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(This is one in a series of articles with photos and descriptions of entries in the Edwardsville Arts Fair at City Park on September 23-24). EDWARDSVILLE - Alison Bozarth, Amanda Straeffer and Buddy Shaw have art displayed below with comments from them about their work. Artist Name: Amanda Straeffer Location: Fort Branch, IN. Artist Statement: Amanda's work is influenced by her travels with friends and family. She is often inspired by the ocean and her work reflects that influence. Her work intends to instill a sense of peace and tranquility. Artist Name: Buddy Shaw Location: New Bloomfield, MO Artist Statement: Hand-made original designed furniture and art, created with a function equal to form with hopes of becoming family heirlooms. Artist Name: Alison Bozarth Location: St Louis, MO. Artist Statement: None

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SEE VIDEO: EDWARDSVILLE - Marvin “Preach” Webb will never be forgotten in the City of Edwardsville. On Friday, Preach had a bench featuring a plaque inscribed in his honor dedicated to him with a strong group of family and friends in attendance. City officials believe the bench and plaque will be a lasting tribute to the life of the beloved goodwill ambassador who died at age 86 in June. The bench is located in Edwardsville on the sidewalk on North Main Street, between the Madison County Government Building (near the Preach on Main Plaque) and Restore Décor (223 North Main Street). Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy said the community had so much love and respect for Preach. “He represented us with kindness, his caring ways and was always most helpful to everyone,” the mayor said. “He always touched our city and he was our goodwill ambassador. He was also an avid sports fan, and always cheered on our local teams. He was a spiritual man and love

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WOOD RIVER – It was always a goal to open multiple locations, but tomorrow, August 10, that goal becomes reality for business owner/operator of Easy Slots Mark Gernigin. He opened the original Easy Slots location at 112 W. Main St. in East Alton around three and a half years ago and it has been plenty successful. Due to its success, Gernigin decided that it was finally time to open another location. This one will be located at 308 Wesley Dr. in Wood River . The new location will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., and on Sundays from noon to midnight. Players receive complimentarily non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Beer is only $1. What sets Easy Slots apart from other gambling locations is that they are one of the only locally owned video slot parlors in the area. Gernigin said that most are owned by people from out of state. He said that opening up a new location took a “considerable amount of time.”

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Sunday, August 7, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspect Lakia Fisher, 27 years of age, of the 7100 block of Paisley Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63136, for two counts of Assault Third Degree on a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Resisting Arrest, one count of Escape or Attempt Escape from Custody, and one count of Stealing. Fisher is being held on $50,000 cash only, no 10% bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement reads: Officers responded to a report of a stealing at 9285 Halls Ferry on August 6, 2022, at 9:54 AM. Person matching suspect’s description was located on foot near Halls Ferry and Sundown. The stolen items, an electric trimmer, a sim card, and food items, were located on the defendant’s person. Officer conducted a computer inquiry, which revealed Defendant

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ALTON - Illinois State Representative Amy Elik says politicians indicted on corruption charges in Illinois continue to benefit, they get to collect a taxpayer-funded pension while on trial and these trials can take a long time. Take former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s corruption trial, for instance, Madigan’s trial won’t begin until February 1st of next year. That’s why State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) filed legislation to suspend a lawmaker’s pension if they are convicted or charged with corruption by federal investigators. “Lawmakers should be held to a higher standard when it comes to corruption and that’s why I think this taxpayer-funded pension benefit should be suspended so that politicians don’t game the system and delay the outcome just to get more money,” said Rep. Elik. “Suspending pension payments while awaiting the resolution of a case will send a strong message to corrupt politicians that if you break

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SPRINGFIELD - The State Fair in Springfield is showcasing Illinois as a place where innovation happens everywhere, and visitors will be able to see that on display at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo in the air-conditioned Orr Building on the fairgrounds. OSF Innovation will once again be there – August 17-21– with short STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activities and demonstrations that’ll wow children of all ages. At the OSF Innovation Jump STEAM booth, visitors will receive a passport to encourage them to take advantage of interactive STEAM activities that highlight multiple careers in medicine. Today, there are opportunities to join the medical field in a variety of ways, including as a bioengineer, medical illustrator, app designer and many more. Jump STEAM educators will share the possibilities through highly-interactive activities. Admission for kids 12 and under is free all week long! At the State Fair, children will be able to receive

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - IMPACT Strategies continues its work at Building 111 in Alton, Illinois ­ formerly known as the Millers Mutual Building ­ with an 8,900 square foot tenant finish project for American Water. The firm began renovation work on the building in 2017; this assignment marks IMPACT’s eighth interior remodel project in the building. The approximately $1 million project for American Water includes renovation of 3 existing tenant/shell spaces by providing modern office finishes. The project features an exposed concrete structure with acoustical ceiling baffles, huddle rooms, updated break room, conference room, and preservation of the decorative wood paneled walls within the old Miller’s Mutual Director’s Meeting Room that dates back to the early 1920’s. The renovation work began in July with completion expected in October 2022. American Water expects to bring several new jobs to Alton with the completion of the new space, which will be used

