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JACKSONVILLE - Illinois Local launched on December 9, 2020, amid the global pandemic. Gemma and Chris Long identified a need in Illinois communities for local independent businesses to connect, learn, and grow together. Illinois Local has expanded to 175 members in just 15 months. Members are in Springfield, Carlinville, Edwardsville, Champaign, Hanna City, and Jacksonville, to name a few. The membership consists of photographers, florists, artists, insurers, realtors, restauranteurs, retailers, designers, and more. As well as being included in a search engine optimized directory, members participate in pop-up events, markets, socials, professional photoshoots, social media takeovers, an annual conference, and awards. But one of the most powerful attributes of this membership is the opportunity for collaboration and growth between these local independent businesses. “Members collaborate to offer new services or products, open businesses together, wholesale from one another,

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QUINCY - Fifty-four years after United States Marine Corps Corporal David Gary Redenius made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation, his dog tag will be returned to his sisters Carolyne Redenius and Beverly Warning after being found by Canadian educator and tourist Christian Dumont. Corporal David Gary Redenius, United States Marine of Hancock County, served in the 3rd Marine Division, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, “Charlie” Company. He lost his life at Khe Sanh SW of Hill 689 on April 16, 1968 at the age of 20 and is the recipient of the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to his family in Quincy, Illinois where he was laid to rest. The efforts of this unit, referred to as the “Walking Dead,” earned its place in Marine Corps history. Fifty-four years later, on a visit to Vietnam, Christian Dumont discovered a dog tag in the dust of Hill 689. His research revealed that Corporal Redenius was from Hancock County, Illinois. Mr. Dumont reached out to the Illinois

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SPRINGFIELD – Bridges and buildings throughout the state are once again turning orange for National Work Zone Awareness Week and to honor those who have died in work zones as another road construction season gets underway in Illinois and across the country. “The color orange has come to symbolize that we all can play a role in making work zones safer and driving down the number of fatalities to zero,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “The effort to ‘Go Orange’ each year is gaining momentum. We deeply appreciate the contributions of our partners to help save lives.” Among the participants that will be turning their lights orange at night: Peoria’s Murray Baker Bridge. Quincy’s Bayview Bridge. Rockford’s Morgan Street Bridge. Rockford City Hall. Embassy Suites Rockford Riverfront. Rock Island’s Centennial St. Bridge. Interstate 74 Mississippi River Bridge in the Quad Cities In 2020, the most

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ALTON – Requiem Church held its first of many weekly Worship Gatherings on Wednesday, April 6, hosted by The Bridge. The Bridge has provided Requiem with the space to do their weekly gatherings. Lead Pastor Vince Bissey, his wife since 2002 Cristen, and his four kids Alec, Isaiah, Jara, and Luke moved to Alton last May to start Requiem Church. They attended their previous church, August Gate, for nine years. Prior to his lead role at Requiem he served as the Pastor of Discipleship and Development at August Gate Church in Belleville, Illinois. Bissey said that the goal of August Gate was to create more churches within the region and that’s exactly what happened. Bissey was sent from August Gate and with the help of his family and others, he started Requiem and brought it to Alton. “We consider August Gate to be a ‘sending church’ and so we are coming out of them. They are a support system for us, they’re a community for us, and they’re helpin

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BENTON – The U.S. State's Attorney's Office announced on Monday that Martin Cooper, 31, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 210 months in prison on Thursday, April 7, 2022, for his role in a Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Money Laundering. The offenses occurred in St. Clair County and throughout the Southern District of Illinois. Cooper pleaded guilty to both charges in October 2021. The United States Postal Inspection Service initiated an investigation in January 2019, after noticing numerous suspicious packages being sent to and from addresses in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona. During the investigation, agents learned that Jose Angulo shipped packages containing methamphetamine to the East St. Louis area to Martin Cooper. According to court documents, Cooper admitted to receiving narcotics from Jose and Steven Angulo in 2019 and acknowledged a package containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine destined for an address in East St.

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ALTON - The Alton Athletic Association hosted a sold-out Music Trivia Night Saturday, April 2. The event was quite a production of fun with Craig Lombardi the MC of the evening along with Amy Lombardi (AAA Secretary) who was the DJ of the event. The Trivia also had surprise celebrity guests Trish Gazell of 102.5 KEZK and The Dave Glover Show on KMOX, and Courtney Landrum of The Courtney Show on 106.5 The Arch. "It was a large crowd of over 400 attendees and the event raised more than $20,000," Lombardi said. "There were some fantastic donated auction items were sold, such as sports tickets, vacations, and lunch with the one and only celebrity radio personality Dave Glover of The Dave Glover Show on KMOX. "The Alton Athletic Association was almost on the verge of becoming non-existent due to COVID and was kept alive by Alton High School Athletic Director Chris Kusnerick. The Association has been brought back to life with a whole new board. including members Madeline Eades (President)

