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ALTON – Since 1958, National Library Week has been a week to celebrate the role that libraries, librarians, and library workers play in communities across the country. This year’s National Library Week theme, “Drawn to the Library," will be celebrated April 6–12, 2025. People across the country visit their local library each week, from young families stopping in for story time to seniors searching for tech help or their next page-turning read. Plot your next library visit to Hayner Library and find adventure by browsing the stacks or joining one of our book clubs. Trace your family history with our library’s genealogy resources. Make your mark and get involved with your library by volunteering or spreading the word. Whatever draws you in, the library has something for everyone! To celebrate National Library Week, Hayner Library will host a drawing contest for three age groups: children (ages 2-12), young adults (ages 13-17), and adults (ages 18+). Hayne

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and nine of their Senate colleagues who are LIHEAP champions in sending a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on the recent reported elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) workforce. The letter comes in response to the Trump Administration’s reduction of about 10,000 employees from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These cuts reportedly include the entire staff running the $4.1 billion LIHEAP, which helps millions of American households afford their heating and cooling bills. The federally funded LIHEAP program is a crucial lifeline that helps more than six million low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes afford their energy bills, including those who use natural gas, propane, electricity, and home heating oil. Without this assistance, many Americans

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt scored a win for Metro East manufacturing and labor with the passage of his bill to enhance career and technical education opportunities. “If we want to bring back and build up manufacturing in the Metro East, we need to build the labor pool,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Career and technical education can help a young person create a stable career, leading to a stable family and ultimately a stable Metro East.” Senate Bill 58 would expand a current program that is successful in other parts of the state to the Metro East. The program allows manufacturing companies to partner with local community colleges and high schools to set up technical training programs that would translate directly into a job. This creates a targeted labor pool that connects prospective workers with the manufacturers in their community. “We have an opportunity to uplift our young people by giving them hands-on experience, higher earning

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an executive order President Trump signed in March, which is an unconstitutional attempt to impose sweeping voting restrictions across the country. The executive order attempts to conscript state election officials into the president’s campaign to impose documentary proof of citizenship requirements when Americans register to vote. It also seeks to upend commonsense, well-established state procedures for counting ballots – procedures that make it easier for Americans’ voices to be heard. “The authority to modify the rules Congress established for U.S. elections lies within Congress. Instead of imposing voting restrictions across the country, we should focus our efforts on encouraging more Americans to participate in the democratic process,” Raoul said. “I will continue to defend Illinois law, which

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GRANITE CITY – Senior Elijah Kolb was named the 2024-25 Granite City High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by GCHS. Kolb will be recognized at Busch Stadium on May 6 as part of the 59th Annual St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete Team. In addition, he will be featured in the special section of the newspaper and online at STLhighschoolsports.com on May 6. "I am very grateful and thankful to be nominated to receive this prestigious award," Kolb said. "Receiving this award has shown me that all the hard work in the classroom and in sports pays off. A two-sport standout in football and wrestling, Kolb is attending Montana State University in the fall to pursue a degree in microbiology on a pre-med track. He is the son of Michael and Trista Kolb. "The Scholar Athlete of the Year Award is a very prestigious award and Elijah has earned this recognition through his hard work in the classroom and in athletics," said GCHS Athletic Director John Moad. " Athletic

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GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College will hold a community concert, April 6, 2025, in an effort to feature local talent. Among those performing are The Blancas, Greenville University’s Fusion, Rosalind-Denise Evans and the Inner Ear Youth Orchestra, Cole Tarrant and many more. Concert organizer and Blancas member Brenda Lancaster was inspired to plan the event to highlight the many talented musicians in the area. “We have many naturally gifted young black musicians in our community,” Lancaster said. “We understand from experience it takes more than a natural gift and Tik Tok to be successful in the music business.” Many types of music will be preformed, including showtunes, ballads, classical, gospel, jazz and pop. The concert will take place at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 6, in The Commons, located in the McPike Math and Science Complex at Lewis and Clark Community College. The show is free and open to the public, with a reception immediately following.

