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EDWARDSVILLE – The City has launched a Commercial Building Improvement Program to help encourage safety and accessibility improvements by offering financial assistance to building and business owners. Improvement projects that meet the program requirements will be eligible to receive 25% of applicable costs. Reimbursements cannot exceed $25,000. The Commercial Building Improvement Program was initiated and developed by Alderman Chris Farrar, Ward 1, and approved by the City Council in late October. “This new program provides financial support to help businesses and building owners update these older structures to our current building codes for improved safety,” Farrar said. Specifically, Farrar said he was eyeing enhancements such as sprinkler and fire alarm systems, electrical upgrades and accessibility features such as ramps. “I understand the importance of full participation by all our residents so there is also funding available to retrofit commercial buildings

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ALTON - Alton High School football Redbirds players cornerback Javion Chairs and defensive end/offensive tackle Brandon Hayes both will leave the AHS program with fond memories of their senior class experience with new head coach David Parker. Coach Parker won over the seniors and the remaining juniors, sophomores and freshmen with his team approach to the game. “Coach Parker taught us about effort and giving 100 percent all the time,” Chairs said. “That is why I love this team. I likely won’t put the pads on again, but we have a good program, excellent coaching staff, and a good future as a program ahead. The coaching staff had our backs and taught us everything we need to know about the game and more.” Hayes agreed with Chairs and said Coach Parker brought the group together and he felt the program was really coming together at the end of the season. “We came together and kept pushing,” the lineman said. “I think it will be a really

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ALTON - Alton community activist Abe Lee Barham visited polls in his community today and provided a report around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on some early voter turnout totals. This was what he reported from different Alton precinct voting: The Bridge - 147 and 163 (two polling places within one location) Brown - 162 Oakwood 76 Oakwood of Living God - 181 Alton Acres - 112 City Hall - 143, 169 (two polling places within one location) Calvary Baptist - 107 Seniors Services - 174 and 127 (two polling places at one location) Scott Bibb - 80 Messiah Lutheran - 159, 160, and 120 (three polling places at one location) Public Works - 53 “The turnout is better than I thought it would be,” Barham said. “My goal was just to encourage people to vote and for everyone to use their constitutional right.”

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ALTON - Kevin Woods, shown above, center, of ICU, is Alton Memorial Hospital’s November Employee of the Month. Kevin received the award on Nov. 8 from Annette McCauley, manager of ICU, and AMH President Dave Braasch. According to the nomination, “Kevin is the definition of excellence. Not only is the care he provides as a bedside and charge nurse excellent, but his interactions with families are also some of the best I’ve witnessed. Everything from simple family updates to end-of-life discussions are handled with care and compassion. "He never complains about the amount of work he must do. He simply does the work and makes sure the patient and family are put first. One family recently said that ‘Kevin is everything a nurse is supposed to be,’ and I couldn’t agree more.”

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville American Legion Post #199 is once again hosting its annual Veterans Day Parade through the streets of downtown Edwardsville to honor all those who served in the military. The Veterans Day Parade will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 11, the official federal holiday. The long-standing event will follow a slightly different route than it has in previous years, which also will change the areas where spectators can view the parade. Parade participants will set up in the parking lot in front of Eden Church of Edwardsville, near the intersection of North Main Street and West Fourth Street. That’s also the starting point for the parade. The parade route then continues south on North Main Street, turning onto St. Louis Street just past the Madison County Courthouse. The parade will make another quick turn onto North Second Street, where the parade will end and the participants will disperse. The parade route will be closed to vehicular traffic

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ALTON - The City of Alton Committee of the Whole passed several resolutions at their meeting on Monday night, laying the groundwork for the construction of a flood wall in downtown Alton, approving a new energy aggregation agreement between the City of Alton and Constellation NewEnergy, along with several other items. Before the committee voted on the resolution concerning the flood wall, several local stakeholders made public comments during the Public Forum addressing City Business. Those individuals were Doug Bader, chair of the Alton Historical Commission, Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street, Terry Sharp, president of the Alton Landmarks Association, and Jennifer Doody, community engagement and development director for Alton Forward. “ is required to comment on any adverse effect on any historic properties or historic districts that are listed on the national register whenever federal money is involved such as grants for this,” Bader said. “They

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic's cross-country girls have always been top-notch in the post-season, but this year, after battling some injuries, the group posted a fourth-place finish in the Trenton-Wesclin Regional to advance to the sectional. Marquette Catholic head coach Tim Turnbeaugh said he was so proud of his girls for what they had to overcome to place so high as a team in the regional. Paige Rister was 17th at the regional with a 21:06.2 time on the three-mile Trenton-Wesclin High School course. Kailey Vickrey was 26th with a time of 21;47.9, Hudson McCowan was 31st in 22:07.0, Katie Johnson was 34th in a clocking of 22:23.4, Cassidy Eccles had a time of 24:09.3 for 55th place and Ava Certa was 62nd in 24:46.2. The Explorers’ senior girls were Kailey Vickrey, Hudson McCowan, and Claire Antrainer. Junior members were Paige Rister, Ava Certa, and Katie Johnson. Turnbeaugh said Kailey Vickrey came on at the end of the season after some injuries and sickness and was a key

