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GRANITE CITY - Seniors Sierra Cooper and Lilly Relleke of Granite City High School were selected as Granite City Elks Lodge 1063 Students of the Month for April. The Elks Student of the Month Program is designed to recognize outstanding young men and women for achievements in school and community life-fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry, and farming. Nominees are judged on multiple achievements including leadership skills, good moral character, community involvement, extracurricular activities, honors and award, and scholastic ability. Each student receives a $100 U.S. savings bond and an Elks certificate of achievement. SIERRA COOPER Four-year member of Marching Warriors, including two-year Section Leader ... 2021 Homecoming Court ... Member of Book Club, Creative Writing Club, National Honor Society, Science Club, Varsity Club and Writing Club ... Pride Club Historian ... Rotary Student of the Month ... Daughter of Don and

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is partnering with regional business leaders to host the 1 st Annual Entrepreneurship Academy in a Day. The program brings together the greatest minds in business to instruct, motivate and empower winning entrepreneurial endeavors. It will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7 in the Morris University Center second floor Conference Center on the Edwardsville campus at 1 Hairpin Drive, Edwardsville. Parking is available in Lot B. Registration is available at ilsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/36407 . Use code EASIUE052022 for a discounted price of $199. “The Academy gives business owners around the region the opportunity to spend the day learning and interacting with business leaders who have positioned themselves in the marketplace as experts in their respective fields,” said G.W. Slaughter, founder of the Entrepreneurial Academy. “This one-day,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Source Juicery, a locally owned business dedicated to offering convenient, healthy eating options, is encouraging people interested in getting their body on track before summer, to try a 3-day cold-pressed juice cleanse. Juice cleanses are a simple way to detoxify and heal your body while providing your immune system with nutrients, antioxidants, and active enzymes. Source Juicery Co-Owner Chrissy Stevens said a juice cleanse can also give your digestive system a much-needed rest. Stevens said a juice cleanse can help restore your gut, assist in weight loss and help minimize your cravings for processed food. Each of their juices has around a pound and a half of fresh produce in them. “Spring is a great time of year to try a juice cleanse because people typically are a little less active in the winter months and don’t eat as many healthy foods, so this helps reset your system,” said Stevens. “Our juices are unique because they are made in our

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AURORA – The Irvin for Illinois campaign today is proud to announce Illinois Troopers Lodge #41’s endorsement of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and State Representative Avery Bourne in the Republican primary for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. “Bad decisions from Springfield coupled with dangerous policies are alienating law enforcement and empowering criminals at a time when we need support from our elected officials,” said Troopers Lodge #41 President Joe Moon. “The men and women of Troopers Lodge 41 support individuals for office who support and understand the challenges facing state police and without question Richard Irvin is the Republican Gubernatorial candidate who has proven time and again he has the back of law enforcement.” Troopers Lodge 41 is the largest statewide police union in Illinois that includes approximately 3,200 sworn and retired Illinois state troopers. Irvin’s strong record in supporting law enforcement

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that it has learned of three suspected cases of severe hepatitis in children under ten years of age, potentially linked to a strain of adenovirus. Two of the cases are in suburban Chicago and one is in Western Illinois. One case resulted in a liver transplant. IDPH is working to learn of other suspected cases in Illinois and is asking healthcare providers in the state to be on the lookout for symptoms and to report any suspected cases of hepatitis in children of unknown origin to local public health authorities. The IDPH announcement follows a nationwide alert issued by the CDC in response to a cluster of nine cases of hepatitis of unknown origin in children in Alabama ranging in age from 1 to 6 years old, all of whom were previously healthy. The CDC said that symptoms of hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark

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GREENE COUNTY - Saturday, April 30, 2022, will be the 22nd National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Greene County residents are urged to use this as an opportunity to clean out those medicine cabinets and properly dispose of those unused medications. “Disposing of unneeded medications can help prevent drugs from being misused,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Overdose deaths continue to hit tragic record highs. I encourage everyone to dispose of unneeded prescription medications now.” Overdose became the leading cause of death in the United States as of March 2022. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that in a recent study they found that a majority of people obtain medications from family members or friends. Unfortunately, Greene County is not immune from the effects of this crisis. Syndromic surveillance efforts by the department confirm that overdose incidents are on the rise, right here at home, a trend we can work togethe

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Robert (Bob) and Beverly (McNear) Moore of Godfrey will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary on May 11, 2022. Wedding vows were exchanged on May 11, 1957, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Alton with Father Croake performing the ceremony. Bob retired from Canteen Vending Company after 40 years and Rolling Hills Golf Course after 20 years. Beverly retired from the Bank of Edwardsville with over 20 years and Rolling Hills Golf Course after 15 years. Their children are Dana and Tony Armenta of California, Brian and Karen Moore of Godfrey, Kimberly and Frank Rothe of Brighton, Robert Moore of Godfrey, and Chris and Marilyn Moore of Wood River. Bob and Bev are proud grandparents to nine grandchildren: Kristy (Mike) Pulley, Adam (Heather) Rothe, Hannah (Drew) Joehl, Jessica (Erik Jaffry, Patrick (Marisa) Moore, Laura Moore, Brittney (Kolby) Bissell, Kendall and Kelsey Moore. They are also proud great grandparents to seventeen grandchildren: Koller, Kaden, and Merritt Moore;

