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Woman Recovers From Scary East Alton Shooting That Nearly Took Her Life

3 years ago
WOOD RIVER - A mother and her daughter were seriously hurt in an East Alton shooting on January 22, 2022. The story of the two, their survival and recovery is extraordinary. The mother wished only to be called Maria B. because the case is still pending in Madison County Court. She said the situation was very touch-and-go and it is almost a miracle that she survived. When interviewed, Maria B. was volunteering at a track and field meet, one of her passions. This is how Maria B. shared her story: "On Jan. 22, 2022, my daughter and I were leaving a hockey game for my grandson and we were approached by a man who said he needed a lighter. We told him we didn't have a lighter and a few seconds later he came back and had a gun he was aiming it right at my daughter. I grabbed my daughter and we both took off running and he decided to shoot us in the back. He hit me in the back of the leg and the bullet went through me and also hit my daughter's leg. "I am doing well and she is doing well.

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Mother Joins Her Children: Second Year Of Baptisms Highlights St. Mary's Easter Vigil Mass

3 years ago
(Carolyn Simansky and Jeff Vaughn contributed photos to this story). ALTON - In a special Easter Vigil baptism at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Lucy Hendrix, the mother of Isabelle and Jack Droste, joined them as part of the Catholic faith. For St. Mary's parishioners, it was very moving and it was standing room only for the ceremony and the Saturday Mass. Isabelle and Jack joined the church in 2021 and now Lucy is also a member. Isabelle was Lucy's baptism sponsor. Hendrix was very appreciative of Father Paul Nguyen for his guidance in bringing her and her children to the church. "Father Paul has been leading us on this path for a year or two," she said. "Isabelle and Jack have been encouraging me. I've been going with them to Mass, and I wanted that for myself. I am really excited that I will be able to fully participate in the Catholic religion with them." A total of 106 people in 50 Catholic Churches in the Springfield Diocese received baptisms this Easter. Carolyn Simansky

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Return To Normal: St. Mary's Catholic Church Easter Week Emotional After Long Battle With COVID-19 Pandemic

3 years ago
(Carolyn Simansky and Jeff Vaughn contributed photos to this story). ALTON - There were a lot of tears shed and hope for the future at this past week's Easter festivities at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Parishioners were so thankful to be back to normal with church activities, Father Paul Nguyen, OMV, said. St. Mary's Catholic Church festivities started Thursday night with the Mass of the Lord's Supper and it was well attended. There were 12 men who represented the disciples of Christ in the service as it played out. On Good Friday, the service was "just packed," Carolyn Simansky, a long-time devoted church member, said. "It was impressive how many venerated the cross at the Mass," she explained. "It is touching to see people either bow, kiss, or touch the cross in such reverence." There were three Baptisms at the Easter Vigil Mass with ages ranging from 20 to 70 years. On Sunday, there were five Masses and each was well-attended, said Simansky. Simansky said it is not uncommon

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Small St. Louis business faces eviction for $160 million development

3 years ago
St. Louis developer Green Street’s $160 million redevelopment of the historic Armory building in Midtown seeks to erase St. Louis Woodworks, which faces eviction in less than a month from its home of 20 years. St. Louis Woodworks owner Steve Rothschild says the developer has gone too far. The developer says only that it will “continue to abide by the rulings of the courts."