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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Police Department lost one of its finest officers today when Lt. Chris Byrne retired with 26 years of service. Edwardsville Police Chief Mike Fillback thanked Chris for their long time working together on the city force and their friendship and dedication to the craft. On almost any major police investigation over the past two-and-a-half decades, Chris was a lead or deeply involved in the probes. “We will miss Chris a lot,” Chief Fillback said. “Chris is a great guy and a good person. He was a good cop but an even better person. We will deeply miss him had a lot of fun over the years hopefully identify someone to fill shoes big shoes to fill.” Chief Fillback said he and Chris Byrne had a similar rise in the police department as patrol officers for many years. “Chris was a really good patrol officer,” Chief Fillback said. “He was a good guy to supervise folks and pass on knowledge to address people’s need

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BETHALTO - Bethalto Police Department and the Madison County Sheriff's Office teamed again this week to conduct a covert investigation in the village that resulted in the execution of a search warrant and seizure of narcotics. On the morning of July 26, officers from both departments executed a search warrant in the 100 block of Terrace in Bethalto and seized suspected cocaine, packaging materials, and currency. In addition to the noted seizures, additional evidence was seized from the home that was linked to an illegally possessed firearm Bethalto Officers seized during a traffic stop on July 11, 2022. Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon said: "One male occupant of the home and a guest were taken into custody at the scene. The guest was questioned and released with the male occupant being detained on probable cause developed in the investigation. "The facts of the investigations were presented to Madison County State's Attorney Thomas Haine’s Office today, which drafted charges

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $518,916 in funding for several rural fires and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in Illinois. The funding, which was created through Durbin’s Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Act , will go toward supporting EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment. “Across Illinois, rural EMS agencies are first on the scene to respond to community emergencies, the opioid crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. But for EMTs to properly respond to these emergencies, we must ensure they are equipped with the necessary supplies, training, and steady funding to support their operations,” said Durbin. “I worked hard to pass the SIREN Act to meet the needs of EMS agencies as they care for their communities. I hope to see today’s grant recipients put this federal funding t

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MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL - The following students have been named to the 2022 spring semester Dean's List at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the university announced today. Edwardsville, IL Maryn C Heidt, Junior, College of Contin & Prof Studies To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66-grade point average.

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SWANSEA, IL. - Holland Construction Services is proud to announce it has hired Scott Hendricks to serve in the newly created position of Vice President of Industrial. Hendricks has spent nearly two decades in the construction industry, including an earlier stint at Holland in the pre-construction department. His experience includes pre-construction and estimating project development, and client relations. Holland’s President Mike Marchal said they decided to create this position based on the increasing amount of industrial construction work Holland is managing, including the most recent project for Volpi Foods’ new 87,000-square-foot meat slicing and packaging facility. “Scott’s return to Holland has been a blessing for our team,” said Marchal. “Scott was with us for seven years and has since amassed a wealth of knowledge and expertise around not just the industrial market, but the construction business in general. We are excited to have Scott’s

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in the area Larimore Road and Reale Avenue which resulted in the death of an adult male. At 8:20 p.m. on July 27, 2022, St. Louis County Police North County Precinct officers responded to a call for service for shots fired near the intersection of Larimore Road and Reale Avenue. Responding officers located an adult male with the vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree and found him to be suffering from an apparent gunshot injury. The victim was transported to an area hospital with a life-threatening injury where he later succumbed to his injury and was pronounced deceased. St. Louis County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons detectives are conducting the investigation. The investigation is very active at this time. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210

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ALTON - Riverbend area woman Andrea Moore continues to inspire with her performances in pageant competitions. This time, she was runner-up in the prestigious World's Miss Tourism Pageant in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., at the Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center. Andrea participated in the Mrs. Division of the event, which was packed with solid entries, she said. She described the World's Miss Tourism Pageant as one of her greatest experiences in these types of events. She has participated in pageants since 2017 and has been a winner nearly every time. "I haven't been in that many pageants, but this was definitely my biggest ever," she said. "It was a fun experience. I loved visiting Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg while I was in Tennessee. I was hoping for the overall win, but walking away with some awesome trophies, a crown, sash, and a fur jacket for winning the Role Model honor is so special to me. "I loved having my husband, Jeff Moore, there and he helped me a lot both mentally and physically

