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WASHINGTON, DC — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) met this week with Ukrainian Soldier Oleksandr Chaika, who is receiving care at Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics (MCOP) in Silver Spring, Maryland. Duckworth and Van Hollen toured MCOP, met with Oleksandr and highlighted the continued need for U.S. support for the people of Ukraine. Photos from the meeting are available here . Oleksandr, a Ukrainian athlete, choreographer, acrobatics coach and teacher, joined the Ukrainian military shortly after Putin began his unjustifiable war on Ukraine. Oleksandr was deployed to the Luhansk region where he lost his leg to an explosive. Oleksandr has now received a prosthetic leg as part of MCOP’s Operation Renew to serve Ukrainian military personnel. “It was an honor to meet with Oleksandr—not just to be able to thank him for his sacrifices during Putin’s unjustifiable war, but also to speak

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ALTON - At 3:49 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2022, officers from the Alton Police Department responded to the 800 block of East 7th Street and contacted Catherine L. Wisniewski. Officers found that Wisniewski had an active warrant for her arrest for Unlawful Failure to Register as a Sex Offender through the Madison County Sheriff’s Office from 2019. Alton Deputy Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the further investigation by the Alton Police Department revealed that Wisniewski was residing in the 800 block of East 7th Street, Alton, Illinois, without registering this address since the middle part of 2020. Wisniewski was taken into custody and held at the Alton City Jail. On October 11, 2022, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Wisniewski with Unlawful Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (2nd Subsequent Offense). Bail for Wisniewski was set at $30,000. “This investigation began with a tip from the public," Deputy Chief Ford said. "The Alton Police Department

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating a fatal motor crash in the 9800 block of Halls Ferry Road which resulted in the death of an adult female. On October 13, 2022, at 12:20 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident in the 9800 block of Halls Ferry Road. Arriving officers located two motor vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation revealed a gold-colored Chevrolet Cavalier was traveling southbound on Halls Ferry Road and was attempting to turn left into a parking lot near the intersection of Halls Ferry and St. Cyr, when it was struck on the passenger side by a gray-colored Toyota Camry traveling northbound. The Chevrolet Cavalier was occupied by the driver only. The Toyota Camry was occupied by the driver and two passengers. The driver and passengers suffered minor injuries.

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ALTON - Alton City Council approved a sign honoring Bishop Samuel E. White on 13th Street at Wednesday night’s meeting. The sign ordinance had passed through the Alton Committee of the Whole on Monday night. White has marked 48 years with Monroe Memorial Church in Alton. The street sign ordinance was adopted by a unanimous 7-0 vote. Alton Mayor David Goins also read a proclamation that detailed many of Samuel E. White’s major accomplishments, and awards during his career with Lewis and Clark Community College and as pastor at Monroe Memorial. The proclamation and street name are positive reflections of his life in honor of his 76th birthday, the mayor said. White is known for his time as a student mentor, helping found the Urban League and Coalition Of Concerned Citizens Of Madison County, and for many contributions to the community. The mayor also read a proclamation to Beverly Farm for their years of devotion and care for adults with developmental disabilities. He said

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BUZZ MAGAZINE - The 30th Annual Leclaire Parkfest will be held Sunday, October 16, from noon to 5 p.m. at Leclaire Park in Edwardsville, Illinois. The annual festival, a celebration of the Leclaire National Historic District, is a long-standing fall tradition. The festival will kick off this year with music by the Gaslight Squares, a St. Louis band with a special blend of Ragtime and Jazz. New this year is a 1920s-themed children’s parade. Participating children are asked to wear costumes or carry homemade signs to portray a 1920s-era Carrie Nation, a flapper, or a Gatsby character. They might also portray an activist marching for the woman’s right to vote. The parade begins at the corner of Hale Avenue and Lake Drive at noon and will circle the entire park. Trolley tours of the historic district will be back with tickets sold from the Friends of Leclaire booth for $1 (children) and $1.50 (adults). Due to COVID, walking tours were substituted for the trolley last year.

