COLLINSVILLE - Lt. Wilbert "Bud" Jeremias marked the end of a long law enforcement career on Friday, May 8, 2026. He retired after more than 20 years with the Collinsville Police Department in Illinois, the department said. Jeremias began his full-time policing career on May 13, 1998, and joined the Collinsville Police Department on Oct. 3, 2005, after serving at the East St. Louis Police Department. Over his time at Collinsville, Jeremias served as a patrolman, K9 handler, detective,
EDWARDSVILLE – An out-of-state resident accused of concealing $206,000 in criminally derived funds faces money laundering and other charges in Madison County. Jose A. Nava, 46, of Fort Worth, Texas, was charged on May 4, 2026, two counts of money laundering (both Class 2 felonies) and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (a Class 3 felony). On May 1, 2026, Nava allegedly knowingly transported $206,000 in U.S. currency described in charging documents as “criminally
ALTON - This spring, students in the Alton High School Interact Club came together to raise money for the 5A's Animal Shelter and used the proceeds to purchase supplies for the shelter and create adoption starter kits for local families. The AHS Interact Club held a fundraiser competition between advisories, with the winning advisory earning a donut party. Students raised more than $450 largely through the collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. “We encouraged students
JERSEYVILLE — Jersey junior softball sensation Anna Kribs delivered a record-setting performance at home, going 4 for 4 with three doubles and a home run as the Panthers rolled past Highland 11-1 on Monday, May 11, 2026. With the home run, Kribs broke Jersey’s single-season school record with her 10th homer. She also set the program’s single-season RBI mark with 41. She is a Sparklight Female Athlete Of The Month for Jersey. Kribs is hitting .531 this season with 10 doubles.
EAST ALTON/WOOD RIVER - Mark Maendele has spent 30 years teaching at East Alton-Wood River High School, and as he prepares to retire, he’s following his own advice to “smell the roses.” Every year, Maendele takes his students outside and gives his famous Smell the Roses speech. He tells the kids that high school will go faster than they think, and they should get involved and enjoy every part they can. As he reflects on his career, he thinks this is the most important lesson
GRANITE CITY - Granite City High junior pitcher Michael Terry put together a dominant stretch on the mound this past week, going 2-0 with 16 strikeouts over 11 innings as the Warriors picked up wins Monday over Cahokia and later in the week against Carbondale. Terry opened the week in Granite City’s 15-0, four-inning victory over Cahokia on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out four. He followed with a complete-game performance in the Warriors’ 2-1 win over Carbondale, giving
ALTON - From food trucks and a rock-climbing wall to archery and information booths, you can enjoy it all at REC Fest. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rivers Project will host REC Fest at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton. This free festival invites families to come out and enjoy several recreation, education and conservation activities. “There’s something there for everybody,” said Allison with the U.S. Army Corps
BETHALTO - Civic Memorial High School will recognize seniors at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, ahead of the first pitch of the Highland at CM girls softball game, the school announced. Emma Wade and Grace Burton are also Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athletes of the Month for CM. Burton has had a remarkable season with a .309 batting average and a 0.382 on-base percentage, along with 10 RBIs. Grace has 21 hits and “a remarkable fielding percentage of 0.981.”
ALTON - May is Stroke Awareness Month, and a local nurse has advice on how to identify a stroke and how to care for yourself or your loved one after a stroke occurs. Brittany Best, BSN, RN, serves as the stroke navigator at OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center. In this role, she works closely with stroke patients and their loved ones to make sure they receive the best care possible and plenty of education. She shared tips on how to prevent a stroke as well as information about what to do
EDWARDSVILLE - Metro-East Lutheran High School senior Thea Ball has received a President’s Honor Scholarship from Concordia University Chicago, a $0-tuition renewable award given annually to three high school seniors, the school announced. MELHS said Ball will attend Concordia University Chicago in the fall and “wants to serve the Church as a Lutheran Middle School Teacher.” “This $0-tuition renewable scholarship is awarded to only three high school seniors
Unemployment Rate Ticks Up Across All Metro Areas in March Champaign metro payrolls climb to 14 months of consecutive year over year growth SPRINGFIELD, IL. - Among area cities, Edwardsville had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.0% in March 2026, up from 3.1% in March 2025. Alton's unemployment rate increased from 4.3 percent to 5.4 percent from March 2025 to March 2026. O’Fallon’s rate was 4.2%, up from 3.2% a year earlier, and Collinsville’s was 4.1%, up from 3.5%.
