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SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker launched the ‘Smart Start’ statewide tour, visiting locations across the state to announce historic investments in early childhood education. Joined by local and community leaders, the Governor kicked off the tour with three stops at schools and early childhood centers in Springfield, East St. Louis, and Mount Vernon to highlight his administration’s plan to transform the state’s system of early childhood education and care. Beginning with a $250 million investment this year, Smart Start Illinois is a multi-year plan to provide every child with access to preschool, increase funding to childcare providers to raise wages and quality, invest in new and expanded early childhood facilities, and reach more vulnerable families with early support. “Access to quality childcare and early childhood education yields better results for children and parents alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It gives us the best

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GODFREY – In today’s knowledge economy, education providers must be nimble, innovative and ever-changing to meet the needs of 21 st century learners and employers. Lewis and Clark Community College is striving to meet its constituents where they are – and taking a hard look at its offerings, modes of delivery, and potential access barriers in order to do just that. On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the college welcomed guest speaker and distinguished scholar of higher education Arthur Levine, co-author of “The Great Upheaval,” for a series of discussions with campus and community constituents about the future of higher education, and the future of Lewis and Clark. “Team members, faculty, students and even community guests were engaged and inspired by Levine’s keen insights,” said L&C President Ken Trzaska, who learned of and met Levine previously through a new presidents’ program he attended at Harvard while president at Seward County Community

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) today reminded senior citizens about the availability of the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program which allows qualified seniors to defer all or part of their property taxes and special assessment payments on their principal residences. Seniors needing assistance paying their property taxes have until March 1, 2023 to apply for the program. The program, which works like a loan, allows qualified seniors to defer a maximum of $7,500 per tax year (including both first and second installment payments), increased from $5,000 last year. Deferred amounts are borrowed from the state, who pays the tax bill to the County Collector’s Office. The program was also expanded this year to increase the household income threshold qualification from $55,000 to $65,000. Interest on the amount paid by the state accumulates and a lien is placed on the property for all deferred tax payments and interest, payable upon death of the homeowner,

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is alerting customers that all offices and facilities will be closed in observance of Presidents’ Day. • Offices and Driver Services facilities operating on a Tuesday through Saturday schedule will be closed on Saturday, February 18. • Offices and Driver Services facilities operating on a Monday through Friday schedule will be closed Monday, February 20. All offices and facilities will be open for business on Tuesday, February 21. Individuals can visit the Secretary of State’s website at ilsos.gov for online services including checking eligibility to renew their driver’s license online, applying for a duplicate driver’s license, or renewing license plate stickers.

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Couples names: Charlie & Beth Morton City: East Alton Date met or started dating: August 8, 2008 Date married: October 31, 2008 What makes your relationship special? We are best friends. Both been through major health issues brain surgery for him GBS' for her. Share a memory you have made together: She used to go to the ballpark with me while I was umpiring.

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JERSEYVILLE - Family and many friends this week are remembering Shawn Patrick "Sully" Sullivan for his many positive contributions to Jerseyville and Jersey County. Shawn died at age 48 on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 . Shawn was a Jersey Community High School graduate and married to his wife, Brandi, for nearly 25 years. The couple also has two children - Ian and Elli. Shawn and Brandi owned and operated Sully's Package Liquor in Jerseyville where they have numerous customers who stop by each week. Shawn also owned and operated Sully's Distributing prior to his time with the liquor store through 7-Up and Dr. Pepper. Jenna Taylor, the owner of Imo's at 1600 South State Street in Jerseyville, is very close to the family and has organized a fundraiser at her business. On Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, she will donate 10 percent of the profits that day to the Sullivan family to assist with their loss. Also, she has a donation collection jar in her business. Jenna said at the end of the day, she wil

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BENTON – A U.S. District Court judge sentenced a Freeburg woman to 15 months in prison after she admitted to committing bank fraud while employed by St. Teresa and St. Luke Catholic parishes in Belleville. Michelle N. Miller, 45, pled guilty to one count of falsely obtaining money owned by a financial institution. In addition to her prison sentence, she will receive two years of supervised release and is ordered to pay $153,940.38 in restitution. “The defendant selfishly chose to put herself and her greed over the needs of the students, parishioners and the religious community at St. Teresa and St. Luke,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “She decided to embezzle more than $150,000 from her employer, friends, and neighbors. It’s shameful, and I’m relieved she was brought to justice.” “The U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying, investigating, and pursuing those who attempt to enrich themselve