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EDWARDSVILLE - Tuesday is Election Day throughout Illinois. This a reminder to residents that polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Debbie Ming-Mendoza, Madison County Clerk, said her office has witnessed an absolute "uptick" in early voting compared to the 2018 similar timeframe. She said the vote by mail has also increased from that year in 2022. Mendoza said there are many important races in the state and area, starting with the election of the Illinois governor where incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey square off. There are many other statewide and local races with several important judge candidates on the ballot for positions. "We hope to see as many people to the polls on Tuesday as we can," Mendoza said. "There seems to be greater interest this time than in 2018.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased in a crash that occurred near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Cambrone Drive in St. Louis County's South County Precinct has been identified as David Coco, 72, of the 18500 block of South Fox Creek Lane in Pacific, Missouri. St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives and the Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating the fatal motor crash. On November 7, 2022, at 12:26 PM, St. Louis County police officers from the South County Precinct responded to a call for service for a motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Camborne Drive. Arriving officers located two vehicles involved in a motor vehicle crash. A preliminary investigation has revealed an adult female was driving a GMC Sierra northbound on Telegraph Road and attempted to turn westbound on Camborne Drive. A Ford F-250 was southbound on Telegraph Road and struck the Sierra. The adult female driving the Sierra, along with a 3-year-old child,

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ROXANA - The Roxana High School football team had a turnaround season in 2022. After last season's 2-7 campaign, the Shells managed to make the playoffs, win their first playoff game since 2014, and then leave everything on the field against an undefeated team that went on to knock them out in the second round. The main key to success for the program is running the football. No one loves to run the football more than junior running back Terrell Graves. He was one of the teams' go-to RBs alongside junior Evan Wells and senior Nik Ward. Graves, a junior, rushed 111 times for 1,062 yards on the season, an average of 9.6 a carry. He scored 10 touchdowns with a long TD run of 87 yards. Graves is a Midwest Members Credit Union Roxana Male Athlete of the Month for his efforts on the football field. Roxana's head coach Wade DeVries said Terrell was one of the better players on the team and arguably the fastest. "Terrell's success is a testament to his consistency in weight room and training,"

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Seniors - High Honor Roll Joseph Aiello Clarence Arnold Bryer Arview Brock Barrows Gabriel Bays Evangelynn Beasley Hailey Becker Carter Bloodworth Hayden Bodwell Jade Bowker Jace Brawner Ellah Brown Sophee Brown Gabrielle Bryant Dalton Buhs Caleb Butler Lauren Carpenter Meadow Cermak Jackson Collman Jocelyn Combes Darren Cox Tyson Davidsmeyer Bryce Davis Isabella Dugger Olivia Durbin Carter Ehlers Maireli Figueroa Nicholas Fiorino Zachary Fitzgerald Jynnifer Floyd Brady Geisler Kylee Golden Olivia Goodman Rylee Gorby Haley Greeling Dathan Greene Addilyn Hadley Nolan Halcomb Ryan Halley Journey Hammons Kaydence Harlan Ryleigh Haynes Laura Hicks Dylan Hoffmann Noah Huth Tyler Jenkins Alexia Joseph Isabella Kallal Jacob Knight Travis Kramer Caitlynn Laird Jarrett Lamb Hannah Laper Myah Lindley Alyssa Mann Gage Martin Bryanna McDuffie Hannah Meiser Hunter Meiser Marissa Meyer Ethan Miller Karli Miller Dylan Moore Adriana

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EDWARDSVILE - To view the full first quarter honor roll list, please click the link below: MELHS First Quarter Honor Roll PDF

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ST. LOUIS - November is Bladder Health Awareness Month and local urologists are working to raise awareness about some common bladder conditions that affect nearly 46 million people in the United States alone. Dr. Travis Bullock, a urologist with Urology of St. Louis, specializing in urologic conditions affecting women said urgency incontinence and stress incontinence are two common conditions people deal with silently. “Because this topic can cause embarrassment, people often feel they are the only ones struggling with bladder issues,” said Dr. Bullock. “We have all heard about potentially serious diseases affecting the bladder like bladder cancer. However, even bladder conditions that aren’t life-threatening can tremendously impact a person’s daily life. I want people to know that many treatments for these conditions are not only covered by insurance, but they are also highly effective, minimally invasive and can make a significant difference in your

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ALTON - As part of their continuing effort to meet the needs of Riverbend residents, the psychological services, behavioral health navigation and sleep services departments at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton, Illinois, recently moved to new spaces within the hospital. Next week, the public is invited to tour these new spaces, meet providers and learn about the many services offered. An open house will take place on November 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Attendees should enter at the main hospital entrance (1 Saint Anthony’s Way, Alton), and OSF Mission Partners (employees) will escort you to the event. The open house will offer a progressive dessert bar. Residents can also learn about resources to manage mental health issues like OSF SilverCloud and take a questionnaire on healthy sleep habits. Attendees can even get the process started to see a provider in the psychology or sleep departments. For example, residents can schedule a free screening

