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LITCHFIELD - The public is invited to join the Golden Eagle Intertribal Gathering to honor veterans and first responders on Saturday, October 7, at Picnic Area 4 of Lake Lou Yaeger. Craft and merchandise vendors will be onsite and the event will also include raffles and games. The Ladies Auxiliary of AMVETS Post 16 will serve Indian tacos and hot dogs, along with other food items and drinks. Members of several tribal nations will be in attendance and will help visitors learn about Native American culture with singing, dancing, storytelling and drumming. Some tribal affiliations include Cherokee, Choctaw, Blackfoot and Oneida, and others. Vendor hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Grand Entry, during which dancers follow a color guard into the event area, is scheduled for 12 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets as seating is not available. For more information, call Tina Simpson at 217-851-2206.

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ST. LOUIS - The following statement is on behalf of Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. Please see more information regarding the status of the decommissioning as well as before-and-after pictures of the location: “The City took action to save lives and protect people. Full stop. My administration navigated this complex situation to connect dozens of unhoused residents to shelter and resources while addressing a growing public safety hazard. This is a testament to the collective work of City employees as well as the major investments the City has made to improve access to shelter and double our number of tiny homes. “Homelessness and housing instability cannot be fixed overnight, but St. Louis is breaking from past practices by ensuring we have places for people to go where they can get support and on a path to permanent housing. While this process is never perfect, and the work is never finished, those housed today will sleep more safely tonight. “I am especially grateful

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – During today’s U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) nominations hearing for Michael Whitaker to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Chair of the CST Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—pushed for Whitaker to uphold the highest standards for airline transport pilot certification, including the 1,500-hour rule, if he is confirmed. In her remarks, Duckworth underscored the importance of not only defending the minimum real world flight hours requirement, but also working to increase the rigor of what type of flying counts towards meeting the 1,500-hour rule given this year’s alarming aviation safety crisis. In the past year, our nation has seen a chilling surge in near-deadly misses involving commercial airlines that likely stems from plummeting aviation workforce experience levels after airlines paid tens of thousands

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-02) and U.S. Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03) to reintroduce the Federal Emergency Management Advancement of Equity Act (or FEMA Equity Act) to address systemic inequities in the federal government’s response to disasters and how it distributes assistance. The legislation follows a growing body of evidence and reporting that low-income disaster survivors and disaster-impacted communities of color are less likely to receive crucial federal emergency assistance compared to higher-income counterparts. “As Americans, it’s our responsibility to support one another in times of need—including when our most disadvantaged communities are devastated by disasters and severe weather,” said Senator Duckworth. “Disasters don’t discriminate against

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BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL – In a huge win for public higher education and the labor movement in Illinois, 650 tenured and tenure-track faculty at Illinois State University (ISU) filed authorization/membership cards today with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board expressing their intent to unionize. “It’s a really exciting moment for us,” said Xiaoying Zhao, ISU assistant professor of teaching and learning. “Today we have taken the necessary steps to formalize our union and send a clear message that the faculty at ISU want a strong voice to advocate for the needs of our students, this institution, and our colleagues who are dedicated to them both.” United Faculty of ISU (UFISU) officially launched a unionization effort in August. In just weeks, an overwhelming majority of faculty signed cards to say, “Union YES!” Dave Kopsell, ISU professor of agriculture, noted, “Right away, my colleagues and I recognized that joining a union

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Police said the suspect was last seen heading east on Waterman Boulevard.

CHICAGO - Today Governor JB Pritzker announced several upcoming transitions in state agency leadership. Theresa Eagleson, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), will step down at the end of 2023. The Governor has appointed Lizzy Whitehorn, who currently serves as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services, to serve as Director of HFS beginning January 1, 2024, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. The Governor also announced the upcoming transitions, also at the end of the calendar year, of Paula Basta, Director of the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA), and Marc D. Smith, Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Finally, the Governor announced the appointment of Camile Lindsay as Acting Director of Professional Regulation at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), pending confirmation. Lindsay is currently serving as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Public

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St. Louis City Fire Department Chief reportedly started making changes years ago when multiple firemen were coming down with specific cancers.

