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A St. Louis man appeared in federal court on Wednesday and admitted acting as a moderator for a group chat that shared child sexual abuse material.

EDWARDSVILLE — A man who fatally shot a Maryville pastor during a church service in 2009 has been denied a request to transfer from a secure mental health facility to a non-secure treatment center. Circuit Judge Kyle Napp ruled Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, against Terry J. Sedlacek’s petition to move from the Alton Mental Health Center to a less restrictive facility or to receive increased privileges such as supervised off-grounds outings. Sedlacek, now 43, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2015 for the shooting of the Rev. Fred Winters and was ordered to be held at the secure facility operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Victim-impact statements were submitted to the court by Pastor Winters’ widow, Cindy Winters, and Maryville Police Chief Tony Manley. Cindy Winters wrote, “We hurt, but we do feel comfort in knowing that the man who ended his life is confined, getting appropriate treatment and not a threat to us and to anyone else.”

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CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker met with leaders and volunteers from Community Violence Intervention (CVI) organizations across the Chicago area to discuss the progress of their programs in reducing crime and violence. This comes as the Trump administration has significantly cut federal funding for such programs while threatening to deploy armed military personnel into the streets of Chicago. “Community Violence Intervention Programs have a clear and demonstrated track record of reducing crime and making our communities safer – which is why my administration has invested historic amounts into them,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “President Trump’s deep cuts to these programs are another indication that his administration is not serious about fighting crime.” Governor Pritzker’s meetings were hosted at the Metropolitan Peace Academy, a program of Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, that trains individuals for community violence intervention

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SMITHTON, Ill. – State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) donated his pay raise to the FFA Can-Do Challenge, which is a statewide initiative to work together to help those in need. Donations were collected at Smithton Grade School, Smithton Fire Department, Freeburg Country Mart, and Freeburg High School, and will be delivered to various food pantries throughout the region. Since voting against pay raises for legislators, Rep. Schmidt gives his pay raise back to community organizations each month. “The FFA is an outstanding organization, and I was thrilled to work with them to donate and collect 150 cans of food to help families in need throughout the region,” Schmidt said. “I'm passionate about fighting food insecurity and am committed to doing what I can to make a difference.” The FFA Can-Do Challenge is an annual event where FFA chapters use canned goods to build creative farm-themed structures, with all donations going to local food banks

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SPRINGFIELD - Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointment in his administration: Michelle Gibson will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board.* Gibson was first appointed to the board in November 2021. She is a registered environmental health specialist with over 15 years of experience in environmental consulting, waste diversion, resource management, and environmental and public health. In her time as an environmental consultant, she implemented recycling and waste-reduction programs at hospitals, universities, residential facilities, military bases, manufacturing sites, and large office complexes. She advised statewide environmental organizations on strategies for waste handling. Gibson has also managed the Dekalb County solid waste program, and she has supervised a team of Boone County environmental health inspectors enforcing clean water standards. At the height of the COVID-19

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More than six weeks after an Illinois girl was fatally wounded at a business in Waterloo, authorities have filed charges against two people for her death.

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) has announced the names of 435 graduating students for the 2025 summer term. Summer graduates traditionally participate in the fall commencement ceremony. The full list of honorees for summer 2025 is available on the SIUE News Dean’s List webpage . To explore students by location, use the dropdown menu to filter by state, then sort within the table by city or municipality. SIUE continues to foster future leaders through outstanding academic programs and dedicated faculty. Each semester, undergraduate students who achieve remarkable academic performance are recognized on the Dean’s List. To qualify, students must complete at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher (an A is valued at 4.0 and a B at 3.0). Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality education that powerfully transforms the lives of all individuals who

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COLLINSVILLE – The American Cancer Society’s Farm to Table Metro East, presented by MRHFM, returns on Thursday, September 11, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, IL. Tickets are on sale now at www.acsfarmtotable.com . This unique tasting event features seasonal dishes from top local restaurants, live music by Corey Evitts, and a variety of interactive experiences including a wine toss, heads or tails game, key to recovery challenge, silent auction, and a Reflections of Hope tribute area. In its history, the event has raised over $650,000 to support the mission of the American Cancer Society—funding groundbreaking cancer research, patient support services, and advocacy efforts. This year’s featured speaker is Mark Joiner, Chief Firefighter of the Granite City Fire Department, who will share his personal cancer journey and experiences. 2025 Participating Restaurants Include: Bella Milano 1933 House of Bourbon

