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GODFREY – Prospective students are invited to learn more about becoming a Trailblazer and experience campus during Lewis and Clark Community College’s Spring Discover Day, Monday, Feb. 21. Future Trailblazers will be able to speak with financial aid and academic advisors, tour campus, find info on the programs they’re interested in, and even experience a taste of student life with free food, fun and giveaways. “Discover Day is always a great experience, whether you’re thinking about attending college in the fall or even further down the line,” Recruiter Amy Bowling said. “It’s an excellent chance to gain a lot of valuable information about the benefits of attending Lewis and Clark and the enrollment and financial aid processes, wrapped in a fun and engaging campus event.” L&C Student Activities will provide the food and entertainment for the open-house style event. Guests are free to come and go as they please, but are encouraged

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois State Police (ISP) District 11 has announced a Trooper arrested Juan Martin Mercado, a 30-year old male from Peoria, IL who was wanted for questioning for Predatory Criminal Sexual Abuse involving a 14-year-old female and was also a suspect in a parental abduction of a five-year-old female. On February 12, 2022, ISP District 11 communications received a call from the Peoria Police Department about trying to locate a GMC Yukon that was driven by Mercado. At approximately 3:02 a.m., a District 11 Trooper observed a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle in question and conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 70 near Packers Avenue in St. Clair County. The driver, Juan Martin Mercado was taken into custody without incident and the five-year-old female was taken into protective custody. Mercado was transported to District 11 headquarters and custody was turned over to the Peoria Police Department. The juvenile is in the process of being reunited

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ALTON - Reggie and Teresa Pearson of Alton met on June 28, 2013, at a special place - the Alton Belle Casino. "He was sitting next to me asking me how to play games in the casino," Teresa said. "My answer was simple: put your money in and pull the handle." One thing led to another and a little over a year later, Reggie and Teresa were married on August 28, 2014. The Alton couple shares a lot of things in common starting with going to church. "We also love to travel and do some occasional gaming at the casinos," she said. A trip to a casino always sparks memories of how they met. Teresa shared advice on what it takes for a happy, healthy relationship for a couple: " Take time to listen to each other’s personal goals and also set couples' goals," she said. "Be kind to each other and all arguments are not fair; accept a critique and make it work."

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ALTON - Darin and Amy Withrow share a love of a show many couples seem to watch over and over - The Office re-runs. The Alton couple has been married since December 12, 2020. The two met on June 13, 2018. “He helped me move and then we got cheeseburgers at Mini Corral,” Amy said of their first date. “We both love playing Scrabble and watching re-runs of The Office. He is originally from Jerseyville and I am from Alton. We talk and laugh together often! Darin and I are very much in love. Every day with him is a dream come true, really.” When asked who their favorite Office show characters were, she said, “I know my favorite is Kevin Malone and his is Michael Scott. Every single episode of The Office is hilarious. There are so many quotable lines from the show.” Amy’s advice to other couples who want to be successful is to "talk and laugh together. Be quick to learn and slow to speak. Always be ready and willing to admit when you are wrong

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police announced late Monday that Rashad L. Stewart, 18, of 100 block of South Pence Street in East Alton, was charged today in Madison County Circuit Court with Aggravated Battery With A Firearm. Stewart is not in custody at the time of this release. Any information on the whereabouts of Stewart can be reported confidentially to the Wood River Police Department at (618) 251-3114, or to your local law enforcement. The Wood River Police Department received a 911 call from the 300 block of Bonita Street for a male who had been shot in the chest. Officers were dispatched. The male victim was treated at the scene and transported to a St. Louis area hospital. The victim was speaking with officers prior to being transported. As a result of the investigation, officers were able to determine Stewart came to the residence to make contact with a juvenile female who was at the victim’s residence as a visitor. The victim and Stewart had contact with each other

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HOLIDAY SHORES - James and Sarah Fillback consider their life like a dream come true with their relationship together and live with the children. James said the first date for them was a Pere Marquette State Park hiking trip. “We absolutely love bicycle riding and kayaking,” James said. “These are days we need as a couple.” James looked out at his backyard and said 10 years ago he could have never pictured this beautiful family and life. “She is the best mom to our children,” he said. “We have similar but different backgrounds. What we love most is taking trips for our recreation, kayaking, bicycling. We both love it.” James and Sarah plan to get married soon. “COVID put a damper on things,” he said. “We have some older ones in our family. We event postponed some family reunions. We are really trying to make sure everyone can be there.” James said what he loves the most about Sarah is that she “keeps

