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LITCHFIELD - If you are a first-time gardener, or maybe you are building a new bed to add to your gardening collection, this article is for you. When preparing for your new garden bed there are a few things that are crucial to setting your garden up for success. Decide what you want from your garden, design your garden layout, and then prepare your garden for planting. Knowing what you want from your garden in the forefront is really important but it's not always something people spend much time thinking about. People grow gardens for lots of reasons. Most commonly, gardens grow from a place of necessity. Kitchen gardens were just part of life for everyone not that long ago. Now gardening is a totally foreign concept to most people. I garden because I have a strong desire to grow my own food. Do you want a garden for food? Perhaps for beauty or enjoyment? Some people grow a garden simply to create a food source for our pollinators. Whatever your reason is, it's important for you to kno

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GREENVILLE – The College Band Directors National Association selection committee named two Greenville University band students to the North Central Intercollegiate Band. The committee chose Meghan Garmon of Hillsboro, Illinois, and Kennedy Gerton of Springfield, Illinois, both freshmen at GU. The two clarinet players, along with more than 70 other collegiate band members from the north central part of the United States, will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, in April, to rehearse and prepare a concert for the College Band Directors National Association Conference. Greenville University Band Director Alex Kirby says band directors across the country nominate students based on sight reading, tone, and overall musicianship. The selection committee then chooses a balanced ensemble and students audition at the conference for their chair placement within the section. “Membership into the intercollegiate band is hard to come by, especially for schools like GU which may not have

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Local residents say the proposed CO2 pipeline would endanger communities, landowners, and farmland. SPRINGFIELD - The Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines is raising concerns about a proposed CO2 pipeline that would transport high-pressure, liquified CO2 from industry clients across South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa to a location in Christian County, Illinois. The proposed pipeline will pass through 13 Illinois counties, including Hancock, Adams, McDonough, Henry, Knox, Fulton, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Scott, Morgan, Sangamon, and Christian. The 1,300-mile-long CO2 pipeline is among the first of many expected to be proposed across the Midwest as part of a developing technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS). The arguments of the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines are as follows: "This technology’s ability to reduce harmful emissions is not yet proven, and the construction and use of these pipelines raises serious safety and property value concerns for landowners

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College will present the “You have a Voice!” Humanities Speech Contest at 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 30, in the Hatheway Cultural Center’s Ann Whitney Olin Theatre. The event lends a venue for L&C students to share their heartfelt stories and thoughts on what it means to be human. The contest returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I couldn’t be more excited to hear what messages this year’s speeches will hold,” said Speech Professor Elizabeth Grant. “With the many challenges our students and communities have experienced in recent times, I can only imagine the wisdom, empathy and resilience earned through their experiences. This event is designed to showcase just that.” Speeches will be 5-8 minutes in length. Topics will relate to the following Illinois Articulation Initiative: “What it means to be human – the struggles, aspirations, comedies and tragedies,

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SPRINGFIELD – State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) is issuing the following statement on the Illinois House lifting the mask mandate. “I, along with a several of my colleagues in the House, recently challenged the mask policy by refusing to wear a mask in the House chambers. After being escorted off the House floor several times, I asked to have a sit-down conversation with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch about finding a suitable agreement on the mask policy, which we did have last week. After our conversation, the House voted today to officially lift the mask mandate. There is no question the mask mandate would undoubtedly still be in place if it had not been challenged. The reason I challenged the policy is because we as leaders need to be helping – not hurting – the efforts to return to normal life. Mask optional is the norm in Illinois and the floor of the Illinois House should not be an exception to this policy. Those who want t

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WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Eagles of the Month” program at Civic Memorial High School. Senior students are selected each month by members of the Civic Memorial faculty to represent each department. All students are awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. Two Seniors (1 female student and 1 male student) that were selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $500.00 “Eagles of the Year” scholarship each at the end of the school year. 2022 February’s Eagles of the Month winners: Math – Samantha Hamby - Fine Arts – Olivia Lyerla - Social Studies – Allie Lively - PE/Health -- Jorden Serafini-Brown - Choir -- Elliana Fiorino - Band-- Izabella Chester - Science -- Emily Williams - English -- Laura Hicks - C.T.E. -- Myah Lindley January’s Teacher of the Month winner: -English - Christiann Wiest Congratulations to all the Civic Memorial “Eagles of the Month”

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s Underground Railroad Tour, originally scheduled in February as part of the college’s celebration of Black History Month, will take place this Thursday, March 10. This year’s tour will stretch into Jersey County, with stops at the Cheney Mansion in Jerseyville, a documented stop along the Underground Railroad, and Hamilton Primary School in Otterville. The original school was built in 1835 and is believed to have been the first free and integrated school in the United States. Local historian and educator J.E. Robinson will guide the two-hour bus tour, which will depart from L&C’s Campus Safety building at 1 p.m. The tour is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. Please contact Student Activities Coordinator Jared Hennings at (618) 468-6400 or jhenning@lc.edu . For current information regarding Lewis and Clark Community College’s operations during the pandemic, please visit lc.edu/coronavirus.com.

