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ALTON - At their March 20 meeting, the Alton Committee of the Whole unanimously voted down a laid-over resolution that would have required each City official/employee to complete a training session concerning the “prohibited activities” of their positions and the “rules of ethical conduct” for each City official/employee. In other business, committee members took no action on a resolution regarding the adoption and use of an internal Administrative Budget for the fiscal year 2023-2024. Later in the meeting, concerns were raised about the report they were given to base the budget on, which was apparently a nine-month “snapshot” and not an adequate enough overview of city expenses to base a budget on. Committee members asked for certain figures to be added by the end of the month before they would consider taking action on it again. The committee approved the elimination of a handicapped parking space in the 900 block of Alton Street, and also

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Upgrades estimated to save taxpayers $90,000 in annual energy and operational savings; new thermal energy storage system to substantially improve City sustainability DAVIDSON, N.C. – Trane ® - by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator - and the City of Alton, Illinois have entered into an agreement for a comprehensive energy and infrastructure upgrade on all five City facilities. Trane collaborated with a City of Alton project team to identify opportunities that support the City’s sustainability focus and energy reduction goals. Planned upgrades include replacing the outdated HVAC systems in the City Hall, public works building, police station, and both fire stations with new energy-efficient HVAC infrastructure along with a web-based integrated building automation controls platform. As a result, the city anticipates realizing approximately $40,000 in energy savings annually. Half of the annual energy savings will come from a new sustainable

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ST. LOUIS - A young Andean bear named Ben will be moved to a new home at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, soon. Ben has escaped twice in the last month from the St. Louis Zoo on Feb. 7 and Feb. 23. The Saint Louis Zoo made a comment that even though it met all standards to shelter Andean Bears, staff members “focused on Ben’s specific and unique personality to help determine the best home for the young bear after two escapes.” “While we love Ben, and wish he could stay with us, our goal is to do what is best for him,” said Regina Mossotti, Vice President of Animal Care at Saint Louis Zoo. “I am so grateful for the excellent care provided to Ben by our Animal Care team here and everyone’s willingness to seek opportunities for Ben to thrive.” The Gladys Porter Zoo is recognized as an AZA-accredited zoo. It has a long history with Andean bears and the bear habitat there has a moat, which will help contain Ben in his natural habitat

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Steven and Sarah Warner welcomed twins into the world on Feb. 7, 2023. Felicity Saphira Faye Warner was born at 12:46 a.m. at 5 lbs 3 oz at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Florence Selena Lou Warner came 10 minutes earlier at 12:36 a.m. at 6 lbs 1 oz. Felicity and Florence were welcomed into the world by their parents, grandparents (Ranson Gene Kessinger, Dorsey IL Nancy Jeanne Kessinger, Fosterburg IL Jim and Lori Smith, Hardin IL Cary and Jennifer Warner, St. Louis MO), and great grandparents (Patricia Helmkamp, Moro IL Doug and Donna Warner, Park Hills MO).

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MARYVILLE - On Thursday, March 16, the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber honored Anderson Healthcare President and CEO, Keith A. Page, with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award during their 2023 Business Awards Gala. Page, who marked twenty-seven years of leadership at Anderson Healthcare on February 5, 2023, has successfully led the system through the industry’s ever-changing environment for nearly 3 decades. Page earned degrees in business administration from Washington University and health care administration from St. Louis University. He began his medical career serving in the Army Medical Service Corp. He was stationed at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, and held the rank of Captain. Page then began his professional career with Alexian Brothers Medical Center in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove, where he served as vice president from 1985-1989. From there, he served as vice president with St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia until 1996. Page

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EAST ST. LOUIS – With the support from State Senator Chris Belt, the Sauget Fire Department and Madison Fire Department will receive a combined $42,000 to purchase small firefighting and ambulance equipment. “Our firefighters are the first line of defense when it comes to protecting our communities from fires and other emergencies,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “These grants will help ensure that our firefighters have the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.” The Small Equipment Grant Program is an innovative approach to a problem that has long caused difficulties for fire departments and not-for profit ambulance services in Illinois, particularly those that face hardships in generating the necessary revenue for small equipment. The purpose is to allow eligible applicants the opportunity to purchase small equipment that they may otherwise not be able to purchase. The Sauget Fire Department is set to receive $25,992, and the Madison

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ST. LOUIS - Feld Entertainment®, a family-owned company and worldwide leader in live entertainment experiences, announced the highly anticipated 2023 North American tour of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® The Greatest Show On Earth®. Bringing to life an arena spectacle at unbelievable scale, The Greatest Show On Earth will debut stunning feats of real human achievement, musical performances blended with aerial artistry, modern comedy, and never-before-seen acts on highwire, trapeze, bicycles, and more. The reimagined American icon will captivate families through a multi-platform, 360-degree experience that brings fans into the action, creating real connections between audiences and performers from all over the world – coming to St. Louis with six performances at Enterprise Center, December 9-10, 2023. “We’re reintroducing Ringling at a time when families are seeking shared entertainment experiences that provide joy, connection, and moments of togetherness,”

