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Crowe Advances Measure To Support Wine-Makers In Illinois

3 years 1 month ago
SPRINGFIELD – With more than 150 wineries statewide, Illinois is a leader in wine operations. To offer financial relief to struggling makers, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) advanced legislation to lower licensing fees for first-class manufacturers. “Wineries are unique small businesses servicing communities throughout the entire state,” Crowe said. “By re-implementing the previous licensing fees, we can offer financial support to wine operators as they work to bounce back following pandemic-related burdens.” In partnership with the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, Crowe’s measure lowers the licensing fees for first-class wine manufacturers to $750 if renewed online and $900 for initial or non-online certification. Under a law passed in 2021, the fees were raised to $1,200 if renewed online and $1,500 for initial licenses and non-online. “Wineries in Illinois offer diverse experiences, but the industry endured

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Announcing The Winners Of The 4th Annual Public Domain Game Jam!

3 years 1 month ago
Well, it took us a little longer than usual, but we’re finally ready to announce the winners of our fourth annual public domain game jam, Gaming Like It’s 1926! We asked designers to create games based on works published in 1926 (plus some earlier sound recordings, due to the complexities of copyright law) that entered […]
Leigh Beadon

Postal Employee On Disability Pleads Guilty For False Statements

3 years 1 month ago
EAST ST. LOUIS - Randy Goodwin, 56, of Belleville, Illinois, pled guilty today to a two count information charging him with making false statements to obtain federal disability compensation under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. According to court documents, Goodwin began receiving federal disability payments after he was injured working for the United States Postal Service in 2013. After his injury, Goodwin began working at his family’s restaurant, Good Heavens BBQ, in East St. Louis, Illinois. Annual disability forms require recipients to disclose additional earned income and employment. However, to avoid a reduction of his benefits, Goodwin falsely reported that he had not worked for any employers or had any involvement in any businesses for several years. This caused the United States Postal Service to pay him more in disability than he truly deserved. As a result of his plea, Goodwin will lose all disability benefits going forward. He also paid over $20,000

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Erykah Badu, Gary Clark Jr. Top Music at the Intersection's 2022 Lineup

3 years 1 month ago
For its second year, Music at the Intersection will see more than 50 acts converge on Grand Center, with neo-soul singer Erykah Badu and blues-rock guitarist Gary Clark Jr. topping the bill. St. Louis' premier festival of soul, jazz, blues, hip-hop, rock and everything in between will also feature performances from Hiatus Kaiyote, Kamasi Washington, Buddy Guy and Robert Glasper, as well as a slew of St. Louis-based acts including the Urge, Foxing, NandoSTL and more.…
Daniel Hill

Centralia Man Sentenced To 14 Years In Federal Prison On Child Pornography and Sextortion Charge

3 years 1 month ago
BENTON – Bryan Flanagan, 35, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Thursday, March 3, 2022, on two counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of interstate communication with intent to extort. Flanagan pleaded guilty to charges in federal court on September 16, 2021. Flanagan extorted multiple minor girls online to send him sexual videos and images. Beginning in February 2020, Flanagan used fake profiles pretending to be a teenage boy on Facebook to contact multiple underage girls across the United States. Flanagan pressured and threatened his victims into sending him sexually explicit videos and images. When some victims refused to do so, Flanagan lied and told them that he was babysitting a young child and would rape or molest the child unless his online victims sent him the requested images. Flanagan distributed images of child pornography to at least two of his victims. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood,

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Missouri House narrowly sends open enrollment, charter funding bills to the Senate

3 years 1 month ago

A pair of education bills supported by school-choice advocates narrowly passed out of the Missouri House Wednesday, overcoming a diminished GOP majority that had threatened to doom their chances earlier in the legislative session.  The bills, which deal with charter school funding and establishing an open enrollment system, both earned 85 votes in support — […]

The post Missouri House narrowly sends open enrollment, charter funding bills to the Senate appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg

Lunchtime Photo

3 years 1 month ago
Sunset on the EJ Grizzaffi Bridge crossing the Atchafalaya River in Morgan City, Louisiana.
Kevin Drum

Emily Rayburn Is Positive Addition To Lincoln Middle As Principal's Secretary, Also Has Artistic Side

3 years 1 month ago
EDWARDSVILLE - Emily Rayburn is Lincoln Principal Jen Morgan’s secretary. But she’s also a former dancer, a dance company board president, and a sign language student. Rayburn has only been with Edwardsville School District #7 a short time, starting at Liberty in August 2020 as the attendance secretary before moving to Lincoln in late May 2021, but she’s made an impact on those who have worked with her and vice versa. “Lincoln is a wonderful school with amazing staff members. There is a lot of kindness, humor, sass and hard work ethic in our building.” The Edwardsville native began dancing when she was six years old at a local studio in town. Rayburn earned a B.F.A. in dance performance and choreography from Western Michigan and then moved to Chicago to begin her dance career. “I did freelance work for a while and then started my own 501(c)3 non-profit dance company called Hot Crowd in November 2017, which is a modern/contemporary dance company tha

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