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Two From Alton Face Weapon Possession Charges

4 months ago
ALTON – Two Alton residents face felony charges in similar but separate cases of unlawful weapon possession. Jamorlyn D. Pearson, 18, of Alton, was charged on May 7, 2025, with one count of aggravated unlawful possession of weapons, a Class 4 felony. On May 5, 2025, Pearson allegedly carried a “six-shot revolver” on his person, which was unlawful as an individual under 21 years of age and “not engaged in lawful activities under the Wildlife Code.” The Alton Police Department presented the case against Pearson, who was remanded to jail for his initial court appearance. Floyd F. Chaney, 28, of Alton, was also charged on May 7, 2025, with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated unlawful possession of weapons. On April 24, 2025, Chaney allegedly possessed a Glock 17 handgun which was uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible at the time of the offense. According to court documents, Chaney’s possession of the pistol was unlawful as he had no valid

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Granite City, Bethalto Men Charged With Domestic Battery

4 months ago
GRANITE CITY – Residents of Granite City, Bethalto, and more have been charged in recently filed cases of domestic battery around Madison County. Trymaine J. Davis, 35, of Granite City, was charged on May 9, 2025 with his second offense of domestic battery, a Class 4 felony. On May 5, 2025, Davis allegedly struck a household or family member in the face with a closed fist and “struck her on the left thigh with an iPad, causing pain,” according to court documents. Davis had previously been convicted of domestic battery in a 2022 domestic violence case out of Peoria County, Ill. The latest case against Davis was presented by the Wood River Police Department, and he was ordered remanded to jail for his initial appearance in court. Benjamin D. Odell, 21, of Bethalto, was charged on May 8, 2025, with a Class 4 felony count of unlawful restraint and a Class A misdemeanor count of domestic battery. On May 7, 2025, Odell reportedly restrained a household or family member

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Ameren Illinois Explains Pole Recycling Program

4 months ago
RIVERBEND - Ameren Illinois has introduced a new program to recycle power poles. In 2022, Ameren Illinois partnered with Blackwood Solutions. This company picks up broken or decommissioned poles and recycles the wooden poles by giving them to farmers for fence posts, turning them into parking blocks, or shredding them into woodchips. Brian Bretsch, a spokesperson for Ameren Illinois, explained that this has been a great way to improve Ameren’s environmental footprint. “We’re just doing what we can to be good environmental stewards by diverting as much wood waste as possible,” Bretsch said. “With this partnership, since 2022, we’re diverting literally tons of wood waste every year.” Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri replace an average of 24,000 poles in both states every year. Poles must be replaced if they’re involved in an accident and cannot be repaired. Poles are also often damaged in storms, or a pole might simply reach

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Grafton's National Memorial of Military Ascent Unveils First Bronze Statue

4 months ago
GRAFTON - The National Memorial of Military Ascent is one step closer to completion. On Monday, May 12, 2025, elected officials, community members and veterans gathered at the Grafton Visitor Center for the unveiling of the memorial’s first bronze statue. The memorial is modeled after Point du Hoc in Normandy, where Allied forces landed during D-Day. The completed memorial will feature 12 statues climbing the bluffs at the site of the National Memorial of Military Ascent (NMMA). “‘Ascent’ can have two meanings,” said David Schock, documentarian, who emceed the ceremony. “The first is spelled ‘ascent,’ and it means to rise or climb, exactly what the Second Army Rangers did. The second ‘assent’ means to give approval or agreement, to concur. Point du Hoc brought together both these meanings. Those soldiers climbed, but before they did that, they gave their assent by offering their lives in the service to this country.”

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The Copyright Office Issues A Largely Disappointing Report On AI Training, And Once Again A Major Fair Use Analysis Inexplicably Ignores The First Amendment

4 months ago
As this post explains, we have issues with the third installment of the Copyright Office’s report on AI. The rest of this post discusses them, but we note here that, while the report is due criticism, the criticism does not warrant or justify the firing of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter from her duly-appointed position. […]
Cathy Gellis

Georgia becomes second US state to shield maker of Roundup weed killer from some cancer claims

4 months ago
In a victory for global agrochemical maker Bayer, Georgia has become the second state to shield pesticide manufacturers from some lawsuits claiming that they failed to warn customers of potential dangers. The legislation signed Friday by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is designed to protect Bayer from lawsuits claiming that it failed to tell customers that [...]
DAVID A. LIEB, Associated Press