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ALTON/GODFREY - JCPenney is celebrating 120 years in business with discounts, a new ad campaign, and a new JCPenney-inspired character. The local Alton JCPenney store within the Alton Square Mall is joining in on the festivities with an upcoming “birthday party” for the brand. The Alton JCPenney will host a JCPenney Birthday Party this Thursday, April 14, from noon-2 p.m. The event HELD AT ALTON SQUARE will feature live musical entertainment from DJ DK Gray as well as special furry guests from 5As Animal Shelter. In a press release, JCPenney announced the brand is celebrating its 120th birthday with sales of 30 percent off storewide, plus an extra $10 bonus reward for every $50 spent now through April 12 for JCPenney rewards members. The company is also kicking off its “Shopping is Back!” campaign, aimed at getting customers back to shopping in person at JCPenney stores. The campaign includes “a fresh brand look in stores and online,” according

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JERSEYVILLE - The BackStoppers of Jersey County, Inc. are having their first official fundraiser this April 15th, 2022, from 3 pm to 7 pm: a fish fry at Four Brothers Sports Bar & Grill in Jerseyville (Tri-County Bowl). "Come out in support of those who protect our community!" They are offering a catfish dinner with a choice of two sides, baked beans, coleslaw, or potato salad, for $12; a catfish sandwich with chips for $9; or a large slice of homemade cheese pizza with chips for $6. BackStoppers of Jersey County will also have shirts, koozies, and raffle tickets for a chance to win a YETI Coors Cooler donated by Ryan Decker with Chick Fritz, Inc. They invite the community to drive up, grab dinner and/or go inside Four Brothers Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy your dinner. "We are so blessed to have a community who believes in us but also sees the importance of supporting those who give selflessly to our community. "Why support the local BackStoppers of Jersey County? Our story is simple

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EDWARDSVILLE – Upon adding three new locations and several other support staff, Sivia Law has recently hired a Chief Operations Officer to assist with managerial duties. This position has been filled by St. Louis native, Jill O'Connell, who offers a wide range of strengths to the Sivia Law team. Some of O’Connell’s strengths include experience in developing HR functions, cultivating a positive work environment, collaborating with all levels of management, managing employee relations, and developing and communicating company-wide policies and procedures. With Todd’s work as a manager, he was unable to service clients. “I saw our firm continuing to violate our core value of customer focus with the amount of management responsibilities I had taken on. I needed someone to take over the management role for the benefit of our friends, which are our clients.” Jill joins the firm with 19 years of comprehensive experience within the legal sector. She formerly

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ALTON - Jerseyville native and former head of the Jersey County Business Association, Beth Bear, will join the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau as an Economic Development Specialist on May 1. Bear will focus on tourism product development. The Economic Development Specialist position is new to the Bureau and reflects the transformational thinking needed to create the next great tourism destination, Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Bureau noted. “We are always looking ahead to ways we can grow the region,” Jobe said. “Beth has a strong background in economic development and we are thrilled she is bringing those skills to our bureau.” As head of the JCBA, Bear advocated for businesses, created & delivered programs to drive consumer traffic, and assisted businesses and local governments in writing for grants and loans. In addition to her experience at the JCBA, Bear brings a wealth of experience working with communities at every level. She has over 20 years

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased has been identified as Eric Harris, 38 years of age, of the 9700 block of Lanier Drive in Moline Acres, Missouri 63136. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are currently investigating a homicide in the 9700 block of Lanier Drive in the City of Moline Acres which resulted in the death of an adult male. On April 7, 2022, at approximately 4:46 PM, City of Moline Acres police officers responded to a call for service for a shooting in the 9700 block of Lanier Drive. Officers located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. Shortly thereafter, the City of Moline Acres Police Officers requested the assistance of St. Louis County Police Department. St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are now leading the investigation. Preliminary investigation has

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Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) Illinois Division recently announced a scholarship opportunity for students pursuing a career in nursing. The HSHS Scholars program is open to qualifying students attending an accredited nursing program. Students can earn up to $20,000 of funding for educational expenses. In addition to financial help, recipients will have a job upon graduating and passing boards in an HSHS Illinois Division hospital. “HSHS St. Francis Hospital and the other HSHS ministries in Illinois have many education and career development programs with partners in our area and within our system. This scholarship is another way we can support nursing students early in their careers while developing a strong, highly-competent workforce for our hospitals and the patients we serve,” said Bobbi Kinkelaar, RN, MSN, chief nursing officer at HSHS St. Francis Hospital. Interested students can apply at hshs.org/ILnursingscholarship. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2022.

