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ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis region has its advantages - especially for companies looking to ship goods anywhere in the country and beyond. Between the city’s centralized location in the U.S., strategic spot on the Mississippi River, six Class 1 railroads, and four interstate highways, St. Louis continues to invest in its infrastructure as preparations are made for even more freight traffic. Terminal Railroad Association President Brent Wood and Mary Lamie, executive vice president of Multi-Modal Enterprises for the St. Louis Regional Freightway, appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the region’s many advantages and multimodal infrastructure. In St. Louis, the number of manufacturing/logistics employees per mile is about 366, which Lamie said is “one of the higher numbers in the nation.” “When you compare that to other regions, no one really is within that threshold,” Lamie said. “What that really mean

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that all 102 counties in the state remain at a low level for COVID-19 hospital admissions, according to the new rating system introduced after the declared state and national public health emergencies expired in May. Counties are considered to be at a low level of COVID-19 transmission when hospitalizations are below 10 per 100,000 population. The CDC and IDPH will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends by measuring the presence of the virus in wastewater in addition to other existing surveillance methods. In Illinois, the data is posted by the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System , which tracks the levels of COVID-19 and influenza in wastewater at 76 locations throughout the state. “I am very happy and relieved to report that COVID-19 cases remain low as we continue the summer season,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer

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ALTON - Phae Morrissey has always loved the Milton Schoolhouse. This month, Milton is returning that love by featuring her art throughout the building. The Milton Schoolhouse is home to a number of businesses. Every month, they invite a local artist to arrange their work in the main hallway, so almost everyone who enters Milton will walk past it. For Morrissey, the opportunity to display her art is made twice as special by her personal connection to the people who spend time at Milton. “Having my pieces up in a space that I already love means a lot to me,” Morrissey said. “And then getting that positive feedback from my friends and heroes and just the random folks off the street has been really uplifting.” Morrissey spends a lot of time at Milton, chatting with the regulars at Maeva’s Coffee and her partner, who works behind Maeva’s counter. But when she’s not at Milton with her loved ones, she can be found either searching for new materials

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COLUMBIA, MO. - Marilyn Hope Lake, PhD., a 1960 Alton High School graduate and one of five valedictorians of that class of 485, has been selected as a finalist in the 2023 Missouri Writers Contest for Best Non-Fiction. Her Best Poem entry is also a finalist. A finalist in the contest applies for first, second, and third place and honorable mentions. Winners of the contest for each category will be announced at our conference in Colombia on Saturday, September 23, 2023. Marilyn Hope (Waide) Lake was born in Alton Marilyn was also was Best Thespian of the Year, 1960 in Alton. She lives in Columbia and has a new book, "Our Mothers' Ghosts and Other Stories" in pre-publication at Meadowlark Press and Books, Emporia Kan. The expected publication date is the fall of 2023.

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MARION - The Life;Story 5K Walk and Run will aim to prevent suicide and raise awareness about Centerstone, a mental health and addiction treatment service in the Riverbend area. The 5K will take place on Sept. 9 in Marion, though there are also Centerstone locations in Alton, Carbondale and other towns across the country. All proceeds will help Centerstone patients. Other health and wellness organizations will be there on the day of the event, and speakers will talk about their experiences with suicide. “The purpose of Life;Story is to bring about awareness for suicide prevention,” Erin Camfield, Centerstone’s Director of Advancement, said. “The semicolon represents that there’s more to come. There’s more to your life, and there’s more to your story.” This is the first Life;Story 5K in Illinois. Centerstone’s Florida location has sponsored the event for 21 years with thousands of participants each year. Camfield hopes

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EDWARDSVILLE - Former SIUE Chancellor Dr. Vaughn Vandegrift died Tuesday, July 11. He was 76. Dr. Vandegrift served as SIUE's seventh chancellor from 2004-2012. He was a visionary leader, a dedicated educator and a true Cougar at heart. Vandegrift was the major player in SIUE graduating to the highest level of intercollegiate competition. His vision would lead SIUE to begin the transition to NCAA Division I status after the completion of the 2007-08 season. He also would forge SIUE into the Ohio Valley Conference , leading the intercollegiate program that would help increase its connection to alumni and the surrounding community. During his tenure, he spearheaded numerous initiatives which elevated the visibility of the University. He led SIUE to national recognition as one of U.S. News & World Report's up-and-coming universities and facilitated numerous construction and infrastructure projects — paving the way for the University to reach its largest enrollment in the history

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SPRINGFIELD - The homicide victim in Springfield has been identified as Emma Shafer, 24, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon announced on Friday. Shafer, 24, of Springfield, was discovered deceased in her home just before midnight on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. Police confirmed that Shafer was discovered deceased with multiple stab wounds at her 1000 block of South 8th St. address. The Springfield Police received a tip from a person to check on her welfare because they believed she may have been harmed. Today, Gabriel P. Calixto, 25, received an arrest warrant in connection with Shafer's death. Calixto has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, along with aggravated domestic battery and has a bond total of $3 million.

