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EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville and some local groups have mapped out four days of fun inspired by Route 66, the iconic 2,400-mile trek that ran from Chicago to the Pacific Coast – and for several decades passed through Edwardsville. The events will offer a mix of music, food, history and family fun in the days leading up to and after the annual Route 66 Festival, which is cruising toward a milestone in June: its 25th year. Special activities are planned from Thursday, June 8, through Sunday, June 11, at sites throughout Edwardsville. First up is the “Get Your Kicks!” musical travelogue that will feature an all-alumni cast from Edwardsville High School. This one-night-only production will offer songs from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, and is being produced by the Alumni Players organization and the Friends of the Wildey. The show is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main Street. All proceeds will go to the

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EAST ST. LOUIS – Beloved St. Louis University Men’s Basketball player Terrence (TJ) Hargrove Jr. spoke with the Lincoln Middle School student body during a special assembly on Monday, April 24 th as part of National Every Kid Healthy™ Week. He is an alum of East St. Louis Senior High School where he led the Flyers basketball team to its first-ever state championship in 2019. TJ is currently at St. Louis University and is a key Forward for their Men’s Basketball team. He candidly shared his story, including his struggles with mental health. This is not the first time TJ has publicly come forward in sharing his struggle with depression. TJ Hargrove was recently named a recipient of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) 2023 Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award because he is using his platform as a high-performing student athlete to draw attention to help remove societal stigmas associated with mental health challenges. TJ Hargrove spoke

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GODFREY - Several events are coming up this spring and summer at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey, including an Arbor Day Celebration, Youth Fishing Derby, and much more. Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan appeared on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the upcoming events. This Saturday, April 29 is the Youth Fishing Derby, which is catch-and-release and free to the public. Registration is required, but you can register online or at the event starting at 9 a.m. Fishing will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 11:30 a.m., when the judges will make their final decisions to award the Biggest Catch, Most Fish Caught and Strangest Catch awards. “We actually have a category called ‘Strangest Catch,’ so if somebody reels in half a thing of Christmas lights, we’ve got a little something for you,” Logan said. Winners will be announced during an award ceremony at noon. There are three age groups: 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Participants

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SPRINGFIELD - Madison County has been issued a final property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue. The property assessment equalization factor, often called the "multiplier", is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state's 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result. Under a law passed in 1975, property in Illinois should be assessed at one-third (1/3) of its market value. Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland assessed at one-third of its agriculture economic

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GODFREY - Godfrey Fire Protection District has announced multiple promotions in its ranks from the recent Board of Trustees Meeting. Luke Warner is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Christopher Stratton to the rank of Captain. Ben Hamberg to the rank of Assistant Chief. Godfrey Fire Protection Chief Eric Cranmer said the promotions are the result of a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of those who will be in new positions. "I feel everyone here is good," he said of the entire Godfrey Fire Protection team members. "Those who are promoted have to also study hard and test. It takes a lot of experience and positives in the testing process to earn these promotions. They all put in a lot of time for this."

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CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College is proud to announce that U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) will serve as the keynote speaker for the 154th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 13. Representing Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, Congresswoman Budzinski was first elected to the House in 2022. With a background in the labor movement as well as in state and federal government, her mission is to restore the American Dream, rebuild the middle class, and deliver results for communities in Central and Southern Illinois. She currently serves on the House Agriculture Committee and House Committee on Veterans Affairs. "We are delighted to welcome Congresswoman Budzinski as we celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2023,” said Blackburn President Gregory J. Meyer. “She is deeply committed to public service, dedicated to delivering results for the communities she serves, and truly understands the importance of higher education. As someone just beginning

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford has announced that Madalyn K. Shafer has been located safe and sound. Madalyn was announced as a missing person on Monday. She had previously been seen last by a friend at 11 a.m. on April 23, 2023. Madalyn is described as a 26-year-old white female from Alton.

