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ALTON - As The Brown Bag Bistro celebrates their recognition from America’s Best Restaurants , owners and mother-daughter duo Christine and Erin Velloff are reflecting on the restaurant’s success. Most people know The Brown Bag Bistro as the popular lunch spot it is today; after all, it’s receiving national acclaim. But the spirit of the restaurant is much closer to home. “Loving what you’re doing — I think that’s what’s driven us a lot,” Erin said. “And most of our staff has been here for years, too. I think everyone just has fun.” Erin explained that the decision to open a restaurant was her mom’s idea. It was an exciting, if unexpected, chance to get involved in the Alton food scene. “We had absolutely no experience,” Erin said. “Kind of just on a whim, she called me when I was in college and was like, ‘I’m going to open a restaurant. Do you want to help?’”

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A LTON - The Alton School Board appointed TaRael Kee as the new Alton High School assistant principal at their meeting on Tuesday, June 20. “Thank you so much for allowing me to become a part of the Redbird family,” Kee said to the school board following the vote.“I’m extremely excited and happy to be a Redbird now.” Secretary Vivian Monckton made the motion to appoint Kee as the assistant principal, which was seconded by Board Member Al Womack. Everyone on the board voted in favor of the appointment. Board Member Dustin Christner was absent. Kee has served as the assistant principal at Collinsville High School since July 2021. He was previously the president of the Illinois School Counselor Association and received recognition as the Illinois School Counselor of the Year in 2021. In his address to the school board, Kee expressed his excitement for the coming school year and said that Alton High School was his first choice when applying for positions.

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GODFREY - Trustees unanimously voted down two requests for liquor licenses from businesses seeking to install video gaming machines, as well as new rules and regulations regarding electrical work, at the Godfrey Village Board meeting on Tuesday night. A liquor license for a potential new business, “Carnival Foodie & Gaming,” was voted down 6-0 after several of the trustees voiced concern that the business was planning to be primarily gaming-based rather than food-based. Trustees have expressed in the past that they want to prevent a “gambling parlor” or anything similar from arising in Godfrey. “I’m not prepared to vote for this at this time,” said Trustee Jeff Weber. “People are basically just trying to open a video gambling facility, and when we set this all up originally, we were against doing anything like that. It’s one thing if there’s an existing restaurant and they want to add video machines - that’s

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ALTON - Mac’s owners Mac and Rob Lenhardt were in attendance on Tuesday at an Alton Public Safety Meeting at City Hall and both concur the correct steps will be taken to combat increased vandalism, loitering, and fights in Downtown Alton. Mac and Rob each praised Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford who led the meeting for his responses and the plan that will move forward from the meeting. Mac and Rob also both agreed much of the problem downtown is not coming from local residents, but “some patrons coming from across the river.” The downtown Alton area has seven bars with liquor licenses that allow alcohol sales until 3 a.m., however, Mac and Rob said while costly, they will continue to close at 1 a.m. on the weekends. Betsy Allen, Alderman of the 1st Ward agreed with the Lenhardts in a previous interview and said: “There are no places down there, I don’t think, that are having any problems inside their businesses. The problem is outside.” Mac’s

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CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - Governor JB Pritzker, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced that Gulfstream will expand its operations at the St. Louis Downtown Airport - creating 200 new full-time jobs and retaining nearly 500 existing jobs. New investments will enable the company to increase completions and outfitting operations while investing in modernization at its Cahokia Heights facility. “Illinois sits at the heart of the Midwest—serving as a major transportation hub for cargo and passengers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Gulfstream’s latest $28.5 million investment into Cahokia Heights’ St. Louis Downtown Airport speaks to the steps my administration has taken to attract new businesses to our state—all while modernizing our infrastructure and supporting our workforce to meet the demands of our 21 st century economy.” Through a $28.5 million investment,

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EDWARDSVILLE - A jury has found a Collinsville man guilty of two counts of aggravated DUI in connection with a crash that caused a fatality, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Tuesday. The jury found Wayne A. Stayton, 41, guilty of two counts of aggravated DUI causing death. The jury found that he was under the influence of cannabis when his pickup crossed the center line of U.S. 40 in Highland and crashed into a truck driven by Charlene Johnson, 45, of Highland. “We thank the jury for their public service and diligent analysis of the scientific and medical evidence,” Haine said. Stayton faces 3-14 years in prison when he is sentenced later. Jurors deliberated about five hours before returning the verdict Friday evening. After the verdict, Associate Judge Ronald Slemer ordered that Stayton’s bail be revoked, and that he be held in the Madison County Jail pending sentencing. Stayton had been free on a $10,000 cash bond. The case was prosecuted

