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What does it truly mean to remember a day that changed a nation forever? Patriot Day, observed every September 11th, is more than a date on the calendar—it is a solemn reminder of resilience, unity, and the enduring spirit of the American people. Over two decades after the attacks of 2001, this day continues to hold deep significance, shaping national identity and collective memory in profound ways. The Origins of Patriot Day The events of September 11, 2001, marked one of the darkest chapters in American history. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in coordinated terrorist attacks targeting the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a thwarted attack that ended in Pennsylvania. In response, the U.S. Congress designated September 11 as Patriot Day in 2002, a day to honor the victims and heroes of that tragic day. Unlike other national holidays, Patriot Day is not a day of celebration but of reflection and remembrance. It serves as a platform for the country to come together, transcending

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September 11 is a day that resonates deeply around the world. We begin with the most impactful event that continues to influence international relations and societies worldwide: the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. On that clear Tuesday morning, nineteen hijackers affiliated with the extremist group Al-Qaeda commandeered four commercial airplanes. Two of these planes were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing catastrophic collapses that led to thousands of deaths and widespread devastation. A third plane struck the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., while the fourth, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to overcome the hijackers. This series of coordinated attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives and left a profound scar on the American psyche and the international community. The aftermath of 9/11 saw sweeping changes in global security protocols, the launch

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ALTON – 10 supporters of the State Street BMX Trails in Alton spoke in favor of keeping the trails open at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, while two neighborhood residents echoed previous complaints about the property. Keeley Bogart, who has consistently voiced opposition to the trails and praised city officials for reportedly closing them down, encouraged the city to enforce any and all relevant zoning regulations that govern the property and a city-owned lot which is used to access the trails. She added “no trespassing” signs and a guardrail should be installed at the lot to prevent unauthorized access. “This isn’t about personal disputes, it’s about enforcing zoning, permits, code requirements, proper processes, liability issues, and ensuring safety for all residents,” Bogart said. “I understand that the trails are now closed, however, this does not eliminate the effects on neighbors. Whether use is limited or private,

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ALTON - The Alton School District invites all families, staff, and community members to be a part of a new initiative—Reimagine Alton: Our Story, Our Community, Our Future. Together, the community will shape the future of Alton schools by sharing ideas, identifying challenges and building on the district’s strengths to ensure every student, family and staff member feels a true sense of belonging. At the core of this effort is the District Improvement Plan, which outlines a multi-year strategy to strengthen student learning, support educators and improve school culture. During the 2025-2026 school year, the community will come together to review and expand upon this plan through a series of workshops, ensuring it reflects our community’s priorities. “This process is about more than a plan; it’s about listening to our community and working together to create schools where everyone belongs,” said Reimagine Alton co-chair Damian Jones. “Your

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GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey will host their first pickleball tournament next month. On Oct. 4 and 5, 2025, community members can compete in a doubles tournament at Glazebrook Park, organized by the Godfrey Parks and Recreation Department. It costs $10 per person to compete and there are several brackets available. “This is something that the mayor and I have been talking about for a long time,” said Chris Logan, director of the Godfrey Parks and Recreation Department. “Other groups have held tournaments out there. The boss says, ‘We should have our own.’ I said, ‘You know what, let’s do it.’ We’re going to call it the Glazebrook Open.” The tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. on Oct. 4 and 5. There will be an open men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles tournament as well as a men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles tournament for players over age 50, if they’d prefer

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GODFREY - The Great Godfrey Maze opens soon, inviting community members to come out and enjoy games, inflatables, and more fun. On Sept. 19, 2025, the Great Godfrey Maze at Glazebrook Park will open for the season and run through the end of October. The maze and its activities — including a wagon ride, a cow train, a corn crib and inflatables — will be open from 6–10 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12–6 p.m. on Sundays. “We usually have good crowds, and I know the residents appreciate it,” said Chris Logan, director of Godfrey’s Parks and Recreation Department. This year’s theme is “Minions” from the movie “Despicable Me.” Logan explained that Godfrey works with a company that plants the corn in intricate designs. The Parks and Recreation Department collaborates to decide on a theme that will appeal to residents. “We’ll go through and look at what’s popular an

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OREM, Utah (AP) — President Donald Trump confirmed Charlie Kirk’s death on Truth Social, describing him as “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk” and saying no one understood the heart of America’s youth better. Kirk, CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University, the group said. The shooting occurred at the Sorensen Center courtyard on the university campus, where Kirk was speaking under a white tent marked with slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” Video footage circulated on social media shows Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone before a single gunshot is heard. Kirk then raises his right hand as blood is seen flowing from the left side of his neck, prompting gasps and screams from the crowd. Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA, initially said Kirk was hospitalized

