EDWARDSVILLE - The Scott Credit Union Community Foundation has awarded four grants to District #7 schools, supporting projects across six schools as part of its With You Grants, part of a larger initiative that has provided $150,000 to support 57 student-centered projects across Illinois and Missouri this year. The With You Grants Program is funded through the Foundation’s annual golf scramble and a percentage of purchases made by members using their Scott Credit Union debit cards.
COLLINSVILLE - Community members can have fun and support Hope Animal Rescues at their upcoming trivia night. On Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at the Madison County Fireman’s Hall in Collinsville, hundreds of people will come together for a game-themed trivia night to support the nonprofit animal rescue. Hope Animal Rescues saves dogs on the day they are to be euthanized. Profits from the trivia night will go toward the dogs’ vet care and spay and neuter bills. “The money that
LIVINGSTON – An 81-year-old area man accused of possessing explicit material depicting children under 13 remains in custody pending felony charges in Madison County. Jerry W. Harper, 81, with a listed address at a motel in Livingston, Ill., was charged on Jan. 8, 2026 with five counts of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), each Class 2 felonies. The day prior on Jan. 7, Harper was allegedly found in possession of multiple explicit photos depicting children under the age of 13. The Madison
JERSEY - Jersey senior Abe Kribs is leading his basketball team with strong performances as they prepare to face Triad on Friday night, Jan. 9, 2026. Kribs, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound forward, is averaging 11 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, both team highs, along with 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals per contest. He is also shooting 63 percent from the free-throw line. Kribs is a Sparklight Male Athlete Of The Month for the Jersey Panthers varsity basketball squad. Matt Murphy, head coach of the Jersey
MARYVILLE - Edward LaRue, 82, and Marlene Parsons, 78, exchanged wedding vows in the pool at the Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA in Maryville, Illinois, in mid-December 2025. The ceremony, held at 1 Maryville Town Center Drive, included family, friends, and even a lifeguard who participated in the event. The couple, who began dating in December 2023, met at the Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA pool, which inspired their choice of venue. LaRue proposed shortly after, but Parsons waite
SPRINGFIELD - Gov. JB Pritzker signed a controversial energy bill into law yesterday. Critics say Senate Bill 25 will raise energy rates by $8 billion while leaving families and businesses with a less reliable energy supply. State Representative Kevin Schmidt said the legislation will create more burdens in his District which is why he voted no on SB25: “Under the guise of 'green energy,' Illinoisans will see higher rates, less production, and a less reliable energy supply,”
EAST ST. LOUIS — East St. Louis School District 189 hosted its annual Alumni Panel on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, bringing together nine former East St. Louis High School Flyers to share insights with current seniors preparing for college and career paths. The event, organized by the district’s College & Career Readiness Team, took place during the holiday break and featured alumni who are currently attending colleges such as Howard University, Southern Illinois University
O'FALLON, IL. — The O’Fallon Police Department issued a reminder Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, about the laws governing electric scooters and e-bikes in Illinois, aiming to address concerns over safety and compliance following a surge in their use since Christmas of 2025. "We figured it may be time to provide the citizens with current laws about the use of these items in the city/state," the O'Fallon Police Department said. "It amazes our officers how many children/teens are riding these
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that $27.8 million in funding for local projects she secured as part of the federal budget process has passed out of the full House of Representatives. After two years of obstruction from House Republicans, the bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to be passed and signed into law. “I promised my district that I would not rest until these dollars were brought home. Today, we are one step closer
GODFREY – A local woman who acted swiftly to help save the occupants of a burning home is Godfrey’s latest Good Neighbor Award recipient. Tamara Jones was presented with this month’s Good Neighbor Award by Trustee Sarah Woodman at the Jan. 6, 2026 Public Safety Committee meeting. Woodman said Jones was leaving her home in the Seasons Subdivision one afternoon last October when she saw what appeared to be smoke rising from a house in her neighborhood. “Tamara could hav
If cold air directly caused illness, every walk to the mailbox would come with a guaranteed sore throat. Yet the idea that “being out in the cold will make you sick” is one of the most stubborn health beliefs around. It shows up in family warnings, school rules, and everyday routines—like bundling up a child who insists they “feel fine.” So why do so many people connect cold weather to colds and flu, even though viruses are the real cause? The quick truth: cold
If you’ve ever stayed up late to finish a paper or meet a deadline, you’ve probably said you were “burning the midnight oil.” But the phrase isn’t just a colorful way to describe a long night—it’s a leftover from a time when late-night work had a literal smell, flicker, and cost. Why this phrase still feels so familiar Even with bright LED lamps and glowing laptop screens, “burning the midnight oil” still hits a nerve. It captures a specific
Taken together, January 9 shows how single decisions—by inventors, leaders, activists, and artists—can ripple outward for decades. In 1431, the trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, in what is now France. Captured during the Hundred Years’ War, Joan was accused of heresy and other charges by a church court aligned with English political interests. The proceedings were shaped by the conflict of the era: control of territory, legitimacy of rulers, and the power of religious institutions.
