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CHICAGO - Last week the Senate confirmed its 150th federal judge under the Biden-Harris Administration. Illinois’ own Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, played a key role in filling the vacancies and ensuring that the bench is filled with judges who are dedicated to fairness and impartiality, the rule of law, and the Constitution. The appointments also mark significant progress in diversifying the judicial arena, delivering on President Biden’s promise to confirm judges from an array of personal and professional backgrounds. 100 of the appointed judges are women, nearly double the number of women judges appointed under the Trump administration, and 98 are people of color. The President’s appointees “come from professional backgrounds that have for far too long been underrepresented on the bench—from labor and immigration attorneys to public defenders and civil rights lawyers.” President Biden extended his thanks

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EDWARDSVILLE - “There’s power in the student voice and my presence here,” said Winter Racine, a second-year mass communications student in the College of Arts of Sciences (CAS), and a Senator for Students with Disabilities. “Advocacy can bring about transformation.” Racine was one of a number of speakers who introduced the fifth annual Ed Roberts Champions of Accessibility Celebration in the Morris University Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Monday, Nov. 6. Student speakers shared stories of lived experiences while navigating the SIUE campus. The awards presented by SIUE’s Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) honored those who made it their mission to make SIUE accessible for all. The two Defender of Equity Awards were given to faculty member Timothy Lewis, PhD, associate professor of political science and staff member Jessica Harris, PhD, vice chancellor of Anti-racism, Diversity,

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Alestle, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s student news organization, recently won several national awards during the 102nd annual Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention. This year marks the most national awards for which The Alestle was nominated and received. For the first time since the 1990s, The Alestle was a finalist for the ACP Pacemaker for its website alestlelive.com . The Pacemaker is the highest honor in collegiate media. Besides being recognized as a Pacemaker finalist for its online presence, The Alestle placed 6th in the ACP Best of Show competition at the convention in the website category. The Alestle took fourth place in the Best of Show competition at the convention in the Newspaper/Newsmagazine category of four-year schools with less than 15,000 students. Many current and former Alestle staff members also won recognition in the College Media Association's national Pinnacle

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CARROLLTON - The Carrollton United Methodist Church does various outreach programs during the holidays, including Operation Christmas and the Christmas Carol Sing and family funeral dinners throughout the year. A key fundraiser is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at the church that people are encouraged to attend. A free-will offering will be accepted with proceeds going to support various ministry and outreach programs. Menu items include baked potatoes with a variety of hot and cold toppings, relish tray selections, build-it-yourself ham sandwiches, homemade dessert items and your choice of drinks. The Church and Fellowship Hall are located on the northeast corner of Maple Street and Highway 67 in Carrollton. "Everyone is welcome and all are cordially invited to attend," Larry Gillingham, a spokesperson for the church said.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Registration is now open for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s winter session for undergraduate and graduate students as well as visiting students in search of courses needed for their home institution. SIUE Winter Session offers a variety of accelerated three-week classes held entirely online December 18, 2023 through January 7, 2024. "Winter session at SIUE offers students the unique opportunity to continue their path to graduation. With over 50 undergraduate and 11 graduate course offerings, the accelerated 2023 winter course options align with SIUE's mission and vision to provide innovative and interdisciplinary programs that empower students to achieve their full potential," said Angie Cooksy, Ed.D, interim associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Management. Courses range from Hispanic civilization to drama and musical theater to physics to literacy diagnostic reports. Students can complete courses from anywhere in the U.S. with reliable internet

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ALTON - The renowned Veterans Day Program at VFW Post 1308 on Alby was once again a beautiful tribute to those who have served and are serving in the military. The annual ceremony recognizes each service branch with a laying of the wreaths. Shannon Yount, United States Marine Corps, was the master of ceremony, Jeff Gray, a United States Air Force veteran, did the invocation and Joe Macias gave the Pledge of Allegiance. Steve Corbitt did an outstanding rendition of the National Anthem and Alton Mayor David Goins read a proclamation about Veterans Day on behalf of the City of Alton. Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick and State Rep. Amy Elik were also in attendance. The Laying of the Wreaths portion of the program featured the following: Medal of Honor - Wayne Able POW/MIA - 2nd. Lt. Robert Ryan, USAAAF/Sue Parrish Gold Star Mother - Lynn Leenker Alton Post 1308 & Auxiliary - Commander Joe Macias and Chuck Herring Army - Chad Sibley Navy - Jake Lloyd Marine Corps - Brad Yount

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ALTON - Celebrate Small Business Saturday by finding locally-made, environmentally-friendly gifts for your friends and family in Downtown Alton. Alton Main Street is teaming up with the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project to present the 21 st annual Green Gift Bazaar to continue the tradition of “going green” for the holidays. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 25, 2023, featuring 45 eco-artisans and green vendors at two locations: Post Commons, located at 300 Alby St., and Jacoby Arts Center, located at 627 E. Broadway in Alton. The full menu at Post Commons will be available, and at Jacoby Arts Center Big Boys Q will serve a lunch menu. There is no entry fee to shop, and attendees of the Green Gift Bazaar will be provided with a brochure full of Small Business Saturday information, featuring refreshments, giveaways, discounts, free gifts with purchase, gift card specials, in-store activities, etc. from many downtown retailers

