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Grafton Passes Tax To Support Police By 71 Percent Vote

3 years ago
GRAFTON - The citizens of Grafton overwhelmingly voted to pass a ½% Non-Home rule sales tax to support their police department and municipal operations in Tuesday’s ballot referendum by a 71 percent vote. “The Police Chief and I are extremely grateful to the citizens of Grafton for voting for this tax increase,” said Mayor Morrow. “This tax increase will generate roughly $68,000 annually and half of this tax increase will immediately allow us to adjust our officers and municipal workers' pay and offer a 3% match to their individual retirement accounts with money left over for needed equipment and training requirements.” Grafton Chief Of Police Eric Spanton said: “I am overwhelmed by the support and outpouring of concern from our citizens for our police officers. “I want to thank the mayor for working non-stop to help our officers and the department, this show of support from the community means a lot to us." The council will vote on

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State Fire Marshal Matt Perez Announces Retirement

3 years ago
SPRINGFIELD —Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez has announced plans to retire at the end of June, 2022. Perez has served over 7 years as Illinois State Fire Marshal and over 37 years in the public safety field. Before beginning his career in the fire service, Perez worked for two years as a patrol officer in the Kane County Sheriff’s Department. He then joined the Aurora Fire Department where he served 27 years and became certified as a paramedic, an arson investigator, and rose to the rank of Assistant Chief. “Matt Perez has been an outstanding Fire Marshal for all of Illinois, serving through administrations on both sides of the aisle and championing districts urban and rural alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “His decades in service offer an example in excellence for public servants across government, and while I’m sad to see him leave, his mark on the Fire Marshal’s office will long outlast his time in office thanks to his leadership

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It's Time For Fireworks In Southwest Illinois

3 years ago
ALTON - Get ready for a fireworks road trip to southwest Illinois with local communities ready to light up the night skies with a variety of fireworks shows starting Saturday, July 2 and running through Monday, July 4. Several communities in the Great Rivers & Routes region of southwest Illinois from Troy to Carlinville, Alton to Grafton are celebrating the long Independence Day weekend with celebrations that cap off with evening fireworks shows. Fireworks take center stage in Edwardsville , Carlinville, Girard, Gillespie, Greenfield, Brighton, and Grafton on Saturday, July 2. The Carlinville light show takes place at the Macoupin County Fairgrounds with gates opening at 8:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at dusk. Admission is free. Enjoy entertainment and food and drink specials at Grafton businesses and when the sun goes down, enjoy the fireworks lighting up the skies near Lighthouse Park at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers along the Grafton Riverfront.

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Wood River Township Residents Protected From Rising Energy Costs

3 years ago
WOOD RIVER - Thanks to the foresight of the leadership for Wood River Township and their consultant Good Energy LP, its residents located in the unincorporated areas of the township are protected from the increasing costs of electric supply. Along with several other local communities and other townships, Wood River Township Supervisor, Mike Babcock, joined the municipal aggregation program nearly 10 years ago. The program has been successful over the years by saving residents money on their electric bills. However, it’s never been more successful than it is now. With the current volatility in the energy market, prices have skyrocketed. If not for the aggregation, the residents would have no choice but to receive their power supply from Ameren. In May, Ameren filed its latest rate increase with the Illinois Commerce Commission, since that time they have had to readjust those rates upward two additional times to the current rate. Rates starting in June will be .10628 per kilowatt

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ISVMA Offers Pet Summer Safety Tips

3 years ago
SPRINGFIELD – “Summertime, and the living is easy …” so goes the classic song, but if it is even slightly warm outside, and with the loud celebrations the season brings, pets are at risk if not given the proper foresight and protection for their human caretakers, making summer not so easy for our furry friends. The Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) wants pet owners to understand what they can do to help protect their pets during the good ‘ol summertime. “When it’s hot out, pet owners can be proactive with proper planning and care so that their dogs, cats, and other pets can be properly cared for when it’s really hot outside,” says Dr. Devon Hague, President, ISVMA Board of Directors. “And let’s not forget to help shield our pets from the potential shock that holidays, like Independence Day, can present where there could be crowds of strangers, potentially harmful foods (for animals) served at picnics,

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Map of the day: Here are the cities where pay has increased the most

3 years ago
According to the latest numbers from the BLS, here are the cities where pay has increased the most over the past year: Both the biggest and smallest pay increases seem to be scattered pretty equally around the country, so no interesting conclusions about this spring to mind. I will say that only in the yellow ...continue reading "Map of the day: Here are the cities where pay has increased the most"
Kevin Drum

Why Roe v. Wade's Demise - Unlike Gay Rights Or Ukraine – Isn’t Getting Corporate America To Speak Up

3 years ago
(THE CONVERSATION) - Corporate America – once known for carefully avoiding public stances on hot button issues – has, in recent years, become increasingly outspoken on a host of thorny topics, from gay rights to the war in Ukraine . That makes its relative silence in the face of the end of federal abortion rights all the more deafening. Over two-thirds of companies in the Fortune 500 are publicly committed to supporting LGBTQ rights, and many were early backers of marriage equality before the public embraced it. In the weeks after Vladimir Putin sent his armies into Ukraine, hundreds of companies suspended or ceased operations in Russia in an unprecedented reaction to geopolitical aggression. And in the aftermath of the passage of a 2021 Georgia law seen as curtailing voting rights, dozens of companies spoke forcefully against the legislation. But so far, only three dozen or so companies have taken a public stance on the Supreme Court’s decision t

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Durbin Joins Shaheen, Tillis, Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Statement As Path Clears For Finland & Sweden's Accession Into NATO

3 years ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) in a joint statement on the announcement that an agreement was reached and Turkey will drop its hold on Finland and Sweden’s application to join the transatlantic Alliance. Durbin and the Senators are currently at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid to discuss congressional support for the transatlantic relationship, as well as continued Russian aggression and interference in western democracies. The Senators previously stopped in Sweden to meet with heads of state and partake in other important bilateral meetings with the respective nations’ administration officials. “It is important that all NATO Allies work together to accelerate Finland and Sweden’s accession into NATO, which is why we are very encouraged that an agreement

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Holiday Weekend Closure Hours For Riverlands Way And Maple Island Access Area

3 years ago
WEST ALTON, IL – The US Army Corps of Engineers, Rivers Project Office, will temporarily close Riverlands Way and Maple Island Access Area in West Alton for the Fourth of July Weekend. Riverlands Way will be closed beginning the evening of July 1 st at 7:00 pm until 7:00 am the following morning of July 2 nd . The road will close again at 7:00 pm the evening of July 2 nd until 7:00 am the following morning of July 3 rd . The road will close again at 10:00 pm the evening of July 3 rd until 7:00 am the following morning of July 4 th , at which time normal access will resume. Maple Island Access Area will be closed beginning the evening of July 1 st at 7:00 pm until 7:00 am the following morning of July 2 nd . The road will close again at 7:00 pm the evening of July 2 nd until 7:00 am the following morning of July 3 rd . The road will close again at 7:00 pm the evening of July 3 rd until 7:00 am the following morning of July 4 th , at which time normal access will resume.

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Jones to sign new $1.2B city budget today

3 years ago
ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones will sign the new city budget on Wednesday. It's a $1.2 billion plan and it includes a three percent raise for city workers and $1 million for paid family leave. This is the first time since 2019 that the aldermen have approved the budget. The new fiscal year starts [...]
Monica Ryan