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EDWARDSVILLE – Metro-East Lutheran High School’s robotics team is moving on to the FIRST Tech Challenge Illinois state championship after putting in a winning performance at the recent regional qualifying competition. Twenty-two teams from central and Southern Illinois competed in the First Tech league qualifying tournament last weekend at Maryville Christian School. The MELHS team was one of five teams from the two regions that qualified to move on to the state competition, which will be held on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 in Elgin, Ill. In First Tech, students design, build, and program robots to compete head-to-head against other teams. The state championship showcases the best robots from the FTC Qualifying Events held all around Illinois. This is just the second year the MELHS robotics team has been competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge. Last year the team won two rookie awards, including the highest-scoring rookie. “We’re still a very young team and we’re

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ALTON - The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club's 37th Annual Chili Chowdown is set for Monday, March 6 at Main Street United Methodist Church in Upper Alton. The popular fund-raising event features all-you-can eat chili, beverage, and dessert for just $10.00. Serving hours are 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. and again 4:30 p.m. through 7 p.m. Diners may eat-in or carry-out. The secret Rotary chili recipe is guarded by event chairman Dennis Wilson. He says the recipe originated with the late Don Johnson, proprietor of DJ's Bar and Grill in Upper Alton. Members of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club prepare and serve the chili. Over the years the Chili Chowdown has been held at a number of venues, but in recent years has settled into its home at Main Street United Methodist Church which affords ample parking, ease of egress, and plenty of room for diners. Tickets for the annual Chili Chowdown are available from any member of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club and will also be sold at the door. The annual even

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Department Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating a fatal motor vehicle accident at Telegraph Road and Baumgartner Road which resulted in the death of an adult male. The deceased has been identified as Shavkat Narimanov, 19 years of age, of the 5200 block of Cathedral Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63129. On February 15, 2023, at 5:55 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the South County Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident at Telegraph Road and Baumgartner Road. Officers located a motor vehicle accident involving a motorcycle and a minivan. Preliminary investigation has revealed Driver #1, operating a 2015 Kawasaki motorcycle, was southbound on Telegraph Road, traveling at a high rate of speed. Driver #2, operating a 2002 Chevrolet Venture minivan, was northbound on Telegraph Road, turning west onto Baumgartner Road when the Kawasaki entered the intersection,

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ALTON/EAST ALTON - Shawn Fowler, owner of Modified Auto in East Alton, recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the shop’s relocation to Eastgate Plaza, some of the happy customers they’ve had so far, and much more. Modified Auto was previously located at 165 E. St. Louis Ave. in East Alton, near the Washington Early Childhood Center. While Fowler said he loved having the business in the neighborhood for eight years, moving into their 5,000-square-foot Eastgate location has taken the business to a new level. “The East Alton community in general has been super easy to do business in,” Fowler said. “The City Hall, the Police Department, the Fire Department, they’ve all been so supportive of their local businesses and we love to be a part of it.” Fowler said Modified Auto workers aren’t paid on commission, so they’re not constantly trying to “upsell” customers on products

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EDWARDSVILLE/ALTON - Students in SIUE’s Community Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES) program are looking for Alton residents to interview about their lives and work in Alton, and will compile those interviews into a digital story or short video as part of their Community Storytelling project. Interviews will be conducted this Saturday, Feb. 18, and four 30-minute time slots are available from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Interviews will be held at the Alton YMCA, located at 304 E. 3rd St. in Alton. Fill out this online form to register and choose a time slot for an interview. Students in the CODES program recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the project and the work they’re doing. CODES Student Spencer Steele said the main goal of the program is to listen to the voices of the community. “For us, really it’s more about the community than anything, and listening to their voice and figuring out what

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EDWARDSVILLE — A Worden resident is replacing the seat of Madison County Board member William “Bill” Meyer who died in early January. Chairman Kurt Prenzler recommended Frank Dickerson as Meyer’s replacement for District 3, after interviewing more than 10 people for the position. The board unanimously approve Dickerson to replace Meyer, who died on Jan. 6. “Bill Meyer did a great job in keeping in touch with the villages, townships and citizens in his district,” Prenzler said. “That was a key consideration as I interviewed everyone for this position.” Prenzler said Meyer’s district is unique, the largest geographical district, encompassing six townships — Leef, Alhambra, New Douglas, Omphgent, Hamel and Olive — and seven towns — Hamel, Alhambra, Prairetown, New Douglas, Livingston, Williamson and Worden. Dickerson is a lifelong resident of Madison County and moved to Worden in 1996. He served two terms as village