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EAST ST. LOUIS/WOOD RIVER – Because of the threat of flooding in the Metro East over the next week, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is adjusting its trout stocking plan to ensure a successful opening weekend of the spring trout season. Frank Holten State Park’s Main Lake will not be stocked with trout as originally planned because of the possible loss of fish to the Mississippi River should flooding occur at the park. Instead, IDNR will stock trout at the following nearby locations: Jones Lake , 2500 Argonne Drive, East St. Louis Willow Lake , 8900 New Athens Darmstadt Road, New Athens Belk Park Pond , 880 Belk Park Road, Wood River The 2025 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 5 at various ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state. IDNR stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season. An additional 80,000 trout will be stocked fo

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CHICAGO – In observance of safe digging month, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is reminding citizens they can reduce utility outages by calling 811. The state’s annual proclamation is a reminder to professional excavators and DIY homeowners alike to call 811 to safely mark utility lines before starting a digging project. “The warmer weather can inspire us get started on home improvement projects, but underground utility lines can be unintentionally damaged during a digging project. Remember to call 811 before you dig for projects of any size,” said ICC Chairman Doug Scott. Illinois law requires all homeowners and professional excavators to call the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE) at 811 before digging at least two working days prior to starting excavation. The project must begin within 10 days of the call, and locate requests have a 25-day life. The State One-Call Center, managed by JULIE (DIGGER within the City of Chicago)

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ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Fire Department has shared the passing of Robert Pauly. Pauly dedicated nearly three decades to preserving the department’s legacy. He was a longtime curator of the St. Louis Fire Department’s Museum. Pauly served as curator since 1997, giving 28 years of served to the department and the museum, where [...]

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis firefighters worked a major fire at a home in the Vandeventer Neighborhood early Saturday morning. The St. Louis Fire Department responded to Cook Avenue between Vandeventer and Sarah Street just after 3 a.m. They arrived to flames shooting through the roof of a two-story brick building. People were there at [...]

Firefighter Chevy Gall, with the Beaufort-Leslie Fire Protection District, was on his way to a water rescue call just after 4 p.m.

District 6 officers responded to a Carjacking on April 4, in the 5700 block of Theodore, just after 8:30 p.m. A 49-year-old man told officers he was driving for a rideshare company. He responded to the above location, when a male entered the back driver side passenger seat and pointed a gun to the 49-year-old […]

The post Two Juveniles Arrested for Carjacking, Walnut Park West appeared first on St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

COLUMBIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent shoulder closures on Interstate 255 from Illinois 3 in Dupo to half a mile north of Illinois 157 in St. Clair County will begin, weather permitting, Monday, April 7, through Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The shoulder closures are necessary for the evaluation of pavement conditions. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all signage and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com .

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EDWARDSVILLE – R.P. Lumber, a family-owned, full-service retail home center and building materials supplier, is proud to announce the opening of its 89th retail location at 3200 Broadway Street in Quincy, IL. The new store promises to bring a new level of convenience and expertise to DIY homeowners and professional contractors in the region. The store will be opening the week of April 7th. "We've always wanted to have a store in Quincy, and we're thrilled to finally have the opportunity," said Robert L. Plummer, CEO of R.P. Lumber. “Quincy is fortunate to be an exciting, growing community. Local leadership is doing a phenomenal job bringing opportunity to the area. Mayor Troup and his entire team have been welcoming and supportive. They clearly wanted to see more good jobs for the citizens and more options for the consumers. It was a refreshing experience to work with the City of Quincy on this great project.” As an Illinois-based company, R.P. Lumber is prou

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EAST ST. LOUIS - East St. Louis School District 189 is seeking an extension for its ESSER III funding, which the school district says is critical for ongoing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) renovations across its facilities. The district, which serves a predominantly low-income student population, has faced delays in completing these upgrades due to post-pandemic challenges, including supply chain issues and labor shortages. Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants have provided federal pandemic relief funding to enable schools to operate safely during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and support social-emotional and academic recovery. The district's request comes after the original extension, approved on Jan. 22, 2025, allowed until March 28, 2026, to complete the necessary HVAC projects. Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships for the district, emphasized the importance of modernized HVAC

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ALTON – Ray Strebel released the following statement regarding Tuesday’s election results: “ I want to congratulate David Goins on his victory this week. While the results did not go our way, I am proud of the campaign we ran and the connections I built with so many residents during my campaign for Mayor. Alton is my hometown and I hope to see Mayor Goins succeed because at the end of the day, we are one community and I only want the best for Alton. Thank you to everyone who supported me with their vote, thank you to our volunteers for their countless hours of hard work to help our campaign, and thank you to my family for their ultimate support.” About Ray Strebel: Ray Strebel is a third generation Alton resident, local leader, and small business owner.

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Former EPA employees warn that rural and underserved communities across the country will be left with fewer protections against environmental health hazards and limited options for recourse.

Much of the area is getting a little break from any significant precipitation, but more is on the way. Rain and a few weak thunderstorms will build back into the area from the south/southwest later Saturday morning and will continue through the afternoon. While heavy rain like Friday is not expected, this additional rain will [...]