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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) introduced the bipartisan VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) outreach to veterans about mental health services. By requiring VA to conduct proactive outreach to veterans with mental health-related service-connected disabilities, the legislation would ease the burden on veterans to navigate the VA system and access mental health care. “Many veterans struggle with the invisible wounds of war, and they are often unaware of where to turn for support. It’s critical that we provide our veterans with the knowledge and resources to prosper following their service to our nation,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Navigating the VA should never be an added burden on our veterans and this legislation will help make the first step easier to get connected with the care they need.” “Veterans

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ALTON - At Alton Godfrey Rotary’s meeting on Monday, June 9, 2025, club President Donna Bemis presented a check for $15,000 from Alton Godfrey Rotary to Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow to help fund the National Memorial of Military Ascent that is currently under development in Grafton. Mayor Morrow presented details of the project to the Rotarians. The Memorial will be set against the limestone bluffs in Grafton overlooking the Mississippi River. The centerpiece of this memorial will be life-sized bronze statues of U.S. Army Rangers placed along the bluff, replicating the climb they endured to reach the top of Pointe Du Hoc cliffs on Omaha Beach as part of the initial D-Day landings. Plans for the Memorial include tributes to all who have served, and will include educational events, interactive and immersion experiences, and walkways designed to foster an enhanced historical perspective of the D-Day events. Morrow explained that the memorial will be a place of solemn reflection where

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04) in leading 96 of their colleagues in pressing for answers from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State around the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals living in the United States. The lawmakers’ letter, sent to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, notes the devastating impact of this decision, including on the many Afghans who supported the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan and who face significant danger upon their return. “We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision is devastating

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SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker announced today that the State of Illinois has teamed up with two leading Chicago Hospitals – Rush University Medical Center and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago – to serve as Elite Special Pathogen Treatment Centers for "High-Consequence Pathogens." Under two agreements with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the hospitals will upgrade their capacity to treat people suffering from high-consequence pathogens. The term refers to highly infectious diseases that pose a threat to public safety, such as such Ebola virus, Lassa fever and pneumonic plague. The agreement with the two world-class, Chicago-based healthcare leaders is one of a series of steps that IDPH is taking to strengthen its global surveillance efforts in the wake of the federal government pulling out of the World Health Organization (WHO) and cutting funding for the US Department of Health and Human Services. “Here

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Marquette Catholic High School 2025 Spring Honor Roll/High Honor Roll High Honor Roll Seniors: Ava Albers, Izabela Albers, Lily Berkenbile, Samantha Booth, Sophie Borman, Rose Brangenberg, Matthew Cain, Alyssa Coles, Quinn Copeland, Lily Covert, Payton Crane, Jordyn Dase, Cassidy Eccles, Nola Effinger, Sophia Elliott, Marian Elmendorf, William Fahnestock, Addison Groshans, Caleb Harteis, Carter Harteis, Radley Hoener, Nicholas Koeller, Lucia Lonero, Paul Marturana, Alayiah Misuraca, Karson Morrissey, Addison Pranger, Jackson Pruitt, Brooke Rister, Chloe Roberts, Kel'C Robinson, Tyler Roth, Erin Schwartz, Grace Schwegel, Ania Sneed, Chloe Steele, Maya Stephan, Davin Thomas, Eleanor Tiemann, Claire Varble, James Wacker, Summer Watson, Tyra Wells, Elliotte Williams, Taelor Williams, Andrew Zacha, Rodger Zawodniak Juniors: Carson Bauer, Cali Bequette, Adelaide Bryson, Caroline Cain, Elizabeth Callahan, Karly Davenport, Laila Davis, Isabel Downey, Sharon Dugas, Jessica Eales,

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ST. LOUIS - The outlook for commodities and the barge industry were front and center June 5 during a virtual FreightWeekSTL panel session hosted by the St. Louis Regional Freightway. Ken Eriksen, Managing Member and Strategic Advisor at Polaris Analytics & Consulting, highlighted the economic value of the Mississippi River Ship Channel and its significance to the freight industry and the St. Louis region. Eriksen also provided an overview of the evolving landscape of agriculture and barge transport, underscoring the region’s critical role in global trade. Eriksen provided preliminary insights on the soon to be released Mississippi River Ship Channel market study commissioned by the Big River Coalition and funded by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. He explained the vital importance of the Mississippi River Ship Channel -- which stretches from Baton Rouge into the Gulf of America to the Southwest Pass -- to global trade. Findings show that vessels loaded

