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ALTON - Jarius Powers, a junior forward on the Alton High School girls basketball team, has played a key role in the renaissance of the Redbirds' program, and she has been a standout again in the 2023-2024 season. Jarius is an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month for the Redbirds. Powers was outstanding in the Morton Tournament with a 29-point outburst against Peoria Notre Dame in the semifinal contest. She had nine points in the first game of the tourney, 16 points in the second game, 29 in game three and 16 in the championship tilt. Alton defeated Batavia in the championship game of the Morton College Tournament. Powers and teammate Kiyoko Proctor were on the Morton Tournament All-Tourney Team. Powers said in a previous interview after the big SWC win over O'Fallon that she is feeling good about the Redbirds' chances this season. During the final quarter in a key game in December against O'Fallon, Powers hit a pair of key free throws that kept the Panthers at bay, which helped

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois minimum wage workers are set to get another pay raise as the state’s minimum wage rises to $14 an hour effective Jan. 1, 2024. This comes as the latest pay increase in a series of raises set by Governor J.B. Pritzker with the goal of reaching a $15 minimum wage by 2025. “Since day one as Governor, I’ve made it my mission to put Springfield back on the side of working families,” Governor J.B. Pritzker said. “With this new minimum wage increase, we are once again making Illinois a more affordable and equitable place to live for all of our residents.” Standard minimum wage workers across the state will get an increase of $1 per hour from the current $13 to next year’s $14. The minimum wage for tipped workers will rise to $8.40 per hour, and youth workers (under 18) working less than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $12 per hour. “We're continuing to not only strengthen our

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ALTON – OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center has bestowed its inaugural Mission Partner of the Year Award to Kathy Rogers, who currently serves as Lead Communications Specialist in the Communications Department. Ms. Rogers was the Mission Partner of the Month honoree in October 2023. All 2023 Mission Partner of the Month Award winners were eligible for the Mission Partner of the Year. The Mission Partner of the Month Award program was instituted in March 2023. Kathy’s nomination for being selected as the Mission Partner of the Month for October 2023 was submitted by her immediate supervisor, Gary Ingle, Manager of Security Services, and details her “All In” attitude and dependability. “Kathy always does everything asked of her and never complains. She’s the first to volunteer to work and cover shifts when there are call-offs or whenever needed. Kathy is always very positive and very engaged in her work. She takes on challenges with a smile

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ALTON - Every community has a few people who make a major difference wherever they go. In Alton, Mark Cousley is one of those people. Cousley is a familiar face around town, as he spends a lot of time volunteering with different organizations and mentoring young people in the area. He encourages everyone to do what they can to help, and he thanks the people who work alongside him to make the community a better place. “The community is what you make it,” Cousley said. “I think if anybody who can volunteer time or resources to help people who may just need a hand-up versus a handout, basically help people make their lives better, make the town better. We all live in the Riverbend area and work and play, might as well do everything we can to make it and its citizens, to put them in the best light possible or the best position.” Cousley currently serves as the vice chair and the finance committee chair for the Salvation Army. He will become the chair

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The new year is upon us, and it’s a great time to plan for your financial future. Here are five financial resolutions to consider for 2024.

Secured credit cards are a credit-building solution for people with bad or limited credit, but a deposit requirement can present financial hardship.

The much-anticipated recession didn't arrive in 2023, however, and the market powered through the gloom.

As the year 2023 comes to a close, it's time to think about the important news stories that changed Missouri's story. These stories are about a lot of different things, from lawsuits to the weather to the complexities of regular life. Let's look at the most interesting stories that kept people watching.

In 2023, ARCHway awarded $100,000 to various Missouri agencies helping those impacted by substance abuse and co-occuring mental health disorders.

International Mentors are partnered 1:1 with a mentee as part of a 10-person cohort. Established in 2017, the program now has 540 members in 54 cohorts.

With the calendar-page turn to 2024 on Monday comes 320 new state laws that Illinois residents will need to navigate.