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GRANITE CITY – Two individuals accused of performing dental surgery without a license from inside a Granite City home both face felony charges in Madison County. Idania J. Morena-Paal, 41, of the 2500 block of Iowa Street in Granite City, and Rodolfo J. Figuera, 59, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., were both charged on Feb. 24, 2026 with practicing medicine without a license. Morena-Paal faces two Class 4 felony counts of the offense, while Figuera faces one count, also a Class 4 felony. The

EDWARDSVILLE – The Graduate and Professional Programs Open House at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is the perfect opportunity for individuals interested in furthering their education or advancing their careers to take the next step. The event will be held on Monday, March 23, from 4-6 p.m. in the Morris University Center’s Legacy Room on the SIUE Edwardsville campus. Representatives from the SIUE Office of Graduate and International Admissions and the Graduate School wil

WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Eagles of the Month” program at Civic Memorial High School. Senior students are selected each month by members of the Civic Memorial faculty to represent each department. All students are awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. Two Seniors (1 female student and 1 male student) that were selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $500.00 “Eagles of the Year” scholarship

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses in today’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing entitled “Lost and Exploited: Confronting Child Trafficking and the Failure to Protect America’s Most Vulnerable.” During his questioning, Durbin focused on how the federal government can intervene before children are brought into dangerous situations, including

SPRINGFIELD – Thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, floods, and power outages are all possible during Illinois' spring weather season. That is why the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA OHS) is urging all residents to take steps to prepare during Severe Weather Preparedness Month this March. “Millions of dollars in storm damages within the last year shows just how quickly severe weather can impact our communities,” said IEMA OHS Acting

MADISON COUNTY - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office warned the public about a fraudulent email scam involving purported payments tied to a Sheriff’s Sale, saying it has received “several reports” of emails claiming to be from Roup and the Sheriff’s Office. In an alert issued by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, officials said the emails request payment related to a Sheriff’s Sale and “are not legitimate.” The office did no

The Senate has returned to Springfield for the Spring Legislative Session. After several weeks of filing legislation, we are now moving into the committee process to debate and advance new proposals this session. A few weeks ago, the Governor delivered his annual State of the State and Budget Address, outlining his priorities for the year ahead. The theme of the speech was affordability. On that point, we agree: affordability must be front and center. But affordability is not a slogan. It

PLANO, TEXAS – Frito-Lay is recalling select 8 oz. bags of Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle Potato Chips that could include jalapeño-flavored potato chips and therefore may contain undeclared milk. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product. This product is safe to consume for anyone who does not have a dairy allergy or sensitivity to milk. The products covered

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the following statement after voting for a War Powers Resolution to require the President to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran. “This week, I received a classified briefing on the recent strikes in Iran. It did not give me confidence that this administration has a clear justification for putting the lives of men and women in uniform at risk. That’s why I voted to reassert

BETHALTO - A local business is raising money for colorectal cancer awareness, and you can help. One Hale of a Craft, located in Bethalto, has two shirts for sale that aim to raise awareness about colorectal cancer. If you order before March 13, 2026, you will receive your shirt by March 20. The sale continues throughout the month of March — Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month — and the business will donate 20% of profits to the Colon Cancer Alliance. “We wanted to bring

SPRINGFIELD – Whether you’ve already started the filing process or are just beginning to get all your documents together, it’s important to be aware of current scams targeting taxpayers. “This is the time of year when you’re dealing with a lot of personal information including Social Security and bank account numbers,” Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “You’ve got to be careful not to fall victim to con artists looking to steal your identity and

CHICAGO – Attorney General Raoul, as part of a coalition of states, submitted a comment letter opposing a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Education that would cap federal student loans for graduate students in nursing, physician assistance and other health fields – a change that could worsen health care shortages across the country. “This proposed rule will cut off access for many qualified students and will worsen nationwide labor shortages in vital fields, including

ALTON - The Episcopal Parish of Alton is celebrating its 190th anniversary this year, and Father Garron Daniels invites the entire community to join them. “For 190 years old, we look pretty good. We’re very happy. We're all so, so excited for this anniversary,” Fr. Daniels said. Most of the parish’s celebrations are scheduled for July 3–5, 2026. But Fr. Daniels noted that there are plenty of other opportunities to get in on the fun until then. The parish

DU QUOIN – Heavy-hitting rock legends Night Ranger will bring their powerhouse sound to the Du Quoin State Fair on Friday, September 4, 2026, delivering a night of classic hits and high-energy rock that spans four decades of music history. Fresh off the release of their acclaimed live album 40 Years and a Night with Contemporary Youth Orchestra , Night Ranger continues to celebrate a landmark 40th anniversary. The album was filmed live at Cleveland’s KeyBank State Theatre and captures

ALTON – Simmons Hanly Conroy, a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, has partnered with Perrin Conferences in support of this year’s Cutting-Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation Conference taking place March 4-6 at the Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort. Simmons Hanly Conroy partners Jennifer Alesio, Lisa Nathanson Busch and Jim Kramer will be speaking at the event, and the firm is proud to be sponsoring the opening networking cocktail

EDWARDSVILLE – Revity Credit Union employees joined together to raise $1,350 for the Children First Foundation through their ongoing Jeans for Generations program. Revity Credit Union’s Jeans for Generations program reflects the credit union philosophy of people helping people, empowering employees to support local organizations making a meaningful difference. Each month, Revity employees contribute donations to a selected charity and, in return, enjoy the comfort of wearing jeans

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are investigating a fatal crash involving a motorcycle and a car that killed an adult male Friday afternoon, March 6, 2026, near the intersection of Kilmory Drive and Shackelford Drive, authorities said. Officers from the St. Louis County Police Department’s North County Precinct responded at about 2:20 p.m. on March 6, 2026, to a call for service for a motor vehicle crash in the 1800 block of Kilmory Drive at Shackelford Drive, police said.

ALTON - The Sierra Club will host their annual Seed Swap this weekend. The Piasa Palisades chapter of the Sierra Club stays busy, but on March 7, 2026, community members can come to one of their biggest events of the year. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at The Wedge in Alton, the organization will offer a space for gardeners to share seed packets and gardening tips. “Seed saving has been throughout cultures from the beginning of time. Before there were formal events that started really in

EDWARDSVILLE — Metro East Lutheran senior Landyn Jefferson is being recognized as BJ’s Printables Male Athlete of the Month after standing out in both eight-man football and basketball during the 2025-2026 school year. Jefferson, a 6-foot-3 senior, drew high praise for his defensive play in football from Metro East Lutheran head coach Mike Koch. “I am biased, but I did think he was the best in eight-man football on the defensive side of the ball,” Koch said. “He

EDWARDSVILLE — Metro East Lutheran High School junior Alexa Stock has finished her junior girls basketball season and is preparing to shift into spring 2026 roles with the school’s varsity soccer and softball teams, continuing a multi-sport run that includes basketball, soccer, and softball. She is a BJ's Printables Female Athlete of the Month for the Knights. Stock, a student-athlete at Metro East Lutheran in Edwardsville, is the daughter of Rob Stock, who coached the school’s