SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Senate has joined the Illinois House of Representatives in adopting HJR 6 on Thursday to designate Illinois Route 140 as it travels through Meadowbrook as the ‘Cpl. Tommy N. Miller Memorial Highway’. The resolution was sponsored in the House by State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) and in the Senate by State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon). “We have been working to get this road-naming resolution passed for five years now,”
EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville is inviting the community to attend as the Goshen Commons downtown park project takes a big step forward. Mayor Art Risavy and City officials will be joined by Rep. Katie Stuart and other guests at 9 a.m. Monday, April 20, 2026, for a groundbreaking at the site of the planned pedestrian plaza and park space in the heart of downtown Edwardsville. Goshen Commons will repurpose one block of St. Louis Street between North Main Street and Second Street
JERSEYVILLE – Short term rental properties across Jersey County will be subject to a new 5% tax after recent County Board approval of certain Hotel and Motel Tax changes. Jersey County Board members approved a recommendation from the county’s Legislative Committee to codify changes to the Hotel and Motel Tax Ordinance on April 16, 2026. County Board Member Jeremy Beasley cast the sole vote against codifying the changes. County Board Chairman Gary Krueger said Jersey County will
BETHALTO — Bethalto Police Chief Jason Lamb has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to the Bassett-Gabriel Law Office. The law firm confirmed Friday morning, April 17, 2026, that Lamb is on paid administrative leave. Bassett & Gabriel Law Office, PC is the Village Of Bethalto Attorney. The law office said it could not release any other information at this time about the investigation. Lamb was placed on administrative leave in early March 2026. Bethalto Mayor Gary Bost
EDWARDSVILLE - Senior citizens connected with students at Edwardsville High School’s inaugural Senior Breakfast. On Friday, April 17, 2026, senior community members were invited to the high school for a free breakfast, where they also heard updates about the district and enjoyed orchestra and choir performances by students. Administrators expressed their gratitude for these community members and were eager to welcome them to the newly renovated high school. “It’s special,”
JERSEYVILLE – Residents across Jersey County will soon have access to the Jerseyville city dump site with newly added recycling services under a recently approved partnership between the city and county. Jersey County Board members unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Jerseyville regarding recycling at their April 16, 2026 meeting. Vice Chairman Mark Wagner said the county will be responsible for the hauling of recyclables to the dump and associated costs,
The weirdest part of a “perfectly normal” night is waking up at 3 a.m. and feeling wide awake for no clear reason. You went to bed on time. You didn’t drink coffee late. And yet your sleep feels lighter, choppier, and easier to lose. That pattern often has less to do with willpower and more to do with what’s happening outside your window. Spring weather changes several of the body’s sleep cues at once—light, temperature, humidity, and even the air you breathe.
On April 17, 1961, a U.S.-backed force of Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs on Cuba’s southern coast, aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government. The invasion quickly unraveled, ending in a decisive defeat for the attackers. At the time, it mattered because it exposed the limits of covert power and pushed the United States and Cuba into a deeper, more hostile standoff. It still matters today because it helped lock the Caribbean into Cold War rivalries, strengthened Cuba’s
ALTON - OSF St. Anthony’s Wound Care Center of Excellence has been awarded the prestigious Center of Distinction award by Healogics ® , the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92 percent. This recognition is a testament to the exceptional care and dedication demonstrated by the Center’s physicians, leaders, and
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt’s measure to increase access to life-saving mental health resources and strengthen suicide prevention efforts across the state passed the Senate. “This legislation strengthens access to support for individuals facing a mental health crisis,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This will also give students tools and lessons to understand their feelings and know where to turn for help.” Belt’s measure would require numerou
ALTON - The Alton Police Department said charges have been filed in connection with a shots-fired investigation stemming from an April 11, 2026, incident on East 4th Street, citing the use of video evidence and license plate reader technology to identify vehicles involved. “This case is a strong example of how technology, teamwork, and persistent investigative work can quickly lead to those responsible for reckless and dangerous behavior,” Chief Jarrett Ford said. “Gun violenc
ALTON – A Missouri man accused of fleeing from multiple Madison County law enforcement agencies within two days faces charges in two felony cases. Jeremy W. Chaffin, 46, of Troy, Mo., was charged on April 2, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer in a case presented by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. In a separate but similar case presented by the Alton Police Department on the same day, Chaffin faces four total counts
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday, April 16, 2026, sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of a five-year-old to 30 years in prison. When Marshall Williams, 41, pleaded guilty in November to one count of production of child pornography, he admitted sexually abusing the victim and recording the abuse with his cell phone in March of 2024. After the victim’s aunt found the videos, she alerted the victim’s mother and they confronted Williams,
O’FALLON, IL — A goose that returned to O’Fallon Public Safety property this spring 2026 for the third consecutive year to lay eggs has been given space by officers to keep her safe, said O’Fallon Police. The department asked the public to help name her through a vote on its police Facebook page. The name selected was Sgt. Waddles, O'Fallon Police said. On April 16, 2026, the O’Fallon Police Department announced that “Sgt. Waddles” had “welcomed
GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic High School senior Liam Schmidt was honored as one of 26 students selected to the Illinois High School Association All-Academic Team, the school said recently, recognizing achievements that extend beyond athletic competition. The school said the honor requires athletes to be All-State, compete in multiple sports, and maintain strong grades. Schmidt is also a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for the Griffins. In outdoor track
O'FALLON, Ill. - The O’Fallon Police Department has introduced a new Blue Envelope Program, a voluntary and free initiative developed in partnership with The Autism Hero Project to support safer, more positive interactions between police and individuals on the autism spectrum. The department said the program provides an identifiable blue envelope that can be presented during contact with an O’Fallon Police officer. The envelope is intended to serve as a visual cue that
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 33 other attorneys general today won their lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster after a jury found that the companies violated federal and state antitrust laws by eliminating competition and driving up costs for fans, artists and venues across the country. After a five-week trial, the jury found that Raoul and the coalition successfully proved that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have unlawfully maintained an
EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is recognizing its telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, observed April 12-18, 2026, highlighting the role dispatchers play in answering 911 calls and coordinating emergency responses in Madison County. “This week, the Madison County Sheriff's Office proudly recognizes and celebrates our dedicated telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week,” the office said
April is National Donate Life Month, and few people understand the value of that kind of gift more than April Post of Normal, Illinois. The busy single mom is now living her best life because of someone else’s sacrifice. Post has been through it before. In high school, she was diagnosed with kidney failure after a routine physical showed significant lost kidney function due to a complication from a birth defect. Post’s dad was her living donor then. She was 13 and thrived for almos
MADISON – A Madison resident accused of firing a weapon at three women and initiating a shootout has been released from custody while facing felony charges. Jasper A. Belt, 29, of Madison, Ill., was charged on April 6, 2026 with three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, each Class 1 felonies. Belt is accused of knowingly discharging a firearm in the direction of three different women on April 3, 2026. A petition to deny Belt’s pretrial release from custody was filed
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