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GRANITE CITY - Mitchell 4th grade teacher Kim Antonovich-Merz has been named the 2022 Madison County Green Schools Coordinator of the Year for her leadership and creativity in organizing and managing the Green Schools Program at Mitchell 3-4 Education Center. Bailey Lutz from Madison County Building and Zoning presented Antonovich-Merz with a $500 check and a trophy in a small ceremony last week. In addition, Mitchell School received $500 to recognize Antonovich-Merz's recycling efforts. Currently serving as the Green School coordinator at Mitchell, Antonovich-Merz shows her passion for environmental education and her dedication to the efforts of the Green Schools Program. Since starting in the role as Green School Coordinator in 2004, she has worked effortlessly to start a sustainable recycling program. Antonovich-Merz works to hold public recycling days for electronics, shoes and tabs. She is currently overseeing a district-wide summer recycling program for students to help purchase

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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker today signed legislation designed to increase access to Illinois’ higher education system, close equity gaps, and improve student protections and operational effectiveness. The bills expand resources available to students and build on the administration’s efforts to expand equitable access to public universities and community colleges. House Bill 4201 helps students at state universities and community colleges access benefits through “benefits navigators.” Each institution is tasked with assigning a benefits navigator for the purpose of guiding students to seek and apply for any federal, state, or local program that provides assistance or benefits for which they are eligible. HB 4201 goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023. Senate Bill 3991 amends the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program, also known as the Children’s Savings Program, which was established to start each baby born or adopted in Illinois with a $50 college

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JERSEYVILLE - Downtown Jerseyville will host 2nd evening for this new concert series. This concept, developed by Explore Jerseyville Tourism, brings together a public-private partnership. Each event happening over the remainder of 2022 will bring together different Jerseyville businesses to cover aspects of the evening, showcasing what they provide. The City Council approved the closure of the 100 block of West Pearl Street for Friday, July 2nd at a regular meeting on May 17th. The street is directly in front of JEM Bar, in the Heart of the City Center. Representation from local businesses and community organizations will be present on the grounds with numerous Restaurants, Bars, and Retail Shops Just steps away. Kick off the weekend with drinks on the concert grounds by JEM Bar, Los Tres Amigos moves downtown for an evening with a full nacho/taco bar, Pig on a Wing will also be there with some great options from their food truck, and the U.S Veterans Foundation will be there providin

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SANGAMON COUNTY - Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon announced on Tuesday he has ruled that 2-year-old Jordan Whitaker of Virden died on December 7, 2021, from "abdominal sepsis" at St. John's Hospital in Springfield. The coroner also said he is ruling the Macoupin County toddler’s death in December as a homicide. The coroner said the boy suffered a traumatic rupture of his intestine due to child abuse. The Illinois State Police continue to investigate the 2-year-old's death.

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ST. LOUIS - Alaina Macia, President and CEO of Medical Transportation Management, Inc. (MTM), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, has announced the acquisition of Veyo, a non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) company based out of San Diego, California. For more than 25 years, MTM has secured its place as an industry leader, working to develop innovative solutions that help people easily and reliably access NEMT options within their communities. MTM is one of the largest NEMT brokers in the nation, scheduling more than 13 million trips for Medicaid and Medicare members nationwide. As a result of the acquisition, MTM’s total annual revenue will be approximately $1 billion. The organization will now provide 20 million trips each year to 16 million people in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Macia said the partnership will transform the medical transport industry by bringing together two talented organizations that share the goal of making it easier for people to

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GRAFTON – For a day filled with fun and educational activities for the entire family, check out the Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair on Saturday, June 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton on Illinois Route 100. The annual Fishing Fair will include a wide variety of outdoor activities. Participating children will find a catch-and-release bluegill pond where young anglers can have their photograph taken with their catch; the popular One-Cast station, where everyone wins a prize; and, bow fishing stations where children can shoot at moving targets in a pool or at a 3D target. Every child who completes at least seven stations will receive a prize and have the chance to catch a trout in the trout pond. Fetch-N-Fish is making a return to the fair after a few years away. Jason Reynolds will be bringing his 4,000-gallon mobile aquarium that will be stocked with many of the fish species found in the Illinois River. He will conduct fishing seminars

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JERSEYVILLE - Sara Poletti, of Jerseyville, was recognized as one of 30 members of the class of 2022 Farm Credit agriculture scholars during a luncheon at Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham Thursday. Each scholar receives $2,000 from FCI to pursue a degree within the field of agriculture. Recipients were selected from 117 applicants throughout central and southern Illinois by a panel of judges in the agriculture industry. This fall, Poletti will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study agricultural and consumer economics with a concentration in marketing and management and hopes to pursue a career in agricultural marketing. She is the daughter of Ben and Melissa Poletti of Jerseyville. “Farm Credit Illinois is proud to invest in tomorrow’s agricultural leaders,” says Rod Stoll, vice president of marketplace engagement for FCI. “These scholars will support our mission of Helping Farm Families Succeed by applying their passion