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There are always the same 24 hours in a day, but somehow when we hit spring, it can seem like we get some extra time. With more daylight and warmer weather, the days can just feel like they’re expanding. And with that shift can come a boost in our energy and motivation to tackle lingering projects on our to-do lists: Rearranging cluttered closets, cleaning out junk drawers and more. But outside of classic spring-cleaning tasks, this can also include some important — and often pretty simple — steps to improve our health. For many of us, health screenings may be the most common items on this list. These tests can help find risk factors and diseases earlier when they’re easier to treat or prevent. They include the types of screening tests that may first come to mind — a mammogram looking for breast cancer, a colonoscopy looking for colon cancer or a CT scan looking for lung cancer. But they also include other types of screenings for conditions that increase

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GREENE COUNTY – The Greene County Health Department is proud to announce it has been awarded $50,000 in grant funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to support the development and implementation of an Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) Team. This initiative is part of IDPH’s ongoing efforts to reduce overdose deaths in Illinois through collaborative, data-driven community responses. This grant will support Greene County in establishing a multidisciplinary team that will systematically review overdose fatalities in the region. The team will include representatives from public health, law enforcement, the Greene County Sheriff, the Greene County State’s Attorney, the Public Defender, emergency medical services, behavioral health, peer support teams, the Greene County Coroner's office, and other relevant stakeholders. Together, they will identify missed opportunities for prevention and recommend actionable strategies to save lives. The initiative

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ALTON - At its Annual May Meeting, the Alton Community Service League announced Cathy Droste as the 2025 winner of the Silver Bowl Award. The Silver Bowl is awarded to the member who has recorded the highest number of volunteer and League hours for the year. For the 2024-2025 League Year, Cathy recorded 179 hours for League activities and 198 community hours for a total of 377 hours. The total value of her volunteer hours is $12,625.73. During the summer months, League Members will continue to deadhead roses on Mondays at the Nan Elliott Memorial Rose Garden at Gordon Moore Park. Members were also invited to sign up to assist in watering the Alton Memorial Hospital Healing Gardens. Officers installed for the 2025-2026 League Year include: Pat Cooper, President; Mary Molloy, President Elect/Membership; Deb Tchoukaleff, Recording Secretary; Debra Olinde, Corresponding Secretary; Joanne Adams, Treasurer; Nancy Johnson, Assistant Treasurer; and Cathy Droste, Past President. Committee

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued a statement in support of a lawsuit California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed against President Trump, the Department of Defense and Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in response to their unlawful orders to federalize the California National Guard. “I stand in solidarity with my colleague Attorney General Rob Bonta regarding his legal challenge to Donald Trump’s unprecedented order directing the National Guard to respond to lawful protesters. The administration’s actions to federalize the National Guard are inappropriate and have escalated circumstances unnecessarily in Los Angeles. President Trump has further inflamed the situation by taking the extraordinary action of ordering Marines to be deployed on American soil. While shocking, both actions are consistent with President Trump’s other attempts to move our democracy toward authoritarianism. “Our Constitution protects the right t

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced today that 21 additional professions are now available for licensure via the Department's new online licensing system, CORE (Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment). Today’s announcement marks the successful completion of CORE’s Phase 2.1, with additional parts of Phase 2 set for completion in the coming weeks. The Department will announce when each part of Phase 2 is completed, including which professions are added to CORE. “The expansion of CORE means increased accessibility for applicants, ensuring more qualified professionals can obtain their licenses in a timely and efficient manner,” said IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. “We are now one step closer to making CORE available for all license types, ultimately benefiting both consumers and professionals alike across Illinois.” Phase 2 focuses on adding license types to CORE that are currently

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In a 2010 interview , actress Courtney Cox claimed she and her Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow ate a Cobb salad for lunch every day for 10 years. More recently, actress Selena Gomez, 32, said she picked up an “old man habit” from her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Martin Short, 74, and Steve Martin, 79. Gomez said the elder statesmen eat the same thing every day, and she follows suit, typically with a chicken salad sandwich. It's a real thing, says Carly Zimmer, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at OSF HealthCare. For some, eating the same meal over and over might be a matter of convenience. It’s quicker and cheaper to have a granola bar for breakfast every day rather than cooking a big meal, for example. For others, it might be more of a medical issue. They can’t tolerate the taste or texture of some foods, or the foods may upset their stomach. Or, they may have swallowing difficulties or an allergy. Regardless, Zimmer

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ST. LOUIS - The 2026 Priority Project List , compiled for the bi-state St. Louis region by the St. Louis Regional Freightway, includes 29 projects totaling nearly $8.9 billion. The list was released at the Freightway’s annual Freight Summit on Wednesday, June 4, the signature event of FreightWeekSTL. As of May 2024, more than $560 million in projects on the list had been completed and more $2.6 billion in funding had been allocated for additional projects on the list, with many of those under construction or soon to be. The list highlights the top infrastructure needs of manufacturing and logistics industries in Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois. “The numbers highlighted in this year’s report, which continue to grow year over year, underscore the tremendous commitment to improving freight infrastructure in the bi-state St. Louis region by securing funding and advancing major projects through the development pipeline,” said Mary Lamie, Executive Vice

