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ALTON - Rob and Mac Lenhardt both have some big goals for the future with the hope for a collective 30 convenience stores, pizza places, or small restaurants over the next decade. The Lenhardts are already off to a strong start. Rob Lenhardt said on Tuesday the goal is to do two to three new locations a year, starting with neighboring cities. Rob Lehnhardt stressed whatever the city needed, whether it was a convenience store, restaurant or pizza place they would unveil. He also emphasized they wanted to keep their operations at the start within 20 minutes of the Belle/Third Street in Alton location, but would eventually go broader than that. Mac’s first convenience store was adjacent to the bar/restaurant on Belle Street in Alton and it has been phenomenally well-received, he said. Rob admitted they learned a lot with the expansion after adding a convenience store and will put that to good use as they continue to grow. “We are working on a pizza place/gaming establishment

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JERSEYVILLE - Sprinkles the Donut has been stolen from BigBoy’s Donuts in Jerseyville. The donut shop posted on their Facebook page last night that Sprinkles had been taken, and asked for the public to share the news of his disappearance in the hopes of bringing Sprinkles back home. “Sprinkles is missing again!” they announced in the post. “No questions asked if he is returned just please help us get him back home so we are able to celebrate with him during the parade & fair that is coming up!” When he’s not making appearances out in public or visiting with customers in the shop, Sprinkles is usually posted by the State Street entrance into the donut shop’s parking lot. As of Tuesday afternoon, BigBoy’s Donuts Owner Becky Matthews said there has been no update on Sprinkles’ whereabouts. She said he’s actually been missing for three or four days now, but she avoided making the situation public until this point in hope

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CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker was joined by state and local officials as he signed legislation authorizing a new state-based marketplace (SBM) for Illinois, which gives state agencies additional tools to create a more consumer-focused health insurance exchange and better identify traditionally uninsured communities. The Governor also signed historic rate review legislation, which will protect health insurance consumers from unfair rate hikes. The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) will work together to implement the new legislation and coordinate with all state medical assistance programs. “As governor, I’ve worked to build a state government that is more efficient and more responsive to what working families need,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Operating our own healthcare marketplace gives us the dexterity to offer more enrollment windows, coordinate with nonprofit partners who help

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ALTON - There was an elephant in the room of the last Alton Committee of the Whole meeting - in fact, there’s been one since May 24, when Alderwoman Betsy Allen proposed several items to be added to the agenda which were never added. Expressing her frustration with the committee seeming unwilling to discuss any of her proposed items, committee members tried to clear up the confusion Monday night before deciding to discuss the items in future meetings. Allen, her fellow aldermen, Mayor David Goins, and the city attorney attempted to clarify a miscommunication that occurred while the city attorney was away. Someone had asked her whether Allen’s proposed items needed to be added to the agenda. The consensus at the time was that they didn’t need to be added because they were items to be discussed, not voted on. However, Allen specifically stated in her initial letter about the items: “To begin discussion, I am requesting these items be placed on the agenda

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EDWARDSVILLE – Dorothy McCoy, an entrepreneur and Army veteran from Illinois began her journey with Metro East Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in May 2022. With the guidance and support of the SBDC, she successfully launched her business, Mo’z Sweet Treats. McCoy received guidance from the SBDC about her business registration process, mentorship, guidance on health department regulations, assistance in obtaining a micro loan for her business, as well as opportunities for networking and sponsorship. “SBDC has helped me a lot dealing with regulatory and even some personal issues while managing the business,” McCoy expressed. Mo’z Sweet Treats is a non-motorized pedal ice-cream tricycle business that specializes in selling Artisan homemade ice cream popsicles and fresh fruit lemonades on the go. McCoy offers vegan popsicles as well as her Famous Fried Chicken ice-cream. McCoy has faced numerous challenges

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ALTON - James Gray has had a wonderful spring with a street sign dedication in Alton and his 89th birthday which was celebrated by a large group of people. Gray was past president of the Alton Branch of the NAACP for more than 25 years and has made a huge difference in Alton for impoverished children. Alton Alderwoman Rosetta Brown described Gray as "a legend in our community contributed so much in the lives of our youth, civil rights, organizations, families and overall to the energy of our community." Gray is a former member of the Alton Housing Authority Board and a current member of the Madison County Housing Authority Board. He is also a member of the 100 Black Men organization. James Gray married Vera Boyd in 1952 and they were married for 31 years. James Gray is the father of seven children with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren along with other family members. “Jim Gray has been the consummate servant to the people of Alton as the president of the Alton