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ST. LOUIS - Urology of St. Louis (USL) is shining a light on the importance of men’s health during National Men’s Health Month in June. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), studies show that men are less likely to visit a doctor. USL wants to remind men that staying on top of their health and wellness is key to living a long healthy life. “Eating right and regular exercising habits are the recipe to having a healthy lifestyle,” said Urologist Dr. Christopher Jaeger. “But one other healthy habit that is often forgotten is the importance of seeing a primary care physician to receive annual wellness checks. When patients stay up to date on their care, they are more likely to catch any illnesses or cancers sooner than they would have without seeing a doctor. Various health conditions that men are at risk for can often be detected early, and when they’re detected early, it can sometimes lead to more successful outcomes.”

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Letter To The Editor: I am honored to express my support for Jeff Larner, Candidate for Madison County Sheriff. Jeff has over Three decades of Law Enforcement service in both the public and private sectors that encompass real-world entry-level to executive level experiences. Jeff will utilize his vast knowledge and experience to tackle the continuous and constantly changing demands of modern-day Law Enforcement to include recruiting, deputy retention, training mandates, legislative directives, justice reform and community policing all the while remaining focused and achieving the goal of public safety. He will be a selfless, dedicated, and transparent community partner who can bring together a vast network of Federal, State, and other Local resources to assist the needs of the Sheriff’s office if necessary, and will be proactive and aggressive in implementing new public safety initiatives to address criminal activity whether within or headed to the boundaries of the County.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating a fatal motor crash in the area of Lewis and Clark Boulevard and St. Cyr Road which resulted in the death of an adult male. On June 4, 2022, at approximately 7:00 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the City of Jennings Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident in the area of Lewis and Clark Boulevard and St. Cyr Road. Arriving officers located two motor vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. Preliminary investigation has revealed a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox was southbound on Lewis and Clark Boulevard. The Equinox entered the intersection at St. Cyr Road and struck a 2011 Volvo S40, which was westbound on St. Cyr Road turning onto southbound Lewis and Clark Boulevard. After striking the Volvo, the Equinox rolled several times before coming to rest. The driver of the Equinox, an adult male, was ejected from th

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BLOOMINGTON - Lexie Griffin hit a pair of two runs homers as part of a three-hit, five RBI day, while Ryleigh Owens tossed another complete game in the circle, striking out six as Edwardsville defeated West Aurora 11-5 in the IHSA softball Class 4A super-sectional game at Illinois Wesleyan University's Carol Willis Field/Inspiration Park Tuesday afternoon in Bloomington. In a game that was postponed from Monday afternoon due to weather concerns, the Tigers joined the baseball team in advancing to this weekend's start finals, guaranteeing that both teams will be bringing home a trophy for the first time in both program's history. It's also the first appearance for the Tigers in the last four since 2009. Edwardsville jumped out in front in the opening inning as Owens led off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Avery Hamilton and scored on Jillian Lane's single to left to go ahead 1-0. Land later stole second and one out later, scored on a Sydney Lawrence RBI single to

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JERSEYVILLE - The 151st annual Jersey County Fair will be held from Tuesday, July 12 - Sunday, July 17. The fair will feature carnival rides, grandstand events, fair food, animal shows, a petting zoo and much more. The accompanying Jersey County Fair Parade will be held Tuesday, July 12 at 6 p.m., traveling north on State Street beginning one block north of Route 16 and ending at the fairgrounds. Admission to the fair is free for children under 12 years old, $2 for adults and parking is free. Jersey County Fair President Phil Ringhausen Jr. said visitors can expect their favorite carnival rides to return this year, as they continue to work with Tinley Amusements with whom they’ve worked for over 40 years. Armbands for all-night carnival ride access are $20 on Tuesday and Sunday and $25 from Wednesday-Saturday. Visitors will also be able to eat from some of their favorite fair food vendors during Fair Week, including stands with Pronto Pups and Lemonade Shake-Ups, a

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ALTON - Patients of OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in the greater Riverbend community will soon have access to a comprehensive network of pediatric providers through a recently-announced strategic affiliation with SSM Health, a Catholic health care system based in the St. Louis area. This collaboration will better serve patients in the community by bringing exceptional medical and surgical specialties closer to home. The affiliation combines a commitment to exceptional care and an expanded, comprehensive network of expert specialty and subspecialty physicians for patients in the area. The latest collaboration will see Ameera Nauman, MD , a pediatrician at OSF Saint Anthony’s, move into the SSM Health network while continuing to see patients at the OSF Medical Group office in Godfrey. The Godfrey office offers primary care for adults as well as pediatric care. Dr. Nauman will have access to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital , a world-class