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ALTON - Alton Fire Department battled a difficult doublewide trailer fire on Saturday evening in the 300 block of Aladdin and unfortunately, it lost a ladder truck in the process. Alton Fire Department Chief Jesse Jemison said the ladder truck will “probably be down for a while.” “We had a guy looking at the ladder truck today,” he said. “The wiring harness in it, repaired once before, burned through the airline and it locked up the brakes. Public Works had to come and to get it moving and Fred’s Towing towed it back to the firehouse. We hope it is repaired soon and we are also hoping eventually for a new one.” Alton contacted East Alton Fire Department to bring in their ladder truck and Rosewood Heights was activated to watch East Alton’s fire station. Jemison said the fire caused significant damage to the doublewide trailer on Saturday night. “It was a very unusual fire,” the chief said. “I don’t know i

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Gas prices are on the rise around the Riverbend, but the region isn’t alone. Factors like historic inflation and a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine mean gas prices are rising across the globe, with no stability yet in sight. There is currently a 50-cent price difference between gas prices in Jerseyville ($3.69 per gallon) and Alton ($3.19). Surrounding communities like Godfrey and Edwardsville land somewhere in the middle, typically around $3.50 per gallon. Despite the fluctuation in local prices, Riza Demirer, professor of Economics and Finance in SIUE’s School of Business, said the price of gas depends more on global factors rather than local factors. “Gas prices are directly affected by global energy prices and crude oil prices,” Demirer said. “Crude oil is a global commodity that is priced in global markets, not in the U.S.” That being said, Demirer said the Biden administration doesn’t actually have that much control over

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Our Love Story: The Couple: David & Kendra Johnson from Jerseyville Date Met/Started Dating: July 12, 2020 Briefly Describe First Date: Our first date was a trip to the St. Louis Zoo and then treated to a dinner at Red Lobster. Date Married: October 23, 2021 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We love watching movies together as well as playing with our three dogs and cat. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Don’t compare your past to your present.

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BELLEVILLE - Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Jess Vega have a simple but quite effective way of keeping their marriage intact: “We keep constant open communication and keep things light-hearted,” Michelle said. “We let go of the petty stuff and focus on the happy little things.” The female couple has been together since October 29, 2017. “We knew each other for six years, but we never really hung out in the same group,” Michelle said. “Our first date was a sushi dinner and a movie.” The couple was married on August 10, 2021. Michelle’s dad - Michael - is originally from the Alton-Godrey area. She said both she and Jess are very much into physical fitness. Jess is a personal trainer in O’Fallon. Michelle works for Magellan Health. “We are pretty much the same in every aspect, almost like twins,” Michelle said. “I was in love with her for a long time,” Michelle said. “We both went down a road with differen

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ALTON - There is an immense amount of pressure to perform grand romantic gestures for your partner on Valentine’s Day. Experts suggest it’s just as important to show that special someone how much you appreciate them in simple ways 365 days a year. For example, do you know your partner’s love language? “Love languages refer to five different styles of communicating love and appreciation in a relationship,” says Julie Bailey, clinical manager at Centerstone. They include quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, and gift giving and receiving. “If love and appreciation are not expressed on other days, whatever is offered on Valentine’s Day may feel obligatory,” says Bailey. “People need the assurance and security of love and appreciation every day in gestures both big and small.” Here are ten different ways to show your partner love and appreciation on a regular basis: Mail a card. Even if it’s

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Melissa and Scott from Brighton Date Met/Started Dating: June 22, 2008 Briefly Describe First Date: Went to Fazoli's, then to Riverbend Billards Date Married: June 19, 2021 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Being with family and friends, throwing BBQ Parties, going out on the motorcycle down the Great River Road. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Love, trust, and communication are key.

