Riverbender 🕸

ALTON - The Riverbend East Rotary Club Foundation board members present a $2,700 check to William BeDell arc school principal Jessica Walton (3rd from right). The donation represents the proceeds from the club-sponsored Color Run in June and will be used to upgrade the school's sensory room. Board members pictured are Mark Speciale, Lindsey Herron, Robin Karpan, Mark Vaughn and Brad Pulaski.

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ALTON - Congratulations to Jody Crowe (center) of Alton Pain Management, who is Alton Memorial Hospital’s September Employee of the Month. Jody received the honor on Sept. 12 from Pain Management manager Sue Walker and AMH President Dave Braasch. The nomination said that “Jody consistently exemplifies BJC values. She consistently works in the best interests of our team and ultimately our patients. Jody is a fantastic nurse, respected for her clinical knowledge and pleasant disposition. She is also working on her BSN from McKendree University, with her graduation scheduled for May 2023.”

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ALTON - Tabitha Craig-Robinson, owner of the new Tab's Cafe in Alton, loves to watch people consume her home-cooked food. During her opening day Saturday at the new location at 400 State St. in Alton, she was busy as could be in her kitchen and had a smile on her face until she closed for the day. Tabitha said she was "thankful and felt blessed" for the overwhelming turnout on opening day and hopes for that to continue as she moves ahead. "People were lined outside before we even opened," she said. "I was back in the kitchen preparing food most of the day. I could hear people saying they enjoyed the food, I heard their laughter and their happiness. I can't tell you how good that made me feel. It was a great opening day. I am so excited." Tabitha said she could not thank her husband, Dan, enough for his help, along with her children and others who assisted on opening day. Dan completed much of the remodeling of what has become Tab's Cafe , sure to be a new fixture in Downtown Alton.

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ALTON - The Alton School District recently launched a new set of vending machines in seven of their elementary schools, but not the kind you would think. While a traditional vending machine feeds the stomach, these machines – filled with a wide array of books – fuel the mind. Each Book Vending Machine is proudly adorned with the distinguished Alton Redbird mascot, the sponsor of the respective machine, as well as text that proudly states, “Redbirds are Readers.” And if it’s up to the faculty in Alton schools, this statement will ring true for years to come. Continuing literacy with the help of partners Reading is a cornerstone for learning and becomes such a pivotal piece of future success for students. So much so that if a child cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade, their chances of success are significantly impacted, according to Ron Mayhew, a longstanding advocate for literacy and CCO Club Communications Officer at the Alton-Godfrey

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ALTON - The Viking River Cruise Line visit to the Alton riverfront was just another part of a beautiful event weekend as the crew and those aboard were welcomed with open arms to the river city. The Viking made its inaugural call to the city with a celebration and ribbon cutting Saturday morning. Alton Mayor David Goins, Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau and other dignitaries were on hand to greet Viking Cruise Lines. Mayor Goins said this was a historic visit and he very much enjoyed the inaugural docking on the riverfront and looks forward to more in the future. He said he is very excited with three cruise lines each now visiting Alton’s port. He said the visits bring tourists into the area and help generate not only goodwill, but income for local businesses and city tax revenue. A brass band welcomed passengers who will be able to take their pick of locally grown apples and pears before they board for their cruise from Alton to St. Paul,

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ALTON - There were several from the area who participated in the 18th Annual Cycle Across Illinois event for 2022. The event is to honor, remember and support families of the Illinois Chapter Of Concerns Of Police Survivors. Local riders started in Alton and rode across the state to Bridgeview, IL., over multiple days. Madison County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Will Dimitroff has been a fixture in the cycle event in recent years and plans to do it again next year. He describes riding across the state and meeting families of fallen officers as one of the most touching things he encounters as a member of law enforcement. In addition to Dimitroff area participants were: Sgt. Nick Mooshegian of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, retired Capt. Jenna Delong of the Granite City Police Department, Deputy Kelsey Ford of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Eric Stacy of the Granite City Police Department, David Parks, owner of the Cyclery in Edwardsville, and Officer Jacob

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MARYVILLE – Yuka Saathoff, RN of Anderson Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. OB patient, Amanda Church, nominated Saathoff. Church, a nursing student, was admitted in early labor at 37 weeks. Her nurse, Yuka Saathoff, RN, had actually switched shifts that day with a coworker and was assigned to Church. “When I met Yuka, I could tell she was special. She thoroughly explained my epidural and her plan to help me throughout labor and delivery. We loved her personality. She was at all times professional, but put us at ease with her sense of humor.” Church’s son was born at 1:15 a.m. but had a low Apgar score. Apgar is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The 1-minute score determines how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. Tests quickly revealed a few other complications