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing (SON) has doubled the number of awards and associated monetary total aimed at supporting student success through generous annual and endowed scholarships. During its Scholarship and Awards Ceremony held Monday, April 11, SON administrators, faculty, staff, students and donors gathered to celebrate the distribution of 60 awards valued at more than $60,000. “It is my absolute delight to welcome everyone to this in-person gathering,” shared Senior Director of Development Patti McDonald. “This has been an extremely challenging last couple of years for us all, personally and professionally. But, the response of nurses, nurse educators and our students to these difficult and ever-changing circumstances has been nothing short of heroic. The world has truly discovered the value of nurses and their significant impact on quality of life and well-being.” “On behalf of the School of Nursing,

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ALTON - After learning by doing, and accumulating 20 years of first-hand experience in the scrap industry, Douglas Francis launched his entrepreneurial journey with his company Alton Dock Works, LLC. Since?June 2021, he has?been a?client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville?and Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May, after first contacting the SBDC for help with his SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). In high school, Douglas was introduced to the scrap industry. He attended Greenville College and continued his career in not just scrapping but specifically ferrous and non-ferrous metals. He worked at Azcon Corporation, PSC Metals, and then Azcon Corporation again trading scrap metal and shipping all around the world. Francis then decided to use his contacts in the metal industry to venture out on his own. He began his journey full force. Finding a location in Alton, building a clientele, networking, and

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EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the 24th Annual Route 66 Festival on Saturday, June 11 at City Park, 101 S. Buchanan Street in downtown Edwardsville. This year's festival will feature live music, the classic car cruise, food vendors and an artisan market, inflatables, a petting zoo, and the Route 66 10K Run will also be coming back – sponsored by Metro Milers. “We are so excited to announce the return of the Route 66 Festival this year with many new offerings; there really is something for everyone!” said Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy “This family-friendly event will include games and prizes, a variety of food options, shopping, and entertainment, and it could not happen without the generous support of our business community.” Sponsorship opportunities are listed below and additional details can be found in the sponsorship breakdown . The deadline to participate is Friday, May 13: The Mother

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ST. LOUIS - Disney Concerts and Live Nation have announced the Encanto: The SingAlong Film Concert Tour, where Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning film comes to life in a one-of-a-kind concert event, featuring the entire feature-length film and an on-stage band celebrating all the record-breaking hit songs from the beloved soundtrack. The 32-city tour kicks off on Monday, July 18th in Ridgefield, WA, making stops across the U.S., including the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis on July 31, and more before wrapping up in Chicago, IL on Saturday, August 28th. The Encanto Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features eight original songs by Academy Award-nominated, Tony® and Grammy®-winning songwriter/composer LinManuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) with an original score by Academy Award-nominated composer Germaine Franco. The R.I.A.A. Platinum-certified soundtrack held the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 album chart for 9 non-consecutive

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EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC sm ) team is launching a multi-year microplastics initiative to understand how plastics are affecting our freshwater ecosystems. “Scientists have only recently discovered that microplastics are found in almost all areas of the environment and are being ingested by most organisms, including humans” Large River Ecologist Jason Knouft said. “Unfortunately, we don't really know if and how these particles are affecting our health. This is likely an issue that impacts us all and requires significant attention.” Microplastics are defined as plastic pieces less than five millimeters or 0.2 inches in diameter. They have been detected in marine organisms as small as plankton, commercial seafood, and our drinking water. As of March 2022, leading health researchers have also detected microplastics in human blood. Microplastics are becoming increasingly prevalent in the environment and

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SPRINGFIELD – Alton and Edwardsville's unemployment rates have dipped considerably in a year-to-year March comparison from 2021 to 2022. Alton was at 5.3 percent compared to 8.5 percent a year ago, a 3.2 percent drop, while Edwardsville was at 2.98 percent compared to 3.8 percent a year ago, a 0.9 percent drop. Granite City was at 3.8 percent compared to 7.2 percent a year ago in March and East St. Louis was down in March 2022 to 7.0 percent unemployment rate from 12.4 percent in March 2021. Madison County had a 3.9 percent unemployment rate in March 2022 compared to 5.6 percent in March 2021, while Calhoun was at 4.1 percent this year from 5.5 percent, Jersey was at 3.6 percent from 4.9 percent, Macoupin County was at 3.8 percent from 5.3 percent and Greene County was 4.0 percent from 5.2 percent in March 2021. The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in thirteen Illinois metropolitan areas and increased in one in March according to preliminary data released today

