize a Presbyterian church. It was the first church organized in Jerseyville. All tours are self-guided, and members of the congregation will be available to answer questions. The church’s beauty is no less

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BELLEVILLE – In connection with a matching grant from The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Art on the Square has purchased an 8’ sculpture titled “Flame” from sculptor Ron Stinson. The sculpture will be installed at the St. Clair County Historical Society’s Daphne Sumner History Discovery Center, located at 705 East Washington St. Belleville. This abstract piece of art can be displayed both indoors and outdoors and is made of Marine Quality Stainless Steel. About the National Endowment for the Arts "The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the only arts funder in the United States—public or private—that provides access to the arts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions. Each year, we award thousands of grants to provide everyone in the United States with diverse opportunities for arts participation. We award cost/share matching grants to nonprofit organizations for a wide variety of arts projects, literature

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) announced today a $745,200 grant from Lumina Foundation to further the mission of Illinois Community Colleges to improve employment outcomes for African-American and other minority students throughout the state. The ICCB will use the grant and leverage existing agency resources to strengthen the connection of Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) students to employment opportunities within their communities as part of Lumina’s Employment Connection Project (ECP). “I’m pleased to see the Lumina Foundation recognize the role of Illinois’ Workforce Equity Initiative in opening up new opportunities for Illinois residents to build great careers,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Since its founding, the WEI has enrolled over 5,000 students across 100 high-demand training programs, operating with a focus on historically underinvested Black and Brown communities. Lumina’s grant will enhance the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Joe’s Market Basket is preparing for one of its busiest weekends of the year; Mother’s Day. The store offers a unique selection of Mother’s Day gift ideas to help people celebrate and honor the women in their lives. Joe’s Market Basket General Manager Andy Klos said in preparation for the holiday, each of its five stores is fully stocked with hundreds of varieties of hanging baskets, flowers, planters, gardening supplies, shrubs and ornamental trees. “The beauty of buying your mom or wife a plant or perennial flower is that the gift can last all summer, and in some cases can come back every year,” said Klos. “We also can help people build their own planter so the gift is personalized for what the person likes. Sometimes people add unique plants like a herb or a pot that they know matches their house perfectly. It’s fun to see people get excited about what they’re creating.” Joe’s Market Basket staff

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EAST ALTON – Betsy Papin and Jacob Futrell are two local college students currently interning with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC sm ). Betsy Papin is currently studying criminal justice at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She previously attended Lewis and Clark Community College, where she studied criminal justice. Papin is working with Danelle Haake, NGRREC’s RiverWatch director and stream ecologist to test local water samples to monitor fecal bacteria found in the Prairie Du Pont watershed. Heartlands Conservancy is a partner organization on this project. “Living locally, I have seen work done by NGRREC and I’ve always had great respect for their work,” Papin said. “I felt this would be a great fit for me because not only do I learn about the local ecosystem and work on projects, I am able to apply those lessons into teaching the community the findings of the internship.” Jacob Futrell is attending

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MADISON – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that IL-203 between Ohio Street and I-55/70 in St Clair County will be intermittently restricted to one lane in each direction beginning Monday, May 9, 2022, weather permitting. These restrictions will be between 7 am and 6 pm and flaggers will be utilized to maintain traffic. This work is necessary to complete pavement repairs at the entrance of the World Wide Technology Raceway and is expected to be completed by May 13, 2022. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. The contractor on this project is Kinney Contractors, Inc. Raymond, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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ALTON - Volunteers and members of the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis, will join with the Alton Fire Department on May 10 and the Ferguson Fire Department on May 12 to install free smoke alarms for local families vulnerable to home fires during a Sound the Alarm event. This effort is part of a national Red Cross Sound the Alarm initiative to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country in May. Representatives from the Alton Fire Department will join Red Cross volunteers for the Alton event and will be joined by volunteers from Schnucks, which is sponsoring the event. Sound the Alarm event will kick off with remarks and volunteer training, followed by smoke alarm installations at area homes where volunteer teams will also discuss home fire safety with families. This will take place in area homes in Alton, IL (May 10) and Ferguson, MO (May 12) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Teams will meet on May 10 at 10 a.m. at the

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EDWARDSVILLE – Students from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) are celebrating standout showings at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Region 5 Student Conference in Houston in April. The IEEE is one of the world’s largest professional societies, with Region 5 of the IEEE encompassing most of the central part of the country. The SOE student branch is co-advised by Amardeep Kaur, PhD, and George Engel, PhD, who accompanied the group to Houston. A two-person team comprising SOE seniors Wyatt Marks, of Mount Vernon, and William Gallagher, of Bloomington, participated in the IEEE Region 5 Circuit Design Competition. The team earned first place and was awarded a cash prize of $500. The student team was challenged to solve a technical problem which was provided to the team on the day of the competition. Their design involved the use of an Arduino micro-controller

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department on Wednesday announced it issued 23 hands-free law violations and five other citations to include a suspended license arrest, along with several registration and insurance violations during the April Distracted Driving Enforcement Period. “Distracted Driving Awareness Month allowed the Edwardsville Police Department to bring a heightened awareness to stop motorists from engaging in this deadly behavior,” said Lt. Barry Jones. The Edwardsville Police Department joined forces with state and local law enforcement and highway safety partners for this enforcement effort. Using your phone in anything other than the hands-free mode in Illinois is not only dangerous but also illegal. Break the cycle. Drop it and drive." The Illinois distracted driving campaign is funded with federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

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BRUSSELS - She received a standing ovation. Her family, including her husband, siblings, and children made sure they were there to see it. Every student gave her a hug. That was the scene at St. Mary Catholic School in Brussels after Maureen Tepen, the third/fourth-grade teacher and fifth/sixth-grade language arts teacher in the small, rural school, was announced as the winner of the 2022 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois during a surprise celebration and award presentation at the school May 4. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presented Tepen with the award. “God is so good, God is so good,” Tepen said, as she fought back tears from the podium during the event. “I decided to be a teacher when I was in first grade, and I had this little seed in my heart that I wanted to teach kids, and to have a spot they knew they could come to be encouraged and grow.” Then, looking at all the students in the room, Tepen said, “I just

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GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey hosted their annual "Touch a Truck" Day on Wednesday which included plenty of smiles, pictures, and lots (and lots!) of "horn honking". Chris Logan, Director of Parks and Recreation for the Village of Godfrey, said "Lots of local businesses and organizations brought out their big vehicles to let the kids get up close to these big trucks (that they may have seen going down the road). The kids get to meet the drivers, touch the trucks, sit in the driver's seat, (and, of course, honk the horn)." Some of the organizations that brought out trucks included Ferrellgas, Illinois Department of Transportation, Ameren Illinois, Madison County Transit, Godfrey Fire Protection District, Bowers Towing, Bob Sanders Waste, several ambulances, and others. Logan went on to say, "This has become an annual event and is an opportunity for the kids to take a field trip from school or, if they're not in school yet, Mom and Dad can bring them out. We've got

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