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GLEN CARBON - The future of Father McGivney's Catholic boys soccer under Coach Matt McVicar’s Griffins looks bright with several returnees next year. Some of the returnees include juniors Spencer Martin, Alec Frohnert, Spencer Sundberg, Aaron Brodwater, Mason Holmes, Kai Gaither, Chris Marchetti and Tyler Ahring, plus sophomore Lucas Roedl, and freshmen Owen Weissert, Patrick Geirer and Will Rakers. McGivney Catholic’s boys soccer returnees are Byron Carlson, Petri & Kalb male athletes of the month for the Griffins. Will Rakers started most of the games as a freshman and will be a key returnee next year, the coach said. “The freshmen players are good players and will continue to grow as well as our sophomore and junior players.” Geirer was extraordinary in goal for the Griffins during the season and was only a freshman. He has a very bright future ahead, Coach McVicar said. Geirer had 55 saves on the season in goal and is highly ranked throughout the state

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ALTON - As Santino’s Steak and Pasta House celebrates five years in Alton, owner Sonny Asani is reflecting on the restaurant’s journey and his commitment to the community. “I believe that hard work, good quality food, good portions, reasonable price, people will come in and support us,” Asani said. “I want to thank the whole community and the people that came to us and support us and open their arms for us. We’re here now five years, and we just signed another lease for another five years.” Asani has opened a few restaurants before, but he knew right away that Santino’s was special. Five years ago, he was visiting Alton when he saw the building that would become Santino’s, located at 180 E. Center Drive near Alton Square Mall. This property has hosted several restaurants before that ultimately failed, and a lot of people warned Asani that the building was “jinxed.” But he couldn’t stay away. “When

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ALTON - Local favorite Germania is spreading through the region with their canned cold brew. The coffee shop, which has locations in Alton, East Alton, Godfrey and Jerseyville, is popular with Riverbend residents. But the canned cold brew will be sold at other local businesses, with goals to eventually expand into big box stores like Target and Schnucks. “We were talking about, ‘What’s the future of Germania? What do we want to do?’” remembered general manager Ben Brynildsen. “We were like, ‘Let’s do some cold brew, but let’s do it in a way that other people haven’t done it before, which is, let’s infuse real ingredients and real things and make it fun.’” These conversations happened in 2018. Brynildsen and his brother — Germania owner Jared Brynildsen — started “messing around with recipes.” After hundreds of taste tests, they began selling cold brew in the Germania stores

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ALTON - Community members gathered downtown on Friday night, Nov. 10, 2023, for the dedication of the Alton Flyway Mural. The organization Alton Main Street commissioned the mural, designed by local artist James K. Schmidt. It was painted throughout September by muralist Robert Fishbone and his company On the Wall Productions . During the dedication ceremony, speakers from Alton Main Street and the Audubon Center at Riverlands talked about the mural’s power to call attention to both Alton and the Audubon Center’s work toward preserving the bird population. “One of the four points of the Main Street approach to downtown revitalization is design, and design is basically anything aesthetic,” explained Alton Main Street Executive Director Sara McGibany. “Beautification projects such as public art, that's what gives a town its flavor and its identity. Creating beautiful things for people to see and photo opportunities for people to come and get

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ROXANA - There are several senior leaders on the Roxana Shells football team that have made a marvelous postseason run this year. James Herring captains the defense but got his name on the scoresheet in Roxana’s big playoff win over Paris. Herring, a big linebacker, an imposing force in the Shell defense, intercepted a Paris pass and rumbled down almost to the endzone, but was tackled just short on the one-yard line. He came off the field, celebrating his big play with his Roxana teammates. Shells' head coach Wade DeVries told him to get back out there, line up as a fullback, and finish the job. James took the handoff from Roxana quarterbackChris Walleck and powered his way into the endzone. James Herring has been playing football for eight years. It’s the first time he’s ever scored a touchdown. Herring is a Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete of Month for the Shells. “I was happy,” said Herring. “I’ve been asking for a touchdown

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ALTON - On Friday, November 17, 2023, Alton Main Street will host an event that’s sure to get you into the holiday spirit. The 29th Annual community Tree Lighting at Lincoln-Douglas Square will begin with the arrival of Santa Claus on the trolley at 6 p.m. The free festivities including caroling, cookies and hot cocoa will continue until 6:45 p.m. when Mayor David Goins flips the lights on the beautiful tree, which is provided by the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club. This event will be broadcast live in a cooperative effort between Riverbender.com and WBGZ Radio. Mike Roberts and C.J. Nasello of Our Daily Show! will host the broadcast. Families are encouraged to bring their cameras to take pictures with Santa and costumed holiday characters. Songs will fill the air throughout the evening provided by area Girl Scout Troops, the Salvation Army’s “Let the Music Begin” singing group and the Great Rivers Choral Society. Pastor Patrick Thatcher of Country Bible Church

