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St. Clair County/Other Illinois Counties Affected by July Storms Given Extra Relief Time

1 year 1 month ago
ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Homeowners and renters in Illinois affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding from July 13 to July 16, 2024, now have additional time to seek federal disaster assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the application deadline to December 13, 2024, for residents in Cook, Fulton, Henry, St. Clair, Washington, Will, and Winnebago counties. The assistance provided by FEMA may cover a range of needs, including grants for temporary housing, basic home repair or replacement, and other disaster-related expenses. These expenses can include moving and storage costs, primary vehicle repair or replacement, essential furniture and appliances, as well as medical, dental, and childcare costs. Residents can apply for FEMA assistance through several methods. The fastest way is to visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Those using relay services, such a

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MOKAN Salutes IBEW/NECA’s Sylvester Taylor

1 year 1 month ago
IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sylvester Taylor is being saluted for his vision and leadership. Taylor is the recipient of the 2024 MOKAN Workforce Diversity & Inclusion Award. Since its founding 50 years ago, MOKAN has worked to grow opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses on construction projects. The Electrical Connection […]
Dede Hance

Adoption Excellence Awardees Announced and Adoption PSAs Released At HHS Ceremony

1 year 1 month ago
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the 2024 annual Adoption Excellence Awards recipients. Additionally, officials introduced new public service announcements encouraging the adoption of foster care children awaiting forever families. Hosted by the Children’s Bureau at ACF, each November in celebration of National Adoption Month, the awards recognize individuals, families and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in contributing to the permanency of children in foster care. This year’s awardees were honored at an event in the HHS Great Hall this afternoon, led by ACF Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Meg Sullivan, and Children’s Bureau Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston. “It is a privilege to present today’s honorees with the 2024 Adoption Excellence Award,” said ACF Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Meg Sullivan. “Every child deserves a stable

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DOORWAYS’ Campus Now Complete With Housing, Retail Pharmacy

1 year 1 month ago
Trivers, an architecture, planning, urban design and interiors firm based in St. Louis, partnered with DOORWAYS, an interfaith non-profit organization that provides housing and supportive services for those battling homelessness or unstable housing, poverty and poor health from HIV, to complete its Jefferson Avenue Campus located in North St. Louis with a new permanent housing […]
Dede Hance

Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate

1 year 1 month ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on [...]
ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated Press

Durbin Meets With U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine, Bridget Brink

1 year 1 month ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, to discuss continued Congressional support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen the NATO alliance ahead of the incoming Administration. Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) also joined the meeting. “ More than two and a half years after Putin began his brutal, criminal invasion, Ukraine remains on the frontlines of democracy,” said Durbin. “As the United States Congress prepares for a new Administration, I reiterated to Ambassador Brink that we stand with our Ukrainian allies. We must continue bipartisan support for the NATO alliance and to reject Russian tyranny.”

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Bethalto Trimpe Middle School Teacher Dies, Leaves Behind "Lasting Legacy"

1 year 1 month ago
BETHALTO - A beloved teacher at Trimpe Middle School in Bethalto has died. Marissa Banovz was a sixth and seventh grade math teacher at Trimpe, where students and faculty alike knew her as a kind, smart and dedicated individual. Banovz died on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, following a battle with metastatic breast cancer. “When she was sick in the hospital, she was making videos for her students on how to figure out test corrections or how to do a problem. She was still working,” remembered Laura Gipson, principal of Trimpe Middle School. “She was such a fighter, always had a positive attitude, no matter what. On days she wasn’t feeling well, you would have never known.” Banovz became a math teacher and technology coach at Trimpe in 2001. She was quickly deemed the “go-to person” for any questions about technology or scheduling. Gipson explained that the middle school’s schedule can be “very tricky,” and Banovz would

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100 Years Ago: Joe Lawrence Flying Circus Comes to Alton

1 year 1 month ago
The Joe Lawrence Flying Circus performed on Sunday, November 16, 1924, at Hugh F. Poag’s field in South Roxana. There were stunts, fancy flying, a parachute leap from the plane a mile high, wing walking, skating in the air, and a break-away, in which a man or woman jumps from a wing end to a rope ladder swinging beneath the plane. All stunts were announced and explained by megaphone and were performed without safety measures. Admission to the field was 25 cents. Passenger airplane trips cost $3, with half fare for children under 12 years old.\ The following week, to advertise their upcoming shows on November 23 and 27, the Joe Lawrence Flying Circus planned to do something no one had ever done before. On Thursday, November 20, at 12:30 p.m., pilot William F. Spencer and stunt man Roy Johnson attempted to fly under the Alton Bridge, with Spencer piloting and Johnson on top of the plane. Hundreds of people gathered on the Alton riverfront to watch. The plane took off from

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Carpenter/Inventor Michael Cox Wins Arch Grant

1 year 1 month ago
by Tom Finan, Executive Director/Co-Founder, Construction Forum Michael Cox, a staff carpenter for BJC Healthcare, took a constant problem that he was encountering on the job — damaged drywall from flooding — and turned it into patented, marketable product, which he calls StepStuds™ . Thursday (Nov. 21st) that innovation garnered Cox recognition and a $75,000 […]
Tom Finan

Petition to oust St. Louis County Council member over nepotism hire withdrawn; investigation ongoing

1 year 1 month ago
St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell has dropped a quo warranto petition to remove Dennis Hancock from his St. Louis County Council seat, three months after nepotism accusations put Hancock under scrutiny. According to county officials, Hancock hired his stepdaughter on Aug. 19 at a rate of $24.88 per hour. The perks included a $300 monthly vehicle allowance and full benefits. Bell's office claimed the employment arrangement violated a nepotism clause in the Missouri Constitution that prohibits…
Kelsi Anderson and Jacob Kuerth

New Edwardsville Family Business Provides Healthy, Holistic Meals for Dogs

1 year 1 month ago
EDWARDSVILLE - A new local business is creating well-rounded, holistic, healthy meals for dogs. Pup Kitchen, based out of Edwardsville, is a family business that focuses on all members of the family, including the four-legged ones. The company sells homemade, AAFCO-certified nutritious dog food. Owner Marc Fussell noted that his dogs’ health has improved since he started feeding them Pup Kitchen meals, and he hopes to help other dogs get the same benefits. “With humans, you hear many times, 'Let food be thy medicine.' And I think even with dogs, if you feed them a healthy diet, a well-balanced diet, that’s going to be what they need to have longevity,” Fussell said. About 20 years ago, Fussell became interested in nutrition and began cooking healthy, whole-food meals for his family. He soon realized how much better he felt, and he started to wonder if better food could have the same effect on his pets. At first, Fussell and his wife Christie bought

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