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ST. LOUIS - Schnuck Markets, Inc., is continuing its decades-long partnership with The Salvation Army during the upcoming holiday season. From Wednesday, Nov. 9 through Wednesday, Nov. 23, Schnucks customers can donate to The Salvation Army by choosing to “Round Up” their purchases to the nearest dollar. Those customers who use self-checkouts may choose a $1, $3, or $5 “Scan and Give” option. Schnucks Reward s members also can donate their Rewards to The Salvation Army, as part of the Donate Your Rewards program. Every penny of round-up donations will support The Salvation Army in the communities in which it is donated. In 2021, Schnucks and its customers donated $266,000 to The Salvation Army as part of the Round-Up campaign. At the conclusion of the Round-Up, Schnucks will welcome back The Salvation Army’s bell ringers and their iconic red kettles. Starting Friday, Nov. 25, and continuing through Christmas Eve, bell ringers will

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PIASA - Jillian Beilsmith is the kind of student-athlete that any coach would love to have on their team. She is one of the athletes that are always persistent and improves throughout each season. Jillian, a senior, started the girls' cross country season at 30 minutes in the three-mile but finished the season with a best of 24:00 for the Southwestern High School Piasa Birds. Jillian is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds. "She has been a top three finisher in every race this year," Southwestern's head girls cross country coach Gary Bowker said. "She is normally our No. 2 runner. She leads the team with her hard-working example every day. Jillian improved her overall time on our home course by over six minutes during the course of the season." Jillian thanked her parents and sisters and Coach Gary Bowker for always providing her with so much encouragement during the season. She acknowledged her favorite part about cross country

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ALTON - A Community Job Fair is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, at Alton High School. View the Flyer HERE Employers represented are the Alton School District, Illinois Central School District, Arbor Management, Aramark, Alton Farm & Home Supply, Caritas Family Solutions, City of Alton, Beverly Farm, Army Recruiting Center, Target, Scott Air Force Base - 375th Force, Support Squadron-Human Resources, Illinois State Police, Alton Steel, Vandalia Bus Lines, Amazon, Gateway Regional Medical Center, Carrollton Bank and more… David Allison from Aramark says, "To my knowledge, this is the first Job Fair of its kind in the Alton Godfrey Area. We hope to make it an annual event.” Allison says, "We are still taking employers right up to the end of business on Wednesday." If you would like to have a space for your company contact David by email at dallison@altonschools.org or by phone at 618-433-7860. This is a free event for employers and job seekers of all

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ALTON – BJC HealthCare will make it easier for families to access BJC’s world-class care in the Godfrey area in 2023. BJC will develop a 14,000-square-foot outpatient care facility with additional shell space for future expansion at the corner of Godfrey Road and Celesta Street. The BJC Outpatient Center will offer care for patients of all ages, with space for primary and specialty care, laboratory and radiology services. Additionally, BJC Medical Group will relocate its Alton Memorial Convenient Care to this new Godfrey Road location. The building is within the Alton Memorial Hospital EMS coverage area, and an ambulance post will be established at the location. “Alton Memorial Hospital is excited to expand our array of outpatient services in Godfrey with our colleagues from the BJC Medical Group,” said Dave Braasch, president of Alton Memorial Hospital. “We believe this will add even more convenient access to high-quality health care for those people

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Monday that a Wood River man has received a three-year prison term for the battery of his grandfather. Justin M. Davenport, 36, received the sentence as part of a guilty plea to a charge of domestic battery – 2nd subsequent offense (a class 4 felony). Davenport also will have to serve four years of mandatory supervised release, formerly known as parole. Davenport pleaded guilty to punching his 86-year-old grandfather in the leg and pushing him on July 8 in Wood River. Davenport resided with the grandfather and has a previous conviction for battery of the grandfather. “We take elder abuse and domestic violence very seriously,” Haine said. “The family dynamics of such cases are complicated. After consultation with the victims, we believed that this term of incarceration was appropriate. We must cherish our senior citizens. Physical abuse cannot be tolerated.” Haine thanked Wood

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that more than 170 teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators from his office will be monitoring elections throughout Illinois on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to ensure that voters’ rights are protected, and polling places are accessible. Raoul urged voters to call his office if they encounter suspected improper or illegal activity. Chicago and northern Illinois voters can call 1-866-536-3496. Central and southern Illinois voters can call 1-866-559-6812. Dial 711 to access TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services before your call if needed. Attorney General Raoul also encouraged voters to be aware of their basic voting rights. “The right to participate in our nation’s democracy is one of the most fundamental rights we have as Americans,” Raoul said. “I am working closely with partners in law enforcement and fellow state attorneys general to ensure everyone has safe access to the polls. Voters

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