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GLEN CARBON - Brooke L. Tyler, 40, and Brian S. Sykes, 39, both of Collinsville, were charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. They allegedly possessed less than 15 grams of fentanyl on Oct. 4; the charge was filed on Feb. 10. Bail was set at $15,000. GLEN CARBON - Jason R. Rock, 39, of St. Louis, was charged with forgery. He allegedly presented a fraudulent check to CNB Bank in Glen Carbon for $1,062 on Aug. 12. Bail was set at $15,000. The charge was filed on Feb. 10. GLEN CARBON - Donnie W. Cathey, 56, of Granite City, was charged with unlawful possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He allegedly possessed between five and 15 grams of the drug on March 21. He was also accused of possessing a handgun in a motor vehicle without the required identification card. Bail was set on Feb. 10 at $75,000. GLEN CARBON - Michelle D. Hoffman, 41, of Caseyville, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Courtney & Josh Chapman from Delhi Date Met/Started Dating: September 6, 2008 Briefly Describe First Date: Game night with my friends followed by a bomb fire with his friends. Date Married: August 29, 2009 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Bingo, bowling, game night, and bomb fires. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Honesty, always make sure your partner knows their worth.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Matthew (Hunny and Love) and Julie (Babe) from East Alton Date Met/Started Dating: August 5, 2019 Briefly Describe First Date: Dinner. It was great, but not as good as the hug at the end of the night! Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Movies, cooking, games, hanging with friends, playing darts... everything. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Communication and honesty!

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Our Love Story: The Couple: David and Susan from Grafton Date Met/Started Dating: October 10, 1997 Briefly Describe First Date: We met at church through a Single Parent Lifegroup. I was a host for the Lifegroup and during sign-up Sunday I approached David and tapped him on the shoulder to personally invite him to join our Lifegroup. He came to his first Lifegroup on Friday, October 10th, and after the group was over...I didn't want the night to end! I invited him over to my house to watch a movie since my little girl had to get to bed. We ended up staying up all night talking and getting to know each other and finished the "date" watching the sunrise together! We spent every day together after that and married less than 3 months later!! We are getting ready to celebrate our 25th Anniversary!! Date Married: January 2, 1998 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: Everything!! As long as we are together......we enjoy everything! Share Advice For A Happy Relationship:

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EDWARDSVILLE - Last Tuesday, Madison County filed a Motion to Consolidate the Preliminary Hearing with the trial on the merits. In that motion, Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine argued that “consolidation of the preliminary injunction hearing with a trial on the merits would afford this Court an opportunity to resolve, at once, the pure questions of law raised by the fundamental constitutional claims herein.” At a hearing on Thursday in Springfield, the Court granted Madison County’s motion, and set the trial on the merits for February 24, 2022. At that same hearing on Thursday, multiple petitions to intervene on both sides of this question were granted: as Intervenor-Plaintiffs are now Judge Amy Sholar, Judge Chris Threlkeld, and Senator Dan McConchie. Intervenor-Defendants are now Speaker Welch and President Harmon. “We are glad that the Court agreed that rather than spend precious time considering additional preliminary injunctive relief, these legal

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ALTON - Joe Rister performs what most consider heroic acts nearly every day he is on the job in his role as Ameren Illinois lineman. On January 13, 2022, Joe was driving down College Avenue in Alton finishing his day when a woman pulled abruptly into Rock Spring Park. Joe has been a lineman for Ameren Illinois for 35 years and is well-known around the Alton-Godfrey area. Joe immediately saw the woman had a problem and stopped and tried to help her and a passenger in her car. “I saw her jump out of the driver’s side door of her car and as soon as she opened the passenger door, I saw someone hunched over on the dash,” she said. “I asked her if I could help and she said, ‘please, my daughter is having an epileptic seizure.’” “The woman’s name was Lara Walker and her daughter’s name was Taylor. The woman couldn’t find Taylor’s epileptic medicine as it had dropped in between the seats. I found it quickly and handed

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Will & Katie from Jerseyville Date Met/Started Dating: October 27, 2018 Briefly Describe First Date: Dinner at a Mexican restaurant in our hometown. Date Married: October 9, 2021 Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We love going out to dinner, hanging out with friends, watching movies, and cuddling up together with a good book. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: No matter how long you have been together or how many kids you have, always make time for each other.

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Our Love Story: The Couple: Pauletta Kendig & John Betz from East Alton Date Met/Started Dating: February 8, 2016 Briefly Describe First Date: Had a small bonfire at my house with the kids. Name Something You Enjoy Doing Together: We enjoy hanging out with friends and family. We enjoy spending time together when we can. Share Advice For A Happy Relationship: Communication is the key to a happy relationship.

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