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Saturday April 23, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspect Leon Russell, 29 years of age, of the 1100 block of Laredo Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63138, for three counts of Assault Second Degree, Resisting Arrest by Fleeing, Tampering with a Motor Vehicle First Degree, and Driving while Suspended. A mugshot of Russell is attached. Russell is being held without bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement for Russell reads: On or about April 22, 2022, St. Louis County Police Officers attempted to stop a vehicle being driven by Defendant because it was reported stolen. The vehicle Defendant was driving was stolen the night before in an armed robbery in the City of St. Louis. Defendant immediately accelerated his vehicle in an attempt to flee from the officers. Defendant evaded spike strips

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WOOD RIVER - A female was struck after a vehicle hit a parked vehicle, then the previously parked vehicle went airborne and hit her on Monday night on Rock Hill Road and Bonita Street in Wood River. Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said a motorist was westbound on Rock Hill Road when they first struck a push mower, then the vehicle hit the parked car that struck a female. The injured female was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital with serious injuries. The street was blocked off with caution tape and barriers. The Illinois State Police reconstruction team was called to investigate the scene. Wood River Police Department investigated the situation early on and monitored traffic in the area, while the Wood River Fire Department assisted the injured person in the situation before she was airlifted.

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MEADOWBROOK - A young boy and girl were reported missing for a period of time Monday evening off Truman Street in Meadowbrook, however, the children were located by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from neighboring firefighters. Bethalto, Meadowbrook, Cottage Hills, and Rosewood Heights fire agencies assisted in the location of the two children. The children were both discovered by about 9:30 p.m. Monday. The children's family was emotional and very happy with their return.

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ALTON - Illinois American Water’s work to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers continues. Below is information about this week’s road closures –April 25, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: The intersection of 12th/Alby Streets continues to be closed. 12th Street is closed east to Alton Street, with the closure extending to George Street as work progresses east. 10th Street is closed between Alby Street and Alton Streets, with the closure extending east to George Street eventually. All highlighted yellow roads are awaiting final pavement restoration. Thru traffic is not advised in these areas. Please drive carefully if you have to drive those areas to access your property. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street pavement restoration has started and will be completed later this week, weather dependent. All other remaining areas have pavement restoration that has been completed. Please drive carefully as there is still some construction traffic

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ALTON - The Alton City-Wide Litter Clean-Up proved to be a major success last Saturday as volunteers from local businesses and all over the community took to the streets to clean up litter from their neighborhoods. Pride, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on neighborhood beautification projects, took on a major role in organizing this City-Wide Clean-Up in collaboration with Alton Main Street and several other local organizations. “It was wonderful - thank God we had beautiful weather,” Pride, Inc. Executive Director Pat Stewart said. “It was just really neat ... some of the feedback we’ve gotten from others as far as people driving by and honking and thanking us for what we did.” Supplies such as gloves and bags were provided at registration stations for those who needed them, along with free donuts. While the event was widely successful, Stewart said the amount of trash collected underscores the need for a future anti-littering campaign. &ldquo

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ALTON - Earth Day is always filled with positive volunteer efforts across the country to eliminate waste and preserve our world for the future. Area bus drivers, led by Victoria Cobb-Bock, tackled a large cleanup area of Alton with the assistance of Boys Scouts Troop 1 in Alton. This group's effort was part of the overall Earth Day effort in the Riverbend. "We had a good time and the boys surprised me with all the effort they put in," Victoria Cobb-Bock said. "We had 25 people show up." Victoria is always on the lookout to assist with any litter cleanup and said she participates in the Earth Day event every year. "This was my sixth year of doing it personally," she said. "This cleanup makes a huge difference. This cleans up a lot of trash that could eventually end up in our river." Victoria's group handled an area near Big Arch, Alton Square Mall, behind Alton Middle School, Humbert Road, James Killion Park at Salu area, Main, and also Hillcrest and Sering areas of Alton. Victoria

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GRAFTON - The City of Grafton celebrated Earth Day last week with its first annual organized trash pickup along the riverfront. Nick Hutchens, Grafton’s Director of Public Works, organized the cleanup day and coordinated with several volunteer groups to make the cleanup efforts a success. Children and teachers from several grades and schools attended the First Annual Earth Day Cleanup. The kids knew a lot about Earth Day, and they did a great job cleaning up the riverfront and in Girl Scout Park. The groups participating in the cleanup day were Grafton Third Grade Elementary, Re-New Edwardsville, and Jersey Community Middle School Student Council. The Jersey County Queens assisted with cleaning and painting of the back wall of Girl Scout Park. Nick has volunteered his personal time to organize and work on this project. "The Park project began with Nick’s vision of transforming this vacant city lot on Main Street into a public “take and leave” library with

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