BUZZ MAGAZINE – A new book on Illinois’ leaders and actions in the Revolutionary War helps celebrate America 250th anniversary with an array of little-known stories to inspire and excite readers. Illinois in the Revolutionary War provides fast-moving, easy-to-read narrative on the events that took place in present-day Illinois during the American Revolution, forty years before statehood. Many of the stories in the book have been overlooked in the 250 years since they happened. Writt
Friday kicks off with a chilly start near 37 degrees. It stays breezy in the morning with some sunshine breaking through the clouds. By afternoon, temperatures climb to a high of 51 degrees under partly sunny skies and winds from the north-northwest around 10 to 23 mph gusts. Evening brings mostly cloudy conditions and a couple of light showers arrive late, continuing overnight with lows dipping to 37. Winds ease to around 6 mph from the northeast. Allergy levels remain low with good air quality.
BUZZ MAGAZINE – Country Bend Campground in Litchfield was recntly recognized with an ANDIES Award at this year’s Campground Owner’s Expo (COE) in Branson, Missouri in December, earning top honors for excellence in its new rack card design. The ANDIES AWARDS were created by Anderson’s Brochure Distribution Service to highlight outstanding print marketing in the outdoor hospitality and tourism industries. Country Bend Campground was one of just a handful of campgrounds
JERSEYVILLE - Meredith Gray of Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100 has become the all-time leading rebounder for the JCHS girls basketball team, surpassing the previous record of 865 rebounds held by Shelby Woelfel Sackmann. Gray achieved this milestone recently. The Jersey basketball sensation has averaged nearly 20 points and close to 10 rebounds per game for the Panthers. In addition to her basketball success, Gray also excelled in girls' volleyball this season, recording
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Governor JB Pritzker signed a controversial battery storage and energy omnibus bill into law Thursday. Senate Bill 25 , also known as CRGA, is another example of flawed green energy policies that Illinois ratepayers are already all too familiar with. Pritzker’s signing of SB 25 comes on the heels of a study released last month by three state agencies that detailed the ‘credible risk’ of electricity shortages across Illinois within the next five
GLEN CARBON - Erin Kretzer, who will be a senior midfielder and striker for the Father McGivney Catholic girls soccer team this coming spring, has signed a letter of intent to play for Quincy University in the fall of 2026. Kretzer was a key player in the Griffins' run in the IHSA Class 1A tournament run that ended in the Round of 16 last season in the sectional final against Columbia at George Martz Field at Belleville Althoff Catholic, as the Griffins lost to the Eagles 1-0. Last season
SOUTH ROXANA – Village officials in South Roxana took action this week to seek grant funds for pedestrian safety improvements and put rules in place regarding low-speed electric scooters and bicycles. On Jan. 6, 2026, Village Board members unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Village of South Roxana to apply for the ACT Community Action Grant for pedestrian safety enhancements within the village. The Agency for Community Transit (ACT) offers the Community Action Grants Program
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