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New Darkroom Opens At Jacoby Arts Center

2 years 2 months ago
ALTON - A new experimental film photography and darkroom studio opens at Jacoby Arts Center next month. Four pop-up workshops are available for registration in July, with weekly darkroom and film photography classes beginning in August. Executive Director Rachel Lappin and the Jacoby Board of Directors are pleased to announce the newest addition to their educational programming- a darkroom and experimental film photography studio. The darkroom will be housed in the former commercial kitchen space of the art center, located on Broadway in the Jacoby Arts & Entertainment District in downtown Alton. Utilizing grant funding from the Alton Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Jacoby has cultivated a darkroom studio to rival the best in the area. An extensive collection of enlargers and a wide variety of educational classes are at the forefront of the program's offerings. “We are excited to offer this new program!” says Lappin. “Jacoby’s mission is

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Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Dem Caucus To Introduce Resolution Recognizing June As LGBTQ Pride Month

2 years 2 months ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined their Senate Democratic Caucus colleagues to introduce a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The Senators’ resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ+ Americans have made to our country, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ+ Americans, and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality. The resolution also recognizes the progress that has been made with the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act and the legal recognition of workplace protections for transgender people while acknowledging the continued attacks on the rights of LGBTQ+ people taking place in our legal institutions. “This weekend, cities across the globe—including Chicago—will be hosting their annual Pride parades. It will be a chance to join together in celebrating the LGBTQ+

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New Bethalto Thrift Shop is a "Dream" for Local Owners

2 years 2 months ago
BETHALTO - When Bill and Diana Sloan opened their thrift shop, Sloan’s This & That, in March, they found a new community in the town they call home. “We want to be part of the community. We want to be involved in the community,” Bill said. “Our goal is to give our customers the best deals in the Riverbend.” Sloan’s This & That, located at 401 West Bethalto Drive, describes itself as “a mom-and-pop thrift store.” It’s easy to see why. The business is both veteran- and woman-owned, and just a few months after they opened, it has already become a local hotspot for furniture, jewelry, glassware and much more. For the owners, Sloan’s This & That is a dream come true. Both Alton natives, the Sloans moved around for a bit but eventually settled back in Bethalto. Diana used to manage a thrift shop and missed the experience. When the couple returned to Bethalto, she began going to auctions and organizing yard sales, which Bil

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HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital Welcomes High School Students From The Area To A Summer Healthcare Bootcamp

2 years 2 months ago
O'FALLON, Il. - HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital recently welcomed high school students from across southwestern Illinois for its first Healthcare Bootcamp event of the year. The bootcamp for juniors and seniors interested in a career in health care is designed to give students a realistic look into various health care roles while also allowing an opportunity to make connections in the field. “Through these job shadowing opportunities, students are able to understand the roles and responsibilities of a health care career by allowing them a deeper look, which in turn will provide motivation to learn the role of the career, type of education that is required, skills that are performed, and network with our health care professionals,” says Gavin Halpin, community sourcing strategist at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and organizer of the Healthcare Bootcamp. “These students were able to experience hands-on skill sessions, and network with health care professionals

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Duckworth Announces Class Of 2027 Service Academy Appointments

2 years 2 months ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator and combat Veteran Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced the appointments of 20 Illinois students she nominated to attend a United States Military Service Academy. Each year, Duckworth, along with a nomination committee, selects from hundreds of Illinois high school applicants a group of outstanding students to receive Congressional nominations to attend West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy or the Merchant Marine Academy. “It takes a young person with grit and love of country to succeed at a U.S. Military Service Academy,” Duckworth said. “The rigorous nomination process demands outstanding test scores, a high GPA and a commitment to community service. These impressive future leaders deserve our admiration and respect for making it through this process and receiving these appointments. I’m eager to see them make Illinois proud in the years to come, and I am so proud of their desire to serve our nation.”

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Haunted America Conference Returns to Alton Area

2 years 2 months ago
GODFREY - The supernatural, the paranormal, the sensational — the Haunted America Conference had it all this weekend with their 26th annual event at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. “It’s a chance for people to be, as I like to say, around people who are as weird as they are. We all get to be weird together one weekend a year,” Troy Taylor said. Taylor is the founder of the Haunted America Conference, which he also calls “paranormal summer camp.” This year’s conference sponsored a vendor fair and “paranormal mixer” as well as several ghost tours and presentations, including presentations by Heather Moser about headless ghosts and Amanda R. Woomer about Victorian mourning customs. The full schedule can be found here . Taylor explained that while the conference has traveled throughout the U.S., it usually takes place in the Alton area. This year, the expanding event moved to Lewis and Clark Community College

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Attorney General Raoul Charges Fairfield Man With Child Pornography Possession

2 years 2 months ago
CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the Attorney General’s office has charged a Wayne County man with alleged possession of child pornography. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child pornography online. Raoul’s office charged Brian J Wallace, 53, of Fairfield, Illinois, in Wayne County Circuit Court with 11 counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies each punishable by up to seven years in prison. Wallace’s bond was set at $500,000. “Child pornography is a reprehensible crime. Individuals in possession of these horrific images must be held accountable to ensure innocent children are protected from exploitation that can potentially leave life-long emotional scars,” Raoul said. “These charges highlight the vital efforts of my office’s Internet

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Free One-Day Training Offered on Creating Recovery-Friendly Workplaces

2 years 2 months ago
A statewide training meeting titled “Recovery Friendly Workplaces: Reimagining Today’s Workforce ” is being presented Aug. 10 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM by Recovery Friendly Workplaces Missouri. The class will be offered in-person in Columbia, MO or online. With a focus on creating recovery-friendly workplaces, the meeting will explore ways to promote a healthy […]
Tom Finan