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The driver who hit Gregory Waggoner of Wright City is cooperating with police, officials said.

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) today announced the success of the most recent round of SmartBuy, a first-of-its-kind initiative that helped 533 Illinoisans eliminate $16 million in student loan debt while achieving the dream of homeownership in only 12 weeks. Through SmartBuy, homeowners were able to purchase a home eight years earlier than traditional IHDA borrowers. “Making life more affordable for working families in Illinois is core to my mission as Governor, and my administration is committed to helping Illinoisans turn their dreams of homeownership into a reality,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’re proud to help more than one thousand Illinoisans become proud homeowners while forgiving millions of student loan debt through this innovative state program.” Relaunched in December 2024, SmartBuy offered an affordable 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage with $5,000 in deferred down payment or closing

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Dusty Johnson (SD-AL) introduced the Balanced Agricultural Support and Efficiency (BASE) Act to require the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update base acres for all farms as soon as is practicable. The last mandatory update was completed in 1985; the last voluntary update was completed in 2014. “The current base acre allocations do not accurately reflect what’s really being planted across the United States. For the folks I represent in Illinois, it’s simply not fair,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “This legislation will finally bring fairness back to base acreage for the first time in 40 years, see that farmers are accurately supported for what they grow today, and ensure that we serve as better stewards of taxpayer dollars.” “It’s been four decades since the last mandatory update, and production agriculture has changed drastically

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) has been awarded the 2025 Government Experience Project Award by the Center for Digital Government (CDG). The Project Awards recognize innovative digital initiatives nationwide that make it easier for residents to interact with government. DoIT earned the honor for its “Move Over Illinois! Real-time Emergency Alerts Mapping and Navigation” project. In partnership with Google and the Illinois State Police, DoIT integrated emergency alerts into the Waze navigation app in 2024, delivering timely notifications about crashes, hazards, and critical incidents. The project enhances driver awareness, promotes safer roads, and supports first responders, earning praise for its direct impact on public safety. “This recognition is a meaningful reminder that our efforts are making a real difference in the lives of first responders and those who share the road with them,” said Illinois Department

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ST. LOUIS – We are all joined by blood and patients with sickle cell disease need our help now. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is partnering with the American Red Cross for the Joined by Blood Sickle Cell Blood Drive, hosted on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 500 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108. This blood drive is held in memory of Ronicia Britts, who passed away at age 29 of sickle cell disease. Ronicia’s mother, Rosemary Britts started the Sickle Cell Association in St. Louis and has been a strong advocate for those with the disease. “Each year, I do this blood drive in memory of my daughter Ronicia who lived with sickle cell,” shared Rosemary Britts, Executive Director of the Sickle Cell Association. “Receiving regular blood transfusions is what allowed her to live well and attend college. I hope that the community will come out and donate blood to help those living with sickle cell in memory of my daughter, Ronicia.”

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Township is excited to announce that our Touch-A-Truck event is back for another year on October 4, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. This year marks our 11th annual Touch-A-Truck event! Vehicles scheduled to be on display this year include the SSM Cardinal Glennon helicopter, first responders (fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles), a truck mounted crane, an electric school bus, 1937 Chevy Pickup, diesel truck, tractor & skid steer, Bobcat & excavator and much more! Food will be available for purchase from several local food trucks. Edwardsville Township will be providing goodie bags for attendees. Additionally, we will host our Bicycle Safety Sessions at this year’s event to include helmet fittings and free giveaways thanks to the ACT Community Action Grant. Overflow parking will be available at Edwardsville High School and buses will transport visitors from EHS to the park. Please note that Township Park will be open from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Octobe

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ALTON – An Alton property owner is calling on city officials to take action on power lines she says are dangerously close to her building and have gone unaddressed for 15 years. Erin Frew, owner of the historic “Snyder Block” building at 301 Piasa Street, spoke up at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 22 and City Council meeting on Sept. 24, 2025. “I’m here tonight to put on the record a public safety hazard that the City of Alton has ignored for 15 years,” Frew said at the committee meeting. She said immediately after purchasing the building in 2010, she raised concerns about the overhead power lines she says are “less than six feet from the building’s facade.” “The National Electric Safety Code requires a minimum of seven feet of clearance,” Frew added. “That means no tenant, no contractor, no worker can safely be on the front of my building. This is not just my problem, this is a public

