WOOD RIVER - The Riverbend East Rotary Club has recognized East Alton-Wood River High School students Morgan Eberlin and Noah Norton as its January Service Above Self award winners, citing their involvement and leadership in school activities, according to information provided by Rick Hooks. The club recently presented Service Above Self certificates to Eberlin and Norton. A photo provided with the announcement shows Club President Mark Smith presenting the certificates to the students. “Morgan
EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School Robotics ended its first season in the FIRST Robotics – Decode League with a 10-5-0 record and the Judge’s Choice Award, presented tonight at the Central South Illinois regional tournament, a state qualifier, after the team switched leagues amid declining participation in its former Bot Ball competition. After many years competing in the Bot Ball league, the team moved this year to FIRST Robotics – Decode for its first-ever season in
EDWARDSVILLE - Chief Investigator Lee Brousseau of the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office is recovering at a Chicago hospital after doctors amputated a foot injured in an on-duty car crash eight years ago, officials said. The amputation was performed on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola Medicine, in Chicago, by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kamran Hamid. Hamid said the surgery “went great” and that Brousseau is “doing very well.”
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today encouraged Illinoisans to be vigilant when dating online to avoid becoming a victim of a romance scam. “You may be hoping to meet a special someone online or through a dating app this Valentine’s Day but be mindful of red flags that could indicate they are not who they claim to be. Romance scammers take advantage of victims’ openness and trust,” Raoul said. “If you think you may be a victim of a romance scam,
GREENFIELD - Noelia Martinez-Voigt, an art teacher at Greenfield CUSD 10, has been named the 2026 Illinois Outstanding Early Career Educator of the Year, according to information released Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2026. Greenfield CUSD 10 announced the honor in a message that congratulated Martinez-Voigt and said the recognition reflects her “dedication, passion, and outstanding impact on our students and school community.” The Illinois State Board of Education recognizes one Outstanding
HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office reported on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, that all ferries in the area are open, after earlier ice conditions prompted multiple closures and service changes along the river. In a "ferry update," the sheriff’s office said the Brussels Ferry, Kampsville Ferry, and Golden Eagle Ferry are all open. The update follows announcements in January 2026 that ferry operations would be curtailed after a collection of heavy ice in the area rivers
EAST ALTON – A Belleville man accused of stealing over $500,000 worth of brass and copper from Wieland in East Alton faces five felony charges. Joseph D. Bevenue, 44, of Belleville, was charged with four counts of theft, including two Class 1 felonies and two Class 3 felonies, as well as a Class 4 felony count of possession of a controlled substance on Feb. 5, 2026. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 12, 2025, Bevenue allegedly committed a series of deceptive acts to obtain 4 coils/sheets of yellow
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - On Friday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2026, a woman was taken into custody after authorities said a school employee in Cahokia Heights received repeated telephone threats. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department said it was contacted at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, by officials from Cahokia School District 187 about threats received by telephone at a school at 1900 Mousette Lane in Cahokia Heights. The department said its resource officers assigned to the school immediately
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced that the Trump administration has cut $100 million in critical funding for local public health departments, and for HIV prevention and monitoring, chronic disease surveys, and more. Funding for these programs was allocated by Congress and is also being stripped from three additional states – all led by Democratic governors - and represents the latest politically-motivated action by the Trump administration
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College invites prospective students and their families to explore all the college has to offer during its upcoming Discover Day Open House, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, from 3-5 p.m. The event will take place in The Commons on the college’s Godfrey Campus and offers an inside look at why so many students choose L&C as the first step in their higher education journey. Guests can connect with faculty and staff, explore career and transfer pathways, an
BETHALTO - A lifelong Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 educator received major recognition at Civic Memorial High School. On Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, Civic Memorial officially renamed its Student Commons after Willard Wallace, a former principal and well-known community member who has built a legacy of service in Bethalto. Staff and community members filled the Willard Wallace Student Commons with applause as a tearful Wallace accepted the recognition. “Wow. I don’t
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which determined that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that is the root cause of climate change and endangers the public’s health and welfare. “Rescinding this finding will undo progress we have made to address climate change by eliminating
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA)—co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Environmental Justice Caucus— issued the following statement ahead of Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding today , undoing a landmark determination that requires the EPA to address greenhouse gas emissions and pollution because of the threat that climate
ALTON - Chris and Barb Childers of Alton say they start and end each day with the same routine: a kiss and the words “I love you,” a practice they describe as key to staying close in their marriage. The couple, who met Aug. 14, 1979, and married on Oct. 27, 2013, were high school sweethearts who later found each other again, Barb Childers said. “We tell each other 'I Love You' every day and a kiss in the a.m. and a kiss good night,” Barb Childers said. “He is my
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounded the alarm on the Trump Administration’s threats to election integrity. Durbin began his remarks by commenting on the Administration’s outrageous attempt to convince a grand jury to indict Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and U.S. Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Maggie Goodlander
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today led attorneys general from California, Colorado and Minnesota in suing the Trump administration over the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) directive to unlawfully cut more than $600 million in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants, based on its disagreements with policies in those states. Raoul and the coalition explain in their lawsuit that the critical grant funding, which could be terminated as soon as Feb.
SAINT LOUIS - As the City of St. Louis celebrates its 262nd birthday, the Missouri Historical Society has decided to “go big” with a huge birthday bash this weekend. Starting with the ticketed “T-Rav Remix” on Friday, Feb. 13, and concluding with games, concerts, crafts, film screenings, and mascots on Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, the birthday bash promises plenty of fun for all ages. Sam Moore, Director of Public History at the Missouri Historical
ALTON - Mary Jason is guided to help others through tragedy. Jason, one of the YWCA’s eleven 2026 Women of Distinction, will be honored at the Y’s annual gala for her commitment to the community. After losing her son 29 years ago, Jason has created a support group for grieving mothers that helps people after they’ve experienced the unimaginable. “Everybody that loses somebody is hurting. But when a mother loses a child, it’s so different,” she explained.
The wait is often better than the win. A movie trailer can make your heart race more than the movie itself. A package “out for delivery” can steal your focus all day, even if what’s inside is something small. Anticipation doesn’t just fill time—it turns the volume up on your emotions. Anticipation is the mind’s way of leaning into the future. It can make joy brighter, fear sharper, and disappointment heavier. Understanding why it works this way can help you
Feb. 13 is closely tied to the end of the Second World War in Europe because it marks the start of the 1945 bombing of Dresden, a major German city. Over several raids, large parts of Dresden were destroyed and many civilians were killed. At the time, the attacks were part of a wider Allied strategy aimed at weakening Germany’s ability to keep fighting by disrupting transportation, industry, and morale. The Dresden raids still matter today because they remain a lasting example of how modern
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