JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville city officials have laid the groundwork for this year’s Farmers & Artisan Market . At their March 3, 2026 meeting, City Council members unanimously approved a rental agreement with the Jersey County Business Association (JCBA) to use City Center Plaza for the 2026 Farmers and Artisan Market. This year’s market will be held every Tuesday from June 2 to Sept. 1, 2026 from 4 to 7 p.m., excluding July 14, 2026 to accommodate the Jersey County Fair Parade.
ALTON - The Sierra Club will host a speakers series event on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Old Bakery Beer Co. in Alton focused on how Illinois’ Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act could affect utility bills. The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Old Bakery Beer Co., 400 Landmarks Blvd., Alton. The theme for the event is “Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA) Impact on Utility Bills.” The announcement said Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable
ALTON - Alton High School student journalists and artists have a lot to be proud of. On Feb. 25, 2026, the staff of “The Tatler” and “Redbird Word,” the school’s yearbook and newspaper, were recognized by the Southern Illinois Scholastic Press Association. Students mailed in copies of their work and competed in on-site journalism competitions, and several students took home impressive prizes for their work. “We were so excited,” said “Tatler”
FREEBURG - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) has pledged to donate the legislative pay raise he voted against to different local organizations throughout his district to help families in need. This month he donated laundry detergent to the Freeburg Food and Clothing Bank. “Our team was more than happy to help the Freeburg Food and Clothing Bank stock-up on laundry detergent,” said Schmidt. "Small acts of kindness can really make a difference for families and when people
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure that would ban the use of AI tools in teacher evaluations. “A teacher may get a bad performance review, just to find out that it was AI that gave them the bad review with no way to challenge the outcome,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “I think we can all agree that there’s nuance in the classroom, and we shouldn’t dehumanize it.” Senate Bill 2909 would prevent school administrators fro
EDWARDSVILLE - Senior Vivian Panico and junior Alexandra Hill battled through the IHSA Regional to earn spots in the IHSA Bowling Sectional, giving the Edwardsville High School girls' bowling team two qualifiers for the next round. The Tigers' Hill finished 10th with 856 total pins, and Panico finished fourth with 985 pins to advance to the sectional. The sectional is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon, where Panico and Hill will represent EHS. The two
CARLYLE - The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated Tuesday morning, March 3, 2026, in Carlyle, Illinois, after Carlyle police responding to a welfare check found a woman dead at a residence, authorities said. The squad was activated at about 10 a.m. March 3, 2026, at the request of Carlyle Police Chief Herzing, according to Lt. Andrew Pierson, the squad’s public information officer. Carlyle officers had been called at about 8:10 a.m. to a home in the 2100 block of Fairfax
GRANITE CITY - State Representative Amy Elik’s office will be hosting mobile office hours in Nameoki Township on Monday, March 9 to meet with constituents who need help with issues concerning a State of Illinois agency. Rep. Elik’s staff will be available to meet with constituents from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. at the Nameoki Township Building, located at 4250 Highway 162 in Granite City. Mobile office hours are open to the public. Appointments are encouraged but not required, however
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. Durbin first pressed Secretary Noem about her labeling Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and Marimar Martinez as “domestic terrorists,” and refusing to apologize to their families. Both Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti were shot and killed by federal
On MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show last night, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) slammed Donald Trump for having no clear justification or end-state for his unlawful war of choice against Iran that has already tragically taken the lives of six U.S. servicemembers. Video of the interview can be found on the Senator’s YouTube . Key Quotes: “What they’re telling me makes absolutely no sense. Rubio basically said, ‘Well, we knew that
MARYVILLE, IL. – HSHS Medical Group welcomes Courtney Garrison, APRN, to Family and Internal Medicine Maryville at 2401 S. Center St. in Maryville. Garrison is accepting new patients and provides family medicine care for individuals and families across the lifespan, with an emphasis on preventive care, routine screenings, women’s health exams and chronic disease management. She has a special interest in supporting patients managing common long-term health concerns, including
BELLEVILLE - Jarod Rhodes, a Center of Creative Arts (COCA) voice student and member of the Muny Kids in St. Louis, is remembered fondly on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, for being "a bright light" and his immense contributions in theater and music in his young life. Rhodes died after he was found with a gunshot wound in a garage in Belleville, Illinois, on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, authorities said. Belleville Police said preliminary findings indicate the incident “does not appear to be intentional,”
ALTON - Crisis Food Center will partner with Midwest Members Credit Union to distribute free hams and side items to families in need during a drive-through giveaway from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Crisis Food Center, 21 East 6th St. in Alton. The event, billed as the Seventh Annual Easter Ham Giveaway, will provide one ham and one bag of side items per car on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. “Together, we can purchase a lot of hams for families i
EDWARDSVILLE - Ricky Lallish has been named director of the Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, assuming leadership of Illinois’ primary training facility for drinking water and wastewater treatment technology. He succeeds longtime director Matthew Maas. Located at the north end of the SIUE campus, the ERTC partners with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to administer certification exams and offers
CHICAGO — March is recognized nationwide as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, an annual observance dedicated to increasing public understanding of problem gambling and promoting resources for those seeking support. This Problem Gambling Awareness Month, the Illinois Lottery is once again partnering with the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling (ICPG) to elevate awareness of prevention, treatment, and recovery services available statewide. “Together with ICPG and our nearly
SPRINGFIELD - Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act into law on Jan. 8, a measure described as Illinois’ initial response to rising energy costs and a dramatically increasing demand for electricity. Scott Allen of the Citizens Utility Board is scheduled to discuss the law’s key provisions and how they are expected to affect utility bills during a public event Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Old Bakery Beer Co., 400 Landmarks Blvd. in Alton.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC) and Foreign Relations Committees (SFRC)—excoriated Donald Trump for launching an illegal attack against Iran without Constitutionally-required authorization from Congress, without any known imminent threat to our national security and without a plan to mitigate the instability that will come next. In her remarks on the Senate floor, Duckworth pleaded with
MARYVILLE - Maryville Mayor Wayne White served as a judge at a chili cook-off at Cambridge House of Maryville held in celebration of National Chili Day. The event featured nine entries, according to information provided about the cook-off. Employees described the day as “a lot of fun” with “lots of food,” and the event was described as a “big success.” Angie Hillis, a spokesperson for Cambridge House of Maryville, said the celebration was well-received and
WOOD RIVER – The Wood River Police Department is welcoming a new member to its ranks. Joel Woodruff was officially sworn in as a Probationary Police Officer at this week’s Wood River City Council meeting . City Clerk Danielle Sneed administered his Oath of Office. Mayor Tom Stalcup congratulated Woodruff and said he has full confidence Woodruff will “be a great police officer for us.” The Wood River Police Department also congratulated Woodruff in a social media
EDWARDSVILLE - Stridin’ and Survivin’ will host their annual dinner auction to raise money for gas cards for cancer patients. From 6–11 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, community members can join the organization at The Moose Lodge in Edwardsville for a night of silent auctions, oral auctions, raffles, live music and a meal. The event itself is a lot of fun, but Stridin’ and Survivin’ President Alice Bartels emphasized that the goal is to help people who
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