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WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River senior Aidan Loffleman loves running, it's as simple as that. He's pretty good at it too. "I’ve been running since 6th grade and I’ve always loved that no matter what level you are at there is always an achievable goal in front of you," he said. For his dedication and love of the sport, Aidan is a Midwest Members Credit Union Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. "My main goal is to get as strong as I can this year because I'm running in college," Aidan said. He will be attending Seattle University where he plans on majoring in either Biochemistry, Kineisology or some sort of Sports Science. Aidan says he wants to stay involved with the running community because he loves it. "That way when my running career comes to an end I can still help people achieve their running goals through coaching or whatever help they may need," he said. His running career is far from over, and he's leaving a mark his senior season. In his home meet,

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ELLISVILLE, MO. - According to the American Psychological Association, nearly three-quarters of adults (76%) said they have experienced health impacts due to stress. April is Stress Awareness Month and Mark Mueller, Owner of Mueller Furniture, is encouraging people to choose furniture that not only looks good but can provide health benefits as well. “Whether you're spending hours hunched over a desk working, on your feet for hours at a time or constantly looking at your phone, we all do things in our daily life that can be harmful to our posture, neck and spine,” said Mueller. “In the past few years, there have been more and more furniture pieces promoting circulation, decreasing inflammation and providing proper lumbar support. We know this is an area where people are looking for furniture that not only looks nice but will help their body relax.” Statistics show that nearly 30 million Americans suffer from lower back pain and one out of every three

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WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River High School senior Chloe Metz mainly focused on volleyball, being her preferred sport, having played it all four seasons for the Oilers. It was her senior season that she emerged as a leader on the court and became a main-stay for the team. She prides herself in being the team's lead setter. Through 40 games, she picked up 139 assists, 22 kills, and 14 aces. She wanted to use her sense of leadership in other areas, so she went out for softball and is halfway through her senior season. For her efforts on the volleyball court and the softball diamond Chloe is a Midwest Members Credit Union Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. "I’d like to think I've emerged as a leader, and I'm wanting to take those qualities to the softball field," Chloe said on finding a new sport. She's being worked into the softball lineup and has racked up 22 at-bats. Her only hit so far this season was good for an RBI. The Oilers currently sit with a 6-12 record.

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COLLINSVILLE - At 7 p.m. on Monday, April 24, 2023, the Collinsville Police received a 911 call of shots fired in the 200 block of North Seminary and multiple individuals fleeing the area on foot. When officers arrived in the area, they located one individual on the sidewalk who had sustained gunshot wounds. Life-saving efforts attempted by the Collinsville Fire Department proved unsuccessful and the victim was later pronounced deceased on-scene by the Madison County Coroner’s Office. Collinsville Police said witnesses reported seeing four individuals fleeing from the area on foot and provided a general description. Officers immediately canvassed the area and located three individuals matching their descriptions in the vicinity, and after a brief foot pursuit, they were captured and are currently in custody. At this time, it is believed that a fourth individual may still be at large. “We are currently in the very early stages of this investigation and have no further information

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EDWARDSVILLE - Eleven people were taken into custody on felony charges, two firearms were seized and a stolen vehicle was recovered during the latest deployment of the Cross-River Crime Task Force. The task force, which utilizes real-time data from Automatic License Plate Readers in conjunction with saturation patrols, conducted a 6-hour deployment Thursday evening in Granite City, Madison and Pontoon Beach. Major Nick Novacich, who serves as commander of the Cross-River Crime Task Force, said it was the unit’s largest deployment to date, with more than 40 officers. The officers conducted 108 traffic stops. “This unit is continuing to make a difference,” Novacich said. “The ultimate goal is to keep our communities and neighborhoods safe. The Cross-River Crime Task Force does that by using a proactive approach to crime prevention and by using technology to apprehend individuals who have already committed crimes.” The task force is comprised of select officer

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EDWARDSVILLE — Officials announce that Madison County’s Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance (ERAP) program is ending after more than two years. “The program helped thousands of people with their rent and utility bills who were impacted by COVID,” Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. Since March 2021, Madison County Community Development (MCCD) administered more than $11.6 million in ERAP assistance to more than 2,500 households. The program will end at the end of the month. MCCD Director Chris Otto commended the staff for all their hard work on ERAP. “This group routinely put in 10-hour-plus days to keep up with the workflow and flood of applicants,” Otto said. Board member Denise Wiehardt and chair of the Grants Committee said the pandemic was hard on everyone, especially for those who lost their jobs and couldn’t pay their rent or utility bills. She said that ERAP helped people from being evicted. “We saw a real need for this program,”

