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EAST ALTON - The East Alton Fire Department and the Village of East Alton have recognized Lieutenant Andrew Mortland and Engineer Jeremey Diveley for their outstanding work in securing three grants in a year’s time. The three grants totaled $75,970.90. "Because of their due diligence on and off duty these two men were able to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in the history of the department," East Alton Fire Chief Tim Quigley said. "To put in perspective, most departments have a chief officer working on grants as part of their job. These two men realize that being a small department they have to go above and beyond what is expected of them to help the department function. Thank you for what you have accomplished." These are the grants: Office of the State Fire marshal Small Equipment Grant $25,367.25 Commercial Extractor ( PPE/ Turnout Gear Washer ) Seven (7) sets of Firefighting Protective Gear. Illinois Department of Public Health EMS Assistance

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ALTON - Illinois American Water has been hard at work this week in the Downtown Alton area with its massive sanitary sewer project. Shown here are photos of some of the work and progress. Illinois American Water corporate spokesperson Karen Cotton said this week that the work on 3rd Street and Belle Street in Alton is the most difficult so far for the company in the large project. Both areas have a high traffic flow, she said. Cotton explained there are numerous old, abandoned utility lines, and even an old brick cistern that was recently uncovered. "To support safety, progress has been slowed some, resulting in a bit of a delay in the anticipated month time frame that was expected for the sanitary sewer installation work on 3rd Street and Belle Streets in the downtown area," she said. Cotton added that all efforts are underway to try to complete the 3rd Street part of the project in a couple of weeks and Belle Street a few weeks after that. She also said that 9th Street in Alton

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PONTOON BEACH - MCT hosted a brief ribbon cutting recently to celebrate the opening of the newly improved segment of the MCT Nature Trail under I-255 in Pontoon Beach. MCT Board Members and staff were in attendance, as well as Madison County Board members Chris Hankins and Erica Conway Harriss; Tom Lavelle from Keller Construction, and Charlie Juneau from Juneau Associates. Since its construction in the 1990s, this 0.6-mile portion of the MCT Nature Trail was a gravel farm access road that served as a trail connector under I-255. In recent years, however, the access road had deteriorated and become increasingly difficult to traverse on a bicycle. Thanks to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s approval of the improvement, this trail segment is now asphalt paved and provides a seamless connection for cyclists on the MCT Nature Trail. Madison County Transit (MCT) provides multi-modal transportation services for Madison County, Illinois. MCT operates a fixed-route bus

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CARROLLTON - Carrollton’s Courthouse Square, the grounds of the Greene County Courthouse at 519 N. Main St. in Carrollton, is receiving $1.9 million in improvements as part of the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital program. Carrollton Mayor Mike Snyder said improvements to be made include new parking areas on the Square’s southern and eastern sides, improved lighting and electricity for festivals and a redesigned handicap parking area meant to make the courthouse more accessible. Carrollton was recently announced as a recipient of the grant on Monday during a presentation from J.B. Pritzker at AltonWorks in Alton. Snyder said the city has not yet received the grant funding, so start and completion dates for the project have not yet been determined. The Carrollton Square Initiative is a community organization that formed years ago to “start a conversation” in Carrollton about where improvements could be made around town and ways to secur

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EDWARDSVILLE – The stage is set for a fun-filled weekend for residents and visitors alike, whether you’re a theater fan, prefer pedal power or want to check out some cool cars, hot rods and vintage vehicles. These free special events are scheduled to take place downtown on Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, and at Edwardsville High School on Sunday, August 21. St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s touring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” kicks off the action on Friday night. The play will be performed at 6:30 p.m. at City Park, 101 South Buchanan Street. There is no charge to attend the event, which is being presented by the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department. Those attending should bring a chair or blanket for seating. More information is available here. Saturday marks the return of the Busey Bank Edwardsville Rotary Criterium Festival, an annual series of professional and amateur bicycle races on the downtown streets. The

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ALTON - Alton School District Superintendent Dr. Kristie Baumgartner said today that the district is off "to a fantastic start." "It was so wonderful to welcome students this morning," she said in a statement. "You could certainly feel the excitement in the air." Alton School District started classes on Wednesday at all levels.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Dr. Patrick Shelton, Edwardsville School District superintendent, said this is his 14th start in District 7 as a parent or superintendent and he thinks it is the best one yet. "Starting up a school year is never easy - there are always new employees, students, and families to get acclimated to District 7," he said. "It was fabulous to see educators and students smiling and excited to start the school year!"