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ALTON - In a rare move earlier this week, Alton Mayor David Goins vetoed an ordinance passed by the City Council that would’ve required the city to employ a full-time Director of Code Enforcement and a full-time Director of Planning and Development. Currently, both positions are filled by Greg Caffey in a part-time capacity. While some council members have called for dedicated full-time employees for each, Mayor Goins has given multiple reasons for his stance against the proposed requirement in the past and while presenting his veto on Nov. 8, 2023. At the Oct. 9, 2023 Committee of the Whole meeting , Alderwoman Betsy Allen said she believes both departments need a full-time director - not because Caffey had expressed difficulty handling both roles, but because her constituents have said they “would like more assistance.” “I believe that both departments, it’s a large responsibility, and I think that it requires two people, or a full-time for

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ALTON - A total of 13 incredible talents are eager to share their story with audiences, beginning Nov. 10, 2023, at the Alton Little Theater Showplace as ALT presents "A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder." "A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder" by Robert L. Freedman with music by Steve Lutvak is directed here by Brant McCance and Lee Cox. It is produced with permission from Music, Theatre International. The show will run evenings on Nov. 10, 11, 15, 16, 17 and 18, 2023, and matinees on Nov. 12 and 19, 2023. Alton Little Theater describes the production as follows: "There’s a love triangle, murder is afoot, But the incomparable cast delights in exploring how a poor but crafty young man becomes the Earl of Highhurst with two ladies and a host of very funny characters who will win your hearts and minds. Lorian Warford and Jess McCawley extol the virtues of “ Bella-donna” while the ensemble extols the “funny” side, yes funny side of becoming professional

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EDWARDSVILLE - Black children are more likely to live in communities with higher-than-normal limits of ambient air pollution and attend schools located near significant environmental pollutants. These bleak statistics were just a few of many shared by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Jerrica Ampadu, PhD, RN, CCP, associate professor in the SIUE School of Nursing (SON) and director of the SIUE WE CARE Clinic in East St. Louis. Ampadu and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students Julia Buckles and Jewel Radford gave a presentation on Health Equity and Environmental Justice during the Environmental Protection Agency’s virtual Explore Environmental Justice Week Series from Oct. 30-Nov. 3. The subject of the presentation was asthma, its environmental causes, and the systemic factors that impede the health and wellness of Black and Brown communities, according to Ampadu. Documentation from the presentation was taken from Buckles and Radford’s DNP project tha

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ROXANA - Lead Pastor Rodney Durr invites community members to Roxana Church of the Nazarene for an early, cozy Christmas celebration. The Nazarene Community Theater, located at 400 Central Avenue in Roxana, will have a free showing of “The Polar Express” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Hot chocolate will be provided and pajamas are encouraged. “Part of what we want to do through the theater is to provide family friendly, affordable entertainment in a Christ-honoring atmosphere,” Durr explained. “So you don’t have to question whether or not you can bring your kids there or not. It’s always going to be appropriate and also affordable. We want to enhance the quality of life through the Metro East in this way.” The theater is owned by Roxana Church of the Nazarene, located down the street at 500 N. Central in Roxana. In addition to the free hot chocolate at “The Polar Express” showings

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide in the 11600 block of West Florissant Avenue that resulted in the death of an adult male. St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a shooting in the 11600 block of West Florissant Avenue. Responding officers located an adult male inside a business suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. The male was transported to an area hospital for treatment but later succumbed to his injuries. A suspect was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit. The investigation is ongoing. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Deceased Identified In Homicide In St. Louis In a different case where someone suffered fatal gunshot injuries, the deceased has been identified as Carlos Strickland, 37 years of age, of the 8800 block of Torii Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63121. St. Louis County

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ALTON - OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center Psychological Services department, in cooperation with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Southwestern Illinois, will be sponsoring Family Support Groups in Alton. NAMI Family Support Group is a safe place for family members, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions to share feelings, coping and communication strategies. The Family Support Group will meet monthly and attendance is open to the general public. Meetings will be held on the third Thursday of every month: 7-8:30 p.m. OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center 3 West Meeting Room 1 St. Anthony’s Way Facilitators for the Family Support group meetings are Diane and Paul Borawski who possess more than 10-plus years of lived experience in supporting families. To register or for questions please contact Kelly Jefferson at kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788. About OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center

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BETHALTO - After an intense police investigation, two are in custody after charges issued by the Madison County State's Attorney's Office. The story begins as follows: on the morning of October 30, 2023, the Bethalto Police Department responded to several vehicle burglaries on B Street in Bethalto, with a total of five incidents in the area. At approximately 4:30 a.m. on October 31, 2023, Bethalto Officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 200 block of Gabrielle Circle. Upon investigation, they located the vehicle on Route 140 at Sheridan Street. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, it refused to comply and continued westbound on Route 140. During the pursuit, between the intersection of North Williams Street and Cottage Avenue, the officers believed they heard multiple gunshots. Due to safety concerns, the pursuit was discontinued. The abandoned vehicle was later found in Alton, on Morrison Street near South Rodgers Street. The passenger side o

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