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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that his office has released its annual report for Fiscal Year 2021. This report details budgetary information, outreach activities, prosecution statistics, and an updated staff directory. “Transparency is crucial for any government agency,” Haine said. “Now the residents of Madison County can better view the details on how their justice system is operating.” “This report illustrates how our office is working to fairly and expeditiously prosecute cases and ensure the rule of law is being enforced in Madison County, all while being efficient and protecting taxpayers,” Haine continued. “It also shows our commitment to outreach. Our criminal justice system is misunderstood these days, and we plan to continue to reach out and engage citizens throughout the county, explaining the benefits of a safe and law-abiding society for all.” Among the highlights

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville-area residents near the Watershed Nature Trail should keep an eye out for any wildlife covered in oil or injured following a large oil spill in Edwardsville on Friday . If you spot an injured or oily animal, contact TreeHouse Wildlife Center at 618-466-2990 from 9 a.m-7 p.m. Do not email them or message through Facebook, as the animals need immediate care and those accounts are not monitored 24/7, according to their website. Their website also says you should not attempt to handle or offer care to the animal yourself without proper guidance, as doing so poses a risk to yourself and the animal. To learn more, visit treehousewildlifecenter.com/i-found-an-animal . Joe Gannon, crisis communications specialist with Marathon Petroleum Corporation, which operates the pipeline that leaked on Friday, said the company is taking a number of steps to address the impact on local wildlife. “We take any impact to wildlife as a result of this crude

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ALTON - Excavation on the McDonald's location rebuild at 717 East Broadway in Alton started on Monday morning. The McDonald's rebuild has been highly anticipated by those in the downtown Alton area and their previous employees. Dick Bold and his family, the owners of McDonald's on Broadway, have always been good citizens in their locations and communities. Bold repositioned each and every employee from the burned-out McDonald's location to other closeby locations during the time in between the fire to today so they could retain their income and benefits. The McDonald's fire occurred on June 17, 2021. The Bold family had to wait on insurance and McDonald's corporate approval to begin the new project. SS Haulin & Excavating, Inc., of Caseyville, is contracted to begin the project with the excavation of the old site. Sam Shafer, the owner of SS Haulin & Excavating Inc., said the excavation part of the rebuild will take "about a week or so." "We are removing the slab and pavement

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GODFREY - Governor Pritzker today joined leaders from Lewis and Clark Community College to announce upcoming renovations to five historic buildings located on the school’s campus. The project includes a complete renovation of the Main Complex, which includes 5 historic buildings (Baldwin, Caldwell, Wade, Fobes, and Reid) at approximately 170,000 square feet. The renovations are partially funded by a $37.5 million investment through Rebuild Illinois, Governor Pritzker's bipartisan capital plan and the first in nearly a decade, as well as an additional $12.5 million local match from the school. “Throughout my governorship, I’ve been proud to increase state support for Lewis and Clark and all our community colleges, and to make college more attractive and more affordable for students,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Serving 15,000 students, Lewis and Clark is exactly the kind of institution we should be investing in to fuel economic opportunity in this region

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ALTON - Picture This & More, a professional custom framing business in Alton, is marking the one-year anniversary of their location on Broadway. Owner Quint Long said the new location has brought in more foot traffic and helped the company become part of a business community. Picture This & More was previously located at the Piasa Shopping Center on Delmar Avenue and has served the Alton community for over 30 years. Long bought the business from a retired couple eight years ago and moved to 17 East Broadway last year to contribute to the downtown Alton revitalization effort. “We were just wanting to jump on board with the revitalization of the downtown-Broadway corridor,” Long said. “John Simmons had a plan to bring more art-related, tourist-related businesses to downtown, and they kind of courted Picture This & More, and here we are.” Long said business has been booming since moving to Broadway. “The first year has been very exciting,” Lon

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ROLLA, Mo. - The Student Knights of St. Patrick have been selected to represent Missouri University of Science and Technology's student organizations during the 114th St. Pat's celebration in Rolla, Missouri. The students will be knighted during a coronation ceremony at 9 p.m. Friday, March 18, in Leach Theater of Castleman Hall, located on the Missouri S&T campus at 400 W. 10th St. in Rolla. Honorary Knights and the Queen of Love and Beauty will also be honored during the coronation. The practice of knighting students every spring can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Missouri S&T engineering students declared St. Patrick the patron saint of engineers. The 2022 student Knights of St. Patrick from the area is as follows: Edwardsville's Luke Goeckner, senior, computer science, Miner Theatre Guild