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CARROLLTON - The Greene County Health Department announced today it has confirmed two positive mosquito pools for West Nile Virus (WNV) located in Greene County. Greene County Health Department Director Molly Peters explained that West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has contracted the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Peters said the Greene County Health Department is still accepting dead birds through October 15, 2022, which have been dead 48 hours or less and have died from natural causes such as the crow, blue jay, grackle, starling, sparrow, finch, robin, cardinal, flycatchers, swallows, catbird, mockingbird, warbler, wren, and small to medium owls and hawks. "Upon detecting a bird carcass contact the Health Department for collection," she said. "Decomposed birds are not acceptable for submission. These are birds that can be recognized as having a strong odor present, eyes deflated or dried, maggot infestation, or bloated from decomposition

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Health Advisory Board met Sept. 6 and discussed the new COVID boosters that are available at local pharmacies and the county’s health department. Dr. Anthony Fauci is again on every mainstream media channel recommending the new boosters (third booster, fifth shot) as “safe and effective.” One message coming from the health advisory board meeting — “People should learn all they can about the new boosters, before making a decision.” This is consistent with “informed consent,” meaning that a patient should be equipped to weigh the risks and rewards of medical treatment. That’s easy to say, but for the average person, it’s actually difficult to find information or opinions that disagree with Fauci, the CDC, and the FDA. Doctors, scientists, and medical researchers critical of Fauci have been censored by mainstream media and have lost jobs. Books I have read and recommend Include: The Real Anthony

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ALTON - The City of Alton and Pride Incorporated had the second semi-annual city-wide cleanup on Saturday and it was a perfect example of the event's "Love Where You Live" motto at work. A wide variety of ages participated, from young children all the way to older adults. The event is designed to help “beautify” the streets of Alton, in hopes of bettering the community and to help drive foot traffic to local businesses in the area. Every year, the city-wide cleanup counts on local volunteers from different organizations to help out with the effort. It gives a chance for locals to give back to their community. The main focus for many volunteers was to keep the area clean and to make a difference in the area where they live in. “Love where you live” was the main fall cleanup slogan for the Pride Inc. cleanup this year. It was a way to get people encouraged by the event. When asked if there was a message that Pride Inc. wanted to give out to the community,

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EDWARDSVILLE – Calling all Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars, alumni, family, and friends! Thank you for 50 great years of the Alumni Association. Join us to kick off our 2022 Homecoming festivities by returning to campus for the Sept. 21-24 celebration of the University’s past, present, and future. “Homecoming is a special time each year, where we have the opportunity to return to the place we called home for a few formative years,” said Andrew Ravanelli, PhD, president of the SIUE Alumni Association. “Whether in person or in your heart, come back to our alma mater, celebrate your roots, reminisce with old friends, and create new memories of SIUE. Celebrate the current students working to invent themselves and walk the path to their future that you helped lay.” “Homecoming is a time to celebrate our shared experiences as students, faculty, staff, and friends. It is an opportunity to engage in and help define SIUE’s future,”

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Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com . How do ants crawl on walls? – Ethan, age 9, Dallas, Texas When I first started my job as a biologist at the University of South Florida, I drove my Jeep to a grassy field, dug up a mound of fire ants, and shoveled it into a 5-gallon bucket. Immediately, thousands of ants swarmed out of the soil and up the walls of the bucket headed for freedom. Luckily I had a lid. How do ants make climbing walls, ceilings, and other surfaces look so easy? I’ve been studying ants for 30 years , and their climbing abilities never cease to amaze me. Worker ants – who are all female – have an impressive toolbox of claws, spines, hairs , and sticky pads on their feet that enable them to scale almost any surface. Human hands vs. ant feet To understand ant feet, it helps to compare them with human hands.

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ST. LOUIS – Nickelodeon and VStar Entertainment Group proudly present PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite.” This brand-new production is an interactive live stage show, where members of the audience get to be heroes unleashed, helping the pups solve puzzles as honorary members of the pack, while they navigate the globe to make it back to Adventure Bay in the nick of time. Featuring stunning visual effects, captivating storytelling, and a vibrant musical score that will have guests dancing in their seats and singing along, this staged extravaganza is jam-packed with action and fun for the whole family! PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” is based on the top-rated animated preschool series PAW Patrol, airing on Nickelodeon and produced by Spin Master Entertainment. Tickets for all four performances are on sale Friday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased at www.pawpatrollive.com . PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” follows Ryder and the PAW Patrol

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Photos may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Alton-Expo-Mud-Volleyball ALTON - The first Mud Volleyball Tournament at the Alton Expo brought excitement and a good time for participants and observers over the weekend near the riverfront. Dan Herkert, the Alton Amphitheater Board Commission Chair, said the Mud Volleyball was "great fun," and he praised the efforts of the Alton Sports Tap owner Dan King to bring the event to the Expo. Herkert said he and King hope to continue the success of the event next year. The Sports Tap has been working with the City of Alton as well as the amphitheater commission and just had these two courts dug within the last couple of months. They are located right by the marina. Herkert praised the Alton Fire Department for its efforts to hose down the mud volleyball court areas prior to the start of the event Saturday morning.