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College Athletics plans to hold a Trivia Night and silent auction on Thursday, March 23, in the Common on the Godfrey campus, as a fundraiser for The Trailblazers. “We are excited about this event,” L&C Athletic Director Cedric Brown said. “We have terrific auction items, including St. Louis Cardinals, Blues and Kansas City Chiefs items.” Additionally, Brown said, Former L&C standout and St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Jason Isringhausen has donated items for the event. “All proceeds will benefit athletics by supporting academic success strategies, scholarship opportunities and necessary department procurements,” Brown said. “Come out and join the fun to celebrate and support the Trailblazers.” The mixer and silent auction begins at 6 p.m. Trivia starts at 7 p.m. with eight rounds, 10 questions per round. There will also be a live musical performance by L&C baseball player Kalen Reardon.

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GRANITE CITY - GCS Credit Union was recently awarded the Doing Well by Doing Good Award by Mastercard for their charitable and community efforts as part of Mastercard’s Community Institution Segment Awards. The Doing Well By Doing Good Award recognized GCS for their annual Tee Up Fore Veterans Golf Tournament. Raising funds for veterans is just one of the many ways GCS is able to support their local community. With the help of over thirty sponsors and one hundred twenty-four golfers, GCS raised $32,961 for our local veterans last year. The Greater St. Louis Honor Flight, whose mission is to send our nation’s heroes to Washington D.C. for a one day, all expenses paid trip to see the memorials built in their honor, received $25,000 of last year’s proceeds. Got Your Six PTSD Support Dogs received $7,961 of the tournament proceeds. Got Your Six is committed to providing specialized service dogs to veterans and first-responders suffering from post-traumatic stress

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ST. LOUIS - First Mid Bank & Trust (First Mid) has pledged a $25,000 donation to the Youth & Family Center (YFC) in downtown St. Louis to replace the organization’s aging gymnasium floor. Dr. LaChrisa Crenshaw, YFC Executive Director, stated the $25,000 donation will help YFC provide a safe, welcoming space where kids of all ages can enjoy more opportunities to achieve their full potential and see a brighter future in the community. The current gymnasium is a multi-functional and recreational space. However, the concrete and urethane-coated floor is failing and unsafe, limiting the organization’s ability to offer young people quality programs in a safe environment. “Our kids want a place to go that they can be proud of,” said Dr. Crenshaw. “A place that offers the opportunity to make good choices. Right now, there aren’t a lot of places for our kids, teens, and young adults to be active and have fun. We want to provide that space for them at the

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WOOD RIVER - Last night the Wood River City Council demonstrated that is has not learned from the mistakes it made when it approved a $12 million rec center against voter wishes. When given the opportunity to begin the healing process after this divisive decision, instead the council turned its back on voters once again. In the meeting last night, the council refused to consider a motion that would have given voters the right to determine if they wanted a cannabis dispensary and whether it should be located downtown or in another location. Instead, the council demonstrated that it believes it knows what is best for the city. This is in spite of the fact that the city did not consult with many of the existing downtown businesses who are rightfully concerned what impact a cannabis dispensary in downtown may have on their business. Many residents have expressed concerns with a cannabis dispensary in Wood River. Most comments I have seen are critical that the city wants a cannabis dispensary

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JERSEYVILLE - The City of Jerseyville received $1,000,000 in grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for improvements to Hollow Avenue, as part of FHWA’s Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) funding initiative, and one of only ten projects awarded in the United States for that grant cycle. City officials said the funds will make some significant positive changes to that area. As part of the City of Jerseyville's long-term Capital Improvement Plan, the safe and efficient movement of residential and commercial traffic are key priorities. The Hollow Avenue improvement project involves reconstructing an old, deteriorated asphalt roadway with a modern compacted concrete pavement including curb-and-gutter and related subgrade improvements, widening, storm sewer/drainage improvements, and the addition of an ADA-compliant sidewalk extension. These improvements will enhance safety for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The compacted concrete pavement allows

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ALTON – Alton firefighters had a busy morning Monday with two unrelated serious fires in the city. Alton firefighters just finished work on the second fire at 9 Holly Hill Drive in Alton around 1 p.m. Monday. The call on that fire came in at 7:08 a.m., Alton Deputy Fire Chief Matt Fischer said. Fischer said the fire on Holly Hill is still under investigation, but it appears there could have been a possible gas leak that caused the fire. “Ameren Illinois is still out at the scene investigating,” he said. “It was very chilly fighting this one and the other fire overnight with temps in the 20s. There was pretty significant damage to the home on Holly Hill. One room was fully involved with fire when we arrived that spread through the attic.” Godfrey and East Alton responded with a Box Alarm on that fire. The earlier fire occurred in a single-family residence in the 600 block of Stowell Avenue in Alton, he said. “No one was at home at the time of th

