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Letter To The Editor: Madison County board began a fiery debate this month in considering lowering food truck license fees that pitted brick-and-mortar restaurants against the food truck arena. The argument being offered is that food trucks are no different than restaurants so there should be no difference in licensing fees. While there are counterpoints to that argument such as food truck operations are normally restricted to daylight hours, trucks are seasonal, and as an outdoor venue, they cannot offer the accommodations of an indoor dining establishment. The reality is that ultimately it does not matter what side of the fence you stand on. Madison’s neighboring counties have already deemed that there is a difference between food trucks and restaurants, and they set food truck licenses at a lower rate. The real argument that needs to be debated is can Madison County compete with its neighbors and ultimately entice food trucks and the revenue that they bring at the current

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, has named Seth Walker as vice chancellor for University Advancement (VCUA) and CEO of the SIUE Foundation. Pending SIU Board of Trustees approval, Walker will assume the role on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. “As SIUE endeavors to more effectively engage alumni, friends, and donors, I am confident in Seth Walker’s ability to significantly improve advancement efforts to support the mission of the university,” said Minor. “I believe that members of the SIUE community will appreciate his energy, his data-informed approach and his understanding of what we want to accomplish. I look forward to working with him as we define our future and establish new expectations.” As VCUA, Walker will oversee annual giving, financial affairs, major gifts, prospect research, stewardship, planning giving and constituent relations, as well as the SIUE Alumni Association and the SIUE Foundation

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EDWARDSVILLE - One was critically injured in a serious crash on Troy Road Wednesday, June 22. An occupant in one of the vehicles sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to a St. Louis-area hospital by helicopter, which landed in the parking lot at the corner of Governors Parkway and Troy Road. The accident caused a section of Troy Road to be closed for more than three hours. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford pointed out this is the second t-bone accident in the city this week. The occupant of the other vehicle sustained mild injuries and was treated and released at the scene. The Edwardsville Fire Department reminds residents that all vehicles have blind spots caused by the posts that support a vehicle’s roof and windows. "Always check twice when pulling into cross-traffic whether at a stop light, stop sign, or just pulling onto a road," Chief Whiteford said. "All vehicles have blind spots from the posts that support a vehicle's roof and windows, and when you

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EDWARDSVILLE – The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomes two new Visiting Research Fellows: Colin Buck and Philip Kukielski. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, NCERC’s nine-month fellowship program provides training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high-skill jobs in the bioeconomy. “NCERC is pleased to announce the hiring of Colin Buck and Philip Kukielski as NCERC’s newest Visiting Research Fellows,” said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert. “NCERC benefits greatly from mentoring recent college graduates who have specialized areas of study in biology, chemistry and engineering. We extend a special thank you to the Illinois Corn Marketing Board for providing the funding necessary to conduct the fellowship program.” Buck earned a bachelor’s in chemical Engineering in May 2022 from Missouri

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EDWARDSVILLE - McKenna Vereeke was recognized recently on a high echelon for not only her natural beauty and intellect but her talent as a musician and passion for certain social issues. The Hamel native placed second in the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization Pageant Competition recently out of 26 qualifiers. The pageant is part of the Miss America Pageant competition. She is a full-time student at the University of Illinois-Springfield. McKenna is the daughter of Dawn and Chris Vereeke. McKenna was a 2020 Edwardsville High School graduate. Her part of the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization Talent Show was a beautiful violin performance of “Praeludium and Allegro” by Fritz Kreisler. She also presented her social impact initiative “Active Minds: Changing the Conversation About Mental Health" and it was very well received by judges. “I walked in hoping to be in the top 10, and I am 20 and one of the younger participants,” she said. “The oldes

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EDWARDSVILLE - Today County Treasurer Chris Slusser released an extensive list of Republican endorsements for his re-election today, including State Senator Jason Plummer, State Representative Amy Elik, County and Township officials and Republican mayors throughout the county in the June 28 Republican Primary Election. Slusser also received the rare and coveted endorsement of the Madison County Republican Party. “I endorsed Chris Slusser because integrity and character matter. Under his leadership the Madison County Treasurer’s Office is performing better for the taxpayers than ever before,” said State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville). “Chris has shown himself to be a great Treasurer and an even greater person. His honesty and hard work are reasons why I highly recommend voters give him their support and keep him in a job that he is doing with great success,” said Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick. “Chris Slusser is ethical, honest, and sincere,”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen : “Every day, parents across America are burying children they have lost to gun violence. And yet, as our nation still mourns the horrific massacres in Uvalde and Buffalo, and as we work to combat the daily toll of the gun violence epidemic in cities like Chicago, this decision will make it even easier for guns to flood our streets. “For years, the gun lobby has told us the way to reduce gun violence is not to pass new gun laws, but to enforce the laws already on the books. At the same time, the gun lobby has been arguing in court to strike down those gun laws on the books. Today, they succeeded. This decision makes it all the more important for Congress to take actionable steps to protect our kids and communities from this nation’s