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GODFREY - Riverbender.com will broadcast the Village of Godfrey's board meetings on the first and third Tuesday of every month beginning tonight. The Public Safety Meeting will start the night off at 6 p.m., followed by the Finance Meeting, then the Village Board Meeting. Riverbender.com Owner/CEO John Hentrich said the meetings normally last an hour to an hour and a half for the three together. Live coverage will begin tonight at 6 p.m.: http://www.riverbender.com/video/live/details.cfm?id=1309 Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick said he was appreciative of John Hentrich and Riverbender.com for the opportunity to live-stream the twice-a-month meetings. "I am very much looking forward to it," Mayor McCormick said. "I think it will open up doors to more people in our community. I am looking forward to tonight's test run. I see a good future in this program." Hentrich thanked Matt Darr of Williams Office Supply, Jarvis Swope of the City of Alton, and Rich Beran, the Godfrey Village Engineer

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GODFREY - Taylor and Lily Freer's Christmas In July event raised more than $51,000 in 2021 and the girls are now out and about working on this year's fundraiser. "They need the community's help again to make it a success," their grandmother Margaret Freer of Freer Auto Body, said recently. "The prizes this year are once again over the top. We need everyone’s help in selling tickets. "Tickets are ready for pick-up or delivery. The person selling the most tickets will receive two round-trip Southwest air tickets (blackout dates apply). There are great prizes for a great cause. "All prizes are donated so 100 percent of these sales goes to helping needy families in our area at Christmas. The Freer girls will once again be serving their famous sloppy joes for dining in or carrying out on July 29, 2022, at Freer Auto Body in Godfrey. Please call 618-466-6151 if you can help sell tickets. The community always comes together and ensures the success of this event, but the Freer girls

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GRAFTON - Jersey State Bank employees showed their sincere community generosity with donations of food items this week to the Grafton Food Pantry. “We want to support our community by helping families in need,” Grafton Branch Manager Jeremy Heneghan said. “We collected food items from our Jerseyville and Grafton locations during the first week in June and we will be delivering them at the end of this week.” He said he was so pleased to see donations coming in during non-holiday periods. "This really helps us to fill a real need,” Grafton Food Pantry Coordinator Mychele Hutchinson said. She explained that most of their donations come from local churches as well as walk-ins from individuals. “These donations from businesses are greatly appreciated, we are very grateful to Jersey State Bank employees for their support of our community," she concluded. Donations to the Grafton Food Pantry may be dropped off at City Hall Monday through Thursday,

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FOSTERBURG – A loud boom around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday has been the talk of the region today. However, after checking with several sources, there is nothing to explain the deep boom that rattled windows. Mark Bacus, an area man, asked this morning on Riverbender.com: “Did anyone feel and hear a loud, deep boom at 2:15 a.m.? It awakened and startled several of us in the Rosewood Heights area. There is a lot of social media buzz about it in this neck of the woods. Several of us thought our houses had been hit by something.” J. Hess provided this comment to Riverbender.com about the boom: "I’m off Humbert Road near Ted’s. At 2:15 this morning, there was a tremendous blast out here. It shook the house and rattled the windows. Any idea what happened?" Several looked at their doorbell cameras and discovered something had happened overnight. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said it received reports about the boom and it did investigate the situation in th

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Intelligence Operations Bureau detectives have located and taken into custody two juveniles who escaped from detention on May 29, 2022. The two juveniles are 17 years of age. A spokesman for the Clayton Police Department previously said one of the escaped teens lives in the St. Louis region, while the other lives in Illinois. Officers notified their parents and local police departments in both of their hometowns after their escapes.

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INGREDIENTS 2 shallots minced 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 tablespoons Olive Oil Marketplace Basil EVOO 2 tablespoons Olive Oil Marketplace White Tropical Passion Balsamic 2 tablespoons tequila 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tilapia fillets INSTRUCTIONS Combine the shallots, garlic, oregano, sugar, olive oil, balsamic, lime juice, tequila, salt, and pepper in a gallon-sized sealable bag; shake to combine. Add the tilapia to the mixture and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning every 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Arrange the fish on the prepared baking sheet. Discard the remaining marinade. Bake in the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes. For more great recipes, visit OliveOilMarketplace.com. About Olive Oil Marketplace If you’re a Foodie

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ALTON - Donald Holliday has been busy setting high marks in the fine arts, music, and graphic design at Alton High over the past three years. Donald is the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Remarkable Redbird Of The Month. Donald was part of and also designed the Marching 100 show shirts this past school year and also did the same for the Alton indoor drum line. The Alton indoor drum line recently came back to performing and Donald performed in Below Zero, a show with 9 drummers and 10 other percussion-playing students. Donald's hope for his senior year is to continue to grow this group with the hope of donations and other funding being able to cover the costs of student uniforms. Donald has also been an integral member of the graphic design club and joined Calliope, a literary and visual arts magazine where he was the secretary of the publication. He was responsible for finding artists to show their talents in the magazine and also got sponsorships from two local businesses and also the Alton

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