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(The Center Square) – With the highest inflation rates in 40 years, most Illinoisans' wages are not keeping up. According to the Illinois Policy Institute, the average worker in Illinois needed a pay raise of $5,360 to match the price increases on goods and services this past year, but the average worker received a raise of $3,164. Essentially, the average Illinoisan took a pay cut of $2,200. “We do know that wage growth is slower in Illinois than in other states,” said Bryce Hill, senior research analyst for the Illinois Policy Institute. “It is very likely that inflation is taking a larger chunk out of Illinoisans' income than it is in other states.” Most of the U.S. has been seeing just “slight or modest” economic growth over the past two months, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday. In addition to broader views on the economy, the report said most districts showed price increases rising at a “strong or

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ALTON - The June Memorial Service/Scholarship Awards Program of the Elijah P. Lovejoy Memorial will be held on Sunday, June 12, 2022 at the Lovejoy Gravesite in Alton City Cemetery. The gravesite is located behind the Lovejoy Monument. The program begins at 4:00 p.m. Bonnie Fox, President of the Lovejoy Memorial will preside and offer the welcome. Minister Elam A. King, III, Associate Minister, Greater St. James Baptist Church will offer the Invocation and Benediction. Vocal soloist is Brenda Mack-Lancaster. The scholarship awards will be presented by Lovejoy Board members Renee Bauer, Mary Buckley and Dr. Brian Saenz. The highlight of the program will be the presentation of scholarships to six (6) 2022 graduates of Alton High School. The Elijah P. Lovejoy Memorial Scholarship was first awarded in 1954. This year it will be presented to Kamren Mason-El. She will receive $25,000 total during the four (4) years of her college education. In 2019 the Lovejoy Memorial established the

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– U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and all 47 other Senate Democrats in introducing a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The Senators’ resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ individuals have made to American society, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. The resolution also recognizes how the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could potentially undermine and erode other constitutional rights also grounded in privacy, including the right for same-sex couples to marry or engage in consensual relationships without the risk of criminal prosecution “No one should face discrimination because of who they are or who they love—we all deserve to live and thrive as our most authentic selves,”

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CHICAGO – In an effort to further the state’s commitment to addressing the ongoing opioid crisis, Governor JB Pritzker signed several pieces of legislation designed to prevent overdoses and provide easily accessible treatments. “Deaths from opioid overdoses are as tragic as they are preventable,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By deploying harm reduction strategies and expanding drug-court treatment programs rooted in rehabilitation, we can save countless lives. Drug dependency is not a choice—it’s a disorder and should be treated as such. These bills mandate the tools, resources, and compassion necessary to help Illinoisans with substance use disorders while addressing the opioid crisis head on.” “Fentanyl overdoses are killing far too many Illinoisans, as this synthetic, cheap, and deadly opioid is cut into everything from other drugs to diet pills,” said State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago). With the enactment o

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - After a 30-month delay due to COVID restrictions, Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) is announcing the first 2022 flight on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. Ninety-two (92) Veterans will be on board this LLHF Mission #60 from Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport to Washington, DC - 1 World War II, 26 Korean War and 65 Vietnam War Era Veterans - all ready to experience their national memorials with their comrades. These veterans represent all branches of military service: 18 Air Force, 41 Army, 11 Marine and 22 Navy veterans. Ninety-two (92) Veterans and eighty-six (86) Guardians will arrive at the airport Tuesday morning at 4:15 AM, having traveled from the 62 central and southern Illinois cities and communities of Altamont, Annapolis, Arcola, Arthur, Atwood, Belleville, Camargo, Champaign, Charleston, Clinton, Coffeen, Dalton City, Danville, Decatur, Dietrich, Downs, Effingham, Filmore, Forsyth, Havana, Hettic, Highland, Hillsboro, Jacksonville, Kincaid, Lake City, Lincoln,

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today applauded the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to discharge $5.8 billion in federal student loans held by former students of Corinthian Colleges Inc., which operated in Illinois as Everest College. As part of the relief for borrowers, the federal government will discharge more than $220 million in loans for over 26,000 defrauded Illinois borrowers, regardless of whether they submitted an individual application for relief to the Department of Education. Impacted borrowers will not need to do anything to receive relief. “For years, Corinthian intentionally deceived Illinois students with false claims about future job prospects, leaving students unqualified for their career fields and with mountains of debt,” Raoul said. “This long-awaited relief will enable thousands of former Corinthian students to move on with their lives after being intentionally mislead and defrauded." Under the Department of Education’s

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Department of Education announced the widespread discharge of all remaining federal student loans for those who attended any campus owned or run by the predatory Corinthian Colleges: “The day after Corinthian collapsed in April 2015, I stood in front of a Corinthian school in Chicago with then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to call on the Department of Education to issue widespread relief to the students who had been scammed out of meaningful education and left with debt. I reminded the Department that these students should not be left holding the bag. “Today, nearly eight years later, the Department took action on behalf of more than 26,000 Illinois students, offering $226 million in forgiveness. After being wrongfully exploited by Corinthian, these students are finally seeing the long over-due relief they deserve.” The Department of Education’s