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JERSEYVILLE - Students in the Jersey Community High School Career and Technical Education programs led local businesspeople on tours around the school during an Open House for Local Businesses on Feb. 15. Workforce Development Coordinator Erica Heitzig said the event “exceeded everyone’s expectations” with a large turnout from the local business community. “Our goal was to try to get 30 local businesspeople through our door, and we ended up with 48,” Heitzig said. “I think everyone left very impressed - definitely shocked, surprised with everything we have to offer here at JCHS.” There were several stops on the student-led tours which showcased some of the amazing things happening on a typical day at JCHS. Eighth graders worked in Woods classes while freshmen worked on 3D printing during their Industrial Orientation. Advanced Construction students were building the set for the school’s upcoming Charlie Brown musical. Other highlights

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ST. LOUIS - Each year, World Wide Technology Raceway’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline NTT INDYCAR SERIES race showcases the St. Louis-Metro East region to the world. This year, the WWTR event will air in 142 countries around the globe. And in the U.S., it be broadcast live on NBC-TV. INDYCAR will reach more fans in more global markets with more accessibility than ever before. A robust list of international broadcasters will bring the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to 223 markets in 142 countries with major and impactful media partnerships. In addition, INDYCAR LIVE, INDYCAR’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, will provide practice, qualifying and races in territories not covered by an international partner. All international markets will have access to INDYCAR LIVE’s complementary coverage of NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying. “We are pleased to see the expansion of our international partners and offerings mirrorin

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District #9 launched a new tutoring program with Varsity Tutors for middle and high school students. GCSD9 developed the program in partnership with Varsity Tutors, a leading platform for live online learning, whose breakthrough products offer personalized live instruction via a customizable, all-in-one platform. The new program will enable students to access on-demand academic support 24/7 as well as 1-on-1 live tutoring for students who need additional support. "We want to continue provide our students with the tools and resources they need to help them thrive academically and set them up for future success,” said GCSD9 Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann . “Providing a comprehensive online learning tool will give our students extra support all year long at all hours of the day. ” The offerings made available today to support GCSD9 middle and high school students include: On-Demand Tutoring: Providing 24/7

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BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is proud to announce that this year’s 10th annual Heart & Soul Gala raised nearly $280,000, a record amount to support the nonprofit’s mission work. The gala was held at The Regency in O’Fallon, Illinois on February 4, 2023, and was also a celebration of Caritas’ 75th Anniversary as a nonprofit organization. “It’s incredible to look back at how our organization has grown over the years and to see the impact we have made in people’s lives,” said Caritas CEO Gary Huelsmann. “Caritas touches the lives of more than 7,000 people each year through our services, including 1,700 foster children. That work wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support from businesses and caring individuals in our community. We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish and we’re excited to continue finding new ways to make an impact in the communities we serve.” Caritas Family

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Education has awarded $1,341,279 in Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Programs grants to National Louis University (NLU) in Chicago. NLU is among the first universities and colleges to receive federal funds dedicated to the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Programs. The federal funding will be used to implement three multi-pathway residency programs that are designed to increase the access, participation, and success of diverse, multilingual school paraprofessionals. The programs will incorporate culturally responsive teaching and learning standards, an evidence-based learning community, and multilingual supports for academic and licensure success. “Investing in our educators is an investment in the next generation. As we look to recruit and train more diverse teachers to enter the profession, we must ensure that w

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GODFREY - Ground broke Thursday morning at the new Godfrey Firehouse site located at 3023 Godfrey Road. The $6.5 million project will feature drive-thru apparatus bays, medical and other supplies space, and training and administrative areas such as meeting spaces, offices, and living quarters. This new 15,000-square-foot facility will replace the two current Godfrey firehouses, centralizing them into one location and allowing for better and more efficient manpower allocation during emergency response. The owner’s representative is Northstar Management and the architect is FGM Architects. S. M. Wilson & Co. has been selected to serve as the Construction Manager. Construction on the site has begun since the demolition of the former Hi-Way House Motel that previously sat on the property. It's estimated that the new firehouse will be completed around the end of 2023.

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MADISON COUNTY - A man charged with one of the most gruesome murders in recent years in the region - Deundrea S. Holloway, of Litchfield, has been ruled fit to stand trial. Holloway is accused of the death of 22-year-old Liese Dodd and her unborn child in the 3400 block of Bolivar Street in Alton on June 9, 2022. Dodd was beheaded and was pregnant at the time of her death at her home. Holloway was 22 at the time of the murder. Judge Neil Schroeder made the ruling after an investigation into Holloway's mental health. Judge Schroeder evaluated elaborate information from the Department of Human Services to make his decision. Holloway is charged with first-degree murder, dismembering a human body, intentional homicide of an unborn child, concealment of a homicidal death, and other motor vehicle offenses. The Alton Police Department Investigations Division started investigating the case as soon as it was called to the scene at 12:59 p.m. Thursday, June 9, 2022, in the 3400 block of

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