JACKSON, Tenn. - Godfrey's Eliana Synder joined 383 students who were named to Union University in Jackson, Tenn., President's List for the spring 2026 semester. The President's List includes full-time students who achieve a 4.0 grade point average on a four-point scale. Founded in 1823 and affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Union University is characterized by quality Christ-centered teaching and learning. Union offers liberal arts training in more than 100 majors and programs
SPRINGFIELD, IL. - The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) is overseeing the construction of a new $42.6 million Library Learning Student Success Center at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). Funded through Governor JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the 55,000-square-foot facility will serve as a resource for academic learning and student support. Construction is currently underway, with many structural components already completed. The grand staircase has been
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products, widely understood to disproportionately worsen youth addiction. Federal law requires that all e-cigarette products receive authorization from the FDA before they can be legally marketed or sold in the United States. The FDA has authorized only 45 e-cigarette
On May 12, 1949, the Soviet Union ended the Berlin Blockade, reopening land and water routes into West Berlin after nearly a year of trying to force the Western Allies out of the city. The blockade mattered immediately because it turned a tense post–World War II standoff into a daily struggle for survival for more than two million Berliners. It still matters because it helped set the pattern for the Cold War: rival systems testing each other’s resolve without direct war, and civilians
MARYVILLE, IL. — As Anderson Hospital joins healthcare organizations across the country in celebrating National Hospital Week, May 10–16, 2026, the hospital is proud to announce its continued recognition as a leader in healthcare excellence, earning a place on Newsweek’s 2026 World’s Best Hospitals list—the fifth consecutive year the hospital has achieved this prestigious honor. This year’s National Hospital Week theme, “Healing Happens Here,” honors
BETHALTO — At Monday night’s Bethalto City Council meeting, Ryan Dugger was officially sworn in as the new Bethalto Police Chief. Dugger, a 2003 graduate of Civic Memorial High School, was unanimously approved by the council for the position. He replaces former Chief Jason Lamb, who was previously placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons. Dugger brings prior leadership experience to the role, having served as police chief in Mount Olive before joining the Bethalto
ALTON – Plans to relax residency requirements for certain Alton city employees are now on hold for the next three years. Committee of the Whole members voted 4-3 on May 11, 2026 to postpone a resolution to consider amending a section of the City Code regarding residency requirements for city employees until April 11, 2029. Under the current City Code, Alton’s non-union employees are required to primarily reside within Alton School District 11, while union employees are allowed
GRAFTON - According to Mayor Mike Morrow, Grafton’s soldiers have arrived home. On Monday, May 11, 2026, a small crowd gathered at the site of the National Memorial of Military Ascent (NMMA) in Grafton to welcome a truck carrying several life-sized statues. These 500-pound statues will be installed on the face of the bluff over the next few days. “Today, the National Memorial of Military Ascent soldiers are deploying to Grafton, Illinois, for duty,” Morrow said. “What
JERSEYVILLE - Paxton Weirich delivered a no-hit performance and helped power Jersey to a 15-0 win over rival Marquette Catholic on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Jerseyville. Weirich, a sophomore, pitched four innings for the no-hitter, striking out eight Marquette batters as Jersey improved to 14-8. Weirich is a Sparklight Female Athlete of the Month for the Jersey Panthers. Jersey built the rout early, scoring five runs in the first inning. The Panthers added one run in the second, erupted for
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