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ALTON - Wednesday night, July 27, was OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center Night at the Ballpark. It included doctors and nurses receiving free admission, people giving out health care information, and a local cancer survivor throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Jim Corby, 61, of Alton was diagnosed with esophageal cancer earlier this year. After multiple different treatments and surgeries, he received the news that he was 100% cancer free. When asked how relieved he and his family was to hear that news he got a little emotional. “To be honest, in January, I didn’t think I was going to make it. I’m not going to lie.” He thanked the help of his excellent doctors and nurses at Saint Anthony's and credited them for saving his life. “If it wasn’t for these nurses and these doctors, I wouldn’t be here. They get you to where you need to be. It’s not about them, it’s all about you and that’s what’s neat." Now that he's

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EDWARDSVILLE – A portion of Center Grove Road near Edwardsville High School will be closed for pavement repairs beginning Monday, August 1, through Friday, August 5, weather permitting. The repairs are being completed by RCS Construction. During that period, the roadway will be closed to all through traffic between Plummer Drive and Esic Drive. A full roadway closure for all traffic will be in place between the eastern and main entrances to Edwardsville High School. Motorists will be required to use alternate routes, and detour routes will be posted. Both entrances to the school and sports complex will remain open, as well as local access to businesses and subdivisions between Plummer Drive and Esic Drive. The City appreciates the cooperation of all residents during this process. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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COLLINSVILLE - Professional caregivers in long-term care environments face unique challenges which may impact their personal health and wellbeing. A workshop series, Learn. Think. Care., offered by University of Illinois Extension , helps caregivers build personal resiliency, knowledge, and strategies for meeting the needs of clients in long-term care environments. "Professionals that work with older adults often have trouble accessing convenient continuing education opportunities," says Karla Belzer , Illinois Extension family life educator." The series is designed for professionals to join the session online, during their workday, eliminating the barriers of time and travel that often impair participation in continuing education." Three free one-hour workshops will be held online beginning at 2 p.m. on Sept. 8. Register at go.illinois.edu/LTCwebinars at least one week prior to each workshop to receive all access information. CEUs and CPDUs are available for a fee. If a

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ALTON - “Home and Abroad” will be the theme of the penultimate week of summer concerts in the park with the Alton Municipal Band. Conductor David Drillinger will lead the program of music from around the world, taking the audience on a musical adventure of destinations both near and far. Guest soloist Robyn Brandon, a longtime friend of the band, will be the evening’s featured vocalist. Mrs. Brandon’s vocal stylings have been a hit with audiences in Alton for the better part of two decades. This year, her performance will enhance the musical journey around the globe. The concert will be performed twice: once on Thursday, July 28th, at Riverview Park (7:30 PM), and again on Sunday, July 31st at Haskell Park (7:00 PM).

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton will have one last celebration before school starts on August 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free event is open to the entire community. There will be a fire truck, MICU ambulance, UPS truck, K-9 unit, shark dissection, vaping danger education and many more fun activities. Hot dogs and snow cones will be available. School supplies including paper, pens, pencils and crayons will be available to the first 300 kids ages 4-12. OSF Saint Anthony’s is hosting this event to build up the community after a difficult couple of years. OSF Mission Partners (employees) hope to educate and provide services to kids in their community through fun games and family activities. Some competitions include a self-portrait contest and bean bag toss. The event is sponsored by Dwight and Cheryl Werts in partnership with: Alton Police Department Alton Fire Department ARCH Helicopter Boys and Girls Club of Alton Lakeside

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ST. LOUIS – At least six NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams will test at World Wide Technology Raceway on Thursday, August 11 in preparation for the sixth annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline. Teams expected to participate include Andretti Autosport, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and A.J. Foyt Enterprises. • The August 11 test session is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central. • If the weather forecast is not favorable, the test session may be moved up to August 10. • The test session is open to the media. The test session is not open to the public. • The Indy Lights Series is slated to test at WWTR on August 12. BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500 PRESENTED BY AXALTA AND VALVOLINE WEEKEND The NTT INDYCAR SERIES brings the world to the St. Louis-Metro East region. It’s an international series, with America’s best drivers competing against men and women from New Zealand, Spain, Australia, France, Netherlands, Sweden,

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ST. LOUIS — Big Muddy Adventures (BMA) is excited to announce the opening of a boat rental operation at Simpson Lake, located at 1234 Marshall Road in Valley Park, MO. Starting this weekend, the public will be able to rent kayaks, canoes, and stand-up-paddleboards (SUPs) at the 72-acre lake, which is located in Simpson Park. “Simpson Lake is an untapped, yet integral part of St. Louis’ paddling scene. We’re excited to get the opportunity to help more people explore this natural beauty located right in the heart of St. Louis County,” said Roo Yawitz, owner of BMA. This isn’t the first foray into the rental business for Big Muddy Adventures. BMA has been the exclusive rental operator at the Boathouse in Forest Park since 2018. Since that time, Big Muddy Adventures at the Boathouse has replaced and updated the boat rental fleet, introduced bicycle rentals and hosted numerous special events and instructional classes including SUP Yoga, Moonlight Picnics