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ST. LOUIS - Virtue Vein and Lymphatic Center, a locally owned clinic with seven locations throughout Southwest Missouri and Illinois, is raising awareness about a condition that can cause tingling or weakness in your shoulders or arms. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a group of disorders that occur when blood vessels or nerves in the space between your collarbone and your first rib are compressed. This syndrome can lead to various symptoms, such as shoulder and neck pain and potential numbness in your fingers. Thoracic outlet syndrome can be caused by repetitive injuries, pregnancy, poor posture, a traumatic event like a car accident, or anatomical defects , such as having an extra rib. “Patients experiencing these symptoms such as shoulder or neck pain are often unaware of this condition and may unknowingly be causing it to worsen by simple everyday activities such as wearing a heavy purse on your shoulder,” said Raffi Krikorian MD, owner of Virtue Vein an

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BETHALTO - At 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2022, Bethalto Police Officers were dispatched to the area of westbound Illinois Route 140, in reference to a purported road rage incident, which involved one subject reportedly pointing a gun at a family in another vehicle. The suspect vehicle was located and stopped by the Illinois State Police on Brakhane Road south of Worden. The driver, William E. Speed, M/W Age 70 of Hillsboro, Illinois, was arrested without incident and charged by Bethalto Officers with Aggravated Assault. Speed posted bond and was released on the offense. “I commend the officers who took part in all the efforts this past weekend and warn those who choose to commit criminal offenses in the Village of Bethalto that our officers take every call and their oath to serve and protect to heart,” Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon said. It is important to remember that the issuance of charges is based only upon Probable Cause and is not an indication o

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BETHALTO - At 10:23 p.m. on Friday, March 4, 2022, Bethalto Officers responded to a reported Carjacking in the 100 block of Wesley Drive. Officers met with the victim, who told them that an acquaintance had stolen his vehicle and ran him over as she fled the scene. Bethalto Officers worked with Wood River Police Officers and recovered the vehicle and identified the suspect. The case is under investigation and will be presented for charges in the coming days. The victim suffered from what was reported to be only minor injuries.

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CARROLLTON - The Carrollton Fire Protection District firefighters and other departments continued through Tuesday morning and into the afternoon attacking a multiple alarm fire that broke out and destroyed the Oasis bar and restaurant at 1221 Fifth St. in Carrollton. Carrollton Fire Protection District Chief Tim Thaxton has described the situation as a “total loss” and said the state fire marshal’s office did come out to investigate at the request of the Carrollton Police Department. However, Chief Thaxton said the determination at this point is that the fire broke out at a food-warming table. He said that will likely conclude any criminal investigation in the matter. “The potential dollar loss was so much that we also wanted to have the state professionals investigate the situation,” Thaxton said. “It took us about five hours to get the fire contained,” he said. “We started on it around 11:30 Monday night. It was close to

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Local gas prices have continued to climb in several communities around the Riverbend despite actions by the Biden administration aimed at keeping gas prices under control. In his State of the Union address on March 1, President Joe Biden announced the United States would join its allies in releasing 60 million barrels of oil from global reserves, including 30 million barrels from the United States. “We stand ready to do more if necessary, unified with our allies,” Biden said. “These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home.” Since then, gas prices have increased by more than 50 cents per gallon for regular unleaded in some local communities. Riza Demirer, a professor of Economics and Finance at SIUE, said this was a temporary measure from the start. He also said fuel prices are driven by global predictions of supply, which aren’t exactly optimistic as Ukrainian-Russian unrest continues. “Strategic reserves are limited, and oil traders

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EDWARDSVILLE – Academic excellence, dedicated service and outstanding leadership were celebrated during the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s (SOE) 16th Annual Awards Banquet held Tuesday, March 1 via Zoom. “The advancement of the SIUE School of Engineering is propelled by the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Dean Cem Karacal, PhD. “We are proud to celebrate their incredible work, and realize the significant potential our engineering community has for future achievement.” Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, joined the celebration, which aligned with his first official day as the University’s senior leader. He shared his great ambition for the University’s advancement and underscored his belief in the transformative power of higher education. “Higher education has the power to transform your lives, and because of what you’ll do, it has