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ST. LOUIS – The City of St. Louis, in partnership with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency and Saint Louis University (SLU), will open a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) on Monday to serve as a central space for tornado-affected residents to connect with agencies offering guidance, resources, and assistance related to recovery and long-term support. “As we move from responding to helping residents put their lives back together, it is critical that a one-stop place like the Disaster Assistance Center makes it as convenient as possible for residents to get the resources they need on the road to recovery,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “This is another example of the community collaboration that we have seen since the tornado and reflects the compassion and resilience of the city. I am extremely thankful to everyone contributing to this effort.” The DAC will take place June 9-12 (Monday-Thursday), June 16-18 (Monday-Wednesday), and June 23-26 (Monday-Thursday),

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COLLINSVILLE — Firefighters and paramedics from the Collinsville Fire Department, along with personnel from neighboring departments, completed ventilation training recently at Collinsville Fire Station One. The training was conducted by the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) and focused on the techniques and considerations involved in ventilation during firefighting operations. The ventilation class covered the reasons for and the advantages and disadvantages of different types of ventilation in relation to building construction and firefighting procedures. Participants reviewed fire behavior as it relates to building construction, fuel load, and occupancy type, emphasizing its role in tactical priorities. According to IFSI, the training included an overview of various window types — from jalousie to double hung — and roof styles such as gambrel and four-to-twelve pitch, all of which impact ventilation strategies. The course also addressed the recognition of

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 16 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to not enforce federal law prohibiting the distribution and possession of forced reset triggers (FRTs) and to redistribute thousands of those devices across the country. Raoul is also reminding Illinoisans that FRTs, which are devices that turn semi-automatic firearms into machine guns, remain illegal under Illinois law. “The Trump administration’s decision to redistribute devices that convert firearms into machine guns is extreme and would have a devastating effect on the safety of communities across our country. Federal law bans these devices, and this settlement does not change the law,” Raoul said. “Illinois law is also clear: Forced reset triggers are unlawful. I will continue to enforce the ban on forced reset triggers under Illinois law, and I will advocate against any policy that will

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the Conservation Achievement Scholarship, honoring high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding voluntary dedication to the preservation, protection, enhancement and promotion of Illinois’ natural resources. “These young leaders are the future of conservation in Illinois,” said Natalie Phelps Finnie, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director and ICF board chair. “Their passion, initiative, and long-term commitment to protecting the outdoors inspire us all. We are also deeply grateful to the generous donors who make these scholarships possible.” Each winner receives a $2,000 scholarship to support their continued studies and conservation efforts. This year’s honorees represent a broad range of environmental service, leadership and community impact. The 2025 Conservation Achievement Scholarship recipients: M

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) introduced the bipartisan Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act. This legislation would address staffing shortages at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by streamlining the pathway for participants in VA’s Health Professionals Scholarship Program (HPSP) to begin in full-time roles at VHA. "VA’s Health Professionals Scholarship Program supports students pursuing healthcare careers while connecting VA with talented staff, but there is room for improvement. As HPSP participants graduate – eager to begin careers at VA – they often face delays in receiving a contract. With the Veterans Health Administration already experiencing staffing shortages, we need solutions to address this inefficiency,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “The bipartisan Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act would streamline the path

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor, making clear that Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will only raise prices and slash Medicaid and Medicare coverage for working Americans in order to pay for significant tax breaks for billionaires. Durbin reiterated in his remarks that the legislation will harm Americans as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an estimate showing that 16 million Americans will lose their health insurance under the Republicans’ reconciliation bill. “They are considering a tax bill that will eliminate health insurance coverage for 16 million Americans. More people and families will lose health insurance coverage by virtue of this ‘big, beautiful bill’ than any legislation we passed in modern memory,” Durbin began. Durbin explained how unpopular it would be to cut health insurance coverage for Americans, which has prompted a small number of Republicans

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BELLEVILLE – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged a Belleville, Illinois man for allegedly disseminating child sexual abuse material and disseminating private sexual images of an adult without consent. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. The Attorney General’s office charged Owen Corder, 22, in St. Clair County Circuit Court with eight counts of Class X felony dissemination of child pornography, each punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and two counts of Class 4 felony non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, each punishable by up to three years in prison. Sentences are ultimately determined by the court. Corder is currently detained at the St. Clair County Jail. “Survivors of child exploitation and their families can face life-long trauma, and

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