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ALTON - St. Mary’s Catholic School will host an open house so families can learn more about the school and the education it provides. From 12–2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2025, community members are invited to St. Mary’s elementary school in Alton to meet with teachers, tour the classrooms, and learn more about the St. Mary’s community. Principal Mary Rivera looks forward to sharing information about the school with parents and prospective families. “It is

ROXANA — The Roxana Shells cheerleading squad secured fourth place in the Small Varsity Division at a competition held Saturday, earning a spot in the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) State Competition scheduled for January 2026 in Springfield. The Roxana girls are Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athletes of the Month. The Shells’ performance qualified them to join other top teams from the region, including Columbia, East Alton-Wood River, Farmington

WOOD RIVER - Hailey Handler, a senior at East Alton-Wood River High School, has been recognized for her dedication and resilience in basketball. Handler, who has played the sport since fourth grade, credits her persistence through numerous injuries and her competitive nature for earning this acknowledgment. Handler is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Oilers. Handler expressed gratitude toward her parents for their unwavering support and belief in her abilities.

CHICAGO — An Illinois iLottery player has kicked off the new year in a big way, becoming Illinois’ first $1 million winner of a draw-based lottery game in 2026, after scoring the Lucky Day Lotto® jackpot in yesterday evening’s drawing. The winning online ticket for the Sunday, January 4 evening drawing matched all five numbers to capture the $1 million prize. The winning numbers were: 19-28-30-40-42. In total, nearly 32,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets were purchased

GODFREY - Godfrey will temporarily suspend its yard waste drop-off site on Stamper Lane for the winter after Jan. 10, 2026, village officials announced. The site is scheduled to reopen in mid-March, weather permitting. Residents with full bags of yard waste during the closure can arrange limited drop-off by calling (618) 466-1483 for scheduling. Existing yard waste bag stickers will remain valid throughout the suspension period. In addition, Christmas trees will be accepted for recycling through

EDWARDSVILLE — David A. Murray of Bethalto has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to failure to report an accident resulting in death, a Class 1 felony, in Madison County. Murray entered his guilty plea on April 28, 2025, to the charge stemming from a Dec. 29, 2024, crash on Humbert Road in Alton. The accident resulted in the death of Steven J. Coryell, 58, at the scene of the accident. According to court documents, Murray, the driver of a 2017 Ford F-150, failed

EAST ST. LOUIS — The Illinois State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a 40-year-old woman dead near a convenience store in East St. Louis on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. The incident occurred around 10:08 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, near the 4500 block of South State Street in East St. Louis as troopers were responding to a report of a stolen vehicle. According to preliminary information, troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver reversed and struc

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police are investigating a homicide that occurred early Monday morning, Jan. 5, 2026, in the 2000 block of Switzer Avenue in Jennings. Officers from the City of Jennings Precinct responded at 2:27 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, to a shooting report, where they found an adult male who had been shot. St. Louis County Police said the victim died at the scene from his injuries. Detectives from the Bureau of Crimes Against Persons are leading the investigation, whic

EAST ST. LOUIS — The Finance Team at East St. Louis School District 189 received high marks after an external audit was presented recently during a meeting of the District 189 Financial Oversight Panel. Auditors from Baker Tilly delivered their findings at the panel meeting, confirming that the district earned an unmodified audit opinion, commonly referred to as a "clean" audit. This designation represents the most favorable outcome under auditing standards. “Our Financ

WEST ALTON - Sallie Mottley and her children are seeking community support following the sudden death of her husband, Ronald Mottley, who was found deceased after a car accident in West Alton, Mo., on Missouri Highway 367 on Dec. 26, 2025. The accident occurred when their family vehicle went off the road, flipped upside down, and landed in a line of trees. Authorities believe Ronald may have suffered a massive heart attack, which caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Fortunately,

