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CARLINVILLE - Some of the fascinating women of Illinois history will be the topic of a free discussion at the Mississippi Valley Library District in Collinsville on Tuesday, July 12 at 6 p.m. “Notable Women of Illinois History” will be presented by Tom Emery and is based on his 2018 book of the same title. Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville who has earned fifteen awards from the Illinois State Historical Society. An experienced speaker and public-address announcer, Emery has lectured across the region on his research. He is known for his informal presentations, which encourage audience participation. The program covers the remarkable lives of some of the most influential women throughout the history of Illinois. Such luminaries as Jane Addams, Mother Bickerdyke, Mary Todd Lincoln, Frances Willard, and Gwendolyn Brooks are included, as well as other leading women of Illinois politics, social movements, and literature. The program

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School wrestler Dylan Gvillo, one of the Tigers' most accomplished wrestlers in his four years with the program, has signed a letter of intent to attend Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Gvillo, who finished second in the state at 132 pounds in 2021, felt that going to Northern to continue his wrestling career was a step in the right direction for him. For her efforts at EHS, Gvillo is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. "I think it's a step in the right direction," Gvillo said in a post-ceremony interview. "I think their facilities and their coaching staff, along with their past-proven ability is a huge reason for me going there." The Huskies are a part of the Mid-American Conference, along with SIU-Edwardsville, for whom another Tiger wrestler, Jorden Johnson, signed with earlier in the day. It's a very good wrestling conference that Gvillo's looking forward to competing in. "I think it's a pretty solid conference," Gvillo

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Illinois Federation of Business Women (IFBW) Metro East awarded the Lena Stanley Scholarship to several local students in the Metro-East area. A total of five scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each were awarded to young women in the Edwardsville School District who met certain criteria of academic excellence. The scholarship winners included previous scholarship recipient Olivia Mullosi, as well as new recipients Olivia Jackson from Father-McGivney High School and Josephine “Josie” Cleveland-O’Day, Emilie Fry and Abigail Law, all from Edwardsville High School. Carol Frisse, a secretary with IFBW-Metro East, said scholarship recipients must be in the top 25% of their graduating class, agree to attend a college or university after graduation and reside within the Edwardsville school district area. Frisse said it was difficult to narrow down this year’s list of applicants. “The applicants were so great, it was hard to select from

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GRANITE CITY - Jessica Mefford-Miller, a 1998 graduate of Granite City High School, has always been an innovative and connected leader, working four years as Executive Director of the Metro Development Agency, the provider for public transportation in St. Louis. Recently, Mefford-Miller was named the Chief Executive Officer of the Valley Metro Public Transportation Authority in Phoenix, Ariz., where she oversees the entire public transportation system in the city and suburbs of the Valley of the Sun. It's a big job overseeing the entire public transport system, especially in a fast-developing metro area such as Phoenix and it's a job she's tackling head on. "I am loving my new role and it is, I think, a really natural progression for my career for me," Mefford-Miller said in a recent video interview on the Granite City Community Unit District 9's YouTube channel. "I have been working in transportation the last 20 years, since I finished my undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Theater and Dance will present “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in the Dunham Hall Theater at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 15-16 and 22-23, and 2 p.m. Sundays, July 17 and 24. Told entirely through song with the help of a main character Narrator, the musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” follows preferred son Joseph in the reimagining of the Biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, 11brothers and the coat of many colors. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph ingratiates himself with Egyptian noble Potiphar, but ends up in jail after refusing the amorous advances of Potiphar's wife. While imprisoned, Joseph discovers his ability to interpret dreams, and he soon finds himself in front of the mighty but troubled, Elvis-inspired, Pharaoh. Joseph's solution to Egypt’s famine elevates him to Pharaoh's right-hand man and reunite

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ST. LOUIS — The American Red Cross and Discovery are partnering for Shark Week and invite people to dive in to help save lives by giving blood or platelets in July. The Red Cross saw a steep drop in blood and platelet donations last month, and donors are asked to make appointments now to prevent a blood shortage this summer. In June, the Red Cross collected approximately 12% fewer blood donations than needed – one of the largest monthly blood donation shortfalls in recent years. Here in the Missouri and Arkansas Region, 1,451 fewer donations were made than expected. When less people answer the call to donate, the blood supply shrinks – and that could mean blood products aren’t ready for hospital staff to reach for in emergencies. Thanks to Discovery, all who come to give blood or platelets in July will automatically be entered for a chance to win an exclusive Shark Week merchandise package that includes: Beach bike Smokeless portable fire pit Paddle board

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BELLEVILLE – Illinois American Water spent more than $65 million with diverse suppliers to conduct business in 2021. The diverse suppliers and businesses consist of minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and small-business enterprises. In 2021, over 28% of the company’s spend was spent with diverse vendors detailed in the company’s annual report to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates the state’s public utilities. Jennifer Morrison, Program Director of Supplier Diversity for Illinois American Water, said, “Our company’s efforts are growing and expanding across Illinois. We know the importance of having diverse individuals on our team and that extends to our external partners.” Illinois American Water partners with over 179 certified diverse suppliers, including 14 new suppliers the company added in 2021. The company increased its total diverse spend by 13% in 2021 and approximately $46 million was spent with Illinois based