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ALTON - Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford met with local business owners to discuss public safety measures for downtown Alton that have either been implemented, suggested, or will be implemented in the near future. He asked local business owners to help his department monitor and police their businesses and the areas just outside of them, while business owners asked Chief Ford to step up patrols in the area and enforce city ordinances more strictly. In a memo to City Council members, Chief Ford said some of the recent problems downtown include “noise/peace disturbances, overly intoxicated subjects, open drinking, aggressive/unruly subjects, loitering/blocking streets and sidewalks and so forth.” In addition to these problems, one business owner brought up the issue of people openly smoking cannabis outside their business or in parking lots. Chief Ford encouraged business owners to call the police if people in or near their businesses won’t listen to them, but

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GODFREY - When you logged onto Google today, did you recognize the featured Doodle? If you’ve ever been to Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) in Godfrey, you might. Today’s Google Doodle honors Magdalena Abakanowicz, a famous Polish sculptor, on her 93rd birthday. One of Abakanowicz’s pieces, “Untitled,” has a home on the LCCC campus. The sculpture is located behind Baldwin Hall. “Untitled” features five headless bronze figures that appear to be midstep. These figures are reminiscent of “Agora,” arguably Abakanowicz’s most famous work, which has a permanent installation at Grant Park in Chicago. Abakanowicz was born in 1930 in Warsaw, Poland. Her family was a part of the Polish resistance after Germany invaded Poland when Abakanowicz was nine. This, as well as her time as a nurse during her teenage years in the thick of the war, likely influenced her art and eventual focus on the human condition. After World War

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MADISON COUNTY - HSHS launched a rescue flight after a crash left two entrapped in a semi vs. car accident on Highway 4 on Tuesday afternoon. Highland EMS with St. Jacob Police Department and Fire Department, Illinois State Police, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Troy EMS and MedStar EMS provided mutual aid. A medical person reported there were multiple injuries at the scene. Authorities did not have any other information to release at this time.

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ST. LOUIS - With new local art and classic local bands, 31art gallery’s Rock the Art show is bound to pull in audiences from across the St. Louis region. 31art gallery, located in the heart of the city, will be hosting live music and over 200 pieces of art from 4–9 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. The event is free, with a cash bar and a lineup of five bands. Roughly 15 artists will be exhibiting their work. “Everybody there, Jared and Amy basically handpicked. They’re all really nice people and great artists,” Andy Dykeman said. “Some of them are photographers, so we have lots of photography. We have some collage work. We have some assemblage work, mixed media, painting, print work, all kinds of stuff. There’s something for everybody there.” Dykeman, who works as a chiropractor at Rosewood Chiropractic Clinic in Alton, will be showing his own art at Saturday’s show. Additionally, he organizes the music events at 31art gallery

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GRAFTON - A 45-year-old male on a bicycle was injured in an accident at Graham Hollow Road going down from Pere Marquette State Park and airlifted from the scene. Grafton Police, Jersey County Sheriff's Office, QEM and Jersey Community Hospital Ambulance all responded to the call at 10:51 a.m. on Monday. Law enforcement said the present condition of the 45-year-old man was not known at this time. Grafton Police Officer Mike Angel responded to the call of a bicyclist down and needing help on the bike trail at Graham Hollow outside of Grafton on Sunday afternoon. When he arrived on the scene, he found the injured cyclist lying on the bike trail in what Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow described Tuesday afternoon as "a pool of blood." "The cyclist told him he was going very fast and lost control of his bike," Mayor Morrow said. "He hit the 2” by 6” wooden guard rail with such force he broke through the rail and was severely cut in several places. Officer Angel quickly assessed hi

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WOOD RIVER - A Wood River resident said he plans to file a recall election against City Councilmen Bill Dettmers and David Ayres during the Public Comment portion of the most recent council meeting on June 19. Jason “J.T.” Thompson said he’s taking these actions after watching and repeatedly disapproving of the way the council members have been conducting business, adding that the current council was elected during a low-turnout election. “You had 650 votes (each), which is not even a tenth of this town that voted, probably because the town is made up of working-class people,” Thompson said. “Nobody can get off in time, you’ve got to go home, feed your kids, and then come back in and vote, so we get small counts when it comes vote time.” While any recall election would have to wait about six months, Thompson said he plans to start laying the groundwork for it soon by polling the voters from the last election. “ six months

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GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey Splash Pad is now going in full stride with normal operating hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Godfrey Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan said today. The new fence for the Splash Pad area is completed and, Logan said, “looks great.” “The new fence has been installed and will help keep kids in there,” he added. “Children won’t be able to wander. Aesthetically, it looks nice.” Logan said the feedback he has received is very positive about the Godfrey Splash Pad and that so far this summer, people are enjoying the facility. “Godfrey has been working very hard to improve the quality of life for residents,” explained Logan. “Things are going really well and we hope to keep building.”

