From left: Gary Hoelscher, Scott Plocher, Dan Hurford, Rachelle Lengermann, Ron Stephens, Kevin Pesko, Mayor Mark Eckert, Wyatt Rawlings, Gregg Sutterfield and Katie Stein. BELLEVILLE – Bank of Belleville, together with Hurford Architects and Plocher Construction,  celebrated the groundbreaking Thursday morning for its future new banking headquarters at 215 N. Illinois St. in downtown Belleville.…

GRANITE CITY – In an effort to provide timely bus route and trail information directly to passengers and trailgoers, Madison County Transit has launched a “Text Alert” service for communicating via text message. The new service will allow users to receive time sensitive information through their mobile device about bus route deviations, delays and service…

TUSCOLA – Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday was joined by company officials to announce that Cronus Fertilizers, a much-anticipated $1.4 billion fertilizer plant, will be built in Tuscola. Following a search process that included 76 sites in nine states, Cronus has chosen Illinois to expand their business with a new facility that will create approximately…

SAUGET – Chambers Street Properties, a real estate investment trust focused on acquiring, owning and operating net leased industrial and office properties, today announced the acquisition of an approximately 502,000-square-foot, Class A distribution warehouse in Sauget for $21.1 million. Built in 2008, the property is 100 percent leased to two tenants through 2019 and 2020,…

The National Committee for Quality Assurance this month announced that State Street Health Center in East St. Louis and Bethalto Health Center in East Alton., both operated by Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, have received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships. The…

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Pamela L. Gay, an assistant research professor in the Center for STEM Research, Education and Outreach, has been elected to the board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. She is one of three new members on the 12-person board. Also elected to board with Gay (left) are Gibor…

Madison County’s health department, hospitals and elected officials have developed what they say are comprehensive, coordinated plans and procedures to respond should Ebola surface in this area. An overview of the virus, current planning and response updates, and local preparedness efforts were the subject of a meeting held Friday at the Health Department in Wood…

From left, Cathy Coughlin, AT&T executive vice president and chief global marketing officer, Lauren Carter, Emily Fontes, Maria Zepeda, Samantha Belcher and Marachel Knight, AT&T vice president of Technology Reliability Centers. GLEN CARBON – Lauren Carter, a Girl Scout from Collinsville, traveled to the Girl Scouts of the USA’s National Convention in Salt Lake City…

COLLINSVILLE — COCA, the Council of Owners and Construction Associates, Inc., is planning an OSHA 30-hour General Industry Safety & Health Training Course (29CFR 1910). It will take place Nov. 6 and 7 and Nov. 13 and 14, a full four-day course, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. It will be conducted at the…

BETHALTO – Riverbend 9-12, a grassroots group encouraging effective government and protection of freedoms, is holding a public presentation Thursday on the Illinois Convention of States Project. The event is at 6 p.m. at the Bethalto Senior Citizen Building (across from the Police and Fire departments on Central Avenue). Vickie Deppe, legislative liaison, and Despina…