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Governor Pritzker Announces $2.3 Million for Tourism Grant Programs

1 year 2 months ago
CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $2.3 million in tourism funding through two grant programs, the Tourism Attractions Grant Program ($1.7 million) and the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program ($600,000). Eligible entities can apply for grants to develop and improve new and existing tourism attractions through the Tourism Attractions Grant Program as well as grants to support and attract events and festivals through the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program in an effort to boost tourism across the state and welcome more visitors. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process. “Illinois is the best place in the nation to visit and our booming tourism industry proves it,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With an additional $2.3 million in funding, these grant programs will help develop and enhance attractions, support events and festivals, and

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Hayner Public Library District to host "Puzzle Me This" Puzzle Competition

1 year 2 months ago
ALTON - Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Hayner Public Library District will host the next “Puzzle Me This” puzzle competition at the Genealogy & Local History Library, 401 State St., in downtown Alton. Which four-person team will take home the prize for the fastest completion, and which team will shine through the accompanying historical trivia? Puzzlers and puzzle fans are invited to join us for the Hayner Library Fall Puzzle Competition. For this special event, Genealogy & Local History Library staff are once again collaborating with Alton High School Graphic Communication students to create a one-of-a-kind image that speaks to the history of Alton, Godfrey, and Foster Township. These puzzles will be produced only for the competition. Registered participants may arrive fifteen minutes early to settle into their tables. The competition starts promptly at 11 a.m. and ends when the puzzles are complete or at 2 p.m. Audience members are welcome to come

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Walking Pneumonia Strolling Into Little Lungs

1 year 2 months ago
Key takeaways: Pneumonia cases overall are drastically higher this year over last year Walking pneumonia cases are being seen more in young kids Severe illness in young kids with pneumonia is greater this year Normally, school-aged kids, teenagers and young adults are the more likely suspects to have what’s called “walking pneumonia.” It’s caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M. pneumoniae ), a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports test positivity for walking pneumonia increased in late spring of 2024 and remained high. The term walking pneumonia was coined because it’s possible for someone to be walking around with the infection, and not even know it. “They're walking around school and they're not feeling that sick. They do have pneumonia but it's not putting them in the hospital typically,” says Keith Hanson, MD, the medical director of

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'Tis the Season for Those S.A.D. "Winter Blues" to Begin Appearing

1 year 2 months ago
ALTON – Now that we’ve made our clocks “fall back” an hour, and with the holiday season fast approaching, just like the fall foliage popping up everywhere, there are some individuals that may begin experiencing those “winter blues” that are closely associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to Psychology Today , Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of recurrent major depressive disorder in which episodes of depression occur during the same season each year. This condition is sometimes called the "winter blues," because the most common seasonal pattern is for depressive episodes to appear in the fall or winter and remit in the spring. Seasonal Affective Disorder is estimated to affect 10 million Americans. Another 10%-20% may have mild SAD. The onset of SAD is estimated to be between the ages of 18-30. Some people experience symptoms severe enough to affect the quality of life, and 6% require hospitalization. “It

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Bethalto East Principal Crissy Pavlinek Explains Why She Chose Bethalto

1 year 2 months ago
BETHALTO - For Bethalto East Primary School Principal Christine “Crissy” Pavlinek, the decision to come to Bethalto was easy. After spending 22 years moving throughout the country with her husband, an active duty U.S. Navy servicemember, Pavlinek was eager to settle down closer to family in the Bethalto area. Now, she’s happy to be a part of the school community as principal of the district’s youngest school. Not only does it appeal to her student-centered approach, but it makes for a lot of fun days with kids who love to see her. “We’re never short on hugs and we’re never short on smiles,” Pavlinek shared. “The energy and excitement that they bring to each day just to be here and learning, to share something that they love and care about — I’m telling you, it’s a really magical place to be.” Pavlinek grew up in central Illinois, then moved to Edwardsville to attend SIUE with her sister. Her husband

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Piston Aviation Launches Innovative "Piston Live" Online Flight School Program

1 year 2 months ago
BETHALTO - Joe Ord with Piston Aviation recently shared more about their all-new online monthly flight school program, Piston Live . The all-new program offers the best of both online resources and live instruction to make piloting more affordable and accessible. Piston Aviation is a flight school serving private and sport pilots with locations in Creve Coeur, Mo. and Bethalto . Ord explained that most in-person “Ground Schools” don’t provide much scheduling flexibility, while most online flight schools offer no opportunity for live instruction. Piston Live combines the flexibility of an online flight school with the real-time guidance and clarification available from having a live instructor. “If you can’t make that two hours at one time a week, then you’re kind of behind … but a lot of people learn better in-person, so we said, ‘Well, let’s combine the two and come up with a model where we do live sessions

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens in East St. Louis on Nov. 10

1 year 2 months ago
EAST ST. LOUIS — The Illinois Emergency Management Agency announced that a Disaster Recovery Center will open Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, at the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizen Center in East St. Louis. The center will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.p.m. Survivors of recent disasters will have the opportunity to receive assistance from specialists representing FEMA, the State of Illinois, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The services offered at the center include help with applying for federal disaster assistance, uploading necessary documents, and obtaining answers to questions in person. Additionally, attendees will learn about other forms of assistance available and ways to enhance the disaster resilience of their properties. The Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizen Center is located at 6755 State St., East Saint Louis, IL., 62203.

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