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WASHINGTON — Today, the Postal Service announced it will implement upgraded service standards for its USPS Retail Ground (RG) and Parcel Select Ground (PSG) products effective Aug. 1, 2022. Within the contiguous United States, service standards for these products will be accelerated from two- to eight days to two- to five days for the same affordable price. Items containing hazardous materials or live animals are not eligible for the upgraded service standards. RG is a ground shipping product for packages, thick envelopes, and tubes (with a maximum weight of 70 pounds) that are not required to be mailed via First-Class Mail service and are available only through retail channels. PSG is an economical ground delivery service similar to RG for commercial shippers. The Postal Service is aligning the RG and PSG service standards with the current First-Class Package Service (FCPS) standards within the contiguous US. Processing this mail with FCPS packages will enhance customer service

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) called for swift passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This package contains many of Rep. Kelly’s gun violence prevention priorities. Rep. Kelly is calling for House leadership to quickly bring the bill to the floor for a vote and for the support of her colleagues in passing the bill to save lives. “The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will bring real progress to communities across America that are impacted by gun violence, like Illinois’ Second Congressional District,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “Imposing stricter penalties for straw purchasing and gun trafficking, investing billions of dollars in our mental health care services, keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and improving the background checks for buyers under 21 years of age – these are all policies and investments that the American people support and that I have worked for many years to achieve. I

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding the public that along with summer, Mosquito Season is now underway in Illinois and that positive batches of West Nile Virus have been reported in seven counties around the state. The reminder comes as public health officials around the country are highlighting the importance of taking protective action to “Fight the Bite” during National Mosquito Control Awareness Week. While no human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Illinois so far this year, there were 64 human cases (which are significantly under-reported) and five deaths attributed to the disease in the state in 2021. “West Nile virus is a serious illness, and we want to remind everyone to protect themselves from mosquito bites at this time of year when so many of us are spending more time outdoors,” said IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars. “The most important things we can do are to wear insect repellent if w

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) and the Village of South Roxana are hosting a ceremony to designate Illinois Route 111 from New Poag Road to Madison Avenue as “The Chief Todd Werner Memorial Highway”. The ceremony is open to the public and will be at the sign location on Highway 111 and Madison Avenue at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 2. Family and guests can park at the back parking lot of Mike’s Inc. at 109 Velma Avenue, South Roxana and walk to the sign location. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at the South Roxana Village Hall at 211 Sinclair Avenue, South Roxana. “Chief Werner dedicated his life to public service in Madison County by serving as a first responder. He made a positive impact on the people who were fortunate to call him a friend,” said Rep. Elik. “Dedicating a portion of Route 111 in his honor will serve as a reminder that his selfless commitment to the community will not

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EAST ALTON - The East Alton Elementary School District #13 is pleased to announce Mrs. Ashley Lowe as the new Principal of Eastwood Elementary School. Mrs. Lowe comes to the district after serving more than a decade in the Alton School District and four years in East St. Louis Schools. “Ashley will be an outstanding Principal at Eastwood. She is passionate, all about students and faculty, brings a wealth of knowledge regarding special education, and will partner well with parents and community to increase the social-emotional well-being and academic performance of students,” said Mario Sherrell, incoming Superintendent of Schools. Mrs. Lowe attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in special education and McKendree University where she earned a Master’s in Educational Leadership. “I look forward to joining the East Alton Community and working with students, staff, and parents to sustain and grow the school cultur

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O’FALLON, MO - Dozens of top prospect St. Louis high school basketball players from across the St. Louis area will participate in an all-star basketball game at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon, MO help grant wishes to local children battling critical illnesses. The fundraising event will happen on Friday, June 24 at St. Dominic High School located at 31 St Dominic Dr, O'Fallon, MO 63366. At 6 pm a three-point contest will take place followed by a dunk contest. The all-star basketball game will begin at 7:15 p.m. The game is being organized by Luke Kahrhoff, a 17-year-old student from St. Dominic High School who received a wish from the Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas chapter in 2015 when he was just 10 years old. He said he wanted to fund a unique way to raise awareness and funds for the organization that helped him during his own medical journey. “Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer,” said Kahrhoff. “During the course of my chemotherapy

