PHOTO: Children look ahead trying to catch a glimpse of Santa and Mrs. Claus as they anxiously wait their turn. From Illinois Business Journal news services EAST ST. LOUIS – More than 1,900 little boys and girls from East St. Louis School District 189 visited a winter wonderland at the Casino Queen Hotel last week,…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has appointed Cem Karacal, PhD, professor and associate dean in the School of Engineering, as interim dean beginning Jan. 1. Karacal (left) steps in for Dean Hasan Sevim, who is retiring effective Dec. 31. Sevim joined SIUE in 2006 as the Dean of the…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services A resolution was recently introduced in the Illinois House urging the legislature not to consider taxing retirement income. The resolution was co-sponsored by State Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon. The current tax code in the state  does not tax income for retirees. A decision to tax retirement income,…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services ST. LOUIS — Energy management firm Sitton Energy Solutions has announced Katie Stein, RA, LEED AP, has successfully fulfilled the certificate requirements to become a Building Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider and a Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure. Stein (left) is a project manager and building enclosure commissioning professional…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services BELLEVILLE – HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital recently received recognition for meeting the birth certificate accuracy guidelines of 95 percent set by the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s Birth Certificate Accuracy Initiative. The Birth Certificate Accuracy Initiative is a partnership between Illinois Department of Public Health and the collaborative with…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services State Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, has filed legislation that aims to repeal a law he says effectively prohibits the sale of affordable firearms. “On Dec. 15, I filed new legislation with the Illinois Senate to repeal the state’s so-called melting-point law. This is a regulation dealing with how…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Insurance says 480 Qualified Health Plans are available to Illinois residents through Get Covered Illinois and Healthcare.gov from now through Jan. 31, 2016. The following insurers are offering plans on the Marketplace in 2016:Aetna Health Inc.*Celtic Insurance Co. *Coventry Health & Life…

  PHOTO: Al and Joan Wentz From Illinois Business Journal news services EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Community Foundation honored local leadership this month with the inaugural Legacy Awards. The Legacy Awards event honored those who have impacted the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon community through extraordinary contributions in giving and philanthropy. The Legacy Awards presented during the evening included…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen oversaw the 2015 Fall Commencement exercises Saturday. Two ceremonies for the 1,121 eligible graduates began in the morning and concluded after noon in the Vadalabene Center on campus. Hansen (left in photo) focused on the value of an education by…

  From Illinois Business Journal news services WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said his state stands to benefit from the Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act of 2016 passed by Congress and awaiting signing by the president. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, critical investments in the middle-class, our veterans, and…