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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker signed HB4165 into law today, marking the creation of the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act. The act, introduced by Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy (D-Chicago), is a crucial step towards addressing recent drownings in Lake Michigan and preventing future accidents by requiring public rescue equipment on all piers or drop-off points on the lake. The act also lays out new guidelines for reporting drowning events and establishing water safety guidelines. “The stories of recent drownings on Lake Michigan are both tragic and preventable,” said Governor Pritzker. “This law will protect countless families from experiencing those same terrible losses and ensure a safer Lake Michigan for the thousands of Illinoisans who enjoy it every year.” The act requires both private and government-owned piers and drop-off points to be outfitted with public rescue equipment such as flotation devices. Beyond requiring easily accessible flotation devices,

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EAST ST. LOUIS - Illinois State Police released information Friday morning that they were requested Thursday by East St. Louis Police and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office after a man barricaded himself armed at a location in the 3000 block of Piggott Avenue in East St. Louis in St. Clair County. The ISP SWAT, ISP DCI Zone 6 Investigations, and Public Safety Group were called to the scene at 7:49 p.m. Thursday after St. Clair County Sheriff's Office and East St. Louis Police were called for a report of shots fired. The suspect apparently drove away from the initial scene at Trendley Avenue, then barricaded himself inside his home in the 3000 block of Piggott Avenue in East St. Louis with two other individuals. The man initially did not cooperate with the police, but eventually early this morning the situation was resolved. ISP said this is an open and ongoing investigation. No further information is available at this time.

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COLLINSVILLE – Following the receipt of a grant for 12 CPR training mannequins with feedback devices from Illinois Heart Rescue, Collinsville firefighters took the opportunity to go into local schools to teach CPR. Firefighter Nick Klucker secured the grant and is leading this effort. The focus of this grant is to provide Bystander CPR (BCRP). BCRP includes recognizing a problem (the victim does not respond to their name or if touched and is not breathing or not breathing normally), to call 911, send for an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and to push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives, then turn on the AED and follow the prompts. BCPR can double or triple the survival for victims suffering cardiac arrest. For every minute that a victim of sudden cardiac arrest does not receive CPR their chance of death increases by 10 percent. That means if no BCRP is performed within 10 minutes, the victim has a 0 percent chance of survival. The sooner BCRP is

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ST. LOUIS — The United States Attorney Eastern District of Missouri Office released today said Lewis Reed, Jeffrey Boyd, and John Collins-Muhammad are all facing two bribery-related charges each. Collins-Muhammad is also facing a charge of honest services bribery/wire fraud, and Boyd is facing a separate, two-count wire fraud indictment related to an automobile insurance scheme. Federal prosecutors' announcement revealed explosive allegations of bribery, theft, and corruption in St. Louis City Hall in a 66-page indictment released Thursday morning. Charging documents allege St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed, Housing and Urban Development Zoning Committee Chairman Jeffrey Boyd and former Alderman John Collins-Muhammad accepted cash payments and other gifts in exchange for proposed tax breaks and development project approvals in the city's north side. If convicted of the main indictment, Reed’s and Boyd’s charges carry respective maximum penalties of

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ST. LOUIS - On Thursday, June 2, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspect Grant Gaumer, 37 years of age, of the 700 block of Bismark Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63122, for two counts of Statutory Sodomy in the Second Degree and one count of Sexual Contact with a Student. Gaumer is being held on $500,000, no 10%, cash bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement reads that an alleged sexual act occurred between the defendant and the victim March 1, 2022, and March 31, 2022. The victim was less than 17 years of age and the defendant was a teacher at Lindbergh High School. Gaumer has been a teacher at Lindbergh High School for 8 years and in addition to teaching, he was the assistant water polo coach and the teacher liaison for the Gay Straight Alliance group at the school. Anyone with information about this case

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NEW ATHENS — The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has been activated today after a man was killed, another suffered critical injuries, and another injured during a burglary in New Athens on Thursday morning. The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department said the shooting occurred around 11:30 a.m. Thursday at a residence on Golden Mine Road in rural New Athens. The sheriff's office said law enforcement found one man had died and the other two were injured when they arrived. The sheriff's office said a man with critical injuries was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital and another man was rushed to a hospital. The second man's injuries were apparently not life-threatening. It appears when the men arrived at the home, they realized someone was trying to burglarize the home. When they tried to stop the burglary, someone shot them. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated to handle the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Freeburg Police Departmen

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JERSEYVILLE - Ivy + Blush, a women’s boutique at 116 N. State St. in Jerseyville, is celebrating its first year in business this weekend with giveaways, cookies, and lots of new clothing arrivals. The store’s first-anniversary celebration will be held this Friday, June 3, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. In addition to providing Cookies by Shari, Ivy + Blush is also entering all customers into giveaways which will be drawn at the end of both event days. Customers will have a chance to win several prizes including jewelry, gift certificates, coffee mugs with chocolates, candles, and more. Ivy + Blush owner Jamie Bechtold said the store is “a women's boutique with hand-picked, quality trendsetting styles,” adding they carry boutique dresses, tops, denim, shoes, and accessories. She said their goal is to provide “all women with the latest styles in fashion including all sizes, small-3X.” She said Jerseyville residents