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ALTON - Week three of the Alton Municipal Band’s 132nd season will feature music for the young (and young at heart!) The annual children’s concert will feature familiar tunes from the big screen and the small screen and will feature several different instruments from the band. Children are sure to love songs from the latest children’s movies, and adults will enjoy reminiscing about childhood melodies. The concert will also feature a “Children’s Art Museum.” Children of any age can visit Hayner Public Library at Alton Square Mall anytime before Friday evening to color a picture of their choice, which will be featured in the museum. All of the artwork will be displayed during a pre-concert exhibit at Haskell House on Sunday, June 26th. The concert will be presented on Thursday, June 23rd at Riverview Park (7:30), and Sunday, June 26th at Haskell Park (7:00). The Children’s Art Museum will be open at Haskell House on Sunday, June 26th,

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GLEN CARBON - The 2022 Glen Carbon Homecoming last weekend turned out to be well attended with considerable community participation. The events included a Covered Bridge 5K and Fun Run Saturday morning and a parade that brought out many in the community Saturday afternoon. A variety of vendors turned out with a wide variety of food and drink with shop vendors for the evening. Carnival rides, games, and a climbing wall attracted many children. Riverbend Mobile Ax Throwing also was a hit with Mission Ready Laser Tag. The Glen Homecoming culminated with a fireworks display.

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CARLINVILLE - Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX. The winds of change were quickly felt in Central Illinois. Just eleven months later, the first Macoupin County Girls Track Meet was held. Within a few years, girls’ track in the county, and across the state, would be joined by volleyball, basketball, and cross country, among others. It would be years before the girls’ meet reached equal footing with the boys’ meet. But at least, Macoupin County girls had a chance in athletics in 1973. That inaugural meet was held on May 9 at Carlinville and not surprisingly, it came and went with little fanfare. In Carlinville, the local Macoupin County Enquirer devoted a mere four paragraphs to the meet. The smallest school in the field, Palmyra Northwestern, took top honors with consistency in every discipline. Though the Wildcats captured only three individual crowns, they finished in the top-five in every event to finish with 55 points, ahead of

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement in response to the new bipartisan proposal—the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act —to lower the cost of insulin for working families: “Every time I hear from an Illinoisan who is facing the unbearable decision of either paying for their—or their child’s—lifesaving prescription drugs or paying for rent, the same frustrating question comes to mind: how are we still allowing Big Pharma to have such a stranglehold on our country? “No American who relies on insulin should have to ration their medication to afford their bills. That’s why I was proud to help introduce earlier legislation that would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month, which has been included in the INSULIN Act . I’m proud to support this proposal and I hope we can move quickly to get this passed and to President

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HARDIN - Calhoun County Clerk Rita Hagen said mail-in and early voting “has been very slow in Calhoun” so far this election. While Hagen said voting “seems to be picking up this week,” the turnout for both early voting and voting by mail is down overall. However, Hagen said this isn’t unusual for a primary election in Calhoun County. “Primary Election voting is usually light in the county,” Hagen said. She also said voters “really don't like to declare their party affiliation,” causing further delays for the county and lowering turnout. Based on the numbers so far, a low turnout is expected in Calhoun County this Election Day on June 28. Polls will open for regular voting on June 28 at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. For more information about polling places for Calhoun County, contact the Calhoun County Clerk’s Office at 618-576-9700, ext. 2.

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ALTON - Owner Noah Anderson officially opened his second Anderson's Classic Barbershop location today, this time at 2509 State Street in Alton. Noah said the new location will be a walk-in-only shop for the time being. He has owned the State Street location for around a month. “The State Street location housed the legendary Fletchers Barbershop for many years and is the longest-standing barbershop in all of Alton,” Noah said. “Don Fletcher is still cutting hair at the State Street location as he has for 50-plus years.” The Anderson’s Barbershop on Milton at 1320 Milton Road in Alton has been open for a year under Noah’s guidance. The phone number for the Milton location is 618) 855-1212. Anderson's Barbershop services include a Classic Buzz, Signature Cut, Executive Beard Trim, Straight Razor Shave, and the basic Haircut or Beard Trim. There are multiple professional barbers working at State Street and the Milton Road location. Clients appear

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GRAFTON - Multiple individuals were honored at the Grafton City Council meeting on June 21. Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Stan Gula of Dream Home Realty Centre, Inc., for selling all thirty of the city-owned residential lots in the Grafton Hills subdivision. In November 2021, reporter Teri Maddox of the Belleville News-Democrat wrote and published an article about the "free lots" being given away in Grafton. Her story went viral and started the ensuing land rush! Within 24 hours, Stan received over 500 calls and emails from as far away as Canada, eventually culminating in a new owner for every lot. “The deluge of phone calls, emails, and texts we received inquiring about our free lot program was incredible,” said Gula. Mayor Morrow said, “Because of Stan’s dedication and hard work, Grafton can look forward to welcoming these new residents and families to our historic little river town. The Grafton Hills lot program

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