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EAST ST. LOUIS – A Collinsville man will spend almost four years in federal prison for making pipe bombs. Jeremy Barr, 49, was indicted in March 2024 by a grand jury sitting in East St. Louis of possessing a destructive device and pled guilty to that offense on May 1, 2025. Barr, who has been detained since his arrest on federal charges, was sentenced in District Court on Sept. 3, 2025. “Improvised explosive devices are inherently unpredictable, unstable, and indiscriminate,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Jeremy Barr threatened innocent lives near a Southern Illinois school, endangering kids, and our community. We thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded, and we pledge to relentlessly pursue bomb makers to protect the public.” Analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), determined that the explosive device was packed with fragmentation that could have caused serious injury or death upon detonation

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ST. LOUIS — Nearly a year after two men were fatally shot outside their St. Louis apartment building, the FBI is offering up to a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects. The FBI’s St. Louis Field Office this week requested public assistance in the investigation of the killings of 42-year-old Marshun White of St. Ann, Mo., and 34-year-old Marcus Price of St. Louis. The men were shot multiple times on Sept. 14, 2024, outside an apartment building in the 1600 block of North Kingshighway Boulevard, near the Hollywood Beauty Supply and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded around 3:20 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2024, to the shooting scene, where both victims were pronounced dead. The FBI stated that two unknown suspects had followed White and Price for over an hour before approaching and shooting them. The suspects then fled the scene in a dark-colored

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to quickly address our nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses. The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would recapture 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 unused immigrant visas for physicians that Congress has previously authorized—providing a desperately needed boost to our health care system in rural and urban areas. “Immigrant nurses and doctors have always played a critical role in our health care system, and they saw us through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Durbin. “After years of caring for patients, it’s unacceptable that thousands of trained health care professionals currently working in the U.S. on temporary visas are stuck in the green card backlog while

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EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Children’s Museum (ECM) has long ignited the power of play and learning for kids of all ages, and now its youngest visitors have a space to call their own. ECM’s new Little Forest Sanctuary Exhibit , which opened Aug. 25, lets infants and toddlers enjoy nature-inspired sensory play alongside their caregivers. The new exhibit was funded by a $25,000 grant from the PNC Foundation through PNC Grow Up Great®, which since 2004 has helped prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. The Little Forest Sanctuary features a variety of tactile activities, including a crawl tunnel, slide, mushroom rocker and reflection mirror – all set in a soft play area that allows for safe, hands-on exploration. In addition, the exhibit is designed around the 3Ts Program , developed by Dr. Dana Suskind at the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health at the University of Chicago, to promote parent-child interaction.

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WOOD RIVER – The City of Wood River, Wood River Parks & Recreation and the Wood River Business Alliance are excited to invite the community to the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand-new Wood River Downtown Dog Park . The event will take place on Tuesday, September 16th at 11:00 a.m. in downtown Wood River. This new community amenity provides a safe and welcoming space for residents and their four-legged friends to gather, play, and enjoy downtown. The dog park is part of ongoing efforts to enhance downtown Wood River as a vibrant, family- (and pet-) friendly destination. “We’re thrilled to offer this new gathering space that not only supports our pet owners but also adds to the quality of life in our community,” said Mayor Tom Stalcup. “The Downtown Dog Park will be a place for neighbors to connect and for visitors to enjoy what makes Wood River special.” Community members, pet owners, and their dogs are encouraged to attend and

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HOUSTON — Phillips 66 announced Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, that it has agreed to acquire the remaining 50% ownership interest in WRB Refining LP from subsidiaries of Cenovus Energy Inc. for $1.4 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. WRB Refining LP is a joint venture between Phillips 66 and Cenovus Energy that owns the Wood River refinery in Roxana and the Borger refinery in Borger, Texas. Phillips 66 has operated both facilities since the joint venture began in 2007. “With full ownership of the Wood River and Borger refineries, we are strengthening our integrated business and expanding our position in a region where we lead the industry,” said Mark Lashier, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66. He added that the acquisition is expected to generate operational and commercial synergies of approximately $50 million per year by enabling full integration of the assets with Phillips

