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ALTON - Wednesday night, July 27, was OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center Night at the Ballpark. It included doctors and nurses receiving free admission, people giving out health care information, and a local cancer survivor throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Jim Corby, 61, of Alton was diagnosed with esophageal cancer earlier this year. After multiple different treatments and surgeries, he received the news that he was 100% cancer free. When asked how relieved he and his family was to hear that news he got a little emotional. “To be honest, in January, I didn’t think I was going to make it. I’m not going to lie.” He thanked the help of his excellent doctors and nurses at Saint Anthony's and credited them for saving his life. “If it wasn’t for these nurses and these doctors, I wouldn’t be here. They get you to where you need to be. It’s not about them, it’s all about you and that’s what’s neat." Now that he's

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EDWARDSVILLE – A portion of Center Grove Road near Edwardsville High School will be closed for pavement repairs beginning Monday, August 1, through Friday, August 5, weather permitting. The repairs are being completed by RCS Construction. During that period, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic between Plummer Drive and Esic Drive. A full roadway closure for all traffic will be in place between the eastern and main entrances to Edwardsville High School. Motorists will be required to use alternate routes, and detour routes will be posted. Both entrances to the school and sports complex will remain open, as well as local access to businesses and subdivisions between Plummer Drive and Esic Drive. The City appreciates the cooperation of all residents during this process. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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COLLINSVILLE - Professional caregivers in long-term care environments face unique challenges which may impact their personal health and wellbeing. A workshop series, Learn. Think. Care., offered by University of Illinois Extension , helps caregivers build personal resiliency, knowledge, and strategies for meeting the needs of clients in long-term care environments. "Professionals that work with older adults often have trouble accessing convenient continuing education opportunities," says Karla Belzer , Illinois Extension family life educator." The series is designed for professionals to join the session online, during their workday, eliminating the barriers of time and travel that often impair participation in continuing education." Three free one-hour workshops will be held online beginning at 2 p.m. on Sept. 8. Register at go.illinois.edu/LTCwebinars at least one week prior to each workshop to receive all access information. CEUs and CPDUs are available for a fee. If a

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ALTON - “Home and Abroad” will be the theme of the penultimate week of summer concerts in the park with the Alton Municipal Band. Conductor David Drillinger will lead the program of music from around the world, taking the audience on a musical adventure of destinations both near and far. Guest soloist Robyn Brandon, a longtime friend of the band, will be the evening’s featured vocalist. Mrs. Brandon’s vocal stylings have been a hit with audiences in Alton for the better part of two decades. This year, her performance will enhance the musical journey around the globe. The concert will be performed twice: once on Thursday, July 28th, at Riverview Park (7:30 PM), and again on Sunday, July 31st at Haskell Park (7:00 PM).

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton will have one last celebration before school starts on August 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free event is open to the entire community. There will be a fire truck, MICU ambulance, UPS truck, K-9 unit, shark dissection, vaping danger education and many more fun activities. Hot dogs and snow cones will be available. School supplies including paper, pens, pencils and crayons will be available to the first 300 kids ages 4-12. OSF Saint Anthony’s is hosting this event to build up the community after a difficult couple of years. OSF Mission Partners (employees) hope to educate and provide services to kids in their community through fun games and family activities. Some competitions include a self-portrait contest and bean bag toss. The event is sponsored by Dwight and Cheryl Werts in partnership with: Alton Police Department Alton Fire Department ARCH Helicopter Boys and Girls Club of Alton Lakeside

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ST. LOUIS – At least six NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams will test at World Wide Technology Raceway on Thursday, August 11 in preparation for the sixth annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline. Teams expected to participate include Andretti Autosport, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and A.J. Foyt Enterprises. • The August 11 test session is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central. • If the weather forecast is not favorable, the test session may be moved up to August 10. • The test session is open to the media. The test session is not open to the public. • The Indy Lights Series is slated to test at WWTR on August 12. BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500 PRESENTED BY AXALTA AND VALVOLINE WEEKEND The NTT INDYCAR SERIES brings the world to the St. Louis-Metro East region. It’s an international series, with America’s best drivers competing against men and women from New Zealand, Spain, Australia, France, Netherlands, Sweden,

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ST. LOUIS — Big Muddy Adventures (BMA) is excited to announce the opening of a boat rental operation at Simpson Lake, located at 1234 Marshall Road in Valley Park, MO. Starting this weekend, the public will be able to rent kayaks, canoes, and stand-up-paddleboards (SUPs) at the 72-acre lake, which is located in Simpson Park. “Simpson Lake is an untapped, yet integral part of St. Louis’ paddling scene. We’re excited to get the opportunity to help more people explore this natural beauty located right in the heart of St. Louis County,” said Roo Yawitz, owner of BMA. This isn’t the first foray into the rental business for Big Muddy Adventures. BMA has been the exclusive rental operator at the Boathouse in Forest Park since 2018. Since that time, Big Muddy Adventures at the Boathouse has replaced and updated the boat rental fleet, introduced bicycle rentals and hosted numerous special events and instructional classes including SUP Yoga, Moonlight Picnics

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ALTON - Bright Hope Chapter No. 85 Order of the Eastern Stars of Alton, IL., Prince Hall Affiliated will be celebrating its 100 th Year Anniversary at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This celebration will be held at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2621 Amelia Street, Alton, where the host Pastor is Reverend John Buford. The speaker will be Pastor Donald Tolbert of the Church of the Living God, Alton. The public is invited. There will be a fellowship dinner afterward. For more information please contact Worthy Matron Maxine Caldwell at 618-795-5786 or Past Worthy Matron Rosie Brown at 618-580-2394.

