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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College will add clay shooting to its athletics lineup beginning in Fall 2027 and is currently recruiting student-athletes for its inaugural team. Carrollton native Brady Cox will serve as head coach. Cox, who competed in clay shooting at the collegiate level, said the sport’s growing popularity among area high schools makes LC a natural fit for a college program. “There are more than 20 high schools on the Illinois side that have programs

EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville announced that work will begin Monday, August 31, 2026, to transform one of the City’s two newest park properties into a showcase for native plants and a relaxing spot to enjoy that scenery. Construction is scheduled to get underway on Gerber Meadows, at Governors’ Parkway and Gerber Road, to sculpt the 3.42-acre parcel into a passive park with a variety of trees, flowers and grasses; a walking path along the perimeter; and a small parking

CHICAGO — Six months after President Donald Trump started the war in Iran, Governor JB Pritzker today called on the Trump administration to provide immediate relief from skyrocketing fertilizer costs that are squeezing Illinois farmers and raising grocery prices for working families across the country. Governor Pritzker urged President Trump to suspend federal import taxes on the nitrogen-based fertilizers Illinois corn farmers rely on to grow their crops. The Governor also called for a

MADISON COUNTY – Something mysterious has arrived along the MCT Trails thanks to a partnership and the generosity of Agency for Community Transit (ACT), the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, and Enjoy Illinois. Six new metal sculptures, known as the Mysterious Creatures, have been installed at secret locations throughout the MCT Trails system where the trails intersect with, cross, or run alongside historic Route 66. The installations are part of the MCT Trails Creature Quest –

CARBONDALE — Southern Illinois University School of Medicine welcomed its newest class of medical students Aug. 14, 2026, during a White Coat Ceremony in Shryock Auditorium on the Carbondale campus, where students received white coats to mark the start of their training and a commitment to professionalism and empathy in medicine. Members of the Class of 2030 will spend their first year of training on the Carbondale campus and years two through four in Springfield. Eight students in the medica

CARBONDALE – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and local and state leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS), a $26.2 million investment that connects multiple modes of transportation and creates a new gateway to Carbondale and the greater southern Illinois region. The station will improve mobility and quality of life, while supporting economic development and enhanced tourism, marking Gov.

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 25 states, has secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, temporarily blocking a new rule by the U.S. Postal Service that would have imposed burdensome requirements on vote-by-mail systems ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The order blocks the Postal Service from requiring states to obtain the federal government’s approval of ballot and

CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker appointed Jim Montgomery to lead the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), effective Aug. 31 and pending Senate approval. Montgomery brings decades of experience in conservation, public administration, and law enforcement, including previously serving as Commissioner and Director of Administration and Finance of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. “The Illinois Department of Natural Resources protects the natural

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS — The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, after two people were shot at BB’s Sports Bar & Grill, 7301 Lake Drive in East Saint Louis, Illinois, and Cahokia Heights police requested assistance with the investigation. The Cahokia Heights Police Department responded to the bar at about 12:29 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, 2026, for a report of a shooting. Police determined two people had been shot. Both victims were taken to St. Louis area

Sometimes you do not realize an era has ended until a small habit suddenly feels out of place. The video store is gone. The office coffee chat has moved to a group app. A team legend retires, and the jersey still hangs in closets even though the games feel different now. “End of an era” sounds dramatic, but people use it for moments exactly like these: points in life when something familiar stops, and the change means more than a simple ending. What “end of an era” really

This Day in Music History: August 31 — Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ Set a New Pop Benchmark August 31, 1987, marked the release of Michael Jackson’s Bad , the high-stakes follow-up to Thriller that confirmed Jackson could redefine pop stardom rather than merely repeat it. Issued by Epic Records, Bad united Jackson again with producer Quincy Jones and brought tightly constructed pop, R&B, rock and dance music into an unusually ambitious album campaign. It produced

On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died after a car crash in Paris, in one of the most widely followed news events of the late 20th century. The shock was immediate and global. Diana had become one of the most recognized public figures in the world, known not only for her place in the British royal family but also for her work on issues such as AIDS awareness, homelessness, and the campaign against land mines. Her death mattered at the time because it prompted an outpouring of public

WORDEN – A man from Worden has been denied pretrial release in Madison County after allegedly shooting at an occupied vehicle and injuring a jail deputy. Nicholas W. Bruhn, 42, of Worden, was charged with one count each of aggravated discharge of a firearm (a Class 1 felony), aggravated battery (a Class 2 felony), threatening a public official (a Class 3 felony) and aggravated assault (a Class A misdemeanor) The charges against Bruhn were filed Aug. 25, 2026 in Madison County court and

ST. LOUIS — A 26-year-old man was fatally shot just before 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27 in the Wells Goodfellow neighborhood after two vehicles were involved in a crash and an argument over payment followed, police said. District 5 officers and ATF agents were conducting enforcement related to the ATF Surge initiative when they heard a nearby crash. Almost immediately afterward, they heard gunfire and responded to Goodfellow and Natural Bridge. When officers and agents arrived in the 3500 block

A major turning point came in 1835, when Melbourne, in present-day Australia, was founded. The settlement grew quickly because of trade, migration, and later the gold rushes of the 1850s. What began as a colonial outpost became one of the Southern Hemisphere’s major cities. Its history reflects larger patterns of empire, migration, urban growth, and economic development, while also being part of the longer and deeper history of Aboriginal peoples in the region. The modern era brought

BUZZ MAGAZINE – For generations, Labor Day has marked the unofficial end of summer, bringing families together for parades, picnics and community celebrations. Yet beyond the long weekend lies a rich history of workers who fought to secure many of the rights Americans now take for granted. Few individuals symbolize that struggle more than Mother Jones, the legendary labor organizer whose fearless advocacy forever changed the lives of working families across the nation. Born in Ireland and

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois EPA Director James Jennings is pleased to announce the Illinois Clean Ports Program’s next round of in-person meetings for stakeholders and near-port communities continuing the planning process to decarbonize ports with cleaner vehicle technologies and supporting energy infrastructure. For meeting details and to register, visit the Illinois Clean Ports Program website at illinoiscleanports.org . The scheduled meetings will take place: Tuesday September

BELLEVILLE The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) recently recognized Willie Drisdel, transit ambassador for SCCTD and resident of East St. Louis, for his exceptional professionalism, initiative and commitment to public safety. Drisdel received a formal Letter of Commendation from Ronald Forrest, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Metro Transit, on behalf of Metro Transit and the Bi-State Development team, and was honored during an employee luncheon hosted by SCCTD

CARLINVILLE – Blackburn College is entering the 2026–2027 academic year with a third consecutive year of enrollment growth. This fall, new student enrollment increased 13% over last year, while the College’s overall enrollment has grown 39% since fall 2024. Growth is particularly strong among incoming first-year students, whose enrollment increased 19% year over year. The three-year trend reflects increasing interest in Blackburn’s distinctive combination of personalized

SPRINGFIELD – Six individuals and organizations have been recognized as 2026 outstanding volunteers of the year for their contributions to conservation on behalf of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). “IDNR is grateful to have dedicated volunteers and support groups that bolster Illinois state parks, historic sites, and museums,” IDNR Interim Director Renee Snow said. “I’m pleased to recognize the amazing work these dedicated volunteers do for the