CHICAGO – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today hosted a celebration to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring the work of community leaders. The event was an opportunity to reflect on the great achievements of Hispanics and present awards to eight Latino leaders, including a retired White Sox executive, a TV news anchor, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools and the director of a Puerto Rican arts organization. “Today, let us take a moment to recognize the contributions of our Hispanic and Latino neighbors,” Frerichs said at the event held at the state government building at 555 W. Monroe St. in Chicago. “Let’s celebrate their dedication to making our communities a better place to live, work, and raise a family.” Hispanic Heritage Month is a national observance. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson established a Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to a month. This year’s

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Vice President Kamala Harris will pay a visit to St. Louis this weekend and plans to speak at the Democratic National Committee's fall meeting.

A St. Louis native, Katurah Topps, age 35, is competing on the 45th season of CBS's Survivor this year. She is currently a civil rights attorney in Brooklyn, New York, and she represents a strong local presence on the show.

GRAFTON - Summer is over and Raging Rivers is getting spooky this October with a Haunted Trail around the water park. The Raging Rivers’ Haunted Trail is a 30–45 minute walk through “Illinois’s darkest and most haunted forest,” according to the park’s website . Located at 100 Palisades Parkway in Grafton, the trail is open every Saturday from Oct. 7–28. “The land is a cursed graveyard from the old dynamite factory that was forced to shut down because of so many accidents and deaths. Mutants and monsters are lurking in the shadows for their next victim,” the website warns. “The trail will be kid-friendlier in the early evening but as the night gets darker, the ghouls get scarier.” You can expect strobe lights, jump scares, loud noises, fog and other haunted house favorites. Raging Rivers is offering glow bands in different colors, which will indicate what "level of scaring" you want to experience. Tours depart

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The upcoming departure of Marc D. Smith was one of three announced Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

GLEN CARBON - State Senator Erica Harriss (56 th -Glen Carbon) has released the following statement following the resignation announcement of Marc Smith, Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: "DCFS is entrusted to protect our most vulnerable children. With the recent release of an audit showing an unacceptable increase in the mishandling of cases by this state agency, it is clear we must take action. I ask the Governor to take significant steps to overhaul the agency before further tragedies strike. We have a moral obligation to get this right."

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ST. LOUIS - Today, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, Ald. Anne Schweitzer (1), Ald. Laura Keys (11), the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (SLAAA), Assessor Michael Dauphin, and local senior citizens held a roundtable to discuss legislation to freeze property taxes for seniors in the City of St. Louis. This tax freeze is permissible under recently enacted state law, and St. Charles County recently enacted legislation to freeze taxes for seniors. This legislation stems from the passage of a new law ( SB 190 ) enacted by the State of Missouri earlier this year. “While the City of St. Louis invests in long left-behind neighborhoods, we can take advantage of new opportunities to help seniors stay in their homes and get some relief from rising property values,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “As we work to finalize legislative proposals, I am thankful to our senior citizens for their insight this morning and to City leaders for their work to support our seniors.” The legislation

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that both lanes of Illinois 143 from just east of Interstate 55 at Tosovsky Lane to U.S. 40 in Madison County will require intermittent daytime lane closures beginning, weather permitting, Tuesday, Oct. 10, through Friday, Oct. 13, and Monday, Oct. 16. 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 Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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JERSEY COUNTY - Jersey County Sheriff Nicholas Manns released more information today about a Friday, September 29, 2023, incident in rural Jersey County along McClusky Road. "The incident was reported at 3 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2023, and the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), QEM Fire Department, Jerseyville Fire Department, Jersey Community Hospital Ambulance, and Godfrey Fire Department responded to a house fire in rural Jersey County along McClusky Road," he said. "Upon arrival at the property, Jersey County Deputies found the house fully engulfed in flames. QEM and the assisting fire departments worked quickly to extinguish the fire and protect the surrounding property, fields, and crops. "The house was unoccupied at the time. Subsequent investigation, along with invaluable tips from multiple concerned citizens, revealed the fire was arson. Within an hour, JCSO Deputies identified, located, and arrested the arson suspect, identified as Rochelle K. Maltimore (age 31). Maltimore

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Joe Perry was more than impressed the first time he heard Van Halen. In fact, in an interview with Guitar World, the Aerosmith guitarist reveals how hearing Van Halen for the first time contributed to his…

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