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ALTON - Stacey Threadgill and her husband, Ron, have a heartfelt story to tell about the not-for-profit organization Songs4Soldiers, which funded almost $18,000 for them to fix a serious septic issue with the help of Bart Schultz of Schultz Septic Services. Without Songs4Soldiers and Schultz Septic Services, they say they would not have a home. “They have a huge story, with huge hearts, and are still small and do not get the recognition they deserve,” Stacey said. “In March of 2022, less than 30 days after moving into our four-year-old home, we found that our entire septic system failed. I received the estimate from Bart Schultz Septic Services out of St. Clair County. He was gracious enough to listen to our story, waived his service call fees, and waived our soil scientist report and findings, as he stated he would pay for them himself, and he did! “I am a caregiver to my 100 percent disabled husband (retired military and 100-percent service-connected).

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The Center Square – Called an election-year gimmick by some, tax rebate checks start going out to Illinois taxpayers Monday. Critics say permanent tax relief is needed in one of the highest taxes states in the country. The money is being given back as part of the Illinois Relief Plan, a $1.8 billion aid package Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law in the spring. To qualify, a person must have been an Illinois resident in 2021 with an adjusted gross income under $200,000 for individual tax filers and under $400,000 for those who filed as couples. Taxpayers who filed as a single person on their returns will be eligible to receive $50, and those who filed joint returns will receive $100. If you claimed dependents, you will receive an additional $100 per dependent with a maximum of $300. “Whether you had to pay or you got money back, it doesn’t matter,” Illinois Comptroller Susanna Mendoza said. “Everyone who filed will be getting a tax rebate.” Illinois

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and U.S. Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA-30) in reintroducing the Nationwide Right to Unionize Act , which would support the right to unionize by prohibiting states from banning union security agreements through “right-to-work” laws. “Every American deserves to work in a safe, good-paying job that allows them to support their families and save for a secure retirement, and it is unacceptable that in some states with anti-union laws—or so-called ‘right to work’ laws—some workers aren’t given that same chance,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’m proud to join Senator Warren and my colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would support workers by finally enshrining into law the right to unionize, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support hardworking Illinoisans and all Americans against corporate greed.”

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 20 attorneys general, today filed a comment letter in support of the federal government’s proposed rule aimed at strengthening protections against sex discrimination — including sexual violence and harassment — under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX). Title IX requires schools to provide educational programs and activities free from sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. In the comment letter, Raoul and the coalition applaud the federal government’s efforts to reverse many of the critical missteps of the 2020 rulemaking that imposed a harmful new process for Title IX sexual violence school proceedings. The comment letter also highlights additional areas for regulatory action under Title IX to help combat sex discrimination in all its forms. “I am committed to protecting students in the classroom and empowering our educators to create

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EAST ALTON – Environmental Educator Erica Doerr has joined the education team at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) and will be responsible for developing earth science curricula for teachers throughout Illinois, as well as leading community outreach events. She started her new role in early September. “I love working with the public and school groups and want to get them excited about science and the river,” Doerr said. “I got into this field to show others that anyone is a scientist and create opportunities for communities to be immersed in their unique local ecosystems.” Prior to joining NGRREC, Doerr led the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville’s Upward Bound program. During this time, she worked with high school students from East St. Louis and engaged them in science to highlight the different career paths available. She also led outreach programs as a geologist for the state of Arkansas, focusing on the New

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Photos may be purchased for personal use at: https://www.randymanning.com/Alton-Expo ALTON - The Alton Expo continued the recent success of Alton Amphitheater Commission events Thursday through Sunday at the riverfront. The Expo concluded Sunday night. "It was an awesome year," Alton Amphitheater Commission Board Chair Dan Herkert said about the Expo. "A bad storm blew threw at about 8 p.m. Saturday and it hurt that night some, but other than that it was really smooth." Herkert said the Alton Expo is simply "a great event." "We started it again in 2017 and it has been very successful every year," he said. Herkert praised all the various entertainment acts for great performances and said Platinum Rock, Saturday night's band, even stuck around through the storm and resumed play when the storm ended and played until about 11 p.m. He said he couldn't say enough about the Alton Amphitheater Commission Board members, the City of Alton, Luehrs Entertainment for the rides, and all

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