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School is off and rolling with the 2022-2023 school year. Students, faculty, administrators, and support staff appeared excited to be back as classes started on Wednesday. Edwardsville High School Principal Dr. Steve Stuart said they are glad for this year to start and a continued return to a more normal setting after a few years of confronting the COVID-19 Pandemic. "The staff has been working hard over the summer to get programs like our PLC (Professional Learning Communities) in place to help our professional growth which will translate into better instruction within the classroom. "We are working closely with our Student Counsel and planning fun events for the kickoff with a Senior Sunrise next week and events leading up to our homecoming football game and dance."

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EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Middle School has a theme set for the school year for everyone to be “legendary.” If the start is any sign of the year to come, the Liberty School year will definitely fit that theme. Students were greeted by excited administrators, teachers, support staff, and students on Wednesday morning for the first official school day in the Edwardsville District. Liberty Middle’s veteran Principal Allen Duncan said he felt a great atmosphere was set for opening day and there was indeed “great excitement.” “We wanted to make the first day of school special for everybody and want them to come back tomorrow and continue to be fired up,” he said. “We want an atmosphere that is fun, and we want the kids to feel safe, welcome, and comfortable.” Principal Duncan said Liberty has a tremendous cast of students and he knows they will do great things this year. “We are going to have a good school year,” the 18-yea

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ALTON - West Elementary School Principal Dr. Brian Saenz and the rest of the administrative team, teachers, and support staff embraced a bunch of students today with smiles on their faces on the first official day of school in the district. Dr. Saenz said it was "a great day" to finally have the students back in school without masks after the long battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic. "To be able to see their faces and interact with them without a mask was like another new beginning," he said. "Everything is new to them from their clothes, supplies and they were ready to get started. "To see them coming back from last spring, many of them have grown so much and they look very different. It is amazing how fast they grow. Seeing their smiling faces and excitement to come back to school is why we do what we do." Dr. Saenz said when an educator sees the students on down the line after they leave West and graduate from high school, they can see they are making a difference in the world.

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department Police Chief Brad Wells is leading a search today of an area near Illinois Route 3 close to where Vernon L. Law, missing since July 21, 2022, was last seen. Those involved in the search with dogs were seen close to the Colman’s Country Campers area at 2 Fun Lane, Hartford, and that vicinity. On July 27th, 2022 , the Wood River Police Department received notification that a male subject, identified as Vernon L. Law, was last seen on July 21, 2022, at 2:40 p.m., by a coworker, departing Economy Boat Store, 200 S. Amoco Road, Wood River. Vernon L. Law worked as a deckhand on the riverboat "Kevin Michael.” Law left property on the boat. His wallet and identification were not left behind. He possibly left with these items in his possession. Vernon is from Chester, Illinois, with associates in Columbia, Illinois, and O’Fallon, Missouri. Vernon L. Law was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots.

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EAST ST. LOUIS - Annually the Illinois State Board of Education recognizes the outstanding contributions of school teams and personnel. This year, ISBE is recognizing two individuals and two teams from the East St. Louis School District. Many of these awardees were recognized at the Those Who Excel Awards Banquet in Bloomington-Normal on August 6, 2022. Administrator Category: Dr. Brittany Green received the Meritorious Service Award in the Administrator Category for being a purpose-driven leader. She has made transformative growth within her school community while serving as principal of Bush Elementary and now with the Younge School of Excellence. Student Support Services Category : Catrice Johnson, Social Worker at Bush Alternative Center, received the highest honor in the Student Support Personnel Category - the Award of Excellence. For years she has led a team of students, staff, and administrators who serve the local community through the Flyers Feeding Families monthly

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GODFREY - Godfrey officials advising residents that Union Pacific Railroad will be temporarily closing the North Alby Street crossing next Monday, August 22 nd for routine maintenance and repairs. Mayor Mike McCormick is advising residents and motorists to prepare and pre-plan for temporary detours next weeknight due to the fact Union Pacific Railroad will be temporarily closing the Alby Street railroad crossing overnight for routine maintenance/repair work. Work shall begin Monday night, August 22nd starting at 7:00 PM, and will re-open 48 hours later on Wednesday evening, August 24 th around 7:00 PM, due to the length of the detour route no signage will be placed, motorists should use Tolle Lane or Humbert as an alternative route. Godfrey Public Safety Administrator Chris Sichra states that local first responders and mutual aid agencies (Fire, Police, EMS), as well as local utility companies, school bus companies, and MCT, have already also been notified of the upcoming temporary

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) was among forty emerging public policy leaders from across Illinois that took part in the 10th annual Edgar Fellows Program held in Champaign August 7-11. The Edgar Fellows Program is an initiative designed by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar to inspire respectful and collaborative leadership to address the state’s major challenges. “This was a wonderful opportunity to meet leaders from different parts of the state and both sides of the aisle,” said Rep. Elik. “The Edgar Fellows Program fosters a spirit of bipartisanship. It was an honor to be selected from a large pool of leaders nominated throughout Illinois.” The 40 participants selected this year (listed below) were chosen from a field of nearly 160 nominees and reflect Illinois’ political, racial, ethnic and geographic diversity. They include elected and appointed officials from all levels of government, leaders of non-profit organizations