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Police and Fire Department are investigating a home explosion in the 3000 block of Dale Avenue in Granite City. The home exploded at 2:45 a.m. Monday and the homeowner said he was at work at the time of the blast. The home was reported to have collapsed and glass and debris were tossed onto the street from the blast and around that area. Major Nick Novacich of the Granite City Police Department said the following in a statement: "As it stands right now, the investigation is still ongoing, but we can report that the residence was unoccupied when the incident occurred, no injuries have been reported stemming from this incident. The residence was a total loss and created a significant debris field that likely caused damage to the surrounding residences, but to what extent we do not currently know." He continued with the following: "The Granite City Police Department, along with the Granite City Fire Department, concur that the current evidence does not support

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) board received questions and comments about racism in schools at their board meeting on June 26. Several parents addressed the board. They spoke of specific situations where students were harassed, and they asked the board what they were going to do to prevent racial harassment going forward. “Rather than deal with hollow words, we want to deal with substance,” Scott Ahart, a parent, told the board. Ahart outlined policy changes that parents wish to see, most of which focus on prevention. He asked the board to implement a zero-tolerance policy for racial discrimination or harassment, provide age-appropriate education on racial discrimination to all students, and require cultural sensitivity training for teachers, administrators and staff. He also asked them to provide more access to literature by Black authors, and to increase the Black writings and writers studied in language arts, history

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EDWARDSVILLE - FCB Banks officially marked 20 years of business in Edwardsville with a ribbon-cutting and celebration hosted by members of FCB Bank and the The Ed/Glen Chamber of Commerce. David Toby, senior vice president of FCB Banks Edwardsville, said the bank opened in Edwardsville in June of 2003 and has been proud to serve the community for two decades. “We are celebrating today 20 years of being in this community,” Toby said. “We are a family-owned bank 3 generations, and so the community we serve and all our communities are very important to us. “We get rooted in the communities … we’ve been involved in the community and we’re very excited to celebrate those 20 years and here for another 20 years at least.” He emphasized the important role the bank’s customers have had in its success since 2003. “The customers that we serve every day, that is what drives our business,” he said. “The relationships

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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced today that the Illinois Department of Transportation has been awarded a total of $24.9 million in two grants from the Federal Transit Administration for new battery-electric paratransit vehicles and paratransit vehicle replacements. The investment will help expand and improve services, providing additional transportation options, reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing quality of life throughout the state. “Here in Illinois, we are taking bold action to reach our ambitious clean energy goals and tackle the climate crisis head on—from passing landmark climate legislation and strengthening our electric vehicle ecosystem to expanding workforce development opportunities and investing in historically underserved communities,” said Gov. Pritzker. “This $24.9 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration advances that critical work—all while making sure Illinoisans up and down the state

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 26 attorneys general, issued a letter on Monday supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent notice of increased consumer protections included in proposed amendments to its Negative Option Rule. Negative options are marketing methods used by companies to enroll consumers in subscriptions, continuity plans and programs, automatic renewals and other recurring actions. These plans and programs do not require consent for each attached recurring charge and, in some cases, a consumer’s silence is consent. The FTC’s proposed amendments to the existing Negative Option Rule would provide more protection to consumers, clarifying terms at enrollment, offering easy and immediate cancellation options and reminders of upcoming charges. “Deceptive billing and auto-renewal tactics employed by certain businesses are among consumers’ top complaints to my office’s Consumer Protection Division,”

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $1,040,420,751 in federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This funding will help to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed internet infrastructure to help close the digital divide across Illinois. Today’s announcement is part of more than $42 billion announced nationwide to expand high-speed internet access—a federal push to help an estimated 8.5 million families and small businesses take advantage of modern-day connectivity. “The pandemic exacerbated the digital divide in urban and rural communities across Illinois and the entire nation. Investing in reliable, high-speed internet equips our residents and businesses with the tools needed to succeed in today’s economy while improving their overall quality of life,” said Durbin. “Today’s

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O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital wants to remind community members that while fireworks can be fun, they can also be dangerous. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, there were an estimated 10,163 fireworks-related injuries in America in 2022. According to medical experts at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, most injuries from fireworks occur to the hands or fingers, legs, face and eyes. Fireworks should be left to experts trained and certified so everyone can have a safe and enjoyable holiday. Some safe firework and sparkler alternatives are party poppers, bubbles, silly string or glowsticks. These options provide the same amount of fun, but with less risk of harm for all involved. If you do decide to use fireworks, here are 10 tips from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before purchasing. Never allow children to play with or ignite firework

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EDWARDSVILLE - Former Congressman John Shimkus today announced he will be chairing the campaign for Roger Smith, Republican candidate for Coroner. “I have known Roger Smith for close to 30 years,” stated Shimkus. “He is everything we would want in our Coroner – experienced, qualified and compassionate.” Smith worked for the Coroner’s office for 32 years before retiring in 2021. He was the Chief Deputy Coroner for the last 11 years of that term. Since retiring, Smith has maintained his national death investigator certification and used his experience to train other coroner personnel for the Illinois Coroner Training Board. He also serves as a consultant to both the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System and the Statewide Unintentional Overdose Reporting System. “Roger Smith has also promised to suspend collecting his IMRF pension and will decline to participate in the pension system as the elected Coroner. I believe this shows a respect

