In Focus: Monkeypox comes to Metro East | CPT PPP Coverage

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Here are some glances at July through September of 2022:

July

• On July 2, the Wood River Museum and Visitor Center launched its display of artifacts from the Mississippi River Festival. The legendary festival was held every summer from 1969 to 1980 on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

• On July 13, Yvonne Campbell, the owner of My Just Desserts in Alton, died from injuries in a July 9 taxi accident in Jamaica. Friends and family paid tribute to the Alton businesswoman whose funeral included a Dixieland band.

• On July 14, St. Clair County health officials announced a probable case of monkeypox, often called mpox, had been detected. Confirmation of the disease in St. Clair County didn’t come until Aug. 10. As of Dec. 29, eight cases have been reported in Madison County and 15 in St. Clair County. No cases have been reported in Madison County.

• On July 19, The AMC Classic EastGate 6 movie theater in East Alton announced its closure after almost 50 years. The theater’s contract with AMC officially ended in September.

August

• On Aug. 1, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said monkeypox virus had become a public health emergency and declared the state a disaster area regarding the disease. As of Dec. 29, 1,419 cases of the virus had been reported in Illinois.

• On Aug. 6, The Bright Hope Chapter No. 85, Order of the Eastern Stars of Alton, Prince Hall Affiliated, celebrated its 100th year anniversary. Members gathered at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Alton, joined by other order members from Illinois and Missouri, from St. Louis to Chicago.

• On Aug. 16, former Glen Carbon Mayor Ronald J. “Ronnie” Foster Sr. died at the age of 86 in Anderson Hospital in Maryville. During his tenure, Foster completed a major sanitary sewer project and a joint water agreement with Edwardsville; obtained funds to reconstruct Meridian and Glen Crossing roads; established the Historical Preservation Commission in Glen Carbon; and was the driving force behind the Illinois Central Railroad Right of Way which now represents the Ronald J. Foster Heritage Bike Trail.

• On Aug. 21, the Grammy award-winning Boyz II Men performed at the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater. The concert was the first major event at Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater in nearly three years because of COVID-19.

• On Aug. 23, Karen Baker-Brncic, general manager for the Alton Marina, announced her planned retirement after nearly 50 years in the business. Her last day will be April 1, 2023 — 15 years to the day of when she signed the contract with the city.

September

• On Sept. 10, Tab’s Café opened  at 400 State St. in Alton. Originally from West Virginia, owner Tabitha Craig said she fell in love with Alton because the city reminded her of her home.

• On Sept. 16, after two years of cancelations, the Great Godfrey Maze at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey reopened to the public. In a major change, however, the maze was planted with sunn hemp instead of corn.

• On Sept. 22, the late state Sen. Bill Haine and his wife, Anna were honored with a plaza at the Madison County Transit (MCT) Alton Transfer Station. Haine died in August 2021.

• On Sept. 23 — just before the 26th Annual Bethalto Fly-In at the St. Louis Regional Airport — the inaugural hot air balloon glow featured two balloons The event was touch and go; rain fell most of the afternoon and, when it subsided, the balloonists had to deal with winds that prevented them from staying lit for very long.

• On Sept. 26, Arvin Freeman, 46, of Alton was acquitted of first degree murder and unlawful discharge of a firearm for shooting Robert Woods, 30, of Springfield, Missouri, in the rear. Woods died from bleeding caused by the Feb. 13, 2021, shot. Judge Neil Schroeder said a person is justified in using deadly force if they believe it is necessary to prevent an attack on their home.

dylan.suttles@thetelegraph.com