SPRINGFIELD – The latest homeless morbidity and mortality report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows that persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) face significant health challenges and are much more likely to face emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and premature death than the public at large. The full report can be found here . An executive summary can be found here . The new report examines data from 2017 to 2023, including death certificates, hospital
LENA — Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that Savencia Cheese USA (Savencia) will expand its existing production facility in Lena, transferring production know-how from France to Illinois. The company plans to add a new production line as part of its capital investment, which will create 50 new full-time jobs while retaining 125 existing jobs. “For decades, Savencia Cheese has been producing and perfecting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01), and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) Co-Chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, led eight Members of Congress in a letter to Postmaster General David P. Steiner, demanding that he reverse a new policy in which a postmark will no longer reflect the date that someone originally mailed a letter. As a result of the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plan, USPS can no longer
SAINT LOUIS - The local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) will host a vigil to honor Alex Pretti, a man who was killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last weekend. At 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, community members will gather in front of John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis. The AFGE organization has organized a nationwide vigil, and St. Louis community members are invited to join the AFGE Local 96 chapter in St. Louis on Sunday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07), Chair of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization introduced the Veteran Data Accountability for Third-party Actors Act (DATA) Act during National Data Privacy Week. This bipartisan legislation would prevent third-party vendors that work wit
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) raising serious questions about the operations of TrumpRx, a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform that the Trump Administration expects to launch this month. In their letter, the Senators underscored how new guidance issued by the HHS OIG appears insufficient
ST. LOUIS — Deanne Lane, a longtime news anchor and reporter for KSDK in St. Louis, died at the age of 65 following a stroke earlier this week, former colleagues confirmed. Lane joined KSDK in 1983 and quickly became known as the station’s “Night Beat” reporter, a role in which she covered major national and local news events including the Columbine shooting, the Oklahoma City bombing, Hurricane Katrina and the Kirkwood City Hall shooting. She spent
WOOD RIVER — The Wood River Fire Department responded to a structure fire Friday afternoon, Jan. 30, 2026, in the 300 block of South Tenth Street. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the house, prompting a box-alarm response. Additional crews from Roxana, East Alton, and Edwardsville assisted at the scene. During firefighting efforts, multiple windows were broken. Firefighters were observed on the roof spraying water through a small attic window to contain
O’FALLON, IL. - Salon Ludic and Extension Lounge, an O’Fallon-based small business, is giving back to the community it calls home. Through monthly SLAK Campaigns, Salon Ludic Act of Kindness, small businesses in O’Fallon, and the surrounding area, will be chosen at random as the recipient of a Salon Ludic Act of Kindness. For each monthly Act, Salon Ludic will purchase a $200 gift card from a small business, which will be used for its own customers until the money runs out.
ALTON - James Sehorn and Nathanael Rich are the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Students of the Month for January 2026. Sehorn is the son of John and Sarah Sehorn. Dedicated to his studies, he has achieved a GPA of 4.74, with many AP and Honors classes. He has always taken the most difficult classes while maintaining a spot on the High Honor Roll. Outside of academics, James has stayed very involved with athletics, playing Varsity Basketball and Baseball since freshman year. As a sophomore, he won
ALTON - Nathanael Rich of Alton High School and James Sehorn of Marquette Catholic High School were honored as Students of the month for January 2026 at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at the Gentelin’s on Broadway Restaurant. Rich, a 17-year-old senior at Alton High School, is the son of Joshua and Kelly Rich. He expressed his gratitude to the Rotary Club for the honor and acknowledged their continued support of students and the community. Nathanael also shared appreciation
EDWARDSVILLE/GLEN CARBON - Albert Cassens Elementary School fourth graders are pleased to announce they would thrive in an extreme survival situation. The students recently learned about survival in their “Wit and Wisdom” unit, where they read survival stories and wrote their own personal narrative about weathering a storm. But beyond that, the teachers emphasized the importance of hope and perseverance, noting that you can always count on yourself. “You’re your
EDWARDSVILLE — Scout, a local dog from Edwardsville, is competing in the nationwide America’s Favorite Dog competition, highlighting beloved pets and the communities that support them. The contest, which aims to celebrate the bond between pets and their owners, also benefits a charitable cause. As of Friday afternoon, Jan. 30, 2026, Scout had risen to fifth place in America's Favorite Dog ratings, his owner said. Danielle Schwab, Scout’s owner, said the competition has brought
SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Erica Harriss (56th–Glen Carbon) is pushing for legislative reforms to strengthen accountability and transparency at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), particularly regarding foster youth who go missing while under state supervision. Senate Bill 2869 would require DCFS to consistently track and publicly report information on missing foster youth, allowing lawmakers and the public to better understand the scope of the problem
ST. LOUIS - A Florissant, Mo., man was sentenced Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, to more than 14 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, including content he produced or solicited, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey ruled. Patrick Neistat, 24, pleaded guilty in October to one count of receipt of child pornography. The investigation began on Sept. 8, 2022, after St. Louis County Police detectives received an urgent Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
EAST ALTON – Helmkamp Construction Co., alongside EPCM partner Graycor Construction Company, recently celebrated a major construction milestone at Wieland’s East Alton expansion with a topping-out ceremony marking the placement of the final structural beam on the new main building facing Route 3. The ceremony highlights the progress of the 387,000 sq. ft. building visible along the Route 3 corridor and symbolizes continued momentum on Wieland’s multi-phase modernization and
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Erika L. Morton, a former kindergarten teacher from Farmington, Mo., pleaded guilty Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. The 37-year-old admitted to sending illegal images through the Kik Messenger app, according to court documents. In February 2025, the Missouri State Highway Patrol received a cybertip reporting that a Kik user had uploaded several video files containing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit
CASEYVILLE — Authorities arrested Anthony D. Mays less than three hours after an armed robbery at a BP service station on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, the Caseyville Police Department reported. Caseyville Police officers responded to the BP station located at 2 Rauckman Drive in Caseyville following a report of an armed robbery. After investigating, they identified Mays as the suspect and took him into custody at a residence in Washington Park. The case was presented to the St. Clair Count
BUNKER HILL — The Bunker Hill Fire Department responded quickly to a camper fire on the 500 block of North Washington Street around 10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby campers and buildings. Firefighters launched an offensive fire attack upon arrival, bringing the fire under control rapidly. Their swift actions prevented significant property loss and a potentially more dangerous situation for multiple property owners. Battalion Chief
ST. LOUIS – A former official with a St. Louis-based non-profit circus on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, admitted embezzling over $123,000 from December 2022 through at least September 2023. George S. Pace, 63, of Ladue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts of wire fraud. He admitted using a credit card that he’d obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including payments to nail salons, restaurants,
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