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ST. LOUIS – Today, President Joe Biden granted Governor Mike Parson’s request for a federal disaster declaration following July’s record-setting rainfall and flooding. The declaration will help eligible St. Louis residents get the resources through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. “July’s historic rainfall and floods devastated neighborhoods across our city. While surveying damage in Ellendale, Kingsway West, and Walnut Park, I heard from dozens of St. Louisans whose lives had been upended by severe flooding. As hundreds of families continue to fill the region’s Multi-Agency Resource Centers, it’s clear there is an ongoing need for help that federal resources will help us address,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “Thank you to President Joe Biden, our congressional delegation - especially Senator Roy Blunt and Congresswoman Cori Bush - and our state, local and community partners who have come together to support St. Loui

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a bipartisan coalition of 10 attorneys general in fighting for increased transparency in the poultry industry. Raoul and the coalition submitted a comment in support of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule, Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments , to reduce the information imbalance between farmers and processors in the poultry industry. This increase in transparency would make it easier for small poultry farmers to compete for fair pricing terms from large poultry processors. “The proposed rule will help put a stop to anticompetitive behavior and will support poultry farmers in Illinois and throughout the United States by increasing transparency,” Raoul said. “That’s why I have joined the bipartisan coalition to support this rule proposed by the USDA.” The USDA is proposing the rule under its authority in the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921

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LITCHFIELD - The Sunday, Aug. 14 Pickers Market in Litchfield has been canceled, city officials have announced. A building collapse in the area of the market has prompted the cancellation. City officials cite an abundance of caution for the safety of vendors and attendees as the primary concern. Please see the attached press release for additional information. Due to the incident that occurred over the weekend in downtown Litchfield with a building collapsing in the 300 block of North State Street, the Pickers Market scheduled for August 14th has been canceled. As of Monday, August 8, 2022, at 11:30 am, the structural engineer(s) have not been on site to assess the building(s). The City wanted to provide as much notice as possible to the vendors of market cancellation, so the difficult decision has been made to cancel the market for Sunday. Please understand that much has been considered when making such a decision as no one wants to cancel. Public safety is our utmost concern and keepin

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ALTON - The memoir of life-long Alton resident, Henry Eugene “Gene” Maul, has been released by LuLu Press, Inc. The memoir, Diary of Henry Eugene Maul, Prisoner of War , is a compilation by his eldest daughter, Diana Maul Halstead, a 1970 graduate of Alton High School. The Maul family was a fixture of Alton going back to the late 1830’s. Gene Maul was influenced and angered by the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Shortly after graduating Marquette High School, Gene enlisted in the United States Army Air Force, training to take on one of the most dangerous positions in the Air Force as a waist gunner. As a member of the 96 th Bomb Group and the 338 th Bomb Squadron he completed 8 missions before his plane was downed by enemy fire, May 8, 1944, causing him and his crew to be captured by German scouts. This diary is not a story told in the typical day-to-day accounting of time, but a visual drawing-by-drawing, poem-by-poem, note-by-note diary. Gene

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A Batchtown driver refused to stop as the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office attempted to do a routine traffic stop on the Illinois River Road near Gallinepper Road in rural Calhoun County at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2022. The driver of the 2004 Pontiac refused to stop, increased speed, and then fled from the deputy. The Pontiac then turned westbound on Batchtown Road and the vehicle continued to flee from the deputy, reaching speeds over 100 MPH. The deputy continued to pursue the vehicle. The vehicle continued to travel toward Batchtown at a dangerously high rate of speed. The deputy was able to catch up to the Pontiac in the village of Batchtown, however, the driver continued to fail to stop. Eventually, the vehicle pulled into the driveway of a residence. A traffic stop and subsequent investigation then resulted in the arrest of Jonathan M. Logsdon, age 54, of Batchtown, for the following offenses: Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, Aggravated