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ALTON – A man from Alton is currently in police custody on felony and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery after allegedly strangling the victim, damaging their vehicle, and calling on officers to “end it.” Chance D. Price, 33, of Alton, was charged on Sept. 2, 2025 with one count each of aggravated domestic battery (a Class 2 felony), domestic battery and criminal damage to property (both Class A misdemeanor). Price allegedly intentionally strangled a family or household member and pushed them into a bathtub on Aug. 30, 2025. He was additionally accused of causing less than $500 worth of damage to the touch screen inside the victim’s motor vehicle. According to the state’s petition to deny his pretrial release from custody, the victim reported that Price had “engaged in abusive course of conduct over several days.” “He angrily threw items at her, threw items around her residence, and broke a mirror. He grabbed her by the throat,

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OREM, Utah (AP) — Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said. A suspect was in custody, the college said. "We are confirming that he was shot and we are praying for Charlie," said Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA. Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans "The American Comeback" and "Prove Me Wrong." A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away. The AP was able to confirm the videos were taken at Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus. Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit

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JERSEYVILLE – FBI Special Agent Jake Griffin visited Jersey Community High School (JCHS) on Tuesday to inform parents and community members about the growing threat of “Nihilistic Violent Extremism” (NVE), online recruitment methods, and more. The hour-long presentation in the JCHS auditorium highlighted certain NVE groups and their methods of recruiting children and teenagers through popular online platforms. Also discussed were possible NVE-affiliated signs for parents to look out in their children’s behavior and online activity. Griffin’s main goal with the presentation was to “arm” the community “with knowledge” about the emerging threat of NVE – a concept that even Griffin, a former New York cop of 10 years and current Hostage Negotiation Team leader and terrorism investigator with the FBI Springfield Office, found difficult to grasp at first. “Before I started looking at this threat, I would have told all

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ALTON - The City of Alton has officially opened the Alton Fitness Court at Riverfront Park. Lyndsey Younger, executive director of the Alton Parks and Recreation Department, shared that the project has been in the works since December 2024. The court is now open to the public, and the department will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2025. “My goal was to offer a state-of-the-art free outdoor fitness area for the public to use. They could come and use it as they want for free,” Younger said. There are several amenities at the court. Community members can scan a QR code to see step-by-step instructions on how to use the equipment. Younger noted that the court is open and free to use from dawn until dusk every day. She added that the Parks and Recreation Department plans to offer classes at the fitness court. Some of these classes will be free and some will come with a small fee. An inaugural sunrise yoga class is scheduled for 6:1

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ALTON, IL -- Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project, Alton Main Street, Jacoby Arts Center, and the Army Corps of Engineers are calling for volunteers to support the Mississippi Earthtones Festival ’s 19th annual Great River Clean-Up . The clean-up will take place on Saturday, September 27 to coincide with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)’s National Public Lands Day (NPLD). During the clean-up, volunteers will work together to remove litter and debris from the Mississippi River and its shoreline. Community members can register to volunteer at the clean-up at sc.org/MEFRiverCleanUp “We’re proud to partner with local organizations, National Public Lands Day, and the Army Corps of Engineers to host the Great River Clean-Up in an effort to encourage environmental engagement with wild places such as the Mississippi River,” said Christine Favilla, Co-Coordinator of the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois

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JERSEYVILLE - Jerseyville Legion Post #492 is excited to revive Strassenfest, a beloved festival complete with German food, polka music and more fun. Started in the early 1970s, Strassenfest was a community favorite until its discontinuation in the 1980s. Duane Montgomery, commander of Jerseyville Legion Post #492, is excited to resurrect the event and invites the community to come out and enjoy it this weekend. “We’re going to bring it back this year. If we have a good outing, we’re going to try to make it a yearly event,” Montgomery said. “We’re trying to bring people into Jerseyville and help out the tax base. It helps somewhere.” On Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, St. Louis Express Band will kick off the evening with polka music from 4–7 p.m. This will be followed by Soulshine Groove until midnight. The fun begins again at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, when St. Louis Express Band returns to the stage. Backwoods Burden rounds

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — An 18-year-old driver was arrested on the morning of Sept. 3, 2025, for reckless driving after being caught traveling 81 mph in a 25 mph residential zone on Highland Road in Fairview Heights, authorities said. Fairview Heights Officer Ryan Teschendorf, conducting a speeding enforcement patrol around 8:30 a.m., stopped the driver after confirming the speed with a handheld LASER radar unit. The stop came in response to reports from a local resident and a social media video showing a Buick SUV repeatedly speeding through the neighborhood during morning hours. Teschendorf's actions could be construed as heroic with the speeds being recorded by the driver and the potential harm that could occur in a residential neighborhood. Highland Road in Fairview Heights is a residential area with a posted speed limit designed to protect residents, including children, Fairview Heights Police said. "At the time of the stop, children were observed waiting at a nearby school bu

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