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on Friday announced the filing of charges against an Alton man accused of using a social-messaging platform to disseminate child pornography. Haine and Raoul announced that five Class X felony counts of child pornography have been filed against Steven C. Garrison, 44. Those counts allege that, between Feb. 1 and Feb. 4, Garrison used the Discord social-messaging platform to disseminate videos containing child pornography. Associate Judge Ronald Slemer set bail for Garrison at $500,000. Garrison remained in custody as of Friday afternoon. The judge also granted a prosecution request that Garrison be prohibited from having contact with anyone younger than 18 in the event that he is released on bond. “Child pornography is appalling, and these types of cases are very concerning,” Haine said. “As prosecutors, we must always go above and beyond to protec

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police and the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office announced that Wednesday, July 12, 2023, St. Clair County State’s Attorney, James Gomric, charged 42-year-old Cermen L. Toney of East St. Louis with First-Degree Murder. ISP recalled that at approximately 1:38 a.m. on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the East St. Louis Police Department and the ISP Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG) responded to the 1400 block of Gaty Avenue in East St. Louis for reports of a shooting. Officers found Lonnie D. Johnson had been struck by gunfire. Johnson was transported to an area hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. On July 10, 2023, Toney turned himself into PSEG agents. Toney is currently being held at the St. Clair County Jail on a $1,000,000, 10% to apply bond. No further information is available. All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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ALTON - The 26th annual All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show is back on for this Sunday, July 16, after being rescheduled earlier this summer due to rain. The free public event will bring hundreds of classic cars, motorcycles, and more to downtown Alton. The car show will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vehicles lining 3rd Street between Piasa and State Streets. Registration for show cars is open from 8 a.m. to noon. The fee to display a car is $10, and dash plaques and goodie bags will be given to the first 125 participants. Trophies will be awarded in 38 classes, including Stock, Street Rod, Modified, and several more in age brackets ranging from 1900-present. Six specialty awards - including Best Paint, Best Engine, Best Interior, and more - will also be presented at 4 p.m. The fee to enter the judging is $15. Number4Combo will be performing live music from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a Pin-Up Contest from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The day’s festivities will also include a 50/50 drawing, vendor

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ALTON - Local businesses have been working around the Illinois American Water project for a few years now. Schwegel’s Market at 901 Alby Street reflects on the difficulties they’ve faced throughout the construction. “It’s been quite a hassle,” co-owner Mike Schwegel said. “It’s been a bite.” The Illinois American Water project aims to separate the combined Alton sewer system. They are installing a new sewer system that will be safer for the community. But the project has taken its toll on small businesses like Schwegel’s Market. Road closures throughout downtown Alton have been common over the past few years due to the construction. With 9th Street closed, Schwegel’s Market has been losing customers since the beginning of the project around November 2021. “We had 15–17,000 customers a month, and last month I had 11,200,” Schwegel said. He believes that the store’s newly opened video gaming section

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BETHALTO -A former Bethalto resident, Gabriel P. Calixto, 25, is facing three counts of first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery with a bond of $3 million in an arrest warrant that has been issued by Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright. Springfield Police, the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies are searching for Calixto. Sangamon County Dispatch said they received a phone call from a Bethalto woman at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday that her brother might have injured his girlfriend who resided in Springfield. Springfield Police immediately responded to the 1000 block of South 8th St. to check on the girl and found a 24-year-old woman deceased with multiple stab wounds at the residence. The Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said the woman appeared to have sharp force injuries and recommended the death be investigated as a homicide.

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ALTON - The Illinois American Water project to improve Alton’s wastewater system continues, with updated road closures and a progress report. Illinois American Water has been working to separate the combined Alton sewer system for several years now. They are also installing a new sewer system that will be safer for the community. “These closures are necessary for investments to the wastewater system to be completed in a safe manner,” a recent press release from Illinois American Water said. As part of this construction, new road closures began on July 6. Belle Street south of Hamilton Street to 10th Street is still closed. The stretch of 10th Street from west of U.S. 67 to Belle Street is closed, and workers have started pavement restoration work. Construction on 9th Street is moving north. Asphalt paving is complete on Belle Street, 9th Street and 8th Street. Construction crews are currently in the process of pavement striping these streets. All businesses remain