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ALTON - When someone enters a community the initial appearance is something that can help determine whether they stop in the city or not. Executive Director Pat Stewart and Pride, Inc., have been working diligently with the Alton Foundation and Frankie's Landscaping to restore and landscape the Welcome To City of Alton Sign area at Landmark and Ridge. As shown from the before and after photos above, Stewart said: "an amazing job" has been done in taking this landmark from an eye sore into an attractive entrance to our beautiful town. Stewart, who has an adoration of the Alton and Godfrey areas and their beauty, said this project, in particular, has meant a lot to her. Stewart is pivotal now in many of the Pride, Inc., projects that help beautify this area. She said Frankie's Landscaping did some remarkable work with the Welcome To Alton Sign area project and went above and beyond through the entire process. The owner was just "a fantastic person," Stewart said. She also commended Caroly

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SPRINGFIELD — Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser gave a presentation on structuring investment portfolios during the Illinois County Treasurers’ Association Spring conference. “My hope is that other County Treasurers are able to emulate the investment strategies assembled in Madison County,” Slusser said. “From year to year our investment portfolio continues to be a top performer throughout the state.” Public funds are bound by the Public Funds Investment Act, which only allows these funds to be placed in “safer” types of investments. County investments are shaped around three main factors- safety, liquidity, and yield. Throughout Illinois county treasurers are tasked with investing public dollars to create less reliance on property tax dollars. “Chris Slusser has been a great asset and a wonderful mentor to many County Treasurers across the state,” said Betty Asmussen, President of the Illinois County Treasurer’s

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COLLINSVILLE – It’s a big weekend for the metro-east with NASCAR coming to World Wide Technology Raceway for the Enjoy Illinois 300. In Collinsville, it’s the 35th annual International Horseradish Festival. Thousands of people will be in the area for these events and to help get all those people around and introduce them to all the great things on offer in Collinsville, the city will be having two hospitality shuttles running between the hotel district and uptown. “A NASCAR race is more than just the race on Sunday, it’s an entire weekend of activities and with the Horseradish Festival happening the same weekend we want to take advantage of the influx of visitors to really show off what we have to offer in the city,” City Manager Mitch Bair said. The local shuttle will begin running on Friday, June 3rd, at 3:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. and will run on Saturday, June 4th from 3:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Those looking to ride the shuttle can look for signs

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Police Department today announced the number of citations issued during the recent Memorial Day “Click It or Ticket” enforcement period. Edwardsville Lt. Barry Jones said: “Through the Memorial Day enforcement campaign, we helped make Illinois roads safer and spread the word that seat belts and child safety restraints save lives. While Illinois’ 2021 seat belt compliance rate was 93.5%, unbelted occupants still account for over half of those killed in traffic crashes. The 'Click It or Ticket' campaign aims to change the behavior of the millions of people who don’t buckle up." Lt. Jones emphasized that thousands of lives could be saved each year if every vehicle occupant was properly restrained when traveling. During the enforcement period, the Edwardsville Police Department wrote 20 citations for seat belt violations and took the following additional actions: 10 DUI arrests 6 suspended/revoked licenses 17 uninsured motorists

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CHICAGO - The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), announced today a single presumptive monkeypox case in an adult male Chicago resident with recent travel history to Europe. Initial testing was completed Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at an IDPH laboratory, and confirmatory testing for monkeypox is pending at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on initial epidemiologic characteristics and the positive orthopoxvirus result at IDPH, health officials consider this a probable monkeypox infection. Health officials say the patient is doing well, the probable case poses little risk to general public. CDPH and IDPH are working closely with the CDC and the patient’s health care providers to identify individuals with whom the patient may have been in contact while they were infectious. This contact tracing approach is appropriate given the nature and transmission of the virus. The person did not require hospitalization

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EDWARDSVILLE - It is not often a coach has a son who shares a love of a sport as much as they do. Geo Patrylak, the son of George and Roxanne Patrylak, shares the adoration of track and field and cross country just like his parents. For the family, this past weekend’s IHSA Class 3A State Track and Field Boys Meet was special as Geo notched an All-State position, placing ninth in the 1,600 meters with a fantastic time of 4:14.43. Teammate Ryan Watts won the race in a time of 4:11.16. Geo plans to run cross country and track for Missouri Southern State in the fall, another one of his dreams. Geo Patrylak is an iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers for his extraordinary performance at state and in his final meets of the season. Possibly what was most special for George, Geo and Roxanne occurred after the meet when the team received a second-place trophy. For the Patrylaks what made it extra special was the fact that Edwardsville Head Boys Track and Field Coach Chad

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