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ALTON - A local business owner proposed several solar installations to power the businesses he owns and Gordon Moore Park to expand the “clean energy portfolio” of the Alton area at last night’s City Council meeting. But with the June 30 deadline for federal grant funding fast approaching, he asked the City of Alton to act quickly in approving these projects. Vern Van Hoy said he owns and manages the Rolling Hills Golf Course in Godfrey, Arlington Greens Golf course in Collinsville, Nautilus Fitness Center in Alton, and has leased and operated Spencer T. Olin Golf Course for the last nine years. Van Hoy said he’s willing to invest to bring solar to each of these properties - as well as Gordon Moore Park - and that he would finance, install, and operate each of the solar array projects. “I’m a lifetime resident and longtime business owner and operator in this area and community, and I believe in the community and its future,” Van Hoy

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PATOKA - At first glance, Nancy Ansley seems like a regular artist. But Nancy, the founder of Nancy’s Museum of Horror and Rejects by Nancy Dolls, is not your typical painter. With her museum filled with horror movie scenes and her thriving business of gory dolls, Nancy stays in the Halloween spirit year-round. She hopes that everyone who checks out the museum or dolls learns to love horror as much as she does. “It doesn’t seem like work to me,” Nancy said of running her various businesses. “I just always loved it. I would stay up all night painting and sewing and things like that…I want to be down there painting in my studio all the time.” A longtime horror fan, Nancy has always gone all-out for Halloween. She and her husband, John, started decorating their house for trick-or-treat night 37 years ago. It soon became a major attraction for local kids, which was always the Ansleys’ goal. As more and more people fell in love wit

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BUNKER HILL - If you’ve ever sold or bought a house, you already know the headache that it can cause. But that process is as painless as possible with Lisa Webb of Third Street Realty . CJ Nasello hosts a segment with Webb on Our Daily Show every third Wednesday of the month. On a recent segment of “Third on Third With Third Street Realty,” Webb and CJ talked about buying and selling in a tight market and all the realty tips you need for an easy move. “It can be very stressful, especially for a first-time homebuyer,” Webb said. “Communication is the key thing. If you don’t know, ask, because if you don’t ask, then you’re going to not know what’s going on, and then things can go haywire from here. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll get you the answer.” CJ can relate a little too well; Webb is his realtor, and he’s preparing to close on his first house. But while he was initially overwhelmed, Web

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PATOKA - If Nancy Ansley asks you who your favorite musician is, there’s really only one right answer. Dressed as Michael Jackson, Ansley regularly impersonates the famous pop star at parties and charity events. But it’s more than just a performance. She truly feels a connection to Jackson and the impact he had on the world. “I get real emotional about it. I put on a show and it’s inspiring, and it’s more motivated to do better in this world,” Ansley said. “We show videos, and it shows how inspiring he really was. And people feel it because when I’m performing, I don’t just do it. I feel. They come up to me and they tell me, ‘You did him justice.’” Ansley never intended to be a performer. What started as a costume for a party “just escalated” into the full Jackson performances that she does now, often alongside her brother, who impersonates Elvis Presley. “It’s fun because it’s

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ALTON - Alton Police Department was called to an accident at 1:31 p.m. on Monday, June 26, involving two vehicles on Piasa Street at the intersection of W 3rd Street. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said a preliminary investigation revealed that one of the involved vehicles was traveling southbound on Piasa Street and made an attempt to turn left onto West Third Street. In doing so, Chief Ford said it failed to yield to the other involved vehicle which was traveling northbound on Piasa Street. The vehicle traveling north subsequently struck the vehicle that turned in its path. " Both vehicles were towed from the scene. No involved parties immediately sought medical attention.

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ALTON - Community members and organization leaders gathered to honor Alton High School’s first Black graduate, Charles Newton, and his wife, Sara Newton Cohron, with a gravesite dedication and proclamation on June 24. Lacy McDonald, genealogy and local history manager for the Hayner Public Library District (and secretary of the Vintage Voices Committee), spoke at the event and gave insight into the current grave marker’s history. McDonald said that Vintage Voices, the Hayner Public Library District, and Ralph Bowles at Gent Funeral Home teamed up to install a marker at the Newtons’ gravesite in September of 2022, but waited until June 24 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Newton’s graduation from AHS. Kristie Baumgartner, superintendent of the Alton School District, said the site carries historical significance for both Alton and Alton High School, highlighting the societal differences of Newton’s time. “The placement of the

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