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford has announced that on April 23, 2023, during the evening hours, the Alton Police Department was notified of a missing person identified as Madalyn K. Shafer. Chief Ford said Madalyn was last seen by a friend at 11 a.m. on April 23, 2023. The friend had not seen Madalyn for most of the day and was unable to contact her. The friend also noted that Madalyn’s vehicle was missing from her residence. Madalyn is described as a 26-year-old white female from Alton. She is approximately five feet ten inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. She was last observed wearing blue plaid pajama pants, a blue t-shirt with “Special Olympics” on the front, and white Croc-style shoes. She has three tattoos one on each of her thighs of a Tarot Card and one on her abdomen of the Staff of David. Madalyn’s vehicle, a white, Toyota Rav 4, was located unoccupied today outside the city limits of Alton. Friends and family are concerned for Madalyn’s

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WOOD RIVER - Freshman Gina Truax has displayed significant potential this track and field season for the East Alton-Wood River High School Oilers. Gina is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. “Gina has worked very hard, listens to her coaches, and is highly energetic,” EAWR girls track and field head coach Russ Colona said. “To get a record in the second meet is crazy. We usually have to calm her down rather than push her to go, she is so energetic and driven. She has a good competitive spirit and a good nose for the finish line. We are looking forward to seeing how far she can go.” Gina said she feels she is off to a really great start this season in outdoor track. “I have not had a lot of supervision in hurdles in middle school and was kind of self-taught,” she said. “Now in high school, the coaches are working with me a lot and I love the more individualized attention. The hurdles are something I have

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ALTON — Argosy Casino Alton is expanding its gaming space in new and exciting ways with opening of “The Music Hall”. With the opening of The Music Hall, Argosy will now boast over 500 of the latest slot machines and be able to offer new and existing players a brand-new play area. “We have heard from so many of our guests – when are you going to expand your gaming floor?” said Randy Peterson, Vice President and General Manager of Argosy Casino Alton . “We are so pleased to be able to expand our offerings to give our players what they’ve asked for. Our slot and facilities teams have worked very hard to create this space and we are so pleased with the results!” The area will officially open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 27 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a special drawing to celebrate the opening.

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CHICAGO – The Lotto jackpot for tonight’s drawing is now a whopping $14,150,000. This is the largest Lotto jackpot in nearly three years, when a lucky Illinois player scooped up $16.5 million in June 2020. Lotto is an Illinois-only game with three chances to win a million dollars or more with every drawing. So far this month, two Lotto players have won $1 million each, but the jackpot has kept growing. In total this year, over 2.5 million winning Lotto tickets have been sold, netting players about $10.9 million in prizes. Lotto is played three times a week with drawings on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The next prize draw is tonight, April 24 at 9:22 p.m. CT. Lotto tickets are $2 each, and players have the option to add Extra Shot for an additional $1 for the chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes. With over 7,000 Illinois Lottery retailers across the State, Illinois Lottery players can conveniently pick up a ticket at their local store - or they can login to the

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JERSEYVILLE - Jersey Community High School senior Gabe Axley signed recently with Sydenstricker Nobbe John Deere Technical School in Wentzville, MO. Only 25 students out of 200 applicants were selected for this 9-month program. He will pay $0 tuition, $0 room, and board, and receive wages while training. "We used this signing opportunity of a model student, Gabe, to hear from Ben Poletti with SNP to inspire underclassmen industrial arts students," Jersey Community School District said in a comment.

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JERSEYVILLE - Bea Weaver is still going strong as she just turned 100 years old. Recently, her family and friends had a special day for Bea at Jerseyville Manor. "Bea celebrated her special day at Jerseyville Manor hosting an open house with more than 50 guests," Jerseyville Manor officials said. Bea was asked an important question on what is the secret to such longevity. She responded with one word: "Happiness." Jerseyville Manor officials closed by saying, "100 never looked so good! Congrats to Bea on becoming our most recent centenarian."

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ALTON - Workers are visible each day at the old Alton Post Office location on Belle Street with the site restoration in its final stages. Brian Bretsch, a spokesperson for Ameren Illinois, who owns the property, made this statement about the present work: "Following Illinois American Water's sewer and water line improvements along Belle Street, Ameren is now finishing final site restoration and grading at the former Alton manufactured gas plant site in preparation for sale and/or beneficial re-use for the community. "The property was recently divided into two parcels to support development, while also allowing for an easement so Illinois American Water can access and maintain the Piasa sewer that bisects the site."

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