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CARLINVILLE - At 3:47 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, 2023, Shawn M. Evans, 36, was taken into custody by the Carlinville Police Department. Evans was captured with the joint efforts of the Macoupin and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State Police, U.S. Marshals Service and the Macoupin County State's Attorney's Office. Evans is facing first-degree murder charges in the death of Dana Morgan, Jr., 37, who died of gunshot wounds in a shooting in Carlinville on Wednesday night. A $2,000,000 warrant was issued by the Honorable Joshua A. Meyer in the case. Members of the public are reminded that the allegations are not proof of the defendant's guilty. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government's burden to prove his or her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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ALTON – Beverly Farm Foundation has announced that the Beverly Farm Annual Fireworks Display planned for this evening, Friday, July 14, 2023, on the Beverly Farm campus has been postponed due to possible severe weather. The Beverly Farm fireworks display was been rescheduled for the evening of Saturday, September 30, 2023, during the nonprofit’s Fall Family Weekend event. The fireworks will continue to be free and open to the public. More information will be announced closer to Fall Family Weekend, September 29 through October 1, 2023. About Beverly Farm Beverly Farm was founded in 1897 by Dr. William H.C. Smith and his wife, Elizabeth, to establish a caring home that included socialization, proper medical care, healthy diet, physical exercise, education, recreation and meaningful work for people living with developmental disabilities. Today it is a planned community that looks and feels like a neighborhood. There are homes, a recreation center with a pool, an equestrian

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MADISON COUNTY - In an effort to encourage law enforcement bicycle patrols on the MCT Trails, Madison County Transit (MCT) donated two RECON Interceptor battery-powered bicycles to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, July 13. The new ruggedized bikes will allow Sheriff’s Office employees to patrol the MCT Trails as well as other unincorporated areas of Madison County. In the last five years, MCT has donated patrol bicycles to police departments in Alton, East Alton, Edwardsville, Granite City, Maryville, Highland, Troy, South Roxana, and Venice, as well as to campus safety officers at SIUE and Lewis & Clark Community College. RECON is a law enforcement electric bike company specializing in patrol bicycles. The all-terrain bicycles donated to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office have a heavy-duty frame and durable, puncture-resistant 4-inch tires. Each bike contains a 1000-watt mid-drive motor for optimal speed and hydraulic disc brakes for greater stopping

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EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Rachel Aud Crowe announced today that a U.S. District judge sentenced an East St. Louis man to spend 16 years in federal prison on drug distribution and firearm charges. Mosezell Jones, 43, pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. “Illicit drugs and firearms result in fear and destruction to a neighborhood, and families in East St. Louis are better off with one less criminal infecting the community,” said Aud Crowe. “I applaud the officers for apprehending this defendant.” “Illinois State Police special agents are committed to seeking out and holding accountable those individuals pushing life-destroying meth into our communities,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. According to court documents, undercover agents with the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois of ISP conducted several controlled buys

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CARROLLTON – A reminder that Friday night, there will be great music, free parking and room to spread out are major highlights of an evening in Carrollton on Friday, July 14, 2023, when the Carrollton Lions Club will host a fun-filled family event on the Square. Activities will begin at 5 p.m., when Bernie Faul opens her sandwich stand on site to sell rib eyes, porky burgers and hot dogs. Proceeds from Bernie’s sandwiches will be donated to the Carrollton City Cemetery to pay for upgrading and maintaining old and broken headstones. Participants can continue by visiting the Lions Club stand to purchase ice cream and Texas cake, then settle in and prepare to be entertained by the Outlaw Opry Band in a gazebo concert beginning at 6:30. Everyone is cordially invited to attend, enjoy the fellowship and support a most worthwhile project. The Carrollton Lions Club members thank you for your participation.

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ALTON - The Alton City Council moved quickly through passing several items on Wednesday night’s agenda during their first City Council meeting with newly-seated Alderman John Meehan. Among the items passed were several street closures to facilitate upcoming events, as well as improvements to a few streets around the city. The council unanimously approved the closure of 3rd street to facilitate the Funky Butt Brass Band Concert on Friday, July 14. The concert will be hosted by Alton Main Street and held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Park, located on the corner of East 3rd and Easton Street in Alton. Also approved were the closures of 3rd Street, State Street, and Belle Street to facilitate the All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show. The event was originally scheduled earlier this summer but was rescheduled due to rain - it will now be held this Sunday, July 16 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cars will be lined up along 3rd Street between Piasa and State Streets in downtown Alton.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced new legislation to improve national security by strengthening our United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC). The Parity for Public Health Service Ready Reserve Act would empower the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to recruit, retain and mobilize an elite sustainment force of Public Health Service uniformed servicemembers in response to public health emergencies. The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is one of the nation’s eight uniformed services, and is the only uniformed service with an exclusive focus on protecting our nation during public health emergencies, such as such as Ebola, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) joined Duckworth in introducing this legislation. “One of the most critical lessons we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic is how important it is for our country to be prepared

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