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ALTON - Alton Fire Department responded at 12:20 p.m. Saturday to a 911 call of a collapsed building at 619 E. Broadway in Alton. Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom House said the back of the structure collapsed. "The whole back wall collapsed," he added. "There apparently was a homeless person somewhere near the structure, but he was unharmed. No one was injured in the incident." The Alton Fire Department cleaned the area best they could and again replaced the caution tape around the area. House said it will now become an issue for the owner and other city staff. The building is next to the Jacoby Arts Center. House recommended that residents stay away from the area.

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DES MOINES, Iowa - The following local students have been named to the Deans' and President's Lists at Drake University - Brynn Miracle of Edwardsville and Grant Morgan of Jerseyville. To be eligible for the Deans' List, students must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the Spring 2022 semester at Drake. To be eligible for the President's List, students must have earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the Spring 2022 semester at Drake. Drake University is a midsize, private university in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling nearly 3,000 undergraduate and more than 1,800 graduate students. Students choose from over 70 majors, minors, and concentrations and 20 graduate degrees offered through six colleges and schools. Drake students, faculty, and staff take advantage of the wealth of cultural, recreational, and business opportunities found in Iowa's capital city. In return, Drake enriches the city through its own cultural offerings, considerable economic impact, and many service-learning endeavors,

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EDWARDSVILLE – Town and Country Bank is excited to share that Brenton Cook has been promoted to AVP, Treasury Management Sales Officer, joining the company's growing commercial presence in the Metro East. Cook previously served as the Branch Manager of the Edwardsville Town and Country Bank location for six years. "Brenton has shown a great passion for helping our clientele with their financial needs," says Dave Hopkins, EVP, Community Bank President at Town and Country Bank. "Those traits will make him very successful in the Metro East region as he moves into this new position. We look forward to seeing him progress as we expand our base in St. Clair and Madison Counties." "I've been serving the Metro East area for 15 years and have worked hard to deliver the best customer service," says Cook. "I joined Town and Country Bank in 2017 as the Branch Manager of the Edwardsville, Illinois, location, and I couldn't be happier working for a real community bank. My passion is helping

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EDWARDSVILLE - Paul Abert has played a monumental role in the development of the Edwardsville Arts Center (EAC) and will be honored as the 2022 Patron of the Arts Recipient at a celebration at The Ink House from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 14. The Ink House is located at 117 N. 2nd St., Edwardsville. Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar are included. Edwardsville Arts Center Executive Director Melissa McDonough-Borden said Paul spent 10 years on the EAC Board during "a great transition of activity." "He helped implement the EHS facility agreement between District #7 school board and the EAC," she said. "This arrangement has provided EAC a space for growth and development for the past 11 years. "Additionally, while Paul was on the board, EAC decided to start the Edwardsville Art Fair to help support community events for our town, bring EAC out into the community, and provide a financial stream for supporting programs. "Paul has made our community as a whole better with his investment

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ALTON - A free Summer Soccer Program will be led by Damian Jones, executive director of S.A.L.T. (Student-Athletes Leading Tomorrow), next week from Monday, July 11, to Friday, July 15, at James Killion Park at Salu, 2400 Washington Ave. in Alton. New Dimensions in St. Louis is also a sponsor. Youth ages 6-12 are invited to the summer soccer camp, which will run from 6 to 7 each night. Kids will receive a soccer ball, water bottle, mentorship, and a positive, active environment. On the last day, the youth will enjoy a Camp Cookout. Each day, Jason and Kayla Harrison of LaMay's Catering will provide healthy food for those in attendance. Jones said S.A.L.T. pre-dominantly exposes at-risk and underserved children to the sport of soccer. On Tuesday, some professional soccer players from St. Louis City SC 2 will be there to work with the youth and sign autographs. Jones said keys in the camp are fundamentals of shooting, receiving, passing and so much more. Healthy eating will also be discusse

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JERSEY - The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced Illinois Route 109 between Dow Road and Bethel Lane has reopened. Joe Monroe, an IDOT Operations supervisor, confirmed the road opened earlier on Friday, July 8, 2022. Monroe said the closure that started on June 27, 2022, was done to construct a new box culvert. The road had been completely closed.

