WASHINGTON, D.C. — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the pro-Veteran, bipartisan Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act to increase Veterans’ access to innovative health care and ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is prepared to better care for Veterans with emerging mental health therapies. “Veterans suffering from invisible wounds like PTSD and depression deserve
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) in a letter pressing the Trump Administration about its decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports and its lack of planning regarding the economic fallout of President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran. Since the war began, the price of U.S. crude oil has risen by more than 40 percent, and
GRANITE CITY - Granite City Works is ready to resume steel production in Granite City, Illinois, restarting one of its two blast furnaces after the Metro East mill has been idle for more than two years, union officials said. The planned restart by April 1, 2026, is being viewed by union members as “a win and an opportunity to prove their worth to new owners." The restart marks another chapter for Granite City steelworkers and a community long dependent on the mill’s labor to fuel th
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led their Democratic colleagues in urging President Donald Trump and the Trump Administration to stop their cruel crusade against Medicaid programs in Democratic-led states, which is undermining the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) that millions of Americans rely on to live safe and independent lives. Their letter to Presiden
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Jim Banks (R-IN)—all members of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for rural Veterans to buy homes by modernizing the VA home appraisal program. The Senators’ bipartisan VA Appraisal Modernization Act would improve Veterans’ and servicemembers’ ability to successfully
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. — The St. Louis County Police Department is investigating the reported abduction of a 5-year-old girl who went missing Monday morning, March 30, 2026, after she was reportedly taken in a stolen vehicle from a residential block in the county. St. Louis County Police said Alesia Dawson was reportedly taken around 8 a.m. from the 8900 block of New Hampshire Avenue. Missouri State Highway Patrol said 5-year-old Dawson was inside an unattended running vehicle when
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans caved and voted in support of a proposal to fund the Transportation Security Agent (TSA), FEMA and other branches of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, except for ICE and Border Patrol. “Let’s be clear: Republicans have voted against Democrats’ proposals to pay TSA agents and fund FEMA and the Coast Guard 14 times. They control the Senate, the House
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure through the Senate that would allow volunteer fire departments to apply for and receive state grants through the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. “This would expand grant opportunities so volunteer fire departments and fire protection districts across Illinois can access the funding they need to repair, upgrade or build their facilities,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “In communities like St. Clair County,
AURORA, Ill. – Aurora University has named Antonia Phillips of Alton, IL, to the Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester. Phillips is majoring in Mathematics. The Dean's List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 3.6 grade-point average or higher. Founded in 1893, Aurora University is a four-year, private, nonprofit, accredited higher education institution located on a 43-acre campus in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The university serves approximately
GRANITE CITY - The Granite City Police Department promoted three officers during a ceremony on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Granite City, elevating one sergeant to lieutenant and two officers to sergeant. The department said it held a promotions ceremony and announced the advancements for Sgt. Andrea Klumpp, Officer Brandon Shellenberg and Officer Scott Penny. Klumpp was promoted to lieutenant, according to the department. Shellenberg and Penny were each promoted to sergeant. “W
A backyard garden can carry ideas that are older than the house beside it. The neat row of carrots, the rose by the fence, even the way you water at dawn—these habits often come from traditions shaped by religion, status, survival, and simple trial and error. Gardening isn’t just “growing plants.” It’s a living scrapbook of human choices. Why gardening traditions formed in the first place Most gardening traditions began for three practical reasons: food, medicine,
The strangest part of cleaning isn’t the work—it’s the mood shift that can happen right after. One minute you’re annoyed at a closet that won’t close. An hour later, you’re standing in the doorway, looking at the same space, feeling oddly calm and capable. Nothing “big” changed. You just moved objects and wiped surfaces. So why does it feel so satisfying? Spring cleaning hits a sweet spot in the brain: visible progress, a sense of control, and
Hitting “reset” feels good even when nothing outside you has changed. Delete a messy email thread. Rearrange the room. Start a new notebook. The relief can be almost physical—like you’ve loosened a tight knot. That reaction is a clue: humans don’t just like renewal. We’re wired to seek it, mark it, and celebrate it. Renewal is emotional first, logical second Renewal is often framed as a practical move: fix what’s broken, improve what’s weak, mov
On March 30, 1856, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Crimean War and reshaping the balance of power in Europe. The war had drawn in the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance led by the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France, and Sardinia-Piedmont on the other, with fighting concentrated around the Black Sea. At the time, the treaty mattered because it stopped a costly conflict and set new rules meant to limit future clashes in a strategically important region. It still matters today because
ALTON — The Alton Fire Department responded to a large brush fire Sunday evening, March 29, 2026, at Alton Materials, located at 15 Hull Lane. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered multiple large brush fires burning across the area. Several power poles were also on fire, The Alton Fire Department said a power line fell, which caused a loud boom that could be heard throughout the area. Due to the size of the fire, a lack of nearby hydrants, and multiple active fires, East Alton, Godfrey,
EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Rotary Club has chosen to honor Edwardsville High School student Alexandra Chong with the Student of the Month Award for March. Alexandra was nominated by Edwardsville High School Math teacher Mollie Rice. Alexandra is the daughter of Rich and Kimberly Chong and she is 17 years old. Alexandra is an Officer in National English Honors Society and is the Captain of the Varsity Girls Wrestling team. She is also a member of Science National Honors Society, National
ALTON — The Boys & Girls Club of Alton Dance Team delivered an outstanding performance at the StarPower Dance Competition, held March 19–22 in Collinsville, Illinois, earning multiple top honors, special awards, and a prestigious national invitation. Under the direction of Ms. Jamirah Meeks, Club staff member and dance instructor, all routines were choreographed in-house—showcasing the talent, discipline, and creativity of Club youth. The team’s group performance, “Show
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College Graphic Designer Tanja Jackson has received a 2025 Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) at the council’s 2026 national conference in March in Washington, D.C. The Silver Paragon Award for Computer-Generated Illustration celebrates Jackson’s original art & design for the River Bend Arena Skybox window, bringing the Trailblazer spirit alive in the recently renovated student space on
On March 29, 1974, the Mariner 10 spacecraft flew past Mercury for the first time, giving humanity its first close-up look at the planet closest to the Sun. Until then, Mercury was mostly a bright point in the sky, hard to study because it stays near the Sun from Earth’s viewpoint. Mariner 10 changed that in a single day by sending back images and measurements that revealed a cratered, Moon-like surface, a surprisingly strong magnetic field, and clues about the planet’s dense interior.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police detectives are investigating an officer-involved shooting early Sunday in the 7500 block of Murdoch Avenue in Shrewsbury, Mo., after a tactical officer shot a suspect during a domestic disturbance call, authorities said. The shooting happened just after 5:32 a.m. Sunday, March 29, 2026, after Shrewsbury Police responded about 2:08 a.m. to a reported domestic disturbance and found a suspect who had forced his way into a home, was armed with a firearm,
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