Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 52,354 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season Nov. 18 to 20, 2022. Comparatively, hunters took 48,964 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2021. Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season will conclude Dec. 1 through 4, 2022. Other deer hunting opportunities in the…

LifeBridge unveiled as Transformation Project name SIHF Healthcare and Touchette Regional Hospital held the groundbreaking on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, for what will be the only Urgent Care in the East St. Louis metro region. “We are extremely pleased to be launching this much-needed service for the residents of the greater East St. Louis metro…

The City of Edwardsville is partnering with the Bank of Madison County to finance the construction of its new East Fire Station through the issuance of $6.87 million in general obligation bonds. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the City Council approved an ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds, with Mayor Art Risavy subsequently signing the…

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will host the annual Christmas Remembrance Ceremony for Illinois soldiers listed as prisoners of war or missing in action (POW/MIA) during the Vietnam War on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m., and…

Caritas Family Solutions is encouraging people to give back to foster children this holiday season by taking part in its annual Secret Santa program. As the largest provider of foster care services in Southern Illinois and the second largest in the state, the donations and gifts from this program provide year-round support for more than…

Lewis and Clark Community College is getting into the holiday spirit and inviting the public to come “Hiking Through the Holidays” on the Godfrey Campus this year. The one-quarter-mile lighted trail begins behind the Andy Simpson Tennis Complex and runs along the back of campus. It will be open to the public from 5 to…

In an effort to facilitate the development of police bicycle patrol programs in Madison County municipalities, MCT donated RECON Interceptor Power Bicycles to the City of Venice Police Department at the start of its board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. The new ruggedized bikes will allow officers to patrol both the streets and neighborhoods…

Mission Partners (employees) at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton marked the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 17, 2022 by learning about a new way to quit. The Courage to Quit program from the Respiratory Health Association is a free, evidence-based three-session program where participants will understand why they smoke, smoking cessation methods,…

Aims for ‘meaningful participation’ in state government policy discussions By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Senate Minority Leader-elect John Curran will take over a caucus that’s more than doubled in size by the majority-party Democrats. His goal: “Bring balance to state government.” “Because we’re going to produce better results with that balance for working…

Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) announced a grant opportunity for not-for-profit organizations across Illinois. Available funding for this grant opportunity for the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023 Illinois Not-for-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP-IL) is $20 million. “The safety of Illinoisans has always been, and will always be, my number one priority,” said Governor JB Pritzker.…