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JERSEYVILLE - A few individuals have been charged over the past week for a range of crimes including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, theft, and more, according to the latest felony filing report from the Jersey County Circuit Clerk’s Office. David W. Rill, 64, of Bunker Hill, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (a Class 4 felony), unlawful possession of methamphetamine (a Class 3 felony), operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and improper use of evidence of registration or certificate of title. The incident took place on March 15; a warrant was issued for his arrest on the same day and his bail was set at $25,000. Rill carried an “uncased, unloaded … black Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun” with ammunition at a time when he was not on his property or someone else’s property with their permission, according to the report from Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Tellor. The gun was “immediately

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ST. LOUIS – Once again, Ace Hardware of Bethalto has come through for children in the Greater St. Louis area. Throughout 2022, Ace Hardware of Bethalto helped make miracles happen in the Greater St. Louis area for St. Louis Children’s Hospital and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, member hospitals of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Ace Hardware of Bethalto, helped generate more than $50,660 for their local hospitals. During the year, Ace Hardware of Bethalto participated in Ace Bucket Day, yearlong round-up, item of the month promotions, World Famous Chocolate candy sales, BBQs, etc. With their customers, vendors and other community supports, Ace Hardware of Bethalto raised over $40,660. The total raised by Ace Hardware of Bethalto made it one of the top ten fundraising stores for Ace nationwide. Duracell Battery awarded Ray Johnson (General Manager of Ace Hardware of Bethalto) an additional $10,000 for being a top-ten single-store retailer.

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BELLEVILLE - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined the Federal Bar Association Southern District of Illinois Chapter for their Women in Law Symposium, where she participated in a moderated discussion with Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, the Honorable Nancy Rosenstengel. During the conversation, Duckworth emphasized how it better serves our nation to value women and underrepresented voices in the judiciary branch and every form and level of government. Duckworth also highlighted her work in the Senate to help make America a more inclusive and affordable place for women and working families. Photos from today’s symposium are available here . “I never thought I’d get into government,” Duckworth said. “But when I was injured at Walter Reed, I quickly became an advocate for my fellow wounded—a mission that I cared deeply about. This is a common theme for women who serve as legislators. We come from nontraditiona

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is proud to announce that it has been recognized as a 2023-2024 Military Friendly School. Every year designations are awarded by VIQTORY, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse and Military Friendly® brands. The Military Friendly® Schools list recognizes colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and to ensure their success on campus. L&C’s Director of Career and Veteran Services Terry Lane works closely with faculty and staff, especially the Enrollment and Financial Aid departments, to help veteran students overcome challenges that interfere with their academic success. “We are committed to helping military and veteran students meet their educational

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ALTON - Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, received a $5,000 grant from Ameren Illinois recently to help provide services to those in need. Several programs at Centerstone benefitted from the grant, including Early Head Start. The generous donation helped us host a special event for our Early Head Start families and also deliver a new board book to every child enrolled in our program, said Sally Mondino, Centerstone Early Connections Manager. The grant also benefitted Centerstone's Connections program, which helps individuals experiencing homelessness by providing a variety of services. With the grant, Connections purchased cell phones for individuals in the program to help keep them active in treatment, as well as sleeping bags and bicycle locks. We are extremely grateful for this partnership we have with Ameren Illinois, said Erin Camfield, Centerstone Director of Advancement. Ameren Illinois not only provides a commitment to help non-profits in their

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BELLEVILLE, Ill. - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today welcomed 60 residents from 34 different countries for the first time as United States citizens in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois Naturalization Ceremony. In her remarks to the new Americans, Duckworth highlighted the importance of diversity in strengthening our nation and her love for our country. “For everyone here today, whether your journey started in Afghanistan or Algeria, Cambodia or Costa Rica, Venezuela or Vietnam, your hard work and dedication make your stories the American Dream,” Duckworth said. I want to thank you for making this nation better, for making America more American. I couldn’t be prouder to now call you my fellow citizens.” Duckworth was joined at today’s ceremony by U.S. District of Southern Illinois Judge Nancy Rosenstengel and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Rachelle Aud Crowe.

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CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), leaders in Illinois’ film industry, and state leaders today announced Illinois’ soaring film production expenditures with a record-breaking $691 million for 2022 - a $131 million increase from the pre-pandemic record in 2019. This record-breaking achievement comes on the heels of the expansion of the Film Production Tax Credit in 2022, extending the credit through 2033, and launching the Film & TV Workforce Training Program. As filmmakers continue to bring their crews and talent to the state, Illinois’ economy reaps the benefits of production companies supporting local catering companies and restaurants, hotels, drivers, a diverse union workforce, and more. “Our success in the film and TV production industry is more than just a set of revenue numbers — it means thousands of good-paying jobs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I was proud to extend

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