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WOOD RIVER – Kris Tharp, a captain and jail administrator for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office with nearly 25 years of law enforcement experience and a life-long volunteer in the Metro East, was sworn in to represent Illinois’ 56th Senate District Friday. “I’m truly honored and humbled by this entire experience,” said Tharp (D-Bethalto). “We have a lot of important issues to explore this year, and I’m eager to serve the residents of the 56th District in this new role as a state senator.” Tharp has worked through the ranks of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and dedicated his life to improving public safety for communities throughout the Metro East. In addition to his roles as a captain and jail administrator, Tharp serves as a Deputy Commander for the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. In 2018, Tharp founded Madison County Triad, a partnership between the Madison County’s Sheriff’s Office, area service

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ALTON - The Alton Fire Department called a Box Alarm for a major fire in the 100 block of Taylor Avenue at 5:38 a.m. Friday. Alton Deputy Chief Matt Fischer said the fire "was shooting through the roof" when firefighters arrived at the scene and was a very difficult situation. East Alton Fire Department was called for backup. Deputy Chief Fischer described the house at this point as "a total loss." "The state fire marshal was called to the scene to investigate," Fischer said. He also added that the exact cause of the blaze could not yet be determined until after the fire marshal's investigation.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Thursday, July 7, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspects Tiffany Lomax, 25 years of age, of the 8800 block of Eichler Place in St. Louis, Missouri 63134, for one count of Vehicle Hijacking and one count of Robbery First Degree, and Desmond Lillard, 24 years of age, of the 2400 block of Cora Avenue in St. Louis, MO 63113, for two counts of Vehicle Hijacking and two counts of Robbery First Degree. Mugshots of both Lomax and Lillard are attached. Lomax is being held on a $250,000 cash only, no 10% bond, and Lillard is being held on a $500,000 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 Lomax reads: On July 6, 2022, Victim was jogging in a park when co-Defendant Lillard approached the Victim and asked for a lighter. The Victim stopped jogging and the co-Defendant grabbed

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GRAFTON – The wait is over. The new Mississippi Monster opens at Raging Rivers Waterpark this Saturday, July 9. Guests will see this giant main attraction at the top of a hill as they enter the park. The new super-slide features three hidden chambers to speed down, splashing and spraying through the enclosed tubes before an exhilarating final splash. “We are thrilled to open the Mississippi Monster for our guests to enjoy, Corporate Director of Operations Ken Handler. “This new slide adds a new level of thrills to our collection of family fun attractions.” The park has made numerous improvements to the guest experience this season, including adding more shade structures, free seating, new food options, expedited food lines, and reopening the River Grille. Guests can also join fun filled games offered by the park’s entertainment team or kick back and enjoy the show. Raging Rivers Waterpark offers dynamic pricing for guests looking to save on daily admission.

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EDWARDSVILLE - James Zugmaier, who was one of the top bowlers in his four years with a developing Edwardsville High boys program, has signed a letter of intent to bowl for Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Zugmaier, who was one of the first bowlers when the Tigers started out, is looking forward to competing at the next level and will bring a positive attitude to the Lions. For his efforts, Zugmaier is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. "For one, just to start off, try to bring a positive attitude, and good work ethic every single day," Zugmaier said in an interview following the ceremony. "But especially with the drier conditions in bowling, I know a lot of kids on that team, I know they have a lot of high-break bowlers. I hope I try to specialize in the drier patterns and help the team out when it comes to that. Zugmaier, who bowled for head coach Craig Ohlau this past season, decided on Lindenwood based on a visit to one of his tournaments by Lions'

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JERSEY - The Jersey girls' softball team was what their Coach Chelsea Crnokrak describes as "an incredibly hard-working group of girls" this past spring. "Our overall record was 17-14," the coach said. "This was an incredibly hard-working group of girls. We graduated 8 seniors from the 2021 season. The 2022 seniors were Caroline Gibson, Karli Talley, and Jaelyn Schulte. Their leadership, positive attitudes, and work ethic helped make this season a success. We competed well in our conference and in the postseason with a tough loss to Triad in the Regional Championship. "This team also broke the school record for most team home runs with 28. The previous record was 18. Additionally, Caroline Gibson broke the JCHS single-season home run record with 9 and tied the school career home run record with 11." The Jersey softball girls are Quality Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Jerseyville Female Athletes of Month. Panthers' Softball Award Winners: Pictured Front to Back (L-R): 1. Caroline

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JERSEYVILLE – Jersey High School boys tennis player Zach Wargo advanced to the IHSA State Boys Tennis Tournament, then he won his first-round match. Overall, he had great success at state and earned All-State honors with his teammates Edward Roberts and Logan Schultz. Wargo won his opening match over Kabeer Ahuja of Carbondale 6-4, 7-6 (7-5 in the tiebreak). Wargo lost his second-round match to Ryan Nelson of LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 and was relegated to the consolation bracket, but did not reach the top. Zach didn’t start until his sophomore year, but it says a lot about his drive and character when he made a state-run like this at the end of this season, his Coach Dan Diamond said. Zach Wargo is a Quality Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Jerseyville Male Athlete of Month for Panthers. “Zach Wargo surprised a lot of people toward the end of the season,” Diamond said. “He was a five-seed in our sectional at Chatham and had to beat a reall

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