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WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at East Alton-Wood River High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of the faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. September's winner is Abigail Hersman. Abigail is a Senior at EAWR and is involved in Band, Spirit Club, Senior Mentors, Scholar Bowl, TMHFA, National Honor Society, and Peer Leadership. After graduation, Abigail is planning on attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and majoring in Biology. Congratulations Abigail and we all wish you good luck in your future! Midwest Members Credit Union has been serving your community for over 90 years. To find out more information about Midwest Members Credit Union and what they are doing in your community,

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TROY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent daytime lane closures will take place on Illinois 159 from Center Grove Road to Governors Parkway in Edwardsville, weather permitting, on Tuesday, Sept. 30. 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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GODFREY - Community members can support Toys for Tots while shredding their documents. From 9–11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, Embark Wealth Partners will host a shred event that’s open to the community. The event will also serve as a toy drive, and attendees are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys or books to donate to Toys for Tots. “I feel like it’s a very big part of just being a great business person, just giving back to those in the community,” said Terri, a financial advisor with Embark Wealth Partners. “We just thought it would be a great way to give back to our community in multiple different facets.” Terri and Casta explained that they often work with clients who ask them to shred their documents. While they’re happy to do it, Casta thought it would be a great idea to take the service a step further to support children at an event. Located at 5213 Mae Drive Ste. A in Godfrey, Embark Wealth Partners works with community

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT), Metro Transit and the St. Clair County Transit District are teaming up with St. Louis’ own professional hockey team mascot Louie to promote the benefits of public transit and how MetroLink and MetroBus can get you to gameday, work or play. As part of the “The LOU Rides METRO … Will You?” campaign, individuals can go to www.CommuteLikeAChamp.com to get a FREE Metro Adventure Day Pass (valued at $5) so they can give transit a try through October 31. All registrants will have a chance to score a new St. Louis Blues Jersey, courtesy of CMT. “The St. Louis region has access to an integrated public transit system that offers a safe, convenient and cost-effective means to get to Enterprise Center,” stated Kimberly Cella, executive director of CMT. “Hockey fans can save gas money, avoid parking fees and breakaway from traffic congestion. The goal is for people to experience how seamlessly they

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The 28-year-old victim died the next day at a hospital.

CHICAGO - This week, Governor JB Pritzker joined a bipartisan group of 11 governors from across the country in announcing the launch of the PJM Governors’ Collaborative, aimed at strengthening state representation in the decision-making process with PJM Interconnection, the power grid operator for Northern Illinois. The new collaborative comes amid growing concerns over PJM’s role in driving up electricity costs, failing to address reliability challenges, and delaying critical transmission development - all of which impact working families and businesses. "For far too long, PJM has made decisions with minimal input from the states, leaving families and businesses to bear skyrocketing energy costs and rising reliability risks," said Governor JB Pritzker. "I’m proud to join this bipartisan collective to ensure states have a meaningful voice in shaping the region’s energy future. Together, we’re sending a clear message that PJM must prioritize affordability,

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is reminding deer hunters about locations where deer can be tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) free of charge. Chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease of the central nervous system in deer and elk. Chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease of the central nervous system in deer and elk. It was first detected in a suspect adult female deer from northwest Boone County in 2002. Since then, 185,896 wild deer have been sampled statewide, and 2,748 individual deer tested positive for CWD. The disease has been detected across a 25-county area of northern and west-central Illinois. Wildlife biologists monitor the geographic distribution and intensity of CWD primarily through testing of hunter-harvested deer. CWD is not known to be transmissible to humans. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization do not recommend consuming CWD-positive venison (deer meat). Hunters

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FERGUSON, Mo. - Ferguson is gearing up for National Night Out with a neighborhood kickoff rally hosted by the police department today from noon to 3 PM at FPD headquarters. The event serves as a preview for National Night Out, which is scheduled for October 7th. Neighborhood groups are encouraged to participate by planning fun [...]

The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives.