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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) championed a measure that passed the Senate Wednesday that would give people another option to become an organ donor. “In January 2010, I received a kidney transplant,” Belt said. “After living on dialysis for a year, I understand how important organ donors are.” House Bill 4696 would allow the Department of Natural Resources to offer online hunting license holders the opportunity to be redirected to the First Person Consent Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. On average, 300 people die each year waiting for an organ donation. More than 4,700 Illinois residents are waiting for an organ or tissue donation. In 2020, there were 7 million Illinoisans registered as organ donors. The first-person consent law provides an opportunity to save more lives and ensures that your wish to be an organ/tissue donor is honored. Prior to the first-person consent registry, many Illinoisans who signed the back of their

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s Community Education classes begin soon, with several eclectic courses designed to educate and enrich community members. Want to become a “weekend welding warrior,” learn swing dance or be prepared for a power outage? Maybe you’re interested in some relaxing yoga. “As always, we are proud to offer these classes at L&C to help enrich the lives of our community members,” said Community Education Division Assistant Becky Moore. “We offer courses on an array of subjects designed to both entertain and educate. With our community education courses held throughout the year, we hope there is something for everyone.” Upcoming classes: Welding for the Weekend Warrior – Saturdays from April 9, 16 and 23, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Weber Workforce Center, Godfrey Campus. Participants will learn three welding processes and cutting, plus basic fabrication. It is a great way for hobbyists to

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EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center’s (NGRREC sm ) Illinois RiverWatch Network and Education Department were both recently awarded $7,500 grants to produce short films focusing on freshwater science and education. The RiverWatch film will tell a story of the volunteers who represent both the energy and diversity of people participating in a freshwater mussel community science program, and what a small group can accomplish when people work together to understand what is happening in their local environment. “We hope the film will encourage viewers to consider the importance of freshwater mussels and other animals living in their local streams,” said Danelle Haake, RiverWatch Director, and Stream Ecologist. The film will also highlight the biodiversity and unique traits of freshwater mussels found in the Sangamon River and the importance of healthy water quality to protect these important animals. Perceptive Visions, Inc.

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JERSEY - In conjunction with Jerseyville Banking Center, J.C.H.S. has selected their “Students of the Month”. The recipients for the month of March are Alex Steinacher (11) & Loretta Taul(10). The selection of a “Student of the Month” is based upon the number of F.O.C.U.S. nominations, which a student receives for a given month. F.O.C.U.S. (Finding One Clearly Unique Student) is a program, which acknowledges a student each week for academic or kindness. Each week teachers may recognize students who have performed well in their classes by selecting them as F.O.C.U.S. students for that particular week. During March, Alex & Loretta received the most F.O.C.U.S. nominations. Because they received the most nominations, they were named “Students of the Month” at JCHS. They are being congratulated by Andrew Beck of Jerseyville Banking Center. In conjunction with CNB Bank & Trust, J.C.H.S. has selected their “Students of the Month”. The

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ST. LOUIS – April is National Minority Health Month — a time to raise awareness about health disparities that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations. The American Red Cross is reminding blood and platelet donors it’s critically important to maintain a stable blood supply this spring to support those with chronic illnesses and other blood needs in the U.S. Blood transfusions remain one of the most critical treatments for patients like those living with sickle cell disease – the majority of whom are of African and Latin descent – and beta-thalassemia major, which disproportionately affects those of Asian descent. Additionally, women who are Black are more likely than women who are white to experience severe postpartum hemorrhage, often requiring blood transfusion. To help ensure all patients have access to the blood products they count on, donors are urged to make an appointment by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting

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GRAFTON – The popular St. Louis area destination for families, Raging Rivers Waterpark, is calling all mushroom enthusiasts, big and small. The park’s Second Annual Great Mushroom Hunt on Saturday, April 16, includes a mushroom hunt, Easter egg hunt, food trucks, kids activities, vendors and more. The event will be held from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and is open to all guests. Guests can hunt for morels on the property behind Raging Rivers Waterpark while hiking on marked trails, watching eagles, and keeping a lookout for Bigfoot. Kids can participate in the Easter Egg Hunt starting at 10:30 am. Tickets for the Great Mushroom Hunt can be purchased in advance for $15.99 per person or $49.99 for a family of four. Admission is available on the day of the event for $24.99 per person. For more information on this event and to purchase tickets, guests can visit RagingRivers.com. About Raging Rivers Waterpark Raging River Waterpark is the only waterpark of its size in southern Illinois,

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St. Ambrose Catholic School 2021-2022 3rd Quarter Honor Roll Honor Roll Bennett Beiser – 4th Stuart Clark – 4th Emma Crews – 4th Noah Delehanty – 4th Leon Kerkemeyer – 4th Averie Kochan – 4th Lydia Kribs – 4th Adelyn Labrenz – 4th Genevieve Merkle – 4th Christian Monroe – 4th Audrey Nailor – 4th Parker Williams – 4th Laken Wong – 4th Addie Estes – 5th Ryan Kline – 5th Nora Murray – 5th Kynlee Adams – 6th Josie Anderson – 6th Alisa Buchanan – 6th Daxter Dornes – 6th Collin Mueller – 6th Nolan Pichee – 6th Sophia Statos – 6th Oliver Stevenson – 6th Myra Sutton – 6th Trenton Wilson – 6th Hubert Allen – 7th Charlotte Beasley – 7th Mia Buchanan – 7th Kooper Morrissey – 7th Alivia Noss – 7th Ella Osborn – 7th Luke Brown – 8th Keller

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GRANITE CITY – In honor of former Granite City High School Social Worker Christy Dawson, Grigsby Intermediate School will be celebrating Christy Dawson Kindness Week on April 25-29, 2022. Dawson passed away on March 31, 2021. Grigsby hosted a t-shirt design contest in preparation for the week, which will see activities at the school centered around kindness. The deadline to order a t-shirt is Friday, April 8: T-SHIRT ORDER LINK: grigsbystuco22.itemorder.com/shop/sale/ All proceeds from the t-shirt sale will fund a garden at Grigsby in Dawson's memory. For more information about Granite City School District #9, visit www.gcsd9.net .

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BELLEVILLE - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois (Big Brother Big Sisters) announces their Second Annual Trivia For Kids’ Sake fundraising event will be held on June 9th at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. Guests can expect a premium trivia experience hosted on the field and under the stadium lights. Teams of 5 to 8 will raise a minimum of $100 per player. Big Brothers Big Sisters will provide the fundraising website and resources to assist participants in meeting their goal. To celebrate the fundraising success participants will enjoy a trivia event with both an in person and virtual option. In person participants will experience cold beer, ballpark snacks, and compete in a friendly game of trivia for high-end prizes. President & CEO, Heather Freed, states, “We are on a mission to ensure that every child in our community graduates from high school with a plan for their future and a mentor for a lifetime. After the last two years, many of us are looking for real

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JERSEY - Friday, April 8, will be special as Jersey hosts "United With Ukraine Day" with several activities with a goal to support their foreign comrades. Jersey High School is home to two exchange students this school year, Dominick Schrenk from Germany, and Kateryna Savienkova from Ukraine. Gwen Brunaugh, a Jersey Community High School Math Teacher, challenged the community to join the school system in "Uniting With Ukraine" on April 8, 2022. "We should unite with them as long as the Ukrainians are in conflict and even beyond when they rebuild. Let our student ambassadors inspire us to open our eyes to the issues that others face beyond our normal worldview. While we may not physically see those in need or those who are suffering, they are unfortunately still there." Kateryna Savienkova is a foreign exchange student from Ukraine and of course, the Russian invasion and devastation throughout Ukraine have sparked great emotional grief for her. Her parents and family remain in Ukraine.

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ALTON - Alton Main Street is announcing upcoming free training, both in-person and virtual, continuing its Small Business Hot Topics educational series for business owners and entrepreneurs. An in-person training on “Finding Customers for Your Small Business” will be held on Tuesday, April 12th at 6:00 p.m. at Post Commons, located at 300 Alby Street in Alton, IL, in its lower-level co-working space called GroundWorks. This session will focus on helping small business owners and budding entrepreneurs test and refine new approaches to generate revenue, and explore opportunities for new programs, products, and services. Presenter Alice Layton is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and a social entrepreneur herself. A session on “Accepting Secure Payments” will take place on Tuesday, April 19th at 6:00 p.m. held virtually on an online webinar platform. Join us for a deep dive into merchant payment options where we will highlight

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SOUTH ROXANA - The South Roxana Police Department announced formal charges have been issued from the incident on April 4 where a subject fled from the South Roxana Police. The case was presented to the Madison County States Attorney’s Office for review. East Alton resident, John Nappier, a 44-year-old white male has been officially charged with the following offenses: CT 1-11: AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE [5TH SUBJ; CT ill FAILURE TO REPORT AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH; CT IV-V: AGGRAVATED BATTERY; CT VI: CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED PROPERTY; CT VI: RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER CAUSING INJURY & CT VIII: AGGRAVATED FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE A POLICE OFFICER. Nappier has been charged with 2 (class 1 felonies), 2 (class2 felonies), 2 (class 3 felonies), and 2 (class 4 felonies). "I appreciate Major Jeff Connor with the Madison County Sheriff's Department and his deputies for their assistance in helping apprehend a subject, in my opinion,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Leclaire Elementary School in Edwardsville celebrated World Autism Awareness Day last Friday in style as World Autism Awareness Day was on Saturday, April 2, 2022. Leclaire Elementary students wore rainbow colors and spirit wear to support their friends and family with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and decorated hallways to bring awareness. During the week, students learned facts about Autism Spectrum Disorder and talked about how the best way to show understanding is to be kind. Leclaire officials said peer buddies and CASTLE friends showed how amazing inclusion can be during their Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII) sessions. The awareness day seemed to have a significant impact on all of the students.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Multiple firefighter units responded to a fire at 12:08 p.m. today on Horseshoe Bend Road. The homeowners came home to find the house on fire inside and called 911. Edwardsville Fire Department responded with two engines and immediately activated water tenders from Hamel, Marine, and Holiday Shores Fire Departments since there were no hydrants in the area. Edwardsville firefighters were able to get “knockdown” on the fire quickly and mutual aid fire departments provided additional manpower to help with overhauling the fire to be sure it was out. Mutual aid departments that responded include those listed above, along with Glen Carbon, Collinsville, and Wood River Fire Departments. No injuries were reported but the house was heavily damaged by smoke and heat. The American Red Cross and the homeowners' insurance company are assisting the homeowners with finding lodging.

