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Marquette Senior Leads Community With Over 400 Service Hours, He Is An Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Student Of Month

1 year 2 months ago
ALTON - Rodger Zawodniak is humbled to have the opportunity to represent his school and community as one of two Rotary Students of the Month for October. A senior at Marquette Catholic High School, Rodger has made a significant impact through community service, leadership roles, and a myriad of extracurricular activities. He has been a vital member of the Marquette Interact Club, serving as President during both junior and senior years. Rodger led numerous community service projects, including a resource drive for the Oasis Women’s Shelter, which yielded over 1,500 donated items. Among other initiatives, he organized a school-wide basketball tournament to raise money for Missions International. His involvement spans a wide range of activities to include over 400 hours of community service. Rodger is active in the Student Council, having served as both Treasurer and Class President. He is also the Service Officer of the National Honor Society, President of Campus Ministry, School

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Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete Of Month: Oilers' Kelsey Moore's Volleyball Journey Is Testament To Hard Work

1 year 2 months ago
WOOD RIVER - Kelsey Moore, a senior at East Alton-Wood River High School, has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the school’s volleyball team. A dedicated athlete, Moore has played volleyball since the third grade and cites the strong connections she has made with her teammates as one of her favorite aspects of the sport. Moore credits her success in volleyball to the unwavering support of her family. “My mother and my sister are always pushing me to do my best while still believing in me and trusting in me with each game,” she said. She also expressed gratitude to her father, who she described as her biggest supporter and an enduring inspiration. Kelsey is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete Of The Month. Under the guidance of her coach, Bethany Billingsley, Moore has demonstrated resilience throughout her high school career. “I have just kept pushing even through everything that has gone on in my life,” Moore said. “I

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Letter To The Editor: Keeven Is Smart, Dedicated, And Trustworthy

1 year 2 months ago
Letter To The Editor: For over two and a half decades Jay Keeven served us as a member of the Illinois State Police, starting as a patrol officer and retiring as Major of Operation Services Command. His skills as an officer were only superseded by his professionalism and compassion. One example of this would be his appointment as a liaison to a metro-east family who tragically lost two family members in a crash with a patrolman. Jay was there for them 24 hours a day seven days a week. After retiring, Jay was highly recommended to serve as Chief of Police for the City of Edwardsville by Mayor Gary Niebur and City Administrator Ben Dickmann. During my eight years as mayor, he received unanimous support from the city council for his reappointment. Jay was always supportive of his officers and advocated for their needs and those of his growing department in a fiscally responsible manner. He managed our largest city department while overseeing the construction of the new police/fire building,

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Op-Ed: St. Clair County Rep. Kevin Schmidt Says Veterans Deserve More Β 

1 year 2 months ago
When I first went to Springfield two years ago, I promised our veterans I would fight for them. It seemed the state was giving Illinois veterans a raw deal, and I knew we could do better. I haven’t been in Springfield long but wanted to fill you in on what I’ve accomplished so far. I’ve worked to pass legislation to protect veterans from scams (SB 3479), improve the pipeline for sheriff’s offices to hire veterans (SB 2778), and to break down barriers for disabled veterans to improve their homes (SB 2751). While this is a great start, there’s still work to be done. I’ve proposed legislation to give veterans a paid day off for Veteran’s Day (HB 4128), waive vehicle registration fees for active-duty military personnel (HB 1563), and create a Veterans’ Licensure and Workforce Task Force (HB 1217). While we did some good work for veterans, the budget missed the mark. There is no part of Illinois’ budget that provided direct

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On Friday In Granite City: Budzinski, Stuart, Meet With Steelworkers Union

1 year 2 months ago
GRANITE CITY — On Friday, October 18th, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and State Representative Katie Stuart will visit with the United Steelworkers Local 1899 to discuss the continued failure of Nippon to justify the acquisition of U.S. Steel’s Granite City Works facility and ways to continue to support workers. The meeting will be closed to members of the media, but Budzinski will be available to the press for questions following the visit. During her first term, Congresswoman Budzinski has advocated for Granite City steelworkers – urging U.S. Steel to maintain operations at Granite City Works. Following news of an acquisition by Nippon Steel, Budzinski called on the Biden Administration to ensure a comprehensive regulatory review and has supported President Biden’s decision to block the sale.

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Overnight Warming Locations Prep for Trivia Night Fundraiser and Cold Season Ahead

1 year 2 months ago
ALTON/EDWARDSVILLE - The Overnight Warming Locations will once again open to support unhoused community members through winter weather. The OWLs are pop-up emergency shelters that activate whenever overnight temperatures drop below 20 degrees. The Alton OWL is located at Deliverance Temple in Alton and the Edwardsville OWL is housed at First Baptist Church in Edwardsville. There are several ways to support the OWLs, from volunteering to stopping by their first annual trivia night on Nov. 2, 2024. “The problem’s not getting any better. We’re seeing more and more people just trying to survive the cold,” said Tyler Dreith, operations director. “We have the privilege of kicking on the thermostat and turning on the heat. It just makes you be mindful of our friends out there.” Last year, Dreith said that between the two OWL locations, they saw 148 unique guests, including 45 people in one night in Alton. They are looking for volunteers, donations

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