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Metro East and Southern Illinois Republican Legislators Endorse Joe Hackler

2 years 9 months ago
GRANITE CITY – In the first endorsements of the 112th district, Joe Hackler is supported by the following conservative lawmakers from the Metro East and Southern Illinois: State Representative Charlie Meier (HD 108), State Representative Amy Elik (HD 111), State Representative David Friess (HD 116), State Representative Dave Severin (HD 117), State Representative Patrick Windhorst (HD 118), and State Senator Terri Bryant (SD 58). Hackler is the choice of surrounding state legislators because of his record as a proven fighter and trusted conservative. “Joe has demonstrated conservative leadership on his local township board and has stood up to Chicago democrats in races across Southern Illinois. Joe is the candidate who can win the 112th District for Republicans,” said State Representative Amy Elik, who defeated democratic incumbent Monica Bristow in the 2020 election. Hackler has fought for conservative representation for nearly a decade in Southern Illinois, serving

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Urology Of St. Louis Encourages Men To Stay On Top Of Their Health During Testicular Cancer Awareness Month

2 years 9 months ago
ST. LOUIS - April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month and Urology of St. Louis (USL), the largest private urologic practice in St. Louis and the Metro East, is raising awareness about the importance of early detection. “It is very important for men to go to a primary care provider or urologist if anything feels abnormal,” said Gregory Auffenberg, MD. “This cancer occurs in an area that is sensitive, and it can often cause anxiety for some patients. Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.” Dr. Auffenberg said testicular cancer can affect people at any age, but it is most often found in men ages 15 to 40 years old. This type of cancer occurs when healthy cells in the testicle become altered. Some symptoms include a lump or enlargement in either testicle, feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, dull ache in the abdomen or groin, sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum, and pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum. Dr. Auffenberg

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"Be Alarmed!" Program Receives Smoke Alarm Donation

2 years 9 months ago
SPRINGFIELD - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) received a donation of 1,000 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms from Vision 20/20 for the “Be Alarmed!” Smoke Alarm Program. Vision 20/20 partners with organizations and experts to drive Community Risk Reduction across all levels of the fire and emergency services. They help to identify gaps, evaluate and apply data-driven strategies and resources, and provide guidance in implementing adaptive measures to reduce fire and other risks. In 2021, 2,945 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms were installed in Illinois homes. The program reached 2,268 (1,027 high-risk) Illinois residents educating them on smoke alarm maintenance, home fire safety, and home fire escape plans as well as protected by new smoke alarms. Of those homes visited, 80% of pre-existing smoke alarms in homes that received new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms from our program had non-functional o

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Legislators weigh blocking COVID visitor restrictions at Missouri hospitals, nursing homes

2 years 9 months ago

State Rep. Ed Lewis had just hours to say goodbye. In March 2020, his 89-year-old mother had to go to the hospital after suffering from a fall. Lewis’ sister was their mother’s primary caregiver, but in the pandemic’s first days as hospitals restricted visitors, family members weren’t allowed to stay with her. Lewis and his […]

The post Legislators weigh blocking COVID visitor restrictions at Missouri hospitals, nursing homes appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg

Canadian Gov’t Latest To Decide US Tech Companies Should Be Punished For Sending Web Traffic To Canadian Websites

2 years 9 months ago
Here we go again. It’s a plan that almost never works but one that legislators and the special interest groups pushing for it continue to believe will shower them with untold riches from billion dollar tech companies that they blame for the destruction of local content creation. I mean, they’re not entirely wrong… at least […]
Tim Cushing

Rep. Elik Provides 2022 Legislative Session Update

2 years 9 months ago
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House of Representatives adjourned shortly after 6:00 am on Saturday, April 9 following the passage of a state budget and a temporary tax relief package scheduled to take effect July 1. According to State Representative Amy Elik, “There were several good bills approved this session year. However, I’m disappointed the legislature adjourned ahead of the May 31st deadline without a solution to get tough on crime, zero anti-corruption reforms considered, and no solution to pay off $1.8 billion in debt accumulated during the pandemic despite a federal bailout.” On a positive note, the legislature did approve legislation sponsored by Rep. Elik to support the safety of transportation for foster children, allow family and friends to visit their loved ones in nursing homes, alleviate the teacher shortage in our state, and renew scholarships for low-income students. State Budget The General Assembly approved (HB 900) a 46.5 billion dollar state

