EDWARDSVILLE/COLLINSVILLE - Madison County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a St. Louis man on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, after a pursuit that followed an investigation into a report of shots fired at a home in unincorporated Collinsville this past Saturday, Feb. 14, authorities said. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said it responded around 11 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, to the 3200 block of VFW Lane in unincorporated Collinsville for a report of shots fired at a residence.
COLLINSVILLE – Today, Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Teklab celebrated the company’s new environmental testing laboratory in Collinsville. Teklab constructed a 36,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility to meet the growing demand for its environmental analytical services, creating 40 new full-time jobs for the region while retaining nearly 100 positions. The company’s commitment to invest $10 million further solidifie
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County police are investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that killed a 67-year-old man Tuesday night, Feb. 17, 2026, on Lemay Ferry Road in south St. Louis County. Officers from the St. Louis County Police Department’s South County Precinct responded at 7:19 p.m. Feb. 18, 2026, to a call for service for a single-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle in the 5200 block of Lemay Ferry Road. Police found an adult male with life-threatening injuries, and he was taken
CARBONDALE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 7 Special Agents arrested 19-year-old Shariah Davis of Carbondale, IL and a 15-year-old male after executing search warrants served in Jackson County. On February 18, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation, ISP Special Agents executed two search warrants in Carbondale, one in the 700 block of West College Street and the other in the 800 block of East College Street. During the searches, Officers recovere
GODFREY – A Godfrey man accused of causing a traffic crash between two other drivers while recklessly attempting to flee a police pursuit faces felony charges. Brian E. Kenshalo, 31, of Godfrey, was charged with one count each of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and driving while license is revoked/suspended, both Class 4 felonies, on Feb. 9, 2026. He also faces a Class A misdemeanor count of reckless driving. Kenshalo allegedly knowingly attempted to flee from
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County police are investigating a crash near Kingston Drive and Geneva Drive in south St. Louis County that killed an adult man and sent two others to the hospital Thursday morning, Feb. 19, 2026. Officers from the St. Louis County Police South County Precinct responded at 7:44 a.m. Feb. 19, 2026, and found two vehicles involved, according to the St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons and Accident Reconstruction detectives. A preliminary
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 12 attorneys general, is urging the U.S. Senate to reject the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, warning that the legislation would improperly nationalize election administration, impose sweeping new barriers to voter registration, and disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans. If enacted, the SAVE America Act would require Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship in person to register
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who stole about 100 firearms to 100 months in prison. Jeremy Lorenz, 31, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty in October to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted stealing the guns from a federal firearms licensee’s storage site in St. Louis County on Nov. 15, 2024. Lorenz was arrested four days later and officers found him with a pistol and a shotgun that had been reported stolen.
O'FALLON - The O’Fallon Police Department takes great pride in its work with the Special Olympics program. Several O’Fallon officers and athletes, along with Alderman Jimmy Ford, traveled to Bloomington to take part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois Kickoff Conference, where the department reported its 2025 fundraising totals. The department said it raised $136,928 in 2025, ranking first in Illinois in the 26–75 officers category and
O'FALLON, IL. - St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. confirmed on Thursday morning, Feb. 19, 2026, that Cesilie N. Huebner, 35, of Ellington Drive in Troy, IL., was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in the emergency room at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, after a tragic crash. Dye Sr. said Huebner was rushed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital emergency room after a two-vehicle accident that occurred on Scott-Troy Road on Wednesday afternoon. The Scott-Troy
ALTON - Dr. Tandra Taylor is intentional about her work to help students. Taylor, one of the YWCA’s eleven 2026 Women of Distinction, will be honored at the Y’s annual gala for her commitment to the community. She works as an assistant professor of history and serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement and Educational Pathways at SIUE. She said that behind those “hefty titles” is simply a love for education. “At my core, I’m an educator.
WOOD RIVER – Wood River City Councilman Jeremy Plank’s vote to appoint himself to the city’s Library Board will be allowed to stand. City Attorney Kathryn Warren said at this week’s City Council meeting that after reviewing the City Code and relevant case law and state statutes, she found no rule preventing a sitting councilman from voting to approve his own appointment to the Library Board. The City Code also allows one member of the council to sit on the Library Boar
ALTON - Riverbend residents came together for a conversation about homelessness and the needs of unhoused community members. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, community leaders, representatives from nonprofits, and people experiencing homelessness met at First Presbyterian Church in Alton for two listening sessions with Chief Christine Haley. As Chief Homelessness Officer with the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, Haley is holding listening sessions across the state to inform Home
GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois invites cookie lovers across the area to celebrate National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, taking place February 20–22. National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend is an annual event where Girl Scouts nationwide promote their sales and flex their entrepreneurial spirit through the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program®. Every purchase makes a difference in the lives of young entrepreneurs as they find their way in the world and discover endless
EDWARDSVILLE - A former Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 teacher is asking community members to support her at the upcoming Board of Education meeting after she says she was unfairly targeted by the district. Last year, Jade Hinnen made headlines for a TikTok campaign that encouraged people across the country to donate to District #7’s school lunch debt. After receiving permission from the district to fundraise using social media, she raised over $13,000, which paid off
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Mary Miller criticized Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State address, saying it was “nothing more than a rehearsed fantasy detached from the reality Illinois families face every day." Miller, an Illinois Republican, said Pritzker’s address failed to reflect what she described as “record-high taxes, unsafe communities, and a government plagued by waste and fraud.” Miller added that Gov. Pritzker “refuses
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt’s legislation that would require service providing companies to give consumers a two-hour service window for appointments advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee. “People shouldn’t have to stay home from work all day waiting around for the cable guy to show up.” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This is about basic respect for families who have to balance jobs, child care and everything in between.”
ALTON — Marquette Catholic High School students, faculty and staff gathered Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church to observe Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Lenten season as participants came forward to receive ashes. The observance brought the school community together “in reverence,” Principal Tim Harmon said, calling the ashes “a simple yet powerful reminder of our call to prayer and fasting." “As a Catholic hig
SPRINGFIELD - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) released the following statement after Governor JB Pritzker delivered his annual State of the State and Budget Address to the General Assembly today. “A budget address is another reflection of Governor Pritzker’s commitment to Illinois - more taxes, more fees, and more mandates,” said Schmidt. “The taxpayers of Illinois deserve a truly balanced budget that does not include tax hikes, wasteful spending, o
EDWARDSVILLE/GRANITE CITY - The Madison County Board chose to postpone the vote that would decide whether Arena Libra Solar can build a commercial solar energy facility in Nameoki Township near Granite City. During the Board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, the Board was asked to grant a Special Use Permit to Arena Libra Solar, LLC, to develop a commercial solar energy facility on property zoned as an Agricultural District. The Zoning Board of Appeals recommended this
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