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ALTON - The Upper Alton Association Rockin' With Robert Concert Series 2023 kicks off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Robert Wadlow Statue on the campus of SIU on College Avenue. Tuesday evening will feature the Alton High School Jazz Combo, who will perform for an hour. This free concert is sponsored by GCS Credit Union, King Air Conditioning & Heating, John Meehan/Bruce Egelhoff J.E.M. Properties, LTD and Scott Credit Union. The series will continue on July 18 with Porch Cafe, and on August 15 with Lady Luck Duo. Concerts will begin at 7 p.m. Debbie Frakes, one of the event organizers, said she expects the Rockin’ With Robert series to be outstanding each time. She said it has been done in Upper Alton for many years. “The Alton High Jazz Combo is extremely talented and will put on a good show,” she said. “They have played previously at the Alton Amphitheater. The series is one time a month and something to look forward to each time.”

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GOLDEN EAGLE - At 4:05 p.m. on June 15, 2023, at law enforcement officials with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Golden Eagle Ferry Road, Golden Eagle in Calhoun County. Subsequent to an investigation, a passenger, Stacey L Habermehl, age 49, of St. Charles, Mo., was arrested for the following offenses: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Habermehl was arrested without incident and transported to the Jersey County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty.

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WOOD RIVER - After multiple delays and much discussion, the appointment of members of the Wood River Planning Commission has finally been approved as of the last City Council meeting on June 19 - though the final list of appointees is notably different from the list that was considered previously. The approved list of Planning Commission appointees is as follows: David Watts (new appointment) Steve Erslon (new appointment, replacing Terri Walker) Chairman: Jesse Daniels Ex-Officio: Councilman Bill Dettmers This varies from the previously considered list, which was as follows: Sara Hall (reappointment) Sheila Angel (reappointment) Shelly Fitzgerald (reappointment) Kristen Burns (new appointment, replacing Terri Walker) Chairman: Jesse Daniels Ex-Officio: Councilman Bill Dettmers Mayor Tom Stalcup thanked the individuals who decided to step down from the commission due to new rules implemented by the City Council limiting the number of different committees

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) will host employment screening events for its Juvenile Justice Specialist Intern positions. The positions are full-time, year-round, shift-work positions and there are job openings at the following Illinois youth centers: Chicago, Warrenville, St. Charles, Grafton, and Harrisburg. The position has a starting salary of $54,648; and interested applicants must attend an upcoming required screening event to be considered. Illinois Youth Center- 3825 Campton Hills Rd., St. Charles, IL July 11, 2023 Aug 15, 2023 Sept 19, 2023 Alton Mental Health Center, Auditorium, 4500 College Ave., Alton, IL July 13, 2023 Aug 17, 2023 Sept 21, 2023 All screenings begin at 8 a.m. and last four to six hours. Applicants should wear comfortable attire for physical agility testing and must complete an online application prior to arrival. A copy of the applicant’s driver’s license, birth certificate, college

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ALTON - Race down the Illinois River on a homemade raft Saturday, July 8 during the annual Great Illinois River Raft Race which takes off once again along the Hardin riverfront. Two raft races and a kayak race will highlight a full day of river-focused activities starting at 3 p.m. and ending at midnight. The raft races – featuring two separate classes of homemade rafts – begin at 4 p.m. Entry fees are $20 per person before July 8 and $30 the day of the race. Registration is on-going through July 8. Participants should register here: https://illinoisriverraftrace.com . The fun includes a Bags Competition, a kayak raffle, a basket drop, live music, bounce houses, food, beer garden, vendors and games. Radio station 92.3 will also do a live remote from the Hardin riverfront from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be a fireworks show taking place at dark. The event is free and open to the public. “There’s nothing like watching a bunch of homemade rafts try to race

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SPRINGFIELD – Waterfowl hunters are encouraged to mark their calendars for the upcoming waterfowl hunting blind drawings that will take place at numerous public hunting areas throughout Illinois in July and August. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will host traditional blind drawings at all sites scheduled for this hunting year. Participants are advised to follow any site-specific drawing procedures. Duck and goose hunters must register in person for waterfowl blind site drawings and must be present at the drawing held at each location designated below immediately after the registration period to claim their blind sites. Mail-in or pre-registrations are not accepted. Blind allocations for these sites are good for one year or two years, as listed below. To participate in a drawing, all applicants must present a 2022 or 2023 regular Illinois hunting license; a 2022 or 2023 Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp at the time they register, unless exempted by law;

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ALTON - After a three-year hiatus due to COVID precautions, the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois is proud to announce the revival of the Urban Farm Tour on Sunday, June 25. Community members are invited to participate in the self-guided tour between 10:00am and 1:00pm at sustainable and edible yards, gardens, and farms across the Riverbend region. To learn more and RSVP, visit bit.ly/urbanfarmtour . “The Urban Farm Tour is a great opportunity for neighbors to meet each other and see firsthand how other community members are transforming their yards into sustainable and edible yards, gardens, and farms,” said Christine Favilla, co-Coordinator of the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois. “Urban Farm ‘tourists’ can expect to view a variety of vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit, and even chickens! This event might inspire you to transform your own yard from an upkeep-intensive lawn to a backyard oasis that provides fresh produce, attracts

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