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EDWARDSVILLE – The sound of rigorous applause and cheering filled Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Goshen Lounge on Thursday, March 3 as Distinguished Research Professor Howard Rambsy II, PhD, made his way into a surprise celebration in his honor. Rambsy is the first Black faculty member to be honored with the University’s highest academic rank for scholarly excellence. While this historic achievement launched the community gathering, his tremendous impact on students, mentorship and friendship to colleagues, and acts of advocacy and accountability were also highlighted. “It is my great fortune to witness your talents and gifts up close,” shared Earleen Patterson, PhD, associate vice chancellor for Student Opportunities, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “Not only are you an innovative scholar, illustrious educator, culturally-based researcher and creative teacher, author of several books, and recipient of more than $1 million in grant

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that the county has filed a Notice of Appeal on Illinois’ Seventh Judicial Circuit’s ruling on the recently-passed judicial subcircuit legislation. “This subcircuit law is unjust, unconstitutional, and riddled with problems,” Haine said. “We can discern no legitimate reason why it needs to be implemented on such a rushed timeframe in Madison County but not elsewhere in the state. This sudden, unexplained rush has forced Madison County into court, where a bipartisan and overwhelming majority of the County Board resolved to defend our fundamental commitment to a fair and equal justice system. That legal fight continues with this appeal.” Madison County is joined on this appeal by all plaintiffs, Christina Wiley, Daniel McConchie, and Judges Amy Sholar and Christopher Threlkeld. On January 21, Haine filed a lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Madison County challenging

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BETHALTO – 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union is always looking for ways to help members improve their financial health and reach their financial goals. In 2016, the Savings Tracker Program was instituted to track the amount of money members saved just by doing their business at the credit union. Since the program’s inception in 2016, members have saved over $33,000,000. In 2021, members saved over $9.3 million. Over 870 savings stories were submitted by team members. Success stories ranged from a car loan refinance that led to $6,872 in savings, to a debt consolidation through a home equity loan that saved a member $3,649. Tracking is already in full swing for 2022. In January alone, members saved $244,069 through refinancing their car loans, debt consolidation, high rate credit card balance transfers and more. 1 st MidAmerica Credit Union has a mission of exceeding member expectations. Additional information can be found at www.1stMidAmerica.org.

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CHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) today recognized March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Illinois. To raise awareness around gambling disorders and honor those in recovery, participating buildings in downtown Chicago will be lit teal. Throughout the month, IDHS will partner with providers across the state to raise awareness around disorders as well as support and treatment options for those in need. Awareness events will include gambling screenings, gambling presentations, workshops, and other events. A full list of related events can be found here . "Individuals who struggle with gambling disorders seldom seek help and often hide their behavior from family members. This month is an opportunity for IDHS and our providers to come together to continue to get the word out about the recovery support services that are available,” said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou. The IDHS Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery

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ST. LOUIS – As prices at the pump continue to rise, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is encouraging area residents to consider utilizing public transit. The organization has a FREE Try & Ride program that makes it easy for those who are new to MetroLink or MetroBus to familiarize themselves with the region’s integrated system to get them where they need to go. “Public transit is a safe, convenient and cost-effective transportation option, but many shy away from it because of the unknowns – including which route or line to take, how to purchase tickets and more,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “The Try & Ride program addresses these concerns head-on. It has helped more than 6,000 individuals familiarize themselves with the system and has been credited with turning many first-time transit users into regular transit commuters.” The Try & Ride program is open to any Missouri or Illinois residents

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GRANITE CITY - Caylie McElroy has not only skills as an athlete, but she is an outstanding student for Granite City High School. Caylie is the Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete of the Month for the Warriors. Caylie's top sport of the season is about ready to unfold - girls soccer. She has been a three-year member of the Warriors girls soccer squad. She also played girl's golf in 2021. Recently, Caylie also earned the Granite City Rotary Club Student of the Month honor with Lauren Wilson. Students for that honor were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and civic honors and awards and organization membership and leadership. She is a three-year youth vocalist and a Sunday service vocalist. The Granite City High School student is very involved in school activities from Member of Fellowship Of Christian Athletes, Renaissance Club, Spirit Club, and Varsity Club.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued warrants on suspect Joeron Mottley, 19 years of age, of the 1100 block of Grenshaw Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63137, for Murder 1 st Degree and Armed Criminal Action. A mugshot of Mottley is attached. Mottley is being held on a $500,000 cash only, no 10%, 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 Mottley reads: The Defendant was inside J’s Wireless when the Victim entered the store. When the Defendant witnessed the Victim enter the store, he shot him, striking him in the torso. The Victim then fled the store into the parking lot where the Defendant chased him and fired at him several more times. The Victim died due to his injuries. The incident was captured on video surveillance and the Defendant confessed to police that he shot the victim.

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