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CARLINVILLE - In an effort to support students as they look to complete their degrees, Blackburn College has announced plans to create an efficient and cost-effective pathway to graduation for students impacted by Lincoln College’s recent announcement to close the institution and cease enrollments. To help chart the course from Lincoln to a Blackburn graduation, each Lincoln College student admitted to Blackburn will receive a financial aid offer that focuses on affordability. These offers will include price matching for tuition and housing, a guaranteed $3000 Lynx Grant, transfer merit scholarships, and need-based grants in addition to other aid based on eligibility. “We are saddened by the news that Lincoln College will be closing, it is a true loss to the state and higher education,” explained Dr. Steven Lambert, Vice President of Inclusive Enrollment at Blackburn. “We also recognized the severe impact on current Lincoln students, faculty, and staff and welcome

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O’FALLON - Visitor restrictions put in place at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital have been updated due to a decline in COVID-19 numbers in our region. Effective April 11, two visitors per patient per day will be allowed for COVID-positive patients. Visitors of COVID-positive patients must check in with nursing staff before entering a room to be provided with the mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) for their safety. As the pandemic has improved, the adequate supply of PPE has allowed St. Elizabeth’s to provide this protection to families and visitors. It is also recommended that visitors of COVID-positive patients leave personal belongings at home , as purses and bags will not be allowed in the patient’s room. Paper, medical-grade masks (non-cloth) are still mandatory for all in health care facilities, per CDC guidelines. Hospital leadership reminds the public that no one should visit persons in a health care facility if they have any of the following:

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 10,786 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 71 deaths since April 1, 2022. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,080,436 cases, including 33,465 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since April 1, 2022, laboratories have reported 505,189 specimens tested for a total of 57,898,053 since the beginning of the pandemic. As of last night, 502 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 62 patients were in the ICU and 24 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. A total of 21,509,463 vaccines have been administered in Illinois. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 19,926 doses. Since April 1, 2022, 139,480 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’

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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 specialty and subspecialty physicians through the formation of a new strategic affiliation with SSM Health, a Catholic health care system based in the St. Louis area. The strategic affiliation will better serve patients in the community by bringing exceptional medical and surgical specialties closer to home. This collaboration between OSF Saint Anthony’s and SSM Health combines a commitment to exceptional care with an expanded network of expert specialty and subspecialty physicians to provide a comprehensive network. One of the first collaborations is the addition of Sridhar Kumar , MD, a cardiologist at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, who will become chief of Cardiology Services at OSF Saint Anthony’s. Under Dr. Kumar’s leadership, patients will receive the highest-quality of innovative

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BELLEVILLE – Officials with Art on the Square are happy to announce that Michael Gard, a highly lauded sculptor from San Francisco, has made his way to southwest Illinois this week. Gard has been a featured artist at Art on the Square in Belleville, and now he is working with Belleville East High School students as this year’s artist for the High School Sculpture in the City Program. “We are excited because this visit will coincide with a little art show being held at Belleville East this week,” said Ramona Effinger, Coordinator of Sculpture in the City for Art on the Square. About 84 students are participating in the project with Gard, on April 27th and 28th, who is creating 100 two-inch wax spheres for the students to wrap wire around. Gard will then melt the wax and assemble it into a sculpture that he plans to have hanging from strings in a frame. The school will get to keep the artwork and have it on display. About Michael Gard Michael was born and

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ALTON - Illinois American Water’s work to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers continues. Below is information about this week’s road closures –April 11, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: Monday morning, April 11, Alby Street will be closed at 13th Street, south to 10th Street. 12th Street will be closed from Alby to Easton Street. Southbound traffic on Alby Street will need to use Blair Avenue to access Henry Street. 8th Street is closed between Easton and George Streets. All streets highlighted yellow are closed to thru traffic, with surface restoration starting very soon as weather permits. 10th Street between Alby and Easton Street is two-way traffic only temporarily. East of Easton Street is still only one-way traffic in a westward direction. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street pavement restoration has started and will be completed in the next week or so, weather dependent. The alley south of McKinley east of Lincoln is back

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GODFREY - "The organized unit of Godfrey First United Methodist Women shall be a Community of whose Purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation of the Church." There are approximately 40 active women in the Godfrey U.M.W. And this is the 57th year for their rummage sale. The goal of this rummage sale is to make money to be immediately distributed to area missions such as Community Hope Center, Thrive, Food Crisis Center, Dream Home Charities, and Oasis Women’s Center. U.M.W. believes the need is now and not just at Christmas. This is an exceptional rummage sale. It is clean and totally organized. U.M.W. gets much support from the whole church. The entire church is transformed into a department store. There are divided areas such as housewares, linens, holidays, sewing, books, women’s, men’s ad children’s departments.

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LIVINGSTON - Two St. Louis females died in a two-vehicle fatal crash at 4:06 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2022, on Interstate-55 Northbound at Milepost 37 near Livingston, Illinois State Police District 11 reported on Sunday. The two who died were Juandria S. Pickett, 30, of St. Louis, and Tiyana C. McCoy, 32, of St. Louis. This is the preliminary ISP report on the fatal crash: WHERE: Interstate 55 northbound at milepost 37, near Livingston, Madison County. WHEN: April 9, 2022, at approximately 4:06 a.m. VEHICLES: Unit 1 – 2020 Gray Toyota Camry. Unit 2 – 2021 Black International Truck-Tractor Semi-Trailer Combination. DRIVERS: Unit 1 – Juandria S. Pickett, a 30-year-old female from Saint Louis – Deceased. Unit 2 – Luvator N. Pierce, a 52-year-old female from Saint Louis, MO. - Transported to a regional hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. PASSENGER: Unit 1 – Tiyana C. McCoy, a 32-year-old-female from Saint Louis,

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