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HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Illinois River Road August 6, 2022, near Krause Road in Brussels, Calhoun County, and subsequent to the investigation, an Eldred woman - 34-year-old Brittany Hilton - was arrested. Hilton faces the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Unlawful Possession of Hypodermic Syringes DUI - Drugs. Hilton was arrested without incident. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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CALHOUN COUNTY - At 2:42 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2022, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on South County Road, Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation the driver, Katie N. Scott, age 28, of Fieldon, was arrested on the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Operating With Suspended Registration, Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle. A passenger, Anthony J. Bushnell, age 30, of Hardin, Illinois was arrested on the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Calhoun County, Illinois, Warrant for Failure to Appear, Calhoun County, Illinois, Warrant for Failure to Pay. Scott is currently lodged at Jersey County Jail. Bushnell is currently lodged at Greene County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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HARDIN - At 11:11 p.m. on Friday, August 5, 2022, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on Illinois River Road, near Hagen Road, Brussels, Calhoun County, Illinois. Subsequent to an investigation, the driver, Amy R. Morris, 36, of Jerseyville, was arrested on the following charges: Aggravated DUI - Alcohol (While Transporting a Child Under Age of 16) Speeding Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle. Morris was arrested without incident and lodged in the Jersey County Jail. All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Today is International Cat Day, and there are many other days in August to celebrate your furry best friends! Centerstone's Lynda Killoran provides insight into how great it is and how challenging it can be to care for our pets. Still, the best benefit is a decrease in mental health struggles—as it releases the "happy hormones" known as oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin! After a bad day at school or work, many people look forward to being home with someone or something they love. Coming home to a beloved pet can be truly comforting. Cats, dogs…a multitude of animals are often considered best friends - they are loyal, loving, and can often sense when their human is feeling a little low. Studies show that pets can make us happier by lowering blood pressure and releasing the "happy hormones" known as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. "Having a pet also makes people feel less lonely," says Lynda Killoran, therapist at Centerstone. "For those who struggle with sadness

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ALTON - Carli Foersterling and Hayley Porter are two softball players and leaders that are almost impossible to replace in a program. The two girls have graduated from Marquette Catholic, but their legacy will live on with the other players they have inspired. Carli is embarking on a continuation of her softball career at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville and plans to major in pharmaceutical science. Hayley has already been a Tucker's Automotive Repair and Tire Female Athlete of the Month for Marquette and now it is Carli's turn to shine in the honor. "I chose this school (Southwestern Illinois College) because it is one of the best JUCO’s in the area, I really like the coach, and I get to play with some of my best friends," she said. Marquette head girls softball Coach Dan Wiedman said the Porter and Foersterling families have been tireless volunteers for our softball program. "Debbie and Jessica have helped with fundraising by coordinating and working concessions

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ALTON - Amoriah Gray, the 7-year-old author of “Amoriah’s Magic Afro Puffs,” will be holding a book signing event from 4-5 p.m. on August 10 at the Boys & Girls Club of Alton at 2512 Amelia St. in Alton. This event will cap off what’s been a busy summer for Amoriah, touring her book at everything from daycares to entrepreneur expos and even two City Halls. Copies of “Amoriah’s Magic Afro Puffs” will be available for $10 at the next book signing, in addition to T-shirts for $10, custom affirmations with your child’s name and adjectives for $10, and coloring book kits for $3. Angela Gray, Amoriah’s mother, said the Boys & Girls Club has been very supportive of Amoriah and that she plans to return there each year. Amoriah’s summer book tour kicked off with an event on Juneteenth (June 19) at James Killion Park in Alton, which Gray said went well. “It was our first year attending a vendor event, and it was very

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ALTON - Juniors Parker Mayhew and Nate Bartlett won the championship of the Riverbend Tennis Open in the boys under 16 division and had an outstanding summer of play. The Redbird teammates defeated James McKeever and Alex Teutken, also from Alton, and Caden and Ryne Breyer from Civic Memorial. Parker and Nate are selections for the Auto Butler Alton High Athlete of the Month. Mayhew played number one singles and doubles for the Redbirds and Bartlett played number six singles and three doubles. Coach Jesse Macias said: “The nice part about playing summer tennis tournaments is that you have the opportunity to play with different partners. I don’t think Parker and Nate played together at all during the season, but they played well in the Riverbend Open. "Both players are steady from the baseline and they are aggressive at the net. They make a good team.” While Mayhew has been a varsity member and all-conference performer since his freshman year, Bartlett cracked

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GRAFTON - The Grafton Family Fun Committee held the annual Family Fun Night from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, August 5, 2022, at Red Hawk Park in Grafton, and it was an enjoyable evening for a large crowd. Face painting, a dunk tank, and various games made for a lively evening. Hot dogs, chips, and bottles of water kept the crowd well-fed and hydrated. Emergency vehicles (police car, firetruck, helicopter, and ambulance) were present for close inspection, provided by Grafton Police, QEM fire station, Survival Flight crew, and Jersey Community Hospital EMTs and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Carrie Purdy. Jersey County Queen, Matilynn Thornsbury, and Little Miss Jersey County, Tessa Huelskoetter, were enthusiastically welcomed and shared in the fun. After dark, a movie on the big screen, complete with popcorn, candy, and glow sticks, wrapped up this most memorable summer fun night for all. “The most important reason for holding this annual event is so the community can come together,

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