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ALTON - Bright Hope Chapter No. 85 Order of the Eastern Stars of Alton, IL., Prince Hall Affiliated will be celebrating its 100 th Year Anniversary at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This celebration will be held at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2621 Amelia Street, Alton, where the host Pastor is Reverend John Buford. The speaker will be Pastor Donald Tolbert of the Church of the Living God, Alton. The public is invited. There will be a fellowship dinner afterward. For more information please contact Worthy Matron Maxine Caldwell at 618-795-5786 or Past Worthy Matron Rosie Brown at 618-580-2394.

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ALTON - From 9 a.m to 12 p.m. on Saturday, July 30th, the Alton Athletic Association will be hosting the 1st annual Redbird Amazing Race. It costs $100 to make a team of five athletes to participate in the race. Teams will need a driver to get from place to place. The driver can be either a student or parent with a valid driver's license. Lunch and a T-Shirt will be included in the cost. Teams will visit 10 locations around town and complete a task at each one. Everything begins and ends at Piasa Motor Fuels Field, the soccer/baseball complex behind Alton High School. As Amy Lombardi explained it, the event is less of a race ad more of a scavenger hunt. The teams will receive riddles and search for clues that help guide them to the next location where they'll have to complete a task. They currently have 10 teams participating, but were hoping for a few more. They're already talking about next year's event to be around summertime and are hoping that after this year's publicity th

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CHICAGO - The Mega Millions jackpot is now an incredible $1.025 billion for the next drawing on Friday night. While the jackpot rolled in last night's Mega Millions drawing, an Illinois Lottery player woke up this morning as a millionaire after matching all five numbers. The $1 million winning ticket was bought at JM Food Shop at 11200 N IL Route 47, Huntley, IL 60142. The Illinois Lottery encourages all winners to write their name on the back of their ticket and make an appointment at a claim center to claim their prize. For more information on how to claim a lottery prize, visit Illinois.Lottery/winning Only three jackpots over $1 billion have ever been won in the U.S. A $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot was won by three tickets bought in California, Florida, and Tennessee in 2016 A $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won by a ticket bought in South Carolina in 2018 A $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won by a ticket in Michigan in 2021. The next Mega Millions

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Fire and Police Departments and the Illinois Department of Transportation both issued warnings today to motorists about flash flood conditions. Tuesday morning, the entire region was belted with multiple inches of rain, creating massive flash floods and traffic issues. St. Peters, Mo., received 12.34 inches of rain in a short period of time and Granite City even received 8.5 inches, the tops on this side of the river. IDOT says do not drive in flooded areas. If a road is covered by water that seems shallow to cross do not attempt to do so. If your car stalls, do not attempt to push it out, seek higher ground. IDOT also says to take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps and bridges in flash flood conditions. IDOT said the best approach is just to stay off the roads until they clear during these types of situations. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford reminded people to be careful during heavy rainfall and there is an old saying that i

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ST. LOUIS - Many area residents are frequent riders on the MetroLink system. As of July 27, the lines are very disrupted due to the massive thunderstorm that ripped through the St. Louis area on Tuesday. This is the status of service as of July 27: MetroLink is only operating between the Central West End & Shiloh-Scott Stations on the Red Line (20-minute frequency), and between the Shrewsbury & University City-Big Bend Stations on the Blue Line (40-minute frequency). MetroLink Station Shuttles are transporting passengers by bus between Lambert Airport and Central West End Stations and between University City-Big Bend and Central West End Stations. Riders traveling through these areas should expect delays of up to 60 minutes for the bus shuttles. MetroLink riders traveling through the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are encouraged to seek alternative transportation options until further notice. Airport Riders: To access the station shuttles, you will need to be at the

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COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois collaborated with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to provide $12 million to help income-qualified customers pay their energy bills through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Summer Supplemental Benefit program. The LIHEAP Summer Supplemental Benefit Program provides additional relief to aid LIHEAP customers impacted by higher power supply prices. Inflation and supply constraints have led to an energy shortage and the resulting supply cost increases have caused monthly bill amounts to increase significantly over last year. Ameren Illinois does not profit from energy supply; power is purchased by an Illinois state agency and the costs are passed directly to customers, dollar-for-dollar. Households who received a benefit through the state-administered LIHEAP program between Sept. 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, and whose original LIHEAP benefit account is still active with Ameren Illinois during the

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