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BELLEVILLE — Alton Police Officer Zach Oster graduated Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, from the Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy in Belleville, completing the academy portion of his training before continuing in the Alton Police Department’s Field Training Program, the department said. Oster will continue developing his skills with a field training officer, according to the department. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office also announced that Deputies Morales

EDWARDSVILLE - A conversation about student journalism and freedom of the press at the university level is heating up at SIUE, with the police now involved. SIUE’s student newspaper, “The Alestle,” has received backlash from SIUE administrators following a conversation between reporters and SIUE’s Communications Director Nicole Franklin. In July 2026, Franklin told a reporter that she would sit in on an interview and record the conversation. When asked if her presence

EDWARDSVILLE – Record enrollment is fueling a historic fall semester at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, led by the largest incoming class in University history and driving overall enrollment to its highest level in more than a decade. Just a few short weeks into the semester, this new class is exploring all that SIUE has to offer, adding vibrancy to the campus and community. SIUE welcomed 2,323 first-time, first-year students for fall 2026, surpassing the previous University recor

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced upcoming lane closures on westbound Interstate 55/I-64/U.S. 40 between Illinois 3 and the Poplar Street Bridge in St. Clair County for bridge repairs. Beginning at midnight Monday, Sept. 14, two westbound mainline lanes will be closed at this location. The two outer lanes and ramps will remain open during the closure. All lanes are expected to reopen on or before 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, weather permitting. Motorists

GRANITE CITY — Yesterday, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) met with leadership at Gateway Regional Medical Center to address serious concerns surrounding patient-safety and the hospital's ongoing financial crisis. In an exclusive interview with KTVI’s David Amoletti, Budzinski shared what was discussed in the closed-door meeting and emphasized what must be done to ensure the community continues to have access to quality care and hospital staff have the resources they need. Watch

This Day in Music History: Sept. 10 — Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Changed Rock’s Center of Gravity On Sept. 10, 1991, Nirvana released “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the first single from its forthcoming major-label album Nevermind . The three-minute blast of distorted guitar, quiet-loud dynamics and Kurt Cobain’s deliberately opaque vocal became far more than a successful record. Its rise, powered by relentless MTV exposure for the pep-rally-gone-wild

CHICAGO — Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general, is pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its “Know Your Upstream Provider” (KYUP) requirements to help prevent scammers from using the U.S. phone network to make illegal robocalls. KYUP rules require voice service providers to ensure that they receive calls from legitimate and responsible providers and do not regularly pass through lots of illegal calls.

An upheaval came in 1898, when Empress Elisabeth of Austria, often known as Sisi, was assassinated in Geneva. She had been a famous and often distant figure in the Habsburg court, admired for her beauty and independence but also linked to the strain inside one of Europe’s largest empires. Her killing by an Italian anarchist reflected the era’s political unrest, when rulers and public figures across Europe faced attacks from radicals. Although her death did not by itself transform

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, today will file two lawsuits to protect endangered and threatened species. The lawsuits, one against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and another against FWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), challenge new rules that remove essential protections for wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and threaten the survival of imperiled species. Raoul and the attorneys general

ALTON – Alton officials recently approved an additional $100,000 to help the Alton Amphitheater attract quality talent next year. Alton City Council members on Sept. 9, 2026 unanimously passed a resolution allocating $100,000 to the Alton Amphitheater Commission from the city’s Marina Development Fund, also known as the Hotel Tax Fund. The commission’s ability to book quality entertainers to perform at the venue requires an additional $100,000 at least nine months prior

ALTON – A 26-year-old from Alton faces a felony after allegedly shooting a teenager at the Godfrey McDonald’s with a water gel gun. Darion L. Patrick, 26, of Alton, was charged on Sept. 1, 2026 with a Class 3 felony count of aggravated battery. Patrick allegedly shot at a 16-year-old victim using an Orbeez gun, striking the victim about the body with a water gel ball projectile on July 22, 2026. Charging documents state the incident occurred in a public place, the McDonald’s

JERSEY COUNTY – A local transit agency is hoping to build a new office and dispatch facility and upgrade its equipment pending approval of state grant funds. Stephanie Stahlhut, executive director of the Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation, requested permission from the Jersey County Board to apply for a Transit Capital Grant for Tri-County Rural Transit. Illinois Valley operates Tri-County Rural Transit , which is funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Stahlhut

BETHALTO/EAST ALTON - The 30th Annual Fly-In will take place on the weekend of September 26th & 27th. The two-day Fly-In is a family-friendly festival of airplanes, wheels, food, and fun hosted at the St. Louis Regional Airport. The event is full of activities, including tours of numerous types of aircraft, offering a “behind the fence” experience on the airport tarmac. For car enthusiasts, the Speed Demons Car Club will host the car show, plus plan to visit the family-friendly Kids

CHICAGO – Landmarks Illinois has announced the winners of the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards . The annual awards program honors exceptional preservation leaders and community-led preservation efforts that spark economic development, contribute to a sustainable built environment, and improve the quality of life in communities across the state. This year’s nine award winners are in Alton, Alto Pass, Champaign County, Chicago, East St. Louis,

GODFREY, IL – Beverly Farm Foundation is pleased to announce that its annual fireworks display, postponed twice this summer due to severe weather, has been rescheduled for the evening of Saturday, September 26, on its campus in Godfrey, as part of Beverly Farm’s Fall Family Weekend. The fireworks display is free and open to the public. Event Details: • Date : Saturday, September 26, 2026 • Time : Arrive as early as 7:45 p.m. Quick Bite Frozen Treats ice cream truc

ALTON - Alton Pride will host their fifth annual festival this weekend to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and allies. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, the community is invited to Belle Street in Alton for a day of vendors, food trucks, live music, drag performances, karaoke and more. Juliet Steele, the president-elect of Alton Pride, noted that the event promises to be a fun day of acceptance while supporting local LGBTQ+ community members. “We need a judgment-free

TROY, IL. – This September, Tri-Township Library is joining the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month. To make this year extra special, the library has partnered with local businesses to launch their " Show Your Card and Save " campaign, offering exclusive discounts to library cardholders all month long. Throughout September, community members who show their Tri-Township Library card at participating local businesses will

HARDIN — A Calhoun County grand jury on Aug. 17, 2026, indicted Richard J. Large, 34, of Kampsville, on a charge of predatory criminal sexual assault involving a victim under 13 years old after a sheriff’s office investigation into a child sexual assault complaint in Kampsville, authorities said. The charge is a Class X felony, according to a Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office press release. The investigation began April 21, 2026, when the sheriff’s office received a complaint

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has eliminated an additional fee for notaries who provide electronic notarization services, making it easier and more affordable for Illinoisans to have documents notarized. As a result, Illinois notaries public can become commissioned electronic notaries without paying the additional $25 commission fee. The waiver, which took effect July 27, is already helping expand access to electronic notarization. As of Sept. 9, 137 applications for

EDWARDSVILLE – The offices of State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) and State Senator Jason Plummer (55th-Edwardsville) are partnering with the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office to host two ICASH events in the Metro East, helping residents search for unclaimed money or property that may be waiting for them. “Earlier this year, a constituent stopped by one of my ICASH events and discovered they had $94,000 waiting for them,” said Senator Harriss. “That’s