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Holland Construction Services Working On Expansion At Eckert's In Belleville

2 years 9 months ago
BELLEVILLE - Holland Construction Services is working on an expansion project at Eckert’s in Belleville, which will expand the popular outdoor entertainment venue by nearly 10,000 square feet. The project will include a new Cider Shed Tasting Room and Pavilion, as well as a Cider Donut & Custard Shop. The expansion broke ground in February and is expected to be complete by Memorial Day weekend. “This is an interesting renovation because Eckert’s is an 8 th generation business. This is where the company began so we’re learning a lot of history while working on this project,” said Holland Project Executive Ryan Savage. “We’ve enjoyed being part of Eckert’s growth.” The addition will be located between the Country Store and Country Restaurant and include the 3,500 square-foot Cider Shed Tasting Room and Pavilion, bar, and an indoor dining room. An additional 5,500 square-foot pavilion with outdoor dining will connect to the Cider

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Sierra Club Illinois Three Rivers Project and Living Lands & Waters Plan Earth Day River Clean-up

2 years 9 months ago
ALTON - The Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois and Living Lands & Waters are calling for volunteers to support a river clean-up in celebration of Earth Day! This year, communities across the world are coming together to celebrate Earth Day by working to preserve and protect our health, communities, and livelihoods. Preserving and protecting the Mississippi River through river clean-ups is critical to Illinois’ collective efforts to ensure that our health and communities thrive. The Earth Day river clean-up will be held on Wednesday, April 27 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Learn more and register for the river clean-up at bit.ly/clean-up22 . The Mississippi River flows over 2,000 miles from its headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and items that we use every day can make their way to our river, thus negatively impacting the environment. In celebration of Earth Day, the Three Rivers Project and Living Lands & Waters are hosting a river clean-up as part of their ongoin

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Celebrate Indies & Local Authors

2 years 9 months ago
April is the month when independent bookstores nationwide celebrate Independent Bookstore Day. This year it is Saturday, April 30. Among the stores celebrating this day are Afterwords in Edwardsville and The Sly Fox in Virden. So, this month is a good one to celebrate some of our local authors. Belleville native Taylor Pensoneau (now living in New Berlin) is best known to many for Brothers Notorious , The Sheltons , Southern Illinois’ Legendary Gangsters , published in 2002, and Dapper & Deadly , The True Story of Black Charlie Harris , published in 2010. But, shortly after Brothers Notorious , Pensoneau wrote his first fictional novel, The Summer of ’50 , featuring Jake Brosky, a crack investigative reporter for a St. Louis newspaper. For many years Pensoneau himself was the statehouse reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A second Jack Brosky novel, Falling Star , followed in 2019. A year later came the third Jake Brosky crime novel, Devil on the Prairie

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A toilet poll — Final response!

2 years 9 months ago
You've been waiting all night on the edge of your beds for this, so here are the results of yesterday's toilet poll: This is my closest poll ever! Given the margin of error, it's a dead heat. Perhaps this now demands a bit of actual research to come up with an answer.
Kevin Drum

Steve Thompson Of Godfrey Named Board Chair For Southwest Illinois Division Of United Way

2 years 9 months ago
EAST ALTON — Steve Thompson, regional president of Carrollton Bank in Alton, has been named the 2022 auxiliary board chair for the Southwest Illinois Division of United Way of Greater St. Louis. He succeeds Gireesh Gupchup, director for university-community initiatives and professor of pharmacy at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), who has held the chair position since 2020. “United Way has been a cornerstone in the community for a century and they play a critical role in keeping our community strong so our neighbors can succeed and thrive,” said Thompson. “It is an honor to serve as board chair for the Southwest Illinois Division. I am excited to join other volunteers, staff, and fellow board members in working to help people across our community live their best possible lives.” Thompson has over 35 years of banking and financial experience. He began his career at KPMG Peat Marwick and went on to operate his own business as a consultant

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