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EDWARDSVILLE – Town and Country Bank is excited to partner with the SIUE School of Business and the SIUE Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide a free seminar on Advantage Illinois. The event aims to educate business owners in the Metro East on how Advantage Illinois and FAME can help fund minority, women, disabled, and veteran-owned small businesses. The event will begin at noon on September 29, 2022, in the International Room on the 2 nd floor of the Morris University Center. The presentation will feature guest speakers Rob Pickerell, VP, Commercial Banking Officer at Town and Country Bank, and Jo Ann Di Maggio, Director of the SIUE Small Business Development Center. Advantage Illinois aims to help entrepreneurs and small businesses start up, expand, and create new jobs at a faster rate. "Advantage Illinois is a program that provides small business owners another source of funding for loans they may not have otherwise qualified," says Rob. "We want to shar

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WASHINGTON DC - Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to honor the public service of police officers, firefighters and emergency responders by supporting the families of public safety officers who are lost to trauma-linked suicides was signed into law by President Biden today. The Public Safety Officer Support Act passed the Senate earlier this month and the House companion passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May. “With this important legislation now the law of the land, we’re finally taking meaningful action to honor and support surviving family members of police officers, firefighters and emergency responders that tragically died by suicide after experiencing work-related trauma or exposure to traumatic events while serving their communities,” said Duckworth. “I’m so proud to have worked with Senator Cornyn and advocates to get this done so these families can receive the support their

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GLEN CARBON - The summer months are a time when people most commonly start to see sun damage on their skin. Kristen M. Jacobs, MD, aesthetic physician, best-selling author, and owner of Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging & Wellness wants people to know that although the sun can have harmful long-lasting effects, there are ways to help reverse sun damage. “Even when we take extra precautions to protect our skin, it can be impossible to avoid sun damage,” said Dr. Jacobs. “Ultraviolet rays from the sun can trigger your skin cells to produce more melanin which can lead to dark sunspots. There are various products and treatments out there that can help reduce the appearance of these spots.” Sun damage can appear in many different forms. Brown spots, uneven skin tone, and melasma are all signs of sun damage. Melasma is a condition where brown and brownish-gray spots show up on the skin, most often on the face. Premature wrinkling and sun damage can also be known as

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ST. LOUIS - “Doubting Tom” was filmed entirely in the St. Louis area, based on U City resident Vanessa Roman’s love of dart league and Oscar Wilde. Roman regularly played competitive darts at Blueberry Hill. In the league, she found friendship and eventually love, connecting with her husband while playing darts. As she was writing the screenplay, she found herself unable to resist crafting an update of “The Importance of Being Earnest” and setting it at the beloved restaurant she grew up only blocks away from. Releasing August 26th on Amazon, Itunes, and Google play, this romantic comedy follows the breakup of Tom and Gwen, uncovering secrets, lies, and the hijinks that ensue at Blueberry Hill. The ensemble cast includes St. Louis area natives Amy Holland Pennell, Greg Sporleder, Julie Piekarski, and Julia Crump as well as Los Angeles talents Brandon Davis and Bryan Daniel Porter. After a simple white lie in a bar spirals into a full-on alternate identity

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the U.S. Department of Education has approved the discharge of all remaining federal student loan debt owed by borrowers who attended the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute (ITT), forgiving approximately $100 million in debt owed by more than 5,000 Illinois borrowers. “I appreciate the Department of Education’s approval of the borrower defense application I submitted along with dozens of attorneys general across the country. Discharging this remaining student loan debt will allow thousands of former ITT students to move on with their lives after being defrauded and unfairly burdened with overwhelming debt,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to hold institutions accountable for using predatory methods to trap students into taking out large amounts of debt while leaving them without degrees that will lead to post-graduate employment.” The Department of Education will erase all remaining

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O'FALLON, IL. - BaconFest 2022 will be held on September 10th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located down W. 1st St. in O'Fallon. It is a fundraiser for the Relief Funds that help veterans and to help promote community businesses. The Relief Funds help local veterans with many needs. We have veterans come to the VFW Post 805 looking for help, needing money for utility bills to get a vehicle fixed for them to get to work. We are looking for individuals, organizations, and businesses that would like to be vendors and/or sponsors. Looking for: food vendors – to sell at least ONE menu item incorporating bacon. Nonfood vendors – who want to sell or advertise their items/business/organization. Sponsors - who want their name advertised, and want to help support our event; from music, games, etc. This is a family-friendly event. We love finding people willing to donate their time/business to make this happen. If you have a business such as bouncy houses, face painting,

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