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­ GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society brought the annual You Have a Voice! humanities speech competition back to the Ann Whitney Olin Theatre on March 30. For the first time, the winner was a dual-credit student from Civic Memorial High School. Senior Toni Reynolds, daughter of Kim and Scott Reynolds of Bethalto, earned first place with her speech entitled, “What Can One Learn from the Most Painful Moments?” Reynolds, whose finish earned her $100, was pleased with her win. “Being a high school senior going up against college students – I really was just here for the experience,” she said. “Winning it was more of a shock than anything.” L&C Speech Professor and PTK Advisor Elizabeth Grant was glad to host a live, in-person event. “Two-thousand-twenty-two was a great year of competition,” she said. “Not only was it great to be off of Zoom for our event, but it attracted TED-level

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been named a Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) in the bronze category by the League of American Bicyclists. The designation, through 2025, comes after a thorough review focused on five criteria: equity, engineering, education, encouragement, and evaluation and planning. The honor recognizes SIUE’s cyclist-welcoming environment and notes the University’s commitment to the safety and comfortability of cyclists. On behalf of SIUE and with the help of several collaborative partners, Campus Recreation Assistant Director Dave Hagedorn led the extensive application process. “Thanks to partnerships with campus and community stakeholders, we were able to assemble a great list of SIUE-specific advocates for future efforts of this nature,” said Hagedorn. “Bicycling is a wonderful means of travel, commuting, recreation and fitness. The current high cost of transportation fuel, growing concerns about

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ALTON – Wendy Frazier, MD, has joined the Alton Multispecialists and Alton Memorial Hospital medical staff. Alton MultiSpecialists is located at 1 Professional Drive in Alton. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 618-463-8574. Dr. Frazier provides primary care for patients of all ages. She helps patients address both acute and chronic conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, depression, musculoskeletal injuries, urinary tract infections and many other conditions. She also offers annual wellness exams, well-child exams, school/sports physicals, well-woman exams and other general medical services. An Air Force veteran, Dr. Frazier earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2012 and completed a joint Family Medicine residency with the USAF and Saint Louis University in 2015. Prior to joining Alton MultiSpecialists, she provided care for patients at Scott AFB.

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ALTON - Cat Daddy's Tavern has been an ardent supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Alton and the establishment will do it again on Thursday, April 14, 2022, with the Cat's Baseball Party at 203 West Third St. in Alton. Cat Daddy's has the annual affair to open the baseball season and also to support one of its favorite Alton charities - the Boys & Girls Club. Doors open at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, with food, drinks, door prizes, auction items, and much more. Last year, Cat Daddy's contributed $7,000 from the event to the Boys & Girls Club of Alton, and Executive Director All Womack Jr. said it was a very helpful donation. Womack said the annual baseball party is always a great time because it offers an opportunity to win a lot of prizes. "This is something Cat Daddy's likes to do," Womack said. "We are very appreciative. Our donations are down this year to date and this will really help. We want to pack Cat Daddy's next Thursday. It would mean a lot for the Boys & Girls Club an

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ST. LOUIS – S. M. Wilson & Co. has completed the new $6.8 million Highland Public Safety Building in Highland, Illinois. The 31,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility houses the city’s police, fire, and emergency medical services departments under one roof, including a communications, reception, and data center. The new facility will allow the city’s emergency services to double their capacity to meet increased demand in the future. The fire department moved into the facility last month. Police and EMS moved in earlier this year. S. M. Wilson was the general contractor and Loyet Architects was the architect. S. M. Wilson collaborated with the City of Highland as well as the design team on value engineering solutions to ensure that the project was delivered on time and within budget. The new facility features a training/community room, bunk rooms, locker rooms, and showers for first responders as well as a holding area and sally port for secure prisoner dropoff.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of the Skin Care Center of Southern Illinois' newest location at 4575 Benes Street in Glen Carbon. They offer medical and cosmetic dermatology services and Mohs surgery in their state-of-the-art clinic. Patient-focused care helps them stand out in the industry. Supporters from the local business community present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Jeremy Colton (Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More), Mary Jo Smith (Hospice of Southern Illinois), Dr. Kelly MacArthur, MD, Board Certified Mohs Surgeon, Jen Wagner (United Skin Specialists), Dr. Kari Sufficool, MD, Board Certified Dermapathologist, JoBeth Baker (clinic manager), Dr. George Nahass (United Skin Specialists Illinois Medical Director), Lisa Shoults Belflower (United Skin Specialists), Nicole Dicks (Village of Glen Carbon) and Laura Mattson (First Community Credit Union). Patients may book appointments at the Glen Carbon location

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