MADISON COUNTY — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office will join more than 200 law enforcement agencies across Illinois from Aug. 14 through the early morning hours of Sept. 8, 2026, in a Labor Day traffic safety effort aimed at stopping impaired driving, enforcing seat belt laws and reducing other dangerous driving behaviors. The statewide campaigns include “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High. Get a DUI” and “Click It or Ticket.”
SWANSEA - The Swansea Police Department is welcoming Ashton Bade as its newest police officer, the department announced, after Bade recently graduated with an associate degree from Kaskaskia College and ahead of his basic law enforcement training at the Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy. “Please join us in welcoming our newest police officer, Ashton Bade, to the Swansea Police Department family,” the department said. Bade will soon begin basic law enforcement
On August 14, one of the most important events in modern history took place in 1947, when British India was divided and the independent state of Pakistan was created. The change ended nearly two centuries of British colonial rule over a vast region, but it also brought one of the largest and most painful migrations in history. Millions of people crossed new borders as India and Pakistan emerged as separate states. At the time, the event mattered because it reshaped South Asia almost overnight.
GODFREY — The Godfrey Fire Department responded to the 5100 block of Blufftop Lane Thursday evening for a structure fire that began in an attached garage and spread to the home. The call came in shortly after 7:30 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire in the garage that had already spread into the house. Due to the size of the fire and the extreme heat, a box alarm was requested. Firefighters from Fosterburg, Alton and Brighton responded to assist with additional manpower. Madison
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri man appeared in court Thursday to answer charges accusing him of a fatal 2024 carjacking. Terry Thomas, 21, was indicted on July 16, 2025, with one count of carjacking resulting in death, one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of causing death through the use of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday. The indictment accuses Thomas of stealing a Kia Stinger on May 6, 2024, in
ALTON – Alton officials are one step closer to establishing a fund solely dedicated to citywide capital improvement projects. City Council members on Aug. 12, 2026 unanimously approved a resolution to allocate $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds towards the creation of a designated Capital Projects fund. Once the fund has been established with the initial $1.2 million, the resolution calls for future yearly funding to come from the city’s General Fund or other
BRIGHTON – Delhi Road improvements extending to the Brighton village limits are moving forward with additional funding from Jersey County. Jersey County Board members on Aug. 11, 2026 unanimously approved a $108,270 supplemental to the Preliminary Engineering Agreement with Heneghan & Associates for improvements to a section of Delhi Road. County Engineer Thomas Klasner said this marks the third phase of improvements to Delhi Road which will span from Oak Crest Road to the village limits
GRANITE CITY - Senior quarterback Jesus Atilano is entering the 2026 football season at Granite City High School with high hopes and aspirations into starting to turn around the fortunes of the Warriors' football program. Although Granite went 0-9 for the third consecutive season, Atilano had a particularly good season, going 63-of-128 passing for 701 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for a touchdown. As a defensive back, he also had seven tackles, three of them solo, to help the Warriors'
ALTON - The Alton Marina experienced a lightning strike that destroyed one of their sailboats. On July 4, 2026, lightning struck a sailboat mast and set fire to the boat, which was docked at the marina. Manager Rob Honke explained that while the experience was “scary,” he is thankful for the Alton Fire Department’s quick response. “The bolt traveled through the cabin , destroyed the inside of the cabin, lifted the entire cap up off the boat and shot out just below
SAUGET/EAST ST. LOUIS - Shortly after 12:44 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, emergency responders from multiple counties were called to a reported chemical fire at a facility along Sauget Industrial Drive in Sauget, Illinois, where officials later identified the hazardous material involved as trichloroisocyanuric acid and issued shelter-in-place notifications because of a visible chemical plume. St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said the response quickly
ALTON – The latest development on the Anzu Power facility in Alton was brought to light at this week’s City Council meeting. Alton Mayor David Goins said at the council’s Aug. 12, 2026 meeting that Anzu Power is renewing their efforts to seek a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. “They have submitted an application for a permit,” Goins said. “It was initially denied and they resubmitted it, and it’s under evaluation.”
ALTON — The Alton Police Department issued 68 speeding citations during a July 2026 traffic safety campaign in Alton aimed at reminding motorists to slow down to save lives and reduce highway fatalities, the department said. The campaign was part of a speed enforcement effort conducted by the Alton Police Department and other state and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois. During the campaign, Alton police also issued three citations for suspended or revoked licenses. “Speeding
As summer goes along and the boating season remains in full swing, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) urges all boat operators and passengers to prioritize safety and responsible drinking while enjoying their time on the water. Boating Under the Influence, or BUI, is prohibited in the state of Illinois . Convictions can range from misdemeanors to felonies and may result in fines, suspended privileges of watercraft, and imprisonment. It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcoho
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias awarded a combined $28.9 million in grants to support library services and literacy programs throughout Illinois. The grants include awards to regional library systems to enhance online catalogs at local libraries, support day-to-day operations and expand interlibrary loan programs. Funding also supports radio information services that provide local news and information to individuals who cannot read standard
SPRINGFIELD – Land of Lincoln Honor Flight will be taking Mission #78 on September 1, 2026 from Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. Mission #78 will serve 92 veterans - 5 Korean and 87 Vietnam era Era Veterans - from 52 Illinois home towns of Altamont, Alton, Auburn, Aviston, Bartelso, Beardstown, Bloomington, Boody, Breese, Brighton, Bunker Hill, Cantrall, Carlinville, Carlyle, Charleston, Clinton, Coffeen, Decatur, Dow, East Alton, Effingham, Farmer City, Flora, Godfrey, Gridley,
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias today joined SEIU leaders and rideshare drivers to celebrate House Bill 5090 becoming law. This landmark legislation gives more than 100,000 rideshare drivers across Illinois the right to organize and collectively bargain for better pay, stronger protections and a voice in company decisions that affect their livelihoods. Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 5090, the Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act, into law
The clock ticks past midnight. Your eyes are open, your body still – but your mind is anything but quiet. From bills to health scares to family stress, worry shows up, unpacks, and overstays its welcome. When it comes to worry, there’s no shortage of things that keep us up at night – some of it probably has us tossing and turning at times. According to experts like Ashley Pratt, a psychotherapist with OSF HealthCare, most of what we fret about never comes to fruition. But tha
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois and 46 state financial agencies in 46 states have reached a $15.5 million settlement with one of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers for improperly imposing “force-placed” insurance costs on borrowers who already had active homeowners insurance policies. Under the terms of the settlement, Fort Washington, Penn., based NewRez LLC (NMLS ID 3013), will pay a total of $15.5 million. The company worked with state regulators to self-identify
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced his office obtained an agreed immediate and preliminary injunction order in his lawsuit against Ryze Properties – Homewood LLC (Ryze) and Outlook Design & Construction Inc. (Outlook) over alleged air pollution caused by the disturbance of materials containing asbestos during renovation work at a multi-unit residential building in Chicago Heights, Illinois. The agreed injunction order requires Ryze and Outlook to hire a licensed
JERSEYVILLE – Jersey County is now officially part of a statewide mutual aid system allowing neighboring communities to help each other during emergencies. Jersey County Board members unanimously approved a resolution allowing the county to participate as a member in the Illinois Emergency Management Mutual Aid System on Aug. 11, 2026. Chairman Mark Wagner said this agreement allows Jersey County agencies to coordinate through the State of Illinois to help neighboring counties during emergencies.
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