JERSEYVILLE – A recent alleged domestic violence incident has resulted in a new felony charge against an area man with a violent criminal past. David A. Depper, 39, listed as homeless out of Kane, was charged on Jan. 2, 2026 with one count of domestic battery, a Class 4 felony. Depper allegedly committed an act of domestic battery and caused bodily harm to a household or family member on Dec. 31, 2025. Charging documents note Depper had previously been convicted of domestic battery in

GODFREY - Godfrey officials announced that Pierce Lane will be temporarily closed to through traffic starting Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, to allow Illinois American Water and its subcontractor, Loellke Plumbing, to retire an old water main line and complete related improvements. The closure will affect the section of Pierce Lane between Surrey Court and West Delmar and is expected to last one week, reopening by Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. The closure zone will begin just south of Surrey Court and extend

WOOD RIVER — The Wood River Fire Department responded Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, to the 800 block of State Street after an SUV ran off the road and struck a house. Firefighters arriving on the scene found the SUV had collided with the corner of the home, causing damage. Alton Memorial Ambulance personnel treated the driver at the location. It remains unclear whether anyone was inside the house at the time of the accident. The Wood River Police Department is currently investigating the

January 5th has long been a date marked by remarkable events that have shaped the course of history across the globe. One of the most impactful global events to occur on January 5th was in 1933, when construction began on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. This monumental engineering feat not only connected the city to Marin County but also became a symbol of American ingenuity and perseverance during the Great Depression. The bridge’s construction was a massive

This morning starts off with a mild 43 degrees under intermittent clouds. By mid-morning, expect a mix of sun and high clouds setting a pleasant tone for the day. Afternoon highs reach around 56 degrees with winds coming from the south at about 8 mph, gusting up to 20 mph, making it feel just slightly cooler. The sun will be shining intermittently through the afternoon, keeping it dry and comfortable. As evening approaches, partly cloudy skies settle in, with temperatures dropping to the mid-40s.

EDWARDSVILLE - Claire Berger is a swimmer for Father McGivney Catholic High, and swam a great program in the IHSA girls sectional meet in November 2025 at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center in Edwardsville. Although she didn't qualify for the state meet, Berger fared very well in the sectional, finishing fifth in the 200-yard freestyle, coming in at 3:08.35, finishing eighth in the 100-yard butterfly at 1:08.53, and swam lead-off in the 200-yard freestyle relay, where the Griffins finished eighth

EDWARDSVILLE - Joi Story, a senior this coming season on the Edwardsville High School girls track team, signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Texas in Austin to compete on the women's track team. Story had an outstanding season this past spring for the Tigers, finishing fifth in the shot put, with a throw of 12.33 meters (40 feet, 5.5 inches), and also placed third in the discus throw with a toss of 42.35 meters (138 feet, 11 inches). Story is a rising star on the local and

GLEN CARBON - Issac Wendler, who was a key part of Father McGivney Catholic's run to the IHSA Class 1A baseball state championship game last season, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Illinois-Springfield. Wendler will be joining teammate Ben Sink as a member of the Prairie Stars in the spring of 2027, and the two are expected to do well at UIS. Wendler is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for the Griffins. He's a good all-around baseball

BETHALTO - Coach Lee Green of Civic Memorial’s boys basketball team highlighted senior guard Charlie Kilpatrick as a key contributor to the Eagles’ season in 2025-2026. Kilpatrick, a 6-foot-1 senior, has been a consistent scorer, averaging around eight points per game this year. Kilpatrick is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Male Athlete of the Month for CM. Kilpatrick has been a part-time starter since his sophomore year and started all 32 games last season. “We now look

BUNKER HILL — The Bunker Hill Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, morning on Bluebird Lane in rural Bunker Hill. When firefighters arrived on scene at the farmhouse, it was fully involved, fire officials said. The Shipman and Brighton Fire Departments also assisted at the scene, providing mutual aid. The farmhouse was vacant at the time of the fire and appeared to be a total loss. No injuries were reported.