EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt helped secure a $990,000 state grant through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program for R3 Development in East St. Louis and Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. “We want to make sure that people in our community have real access to the construction trades and the good-paying jobs that come with them,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “The Illinois Works Program opens doors for local residents to gain the skills
ALTON — United Steelworkers Local 3643 members learned Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, that Alton Steel will be closing its operations, a decision communicated simultaneously to the union executive board and company employees, according to union president Scott Hall. Since the announcement on Jan. 26, union leaders have been seeking clarification from the company regarding the status of employees’ wages, benefits, and the duration of any guarantees related to pay, healthcare, and other contractual
ILLINOIS - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski has called for major reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Following a check presentation in Glen Carbon on Jan. 27, 2026, Budzinski spoke to the press about ICE and changes she wants to see as tensions rise in Minnesota. She noted that she has voted against additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “ICE needs to leave Minneapolis,” Budzinski said. She expressed her opinion that Secretary
BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is proud to announce the promotion of Ashlee Lambert to Chief Development Officer, recognizing her exceptional leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and longstanding commitment to advancing the organization’s mission of serving individuals and families in crisis. Lambert has been part of the Caritas Family Solutions team for the past 14 years. She began her career as a foster care case manager before transitioning into development, a move inspired
EAST ST. LOUIS - Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, announced early this morning that East St. Louis District 189 will cancel all classes on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, due to hazardous winter road conditions. "The district will be closed for the day, and no e-learning sessions will take place," she said. "The decision aims to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families amid the winter weather challenges."
JERSEY — Two students from Jersey Community High School’s construction class have built a specialized training prop for the QEM Fire District designed to improve firefighter safety during emergency responses. Bryant Henderson and Lincoln Diamond constructed an entanglement trap at the QEM Fire District Training Facility. The device simulates situations in which firefighters become entangled in wiring and cables while wearing full protective gear. This hands-on training tool is designed
ALTON – Alton officials are changing their plans to shorten public comments at future city meetings. Committee of the Whole members voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 to postpone a resolution which included sweeping City Code changes regarding public comments at Committee and City Council meetings. The resolution originally called for all public comment time limits to be shortened from five minutes to three minutes per person, and shortened even further to two minutes per
At 4:30 p.m., it can feel like the day has already been used up. You glance at the clock, you’ve done a normal amount of work, and yet everything seems to move in slow motion—your energy, your plans, even your patience. It’s not just imagination. Certain months really do feel slower, and there are several reasons your brain and body push that impression to the front. The “slow” feeling is real—even if the clock doesn’t change A day is still 24 hours.
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart just over a minute after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board and halting NASA’s shuttle program in shock. The disaster mattered immediately because it ended lives in full public view and forced the United States to stop and reassess a flagship technology it had come to trust. It still matters today because it changed how complex systems are managed, how risks are communicated, and how spaceflight is designed and
This morning starts cold with temperatures near 7 degrees, feeling bitterly cold at around 2 degrees as the day begins partly cloudy. By afternoon, mostly sunny skies will prevail with a high of 31 degrees, although it will feel very cold at 24 degrees. Winds will come from the west at around 8 mph, gusting to 14 mph, keeping it crisp but dry. As evening arrives, expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping quickly into the low 20s and continuing to feel quite cold. Overnight, it will
ALTON – Alton Mayor David Goins and Alderwoman Rosetta Brown addressed the recently announced closure of Alton Steel Inc. at this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting . “It’s definitely something that is very disheartening and very untimely, and it took us all by surprise,” Goins said of Alton Steel closing. Goins said several actions are being taken “behind the scenes” to help the approximately 253 displaced workers find employment elsewhere.
ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School senior Keller Jacobs reached a milestone by scoring his 100th career goal for the Alton Redbird Club Hockey team during a 3-0 victory against Triad. The game took place recently, marking a significant achievement for Jacobs and the team. Jacobs is an Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month for Alton. The Alton Redbirds Hockey organization shared congratulations on the accomplishment, highlighting Jacobs’ contribution to the team’s success.
ALTON - Caiden Jockisch, a junior at Marquette Catholic High School, recently achieved a significant milestone in his hockey career by recording his 1,000th varsity save during Alton's hockey team's recent game. The achievement highlights Jockisch’s dedication and skill as a goaltender for his school’s hockey team. Jockisch has been playing hockey for nine years and credits the sport for teaching him the value of teamwork. “It has taught me how to be a team player,”
GLEN CARBON - Village of Glen Carbon officials gathered to greet Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski as she presented the village with $1.1 million for a water infrastructure project. “I’m just thrilled to be here to bring you some good news,” Budzinski said. “These investments will make a real lasting difference in health, safety and the quality of life for all of our communities in central and southern Illinois.” On Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, Budzinski and Glen Carbon
ALTON - The Marquette Catholic High School dance team has qualified for the state competition scheduled this week in Bloomington. The dance team, coached by Megan Stevenson, earned the opportunity to compete in the state finals after a successful season. The dancers representing Marquette Catholic include Sophia Jacobs, Nia Martin, Alisa Buchanan, Bella Johnson, Alana Taylor, Lexi Stevenson, Raygan Hoener, Birdie Elliott, and Riley Clarkin. The Marquette girls dance squad members are Tucker's
BELLEVILLE - Matthew Wilson is emerging as an important contributor to the success of the Edwardsville High boys basketball team so far this season, and the freshman forward is expected to make more contributions to the Tigers as the season continues on through the Southwestern Conference season. Wilson, a 6-foot-3 forward, is a Spencer Homes Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. Wilson has had several strong games for Edwardsville's boys in the 2025-2026 campaign. He is considered to b
MONDAY, JANUARY 26 PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS SCOREBOARD GIRLS BASKETBALL 51st Carrollton Lady Hawk Invitational tournament - all games postponed, tournament reset back a day. NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL BIG TEN CONFERENCE Ohio State Buckeyes 84. Penn State Nittany Lions 78 NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BIG TEN CONFERENCE Washington Huskies 76, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 48 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE LSU Tigers 89, Florida Gators 60 Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Mississippi Rebels --- postponed,
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the entry of an agreed consent decree to resolve a lawsuit his office filed with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to address chronic failures of the sanitary sewer systems in Cahokia Heights. Raoul and the DOJ filed the lawsuit in 2024 claiming that since November 2019, aging infrastructure and years of poor maintenance an
JERSEYVILLE – Wock Lake in Jerseyville will soon look slightly different as a narrow “horseshoe” land mass at the site is set to be removed starting next month. Jerseyville City Council members unanimously approved the notice of a bid award for “Wock Lake earthwork, dredging, and related improvements” at last week’s meeting on Jan. 20, 2026. Mayor Kevin Stork said this dredging work would include clearing out the narrow “horseshoe” land mass whic
HIGHLAND - Noemi Abbati, an exchange student from Italy currently attending Highland High School, is making a notable impact on the student body this semester. According to Todd Strong, a social studies teacher at the school, Abbati’s openness in sharing her culture and perspectives is helping to break down stereotypes and labels among students. Strong nominated Abbati for a Rising Star honor. Abbati, who excels academically despite facing the challenges of studying unfamiliar subjects,
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