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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police’s (ISP) crime reduction efforts in the Metro East continue to make communities safer with the fewest number of homicides in East St. Louis in at least 45 years . In 2020, to combat the seemingly intractable problem of gun violence in East St. Louis and ensure investigations are handled professionally and with integrity, ISP created the Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), a national urban policing model. PSEG is reducing crime

EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. Candidates for Madison County Clerk and Recorder — Linda Andreas and Kurt Prenzler — spoke about their platforms. During the candidate forum on Feb. 25, 2026, Republicans Andreas and Prenzler introduced themselves and answered questions about the job. Andreas, the incumbent, shared that she comes from a military family and has a nursing and education

EAST ALTON — The East Alton Fire Department had another busy day Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, responding to a brush fire in the 200 block of Virginia Street. As firefighters were leaving the station, heavy black smoke was visible from the area, prompting a request for mutual aid. Wood River Fire Department and Roxana Fire Department also responded to assist. Upon arrival, crews encountered smoke and flames coming from a brushy area next to a house. It appeared that brush and junk were

EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville has begun construction of The Courthouse 618 at Plummer Family Park. On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, community leaders gathered at Plummer Family Park for a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the construction of The Courthouse 618, an indoor recreational facility that will be located within the park. The 50,000-square-foot facility will host the Parks & Recreation Department’s youth and adult basketball leagues with five high school regulation-size

MADISON – A local woman faces felony charges after allegedly throwing a “Molotov cocktail” towards an occupied home in Madison. Kimberley A. Watson, 60, of Madison, Ill., was charged on Feb. 19, 2026 with one count each of attempted aggravated arson and possession of an explosive or incendiary device, both Class 1 felonies. Watson is accused of possessing a flammable liquid within a glass container which charging documents state is “commonly known as a Molotov cocktail,”

QUINCY/ALTON - 89 years ago, on Feb. 25, 1937, Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. of Quincy, Illinois, enlisted as a cadet in the Army Air Corps, a step that preceded his later role as the pilot of the Enola Gay. He is shown in front of the famed aircraft above. This aircraft dropped the first atomic bomb in history on Hiroshima during World War II. Tibbets, who later became a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, attended Western Military Academy in Upper Alton, Illinois, in the late 1920s

EAST ALTON - Chris Carpenter, a 20-year-old from East Alton, is undergoing multiple surgeries for severe second- and third-degree burns after a fire destroyed his family’s home, and relatives have launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical costs and the family’s homeowners' insurance deductible as they begin rebuilding. The fundraiser was organized by Nathan-Janae Hausman and Marissa Carpenter. In the GoFundMe description, the organizers wrote that Steve Carpenter and his wife,

ST. LOUIS – Today, Mayor Cara Spencer warned that St. Louis residents should expect significant service cuts and mass layoffs for City staff if the budget certified by the state-controlled Board of Police Commissioners for the Police Department is finalized at its current amounts. The budget certified today by the Board would balloon the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department budget to over $250 million. This $250 million figure does not include the required retirement costs, like FICA

MILWAUKEE, WISC. - Saputo Cheese USA Inc. (SUSA or Saputo) is voluntarily recalling select cottage cheese products produced by SUSA due to the possibility of liquid dairy ingredients used in the items not being fully pasteurized according to state regulatory standards. While no illnesses or hospitalizations associated with the recalled products have been reported to date, consuming products that are not fully pasteurized can pose a significant health risk, especially to the young and elderly

ALTON – Time is running out to be part of one of the region’s most inspiring and impactful evenings of the year. YWCA Women of Distinction Celebration returns on Thursday evening, March 12, 2026, at LCCC “The Commons” — and this is the final call to reserve your seat. This year’s powerful theme, “The Power of Her,” honors the extraordinary strength, leadership, and influence of women who are shaping our communities and changing lives. More than

JERSEYVILLE - Community members can support athletics in Jersey County while watching local kids compete in a 3v3 basketball tournament. Starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 1, 2026, kids in third through eighth grade will compete in the tournament at Jersey Community High School. Parents and community members are invited to watch at $5 per person, with free tickets for children ages 5 and under and military. Proceeds go back to Junior Panther Athletics, a group that aims to provide athletic

Red can make a heartbeat feel louder. Think about how often love is shown in red: roses, hearts, lipstick, Valentine’s cards, even the little notification badge on your phone. It’s so common that it feels natural. But the link between red and love isn’t just a design habit. It comes from how our bodies react to red, what red signals in nature, and the stories and traditions people have built around it for centuries. Red feels like the body, not just a color One reason red

This morning starts off mostly sunny with temperatures near 33 degrees. The air feels just a bit colder at 29, so a light jacket is a good idea if you're heading out early. By the afternoon, expect mostly sunny skies with highs reaching around 58 degrees. Light southeast winds will blow at about 6 mph, with gusts nearing 9 mph, making it a comfortable day to be outside. The sun will set around 5:50 p.m., bringing clear skies into the evening. Overnight, temperatures dip back down to a low near 3

The most far-reaching event tied to February 26 is the 1991 expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait City during the Gulf War. After Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait in August 1990, a U.S.-led coalition assembled under United Nations resolutions to push Iraqi troops out. By late February 1991, coalition ground forces had moved quickly, and on February 26 Kuwait’s capital was effectively back under Kuwaiti control. It mattered immediately because it ended the occupation’s central grip

ALTON – A section of Fosterburg Road in Alton is one step closer to receiving improvements. Alton City Council members unanimously approved a Joint Funding Agreement between the city and the Illinois Department of Transportation for improvements to Fosterburg Road at their Feb. 25, 2026 meeting. The funding agreement covers the first two phases of preliminary engineering for pavement widening and resurfacing on Fosterburg Road. These improvements will span 0.46 miles from 0.1 miles

EAST ALTON - East Alton Fire Chief Jeremy Diveley reflected on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, about the massive fire in the Wilshire Strip Mall early Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, 2026. One point he wanted to emphasize was how important all the fire agencies were when the box alarms went out for the fire. He also stressed the importance of the system for East Alton and other departments in the region. “The mutual aid system we utilize is vital to small departments like ours,” Diveley said

EAST ALTON - East Alton Fire Chief Jeremy Diveley said the fire in the Wilshire Strip Mall area early Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, 2026, was devastating for not only residents and those who still worked and owned businesses in the buildings. He pointed out that residents depend on the businesses at the Wilshire Strip Mall, as the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office investigates a fire that broke out Tuesday at the East Alton shopping center. Drone photos above are by Doug Booten. Diveley

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a Mexican national to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor. Giovanni Falcon, 41, began messaging a 15-year-old girl on Instagram in 2024 using an alias. In July and August of that year, Falcon sent the victim images of his genitals. Falcon then repeatedly engaged in sexual contact with the victim. On Aug. 13, 2024, the victim’s father contacted the St. Ann Police Department after discovering the explici

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. - In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Illinois, released the college's Dean's List for Fall 2025. Brighton's Madison Seymour is on the Dean's List for the fall at Trinity Christian College. The Dean’s List is Trinity Christian College’s highest academic honor. It is recognized for traditional undergraduate students who achieve a semester GPA of 3.5 or better in 12 or more credits with grade points.

BELLEVILLE - College students and community members can come together for a Take Back the Night walk. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) in Belleville will host the annual demonstration and resource fair, which aims to raise awareness about sexual assault prevention and resources during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The walk starts at 7 p.m. on SWIC’s Quad and will progress throughout campus, followed by a few speakers in the theater. “It’s