EDWARDSVILLE - Early voting is underway in Madison County ahead of the March 17, 2026, general primary election, giving voters the option to cast ballots before Election Day at designated sites across the county. Madison County Clerk Lynda Andreas said early voting is intended to make the process more convenient. “Early Voting makes voting easier for almost everyone,” Andreas said. “You don’t have to wait in line at the polling place and can vote when it fits your schedule.”
GRAFTON - As Valentine’s Day approaches, the people and businesses in Grafton welcome visitors to enjoy a weekend of hotel stays, restaurant specials and more fun. Paula Jameson, who oversees Enjoy Grafton , and Jacqi Kamp, owner of Spring Hollow Hideaway , noted that Valentine’s Day weekend is a great chance to come out and see everything Grafton has to offer. But they emphasized that the town has plenty of exciting events and amenities available all year long. “Ge
EDWARDSVILLE - The Metro-East Lutheran High School boys bowling team closed its season with a string of standout performances, highlighted by career-best scores from multiple players. The Knights' boys squad was named Spencer Homes Male Athletes of the Month. The Metro East Lutheran Knights boys bowlers were on a roll at the end of the season. At the boys' regional, the Knights' Brady Mueth set a career-best series score of 445. In a recent dual match, Metro-East Lutheran defeated
CALHOUN COUNTY - A $50 million federal investment is reshaping wetlands and recreation access along the rugged western side of Calhoun County, Illinois, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Louis District is overseeing a multi-phase restoration effort around Red’s Landing and Gilead Slough as part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said work is scheduled as part of a broader cycle of projects planned through 2036, with
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Metropolitan Police continued investigating the fatal shooting of William Palmer after officers found him shot in Downtown St. Louis early Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, and prosecutors charged Brittany Rivoire with first-degree murder and other offenses. Officers were called to the 300 block of North 9th Street at about 2:30 a.m., according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Police said officers discovered Palmer shot and contacted EMS, but he died at the scene.
ST. LOUIS - Riyen Jones is seeking support after her fiancé, William Palmer, was killed Feb. 1, 2026, after she said he stopped to help a woman who asked for a ride to a warming shelter. Palmer, a Troy, Mo., man, was found shot early Sunday and was pronounced dead at the scene, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said. Brittany Rivoire, 36, is accused of fatally shooting Palmer and then stealing and abandoning his truck after he stopped to offer her a ride. “My fiancé
EDWARDSVILLE - Early voting opened on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at the Madison County Administration Building in Edwardsville at 8:30 a.m., but by 9:15 a.m. only seven ballots had been cast in the party primaries — not because of voter apathy, but because the clerk’s office had only one voting machine operating. Voters were forced into a single-file process, waiting for the person ahead of them to complete voting before receiving a ballot. The result was a near standstill during the
JERSEYVILLE – With early voting officially underway, here’s a look at the Jersey County candidates running in the March 17, 2026 primary elections. Two Republican candidates are seeking a spot as the next Jersey County Treasurer. Jonathan Goetten is challenging current Treasurer Rebecca Strang, who was appointed to fill a vacancy left by the previous treasurer, Katie Abbey, before she was charged with stealing over $10,000 in county funds for her personal use. The most crowded
Chocolate didn’t become “romantic” because it’s sweet. It became romantic because people learned to treat it like a message. Hand someone a small box tied with a ribbon and you’re not just giving candy. You’re sending a signal: I noticed you. I chose this. I want you to feel good. That idea—chocolate as a personal, meaningful gift—took centuries to form. It was shaped by medicine, money, advertising, and a few powerful cultural habits that still
On February 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II after the death of her father, King George VI. The change happened suddenly, while she was traveling in Kenya, and it set in motion one of the longest and most closely watched reigns in modern history. At the time, it mattered because Britain and many other countries were still recovering from World War II and adjusting to a rapidly changing world. A new monarch became a symbol of continuity during an era of rebuilding, decolonization,
Friday morning starts chilly with clear skies and a low near 21 degrees. The day will be mostly sunny and breezy with northwest winds gusting up to 32 mph. Temperatures rise to a high of around 44 degrees in the afternoon, but it will feel colder in the wind. By evening, skies stay clear as temperatures drop back to the low 20s overnight with north winds easing moderately. Saturday will be sunny again but cooler with a high around 37 degrees and a low near 26. Winds will be light from the east-southeast
JERSEYVILLE - The Friends of the Jerseyville Public Library report they have set fundraising goals for 2026. They plan to assist with digitizing the Jersey Community High School yearbooks, ongoing improvements of the older buildings and repair of the 1902 grandfather clock. To kick start their goals they are encouraging attending “All American Trivia Night” on Saturday, March 14, 6:00 p.m., at the KC Hall in Jerseyville. The Friends promise this trivia night will be easier and just
EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host the 62nd Annual Lincoln Laureates Convocation and Investiture, where Governor JB Pritzker will confer the state’s highest civilian honor for professional achievement and public service to five distinguished Illinois residents. Hosted by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois , the next cohort of Lincoln Laureates will receive the Order of Lincoln the evening of Saturday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m. in SIUE’s Dunham Hall Theater,
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit supporting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in defending its “Building for the Future Through Electric Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation” order. The order requires electric transmission providers to engage in long-term planning for regional transmission facilities and consider evolving demand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now leading the investigation into the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is demanding U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel to immediately remove any Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents from the investigation. Duckworth’s letter follows the news that HSI agents were originally
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing on fraud in Minnesota. As Durbin made clear in his opening remarks, today’s hearing failed to examine the full breadth of fraud occurring in the United States, including within the Trump Administration. Rather, the Subcommittee use
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the leadership of Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi one year since her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. “A year ago, the United States Senate voted to confirm Pam Bondi as Attorney General. As I said during her confirmation hearing last year, the Attorney General must be
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with the leadership and members of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 54 private non-profit colleges across Illinois. During their meeting, Durbin and Duckworth spoke about the Trump Administration’s continued attacks on higher education, including limitations on financial support for students and pushing policies that
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, filed a comment letter opposing a federal proposal to eliminate minimum staffing standards and other comprehensive regulations for long-term health care facilities. “These standards increase access to long-term care, protect vulnerable patients, improve care and help to prevent fraud,” Raoul said. “I urge this administration to ensure that minimum staffing requirements are in place,
EDWARDSVILLE - Metro-East Lutheran’s boys basketball team has had a big week. The Knights picked up back-to-back wins this week, defeating Father McGivney Catholic on Tuesday and Southwestern on Wednesday, and will host rival Maryville Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The boys' team stands as Spencer Homes Male Athletes of the Month for MELHS. Metro-East Lutheran led all the way in a 56-42 Gateway Metro Conference upset over Father McGivney at Hooks Gym. Father McGivney scored 14 points
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