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Name: Steven Kapcoe Hometown: Monroe, Michigan Years of Service: 1990-2016 KIA: No Branch: Army Rank: Captain Wars: Afganistan Medals/Honors Earned: - Bronze star - Meritorious service medal - Army commendation x3 - Defense achievement medal - Army achievement medal - Good conduct medal - Nations defense service medal w/star - NATO service - Afghan service with 3 stars - Military outstanding volunteer service medal - Army service ribbon - Overseas service ribbon x 2 - Global war on terror service medal - Joint meritorious unit medal x 2 - Meritorious unit medal Message: The kids and I are so very proud of your years of service. Submitter's Name: Mary Kapcoe

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ALTON - Alton High School freshman Stella Cowan received some big news this week when she learned she was the winner of the Alton Halloween Parade Poster Contest. She was selected out of numerous entries. Stella said she was really surprised by the announcement. “I was shocked,” she said. “There were some good entries, so I was really proud to win.” The Alton freshman student said she has always loved art. “My grandpa - William Cowan - is an amazing artist. He inspired me to become an artist. We have a special relationship through art," she said. "He likes to use a lot of different mediums. He is doing a lot of watercolor painting right now.” Lexi Browning, Stella’s Alton High art teacher, said she thinks Stella is “amazing.” “I am very proud of the fact that she is a freshman and she took the project so seriously and worked so hard,” Browning said. “She is very creative and intelligent. Stella is so pleased

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Name: David Eckhouse Hometown: Rosewood Heights Years of Service: 1966-1968 KIA: No Branch: Army Rank: Spec 4 Wars: Vietnam Medals/Honors Earned: Purple Heart, CIB, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal Submitter's Name: Mary Eckhouse

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Name: Michael R. Morrow Hometown: Grafton Years of Service: 1971-2004 KIA: No Branch: Army Rank Colonel Wars: Desert Storm and War on Terror Medals/Honors Earned: Joint Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters (6 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), Good Conduct, Humanitarian Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Campaign and Service ribbons and the Parachutists and Ranger badges.

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Name: William Clinton Hargrave Hometown: Edwardsville Years of Service: 1967-1969 KIA: No Branch: Marines Rank: CPL Wars: Vietnam Submitted By: Beth Hargrave

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ST. LOUIS - Six local craft breweries in southwest Illinois are collaborating on a week of fun and beer during the Great Rivers & Routes Craft Beer Week Oct. 15-22. Kicking off the week of beer celebrations is the Craft Brew Fest at Old Herald Square in Collinsville Saturday, Oct. 15. Sample more than 40 different beers, coffee from local roasters, enjoy live music and shop vendors during the fest which runs from Noon to 4 p.m. Tickets for the Craft Brew Fest are $30 for beer and coffee samples, $10 for coffee samples only and admission is free for all designated drivers. Tickets can be purchased here . Then, throughout the week visit the participating breweries and enjoy Keep the Glass specials and craft brews from master brewers. “Craft beer is a big deal in southwest Illinois and for the last five years we have celebrated our local brewers with Craft Beer Week,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau said. “This year the brewers

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ST. LOUIS - The American Red Cross now invites those who spent time in the U.K., Ireland or France and have never tried to give blood due to concerns over variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) – related to mad cow disease – to give blood and help save lives. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its blood donor eligibility guidance on vCJD, eliminating the deferral for those who spent time in the U.K., Ireland and France between 1980 and 2001. In alignment with FDA changes, the Red Cross began accepting donations Oct. 3 from individuals who have not tried giving blood before due to the prior donation criteria. In combination with prior eligibility updates in 2020 for those who spent time in other European countries, this new change effectively eliminates the deferral related to vCJD for all donors. “For many years, the Red Cross has heard from people who have spent time in these countries – often members of the military and their families

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EAST ALTON - Winter is quickly approaching, and Illinois RiverWatch is hoping to train community members to monitor for chloride levels in local streams to identify areas where salt use is impacting water quality. During the 2021 winter season, the Illinois Department of Transportation reports using more than 522,000 tons of salt on roadways throughout Illinois. “Much of this salt ends up in local rivers and streams where it harms aquatic life,” said Danelle Haake, RiverWatch director and stream ecologist. “We are seeking volunteers who are willing to check on their local streams several times between October and May. Each monitoring trip could take as little as 15 minutes!” The training is held virtually on: October 26 from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Register at https://conta.cc/3TxYgOF November 14 from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Register at https://conta.cc/3TGZB5x The RiverWatch staff will provide participants with the information needed to become a Winter

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ALTON - As part of its continuing recognition of breast cancer awareness month, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton, Illinois, will hold two public events to educate women about the disease. On October 20 from 4-8 p.m., the OSF Saint Anthony’s mammography team will host a “girls night out” event. Attendees can get a screening mammogram and enjoy food, drinks, vendors, and prizes. On October 31 from 12-1 p.m., the hospital will host a “lunch and learn” with guest speaker Manpreet Sandhu, MD, an oncologist at OSF Moeller Cancer Center on the OSF Saint Anthony’s campus. Dr. Sandhu will share insights on breast cancer treatment and more. Attendees will receive a box lunch. People interested in attending these events should RSVP by calling (618)-474-6791. To attend the “lunch and learn,” please RSVP by October 28. “It’s vitally important that women know how to catch breast cancer early through self-checks

