a Better Bubble™

Aggregator

Governor To Students: ‘Look The Other Way’ If You’re Bothered By Mandated Posting Of Ten Commandments In Public Schools

1 year 2 months ago
We fought a revolution for this?!? This is the new America: a loose confederacy (yes, I’m using that correctly [and pointedly]) of states that desire to see us returned to the harsh reality our founding fathers (and colonists before them) left their homelands to escape. The shift of the so-called “conservative movement” to the extreme […]
Tim Cushing

Hometown Olympian Jayden Ulrich Receives Hero's Welcome

1 year 2 months ago
WOOD RIVER — Jayden Ulrich received a hero's welcome on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, at the Wood River Recreation Center. The event saw a large turnout of former teammates, friends, and families, all eager to celebrate the hometown Olympian's achievements. Ulrich, who recently turned 21, was visibly elated by the warm reception and expressed her gratitude to the crowd. "When you get a day named after you, that is special," said East Alton-Wood River High School Coach Russ Colona. "She is a well-loved kid and is always smiling and happy. She is a wonderful kid. The best is yet to come." Ulrich qualified for the U.S. team in the women's discus in second place and had a best throw of 61.08 meters in the prelims at the Olympics. She was 12th in Group B at the Olympics. Wood River City Councilman Jeremy Plank noted the impressive turnout. "We were just ecstatic to have it here in Wood River," he said. Rep. Amy Elik also shared her pride in Ulrich's accomplishments. "We are so proud

Continue Reading

St. Louis Language Immersion School Celebrates 15th Anniversary

1 year 2 months ago
ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Language Immersion School (SLLIS), which was recently named the 2024 Best Public Charter Elementary School in Missouri, is celebrating 15 years of providing a very high quality, unique and global educational experience to kids in St. Louis. SLLIS was founded in 2009 as the first and only language immersion school in the St. Louis area providing students with a free bilingual, dual-language education in their choice of one of three language programs - French, Spanish or Chinese. As a charter school, students pre-K through eighth grade living within the City of St. Louis can enroll to attend the school. Vince Schoemehl, a SLLIS Founding Board Member who served as the Mayor of St. Louis from 1981-1993, said he became interested in the idea of starting a language immersion school after his own struggles with trying to learn French in college. “I understood the benefits of learning another language from a business and life perspective but trying to

Continue Reading

St. Mary's Catholic Church Welcomes Father Jorge Sanchez as Parochial Vicar

1 year 2 months ago
ALTON - St. Mary’s Catholic Church has welcomed Alton’s newest parochial vicar to their ranks. Father Jorge Sanchez was recently ordained as a priest in the Catholic Church. He will now serve as the parochial vicar at St. Mary’s, meaning he will be at St. Mary’s until he is reassigned to another parish. Sanchez said he is looking forward to spending time in Alton and sharing his faith with the Riverbend community. “I’m here for as long as God wants me to be here in Alton, here in St. Mary’s,” he explained. “The people of St. Mary’s have been very welcoming and very loving, so I’m here for quite some time.” Sanchez said his priesthood was “a long time coming.” Living in California, he became inspired after connecting with several priests in 2006. The priests were “down-to-earth and so approachable,” and Sanchez realized that he wanted the peace and wisdom that they had. “I saw

Continue Reading

Edwardsville Receives $21M Infrastructure Grant for Road Improvements

1 year 2 months ago
EDWARDSVILLE - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski and Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy held a press conference to discuss a $21,241,730 grant that the City of Edwardsville has received from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant is part of the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The money will fund the Goshen Road and Liberty Trail Multimodal Transportation Improvement Project, which will introduce improvements along Goshen Road and Old Troy Road. Risavy noted that this “incredibly impactful project” goes beyond creating a shared-use path. “We see this project as an opportunity,” Risavy said. “We see it as jobs, so many great jobs for the many companies in a highly skilled workforce in the area…We see it as connectivity, creating new options for recreation, for employment, for shopping and for all the other daily journeys we make during our lifetime. We see this project as environmental

Continue Reading

Pere Marquette Named Among Top 10 'Hidden Gem' State Parks

1 year 2 months ago
GRAFTON - Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton has recently been named among the top 10 “Hidden Gem State Parks” in the U.S. A guide published by HomeToGo ranks Pere Marquette at #6 among a list of other “hidden gem” destinations which are as follows: Cheraw State Park - South Carolina Rock Cut State Park - Illinois Caledonia State Park - Pennsylvania Montauk State Park - Missouri Talimena State Park - Oklahoma Pere Marquette State Park - Illinois Black Rock Mountain State Park - Georgia Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park - California Grandfather Mountain State Park - North Carolina Cape Lookout State Park - Oregon Each park listed is considered a “hidden gem” based on low online search volumes for vacation rental stays with a check-in date between Aug. 1, 2024 - July 31, 2025. Despite appearing in less of these searches, each of these locations boasts high scores in categories of popularity, size, trails, wildlife and natural