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Gov’t Mule is going to be celebrating Aerosmith this Halloween.The band just announced the theme for this year's Mule-O-Ween, sharing artwork inspired by the Aerosmith logo, along with an Instagram post that drops several references to…

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BELLEVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent daytime lane closures will take place on Illinois 161 from Illinois 159 to Illinois 158 in St. Clair County, weather permitting, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. The lane 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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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that former Boone County Clerk and Recorder Julie Bliss pleaded guilty to charges related to the alleged theft of cash from the county and misuse of county funds on personal expenses. Bliss was sentenced to 180 days in jail after pleading guilty to one count of Class 1 felony theft of governmental property and two counts of Class 3 felony official misconduct on Tuesday. Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge Scott Paccagnini also sentenced Bliss to 48 months of probation for the charge of theft of government property and 30 months of probation for each charge of official misconduct, to be served concurrently. In addition, Bliss was ordered to pay $28,919.05 in restitution to Boone County. “Taxpayers must be able to trust that those who serve on their behalf will use their authority for the public good and not to enrich themselves,” Raoul said. “I remain committed to holding accountable public officials who abuse

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SPRINGFIELD – With Newborn Screening Awareness Month underway in September, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is celebrating 60 years of the program in Illinois. Beginning in 1965 with testing for a single condition, Illinois’s newborn screening program now checks for more than 50 conditions, offering the hope of early diagnosis and intervention when needed. More than 100,000 newborns are tested annually in the state. “IDPH is proud to be a leader in supporting families with our newborn screening program,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “For the past 60 years in Illinois, newborn screens have detected potentially life-threating conditions in healthy babies before they show symptoms. Each year, more than 500 babies in our state are diagnosed through this vital public health service. Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions can prevent serious health outcomes, enabling Illinois’s children to reach their ful

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GODFREY - During the Godfrey Village Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 2, 2025, the trustees honored Jeff Weber with this month’s Good Neighbor Award. Weber expressed his appreciation for the recognition and emphasized that the experience of giving back has been “a real pleasure.” He shared his gratitude for the Riverbend region. “You’ve got to give back to the community that allows you to make a living and get along with everybody else here and whatnot,” Weber said. “That’s the main thing, just giving back to the community that’s been so good to me and my family and my wife. That’s the whole point. Weber previously served four terms on the Godfrey Village Board of Trustees. He has made a name for himself in the community as a former president of the Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education, Junior Achievement of Illinois, and the Nelson Foundation, in addition to serving on many boards and volunteering

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing a new federal policy that mandates indefinite detention of many undocumented immigrants without the opportunity for a bond hearing. In the brief filed in Bautista v. Noem , Raoul and the coalition challenge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) unprecedented reinterpretation of immigration law, arguing it violates due process and federal statutes, and inflicts widespread harm on families, communities and state economies. “Undocumented immigrants have significantly contributed to our economy for years. This new federal policy mandating indefinite detention without an option of a bond hearing will disrupt our labor force while wasting taxpayer dollars and harming families,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work with my fellow attorneys general protecting the rights of immigrants and their families.” For

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(The Center Square) – The Honest Elections Project says states made significant gains on election integrity laws in 2025.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) strongly condemns actions by the Trump administration to roll back federal minimum wage and overtime protections for millions of home health care workers. “These reckless rollbacks undermine the economic security of working families across the country,” said IDOL Director Jane Flanagan. “While Illinois has robust minimum wage and overtime protections for home health care workers, if the proposed rule is adopted, it will create inconsistency and confusion across the country. As the federal government weakens worker protections, IDOL is committed to protecting and promoting the wages of all workers in Illinois.” On September 2, 2025, Illinois joined Pennsylvania and states across the country in formally opposing the U.S. Department of Labor’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service. The Trump administration’s efforts to change federal

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Police said Darion Reed, 24, of St. Louis was shot Aug. 23 and died Friday.