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GODFREY - Altonized Community Federal Credit Union has been recognized as the RiverBend Growth Association Small Business of the Month for October 2022. With its main branch in Alton at 4435 N. Alby St., Altonized CFCU has been in business for 83 years. It was founded in 1939 by local employees of Owens-Illinois Glass Company to meet the financial needs of O-I employees, their families, and the businesses they owned. Over the years, the credit union has added several employee groups to its field of membership and now serves anyone living, working, worshipping, or going to school in Madison and Macoupin Counties. A second branch location is at 200 N. Main St. in Brighton. Collectively, Altonized Community Federal Credit Union has 11 employees. Altonized is always looking for ways to best serve its members. Recently, this involved a computer conversion while also adding Remote Deposit Capture. Members can now deposit checks through the mobile banking app by simply taking a photo of

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ST. LOUIS - Ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 NHL regular season, the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club today unveiled the Purina Doghouse, a new moniker for the away team's penalty box at Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. Visits to the Purina Doghouse, which signifies Blues opponents taking a penalty, will trigger a $100donation each time a player visits the away team penalty box from Purina, up to $15,000 to local service and support dog training organizations. The donated funds from Purina will allow local organizations like Duo Dogs , a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization that trains and connects facility and assistance dogs with individuals and communities, to enhance its training services and help more dogs prepare to make a positive difference for those in need. "During the course of a hockey game, there will be moments when the players get too excited, or play too aggressively, and need to take a break. At Purina, two cornerstones of positive reinforcement training

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BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS) will host its annual Howl’oween Pet Parade on Sunday, October 23rd in Downtown Belleville. This year, the fantastic festivities are already underway with the BAHS Howl’oween Photo Contest & Paws on Main. From now through October 23, take adorable photos of your pets, and get ready for the community to vote! The pet with the most votes will win a professional photo shoot with the talented Gary Luttrell, and Luttrell Studios, as well as a feature on a BAHS billboard. Prizes will be awarded for second and third place too! Be sure to also visit participating Belleville locations and for a small donation, put your "Paws" up for BAHS through October 23rd for Paws on Main. Then, the BAHS Howl’oween Pet Parade Pre-Party kicks off at 10:00 am on October 23 at the Associated Bank parking lot located at S. High Street and E. Washington Street downtown Belleville. Pre-party includes a live DJ, a costume contest for 1st

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ST. LOUIS - Kreitner Elementary in the Collinsville CUSD 10 School District and Alhambra Elementary in the Highland CUSD 5 School District recently secured a spot on a mobile tour designed to show milk’s journey from cow to carton. Gateway Elementary and St. Ambrose are two of 10 local schools the Mobile Dairy Classroom will visit this month. St. Louis District Dairy Council, in partnership with Southwest Dairy Museum, Inc., is bringing the traveling milking parlor to the area to give students a unique dairy farm experience, right in the school parking lot. That experience includes a presentation on dairy farms, cows and how farmers care for the environment. It also features the opportunity for students to learn about the modern milking process with the help of a special guest star-- a real dairy cow. Up to 200 students will take part in the 45-minute presentation, which also covers how dairy foods fit into a healthy diet. “Field trips are an ideal way to show what happens

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GLEN CARBON - Glen Carbon Police Chief Todd Link led a presentation at the Tuesday night Village Board meeting to honor some true heroes - a dedicated telecommunicator, two police officers, and a Glen Carbon paramedic and firefighter for their effort in a successful life-saving efforts of a newborn baby, Rhett. Honored on Tuesday night were Glen Carbon Police Telecommunicator Kelsey Overholtz, Sergeant Jeff Blind, Officer Zac Walters, Paramedic Phil Bassett and Firefighter/Paramedic James Schulte. "The Glen Carbon Police Department awards the Lifesaving Award to members of the police department who perform a lifesaving measure in the line of duty, which through prompt and alert action, results in the saving of a life," the Chief said. "Thank you, Mayor Marcus and Trustees. Before I begin, I would like to thank Fire Chief Whitaker and all the members of the Glen Carbon Fire Protection District who are here. I would also like to thank all the members of the Glen Carbon Police Department

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) announced their amendments that prohibit the United States from recognizing any Russian claim of sovereignty over any portion of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine have been included in the substitute of the Senate version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that advanced to the Senate floor. The provisions also specifically prohibit the use of U.S. funds to implement any activity that recognizes the sovereignty of Russia over Crimea and four additional provinces most recently facing sham Russian annexation referendums. “As Putin continues to escalate his vicious attacks against innocent Ukrainians, we must stand strong against Russia,” said Durbin. “The bipartisan amendments included in the NDAA reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine and that the

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