Continue Reading

Senior Center Construction: A Triumph For Village Of South Roxana

1 year 2 months ago
SOUTH ROXANA — There is excitement in South Roxana as the long-awaited senior center project finally takes its first steps toward becoming a reality. This project, a symbol of community, wellness, and unity, has transcended multiple administrations and is now moving forward with construction. Mayor TJ Callahan and Village Administrator Bob Coles delve into the process behind this monumental achievement. A Vision Realized "Today, I am proud to announce that we are moving forward with the construction for our senior center," Mayor Callahan began, his enthusiasm evident. " This project is a testament to our shared vision and unwavering perseverance.” Village Administrator Bob Coles has been instrumental in this journey, dedicating years to this cause. His unwavering commitment to the community has been a driving force behind the project. "Bob faced numerous challenges and rejections, yet he never wavered," Mayor Callahan noted. "His innovative approach to overcoming financial

Continue Reading

Charges Issued In Fatal St. Louis Motorcycle Crash

1 year 2 months ago
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. — On Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges against Tony Artice, Jr., 37, of the 7300 block of Grand Drive, St. Louis, for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Artice is currently held on a $25,000 cash-only bond. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Aug. 11, 2024. At approximately 5:52 p.m., St. Louis County Police received a call regarding an accident involving a motorcyclist and an SUV that had fled the scene. The motorcyclist, identified as Michael Bartholomew, 41, of the 400 block of Constellation Drive in Arnold, Mo., was transported to Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. According to the probable cause statement, Artice arrived at a St. Louis County Police Department precinct at approximately 7:30 p.m. on the same day to report his involvement in the accident. He admitted to driving the SUV that struck Bartholomew's motorcycle. Authorities later located

Continue Reading

Department on Aging to Host Senior Day at the State Fair on Aug. 12

1 year 2 months ago
SPRINGFIELD – Adults aged 60 and older can enter the Illinois State Fair for free on Monday, Aug. 12, and those who visit the Illinois Building will leave with health and wellness resources, freebies, and prizes. “We are excited to welcome nearly 100 state and community partners to the fairgrounds to offer health screenings and information to older adults,” said Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) Acting Director Mary Killough. “We’ll also be hosting special programming on Senior Day, including bingo and the crowd-pleasing Not So Newlywed Game.” The Illinois Building will open at 9 a.m. for older adults and their family members to visit with local vendors and exhibitors. The building is air conditioned, has restrooms, and offers a limited number of motorized wheelchairs for rent. A schedule of major events and activities is below: 10:30 a.m. – Opening remarks by IDoA Acting Director Mary Killough and other dignitaries 11 a.m. &ndash

Continue Reading

'Something For Everyone' At 28th Land Of Goshen Community Market

1 year 2 months ago
EDWARDSVILLE - One of the Riverbend’s largest farmers markets is well underway in Edwardsville as the Land of Goshen Community Market continues for its 28th year. The market, which features a wide variety of fresh produce, meats, homemade jams and jellies, potted plants, and much more, is open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday until Oct. 19, 2024. Ann Harrington, the market’s manager and executive director, said the market’s diverse selection of items were each crafted locally to the Edwardsville area. “Every year, we welcome farmers, artisans, bakers, folks that make jam and jelly, jewelry,” Harrington said. “Everything is made within 100 miles of downtown Edwardsville. It’s a great place, we love it!” She added that the next market on Aug. 17, 2024 will be relocated to the N.O. Nelson campus of Lewis and Clark Community College, located at 600 Troy Road in Edwardsville, to accommodate the Edwardsville Rotary Criterium

Continue Reading

Durbin Joins Warren To Urge Navient To Reform Process To Cancel Student Loans Of Fraudulent Colleges

1 year 2 months ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), and 30 lawmakers in sending a letter urging student loan servicer Navient to reform its flawed process to cancel the private student loans of borrowers who attended fraudulent, for-profit colleges. The lawmakers argued that ??under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Holder Rule and due to Navient’s misconduct, the company is liable for these predatory loans—and the school misconduct discharge application it has set up to relieve them is opaque and insufficient. On April 17, 2024, Durbin joined Warren and seven other Senators in writing to Navient, urging the servicer to cancel private student loans pushed onto borrowers attending fraudulent, for-profit colleges that the servicer is responsible for. In its response, dated May 8, 2024, Navient claimed that it i

Continue Reading