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MADISON – With less than 100 days until the green flag waves at the start of the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) on June 5, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announce the race’s official name: Enjoy Illinois 300, sponsored by the Illinois Office of Tourism. “The Enjoy Illinois 300 establishes Illinois’ own World Wide Technology Raceway as the country’s standout track for stock car, open-wheel, and drag racing alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I promised to be our state’s best Chief Marketing Officer, and with the return of NASCAR to Illinois, visitors from around the nation have yet another reason to come explore all that Metro East has to offer. This is an incredible opportunity to showcase Illinois and we look forward to welcoming NASCAR fans to our great state.” The NASCAR Cup Series is enjoyed by millions of viewers across the

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Department of Corrections (IDOC) today announced legionella bacteria was detected during routine water testing at the Stateville and Joliet Treatment Center facilities this week. IDOC conducts quarterly legionella testing at all locations to detect the bacteria early and prevent further spread. Currently, no inmates or staff at either facility are exhibiting symptoms of the disease and all potentially affected individuals in custody have been notified. “Protecting the health and safety of the individuals entrusted to our care is the department’s top priority, which is why we routinely test for bacteria like legionella,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys. “In partnership with IDPH, the department will continue to closely monitor inmates and will conduct rigorous water cleansing and follow up testing to ensure the bacteria is eradicated.” “Thanks to regularly scheduled testing, the

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ALTON - We often get excited about new efforts in our city, but we also know they are difficult to sustain. City Shapers is a two-year training process that is careful to listen to every voice in our city. Over the two years, we will focus on three phases: assessment, alignment, and activation. We are currently in the ASSESSMENT phase. This is requiring us to move much slower than many of us usually do. Instead of assuming we know what everyone wants or needs in Alton, we're taking our time to humbly listen to as many voices as we can. It takes time to build trust and develop friendships with people we don't always know. We believe it's worth it. So, step up to the mic! We want to hear your voice. The Alton City Shapers movement is inviting Altonians to share their voices through local gatherings called, "Listening Sessions." During the month of March, we have identified locations across Alton in an effort to bring us all together. We want to hear your thoughts about Alton. No

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EDWARDSVILLE — Metro East Humane Society (MEHS) has announced a $45,000 gift from the late Jerry and Harlene Gammill of Maryville, Ill. The gift will be utilized to launch a Spay/Neuter Voucher Program to provide fee waived spay/neuter services and rabies vaccines to targeted areas throughout Madison County in partnership with Madison County Animal Care and Control. Anne Schmidt, MEHS Executive Director, said, “The generous gift from the late Jerry & Harlene Gammill will serve two purposes: we're addressing overpopulation concerns; and, we are providing surgeries to clients who cannot otherwise afford them. We're extremely appreciative of this gift and the hundreds of animals it will help.” Katherine Conder, Directory of Madison County Animal Care and Control, stated, “Madison County Animal Care and Control is excited to be part of a spay and neuter program with MEHS. This program will target Granite City, Alton and Madison. All three of these areas are hig

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EDWARDSVILLE - Jennifer Korte, of Edwardsville, announced her campaign as a Republican for the 112th District of the Illinois House of Representatives today. Korte has a Bachelor’s Degree in social work from SIUE and a Master’s Degree in social work from St. Louis University. She worked as a social worker at Barnes-Jewish Hospital before becoming a stay-at-home mom in 2005. Korte has volunteered with a sexual assault victims advocacy center, pregnancy care center, PTO, and local schools. Most recently, she began advocating for parental rights. She is passionate about parental rights, senior citizens advocacy, mental health awareness, and women’s issues. “With my experience as a social worker and heart for advocacy, I will be a voice for the people in District 112,” said Korte. “I am simply a mom, trying to move Illinois in a positive direction. After talking with current state representative Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), I realized how far removed

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CHICAGO – Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) National President Alex Otte and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Director Omer Osman, today announced that the safety and technology provisions of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684, will translate into a reduction in traffic fatalities. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will not only make safer America’s roads and bridges, but it contains provisions that will prevent driving under the influence and distracted driving fatalities,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Every life saved means one less family - mothers, fathers, children - spared the unspeakable grief of losing a loved one to a traffic related crash.” Kelly noted that in 2020 there were 1,196 fatalities on Illinois roadways. In 2021, that number rose to 1,371. As of March 11, there have

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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 – Mar. 14, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: 6th and 7th St. east of Alby Street is open to George Street, with surface restoration work being completed as weather permits. Please drive carefully as some of the roadways are still rock surfaces. Alby Street is closed from 6th Street north to 9th Street, with closures north and east of Alby/8th Street in place. 8th Street east of Alby is closed to Easton Street. With the road closures on 9th Street and Alby Street, access to Schwegel’s Market will be from the north. Access to the parking lots will be maintained during the construction. Please look for future updates on this. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street pavement restoration will be starting soon. The alley south of McKinley east of Lincoln is back open to traffic, with pavement restoration happening

