EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department may soon get its first-ever drone pending an application for up to $18,000 in grant funding. Edwardsville City Council members voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a resolution authorizing the Police Department to apply for a Pride in Service Grant from CSX. Freight transportation company CSX offers the Pride in Service Grant to help first responders buy certain equipment, including drones. The Edwardsville Police Department will
ALTON - OSF HealthCare and Shared Medical Services, Inc. (SMS) and are excited to announce the deployment of the mobile GE HealthCare Omni Legend Digital PET/CT system, bringing next-generation molecular imaging to communities across the OSF Ministry. Designed to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy, efficiency and patient access, the Omni Legend represents a major advancement in mobile PET/CT capabilities for both rural and urban populations. As is tradition for OSF HealthCare, the mobile
MADISON COUNTY - As Madison County Clerk Linda Andreas prepares for the primary election on March 17, 2026, she reflected on her work over the past several years. Andreas, a Republican, was elected to the Madison County Clerk position in 2022. In this role, she has purchased new tabulators for elections, started student initiatives to educate kids about local government, and encouraged more people to become election judges in Madison County, among other successes. “The thing that
EAST ST. LOUIS — A federal judge has extended the prison sentence of Raekwon M. Patton, 27, by 24 months after he pleaded guilty to possessing a makeshift weapon at the Federal Correctional Institution in Greenville, Illinois. On June 29, 2024, a correctional officer at FCI-Greenville conducted a pat search on Patton and found a sharp, pointed piece of metal about 7.5 inches long, attached to a wooden handle wrapped in black cord, concealed in his waistband. At the time, Patton was serving
PIASA — Southwestern High School freshman Chase Kallal concluded a notable cross country season by competing at the Class 1A state championships in Peoria. Kallal finished 140th at the state meet with a time of 16 minutes, 22 seconds. Before the state competition, he posted a personal record of 16:14.7 for three miles at the Trenton-Wesclin Sectional. He earned his spot at the sectional by finishing 10th at the Trenton-Wesclin Regional with a time of 16:37.3. Chase is an Altonized Community
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – A newly released study by three state agencies has detailed the ‘credible risk’ of electricity shortages across Illinois within the next five years. The 2025 Resource Adequacy Study by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Power Agency, and the Illinois Commerce Commission warns that “conditions create a credible risk of regional capacity shortfalls that will impact Illinois’ future ability to import power during critical
CHICAGO – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul won a court order blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to penalize states with millions of dollars in penalties related to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations. “The SNAP program is the country’s most important anti-hunger program, providing access to food for millions of families while supporting local grocers and merchants who are critical to our state’s economy,” Raoul said
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined 15 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for unlawfully suspending two bipartisan grant programs for electric vehicle charging infrastructure that would reduce pollution, expand access to clean vehicles, and create thousands of green jobs. In the lawsuit , Raoul and the coalition allege the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) actions violate the constitutional separation of powers because
It’s a number to celebrate: 3.9 million. That’s the likely number of Americans saved from lung cancer since 1970 with efforts to curb cigarette smoking. Seen another way, this translates to over 76 million years added to people’s lives. It’s truly astounding and doesn’t even include the impact from lower risks of many other cancers and diseases caused by smoking. Looking ahead, these gains will only grow as fewer youth and young adults take up smoking — and
CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding senior homeowners of the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program, which has been expanded thanks to legislation signed by Governor JB Pritzker. Governor JB Pritzker emphasized the importance of this legislation stating, “Our seniors have spent their lives building our communities and strengthening our state, and they deserve stability and peace of mind. This legislation helps ensure that more older Illinoisans ca
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Pharmacists Fight Back Act, which would prohibit large Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) from artificially inflating drug prices and restricting network access and patient choice in federal healthcare plans. PBMs work as middlemen between manufacturers, insurers, and pharmacies – inflating drug prices at the expense of patients, community pharmacies, and American taxpayers.
CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act, SB2111, into law, marking a landmark action in modernizing Illinois’ transit system. The law creates a new regional authority to oversee CTA, Metra, and Pace, while delivering significant investments in public transit, capital projects, and tollways across the state—all without raising statewide taxes. The law will redefine how transit operates in Illinois, giving NITA expanded authority
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general, reached a settlement with automobile manufacturers Hyundai and Kia over their sale of millions of vehicles nationwide that lacked industry-standard, anti-theft technology. This failure resulted in a car theft crisis that continues to threaten public safety. “This settlement will ensure consumers can effectively protect their vehicles from theft while protecting communities in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting grant applications for habitat restoration and preservation in Canadian breeding grounds now through Jan. 4, 2026. Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp funds, generated when hunters purchase Illinois duck stamps, are used to conserve critical wetland and grassland breeding habitat on the Canadian prairies. This is the primary breeding ground of waterfowl that migrate to Illinois and throughout the 14 states
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today that his office, as part of a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, joined a lawsuit against Uber Technologies, LLC and Uber USA, LLC (Uber), the operators of the popular rideshare and delivery company over its alleged deceptive and unfair practices in selling Uber One subscription services, which Uber promotes as saving users money on rides and deliveries. The lawsuit, which was previously filed by the Federal Trade Commissio
WASHINGTON – As open enrollment for 2026 individual market health insurance plans is underway and Americans across the country are facing astronomic increases in their monthly premiums for next year, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor about the health care affordability crisis, caused by congressional Republicans refusing to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. Last Thursday, Senate Republicans rejected Senate
CHICAGO — Get Covered Illinois announced that Illinois residents now have until December 31 to enroll in health insurance coverage that begins January 1. The extension comes at a crucial moment, as Illinois works to ensure residents maintain access to high-quality coverage amid changes at the federal level. This year marks Get Covered Illinois’ first Open Enrollment Period operating a state-based marketplace independent of the federally run HealthCare.gov. State officials
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, condemned the antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Australia as Hanukkah begins, as well as the shooting at Brown University. “In Skokie, Illinois, just a few miles north of Chicago, is America’s second largest Holocaust Museum. Those who visit see thousands of artifacts from victims and survivors and their families. And there
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), alongside House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA), Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH) sent a third letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins urging him to address VA’s failure to pay required education benefits on time to over 75,000 veterans and their families and survivors. "These paymen
GODFREY – Alton Elite Jiu-Jitsu has been chosen as the December 2025 Small Business of the Month by the RiverBend Growth Association. Owned by Adam Marburger, the honoree has undergone a recent rebranding, transitioning from its former identity as Alton Martial Arts & Fitness. Located at 2716 Corner Court in Alton, Marburger opened operations eight years ago and has five employees today. A lifelong martial artist and local businessperson, Marburger had a longtime dream and turned it
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