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ALTON - From 9 a.m to 12 p.m. on Saturday, July 30th, the Alton Athletic Association will be hosting the 1st annual Redbird Amazing Race. It costs $100 to make a team of five athletes to participate in the race. Teams will need a driver to get from place to place. The driver can be either a student or parent with a valid driver's license. Lunch and a T-Shirt will be included in the cost. Teams will visit 10 locations around town and complete a task at each one. Everything begins and ends at Piasa Motor Fuels Field, the soccer/baseball complex behind Alton High School. As Amy Lombardi explained it, the event is less of a race ad more of a scavenger hunt. The teams will receive riddles and search for clues that help guide them to the next location where they'll have to complete a task. They currently have 10 teams participating, but were hoping for a few more. They're already talking about next year's event to be around summertime and are hoping that after this year's publicity th

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CHICAGO - The Mega Millions jackpot is now an incredible $1.025 billion for the next drawing on Friday night. While the jackpot rolled in last night's Mega Millions drawing, an Illinois Lottery player woke up this morning as a millionaire after matching all five numbers. The $1 million winning ticket was bought at JM Food Shop at 11200 N IL Route 47, Huntley, IL 60142. The Illinois Lottery encourages all winners to write their name on the back of their ticket and make an appointment at a claim center to claim their prize. For more information on how to claim a lottery prize, visit Illinois.Lottery/winning Only three jackpots over $1 billion have ever been won in the U.S. A $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot was won by three tickets bought in California, Florida, and Tennessee in 2016 A $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won by a ticket bought in South Carolina in 2018 A $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won by a ticket in Michigan in 2021. The next Mega Millions

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Fire and Police Departments and the Illinois Department of Transportation both issued warnings today to motorists about flash flood conditions. Tuesday morning, the entire region was belted with multiple inches of rain, creating massive flash floods and traffic issues. St. Peters, Mo., received 12.34 inches of rain in a short period of time and Granite City even received 8.5 inches, the tops on this side of the river. IDOT says do not drive in flooded areas. If a road is covered by water that seems shallow to cross do not attempt to do so. If your car stalls, do not attempt to push it out, seek higher ground. IDOT also says to take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps and bridges in flash flood conditions. IDOT said the best approach is just to stay off the roads until they clear during these types of situations. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford reminded people to be careful during heavy rainfall and there is an old saying that i

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ST. LOUIS - Many area residents are frequent riders on the MetroLink system. As of July 27, the lines are very disrupted due to the massive thunderstorm that ripped through the St. Louis area on Tuesday. This is the status of service as of July 27: MetroLink is only operating between the Central West End & Shiloh-Scott Stations on the Red Line (20-minute frequency), and between the Shrewsbury & University City-Big Bend Stations on the Blue Line (40-minute frequency). MetroLink Station Shuttles are transporting passengers by bus between Lambert Airport and Central West End Stations and between University City-Big Bend and Central West End Stations. Riders traveling through these areas should expect delays of up to 60 minutes for the bus shuttles. MetroLink riders traveling through the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are encouraged to seek alternative transportation options until further notice. Airport Riders: To access the station shuttles, you will need to be at the

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois collaborated with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to provide $12 million to help income-qualified customers pay their energy bills through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Summer Supplemental Benefit program. The LIHEAP Summer Supplemental Benefit Program provides additional relief to aid LIHEAP customers impacted by higher power supply prices. Inflation and supply constraints have led to an energy shortage and the resulting supply cost increases have caused monthly bill amounts to increase significantly over last year. Ameren Illinois does not profit from energy supply; power is purchased by an Illinois state agency and the costs are passed directly to customers, dollar-for-dollar. Households who received a benefit through the state-administered LIHEAP program between Sept. 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, and whose original LIHEAP benefit account is still active with Ameren Illinois during the