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ST. LOUIS — For a limited time, the American Red Cross has resumed testing all blood, platelet, and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Plasma from routine donations that have high levels of COVID-19 antibodies may be used as convalescent plasma to help meet the needs of COVID-19 patients with weakened immune systems. At the same time, the Red Cross blood supply remains vulnerable, and individuals are urged to schedule a blood or platelet donation. In the days and weeks ahead, it’s critically important the Red Cross maintains a readily available blood supply so hospital patients can receive the care they need. To make an appointment, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The Red Cross first tested donations for COVID-19 antibodies earlier in the pandemic to provide convalescent plasma for patients. When infection rates decreased and new treatment options became available, the Red Cross discontinued the

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SPRINGFIELD - The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Mclean County, Illinois. Anyone that owns birds or is involved with poultry production, whether on a small or commercial level, should be aware of this finding and take precautions to protect their flock. The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is working closely with APHIS on a joint incident response. IDOA quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the properties will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flocks will not enter the food system. “Producers and owners should review their biosecurity plans and prevent contact with wild birds and their droppings,” said Dr. Mark Ernst, IDOA State Veterinarian. “IDOA also strongly encourages all producers to keep birds indoors when possible.”

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City High School opened the Grounds City Café in 2022, and it has already been a success. The Café, which is run by GCHS S.T.E.P. Coordinator Kellie Hutchings and students, is open each morning 25 minutes before school and during 1 st and 2 nd hour by appointment. Students are getting hands-on experience, which will prepare them for future employment upon graduation.

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CARLINVILLE - There's something for almost everyone in a fast-moving new book on Madison County history that is loaded with facts and anecdotes. Writer Tom Emery of Carlinville is releasing The Madison County History Reader, a collection of over sixty of his articles on a wide array of subjects relating to the history, people, and places of Madison County. The reader is different than any other book on county history and looks at many fascinating aspects of the past in this area. Many leading towns in the county are covered in some fashion in the book, which is 170 pages long and fully illustrated. Topics include the origins of the county, pioneer experiences in Madison’s earliest days, as well as the Civil War era, and some of the remarkable women the county has produced. Other topics include world wars, education, natural disasters, sports, celebrities, and early holidays. Emery’s work is familiar to area readers, as his articles regularly appear across Madison County.

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ELSAH – Junior Hannah Meiser from Civic Memorial just wrapped up her basketball season one week ago when she and her team took home fourth place at state. She finished that season having played in all 38 games and scoring 101 points along the way. She should be a regular starter next season. Only one week later though, she begins another journey for the Eagles track and field team. She took to the track in the 6 th Annual Jersey Winter Thaw held at Principia where she ran the 1,600-meter race. It was her first run of the year and she mentioned being a little nervous. “For sure nerves were there. I didn’t expect much," she said. "I only got to practice for a week before I ran this race.” She still took home a 6 th place finish out of 36 competitors with a time of 5:42 for the one mile but feels she can improve upon her time. For her efforts so far in track and field and basketball, Hannah Meiser is one of the Tom Lane State Farm Insurance CM Female Athletes

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SAUGET - The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis has announced it is investigating the discovery of a body early Sunday morning at the Oz Nightclub in Sauget. A man - 29-year-old Jonathan Brown - was found shot to death outside the nightclub in St. Clair County. Sauget Police made the discovery of the body of the Black Jack, Mo., man. He was pronounced dead at 10:30 Sunday after a gunshot wound to his head. Anyone with information on the killing is asked to call the Sauget Police Department at (618) 337-5267 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS.

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ALTON - The temps were cool, but there was plenty of Irish fun and entertainment Saturday in Alton businesses for the annual St. Pat’s Day Crawl. Jody and Stacy of Jerseyville said they had “a blast” at the Pub Crawl. “We love it,” the two said. “We are from Jerseyville and we don’t have to go far for a big St. Pat’s Day party. It has been great to go back to the bars and the scene.” Another said St. Patrick’s Day is their favorite holiday and said they thought Alton did it right on Saturday. “I think a lot of it has to do with our family heritage and the fact we like to drink and celebrate,” the person said. “I think Alton should also have a parade for St. Pat’s Day and make a day of it.” Mary Morrison of Morrison’s Irish Pub was all smiles Saturday. “It is nice to have everybody out to celebrate and come together,” she said. “This year will be a good year. Our

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