ALTON - The Alton Police Department has named Lt. Emily Hejna its Officer of the Month for May 2026 after officials said she helped peacefully resolve a mental health crisis on May 26, 2026, in Downtown Alton. According to the department, officers responded that day to a report of a man experiencing a mental health crisis while possibly armed with a handgun outside a downtown business. The department said the situation was tense and unpredictable and required patience, sound judgment and a cal
JERSEY - Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100 has announced that Ms. Myra Woelfel is the new principal of the Jersey Community Alternative Program, with the district’s Board of Education. In the announcement, Jersey CUSD No. 100 said the Board of Education is “pleased to introduce Ms. Myra Woelfel as the new Principal of the Jersey Community Alternative Program (JCAP).” The district also asked the community to help welcome her to the position. The district
The “dog days of summer” have nothing to do with lazy pets stretched out on porches. That phrase sounds playful, but its roots reach back to ancient skywatching. Today, people use it to mean the hottest, most sluggish stretch of the year. Yet the original idea came from a star, not a dog. Once you know that, the phrase starts to feel less like a casual saying and more like a small piece of history hiding in everyday speech. What “dog days of summer” means now In modern
On July 24, one of the most significant events in global history took place in 1911, when American archaeologist Hiram Bingham brought international attention to Machu Picchu in Peru. The Inca site was already known locally, but Bingham’s visit introduced it to a much wider world. At the time, this mattered because it expanded understanding of the Inca civilization and helped spark major interest in the history of the Americas. It still matters today because Machu Picchu has become one
ALTON – Alton officials recently approved three of the first four festival and event grant applications submitted under a new city-wide microgrant program . City Council members considered four applications for festival and event grants at their July 22, 2026 meeting, approving three and laying over the fourth to determine its eligibility for grant funds. Alderwoman Patty Ford cast the sole vote against each grant application’s approval. The next round of festival/event grant applicatio
JERSEYVILLE - Ashley DeSherlia of Jerseyville has been named to the Blackburn College Dean’s List for the Spring 2026 semester after earning a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher, the college announced. She has also been a leader in Blackburn College's nationally recognized Work Program. Founded in 1837, Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill., is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges and is home to what the school describes as the nation’s only student-managed Work Program.
EDWARDSVILLE - Brandon Wong will continue his tennis career at Illinois Wesleyan University after a high school career at Edwardsville in which he became a four-time letter winner with more than 100 career victories and earned top conference honors. Wong is a Spencer Homes Male Athlete of the Month. Wong, a standout for the Edwardsville boys tennis program, was a consistent contributor throughout his career, combining longevity and success on the court. This past season, he earned First Team
ALTON — Alton youth will head to Skateway Roller Skating Rink on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, as part of the city’s summer road-trip program led by community leaders Rosetta Brown and Tammy Perry. Organizers announced the upcoming excursion as the next event in the annual youth tradition, which they said is aimed at giving local children a safe and active summer experience. “This Year’s Summer Road-Trip Program Has Been On A Mission To Redefine Summer Break For Local Youth,”
EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville residents and businesses are set to pay more for their trash service over the next six years under a newly approved exclusive contract with Republic Services. City Council members unanimously approved a resolution on July 21, 2026 authorizing the mayor to sign a waste services agreement with Republic Services of Edwardsville. The contract will take effect on Aug. 1, 2026 and expires on April 30, 2032. The agreement includes a series of annual rate increases,
ALTON — For one afternoon each summer, Downtown Alton becomes a showcase for what happens when musicians, artists, independent businesses, and craft beverage producers come together. That's the idea behind Rock the Hops, returning Saturday, Aug. 8, for six hours of live performances, regional tastings, and discovering the people and places that make Alton's creative district unique. From 2 to 8 p.m., festival goers can discover 28 original musical acts while sampling more than 40 styles
GODFREY/GRANITE CITY - Vitality Women’s Clinic has partnered with Coordinated Youth and Human Services to offer healthcare, food and breastfeeding assistance to local families. Vitality Women’s Clinic is a Godfrey-based pregnancy center that works with new and expectant parents. They offer free pregnancy and STI tests and ultrasounds; as a pro-life, faith-based clinic, they do not refer for or perform abortions. Out of Granite City, Coordinated Youth and Human Services (CYHS) help
GRANITE CITY – A local woman faces felony charges in Madison County after allegedly fleeing at over 100 mph from an attempted traffic stop in Granite City. Heather A. Clark, 26, of Alhambra, Ill., was charged on July 9, 2026 with two Class 4 felony counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. Clark allegedly knowingly attempted to flee and elude a Granite City Police officer who had signaled for her to stop her vehicle on May 20, 2026. Charging documents note sh
SPRINGFIELD – Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in 5 metropolitan areas, including seven consecutive months of year-over-year job growth for Lake County, and decreased in 7 metropolitan areas. Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in 11 metro areas and was unchanged in 1 for the year ending June 2026, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). “Illinois’ economy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly two years after President Donald Trump promised free IVF for all Americans on the campaign trail, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and are reintroducing the Right to IVF Act, a sweeping legislative package that would make it easier to access in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) for the millions of hopeful
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 26 states to stop the Trump administration’s continued efforts to use federal funds—specifically, billions of dollars in federal counterterrorism and other funds—to coerce states into complying with the administration’s political and policy priorities. Raoul and the coalition’s lawsuit filed today challenges decisions by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department
ALTON/EDWARDSVILLE - If you ask any Freedom School student, they’d agree that the experience has improved their reading — but it’s been about much more than just books. This summer, Alton Middle School students could participate in Freedom School, a supplemental literacy program that encourages reading and social activism. SIUE students taught 50 incoming sixth, seventh and eighth graders how to use their voices through books about social justice. “It’s evolved
CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined legislators and community members at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ to sign HB 4323, officially designating July 25 as Emmett Till Day in Illinois. In 1955 at this Bronzeville church, Mamie Till-Mobley held a public, open-casket funeral for her 14-year-old son after he was brutally lynched and killed by two white men in Mississippi. Till’s murder galvanized the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, igniting a national
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 20 attorneys general, urged Congress to take immediate action to protect Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. In a letter to congressional leaders, Attorney General Raoul and the coalition called on Congress to pass H.R. 1689/S.4814, which would extend TPS protections for Haiti. The coalition also asked Congress to pass legislation that would provide judicial oversight of TPS decisions and establish a
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the 36th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to renew the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) — a program Duckworth championed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—that is helping make public transit stations across the nation more accessible and inclusive for all Americans, including people with disabilities.
ALTON - The local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace could use the community’s support in their effort to ensure no child sleeps on the floor in our community. Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national organization that uses volunteers to build beds for kids ages 3–17. Jason Brunaugh founded the Alton chapter in 2019, and local volunteer Dave has been a part of the mission ever since. Dave explained the power of the work they do and how the community can get involved. “We’re
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