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Fire Department responded to a report of a tree that fell on a home on McKinley after the heavy thunderstorm on Tuesday, but once they arrived, they determined it was on private property. Homeowners then had to tend to the situation. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said thankfully, that it appeared that damage was not major to the house. He said tree limb break may have been caused by a gust of wind or external weight, but at the present time, the cause was not known. The fire chief said Edwardsville was “pretty lucky” overall during Tuesday’s thunderstorm because there were no water rescues or flooding that he is aware of in the community.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Participation in competitive online gaming has become increasingly popular, with opportunities for building community with other players and showcasing gaming skills nationwide. SIUE’s Esports team is gradually making its mark in the industry, most recently finishing in the top five overall during the collegiate Call of Duty (CCL) spring season. The team went undefeated in the main portion of the CCL league consisting of 205 teams. Subsequently, the team progressed to a bracket of 60 teams which would later participate in a playoff of 32 teams. Eight teams proceeded to the final, represented in-person at Columbus, Ohio. SIUE Esports team members who traveled to Columbus included Ryan Pree, Drevin Day, Mohammad Khan and Michael Simpson. “I was proud as ever when our team finished in the top four among many strong programs,” said Wilke, of St. Rose, president and manager of the SIUE Esports Club. “We started the Call of Duty portion of

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GODFREY - It isn’t beginning to look a lot like Christmas yet, but one local auto shop is getting a head start on the festivities this year while supporting a charitable cause. Freer Auto Body in Godfrey is hosting their 14th annual “Christmas in July” fundraiser this Friday to support Community Christmas, an organization helping local families in need this holiday season. This year’s Christmas in July will be held this Friday, July 29 from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Freer Auto Body, located at 4512 N. Alby St. in Godfrey. For a cash donation, attendees can enjoy Sloppy Joes, chips and a cold drink. Several valuable prizes will be given away in a raffle and tickets are $10 each. Prizes include a $2,500 Apple Vacations gift card, a seven-night stay in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo in Panama City Beach, $2,500 cash, a four-night stay in a Tan-Tar-A Estates resort home in the Lake of the Ozarks and four St. Louis Cardinal Green Seats. Freer Auto Body Secretary

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MARYVILLE – Illinois will institute a 10-day tax holiday on school supplies, and working families can expect to have reduced shopping costs ahead of the upcoming academic year, State Senator Kris Tharp announced. “As a nod to our working parents, guardians and teachers in Illinois, lowering the tax rate on school supplies reduces a burden when preparing students and classrooms for the academic year,” said Tharp (D-Bethalto). “By instituting a tax holiday, Illinois can help relieve families and educators of some financial costs in order to ensure students have the tools to be successful in the upcoming school year.” The law lowers the state tax rate on school supplies, eligible clothes and footwear from 6.25% down to 1.25% for 10 days from Aug. 5 to Aug. 14, 2022. “By lowering the tax rate to be competitive with neighboring states, we can give residents one more reason to shop local,” Tharp said. “We need to be doing all we can to support

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ST. LOUIS - Popular singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes was supposed to be playing a show in St. Louis coming up. That was until he took to his Instagram and announced that he is going to cancel the remainder of his 'Wonder: World Tour.' The St. Louis date on July 16 was originally postponed before Mendes announced the cancellation of all his tour dates. Below is the statement he made on Instagram: Ticket refund info: The Shawn Mendes concert, originally scheduled for July 16, has now been canceled. For tickets purchased through Ticketmaster, a refund will automatically be issued. For all other refunds, please contact the original point of purchase.

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GRANITE CITY - Cedarhurst of Granite City hosted a ribbon cutting this past week with solid attendance to showcase its 24 new memory care units with its 72 assisted living apartments. The Dover Companies CFO Stephen Wertman was in attendance and spoke, Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson also was present and Dover Companies CEO Joshua Jennings also attended. Cedarhurst is the operating arm of St. Louis-based Dover Companies, an integrated builder, owner, acquirer, and management firm. Executive Director Cindy Woods also provided a dynamic greeting to those in attendance. These are some facts about Cedarhurst: Cedarhurst of Granite City has been open since 2019. Cedarhurst of Granite City is now officially among the 40 of 54 Cedarhurst communities that offer memory care. Cedarhurst has four communities in the Metro East (Troy, Bethalto, Granite City and Highland), and a dozen in the St Louis Metro area. "We are thrilled to officially unveil the work we have put into making Cedarhurst

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BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Area Humane Society (BAHS) is so very grateful for their community. Yesterday as the waters rose around Belleville Area Humane Society and St. Clair County Animal Adoption Center and Animal Services (SCCAC), THE COMMUNITY SHOWED UP. The evacuation at the Adoption Center and Animal Services building started there at 6am. Over 40 animals were transported to safety by The Public Building Commission, the police and fire departments, Belleville Area Humane Society , Gateway Pet Guardians , Stray Rescue of St. Louis , Helping Strays of Monroe County , Partners 4 Pets , St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency , St Clair County Highway Department , Bi-State Pet Food Pantry , Helping Hounds Dog Training , Robert Trentman , Shelly Tribout-Korves and Jack Korves , Jamie Anderson Case , Mark Kern . Countless neighbors stopped by to help when their own houses were flooding, and the community dropped off supplies, snacks, and good cheer. BAHS Executive

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