Jim Harding/For BND - The Belleville East Marching Lancers took first place — the fifth time since 2003 — and Mater Dei Catholic High School placed fourth in the 2008 AmerenUE Thanksgiving Day Parade band competition in St. Louis. Belleville East also won Outstanding Auxiliary and Outstanding Percussion. Missouri-based Windsor High School placed second, De Soto High School placed third and Bayless Marching Band placed fifth.

Steve Nagy/BND - Caitlin Combs, 17, of Belleville flashes a smile while loading a plate with Thanksgiving dinner at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Bellleville Thursday.

Steve Nagy/BND - Vickie Byrd of Belleville smiles while eating with friends and family at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Belleville Thursday. Byrd's ovarian cancer is in remission and she is recovering from her surgery last July and noted gladly "I'm very blessed."

Zia Nizami/BND - The Regency Conference Center executive chef Matthew Leeper.

Zia Nizami/BND - SIUE's John Edmison slam dunks the ball during their game against Blackburn College on Tuesday at SIUE. Also pictured is Blackburn's Cobri Gilbert.

Steve Nagy/BND - Granite City's Vance Burns pumps gas into his Ford F-150 at the Connoco Phillips station on Pontoon Road in Granite City Monday. Burns said he used to have to spend $30 to drive to and from work, but it now costs about $12.

Steve Nagy/BND - Lindsey Pense (from left), 19, Kristen Deterding, 19, and Sarah Smith, 19, were among the friends and family honoring Kelli and Jessica Uhl at a vigil at Woodland Park in Collinsville Sunday.

Steve Nagy/BND - Kathleen Pederson (from left), 7, Olivia Pederson, 4, and Sue Pederson get a closer look at some of the Gingerbread Walk entries at the Nichols Community Center in Belleville Sunday.

Paul Baillargeon/For BND - In Belleville, Wolf Scout Andy Mertz carries two heavy bags of canned goods.

Jaime Ingle/BND - Heather Lee heads home to drop off recyclables she picked up from neighbors in Greystone Estates. The young entrepreneur runs a weekly recycling business in Shiloh.