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GODFREY - A local Godfrey resident didn’t think much about it when she discovered a tick bite after sleeping in bed with her dog. Except then she started getting sick. With annual bloodwork coming up and more symptoms appearing every day, the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, called her doctor about testing for tickborne illnesses. It was an “eye roll” moment to even ask, she said, but when the tests came back, both she and her doctor were shocked with the diagnosis:

Press conference can be found here or on the BlueRoom Stream: https://youtu.be/5ofi7zRj6rc Springfield, IL — Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) recently unveiled a legislative package aimed at strengthening protections for children online by addressing social media harms, sexual exploitation, and minors’ access to adult content. The legislative package is designed to put stronger safeguards in place for children

ALTON — Two Alton men have been charged in connection with a Wednesday, April 22, 2026, shooting in the 2200 block of Locust Street in Alton, after investigators presented the case to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office and arrest warrants were signed, police said. Anthony L. Shanklin, a 34-year-old male from Alton, and Samuel J. Chatman, a 31-year-old male from Alton, have each been charged with the following offenses: • Count I: Attempted First Degree Murder

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man accused of robbing someone while armed with a knife has been detained on a major felony charge in Madison County. Donald E. Pleasant III, 28, of Granite City, was charged on April 24, 2026 with one count of armed robbery, a Class X felony. Pleasant allegedly knowingly stole a cross body bag containing personal items from another person by threatening the use of force while armed with a knife on April 23, 2026. A petition to deny Pleasant’s pretrial

EAST ALTON - The East Alton Fire Department will host their inaugural spring barbecue and clay shoot fundraiser. On Saturday, May 2, 2026, community members can stop by the East Alton American Legion Post #794 for the event. Eight teams will participate in the clay shoot earlier in the day, and then the general public can join the fun at 3 p.m. at the legion, where you can enjoy the department’s “nearly famous” barbecue and several raffles. Cabin Fever will play from

GRAFTON — A new memorial honoring U.S. veterans is set to open June 6, 2026, along the Mississippi River in Grafton, with a day of events marking the anniversary of D-Day and featuring the unveiling of a life-size bronze installation of Army Rangers scaling a bluff. The National Memorial of Military Ascent will debut with a morning dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. at 950 E. Main St., followed by an evening D-Day Celebration Dinner & Dance from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City area sex offender has been charged in his latest case of failing to register with local authorities. Jamel C. Jimmerson, 38, listed as homeless, was charged on April 24, 2026 with a Class 2 felony count of unlawful failure to register as a sex offender. On April 23, 2026, Jimmerson allegedly failed to report in person on a weekly basis to the Granite City Police Chief while lacking a fixed address in Granite City, as legally required under the Sex Offender

ALTON - The Alton Youth Symphony will offer a concert titled “An Evening of Service and Americana Music” to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. At 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at St. Paul Episcopal Church in Alton, the symphony’s chamber strings group will perform music from the Civil War to contemporary tunes. Ann Geiler, director of AYS, explained that the goal is to honor service members and celebrate Americana music while showcasing the hard work of the

ALTON - Associated Physicians Group has welcomed a new doctor while Dr. Christopher Green focuses on the new Enhanced Wellness Care program . With locations in Alton, Edwardsville and O’Fallon, Associated Physicians Group is known throughout the area for its top-notch medical care. Especially in Alton, Green and Dr. Scott Morrison noted that they are able to work closely with their staff and nurse practitioners to connect patients with the care they need for primary care, pain

CHICAGO – The Illinois Accountability Commission, housed in the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), today held its fourth public hearing to reveal never-before-seen footage and brand-new eyewitness testimony from specific incidents targeting Illinoisians. Following Governor Pritzker’s directive for the Commission to examine the roles and responsibilities of key Trump Administration officials during the hearings, all current or former architects of Operation Midway Blitz

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today opposed a U.S. Department of Labor proposed rule to dramatically alter the standard for how workers are classified as independent contractors under federal law. Raoul and a coalition of attorneys general and state and city labor agencies submitted comments in opposition to the rule, which would lead to more workers being misclassified as independent contractors and leave them without wage, overtime and other protections tied to employee status.

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 19 attorneys general, sent a comment letter opposing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposed rule that would effectively prevent asylum seekers from obtaining legal employment, which would be economically devastating to them and their families. DHS approves asylum seekers’ applications for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that are necessary to obtain legal work. The proposed rule effectively would pause

ALTON/JERSEYVILLE - The Metro East region, including Alton, Jerseyville, and East Alton, was hit with significant hail during severe storms on Monday, April 27, 2026, according to the National Weather Service. Hail is a form of solid precipitation in the form of ice pellets. “There was a lot of hail yesterday around the region," said Jon Carney, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis. "The largest hail in Madison County was about 2 inches. Jersey had a hail report

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) led 40 of her House colleagues in a letter to REI Co-op urging them to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith, as required by federal law, to reach a fair collective bargaining agreement with unionized workers at stores across the country. The letter was co-led by Rep. Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Norcross (NJ-01), Pocan (WI-02), Dingell (MI-06), and Horsford (NV-04).

ALTON — Centerstone hosts an event focused on connection, mental health awareness and hope Thursday, May 7, 2026, at its Alton office. Centerstone team members invite the community to the unveiling of “The Weight of the Shadow” sculpture by artist Ariana Berman and commissioned by Lucas McKenney. The piece represents the unseen emotional burdens many individuals carry with them through their daily lives. “This piece is more than art, it’s an invitation to pause,

STAUNTON – Lily Dothager and Vivienne Dothager, both of Staunton, have each earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting. Lily earned her Gold Award by providing much needed renovation to Staunton Fireman's Park bathrooms. Vivienne developed an Everyone Understands Kindness initiative to promote understanding and education about the deaf and hard of hearing community. Lily Dothager – Park It: Staunton Fireman's Park Bathroom Remodel Lily wanted to better

GRANITE CITY — More than 130 high school students from across the Metro-East and the surrounding region gathered at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) for the 2026 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Showcase—an event designed to highlight student talent and connect education directly to workforce opportunities. Hosted at SWIC’s Sam Wolf Granite City Campus, the event featured hands-on competitions in carpentry, welding, health sciences, education, marketing, and advanced

The “fresh” smell after rain isn’t just clean air—it’s a chemical signal that life is waking up, soil is breathing, and plants are quietly sending messages. That scent feels comforting because it’s familiar and because your nose is picking up a real mix of compounds released when water hits dry ground and leaves. Some of those chemicals come from bacteria in the soil. Others come from plants under stress. A few even come from the air itself. Together, they

On April 28, 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was executed by anti-fascist partisans near Lake Como, just days before the end of World War II in Europe. At the time, his death marked the collapse of fascist rule in Italy and signaled how quickly wartime power could unravel when military defeat and public support both disappeared. It still matters because it helped shape Italy’s postwar transition away from dictatorship, influenced how Europe dealt with former authoritarian leaders,

ALTON - The Alton Police Department has filed charges against a St. Louis man after investigators say he robbed a convenience store at gunpoint and was arrested minutes later while trying to break into another business. Alton Police said the investigation began about 8:56 a.m. April 26, 2026, when officers were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery at the Phillips 66 convenience store at 1660 E. Broadway in Alton, Illinois. A male suspect, later identified as Jesse J. Williams, 35, of St.